A problem with emergency commissions

[Ketra]

As this is something that has been bumming me out, I was wondering how many people on here have gotten emergency commissions or donations in exchange for content that never appeared?

Obviously the circumstances mean that you don't expect the normal quick turnaround of a regular commission, but what do you guys think when people continue to post work (both commissioned and personal) for months after the emergency commission? Has this happened to other folks?

 

[Gyao]

Frankly speaking, artist should be prioritizing work in the order it was commissioned.
I can understand the artist going off and doing one or two other pieces if they're not feeling motivated... But if it's been more than a month I expect the artist themselves to send me an update on what's going on. I really shouldn't have to ask "Hey it's been 30 days, have you started yet?"

Of course it's possible they've forgotten, especially if they've got multiple jobs they've taken on.
Personally? I'm too wary to give most artists a chance. Unless the art is dirt-cheap or the artist has a good track record for providing paid art, I'm not paying a cent xD

Never had people be dishonest with me in this aspect, but I do know one artist who used to get commissioned, completed the art... while the buyer promises to pay 'later' and never does. It goes both ways.

 

[KittenAdmin]

I shell out on big pieces all the time and have had mixed results. Usually it's the middle-of-the-road folks you need to worry about. Good art at good prices. Great artists who charge a lot often have a system that ensures they get to their commissions without issue. It's usually their job. Usually cheaper comms are folks just trying to get themselves out there so they'll bend over backwards to make you happy.

Unfortunately artists are unpredictable animals. They work for themselves and talent/motivation is hard to perform on a 9-5 basis. I've had my art skipped for months because they didn't feel like doing a two-character piece and kept pumping out busts and posting journals for more bust comms while mine was sitting on the shelf yet to be worked on.

I'm pretty patient until it becomes ridiculous. 2-3 months standard is the maximum I'll wait before I start pestering the artist.

 

[PlusThirtyOne]

i came here expecting to see you ask for money and commissions.
Thank you for not doing that.

On topic: i would expect the artist to prioritize their flow of art in the order the requests came in, regardless of who or why the work came through. i don't draw for pay anymore bit when i did i couldn't keep up with orders. it sounds like an easy thing to do, just draw, but not everyone can turn on their talents like a lightswitch. i couldn't either which was why i quit.

 

[Gyao]

Hmm if you put it that way, I suppose it is kind of insulting to think that someone would put up a YCH, and then lose motivation to draw the moment they see your fursona xD

To clarify my position, I don't mind waiting several months for a piece to be completed.
I don't even care if the artist I've contacted has been pumping out other work, albeit I'd be a bit annoyed if they kept taking on more commission jobs.
What I dislike is the lack of communication. I find it rather disrespectful to take someone's money and then leave them in the dark for several weeks. And frankly I feel like an ass when I ask people "Hey asshole, what's going on with my commish?"
... Okay, I wouldn't use those words, and I wouldn't feel as hostile, but even if I phrase it as "Excuse me, can I get an update on what happening with my commission?" I still feel like I'm pestering them and being annoying.

Onus of communication should lie with the side that hasn't coughed up their fair share of things.

 

[um_pineapplez]

Hmm if you put it that way, I suppose it is kind of insulting to think that someone would put up a YCH, and then lose motivation to draw the moment they see your fursona xD.

I would if the fursona in question was either a Sparkledog, or a sh!t OC Mary sue.

Of course, if it was the latter, I'd subject it to the one thing a Mary Sue CAN'T get out of: a Disney death.

 

[Gyao]

I would if the fursona in question was either a Sparkledog, or a sh!t OC Mary sue.

Of course, if it was the latter, I'd subject it to the one thing a Mary Sue CAN'T get out of: a Disney death.

Haha xD
Well to be honest, I wouldn't accept that as an excuse either. Since an artist shouldn't be accepting things they don't want to draw.
If you accept to draw it, you accept to draw it. And sh!t characters aren't a valid excuse to not provide what was promised.

Commissions should be flat out rejected, and while it'd probably rock the boat a bit, the artist would need to tell the winner "I'm sorry but I don't think I can draw your character well" and pass it down to the second highest bidder.

 

[quoting_mungo]

I think I might be waiting for one piece that never seems to happen, but honestly for anything labeled as an emergency fundraiser, I'm unlikely to spend the money unless I'm happy to give it to the cause (I also primarily get such things from friends, for the same reason). So when the art happens, it's a bonus, and if it doesn't, I can still feel good about having helped someone do/pay for something that would otherwise be out of their reach.

Of course, if it was the latter, I'd subject it to the one thing a Mary Sue CAN'T get out of: a Disney death.

I really hope you're joking (tho if you are it's honestly not a very good joke); unless you're explicitly being commissioned for it, drawing your commissioner's character being killed/dying, Disney death or no, is extremely rude and unprofessional. This goes doubly if it's someone's fursona, as that's a character they use to represent themselves.

I can tell you that if I commissioned someone to draw one of my characters, and got a death piece in return without having asked for one, I'd be asking for my money back. And I do not do that lightly.

 

[um_pineapplez]

Yeah, I'm joking. I wouldn't do that to anyone, no matter how tempting.

 

[Sergei Nóhomo]

I really hope you're joking (tho if you are it's honestly not a very good joke); unless you're explicitly being commissioned for it, drawing your commissioner's character being killed/dying, Disney death or no, is extremely rude and unprofessional. This goes doubly if it's someone's fursona, as that's a character they use to represent themselves.

I can tell you that if I commissioned someone to draw one of my characters, and got a death piece in return without having asked for one, I'd be asking for my money back. And I do not do that lightly.

I dunno, I'd do it if I was bored enough. Granted I'd also provide their original request

 

[DravenDonovan]

I'm currently in somewhat of the same boat. Had a well-known artist on DA offer a high quality art piece for a 6-month core membership. I had admired the artist's work for years so I jumped right on it! Cause I knew it'd be gone in an instant if I thought about it.
Well that was back in April.. They've been accepting other commissions since then, putting out other com-work (one set being icons, which was only a month later so I got, and they did finish that one), and now not long ago they made a Journal suggesting that they haven't forgotten, they just had IRL issues..
I don't know what to do about it, myself, but I will say something eventually.

 

[Ketra]

What I dislike is the lack of communication. I find it rather disrespectful to take someone's money and then leave them in the dark for several weeks. And frankly I feel like an ass when I ask people "Hey asshole, what's going on with my commish?"
... Okay, I wouldn't use those words, and I wouldn't feel as hostile, but even if I phrase it as "Excuse me, can I get an update on what happening with my commission?" I still feel like I'm pestering them and being annoying.

This. Over the past few months I've sent friendly, gentle reminders about my commissions and been told they're on the way. Anything more persistent and I feel like the bad guy.

I just feel like it's a shitty way to repay someone who helped you out when you were in a tight spot