Personally, I find the YCH style to be a good way to reuse sketches. But I don't charge as much for a YCH as I do for a normal commission, because it's already sketched out. Some folks like that...they like that they know exactly what they're getting from the start. Doing things that way cuts out a HUGE portion of the back and forth that happens with commissions, and the commissioner still gets a customized piece.

There's some artists who are making a fair bit of money by creating YCH bases...and those I find interesting, because they create the bases, but others color/customize them. Those seem like a good way to get cheap art...but they're little more than recolors at best. I applaud the artists who make the bases...they do good business it seems.

Adopts...those seem like a good way to just get rid of random drawings. I know I'm guilty of randomly doodling characters that I have no interest in keeping. WHy not make a bit of money by selling them to someone who will use them?

Anyways, I see your point, and your points are valid. It seems a lot of the artist community is shifting away from the way it used to be, with highly customized commissions...and more towards almost cookie cutter type commission pieces.

That definitely makes sense to me in terms of YCHs and I figured that was the case with them. I come from a traditional background and I get bored easily, so the thought of reusing a sketch is very alien to me, but I can see how a lot of people would like it on both sides.

Selling a base seems a bit off to me. I suppose as long as it's being sold at a reasonable price, though, it's not so bad. Still alien to me, but as mentioned in the journal, I would just draw things myself. XD

Again, I can see that being reasonable. Unfortunately, your case doesn't seem to be how the adopts community at large works. There's a lot of misunderstanding of copyright, abuse of buyers, sleazy selling tactics, etc.

Yeah, the cookie cutter art shift is kinda depressing. I guess most people have just burned out, like I did, and this is what's filling the void for now. Still, I can't help but feel bad for the buyers getting sucked into this mess. And I definitely feel bad for me, who wants to see new art more than a million adopt/YCH posts, ha ha. XD Makes me feel better about my life moving away from art as a career.

That first paragraph is spot on.
I've been told plenty of times people appreciate that they can see my sketch before they pay. It's a sort of security blanket to know you're going to get somerhing you like.

I loved reading all the points in your post.
Great insight

I love ychs because a lot of time I lack the creativity to come up with commission ideas.

I find the "cookie cutter" adopts to irritate me a bit since I feel there are too many artists pumping them out and trying to make a living off them.

Cookie cutter adopts, as mentioned above, annoy me unless it would make sense for somethign to look so similar like say, a like of aircraft, (which I have picked up adoptable for) Tho usually adoptable that catch my eye are unique enough to be like, 'oooh I LIKE that idea, I want it.'.

YCH I'm on the fence about, on the one hand if someone likes the idea and wants to insert themselves someone else into it, that's something good. At the same time however feels like someone that is capitalizing on something they intended to draw anyway by opening up a blank slot, more so when it's one of those ones where many can take the slot.

I will say this tho, it IS getting a little supersaturated. Tho I would rather this then images cropped down as tight as possible with a big orange P on it. At least with the previous two art that can be seen/is somewhat done or fully done is being posted, not a thumbnail for an advertisement.

When I commission folks I usually give them artistic freedom cause I don't really know what I want. I've had some commissioners come to me with a similar mindset. So YCHs can help with that for folks who are unsure of what they want, but definitely want something from the artist.


I also have the policy when I draw for folks that I come up with 3 to 5 poses for them to pick from. Sometimes they pick the one that isn't the one I was most excited for. I can either reuse that sketch for another commissioner that might want something similar, or slap it up as a YCH. Cause it's a pose I love and people know that I enjoy and want to work on. Though I do normally do a bidding system and start the bidding below my normal prices.

YCHs have also helped me to show commissioners what Im capable of doing. Maybe it's of a kink people didn't expect me to draw. Leaves me room to draw something I want to that maybe commissioners didn't expect me to do.

Few options as to why.
They are successful. That's why there are so many.
Same with adopts I imagine. They are successful. So there is a large market of them.

I like YCH's. I think it's great for an artist to sketch things and for a commissioner to get a sense of what an image may look like.

Adopts ... I have mixed feels on. One, I hate the adopts that comes with a bunch of rules attached to them. But more than that, ehhh. I like the ones that have work and effort put into them. But when I see adopts that are literally just color shifts of the same thing, I get a bit annoyed by it.

I do get kinda sad on just how popular they are. I miss the front page filled with all sorts of things so it seems a bit repetitive. On the other hand, I like looking at adopts even if I don't plan on getting any usually (I create enough characters that I only get one if I can trade for it and really really like it).

So mixed views on that, I guess.