Have you ever been in this situation?

[zackfig.livejournal.com]

Where you contact an artist months in advance to do a series of commissions but you wait and wait for the final word from the artist to finalize the payment, only to discover that as the months advance, the artist is more interested in leveling a human pally to level 80 rather than get paid a hefty amount of money for some pics?

[Edit] I did choose a new artist a week ago. Just wondering how you feel when this artist goes and asks to be commissioned then balks at the last minute because of being so obsessed about WoW that forgets about everything - -specially because you have worked with this person before several times without any issues

Comments

[thornwolf.livejournal.com]

is that some kind of WoW thing? *confused* I really have no idea..but either way, I've never seen an artist /that/ addicted to a game that they'd rather play the game than make money. That's...thats something.

[leahtaur.livejournal.com]

Uh... choose a new artist? Hardly something worthwhile to bitch about on artists_beware. It just means they value their free time more than they do money at the moment.

[starrydance.livejournal.com]

We cant be 'on' all the time. I need breaks for games and sleeping too!

Would you rather they take the money and then play a game instead of drawing? At least they were up front about it!

[tealizard.livejournal.com]

Uh pick someone else to do it? You haven't paid them, so... who cares? oO;;

[dinogrrl.livejournal.com]

If they're more interested in spending their free time and money playing WoW than doing art for your money, it's their loss. Find a different artist with a more agreeable timetable to give your money to.

[kriscynical.livejournal.com]

Artists aren't image-producing machines. We need down time, too.

[zackfig.livejournal.com]

I know that - I play WoW myself - but this is obsessive~

[kriscynical.livejournal.com]

Did the artist ask you specifically to commission them? If they were just asking for commissions, they may have only wanted smaller commissions that they could do along with playing WoW, not a large and involved job. Maybe they already had other commissions from the request that would have made a large commission overload them?

[dinogrrl.livejournal.com]

Upon seeing your edit, I will say that I agree. If I really liked that artist's work and I was really looking forward to having them do a picture for me, I would also be rather aggravated that they would invest that much time into a game when they knew I was ready and willing to pay them for art...especially if they didn't inform me of this until months later (which is the feeling I'm getting from your post). That's kinda rude, imho, and they would probably lose me as a customer.

[hobokitten.livejournal.com]

I've backed out of things to play games before as well.
Really, its up to the artist. Its their time, they can spend it as they want.
If they would rather spend their time playing WoW, rather than doing a set of commissions let them and find someone else. Easy as pie.

[zackfig.livejournal.com]

artist was asking to be commissioned a month before the release of WotLK but while finalizing the deal with the references and the final amount I needed to pay for the whole thing - the artist just started distancing itself and investing more time getting WotLK ready - then once it came out, it just got even worse~

[hobokitten.livejournal.com]

Yea <3 Now all my good armor is shit armor again :D Yaaaaay *sarcasm*

[kriscynical.livejournal.com]

Aha. Gotcha.

[zackfig.livejournal.com]

then they shouold not advertise they want to be commissioned if they're not gonna take the offers seriously

[martes.livejournal.com]

There's some people for whom WoW is as addictive as crystal meth. I know a number of artists that have basicly stopped doing art and just play WoW, plus a few that seem to do nothing but WoW-related art any more. Which is cool if you're really into the game, I guess, but kind of a drag if you're not that interested in troll or tauren pron.

[zackfig.livejournal.com]

I'm more into blood elfs and draenei chicks myself - those horns can come in handy as handles XD

[hobokitten.livejournal.com]

Perhaps they were taking them to buy WotLK? And they advertised it a while ago, from what it seems. Time changes, and the need for money can vary from month to month. Just accept it,some people don't rely on commissions as much as others do.

[anjel-kitty.livejournal.com]

Hmm... community not the best place to discuss how we "feel"
We're you robbed? Can you not get in touch with the artist? Did the artist cancel you commission with out explaination?
No ... then we don't really care...

[ellonwye.livejournal.com]

Heh, I can think of at least two people this fits. :p

I play WoW, but.. yeahh, come outta Azeroth once in a while, huh?

[growly.livejournal.com]

I've seen this happen to at least three different REALLY TALENTED people and I think it's a damn shame. :(
Sorry for the OT comment.

[thornwolf.livejournal.com]

Actually now that you mention it, a few people come to mind who have ceased to draw specifically for that reason, and save for WoW fanart and WoW porn as you say. Its a sad loss really. But to be so obsessed as to turn down money? Maybe I'm too much of a money grubber to see the benefit in this...

[oceandezignz.livejournal.com]

_{*rolls her eyes a little* sheesh... nothing nice to say much folks? It got approved didn't it?}

Anyway, I know how that feels only I ended up forwarding said WoW-addict the cash since they said it'd get done. Never got the goods after like two years of waitin', and told artist 'buh bye'. :|

Its pretty disheartening when you have your heart set on something, then they back out. With or without monetary exchange. Your artist makes me giggle since they're more up to ridiculous games than actual work which I guess would help fuel their games and keep them a little more human and a little less Angry German Kid (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBVmfIUR1DA).

[tealizard.livejournal.com]

I dunno, some people don't RELY ON COMMISSIONS for money. And I will turn money down for a lot of things. Such as drawing porn of animals, or poop. Sometimes it's just in favor of spending their free time doing something they enjoy as a hobby rather than more work.

[thaily.livejournal.com]

If you haven't paid him yet he doesn't really owe you anything.
Something else came up, whatever that something is, is irrelevant.

Maybe he already has other work lined up and doesn't want to overload himself and just plays WoW after he works on those commissions. Maybe he doesn't need the money and would rather play a game. Obviously you think it's lame, but he doesn't.

Be glad he didn't take the money and then not do the work.

[majy-the-dragon.livejournal.com]

WoW sucks in every one x.-.x thank god it wont work on my computer