I think I was scammed over a commission 1 1

[Blastaar]

5 hours ago, Sooners151 said:

Just clicked on that facebook group.  I never realized how many commission horror stories there are.  I've done 4 in the past two years and only one was finished anywhere near the quoted time (Geraldo Sandavol FTW!).  It's actually turned me off commissions completely and sticking to published or finished work only.  Hope your issue gets resolved Blastaar.

Ya, I checked it out as well. Lot of names on there. 

Edited August 2, 2018 by Blastaar

[MAR1979]

Henry Blake: The father dying, right?

Klinger: Yes, sir.

Henry Blake: [takes out a stack of papers and reads them] Father dying last year. Mother dying last year. Mother AND father dying. Mother, father, and older sister dying. Mother dying and older sister pregnant. Older sister dying and mother pregnant. Younger sister pregnant and older sister dying. Here's an oldie but a goodie: Half of the family dying, other half pregnant.

 

Got nearly the same excuse from an artist a while back.  My opinion is shelling out money for commissions is significantly riskier than gambling given winning is rare . Which is why I no longer participate in the art commission game.

[Kohei]

1 hour ago, Blastaar said:

open and willing to do commissions with a two week turnaround are available for a reason.

That sounds like a unicorn. I've had it happen with Val Semeiks on an inking commission and Tim Truman came through two full months(and I was quoted three months total) ahead of schedule, but that seems pretty quick imo.

[Kohei]

1 hour ago, Blastaar said:

Ya, I checked it out as well. Lot of names on there.

Was your artist listed?

[Kohei]

1 hour ago, Sooners151 said:

I never realized how many commission horror stories there are.

I've done around a dozen or so over the past two years. I haven't been skunked yet but I've definitely been made to sweat twice. 

Lots of great experiences, but it's definitely a game for the patient and persistent. Some stand out at home commissions for me have been Mike Grell, Barry Kitson, Tim truman, and Val Semeiks.  .

[DeadpoolJr.]

14 minutes ago, Kohei said:

That sounds like a unicorn. I've had it happen with Val Semeiks on an inking commission and Tim Truman came through two full months(and I was quoted three months total) ahead of schedule, but that seems pretty quick imo.

How long are commissions on average? I've only had one and it was finished in around 3 weeks to a month?

[malvin]

19 minutes ago, DeadpoolJr. said:

How long are commissions on average? I've only had one and it was finished in around 3 weeks to a month?

you should stop now if you don't want that metric to change for the worse, that is considered very fast.

Malvin

[Kohei]

32 minutes ago, DeadpoolJr. said:

How long are commissions on average?

Malvin is correct-anyone surprised?

There's too many factors that go into it to give an average. How busy is the artist? If they're currently working on a monthly title I don't ask...or in the rare case that i do I don't expect a reply.

If an artist throws notification that they are currently taking commissions at home(or in preparation for a con appearance) I'd say three to six months is realistic. If it's in prep for  a con appearance then they should be able to send you pics of a finished piece before they head to said con-unless they are currently working on a book.
If you're going to meet them at a con do not pay up front is my advice.

[Bird]

2 minutes ago, Bill C said:

DC artist from the 80's that burned you on a commission? If his first name is Pat, you might as well out him as everyone knows about him.

Are you thinking that perhaps he got BrodeRICK ROLLED?

[AnkurJ]

Sadly these stories have become common with commissions. Artists take more work than they can handle and end up falling behind. I never pay more than half down for a commission. 

One thing of note, NEVER tell PayPal you are paying for something custom made, they DONT cover it in buyer protection. They also don’t cover installments. 

So it really is a leap of faith. There’s a Facebook group for sketches and commissions where people post their experiences both good and bad. I suggest anyone looking at a commission do their due diligence first.

[Overthetopinc]

You know its interesting reading this thread. Because not only are people getting burned but what about the quality of the art itself if it ever does end up being created. I say this because I have always felt bad about getting commissions for the obvious reason being you do not know what you are going to get. But I have gotten commissions in the past and have only had positive experiences and on top of that some artists take that commitment to heart. For instance I have commissioned Greg Simkins,Jota Leal,Dave Sim,and Gerhard. All four of those guys not only completed everything before the deadlines but did some of their finest work just for me. Some artists like the ones I have dealt with really take commissions more seriously then their regular jobs. It is like they feel privileged to have someone willing to pay them to create something special and they deliver. There are artists out there who put more man hours into their commissions and then do for gallery shows and such. I guess it is just interesting for me to see both sides of the spectrum here. I really do feel for the people who have such horrible experiences because for me, it would put a very bad taste in my mouth for the artist, the comic, and pretty much possibly the whole hobby in general with some of these crazy stories.

[mister_not_so_nice]

2 hours ago, DeadpoolJr. said:

How long are commissions on average? I've only had one and it was finished in around 3 weeks to a month?

Average ranges from overnight to infinity

[stinkininkin]

And from the other side of the fence, deadbeats like this make it harder for good faith artist's like myself when it comes to commissions.  If I'm going to go long on a commission, I say it up front.  Also, I don't dodge communications, I take little or nothing up front for a deposit, and I always try and do my best work given the limitations.  I have had to cancel a few commissions because of being overcommitted, but again, it's always communicated and no money was ever exchanged.  Being an artist is (usually) really hard to make a living, but that is never excuse to an unethical schmuck. 

There, I've said my peace.

 

[comix4fun]

5 hours ago, MAR1979 said:

 

Got nearly the same excuse from an artist a while back.  My opinion is shelling out money for commissions is significantly riskier than gambling given winning is rare . Which is why I no longer participate in the art commission game.

I've commissioned, literally, hundreds of pieces and have very very few horror stories. Like, count them on one hand few. So I'd wager your personal experience might have more to do with the particular people you chose to deal with, and bad luck encountering them, than in the "commission game" itself. 

[comix4fun]

2 hours ago, mister_not_so_nice said:

Average ranges from overnight to infinity

I've had both!!!

[TeeDub]

8 hours ago, Blastaar said:

Just sharing my experience my man...sorry I can't be more helpful. I guess if your looking for a point or a teachable moment from me it is I should have asked for recommendations from the board or gotten a referral. That and artist that are open and willing to do commissions with a two week turnaround are available for a reason.

What he is looking for is a red flag to help others that may fall into the same position that you have.  That is the point of these boards.  It is meant  to be a community.  Communities have like goals, respect for each other and watch out for each other by sharing relevant information.  In this case it would be the name of the vendor who may have been unprofessional at the least and possibly unethical.  

Sharing your experience here is great.  But if you aren't asking for help or looking to let others know who to be cautious of so that they can be aware and not have the same thing done to them then I'm curious as to the nature of the post.  And in my opinion you've acted with poor judgment in not naming the artist but giving a description of their past/career.  That's weak, brother.  Either give a name, or give no information on the artist at all.   People that read this post may now avoid an artist that they think fits your description, who indeed is not acting unethically.     - 'nuff said.

I do hope your deal gets worked out.  Good luck on that.   

Take care.

 

Edited August 2, 2018 by TeeDub

[williamhlawson]

12 hours ago, PhilipB2k17 said:

Isn't PayPal supposed to make you whole?

Obviously not.  Ask eBay...it must have left them feeling a little empty inside so they moved to a younger hotter Dutch lass. 

But...on topic.  I had one commission done circa 2004 and just decided I'd take what I see finished and in front of me for sale out of prudence.  If a dealer has a finished commission I must have; I attempt to get it from them.  I certainly miss the 'personal' touch of dealing with artists, but I lost all illusions to 'personal' upon meeting my initial art idol of 30+ years at my second con.  I got nothing signed, I simply wasn't going to pay $20 for a sig after a lifetime of buying his works on top of the most expensive piece of art purchased to that time.  I went home and sold every issue with his art in it, commision included the disappointing DAY it arrived, as I found it weak, lacking and mass produced.

Due to the increasing(?) number of fakes for sale..and the ever oscillating number of 'original' pages created due to modern techniques (surely a thread is near the top)...I have simply decided to purchase published pieces from reputable dealers/reps, or published / finished pieces from the artist's directly.  I know this 'limit's' my collection in personalized subject matter to some, but my collection is limited mostly by funding anyway. 

[Rick2you2]

I've generally had good experiences with commissions, but perhaps it is the way I go about it.

First, I don't commission an artist unless I meet him/her face-to-face at a con. It lets me evaluate what I think of their turn-around capabilities as well as what work they are showing. And yes, it is a limitation. But, I will travel to get what I want. 

Second, I find out what they would charge me, and then offer to pay more. I explain that I want the best job they can possibly do, and I don't want them to skimp on time to make a few extra bucks. I also ask for a rough time schedule. If you want some real-life assurance of a completed project, offering to over-pay is an excellent solution. By the way, that offer of mine has been turned down by quite a few artists. That scores points with me.

Third, I always bring research material with me so they don't have to go hunting for images of what I want. On occasion, I have bought supplies at a con to give the artist if they don't have them there.

Finally, I try to use some common sense by letting the artist have actual free rein on what to draw but giving directons of what it should generally be. I would not pay everything "up front" and have even had my offers of paying half up-front refused. 

[Blastaar]

7 hours ago, TeeDub said:

What he is looking for is a red flag to help others that may fall into the same position that you have.  That is the point of these boards.  It is meant  to be a community.  Communities have like goals, respect for each other and watch out for each other by sharing relevant information.  In this case it would be the name of the vendor who may have been unprofessional at the least and possibly unethical.  

Sharing your experience here is great.  But if you aren't asking for help or looking to let others know who to be cautious of so that they can be aware and not have the same thing done to them then I'm curious as to the nature of the post.  And in my opinion you've acted with poor judgment in not naming the artist but giving a description of their past/career.  That's weak, brother.  Either give a name, or give no information on the artist at all.   People that read this post may now avoid an artist that they think fits your description, who indeed is not acting unethically.     - 'nuff said.

I do hope your deal gets worked out.  Good luck on that.   

Take care.

 

Joined just a couple months ago, still getting the hang of the place. Was venting in the moment. Going to see if he makes good with a payback before PayPal has to extract the funds. If he does not pay me back before the deadline than I would be more than happy to share his name. It's listed as one of the names to watch out for on the facebook link shared in this thread. If you want his name PM me and I will share it. 

[Overthetopinc]

14 hours ago, stinkininkin said:

And from the other side of the fence, deadbeats like this make it harder for good faith artist's like myself when it comes to commissions.  If I'm going to go long on a commission, I say it up front.  Also, I don't dodge communications, I take little or nothing up front for a deposit, and I always try and do my best work given the limitations.  I have had to cancel a few commissions because of being overcommitted, but again, it's always communicated and no money was ever exchanged.  Being an artist is (usually) really hard to make a living, but that is never excuse to an unethical schmuck. 

There, I've said my peace.

 

Oh yea, I forgot. Years back I got a Scott Williams commission done. He did an inking job for me and he was terrific to work with as well. Solid through and through!