Commissions and time

[PaleBlueRoses]

Hi,



Is it just me or does it seem to be getting harder and harder these days to get a commission from some artists on time? It feels like when you pay an artist for a commission (either half up front or all up front) that some can't get it on time (leaving you unsure when it is going to get done) or they don't give you a time frame at all of when it will be done.

It seems like multiple types of delays come up (things like---- other obligations, art trades with other people, the artist doesn't keep you up to date with progress so you have to e-mail them to remind them, half the time the artist will ignore e-mails in reference to commission or not answer certain questions in the e-mail regarding said commission, or they miss the agreed upon time frame for completing the commission and make multiple promises to finish but misses those time frames as well or they tell you that it will be finished soon but never give specifics etc.) and you end up feeling as if your commission is never going to be finished. In the end it feels like its more frustration and stress than it is worth.

I just wanted to ask is this occurring more? It leaves me to wonder sometimes why do some artists bother to offer commissions if they can't get them done on time.



Also I want to ask how long should a person wait for a commission in general? Or does that depend on the situation?



Thanks so much

[Pyrotwilight]

It's definitely a by the situation type of question. Two months is what I consider the norm for a commission to take but that tends to not be what I get most of the time with like you said, delays. Of course I'm a pretty patient person so ultimately as long as I'm kept in contact with I'm happy.

[morgs]

Every situation is different, i am very new to the commission game and find that it is harder just to get a commission let alone worry about how long it will take.
I personally am not fussed about time frames because i know artists have regular deadlines as well as numerous cons etc.
As i long as i get the piece and i suppose as long as its not years im waiting them im cool to wait, oh and if they keep regular contact them im good.

[Edward-G]

I share your frustration with commissions so that I've tried to restrict myself to pieces to be done or picked up at a con. That being said, I did put down a deposit for 3 commissions from an artist whose work I love. He ignored my emails for 5 months but, after I asked for a refund, has now promised to finish them within the week. I hope this story ends well!

[JadeGiant]

I don't know if I see anything any different TBH - this has been an ongoing thing for some time. I do think that the proliferation of social media and forums has made more of the occurrences available to the public eye which is nice as it offers a chance to motivate artists that are dragging their feet. I know it has made me much more cautious to get a commission. I pretty much stay away unless the artist and/or rep have a great rep for running good commissions.

[aric]

I dont care about wait times as long as the artist keeps me in the loop, but i am in the minority. Most folks like a lless than six month turnaround

[dagouch17]

I totally understand.

In my earlier days of collecting I was pretty impatient on waiting for pieces.

I remember I had a mulitfigure Piece from George Perez about 8-9 years ago. It took like almost a year but it was so well worth the wait.

Just as long as I get some kind of communication and at least see it partially worked I'm good.

I have one with a Superstar artist that is going into year 4 but I'm pretty much cool with it since I knew going in it's going to be awhile.

I've never had one where anybody flaked on me so knock on wood. However I do notice it's being a bigger pain to follow up. I'm slowly transitioning away back to published pages.

I'll still do commissions at Conventions but will try to veer away from takes homes with an occasional exception here and there.

Mike

[JadeGiant]

I am also transitioning more toward published work but not due to bad commission experiences. I have been pretty lucky with commissions with only one I was disappointed with. I have become much more conservative with who I commission. If there is any question about the artist, I tend to shy away and/or sit back and see how it goes with other collectors. I also don’t mind a long wait if the communication is good. I much prefer to have a great piece that takes a while than a rushed piece that I get quickly. I don’t mind letting the artist get around to it when they have a great idea and time to do it right and this usually pays dividends. Also, if you end up waiting a long time (say over a year or more) the artist may be more inclined to put a little extra into the art to make up for the long wait.

[Richyrichoh]

I have I've waited over 3 years for. Guess it just depends on the artist and how much you want it.

[BillC]

Originally Posted by JadeGiant

I do think that the proliferation of social media and forums has made more of the occurrences available to the public eye which is nice as it offers a chance to motivate artists that are dragging their feet.

I agree totally.

I'm actually turning my collecting focus slightly more towards specific commissions. I've only had 2 bad commission experiences but in the end both situations got resolved pretty well.