I just keep having bad luck..

[kayla-la.livejournal.com]

So.. after two previous bad dealings with various people who came to me wanting to commission me (I'd even started on one already, and it was a huge project, so it was especially frustrating when that commissioner just dropped off the face of the internet-earth), I stopped bothering for a little while.. then I saw a post in the Furcadian forums from a girl named Xanon saying she'd just come into some money and would like some art commissioned of her almost neko feline girl..

So.. I debate for a little while, then decide to take my chances and email her asking her if she'd be interested in commissioning me, and give her the link to my Deviantart account. It doesn't take her too long to reply saying she'd love some art by me, more or less, and we begin discussing details.. her character, other ways of contact, etc.. And then, we got to, dun dun DUN, payment options..

She stated she doesn't have CC, I think, and I emailed her back asking if she was capable of sending money orders, instead (I don't have CC either, anyway), and that's the last email I ever get. I email her like a good three times asking what's up, as I figured maybe she was just having some sort of technical problem, and I never got a reply. After an even longer period of time, I finally PM her on the forums and ask her if she's having trouble, and she never replies to that, either.. suspicious, right? She was constantly replying to various topics on the forums in the meantime, so I knew she couldn't have been dead or even have computer issues keeping her from replying.

Anyway, I get fed up.. and she makes another topic on the forums, asking for art again.. This time, however, she states her preferred method of payment is Paypal, and I make a somewhat bitter post (sorry, the post isn't in the forums anymore since they only go back so far, so I can't show it to anyone) stating "Is that why you stopped replying to me?" or something to that effect, and she then proceeds to claim she never got any emails from me, and that she "didn't notice" the forums PM. I didn't really believe her, but she agrees to get in contact with me over AIM, her screenname being Kozinu (which is publically stated on her Furcadian forums profile, so I don't feel the need to hide it here), and we talk about poses and she goes on about how she doesn't know what she wants..

Eventually, I pull up some random ideas and she agrees to her character basically laying all seductively (I don't draw yiff. Pinup style art and nipples are about as far as I'll go) on a comfy looking chaise, and I get to work.. frankly, it wasn't turning out well, and I showed her the end result sketch after a week or so (I'm not good with time) of working hard to get it to look better than it did, and failing. She basically says she likes it but would like me to change the way her legs are positioned, so I try that.. and find I just plain can't do it. I don't like the way the piece looked at all, and like most artists, I'm not willing to have someone pay for a piece that I myself don't think is up to my usual quality.

So, fast forward a bit.. I work on a different, much better piece, but I stop not too far in, with the intention of showing her so she can tell me what she wants to do with it and if she approves. For quite a while, I fail to be able to get a hold of her over AIM.. she's always away and refuses to answer, OR it says she's on a mobile device, and I can't get any messages through (it always tells me it failed to go through). So instead of just waiting forever for her to show up on AIM, I email her the sketch and wait.. I never get any return emails saying the email failed to go through, but I never get any sort of confirmation she got it, either, and the entire time I can't get her to reply on AIM and she's posting all over the forums still, so I know she's around..

Finally, backpedal to just a couple days ago. She's finally just set to away on AIM but isn't idle, and she used to tell me to IM her anyway if she was that way because she'll reply, and just does that to avoid being spammed. I take the opportunity and IM her, waiting for a response patiently, and around 11:30 PM, I believe, she signs off. Yeah, okay..

So I'm reading the forums today and I glance at her website, and what do I find? This. Warning, mild nudity. So she uploaded the old sketch that I hated without my permission. There went the last of my patience.

Emails get ignored, I can't get her on AIM, and she "doesn't notice" Furc PMs. I've got a half-done sketch that I rather like and a stolen one that I hate on her website, and I'm at the end of my rope. The only real thing I can do is be a bitch and call her out publically in the forums like I did to get her attention the first time, but I really, really dislike the idea of doing such. I've considered finishing the sketch and trying to sell it as a pre-made sketch, but I wouldn't expect anyone to buy it, and I'm tired of wasting my time on people who refuse to take me seriously. What's amazing, though, is that she apparently commissions people all the time, and I've never heard a word about her being a ripoff.

Any suggestions? Should I just get over it and forget about it?

PS. Sorry some things in the post were vague. I didn't think to save links on the forums or timestamps or anything of that sort. I wasn't expecting it to have to come to this, I figured I was due to have some good luck for a change. :(

Comments

[kcravenyote.livejournal.com]

The name Xanon seemed familiar to me. I've heard of her before, don't know her -personally- But I've heard of her (I do use Furc as well) and possibly seen her on DeviantArt in the past, she may have even left a message on my DA o.O. I did notice she has a DeviantArt site, and it looks like she was on it only a few hours ago. You could try noting her..but who knows what will happen considering she hasn't been replying to anything, but it could be worth a try? `shrugs`

But that really isn't right, nor fair to you. Considering that picture is still your property, and she chose to commission you, but didn't pay for anything yet in the first place. o.O I wouldn't exactly let it go just yet if I were you. But that's me.

[kayla-la.livejournal.com]

Huh. I'm surprised. I didn't even think she would have a DA account, I know she herself isn't an artist and she never mentioned it to me at all. I would think if she really liked my art enough to pay for it that she would have devwatched me, at least. But I don't think I'll want anything to do with her after this, so I'm kind of glad.

I might try it, but I think I'm going to have to wait until tomorrow when I calm down. It's going to be rather difficult to be civil with her, she's been trying my patience a while now.

I've had so much trouble with commissioners. I keep getting ripped off several times in a row no matter how I try to organize it and I've had all of TWO successful commissions since I started trying to do them YEARS ago. TWO. You happen to know any good LJ communities for advertising yourself or something to that effect? Doing it all randomly and rather privately might be my problem.

Thanks for the help, and cute icon, by the way. If you drew that, I think I have you on my own Devwatch list. :P

[kcravenyote.livejournal.com]

Nah, I didn't do the icon. :P But if your curious, mine is: http://kcravenyote.deviantart.com I commissioned the icon set from shadow-wolf/wolf nymph

Unfortunately, I don't know of any decent places to advertize. But your art is quite impressive and you have a very nice style. :3

[growing-rose.livejournal.com]

http://www.livejournal.com/community/artistsunited/ is a community where you can advertise in. I don't advertise myself, just look for someone who's doing commissions. Hopefully, this'll help you out a bit.

[colifox.livejournal.com]

I cant really suggest anything to rectify the current situation, but I can make a suggestion for future dealings.

Now, whilst this might sound like a really big headed thing to do, it does save you the kinda hassle you have just had with this artist.

When I am doing a commission and I need to send a preview to the buyer, I will purposefully make it a very small scale image that cannot be blown up without pixilation and I will also put a water mark over the top of it. This doesnt mean the art cannot be viewed, just means that if someone wants to rip it off, it would be extremely difficult.

This means in short that you wont have the work nicked before you are paid and that no one can place it on a website until you are happy with it (well they can, but its gonna be crappy) ;)

I hope that this suggestion helps for future dealings.

[frisket17.livejournal.com]

Or a future solution.. Take at least half payment up front *(if not full payment)... and then the rest when complete.

[kayla-la.livejournal.com]

Thanks again. Maybe we could try an art trade sometime (though I read that they're closed right now). ;)

[kayla-la.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I might try it in the future. It looks a little barren, though. :/

[kcravenyote.livejournal.com]

Nah -officially- I tend to slip in an art trade or two extra if I'm interested, and I am. :3

[kayla-la.livejournal.com]

I'd considered it (making the preview sketches low quality, that is), but I wanted to be able to trust someone for once. It looks like I won't be able to risk that anymore. :(

How do you watermark? I thought you had to pay to do that, at least with Photoshop.

[kayla-la.livejournal.com]

I really hate the idea of doing that.. what we had basically planned was that I was to recieve the payment when she approved of a sketch she liked, and then I'd finish it (inking, colouring, etc.) when I got the money in my hand.

I guess I'm going to have to get stricter about it. :(

[kayla-la.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the response. I'm probably going to just not bother with commissions for an indefinate amount of time, then if I start them up again, I'll be far more careful, and if they complain, I'll point them to this community so they can thank their fellow man for us having to be so picky.

[kayla-la.livejournal.com]

I'll note ya on DA in a few minutes. :) Gotta do a few dishes and other house-y things at the moment.

[minaraiko.livejournal.com]

I do agree with what has been said here. You should take some payment before you begin a piece. That way, you at least got something for your time and effort. As far as your current situation, I would confront her about as well as contact the host of her site. It's a pretty sticky situation.

[melskunk.livejournal.com]

Naw, you can do 'fakeo' watermarks by using modified layers. Generally one that says "Draft copy" is a good one. Makes it very, very clear on the reason for the watermark.