Advice on re-using canceled artwork

[exo-formicidae.livejournal.com]

Hello again A-B,

I think I've managed to get myself into an awkward position and need some advice on how to deal with this.
I ended a fairly big raffle about a month ago where the first prize was a full colored and shaded image, with background and up to 3 characters. I notified the winner and it went fairly well, it would be a mature image of the winner and the winners partner.

Everything went smoothly, but after I had finished the background and started on the characters I got a note from the partner(I had talked with this person and the drawing was agreed to), however they had broken up the day before and no longer wanted the image, but I could finish it an post it if I wanted.

I then noted the winner to ask, but he really did not want the image finished and asked for a new one instead. He offered that I could make the almost finished image into a YCH auction so I didn't loose time from working on it. I did make him a new image in the detail I promised for the 1st prize, but I have not touched the unfinished one after this.

A part of me wants to make this into a YCH auction so I can at least get something back for the time I lost, but at the same time I know both of the original image is watching me and have seen WIP's of it with their characters. I know the partner wouldn't mind, and the winner was the one with the YCH idea, but it just feels really awkward to put it out for offer - so what I need advice on is if I should just go ahead and edit it to a YCH or accept it as lost time and move on?


some additional but not super important info/questions;
The raffle had in total 6 prizes, so the remaking of the 1st one made delays for the rest.

This was my first Raffle and I have never done a YCH so I'm nervous on how it will be received by my watchers

Would this be different if this was a commissioned piece where the commissioner would get a new piece of art instead of a refund?

Comments

[ryunwoofie.livejournal.com]

Personally if you had permission or not and decided to re-draw the image for them I see no harm in selling the image they did not want to use. They no longer desired it and they don't technically own it, or could say no. I would just mention it was an image for a client who didn't want it anymore and you were auctioning off the slots. It's still an image you worked hard on. It's not cheating in any way IMHO. I've done this in the past where I have drawn an image and the customer wanted something else, saved the pose, made it generic, saved it for another commission I think it would work with or sold it. It is still hard work weather it's recycled or not.

Also agreeing with Neo on the finishing the first image anyway. Just because someone broke up doesn't mean you should change it, especially if it was free/raffle/etc. If it were a commission I would simply just charge extra for the sketch already done.