Advice: Being a good commissioner?

[violetvirtue.livejournal.com]

Hello everybody! I hope this post is alright as I haven't seen anything similar as I looked through the archives from the past few months. Feel free to let me know if I'm in the wrong, as I've never posted here before. :3

Anywhoozle, I just had a quick question for the artists on this community, but I'll lead up to it a bit for background info. I'm no artist myself, so I just commission pieces (maybe 1 every few months) and I've only had good experiences until my most recently commissioned piece. I strive to be a good commissioner and not fuss over small details or be Douchey McNitPick. I want to avoid ending up as a bad commissioner on this community, haha!

So, normally I'm used to getting an approval sketch and even if I see a few details off, I never mention it. Like I said, I try to be super easy to work with and above all, I want artists to have fun with it! I understand how art is just like any profession in that you get burnt out and sometimes you're just not in the mood. So, I try to be nice and keep the artist interested by not limiting them with SUPAR SPESHUL details.

The most recent piece I commissioned had no such approval stage. I was simply linked to the finished art. I noticed a few things were off, but left a comment saying how much I loved the creativity and effort put into it. I do sincerely appreciate how artists take time out of their day to create something so personal to me. But after inspecting it a bit closer, I noticed that a LOT of details were either off or missing entirely. Don't get me wrong, the art is good, it's just that... she's my character, ya know? I understand the ins and outs of her appearance and a lot of that was missing. It's to the point where I don't think the artist actually looked at my reference sheet or took note of my details for more than a quick glance.

My question is: Would it be better if I am honest about a piece that I'm dissatisfied with? There was no approval sketch, so I'd be asking for the artist to fix an already finished piece. Or is it better if I stay super easy to work with, even if it means compromising the look of my character?

Comments

[higginsdragon.livejournal.com]

Be an easy commissioner. Unless you're paying pro rates, just let the artist have fun, you'll get better work. There's a lot of pictures of my character and I'm not picky about small details that are different between each. If you're paying several hundred, by all means you should expect work in progresses and such. But with the rates most artists charge, if I do like an artist and want to be picky about the details, I'll pay for new commissions and suggest the changes with each new one.

[violetvirtue.livejournal.com]

Ahhh, I see! Thank you for the advice! :D

I see what you mean in terms of price. I'm definitely not paying an arm and a leg for the art, so I don't need to be super detail-oriented. And I definitely want the artist to be happy and have fun. :3

[solalia.livejournal.com]

That's a tough one. I would fix it because a. it would be REALLY unusual for me not to send several approval shots before sending a final piece (like, 6 or more, I guess I'm a little obsessive about nailing the details) and b. it would be totally my fault that I had missed a bunch of stuff since I never asked. If it was all on your reference sheet, I'd be especially embarrassed. I will send someone 30 e-mails asking for clarification before I'll start a piece if I'm not sure, just to make sure that everyone is satisfied in the end and I'm not disappointed in myself, and I practically worship the reference sheets and descriptions I receive until the piece is done.

So really this artist should be pretty embarrassed. Especially about not sending approval sketches! If I were the artist I'd totally fix it and would want you to be happy with it. That's really the bottom line, if you're not happy you're not going to tell your friends to commission me, or you might tell them not to. I think you should give the artist a chance to fix it, at the very least.

You don't have to let people totally walk on you to be easy to work with.

[violetvirtue.livejournal.com]

You sound like you really, REALLY care about your customers, haha! That's so nice to truly care about their happiness with each piece. :D

And I thought it was unusual that I didn't get any kind of approval beforehand, but just let it slide. Maybe I'll just send the artist a note so I'm not being super public about it. :3

Thank you so much for the advice! I can see that this community is going to be very helpful!

[laini.livejournal.com]

The way I see it at the end of the day you're paying for a service.
If you went to a restaurant and ordered a well done steak would you be happy if it came back rare?

Having said that, like with anything, there are ways and means of going about it.
You can be dissatisfied with something and explain your reasons why without being a douche.

Also a lot of artists these days seem to have T&Cs stating what to expect and whether any changes can be made.

I remember one artist I commissioned a piece for didn't want to incorporate one of my details because it was unrealistic.
Forgetting the whole anthropomorphical animals and realism thing for a moment I was a bit annoyed that I had to argue for it. I knew it wasn't realistic, I didn't care and it's what I was paying them to draw for me.

[p3nsive.livejournal.com]

This is pretty much what I would've said, just worded far more eloquently. C:

Speaking for myself....as an artist, I'd very much prefer if I were told if I messed up someone's markings or forgot something crucial to the character. I try to stick very closely to peoples' references (unless specifically give artistic freedom), so I'm always happy to make corrections, especially when they're my own fault for missing them in the first place. Speaking as a commissioner, I generally won't mention mistakes if the commission was $10 or less but if it's more, I'm definitely gonna mention changes due to the amount of money involved. Not everyone will be willing to make changes, but it never hurts to ask---and some people have been really nice about being willing to make changes, so if nothing else it made me wanna commission them again in the future. ;)

[violetvirtue.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the advice! And I do enjoy metaphors, so your restaurant metaphor and the plumber metaphor from the poster below me help a lot!

One of my biggest fears is coming off as a douche to the artist, haha! I'll send her a note so it isn't some huge public scandal and I'll word my note very carefully to avoid offending or just being rude.

Thanks again! :D

[chrdoesscience.livejournal.com]

It's definitely better to be honest with the artist than to lie and say you're satisfied. It's entirely the artist's own fault if they have to edit a finished piece because they never ask for confirmation or corrections beforehand.
As you said, freelance work is just like any other job: artists are getting money for their time and effort. If you called a plumber to fix your sink and instead he installs a new toilet, you'd complain. It's no different when dealing with artists.

Also, just an aside: I like when my commissioners inform me, during the sketch phase, if I've made small mistakes on their characters. I'd rather spend a bit more time on a sketch than have the commissioner feel dissatisfied with the final product.

[alexds1.livejournal.com]

I definitely give leeway depending on price. If I'm spending under $20 I tend not to be too picky (unless they specify that I can be, in which case go for it XD)

One way to be sure is to maybe ask them if they allow edits before you commission them. Or ask if you can view of the preliminary sketch before they finalize. Like I said, I kind of expect that for higher price commissions but for things like quick sketches it is best to take it easy.

[ellonwye.livejournal.com]

Sorry to nose through your gallery but I see the image you mean, and comparing it to your ref sheet I can also see the glaring inaccuracies.

If your character was complicated and had a whole bunch of little details that would be easy to get wrong I'd probably just say that just letting an artist do their thing is probably gonna lead to better work, unless it was a more expensive commission where accuracy is of particular importance.. but the details the artist has gotten wrong are things that shouldn't have happened with more than a casual glance at your ref sheet I assume you gave them.

So.. I'm not sure. Are you happy with the piece, or would you be happier if it were changed to be more accurate? They don't look like difficult edits and I'd assume the artist has kept the piece with layers intact. As long as you're not pushy with them about getting a change, maybe they will be happy to do some edits for you.
Personally I would be mortified at getting such simple details wrong and would fix them immediately but that isn't the case with everybody.

e: Should probably mention that the inaccuracies I can see are colour related, I don't know if there are particular things about the clothing, etc, that you asked for in the commission. Colours should be very easy to fix.

[violetvirtue.livejournal.com]

I thank you so much for comparing the piece to the reference! I don't think you were being nosy at all, just super helpful with your opinion. :3

I was hoping that it wasn't just me seeing the differences since she's so personal to me. I've sent the artist a note so it's private and I tried to keep it super nice and avoid coming off as rude.

Thank you so much for the advice! In fact, I want to thank everyone for their advice because now I'm getting too many replies to keep up with. XD

[idess.livejournal.com]

If a client was dissatisfied with art I did I'd definately want to know. If it is digital media, it may be easy for them to fix. I can see skipping over small details and appreciating the artistic license (You can't imagine how many times I've commissioned artists and something is different about the character than the ref showed [colors slightly off, a marking interpreted differently], but in the end it still looks like my character and I enjoy it!) But if it truly is so bad that it really doesn't resemble your character, I think it's in your right as a customer to mention it.

I assume it varies per person, like the first commenter who said to be an easy client, but as an artist I'd rather you tell me you're not so satisfied than think you wasted the money on a piece that doesn't look like your character!

[higginsdragon.livejournal.com]

If I commission someone for a yellow dragon and I get a green fox, I'm going to be unhappy and let it be known. ;) But if someone gives me black claws instead of "pearlescent" I'm not going to be overly picky if it's an inexpensive piece.

I have my own unique way of commissioning folks, admittedly, since I believe the vast majority of artists undercharge. If I like an artist, I'll definitely tell them what I think needs to be changed in the next piece I commission. It only takes 2-3 before an artist gets a feel for the character, anyway, so I feel it's money well spent.

[idess.livejournal.com]

I understand n.n and yes, if you commission an artist more than once I can definately see letting them know for next time, and that'll build a good relationship between artist and client!
I just noticed the OP mentioned that the work had a lot of things wrong with the piece, not just an eye color or something small; if it ends up barely resembling her character at all then I think she should mention it to the artist :P

[higginsdragon.livejournal.com]

Yeah, if it doesn't look like the character, I totally agree! There were no examples, so I don't know how close or not it may have been.

[violetvirtue.livejournal.com]

So much good advice! Thank you so much! And I'm reading all of your replies as well below this post. :3

And it was just a digital piece so hopefully it wont be too much of a hassle to fix the details. I note'd the artist to keep it private. They seem very nice to work with from when I sent them the refs, so hopefully everything will work out fine!

And unfortunately in the piece, the coloring details were off enough for me to stare at it for a while in confusion rather than admiration. XD

Once again, thank you for the advice! :D

[spiffystuff.livejournal.com]

I think you should always specify corrections you would like to see at the sketch stage. If you want to be an easy commissioner (admirable!) and would not mind if they weren't included, then just say that! "Usually my character would have ___, ___, and ___ as well, but it's up to you as an artist!" Or something like that.
Personally I like working with people to get their character how they want! (Within certain limits, of course)
However, once the piece is done that's a bit more hairy... depends a lot on the artists personality and how un/satisfied you are. Personally I always like to hear how I could have done better, but some folks seem to always take criticism the wrong way.

[laini.livejournal.com]

They would have if there had been a sketch stage.

If someone doesn't bother looking over an approval sketch and then complains about something the artist got wrong in the final version then it's their own fault :P

[spiffystuff.livejournal.com]

Since the OP said "I'm used to getting an approval sketch and even if I see a few details off, I never mention it." I just wanted to let them know that it's not "bad" by any means to go ahead and say they'd like some things changed on the sketch, particularly if it's small details.

[laini.livejournal.com]

Ah right yes, I see what you mean now.

Yeah for sure, if an artist sends you a sketch for approval then you're well within your rights to ask for changes.

[taasla.livejournal.com]

I am speaking as someone who gets commissions as much as they do commissions. It is entirely possible to let someone know about missed details without being difficult. I've only ever been in this situation once where the artist missed my desired pose entirely. I debated a good while about telling her, and I eventually did. She was very sweet about it, and redid the image.

As an artist, if you'd tell me I missed some details on your character, I'd be more than happy to fix it. You are paying for a service. It is the artist's fault for not offering you a step to see a work in progress. This helps curb issues like this.

Edit: I think I've found the image, and I can see what was done wrong. Personally, if it were me doing your work, that wouldn't be hard to fix. I also don't believe it would be an unreasonable thing to ask to fix, either.

[forsaken-malice.livejournal.com]

I'm an "artist" and I'd MUCH rather have the person that commissions me be completely happy with the work I've given them than not have to fix anything. I leave little mistakes alone when I commission others, but if it was a major detail- or a BUNCH of mistakes (especially to the point that it doesn't look like your character anymore) then damn straight I'd really want it fixed :/

[shiftergoddess.livejournal.com]

Echoing a lot of what others have said already, it's best to be completely honest with the artist you're working with because in the end you paid them for something and they didn't come through completely.

As an artist, even on trades, i take great care to follow references because i know if i were the receiving end i would be a little disappointed if something was off.

[ciderfox.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I always give out progression shots for larger commissions, but I usually don't for $20 or less. I'm always open to editing in anything I've messed up though, as I am the only one to blame so long as accurate refs were given.

I think no matter what, they're liable to fixing errors, as you did pay for a service.

[skulldog.livejournal.com]

Having taken a peek at the art is question, I think asking for the color imperfections to be changed wouldn't be out of line or make you a 'difficult' commissioner.

Worst case the artist says no, right?

Honestly, I know I've made mistakes on colors in commissions, and I'd much rather have someone point this out, than to be unhappy.

[violetvirtue.livejournal.com]

Ahhh, okay! Thank you very much for the advice! :D

And thank you for looking at the piece as well! I like having outside perspectives on it as well. I didn't want my bias to inhibit seeing it objectively and comparing it to the reference. And since it is just some coloring details, I was hoping it wouldn't be too much to ask for, but I'm so super shy. XD

I've sent the artist a note to keep it private and I tried to word it as nicely as possible. The last thing I want is to come off as rude and throw a tantrum. XD

Once again, a huge thanks for your response! And to everyone else as well! I wasn't expecting so many replies so fast! Haha!

[rupertistheone.livejournal.com]

I think I see the commission piece you're talking about, and comparing it to your ref sheet I have this to say: if the artist is anything like me I could make those color changes in two second. I keep all the colors on separate layers from the shading in indvidual things. I'm not sure if there's anything besides color problems, so I don't know if there's anything else, but if I were both you as the commissioner and the guy as the artist, I'd ask him if he wouldn't mind changing the colors and as the artist I'd say sure I'm sorry here it'll be a quick fix.

But who knows! It's up to you, I would politely ask, I did ask that once on an art trade, and the person did fix it for me which was nice.

[stormslegacy.livejournal.com]

If accurate refs are given and it's not obvious why the error occurred (like, you forgot to mention it or sent a potentially unclear ref) I would talk to them about it. As an artist I would prefer a commissioner be open with me, the worst that should happen is that they say no. being a bad commissioner is more about HOW you approach things rather than the act of asking itself =) You paid for a service and (with reason and some leeway for style) the character drawn should accurately reflect the design shown on your refs.

I do have experience asking for corrections as when I do commission art there's an extremely common error that artists make with my fursona: on my ref it specifies that my fursona has a broken wing that can be shown however the artist wishes (frayed, bent, in a cast, missing, bleeding stump...anything goes). It even says right on my ref "This is the ONE detail that really makes my fursona special, please make it obvious!" and includes a picture of how I draw it myself but a good number of artists I have commissioned either forget it entirely or pose it purposely so that it can't be seen. It wasn't until I started politely correcting for it that it regularly showed in commissions as I wanted it to, and so far every artist I've asked has been very pleasant about it, even in the two cases where no progress pics were shown.

[silverback2001.livejournal.com]

I think I found the piece in question, and as an artist myself, I don't think it would be difficult to make the color adjustments needed. If the character is supposed to be you, and not a random horse-girl, the artist should include your main markings.

[violetvirtue.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much for the response! :D Everyone in this community is so helpful, haha!

I also thank you for your opinion on the piece as well! I think one of the main things that struck me as off was that the horse in the piece looked fairly generic with purple thrown in. XD I've sent the artist a note and I tried to be super nice as I wasn't asking for a complete overhaul, haha! So hopefully adding the main markings and coloring of her coat wont be too difficult. :3

Once again, a huge thanks to yourself and everyone else with their replies!

[mandyseley.livejournal.com]

Skulldog already touched on what I was going to say: the worst they can say is 'no.'

Asking politely for tweaks is entirely acceptable. If no progress shots are given, it's even acceptable to do so after the piece is "finished."

Don't worry about being a 'bad commissioner.' As long as you're polite and clear in your communications with the artist, that's all you need to do. Even if you happened to run into a particularly irritable artist who tried to post you to this community, the evidence would be on your side.

The "bad" commissioners are the ones who don't allow ANY wiggle room for artistic freedom and demand utter perfection... or the ones who are rude, demanding, or ungrateful.

[stormslegacy.livejournal.com]

This!

The bad commissioners are those that don't understand that an artist is not a copy machine and has a different style--not the ones who are pointing out a genuine mistake like getting a color wrong =)

[violetvirtue.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much for easing my fears! :D All of these replies are so nice and helpful. I'm glad that I'm not asking too much with just some coloring and marking add-ons. :3

[digivolution.livejournal.com]

I am also a nosy person and looked through your gallery and I'd say just send the artist a note (seems like you already did if I'm correct) and I think they'd be fine with fixing it! Echoing what everyone else has said about color changes being real easy to fix.

As a commissioner, I'll most likely point out if something is missing. One of my characters is pretty open ended so I don't care too much, but I have a Shiba character who has some pretty specific marking-things that I'd prefer the artist to not leave off (though I have had some instances where people have outright told me that they've forgotten to draw one thing and that's fine with me!). As an artist, I'd definitely want to be told if something's wrong, so long as it's not...incredibly nitpicky (like "OH HER NECKLACE SHOULD BE PLACED AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE" or something haha). Sounds like you're definitely on the right page though! 83

[violetvirtue.livejournal.com]

"As an artist, I'd definitely want to be told if something's wrong, so long as it's not...incredibly nitpicky (like "OH HER NECKLACE SHOULD BE PLACED AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE" or something haha)"

I think I laughed a little too hard at that! XD I'm definitely not asking for an entire overhaul or anything. "Everything is wrong DO IT OVER GRAAWWRRR!!" Haha! Hopefully the artist will be alright just fixing a few things. :3

Thank you very much for the reply! :D

[digivolution.livejournal.com]

Hahaha good XD Hope everything works out for you! 83

[nauro-chan.livejournal.com]

I would prefer someone tell me (and people have) that I did or forgot something. Instead up being upset or upset enough to tell just friends and it get back to me in a negative manner. I'm MORE then happy to change something as long as its not something huge, or incredibly picky.

So asking for some changes would not make you difficult at all, not in my eyes. You are paying for it, they should want to make you happy and enjoy what you got.

But yah I wouldn't see why it would make you difficult.

[lilenth.livejournal.com]

Speaking for myself as an artist? I'd rather hear it directly and as soon as possible. There's nothing worse than someone going "er, I didn't like it and you left this out" months or even years down the line.

You shouldn't be afraid to be honest with an artist, most are typically willing to fix small issues.

[thaily.livejournal.com]

As an artist, I appreciate a customer being honest.

Was this an Iron Artist commission? I know a lot of artists, myself included, don't offer an approval stage for Iron Artist commissions and the price usually reflects that. Some artists never do, but I don't think it's too much to ask to add some details after "completion" if you're paying full price, especially not with a digital commission.

If I were you I'd ask them about the missing details and ask them to fix it, as long as you're polite I don't foresee any problems and you've been nothing but polite here in the comments, so...

As a side note, again as an artist, I don't think not mentioning missing or incorrect details during the approval stage makes you easier to work with, I think you're just short changing yourself out of getting even more satisfaction out of the artwork.
If an artist offers a sketch for approval and you think the hair is too short or some jewelry is missing, please don't hold back and say so. I think most artists will be much happier fixing a few things if it means you'll enjoy the piece more or even become a repeat customer.

When an artist takes money in exchange for art, it's not a matter of them taking time out of their day to draw for you, it means drawing for you should be part of their day.

[dazen-cobalt.livejournal.com]

Me, personally I tend to let it slide. My character has some pretty complicated facial markings which I have gotten complaints about from artists I have commissioned. I only ask that it looks like him. Me, I'd want to know if I did something wrong with a commission and I wouldn't take it personally or offensively. if I found I couldn't change it or it would take extensive time to do so I'd offer em something extra. As long as you're polite about it I don't see a problem. I mean afterall you did pay for a service

[silverfoxwolf.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I have had a skip of the sketching stage too when as artist has been inspired. If you are paying more for a commission it's wise practice to state in your request that you want to approve the rough sketch before it is taken forwards.