As a past customer, as much as I wouldn't mind a physical copy, I quite honestly don't have the room for it. :x

Big giant pile of bristol board in the cabinet.

Do you still have the original of Candi Bunny and her suitors in the pool? I would pay to have that shipped.

I think so. It's probably in one of the boxes I haven't unpacked. It may have faded.

You technically still own the copyright for pictures you've done, so if the customer refused the physical copy, you can resell it to someone who would take it.

This!

you can sell them,
selling an artpiece AND the copyright that goes with it is *absolutely* not the same kind of price level as just selling the art piece itself (add a zero or two to the price).
getting the copyright that goes with an artpiece has to be explicitly stated in the contact you had with the customer (even if it was only a note on FA), so unless the customer asked you to get the rights too, you still own the right to the art itself

Absent an actual contract on the commission that specifies their fate, and you have made a good faith effort to give it to them, I'd say they are yours to do with as you please. Put them up for sale, give them to someone, or use them as firelighters. If the characters belong to someone, noting that on the back of the artwork would be courteous.

Good idea on the characters being credited, thanks!

I always ask for the original art whenever I get a traditional art commission. My only concern is, if the customer who commissioned the original art doesn't want it, then who'd want to buy it?

I know the saying goes that one man's junk is another man's treasure but if the character in the original art isn't yours, would you really buy artwork of said character? The only way I could see that happening was if said character was "pop-u-fur" or at least well known in the fandom.

But back to your question, if the commissioner refuses the right to ask for the original art, then I see no problem in selling it to an interested buyer.

In one case the character IS a popufur gal...and the commissioner had to get permission from her creator.

Oh, so, a commissioner got artwork of a "pop-u-fur" gal character and had to seek permission from its creator to commission a traditional pic of said character. Hmmm... well, in that case, if the original commissioner doesn't want the traditional art, then the next step would be to contact the owner of the "pop-u-fur" gal character and find out from them if they wish to own the original artwork. If they as well turn down the offer, then you sell it off to another interested person.

But now you have peaked my interest. Who's this "pop-u-fur" gal that you drew?

Max Blackrabbit's slave wolf gal.

Doesn't ring a bell. Got a pic of her?

Ummm...not sure. I was not allowed to upload my own pic of her, as per commission agreement.

Hmmm... well, guess I'll never know then lol XD

If it was pretty equine art and it was on a dealer's table, art show or auction at a con, I might take it. *shrug*

Yeah, I have a pile too, part of me wants to sell them, part of me says destroy them. Not everybody wants to buy somebodies commission.

Good Quandry question you have brought up, I too am now curious.

Hi Rabbi

If you find any originals of me in your piles, I would definitely want them!

I think it's blasphemy (well, nearly anyway) to destroy good art. Why not offer them for sale and if nobody wants them, THEN think about tossing them if you need the space.

I sell them, I didn't think people would buy them but they do. I have a small book I bring to cons and sell originals people didn't pay for owning.

I wouldn't mind having the physical copy of the Zalia piece I got from you if that was drawn in real media. I'd be willing to pay for shipping (if it's not lost in a giant pile and a pain to find x3).

Sure! Let me find it.

Found it!

Sweet! I'll note you my address.

Ask the original commissioner if it is okay to sell them and if they say yes, do so.

If they say no, explain that you cannot take responsibility for the art and insist they take it.

If they do not reply, set a deadline and say at the end of it that you will assume that the art is yours to sell

This way they cannot complain because you have given fair warning.

I absolutely love to get the original piece. It's why I seek out traditional artists. And most are reasonable on shipping price.

If your customers didn't want the originals, you have the right to sell them. :) You aren't their storage service, after all.

Luckily for me, I got my art from you at a con, so I have the original.

Interesting question.
For photography, in general, all rights to a photograph belong to the photographer or studio that produced it. Any photo can be altered, re-used and republished. A model release form is not required but is recommended. Model release forms come in a variety of flavors but fall into two categories. The first is a irrevocable, perpetual, and unrestricted. This version is normal for paid models. The second type give the photographer only the right to use the image for self promotion and not publication ('Art Sales' may be considered self promotion).

I treat all my photos at cons as the second type. I would assume that your commission work would fall into that category unless you formally reassigned copywrite.

I've never read your TOS but I would believe it would be ok to sell the original as long as the commissioner did not explicitly state otherwise.

Actually I'm another in the camp of if I can get the original, I'll be happy to give it a good home

Thanks!

What Vicky said.

Unless you already have a definitive answer, kill with kindness.

Hi thrre, doing some cleaning. Found your old piece. You want it?
If I done hear back from you inthe next couple of weeks, I'll just auction it off.
Thanks again. Was great working with you ...unless, of course, it wasn't,


No response gets you off the hook... you honestly tried.

If you really dont want old art around, and someone is being a real middle-manager about it, just remember.... accidents happen.

... oh, I am so sorry about that, I thought it would be fine next to the sink with all the greasy dishes in it and well, that open window just pushed it right in.


Stalker problems forced me to "dispose" of anything and everything furry and/or art-related at one point, so I had to learn this in a self-taught crash course.

You had a stalker? So did I

-angry anti-stalker ranting with too much personal info deleted-

....so that would be a 'yes'.

Lifeless creepy creeps who get their thrill hurting others need to not exist ever.



So! I deleted most everything, started over and avoiding being seen with known furs.
.....and part of that meant re-homing or destroying ALL my art since I didn't have my own place at the time.

Tried that once. Sent email to a commissioner. Got no response. Posted the pieces up for sale on Fur Buy and then the guy popped up and began a rant and make all sorts of accusations even when I took the pieces down and started demanding I send him the pieces and give him his money back.

If in doubt, contact the commissioner and ask if you can sell the original. I would also make sure the commissioner's character information was on the original so any buyer is not under the impression he or she is buying the fursona depicted in the drawing.

We would love to have the original of the Panduck mount (with the little troll rider), if you still have that one laying around somewhere. Unless you already sent it...I can't remember! XD But even if you have the right to sell them (according to the comments above), I would still ask the commissioners first if they want them, just to be on the safe side (maybe they can pay shipping or something?). No sense in you hanging on indefinitely to original art that can be sold (or mailed), rather than taking up space in your drawer.

Ooh I do have it! Are you in Sweden?

Norway! :D

I always want the original art when I commission.Some people (especially younger ones it seems) just digital only everything.Probably from being digital media and stuff.If you make an effort and someone doesnt want the original.Then sell it. Take a pile of them to a con and sell them cheap.That way fans of yours can own some nice original artwork for affordable rates Thats assuming you got what your time was worth when doing the work.
Speaking of cons you have your 2015 cons thought out yet?

Like everyone else said, you are totally within your rights to sell them (people will buy anything for the right price, and they're worth nothing sitting unloved in a pile lol). I check with my commissioners first to make sure they absolutely don't want the original, especially if it's been a while since it was commissioned. I have a horrible habit of taking forever to ship things.

Well I have bought cleaning out the closer art of a game illustrator. I have a pile of Bristol board.

I would label the art with the original commissioner in such a way that a matt would cover it and have a house cleaning.

Just another affirmation! You can sell them, people do buy them in the online auction houses and people's journals. Just ask the character owner if it's okay and usually it is.

I always try to get the hard copy of art I commission. In fact all the art you've done for me is proudly displayed on my walls.

If the commissioner already said they didn't want the original, you should be free to do whatever you want with it. That being said, I like the idea of writing on the back (or even the front) "blank character copyright blank". I'm currently in the unenviable position of purchasing an original from an artist, thinking it was wholely their own creation, and then finding out afterwards that it was actually a commission featuring one of their characters and the character of a commissioner. Now I don't feel comfortable showing it off in my gallery, being that neither of the characters are my creation, even though my image would be just the physical art, and the images the other two creators posted was digitally-colored versions of the original art. I sent a note to the commissioner asking if they wanted to buy or trade for the original (since the commissioned artist specifically states that they don't ship originals), but they never replied even though I see they read the note, so I guess I'm in the clear if I ever decide to sell it myself.

I always want to get the originals if they are done in traditional media. I would suggest that starting now indicate if someone only wants the electronic format, and lets you keep the original and states the fact they do not want to pay for shipping you should be able to sell it unless they specifically state otherwise. If they don't I guess it would be up to you if you wanted to keep it. If it's a past commission like many people above stated try contacting them first before selling or destroying it, as their situation may have changed and maybe they can now pay for shipping/ have room/ or can show it off. A number of people pointed out (to include the character's name and character's owner) somewhere sounds like a good idea, when selling it. As to who would purchase your cute artwork even if it is of other people's characters, you might have to beat them into a manageable line with a pool noodle on Mondays and Wednesday's between 3:00 and 4:30.

heh heh thanks man

Weird, I always want the originals. Guess that makes me old.

Sounds like you already have the answer as to if it's legal, and I figure if it was clear they didn't want their originals they can't really blame you for selling them to others. And if people are willing to buy adopts and YCH type art where they have little to no input on the final work, I don't see why these originals wouldn't also.

Make copies of your attempts to contact the commissioner to have in case you have the ranting asshat like Style did. You will have the documentation to show due diligence to contact to counter sue them into fiscal oblivion. Post the emails in their enteritis in any comments rants by the ranter so the public knows who is in the wrong and who is slinging libel.

Good idea.

No problem, for my next trick I'll attempt to split the porn atom. *Blam* Three city blocks covered in used tissues.