It depends on the expected detail of the final and what the client wants... If the client has no ideas, and just wants art, usually the artist can "whip" something up. But if the client has specific scenes they've always envisioned in their head for their toon to be doing, then they might only want that depicted.
I prefer client input for my more detailed pieces, but for general work, I find it's easier for me to be set loose. However that being said, the client input ones are always the better pieces.
LJ
The more input they give me, the less I have to try to make up. 
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The more input they give me, the less I have to try to make up.
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I don't take commissions, but I was thinking the same thing. 
Yeah, it kind of depends on what the commissioner wants.
Sometimes I like it when they trust my judgement and let me free.
Sometimes I like it when they guide me into what they want to see.
Personally, I like being set free...but that also means more work for me as well since it leaves alot of the "creation" step up to me...and, designing stuff takes time...
As already said, it depends on the client's expectations.
If they have something VERY specific in mind, they NEED to tell me.
If not, then let me have at it! lol
I'll throw in another it depends.
I don't mind either way. I've had clients that run the gamut from knowing what they want to having no clue, and I'm generally fine either way.
My only preference on the topic is that they remember I'm not a mind reader, even if they're very specific, it may not look EXACTLY the way they've envisioned it, and never, NEVER suddenly come up at the end and finally be fully-specific about a piece. If you've got soemthing very particular you want, you've got to be FULLY disclosed from the start. If you suddenly tell me at the end that what you actually had in mind was X and Y and a little Z, you're probably going to end up with a re-draw fee. I sell my time and a limited license, not the artwork itself.
I would think that the sketch/pencils stage is the time to really hash out the details. This is the foundation of the piece. Granted, once it gets to inks and colors, those stages can also be tweaked.. but wholesale changes to posing or composition are right out.
"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."
I agree 100% with Su-Lin. I've had several people give very loose guidelines, and when I'm finished, they want something completely different (up to and including adding another person to the finished image).
If you have something specific in mind, be specific about what you want. If you give an artist free rein, then you run the chance of being disappointed.
Art (NSFW)
Photography
(QR)
It depends on the commissioner.
Sometimes, I love it when they're very specific about what they want. Poses, for example. But 9/10ths of the time, the poses they want? Are SO. FREAKING. BORING. And I end up spending the entire piece wishing they'd just told me to have fun with it. :>
... So, not to hijack this post or anything, but how would one going about asking for someone to perhaps draw one of those really cool, custom made avatars I see every where? I don't want to ask for one for free, because I don't like doing that, but on the other hand, I don't want to have to pay for a picture... Unless... Hmmm... Chirstmas is around the corner and I havn't told anyone what I want yet... Well, so how would I go about that?
@Van De Graff-X, Liberty
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... So, not to hijack this post or anything, but how would one going about asking for someone to perhaps draw one of those really cool, custom made avatars I see every where? I don't want to ask for one for free, because I don't like doing that, but on the other hand, I don't want to have to pay for a picture... Unless... Hmmm... Chirstmas is around the corner and I havn't told anyone what I want yet... Well, so how would I go about that?
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Beg, plead, and offer up your kidney... =p
Actually, alot of times people will just offer to do freebies. Just keep tabs on this forum...it happens quite often.
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. But 9/10ths of the time, the poses they want? Are SO. FREAKING. BORING. And I end up spending the entire piece wishing they'd just told me to have fun with it.
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So... what do you consider an exciting pose?
<.<
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. But 9/10ths of the time, the poses they want? Are SO. FREAKING. BORING. And I end up spending the entire piece wishing they'd just told me to have fun with it.
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So... what do you consider an exciting pose?
<.<
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I think Kahlan D'Rane "Corrupting" Gamma Girl is pretty exciting...
@MrsAlphaOne
Member of the [url="http://www.guildportal.com/Guild.aspx?GuildID=171543&TabID=1451954"]RIMC[/url]
[url="http://www.freewebs.com/mrsalphaone"]DA![/url]
[color=red]Official Beer Wench of PWNZ[/color] Arc 452196 When Madness Reigns over Reason. Play it and PM me your constructive criticism on what I can tweak before Oct 20th. <3 U all
Anything that isn't Just Standing There In A Static, Lifeless Manner. :>
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Anything that isn't Just Standing There In A Static, Lifeless Manner. :>
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IE: something dynamic. The details are flexible, but there are a lot of people out there that just want their character standing around "looking badass". I mean, great, there's four of five standard standing poses I can draw with my eyes closed, so it saves me some effort, but the art's more fun when it looks like something's happening. Makes the character look better, too.
EDIT: That elusive "personality" thing can work for dynamicism, as well, even if not much is actually going on mostion-wise in the thing.
Here's what I like to hear. What "feeling" do you want it to have, and what specifics do you need to see.
1) I want a high impact feeling to the piece and I'd like to be able to see most of my charecters face and emblem.
2)I want an epic feel with more of an action shot rather than a charcter observation.
See the diffrance is how an artist will go about not just the background but body pose as well as a ton of other things. Always ask for what you want, but remeber ask for what you want upfront and honestly and the more restrictions you place on an artist the rougher it maybe to meet your vision. Everyone has their own process so really consider chatting the artist up some, see what they need by asking questions and going with the flow.
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. But 9/10ths of the time, the poses they want? Are SO. FREAKING. BORING. And I end up spending the entire piece wishing they'd just told me to have fun with it.
[/ QUOTE ]
So... what do you consider an exciting pose?
<.<
[/ QUOTE ]
I think Kahlan D'Rane "Corrupting" Gamma Girl is pretty exciting...
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o.O the idea sure excites me!!
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. But 9/10ths of the time, the poses they want? Are SO. FREAKING. BORING. And I end up spending the entire piece wishing they'd just told me to have fun with it.
[/ QUOTE ]
So... what do you consider an exciting pose?
<.<
[/ QUOTE ]
I think Kahlan D'Rane "Corrupting" Gamma Girl is pretty exciting...
[/ QUOTE ]
o.O the idea sure excites me!!
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lol Just threadjacked my husband's thread.
Wonder if he enjoyed it? 
@MrsAlphaOne
Member of the [url="http://www.guildportal.com/Guild.aspx?GuildID=171543&TabID=1451954"]RIMC[/url]
[url="http://www.freewebs.com/mrsalphaone"]DA![/url]
[color=red]Official Beer Wench of PWNZ[/color] Arc 452196 When Madness Reigns over Reason. Play it and PM me your constructive criticism on what I can tweak before Oct 20th. <3 U all
This is an easy question; as little as possible.
If the customer gives me a screenshot of their character, descrption of their powers, and 2 words that describe their personality, I'm set.
If they try to tell me to put the character in a 'Wolverine-like' pose in King's Row fighting Carnies in the rain with an upward angle of 20 degrees under a streetlamp with 'uberdude rulez' written in the grafitti... too much direction and the piece becomes forced. That's when I refuse the commission.
Ooo I'm gonna live by those rules from now on Doug!
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Ooo I'm gonna live by those rules from now on Doug!
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LOL, it's true though.
Overdirection kills all those little sponteneous things that happen when an artist is creating. I find my pieces 'die' when I try too hard for a certain look. If I just 'let them happen', I continue to enjoy them for months (or even years) to come.
ahhh ha so that's the trick to commissioning DJ
(qr)
*sighs*
I need to start drawing again...
How much direction do you want/expect when asked for a commission?
Would you rather be given a few reference shots and then be set free, or do you want the client to also direct poses, background, etc?