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Why have you gotten so f&¢£ing slow all of a sudden?! I've commissioned you months ago! |
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>> A: I'm just a slow S.O.B.... No, I'm just kidding, I'm actually rather fast. I can typically create a full painting in less than 40 hours where it may take a less experienced artist more time. But this question is complicated and has three parts: First, Pride. Although I can create a mediocre painting in 10 to 20 hours, I want to get to a point where I'm satisfied that I've done enough with it. I'm a professional, and I want each piece to really mean something, even if it is "only erotic." Every painting I do adds tomes of knowledge and experience to my skill, and I want to milk every piece for what it's worth. Plus, you paid me your hard-earned money, and I want you to really enjoy the final piece.
Second, time. As I mentioned, I'm a professional and despite the number of fans the Furry Fandom has, I don't make enough in Furry Freelance work to pay my bills let alone survive on. I work a 9 to 5 job at an advertising agency working as an Art Director, and I also have "professional" freelance after I get home, in addition to my Furry Freelance. So where it may take 20 hours to finish any given piece, those 20 hours are non-sequential and broken up over the course of days or weeks.
Third, Parenthood. As of August 7, my wife and I have brought a beautiful little girl into this world who demands much of our attention. Until our lives regain a sense of continuity and practicableness, I am under excruciating time restraints.
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I want to commission you. How much will it cost me, and how long will it take? |
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>> A: I recommend you read the above answer regarding my time restraints right now before you seriously commission me, just so you understand the next comment I make: I will always be open for commissions, as long as you're willing to wait. There will never be a time where I do not have a queue of several people, because financially, I cannot afford to have down-time. Ever. So if you're waiting for me to be "totally free", I can tell you right now it will never happen. The earlier you get in line, the earlier your piece will be created.
The Cost of any piece of Art is totally dependant on what you want, when you want it, how big you want it, what you want it created with (Oils, Pencil, Digital, etc),... the list goes on and on. I really need to talk with you before I can even begin to give you a quote on price. However, I believe I am very easy to negotiate with, and I am also open to bartering; if you create fursuits, sculptures, artwork etc, I am often happy to trade wares with you.
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I want or need my artwork to be created right now, and I cannot wait for it. What can you do for me now? |
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>> A: Yes, it is true that I complete artwork generally in order as to when it was commissioned. But this is a job, and I juggle things when I think I can appropriately do so. If you need a piece immediately, I can create it for you for an extra cost. There is generally a 25% -of-the-total-cost fee that I need to tak-on to your cost in order to compensate for the inconvenience both to me and my existing clients.
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What methods of payment do you accept? |
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>> A: I accept just about everything, one way or another. My preferred method of payment is PayPal, which you can send to krossbreeder@hotmail.com. PayPal also accepts major Credit Cards for me.
PLEASE NOTE: As ofJune 12, 2003, in accordance with PayPal Policy revision, I can no longer accept PayPal payments if you are commissioning me for a Yiffy (mature) work. Please refer to the aforementioned link to understand what PayPal considers "Mature".
I will accept Money Orders, and Cash (at your own risk.) I will also accept a personal Check, however I will not begin working or mail products until the check has been verified and cashed. Out-of-state and "beginner" checks usually take longer than most.
IF YOU ARE SENDING PAYMENT BY POST MAIL, it is best to send that payment in a certified mailing so that you know it has been received by me. Several people have claimed they had sent payment when I never received it. I don't care if you claim to send payment 4 times in a row... if I don't get it, you never sent it. Easy as that. I don't like being screwed any more than you do, and Art takes a lot out of a person to create. Please don't play around with my time or livelihood.
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Do you still accept PayPal? |
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>> A:Yes and No. As ofJune 12, 2003, in accordance with PayPal Policy revision, I can no longer accept PayPal payments if you are commissioning me for a Yiffy (mature) work. Please refer to the aforementioned link to understand what PayPal considers "Mature". PayPal has adjusted the kinds of services they are willing to mediate, and because of recent crack-downs on child pornography, etc, they have simply taken themselves out of the equation.
However, if you are commissioning me for a "legitamate" (clean) artwork, OR a piece that could be classified as "cheescake" (clothed figures posed suggestively), PayPal may be used.
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What will happen if I use PayPal to purchase "Yiffy" (Mature) materials? |
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>> A: PayPal can fine both the customer (you) and the sales-house (me) $500 apeice and depending on the offense, persued legally.
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Do you accept bartering as a method of payment? |
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>> A: Yes, I do. In some ways, I almost prefer it. Since I've been so busy, it's very difficult to carve-out enough time to eat let alone create something for myself. If you are a fursuit builder or artist and would like to use your talents to pay for all or part of your payment to me, I welcome that idea! Please let me know beforehand!
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How do I know I can trust you to keep my identity and/or information private? |
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>> A: I am a professional. My reputation for honesty and sincerity is what fuels my business and garners repeating customers. I cannot prove to you that I will or will not do something any better than a major corporation can. However I am a consumer too, with a professional career, a wife and a new daughter. I loathe companies that sell my information, and I deeply value the need for privacy. I will never use your name, address, email, character information or any other personal information outside of conversations with you alone.
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How do I know that when I commission you, I will actually get it? |
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>> A: I am a professional. Like I mentioned above, my reputation and future sales depend on my honesty and ability to follow directions. Outside of my solemn promise, I cannot further validate the question, but I have never screwed a patron. It is true that there are people waiting, but your piece WILL be created and sent to you.
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What kinds of work will you do, and what kinds of work won't you do? |
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>> A: This is a very long answer which requires it's own page. Please follow this link to see what mediums, formats and themes I will and will not work in.
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What makes you so "professional"? |
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>> A: Lots of experience and a whole lot of debt. I have been an artist my whole life, and graduated from the College for Creative Studies, a 4-year private art college, at the top of my class with a 3.6 GPA and a Bachelors Degree in Fine Art, with a Major in Illustration and Graphic Design. Only 6 of us graduated from a class of 370 people.
Not including the many Fortune 500 clients I've worked with through the various advertising agencies I've been at, I have completed work for hundreds of companies including the NFL. I am dualy-employed through a Creative talent-placing service who tested my skills and ranked them as "Superior" in all Adobe® products, Flash®, Quark XPress® and many others. I will be completing my Adobe® Certification later this year. My artwork has been featured by invitation (in 2001) to be displayed in Manhattan's Society of Illustrators, a premeire Illustration gallery open to only 100 people nationally each year . My work has won numerous awards for concept and technique, and has been featured in several publications such as The Big Idea (March/April, 2002), RSVP (June 2001), Spectrum, (honorable mention, 2000) and Digital Techniques. I have also taught several semesters at my alma matre in Digital Skills and Image Making.
Plus I really like to draw. ^__^
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What's going on with the Free-Fur [Kreate-A-Fur!] Project? I've been on the list for a LONG time! |
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>> A: I do apologize for the wait, but I have not forgotten you! Everything I have ever received as part of my KAF! Project is printed out and collected in a duo of massive, 5" binders in my studio. I complete as many as I can during the times that I am not working on a paying commission. Despite how busy I keep myself, this does not mean I am not ever going to get the chance to finish your request. There are quite a few moments during my creative day when I am either waiting for a client to respond, waiting for payment, or otherwise need a break from whatever else I'm working on. All of the request that came in as part of the KAF! Project are treated with respect, but they are still "free" so I can't put them ahead of anything else.
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I would like to commission you, but have no preference for medium. Is there a difference in price? And if so, what is it? |
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>> A: Yes. Medium makes all the difference in the world. I work in literally any medium you desire: Oils, acrylics, gouache, water color, colored pencil, ink, pastel, graphite, charcoal, digital, scratchboard, clay, Super Sculpey®,... pigments and medias of every type. If you have no preference in what kind of art you'd like to see hanging on your wall, then consider this: Everything takes time. Some mediums (like Oil paint) take longer to dry than other pigments. But more importantly, some materials cost more. Digital paintings use no pigments (until printed) so there are no pigment costs but it still takes as long to paint as other mediums. People commonly believe that painting is somehow easier because it's done digitally versus traditionally. True, there are no messes to clean up or pigments to "mix," but overall, a 40-hour painting is still going to take 40 hours.
Pricing is determined by many factors, especially medium. Medium also determines what sizes work best, what size board or canvas, how long it will take to dry, how hard it is to change/repair, and how easily it can be transported and shipped. Oil paintings would be the most expensive, and pencil would be cheapest. Price is also dtermined by what I'm being asked to create and how much work and creative problem-solving will be involved. There is no direct answer to this question for all these reasons, so please feel free to contact me with a specific idea before we get started.
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: I don't see my question here,... can I email you? |
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>> A: Of course! Email me any time you want, at krossbreeder@hotmail.com! |
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