(no subject)

[royalgryffe.livejournal.com]

I have this marked as adult because some of the stuff on her commission spreadsheet is for adult commissions.

WHO: Skink/Paint. She no longer goes by Paint, but her other two bewares are under that name. I think this beware should be added under that name for her, as well as Skink since it is what she now goes by.

WHERE: I commissioned her over FA on Paint, but she is active here- https://www.weasyl.com/~skink

WHAT: I commissioned her January 19th 2013 for $110 worth of pay what you want commissions, to be divided into two images. A few months later, I commissioned her again for $30 colored sketch. (exact date not known because I paid for it over some sort of funding website and can't seem to find it on my paypal although I remember paying and I am down on her commission spreadsheet for this commission. See the spreadsheet later).

WHEN: I made the first payment to her on January 19th 2013. She was fine in keeping contact with me whenever I sent her a note. The last reply I've heard from her in note form was on January 21st 2014. After that date she has not replied to any of my messages regarding the commissions. I wouldn't be so concerned, however she opened commissions March 29th and did finish a handful of these new commissions, posting them to Weasyl while I continued to receive no reply to my messages.

PROOF: The initial commission agreement for the $110 commission took place over stream so I don't have a screenshot of my asking and her saying yes, however here is a screenshot of my paypal payment of $110 to her as well as screenshots of my name and commissions on her queue. As stated before, the colored sketch was commissioned over a funding website that I cannot remember, but that commission is on her queue as well.
The payment- http://oi62.tinypic.com/ixfkus.jpg

The queue- http://oi57.tinypic.com/15z5a46.jpg my commissions are near the top and bottom.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ak6G1XPK44mudFNHWW83ODhYTmNsVkpNLWN5aE5RTmc#gid=0 this is the actual link to the google docs of the commission spreadsheet.

EXPLAIN: I like Skink's style, enjoy how she draws my characters, so in the past I commissioned her as much as I possibly could. Until this incident she has been quick to deliver the artwork, so I didn't hesitate to pay her the $110 for these particular commissions, assuming that I'd get the work done pretty quickly, as it had been done before.

It took her a little longer than usual, but it didn't bother me. She kept her watchers updated with journals about rough going-ons at her job, things that would normally delay commissions. Understandable.

I sent her the occasional message for updates, but mostly just kept up with her journals, which stated what was going on with her life. It wasn't really until in January, the ~1 year anniversary of my paying her the initial $110, that I began messaging her more frequently about the commissions.

The first note I sent was amiable, just asking what's up, and she replied with reasons why there had been further delay. The reasons were a little personal so I'm not posting the screenshots, but this series of notes wasn't an issue for me because she did reply and let me know that she would be telling me when my commissions were up for being worked on. I'm happy.

My next note was a little over a week later.
http://oi57.tinypic.com/dfeici.jpg

It proposes a deadline and asks if she can get back to me if that date doesn't work for her.

I receive no reply.

She opens up for new commissions March 29th https://www.weasyl.com/journal/45742/daily-color-sketch-commissions-plush-and-charms
Her old queue shows no signs of being worked on.

April 1st I send another note.
http://oi58.tinypic.com/2z68t4y.jpg

Just reminding her. Still no reply.
The same day I send her a note about a commissioner she was having trouble with that I had had troubles with in the past as well, and she answers it promptly. Granted I didn't send it to her for any reason than to talk to her about that commissioner, but I still am surprised that she answers the note right away.

This is very frustrating for me to hear /nothing/ back from an artist about the commissions I paid for, who I can see is still being active at this point, from her Weasyl and Tumblr. On Tumblr I send her a message asking her to check her Weasyl notes. I send another note April 7th which is basically a repeat of my April 1st note.

Finally, I sent this note April 30th
http://oi62.tinypic.com/b4jjgk.jpg

I guess in my Tumblr message or some other means I asked for simply a refund, because that's what I say. I don't have a record of that first message asking for a refund though. Honestly by the point of April 30th though even if I hadn't asked for one before, I wanted a refund.

Since then I have attempted to contact her over AIM to no avail. When I try to send her a message over AIM it tells me that she doesn't receive offline messages and when I do manage to get a message to go through(?) (it appears as if she's invisible, but I don't get the 'no offline messages' message) there is still no reply.

I want my money back, but I am getting no replies at all from her.

If nothing else I can write up this artist beware to add to the others on the site which seem to be about this same situation. I wasn't worried about her giving reasons to delay the commissions because everyone runs into bad situations where they can't do commissions as fast as they'd like... but the fact that she opened up commissions for a brief time in March with the promise of using them as warm ups for her main queue, finished some of the commissions without even an update on the main queue, coupled with the other artist bewares compelled me to finally write this up.

Skink is talented, but if this is repeat behavior from her then beware this artist.

Comments

[mazz.livejournal.com]

Was the support site http://www.patreon.com/ ?

I'm personally curious because with how popular it's becoming my cynical side sees some people using this to scam free money.
--

That really sucks, I love Skink's work and it's sad to see her flake like this. Good luck getting your refund.

[adzuki.livejournal.com]

Related to the patreon thing, I thought you have to produce work in order to get paid? I would hate to see people using a site like that to scam people. :(

--

On the other note, I have noticed a lot of Skink's recent posts relating to her being not well. While this doesn't excuse the flaking and no response...

[royalgryffe.livejournal.com]

I am all for willing to accept that she is unwell, but she has has periods of activity, complete with her taking new commissions, and I still received no replies.

Really to me what is most worrying is, if you read the other a_b posts she has, there was a lack of replies there as well.

[adzuki.livejournal.com]

I have read the others and noticed that she definitely has a lack of response to her customers. It's incredibly unfortunate because her work is so lovely.

I hope she gets a hold of you soon and something can be worked out.

[deejthistle.livejournal.com]

You can do it by piece or monthly. I'm not sure how the monthly works in that regard, though. I would hope Patreon has a way too report people not delivering.

[royalgryffe.livejournal.com]

No I think it was offbeatr

[kingcrowned.livejournal.com]

Just an FYI, Skink is also really active on Tumblr.

http://aspidelaps.tumblr.com/

^that's her usual url, but she's temporarily changed it.

http://cupsnake.tumblr.com/

Not really sure what's up on her end, but I know multiple people that've experienced this. I actually have a friend of a friend who's been waiting months (maybe a year at this point) for a sketch commission, but they're afraid to bug her about it or make an A_B.

[royalgryffe.livejournal.com]

Thank you, but I sent her a message on the cupsnake one I believe a while ago to check her weasyl notes and reply and still received nothing..

Why is your friends friend afraid bug her or make an a_b ? I mean I didn't want to but I'm afraid at this point if I didn't say anything absolutely nothing would happen and I'd be out 140. I might still be out 140 but I can at least tell people about what happened and warn them.

[kingcrowned.livejournal.com]

I honestly have no idea. I asked myself, and I can't exactly remember what reason they gave for not doing it.

I think part of it is they're worried she'll get mad and either refuse to communicate or finish the picture. The other part is they feel guilty for causing a fuss over a small amount of money, or that they feel bad because of Skink's IRL financial/life stresses. Mostly though, I think they just consider it a loss and don't have the heart to pursue the matter.

I personally find that super weird myself- it's not so hard to keep up with your customers, or admit when you can't do the work. When you pay for a service you should get what you paid for or a refund, period. Money is money and stealing is stealing.

[lem0ntrees.livejournal.com]

"they feel bad because of Skink's IRL financial/life stresses"

If it changes their mind, back in January she was asking for donations to buy an anaconda from a breeder. She managed to raise the several hundred dollars needed to buy one.

[acrothdragon.livejournal.com]

Aaah and my excuse I got from her was she needed to pay off parking fines. Just keep the pressure on and you should get your money back course she won't pay the paypal fee.

[tylociraptor.livejournal.com]

Yeah... a little off topic but she's pretty constantly purchasing animals, so I wouldn't feel bad about her financial stresses. :/ More recently it was a bunch of chickens she bought...

[lem0ntrees.livejournal.com]

This is unfortunately a pattern with her. Around the time of her last beware, she bought a parrot for a few hundred while owing refunds.

[hootley.livejournal.com]

I've noticed that she is a bit of an animal collector.
What with her financial issues, one would have to chalk up quite a bit of money for the many animals she seems to care for.

[royalgryffe.livejournal.com]

Yeah I'd hate to know what her monthly bill is.

Considering this isn't the first time this has happened though one would think that she would downsize so she's not so strapped for cash.

[morti-macabre.livejournal.com]

Yes, please tell your friend to A_B

I am REALLY tired of this scare culture where tons of popular artists aren't receiving backlash they deserve because people are afraid of them for some unknown reason.

[adzuki.livejournal.com]

This so much.
They shouldnt feel afraid to say something when they paid for a service they havent recieved

[kingcrowned.livejournal.com]

I'll bring it up the next time I talk to them- like I said above to royalgryffe, I think they mostly just don't feel like going through the trouble because they feel it's a small loss. I dunno if I can convince them, but I will try to get them to share their experience.

[crazeetyger.livejournal.com]

I can understand why some people don't post to A_B. They don't like to cause "drama," even if they are in the right, especially with artists who have huge followings. Some people just can't take the stress of it MAYBE blowing up in their face and being attacked on their own pages, let alone if it actually happened. So they let it go. I can understand that; I don't like rocking the boat, either.

[royalgryffe.livejournal.com]

Trust me I'm not posting this to cause drama. 140 is a few weeks worth of food for me and I'd just like it back. I mostly want to warn others though, so they don't end up out a bunch of money like me.

[crazeetyger.livejournal.com]

Of course not! I'm sorry if that's how it came across. Warning others IS a good thing (it's sad that we need to be warned at all but yeah...), but some people don't post to A_B because they don't want to "kick shit up," despite the fact they need to. Some people are just terrified of the backlash they MAY get so they don't post at all. That's what I was trying to say.

[royalgryffe.livejournal.com]

Oh alright :3

[tylociraptor.livejournal.com]

It's very likely she hasn't even read your messages. She posted publically to her FA account previously (it is in another beware about her) that she wasn't reading notes from customers to whom she owed work because that "gives her anxiety", or something... This is very much repeat behavior from her.

[gaturguts.livejournal.com]

Wowww. If that anxiety bit is true, they really should not be running a business that relies completely on messages :/

[stormrunner1981.livejournal.com]

If her anxiety is that bad, then she needs to get a manager, not ignore the notes *facepalm*.

My husband sorts my commission emails for me for this reason.

[doggiy.livejournal.com]

This. I have horrible anxiety as well, and sometimes I take a little while to reply to notes because of it, but I would never just drop communication like that. From past experience, being honest with a customer from the start really does go a long way.

[royalgryffe.livejournal.com]

If that's true, then what, she just leaves unread messages about owed commissions alone and ignores that she needs to do them? I mean I don't get it, you can't ignore a problem and expect it to not get worse.

[tylociraptor.livejournal.com]

According to her journal on that beware, yep. Somehow you'd think if she has anxiety issues about stuff like that she'd at LEAST stop taking on work. For me, not responding to commissioner inquiry just stresses me MORE... :/

[hootley.livejournal.com]

As it seems she is far, far more active on her tumblr than she is on weasyl.
I would personally try contacting her more frequently there in and hope that she gives a response. Hate to advocate it, but you may even want to try to reblog one of her posts directly and try and get her attention that way.

http://skink-inks.tumblr.com/ - she is even posting art rather frequently. :/

Sad to see, but hope you and others get this sorted. Hoping she learns from this and either delegates not to take commissions or seeks to improve her practices.

[royalgryffe.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I have been sending her messages over Tumblr, however.

Her last post was about a week ago, and I know she was very active before then, but (and I don't know if this is a coincidence or not) since I sent her a message on Tumblr which was about a week ago, her activity has stopped once more.

[hootley.livejournal.com]

well she is still active on her flight rising tumblr. :/ and also does skins and stuff over there. hurf.

[annoyeddragon.livejournal.com]

As the person in the previous beware, how I got a refund (may or may not work for you, just giving my experience) was to tell her that I posted on Artists Beware about the commission. That got her attention.

She said she didn't want to look at it because it would upset her, however was then open to negotiation and paid it back over time. Their reputation may have been a factor in managing repayment, I don't know. But it got things moving when all my messages were being ignored.

[more lemon pledge (from livejournal.com)]

An update for those still looking to contact Skink/Paint. She recently started using her one tumblr again ( http://skink-inks.tumblr.com/ ) and she is extremely active on Flight Rising. She actively participates in their skin contests and is active daily on the forums. Her user name is Cockatrice.

EDIT: As of Sep 8th she opened on FR for new commissions.

[royalgryffe.livejournal.com]

This is so depressing. Unfortunately I don't have a flight rising account to contact her there on.

[more lemon pledge (from livejournal.com)]

I think that's the point. I don't think anyone she owes is on there since it's such a hard site to get on to. She just posted several commissions there today on her adoptables thread and she had two other art threads she is still open on. A accent shop and a art shop. I'd offer to contact in your behalf but I think that would fall under the harassment policy of FR.

If anyone she owes IS on FR they may not realize she is there or it's her if they don't use forums. She also uses a different name so I'm sure that keeps her below the radar as well. In my opinion she is actively going out of her way to avoid not only you, but everyone else she owes :/ She doesn't use her weasyl anymore and she keeps switching/whipping which tumblr she is active on.

I really feel for you guys. That's a lot of money she has walked off with. I wish I could just draw for ever what they're owed T^T