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Which do you prefer? (when it comes to taking commissions)
9 years ago
So I only really have one more commission left to do on my queue (its a big one so it might take a bit to finish) but after that one is cleared, I'm thinking about taking commissions publicly again, which is something i havent done in over a year haha. The times I open commissions are pretty random, it really depends if I'm in the mood or if I'm in need of cash.
Unlike most artists I dont really like taking a lot of slots at once. (like 10 or more) Instead I like only taking one, two or three at a time because taking too many slots stresses the heck out of me and when I did take a lot of slots at once, I had a lot of trouble with people not answering my messages/slow communication and payments getting cancelled/lost interest in buying. It was just a bad experience so I like to keep it simple for myself. I also dont like to keep my clients waiting forever, so taking fewer slots means I can get your product done pretty quickly!
So when I start up doing this again, I'm only planning to take a few slots at once. But what I'm debating on is the method of how I'd go about taking the slots. I have 2 methods in mind: artist's choice or first come first serve.
To me, artist choice seems like the more appealing way for me, but I can see how other people may see it as unfair. The way this would work is that I would leave my slots open for a few days and choose people's prompts and ideas that I would enjoy working with the most. I like to take a variety of ideas and characters and sometimes I'm not always too thrilled to draw the same things over and over again. But at the same time, a lot of my own biases can come into play and some people may not be chosen at all. But this would be more fair to people who may miss the chance to grab a slot if I did first come first serve.
Another way is first come, first serve, which is the way I used to do it before. The first people to comment on my journals get the slots! The only way I could see this as unfair is to people who live in other timezones or have erractic schedules, as I tend to take commissions during the afternoon where I am (usually on a weekend) where I have a lot of time to respond to emails quickly.
I'd just like to know what my followers (and potential commissioners) prefer and I'll take it into account next time! :)
Unlike most artists I dont really like taking a lot of slots at once. (like 10 or more) Instead I like only taking one, two or three at a time because taking too many slots stresses the heck out of me and when I did take a lot of slots at once, I had a lot of trouble with people not answering my messages/slow communication and payments getting cancelled/lost interest in buying. It was just a bad experience so I like to keep it simple for myself. I also dont like to keep my clients waiting forever, so taking fewer slots means I can get your product done pretty quickly!
So when I start up doing this again, I'm only planning to take a few slots at once. But what I'm debating on is the method of how I'd go about taking the slots. I have 2 methods in mind: artist's choice or first come first serve.
To me, artist choice seems like the more appealing way for me, but I can see how other people may see it as unfair. The way this would work is that I would leave my slots open for a few days and choose people's prompts and ideas that I would enjoy working with the most. I like to take a variety of ideas and characters and sometimes I'm not always too thrilled to draw the same things over and over again. But at the same time, a lot of my own biases can come into play and some people may not be chosen at all. But this would be more fair to people who may miss the chance to grab a slot if I did first come first serve.
Another way is first come, first serve, which is the way I used to do it before. The first people to comment on my journals get the slots! The only way I could see this as unfair is to people who live in other timezones or have erractic schedules, as I tend to take commissions during the afternoon where I am (usually on a weekend) where I have a lot of time to respond to emails quickly.
I'd just like to know what my followers (and potential commissioners) prefer and I'll take it into account next time! :)
I have turned people away because I don't feel confident enough to bring their ideas to life, or sometimes I'm not in the mood to come up with ideas myself, so I will accept people who have fully fleshed out ideas first (or sometimes vice versa!)
Being an artist means that you are not a machine. I assume that you only want to turn out artwork you are 110% proud of, and confident in, and if you feel like something is gunna burn you out, or you don't feel competent to do a certain thing, you are in no way obligated to do them, as long as you don't accept their money.
And thats true! I never submit a commission until I know my client is 100% happy with it as well as me being 100% happy with it xD I like the idea of mixing the two methods together, but I might get kinda anxious if I have to reject people's ideas directly x'D
I kinda meant it in a "we're all poor here" kinda way x)
You can just go back and forth between the two every time you finish a batch, or you can reserve "first come" for when you're down on money and need what you can take.
You could also do "first come", but announce a day ahead of time when you'll be posting a journal and what time zone of yours to look out for.
As a commissioner, I don't really like "first come", because I'm ALWAYS late to the party. ASDFFFF
But I'm also kinda sad when I don't get picked for artists choice? Though I could be picked at another time. Ya never know! So if artist's choice is what makes your work shine, I prefer seeing the best, anyway. :)
And yeah I'd rather see an artist work on something they like rather than something they might not like, but just do it cause they were paid to :"D
Not feeling it for any of my characters but it would be a nice YCH. I'm not open for any right now (I'm moving house next week) but it would be something I might post up later on as it's a good general pose that I can customise easily. It'll appeal to a wide audience.
As you a say, a mixture of the two is good but maybe have it so that you need a form with a certain amount of info like the 'feel/mood' of the piece as well as the type of environment (urban/country/general BG). I also ask people for pictures they like/colour palettes, it really helps me bring stuff out with them. Makes it more 'theirs' because it's collaborative.
Ohh yeah I like that! I do have forms for my commissions but I never thought of mood or color pallettes. Thats usually something I let my commissions decide when they give my a description, which sometimes isnt specified x'D
I found not many artists ask for it I think. I just think some people who appreciate art have a lot of really great knowledge on composition and colour theory (that has easily surpassed mine!) but not the technical skill to bring it together. They might not realise that they do even, prompting helps though you mustn't force anyone! Not that I'm saying you ever would!!
Taking only a few is fine. But sometimes people who make you the main artists need to sort of...wait. Or a find another artist that can be made a mainstay. I already have! And I can't wait for the commissions. However...lets just say....the artist is going to be drawing 94 Typhlosion, half of that was actually around 42. 42 was basically only the front of the Typhlosion pack. And with a need to show the back it multiplied the amount by....well. Lets just say me and the artist may not agree on how long it may take, how much it costs, or most of the idea. xvx;
And I wouldn't blame him for not taking it!
But ech! Besides being open more monetarily its still not wrong for you pricing how you like. While you have a few people who consistently barter with you, I have another artist I can not only afford, but hopefully not make him tired of drawing Typhs. xvx;
He also likes Typhlosion, not sure how much but I know he likes them. Buuuuuuut I know he likes them. Moving on, or at least trying to, the whole thing is to be more or less just open! Maybe make one slot artist's choice and then the other(s) a first come first serve! Switch it up from time to time of how you may feel over a broad period of time of how fast the slots go and how long it takes you to make the result! I understand its suuuuuuoer corny and possibly insulting but be creative with it! See how it goes for at least two or three times and see how you feel! And whatever you felt was nice then go with that!
And well here are my thoughts on how I commission artists!:
I like artists I commission like the one I have reserved, to enjoy the commission thoroughly, ideas, drawing it, looking at it, giving details, everything! And if they don't like it all the way through at least around 50-70% then it kind of makes me upset some. Because it was not as enjoyable as I'd like it to be for them. Which is more or less just a horrible feeling as a commissioner. At least when you love the artist, their art,
maybe wanting to be friends, them since how they interact is funny and such, or whatever there is to like about the artist. Along with how modest the price is to them and how they feel their art is worth.Since that is what I value quite a lot then well its likely there is a chance that I'll always come back with a couple more ideas if not likely to always come back.
But I agree! Artists having more fun with the work is better. :) Thats why sometimes I feel weary of commissioning artists myself cause sometimes I dont know if they like the work I'm giving them. :'D (sometimes to a point where they might not even do it x( )
But yeah having the artist have fun is better than the artist not having fun at all. I am afraid to ask most of whom I see. So I limit myself to my favorite artists which are not really much of them. =v=
Honestly, for my part I tend to prefer artist's choice over others. There are several reasons for this, the principal being that I'd prefer any artist whom I'd commission to enjoy what they are doing, and like the ideas that I pitch. I think that art that is enjoyed in its creation, or at least, art for which the idea is enjoyed, ultimately has a much deeper impact than that which feels like a chore.
Other reasons for that is that my strength in commissioning artists is indeed providing the idea, , as by far and large I've found folks that I've commissioned to be interested in the ideas I provide (and I often try to match the artist whom I commission with an idea which they are will likely be interested, based on the art that I've seen (or at the very least based on personal pieces that are posted). Also, with a few exceptions (such as when opening times and dates are specifically posted, and other such things).
Of course, I've had the occasional disappointment when it turns out my idea was not interesting enough to be picked, but, I tend to either refine or modify the idea for the future, or just provide a different idea in the hopes that it may be of interest. But in spite the very occasional disappointment, it is no worse than the cumulative disappointment when I miss numerous openings of artists I like XD
However, in the end, that is simply my perspective from my end of the world, for what it's worth. That said, for some artists that are "first come, first serve" that I enjoy, I will often wait a considerable amount of time for folks whose art I enjoy XD
V/R,
Cap Mag.
I'm still leaning towards artist's choice myself. I mainly just feel bad about rejecting people's ideas haha (since I know how it feels xD) But it seems like the best option that'll help my artistic growth :'D
(by the way, I'll be working on your commission throughout the week, so expect to see it soon! ;))