How long is too long to wait for a commission?

[JadeGiant]

The golden rule is not to pay all your money up-front (yeah, I know this is often said). A small deposit should prove sufficient to indicate your willingness to see the deal through and I'd find it highly-suspect to encounter any artist insisting on full-payment beforehand (I'd only go with that idea if the artist's reliability was 100% endorsed by other collectors).

 

Not necessarily true. While there are a lot of artists that don't require money up front, the majority still do. As someone who still commissions art on a regular basis (albeit not nearly as much as I used to), I can't eliminate an artist just because they require payment up front as it would be too limiting for what I want to collect. Instead, I do a LOT of homework on deciding if an artist is worth the risk of paying up front. I will pay up front if the artist has a good reputation and track record of delivering commissions on time. There is a lot of information online that I can usually make this determination. IF not, I will pass and move along. I recently sent an artist money up front because he has a stellar reputation.

[IngelsFan]

I've read a lot of bad commission experience stories, and each one makes me grateful for all of the commissions that I have had done that went well. Not to be the Crusty Old Guy here, but I think a big part of why mine were successful is the fact that they were older artists with a different work ethic. The longest I ever waited was 3 months, and that was from Jerry Grandenetti, and would have been completed faster but for a unique situation (9/11). I just feel like those guys (were talking Esposito, Heath, Grandenetti, Trimpe) just loved the work and had fewer distractions. The current crop of artists have to hustle to find their next project, spend a lot of time networking at cons, etc just to maintain a steady income, and commissions just aren't high on their list of priorities because they are such a small part of their income. The older guys were used to doing 4 or 5 seven page stories a month, plus a few covers. I can't imagine that kind of output, and don't know of anyone in the past 30 years that can even come close. Unfortunately that pool is an increasingly shrinking one...

[Terry Doyle]

The golden rule is not to pay all your money up-front (yeah, I know this is often said). A small deposit should prove sufficient to indicate your willingness to see the deal through and I'd find it highly-suspect to encounter any artist insisting on full-payment beforehand (I'd only go with that idea if the artist's reliability was 100% endorsed by other collectors).

 

Not necessarily true. While there are a lot of artists that don't require money up front, the majority still do. As someone who still commissions art on a regular basis (albeit not nearly as much as I used to), I can't eliminate an artist just because they require payment up front as it would be too limiting for what I want to collect. Instead, I do a LOT of homework on deciding if an artist is worth the risk of paying up front. I will pay up front if the artist has a good reputation and track record of delivering commissions on time. There is a lot of information online that I can usually make this determination. IF not, I will pass and move along. I recently sent an artist money up front because he has a stellar reputation.

 

As I said . . .

 

"I'd only go with that idea (of full payment up-front) if the artist's reliability was 100% endorsed by other collectors"

 

Which is what you've effectively said, ie:

 

"I will pay up front if the artist has a good reputation and track record of delivering commissions on time."

 

So, what are you disagreeing about?

[Terry Doyle]

Many popular artists refuse to take money up front. It's probably the safest way to go for them and the collector. If someone wants a deposit and is unable to give an ETA, I would avoid consigning them.

 

Unfortunately, we hear too many cases of trusting collectors who don't research the artists they're commissioning and/or don't build any safeguards into the agreements they make.

[Captain Canuck]

I've read a lot of bad commission experience stories, and each one makes me grateful for all of the commissions that I have had done that went well. Not to be the Crusty Old Guy here, but I think a big part of why mine were successful is the fact that they were older artists with a different work ethic. The longest I ever waited was 3 months, and that was from Jerry Grandenetti, and would have been completed faster but for a unique situation (9/11). I just feel like those guys (were talking Esposito, Heath, Grandenetti, Trimpe) just loved the work and had fewer distractions. The current crop of artists have to hustle to find their next project, spend a lot of time networking at cons, etc just to maintain a steady income, and commissions just aren't high on their list of priorities because they are such a small part of their income. The older guys were used to doing 4 or 5 seven page stories a month, plus a few covers. I can't imagine that kind of output, and don't know of anyone in the past 30 years that can even come close. Unfortunately that pool is an increasingly shrinking one...

 

Plastino was also one of those guys who would dust off a commission in 2 days. He was used to drawing and inking all of his pages and was very proficient.

 

I find sometimes that the artist's rep is worse than the artist in that they aren't very good at getting back to customers and being that in between when they are your only way of working with/contacting an artist. I have had some reps that wouldn't follow through and others that would take a month between responses.

[JadeGiant]

Maybe we aren't really disagreeing Terry as your approach and mine sound similar in nature. I think I latched onto the premise that it is suspect to hear an artist want full payment in advance. That fact alone is not suspicious to me I guess. I think a person's reputation and what I can glean from other hobbyists that have worked with the artist are much more telling to me than the payment policy itself. I just set up a commission with David Williams and sent full payment up front (even as a gift so that paypal didn't get a cut) because he has a stellar reputation and I have spoken to several people that have had great experiences with him... the up front payment was no problem for me.

[Kahnadah]

Thanks for the comments all. The artist is a respected pro, and I assume he's just uber busy. I got an email from him saying that the artwork is in the layout stage, so I hope that's good. I had no problem paying up front, as the artist has an excellent reputation. I just thought by the opening email that it wouldn't take so long. Lesson learned I guess!

 

Thanks,

James

[kav]

Layout stage is another bid for buying time. Doubt he's laid out squat.

[eewwnuk]

Agreed. Some artists will fib about progress to buy more time. Ask to see the layout to see if he's being truthful.

[cmaeditor]

The fastest commission experience I had was with Brazilian artist Allan Goldman. I inquired about the commission to his agent on 7/9/2014 and got 4 prelims in about 24 hours. I chose the layout I liked, and the piece was done in about a week. The hard part was waiting for it to ship from Brazil. That took about a month and a half.

 

http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1156892

[kav]

Agreed. Some artists will fib about progress to buy more time. Ask to see the layout to see if he's being truthful.

Then come the scanner down etc excuses

[rotembk]

I had a frustrating experience with a very well known artist from whom I bought an existing non-solicited artwork (like many others come con season, he did a very nice drawing of one of the characters he's most famous for, so that he'd have a limited print he could sell at cons).

 

All he needed to do was pack the artwork and ship it to me. Nope. Only when we got to the sixth month after payment and I opened a dispute through PayPal did he finally send me the art. Of course all that time I saw people post on CAF other artwork he created and sold in the meantime.

 

And by the way,what InglesFan said is kind of funny because these days there's a crop of artists whose source of income is just traveling the con circuit doing commissions. They prefer doing that than having to be tied to a drawing board and churn out a title on a monthly basis.

[jqa3]

wait tolerance is totally up to you.

 

Agreed. You'll know when it's been long enough and at which point you ask to

see some progress or a refund. And also if/when it's time to cut bait and name

names.

 

I paid $150. for a commission from a non-comics artist in 2002. I was always

VERY flexible with time & delivery with any commissions and was happy with

occasional e-mail updates and regular communication. Late 2009 the replies

slowed to a trickle and in 2010 I asked for a refund. The artist became quite

surly and we were at an impasse until I registered artistsname.com and put up

a webpage detailing my version of our failed deal.

 

Sonuvagun if all of a sudden my piece jumped to the front of his workload since

my("his") website was popping up in google searches and potential clients were

asking him "WTF?!". If he would have sent a refund, all would have been good.

Instead he was sorta "forced" to create a piece that was probably worth quite a

bit more than what I paid, tho' he did add a "virue" type jab into the art. No matter

- it's a nice piece and I have it framed and up on the wall.

 

 

[JadeGiant]

wait tolerance is totally up to you.

 

Agreed. You'll know when it's been long enough and at which point you ask to

see some progress or a refund. And also if/when it's time to cut bait and name

names.

 

I paid $150. for a commission from a non-comics artist in 2002. I was always

VERY flexible with time & delivery with any commissions and was happy with

occasional e-mail updates and regular communication. Late 2009 the replies

slowed to a trickle and in 2010 I asked for a refund. The artist became quite

surly and we were at an impasse until I registered artistsname.com and put up

a webpage detailing my version of our failed deal.

 

Sonuvagun if all of a sudden my piece jumped to the front of his workload since

my("his") website was popping up in google searches and potential clients were

asking him "WTF?!". If he would have sent a refund, all would have been good.

Instead he was sorta "forced" to create a piece that was probably worth quite a

bit more than what I paid, tho' he did add a "virue" type jab into the art. No matter

- it's a nice piece and I have it framed and up on the wall.

 

 

Another "virue" type commission? Got a pic?

[chrisco37]

[font:Book Antiqua]

Remember the Golden rule:

Patience is a Virue... [/font]

 

 

[AKA Rick]

[font:Book Antiqua]

Remember the Golden rule:

Patience is a Virue... [/font]

 

 

 

I do think with many collectors the actual experience with an artist builds the foundation on whether or not a piece can be appreciated and enjoyed.

 

If an artist is rude, inconsiderate and plays games, no matter how big that person's name is, and no matter how ('tho subjective) beautiful the piece is, it becomes emotionally damaged goods to a degree. I'd never want to keep a piece where an artist put an easter egg jab at me out if ill respect.

 

On that topic 'tho, with Michael Golden, I waited for a piece at the end of a show, which he never got to, so, he felt bad and then by his next show appearance, with cordial communication back and forth, he took the piece up a notch as a bonus, inked it, and delivered more than what was initially expected.

 

So, that leads me to the opposite side of the coin...

 

In the same breath, if an artist is a wonderful person and maybe not the best known artist, but puts forth efforts, engages in conversation, is passionate about the work, I personally tend to like it a whole lot better, mainly because for me, commissions are not simple business transactions where you throw money on a table and feel you own that artist and are due a piece of artwork in exchange, it's a bit more about the personal experience of getting something done custom and having that souvenir. That's why I've generally never bought other peoples commissions or sometimes even pre-done ones by artists. In the same breath, that's also why I've sold some commissions, maybe not due to negative experiences ('tho some have been), but maybe the nostalgic memories faded or I've lost my appreciation for a specific piece.

 

I think some artists feel the same way, where they only do commissions at conventions, none at home, and even price them affordably for fans, and enjoy the interaction of "giving back to the community" so to speak. I know, back in the days, some artists would only do sketches if you waited in line, so if there were 10 people ahead of you and it took 20 minutes per sketch, you waited over 3 hours for your turn. Those were fun experiences most of the time. Waiting, chatting with other collectors, watching various characters being drawn.

 

I think part of the fun of collecting commissions are the memories of that thrill of the chase.

 

[MIL0S]

unfortunately poor customer service that would be completely unacceptable anywhere else is tolerated by art collectors allowing artists to continue doing it. One big problem is that most artists require full payment up front and provide no contract or receipt (I think few collectors request one, I know I didn't) which leaves little incentive to finish the work (other than, you know, being professional stand up citizens...).

 

I've had three bad experiences with three different artists for prepaid work commissioned in person at conventions. one artist after many excuses, and 'fibs' (I started the piece, it's at home, etc, etc.) eventually refunded the full amount because I think he was genuinely embarrassed at seeing me approach his table at numerous conventions. Good luck getting a refund from an artist though... Another artist, who didn't get to the piece at the show promised to mail it within a week or two, eventually coughed up a sketch at a later show but I was so soured on him that I sold it. and a third high profile artist with a habit of doing this (that I wasn't aware of at the time) eventually mailed a piece after much hounding via email and at subsequent cons. It's a nice piece and I kept it despite the crappy customer service, and I do still like that artists work, though now I know never to pay for work not completed and in hand or to simply buy prefinished work he may bring with him for sale.

 

the best you can do is to ask around and see what the artists reputation is. even though many people (myself included) are reluctant to bad mouth or "out" artists the word trickles out and the offenders are (mostly) known.

 

 

[art4comics.com]

I get a lot of commissions done. Several dozen a year and I must have have close to 1000 if I include con sketches. I will include con sketches in this discussion because they sometimes don't get done and are finished later.

 

I will wait as long as it takes as long as there is communication with me and the artist. a gentle nudge every few months. i have waited as long as 3 years for a half dozen commissions and they have always turned out very well. often the artist feels guilty about the wait and does extra. i don't think any artist enters into a commission with bad intentions. they do it to please a fan and to make some extra money and then things get in the way.

 

i do avoid artists that have a reputation of not delivering and not communicating. i don't need that hassle but i do give most artists the benefit of the doubt.

 

currently i am waiting on w european artist commissions for about 7 months already paid for. 2 years on another european artist. about a year and a half on another european artist. i am waiting on one with a well known north american comic artist 4 years now. we keep in contact. he has done other commissions since then and is now busy with a big book. i understood how this would go at the time i signed up. i have several commissions from him in the past and i am sure this one will work out eventually but there is no time frame.

 

my preference is artist that know how they work and have a set number of commissions they can do a month. they prebook you like say june and when june comes around they contact you and ask you to pay then because they are ready to start. many reps work like this with their artists too. i like that model but unfortunately it is not the norm.

 

so, back to the question. how long to wait. i would say as long as it takes as long as you are still communicating with the artist. good will, patience and trust go a long way. if you don't have patience and trust, i would say stick to published or completed pieces.

 

jeff

 

 

 

[romitaman]

Should i mention i've been waiting 14 YEARS now for my Joe Jusko huge painted spider-man Commission i've yet to receive, which Joe was paid for in FULL from a deal where i gave him an almost complete John Buscema Bronze Age art book back in 2002.

 

I've been promised numerous times it was being started? .

 

Joe SWORE to me in early 2015 when he finally responded to one of my emails, that i'd have it FOR SURE before Christmas 2015....and he thanked me again for my patience......

 

And once again...he hasnt answered the last 10 emails i've sent him over the past 10 months. I'm still a patient guy and i'm still waiting...and still hopeful......

 

but I only wrote this so people beware before ever paying Joe up front for a commission.

 

if anyone here knows Joe personally.... please feel free to mention to him why he hasn't finished my painting...maybe that could get him going.....

[jqa3]

Another "virue" type commission? Got a pic?

 

Not handy. It was for my silverfish collection and depicts a bug giving the finger.

Probably NSFW so maybe for the best...