~leasoncre

Google doc version here

Inspired by ANNE LAMOTT, “SHITTY FIRST DRAFTS” (originally read this full story in my English course in college recently) and a recent post i saw on twitter (that i can't find again.)

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I HATE criticizing an artist after the first sketch I receive. I feel like i'm insulting their creative ability. I commission them, fully well knowing they do excellent work. There's plenty of proof to this statement in their gallery. I've long tried to hold on to this belief and only name a few of the more glaring issues I notice in the first sketch I’ve received. And so far... It has only gotten me most of what I wanted. The end product I'm happy with, after all, I paid for it. And they put their time and effort into completing it. So why not praise the final product? It is final.

But what's done is done.

Now to that 'shitty first draft' I mentioned in the title of this. The referenced article may be directly related to writing, but it holds no less truth to an artist. The visual arts are just as much ART as the literary arts! (as well as many other names for works of toil these days) Let that first draft you receive (or draw, as any artist knows) be a crappy, shitty, basic-shape idea. And may that first response rip it a new one. This IS the stage at which you want as many imperfections fixed as possible (within reason). The first reply should convey your corrective intent to the image being created, especially if the initial idea phase didn't seem to quite capture what you see before you at this point. That's not to say you can repeat this process forever.

The second sketch should be 90-95% exactly what you're looking for come the final image. Let's face it, 100% will never happen, that is reserved for our own individual minds. (Wouldn't it be great if we could all draw like pros?) There should only be a few minor corrections at this point, no changing of the whole thing because you suddenly don't like it. You had this idea in the first place, carry through with it, or you shouldn't have initiated the creative process with your artist of choice. Finalize the sketch and move on to the next stages.

It's a shitty first sketch, why did you expect? a masterpiece?

That comes soon!

On to coloring. Now that the shapes have been committed to and you've chosen to continue with the fancy coloring bits, that's no reason to let the next stages continue unhindered. A simple character may be able to seemingly skip this phase and move on to the next or final phase, but every character needs attention, some just need a little more. The more complex a character, the more details that various artists may glaze over or not notice. This is a critical point in the sketch phase as well! But the sketch is only a shape, a physical shape. The details of color present their own conceptions to be interpreted. A basic coloring-in of the character or image should be done, in either a simple rough version or, some go so far as to make a nearly finalized colored version at this point. This choice often depends on the artist's style and process.

Review, Review, Review! Take your time looking over the image, you could even go do something else for a while and come back with fresh eyes. Complexities must be mulled over, not made rashly corrected, or missed until later. Send only one reply to each stage with as much constructive criticism (fixes, in layman's terms) as you can find. And keep a list of things you find often need correcting! I cannot count the number of times I have gone back to my own list of things to check for at various stages. And artists, if your client has a list of common mistakes or things to be wary of for that character, READ IT. It will help you just as much as the character's owner. After all, the commissioning process is a collaboration, both of you help each-other learn new things.

A note about ‘redlining’; I've seen a few folks that dislike this practice, but it can often convey an idea much more accurately than writing can. Language isn't perfect, especially if you're working with someone that speaks a different language than you. Google translate is not your friend, Google can't translate an idea, only the words you entered. Even if you both speak the same language, that's still no guarantee. Now, this is not a licence to just go about drawing all over someone else's hard work, it's meant only to be used if necessary to convey a specific idea you just can't seem to find the words for. (applies to both sketch and coloring stages)

Now that you've got all the corrections and clarifications out of the way, you should have no less than three (but I would expect more than that) Work-In-Progress stages/images behind you and a final image underway. And now is the time where you can start to admire the progress that has been made. Oh yes, oogle it! It should be 99-100% complete, with no more fixes to be made. If you find something at this point, and it's not something easily remedied, It's likely long past the point of no return. No doubt, ask the artist if it can be corrected, but you may just have to live with it. Make those last tiny fixes if any remain, and then do what you must to enjoy the completed work of beauty you have just created or commissioned!

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Now the not-so fun part, legal hoo-ha.. For good god's sake, CREDIT THE ARTIST, tag them, link their page or the original post by them, something that can be uniquely used to identify the creator of that beautiful work of art. After all, they worked for hours on it, sweat, tears, and perhaps even broken pencils went into that. I say unique tag or link because there are so many of us out there, a search for someone named 'blue' will return thousands, if not millions of results if i was to go look for the artist or even the character. Speaking of which, CREDIT YOUR CLIENT &/or CHARACTER OWNER as well! sharing is caring, we all look for what we like by way of random connections!

Words of warning:
Ask if the character in question belongs to the commissioner. check their own gallery for more of their character (typically posted over many years), Art theft and character theft has been rampant the current past, and many are simply younger individuals that don't know any better yet. Politely inform them about this if they were unaware. If they decide to be a child about it, let them, they will grow up one day. Even so, there will always be new characters to create!
There’s always ‘dicks’ out there. If you can’t get along with them, Move on. End of story.

Words of advice:
Have a reference sheet. That said, a reference sheet isn't always required. If you don't have one, there are artists that will work with a description and help you create your character. You gotta start somewhere! A ref sheet or even a simple drawing or rendering of your character will help most artists visualize your character. But be warned, if your character is anywhere near as complex as mine is, you'll need that ref sheet, it's an invaluable tool that you'll refine over the years to more accurately convey your character's many little details. I've had several ref sheets made over the years to better depict a base-image of my character as it has developed, adding things that are most commonly misrepresented. Yes, a complex ref sheet is a fair price to pay, but it's value in the long run is well worth it. :)
Have a Price sheet (artists), or a list, description of generalized prices. This avoids a number of troubles: a. Constant messages asking for prices. b. Helps everyone who finds your page know what the price range you’re working in (affordability, not everyone’s made of money) c. there are various other reasons i can’t think of at the moment.
Artists: Watermarks... Don’t put big watermarks across the whole image, that ruins the viewer’s experience. Deviantart and many stock photo sites do this, and it is terrible. BUT DO mark that image with your signature or stamp in a creative location within the image where it won’t be easily removed. (thieves like to crop things when it’s easy) Plus, it also identifies you uniquely as the creator of the image and can be easily (I’d hope) and uniquely identified.
Ask questions! ask all the questions! make a list of the questions you want to ask every time you speak with a potential customer/artist. it may be in their Terms-Of-Service if they have one, but it's always good to ask!
Don’t be a dick. Classic advice, always applies. You are working together, not against each other. We are a community, a family.

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Version 1 - Leasoncre - 20180323