It's been a while since an update here, so here is the final part of the Conventions series of posts! This time we'll look at Merchandise.
Commissions
As an artist as a convention, there is one major thing that will be expected from you and wanted from you: Commissions. But what do you offer?
The bread and butter of the convention artist are Con Badges and Sketches. Mostly, these are the two items you'll offer.
Sketches are the easy part: you only need your trusty pencil and a few sheets of cardstock or Bristol! Many customers will also want you to draw in their personal sketchbook. Remember to always treat the customer's sketchbook like it's made of fine bone china! Keep them very safe. They might contain literally YEARS worth of sketches and memories and be very precious to their owner. Also, make sure you can return the book in a timely manner. Taking someone's book at the start of the convention and not returning it till the end of the last day is often upsetting for the customer because they are unable to get sketches from any other artist or friend. Always seek to return the book by the end of the day you receive it (unless the customer doesn't return for it on time, of course).
Con Badges are simple in theory - you choose a medium to make them in, and draw - right? Sorta. You must decide beforehand on a type of badge which will be speedy for you to make (and still look nice) and you can charge a reasonable price for. Furthermore, consider your limitations with packing. Will you have space to pack a laminator and laminate? If not, you probably want to use badge holders like the type sold in Staples. Do you usually work in marker with pencil, but suddenly find yourself struggling to fit them all in your luggage? Consider going for marker or pencil only, and trimming your convention art kit of very rarely used colors and unnecessary shades.
Other Merchandise
So, what other options are there for merchandise? This is essentially limited by your imagination! To get you started, here are some of the more common items.
Artwork Prints
Matted Artwork Prints
Stickers
Original Sketches
Magnets
T-shirts
Keyrings
Bookmarks
DO NOT rush into spending all your money creating a ton of merchandise for your first con. In particular, t-shirts are extremely expensive to make or have made: they are not a beginner's piece.
Assuming you are just a 2D artist, a good start would be to take a modest supply of prints (more on those in another post), stickers, original sketches and/or bookmarks.
Don't stock up on 10s or 100s of each product. There are not THAT many people at a furry convention compared to many other large cons or fairs. Take along a small supply, especially your first time trying out a new type of merchandise. It's all too easy to say "I need 100 bookmarks!" but you'll be hurting if you end up selling 3.
Work out how many of a merchandise item you'll need to sell to break even. Don't invest more than you can reasonably make back. If it costs you $3 to make 10 bookmarks, and you'll sell them for $3 each, that's a safe bet. If you spend $100 making 100 prints to sell at $2 each, that's much less safe.
-------------
The final make up of your table should show a clear sign showing WHO you are (your most-used fandom nickname - what most people know you as) and prices for the main things you offer. For example:
WHATSITWOLF ART
Con Badges $20
4x3" Badge in Marker
Sketches
One Character $15
Two Characters $25
Graphite pencil sketch
Prints $5
You should lay out your prints in a folder, seperated by Adult and General if applicable. Have at least one con badge example, preferably two or three, for people to see how awesome you are. Decent quality prints of badges you are proud of are just fine too - they don't have to be originals. Finally, jazz up your table with some other small piece of merchandise if you have it!
Stand back and check your table looks neat, easy to navigate and attractive. Practice this at home beforehand if need be. And you're ready to go!
Good luck!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Conventions, How Do They Work? Part 2
Once again we're going to look at conventions! This time we're going to be looking at workloads - a critical issue for the working artist.
There are various ways of handling (or not handling) your convention commission workload, each with various pros and cons. Here's some of the more common ones.
Day By Day
Some artists choose to take commissions on a day by day basis. This means that they'll only take enough commissions that they know they can finish on that day, then close commissions till the next day.
Pros:
Customers get their work quickly
You don't need to spend too much time taking orders each day
Less evening work
Cons:
The first day of the convention is always the biggest selling day. You may not get enough orders to fill your queue on other days.
Enough Work For The Whole Event
This method is probably the most popular. It involves opening for commissions on the first day of trading, and filling up spots for the entire convention.
Pros:
Can take advantage of the high volume of orders in the first day
Allows for flexibility in working hours and thus for interruptions (you can finish 4 one day, 6 another etc)
Cons:
Requires some experience to gauge how many commissions you can finish in the timeframe required, thus you may end up with take-home work
Remember you can always set up a sign that says you will accept take home commissions only when your queue is full.
Continuous Commissions!
This is the method that I personally recommend LEAST! It's not particularly good form, or particularly fair on your customers. It involves continuing to take commissions without thought to how many you can finish at the convention. Unfortunately, it is strikingly common among some artists.
Pros:
Maximizes earnings
Allows you to work at whatever pace you choose
Cons:
Commissioners will be left waiting till after the convention to receive their work - some may be unhappy with this arrangement
You will have to mail out the artwork to your customers
-------------------------------
The most important part of managing your workload is to work out two things - how much time you want to spend on commissions (work out how much social time you'll want, as well as time for a good night's rest and meals), and how long it takes you to make each piece of artwork.
Most customers will not mind if you have to take home a piece of work to finish it, but it's still not an ideal practice. It's always a good idea to offer a refund to anyone who's commission you have not started but would have to take home. Remember to get email addresses for all your customers!
Next time we come back to conventions we'll look at Merchandise! What do you offer for sale at cons?
There are various ways of handling (or not handling) your convention commission workload, each with various pros and cons. Here's some of the more common ones.
Day By Day
Some artists choose to take commissions on a day by day basis. This means that they'll only take enough commissions that they know they can finish on that day, then close commissions till the next day.
Pros:
Customers get their work quickly
You don't need to spend too much time taking orders each day
Less evening work
Cons:
The first day of the convention is always the biggest selling day. You may not get enough orders to fill your queue on other days.
Enough Work For The Whole Event
This method is probably the most popular. It involves opening for commissions on the first day of trading, and filling up spots for the entire convention.
Pros:
Can take advantage of the high volume of orders in the first day
Allows for flexibility in working hours and thus for interruptions (you can finish 4 one day, 6 another etc)
Cons:
Requires some experience to gauge how many commissions you can finish in the timeframe required, thus you may end up with take-home work
Remember you can always set up a sign that says you will accept take home commissions only when your queue is full.
Continuous Commissions!
This is the method that I personally recommend LEAST! It's not particularly good form, or particularly fair on your customers. It involves continuing to take commissions without thought to how many you can finish at the convention. Unfortunately, it is strikingly common among some artists.
Pros:
Maximizes earnings
Allows you to work at whatever pace you choose
Cons:
Commissioners will be left waiting till after the convention to receive their work - some may be unhappy with this arrangement
You will have to mail out the artwork to your customers
-------------------------------
The most important part of managing your workload is to work out two things - how much time you want to spend on commissions (work out how much social time you'll want, as well as time for a good night's rest and meals), and how long it takes you to make each piece of artwork.
Most customers will not mind if you have to take home a piece of work to finish it, but it's still not an ideal practice. It's always a good idea to offer a refund to anyone who's commission you have not started but would have to take home. Remember to get email addresses for all your customers!
Next time we come back to conventions we'll look at Merchandise! What do you offer for sale at cons?
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Featured: How Not To Suck At Commissioning
A quick interlude! Was shown this on FurAffinity today and it's totally appropriate to my last post, and later parts!
"How Not To Suck At Commissioning" by [koh] - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5814255/
It's a short Flash film, mostly shown from the point of view of the commissioner, but also with some artist tips too, focusing on commissioning at conventions. If you've never been an artist at a convention, it should give you some idea what to expect. :D
"How Not To Suck At Commissioning" by [koh] - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5814255/
It's a short Flash film, mostly shown from the point of view of the commissioner, but also with some artist tips too, focusing on commissioning at conventions. If you've never been an artist at a convention, it should give you some idea what to expect. :D
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Conventions, How Do They Work? Part 1
So yesterday I did an introduction to taking commissions. Today I'm going to start on a brief overview of furry conventions from the point of view of the selling artist.
Overview of a Fur Con
Every convention has its own "flavor", but most of them follow the same basic format.
Artists' Alley or Dealers' Den?
This is the first big question for the artist looking to work at a convention. The difference between the two is generally as follows, although some conventions may have slightly different or more specific rules.
Artists' Alley
Dealers' Den
Obviously, there are advantages and disadvantages to both. A Dealer's table means you have to be sure you can make more money than you spent on the table (generally not difficult). It also means you will possibly miss out on a lot of events and socialisation since you have to keep specific working hours. The Artists' Alley provides a lot of flexibility in hours, however they are usually in very high demand at the more popular conventions, so a table space is far from a certainty.
A popular method for the artists with a primary focus on work and earning at conventions is to keep a Dealer's table during the day, and set up in the Artists' Alley after dinner.
In the next installment of the "Conventions, How Do They Work?" series of posts, we'll look at workloads at conventions. Check back soon!
Overview of a Fur Con
Every convention has its own "flavor", but most of them follow the same basic format.
- The convention takes place over a long weekend (usually Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday).
- The con has various events (for example, fursuit games) and panels (for example, an experienced artist talking about anatomy or technique).
- There are a number of rooms set up for specific purposes, such as a Games Room, Dealers' Den, Fursuit Lounge, Artists' Alley.
- Selling artists usually have a choice of using the Artists' Alley or the Dealers' Den. Some cons do not have an Artists' Alley.
- There is almost always an Art Show where artists can sell their work, and an Art Auction for the most popular pieces on display.
Artists' Alley or Dealers' Den?
This is the first big question for the artist looking to work at a convention. The difference between the two is generally as follows, although some conventions may have slightly different or more specific rules.
Artists' Alley
- No cost for a table.
- Tables are not pre-booked, they are assigned on a first-come, first served basis - or occasionally by drawing lots from artists present at opening time.
- You can sell any of your own original work or merchandise.
- You can get up and leave at any time, however should you leave your table unattended, your space can be taken by another waiting artist.
- You can choose your own "hours of business" - so you can work for only one day if you choose, or only in the evenings.
- You will not usually be in the same location on each day of the convention.
- The Artists' Alley often has longer opening hours than the Dealer's Den.
- Space may be far more limited than the Dealer's Den.
- Space may be in very high demand.
Dealers' Den
- Tables will almost always come at a cost. This could be anything from $30-$125, depending on the con.
- You reserve your table in advance. Multiple tables can be reserved if you have a lot of merchandise.
- You can sell merchandise you did not specifically create (such as toys) along with your art.
- The Den has set trading hours. You will be expected to man your table at all times during these hours, or have an assistant look after it for you when you need breaks.
- You are guaranteed space if you have booked and paid, which will always be in the same place each day.
- The Dealers' Den is usually larger and more spacious, and often has a more accessible or central location than the Artists' Alley.
- You may need to reserve your table well in advance of the convention to be sure of space.
Obviously, there are advantages and disadvantages to both. A Dealer's table means you have to be sure you can make more money than you spent on the table (generally not difficult). It also means you will possibly miss out on a lot of events and socialisation since you have to keep specific working hours. The Artists' Alley provides a lot of flexibility in hours, however they are usually in very high demand at the more popular conventions, so a table space is far from a certainty.
A popular method for the artists with a primary focus on work and earning at conventions is to keep a Dealer's table during the day, and set up in the Artists' Alley after dinner.
In the next installment of the "Conventions, How Do They Work?" series of posts, we'll look at workloads at conventions. Check back soon!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Introduction to Being A Commissionable Artist
So, you're a furry artist. Maybe you've seen everyone else around the web selling their art to make a bit of cash, and think you'd like to get in on this gig too. Maybe someone's asked you to draw for them already. Maybe you think that taking commissions would challenge you and help you work on different types of material. Regardless of your reason, there's a few important things to note before you start out taking people's money!
What Will I Need?
First of all, you should consider the things you're going to need to get started.
You'll need, first and foremost, TIME. This is an oft-overlooked essential for any commissionable artist. Most of us don't do this as a full-time job - and perhaps you're studying, have a job, household chores, have pets/children to care for, have family responsibilities, or all of these things and more.
It is first essential to work out WHEN you will work on the commissions you take, and approximately how long things take you. If you are only going to have an hour or two a week for this, then perhaps it's not a great idea to try and squeeze paid work into an over-full schedule. However, let's assume you do have time on your hands: working out just how much is key to working out how many commissions you should take on at one time.
If it's going to take you six weeks to complete one commission, how long are you comfortable leaving the following customers waiting? Which leads to:
A QUEUE SYSTEM. Most artists in the fandom open for batches of commissions, fill these up, complete them, and then open for more. At least, this is the most sensible way to do it.
A common pitfall is to continually take commissions while working up a huge backlog of people who will be waiting for a long time, and thus are likely to be bugging you with emails for updates, becoming frustrated with you or even requesting refunds. This isn't something you want to run into.
The best artists in the fandom may be able to get away with leaving their customers hanging for a year or more - but let's assume you do not have 10k+ watchers and people willing to throw cashmoneys in your general direction. People are, quite rightly, going to be annoyed if they wait too long, and thus it's extremely important that you keep your queue managable in a reasonable frame of time - the maximum time that is generally considered reasonable is 6 months.
I'd recommend you keep your customers happy and your income steady by sticking instead to around a 3 month queue system.
A PAYPAL ACCOUNT. Most people are going to want to pay you via Paypal.
Don't make the mistake of asking for money orders and cheques only, as you're going to lose business this way. People do not want to go to the hassle of running down to a post office to mail stuff to you. People want convenience. And needless to say, convenience equals more orders. This is of course not to say that you can't accept other payment methods (if you're able to) when people request them - but having the most common payment method on hand is essential.
Remember: do not ask people to pay your Paypal fees, and do not ask people to send payments as "Personal" - this is a fast track to getting your ass banned from the service. Digital images should be charged as "Services" and traditional art should be charged as "Goods".
QUALITY ART SUPPLIES. This may seem like a given for the traditional media artist!
But just to be clear on it - you should, wherever possible, use archival quality supplies (art markers are NOT archival, this is the exception, but consider it carefully regardless), and acid-free paper of a good weight (no printer paper! Use Bristol Board, Illustration Board, watercolor paper, cardstock even!).
When you are selling art, you have a responsibility to make sure you've taken all reasonable steps to ensure it will last. Good supplies go a long way towards that.
MAILING MATERIALS. Again, this is important for the traditional artist. Ensure you have on hand materials to mail your art safely.
USPS flat rate envelopes, with a sturdy cardboard insert, will suffice for small commissions, or a "Do Not Bend" hardbacked envelope. Be sure to put any art inside a plastic folder or wallet that is taped down, in case the envelope gets wet. More expensive commissions will require better packing, or use of a poster tube perhaps to mail them.
Know where to aquire these things and always make sure your art is packed safely.
So How Do I Start Out?
Starting to take commissions will generally take the following format:
You make a post on your FurAffinity journal, or a Livejournal community, or forum of your choice etc etc, advertising that you are open for commissions. Include samples of what you can do and base prices. State clearly what you are not willing to draw. If it helps, be more specific in what you will draw, like "inked single character pinups, nothing adult", so that you don't end up with something completely out of your comfort zone.
SPELLCHECK your entry and try to sound professional!
Make sure you use a "slot" system, where you'll take a maximum number of commissions. Refer to the "Queue system" and "Time" sections above when deciding how many. It's always a really good idea to start on the modest side, maybe even taking 1 or 2 to begin with.
If you are making traditional art that you plan to mail, this is the point where you should obtain a quote or idea of how much it will cost you to ship the art - both domestic and international. Be sure to add the cost of your packing materials to the shipping cost, if applicable.
Potential customers will then contact you. They may or may not include full character and commission details at this point - regardless, the first order of business is to find out exactly what they expect you to draw, and you should ask them for a reference or description of their character (if not already supplied) as well as a description of the pose and scene.
This is a vital first step for one major reason - nasty surprises! There are plenty of them that can spring on you at this stage. Perhaps the character is immensely complex with massive wings and android legs and a sniper rifle and you realise this is going to take a lot more time than you thought - and thus you need to charge more than the base price. Perhaps the commissioner is going to ask for a pose or idea that you are not comfortable drawing, on whatever grounds. Perhaps you just do not like the sound of it and don't want to proceed.
ALWAYS get the description before quoting a final price or proceeding further!
Remember, never be afraid to say "No" to something you don't want to draw. Be polite, explain it is outside your comfort zone, or that you do not think your skills can do the customer's idea justice, and the commissioner will generally be glad you were honest with them!
Assuming that all is well and we're going to proceed, the next step to work out is payment. I HIGHLY discourage any artist, especially any new artist, to accept payment after completion. This is asking for trouble - buyer's remorse, sudden financial trouble, or just "disappearing commissioner syndrome" can see an artist left empty handed after all their hard work. It should be noted, payment after completion is common when working with businesses or in a professional setting. Furry should not be treated the same way.
The two best courses of action are either taking the payment in full up-front (small commissions in particular are best handled this way, i.e. values of $20 or less) or by taking a 50% downpayment with the rest paid either on approval of the concept sketch or on completion. If you choose to take 50% downpayment with the other 50% on completion, you should never send a reasonable size scan of the art before getting that last 50% payment. Send a thumbnail of maximum 300 pixels wide/tall as proof that you're finished, then send over the full scan/file in all its glory when you've got the last of your cash.
Once arranging payment, the commission process will generally involve you making up a concept sketch, and sending this for your customer to approve. This step is generally omitted with sketches and con badges, unless the commissioner specifically asks to see something.
Be prepared at this stage to have to change aspects of your sketch and send the updated sketch for approval unless you only need to add something trivial, like a spot under one eye or something. Explain to the commissioner that when they are happy with the sketch, no further changes can be made - some non-arty people or inexperienced commissioners might not know this!
When the commissioner approves the sketch, you can move onto the next stage, which is of course to complete the commission!
Remember: if the commissioner contacts you asking for progress updates, ALWAYS respond to their emails/notes/private messages, even if just to say "I've not started yet" or "I'm working on it". Nothing will quite sour a customer like ignoring their queries. Where possible, offer updates yourself. Little things like this will make your customers feel valued and happy to work with you!
And In Closing...
You are a professional, and the most important thing from your first commission to your hundredth or more is to act like one. Be friendly and courteous, and remember this is paid work! Customer service is as much a part of your job as creating the art is. Strive to maintain that attitude through all of your commissioned work, and you're already on the right track!
What Will I Need?
First of all, you should consider the things you're going to need to get started.
You'll need, first and foremost, TIME. This is an oft-overlooked essential for any commissionable artist. Most of us don't do this as a full-time job - and perhaps you're studying, have a job, household chores, have pets/children to care for, have family responsibilities, or all of these things and more.
It is first essential to work out WHEN you will work on the commissions you take, and approximately how long things take you. If you are only going to have an hour or two a week for this, then perhaps it's not a great idea to try and squeeze paid work into an over-full schedule. However, let's assume you do have time on your hands: working out just how much is key to working out how many commissions you should take on at one time.
If it's going to take you six weeks to complete one commission, how long are you comfortable leaving the following customers waiting? Which leads to:
A QUEUE SYSTEM. Most artists in the fandom open for batches of commissions, fill these up, complete them, and then open for more. At least, this is the most sensible way to do it.
A common pitfall is to continually take commissions while working up a huge backlog of people who will be waiting for a long time, and thus are likely to be bugging you with emails for updates, becoming frustrated with you or even requesting refunds. This isn't something you want to run into.
The best artists in the fandom may be able to get away with leaving their customers hanging for a year or more - but let's assume you do not have 10k+ watchers and people willing to throw cashmoneys in your general direction. People are, quite rightly, going to be annoyed if they wait too long, and thus it's extremely important that you keep your queue managable in a reasonable frame of time - the maximum time that is generally considered reasonable is 6 months.
I'd recommend you keep your customers happy and your income steady by sticking instead to around a 3 month queue system.
A PAYPAL ACCOUNT. Most people are going to want to pay you via Paypal.
Don't make the mistake of asking for money orders and cheques only, as you're going to lose business this way. People do not want to go to the hassle of running down to a post office to mail stuff to you. People want convenience. And needless to say, convenience equals more orders. This is of course not to say that you can't accept other payment methods (if you're able to) when people request them - but having the most common payment method on hand is essential.
Remember: do not ask people to pay your Paypal fees, and do not ask people to send payments as "Personal" - this is a fast track to getting your ass banned from the service. Digital images should be charged as "Services" and traditional art should be charged as "Goods".
QUALITY ART SUPPLIES. This may seem like a given for the traditional media artist!
But just to be clear on it - you should, wherever possible, use archival quality supplies (art markers are NOT archival, this is the exception, but consider it carefully regardless), and acid-free paper of a good weight (no printer paper! Use Bristol Board, Illustration Board, watercolor paper, cardstock even!).
When you are selling art, you have a responsibility to make sure you've taken all reasonable steps to ensure it will last. Good supplies go a long way towards that.
MAILING MATERIALS. Again, this is important for the traditional artist. Ensure you have on hand materials to mail your art safely.
USPS flat rate envelopes, with a sturdy cardboard insert, will suffice for small commissions, or a "Do Not Bend" hardbacked envelope. Be sure to put any art inside a plastic folder or wallet that is taped down, in case the envelope gets wet. More expensive commissions will require better packing, or use of a poster tube perhaps to mail them.
Know where to aquire these things and always make sure your art is packed safely.
So How Do I Start Out?
Starting to take commissions will generally take the following format:
You make a post on your FurAffinity journal, or a Livejournal community, or forum of your choice etc etc, advertising that you are open for commissions. Include samples of what you can do and base prices. State clearly what you are not willing to draw. If it helps, be more specific in what you will draw, like "inked single character pinups, nothing adult", so that you don't end up with something completely out of your comfort zone.
SPELLCHECK your entry and try to sound professional!
Make sure you use a "slot" system, where you'll take a maximum number of commissions. Refer to the "Queue system" and "Time" sections above when deciding how many. It's always a really good idea to start on the modest side, maybe even taking 1 or 2 to begin with.
If you are making traditional art that you plan to mail, this is the point where you should obtain a quote or idea of how much it will cost you to ship the art - both domestic and international. Be sure to add the cost of your packing materials to the shipping cost, if applicable.
Potential customers will then contact you. They may or may not include full character and commission details at this point - regardless, the first order of business is to find out exactly what they expect you to draw, and you should ask them for a reference or description of their character (if not already supplied) as well as a description of the pose and scene.
This is a vital first step for one major reason - nasty surprises! There are plenty of them that can spring on you at this stage. Perhaps the character is immensely complex with massive wings and android legs and a sniper rifle and you realise this is going to take a lot more time than you thought - and thus you need to charge more than the base price. Perhaps the commissioner is going to ask for a pose or idea that you are not comfortable drawing, on whatever grounds. Perhaps you just do not like the sound of it and don't want to proceed.
ALWAYS get the description before quoting a final price or proceeding further!
Remember, never be afraid to say "No" to something you don't want to draw. Be polite, explain it is outside your comfort zone, or that you do not think your skills can do the customer's idea justice, and the commissioner will generally be glad you were honest with them!
Assuming that all is well and we're going to proceed, the next step to work out is payment. I HIGHLY discourage any artist, especially any new artist, to accept payment after completion. This is asking for trouble - buyer's remorse, sudden financial trouble, or just "disappearing commissioner syndrome" can see an artist left empty handed after all their hard work. It should be noted, payment after completion is common when working with businesses or in a professional setting. Furry should not be treated the same way.
The two best courses of action are either taking the payment in full up-front (small commissions in particular are best handled this way, i.e. values of $20 or less) or by taking a 50% downpayment with the rest paid either on approval of the concept sketch or on completion. If you choose to take 50% downpayment with the other 50% on completion, you should never send a reasonable size scan of the art before getting that last 50% payment. Send a thumbnail of maximum 300 pixels wide/tall as proof that you're finished, then send over the full scan/file in all its glory when you've got the last of your cash.
Once arranging payment, the commission process will generally involve you making up a concept sketch, and sending this for your customer to approve. This step is generally omitted with sketches and con badges, unless the commissioner specifically asks to see something.
Be prepared at this stage to have to change aspects of your sketch and send the updated sketch for approval unless you only need to add something trivial, like a spot under one eye or something. Explain to the commissioner that when they are happy with the sketch, no further changes can be made - some non-arty people or inexperienced commissioners might not know this!
When the commissioner approves the sketch, you can move onto the next stage, which is of course to complete the commission!
Remember: if the commissioner contacts you asking for progress updates, ALWAYS respond to their emails/notes/private messages, even if just to say "I've not started yet" or "I'm working on it". Nothing will quite sour a customer like ignoring their queries. Where possible, offer updates yourself. Little things like this will make your customers feel valued and happy to work with you!
And In Closing...
You are a professional, and the most important thing from your first commission to your hundredth or more is to act like one. Be friendly and courteous, and remember this is paid work! Customer service is as much a part of your job as creating the art is. Strive to maintain that attitude through all of your commissioned work, and you're already on the right track!
The Furry Art Business Blog
Welcome all to a new blog for furry artists - The Furry Art Business.
This blog was set up with the purpose of helping both new and experienced artists in the fandom to make the most from their art, and to improve the overall commission practices found in the fandom. All too often new artists don't know what they're letting themselves in for when they start taking money in exchange for their work, or even experienced artists can find themselves with problems along the way. There are a great many questions for any furry artist - and hopefully this blog can address some of those!
Do you have any questions, suggestions for articles, or want to contribute your own article? Contact at furryartbiz@gmail.com!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the articles!
This blog was set up with the purpose of helping both new and experienced artists in the fandom to make the most from their art, and to improve the overall commission practices found in the fandom. All too often new artists don't know what they're letting themselves in for when they start taking money in exchange for their work, or even experienced artists can find themselves with problems along the way. There are a great many questions for any furry artist - and hopefully this blog can address some of those!
Do you have any questions, suggestions for articles, or want to contribute your own article? Contact at furryartbiz@gmail.com!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the articles!
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