Character Details in Commissions

You're paying the person to do a job. They shouldn't half ass it. Simply put.

You should get a refund if you can still manage to. That's straight up what they are for.

Imagine buying a car to find it has no fuel tank cause Ford didn't feel like making one.

Imagine buying food with most of it missing because they didn't feel like cooking it.

You'd get a refund there, and art should be no different if it's paid.

And definitely be sure to ask other artists if the details are possible before paying, that should help, and you don't have to entirely stop commissioning.

I love these synonyms (is that the right word?).

S'like you wouldn't buy a can of Pepsi... and it have nothing in it.

Cruor Comet VincentVanGoat

Unfortunatley it has been too long, so no refunds ^^"

The thing is... I feel like there are very different "rules" (unwritten rules) when it comes to commission. Like I would never pay a contractor in full and then just wait until this person decides to start with their work. But I feel like for commissions you pay in advance and they don't even start right away and bam, it's a year later and you have not even gotten a sketch but you are rude if you are asking where your commission is. And if you ask more then once you are pressuring the artists and make their artist block even worse and so on. I wish it was as simple as normal transactions ;v; 

Not to sit too high on my horse, as I have done commissions as well and have been slow, though I tried my best to communicate before I have been contacted and I do not take money before I show the sketch. Wish there was a yelp for commissions /)////(\

As a commission maker, hell no. Occasionally I’ll forget details, but I try my best to fix them if I haven’t already finished the piece and there’s no way to edit it. (I’m better about it now since I keep a psd alt.)

That’s not being hard to work with at all, unless it’s clearly specified that the creator will most likely simplify details on hard to draw characters.

The worst I had about similar situation was when this artist charged me like additional 1/4  of the price to my character for her details? But then....despite I paid for that extra charge they still didn't draw all the details in the final piece lol (Like they skipped most things around halfway of her outfit)

I did paid that extra as you requested, if that wasn't enough just be honest from the start and I'll pay more or choose a simpler outfit? I ended up not bothering with it and accepted the final piece but...if they've told me about it much earlier then maybe I wouldn't feel this soured because of the experience alone (Really, experience is an important aspect in this too and it's more than just receiving the commission for me)

I'd understand if it was a trade or request but this involves money, it's understandable why you would feel disappointed with services like this. As you said, if they can't draw the details or would simplify it--the artist should just say it upfront, that's why honesty is important when performing this kind of business. Also that "I know, but I don't wanna draw it." ???/ excuse. Why.

10/10 to all the analogy described here also because regardless of the artist's "mood", a service is a service; just like any food or car you buy.

I mean, unless you agreed at the beginning that the artist is allowed “artistic freedom” for the commission or something like that, then no, it’s not unreasonable to want the details correct. They’re being paid to do a job.

If the commissioner doesn’t point out missing details until it’s too late and the commission is totally complete and major changes can’t be made, then that would be unreasonable. But artists should also have a system to make sure a commissioner can point out mistakes or missing things, without allowing a commissioner to abuse the process and constantly ask for changes. 

I’ve always had a pretty good experience with artists who show WIPs for each step, though that is dependent on the artist actually making those changes...? The artist in your case simply didn’t want to draw something, and that’s unreasonable. They shouldn’t have taken your commission in the first place if they didn’t want to draw the character you presented them. 

I’ve also had an artist in the past who drew me a sketch, I approved it, and then they presented me with a finished picture with a completely different looking pose, in which all the details weren’t quite right (and it just didn’t look as good overall). When I asked for a few minor changes, they got a little upset since they’d already colored everything, but did them anyway. I still am not super fond of the commission, but I let it go because they would have had to redo the entire picture; I just didn’t think they drew my character well at all. I’ve just decided not to do business with them anymore, but all that could have been avoided if they just kept showing me the WIPs and didn’t change the pose that I had approved. It wasn’t my fault they colored a completely different sketch that they didn’t ask me if I liked it. :\

I know some commissioners try to abuse the process and keep changing their mind and asking for changes, but that wasn’t the situation for you. You were in the right I think. 

there have been multiple times I've ordered a commission only for the artist to miss out important details, or draw stuff I specifically asked not to.

my main characters I usually get commissions of are pretty simple in design, so it's not like I'm flipping out because "omg, you forgot the 27th eyebrow piercing on my needlessly cluttered fursona, full refund NOW."

some things that have happened to me in the past:

- on a one of my characters I have written "please do not draw as a stereotypical femboy" and/or "please don't make him cartoonishly curvy or draw him in sexually suggestive clothing." as well as that the reference clearly showed the character as thin, yet I've had several commissions where people have drawn him with comically voluptuous hips (like borderline fetish art) and very revealing and kind of baby-ish clothing.

- I once ordered a commission where the artist got the (very basic colours) totally wrong, and when I asked her to change it, she started to trash talk me on social media, and didn't see the problem with the icon because her friend said "it looks cute." I get a lot of commissions to draw neon characters or characters where the colour schemes are hard for me and/or don't work with my art style, but I still use the actual colours (usually by eyedropping) than go and do my own thing.

I've also been on the other side of this though, and I had a customer make a PSA claiming I "scammed" her because I didn't draw a detail that literally wasn't visible in her reference pic (which was a blurry, tiny low res traditional drawing).
if an artist misses out a detail don't immediately jump to "omg refund or I report you", ask them about it, and please please please make sure your reference is clear.

that being said, nothing excuses artists leaving out details that are important, obvious, or specifically asked for, and then refusing to add them even when asked.

stuff like this is why I am very picky about who I choose to commission. I feel bad about it because I don't want to come off as elitist, but I don't want to spend the small amount of extra money I have only to recieve an art piece I don't want to use or display because it's innaccurate, or uncomfortable in a borderline fetish-y way.

As a person who does commissions it baffles me that some other commission artists seem to hate the idea of going back and correcting mistakes, or deliberately omit design points!

I've had commissioners ask to change hair and skin tones in the past and I have no problem with that. I've even once forgotten a collar on a design which, when pointed out, I went back and fixed without issue. 

In my opinion, people are paying you and trusting you to produce art that represents their characters so if you make a mistake or forget something, you should be prepared to fix it, no questions asked!

If you pay for art, then it should be done according to your liking. There's nothing to discuss here. The artist is paid to draw your character, then they should draw it right.