MMOART Anniversary & Labor Day Launch Special!!!
By
Altoholic_Monkey,
Posted on: 2007-09-01 13:10 in Multi-Media Fan Creations
Gratz on the launch!
Which artists works for the MMOART studio? Could we see samples? I can't decide if I don't know who to expect.
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Gratz on the launch!
Which artists works for the MMOART studio? Could we see samples? I can't decide if I don't know who to expect.
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I'm curious as well.
I look at some of the very detailed posts above and I am truly humbled. Thank you for the inspiration, motivation and support over the last few years. I would list you all but there are far too many
what a great community =)
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Gratz on the launch!
Which artists works for the MMOART studio? Could we see samples? I can't decide if I don't know who to expect.
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MMOART Studio is designed to be a collaborative studio of various, rotational artists. Many of them have degrees in art and design, experience working in concept design and comics, for clients like Marvel and DC. The commission process is not like MMOART, where a client would be directly commissioning my work only. On MMOART Studio, a client would be commissioning a team. Based on the details of your request, and the style/look/story of your character, I will personally hand-pick those artists that best suit your project and I will oversee its creation and production from beginning to end. Each piece may have 2-4 artists working on it or more, depending on availability, style compatibility, their strengths/weaknesses, and several other factors. Basically, we will work together to collectively create a masterpiece for you. So what you can expect is high quality work at a fast turnaround and your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. With the amount of orders we've already received and are currently in production, artwork samples will be posted very soon.
Hmm....you choose the artists for your clients? That's ...... new.
*scratch head and wait for samples*
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Hmm....you choose the artists for your clients? That's ...... new.
*scratch head and wait for samples*
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It may be new to the fan art world but not to the art world in general. Many of the top design houses and conceptual art studios work this way. Clients can present a either a very detailed or a very vague idea of what they want. Our job is to breathe life into their characters and create a custom masterpiece for them.
Isn't Guildhelper doing the same strategy? It works for them, why not you, right?
"City of Heroes. April 27, 2004 - August 31, 2012. Obliterated not with a weapon of mass destruction, not by an all-powerful supervillain... but by a cold-hearted and cowardly corporate suck-up."
Can you request specific artists if their style is what you want your character done in? O_o
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Isn't Guildhelper doing the same strategy? It works for them, why not you, right?
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Eh.. not quite the same. I see GH kinda like a commission artist database. I'm not sure if the owner is actually involved in the commission process. I think he's more like an agent for those artists.
MMOART Studio on the other hand, is a direct extension of MMOART. I'm not an agent. I am an artist working with other artists. We have been very successful over the past 2 years and I want to continue producing the same quality artwork and the same level of service. But doing it all by myself limits our potential to grow. I'm excited to be working with the artists I've selected because the combinations of our concepts and talents can take MMOART to that next level.
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Can you request specific artists if their style is what you want your character done in? O_o
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Not a specific artist, but you can describe the specific style you're looking for, absolutely! I was very selective about the artists I wanted to work with and if there is any style or technique requested, I am more than confident it can be accomplished.
Can you provide the names of some of your artists? Are they folks we would recognize, and would it be possible to request a particular artist once we see the sample?
Well, Im trying to decide if I want to see Virs Impavida immortalized by the MMO Art crew or my Fire/Ice Blaster Aerial Amanda.
I thought about doing AD, but I think I'd want his PA and Phantasm in it as well, and I dont have that much cash :P
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Junkyard King's player here and all I can say is WOOOOO! I'm sure I can *twitch* wait a little bit *twitch* longer. Good art takes *twitch* time!
*begins to madly chew his fingernails in anticipation of an MMOART masterpiece*
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<---Lost to Junkyard King in that part of the Guardian contest, as I recall, heheh. Well, at least that means I haven't had to wait on the edge of my seat all this time ; ) Small consolation, really, but losing fair and square suits me ^_^
I can see forever 0.0
Even I'm thinking about getting something done up by them! 
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Mmmm....
Well to be fair, he does have a point. The contest folks have been waiting behind your paid queue, for almost a year. I kind of saw the writing on the wall, and that was what prompted me to upgrade mine to a full color piece. I suppose it's a good thing, that you would HAVE a queue for this long. You're not hurting for business, that's certain.
Of course, no one foresaw your accident either, or Lush's getting swamped with work. But hey... you're running your own biz, sometimes setbacks happen. As customers, we don't have much choice, this isn't mass-produced stuff so it's impossible to pass the work off to someone else.
And ... sometimes someone's patience runs out.
I renew mine by looking at the bluelines you sent. 
It's very effective.
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Mine certainly did. I ordered 2 pieces from MMOART back in August of 2006 and, as is customary, paid half up front. I got some sketches in late March of 2007 to approve (which I did immediately), and was told to expect delivery in April or May. It's now September and, frankly, after 13 months my enthusiasm has waned to the point of not being interested. All the contests are great, but if they dont deliver the bread and butter pieces, it seems like kind of a waste of time.
50s:
BluShield: Emp/Arch
Captain Physics: Grav/Rad
Crown Joule: NRG/NRG
Ensign Redshirt: Illusion/FF
Flight: Storm/Electric
Metaphysicist Mind/Kin
Ferrocerium Fire/Kin
Seismic Boom Earth/Sonic
A Leader of The Vanguard League
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Mmmm....
Well to be fair, he does have a point. The contest folks have been waiting behind your paid queue, for almost a year. I kind of saw the writing on the wall, and that was what prompted me to upgrade mine to a full color piece. I suppose it's a good thing, that you would HAVE a queue for this long. You're not hurting for business, that's certain.
Of course, no one foresaw your accident either, or Lush's getting swamped with work. But hey... you're running your own biz, sometimes setbacks happen. As customers, we don't have much choice, this isn't mass-produced stuff so it's impossible to pass the work off to someone else.
And ... sometimes someone's patience runs out.
I renew mine by looking at the bluelines you sent. It's very effective.
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Mine certainly did. I ordered 2 pieces from MMOART back in August of 2006 and, as is customary, paid half up front. I got some sketches in late March of 2007 to approve (which I did immediately), and was told to expect delivery in April or May. It's now September and, frankly, after 13 months my enthusiasm has waned to the point of not being interested. All the contests are great, but if they dont deliver the bread and butter pieces, it seems like kind of a waste of time.
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It's obvious that I'm a big fan of Gill... but I do agree - that is too long to wait.
/sends Gill some poweraide
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Mine certainly did. I ordered 2 pieces from MMOART back in August of 2006 and, as is customary, paid half up front. I got some sketches in late March of 2007 to approve (which I did immediately), and was told to expect delivery in April or May. It's now September and, frankly, after 13 months my enthusiasm has waned to the point of not being interested. All the contests are great, but if they dont deliver the bread and butter pieces, it seems like kind of a waste of time.
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*nods* I'm in the same exact boat as you. I'm feeling generally blah towards the two pieces I commissioned back in Aug '06. I was excited at one point, but now the enthusiasm has exited the building.
I understand life happens and delays happen. But waiting over a year with no idea when I'll ever see the finished pieces has left a somewhat sour taste in my mouth. Lessons learned, c'est la vie.
Huron: "...with Coffee primary / Attitude secondary"
Charnage: "Please. Think of the poor defenseless desks."
"The Babylon Project was our last, best hope for peace. It failed... In the year of the Praetorian War, it became something greater... our last, best hope for victory."
Heh, somethings are way outside my monetary and attention span capabilities, but hopefully you're getting some orders out of the sale!
I posted this a few weeks ago but I'm happy to update it for the people that might have missed it. We basically blew up after our 1 year anniversary and got totally overwhelmed. This has all been a huge learning experience and sure hind sight is 20/20. There are things I would do differently and things I wouldnt. I can tell you that it was not my intention to keep some of my clients waiting for such an extended time. Please remember that I am just one man and I am doing everything I can to get this work done. I have to maintain the website, run a business, illustrate, and last but not least be a husband, and father. So yeah my plate is pretty full but my resolve is still strong. Everyone will get their orders and I will put 110% into in to your commission when your turn is up. If you need to hear it directly from my customers then I invite you to take a look at my testimonial page and read their entries. I said it last time and I will say it again. I will not sacrifice the quality of my art for quantity or to speed things along. I do apologize for the delays and thank you for your outstanding patience.
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Mine certainly did. I ordered 2 pieces from MMOART back in August of 2006 and, as is customary, paid half up front. I got some sketches in late March of 2007 to approve (which I did immediately), and was told to expect delivery in April or May. It's now September and, frankly, after 13 months my enthusiasm has waned to the point of not being interested. All the contests are great, but if they dont deliver the bread and butter pieces, it seems like kind of a waste of time.
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Hey Blue, I do apologize that you have had to wait. I sent you an e-mail on Aug 16th as I was working on the final stage of your order. Nakiesha sent out e-mails this weekend to the people we have yet to hear back from and we got your update via our client image updater 2 days ago. Thanks for that and you can expect your piece very soon. I will contact you via email in regard to your second piece so please be on the lookout for that and please know that I will do everything in my power to restore your enthusiasm and to create a piece that justifies your wait .
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*nods* I'm in the same exact boat as you. I'm feeling generally blah towards the two pieces I commissioned back in Aug '06. I was excited at one point, but now the enthusiasm has exited the building.
I understand life happens and delays happen. But waiting over a year with no idea when I'll ever see the finished pieces has left a somewhat sour taste in my mouth. Lessons learned, c'est la vie.
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Life does happen and I thank you for your patience. I will e-mail you in the morning in regard to your commissions and as with Blue I will do all that I can to restore your enthusiasms and deliver a piece you can be proud to display.
If there are anymore questions or concerns please dont hesitate to contact me at gillbates@mmoart.com 
I have to agree with Gill here.. as my own little team has also been guilty of delays as well because of RL issues. So I have to defend Gill here..But I think Gill said it best that quality rather than quantity is most important in this line of work. Unfortunately, great art does take time and I hope people do read his testimonials and recognize that overall it is a positive experience.
I know Gill doesn't need defending, but I just wanted to toss my two cents in....
13 months of wait... alright. Understandable to be frustrated, but good things come to those who wait. I'm upgrading a lot of my own commissioners for their patience since I'm still out from the car accident that nearly took my life. I can only IMAGINE what a chemical burn to the lungs did to Gill.
And yet he's still taking charge and being professional. Hat's off to him...
Artists are constantly dogged for long commission times. But I've a feeling that Gill and I share the same approach about commissions. Why would we want to sign our name to a piece that we didn't put our all into?
Would a commissioner be satsified with average artwork if it was done faster?
An average painted piece for me is 40 hours. That's 3.75 an hour. I don't charge what Gill does, because I'm not the same caliber or genre, but I do put my all into each piece... I can't speak for Gill, but I'm obviously not into commissions for the money, so to speak... but food for thought...
I don't think anyone really has an issue with long waits, I think the issue was(is?) unexpected long waits with very little explanation. Its different when you know something will take 6 months, a year, etc, but, (my own experience elsewhere)its very frustrating when a piece commissioned with the understanding and expectation of 3 months still isn't done in 8 and there's been little to no communication as to why. Sounds like there was just some miscommunication in this case, but I can understand the frustration.
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I don't think anyone really has an issue with long waits, I think the issue was(is?) unexpected long waits with very little explanation. Its different when you know something will take 6 months, a year, etc, but, (my own experience elsewhere)its very frustrating when a piece commissioned with the understanding and expectation of 3 months still isn't done in 8 and there's been little to no communication as to why. Sounds like there was just some miscommunication in this case, but I can understand the frustration.
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Exactly. If it's stated up front that it could possibly take x amount of time for the pieces to be completed, then knowing that up front is one thing. It's entirely different to have no explanation as to why a rough date of y is given, then that comes and goes without any explanation until long after the fact.
That aspect is what brings down the level of enthusiasm for the piece(s). For example, instead of "oooh, I was told I'll be getting this around such and such *happy dances*" it's more like "oh, I was told to expect this aroundish such and such, but that was a few months ago and haven't really heard anything, so I guess I'll get this when, as and if I'll ever get it *shrug*"
The long timeline issue might be something better explained in a site FAQ, especially for people who are not familiar with artwork circles but are considering commissioning a piece or two, associated wait times and instead go by what previous clients have mentioned for how long it took for their pieces from start to finish. Testimonials are one aspect of the process, but I think a rough "this is how long it could take for you to receive your artwork depending on queue, complexity, yada yada" would help immensly. On the flipside to that, I can see where stating that up front could scare some people off from considering an order.
I have some more thoughts about this which I'll be responding to Gill privately on. I wanted to respond here to hopefully clarify things as well.
Huron: "...with Coffee primary / Attitude secondary"
Charnage: "Please. Think of the poor defenseless desks."
"The Babylon Project was our last, best hope for peace. It failed... In the year of the Praetorian War, it became something greater... our last, best hope for victory."
I very much understand where you both are coming from. Storm I sent you an email last night and very much look forward to your response and also discussing any additional thoughts and or concerns you have.
<.<
>.>
Uh... yeah... I haven't gotten my piece either... and I was next... yeah, that's it. Oh! I paid in full up front too. You guys start drawing my characters.
ROFL! Yeah you are scarier than Cher!
Firstly, congratulations to Gill and the team on the launch of their new site, and boy would I love to take advantage of the great 20% off sale that is currently going on!
Secondly, I cannot highly recommend Gill and his team at MMOart enough.
If there's one thing that upsets me when waiting for commissions, it's the lack of any occasional updates and progress emails, IM's or PM's on how the commission is going.
I appreciate being informed. Even if the communication time between messages comes months apart (and considering the busy schedule of some artists - this is common). Nothing worse than being kept in the dark.
Even when there have been work related delays, and personal setbacks, Gill and his team have always made the effort to either update their website, make forum posts here, or contact clients directly to explain the current situation.
In my dealings with MMOart, Gill and his team have been courteous, considerate and professional. Despite a lengthy waiting time, I have always been kept informed of progress on my commission(s) and I appreciate this. I don't mind being patient, if I am kept informed.
This also works both way. When I had financial problems for a few months, Gill and his team were more than understanding in sympathizing with my situation, and were trusting enough to believe that I would eventually get back on my feet and honor my part of the commission agreement.
I did not abuse this faith Gill showed in me, I resolved my situation, and I did honor my end of the commission agreement with MMOart.
I thank Gill and his team for being so patient and understanding during my time of need.
I'm still waiting on my second commissioned piece from Gill, but I don't mind the wait of months because I have faith that Gill will eventually produce a piece that I'll be very proud to display.
I'm sorry you've had a negative experience in dealing with MMOart, but I'm sure that you'll be more than pleased with the final piece that Gill produces.
You may have to wait a while, but in my personal experience the wait is worth it.
James Hansard