CLOSED! I've taken on quite a few of these so I'm going to close trades now, thanks to everyone interested! If I didn't get back to you, I'm not interested at this time, sorry!

Opening for a few art trades!

-I will choose a few I'm interested in! Not FCFS!
-You will complete your half first! Prefer it finished within 1-4 weeks!
-Reply below with what type of trade (fullbody, headshot, chibi, or badge), I'll check your gallery for examples
-Open to couple art trades!
-Open to NSFW trades as well
-If I don't get back to you, I'm not interested, sorry!

~Yellow K9

I don't get commissioned to draw NSFW much, but I've put together a basic list of themes I'm willing to draw!

WILL DRAW:
-Anthro
-Any gender, any sexuality couples
-Genitals/showing off
-Masturbation
-Toys
-Basic Intercourse
-Breeding
-Bondage, shibari/ropes, collars and leashes, etc
-Watersports
-Underwear/bulges
-Transformation
-Oral
-Anal
-Oviposition
-Pregnancy

WILL NOT DRAW:
-Feral NSFW (including feral dragons and feral Pokemon)
-Humans/humanoids
-Scat, farting, vomit, excessive sweat, musk, etc.
-Vore
-Cock vore
-Fat furs (larger body types okay! just not excessive)
-Diapers
-Non-consensual
-Underage characters
-Bloodplay
-Inflation
-Tentacles

If there's something not listed you might be interested in, just ask and I'll let you know if I'm comfortable drawing it.

As of this post commissions are currently open! Pricing info on my website: http://www.yellowk9creations.com/
NSFW examples: https://www.furaffinity.net/gallery.....er/549981/NSFW
You must be 18+ to order a NSFW commission!

~Yellow K9

Hey everyone, I've been the victim of a huge employment scam and have lost a ton of money as a result of this. I've set up a Gofundme to try and recover some of the loss.

TLDR is that I was the victim of an elaborate employment overpayment scam and lost over half of my savings, nearly $13k. Client hires me for wedding invitation, pays via check, then asks for assistance sending out payments for him. Checks appear to clear so I think everything is under control, however in the end, all checks come back as fake, and I realize that the whole thing was a huge scam. Already contacted the bank as well as the police, bank unable to reverse payments or compensate me for the fake checks. Currently waiting to hear back on investigation with the FBI.

More details and proof are listed over on my Gofundme page. Please, please consider donating or sharing if you can. Thank you. https://gofund.me/79c609ba

My commissions are open if you'd like to support that way. Pricing info over on my website and please note me if interested: http://www.yellowk9creations.com/

I've posted over on Twitter if you want to RT: https://twitter.com/yellow_k9/statu.....478329352?s=20

~Yellow K9

My latest animation, the DARKSIDE animation meme, premieres at 1PM today! Be sure to check it out!

https://youtu.be/sA81psVBz7s

~Yellow K9

I just set up my Etsy shop!! Check it out! https://www.etsy.com/shop/YellowK9Creations

~Yellow K9

Hello, today I’m going to be offering tips on creating a fursona! This can be for anyone, from absolute beginners without a fursona, or those who have been through many sonas. It will be more aimed toward beginners, but feel free to read no matter where you might stand in fursona-making experience!

The most important thing to keep in mind is that a fursona can really be anything you want!! There are really no specific rules for making one. This here is just a guide to help you get started!

1. Consider yourself. This may be the most important step. Consider: what kinds of animals represent my personality? What animals, colors, and outfits suit the way I look or act? Of course, there are really no rules to making a fursona. Your fursona can be a direct representation of who you are, and every choice you make may reflect that. Or, you may just find yourself very connected to a specific design. Or, perhaps your decisions don’t really have much justification; you may just choose your favorite animal and favorite colors for your sona. It’s really up to you!

2. Choose a species. What species will your fursona be? Perhaps it’s just your favorite animal, or maybe the species you choose is very significant in the way it captures your personality or appearance. Maybe you don’t mind being a more commonly chosen animal, or perhaps you want something more obscure. The most common species for fursonas are foxes, wolves, dogs, and cats. There are also avian fursonas, and reptilian or dragon fursonas are considered "scalies." Really, it can be anything you want!

3. Consider whether you may want a fursuit of them someday. If you may want to commission a fursuit one day, consider the markings and complexity of the design you will be making. Obviously, simpler designs will be a bit easier and cheaper to make into a fursuit. But, if you favor more complex and unique designs, don’t feel limited and feel as though you have to make them simple if you want a fursuit. It’s just something to keep in mind that if you do choose a more complex design, it may cost you a bit more when commissioning a suit.

4. Decide whether you will design it yourself, or whether you might want to commission someone to make their design. If you’ve never made a design before, it can’t hurt to try and make your fursona yourself! If you can’t draw at all, consider using bases. Just search DA or FA for bases of the species you have chosen, and use it to color in your fursona. Just make sure you pay for those that are not free to use.

If you find that you have trouble connecting to your own designs, or just find yourself stuck, you may want to consider commissioning an artist to design your fursona. Find an artist who takes design commissions, locate their prices, and make sure you have all the funds and necessary information before commissioning them. If you have something very specific in mind, do communicate all those details when placing your order. If you really have no idea where to start, first consider the things laid out in this guide. Additionally, some artists may take "artistic freedom" commissions, meaning you give them freedom on what to make.

You may be afraid that you won’t end up liking what an artist comes up with. This is a very valid fear when commissioning designs. So, what can you do? First, you should examine this artist's design examples to see if you tend to like their designs. Secondly, look over their rules and TOS (terms of service) to see if they allow any changes to the design after it is completed. Some artists allow a specific number of changes. If it isn’t listed, there’s no harm in asking the artist themself. If you really don’t know what you’re looking for, you can always look out for adoptables. That way, you know exactly what you’re getting, and you can know right away whether you like the design. I always suggest doodling the character before buying to see for sure whether you really connect with them!

5. Choose a color palette. Next you will be choosing a color palette for your fursona. Will the colors have a specific meaning to you? Or perhaps you might just like to choose a color combination you really like. If you don’t know where to start, consider using a palette generator such as https://coolors.co

6. Choose markings and traits. What kind of markings would you like on your fursona? Consider if you like simple or more complex designs. What markings might they have? Would they be closely based on the animal they are based on? Might they have spots or stripes? Also consider what traits your character might have. Do they have hair? Horns? A long, fluffy tail? A short nubby one, or a curly tail? These are very important aspects you’ll need to decide when designing your sona.

7. Get designing! Now is the time to get designing! Or, as discussed above, pass on your ideas for your fursona to an artist that you will be commissioning to make your fursona. Check out my other tip guide on making designs!
https://www.deviantart.com/yellow-k.....sign-765976784

8. Add accessories and outfits. Decide what accessories and outfits your character will wear! Will they wear scarves, bandanas, or collars? What outfits might they have? Perhaps you will have them wear some outfits you actually own, or maybe you’d rather make up some new ones.

9. Develop their personality and backstory. Will it be the same as yours? Again, there are really no rules to making your fursona, so they don’t necessarily always have to directly reflect you! A fursona’s personality could represent a certain side of you, or perhaps have qualities that you really admire. Perhaps they are directly you, or maybe something you’ve always wanted to be.

10. Commission art of them! Now that you’re done making your fursona, the fun part is commissioning and collecting art of them! Of course, this part is optional. Some people don’t like getting art of their characters, or perhaps you might not have a lot of money to commission artists to draw your fursona. Just enjoy them however you want! Maybe that’s commissioning a lot of art, or just drawing them yourself, saving up for a plush or fursuit, or simply admiring them as a representation of you.

That’s all for today! I’m happy to answer any questions you might haven the comments. I hope you found this helpful! Also, I myself take custom design commissions and art commissions as well. So feel free to check out my work if you might be interested in getting a custom fursona design, or want art of your fursona!

~Yellow K9

This is a legally binding document. By commissioning me you are automatically agreeing to these terms. It is the client's responsibility to read and understand these terms. Failure to follow any rules listed here may result in blacklisting (you won't be able to commission me in the future), blocking, and other more serious legal consequences in extreme cases. (By extreme cases I mostly refer to chargebacks or other illegal behavior!)

IMPORTANT. Upon commissioning me, PLEASE have all your funds ready, know what you want, fill out the appropriate forms, and reply and send funds in a timely manner. If you have questions, you may ask, but still be sure to have everything ready and fill out the forms.

Additionally, I do not do holds. Normally my commissions are open for long periods of time so when you have the funds, come back and place your order.

GENERAL

-I take points and PayPal payments. My conversion is $1=100:points:
-I will not draw: MLP style, robots. Ask about humans.
-Commission prices are subject to change at any time. I'm still working out the best prices based on quality and demand.
Minor edits and legitimate mistakes on my part are OK. I will not redraw or edit a commission based on style, nor will make excessive changes after the commission is complete.
-I typically work fast, so please ask beforehand if you'd like to see WIPs.
-I can do some NSFW, note me if you're interested and I can show you examples. I'll let you know if I'm comfortable drawing it. You must be over 18 to order a NSFW commission.
-Complex characters or extra characters in the same composition will cost extra, usually a $5/500:points: flat fee. This fee may be increased depending on complexity.
-I have the right to reject any commission order for any reason. This usually doesn't happen, but if it did happen it would likely be because the character is too complex for me to draw, it's one of the things listed above, or my commissions are currently closed.
-Do not complain about commission prices. They are priced based on the time and effort I put into my work, as well as current demands. If you believe my prices are too low, please feel free to tip me! On the other hand, it is very disrespectful to complain that an artist's prices are too high.
-Additionally, do not ask for free art, and do not ask me to lower my prices. On rare occasions I will open requests, and sometimes I have art trades open. Look for the appropriate journals for openings for those. I also occasionally hold sales so keep an eye out!
-Do not nag me about the status of your commission. I'm fine with asking for a status once, maybe twice, or asking for WIPs but do not be constantly asking about how it's coming. Refer to my To Do List to see where you are in my queue and if I'm currently working on your commission. My turnaround time is usually quick, but sometimes things can come up. However if you are not on my To Do list or you think you've been missed somehow please do let me know!
-Do not use any of my work if it was not specifically made for you.
-If you use my commissions on DA, for example, icons, I would appreciate if you credited me on your page somewhere.
-If you upload commissions you received from me on any other website, please give me appropriate credit.
-If you're uploading to Toyhouse, you may credit my account on there, Yellow-K9.
-Pay attention to the status listed in the journal, clearly don't place an order if it says closed. If there are varying sources saying open and closed you may ask me. The most accurate status would be in my main commission journal.

Payment

-I take all payments upfront, before the commission is done. I will not start your commission unless you've paid.
- WILL REMOVE YOUR COMMISSION FROM MY LIST IF UNPAID FOR 3 DAYS. More specifically, if you are not responsive for 3 days after I reply to your commission order, I will remove your commission from my list. I'm tired of waiting excessive periods of time for people to respond to me or pay for their commission.
-I do not do holds. Normally my commissions are open for long periods of time so when you have the funds, come back and place your order.
-I take points payments through the commission widget. If there is not a widget for your commission, I will add one for you.
-I take USD payments through PayPal. If the amount is over $5 normally I will send an invoice. Please provide your PayPal email so I may send one.
-If your commission has been completed, you may not file a chargeback.

Design TOS

By purchasing an adoptable or custom design by me, you're automatically agreeing to these terms. Here's what I allow in reference to designs:
-Included in the design help fee, you are allowed to ask for as many adjustments to the design as necessary (within reason). If significant design changes are made from the first rendition, you will not have rights to the designs prior to the final one.
-You may make any adjustments to the design once bought.
-Please credit me somewhere as the designer.
-You may resell, trade, or gift your design. You may resell the design for any price you'd like. You're free to return the design to me and I may put it back up for sale.

If you've read all these rules put the word "waffle" in your comment!

Check out this animated short that I made this semester! It's about a young fox who befriends his reflection in the river. He is sad when he can no longer see it when winter arrives. He finds two other animals and they wait for spring together!

View the animation here!
https://youtu.be/_knvQJk_qik

~Yellow K9

This is just a fun server for friends and fans alike to come and chat and hang out!

come and join if you'd like! everyone is welcome! ^w^

https://discord.gg/g6Kbp9U

~Yellow K9

First thing you should know is that Adobe Animate CC and Adobe Flash CC are the same thing! Adobe Flash was the program's original name, which was recently changed to Animate. In this tutorial, I will be referring to the program as Animate.

This tutorial will cover the basics! I do not know everything there is to know about this program, but I will share what I know!

I. GETTING STARTED


Set up the canvas size and frame rate. The first thing that Animate will prompt you to do is select a canvas size and frame rate. You're free to set the dimensions to any size, though keep in mind that for longer animations, the larger your canvas size, the more the program may lag as it tries to render such a big file. The standard frame rate, or fps (frames per second), is 24fps. I'd advise sticking with this. It may seem very fast, but you may also have your frames longer or animate "on the twos" (refer to tricks).

The stage. The white canvas at the center of your screen is referred to as the stage. This is where your animation will take place. Notice that the area around the stage can be drawn on. The animation will not render anything outside the white box. But certainly take advantage of the outside space -- it's great for having elements from offscreen animate into the screen.

Timeline. Look below the stage and you'll find the timeline. This is where your animation frames, layers, and settings are located. The little numbers over the boxes refer to the frame number. Numbers followed by an "s" represent how many seconds into the animation you are. Use the arrows at the bottom to play your animation, proceed to next frames, or to the beginning or end of your animation. There are a couple other tools that I'll be getting into a bit later in this guide.

Layers. The next thing you may notice looking at your timeline is the layers section. If you're already familiar with Photoshop or a similar drawing program, this may be familiar to you. Click the little paper icon to create a new layer, the folder icon to create a folder that a group of layers can reside within, and click the trash can to delete a selected layer. Layers can be incredibly useful when making an animation, as you can separate certain elements and even have them animate at separate speeds! You can click the eye icon to view or hide your layers. Also note the little lock icon, which allows you to lock layers. This is very important! For example, your selection tool and eraser tool will take locked/unlocked layers into account. If all your layers are unlocked, you may select or erase several elements on separate layers.

Frames and keyframes. A frame of animation is a single drawing within the whole of the animation. There's also something known as a keyframe. What's the difference? A keyframe is the addition of a new drawing within a frame. A keyframe can last for several frames to increase the drawing's duration on screen.

UTILIZING KEYFRAMES AND BASIC NAVIGATION. Right click on the little boxes in your timeline, and click "insert blank keyframe." Then you'll begin your first drawing. If you want to make a new drawing, right click another box following it and again click "insert blank keyframe." If you want your keyframes to last longer in an animation, right click and click "insert frame." In addition, you can also click on a keyframe, and then drag it to other boxes in your timeline to increase its duration. You can also select several frames at once, and drag them to move their location. Sometimes upon doing this you may accidentally drag out the duration of a frame. If this happens, just click "insert blank keyframe" at the point where you want to cut off this frame.

Importing images. You can import images into Animate by simply dragging and dropping images into the window, or by going to file>import>import to stage.

Importing audio. Import audio by going to file>import>import to library. Then, locate the library window on the right side of the program. You will find the audio file you just imported. Create a new layer for the audio, and with that layer selected, drag and drop the audio file from your library to your stage. You can utilize frames with your audio too, if you'd like to have your audio stop or have several clips.

II. TOOLS


Zoom. Hotkey: Z. Utilize this to zoom in or zoom out of parts of your stage.

Hand tool. Hotkey: H or space bar. Use the hand tool to move and scroll around your stage.

Brush tool. Hotkey: B. Use the brush tool to draw. You can also use pen pressure by clicking the little icon that looks like a little target. Adjust the size of your brush by clicking on the little circle.

Eraser tool. Hotkey: E. Use this tool to erase. If all of your layers are unlocked, the eraser tool will span several layers, and erase on all of them! If you only want to erase something on the current layer you're on, make sure to lock the other layers. There's also a faucet eraser option, which functions like a magic eraser tool. It'll erase a chunk of color at once. Adjust the size by clicking on the little circle icon.

Eyedropper. Hotkey: I. Eyedropper will allow you to color pick. In Animate, any color on the screen, even outside your canvas, can be selected.

Fill bucket. Hotkey: K. Fill bucket will allow you to fill in blocks of color within a certain shape. In Animate, the fill bucket can allow you to close gaps, meaning that it will still fill a shape even if your lines aren't 100% closed all the way. You can also fill in at lower opacities. Click the color box next to the fill bucket tool. Then look where it says "alpha" at the top. Alpha in Animate refers to opacity or transparency. Adjust that percentage if you want to reduce the opacity of your fill.

Gradients. To access your gradients, go to window>color. Where it says "solid color" click the dropdown and select the type of gradient you'd like. Then choose your colors. To apply the gradient to a shape you've already made, select the the shape with the selection tool, then go to your fill bucket tool. Make sure that the little icon with the gradient and lock symbol is not selected, then drag across the shape to apply a gradient to it.

Selection tool. Hotkey: V. This tool allows you to select parts of your drawing. If you click a certain area, it will select a single color only. You may drag a rectangle to select whole areas at once. You can use this tool to relocate and move your drawings.

Free transform tool. Hotkey: Q. This tool allows you to make transformations, such as resizing an image.

Lasso. Hotkey: L. Lasso allows you to select your drawing in a similar way to the selection tool, but allows you more freedom. Draw a line around what you'd like to select.

Text tool. Hotkey: T. Use the text tool to add text to your work.

III. TECHNIQUES AND TRICKS


Looping. Click the little looping arrow icon at the bottom of your timeline to allow your animation to loop. Adjust the grey area at the top to determine what part of the animation will loop.

Onion skins. Onion skins are essential to animation! Onion skins allow you to see what you had drawn on previous frames. Click the icon at the bottom of your timeline which shows a box and a transparent box behind it. You can adjust the span of your onion skins to control which frames you see on your screen at once. Blue lines represent previous frames, and green ones are frames that are ahead in your timeline.

Editing multiple frames at once. Click the icon at the bottom of your timeline which shows an icon of two keyframes. Then adjust the span to which frames you'd like to edit, and you can edit them at once. This is great in case you need to move or rescale your entire animation.

Motion tweens. Tweens refer to "in betweening" that the program does for you. Motion tweens are great for moving objects or rescaling objects. To make an object move across the screen without having to manually move the object on every frame, use motion tweens. First, you have to convert your object into a symbol. Just click on the object and right click and select "convert to symbol." Then you can select "create motion tween." You'll notice that your keyframe just turned blue! Expand this frame to the desired duration. Then, on individual frames, you can right click and insert keyframes. Usually you might want just a simple "position" frame, if you're just making an object move across the screen, for example. Once you've inserted this, you'll notice a little diamond in the center of your blue frame. This is a new frame within your motion tween. In this frame, move the object to where you'd like it. The program will do the rest for you! You can also use ease in and ease out, to make the action slower at the beginning or end. This setting can be found in your "properties" window at the right.

FADE IN OR FADE OUT. Motion tweens can also be used to make things fade in or out! To do this, create a motion tween after making, say, a black rectangle, a symbol. Then create a position keyframe. Click your selection tool, and click on your symbol. On the right, in your "properties" window, locate a setting called "color effect." Under where it says "style," select "alpha." In Animate, "alpha" is a word for transparency or opacity. On the keyframe where you want the rectangle to fade, make the alpha "0". Then make sure the beginning of your motion tween has an alpha setting of "100."

PANNING BACKGROUNDS. You can do a panning background effect by utilizing motion tweens. Make a very long background that extends off of your stage, and copy and paste part of the background and put it on the other side so that the background can seamlessly loop. So, you should have a long background extending off the screen that has part of it the same so that it can loop. Then, convert it to a symbol. Create a motion tween with a duration of your choosing. Then, create a position keyframe at the end of your animation. Then, move your background into the place where that frame would be the same (the part you copied and pasted). Basically, the end of your background should be the same as the beginning, allowing it to loop. But the background moves back into place with the motion tween. I know that might sound confusing, it's hard to explain in words, I'll have to make a video tutorial for it sometime! But feel free to look up your own tutorials, or ask if you're still confused.

Shape tweens. Shape tweens are another type of tweening! If you have two shapes that you'd like to transform into each other, use shape tweens. Have your two shapes in separate keyframes. Select them both, then right click and select "shape tween." The program will fill in the rest! Sometimes this can be a little buggy though...

The twelve principles of animation. Know the twelve principles of animation! It will greatly help you in getting started animating. A video on that here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDqjIdI4bF4

Animating on the twos. Animating "on the twos" refers to having double frames on each frame, so that they last a slightly longer duration, slightly slowing down the animation.

Breaking up text. You can break up the letters of your text into separate layers, and animate the letters individually! Just right click your text and select "distribute to layers."

Filling in your character without interrupting your lines. See diagram. You may have markings on your characters, but how to go about drawing those markings without running over your lines? All you have to do is copy your lines to a new layer, and then draw on the layer beneath it to fill in your character's colors. That way, your lines are on a separate layer and always cover any marks you make near your lineart.
https://sta.sh/012jki1jreqn

V. EXPORTING


Exporting still frames. file>export>export image will allow you to export single frames of your animation as a .jpg.

Exporting as .gif. file>export>animated gif will allow you to export your work as a .gif file. Note that .gifs do not export audio.

Exporting as .swf. file>export>export movie will allow you to export as a .swf (flash file).

Exporting as .mov. file>export>export video will allow you to export as an .mov file.

That's about all for now! Please do let me know if you have any additional questions! I should hopefully be able to answer them, but I don't know everything about this program! But I hope that you found this useful if you're trying to learn Animate.

~Yellow K9

This journal was initially written on DA so I apologize if some things in here don't apply on this site!

I. RULES AND PREPARATONS

1. Have a Terms of Service and establish rules. It's important to have a set of ground rules that people need to read before commissioning you. Set in place what you are willing to draw, how you take payments, and more. Feel free to reference my own Terms of Service if you're stuck and need ideas of what it might need to entail! https://sta.sh/01myn60lh2cw

2. Have a commission form. Commission forms are great because the customer can just put all the needed info in one place, so you don't need to continuously ask questions about what they're wanting! Feel free to reference my own Commission Forms if you need inspiration! https://sta.sh/0rqcl22v0ju

3. Have a variety of commission options. It's always good to give people more choices!

4. Have cheaper options. In addition to overall having a variety of choices, it's great to have some cheaper options. For example, tiny pixels, quick, loose mini/chibis. That way, those who aren't looking to spend very much, but still are wanting art from you, can commission you!

5. Have your queue (to do list) clearly listed. Have a Trello or Sta.sh file with your current orders. It not only gives people an idea of how much owed work you have to do, but it allows you to stay organized yourself! List the customer's username, what they want, a link to their comments, and whether or not they've paid. In addition, it's wise to have a link to this on your page and on your commission info! Feel free to reference my To Do List if you need to! https://sta.sh/017jkzpbdhp1

6. Commission Reviews. It's not required, but you may want to consider setting up a system where people can give you feedback and reviews on your commission service!

7. Have a waiting list/ping list. It's great to have a ping list (a list of people you tag when you reopen your commissions) or a waiting list (a list of people with guaranteed slots next opening). That way you don't have to take their order right away, but don't have to deny them either, and you might have a guaranteed customer or list of customers next time you open!

8. Have a variety of recent examples listed. It's important to have a lot of examples listed so people can get a sense of how the finished pieces will look! Of course you'd want to display the most recent or best ones, as it will be a better representation of how things will turn out. It's also a smart idea to link to a folder or gallery where one can view more examples!

II. BASICS

9. Have clear prices listed. It might sound obvious, but you want to make sure your prices are listed clearly alongside each option! Also be clear about differing charges: if the price can rise based on complexity, for additional characters, for shading, or for a different style. Also list prices in both points and PayPal if you accept both so you can be clear that you do!

10. Have your open/closed status clearly listed, and in several places. List whether your open or closed clearly, and consistently (don't have places with differing information, of course). List it in the title of your journal or deviation if you have a visual guide, in those descriptions, and on your page.

11. Know when to close. Be honest with yourself and make sure you know when to stop taking commissions. Of course it's awesome getting money, but if you're facing art block, are very busy, or if your queue is getting long, it may be time to close. If you're worried about losing customers in the time you're closed, have people comment if they'd like to be added to a ping list or waiting list. It's helpful to have that stated in a comment on your commission info and then feature it!

III. PAYMENT AND PRICING

12. Points and PayPal. Of course, it's optional to accept DA points as payment. And not everyone can take PayPal payments. If you can, I'd advise taking both. Especially taking points if you're just starting out. A lot of people on DA, especially some younger folk, have points and points only to spend on artwork. You don't want to miss out on a lot of potential customers if you only take PayPal. Also, if you accept points payments through commission widgets, you can withdraw those earnings into PayPal! It does take two weeks to clear, but it's worth it over time, if you end up having a lot of commissioners who can only pay in points. I've made a ton of earnings from taking points payments, so it definitely adds up! But ultimately it's a personal choice. A lot of people can't wait two weeks for points to clear. (this was taken from DA so it's more applicable for there, but if you also have a DA this info can be helpful!)

13. Take payment upfront. This is really important because you want to make sure you don't get scammed. It happens sometimes. Just avoid the risk and take payment upfront! Be sure to state this in your TOS. It's also a really good idea, for PayPal payments, to accept payments via "goods and services" or via invoices, because those things have seller protection, meaning you may be protected if someone tries to make a chargeback.

14. Consider your pricing. When considering pricing, you need to consider the following: the amount of time and effort you put into your work, how much people are willing to pay, and the demand for your work. Price your work appropriately with reference to those things, and be honest with yourself. What do YOU think your own work is worth? It's important to consider that, rather than focusing on what people may be willing to pay. If you're just starting out, it may be wise to price your work lower. Use others' commissions as a point of reference for your own work. You want to be careful not to under or over price. However, pricing is also very much trial and error, and can be really challenging to get right, especially if you're a lesser known artist. Which leads to the next point.

15. Reprice when necessary. If you're getting too many commissions, if your work has improved in terms of quality, or if you find yourself spending more time on commissions, you might need to raise your prices. The opposite is also true, if you're not getting enough commissions, you may need to lower them a little if other efforts to get noticed seem to be failing.

IV. GETTING NOTICED

16. Link your commission info on your page. That way, it's very accessible and easy to find.

17. Have visual guides. It sometimes might compel people to purchase if they can see the examples right in front of them! Also, not everyone watches people's journals, so it's a great idea to have a visual guide deviation in addition to a journal. Make sure you keep the information and commission status consistent between them! Here are examples of my own visual commission guides.
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/28505990/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/28505943/

18. Have your commission info pinned to your page.

19. Have a website. It's also a good idea to have a commission website!

20. Link to your commission info in the descriptions of your posts. Sometimes people may look at a piece you submitted, and then wonder to themselves whether you might take commissions of a piece like that. It's super helpful, therefore, that you might have a link to your commission info right in the description so people can go right to it!

21. Post to multiple sites. It's a good idea to post your commission info to other sites, such as DA, Instagram and Twitter!

22. Post in groups and Discord servers. It can be good advertising posting to Discord servers or DA groups! Make sure you post them in the appropriate groups and channels.

23. Closed species specific commissions. This is of course optional, but it can be great exposure to have journals dedicated to closed species specific commissions!

24. YCH (Your Character Here). Sometimes people might be more compelled to buy if it's in the form of YCHs! They can see exactly what they're getting. It can be really fun experimenting with different poses and themes in YCH form!

25. Have sales occasionally. Especially if business is slow, it's an awesome idea to have sales every now and then to get people's attention! If you don't want to discount everything at once, you may want to try discounting a certain type of commission, or have weekly sales on certain items!

26. Commission coupons. It can be a good idea to offer commission coupons to further compel people to buy from you! Ways to give them out might include prizes from contests or raffles, or flash journals/statuses/polls stating that the first X amount of people to comment will receive one.

27. Update and remind. Every now and then, especially if business is slow, feel free to notify your watchers and update your commission info journal (and visual guides, if you choose to have them) to remind people that you're open! Try to do this sparingly so that people won't get annoyed with constant updates.

V. DEALING WITH CUSTOMERS

28. Be friendly. It's important to be open and friendly when interacting with customers! It makes a difference, and it'll make them more likely to return and commission you again!

29. Communication is important. If something unexpected comes up, or if you become busy and can't work on commissions, it's important to let your commissioners know so that they aren't waiting in the dark for a long period of time concerning their commission order. If a commissioner inquires about the status of their commission, or wants to see WIPs, do communicate with them. It's really important and necessary to be professional.

30. Be prepared for complaints on pricing. You almost always will receive complaints about your pricing. Don't feel like you have to lower your prices if people are whining about them being too high. You price your commissions the way you think things are worth! It's incredibly rude of someone to complain about someone's prices.

31. Be flexible and willing to make changes. You're human, and sometimes you may make a mistake on a commission! Be open and if a commissioner points out something you forgot, be willing to fix it for them.

33. If you find yourself unsuccessful, be patient. Try the methods above, but try not to dwell if you're not getting commissioned as much as you might like. A lot of times people don't have the funds currently to commission. Or perhaps you're not a well established or known artist. Just keep going and try to establish yourself more! I have a guide, linked below, on growing your following and working to become known.

Hope you found these tips helpful! Check out my other guides here, about getting known and improving your art!
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/8891617/
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/8891618/
~Yellow K9

1. View art as a progression over time. You don't have to have everything together right now. You're always improving your art with every drawing you make, whether you notice it or not, whether you think so or not. You learn something each time you draw, and each time you fail.

2. Accept that there will be failures, and not everything may come out as you'd like. Not everything comes out perfect, or the way we imagine it to be in our head. But that's just part of the process. Don't let your failures get you down! Use them as an opportunity to learn, and don't be afraid to start over when needed.

3. Believe in yourself. This is very important! If you don't believe in yourself, it's quite hard to go on, don't you think? Some people have a habit on having very high expectations for their work, or are often comparing their work to others. Try and catch yourself when you do this, and try to break those habits!

4. Find what makes you unique. Leading from the last point, try not to compare your work to others! Everyone is talented in a different way, everyone works and thinks differently. Only you can do what you do! Embrace what makes you unique. Once you've found this, work on creating a style which is distinct, clear, appealing, and consistent!

5. Get inspired. It's most certainly okay to be inspired by others' work! Copying is okay, but only initially. You may copy to see how one created a piece, or to try and get a feel for drawing in the beginning, but take what you learn from them and apply it in a new way! Otherwise, what's the point in having work looking the same as someone else? As stated, find and embrace what makes you unique, and apply it to your own personal style and voice!

6. Sketch. Sketch loosely, sketch often, and sketch traditionally. Sketches are not meant to be perfect. Work on sketching quickly, efficiently and loosely, focusing on the gesture and overall feel of your subject matter. Try sketching with loose, long strokes, rather than small marks which are close to each other. Sketch often, even if you're not planning on finishing the piece; sketches are a super great way to loosen up and warm up before drawing! And, sketching traditionally can be super refreshing if you're working digitally all the time, especially without having the expectation of needing to finish it.

7. Reference and studies. Looking up reference photos is completely okay, and in my opinion, should be encouraged! It will be hard to improve if you're always just drawing from your imagination 100% of the time. Once you get a feel for your style and anatomy, you may reference less, but it's still super helpful! It can be especially helpful for poses, studying anatomy, and seeing what props or environments look like. In addition, studies can be super helpful also!

8. Focus on the big picture. Try not to get wrapped up in tiny details of a drawing. Focus on the gesture of your subject. If you're constantly just focusing on small detail, your drawing will end up looking stiff. And, don't be afraid to zoom out on your drawing every now and then!

9. PRACTICE! This is probably the most important thing of all! Practice makes perfect, you've heard it a thousand times but it doesn't make it any less true! You cannot improve if you're not practicing. And if you're frustrated with your art, it may be because you don't practice enough, or draw often enough.

10. Take breaks when needed. Sometimes you need to know when to stop and take a break. Taking hiatus is completely okay! Sometimes we just need to step back from our work a little. If you feel you need to, take as much time as you need. If you're feeling burnt out, try and do something other than drawing; however, it can be really useful to keep sketching while on break to still stay in the practice and try and loosen up! Plus, taking breaks a good opportunity to try and get inspired!

11. Be open to critique. If you're serious about improving your art, try and be open minded, and feel free to reach out and ask for critique on your work, and be open to receiving criticism and negative feedback! It all is meant well, and we don't mean to personally attack you or your art. Critique is simply meant to help you! There are certainly right and wrong ways to go about giving critique, and sometimes people can be nasty about criticism, which is not constructive. And this may be why some may fear receiving critique on their work. But understand that it's also a really important way for you to grow, especially because we usually don't notice a lot of our own mistakes. If you'd like me to critique a work or animation of yours, I'd be more than happy to! I love giving critiques! I put things in a very nice way, too, so don't worry!

12. Try new things. It can be refreshing to try drawing new subjects, or in different styles! Experiment! Try a type of art you haven't tried before, such as animation, pixel art, sculptures, paper cut outs, needle felt, painting, crochet, etc. Challenge yourself by drawing things you've never drawn, such as different types of animals, people, cars, environments, food, anything really. It can help sometimes help with art block, as sometimes people might get burned out by drawing mostly the same things! Also, don't be frustrated if things don't turn out well, after all, they're new to you. Just keep practicing them, like everything else!

13. Don't avoid hard things. It can be really frustrating drawing hands, or human anatomy, or backgrounds. It's because we don't practice them enough! But you'll never get better at them if you avoid them. Just practice and do studies, and once you've practiced enough, it'll be as easy as drawing anything else!

14. If you still can't get things looking right... don't be scared to start over! Also looking at reference can help a lot if you're stuck on a drawing or can't get something looking right. Also doing quick studies or simply practicing more can help!

Hope you found these tips helpful! Check out my other guides here, about growing your following and about taking commissions!
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/8891617/
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/8891620/
~Yellow K9

1. Post often. I know it's definitely hard sometimes, life can get very busy as we all know. But posting often gets our work out there so people can find it. Don't be afraid to post things you weren't the proudest of too!

2. Post to several social media sites. Post your art to several other sites, such as FurAffinity, Instagram, Twitter, and others -- those are the most popular I've seen. It can be a lot to manage, but it's very helpful in expanding your reach as an artist.

3. Post to DA groups. Putting your work in groups allows more people to find you! Look for groups centered around the kind of art you draw, and don't be afraid to try new things, like drawing closed species. I've found a lot of great artists via closed species groups!

4. Post to discord servers. Another way to get yourself out there! Look for servers, again, that are centered around your art subject matter, and your interests.

5. Advertise your work for those looking. Look out for people posting journals that are seeking commissions or art trades, and advertise your info there. In addition, it's a great idea to search DA for those kind of journals and comment on them!

6. Comment on others' work. It might seem unrelated, but if you comment on people's work a lot, they might get curious and check ya out! Not just the person creating the deviation, but perhaps people looking at the comments.

7. Have an eye catching avatar. Leading from my next point, if you comment somewhere and have an eye catching icon, people might be compelled to check out your page!

8. Have a unique, consistent style. People are always looking for unique styles!

9. Host a raffle or contest which makes entrants spread the word to enter. Raffles especially are great, by having people spread the word about the raffle, people can come and find you!

10. Feature for feature journals. Feature people in return for them featuring you!

11. Use tags. It's incredibly helpful especially on Instagram and Twitter, if you tag your artwork (particularly on IG), people follow you!

Commissions
I plan on making another tip guide just for commissions, but here are several tips!

12. Commission info which is clear and concise, and listed on your front page.

13. Updating your commission info. Update your commission info to remind people they're open!

14. Having visual guides for commission info. Sometimes it's better for people to see visually what types of art you offer and may be more compelled to buy!

15. YCHs. YCHs are great, as people know what they're buying! It's sometimes better as people have to know what they want first before ordering a commission, but if they see a unique idea or cute drawing in the form of a YCH, they might be more interested!

Hope you found these tips helpful! Check out my other guides here, about improving your art and about taking commissions!
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/8891618/
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/8891620/

~Yellow K9