Art Appreciation - Pin-Up Style

[nemenforcer]

Those lady M's are very nice. I think im gonna shoot for something original of her at SDCC this next year.

 

[IdeaOfEvil]

So, I'm kinda getting screwed over for paid commissions and I want to know your guys' opinions on what I should do.

I'm not sure if I should list the guys name, but he's a known/maybe well known artist that isn't so busy that he shouldn't be able to do owed sketches for people.

At this past years San Francisco Wondercon, I paid for two full body sketches to be done. He kinda floundered on Saturday when he was taking peoples money, and he didn't even start my first sketch until the late morning of Sunday. I got it, it looked real nice, but it was a gift for my friend. He didn't do my second one because he had other people that were waiting for sketches as well, which I guess he took money for without committing to f'n drawing them. So, he says he would do mine at home for me and mail it. That was back in April. I was still waiting when in October he puts up an ad saying he's accepting commissions through Facebook. I talked to him about mine again and he said he did it, "but it got lost," so I asked that if I got one more commission for another friend of mine if he would do both of them and get them to me before XMas. He agreed, and another $200 of mine went into his pocket. It's now December 12, and he isn't messaging me back on Facebook, where we've been talking all this time since Wondercon.

What do I do? He has $160 from the first commission, another $200 from this second one, and he's not responding or seeming like he cares to complete my sketches. Do I have to track him down at some convention and get angry with him to give me my money back? I'd rather get my $360 back instead of forcing him to do some lousy looking sketches if all he's gonna be is upset that he's being forced to do anything at all.

Opinions/Thoughts?

 

[Sweet Rabbit]

contact his rep

 

[Eamon]

Just tell him pretty much what you told us here but make it way shorter and to the point. So just keep it to the money you him vrs the art you have and have not got. Be friendly but very firm at first. It's pretty cleans cut him no slack though.

I am behind on some private commissions but I try to keep folks updated and make up for the delay somehow.

 

[jasong888]

do you have some kind of documentation about the transaction?

 

[Cap'n Cook]

Did you pay for the second payment with paypal?

Within the limit to file a claim? If so, do it. That oughtta light a fire under his ass.

 

[NightShadow]

If he gets snarky with you the next step is to get hard-assed. Remind him that an artist's reputation is his only real money-maker. If you're in a position to tie his name to disreputable behavior, don't hesitate to make that point clear... but ONLY if he gives you ____ or tries to blow you off again. Don't make threats; make promises... and keep them.

 

[IdeaOfEvil]

Thanks for the advice guys. Here's what I just emailed him. Hopefully it doesn't sound too complicated the way I wrote it:

Hey

This year I've paid for two full body commissions from you (one in April at San Francisco Wondercon, and one through your Facebook commission announcement in October). I asked for a Dark Phoenix with an extra $10 paid to give her red colored hair at Wondercon for a total of $160, and then a Hellfire Club White Queen with a little blonde in her hair for $200 through Facebook. We've talked a few times and you said you were gonna get the Dark Phoenix to me through mail back in April, but now with the White Queen added on it was about getting both of these to me before this Christmas. Were you able to finish them up? I tried messaging you through Facebook, but I didn't get a reply. It would suck if you didn't have the time to do these for me, but I can understand if you're too busy and I'll just ask for my money back if that'll make things easier. I'd really hate for you to have to draw these under any kind of pressure, so maybe after I get my $360 back I'll just try my luck with you at the next convention we both can attend?

Let me know what's up and how you're feeling.

Thanks,
Jake

 

[Eamon]

I think that's fine dude. You are being perfectly reasonable with him.

Politely suggesting a possible refund should get his arse in gear too!

 

[Darth Snoopy]

I think that letter you wrote is fine, IoE. I agree with Eamon that you're being reasonable with him.

 

[IdeaOfEvil]

God, this is like pulling teeth. Here's the reply I just got from him:

I have those! Just lost communication w u

And that's it... What the hell am I supposed to do now?

 

[Something Sexy]

God, this is like pulling teeth. Here's the reply I just got from him:

I have those! Just lost communication w u

And that's it... What the hell am I supposed to do now?

Just respond back and politely ask him to ship them to you ASAP.

 

[NightShadow]

Indeed.

"Well, now we're communicating again, which is a positive step in the right direction. Do you need my address or have you still got that on file? How can I help you to close this account/transaction to both our satisfaction? I'm sure you have other projects that need your attention and I'd love, come Christmas time, to point to your work in front of all of my friends and go, 'Yeah. Dig it: I got work done by ______.' I look forward to your reply."

 

[azurepred]

God, this is like pulling teeth. Here's the reply I just got from him:

I have those! Just lost communication w u

And that's it... What the hell am I supposed to do now?

could you even get your money back if you wanted to? Everything sounds really fishy from this guy.

 

[Darth Snoopy]

Just respond back and politely ask him to ship them to you ASAP.

QFT.

Indeed.

"Well, now we're communicating again, which is a positive step in the right direction. Do you need my address or have you still got that on file? How can I help you to close this account/transaction to both our satisfaction? I'm sure you have other projects that need your attention and I'd love, come Christmas time, to point to your work in front of all of my friends and go, 'Yeah. Dig it: I got work done by ______.' I look forward to your reply."

This is the type of reply you should send.

 

[IdeaOfEvil]

Dam, I sent a reply out before you guys gave me these good ones to use. Here's the email tree so far (lol):


Very cool! Do you need my address again? Will you be able to get these out to me before Christmas? Let me know what else you need.

Thanks
Jake
.
.
Yeah shoot me your address thanks
.
.
(address included)
Let me know when it's sent and I'll keep an eye out.

Thanks
Jake

If I don't get anything in the mail I'll use Nightshadow's reply and and be a lot more demanding of "money refunded" or "product received" in it.

In the mean time, I just got two emails from Mike DeBalfo and Marc Silvestri to agree to do a commission for me for next year, so I'm real pumped for those at least

 

[jasong888]

Dam, I sent a reply out before you guys gave me these good ones to use. Here's the email tree so far (lol):


Very cool! Do you need my address again? Will you be able to get these out to me before Christmas? Let me know what else you need.

Thanks
Jake
.
.
Yeah shoot me your address thanks
.
.
(address included)
Let me know when it's sent and I'll keep an eye out.

Thanks
Jake

If I don't get anything in the mail I'll use Nightshadow's reply and and be a lot more demanding of "money refunded" or "product received" in it.

In the mean time, I just got two emails from Mike DeBalfo and Marc Silvestri to agree to do a commission for me for next year, so I'm real pumped for those at least

damn how do you get these commission requests fulfilled so easily??? please help me out!!! i just want one commission request and that's from JSC

 

[IdeaOfEvil]

damn how do you get these commission requests fulfilled so easily??? please help me out!!! i just want one commission request and that's from JSC

Lol, you just gotta put in the leg work my friend. JSC especially is one of the top five most sought after guys, so you gotta look at it from an eschewed angle. It's not that you just want one guy, you want THE guy, lol.

I can only say with any artist, get in their face, make yourself known to them, and show that you're really appreciative of the work they do. It took me three years of standing in JSC's lines and getting my face known to him so that he would always say "Hey" when I saw him, and those three years were just to get him to commit to doing one for me, let alone the next two years of waiting time. But overall I just happened to get lucky with JSC and that's how I got it. There are plenty of people who have been on his commission list that I probably got skipped ahead of just cuz he felt bad about the mistake he made in dealing with me. Hell, I had Eric Basaldua "Ebas" agree to do a commission for me with a promised pick up date even, but he floundered on it and never responded back to my emails or messages. I'm not gonna harass him about it, even though I've been waiting three years to get him to agree to do one, but he'll definitely know it's what he said to me next time I see him in person (he was a little drunk late in a Sunday when he told me, so I'll give him a pass, haha). Still, it's just the roll of the dice. With Silvestri I had no idea what commission list he had going, but I simply sent him an email and got a response saying he'd be ready to get started on one for me in mid-January. I've been on Debalfo's list for a good two years now and he's finally gotten to my spot. Garza, well let's just say that the dude I'm having problems with.... yea.

So, it's just time consuming, but it's time you gotta put into the artists themselves, starting with just getting your name and face known to them. If you're ever on the West Coast and plan on attending Wondercon or San Diego Comic Con AND I happen to be working one with an extra badge, let me know. I can at least get you in through the door early so you might have a chance to talk to artists one on one before the swarm of collectors and sketch goblins get in

 

[jasong888]

Lol, you just gotta put in the leg work my friend. JSC especially is one of the top five most sought after guys, so you gotta look at it from an eschewed angle. It's not that you just want one guy, you want THE guy, lol.

I can only say with any artist, get in their face, make yourself known to them, and show that you're really appreciative of the work they do. It took me three years of standing in JSC's lines and getting my face known to him so that he would always say "Hey" when I saw him, and those three years were just to get him to commit to doing one for me, let alone the next two years of waiting time. But overall I just happened to get lucky with JSC and that's how I got it. There are plenty of people who have been on his commission list that I probably got skipped ahead of just cuz he felt bad about the mistake he made in dealing with me. Hell, I had Eric Basaldua "Ebas" agree to do a commission for me with a promised pick up date even, but he floundered on it and never responded back to my emails or messages. I'm not gonna harass him about it, even though I've been waiting three years to get him to agree to do one, but he'll definitely know it's what he said to me next time I see him in person (he was a little drunk late in a Sunday when he told me, so I'll give him a pass, haha). Still, it's just the roll of the dice. With Silvestri I had no idea what commission list he had going, but I simply sent him an email and got a response saying he'd be ready to get started on one for me in mid-January. I've been on Debalfo's list for a good two years now and he's finally gotten to my spot. Garza, well let's just say that the dude I'm having problems with.... yea.

So, it's just time consuming, but it's time you gotta put into the artists themselves, starting with just getting your name and face known to them. If you're ever on the West Coast and plan on attending Wondercon or San Diego Comic Con AND I happen to be working one with an extra badge, let me know. I can at least get you in through the door early so you might have a chance to talk to artists one on one before the swarm of collectors and sketch goblins get in

most of the time i just talk to JSC's brother and help him out. when they were here in phoenix for the Phx-CC, his brother promised to get me an exclusive print they ran out of. when i met up with them at SDCC, but it was just way too hectic to talk to JSC one-on-one. unfortunately they didn't have the print for me yet, but i've been keeping in close contact with JSC's brother and i just managed to get the print in the mail after ~6months. i asked him if he would be starting a commission list for his brother and he said to check back next year when the projects start booking up again. i'll be going to SDCC next year for sure though as it may be my last time going for a while =(.

 

[IdeaOfEvil]

most of the time i just talk to JSC's brother and help him out. when they were here in phoenix for the Phx-CC, his brother promised to get me an exclusive print they ran out of. when i met up with them at SDCC, but it was just way too hectic to talk to JSC one-on-one. unfortunately they didn't have the print for me yet, but i've been keeping in close contact with JSC's brother and i just managed to get the print in the mail after ~6months. i asked him if he would be starting a commission list for his brother and he said to check back next year when the projects start booking up again. i'll be going to SDCC next year for sure though as it may be my last time going for a while =(.

You're well ahead of the game then. All I can say now is good luck, and keep pushing