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Life's A Chibi: Cant Please Everyone
I believe this image speaks for itself.
It is hard to please everyone around with what you do. Some people have unique tastes or conclusions that are different than others and your own. You try hard to them be pleased with what you do/say/think/create, but chances are, you won't be able to impress them at all with the final outcome or conclusion or even punch-line.
Being an artist is hard, especially getting the final results with what you create for the client. There are times I create something for the client and don't really get a real "positive" response or any at all. I get a "Thanks. Looks great." or "Good work." and I wonder if the artwork I created was enough for the client. The artwork is done, the client says "thanks" and pays you, and the job ends there. However, I sometimes feel like something I created was not enough for the client, or something that the client wasn't proud of. Sometimes, I would redo the commission for them and make it better than before. Sometimes I would get a great response or sometimes get a similar questionable response. This is difficult when its online texted based communication. They reply to you with just simple texts, but you don't know how they really feel - the tone in their voice or the expression on their face. If they love it, post it on their page and say amazing things about it, that's great. But a simple "Thanks. Good work. Bye." reaction when the work is done, you don't see it posed on their wall or them mentioning it or advertising your work, it does kind of leave the artist wondering if the final product was good or if the client just felt like they wasted their money on something they didn't expect or want. This is something many honest artists don't want to do - to take the clients money for something they are not pleased with.
This is even more frustrating when the artist ITSELF is not pleased with their own work. No matter how many times they try to create that idea in their head, it still doesn't look right and they immediately jump on it again from scratch until they are finally pleased with the result or abandoned the idea and more onto something else.
Some of the artist's motivational drive is to make their client and customers happy with what they create. They would love to hear what are the strengths in what they created as well as the areas on where the image can be improved for the next time the client commissions the artist. This is part of how artists grow - hearing feedback from others and that their artwork is appreciated and where it can be worked on to make it even more fantastic.
An artist also needs to draw the line and conclusion, learn to stop, and say "I did what I could. I gave it my all. If you don't like it, than you are asking for too much or you have no idea what you want." I fixed several commission for past clients when the image is done but the clients still felt that something was off, explainable or not. Constant "free" revisions were made on the image until something positive comes out from the client. After so many revisions and I still have an unsatisfied client, I have to put down my tools and tell them that nothing I do impresses them and I shouldn't bring myself to a heavy sweat just because "this or that is off by a milometer" or "the number of hairs on your head is not correct." etc.
If you spend too much time trying to please those around you, you will only drain yourself out and working yourself to the bone just because everyone is not amused on what you do. Put your foot down, know when to stop, and move on. There are times that most important person there is to please, is yourself.
artwork © 2015 Alex Cockburn
It is hard to please everyone around with what you do. Some people have unique tastes or conclusions that are different than others and your own. You try hard to them be pleased with what you do/say/think/create, but chances are, you won't be able to impress them at all with the final outcome or conclusion or even punch-line.
Being an artist is hard, especially getting the final results with what you create for the client. There are times I create something for the client and don't really get a real "positive" response or any at all. I get a "Thanks. Looks great." or "Good work." and I wonder if the artwork I created was enough for the client. The artwork is done, the client says "thanks" and pays you, and the job ends there. However, I sometimes feel like something I created was not enough for the client, or something that the client wasn't proud of. Sometimes, I would redo the commission for them and make it better than before. Sometimes I would get a great response or sometimes get a similar questionable response. This is difficult when its online texted based communication. They reply to you with just simple texts, but you don't know how they really feel - the tone in their voice or the expression on their face. If they love it, post it on their page and say amazing things about it, that's great. But a simple "Thanks. Good work. Bye." reaction when the work is done, you don't see it posed on their wall or them mentioning it or advertising your work, it does kind of leave the artist wondering if the final product was good or if the client just felt like they wasted their money on something they didn't expect or want. This is something many honest artists don't want to do - to take the clients money for something they are not pleased with.
This is even more frustrating when the artist ITSELF is not pleased with their own work. No matter how many times they try to create that idea in their head, it still doesn't look right and they immediately jump on it again from scratch until they are finally pleased with the result or abandoned the idea and more onto something else.
Some of the artist's motivational drive is to make their client and customers happy with what they create. They would love to hear what are the strengths in what they created as well as the areas on where the image can be improved for the next time the client commissions the artist. This is part of how artists grow - hearing feedback from others and that their artwork is appreciated and where it can be worked on to make it even more fantastic.
An artist also needs to draw the line and conclusion, learn to stop, and say "I did what I could. I gave it my all. If you don't like it, than you are asking for too much or you have no idea what you want." I fixed several commission for past clients when the image is done but the clients still felt that something was off, explainable or not. Constant "free" revisions were made on the image until something positive comes out from the client. After so many revisions and I still have an unsatisfied client, I have to put down my tools and tell them that nothing I do impresses them and I shouldn't bring myself to a heavy sweat just because "this or that is off by a milometer" or "the number of hairs on your head is not correct." etc.
If you spend too much time trying to please those around you, you will only drain yourself out and working yourself to the bone just because everyone is not amused on what you do. Put your foot down, know when to stop, and move on. There are times that most important person there is to please, is yourself.
artwork © 2015 Alex Cockburn
Category All / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 672 x 640px
File Size 289.8 kB
Listed in Folders
For sure. I totally can identify with the struggle of trying to get commissions exactly right for people and those nit-picky customers. I think the worst thing is when someone says "something isn't right..." and they don't explain what it is or where it is and you just spend the whole time trying to go over every pixel of your image to figure out what it is, when in the end it turns out to be that the nose they told you was too big earlier? Yeah, well now it's too small.
I may not be an artist but i completely agree with everything, that's one of the main reason i get nervous of offering up criticism to artists i commission, i don't want it to feel like i'm unhappy with what I've gotten or that the artist has done a poor job, it's just that sometimes something seems a bit off on the picture.
Always so adorable.
Is it a reply to this ? http://www.furaffinity.net/view/17124422/
Is it a reply to this ? http://www.furaffinity.net/view/17124422/
I feel this way when I make art generally. I will draw something mostly to express how I feel and then I'll submit it at the worst time and no one sees it. Even if you do have fans, they don't always stop by to take a look or comment, it usually ends up in their discard pile.
I have like, the hardest time with this sort of thing…I'm afraid to even really seriously *start* any creative endeavor because I'm perpetually afraid of drawing in some haters, which in my mind will expand to lots of haters, etc.
Faved for truth, and possibly as a reminder to myself that it actually is truth, no matter how bad things might seem. >3<
Faved for truth, and possibly as a reminder to myself that it actually is truth, no matter how bad things might seem. >3<
I have a similar issue in terms of writing.
Though I recognize it is largely a personal issue of mine, as I've never really attracted -too- much of such, as I'm usually very private about what I write. But I tend to be paralyzed by a concern regarding criticism, and a high degree of self-imposed perfectionism.
Though I recognize it is largely a personal issue of mine, as I've never really attracted -too- much of such, as I'm usually very private about what I write. But I tend to be paralyzed by a concern regarding criticism, and a high degree of self-imposed perfectionism.
I believe the biggest issue is communication. Conveying ideas is often not easily achieved through short text descriptions. Even visual references can still be insufficient. There's always the chance a small detail will be forgotten, or misinterpreted. And then there is that issue of... "it looked better in my head". Because of how the mind and imagination works, it can be difficult for some images to live up to expectations, no matter how skilled an artist is and how clearly the idea is conveyed.
I won't deny that I am guilty of... simply accepting what has been drawn for me. But usually it is because I do not wish to cause a lot of troubles nitpicking minor details, or struggling to convey something that I am simply unable to properly convey. Or, in the case of imagination versus reality, it's what I wanted, but not what I expected. This I typically do not hold as the artist's responsibility. I choose an artist whose style I think would best suit what I am searching for. Sometimes I chose wrong and I do not believe this is any fault of the artist. Sometimes things just don't turn out as spectacularly awesome and breathtaking as we imagine they will, and that is no one's fault either.
I believe that, until we have the technology to record and share ideas and mental images as though connecting with the artist's minds, these problems will always remain and we will be forever trying to describe colours and shapes to a person who has been blind their entire life.
I won't deny that I am guilty of... simply accepting what has been drawn for me. But usually it is because I do not wish to cause a lot of troubles nitpicking minor details, or struggling to convey something that I am simply unable to properly convey. Or, in the case of imagination versus reality, it's what I wanted, but not what I expected. This I typically do not hold as the artist's responsibility. I choose an artist whose style I think would best suit what I am searching for. Sometimes I chose wrong and I do not believe this is any fault of the artist. Sometimes things just don't turn out as spectacularly awesome and breathtaking as we imagine they will, and that is no one's fault either.
I believe that, until we have the technology to record and share ideas and mental images as though connecting with the artist's minds, these problems will always remain and we will be forever trying to describe colours and shapes to a person who has been blind their entire life.
And this is why I always go as far as I can to express how happy I am with the results artists like yourself give me in commissions. I know art takes a lot of effort, and a lot of it comes straight from the heart. Among the greatest things in the world, is both getting a great piece of art and an artist who had fun doing it and is proud of their creation :) !
The only time I've done anything like the above is when the artist really does my character wrong, and makes a very half-hearted attempt to fix. (or worse, something like the previous Life's a Chibi, 'A Better Version.') .
I kinda hope you do an opposite sort of LaC sometime, with the commissioner being Mega-Happy and exploding praises over a great work of art :) .
The only time I've done anything like the above is when the artist really does my character wrong, and makes a very half-hearted attempt to fix. (or worse, something like the previous Life's a Chibi, 'A Better Version.') .
I kinda hope you do an opposite sort of LaC sometime, with the commissioner being Mega-Happy and exploding praises over a great work of art :) .
Of course, much of the time, that impression is only in an artist's imagination. Certainly it's discouraging to get short replies or even no comments at all, even on work that wasn't commissioned. The artist is hardly telepathic, so doesn't know if people love, hate, or are indifferent to their work. Sure you can't please all the people all the time, but that doesn't mean the people who are pleased are going to gush all over your boots as if you were the Second Coming.
Yes, more people than you suspect by their comments do love your work and are satisfied with it, but while the artist may want their ego stroked with tons of words and in-depth reviews, the commenter honestly thinks, "Good work. Thanks. Bye," does the job and leaves it at that. As far as they're concerned, "Good work, Thanks. Bye." is all the praise and acknowledgement that's necessary, not because they're disappointed or mean-spirited, but because they honestly think that'll do. Anything more is pointless.
Yes, more people than you suspect by their comments do love your work and are satisfied with it, but while the artist may want their ego stroked with tons of words and in-depth reviews, the commenter honestly thinks, "Good work. Thanks. Bye," does the job and leaves it at that. As far as they're concerned, "Good work, Thanks. Bye." is all the praise and acknowledgement that's necessary, not because they're disappointed or mean-spirited, but because they honestly think that'll do. Anything more is pointless.
When I start over on work for some one, I just save that scrap file for later. Some times you find you didn't like it because you couldn't visualize what you drew, then end up looking threw scraps and seeing that picture later and going, dang this image is really good why the heck didn't I finish it.
Side not I stopped trying to please people years ago, they will wreck you.
Side not I stopped trying to please people years ago, they will wreck you.
will some had there own taste in art and if they dont like it they dont need to tell you or even come say something about the artist work after all he work for he deserve to be treat fair and will you dont had to attract much attention in art since ppl do come and go. this do go the same way about commission to the artist to draw what you paid for and you dont like it will then its your own fault for that matter and plus you should admire the what you get from the artist after his hard work, after all you 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth' as the old saying use to say.
If someone only tells you "thank you, good work." maybe they meant it? It really was good work? Not fantastic work, but good ? I don´t expect fantastic, mavellous work on a 50$-commission, so just accept it?
On the other hand i will not ask for re-do´s if i only spent 50$, that would be not polite, but please accept there will not be overly enthusiastic praise. And some people commission just for themselves, and i do not commission artists who post my commission even if i politly asked to not do so.
but i´m only a non-artist, so i can´t understand you anyway.
On the other hand i will not ask for re-do´s if i only spent 50$, that would be not polite, but please accept there will not be overly enthusiastic praise. And some people commission just for themselves, and i do not commission artists who post my commission even if i politly asked to not do so.
but i´m only a non-artist, so i can´t understand you anyway.
For this reason, I try to be pretty specific and long-winded with my feedback. All the art may ever do is sit in a folder on my computer, but I understand that even though I don't *see* the sweat and effort, I know it's been put into the work and I try to reward it with more than money.
I imagine that many a commissioning artist has felt like that cute sculptor!
I imagine that many a commissioning artist has felt like that cute sculptor!
I think you got the right idea here. If you've honestly made an effort and certain people aren't good with it then it's okay to move on. Like you said you have to draw the line especially when there are people who won't be perfectly satisfied. You have to consider your own mental and emotional well being. I for one love your work and I still love the commissions you've done for me. There's plenty of people here who do too. Let's leave those hard to please people behind. I also think it's definitely okay to please yourself too.
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