ANNOUNCEMENT: Commissions
After eight years, I have finally done it. I've raised my commission prices. And I've started taking digital art commissions, whee!
I did this for two reasons:
1) This is now my livelihood as I now have no more full-time job, and I need to survive.
2) Even more important than my survival, is that after perusing several other art/fanart sites and talking to a few fellow fanartists, I realize just how badly I've been underselling myself. I wouldn't really care if it was just me, but. If I undersell myself, I'm underselling artists as a whole and making people think that art should come dirt cheap. Frankly, it was simply unfair to my fellow artists to sell my stuff at such ridiculously stupid prices.
I understand that I will lose many people's business because of this; after all, we are a community of students, minimum wagers and people just like me, struggling to survive. I apologize, because it truly pains me that I'm no longer affordable to many of you; believe me. All I hope is that you don't think me self-important or presumptuous for doing this.
Anyway!
What does this mean for those on my old commission waitlist?
Not a thing; they will be charged according to the old pricelist.
Does this mean I'm taking commissions again?
Not quite. Once that waitlist list is complete, I will be opening up for commissions again. So hopefully in a couple weeks! And I know that now many of you won't be able to afford it but I hope you understand why I did this.
What warrants the price change?
If you'd like to read about my boring old drawing process,
Let's pretend I'm a working girl with a punch card, and catalogue my hours:
1) When I get a commission, I try to ask the commissioner as much questions as I can, in order to get as many details as I can. I don't want to have dissatisfied customers. It's inevitable, but the reason I try to wrangle plenty of information is, in the end, to please you. (1-2 hours communicating; 1 hour - 3 weeks waiting for replies)
2) I do reference searches. This can be any sort of online search from poses, props, environments, colour palattes, animals, vehicles, expressions, textures, brushes, etc. (2-3 hours)
3) Thumbnail sketch. I sketch out three or four little thumbnails to figure out which one I like the best. If the commissioner wants to make the choice, I scan the thumbnails so they can choose. (1 hour (not including wait time))
4) Pencil/rough sketch. I use another sketchbook to draw all roughs. This is where I draw to scale and add in any details. If I draw digitally, this consists of two steps/layers - one for super-rough; one for details. (2-4 hours)
5) Lightbox. I take the rough lines and trace them onto the good paper (watercolour paper or bristol board). Digitally, I'm refining the rough sketch into something clean and inkable. (1 hour)
6) Ink 1 (optional). I use technical, waterproof pens. I'm slow only because I hope to be careful both manually and digitally. (1-2 hours)
7) Colour (optional). Manually, it's watercolours and/or colour pencils. Digitally, I paint with Photoshop. (3-4 hours)
8) Ink 2 (optional). I go over the ink one more time to make it more bold and dynamic. In Photoshop, I will play further with Levels and Colour Balance to even things out. (1-2 hours)
9) Done! I scan and email and pray it's to your liking.
And I punch out! I work a minimum of 13 hours, a maximum of 20 hours per commission. And I haven't tallied in costs of postage to mail, or tools/equipment (paper, pencils, paintbrushes, watercolour) expenses.
Sooooo, I hope this justifies my costs! Let me know if you have any further questions, and thanks for being so awesome. Stay classy.
I did this for two reasons:
1) This is now my livelihood as I now have no more full-time job, and I need to survive.
2) Even more important than my survival, is that after perusing several other art/fanart sites and talking to a few fellow fanartists, I realize just how badly I've been underselling myself. I wouldn't really care if it was just me, but. If I undersell myself, I'm underselling artists as a whole and making people think that art should come dirt cheap. Frankly, it was simply unfair to my fellow artists to sell my stuff at such ridiculously stupid prices.
I understand that I will lose many people's business because of this; after all, we are a community of students, minimum wagers and people just like me, struggling to survive. I apologize, because it truly pains me that I'm no longer affordable to many of you; believe me. All I hope is that you don't think me self-important or presumptuous for doing this.
Anyway!
What does this mean for those on my old commission waitlist?
Not a thing; they will be charged according to the old pricelist.
Does this mean I'm taking commissions again?
Not quite. Once that waitlist list is complete, I will be opening up for commissions again. So hopefully in a couple weeks! And I know that now many of you won't be able to afford it but I hope you understand why I did this.
What warrants the price change?
If you'd like to read about my boring old drawing process,
Let's pretend I'm a working girl with a punch card, and catalogue my hours:
1) When I get a commission, I try to ask the commissioner as much questions as I can, in order to get as many details as I can. I don't want to have dissatisfied customers. It's inevitable, but the reason I try to wrangle plenty of information is, in the end, to please you. (1-2 hours communicating; 1 hour - 3 weeks waiting for replies)
2) I do reference searches. This can be any sort of online search from poses, props, environments, colour palattes, animals, vehicles, expressions, textures, brushes, etc. (2-3 hours)
3) Thumbnail sketch. I sketch out three or four little thumbnails to figure out which one I like the best. If the commissioner wants to make the choice, I scan the thumbnails so they can choose. (1 hour (not including wait time))
4) Pencil/rough sketch. I use another sketchbook to draw all roughs. This is where I draw to scale and add in any details. If I draw digitally, this consists of two steps/layers - one for super-rough; one for details. (2-4 hours)
5) Lightbox. I take the rough lines and trace them onto the good paper (watercolour paper or bristol board). Digitally, I'm refining the rough sketch into something clean and inkable. (1 hour)
6) Ink 1 (optional). I use technical, waterproof pens. I'm slow only because I hope to be careful both manually and digitally. (1-2 hours)
7) Colour (optional). Manually, it's watercolours and/or colour pencils. Digitally, I paint with Photoshop. (3-4 hours)
8) Ink 2 (optional). I go over the ink one more time to make it more bold and dynamic. In Photoshop, I will play further with Levels and Colour Balance to even things out. (1-2 hours)
9) Done! I scan and email and pray it's to your liking.
And I punch out! I work a minimum of 13 hours, a maximum of 20 hours per commission. And I haven't tallied in costs of postage to mail, or tools/equipment (paper, pencils, paintbrushes, watercolour) expenses.
Sooooo, I hope this justifies my costs! Let me know if you have any further questions, and thanks for being so awesome. Stay classy.