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Buying Guide and Selling Guide - input needed
12 years ago
General
I'm currently writing up a "Customer's Buying Guide" and "Artist's Selling Guide". I have a good idea of most of the things I'd like to put in it, but its always good to get input from other people and the way they do things. So here's some questions for you. If you're both an artist AND a customer (some artists like to buy art too!) you can fill out both sets of questions if you like. Either post your answers in the comments, or if you'd rather be incognito, send as a note with the subject title "Questionnaire"
If any of the scenarios have happened to you, please do not call out the offending party by name. If any of the scenarios have NOT happened to you, don't respond with what you would LIKE to do in that situation or what you THINK you would do. Often actual reactions in the "heat of the moment" differ from how you assume you'd act or would like to act. Either leave the question out or answer with "I have not experienced this situation".
Also, this questionnaire is pretty long. Don't feel as though you need to sit and spend an hour or more all at once to make your comment. Go ahead and copy the questions into a text file and answer them as you have time/mood strikes.
Questions for Buyers
1a) Is there a specific way you prefer to contact an artist? (email, on-site note, IM etc) If so, how? Why do you prefer this way?
1b) Is there a specific way you dislike? Will you still commission an artist if they prefer this method, or will you find someone else?
Do you have any questions pertaining to contact that I should answer/address in the guide?
2) At what stage in the process do you prefer to pay for your art? Do you prefer to pay all at once, or in installments? Why?
Do you have different preferences depending on the art type/cost? Why or why not?
Do you have different preferences depending on artist trust? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to payment that I should answer/address in the guide?
3) Are you bothered when charged complexity fees for complicated characters/outfits/props? When charged an additional fee for adult work? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to additional fees that I should answer/address in the guide?
4) You found the perfect artist to draw your idea. The price was right, and their gallery was amazing. But they turned you down because they didn't like your idea (or requested an absurd amount of money to draw the idea). How did you deal with the situation?
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to being turned down that I should answer/address in the guide?
5) You paid an artist for a piece, and they gave you a rough estimate for a completion date (or you requested a reasonable deadline they agreed to) which then came and went and you'd not heard from them since payment. You sent a polite request for an update. How did you respond when:
a) they completely and rudely flipped out. ("How dare you pester me", "Since you're whining about it, you just dropped down to the bottom of the list", etc.
b) they gave you a string of excuses which you knew were probably lies, exaggerations, or not nearly good enough to warrant the wait, and they had just been being lazy or forgetful.
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with rude/lazy artists that I should answer/address in the guide?
6) An artist was being difficult with you. Perhaps they got your character wrong even if all refs sent were correct and up to date, and they refused to fix it. Perhaps they initially agreed to draw a certain thing a certain way, then changed their mind during the work and refused to draw that certain thing that certain way. Whatever the case, something was wrong and the artist was a pain about fixing the problem. How did you deal with this?
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with difficult artists that I should answer/address in the guide?
7) You decided that you need a refund. What circumstances lead you to requesting:
a) a full refund
b) a partial refund
Was your request granted? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to refunds that I should answer/address in the guide?
8) You received work and you were unimpressed in how it turned out for whatever reasons. How did you react when:
a) it was still a WIP
b) it was complete
Did artist reputation/social status determine your reaction? Why or why not?
Did your relationship with the artist determine your reaction? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with disappointing results that I should answer/address in the guide?
9) An artist accused you of violating their TOS in some way.
a) You were quite certain you didn't, and had read their TOS thoroughly before commissioning them. Of what did they accuse you? How did you react to the accusation?
or
b) You did, unknowingly. What was the violation? How did you react to the accusation?
Did the artist's reputation or relationship with you affect your reaction? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to TOS violations that I should answer/address in the guide?
Questions for Artists
1a) Is there a specific way you prefer customers to contact you regarding commissions? (email, on-site note, IM etc) If so, how? Why do you prefer this way?
b) Is there a specific way you dislike for customers to contact you regarding commissions? If they do contact you this way, how do you deal with it?
Do you have any questions pertaining to contact that I should answer/address in the guide?
2) At what stage do you expect the customer to pay? (Up front, when finished, after sketch, etc) Do you take partial payments, or expect it all at once? Do you have different preferences depending on the art type/cost? Customer reputation/trust (if any)?
Do you have any questions pertaining to payment that I should answer/address in the guide?
3) Do you have a flat rate per character for different types of artwork, or do you flexibly charge more or less depending on character details or lack thereof? Do you charge extra for mature/adult work? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to additional fees that I should answer/address in the guide?
4) A customer asked you to draw a fetish or character you're not comfortable with and would really rather not draw. How did you deal with the situation?
Did the customer's reputation or relationship with you determine how you responded? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to turning down commissions that I should answer/address in the guide?
5) A customer asked for an update on their commission. You either hadn't started or had nothing new to show yet for various reasons. How did you respond when:
a) it had been at least a week since you have taken their commission and this was their first update request.
b) it had been at least a month and this was their second or third update request.
c) it had only been a week and they'd already messaged you two or three times for updates.
Did customer's reputation or relationship with you determine how you responded? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to customer updates that I should answer/address in the guide?
6) You had a customer who was being difficult. Maybe they were being overly (beyond reason) nitpicky about certain details, keep asking you to make huge changes to things "just to see how it looks", spammed you with messages about new ideas for the picture or cosmetic changes to the character, etc. How did you deal with this?
Do you have any questions pertaining to difficult customers that I should answer/address in the guide?
7) A customer asked for a refund. How did you respond if:
a) you were partway through
b) you hadn't started yet
Did the customer's excuse/reason affect how you responded? Did the customer's reputation or relationship with you affect how you responded? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to refunding customers that I should answer/address in the guide?
8) You completed a commission and you learned (either directly from the customer, or second hand) that they were disappointed in the outcome. How did you react:
a)when the customer was rude about it to your face?
b) when you heard about rude things second hand?
c) when you heard about it second hand, but no indication of rudeness?
Did your reaction differ depending on the customer's reputation or relationship with you? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with disappointed customers that I should answer/address in the guide?
9) A customer violated your TOS in some way. What did they do, and how did you react?
Do you have any questions pertaining to TOS violations that I should answer/address in the guide?
Do you, either as a customer or an artist, have any questions that don't fit into anything above? Have you encountered a situation that I haven't listed? Please let me know.
If any of the scenarios have happened to you, please do not call out the offending party by name. If any of the scenarios have NOT happened to you, don't respond with what you would LIKE to do in that situation or what you THINK you would do. Often actual reactions in the "heat of the moment" differ from how you assume you'd act or would like to act. Either leave the question out or answer with "I have not experienced this situation".
Also, this questionnaire is pretty long. Don't feel as though you need to sit and spend an hour or more all at once to make your comment. Go ahead and copy the questions into a text file and answer them as you have time/mood strikes.
Questions for Buyers
1a) Is there a specific way you prefer to contact an artist? (email, on-site note, IM etc) If so, how? Why do you prefer this way?
1b) Is there a specific way you dislike? Will you still commission an artist if they prefer this method, or will you find someone else?
Do you have any questions pertaining to contact that I should answer/address in the guide?
2) At what stage in the process do you prefer to pay for your art? Do you prefer to pay all at once, or in installments? Why?
Do you have different preferences depending on the art type/cost? Why or why not?
Do you have different preferences depending on artist trust? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to payment that I should answer/address in the guide?
3) Are you bothered when charged complexity fees for complicated characters/outfits/props? When charged an additional fee for adult work? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to additional fees that I should answer/address in the guide?
4) You found the perfect artist to draw your idea. The price was right, and their gallery was amazing. But they turned you down because they didn't like your idea (or requested an absurd amount of money to draw the idea). How did you deal with the situation?
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to being turned down that I should answer/address in the guide?
5) You paid an artist for a piece, and they gave you a rough estimate for a completion date (or you requested a reasonable deadline they agreed to) which then came and went and you'd not heard from them since payment. You sent a polite request for an update. How did you respond when:
a) they completely and rudely flipped out. ("How dare you pester me", "Since you're whining about it, you just dropped down to the bottom of the list", etc.
b) they gave you a string of excuses which you knew were probably lies, exaggerations, or not nearly good enough to warrant the wait, and they had just been being lazy or forgetful.
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with rude/lazy artists that I should answer/address in the guide?
6) An artist was being difficult with you. Perhaps they got your character wrong even if all refs sent were correct and up to date, and they refused to fix it. Perhaps they initially agreed to draw a certain thing a certain way, then changed their mind during the work and refused to draw that certain thing that certain way. Whatever the case, something was wrong and the artist was a pain about fixing the problem. How did you deal with this?
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with difficult artists that I should answer/address in the guide?
7) You decided that you need a refund. What circumstances lead you to requesting:
a) a full refund
b) a partial refund
Was your request granted? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to refunds that I should answer/address in the guide?
8) You received work and you were unimpressed in how it turned out for whatever reasons. How did you react when:
a) it was still a WIP
b) it was complete
Did artist reputation/social status determine your reaction? Why or why not?
Did your relationship with the artist determine your reaction? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with disappointing results that I should answer/address in the guide?
9) An artist accused you of violating their TOS in some way.
a) You were quite certain you didn't, and had read their TOS thoroughly before commissioning them. Of what did they accuse you? How did you react to the accusation?
or
b) You did, unknowingly. What was the violation? How did you react to the accusation?
Did the artist's reputation or relationship with you affect your reaction? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to TOS violations that I should answer/address in the guide?
Questions for Artists
1a) Is there a specific way you prefer customers to contact you regarding commissions? (email, on-site note, IM etc) If so, how? Why do you prefer this way?
b) Is there a specific way you dislike for customers to contact you regarding commissions? If they do contact you this way, how do you deal with it?
Do you have any questions pertaining to contact that I should answer/address in the guide?
2) At what stage do you expect the customer to pay? (Up front, when finished, after sketch, etc) Do you take partial payments, or expect it all at once? Do you have different preferences depending on the art type/cost? Customer reputation/trust (if any)?
Do you have any questions pertaining to payment that I should answer/address in the guide?
3) Do you have a flat rate per character for different types of artwork, or do you flexibly charge more or less depending on character details or lack thereof? Do you charge extra for mature/adult work? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to additional fees that I should answer/address in the guide?
4) A customer asked you to draw a fetish or character you're not comfortable with and would really rather not draw. How did you deal with the situation?
Did the customer's reputation or relationship with you determine how you responded? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to turning down commissions that I should answer/address in the guide?
5) A customer asked for an update on their commission. You either hadn't started or had nothing new to show yet for various reasons. How did you respond when:
a) it had been at least a week since you have taken their commission and this was their first update request.
b) it had been at least a month and this was their second or third update request.
c) it had only been a week and they'd already messaged you two or three times for updates.
Did customer's reputation or relationship with you determine how you responded? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to customer updates that I should answer/address in the guide?
6) You had a customer who was being difficult. Maybe they were being overly (beyond reason) nitpicky about certain details, keep asking you to make huge changes to things "just to see how it looks", spammed you with messages about new ideas for the picture or cosmetic changes to the character, etc. How did you deal with this?
Do you have any questions pertaining to difficult customers that I should answer/address in the guide?
7) A customer asked for a refund. How did you respond if:
a) you were partway through
b) you hadn't started yet
Did the customer's excuse/reason affect how you responded? Did the customer's reputation or relationship with you affect how you responded? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to refunding customers that I should answer/address in the guide?
8) You completed a commission and you learned (either directly from the customer, or second hand) that they were disappointed in the outcome. How did you react:
a)when the customer was rude about it to your face?
b) when you heard about rude things second hand?
c) when you heard about it second hand, but no indication of rudeness?
Did your reaction differ depending on the customer's reputation or relationship with you? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with disappointed customers that I should answer/address in the guide?
9) A customer violated your TOS in some way. What did they do, and how did you react?
Do you have any questions pertaining to TOS violations that I should answer/address in the guide?
Do you, either as a customer or an artist, have any questions that don't fit into anything above? Have you encountered a situation that I haven't listed? Please let me know.
1a) Is there a specific way you prefer to contact an artist? (email, on-site note, IM etc) If so, how? Why do you prefer this way?
-There is not really any one way I like better than the other. Notes on FA seem to be the most common, and a few artists have gone through e-mail, and both seem fine to me.
1b) Is there a specific way you dislike? Will you still commission an artist if they prefer this method, or will you find someone else?
-I would never be so base as to not commission someone simply because I do not like their preferred communication method. :/
Do you have any questions pertaining to contact that I should answer/address in the guide?
2) At what stage in the process do you prefer to pay for your art? Do you prefer to pay all at once, or in installments? Why?
- I typically prefer paying all at once upfront, that way I know it's done and paid, and also for the fact that I might not have enough money next time the artist opens up. XD
Do you have different preferences depending on the art type/cost? Why or why not?
- I have no payment preference depending on art type, but I think if something is over $200 I would like installments, but I've never commissioned something for that much.
Do you have different preferences depending on artist trust? Why or why not?
- I've never had issues with artist trust, so I can't really answer.
Do you have any questions pertaining to payment that I should answer/address in the guide?
- Perhaps adding preferred payment methods, such as PayPal, cash, chect, etc.
3) Are you bothered when charged complexity fees for complicated characters/outfits/props? When charged an additional fee for adult work? Why or why not?
- Overall, no. Lots of armor and complicated outfits take a lot of extra time, so it's only fair. Once I got charged extra because my character has wings (nothing outrageous; just regular dragon wings) and it kind of annoyed me, as no one else had ever charged extra for wings, but it didn't bother me that much.
Do you have any questions pertaining to additional fees that I should answer/address in the guide?
4) You found the perfect artist to draw your idea. The price was right, and their gallery was amazing. But they turned you down because they didn't like your idea (or requested an absurd amount of money to draw the idea). How did you deal with the situation?
- I've never had this happen, but I believe I would be respectful of their decision. They have a right to decide what they do and do not want to draw, just as everyone else has the right to decide what movie they want to see.
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to being turned down that I should answer/address in the guide?
5) You paid an artist for a piece, and they gave you a rough estimate for a completion date (or you requested a reasonable deadline they agreed to) which then came and went and you'd not heard from them since payment. You sent a polite request for an update. How did you respond when:
a) they completely and rudely flipped out. ("How dare you pester me", "Since you're whining about it, you just dropped down to the bottom of the list", etc.
- Again, I've never had this happen, but I believe I would be annoyed, but would tolerate it as long as they got the art done, though would be unlikely of coming back to them again.
b) they gave you a string of excuses which you knew were probably lies, exaggerations, or not nearly good enough to warrant the wait, and they had just been being lazy or forgetful.
-Same as previous answer.
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
I cannot really answer any of the remaining questions, as I've never had any of the situations occur. My answers probably didn't help much, but I guess it's something, right?
I'm not particularly picky about how I get contacted, I prefer emails or notes since you can fit a nice chunk of info in it.
b) Is there a specific way you dislike for customers to contact you regarding commissions? If they do contact you this way, how do you deal with it?
Not particularly, in the events I don't like how they contact me I ask for them to send a more complete email to my adress
Do you have any questions pertaining to contact that I should answer/address in the guide?
Not really
2) At what stage do you expect the customer to pay? (Up front, when finished, after sketch, etc) Do you take partial payments, or expect it all at once? Do you have different preferences depending on the art type/cost? Customer reputation/trust (if any)?
I let the commissioner decide, I prefer up front but I don't mind recieving partial payments and even late ones. It does depend on the commissioner though, if it someone who sounds like they are up to no good, I might be more strict.
3) Do you have a flat rate per character for different types of artwork, or do you flexibly charge more or less depending on character details or lack thereof? Do you charge extra for mature/adult work? Why or why not?
I have both, a base price and the fexibility to charge more or less depending on the character. I charge extra simply for a convinience thing, it makes me more money.
Do you have any questions pertaining to additional fees that I should answer/address in the guide?
I would like to hear a bit about flat rates vs time rates for drawings, what works better and so on
4) A customer asked you to draw a fetish or character you're not comfortable with and would really rather not draw. How did you deal with the situation?
Did the customer's reputation or relationship with you determine how you responded? Why or why not?
I would turn them down politely, I think my relationship with the customer wouldn't matter, if I'm simply not comfortable drawing it.
Do you have any questions pertaining to turning down commissions that I should answer/address in the guide?
Nope
5) A customer asked for an update on their commission. You either hadn't started or had nothing new to show yet for various reasons. How did you respond when:
a) it had been at least a week since you have taken their commission and this was their first update request.
I would apologize and explain the situation and promise to get on it as soon as I can.
b) it had been at least a month and this was their second or third update request.
I would do the same for a
c) it had only been a week and they'd already messaged you two or three times for updates.
Again the same
Did customer's reputation or relationship with you determine how you responded? Why or why not?
Not really, its in the customer's right to ask for updates on something they paid for.
Do you have any questions pertaining to customer updates that I should answer/address in the guide? See below
6) You had a customer who was being difficult. Maybe they were being overly (beyond reason) nitpicky about certain details, keep asking you to make huge changes to things "just to see how it looks", spammed you with messages about new ideas for the picture or cosmetic changes to the character, etc. How did you deal with this?
This happened to me recently and honestly I would simply try to talk the customer through to help them see reason. Sometimes it's good to be a bit stern with them.
Do you have any questions pertaining to difficult customers that I should answer/address in the guide? How do you properly deal with someone who is overly nitpicky? How do oyu deal with customers who want all their work livestreamed personally for them?
7) A customer asked for a refund. How did you respond if:
a) you were partway through
I would give the money back, disapointed
b) you hadn't started yet
Give it back no problem, or try to talk it through
Did the customer's excuse/reason affect how you responded? Did the customer's reputation or relationship with you affect how you responded? Why or why not?
Not really, it's in their right to change their mind as well
Do you have any questions pertaining to refunding customers that I should answer/address in the guide? Nope
8) You completed a commission and you learned (either directly from the customer, or second hand) that they were disappointed in the outcome. How did you react:
a)when the customer was rude about it to your face?
Be quite mad and ask why they didn't point out they didn't like it before
b) when you heard about rude things second hand?
Be very disapointed and probably contact the customer for explanations
c) when you heard about it second hand, but no indication of rudeness?
Same as b but probably less angry.
Did your reaction differ depending on the customer's reputation or relationship with you? Why or why not? If a customer is known for being rude I might see it coming and not be so mad against someone who everything seemed ok until they got their commission
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with disappointed customers that I should answer/address in the guide? I'd like to know how to deal with them
9) A customer violated your TOS in some way. What did they do, and how did you react?
My TOS is very lax unles some very speciphic things I wouldn't draw, but if for example they used a character that didn't belong to them I would take my commission down and call them out on their violation.
Do you have any questions pertaining to TOS violations that I should answer/address in the guide?
Nope!
1a) I prefer to contact by notes as it is the simplest way to go from an artists page to buying something (no extra tabs, no going to email site, all done on FA)
1b) No specific way of contacts I dislike.
2) I like to pay upfront, all at once, so that is out of the way and I don't have to worry about payment further down the line.
Do you have any questions pertaining to payment that I should answer/address in the guide?
Address Alternate Payment methods
3) I am bothered by extra charge for adult work, but it does not affect my decision to commission.
4) An artist rejecting my idea, if it was not explained, I ask why, for some claification (Was it stated somewhere that X won't be accepted?).
5) a) I have not experienced this.
b) After a long enough string of excuses, I grow tired and request a refund.
6) I have not experienced this.
7) I have requested a full refund once, and it was granted immediately upon my request. The artist in question was, in my opinion, putting off his list of commissions wating for several months (with several times of saying "I'll get to it next week" and not doing so) and working on streams.
8a) Being unimpressed with a WIP, ask for changes to be made.
b) Being unimpressed with a finished work, I really just ignore it, and move on, but probably never commission that artist again.
Reputation of the artist or my relationship has no bearing on my reaction.
9) I have never violated or been accused of violating an artist's ToS
1a) Is there a specific way you prefer to contact an artist? (email, on-site note, IM etc) If so, how? Why do you prefer this way?
On-site notes. It seems easier to keep up with for me.
1b) Is there a specific way you dislike? Will you still commission an artist if they prefer this method, or will you find someone else?
I honestly don't care. If I like their art enough, I don't mind going through a hoop or two.
Do you have any questions pertaining to contact that I should answer/address in the guide?
Nope
2) At what stage in the process do you prefer to pay for your art? Do you prefer to pay all at once, or in installments? Why?
It depends on how much it is. Under $10, I like paying upfront. Moer than that, I like half at the sketch, half when it's done.
Do you have different preferences depending on the art type/cost? Why or why not?
I'm not sure that I fully understand the question? I suppose I like sketches under $10, full CG to be $20+?
Do you have different preferences depending on artist trust? Why or why not?
If I see a bunch of complaints on their page or that they've had some commssions for a few months I probably won't commission them.
Do you have any questions pertaining to payment that I should answer/address in the guide?
Nope
3) Are you bothered when charged complexity fees for complicated characters/outfits/props? When charged an additional fee for adult work? Why or why not?
I've never had that problem.. Though I have been suddenly charged JUST because my character had clothes? What's up with that? They aren't even a complicated outfit and the artist gave me no prior knowledge of the extra charge. I will not buy from them again, nor will I recommend them.
And I don't buy adult work. I like cute stuff. ;3;
Do you have any questions pertaining to additional fees that I should answer/address in the guide?
Nope
4) You found the perfect artist to draw your idea. The price was right, and their gallery was amazing. But they turned you down because they didn't like your idea (or requested an absurd amount of money to draw the idea). How did you deal with the situation?
I've never experienced anything like that.
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
N-A
Do you have any questions pertaining to being turned down that I should answer/address in the guide?
Nope
5) You paid an artist for a piece, and they gave you a rough estimate for a completion date (or you requested a reasonable deadline they agreed to) which then came and went and you'd not heard from them since payment. You sent a polite request for an update. How did you respond when:
a) they completely and rudely flipped out. ("How dare you pester me", "Since you're whining about it, you just dropped down to the bottom of the list", etc.
Not happened to me.
b) they gave you a string of excuses which you knew were probably lies, exaggerations, or not nearly good enough to warrant the wait, and they had just been being lazy or forgetful.
Not happened.
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
N-A
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with rude/lazy artists that I should answer/address in the guide?
Perhaps when they're actually pretty nice and apologetic. I've commissioned someone for a birthday gift and they said it would be done around June/July, but when that time came and I asked, they said that other commissions were taking longer than expected. I don't mind being patient for a person that's nice about it.
And also about the kind that just. Disappears. I've hat that happen as well.
6) An artist was being difficult with you. Perhaps they got your character wrong even if all refs sent were correct and up to date, and they refused to fix it. Perhaps they initially agreed to draw a certain thing a certain way, then changed their mind during the work and refused to draw that certain thing that certain way. Whatever the case, something was wrong and the artist was a pain about fixing the problem. How did you deal with this?
Sometimes people get my characters' hair-swoops wrong and even leave them off entirely despite me mentioning them. When I point it out they ignore it.. I just don't comission or recommend them. Since the characters I'm mentioning are co-owned with my best friend, she usually adds the mising hair-bits so that we at least have accurate copies..
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
N-A
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with difficult artists that I should answer/address in the guide?
Not that you haven't covered.
7) You decided that you need a refund. What circumstances lead you to requesting:
a) a full refund
b) a partial refund
Was your request granted? Why or why not?
N-A
Do you have any questions pertaining to refunds that I should answer/address in the guide?
N-A
8) You received work and you were unimpressed in how it turned out for whatever reasons. How did you react when:
a) it was still a WIP
b) it was complete
Did artist reputation/social status determine your reaction? Why or why not?
Did your relationship with the artist determine your reaction? Why or why not?
I didn't recieve a WIP for a particular piece that I'm still very displeased with.. When I was shown the complete picture, I pretended to be alright with it, but I hate it so much. The prepose I bought was so cute, and I'm handed this ungly, poorly done pile of crap. It was the one I mentioned with the extra charge for clothes? I think the artist made it bad to spite me for complaining about that extra charge.
I'm still really pissed about that, honestly.
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with disappointing results that I should answer/address in the guide?
N-A
9) An artist accused you of violating their TOS in some way.
a) You were quite certain you didn't, and had read their TOS thoroughly before commissioning them. Of what did they accuse you? How did you react to the accusation?
or
b) You did, unknowingly. What was the violation? How did you react to the accusation?
Did the artist's reputation or relationship with you affect your reaction? Why or why not?
N-A
Do you have any questions pertaining to TOS violations that I should answer/address in the guide?
N-A
I'm going to fill the seller one too. o3o
1a) Is there a specific way you prefer customers to contact you regarding commissions? (email, on-site note, IM etc) If so, how? Why do you prefer this way?
I prefer notes or emails
b) Is there a specific way you dislike for customers to contact you regarding commissions? If they do contact you this way, how do you deal with it?
N-A
Do you have any questions pertaining to contact that I should answer/address in the guide?
N-A
2) At what stage do you expect the customer to pay? (Up front, when finished, after sketch, etc) Do you take partial payments, or expect it all at once? Do you have different preferences depending on the art type/cost? Customer reputation/trust (if any)?
It depends on what they buy. If it's a sketch, then upfront. Anything else, I like half the payment when I show them sketches and the rest when I give them the completed piece. If it's a prepose, then I prefer all upfront.
Do you have any questions pertaining to payment that I should answer/address in the guide?
N-A
3) Do you have a flat rate per character for different types of artwork, or do you flexibly charge more or less depending on character details or lack thereof? Do you charge extra for mature/adult work? Why or why not?
Flat rates per character for the type. The only time I charge extra is for REALLY complex things, like really intricate armor, and I will never charge extra on perposes. And I don't do adult work.
Do you have any questions pertaining to additional fees that I should answer/address in the guide?
N-A
4) A customer asked you to draw a fetish or character you're not comfortable with and would really rather not draw. How did you deal with the situation?
Did the customer's reputation or relationship with you determine how you responded? Why or why not?
N-A (However, I would kindly point them to my ToS, since that would probably violate it.)
Do you have any questions pertaining to turning down commissions that I should answer/address in the guide?
When someone turns down a normal character and doesn't say why, or a fan character because they just don't like the fandom? I think that could be interesting.
5) A customer asked for an update on their commission. You either hadn't started or had nothing new to show yet for various reasons. How did you respond when:
a) it had been at least a week since you have taken their commission and this was their first update request.
b) it had been at least a month and this was their second or third update request.
c) it had only been a week and they'd already messaged you two or three times for updates.
Did customer's reputation or relationship with you determine how you responded? Why or why not?
N-A (But I pride myself on my speed and sending probably too many updates to whoever commissions me.)
Do you have any questions pertaining to customer updates that I should answer/address in the guide?
N-A
6) You had a customer who was being difficult. Maybe they were being overly (beyond reason) nitpicky about certain details, keep asking you to make huge changes to things "just to see how it looks", spammed you with messages about new ideas for the picture or cosmetic changes to the character, etc. How did you deal with this?
N-A (Though it's in my ToS that I will make changes ONCE and anymore would cost extra. They have plenty of opportunities to point out mistakes through my working process.)
Do you have any questions pertaining to difficult customers that I should answer/address in the guide?
N-A
7) A customer asked for a refund. How did you respond if:
a) you were partway through
b) you hadn't started yet
Did the customer's excuse/reason affect how you responded? Did the customer's reputation or relationship with you affect how you responded? Why or why not?
N-A (Again this is covered in my ToS though. I want paid for the work I complete and will give them SOME of their refund as well as however far I've gotten. If I haven't started at all, it's a full refund.)
Do you have any questions pertaining to refunding customers that I should answer/address in the guide?
N-A
8) You completed a commission and you learned (either directly from the customer, or second hand) that they were disappointed in the outcome. How did you react:
a)when the customer was rude about it to your face?
b) when you heard about rude things second hand?
c) when you heard about it second hand, but no indication of rudeness?
Did your reaction differ depending on the customer's reputation or relationship with you? Why or why not?
N-A
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with disappointed customers that I should answer/address in the guide?
N-A
9) A customer violated your TOS in some way. What did they do, and how did you react?
N-A
Do you have any questions pertaining to TOS violations that I should answer/address in the guide?
N-A
THIS
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/3239405/
1a) Is there a specific way you prefer to contact an artist? (email, on-site note, IM etc) If so, how? Why do you prefer this way?
I go through email or the note system. I prefer email as FA isn't really that great at reviewing messages between people. I never get a commission through IM.
1b) Is there a specific way you dislike? Will you still commission an artist if they prefer this method, or will you find someone else?
Never through IM. I bounce between my laptop and my phone for commissioning people so having everything in one central place helps out a lot.
Do you have any questions pertaining to contact that I should answer/address in the guide?
What is a good place to put contact information?
2) At what stage in the process do you prefer to pay for your art? Do you prefer to pay all at once, or in installments? Why?
Do you have different preferences depending on the art type/cost? Why or why not?
Do you have different preferences depending on artist trust? Why or why not?
I pay everything upfront.
Do you have any questions pertaining to payment that I should answer/address in the guide?
What is Paypal Invoicing and is it a good idea or goodest idea? :V
3) Are you bothered when charged complexity fees for complicated characters/outfits/props? When charged an additional fee for adult work? Why or why not?
I've never had a problem with complexity and I don't think I ever will have it in the future. It makes sense but it might also lead down to the path of drama as one persons idea of what is complicated might be anothers idea of simplistic. It also might be a nonstarter with people who have more complex characters. I sometimes avoid artists that charge an adult fee just because the onus is on me to pick the rating of the picture instead of leaving it up to the artist. This is just because of how I commission artists though. I have specifically commissioned porn in the past though and got told that there was an adult fee added on that surprised me a couple of times.
Do you have any questions pertaining to additional fees that I should answer/address in the guide?
What is a good way to show these fees?
4) You found the perfect artist to draw your idea. The price was right, and their gallery was amazing. But they turned you down because they didn't like your idea (or requested an absurd amount of money to draw the idea). How did you deal with the situation?
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
Never had this experience. I'd be a bit disheartened, cry a river, build a bridge and get over it though. :V
Do you have any questions pertaining to being turned down that I should answer/address in the guide?
What is "Don't cry about it all over the internet?"
5) You paid an artist for a piece, and they gave you a rough estimate for a completion date (or you requested a reasonable deadline they agreed to) which then came and went and you'd not heard from them since payment. You sent a polite request for an update. How did you respond when:
a) they completely and rudely flipped out. ("How dare you pester me", "Since you're whining about it, you just dropped down to the bottom of the list", etc.
b) they gave you a string of excuses which you knew were probably lies, exaggerations, or not nearly good enough to warrant the wait, and they had just been being lazy or forgetful.
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
I never really had any of the former but sometimes of the latter. I don't think they mean to lie but "Ugh, didn't feel like doing it/procrastinating" sounds really embarrassing and would likely cause more problems being honest than not.
Artist reputation/social status has been a factor with some artists I have commissioned in how I deal with them on this subject though.
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with rude/lazy artists that I should answer/address in the guide?
"How do you spot the lethargic artist in the wild?"
6) An artist was being difficult with you. Perhaps they got your character wrong even if all refs sent were correct and up to date, and they refused to fix it. Perhaps they initially agreed to draw a certain thing a certain way, then changed their mind during the work and refused to draw that certain thing that certain way. Whatever the case, something was wrong and the artist was a pain about fixing the problem. How did you deal with this?
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
Personally I just shrugged my shoulders and went along with it. Status, reputation or relationship had nothing to do with it in those instances.
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with difficult artists that I should answer/address in the guide?
What is "a good resource to look up bad artists?"
7) You decided that you need a refund. What circumstances lead you to requesting:
a) a full refund
b) a partial refund
Was your request granted? Why or why not?
I have never asked for a refund but I have been given refunds by artists in the past.
8) You received work and you were unimpressed in how it turned out for whatever reasons. How did you react when:
a) it was still a WIP
b) it was complete
Did artist reputation/social status determine your reaction? Why or why not?
Did your relationship with the artist determine your reaction? Why or why not?
I ended up paying the artist to make changes to the picture since I okayed it, look at it again later, realized something was wrong, and asked them to change it and offered to pay them hourly for it. The artists status and relationship with me didn't play a factor.
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with disappointing results that I should answer/address in the guide?
9) An artist accused you of violating their TOS in some way.
a) You were quite certain you didn't, and had read their TOS thoroughly before commissioning them. Of what did they accuse you? How did you react to the accusation?
or
b) You did, unknowingly. What was the violation? How did you react to the accusation?
Did the artist's reputation or relationship with you affect your reaction? Why or why not?
I never have had this happen to me before. I do read through TOSes. I've walked away from some artists because their TOS was poorly written.
I bet a tag went horribly wrong!
1a) Is there a specific way you prefer to contact an artist? (email, on-site note, IM etc) If so, how? Why do you prefer this way?
well im is nice for quickness and back and forth on ideas. also a stream is great for that. emails are good for more traditional communication plus having a written log if the ims arent saved
1b) Is there a specific way you dislike? Will you still commission an artist if they prefer this method, or will you find someone else?
no if i want to deal with an artist the medium isnt going to effect that
Do you have any questions pertaining to contact that I should answer/address in the guide?
if its for yourself clarifying how often to contact or what time frame to expect replies wouldnt be a bad idea
2) At what stage in the process do you prefer to pay for your art? Do you prefer to pay all at once, or in installments? Why?
well It all depends on when and where the comission is.at a con i prefer to prepay so I dont spend the money before its done with someone else. usually though I prefer to pay no more then half up front.I have been ripped off many times by artists in the fandom or made to wait much much longer then resonible like over a year or years.Most artists want paid up front 100% .even though ive been commisioning people in the fandom for over a decade and never stiffed one once.
Do you have different preferences depending on the art type/cost? Why or why not?
well if its very very expensive paying in installments might actually be necessary.But I rarely get art I cant afford immediately.
Do you have different preferences depending on artist trust? Why or why not?
well id be more comfortable paying up front with someone i trust and have dealt with many times. usually you have no option its prepay or get no art.
Do you have any questions pertaining to payment that I should answer/address in the guide?
3) Are you bothered when charged complexity fees for complicated characters/outfits/props? When charged an additional fee for adult work? Why or why not?
not too much.its up to the artist.but too many different fees come across very annoying
Do you have any questions pertaining to additional fees that I should answer/address in the guide?
just be very clear and up front about all fees. no one likes surprises of additional fees after a picture has been agreed on
4) You found the perfect artist to draw your idea. The price was right, and their gallery was amazing. But they turned you down because they didn't like your idea (or requested an absurd amount of money to draw the idea). How did you deal with the situation?
just moved on. theres nothing you can do if they dont want to work on your idea.you can always try later .maybe if its the expense they will offer a sale in the future
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
no
Do you have any questions pertaining to being turned down that I should answer/address in the guide?
5) You paid an artist for a piece, and they gave you a rough estimate for a completion date (or you requested a reasonable deadline they agreed to) which then came and went and you'd not heard from them since payment. You sent a polite request for an update. How did you respond when:
a) they completely and rudely flipped out. ("How dare you pester me", "Since you're whining about it, you just dropped down to the bottom of the list", etc.
ive had that happen.its hard to know what to do they already have your money.you cant force them to do the work. I have ended up getting an artist to talk to another to try to guilt them into doing what they were paid to do or to refund me.often artists who refuse to do what they were paid to do just disappear on you.
b) they gave you a string of excuses which you knew were probably lies, exaggerations, or not nearly good enough to warrant the wait, and they had just been being lazy or forgetful.
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
no. im never rude but im not going to treat someone different because they are popular. I`ll politely ask for updates and or refunds. Unless I know its legit reasons.
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with rude/lazy artists that I should answer/address in the guide?
6) An artist was being difficult with you. Perhaps they got your character wrong even if all refs sent were correct and up to date, and they refused to fix it. Perhaps they initially agreed to draw a certain thing a certain way, then changed their mind during the work and refused to draw that certain thing that certain way. Whatever the case, something was wrong and the artist was a pain about fixing the problem. How did you deal with this?
if its my characters face or something major i try to ask for it to be fixed.if its minor i ignore it.if its in between i might not say much but never commission them again.
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
no really
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with difficult artists that I should answer/address in the guide?
7) You decided that you need a refund. What circumstances lead you to requesting:
a) a full refund
b) a partial refund
Was your request granted? Why or why not?
usually i never want any refund.I commission people for a reason. often when it gets to refund time artists hide. I currently have someone who took my money in may canceled the commission in june saying theyd refund me and others and still no money or word from that artist :( In theory If nothing was started one should get a refund .if the art is started a partial might be called for depending on if a full sketch was done or ink
Do you have any questions pertaining to refunds that I should answer/address in the guide?
8) You received work and you were unimpressed in how it turned out for whatever reasons. How did you react when:
a) it was still a WIP
politely pointed out what was wrong and asked for changes.
b) it was complete
pointed out what was wrong. I dont think on a finished pic ive ever asked for a total redo. but if i have its been very rare. if its bad enough i just wont commission them again.otherwise its just pointed out for future pics
Did artist reputation/social status determine your reaction? Why or why not?
no
Did your relationship with the artist determine your reaction? Why or why not?
no
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with disappointing results that I should answer/address in the guide?
9) An artist accused you of violating their TOS in some way.
a) You were quite certain you didn't, and had read their TOS thoroughly before commissioning them. Of what did they accuse you? How did you react to the accusation?
I dont think ive had that happen to me as of yet
or
b) You did, unknowingly. What was the violation? How did you react to the accusation?
Did the artist's reputation or relationship with you affect your reaction? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to TOS violations that I should answer/address in the guide?
b) Is there a specific way you dislike for customers to contact you regarding commissions? If they do contact you this way, how do you deal with it?
-I generally prefer email or an onsite system of notes or private messages. if I have a particular preference, I will state it somewhere, and in cases where one or the other is not possible for the client, I appreciate when they let me know which is easier for them.
I do dislike comments on my page(s) about commissions. I also dislike it when people treat email like an instant message. I find the best way to deal with it is to tell them how you would prefer them to contact you and just be polite about it.
2) At what stage do you expect the customer to pay? (Up front, when finished, after sketch, etc) Do you take partial payments, or expect it all at once? Do you have different preferences depending on the art type/cost? Customer reputation/trust (if any)?
Working in the real world, I am either payed at the end of of the day or after work is done. But I have a contract when I work in those situations and I am protected.
For small commissions I ask to be paid upfront, and the work is done within one week. Usually within a few days. For larger commissions, so my clients feel protected I ask they pay a partial sum. Either in chunks or half & half depending on what makes them the most comfortable. Completed, high resolution images are withheld until the final transaction is complete.
For really large commissions, even online, I like to use a contract so that me and my client both feel protected and everything is transparent between us.
3) Do you have a flat rate per character for different types of artwork, or do you flexibly charge more or less depending on character details or lack thereof? Do you charge extra for mature/adult work? Why or why not?
I have starting rates, and those are built on to create a final quote for individual clients.
4) A customer asked you to draw a fetish or character you're not comfortable with and would really rather not draw. How did you deal with the situation?
Did the customer's reputation or relationship with you determine how you responded? Why or why not?
If someone asks for something I don't do I'm honest with them about it, and ask if they'd either like something else, or ask if I can direct them to someone who might offer what they're looking for.
I've found that generally, people don't like a guilt trip just because you aren't comfortable with their particular niche. Being polite and making them feel comfortable is my policy.
5) A customer asked for an update on their commission. You either hadn't started or had nothing new to show yet for various reasons. How did you respond when:
a) it had been at least a week since you have taken their commission and this was their first update request.
Honesty is the best policy for me. If I don't yet have an update I tell them so :)
b) it had been at least a month and this was their second or third update request.
By the 4 weeks they would have had an update from me. If something keeps me from completing a commission on time, I will contact a client as soon as I can and let them know there will be a delay.
I try to treat everyone the same regardless of anything I may have heard. Even if someone becomes belligerent or passive aggressive, while I don't have to be friendly, I think it is important to remain professional.
c) it had only been a week and they'd already messaged you two or three times for updates.
Did customer's reputation or relationship with you determine how you responded? Why or why not?
I may give them an estimated date for updates, and let them know that as soon as I have one they will hear from me.
6) You had a customer who was being difficult. Maybe they were being overly (beyond reason) nitpicky about certain details, keep asking you to make huge changes to things "just to see how it looks", spammed you with messages about new ideas for the picture or cosmetic changes to the character, etc. How did you deal with this?
I charge for changes that I have to make after the fact. I let them know that any additional hours I do comes out of their wallet. If I'm getting paid to do my job, it doesn't much matter to me.
If I feel however, less that someone is being nitpicky, more that I cannot achieve what they are looking for, I'll offer a partial refund. Especially if I feel that they are now unhappy.
7) A customer asked for a refund. How did you respond if:
a) you were partway through
I would give them a refund minus the work that had already been completed.
b) you hadn't started yet
If I haven't started, they will get a full refund.
Did the customer's excuse/reason affect how you responded? Did the customer's reputation or relationship with you affect how you responded? Why or why not?
Not at all.
8) You completed a commission and you learned (either directly from the customer, or second hand) that they were disappointed in the outcome. How did you react:
a)when the customer was rude about it to your face?
I may ask what the problem they had was so that I can address it with them and with future clients, and ask them what I can do to for them at that moment that will make them happy.
If I cannot, then there's frankly nothing I can do but move on.
b) when you heard about rude things second hand?
I'd do nothing. If they don't like something but couldn't come to me, they couldn't have wanted me to fix it all that badly. They are essentially my employer, and it is their responsibility to come to me with issues, just as it is my responsibility to go to them with any I might have.
c) when you heard about it second hand, but no indication of rudeness?
I'd do nothing. If they don't like something but couldn't come to me, they couldn't have wanted me to fix it all that badly. They are essentially my employer, and it is their responsibility to come to me with issues, just as it is my responsibility to go to them with any I might have.
Did your reaction differ depending on the customer's reputation or relationship with you? Why or why not?
Not at all.
9) A customer violated your TOS in some way. What did they do, and how did you react?
I find it difficult to answer as it hasn't happened to me. But it would depend on the situation.
1b) I do not like using IM because I only give mine out to friends. If I am friends with the artist, it’s ok, but it’s not a reliable record keeper. I will not commission someone who only has this method, or the recent trend to only take commissions via face book. I don’t have one, and I think it’s really unfair for an artist to say that no one should have a problem because everyone uses FB nowadays.
What do you consider to be proper etiquette for a buyer to question an artist about their commission? There seems to be an incredibly fine line between being concerned and wanting to keep tabs, and pestering an artist unfairly. Where do you think this line lies?
2) I prefer to pay for my art all at once. I don’t mind paying half, but I really don’t like it when an artist insists on being paid after the fact. Things happen. I have had moments where I have commissioned someone and before I could send the payment, my car has broken down, a friend desperately needs monetary help, or something else has gone wrong. I have had to apologize to artists for this inconvenience, but I didn’t feel too terrible about it since I hadn’t paid them yet and they hadn’t started working on my piece. Nothing was lost. But if something happened in the time it takes for an artist to fully finish a pic and I no longer had the means to pay them for weeks, I would feel horrible. It’s easy to say ‘just put that money aside’, but not terribly realistic. There are also a lot of cases of artists being scammed in this way and it just makes me really uncomfortable.
Do you think it is acceptable to have a policy of zero refunds when work is started?
3) I am on the fence with these issues. Everyone has a different idea of what is complex. Some artists think anything besides a two colored character is complex and will charge someone who has a completely normal looking tiger or Dalmatian extra. That being said, I do think that if the character has a wide variety of markings all over the place, extra appendages like wings, or takes a significantly longer time to draw than the majority of other characters, a fee is reasonable. I will admit to feeling a tad annoyed when getting charged extra for adult work. On the one hand, drawing nude for some is easier than having to draw clothing, but I do understand that for some people, drawing adult is an iffy subject and the fee acts as a deterrent. The problem is that it hardly ever keeps porn seekers away or limit’s the commissions to more SFW fare. I have to admit that I am much more likely to commission someone who does not charge extra for porn or fetish work, not because of the extra charge, but because that fee tells me that the artist really doesn’t want to draw what I love. I do not feel comfortable making people draw something they don’t like and getting a poorer commission for it. In my experience, artists that like fetishism and porn as much as me do a better job at it.
4) I feel pretty depressed after these encounters. I love all my characters, and when one that is truly close to my heart gets rejected, it kind of feels like I’ve been rejected. If the artist explains why they don’t like the character, I can typically work around it, especially when they are polite. But I have had some artists be completely rude towards the character design. These are the sort that I will never commission. I will thank them for their time, but I don’t see us ever having a business relationship. As for an artist turning down a commission idea, I’m ok with that because that isn’t personal to me. I’ll just quickly ask them what they would like to draw and see if we can come to an agreement. I honestly don’t care how popular an artist is/thinks they are. It’s all relative. There are artists with great skill that aren’t popular, those that could really use more practice but have no problem making money because of their fame, and those that are definitely worth their ‘social status.’ I will treat an artist who has been in the fandom for two days and only has one watcher in the same manner that I treat an artist that is nearly impossible to commission because of their status. All I care about is that the job gets done and everyone is treated respectfully, status doesn’t even enter the equation for me.
5) This has happened to me so many times by now (both a and b) that I’ve quickly become sick and tired of dealing with the commissioning process. My reaction to these events is simple; depending on how long the commission has been taking them, and their level of rudeness, I will ask them for a refund because I don’t want to have to deal with artists like this, the art isn’t worth it. They do not belong in a business engagement and should consider either changing their attitude, or just draw for fun. You wouldn’t expect to deal with this behavior in retail and have that business survive, so why should artists be allowed to get away with it?
Do you think that it is reasonable for an artist to state in their TOS what kind of artist they are, if they are easy to approach and are ok with customers asking for edits/updates/making some kind of effort to keep the lines of communication open, or do you consider this to be a frivolous effort?
6) I am a shy, introverted person. I have met quite a few artists that deserve to be up on artist beware because of how they have treated me, but I have never done that. Again, social status makes no difference. If an artist makes a mistake, that’s ok. An artist is not a machine, I get it. But if an artist makes a mistake that could have been easily fixed by communication or reading comprehension, or they are rude or just plain forgetful and demonstrate to me they have no right to be in the commissioning business, I don’t call them out on it (that would be pointless). I simply make sure never to commission them again. Mistakes can be fixed. Poor business attitude and manners seldom can.
7) Refunds have always been a matter of stress for me. Artists, unless they initiated the refund themselves, seem to take asking for one as a personal attack against them. If I have seen no work from them and the artist has made no attempt to communicate the issue with me after several months, I typically ask for a full refund. If I have seen a WIP, I’ll ask for a partial given that I can keep the WIP. Most of the time when I ask for a refund, I get yelled at, ignored, or some kind of negotiation. Paypal is absolutely no help in these problems of trying to get my money back as it takes more than 45 days of waiting for me to decide to demand my money back. I wish there was some fail safe for people like me that are fine with waiting and being patient, but can be guaranteed their money back when negotiations fall through without having to bring legalities into it.
8) I love WIPs and I wish that every artist would get into the habit of delivering them instead of having to be asked to do so. If I get a WIP back and it’s wrong, I will politely ask the artist to change it if it’s in their power. If I get a pic back when it is complete and it’s wrong, I become intensely stressed. I have to weigh things in my mind if it is worth asking an artist to change something and have them blow up at me because they think they’re done. I’ve had this with ref sheets where I will get the pencil sketch and it’s fine. But then the artist will color it and post it, and the colors are nothing like we discussed. Do I mention this to them after they have already posted it, or do I through all that money out the window because the ref is now useless? I have also had issues with smaller commissions and the artist simply finishing the whole thing without sending me a WIP. I don’t think the amount paid should matter, logically it saves the artist the time of fixing things if the buyer could see the pic before it’s finished. And artists need to understand that there are people like me out there that are horribly shy and have let commissions that they are very unhappy with go just to not cause any drama. I will admit that I am more likely to ask artists I’m friendly with or have commissioned before to change things because I know how they will react, and I am less likely to ask a popular artist because of their busy work flow and rumors of popufur attitudes. This isn’t fair at all, but it’s a part of my social anxiety that I can’t ignore.
9) I have never, ever been in this situation before. I try to read an artist’s TOS very carefully before buying from them, or just use common sense otherwise. If I would be accused falsely, it would be an easy thing to prove since TOS’ are public. If I did violate the TOS, I would apologize profusely and try whatever I could to make amends.
1a) On-site note, because I don't like giving my e-mail address out immediately.
1b) I don't like Instant Messenger things. It's hard to find things back, plus I barely use it. I dislike IM overal. I would not commission an artist if they would only want the commission to go over IM.
"After how long can you ask an artist how the commission goes, when you haven't received any message from them whatsoever and it's already taking a while?"
2) I like to pay all at once. I don't like being in a debt. I prefer paying after having seen a very rough sketch, though, so I know the pose I was talking about is the one they are indeed drawing.
Unfortunately I didn't understand the other 2 questions... Moving on.
"Is it alright for a customer to ask for a different paying-moment (eg artist asks pre-payment and you want payment after the piece is finished)? And is it alright for a customer to ask for a different paying method?"
3) I don't mind extra payment for more complex characters. That's the way it is, it takes more time for the artist to draw. But why would you ask more for adult-pictures? If you would take the most simple characters ever and put them next to each other there's no problem, when you put them in a sexual position it suddenly is more expensive. It's just another pose...
"What do I do when I know my character is too complex? Do I estimate the price myself or do I ask the artist about it?"
4) I've never been in a situation like this.
5) I have never been in a situation like this.
"How can I properly ask for my piece of artwork that I paid for without being rude?"
6) I have never been in a situation like this.
"What is the best thing to do when an artist is being difficult? Make sure you get the piece you wanted, ask your money back or just let it go and accept the incorrect piece?"
7) I have never been in a situation like this.
"When is it appropriate to ask for a refund?"
8) The WIP was quite sketchy still, so a lot could still happen. Because of that I thought things would turn out alright, since I'd also been browsing that artist's gallery and all looked well. There were a few things in the lines that I didn't like, like the proportion of some things weren't right, but they changed that for me. The finished piece, however, wasn't what I expected. The colours were really nice, but I wasn't too happy with the lines, still... The face of one character was a bit off, but since this artist'd been showing me WIPs every time (starting with the background, which looked truly wonderful) I felt like I couldn't really say it. So I just left it for what it was, in the end still liking the picture because of its background.
Nothing made my reaction be any different. I mean, the things that happened (occasionally showing me a WIP) did influence it a bit, but overall my idea of this is just being polite and seeing when you can or cannot say anything about it. In this case I didn't feel I could say anything about it. The only thing that really influences my reaction is me and usually I just stay quite calm in things like this, because I don't want to hurt other people.
9) I have never been in a situation like this.
Questions for Artists
1a) On-site notes or email. They are handy for me, I check them regularly and they are easy to keep track of when I need to look back at descriptions of something.
b) I really dislike IM, whatsoever, so I'm not making an exception for customers.
"What do I do when someone keeps asking me to have contact in a way I don't feel comfortable with?"
2) I would like the customer to pay upfront, all at once. Maybe I would sketch their idea roughly and send it to them, to see if I can make what they have in mind, but only when they request such a thing. I accept all customers, as long as they will commission something I am fine with making and as long as they ask for something I can actually pull off. If I can't, I will honestly tell them I am not capable of making such a thing, but I would want to give it a try anyway.
"What is the best way to keep track of my financial plan, with commissions?"
3) I do have flat-rates per art-type, but I do have additional fees for complex characters. Those fees are also set, they are not flexible. I don't make adult art-work, so I don't have to worry about anything in the pricing there.
"What is a good way to calculate additional fees?"
4) I simply told them I don't make adult art-work for commissioners. I don't feel comfortable with that. I told them that there were plenty of other artists out there that would draw adult art-work and that I would be happy to make them something as soon as it wouldn't be adult-rated, but that this is just a personal thing. I really made sure I wouldn't make the customer feel bad and fortunately I managed to do so. So all was good.
"Can I just randomly decline commissions and give the reason on the spot? Or do I have a will-draw and will-not-draw list and refer to that? What is the best way to do this?"
5) This is the one question that I was afraid of that would come up. This thing is still going on and I am so incredibly ashamed of myself. Someone I know commissioned me for a big piece, it's supposed to be very detailed. I've already been working on this piece for more than a year, and with working I mean trying to think of solutions on how to do the background. I am so incredibly bad at doing backgrounds, but this one is very detailed and I'm afraid I won't be able to pull it off. This commissioner hasn't asked me for updates, he's very patient, but still I feel horrible. So every time I've worked on something I send him a little update, showing what I've been working on. Unfortunately these updates aren't there very often, because I'm more stressed about what I can't do. I've apologized to him multiple times, but he's fine with it, fortunately. As soon as I've finished this piece, I am DEFINITELY going to do things differently. I never want anything like this happening again.
Not a question, but a tip. "Poke your artist for updates, if they have difficulties with it, try to encourage them. Artists are people, sometimes they need a little help too."
6) At some point I got so annoyed about changing things over and over again that I said I would put a stop at it. I said "You've been paying for this and I've been drawing and changing it so often. Either you give me all the things you want to change at once, so I can work down the list, instead of having to change different things each time, or you're paying for a new drawing, because this is taking too much of my time." At this point I'd become quite angry already and I am still amazed that I managed to be this direct without being completely rude (the above sentence isn't the exact sentence, but it is short for what I said back then) and they accepted, said sorry and they gave me one last list of things they wanted changed and after that accepted the artwork.
"When and where do I draw the line for myself?"
7) Never been in a situation like this.
8) Never been in a situation like this.
9) There was once a page on Facebook that was using one of my pictures as their icon. I told them I wasn't too happy with that, that they didn't ask me for my permission. Since it was a drawing I made for myself, not a commission, I offered them to either take down the picture and there wouldn't be any problems, or put a reference on their page to me being the artist and they could use the picture. They've done the last thing, so it was also extra advertisement for me. Problem solved. They were happy, I was happy. Alltogether this was solved so easily, which made me feel good. :) There are still some good people in the world, people that are reasonable. So, I'm not naming the page, but if you read this as the owner of that page: you probably know it was you, thank you for being so awesome in solving this problem. :D
1a) I prefer email and on-site, IM is less preferred because of strict character limits or the hectic nature of instant chat. I need to think it over what I say.
1b) I don't mind, will follow artist's preferred method of communication.
2) I prefer to pay up front in full, although I haven't commissioned anything expensive yet. Only with really expensive stuff (say, over $300) I might feel more secure with paying in parts before and in the middle / or after completion. All the artists I have done business with have been trustworthy. If the artist offers payment after completion, that is fine and thank you for the trust. But paying after has a downside too. In this case the artist has "freedom" to drop the commission at any point and is kind of holding the commissioner's idea for the picture as a hostage. It gives the message "I might have delays or problems completing this". When is the commission considered cancelled in this case, and when can the commissioner give the same idea for the scene/picture to another artist? Regardless, I always have the full sum for the commission at hand before asking it.
Do you have any questions pertaining to payment that I should answer/address in the guide?
- Sometimes the artist forgets to specify their currency. € works, but what is $: US, Canadian, Australian..? Currency codes would be unambiguous.
3) Complexity fees are ok, but additional fee for adult work is a bit weird. I guess charging extra for adult means that the artist isn't comfortable with adult work, but still does them for financial reasons. This is not a good starting point for the commission. For artists: either do, or do not under a single account/pseudonym. If you had mixed feelings about adult work, a different account with a separate pricing would be more professional I think.
4) I have not experienced this situation, thankfully! But if I ever be turned down, I still prefer it over "black hole" ignorance. That would be just plain rude, even from a popular artist with a lot of clients. The artist must have time and willingness to write "no" and press send if they have offered to do commissions.
5) I have not experienced this situation because I haven't had the need to ask for deadlines and I have "take your time" policy.
b) Is there a specific way you dislike for customers to contact you regarding commissions? If they do contact you this way, how do you deal with it?
I much prefer on-site notes or email, as I then have a little personal copy that I can save to help me remember. I don't really have any extreme dislike for contact methods.
2) At what stage do you expect the customer to pay? (Up front, when finished, after sketch, etc) Do you take partial payments, or expect it all at once? Do you have different preferences depending on the art type/cost? Customer reputation/trust (if any)?
I've recently had issues with being ripped off, so I now prefer payment up front and in full. I don't have any different preferences depending on art type / cost, nor customer reputation.
3) Do you have a flat rate per character for different types of artwork, or do you flexibly charge more or less depending on character details or lack thereof? Do you charge extra for mature/adult work? Why or why not?
I may charge less if a character is extremely simple, but I don't charge extra; I don't feel like it's all right to "punish" a customer based on their character, but if it does take me less time, then I may knock a little off the price. I also don't charge extra for mature work because, honestly, I can't afford to risk losing a customer.
4) A customer asked you to draw a fetish or character you're not comfortable with and would really rather not draw. How did you deal with the situation?
Did the customer's reputation or relationship with you determine how you responded? Why or why not?
I would have to politely decline if it was a fetish that I was morally uncomfortable with drawing, but I do not turn characters down. Reputation wouldn't change anything; if I can't draw something to the best of my abilities, I won't.
5) A customer asked for an update on their commission. You either hadn't started or had nothing new to show yet for various reasons. How did you respond when:
a) it had been at least a week since you have taken their commission and this was their first update request.
b) it had been at least a month and this was their second or third update request.
c) it had only been a week and they'd already messaged you two or three times for updates.
Did customer's reputation or relationship with you determine how you responded? Why or why not?
a. I would have to apologize and explain why it was taking me so long.
b. I would profusely apologize and refund part of the payment before asking if the customer would still continue business with me. If not, I would refund fully.
c. I would ask them to understand that I am human and have a life outside of art. I would make it clear how long the piece would take me and ask if they were still interested in working with me.
6) You had a customer who was being difficult. Maybe they were being overly (beyond reason) nitpicky about certain details, keep asking you to make huge changes to things "just to see how it looks", spammed you with messages about new ideas for the picture or cosmetic changes to the character, etc. How did you deal with this?
If a piece was previously discussed and agreed upon, I would ask the customer to stick with one design. I would allow a couple changes before asking for them to buy from another artist.
7) A customer asked for a refund. How did you respond if:
a) you were partway through
b) you hadn't started yet
Did the customer's excuse/reason affect how you responded? Did the customer's reputation or relationship with you affect how you responded? Why or why not?
a. I would partially refund them.
b. I would refund them fully.
A reason may affect how I feel about the refund, but it would not change my response. Reputation would not affect this; a human being is a human being that deserves the same rights as all of my other customers.
8) You completed a commission and you learned (either directly from the customer, or second hand) that they were disappointed in the outcome. How did you react:
a)when the customer was rude about it to your face?
b) when you heard about rude things second hand?
c) when you heard about it second hand, but no indication of rudeness?
Did your reaction differ depending on the customer's reputation or relationship with you? Why or why not?
a. I would do my best to make sure they were pleased in the outcome, while making it clear that I am indeed a human and do not appreciate the rudeness.
b. I would contact the customer and ask them directly if they needed anything fixed.'
c. I would contact the customer and see if there was anything I could do to improve the piece.
Reputation would change nothing. I would be offended if someone was publicly making journals or complaining to anyone that would listen, but I would still deal with them the same as any other customer doing the same thing, regardless of popularity or relationship.
9) A customer violated your TOS in some way. What did they do, and how did you react?
If a customer was being extremely rude while I was working on a piece with them, I would stop all work on the commission and refund them for work not completed.
1a) Is there a specific way you prefer to contact an artist? (email, on-site note, IM etc) If so, how? Why do you prefer this way?
I just prefer a private way of conversing as sometimes I am requested adult art-work.
1b) Is there a specific way you dislike? Will you still commission an artist if they prefer this method, or will you find someone else?
Publicly. Yes, I would find a different way if they required public information.
Do you have any questions pertaining to contact that I should answer/address in the guide?
No
2) At what stage in the process do you prefer to pay for your art? Do you prefer to pay all at once, or in installments? Why?
After seeing a sketch or some other WIP I would pay or if they had a 50/50 offer. The reason on more than three occasions, with different artists, I have had it take over 2 months to deliver art and even with constant communication, it feels like I am being ripped off. I will no longer help people in exchange for art for this exact same reason. I have had my money stolen because of these pity parties.
Do you have different preferences depending on the art type/cost? Why or why not?
If I am spending more than $100 I would almost require it to be 50/50 or after a watermarked picture has been sent because that is a very big investment for me.
Do you have different preferences depending on artist trust? Why or why not?
I have not built up that kind of trust with any artist.
Do you have any questions pertaining to payment that I should answer/address in the guide?
No
3) Are you bothered when charged complexity fees for complicated characters/outfits/props? When charged an additional fee for adult work? Why or why not?
I have not had this happen yet. If I was charged after an agreed upon price, I would be annoyed.
Do you have any questions pertaining to additional fees that I should answer/address in the guide?
4) You found the perfect artist to draw your idea. The price was right, and their gallery was amazing. But they turned you down because they didn't like your idea (or requested an absurd amount of money to draw the idea). How did you deal with the situation?
Their loss.
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
No, because it's artwork. I'm just a customer.
Do you have any questions pertaining to being turned down that I should answer/address in the guide?
No
5) You paid an artist for a piece, and they gave you a rough estimate for a completion date (or you requested a reasonable deadline they agreed to) which then came and went and you'd not heard from them since payment. You sent a polite request for an update. How did you respond when:
a) they completely and rudely flipped out. ("How dare you pester me", "Since you're whining about it, you just dropped down to the bottom of the list", etc.
I responded politely back and if they continued, I would request to be removed from the list, and my money refunded.
b) they gave you a string of excuses which you knew were probably lies, exaggerations, or not nearly good enough to warrant the wait, and they had just been being lazy or forgetful.
I responded politely back and if they continued, I would request to be removed from the list, and my money refunded.
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
No, I always try to be polite.
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with rude/lazy artists that I should answer/address in the guide?
No.
6) An artist was being difficult with you. Perhaps they got your character wrong even if all refs sent were correct and up to date, and they refused to fix it. Perhaps they initially agreed to draw a certain thing a certain way, then changed their mind during the work and refused to draw that certain thing that certain way. Whatever the case, something was wrong and the artist was a pain about fixing the problem. How did you deal with this?
I have not have this problem before. Though I have had the problem of the artwork not looking like what else was displayed.
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
No.
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with difficult artists that I should answer/address in the guide?
No.
7) You decided that you need a refund. What circumstances lead you to requesting:
a) a full refund
The artwork not showing up until a year later with many lazy artist excuses.
b) a partial refund
I have never requested a partial refund.
Was your request granted? Why or why not?
The artist swore she'd get the money back to me but still (3 years later) has not given the money back.
Do you have any questions pertaining to refunds that I should answer/address in the guide?
8) You received work and you were unimpressed in how it turned out for whatever reasons. How did you react when:
a) it was still a WIP
Quietly accepted it.
b) it was complete
Quietly accepted it.
Did artist reputation/social status determine your reaction? Why or why not?
No.
Did your relationship with the artist determine your reaction? Why or why not?
No. Most of the time I do not have a relationship with the artist.
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with disappointing results that I should answer/address in the guide?
What do I do when the artwork looks different than the artwork displayed in their gallery?
9) An artist accused you of violating their TOS in some way.
a) You were quite certain you didn't, and had read their TOS thoroughly before commissioning them. Of what did they accuse you? How did you react to the accusation?
or
b) You did, unknowingly. What was the violation? How did you react to the accusation?
Did the artist's reputation or relationship with you affect your reaction? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to TOS violations that I should answer/address in the guide?
I have never had this happen before where it wasn't something minor.
Questions for Buyers
1a) Is there a specific way you prefer to contact an artist? (email, on-site note, IM etc) If so, how? Why do you prefer this way?
I honestly don't have a major preference, but I find that e-mails are easier to keep track of information and they're less likely to get lost in an artist's (and my own) inbox. It's not fun having to dig through pages of notes and keep clicking the wrong ones when you finally do find the right artist/subject.
1b) Is there a specific way you dislike? Will you still commission an artist if they prefer this method, or will you find someone else?
Nope. As long as they have a way to me to contact them that they check regularly, I do not care.
Do you have any questions pertaining to contact that I should answer/address in the guide?
-How often is it okay to contact an artist?
-What is the proper etiquette for contacting an artist you want to commission? (I feel like some people can weird artists out by being too friendly, or on the opposite side of the spectrum, too professional/cold.)
2) At what stage in the process do you prefer to pay for your art? Do you prefer to pay all at once, or in installments? Why?
I prefer upfront payment to be done immediately when the artist and I agree on the commission. All at once. I have had instances where I don't hear from an artist for months, then they come back to me saying they've finished my commission and I don't even remember what I am paying for. It's best for me to get everything squared away at once - plus then I can look back in my Paypal records and see when exactly the commission was requested, should wait time be an issue in the future.
Do you have different preferences depending on the art type/cost? Why or why not?
I admit, I can be rather cheap, but only if I think something is truly outrageous. For example, a flat colored chibi for $30, to me, is a bit over the top. But I suppose it all depends on the artist's style and the amount of detail they put into their linework, etc. I want to pay enough that the artist is getting what they deserve, and if they clearly spend a long time on something even as simple as a chibi, then they deserve what they're asking for. Whether or not I can personally part with that money is on me and I will not complain to them about it regardless of my feelings.
Do you have different preferences depending on artist trust? Why or why not?
Do you have any questions pertaining to payment that I should answer/address in the guide?
3) Are you bothered when charged complexity fees for complicated characters/outfits/props? When charged an additional fee for adult work? Why or why not?
Not particularly. The only time I was a bit bothered was when someone charged me extra for spots that are found naturally on that species I wanted drawn. Said spots were not overly complicated either (for example, a jaguar/leopard/ocelot/snow leopard, etc etc). They were for a cheetah, which is about as simple as you can get for big cats, in my opinion. The art was not done traditionally, so I was confused as to why that would be extra, especially since it was just a sketch. Had the markings been overly difficult, or the character had a complex tattoo, I would completely understand. That was the one instance I was ever charged extra for markings for that character, and I commissioned said character multiple times. But I have no problems paying extra fees if I'm asking for something very time consuming - especially outfit/prop wise.
Do you have any questions pertaining to additional fees that I should answer/address in the guide?
4) You found the perfect artist to draw your idea. The price was right, and their gallery was amazing. But they turned you down because they didn't like your idea (or requested an absurd amount of money to draw the idea). How did you deal with the situation?
This hasn't happened with me directly really, however, I would say I have two different methods to deal with these things as they're both rather different.
In the case of the artist not liking my idea - Perfectly fine. I'd be confused if they had not mentioned they did not draw something specific on their commission information (like fetishes or species they refuse to draw), but I wouldn't push it. I might try and work with them to see if I can find something they're comfortable with if they're pleasant, but if they are rude to me I would have to simply let go of the idea of commissioning them.
In the case of being charged absurd amounts - I would likely question them if what I was asking for was simple. I never really get detailed with ideas as I like giving artistic freedom, so most of the idea would be left open to them. I would also mention what prices they have listed and ask why my idea is causing such a price inflation. If it didn't make sense to me (or even if it didn't) I would likely pass on getting the commission.
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
I don't particularly care if an artist is well known or not. I treat them all the same - with respect and politeness. I expect the same in return, and if they can explain to me their reasoning in a civil way, then I'm fine. I don't think any artist should be treated as inferior or superior based on popularity/reputation. I would be disappointed if a well known, well liked artist turned out to be rather rude/hard to work with.
Do you have any questions pertaining to being turned down that I should answer/address in the guide?
5) You paid an artist for a piece, and they gave you a rough estimate for a completion date (or you requested a reasonable deadline they agreed to) which then came and went and you'd not heard from them since payment. You sent a polite request for an update. How did you respond when:
a) they completely and rudely flipped out. ("How dare you pester me", "Since you're whining about it, you just dropped down to the bottom of the list", etc.
I would likely ask for a refund, as my request was not hostile or accusing. Unless they can give me proof that they've started work on my piece, I want my money back. Not because I don't want the art, but because I don't appreciate being treated like a nuisance after waiting past the specified completion date with no contact. Anyone with that attitude should either not set completion dates (or take deadline pieces) or shouldn't do commissions in the first place.
b) they gave you a string of excuses which you knew were probably lies, exaggerations, or not nearly good enough to warrant the wait, and they had just been being lazy or forgetful.
In this case I am torn, because I really don't like to be rude to people, or make assumptions. If people do this to me I have a bad habit of saying it's totally fine, brushing it off, whatever. Which I know is not the way to go at all and just encourages the bad behavior. If I have to keep waiting with the same (or even different) dumb excuses, I will eventually request the piece done within the week or get a refund.
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
Pretty much the same answer I put for this on 4). However if an artist is known for taking forever to complete things and have a long queue (or they take on more commissions instead of completing mine), I might be a bit less forgiving. And in that case it's also probably my fault for commissioning someone I know is unreliable.
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with rude/lazy artists that I should answer/address in the guide?
-When is it appropriate to take an artist to Artist Beware? (I think this one is super important because quite a few people either belong on A_B or are on A_B for silly reasons. It's best to know what situations warrant a Beware.)
6) An artist was being difficult with you. Perhaps they got your character wrong even if all refs sent were correct and up to date, and they refused to fix it. Perhaps they initially agreed to draw a certain thing a certain way, then changed their mind during the work and refused to draw that certain thing that certain way. Whatever the case, something was wrong and the artist was a pain about fixing the problem. How did you deal with this?
I would be rather upset because as a commissioner, I'm a customer. If you're at a restaurant and someone messes up your order despite you being clear with what you wanted, you'd expect it to be fixed without complaint, right? I know artwork isn't the same as cooking, but the basic idea is the same. If I was clear and precise, gave everything they needed (and said, which I often do, "If you need anything else, let me know!") then there's no reason not to fix the art piece because the fault lies with them. If you decide you don't want to draw something a certain way after someone's commissioned you, please just tell the commissioner and let them decide if they still want the artwork done. It saves the artist time and the commissioner disappointment. Also, references are sent for an artist's benefit. If the design is easy, then there's no way they should mess it up UNLESS they are lazy and gave it one glance before getting to work. In that case, don't take commissions. Improve your work ethic first.
Did artist reputation/social status determine how you responded? Why or why not?
Again, this doesn't usually determine my response to issues. I would assume that an admired artist would make sure to get things right because they're so popular, however on the flip side, I would assume a less popular artist would strive to please their customer so they can gain more of a fan base. If they completely butcher a commission, they're less likely to get positively noticed and may never reach the status they desire. Regardless of status/reputation, I think all artists doing commissions should make a point to follow references and specifics given by the commissioner, as long as they have been agreed on before hand. There's no excuse to change your mind or slack on making designs accurate if you've already said you'd do something.
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with difficult artists that I should answer/address in the guide?
7) You decided that you need a refund. What circumstances lead you to requesting:
a) a full refund
It's been a large period of time since I commissioned an artist with absolutely no contact. (To me a large period of time, especially on something simple like a sketch is 6 months-12+ months) I have had an instance like this, and usually I am very patient and understanding, but when I see an artist continuing to work on commissions that are brand new and more complex than my simple sketch, I get annoyed.
Only other reason I have asked for a refund was when I was treated poorly by an artist and openly mocked because I was hurt by their actions, and did not take it out on them negatively/rudely. I won't get too detailed but they drew a character for me and I was thrilled with the outcome, but when I went to save said image, I found the title given for it was a blatant insult directed towards me and the character (which was not even mine, but a gift for a friend). I did not respond in a hostile manner - I was more confused and sad than anything.
b) a partial refund
Same reason as full refund, except in this case if they've given me a sketch I would only ask for half or less back. Or if I ordered multiple things and they managed to complete one thing but could not do the rest, I would naturally ask for the money given for said uncompleted items.
Was your request granted? Why or why not?
I did not receive a full refund for the sketch I waited over a year to get. I received half of what I paid, which while that admittedly bothered/upset me, I didn't push it. The artist claimed they were having financial issues, and I'm not one to be a total monster about getting money back if people truly are struggling. However since then I have simply decided to avoid commissioning anyone who takes on many commissions without completing old ones first. I always look for queues when I can.
Second reason I did get my refund, plus a few dollars extra for the pain I had to endure (for no valid reason). I do not feel like the artist really wanted to give me more, and I did not ask for more, but I accepted it anyways.
Do you have any questions pertaining to refunds that I should answer/address in the guide?
-What is the best way to ask for a refund? (What words/phrases are best to use so you do not come off as rude?)
8) You received work and you were unimpressed in how it turned out for whatever reasons. How did you react when:
a) it was still a WIP
If it's a WIP, I will usually mention whatever is bothering me and ask if they can perhaps edit it while it's still in the works. Like if the expression doesn't seem to fit the character, or the hair is off, etc. If it's a big thing like the pose is completely out of character, I am less likely to say something because I feel guilty asking for the artist to start all over again, and I feel it is my fault for not being clear enough.
b) it was complete
I generally don't ever say if I am unhappy with an unfinished piece. I thank the artist for their hard work, mention what I do like, and go on my way without making a fuss. I will make my own complaints to close friends, but I never trash talk an artist. I simply say I wish I had been clearer or I had been shown a WIP. Sometimes though I'm completely baffled by how an artist managed to mess something up.. For example, getting a hair color completely wrong when the reference is right in front of them. Another example that still irks me - I stated which character was "top/dominant" and which character was "bottom/submissive" twice in two separate messages. The original message, and a reply when the artist wanted to clarify what I wanted. Despite my clear statement, the characters were switched, leaving me unable to enjoy the image as much as I would've if it had been done correctly. I did not ask for them to be switched because that would require fiddling with the lineart, and I don't feel that's fair.
Did artist reputation/social status determine your reaction? Why or why not?
No. Any artist can do this/has done this to me, and I simply respond the same with all of them, regardless of their reputation/status. If they are well known and usually do good quality work however, I am disappointed and it is unlikely I will commission them again or recommend them to someone.
Did your relationship with the artist determine your reaction? Why or why not?
No. Friend(ly) or not, I do not like to point out things I am unhappy with. Which is not helpful at all, but I feel like I'm nitpicking and bothering the artist when they've already done a lot for me just making the piece.
Do you have any questions pertaining to dealing with disappointing results that I should answer/address in the guide?
9) An artist accused you of violating their TOS in some way.
Not applicable as this has never happened to me and I am not sure how I would go about responding.
(Sorry I am long winded. Hope this is helpful in some way.)