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{Edit} I apologize if this post seemed too...abrasive. It was not my intent to offend anyone, only to try to bring some things into perspective. I don't often rant, but I was hoping that by doing so, I could change the way some people seem to think about artwork. It is a lot of work, and it should be paid like a job. I'm tired of the assumption that artists just laze around all day with nothing better to do, or that they're not nice people because they charge for their work. This seems to be the general opinion of the art market today. I do appreciate the fact that people ask for art because they like the artist's work, but none of the artists I know can afford to work for free. Artwork (and artists) should be taken more seriously and not treated like some frivolous thing.{/Edit}
I've mentioned this before, but once again: I do not work for free. I do not draw free requests. I do not work based only on a possible future percentage of product sales. I do not work for the privilege of having my name mentioned somewhere, or for the "opportunity" to improve on my own skills by drawing other people's ideas. As my friend minarho1 put it: "You wouldn't ask your plumber to fix your toilet for free because it will make him excel in his own household, nor would you ask an electrician to wire your house for free just so he can put his name on his work."
Artwork is work, though many people don't understand that. It takes a lot of time and effort and research to complete an image. Also consider the fact that it takes an artist years and years of practice and dedication to be at the level they are now. If you think drawing is quick and easy, have you tried drawing for yourself? Or if you think name credit is payment enough, when's the last time you tried to pay the rent or buy yourself a meal with your name? Or with promises that you'll get a few pennies from someone else's sales in the future? Exposure is all well and good, but exposure alone won't keep an artist from starving. I can understand if you can't afford an artist's prices, but at least offer some alternate compensation for the work rather than trying to con them?
If you want me to work for you, please understand that you'll have to pay for the time I'm going to spend on your project. You're asking me to set aside everything so that I can devote myself to your vision, to research and imagine and create illustrations for your own purposes. Drawing/painting takes a lot of effort and a lot of hours and often a lot of materials, not to mention all the extra time spent on keeping in touch with clients, sending approval sketches, discussing details and changes. Please think about it. I'm very tired of answering notes/e-mails asking me to work for nothing with the excuse that they're doing me a favor by it. So unless you have an...extraordinarily good reason why I should work for free, please don't ask.
Also see Wen-M's journal on this issue: wen-m.deviantart.com/journal/1… and JessicaMDouglas's as well: mistressofspam.deviantart.com/…
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And while we're on the subject of artwork, please DO NOT ask me about using my personal work for your own roleplay avatars or signatures or websets/tubes or your MySpace! The answer is no. The answer is also on my FAQ page. My work portrays my own characters and stories (as well as those belonging to friends or commissioners), and is not to be used for any other purpose. I am not keen on slapping a giant watermark saying "DO NOT USE" across the front of all my paintings, so please don't make it necessary.
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