# What do you think about spec art?



## Centradragon (Jul 23, 2009)

Bringing it up because I've seen it happen before in the Black Market.  >_>;



*Definition*: Spec art is basically an artist rendering a service without any guarantee of payment (Here's a good website on the subject).  Example:

*Commissioner*:  I'm looking for a couple CG commission.  I have $50 to pay.  I'm looking for a certain style though.
*Artist*:  I'd be interested!
*Commissioner*: Could I see maybe a rough sketch first?
--later--
*Artist*: *posts sketch*  Here you go!
*Commissioner*:  Thanks, but your style isn't really what I'm looking for.​


I've seen a bunch of threads of people offering money for commissions, but then asking for sketches or art from interested artists up front (to see if they "like it or not")-- without any guarantee of payment.  And the worst part is-- some artists actually cave in and do it!  D:  Because the poster is being ambiguous and not choosing an artist outright, they essentially get a bunch of free things they don't have to pay for because they never said they would.  :I  


I don't think those artists are respecting their skills as much as they should, and the people asking for them to do that don't respect them either.  D:  

Looking in their gallery should clear up any questions on whether or not an artist is capable of what the commissioner wants.  There's no need to 'bid' with sketches to fight for the commissioner's attention.




What do you guys think on this subject?  Do you think it's acceptable?  Dislike it?  Didn't even know what the heck it was before this thread?  

Plz share.


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## Aegidia (Jul 23, 2009)

I just posted a thread in the Black Market to hire an artist for a relatively small commission. I would _never_ ask them to sketch something for me before I choose them. If their gallery doesn't have enough proper works for me to decide if they are right for me, I would say that, and ask if they can upload more works - but I wouldn't ask them to draw something specifically for me if I haven't paid for anything. For one thing, it's just rude, for another, I can see an artist starting a hissy fit over that, demanding payment for the sketch afterwards where none was agreed on.

Basically, it's a bad idea from both sides. Artists shouldn't give in to requests like that. I understand that they want to secure a commission, but it's just not sound business practice.


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## Arshes Nei (Jul 23, 2009)

Though I'm not one for "image macros" or so forth, I think people should show "customers" this video because it speaks volumes of how this doesn't really work in the real world.

The Vendor Client Relationship in the Real World 
[yt]R2a8TRSgzZY[/yt]


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## Torrent (Jul 23, 2009)

I feel the same way about people that hold contests for the best rendition of their character, often with the prize being around the value of a single commission.


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## ClosetMonster (Jul 24, 2009)

Thanks for the video clip...  that was brilliant!

The only time I can justify "bidding with work" in this fashion is if you're bidding for a much larger job, such as a hotel design.  Something that's going to net you far more than the time you spend doing the sketch.


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## Gnome (Jul 24, 2009)

put a big ass water mark over it until you get payed


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## Asswings (Jul 25, 2009)

Gnome said:


> put a big ass water mark over it until you get payed



This.

I'll often offer to do a quick sketch for a possible client, because I do want them to be happy with the finished picture, and it's not a whole lot of trouble for me. But I will throw one (Or several) obnoxious watermarks across said sketch when I show them. (A lot of EXAMPLE SKETCH FINISHED PICTURE WILL NOT HAVE A WATERMARK yadda yadda)


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## TheKyleIsHere (Jul 26, 2009)

I'll sometimes do this to win over a potential client, but only when the list is huge and I make the offer first.

The sketches really are sketches, merely junk line art that couldn't be called finished even if it won a race. I also make them really small, so there's no real chance of the art going anywhere.

Though, the video raises a thought provoking point...


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## sakket (Aug 7, 2009)

some dork on deviantart was doing this trying to round up naive artist-types for his pet-site(lurapets). I did a couple of example things mostly just to see if i was up to the job myself.. but then he wanted MORE. Course i had found some journal entries by people who had apparently taken interest in the past, so i knew what to expect and tried to convince him to let me work on something i wouldn't even mind doing for free. no chance. His name was ken btw.


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