Plea to artists: say no commission queues!

The problem of people "camping" art threads for commissions has recently been raised, and I think it's about time somthing was done! :P

Firstly, I'd just like to say that running a commission thread is commendable thing to do, it means that artists are rewarded for their efforts, with recognition, exposure and of course, cash. However, it has got to the point recently where every single art thread posted, is "zerg rushed" by ravenous art lovers hungry for personal commissions. Most recently of all, this has reached new extremes, where people will be posting in art threads with little more than "baggsie my commission (if you are doing them). As an artist, there is a very simple way to stop this behavior, and one which will not only make your life easier, but also more productive

Just say no to commission queues!

That's right, completely disregard the time at which someone has posted a request for a commission. So what if they posted first, does that mean they want the commission more than the person who posted second, does it mean their picture will be more fun to work on? Of course not, they were simply lucky enough to get in their before anyone else.

I speak from experience, when I say that a far more interesting approach, is to get an idea of what kind of picture a person wants and then see if that meets with your requirements as an artist. It may be that you have drawn 5 female necros, and you want to draw somthing else for a change, so why not simply take a male ranger commission. Or perhaps you are short on cash, and someone is offering a hefty bonus if you take on their commission. We're in an artists market here, you can afford to be choosey!

Now this may all sound rather selfish, and in favor of the artists, as opposed to the commissioning customers, and it is. However, artists who are working on subjects that engage them will produce FAR better results, they will also enjoy themselves more, and be less likely to suffer from "commission burn out" as many, many artists here on guru do.

Also, this would make the people looking to get commissions spend a little more time and thought on what they want from their commissions, and that can only be a good thing. After all, a character is more than a head plus armour and weapon combo, though saddly, I think some people don't realise that.

So in summary: Say no to commission queues! It will lead to better work by artists, and in the long term, happier commissionees!

I 100% agree to that. One thing I would say to all the commissioners (including myself): Just take your own sweet time doing whatever commission you feel like doing at that moment. I will try to adapt the method suggested by grey after i finish my current waiting list (provided there's anyone else interested in my ugly work =P)

Note to self: don't camp new commissioner threads anymore.

I kinda agree GF, it puts pressure on everyone. Pressure on the artist to do plough on regardless, and pressure on the comissioner to expect updates.

I don't think it's selfish at all. I would rather have a No Shan I don't think your comission is my style. than be on a queue for ages and then the artist loses interest.

So yup, no to comission queues. Starting after all mine are done - ROFL.

Yeah, it sounds like a good idea. I'd also encourage artists to explain what kind of commission requests they prefer working on (whether it's commissions with a specific theme, or amount of details/ideas the artist thinks should be supplied by the commissioneer), that should hopefully make it easier for both the artist and client to be satisfied with the work.

And yeah, I'm using Echo what what Shan said. They should finish their current commission queues before starting to use a new system (well, unless their queue has become so gigantic it would take months to finish it)

I've seen people placing flags a lot recently, though I think its a clear way of showing you like the art, it may indeed pressure the artist. However, some artists seem to be ok with that. I prefer doing it the way greyfox does, but I think all artists are different on that.

So in short: Have all artists do what they like best

@ GreyFox- I have the utmost respect for your talent and the manner in which you run your commission thread. You have explained very clearly how you want things done.

I also respectfully disagree with your opinion regarding what you think other artists should do. The reason is sort of an assumption that they are not capable of saying no, of deciding what is it they want and how they want to do it. Their needs might not be like yours. To generalize and request that others do like you do, or like you feel it should be done is... I can't think of the word.

I look at these threads on a daily basis, and what I see is artists that are capable enough of making their own decisions. Some of them clearly state that they are not taking commissions. That might not stop people from camping and hoping to get some art from them, but that's all that is, we HOPE, we recognize the fact that we like the artists talent enough to be willing to make some type of exchange, in most cases GW gold. The fact that we camp does not force anybody to do anything.

Some artists *skip* campees, they just felt like drawing something else, and that's perfectly ok with me. They state they will draw as they feel like it.

Some artists have a limit they will put on the virtual waiting line so that they don't feel like they have a huge commitment that they can't fulfill. That's perfectly ok.

Some artists take a break because real life kicks in. That's something I believe nobody has ever complained about. One thing most art seekers have is patience and understanding. The last thing I want is to burn out or rush anybody.

Some artists that are not taking commissions and have people camping, all of a sudden open their commissions and set the start cue on that last post where they say they now take 5 commissions, first 5 posters.

I just think to generalize how you feel it should be, because it works for you, is wrong. I post here under the impression that every single artist is perfectly capable of setting their own rules, their own limits, and how they want to do things.

I'll tell you what I have a HUGE problem with, is people undervaluing artists, not realizing it takes time to draw, and complaining about prices, or whining that they are too poor, or not keeping their side of the agreement. I have a huge problem with new artists that don't know what to charge, and offer to draw for free and people hover all over them because they want a freebie, instead of advising the new artist that they can make gold and buy in game things they might want. That their time and their talent is worth a lot more than FREE.

So unless an artist requests that people don't camp or place virtual flags on their threads, I will continue to do so. It is MY way of saying :"I think you are very talented, I LOVE your work enough that I am willing to PAY for it, and I hope that one day I can have a small token of your talent".

I agree wholeheartedly with grey, despite being guilty of this myslef. Flagging artists would be like going to the front of a line in mcdonalds to say "oh I'd like to order somthing later."

Quote:

I understand and agree somewhat with Greyfox on the matter, but might I ask what is flagging/camping? I have a vague idea but I'm not 100% sure

Thanks in advance ^^

Kay

I don't really mind it. I like knowing that I'll have something new to work on for a while. I'm still learning and tweaking my style, so I tend to like going in order and not just skipping over people because I don't have much info. It helps me out by offering a challenge that can improve my work. Sometimes there are screenshots that don't show much detail, so as an artist I make the decision to either make something up or do some research, and that's a learning experience. When I get a picture of a character, even if it is in great detail, and there is no description or hints to what objects might belong with that character, I make the decision based on only vague impressions what things to use to fill out the person. That's also a challenge. But it's a good challenge.
I truly to appreciate Mistical miss stopping by to comment on all my work. Sometimes a bit Simon Cowell, but never wrong. At least she gives me the criticism in manageable bits instead of tearing apart my entire technique. Each time I have a little bit more to watch out for on the next and each time I learn something new (rather than having to sit down and reevaluate my whole style).

I really keep a list as more of an assurance. To myself and to the buyers. It says, "Yes, I have heard your request and I intend to do something about it, so make preparations."

I'm probably the poorest($) player in my guild. I love the game, but I go for very long periods of time having at most 5k on me. I don't farm, I don't run, I don't do anything to make much more money than I get from doing missions and quests or making my usual rounds. I can't afford my own work But that's another thing I want to be able to do as an artist. I want to encourage less wealthy players who truly love their characters and have taken the time to develop stories and personalities to get a portrait of their wonderful digital person that they can be equally proud of.

In the future I'll probably divide my work into a higher priced style like the work I do now and a more affordable sketch work, but I also keep a list for the people who were interested in the original deal so they know I'm not going to demand something else on short notice.

I do think my current first 5 is a strange number...but so far I haven't seen any requests that I don't eventually want to get to. As quick as I work, I won't cut my list down shorter than 3 just so people can be ready, but because of your request, I probably will shorten it. The people I already have listed are safe from any new deals.