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18 years ago
10 things every fur should know (and I wish they did), and their flip sides.
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10. Spending the money you got from a commission should generally be avoided until you've at least started on it.
9. Your ego should not be proportional to the square of your art skills.
8. Similarly, your level of general assholishness shouldn't increase with your level of art skill.
7. The fact that you have a skill which people will wait in line for is your good fortune and shouldn't be abused.
6. Working on multiple personal projects while customers wait for what they paid for is just as rude when it comes to furry art as it is in a retail store.
5. When someone pre-pays for art, their money is their deposit, and your good reputation is yours. If you decide not to do their commission, not only are you a thief, but they have every right to let everyone know that.
4. It's OK to make friends with someone who isn't "as good" of an artist as you, or an artist at all--hopefully there's more going on in your life than making and receiving drawings (or at least you can speak about more).
3. Ignoring thoughtful feedback from a no-name art appreciator while responding to mindless feedback from a big-name artist makes you an elitist jerk.
2. When it's already been paid for, six hours for a good drawing is great time, six days is average time, six weeks is bad time, six months is unacceptable.
1. Your drawing skills are no more or less impressive than other skills, such as writing, music, programming, or other skilled creative expression. The only reason you're "better" than most other people is because you perpetuate the view that none of those other skills are worth the years of refinement and practice that go into them. Don't fool yourself into thinking that everyone around you who doesn't draw is skilled only in masturbation.
on the other hand...
10. Yes, artists deserve the "ridiculous" prices they charge. Consider the fact that your average pic takes about four hours from sketch to final coloring: if you pay $40 that's $10 an hour. So no, $10 is not an appropriate price for a full-color, full length drawing.
9. Just because they draw pr0n doesn't mean they'll draw your pr0n.
8. Bitching at an artist every hour until they do your commission is not a good way to motivate them.
7. Just because she's submissive doesn't mean she wants to submit to you. Just because she's domme doesn't mean she wants you as a pet.
6. It's OK to live and let live. The fact that they don't share your interest doesn't make them a bad person. Pushing your interests on them makes you a jerk.
5. Chatting with someone for five minutes does not mean they love you, nor does it make them your friend, your mate, your buddy, nor even a casual acquaintance.
4. Believing you're actually a dragon in a human body is fine. Thinking this makes you so much better than everyone else out there makes you a narcissistic jerk.
3. It's spelled HUMAN. H-U-M-A-N. If you use "Hyoomon" in serious conversation, you are either a Ferengi or a moron.
2. Buying a commission from an artist does not entitle you to cybor or picz. Buying a book from Barnes and Nobel doesn't entitle you to a free bj from the author.
1. When in doubt, remember Winston Churchill: "A fanatic is someone who can't change his mind and won't change the subject."
*****
Ganked from Alvin-earthworm's and JessicaElwood's journals and agreed on for 95% of it. Edited slightly for grammar and one comment.
**********
10. Spending the money you got from a commission should generally be avoided until you've at least started on it.
9. Your ego should not be proportional to the square of your art skills.
8. Similarly, your level of general assholishness shouldn't increase with your level of art skill.
7. The fact that you have a skill which people will wait in line for is your good fortune and shouldn't be abused.
6. Working on multiple personal projects while customers wait for what they paid for is just as rude when it comes to furry art as it is in a retail store.
5. When someone pre-pays for art, their money is their deposit, and your good reputation is yours. If you decide not to do their commission, not only are you a thief, but they have every right to let everyone know that.
4. It's OK to make friends with someone who isn't "as good" of an artist as you, or an artist at all--hopefully there's more going on in your life than making and receiving drawings (or at least you can speak about more).
3. Ignoring thoughtful feedback from a no-name art appreciator while responding to mindless feedback from a big-name artist makes you an elitist jerk.
2. When it's already been paid for, six hours for a good drawing is great time, six days is average time, six weeks is bad time, six months is unacceptable.
1. Your drawing skills are no more or less impressive than other skills, such as writing, music, programming, or other skilled creative expression. The only reason you're "better" than most other people is because you perpetuate the view that none of those other skills are worth the years of refinement and practice that go into them. Don't fool yourself into thinking that everyone around you who doesn't draw is skilled only in masturbation.
on the other hand...
10. Yes, artists deserve the "ridiculous" prices they charge. Consider the fact that your average pic takes about four hours from sketch to final coloring: if you pay $40 that's $10 an hour. So no, $10 is not an appropriate price for a full-color, full length drawing.
9. Just because they draw pr0n doesn't mean they'll draw your pr0n.
8. Bitching at an artist every hour until they do your commission is not a good way to motivate them.
7. Just because she's submissive doesn't mean she wants to submit to you. Just because she's domme doesn't mean she wants you as a pet.
6. It's OK to live and let live. The fact that they don't share your interest doesn't make them a bad person. Pushing your interests on them makes you a jerk.
5. Chatting with someone for five minutes does not mean they love you, nor does it make them your friend, your mate, your buddy, nor even a casual acquaintance.
4. Believing you're actually a dragon in a human body is fine. Thinking this makes you so much better than everyone else out there makes you a narcissistic jerk.
3. It's spelled HUMAN. H-U-M-A-N. If you use "Hyoomon" in serious conversation, you are either a Ferengi or a moron.
2. Buying a commission from an artist does not entitle you to cybor or picz. Buying a book from Barnes and Nobel doesn't entitle you to a free bj from the author.
1. When in doubt, remember Winston Churchill: "A fanatic is someone who can't change his mind and won't change the subject."
*****
Ganked from Alvin-earthworm's and JessicaElwood's journals and agreed on for 95% of it. Edited slightly for grammar and one comment.
I'm slow as an artist because I simply don't have time every day to draw, somedays I can't even get a half hour of time to myself to sketch. It's not my primary profession (if I was to rank it, it'd be about 6th on the list of things that are my actual responsibilities), and I often can't make the deadlines folks would like me to achieve.
But, I try to let folks know that up front, and it's one of the main reasons I don't charge larger (standard?) fees.
Oh, by the way, I LOVE how cute your characters are, Mocha. Wonderful stuff!
Thankies very much!
Sadly, it also has a corollary: A lot of folks are out there who will leave sparkling praise for a piece that is, visibly, poorly executed, for fear of upsetting or alienating said artist. In addition, there is this habit I've noticed out there of not commenting when a very good artist's work is visibly below par, even hideously so, for the same reason: afraid of alienating, upsetting, or horrors - losing one's chance to gain art thanks to offending.
Personally, I think that a well-laid-out critique is immensely valuable, and if worded right and diplomatically it can spur an artist on to greater height.
I loathe the mindless "Oooh, fantastic!" comments when a piece is below par.
This is also one reason why I am not very active on most forum sites I am deathly afraid I will offend someone to the point that they leave and then I have the whole community breathing down my neck because I made so and so famous artist stop posting, though I gave an honest review rather than some lame fanboy response.
I usually don't comment, cause I'm the type that see every little technical detail not done properly, so instead of beeing stared at by everyone who think I don't like an art pieces I point out the flaws I just shut up.
No one is flawless and everyone has still to learn something.
I've never made someone pay for my art, I'll never do it, not until I find it perfect, most likely not in 100 years.
Yours,
Mika Kyubi
Kitsune-at-Large