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A little torn... by VenomousSoliloquy

On one hand, (new years resolutions aside) I really want to do monthly little commissions.
Like cheebs, headshots, maybe more once I become a faster artist.
On the other hand... I want to open up requests and art trades and such, do some virtual currency commissions on Gaia and Subeta and shit.

:| I know I can't do it all at the same time though. It's been yearsss since I've been this close to completing my to do list.
And that's all because of trying to do it all at the same time. So... I'm not sure which I should do. Any opinions?

A little torn...

VenomousSoliloquy

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  • Link

    VernonCross

    list first, be good. you can do it!

    • Link

      VenomousSoliloquy

      Haha. I guess I worded this poorly.
      I am going to finish my to do list no matter what.

      It's mostly, what should I do afterwards? Should I open commissions? Should I do requests and art trades?
      Should I attempt to do both?

      • Link

        VernonCross

        aahh! i gotcha.
        well why not do one or two of each? Requests/trades will pull in new people (it always does xD)
        then you can do one or two commissions when you're ready? xD

        • Link

          VenomousSoliloquy

          Perhaps. lol Originally I was just going to throw caution to the wind after I finished my to do list and just go balls to the wall 'let's sell my art!'
          But then... I also like doing freebies. And I miss doing trades. Hence why I'm totally torn. lulz

          Perhaps, I'll start out with requests and art trades. And then do commissions every few months or something. My work ethic with commissions needs some work anyway. I may have a part time job that is top priority, but my past slowness when it comes to commissions... not that great. lulz I mean I can tell people I'm slow as hell, but not everyone likes to hear that.

          • Link

            VernonCross

            yeah, totally recommend doing trades and requests as practice.
            treat them like commissions it'll help get stuff done faster x3

            • Link

              VenomousSoliloquy

              Hahaha. If I outright treat them like commissions though, then I'll get intimidated and won't finish them for ages. :|
              That's one of the biggest issues I encounter when doing most commissions. The fear that I'm going to give this person that gave me money something not worth their money. xD Where as, with like freebies... I'm like "WELP. I'M AN ALRIGHT ARTIST. THEY'LL GET SOMETHING AT LEAST SEMI-DECENT!"

              I should think something akin to that with commissions. Instead of scaring myself into not drawing at all. B|||

              • Link

                VernonCross

                yeaah, think of it this way. they won't buy it if they don't want it, so you'll do good regardless.
                its not like you're forcing them to buy art from you.

                but i totally know what you mean, at least you care what you're giving your customers. so me people just give them shitty art and don't even care xD;;

              • Link

                KattoTang

                You should remember that if someone is commissioning you, it's because they like your art. They think your art is worth their money, otherwise they wouldn't willingly give it to you. So if what you give them is like the rest of your art, then it's worth the money they give you. (Really, considering your prices are pretty inexpensive, I'd say your art is worth more, but that's me lol.)

                • Link

                  VenomousSoliloquy

                  Well, that is a very good point. Haha. And I'm considering amending my prices to something higher if/when I take commissions again. I'm always shaky about how to price, of course.

                  I just always worry that what I'm doing won't look as good as everything else. But, this does seem to be a general thing that a lot of artists worry over. And that we shouldn't worry over. :|

                  Really though, you make a very good point. I think I'll have to keep it in mind. The only thing that really causes bad, bad, bad commissions is giving yourself an ulcer over worrying if you'll do a good enough job. I think I need to add another resolution to my list. lol Less worrying, more confidence.

                  • Link

                    KattoTang

                    "I just always worry that what I'm doing won't look as good as everything else. But, this does seem to be a general thing that a lot of artists worry over. And that we shouldn't worry over. :|"

                    Yes, this, exactly! I think every artist, at some point, definitely struggles with this. I know I have in the past. Nowadays I just worry about getting art done regularly and quickly.

                    Personally, I've found a few different wants to help with confidence, so maybe they'll help you too:

                    • Find something you like in every piece you do. It's good to learn from mistakes made, however, as artists we tend to be our own worst critics, and I've found that if you try to focus on even just one thing you did well or had fun drawing, it helps to a lot.

                    • When you do like something about the piece, tell others about it. Show it off to friends who are artists themselves or who appreciate art, and point out the things you like. Most likely they'll agree with you, and that validation gives a lot of encouragement.

                    • On that note, when you talk about your art to other people, be positive about it. If you need help fixing a mistake, by all means ask for it, but don't put down your work out loud, even if you're thinking it. Voicing the negativity makes it worse. It also tends to cause people to enjoy the piece less, and can make people shy away from buying commissions...because if you sit and tell someone all the ways something isn't good, they're likely to be like "Oh, well, then I don't want it".

                    • When you do take commissions (or even art trades), if your schedule doesn't interfere with it too much, try to push yourself to get them done in a timely manner. I've found that getting something done promptly is a good reason to be proud of yourself, plus it doesn't give you time to worry as much, and also has bonus of the person receiving the art being really pleased with how quickly they received it.

                    • Also, pricing higher is a good idea. You deserve a decent wage...but also, it encouraging to see that people still want to buy your art at higher prices (funnily enough, some people just won't buy art at low prices, because they assume that something with "cheap" prices is cheaply made).

                    • Never refer to your artwork/prices as "cheap", by the way. If trying to sell commissions, resist the urge to tell people they're "cheap", for the reason I stated above. "Affordable" is a much better word with no negative connotations associated with it. This is one of the ways to talk positively about your art.

                    I don't know if all of these things will be helpful to you, but they've helped me a lot, so worth a shot I guess?

                    Also sorry for the long comment aha.