Posted By Kathleen David on June 23, 2010
I am a moderator for a group on Live Journal that talks about art and commissions. People come to us with either their frustrations over a situation or questions about how to avoid the frustrations that they have experienced in the future. There is a lot of discussion about how not to get ripped off on both sides of the transaction.
One thing I have noticed is that a lot of the younger artists, or people who are just starting out selling art work, tend to underestimate how long it will take them to get something done. As do the commissioner as to how long it should take for them to get their item. The commission usually believes that the artist knows how long it will take them to do something.
Now one thing that can bring the whole process to a halt is one of those things that happen in real life that can put a serious spanner in the works. Having to move can happen rather rapidly because of various reasons like a fire in the complex and your flat has water damage, breaking up with a significant other, kicked out by or kicking out a roommate or illness. Here communication with your customers is the key. And I know that things can happen pretty much in quick succession. However as a customer (which is what a commissioner is), I tend to get a little impatient when the life is nothing but crisis and excuses.
But what I see more and more is the artist taking more than they can do in a reasonable amount of time. They figure if they can do a sketch in say an hour then they can do X number (say 12 if that is all they are doing that day) in a day. That is 12 hours without going to the bathroom or eating. And what if something goes wrong and one has to redo the art work? So they quickly find themselves either staying up all night or falling further and further behind.
I know it takes me 4 uninterrupted hours to make one of my puppets. It will take me about another 4 of the same for costume for the puppet. That’s the basic puppet with no real extras like blinking eyes (add about an hour to an hour and a half) or rods (30 minutes if the weather is good). So in a day with no distractions I can get a puppet done. But I figure for the distractions that I know are coming and give myself two days to get something done and if I can get it done in one well good for me. Dolls at a workshop take “less” time because it is the only thing I am doing rather than all the interruptions and distractions that happen at home
I have a friend who does these really cool badges. It takes her about an hour (with a bathroom break on occasion) to sketch, ink, and color the badge. She knows that she can get about 6 to 8 done a day. She can do no more than 8 a day at a convention so when she is at her table, she knows how much work she can do at the convention and takes the commissions based on that. She also has stock for people to buy from as well. She has upped her prices recently to make it more worth her while and to get people who want her work rather than a nice cheap badge. Yes, she got some complaints but she still has the slots fill really fast when she get to a con.
Another thing that both the artist and the commissioner complain about is lack of communication. If one is commissioning something and the artist wants one to look at something before they continue, then it should be looked at in a reasonable amount of time. It holds up the process when the work can’t continue. Also a quick “I got your e-mail” response is not a bad thing on both sides. It shows that you are paying attention. However e-mail can come to the point of badgering the other person so it is a fine line.
So as an artist, one has to learn how to pace themselves and not assume that they can get done at home what they might be able to do at a convention where that is all they are doing. Fewer distractions at the convention than there are at home. They also need to learn, if they want to make this a business, how to market themselves and how to communicate with their customers so they can give it a go.
My thought on the matter is when one is starting out, go for half of what you can do at a convention until you can figure out what you can do at home with little stress. If you don’t do conventions, then take how long it takes you to do a piece and double it to figure out how much you can take on. As you get faster and figure out that you have wiggle room to take on more, then up the number of slots or raise your prices. Remember your time as an artist is part of the price as well.
I am grateful that I had people give me this advice early in my artistic career.
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