Okay I know I don't normally do this, but reading this journal it's worth reposting. NOTE: this does not apply to anyone who's commissioned me so far, so do not stress. I just thought it was worth sharing because it's a good general rule of thumb with artists. Yes, I know I still have art to do for people as well and I do apologise in advance for not having gotten them done. *bows*

I also should point out I've no problem being friendly with people, whether they commission me or not. And as a general rule of thumb with me: The more detail you provide me with, the better chance I can take what's in your head and put it down on paper (figuratively speaking).

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Commissioner/Artist Respect

By Tojo-The-Thief, Jan 28th, 2016 05:12 AM

As many of my twitter followers know, I do not have a great opinion of the furry fandom and I wanted to explain why this is the case. At this point in my life, I no longer take very many commissions so I am no longer afraid to state my opinions and lose followers. If you don’t like my opinions, I am not sorry. Consider this a lesson in respect 101 for commissioning. Keep in mind, this goes both ways and is not directed only at commissioners.

I spent many years doing full time furry art to make a living as I made my way through college and the time I spent looking for my first “real” job. During this time I encountered a lot of great people, but I also met some of the most rude and uncouth individuals. Understand that art is not an easy job and it takes a lot of time and skill to create these works for everyone to enjoy. Many artists live at or below the poverty line and struggle everyday just to make enough for bills. There are commissioners who take advantage of artists and there are artists who take advantage of their clients and this will likely always happen. The important thing to remember that that we are all people who deserve respect and understanding no matter the situation.

I want to address some of the issues that I personally dealt with and the things that irked me the most:

You are too expensive. – This was offensive to me when I first started drawing and then later faded to a dull annoyance. I understand if you are put off by some artists because they are too expensive for you to afford, but that does not mean they are charging too much. If an artist charges too much, they will not get commissions and the situation will sort itself out. If an artist charges too little, they will get more commissions than they can actually complete. There is a specific balance that must be achieved, anyone who has taken basic economics will understand this balance. So, what should you do if you see an artist that charges too much? Don’t do anything, don’t say anything. Don’t be a rude asshole.

Let’s be professional. – In this situation, if money is being exchanged for a service, this is a business agreement. Try and be professional and understanding to each other. Try and respond to emails within 24 hours if possible. If time goes by and nothing is heard, try sending another. I have encountered many issues with gmail eating emails, marking them as read and putting them in spam. In this situation, if communication is becoming a problem it might be best to try another means of contact. This message should be worded with the assumption that it’s an honest mistake and not “WHY ARE YOU IGNORING ME?!”. Artists, don’t be rude. Don’t put rude things on your webpage that insults others. Remember: if you are running a business, how do you want people to see it?

I want a commission. – The relationship between artists and commissioners is a great thing, I have developed many friendships over a commission. However, being asked constantly when I am opening for commissions get really old and takes a lot of time to answer these messages. Artists: have a clear spot on your webpage that states your commission status and when you might open, even if it’s an estimate. Commissioners: take a second to try and find this information before jumping on to private messages!

I bought a commission and I haven’t gotten it. – This is a super frequent issue on both sides and is hard to address. The solution to this? Communication. And not on a shout page or twitter. Email or private message. Yelling at an artist publicly because you think they are taking too long is a first class ticket to being blacklisted, at least in my book. Same goes for artists, are you taking longer than originally planned? Think about talking to the commissioner, see if you can reach a new deadline together. Creating art is not magic, it takes time and effort. Artists as human beings encounter all sorts of problems when doing art from software and hardware problems to artist block and personal problems. Of all the things not to do, PLEASE don’t send a message asking every day.
Life example time: Last year I had a commissioner stalk my twitter and comment whenever I tweeted about going out. I went on a hike one weekend and I got a message on twitter asking why I was out doing this when I have outstanding commissions. This commissioner was immediately refunded and is now blacklisted. DON’T do this.

Let’s be friends. – Although it’s a nice idea, artists cannot be friends with every person that commissions them. Most of us don’t have time to have friendly discussions on Skype with you just because you decided to commission us. Money /= friendship and being professional /= best friends.

The artist won’t draw my idea. – Let me put it bluntly, some of you people are weird. And so am I. However, everyone has their own ideas of what is okay and not everyone wants to draw fetish things. Be sure to ask and don’t assume. Also, don’t be rude about someone’s fetish and don’t be rude if someone doesn’t want to draw yours.

Terms of Service (TOS). – Artists, create a page with your terms of service, it will save your ass. Make sure it states basic information like the right to refuse service to anyone and how you handle refunds and deadlines. Commissioners, make sure if an artist has TOS that you read and understand them before commissioning them. If a dispute happens, your TOS can make or break a legal decision.

Don’t be a fucking asshole. – This seems to be very hard for people, especially with the anonymity on the internet. Think about what you are saying, would it be welcome in a professional work environment? If you are going to insult an artist’s work, it should be a useful critique and not “that leg is fucked up”. And if you do want to critique, think about doing it via a private message, especially if it’s a commission. I have encountered comments like this that directly insult the commissioners anatomy even though the art itself was correct according to the commissioner’s reference.

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Link to original journal: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/7341294/

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