backlogged arteest's?

I don't have a lot of time to take requests nowadays, but when I do I ninja the suckers. I pick one, do it, upload it and say, "Oh, btw. I got this."

Hey, don't forget who started that trend, Hish. BAM!

I don't take more than 2 requests at a time, ever.

Boshuda

Hey a free drawings a free drawing. I personally take years on my requests. I'm just that lazy and/or busy. Jk. I try to be quick about them but I think everyone understands that we are busy people doing this out of the goodness of our heart.

I generally feel awful when I take a request. I see it, read it, love it, imagine it, start it. work hard on it, get bogged down on it, for get about it, remember it, get frustrated trying to gett back into it, hate it, see something else I want to do...give up on both and run and hide.

The last thing I drew was a pic for tusserk. Well never finished. I was coloring, stopped and put the stylist down, said I dont want to draw anymore, and haven't since. It was all very Forrest Gump being done running.

Aw Casca!!! Now I feel as though I, personally, broke you!! I hope you do realise how much I (and the whole squad!!) absolutely adore what you did do. I miss seeing your work around here.

But, ahahaaa, yeah, I lament it but I totally bring it on myself. I'm an absolute champ at over-committing, have been all my life in basically every aspect of my life. Buuut, I tend to take the same attitude expressed by Drig; yeah, I certainly get a kick out of being able to create something that someone else will love/treasure/use/whatever, but at the end of the day... I don't actually owe anyone anything. I draw for my enjoyment, it's fun, it's a hobby, and when I'm not enjoying it- be it boredom or frustration with a particular piece, getting distracted by another, or just feeling my creative whim travel in a completely different direction- it's simply not worth me getting stressed or worried about. Plenty of other things in life to get stressed about. :P

If the person I'm drawing for doesn't 'get' that and gets cranky at me taking my time? Pah, they can just go get cranky!

I do sometimes feel envious of the folk who can knuckle down and crank out something awesome at light speed (naaaawt mentioning any names coughHishcoughMercycoughcough..!) but at the end of the day, I also recognise that it's simply not the way I work.

There's also a difference a) when money's involved (isn't there always? :P) and b) if someone says they're really COUNTING on me for something, and I say "don't worry, I won't let you down!". Those are about the only instances I'll feel bad when I'm taking longer than expected.

(And for those curious; I managed to whittle down my 'owed' list from 15 to 12, and then went ahead and said 'yes' to three more things at work today. Woo!)

When someone says they're really COUNTING on me for something when it's free when that thing actually has a market value, then I laugh with impunity.

It might seem a dickish thing to do, but put it in this context: Just this month, money made from my drawings will feed my family the first two weeks of August. Are YOU feeding my family, Mr. Cranky Requester?

I unfortunately see it different. They simply put up a request WE are the ones who take it. It's sort of a commitment. When I get destracted I feel horrible. Maybe we should just outright say " Hey I love this character right now and claim this as my own but hey, it's free so dont count on it getting done".

I know that is not what anyone here is saying directly, and I am fully aware that real life and work come first. But Some of these characters are shelved by the time we get around to them. Many of these people put alot into thier characters and get attached to them. I would assume they all are counting on who ever takes thier request.

I have never charged for anything I have ever drawn or painted, so I may not totally understand the whole it's free art thing. But I do understand that MY name goes on each peice I do and that I want it to be right. If I had the skill level I would be putting out Vallejo style complete works and giving the to the requesters, but I don't.

I just think that if we say we provide a service to the requesters maybe we should believe it. Maybe if you get upset that the people you told you would do art for are to pushy and it's free after all that doing free art isnt for you. Concentrate on your career and do more paying art. This site can be a boon for the people who find it...but most of that is by word of mouth....make sure they have something nice to say.

Well! What an interesting point of discussion this has turned into!

I still stand by my point of view, but feel I aught to add- I have not yet actually at any stage encountered the wrath of a 'cranky requester', heh. Just saying that when/if I do, I'm certainly not going to let myself lose sleep over it. To this point, I've received nothing but appreciation for efforts I've put in for other folk, and nothing but understanding and patience from those who've had to deal with me taking a bit of time. SWAG is seriously one of the most positive online communities I've ever had anything to do with.

Now, personally, I have absolutely no interest in trying to make a career out of art. Yeah I've done some commissions here and there and accepted some pocket change for some pieces, but I am absolutely overwhelmingly more motivated to draw for charity than I am to try and earn money. If someone is 'counting on me' it'll invariably be for a project/poster for work, a birthday present, a design for a wedding or something like that with a definite time limit, and yeah, I'll take that time limit seriously. But Hisham- I completely understand what you're saying, and don't believe it to be 'dickish' at all.

I'm sort of reminded of my buddy who makes mods for Minecraft, one of which has evidently become pretty popular. He does this for fun, as a hobby, and shares this with other players of the game to make their games more fun. He gets nothing tangible out of it; just personal experience and warm fuzzy feelings and that sort of thing. Recently he was a little slow putting out an update, and I could not believe some of the things being said by some of the folk on the Minecraft forum who were waiting in rabid anticipation of said update. A completely free update, for a game, done by somebody who's life you know nothing about, who has absolutely no reason whatsoever to share it with you but he still does because he likes to... and you rage about his 'unacceptable laziness' and 'pathetic excuses' when he takes an extra week? Yeeeaaaah no thanks. I know what we do here is a little different, especially with the aspect of individual artists making agreements with individual requesters to provide them with an illustration-- but still. If I ever saw a hint of any requester saying similar things to any artist here, I wouldn't hesitate to tell them where to go!!

We did encounter one ungrateful requester, back in the old days...

He was never heard from again.

Boshuda

There was one guy who pushed all the wrong buttons for everyone during the early years. I picked up his request and give him what he requested, but not what he saw in his mind's eye, I guess. A moderate-sized flame war erupted. Never saw him again.

The artwork is still in my gallery. Can you figure out which? :-)

Was it that Wookiee Jedi?

That's the one.

I have vague memories of when that picture was first posted. :)

And what about the one Batty did; one of the first attempts as a member;

http://www.swagonline.com/node/3467

It's still in the comments section the ungratefulness of the requester.

I remember Batty was fairly disheartened to get that kind of response from the first finished request.

Still makes me a bit pissed when I look back on it. And I'm usually one for tact. Well...maybe not always...but I make an honest effort. :D