Art freebies and tips.

[Krissim Klaw]

Perhaps consider opening a shop and taking bribes. Then you can look at what the person wants in comparison to the offer and pick and choose. It sort of lets you listen to your muse and your wallet at the same time.


Free to me, means free and without the expectation of tips. A lot of people tip to let you know they saw your post or liked it, so they might not have been tipping to try and act like they were somehow paying for your time/insinuating that is all you were worth.

[Sand Dancer Shaka]

RoyalSquishy

Nah, I understand that most people on this thread see things a certain way and others see it another way. So you're all entitled to your opinion. And I really do get it....the fact that it's free means I shouldn't really ask for anything whatsoever.

Guess I'm just trying to work out whether I feel like I was wronged or if I have a right to feel like I'm wronged hrnnghh......

Meh... people react differently to tips or bribe amounts. I even have good friends who are offended by perceived low tips, but really the only person you upset is yourself. It kinda affects your enjoyment of both the site and drawing. It's probably only worth doing free art if you think you'll get nothing so if you do get something you're actually happy to get it.

Equally, I've had good friends who have asked me what I want as a tip for a freebie because they're scared to offend me with a low tip. It shouldn't be that way either. People shouldn't be afraid to tip in case it's too low.

sweatdrop

I think learning from it and moving forward is the only thing to do. It's highly perspective orientated whether you should feel wronged or not. To me, site enjoyment is priority so if it doesn't make you happy then just don't do it for those people again, or research a bit to see what they've tipped. If someone tips artists posts in freebies it shows in the tip jar, so you can avoid them.

[Rurilyne]

-wanders in- ninja

[adamai]

I love that avi hahah

[Nenanah]

If you're demanding tips then your art is not free.
It's pretty much a "I'll draw for you but pay what you feel is right thread".
Which I have nothing against those kind of threads because the market is so overly inflated it's really hard to price art.
But those threads have no business in the freebie forum.
Now if your subtle about tips, like saying it's not required, then I have no problem with your thread being in the freebie forum.

[Yukiko168]

hmm, for me, usually when I draw freebs I do it just cuz I kinda feel like it. if I'm trying to get money, I post in the art discussion (request? I don't remember the name) boards.

usually when I post the freebie I do get at least a 25g tip though, or a comment about how happy they are to get it. once I did a freeb and the only thing the person said was "hmm, I don't really like how you drew her neck, it's too thin" or something along those lines, without even a 25g tip. that kind of pissed me off... although I guess I shouldn't really feel that way since it WAS a freebie. :/

I dunno, I guess it depends on your perspective on freebies.

[Vixxie]

a friend and i had several art request threads over the years... two where we had a set budget to buy art, and one in the art freebies forum (when we ran out of art funds, lul).

and i always, *always* tipped the artists who were kind enough to draw for me, whether we paid for the commissions or they were offered to us for free.

it felt especially wrong to me to accept the art completely and totally free, even if that's what we were asking for. in the freebie art request thread, tips varied depending on how much gold i had on hand, but i always sent something i felt was "decent" and not insulting (oh gods i hope not insulting, anyway).. and of course, i showered the artists with thanks~

[Bibaxt]

Like what's been said before it is better for your health to go in expecting nothing even if it says tips. If you'd like to still listen to your muse,draw, and make some bank try setting up an auction thread like Krissim Klaw suggested.

[RoyalSquishy]

Nenanah

If you're demanding tips then your art is not free.
It's pretty much a "I'll draw for you but pay what you feel is right thread".
Which I have nothing against those kind of threads because the market is so overly inflated it's really hard to price art.
But those threads have no business in the freebie forum.
Now if your subtle about tips, like saying it's not required, then I have no problem with your thread being in the freebie forum.

i'm not creating a thread where i demand tips though.

just wondering if the thread title of someone who is asking for free art says tips, if it should mean more than the tip post button. I wouldn't mind it if it said +tipposts vs tips to attract people.

[Dlin]

I think the whole idea of tipping for art can be kind of an emotional mine field. The way an artist feels about their art pretty much depends on the artist. Some artists take critiques of their art very personally, and being "tipped" in pixel money can be a real hit in the ol' ego if the amount seems insulting or low. This sort of pain is avoidable, really, just by being honest with yourself.

If you are one of those artists who is very personally involved in your art, as opposed to someone who is more detached, then it would probably be a good idea to take a bit of time to set prices and create a shop. Only you can decide what your time and effort is worth. Random strangers will see the value of their gold (which they either paid cash for or earned in some way) and the value of your art in a way you will have no control over and this will inevitably lead to some disappointments when they "tip".

It should not come as a surprise when they don't value it in the same way you do. In my experience, most non-artists just do not have a clue how much real work goes into representational or figurative artwork. To many of them, it looks like fun and magic and maybe a bit of cheating since it must be the software doing most of the real work, right? So, as others in this thread have said, either start a shop, or have an auction and spare yourself the disappointment that working for tips can bring.

[ramskulls]

I think it's more important for me to get some thanks, whether it be in the form of a tip, or a thank you. I would prefer the thank you much more though. It bothers me when people don't. Feels like a waste of time otherwise. :^(

[RoyalSquishy]

Dlin

I think the whole idea of tipping for art can be kind of an emotional mine field. The way an artist feels about their art pretty much depends on the artist. Some artists take critiques of their art very personally, and being "tipped" in pixel money can be a real hit in the ol' ego if the amount seems insulting or low. This sort of pain is avoidable, really, just by being honest with yourself.

If you are one of those artists who is very personally involved in your art, as opposed to someone who is more detached, then it would probably be a good idea to take a bit of time to set prices and create a shop. Only you can decide what your time and effort is worth. Random strangers will see the value of their gold (which they either paid cash for or earned in some way) and the value of your art in a way you will have no control over and this will inevitably lead to some disappointments when they "tip".

It should not come as a surprise when they don't value it in the same way you do. In my experience, most non-artists just do not have a clue how much real work goes into representational or figurative artwork. To many of them, it looks like fun and magic and maybe a bit of cheating since it must be the software doing most of the real work, right? So, as others in this thread have said, either start a shop, or have an auction and spare yourself the disappointment that working for tips can bring.

I don't get mad at people who do try their best to tip, because I've tipped before and it's really hard to let go of gold in general for a freebie. It could be low for me, but to them it could be a big chunk out of their money. Even then, I don't really expect too much because like people above have stated, it is free. People can't afford the inflated prices in the art shop so they go find art freebies, and in general, it's really hard to get art anyways there.

I understand the whole "hit in the ol' ego" if the amount seems insulting or low. I've heard of artists who get tipped 1 bil and then feel insulted b/c it's too low from their perspective. But a tip in the form of 25g? Just don't put TIPS then in the title because in this economy i can sneeze and get that.

[spunglass]

I actually avoid those threads in freebies that say they tip. It just feels like they don't want to pay full price so they're in freebies and yet they think tipping will make you consider them more.

I dunno, I'd rather have random praise xd but that's just me and my need for validation.

[abkvs]

Tbh when I go to freebies I straight up reject tips outside of the tipjar. Accepting trades is too much work lol But I also make my own threads rather than going into other peoples' so it's kinda my domain my rules.
These days I just do my freebies in CB anyhow. I like more avatars in my CB one-off threads than the avatars or OCs I get from AF threads that I leave up for days. Better pickings over there than in AF imho.

[Loven Peace]

I actually used to (2 plus years ago?) make the majority of my gold income on Gaia from tips in the art freebies section.
Mind you, sometimes I would get 500g or 1k (Maybe the equivalent of 50mil now? sweatdrop ) from users and sometimes I would get waayyyy more. Like very generous tips. And they helped. And while I never EXPECTED them it was just considered good form and common courtesy to offer SOMETHING, even if it wasn't what you would pay for the art in a shop.
So when I came back I thought I'd doodle some more freebies for practice.
Now, once again - nothing expected.
But I was shocked to receive only one tip out of the many freebies I handed out.
Even if it's a cheap item you have laying around, I always thought it was nice to say "thank you" in some manner other than a quote with "awww it's cute".
But nevertheless I still love doing freebies for the very reason you stated - less stress, more options and choices, and no deadlines or requirements.
I guess I just miss old Gaia. (/beating dead horse)