http://kayla-la.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] kayla-la.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] artists_beware2013-07-03 02:40 pm

Beware: Mixi Pony

Mixipony at Deviantart, Mixi at Weasyl, Askmixipony at Tumblr

WHERE: She first contacted me asking for a trade on Weasyl, and I took it to Deviantart when responses on Weasyl became sparse

WHAT: A coloured sketch art trade

WHEN:
January 20th 2013 First contacted about trade, I agree, we trade references and info
January 20th 2013 She notes with WIP, link leads to this, I approve, ask for small change
January 24th 2013 I send a sketch
January 24th 2013 I send finished version
Unsure which day She uploaded it to tumblr
January 26th 2013 She comments on image, says her half will be done 'soon'
March 6th 2013 I ask for update on weasyl, get no reply
March 14th 2013 Notice she's been quiet/inactive on Weasyl, check up on her DA where she is VERY active, receive no reply
March 19th/22nd 2013 I try again, finally receive reply
May 11th 2013 Waited a while, asked for update
May 13th 2013 Receive note on Weasyl, am told she will work on it after commissions
June 12th 2013 Waited a while, asked for update, received no reply
June 19th 2013 Try again on Deviantart, as her Weasyl again seems inactive, receive no reply to this day
June 20th 2013 She opens for more commissions before finishing her half of our trade despite her last Weasyl note, I inquire in journal, receive no reply
Various times Throughout timespan, she repeatedly opens up for requests and commissions, though this is the only instance I capped, you can find more scattered throughout her tumblr and deviantart
UPDATE: July 3rd 2013 Mixi has contacted me after being alerted to this post, giving me several reasons as to why she has neither done her half nor replied to me, and ordering me to remove the post on tumblr (which I had nothing to do with)
UPDATE 2: July 3rd 2013 We have come to an agreement via DA. She will design a pony OC for me in exchange as it seems to be easier for her to draw ponies over anthro characters. I will update once I have received the art.
UPDATE 3: July 16th 2013 She has delivered a design. I will be tweaking it a little (I'll make my own ref sheet for her, not edit Mixi's art, of course) but I'm otherwise satisfied, other than having been unable to get her to reply to me to answer a question even though she's been active. So I suppose the biggest takeaway is that communication is difficult at best with this artist.

EXPLAIN: Contact was great until she received my half. I would have asked for updates far less often (I understand it can look pushy just going by the timeline) if it hadn't been so difficult to get her to reply to me. You can see she is very active on Deviantart and tumblr and has done many personal works, requests, and commissions since initiating our trade. There is no good reason she couldn't have finished a coloured sketch by now. At the very least, she could take a minute to reply to me and keep me updated. It is clear I am being ignored and treated as not important because this is a trade, despite it being one she asked for.

I also felt she tried to move the discussion back to Weasyl (despite her clearly being inactive there)so the public would not see someone constantly asking for updates, and was irritated to find she had opened for more commissions before finishing her half, despite claiming she would finish it after her last batch.

I do not recommend accepting a trade from this artist.

[identity profile] exo-formicidae.livejournal.com 2013-07-03 09:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Ouch.. I understand if the artist would be overwhelmed by owed works, but it don't seem like that seeing they still take on new requests and commissions. Maybe she just got disinterested. Not that it's an excuse of course, and it's incredibly bad form to you ignore you, just thought that could be a reason as why she was late to start with.

Have you tried messaging her in the emal she refers to for requestests? Requests?*
Edited 2013-07-03 21:56 (UTC)

[identity profile] exo-formicidae.livejournal.com 2013-07-03 10:00 pm (UTC)(link)
I see. Just letting you know, my request list is basically empty so if you want anything just say ^^ Although my art ain't that great. (+ watched you on weasyl, since I love what you do)

[identity profile] dannyazazel.livejournal.com 2013-07-03 10:20 pm (UTC)(link)
I really don't understand why she keep putting it off. It looks like it was pretty much done aside from adding the necklace and adding colour. It's a real shame she's ignoring you.

I know art trades generally aren't considered as important as commissions, they should come before personal work though. Sad that so many people blow them off.

[identity profile] celestinaketzia.livejournal.com 2013-07-03 10:24 pm (UTC)(link)
That's baffling. Dani's colors were pretty much done. It wouldn't have been but another 30 more minutes to an hour tops to finish the image off.

[identity profile] kristalnacho.livejournal.com 2013-07-03 10:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Have you tried making a Tumblr ask on her page as a reminder? I might make her reply faster and as long as you have an account, it can be a private PM. ( If you send her an ask under an account, it gives her the button to "answer privately". when you're non on an acount or you're anonymous. it's not available. however Tumblr eats some asks sometimes.)

You can also make a tumblr post about it under her tagging name (#askmixipony) asking her to remember to complete her side of the trade. However I would do that as a last resort since it could cause drama even if it was a straight forward and friendly reminder. :S

[identity profile] sapphistscot.livejournal.com 2013-07-03 10:28 pm (UTC)(link)
She comes to you asking for a trade, gets a lovely piece of her character, then refuses to make good on her part? Jeez, she should just have come right out and asked you if you do requests since that's basically what she's got. Though it is really weird that she'd go to all the trouble of making that WIP image and never finishing it.

[identity profile] neolucky.livejournal.com 2013-07-03 10:55 pm (UTC)(link)
If I am asked for a trade, I make sure the ask-ee does theirs first. If I ask, I always do mine first. This little policy seems to work but...ugh. I would never treat a trade like it wasn't as important as work , because it IS work! Time, effort and materials.

I'll be sure never to trade with this person.

[identity profile] kaelstra.livejournal.com 2013-07-03 11:14 pm (UTC)(link)
That sucks. Hopefully she comes through and provides you with your half.

Your half is amazing, by the way. I love the colors and pose!

[identity profile] sbneko.livejournal.com 2013-07-03 11:44 pm (UTC)(link)
It's actually a big problem in my opinion that trades aren't taken seriously, since there's no reason to. You're still paying the person for art, but with goods (art in exchange), rather then money. There's really no difference between them, unless you both agree before hand that you'd rather treat it as something less serious.

Personally, I treat trades the exact same as commissions. They're in my queue, done when it's their turn, updates given, etc. But almost no one else does this and now I can't ever take trades, as people just never do the art or take a year or two.

Just ranting a bit, sorry!

[identity profile] dreamlordthowra.livejournal.com 2013-07-04 12:29 am (UTC)(link)
Ouch. Hope you get your art. Had something similar to this happen to me a few months ago, but thankfully I got a (even if fairly mediocre) half in return. Right now the artist has a terribly long wait list and a zillion trades from the same batch as me.

Any advice I would give is finish your half and then wait for them to finish theirs and post it before you post yours.

(frozen comment)

[identity profile] kasune.livejournal.com 2013-07-04 01:13 am (UTC)(link)
Really sorry to hear you got jipped. That stinks, you put a lot of effort into your half and it looks lovely. Mentally noting to myself not to trade with this person.

Edited for grammar.
Edited 2013-07-04 01:14 (UTC)

(frozen comment) Mod Note

[identity profile] oceandezignz.livejournal.com 2013-07-04 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
Please see this comment here: http://artists-beware.livejournal.com/665994.html?thread=26554762#t26554762

On why the use of jipped/jypped/gypped is unaccpetable to use in AB.

(frozen comment) Re: Mod Note

[identity profile] kasune.livejournal.com 2013-07-04 01:35 am (UTC)(link)
Oh geeze, I had NO idea that it was derivative of that, and I'm extremely embarrassed that I was ignorant of such. So sorry.
Edited 2013-07-04 01:40 (UTC)

[identity profile] mdetector5.livejournal.com 2013-07-04 02:08 am (UTC)(link)
Stuff like this is a reminder why I never take trades and when I do I super-friendslock them that I need to get off my own ass and finish the trades I owe. I don't want to be the guy that ruins it for everyone else for the person(s) I'd want to trade (or I'm trading) with, among other things.

Trades can be fun, but for all the ones that go smoothly, there are the ones where the other guy is just terrible to work with, as seen in this post.

[identity profile] lackoflollies.livejournal.com 2013-07-04 02:09 am (UTC)(link)
Since you helped me out when I got effed out of some icons by RJH, why don't you send me some refs and I can help you out this time?

[identity profile] dannyazazel.livejournal.com 2013-07-04 02:58 am (UTC)(link)
No it's totally understandable! I've treated them less serious in the past (I wouldn't give updates, I'd usually just surprise them and they'd do the same with their half) but now I do treat them like commissions when I take them.

I only make trades with good friends now because I've been screwed over once or twice and it's just not worth it sadly. I wish more artists did treat them like a serious thing. Yeah it's fun because you're both drawing something for each other but it's basically the same as a commission.

[identity profile] munemunenyo.livejournal.com 2013-07-04 04:21 am (UTC)(link)
It's unfortunate, but it doesn't surprise me. I've heard through the grapevine that she also heavily references without crediting, but I need to do some digging on Tumblr for the posts.

[identity profile] vellacraptor.livejournal.com 2013-07-04 04:29 am (UTC)(link)
Also has been caught straight up tracing too apparently, though I'm not sure which image she did?

[identity profile] muchikins.livejournal.com 2013-07-04 05:46 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, I think that had to do with the rather striking similarity between this image she did (http://mixipony.deviantart.com/art/Luna-Princess-of-the-Night-334208826) and this image done by another artist (http://cuttycommando.deviantart.com/art/Luna-318673259). There's a chain of argument on the subject on Mixi's submission. It sparked a couple of posts on MLP art confession blogs on Tumblr too.
I've seen a bit of her ripping off other artists' styles and pieces on Tumblr, but never thought to save any of it. Sorry.

[identity profile] munemunenyo.livejournal.com 2013-07-04 05:52 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, I'm googling random things, but I cannot find them for the life of me. 6_9;
Though she's taking this in the worst way:
http://askmixipony.tumblr.com/post/54575906165/beware-mixi-pony

Disappointing, really. 3:

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