Late commissions

[rjs1162]

I'm not going to call anyone out here. But I have been waiting on one for over a year and a half now and another close to a year. The over 1 year piece I have seen a WIP, the guy just cant seem to get it done! Commissioned art is fustrating at times.

[Pyrotwilight]

Originally Posted by CJ82

That is my thought. I doesn't take months, a year to draw a 1 character piece. And if they come back with "there are other commissions I have to do first" then why did you say you were available and take my money?

Pretty much my view.

I have a 2 character piece by an artist in the works right now. I set up a timetable of 6 weeks to completion that he agreed to. Not that I consider it a strict thing either so I didn't expect it to be fully done by then but it set a good rough.

It wasn't until a bit into week 10 that he hopped to it because I made it clear after a few normal friendly reminders (that were ignored of course) that we had a timetable he blew by and that I'd go through paypal for a refund as basically admitted he still hadn't even started prior to my stern message.

It's not anywhere near as bad as some experiences I've had but it seems it's only such now because of my own forcing the issue.


I'm starting to feel like I have to act like an adult to a child in these situations when I do commission on a rare occasion. Which is weird to say the least.

[BillC]

I think the vast majority of my commissions over the past few years were pretty bad experiences. The joy definitely got sucked out of the hobby for me. That's a good and a bad thing. It's bad because I had a lot of passion and vision for a number of pieces that likely will never be executed. The good news is I was addicted to this stuff and would have continued to spend countless thousands of dollars if everything went smooth. Things got so crappy that it was much easier spending money elsewhere and more responsibly, like paying off all my school loans maybe 4-5 years early.

[Arcusprime]

Yeah, my passion is dropping. I still get excited to see an announcement from an artist doing commissions, but its tempered by the disappointment and frustration I've had.
And it's kinda funny, in my mind I'm thinking 'Hey, here's a few hundred dollars or so, and I'm happy to do this a few times, if you deliver.' Maybe they are doing pretty good financially and don't need the extra income? I don't know, I'm sure there are many reasons that we aren't privy to.

[JadeGiant]

Originally Posted by tandt71

I think that in most cases any artist asking to be paid up front in full should not be commissioned. Lets face it, we are paying many of these artists to scribble on paper for big money many times. And any artist who is seasoned can do these in a couple hours tops. A down payment might be acceptable for their time so they are not stuck doing work and not getting payment but how many times has that really happened?

I agree with some of this but I don't on several points.

I have had MANY great experiences when paying up front. The simple fact is that MOST artists expect payment up front. It is not my preferred method but if you are going to do commissions, it is part of the game. I would not have some of my favorite pieces if I passed on all artists requiring money up front. The key is due diligence and don't rush into a commission without doing your homework on them first.

Scribbling on paper? Hardly. I have several pieces that are cover quality. Once again, homework is key. Don't sign up for artists whose commissions resemble scribbles.

2 hours? Sometimes yes as there are some artists that can crank out a quality piece in that amount of time. But not always. I look at a lot of commissions and KNOW that they took a lot longer than that. I know my Chris Stevens pieces probably took multiples of that.

It happens more than you think. There are shady collectors and they mistreat artists, believe me. They are the exception rather than the rule, just like artists. The good artists require up front payment (partial or full)

[snappahead]

As time goes on and my process gets more involved, the actual work time gets longer and longer. I'm averaging 20 plus hours on single figure pieces these days. Even if it were minutes though, I don't believe that artwork should be judged in that fashion. The end result is all that really matters.

[DamonO]

In the 20+ years I've been in this hobby, Val Semeiks is probably the most consistently reliable and professional artist I've dealt with. Sal Velluto is another. Trevor Von Eeden has been exceptional. I'd also include Luke McDonnell and Eric Koda.

[Xtreme2280]

That's probably why I'm happy to have fostered a personal connection with the artists I commission. I cant do that with all, but it gives me a level of trust I can't put a price on. I know these guys, I trust them, and because of that I spread the love about their work. It's a small circle, but right now it's keeping me happy and in the clear.

[CJ82]

Not to sound snarky, but I have to rant, I'm getting really tired of requesting updates from artists when things are taking a bit long, and getting the "Been busy with X" (X being other projects, commissions, etc) excuse.

I get it, stuff comes up. But I ALWAYS make a point to ask if they are "currently available" right off the bat, before talking about the concept, before any money is exchanged. "Are you currently available". It's kind of crappy to say you are available, take a persons money, then put them on the back burner for other things.

Has the definition of 'available' changed without my knowing recently? Does it mean "Occupied with other engagements" now?

It's like asking a contractor to repair your roof.
"Are you available to come fix my roof?"
"Sure!" (takes money)
(2 months pass)
"Hey, about that roof I paid you for...?"
"Oh sorry, I got caught up with building an apartment complex."

/rant

[GerryT]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/10-year-wai...ry?id=39697650