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I've just had my first try at taking requests a few days ago, probably because I need a reason to procrastinate working on all those awesome contests that I have been listing mourkhayn.deviantart.com/art/U…
The 10 slots I opened filled up in the blink of an eye...
As expected, I ended up with a large majority of OC requests, with the addition and a few cheeky requests, such as working on a commercial project for free (well, I guess it is fair game to try and nab what you can). Most people were considerate and provided references and ideas about what they wanted. Some others just provided a reference and a single sentence asking if I could draw the character in the picture. In a couple of cases, people actually directed me to a project website, with clear indication of what they were looking for.
Even though offering free stuff can seem quite counter-productive for an artist who's trying to get hired on commissions, I think taking requests is a good thing for quite a few different reasons :
1- It forces me to get out of my comfort zone and try something different. It's pretty much the same as contests, with a difference of focus. Where contests tend to give freedom on the subject (within the borders of the theme of the contest, that it), people who request art usually impose a subject. And limitations can foster creativity in a powerful way.
2- It helps me get in touch with a part of the community that I don't know. On deviantArt, it often feels like you can't throw a rock without hitting someone who's got half a dozen OCs to talk about. And yet, I don't know much about this particular community because I tend to look up to pros and people looking to commission an artist. It's interesting to explore this population.
3- It forces me to apply what I learn instead of indefinitely postponing the decision to actually work on a polished drawing under the excuse of needing to learn more stuff/practice more. There is only one way to improve : get your face in front of a problem and get cracking.
4- It helps building a portfolio and gives a bit of exposure. If someone was happy about your work, there is a good chance that they will talk about it around themselves. That means packing training and advertising in the single act of working on the request, which is quite effective in terms of how to make the best use of time.
5- Someone will (hopefully) get a nice suprise when I finish the request.
There are probably other benefits and quite a few shortcomings associated with taking requests. I know that, so far, the two that I have completed have been great opportunities to experiment with styles and ideas and to get inspiration for personnal work. Not to say that I will keep taking requests but I'm pretty sure that they can be a great way to keep motivated when the commissions are not coming in.
What do you think about taking requests?
Have you done it or plan to do it?
What would be your main reasons (not) to do it?
Have you found it helped you improve your art/get more exposure?
Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
The 10 slots I opened filled up in the blink of an eye...
As expected, I ended up with a large majority of OC requests, with the addition and a few cheeky requests, such as working on a commercial project for free (well, I guess it is fair game to try and nab what you can). Most people were considerate and provided references and ideas about what they wanted. Some others just provided a reference and a single sentence asking if I could draw the character in the picture. In a couple of cases, people actually directed me to a project website, with clear indication of what they were looking for.
Even though offering free stuff can seem quite counter-productive for an artist who's trying to get hired on commissions, I think taking requests is a good thing for quite a few different reasons :
1- It forces me to get out of my comfort zone and try something different. It's pretty much the same as contests, with a difference of focus. Where contests tend to give freedom on the subject (within the borders of the theme of the contest, that it), people who request art usually impose a subject. And limitations can foster creativity in a powerful way.
2- It helps me get in touch with a part of the community that I don't know. On deviantArt, it often feels like you can't throw a rock without hitting someone who's got half a dozen OCs to talk about. And yet, I don't know much about this particular community because I tend to look up to pros and people looking to commission an artist. It's interesting to explore this population.
3- It forces me to apply what I learn instead of indefinitely postponing the decision to actually work on a polished drawing under the excuse of needing to learn more stuff/practice more. There is only one way to improve : get your face in front of a problem and get cracking.
4- It helps building a portfolio and gives a bit of exposure. If someone was happy about your work, there is a good chance that they will talk about it around themselves. That means packing training and advertising in the single act of working on the request, which is quite effective in terms of how to make the best use of time.
5- Someone will (hopefully) get a nice suprise when I finish the request.
There are probably other benefits and quite a few shortcomings associated with taking requests. I know that, so far, the two that I have completed have been great opportunities to experiment with styles and ideas and to get inspiration for personnal work. Not to say that I will keep taking requests but I'm pretty sure that they can be a great way to keep motivated when the commissions are not coming in.
What do you think about taking requests?
Have you done it or plan to do it?
What would be your main reasons (not) to do it?
Have you found it helped you improve your art/get more exposure?
Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
Synaptic Fragments
A view of how my Alien-Hybrid imagination stumbles through this existence via rough sketches and ideas.
$2/month
Free brushes, meshes and models
Hi everyone,
There is some free stuff to grab until December 14th on Cubebrush, an upcoming marketplace for digital artists created by one of the artists working at Blizzard. The most interesting: over 40 free Photoshop brushes, High-def jpg photo references and, for those of us interested in 3D modelling, free meshes and models.
You just need to sign up online for free before December 14th to get access to all these + $5 in store credit.
Here is the link: https://cubebrush.co/promo?ref=Y-na7A
Merry christmas! :)
Paypal commissions open
Hi everyone,
I have updated my commission sheet. You can find it here:
Feel free to contact me if you are interested or have any question (I don't bite) :)
Arts and culture from Australia, round 2
The second issue of ICON is out, featuring more arts and cultural projects from all around Australia, as well as an exclusive interview with NSW Minister for the Arts George Souris.
You can preview the contents and order your copy on: iconmagazine.com.au/contents-i…
Teaser: Australian Art and Culture Magazine
Hi folks,
I'm pretty excited to announce that the first issue of ICON Magazine is now out!
I've been working for a few months on getting this off the ground and the result has been amazing: 144 pages of editorial written by the expert curators of over 20 major Australian art galleries and museums, accompanied by stunning photographs. The articles present the incredible diversity of exhibitions and projects going on in Australia at the moment.
Articles include:
A behind-the-scene tour of the Australia exhibition, on show at the Royal Academy of Arts in London
An expert preview of Old Masters, an exhibition on Aboriginal bark painting at the
© 2013 - 2024 Mourkhayn
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