Limits on cheap commissions

[laurenashleyart.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone! Thank you all so much for your previous comments and advice about shipment, your advice was incredibly helpful, as the options I had could mesh with their own, they got the suit in time!

Though I have a new question- How many edits/revisions do you allow cheap/sale commissions?

I'm offering a sale on full-color, full-body, shaded pin-ups for 10$. These at their simplest take me 3 hours to make. 10/3= 3.30$ an hour. I'm offering them as an anatomy study series.

However I have no ideas what limits to apply to these, concerning edits and revisions. What do you guys think would be acceptable limits for me to set for myself, and the commissioner?

Thank you guys so much for all your input, and thoughts. It really does help!

Comments

[sigilgoat.livejournal.com]

I allow no revisions, unless there was a very very glaring error on my part. In fact, I don't even save the working file on them. As long as you've warned the customers of that risk, though!

When I do my 10$ colored sketches, I ask for refs and an idea, or mood, or action. Sometimes people say something simple like "Picking flowers" or sometimes they will try and sneak in a background or props "Sitting on a sofa while reading a book". In the latter case, I will draw them sitting and reading, but the sofa will be implied.

Does that make sense? I don't like to get tricked into drawing backgrounds or multiple characters or whatever, so I'm very rigid about what I allow.

I hope you get some more speed out of these though! 3 hours of work for 10$ is not very much :c

[taasla.livejournal.com]

Geez that's a lot of work for that little pay! I would say they get no revisions as it's going to cost you extra time. The only thing I would edit were, as Sigil said, glaring anatomy errors (backwards hand? I've done that!) or color errors on the character.

[korth-dono.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I agree. I wouldn't allow any revisions unless you've made a big error on anatomy/the character's design. Just make sure they give you ALL the info you need so that you won't have to worry about having to make any revisions. I would also state very clearly that you won't do any revisions when you post for your commissions :)

[tanginello.livejournal.com]

I also offer fairly cheap commissions and I do revisions at the loose sketch stage only. (And in those cases it's for big things like incorrect hairstyle or wrong face or an anatomical issue that a client has spotted)

If a client really wants an edit after that then I start tacking on fees. The later in the process they want an edit, the more I'm going to charge.

[fatkraken.livejournal.com]

For tenbux, nothing. I've buy quite a few ultra cheap commissions, some I've loved some I've loved less, but for that sort of money it was MORE than worth it even for the ones that weren't quite what I had in mind.

[houndofloki.livejournal.com]

For that price, I'd only offer revisions if you actually screw the person's character up in some way (wrong markings, wrong hairstyle, stuff like that).

[ryunwoofie.livejournal.com]

Agreed w/ everyone else. $10 gets you no revisions unless you yourself have personally missed a detail that was clearly visible. If the customer cannot provide a proper reference and point out what is right or isn't that isn't your fault.

If they want edits for their fault, charge more.

[dazen-cobalt.livejournal.com]

yeah I am gonna have to go with everyone else, unless it's something absolutely glaring no revisions. that's far too much work other wise.

[amarafox.livejournal.com]

For my cuties and anything $20 or less, I don't allow any revisions. I'll allow one revision in the pencil sketch up to a $50 commission, and over that three at most unless it is a professional client.

For my under $20 commissions, I don't send the pencil sketches unless I'm severely delayed and have to send proof of workin' on it. They just generally get the final. If someone would like revisions I can certainly tack it onto the price.

I haven't run into any problems with this :)

[amarafox.livejournal.com]

That being said, if I do a major goof, I will fix it. But I've only run into that once with the cuties.

[kayla-la.livejournal.com]

With how incredibly cheap that is, don't allow any revisions but use your discretion. If you mixed someone's character up and made them blue when they should be brown, that should be fairly easy to fix and I would fix that since it was my fault. If I didn't make the hair shaggy enough for their liking? Sorry, no revisions unless you're willing to pay for the time and effort.

[blackberrypie.livejournal.com]

I agree with the others.. No revisions unless you missed something really big. For that price no one should really be complaining IMO. :o

[myenia.livejournal.com]

Whatever the hell you want, as long as its in your ToS. Personally I don't allow revisions, WIPs, or scans for commissions under 80.

[claytronic.livejournal.com]

Ehhh I like to give revisions even on cheap art, but I would give at LEAST a revision on markings, to make sure everything is absolutely 100% perfect [some ref sheets are outdated or don't show a super secret special marking that is absolutely necessary right above the dog's ass-crack that shows only on a full-moon]

[megamon-blue.livejournal.com]

With the exception of moodthemes, anything under $20 gets zero revisions from me.

Adding revisions onto how little you're already making on it doesn't really seem worth the headache.

Just make sure they give you all the information and references necessary to get the character right. If something was missed, then that's their fault and not yours.

[razzek.livejournal.com]

None. I will do up to three minor edits on a full-priced commission, but the cheap stuff like sketches are not up for revision. That's part of why it's so inexpensive. :D

[silvertales.livejournal.com]

Like most of the respondents, I'm definitely of the opinion that, for anything that cheap, no revisions unless it's a major character/anatomical error. If your client can't provide a thorough enough description or good enough references, that's their fault... especially for $10 full-body, full-color.

In terms of general commissions, I allow one free revision at the pencil sketch stage. Once that's been approved, it's full steam ahead. Any other changes or corrections after that stage are charged extra.

[neolucky.livejournal.com]

I only do revisions if there's a glaring error on my part, of if it's something so incredibly small and easy that it takes me a second or two. (Like a quick color shift). When I made up the whole "wing-it" commission style (Taking a ref, having fun with it, charging less for it) It was so I didn't have to do revisions or wait long on info.

So as long as the customers KNOW before hand that you don't offer revisions, it's perfectly fine. I'd not take any revisions at $10.

[frazzled-niya.livejournal.com]

pretty much agree with what everyone else said. Good luck with your commissions!

[grygon.livejournal.com]

At $3.30 an hour allow NO revisions.

[fetalstar.livejournal.com]

For my Iron Artist, I don't allow any revisions at all. They don't even get to see a sketch. But if I do mess up something really important, like hair color, markings, etc, then I will go back and fix it.

[lizardbethart.livejournal.com]

For commissions that cheap, there shouldn't be any revisions. But make sure you state that in your TOS! something like "Make sure you're clear in your references/descriptions about anything you're picky about! If there is a 'RIGHT' way to draw something and you make me guess what that is, assume I will guess wrong! I like artistic freedom, but I like making sure you're happy with the results more." Some people don't read TOS, so even having that in there won't save you from every picky customer, but it CAN save you a lot of headache (and give you an 'easy out' if someone does come along wanting to change 20 tiny things)

Picking a theme for cheap commissions is nice too in that it gives people even more of an idea of exactly what they're getting, and makes it faster & easier for you to come up with what to draw for each picture. For example, it could center around a holiday or season.

One last thing: I would recommend trying to get your commissions to where you're making a minimum of $6/hour. Your an artist! at the very least you can match a McDonalds employee. Either try cutting the completion time somehow, or increase the final price; $20 for what you're offering is STILL dirt cheap.