So here's a story for you:

Many months ago I had commissioned someone to make a 3D model of Sketch Tucker -- it was an exciting opportunity at the time. I sent an image to show what he looked like and mentioned a reference was being worked on. I submitted a payment and was placed in a waitlist. It was a long wait, and while I attempted to contact them about a second model, I got no response. I tried again a month later, still with no luck. I had begun to worry about the situation.

But during that time I did my best to create Sketch's reference. There were some RL difficulties -- I became ill during one month and it made doing ANYTHING difficult -- but I tried my best to make something informative. It doesn't have all the info about him, but in terms of his appearance it mentions close to everything. I hadn't done references before and getting proportions on characters consistent has often been a struggle for me, but with a little help from   NS-Games I was able to make it work.

The thing is, as I was getting close to finishing this much, the next contact I got from the 3D modeler was a full WIP image of Sketch; untextured, with some strange proportions and details. They apparently used the initial image to get it that far, and the result had a very stylized appearance. They never stated they were ready to start my model. I initially felt bad, but at the same time a little confused and upset, mentioning the reference I was trying to make. They acknowledged my concerns and asked for whatever references I had, and this was provided.

A day later I got another WIP image, with Sketch's model textured, but no other noticeable differences. Details were bothering me, particularly in the hair and tail, and I tried my best to describe what was expected, again mentioning the reference. Changes were made, but none of them followed this reference sheet. I essentially gave up and considered the model a lost cause. It was completed and considered a closed transaction.

I had a lot of hope that the commissioner was able to do justice to the character and the way I wanted them to look. They had done a lot of impressive models before. But the way things sounded on their social media, they wanted to get their list of commissions in queue over and done with as swiftly as possible, and I just happened to suffer the consequences of their actions. I've since decided NEVER to place my faith in someone else for projects like that ever again.

But at least I finally have a reference sheet.

Sketch Tucker © 1999-2023   malamiteltd