From a Commissioner Point of view really, if possible? I've been in the commissioning business for 9 - 10 years (Or even longer, to be honest.) but was just wondering people here had any tips or such about approaching artists? And I also had some questions as well, sorry if I am all over the shop as I just finished a 12 hour night shift.
Questions:
1) If an artist disappears from DA or such and basically never returns yet you did get gift art and commissions from them and for them before they vanished, there is no problem with reposting, yes?
2) How long would you give new commissioners? (Now I have a commissioned artist who I am doing and have done business with for the past four years and we have been in constant communication and keeping updated and paying for such but in term,s of new people, how long would you usually give?)
3) I usually give tips when commissioning people but nowadays, most artists just give me a flat rate (Or an invoice via Paypal) without tipping? Is tipping now not considered a done thing? Or do artists not include tips?
4) Patreon: Now this is a newish thing that came along in the last few years but a commissioner is only doing business via there. Is that basically the same deal though?
Sorry if I am a bit stupid, working a long night shfit kind of warps my thinking...XD
Questions:
1) If an artist disappears from DA or such and basically never returns yet you did get gift art and commissions from them and for them before they vanished, there is no problem with reposting, yes?
2) How long would you give new commissioners? (Now I have a commissioned artist who I am doing and have done business with for the past four years and we have been in constant communication and keeping updated and paying for such but in term,s of new people, how long would you usually give?)
3) I usually give tips when commissioning people but nowadays, most artists just give me a flat rate (Or an invoice via Paypal) without tipping? Is tipping now not considered a done thing? Or do artists not include tips?
4) Patreon: Now this is a newish thing that came along in the last few years but a commissioner is only doing business via there. Is that basically the same deal though?
Sorry if I am a bit stupid, working a long night shfit kind of warps my thinking...XD
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2. I pay via PayPal, witch gives me a 6 month window to get my funds back if the artist is a flake. I expect something within a month and progress of some kind every following month. I'm generally uneasy letting it go past 5.5 months to get finished work.
4. I would expect so. It's just another site. It shouldn't be different from DA, FA, Facebook, Twitter, or anywhere else an artist posts.
As for the first one, the artist basically left DA years sgo to live their own lives and emailing them doesnt seem to work. (Admittedly the artist used to be a fantastic friend before we fell out and she vanished.)
2.) I'm not quite sure what you're asking about? Is it how long you should reasonably wait for a commission from an artist? I would say as long as they give easy contact and updates. When they disappear for a long time or start missing deadlines is when you should get worried.
3.) Tips are given only on behalf of the commissioner to the artist and I can't say I've seen artists include a tip in the price! It's still around for sure and I like to do it whenever I have a good experience with the artist or I feel they're undercharging themselves. Its always appreciated!
4.) Are you saying that a commissioner only wants to contact you through patreon? I don't see a problem with that, everyone has preferred methods of contact and if patreon works for you, use it! Many prefer email because it leaves a secure "paper trail" that is easier to find compared to sifting through messages and DMs on a site!
Hope that helps!
My personal limit 45 days. If an artist can't deliver in that time then I don't commission them. However, in practice, any artist that can give you at least some idea of what their turnaround time is is generally trustworthy. If they don't know how long it might take to get your art, then my general experience is you're probably not going to get your art.
If they're brand new to doing commissions and/or you want to give them a chance anyway, never go past 6 months. This allows you to put in a paypal claim and get your money back if the artist disappears.
3. I've only ever tipped once. I don't think tipping is considered a done thing anymore, but maybe I'm in the minority here.
Unfortunately I don't have answers for your other questions. Good luck and I hope this helps.
Edited at 2017-02-07 03:16 am (UTC)
I also stated that I personally was uncomfortable commissioning anyone who took longer than 45 days, but that was meant to be a totally separate statement. Just because I prefer to commission people with shorter turnaround times does not make artists with longer turnaround times untrustworthy.
Alternatively, if you said "It really depends, but I've never had a customer wait longer than 4 months," then that would be OK.
Am I explaining it better?
I am talking about before money even exchanges hands. Before the commission is started. A customer should always know the turnaround time before they even put in an order.
Edited at 2017-02-08 03:22 pm (UTC)
Since I suck at giving time estimates, I like to ask the commissioner if they have a specific deadline in mind that they would like to see the piece completed by. If they say that I should just work at my own pace, I'll inform them that I am one of the slower artists around and that it can take some time depending on the complexity of the image and where they are in my queue.
No one likes throwing their money at uncertainty, it helps to have even a general idea of when one can receive their piece. Ambiguity sucks, hahahahaha.
2. Ask for their turnaround time?
For me, it really depends what I'm asking for. A digital sketch, I would expect that to be done rather quickly, which for me is within a week. A large oil painting, I could understand waiting a few months for. The key is COMMUNICATION--as long as there's updates and signs of progress, and the artist can keep to their own timetable, I'm generally okay with whatever turnaround they quote me.
3. Tips should not be included in a quoted price, that's just tacky. However, if you want to tip your artist on your own, then feel free to do so. I'm not sure it's a common practice, but it's certainly appreciated if you decide to!
4. Can't help you with this one, never used Patreon as either an artist or commissioner. As an outsider, it kinda boggles me, but if that's the only way a certain artist is operating now, then you'll have to learn it if you want to commission them.
3) I always thought tipping was the norm but then I guess I'm just old fashioned.
3. That's totally up to you as the commissioner. I've only tipped a couple of times in my history of commissioning, and they were times when the artist delivered a product that I was really happy with, and in both cases felt that they undercharged me. I don't know that any artist really ever expects to be given more than the price they're charging (and if they do, um, that's kind of tacky).
Edited at 2017-02-07 03:41 am (UTC)
2. Paypal has a 6 month limit, so I would say that. However, depending on the art and how many people ahead of me waiting for art, I'd get uneasy after about a month or two.
3. Artists typically don't include tips with the price of the art because, well, it's a tip a customer gives after the art is delivered. I send out invoices just for the price of the commission and don't expect tips, though it's very appreciated. Just ask.
4. I don't know much about how Patreon works, sorry ~