red flags when selling art at a convention!
Based on a conversation I had with Painted Dog during our 5 hour drive to Atlanta last weekend!
Just a few notes :
I feel like i upset some of the SL people on twitter, i did not mean to do so D: when i passed this around my private twitter account, a few friends suggested that for one of the panels. I immediately agreed because i have issues with SL screenshots too, but I suppose not everyone sees it that way!
Not exactly one from my experience at a con but "I can't pay you yet but can I pay and pick up my commission after (X)".
Majority of the time it's happening from someone that asked for a slot who can't afford it, then want to pay you with their next paycheck...and they never do.
"Sooo, I should come back in 5 minutes, right?" and "Can I stand over your shoulder and watch?" have led to some good experiences though. Some artists churn out same-day work in record time, especially if you hit the Den at a quiet moment, or business is slow. Watching good artists work, if they're friendly and don't mind, has also helped me learn art techniques, but it was never something I commissioned myself, that would just be awkward. ~_^ I should add it was actually "after hours" when they were in the late-night grind of getting through the day's commissions, so they didn't mind the company.
I'm all for people hanging out and watching, just not when i'm at my table, normally trying to draw multiple things and talk to multiple people at once. Like, if i'm hanging out gather round and watch me use up my eraser, haha XD I actually used to do caricatures at WDW for a living, and I sort of got used to the watchers. It can be unnerving in a high pressure situation!
I hate the "Draw it in someone else's style" one, but I do like to watch the artist draw i if I can. :3 I mean, if you want it in someone else's style, go hire them!
Bonus points if they dump their coffee/sandwich/bag on your table while they get their references/money out!
I have a terrible habit of praising an artist for drawing well something that another artist drew unsatisfactorily. Not quite the same as box 1 here, but negativity is often a bad path. Thankfully I was far too embarrassed to ever buy a commission in person! This creature is pleasantly oblivious to the destruction being caused.
I LOL'd at the "sticky money" thing too! I have an experience from work where someone actually had money in a ziplok bag... No it wasn't that kind of sticky but it was pretty nasty (they picked it out of a screening dumpster at the sewage treatment plant). Kind of a story but still - it does happen. So, yeah, avoid the sticky money or just use gloves when handling payment! :D
Link
Royalty
When I hear 'no artist ever gets it right' it's like a challenge! First, if they're expecting me to mess up the character or design, fine, there's no pressure! And on the off chance I do get it right they always look so happy!
I think SL screenshots can be the worst though xD Mostly its the ones that are the full body but aren't very large... :c