Next Round Of Art Shopping

August last year I commissioned a few artists and put my artist brief here.

Basically for my EMO Broken Hill/Planet Psychon.

So out of the 5

1 got me all work in within days and pretty much what I imagined and had good price
2 who charged most and seemed business-like with fastest response
-was 4 months late and gave me in a format I still have not been able to use but its good
3 got muddled up and started on next project and ive since reminded them they are 8 years late on another job for me so as much as I love them they have some issues with priorities. Id buy a sketch a week if I could and they came to party. Buying them meals has been more effective than nagging them but I basically cant rely on them and just have to see what happens/
4 was within 30 days as requested and art is good - not quite what I want but very good 
5 who I was helping out because he's a family man without work due to covid hasn't done anything 

My offer to lease existing work resulted in one item leased and another one I had more clothes added (possibly still not enough for some) and is an amazing piece from no 3. No5 I offered to lease/pay for work id seen in sketchbooks as are and they seem reluctant,

Having been a pro art director/publisher/managing editor Im pretty sure I can write a brief. I also choose artists on the basis they already have tho look so a few surprised when I said yes do that - that's exactly why i chose you. I guess like casting an actor you pick the ones closest to what you want already (but you can still be surprised). Ive been an artist and I get that clients expect artists to be psychic and do what the client cannot express and does not really know. Every client who doodled on a napkin and suggested fave fonts proved to be awesome to work with. Having been an assistant artist at 16 and hear my boss complain about clients for years and then 20 years of my own clients I get some of the issues, Now I have been the employer of that first boss I realise many of their complaints are their own fault. Goalpost shifting on both sides is usually the biggest problem. Web design was so bad for this I quit. Print design I found better. When I worked employing designers some didn't realise I knew all the software and I saw them trying to use tech BS to baffle clients and do what they want (and from my time on board of an art school I saw they seemed to teach this). Sometimes they cut text and got captions wrong because they cared more about design than the text. So i would fix stuff and often they wouldn't notice. I occasionally sneaked comics sans fonts into projects to annoy them and they didnt notice it despite joking about how evil it was daily.

Building good relationships is good so when you find that smooth collaborator keep them and be kind. Clients wanting free work or offering tiny shares on a project when they have no history or experience and the artist does is one of the worst. I know artists who will punch a client who offers "exposure" vs money. Clients like this need art more than the artist need them. Artists especially under covid need to live without food or rent.  

I'm recalcitrant on 2 writing projects myself - one a review and one an adventure but for some reason to use the assets given I feel I have to write mechanics as well to represent stuff. 

Nobody was forth-coming on a capsule bio for book or even an offer of an advertisement. It's Ok they are probably busy and im just another job. One artist recently when I asked about a rate card did so promptly with styles matched with prices clearly. Artist no1 gave me a text version immediately. Both these were very helpful and encouraged me to work with them. It is a very good tool for artists and employers. One artist kept moving quality goalposts - increasing quality (i want just line art and I was a comic colourist) to tonal realism then being resentful about quality I expected and timeframe when I would have been happy with their sketches (which are amazing). I chatted a bit with other artist who had worked with us in a studio and he confirmed all my suspicions and more. The same artist and another said they were too busy to take on new work which Id rather here than have my projects delayed while they keep taking new clients and starting new gofund me projects again and again.

So currently I'm commissioning more works by artist no1.

Im hoping for 
A4 ish B&W special forces SAS canetoad 
A4 ish B&W Bearded prospector collecting trash while zombies arising behind them
Spot Illo - mutant rat with sores and tentacles 
Spot Illo - Unexploded bomb in pile of trash 

One other artist I hope to lease lots of old work for future Psychon stuff.
I need to get that project happening again.

Im super happy with the work I did for Knock! and the rates.
Most pro gaming project I have been involved with.
Mostly this was effectively leasing old text and art and letting it be edited which they did really well with and I have zero complaints and regrets so awesome client and outcome.

Obviously, Im not saying who they are but you might see my book project and some Patreon supporters might have seen some. My Patreon is another whole can of worms for another post and Im suspending new posts for a bit until my obligations Im stuck on are resolved.

Hoping you all doing fine out there.
Blog hits have been very healthy here of late so thanks.