Beware: nukafoxy3

[akadirio.livejournal.com]

EDIT: After the artist saw the livejournal she has completed and posted the artwork owed. This beware still serves as a warning about this artist, but let me be clear that this was not a scam, instead a large delay and lack of proper contact.

WHO: Nukafoxy3

WHERE: furaffinity.net

WHAT: 3 digital pictures, two chibi style and one with more details.

WHEN: paid on the february 27th, march 18 was when the 'never delivered' art was first contacted about.

PROOF:
1:

2:

3:

4:

5:

6:

7:

8:

9:

EXPLAIN:

I commissioned the artist for a series of three digital commissions, paid for them accordingly as seen in the first screenshot. The first picture was delivered on time, surprisingly as it was less than a week between payment and due date. The second picture was not uploaded on its due date and i noted about it, as seen in screenshot two. This note was ignored and i only got a reply on a second note 5 days later , when both the second and third images in my commissions were past their due date on delivery. Her reply is seen in screenshot 3 - one image was uploaded soon after, the second of three i paid for.

My next note to the artist was on the first of april, after quite some waiting on the third piece. This is screenshot 4, and after 8 days i got a reply and we noted back and forth, the result seen in screenshot 5. I was promised it would be done soon, and i was offered (and accepted) a wip shot, which is screenshot 6 and screenshot 7 shows my reply to it.

After another month of patiently waiting for an update, contact or the finished art, i noted again asking for an update. I did get a confusing reply, apparently pointing back to the month old sketch - this is shown in screenshot 8.

In the final screenshot, you can see i finally lost hope of receiving the art, and i requested a refund. I was told i could not get it right away, and paypal only offers support if a ticket is opened within (i believe) 45 days. Between then and now, i have contacted her once more via the furaffinity shouts but sadly do not have screenshots; i asked an update on the refund and she stated she was still in red. At the date of writing, the 28th of July, i have still not had any word from her and still do not have a refund.

I am accepting this as a loss seeing as it's been so long, and it was only four or five dollars, but i do hope i can help protect others by making this post. Not a single time was i contacted by the artist, even when the due date she agreed to passed. She is still continuing to take commissions, and has been the entire time, but is finally beginning to deliver on her months old commissions... However, in my eyes it is far too little, too late, as she never did deliver the art, let alone by the date she agreed upon.

Comments

[dean aaron meyers (from livejournal.com)]

This is absolutely ridiculous that you guys are jumping on top of someone who is currently trying to fix the situation. She's working as hard as she can to remedy the situation and has had a lot of shit going on in her day to day life. Have a little patience and faith.

[neolucky.livejournal.com]

What happens in her day to day life is not of her customers concern. Excuses, deleting her comments, opening up for more commissions on top of the 74 she already has is not "remedying" anything.

She was posted here for a very valid reason.

You and her might find this AB post useful: http://artists-beware.livejournal.com/494658.html

[dean aaron meyers (from livejournal.com)]

I get that money is involved but day to day life comes first. It may not fit the timeline perfectly but I doubt that not getting them on the day you want is going to ruin your life.

[neolucky.livejournal.com]

Please read the link I showed you above. You are doing more harm to Nuka, then help right now. If she cannot handle running a business like an adult, then she should not be open for commissions. It is a job, she must treat it like one or other people will step forward with negative review.

[dean aaron meyers (from livejournal.com)]

I read the link and I get where you're coming from I just ask you to recognize that she is recovering from a rough time at as quick a pace as can be expected. I see this situation as a whole being resolved soon.

[sableantelope.livejournal.com]

The taking more commissions despite not completing work to the point of being overwhelmed and having such a truly massive backlog happened over a long time, not just whatever happened in March that she has brought up.
She admits herself not being able to 'bring herself' to do the right thing, and the responsible thing and close the commissions.
That's a hole she chose to dig for herself.

Please read the artist's own words.

Also making a journal asking people who commissioned you to contact you(which is her now current journal, but she also tried to deflect blame back onto a buyer who missed that journal for their art not being finished in the journal she had posted about raising prices but has since deleted) is not professional and reflects badly on her. Yes, it happens to the best of us but she really needs to get her information organised.
The customer should not have to chase her down.

It would go a long way for goodwill for her to make an effort to find and contact those people. Even if it does mean going through notes one by one, at least with email you can search within your inbox and that's why many bustling commission artists eschew notes in favour of email. FA notes can be unreliable.

[dean aaron meyers (from livejournal.com)]

I can personally say that she has completed a good amount for one day as she is only human and she is catching up. I would not expect any of you to put your family life on hold or suggest that any of you have any control over unpredictable circumstances.

[cathzcathz.livejournal.com]

You're just digging a deeper hole for Nuka, we're not putting words in her mouth nor that we are picking on her. She choose to say the things she did on akadirio's Beware. Was it needed? No. She could of apologize to them and settle things over note.

This is a business, personal things like that should be kept separate. Please re frame from commenting further because you are not helping.

[dean aaron meyers (from livejournal.com)]

I'm merely pointing out (as she is now unable to) that within a week and a half she will be caught up. And that's about as much as you can ask. Unforeseen circumstances led to this and I'm not saying that she should have fallen behind, but she is remedying the situation. I am done. Thank you for your time, I merely ask you wait a week more. Enjoy yourselves.

[neolucky.livejournal.com]

Ah, no need to tell them not to post further. They are welcome to as long as it remains civil, us mods got this =).

[sableantelope.livejournal.com]

But she isn't really trying to fix it at all. She is still taking new art for pay when she owes 60 pieces. 60 pieces.

She's taking money on a six character piece right now that she only started auctioning a day ago.
She should at the very least be honest and upfront with those bidders about the massive backlog ahead of them.

Also she really, really needs to start citing her references.

I already found one piece in her gallery, which although not a line for line trace, is way beyond just eyeballing a reference. The hand even cuts off on her icon base where the hand cuts off in the photo. I think buyers of that icon should be aware that they are getting that toes the lines of ethical.
http://i.imgur.com/10anxtQ.jpg
At the very least she should cite her source, that way the buyer can decided if it's too close for comfort or not.

[neolucky.livejournal.com]

Yeah, thats a pretty blatant eyeball right there. As a customer, I'd be pretty angry if I knew this was what I paid for.

[sableantelope.livejournal.com]

Well I didn't get that layer quite lined up as best I could have but there are some traced wrinkle from the glove, and the fingers are traced on the upper hand, the lower hand is more altered.

I was pleased to find on overlaying the images that there is more original input than a glance between the reference photo and icons would make it seem. I am not trying to accuse the artist of a line for line trace, there's clearly some tracing and some original work; but I think if there is any tracing at all in a piece that a buyer would want to know.

I know I would.

(frozen)

[cathzcathz.livejournal.com]

Wonder what else is heavily referenced..

(frozen)

[dean aaron meyers (from livejournal.com)]

Heavily REFERENCED. Do you draw everything you draw ever freehand with no reference photo? Do you not look at a pose of a body and think "I'd like to draw something in that pose."? I would not believe for a second that artists don't take the idea of a pose from one another. I'm sure that person is perfectly happy with their design. Really now you're just finding extra reasons to jump down her throat. I can't believe some people honestly. Why the need to tear down her previous work?

(frozen)

[neolucky.livejournal.com]

Please take a step back and understand one thing:

This is basically a trace of an un-purchased stock photo. It is illegal, we don't condone that sort of activity here, so any evidence of her tracing to finish her commissions are absolutely valid.

Yes, I draw everything freehand, and if I reference something I cite it. I do not trace, or heavily reference If I am SELLING an image as the customer is paying for a CUSTOM image of my own making.

You are making things worse and worse, Dean.

(frozen)

[cathzcathz.livejournal.com]

Excuse my choice of words but there are some parts that are traced. Like everyone else has said, she should cite what she uses as reference.

I'm still in the beginnings of drawing but if I do draw I keep what I reference in hand. And personally, we're not cutting her down. There's proof of her tracing. If I was the customer, I'd be a bit concern paying for that piece.

(frozen)

[sableantelope.livejournal.com]

Some is a heavy reference, some is a direct trace. The entire piece isn't traced but pieces are.

Because it isn't ethical, Mr. Meyers, is why this is an issue. Even just tracing one hand on an image for sale is unethical. Just like taking more commissions when you can't finish the ones you already have is unethical. And basically stealing money by spending it before you've actually earned it by delivering the product is unethical. It's all a part of figuring out if someone is a trustworthy businessperson.

I'm trying to be as tactful as I can on the referencing issue but if you look through the gallery it is very obvious some parts on some images have been eyeballed/slightly altered drawn on a layer on top of a photo at best, directly traced at worst. It's very clear when you compare the referenced anatomy to the unreferenced anatomy.


I'm worried going through the gallery some of those images might have more than just one hand traced, which is why I'm really, honestly hoping Nukafoxy will just add a link to her reference images on her pieces and proactively prove that she a.) is willing to be honest about reffing, heavy or otherwise and b.) that she has nothing further to hide about any chance of tracing

(frozen)

[xubunturambles.livejournal.com]

Actually, i do. I draw freehand and everything i make i pull out of my ass.
Many, many artists are able to whip things up without references :/

So yeah. I dont know where you're going with this.

(frozen)

[sableantelope.livejournal.com]

Some of that image is traced, but not all. But some is still some and I think that should be disclosed to the buyer.

Looking through the pieces in the gallery and you can easily see for yourself very clearly what are and what are not, particulalry in the hands- but hopefully the artist can cite her references now that it's been brought to light. That will let people see that though there is some, well, yes 'heavy referencing' and possibly some other small traced portions of other images that she did do a lot of her own artistic input.

It's not line by line tracing of the entire image so it's not really cut and dry. So by being honest about how she uses refs and disclosing that fully it will put the ball in the potential buyer's court.

[sableantelope.livejournal.com]

http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/mazz/6258515/137591/137591_300.png

This is a much better layover by Mazz of the icon and the original image

[dragontripmon.livejournal.com]

Also the fact that she is selling these and those are FCN badges. That just makes it even more dishonest.

[akadirio.livejournal.com]

Curiousity question; how exactly did you find the reference picture so quickly based on only the finished art? Not 'doubting' you (you can't really fake that kind of referencing), but it seems it might be a useful trick in the future if i could learn to repeat it.

[keaalu.livejournal.com]

"scientist holding beaker" - it's literally on the very first page of hits on Google images. (It seems to be a theme that a large proportion of people who trace don't bother actually looking much further than the first few pages.)

[cathzcathz.livejournal.com]

Drag a picture into Google Images and similar stuff will pop up, that's how I do it.