Comments on: The Next Big Thing!… Not

By: yondaime_kazekage

yondaime_kazekage — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:34:56 +0000

opportunist. this happened to me before. and this will keep on going happening to someone else. it’ll hurts more when u think of it. but it’s a lesson learn in time

By: cedricstudio

cedricstudio — Thu, 01 May 2008 22:04:39 +0000

In all fairness, I think part of the problem has to do with a common misconception people have about art. I can’t begin to count how many times I’ve been asked to “just whip up a quick sketch”, as if I just wave my hand across the paper and out comes a masterpiece. I don’t know where people get that idea, but it seems to be a common misconception. People honestly have no clue as to the process involved in making a piece of art. Part of my job is to politely and patiently educate clients about the creative process and how much time and effort it requires.

By: Mark Hill

Mark Hill — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:45:53 +0000

This hit home with me, too. Like you Steve and Cedric, I have developed a similar approach to these folks…who are simply trying to get rich from someone else’s efforts.

Occasionally someone will pay a fair fee up front — and if so, fine. But usually they walk away or argue that I’m missing out on a huge opportunity. To those persistent people, I say something like this: If you were creating a new invention, (say a plumbing item), would you go to a hardware store and tell them they can have a % of profits if they GIVE you the materials needed? No. –That usually shuts them up.

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:17:18 +0000

Actually I do not recommend trying to call their bluff as I did in the YAHI case. That would just be wasting your time and trying to “squeeze blood from a turnip”. This was just one instance that it happened to work out, if you call getting $300 each for a 12 x 12 inch full color illustration “turning out”.

Cedric has it right… best to just quote your full fees upfront and have done with it.

By: SteveH

SteveH — Thu, 01 May 2008 08:39:57 +0000

I have lost count of the approaches I have had on exactly this type of enquiry for my art. What is even worse is that just this week a commercial website wants me to do 5 caricatures for their ‘How we are’ page and when I mentioned the copyright conditions they said I was pulling ‘a fast one’, as if i was trying to scam them out of more money! Customers are cute but sometimes scary!