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Paypal Reversed Transactions are a HUGE Problem.
Posted 12 years agoThe whole "my Paypal got hacked" excuse is getting a little old, particularly when you don't resolve your reversal with me as soon as possible or don't even update me on your current status. Without at least a note letting me know what's going on, it seriously feels like my artwork and time have been stolen. Not just that, but these reversals are causing a negative balance on my account which I can't afford to pay. Today, I got my first of presumably many Paypal collection calls I expect to receive about this.
I make my living off of what I do between this website, other commissions and live drawing events. When things like this occur, I'm put in a terrible pinch. Overall, it makes me very discouraged to take commissions because a week, two months or even a year from now, I could get a random reversal and never see that money again. I really can't afford this.
Even worse, I've been trying to find time to work between settling in with roommates and various life circumstances. I can't take on more commissions right now to cover the negative balance because I already have a few commissioners who have been absolutely amazing in their patience with me. It would be terribly unfair of me to take on more commissions when I'm not sure right now when I could finish them.
So I guess the bottom line here is this: Your Paypal transaction with me gets reversed? You better get a hold of me real quick before I report you to AB. Paypal reversed transactions not resolved within 24 hours will result in permanent commission blacklisting. It's not that I don't want to work with you, but I cannot afford to take the risk of the money being lost again in the future, even by mistake.
EDIT
Invoicing DOES NOT PROTECT YOU. There are a multitude of problems with Paypal on the vendor side. Payment requests are supposed to protect the seller, but hasn't been successful in protecting me yet. Invoices only cover products, not services. Paypal requires you to provide proof that you've sent a physical good to the person. What I do is a service, so I've struggled with those in the past. I am looking into sending out cheap prints to have proof of shipping, which would help somewhat.
Other solutions seem to be too alienating at this time and I can't afford to lose a multitude of commissioners if I want to keep doing this full time.
I make my living off of what I do between this website, other commissions and live drawing events. When things like this occur, I'm put in a terrible pinch. Overall, it makes me very discouraged to take commissions because a week, two months or even a year from now, I could get a random reversal and never see that money again. I really can't afford this.
Even worse, I've been trying to find time to work between settling in with roommates and various life circumstances. I can't take on more commissions right now to cover the negative balance because I already have a few commissioners who have been absolutely amazing in their patience with me. It would be terribly unfair of me to take on more commissions when I'm not sure right now when I could finish them.
So I guess the bottom line here is this: Your Paypal transaction with me gets reversed? You better get a hold of me real quick before I report you to AB. Paypal reversed transactions not resolved within 24 hours will result in permanent commission blacklisting. It's not that I don't want to work with you, but I cannot afford to take the risk of the money being lost again in the future, even by mistake.
EDIT
Invoicing DOES NOT PROTECT YOU. There are a multitude of problems with Paypal on the vendor side. Payment requests are supposed to protect the seller, but hasn't been successful in protecting me yet. Invoices only cover products, not services. Paypal requires you to provide proof that you've sent a physical good to the person. What I do is a service, so I've struggled with those in the past. I am looking into sending out cheap prints to have proof of shipping, which would help somewhat.
Other solutions seem to be too alienating at this time and I can't afford to lose a multitude of commissioners if I want to keep doing this full time.
70k/5k Thank You!
Posted 12 years agoI wanted to take a moment to thank everyone so much for all the views, watches, favorites, comments and commissions. I hope everyone knows how much I appreciate all the support over these past two years. I couldn't do this without you all.
No More Auctions
Posted 12 years agoPlease do not note the ex-winner if you know who they are. I have removed their identity from the original auction. This is not a call-out journal. Please do not do more damage than has already been done.
---
The previous auction's ending winner bid revoked. That makes two out of five auctions this year that I've lost to this, even with the new stricter rules. Unfortunately, moving to the previous bidder isn't always an option. Once outbid, they often move on to another auction or artist and no longer have the funds. While that may not be the case with this particular auction, it ultimately led to the disintegration of the last auction where this happened.
It is also my personal belief that it shouldn't be the previous bidder's responsibility to carry the burden if the winning bidder decides to bail. In addition, Shyloc brings up a good point that previous bidders may feel a little cheated if there was a bid war and the winner drops. It might feel like the price was inflated without the funds.
Keep in mind that I illustrate for a living - it is my only job. So when I lose anticipated income, it has a significant toll on my life. Because of how unreliable auctions have become as a source of income, I will unfortunately be discontinuing them.
I do have a previous auction commission still on me. I will still be completing that. And, should the runner-up decide to take the commission, I will be completing their piece as well. After that, expect a significant drop in full-color pieces.
---
The previous auction's ending winner bid revoked. That makes two out of five auctions this year that I've lost to this, even with the new stricter rules. Unfortunately, moving to the previous bidder isn't always an option. Once outbid, they often move on to another auction or artist and no longer have the funds. While that may not be the case with this particular auction, it ultimately led to the disintegration of the last auction where this happened.
It is also my personal belief that it shouldn't be the previous bidder's responsibility to carry the burden if the winning bidder decides to bail. In addition, Shyloc brings up a good point that previous bidders may feel a little cheated if there was a bid war and the winner drops. It might feel like the price was inflated without the funds.
Keep in mind that I illustrate for a living - it is my only job. So when I lose anticipated income, it has a significant toll on my life. Because of how unreliable auctions have become as a source of income, I will unfortunately be discontinuing them.
I do have a previous auction commission still on me. I will still be completing that. And, should the runner-up decide to take the commission, I will be completing their piece as well. After that, expect a significant drop in full-color pieces.
Survey Results! And the winner is...
Posted 12 years agoCongratulations to
oXSilverXo
You've won a Chinese-themed icon!
Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey!
On to the results!
oXSilverXoSURVEY RESULTS
This journal will address the results of the survey, including questions and suggestions. If you have any further questions or suggestions, please let me know in the comments below!
The survey resulted in over 100 responses. Of those, 35% were previous clients.
Overall, many agreed that my prices are a bit too low.
While the survey question with a multiple choice answer did not reflect that (92% said "just right."), over half of those answers stated in the following question that I could raise my prices a bit. That being said, I do not plan on changing my prices until June at the earliest. At that time, I'm looking at a potential $5 increase in Grayscale and Color sketches. Expect to see a journal, and even potentially a survey, at that time addressing the price change. But that price change isn't happening anytime soon.
Previous clients agree that I am fast, professional and friendly. Clients and watchers alike agree that my work is overall affordable and unique.
I am proud to say that I had no negative feedback on my services or work.
100% of previous clients would commission me again. 97% of all survey takers said they would like to commission me in the future.
The most requested service or feature I could offer was more auctions. The most common feedback that I received about improving my auctions is that the survey taker did not like auctions.
As usual, surveys often result in mixed feedback. What I can say at this time is that 68% of survey takers said that they would like to participate in one of my auctions in the future, which is reason enough to keep them around. As far as auctions for full colored images, I hold them once a month because I can only handle once full colored illustration a month on top of my standard workload.
The second most requested service or feature I could offer was more icons, specifically animated icons.
Because of this, I'm thinking of bringing back my old Shifty Eye icons, as well as falling snow icons when winter comes around. These would be sold in flash sales like my icons typically are.
The third most requested service or feature I could offer was livestream sessions.
Because of this, I will begin livestreaming my workday once a month using Ustream. It will be a random occurrence at this point because my workload keeps me pretty busy. In the future, I may try to schedule them into my monthly schedule or offer multiple livestream sessions per month.
Overall, most auction participants agree that their auction experience was great.
Please note that I do offer a bolded BID HERE comment so bidders know where to place their bid. I also require bidders to respond to the previous bidder so they know they've been outbid. These were common concerns in the survey that I do address already in my auctions.
For those of you who want me to bring back full color and inked commissions:
This was only a few of survey takers, but common enough that I wanted to address this. Full-color illustrations are now auction-only. I understand that this is frustrating for some of you, but please understand that those illustrations take me an immense amount of time to complete. It's part of the reason that I only do one a month. Even more so, the time I spend of them often exceeds the final bid of the auction. That being said, I don't want to cut full-color commissions at all, which is why I switched to an auction format.
For those of you looking for cheaper commission options:
I plan on offering icons at least twice a month. One of those will be my $5 Chinese-themed icons - the cheapest thing I can offer. The other will most likely be $15 800x800px fully lined and cel-shaded portraits which are then sized to 100x100px icons. These icons are $7 less than my grayscale wing-it sketches. I try the best I can to offer as many affordable options as possible.
Overall, the outcome of the survey was very positive. Most survey takers said that they did not see anything I should change and that they enjoyed my work and my services.
And again, I want to thank everyone who took the time to fill out the survey. Your feedback was incredibly valuable in updating my process.
Self-Employed Socialization Struggles over at Breadwinners
Posted 12 years agoOne of the biggest struggles I've had transitioning from a retail illustration position to an independent freelancer is the lack of socialization. My daily interaction went from hundreds of people plus a team of 40 employees down to me and my pets. How do we, as the self-employed, combat loneliness and find friends when our interaction is mostly limited to our clients and the four walls of our office? Read More...
New AUP Update: What changes I will be making at this point.
Posted 13 years agoNote: Thank you to outsider for doing the legwork on getting some of my previous questions answered.
The new AUP Update has a lot of freelancing artists concerned with how they do business on FA, including myself. While I know that these rules do not target artists like me, I believe the community's concern is more about how these rules may be used against them in the long run. Since I rely on FA to feed, clothe and shelter myself, I will have to make some changes to avoid future conflict. Here's what this means for people interested in commissioning me or bidding on my auctions:
[+] The Sketchmissions Open notification images that you're used to seeing will no longer be in use. Instead, the new notification will include two images with the price amount below them. Please be on the lookout if you're interested in commissioning me in the future.
[+] That piece will be posted once when I open Sketchmissions on Fridays.
[+] Because this advertisement may resemble a price guide, my current Commission Price Guide has been moved to my scraps. It is now linked in the upper portion of my profile for future reference.
[+] All Sketchmissions ordered will not be posted until Friday, after I post my notification that I'm open. This helps create traffic to my Sketchmissions Open journal. Traffic means commissions and commissions means I can continue to do what I love to do: create art for you guys.
[+] This also means that I'm open for commission if I'm posting new Sketchmissions.
[+] If Sketchmissions do not fill by Friday night, a new Sketchmissions Open notification will be posted to my scraps. This is for watchers interested in commissioning me but whose subscriptions overfill. Notifications can be missed that way.
[+] For my 3-Day Auctions, I will post the main image to my gallery when I open each monthly auction. It will be scrapped upon completion.
[+] All further auction notifications will come through scraps. I will upload one at the 24 hour mark, one at the 8 hour mark, and one at the 1 hour left mark. This is mostly because everyone is in different time zones and it lets people know when auctions are ending. Previous notifications will be deleted as the new ones are added.
Hopefully FA will implement a Commissions tab and For Sale category soon. Until then, I implore everyone to read journals! Journals are quickly becoming freelancing illustrators' main way of opening and auction notifications.
The new AUP Update has a lot of freelancing artists concerned with how they do business on FA, including myself. While I know that these rules do not target artists like me, I believe the community's concern is more about how these rules may be used against them in the long run. Since I rely on FA to feed, clothe and shelter myself, I will have to make some changes to avoid future conflict. Here's what this means for people interested in commissioning me or bidding on my auctions:
[+] The Sketchmissions Open notification images that you're used to seeing will no longer be in use. Instead, the new notification will include two images with the price amount below them. Please be on the lookout if you're interested in commissioning me in the future.
[+] That piece will be posted once when I open Sketchmissions on Fridays.
[+] Because this advertisement may resemble a price guide, my current Commission Price Guide has been moved to my scraps. It is now linked in the upper portion of my profile for future reference.
[+] All Sketchmissions ordered will not be posted until Friday, after I post my notification that I'm open. This helps create traffic to my Sketchmissions Open journal. Traffic means commissions and commissions means I can continue to do what I love to do: create art for you guys.
[+] This also means that I'm open for commission if I'm posting new Sketchmissions.
[+] If Sketchmissions do not fill by Friday night, a new Sketchmissions Open notification will be posted to my scraps. This is for watchers interested in commissioning me but whose subscriptions overfill. Notifications can be missed that way.
[+] For my 3-Day Auctions, I will post the main image to my gallery when I open each monthly auction. It will be scrapped upon completion.
[+] All further auction notifications will come through scraps. I will upload one at the 24 hour mark, one at the 8 hour mark, and one at the 1 hour left mark. This is mostly because everyone is in different time zones and it lets people know when auctions are ending. Previous notifications will be deleted as the new ones are added.
Hopefully FA will implement a Commissions tab and For Sale category soon. Until then, I implore everyone to read journals! Journals are quickly becoming freelancing illustrators' main way of opening and auction notifications.
Thanks for your Feedback! $2 raise on Sketchmissions!
Posted 13 years agoPlease give me honest feedback.
I'm looking at potentially raising Sketchmissions to $22 for grayscale or $27 for color going into effect February 1st. This raise would hopefully help me to cover some unexpected problems with my husband's car a bit sooner than our current projected fix date of mid-April, giving me an extra $50 a month total to put that direction.
Would this be acceptable? Would it change your mind on commissioning me?
I would like to thank everyone for their feedback!
Beginning February 1st, all Sketchmission prices will raise $2 USD. This means that grayscale sketches will be $22 USD and color sketches will be $27 USD. All add-on prices will remain the same.
This increase will not affect current paid-for Sketchmissions.
This price increase is to pay for an unexpected problem with my husband's car, but will remain permanent after the fix as a response to increased demand in Sketchmissions (which I can't thank you guys enough for!).
Prices will not change again until June.
Thank you for your understanding in this matter!
I'm looking at potentially raising Sketchmissions to $22 for grayscale or $27 for color going into effect February 1st. This raise would hopefully help me to cover some unexpected problems with my husband's car a bit sooner than our current projected fix date of mid-April, giving me an extra $50 a month total to put that direction.
Would this be acceptable? Would it change your mind on commissioning me?
I would like to thank everyone for their feedback!
Beginning February 1st, all Sketchmission prices will raise $2 USD. This means that grayscale sketches will be $22 USD and color sketches will be $27 USD. All add-on prices will remain the same.
This increase will not affect current paid-for Sketchmissions.
This price increase is to pay for an unexpected problem with my husband's car, but will remain permanent after the fix as a response to increased demand in Sketchmissions (which I can't thank you guys enough for!).
Prices will not change again until June.
Thank you for your understanding in this matter!
Goodbye, my beautiful kitty.
Posted 13 years agoNyx passed today. My little girl.
My cat has acute liver failure.
Posted 13 years agoNyx is currently staying at our local animal hospital with acute liver failure. We'll know within 24-48 hours if she'll recover.
My husband and I had noticed she had been refusing food for the past four or five days. I thought maybe she was being picky until she started retching a lot - gagging like she was going to throw up, but nothing ever came out. This morning, she retched multiple times in a row and I took her in to the vet. The vet doesn't think it's chronic - the difference between chronic versus acute is essentially slowly building versus sudden. Chronic liver failure means we would have been putting her down today. Acute liver failure means she has a chance to turn around. She's currently on IVs for antibiotics and food. The soonest I'll know is tomorrow morning and the latest I'll know is Saturday.
There are some hefty bills associated with this, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Right now, I just want my baby girl to feel better.
My husband and I had noticed she had been refusing food for the past four or five days. I thought maybe she was being picky until she started retching a lot - gagging like she was going to throw up, but nothing ever came out. This morning, she retched multiple times in a row and I took her in to the vet. The vet doesn't think it's chronic - the difference between chronic versus acute is essentially slowly building versus sudden. Chronic liver failure means we would have been putting her down today. Acute liver failure means she has a chance to turn around. She's currently on IVs for antibiotics and food. The soonest I'll know is tomorrow morning and the latest I'll know is Saturday.
There are some hefty bills associated with this, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Right now, I just want my baby girl to feel better.
$10 ANIMATED Shifty Eyes Icon SALE
Posted 13 years agoSAMPLE 1 | SAMPLE 2 | SAMPLE 3 |SAMPLE 4
Price: $10 USD
Complicated faces add $3 USD
Pupil/eye shape changes add $5 USD
How to get one:
Post here or note me with the following:
Reference Picture:
Paypal E-mail:
Anything else?
Not taking descriptions for the icons at this time. Sorry!
Waiting List:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
[Will add more if necessary]
COMPLETED
Click Names to View
Cratia
Radiocatastrophe
Canius
Demetriuswulf
Reallifenerd
Reallifenerd
Amethystmare
Tygerstkuan
Fangkujaku
KaraResch
EgoDominusTuus
Price: $10 USD
Complicated faces add $3 USD
Pupil/eye shape changes add $5 USD
How to get one:
Post here or note me with the following:
Reference Picture:
Paypal E-mail:
Anything else?
Not taking descriptions for the icons at this time. Sorry!
Waiting List:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
[Will add more if necessary]
COMPLETED
Click Names to View
Cratia
Radiocatastrophe
Canius
Demetriuswulf
Reallifenerd
Reallifenerd
Amethystmare
Tygerstkuan
Fangkujaku
KaraResch
EgoDominusTuus
WAITING LIST
Posted 13 years agoPLEASE DO NOT COMMENT ON THIS WAITING LIST.
Check my most recent journal for updates.
You may e-mail me at artist[at]onyxavia.com or note me if you have a question or concerns.
CURRENT WORKING STATUS:
HEALTH HIATUS 2014
WAITING LIST
Color Codes:
Waiting on Response | Not Started
Ball & Stick'ed | Sketched | Flatted | Shaded
Missing from the list? Check my gallery - yours is done!
ListTERMS OF SERVICE
Posted 13 years agoWhen you commission me, you agree to the all of the following terms, conditions, policies and rights as outlined below.
Note: Use the following terms and the find feature on your browser to look for specific clauses.
LEGALITIES - AGE - PRICES - ORDERING - REFERENCES - PAYMENT - PROCESS AND REVISIONS - CONTENT - PRIVACY - RUSH - PERMISSIONS - REFUNDS - CANCELLATION AND REFUSAL
Contact me: artist[at]onyxavia.com
LEGALITIES
You agree that you will not hold me (Onyxavia), or anyone in any relation to me, legally liable and will not, in any circumstances, take me to court for any reason. You also agree, should any legal liabilities arise from your commission, to defend and indemnify me and hold me absolutely harmless from any situation. Yay legal stuff.
AGE
Regardless of the content of your picture, you agree that you are of legal age - typically 18 years of age, though older in some areas.
PRICES
ALL PRICES ARE PER CHARACTER. Prices vary by complexity. Commissions come with a very simple background unless otherwise negotiated. Prices are subject to change at any time. Changes will not affect current paid-for commissions.
ORDERING
Order forms will be posted in or linked from journal entries that announce I am open for commission.
Slot reservation is at payment. Once your request is approved, you will have 72 hours to complete payment unless otherwise negotiated. After those 72 hours, your form will be deleted and your payment request cancelled.
REFERENCES
I highly, highly prefer visual references for your commission. If you order a commission with text reference, I will charge an additional fee depending on the complexity. Commissions with "endless" text reference will be refused. When in doubt, use visual references as much as possible, even if you have to Google some images and tell me what to change. Even stick-figure drawings are better than lengthy text descriptions for me. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
PAYMENT
I can take payment via Paypal. Other options are available for commissions in excess of $250. I will request payment to the Paypal e-mail you put in your form. I only accept payment in full in advance unless your order is in excess of $250. Slot reservation is at payment. Once your request is approved, you will have 72 hours to complete payment unless otherwise negotiated. After those 72 hours, your form will be deleted and your payment request cancelled.
PROCESS AND REVISIONS
Be aware that it may take time for the completion of your commission. I apologize for any delays. If I experience hardship or difficulties, I often post them here as a way of group-messaging my commissioners. If you ever have any questions about the progress of your commission, please e-mail me at artist[at]onyxavia.com
After your request is approved and your payment is received, the Sketchmission will be delivered to you in full. I do not offer changes for Sketchmissions unless I have made an error that was clear on your reference or you are willing to pay an edit fee.
CONTENT
I can draw a variety of subjects, including furry, feral, human, taurs, etc. Inflation, fat furs, mild vore, watersports, pregnancy, macro/micro, hyper, bondage and more are all acceptable fetishes. Non-adult illustrations are always welcome! I will not draw cub/child porn or bestiality as defined by human and feral animal relations or sexually-explicit feral drawings. As always, if you're not sure, just ask!
PRIVACY
If your commission is a gift and you need me to wait until after a certain day to post the image, I have absolutely no problem with that. If would like your name to be withheld from the waiting list, I also have no problems with that.
If you do not want your commission to be posted publicly on FA or on my website at all, an additional 20% fee will apply. You must notify me of this intent up front.
RUSH
I accept rush orders depending on my availability. Rush orders are anything required to be done in two weeks or less. Depending on my availability, rush orders of two weeks are typically free. Rush orders roughly a week will cost an additional 30%. Next day orders require 30% + $50 USD. Two day orders require the same as next day orders. Three or four day orders require 30% + $25 USD.
PERMISSIONS
Artwork commissioned from me remains my intellectual property. I may alter, print and sell, and use your image for advertising purposes. If you would like to restrict my use of your commission, please discuss this with me. It will require an additional fee.
My website tag must remain on the image at all times regardless of the circumstance. The image may not be altered or edited in any way unless otherwise agreed upon.
Your character is of course your property as always and belongs to you. You may post your commission to your own gallery as long as you credit me. You are welcome to upload it to other galleries or to your personal web space as long as I am credited as well. You may print the image for your own personal, NON-COMMERCIAL use.
You may not profit from the commission. You may not print the image onto a t-shirt or card. You may not sell the image in any format, including digital. You may not use my art for advertising unless otherwise agreed upon. If you would like to alter any of these, additional fees will apply.
REFUNDS
I will give refunds in full as long as a sketch has not been completed. After the sketch, partial refunds will be determined by the progress of your illustration. Your payment is absolutely nonrefundable after the completion of the piece. However, I do want you to walk away satisfied. Know that you can always make changes to a completed piece for a fee.
CANCELLATION AND REFUSAL
I reserve the right to refuse or cancel a commission for any reason.
If I cannot understand your form, your request may not receive approval.
While I aim to please in most circumstances, if you are rude, threatening or otherwise disrespectful at any point, I will refuse or cancel your commission with a partial or no refund depending on the circumstances, not the progress of your commission.
I have only canceled three commissions in my professional career. Of those three, two I offered partial refunds on solely due to progress. One I offered a full refund on despite progress. Please do not let this clause alarm you - it is there for artist protection, not so I can take your money.
End of the Year 2011 Notes - Clearing Commission Files!
Posted 14 years agoI may update this journal as I go so I don't badger you fine folks with excessive journaling. If I do, I will note my updates in the title of the journal. :)
Commission Stuffs
If you've ordered a commission from me completed prior to December 15th, I will no longer have the work file for it. Also clearing out my gallery of work for the new year. Just an FYI.
Current commission wait list should be completed prior to December 31st. I also have a comic waiting; that will be completed during the first week of January. I really want to thank everyone for their patience on this.
If, and this is a gigantic IF, I complete waitlisted commissions prior to December 30th, I may do a 24-hour New Years sale on the 30th only. Watch my journal for more details.
Commissions will reopen January 1st. Commissions work will begin on January 8th.
Furry World Stuffs
Unless plans change, I (and my husband) will be at Red Fox's New Years Eve Bash.
I know I didn't make it to the last Furbowl in Lee's Summit, MO even though I said I'd be there; there was some last minute confusion that led to me being unable to attend. I should be at the next one, funds and time permitting.
I'm looking to begin funding my trips to Anthrocon and MFF. Travel will cost around $160 each one, with Anthrocon costing around $33 per night on the hotel since I'll be sharing a room with my friend and her boyfriend. I have someone to stay with for MFF and my best friend is willing to fund one of the membership fees. Of course commissions (including badge commissions) will go into funding these, but if you have any other suggestions, just let me know.
I had originally planned to go to IndyFurCon. This had to be cut due to financial issues. There was no way I could make a $160 travel cost + hotel + membership less than a month after Anthrocon.
Other Stuffs
My sleep issue seems to have resolved itself. A few nights ago, I had a severe illness (fever, uncontrollable shaking, chills, chest pain, etc). Afterward, I've been sleeping a normal amount per night without falling asleep randomly during the day. I don't know what it was or what caused it. The doctors don't know what it was either. But I'm significantly better. I appreciate all the concern, support and patience with whatever the hell that was.
Commission Stuffs
If you've ordered a commission from me completed prior to December 15th, I will no longer have the work file for it. Also clearing out my gallery of work for the new year. Just an FYI.
Current commission wait list should be completed prior to December 31st. I also have a comic waiting; that will be completed during the first week of January. I really want to thank everyone for their patience on this.
If, and this is a gigantic IF, I complete waitlisted commissions prior to December 30th, I may do a 24-hour New Years sale on the 30th only. Watch my journal for more details.
Commissions will reopen January 1st. Commissions work will begin on January 8th.
Furry World Stuffs
Unless plans change, I (and my husband) will be at Red Fox's New Years Eve Bash.
I know I didn't make it to the last Furbowl in Lee's Summit, MO even though I said I'd be there; there was some last minute confusion that led to me being unable to attend. I should be at the next one, funds and time permitting.
I'm looking to begin funding my trips to Anthrocon and MFF. Travel will cost around $160 each one, with Anthrocon costing around $33 per night on the hotel since I'll be sharing a room with my friend and her boyfriend. I have someone to stay with for MFF and my best friend is willing to fund one of the membership fees. Of course commissions (including badge commissions) will go into funding these, but if you have any other suggestions, just let me know.
I had originally planned to go to IndyFurCon. This had to be cut due to financial issues. There was no way I could make a $160 travel cost + hotel + membership less than a month after Anthrocon.
Other Stuffs
My sleep issue seems to have resolved itself. A few nights ago, I had a severe illness (fever, uncontrollable shaking, chills, chest pain, etc). Afterward, I've been sleeping a normal amount per night without falling asleep randomly during the day. I don't know what it was or what caused it. The doctors don't know what it was either. But I'm significantly better. I appreciate all the concern, support and patience with whatever the hell that was.
Switching to Request Payment
Posted 14 years agoThis goes out to both artists and commissioners.
I'm sure you guys have heard this a million times, not to mention my previous journal post, about the controversy surrounding Paypal and FurAffinity. While it appears that allegations about FurAffinity being marked as a porn site by Paypal are false, I still maintain my stance in switching to request payment. I also strongly encourage other artists to do the same.
By requesting payment, your commissioners are unable to leave notes. Mistakes, such as mentioning the type of picture they are commissioning or sending the money as a gift, are impossible this way. Your account is better protected.
I'm taking this evening to revamp my form, website and commission information to reflect this. I hope this does not cause any confusion with commissioners. Of course, if you have any questions, simply let me know.
Thank you!
Onyxavia
Note: Thank you to
arabesque 
shaytalis 
williamca 
daggerleonelli for all their help, information and investigations into this matter.
I'm sure you guys have heard this a million times, not to mention my previous journal post, about the controversy surrounding Paypal and FurAffinity. While it appears that allegations about FurAffinity being marked as a porn site by Paypal are false, I still maintain my stance in switching to request payment. I also strongly encourage other artists to do the same.
By requesting payment, your commissioners are unable to leave notes. Mistakes, such as mentioning the type of picture they are commissioning or sending the money as a gift, are impossible this way. Your account is better protected.
I'm taking this evening to revamp my form, website and commission information to reflect this. I hope this does not cause any confusion with commissioners. Of course, if you have any questions, simply let me know.
Thank you!
Onyxavia
Note: Thank you to
arabesque 
shaytalis 
williamca 
daggerleonelli for all their help, information and investigations into this matter.Goodbye G.
Posted 14 years agoTomorrow my old dog G joins the big happy place in the sky. I'm sure most of you have seen my latest submission about that, and if not it's on my front page, so I won't go into detail about his condition or his life. The appointment's set for 8 AM tomorrow, so I'll be heading to my parents' here shortly to spend the night. This means that if you have sent in a commission request or plan to, I may not be able to respond until late Friday or Saturday. You need not wait until that time to send in a request as per my previous journal; just know that if I'm unresponsive, this is why.
I would like to thank everyone for their condolences during this time. I take death differently than most - it is the end of our journey here and the beginning of a new journey elsewhere. I rarely cry over death and, though it still hurts a little, I don't think it should be a sorrowful experience for either the passing or the ones still on their journey. So in terms of whether I'll be ok, I'll be just fine. But I will need some time to manage my family, specifically my mother who has quite the opposite view about death, and myself during this.
I also want to thank you guys for being so patient with me. This year has been turbulent, with college graduation, quitting my day job, being diagnosed with a chronic illness, moving and this. Things have been surreal, but I'm so glad that I have friends and commissioners who understand and let me balance my life the way I need to before returning to the social world.
Thank you,
Onyx
I would like to thank everyone for their condolences during this time. I take death differently than most - it is the end of our journey here and the beginning of a new journey elsewhere. I rarely cry over death and, though it still hurts a little, I don't think it should be a sorrowful experience for either the passing or the ones still on their journey. So in terms of whether I'll be ok, I'll be just fine. But I will need some time to manage my family, specifically my mother who has quite the opposite view about death, and myself during this.
I also want to thank you guys for being so patient with me. This year has been turbulent, with college graduation, quitting my day job, being diagnosed with a chronic illness, moving and this. Things have been surreal, but I'm so glad that I have friends and commissioners who understand and let me balance my life the way I need to before returning to the social world.
Thank you,
Onyx
Thank you for 10k/1k!
Posted 14 years agoI completely just realized I surpassed 10k pageviews and 1k viewers. I'm so sorry I didn't catch this sooner! You guys are SO FANTASTIC. Thank you all for this amazing opportunity. I love you all.
-Onyx
-Onyx
Official Donation Total
Posted 14 years agoTotal amount earned from icons for the Red Cross: $61.75
That number is a little lower than the number of icons made because paypal fees were withdrawn from most of the payments, meaning each icon gave me about $4.50 to donate. I'm willing to meet the amount to round it up to $75 USD.
Not too bad considering it was very last minute, I didn't advertise it much, and I was fairly busy today on top of it all.
Thank you all for your help and support! Even the smallest amount counts. And a special thank you to those who gave more than the minimum amount and those who advertised this in their journals.
Helping Joplin and Sedalia, MO recover,
Onyxavia
That number is a little lower than the number of icons made because paypal fees were withdrawn from most of the payments, meaning each icon gave me about $4.50 to donate. I'm willing to meet the amount to round it up to $75 USD.
Not too bad considering it was very last minute, I didn't advertise it much, and I was fairly busy today on top of it all.
Thank you all for your help and support! Even the smallest amount counts. And a special thank you to those who gave more than the minimum amount and those who advertised this in their journals.
Helping Joplin and Sedalia, MO recover,
Onyxavia
Graduating with my BA in Illustration
Posted 14 years agoTomorrow, I graduate with my bachelors in illustration summa cum laude. I'm very excited to get out of school officially - I've been in it for way too long. Granted, I'm 22 and not out of the standard range of graduating age, but I graduated high school at 16 and I just feel like college took forever.
In addition, I'm one of four students in my graduating class to earn the additional honors distinction for going through a rigorous program with an additional in depth study.
Finally, I will be having the reception to my senior exhibition later that evening. I'm super excited for that as I spent all week getting it together.
By 8 PM tomorrow, I will officially be a free woman. Well, in terms of school.
School has been a very stressful thing for me. I have an associates in arts, but then spent a bit of time searching for the right school to finish my bachelors. My frustration is that no program, at least within the area I was able to look, had the marketing and business classes required to make it in the illustration world. It actually almost seems as if teachers look at you as competition and refuse to share with you any means of actually making it. It took me a few years to find the school I finally graduate from tomorrow. Not that the program wasn't rigorous; my Fall semester was full of sleepless nights trying to finish projects and study. I just believe that certain classes not included in the bachelors degree should be 100% required. You shouldn't have to minor in business to nab a few classes, and your additional classes shouldn't have to be art related if marketing and business won't be required. We're setting up our art students for failure, and it's a tragedy.
As I hope everyone will understand, I will be taking Sunday to recuperate, and then I will be back on the commission train. I just wanted to explain why I haven't posted anything new this week or gotten to any sketches. I have been very busy, but after I graduate, this is my full-time job. It in fact has been since I begun, but school got in the way this week.
I have grand plans for how I will be doing commissions in the upcoming weeks, as well as some experimental slots after my Iron Artist closes. Stay tuned!
Best wishes!
Onyx
In addition, I'm one of four students in my graduating class to earn the additional honors distinction for going through a rigorous program with an additional in depth study.
Finally, I will be having the reception to my senior exhibition later that evening. I'm super excited for that as I spent all week getting it together.
By 8 PM tomorrow, I will officially be a free woman. Well, in terms of school.
School has been a very stressful thing for me. I have an associates in arts, but then spent a bit of time searching for the right school to finish my bachelors. My frustration is that no program, at least within the area I was able to look, had the marketing and business classes required to make it in the illustration world. It actually almost seems as if teachers look at you as competition and refuse to share with you any means of actually making it. It took me a few years to find the school I finally graduate from tomorrow. Not that the program wasn't rigorous; my Fall semester was full of sleepless nights trying to finish projects and study. I just believe that certain classes not included in the bachelors degree should be 100% required. You shouldn't have to minor in business to nab a few classes, and your additional classes shouldn't have to be art related if marketing and business won't be required. We're setting up our art students for failure, and it's a tragedy.
As I hope everyone will understand, I will be taking Sunday to recuperate, and then I will be back on the commission train. I just wanted to explain why I haven't posted anything new this week or gotten to any sketches. I have been very busy, but after I graduate, this is my full-time job. It in fact has been since I begun, but school got in the way this week.
I have grand plans for how I will be doing commissions in the upcoming weeks, as well as some experimental slots after my Iron Artist closes. Stay tuned!
Best wishes!
Onyx
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