New to art collecting, need advice

This may get a little long and ramble a bit, but bear with me, please.

I’d really like to get some input from both the artists that frequent this section of the forums and from those that have commissioned art in the past (especially those that have gone through the commission process rather often).

I’m finally starting to have some artwork done of my main character and namesake, Texas Justice. Being new to the commissioning process I’ve made a few mistakes and with the guidance of some friends I’m trying to use it as a learning process so that I can (hopefully) not make the same mistakes in the future. For one thing, I didn’t realize how detailed I need to be in what I’m looking for, items that are essential to me, the various stages of the process (getting roughs, approvals, etc.) or what information or items I may not be providing simply because it didn’t occur to me at the time that it would be needed.

With that in mind, and the information I’ve gathered as feedback from a few friends, I’ve been working on getting my reference materials and textual information together on my DA page so that I’ll be ready for commissioning more work. Here’s where I need your help. Please look at my DA Journal and Reference Gallery and see if there is anything you think I need to improve on in either area. If there are reference pieces you think I need, be as specific as possible in your descriptions. I have no artistic ability aside from music, so terminology may be foreign to me. I’m a computer tech and I think in a very logical and linear approach to most things so being as direct as possible is always the best way to give a description for me to understand.

Thanks in advance.


-TJ

Ok, it seems like you have quite a lot of information going on there. You may consider getting a model sheet done that includes all the costume specifics you want in each piece. I think the musculature and photo reference are great ideas. I'm not an artist but you may want to separate his physical details from the costume details, they all kind of blend together and I think it would be easy for an artist to miss something that is important to you.

The best thing to do in the commisisoning process it to make sure to keep up communication. At the beginning make sure the artist knows and understands what you are looking for. If you want to see different stages of work make sure to state this before hand.

I am sure I missed something but there are tons of us here that would be more than happy to help you.

Those reference shots would be good enough for me.

As LR said above, a lot of the problems come from miscommunication. Be sure to be clear about your expectations from the artist.

Definitely communication is the key. Normally that first combined reference is enough.

But you may want to use photoshop or paint or something and add some notes to a larger pic, like colors, style of cape, brooch, pictures of any real life stuff that looks the same as a costume bit you use (boots, etc).

I've not gone far enough to do this, but if you could pick out the color code from photoshop for each piece, there would be absolutely no question of getting the right shade of whatever color it is.

Warning: I have a lot of different points to touch on and I have a tendancy to ramble. To make it easy on you, I'll put my comments regarding your notes and references in a quoted box - Feel free to skip right down to that if that's all you really want

The first item I would like to touch upon is money - Know how much you can spend on art and don't spend past it. Should be obvious, right? But buying art is an addicting habit for many so know your limits! I've not had any problems in this area (being a single guy with a decent job and no kids helps me have spending money!) but I've heard of others who ran into problems so go into it with a planned budget even if you don't currently expect to ever buy so much you'll need one.

Second item is to take some time and consider what kind of gallery you are trying to build. Do you want a little of everythign that suits your fancy or are you trying to build the best gallery that will beat out everyone else?I believe both are valid goals and I'm sure there are millions of variations between the two. Knowing what you want is helpful though.

If you want nothing but the top notch art by known artists then keep that in mind from the get go. Don't allow yourself to be tempted by sales and quick deals offered by lesser talents or those who work in different styles than you are looking for. Doing so will just drain your art budget and you may miss out on a real chance to score premium goods.

If you just want what you like, what suits your fancy at the time, you can grab up more deals and such but you should still keep your budget in mind. I think the quick deals by the people with quirky styles may be more damaging to budgets as it leads to more impulse buys.

Thirdly, know your wants and know who you are hiring. The first part I just discussed. The second isn't about being best friends with an artist but rather familiarizing yourself with their works before hiring them. If the artist does chibis or anime and you want nothing but top notch comic book style art don't go thinking they can pull it off to your satisfaction. If they don't have the style you want in their gallery there is very likely a good reason why.

This is not to say that many artists cannot do a variety of styles... But if they can do the style you want they should be able to show you some of their stuff in that style before you hire them. Don't hire on spec or you are likely to be disappointed.

Fourth, speaking of disappointment... I think there is a tendancy to imagine each work you get from each and every artist is going to be the best thing ever - certainly the pinnacle of that artists career to date. Ya, right. It's nice to expect the perfect artwork but it's probably as likely as the perfect blind date.

Ok, art purchases should go over much better than blind dates - after all you do have the opportunity to check out the artists previous works and to tell the artist exactly what you are looking for... But the build up you can do about a piece before it is produced can often times be unrealistic and overly grandiose... Expect your commission to turn out as well as what's in the artists gallery but not better. If it does turn out better that will be pure win. If it turns out worse... Well, that'll happen from time to time. Depending how much worse you can either ask for changes, touch ups, etc or you can write it off as just the standard deviation any artists is going to have. Not even every Picaso work was his best ya know...

Fifth, tell the artist in the initial query just what you are looking for. The more detailed you are about what you want the better. Also let the artist know if you are open to adjustments or not, back and forth on the pose and such...

Often times I like to leave the pose and such entirely up to the artists - I like seeing their vision of my characters. Some have turned out better than others but I've enjoyed them all. Not everyone is this free with their characters and it is the commissioners right not to be. If you definitely want your character doing the tango, a dandelion between their lips and a fish bowl on their head then say so up front. If you want something like that but are interested in what the artist thinks, say that as well... Perhaps some will tell you that it's too restricting and they won't/can't do it... Perhaps some will just roll their eyes and do what you want. *shrug*

The point is, if you want specifics be up front and let the artist know. Too much information is generally much, much better than too little. Most artists are willing to make a decent amount of changes, specially if THEY did something wrong... But if you didn't tell them the character had a peg leg, a pink tutu and a clown nose but somehow just expected them to know that... Well, I wouldn't blame them about being a bit reluctant.

Sixth, the pickier you are the more important it is for you to see drafts and such. If you are very picky, be clear up front that you want/expect to see drafts and such. Not every artists automatically does show them. In my experience, the ones who do the errr... I'm reluctant to say better because I really love a lot of what would thus become worse arts... Anyway, the ones producing works closer to what you would find in an actual comic book are more likely to show drafts automatically... But there is no reason to accept that as a given no matter how "pro" their results look. Saying that you definitely want to see drafts will not offend anyone who is willing to show them...

Seventh, read all the rules, notes, what have you, that the artist provides before sending them a query on commissions. If you're hiring through DA and the artists journal explicitly states they don't accept paypal and the only way you want to pay is through paypal then save you both the hassle. The same on rough sketches - I have seen a few artists who explicitly state they don't show roughs or don't unless asked. If you're not willing to read the artists notes before hiring them, don't expect the artist to read yours after...

This rule is also important for things like knowing how much your paying and what you are getting. Sometimes the artists send out a new journal saying OPEN but are only taking bust shot commissions, or single characters with no background or whatever...

8th... KEEP TRACK OF YOUR COMMISSIONS.

Unless you are buying just once in a blue moon and keep all the revelant info in your head, it's smart to have a plan on how to keep track of all the info... And there is more info than you may expect.

Admittedly, I should do better book keeping than I do but I'm learning.

Things you want to keep track of include but may or may not be limited to:
Names of artists who you have outstanding work with

What works that artist still is working on (I usually buy in 3's... this may not apply if your just buying for 1 character.)

Whether or not you paid those artists (some take payment upfront, some on delivery, some 1/2 and 1/2... It's nice to have records easily accessible of which is which and how much you paid and still owe..)

When the artist was originally hired and when you should expect the work finished. Turnaround times vary... Some get you your art in days, others months. (btw - you should check this out/ask them before hiring them!) It's hard to write a follow up to an artist who is long overdue with the art they owe you if you don't know they are overdue! Not every artist can give you a flat out garaunteed time period, and even for those that do life sometimes interferes, but you want to have some idea how far past due your stuff is...

Email and/or real name of artist. If you hire via DA but then move your discussion/dealing to email and you don't hear from them for a while you may forget that ARTGUY@Gmail.com is also ArtistDude from DA...



Well, that's all I can think of on those right now but if I think of more (or if others have ideas) I'm sure there will be a follow up

Now, on to your specifics...

Quote:

I'll tackle your journal/notes first... Remember where I said too much information is usually much better than too little? Well not always. The "Texas Beachwear" thing, while a bit amusing, is also a bit distracting if you don't plan on having art done in that outfit. If you do plan on having it done, using a second journal or such to describe that outfit may work better. I have no problems with notes. I have ALOT of notes for my characters. Perhaps too many. But I try my best not to include notes that are not going to be used for the specific picture I am having done. You don't want to make it a reading comprehension test, specially since English won't always be the artists first language... (note - that is NOT a slight to anyone... The fact they know more than one language and I don't means they have at least one up to me on that point. Still, when English is not their first language I think it only wise to make the exchanges as clear cut as possible... Don't talk down to them but also realize they may not get every reference you make. I just recently had a harder than expected time explaining what a two by four was when I wanted the character wielding a piece of lumber...) Told ya I ramble... Anyway, the point is that if it's not relevant to the picture at hand all it can do is confuse matters,,, You also spend a lot of time explaining the star when you have a perfectly good reference picture of it. Simplify where you can and just say the reference picture to the star is here: LINK - The blue of that star is the spandex (or whatever) showing through and thus should be that exact color... Or something along those lines. By the same token, if you want that EXACT star be very clear of that... You did that well but maybe in too wordy a manner. (yeah, yeah, who am I to talk about being wordy, right?) I'd also cut the bit about "If you are a CoH player..." It would be fine to have that saved somewhere to cut and paste into notes where you know they are a CoH player but frankly most won't be and again why give them more to read than they need? All in all, I think most of your journal can be cut down and replaced with something like "I want my art to reflect as closely as possible the exact costume in the reference shots." Like is often said, a picture is worth a thousand words... I think it best to save the words for where you are REALLY picky and fear they may get wrong or for where you want changes from what the picture shows. As for your reference pictures... Your turn around pic (the four in one pic) may be better off if done against the lighter background but it should be clear enough as is... The rest I see no problem with... Personally I have a lot more pictures in my reference gallery but I probably have too many :P

Anyway, hopefully some of that helps a bit or at least causes you to think about some things...

Oh, you asked about where you can get a model sheet done... I'm looking for a good place to get one, if I find one I'll let you know once I secure my place in line But to a certain extent I am not sure if you need one. Seems to me you are looking to get the exact look you have in game and so what you have should be sufficient... I think model sheets are more important when what you are looking for isn't already pictured. *shrug*

So, them's my thoughts... If you have any questions or need me to explain what I meant better or anysuch, just ask...

Bayani and Thors Asassin might be good people to also ask.

Caemgen, that's a lot to digest, but some good advice. Don't worry about the rambling, I do it also.

U-Naught, TA was one that I originally consulted, as well as Katfood. I'm hoping Bayani will see this and respond. I'm a bit hesitant to contact someone directly unless I've already had interaction with them. Just another of my quirks. Being from Justice, well, TA and Kat were natural contacts for me.

Besides, I'm rather used to poking TA. He just stands there while you do it.

I wrote a short guide regarding collecting original art awhile back.

Collecting Art: Helpful Advice

Admittingly, it could use a little more updating as I've gotten four more years of collecting experience under my belt since I that short overview.

I've posted several times over the past few years about model sheets and how useful they are to collecting art of your original character(s). Most of the art I've collected after pulling together the model sheet had short turnaround times because there's little to no confusion over the details. Most artists get Bayani and Mae-Day correctly the first time around, too. Here's the Bayani model sheet for example...



Looking at all the talk about model sheets lately, folks are making it out to be a complicated process. It's really not, especially when you're prepared and organized. It's like any other commission, but you, the creator, need to take an active role in collaborating with the artist. Most artists should be capable of doing a model sheet. Provide your references. If you have any specific notes, include those with the pictures. The artist gives you some thumbnail sketches to review. If there's anything off, you let him/her know and he/she will make the necessary adjustments. Once you get a rough draft, you'll go through another approval process until you have a final piece and after that, you're done. I've looked at your reference gallery, Texas. In my opinion, you have too much going on there. You (and any other collector for that matter) would be better served in the long run commissioning one well-organized model sheet and developing a more concise presentation.

Essentially when you're commissioning original character art, you're selling your character. If the artist doesn't feel like your project is worth their time, they'll either decline you or they'll charge you a higher rate. Remember, professional artists have work projects before they get to your stuff. They inevitably end up forcing themselves to draw when they don't want to draw or when they're in a funk. (Just like anyone else who works) Your commissions are extra jobs for them and they could very well be running on fumes by the time they get to your piece. Unlike overtime at a typical 9 to 5er, they're getting paid *less* for the extra work. They're charging you less than what they'd charge a publisher. If the artist isn't "feeling it", you could be in for a longer wait, higher costs, and risk receiving art that you're not completely satisfied with. The more the artist is engaged with the work, the more likely you'll end up with something really awesome. Having a well-organized model sheet and concise presentation is an important step in engaging the artist's interest in drawing your character, and drawing him/her well.

Well you asked me about my point of view as an artist, so I'm going to say some stuff and it might be useful or it might not, lol. If someone approaches me about a commission, I have two general mindsets about it.

1. Commercial artist. If I'm designing a flier or doing a 3d render of somebody's product, I don't invest myself in the work. I'm not going to take risks with it or try to think of some creative treatment that's going to transcend the source material. You're getting paid to render some pre-existing idea faithfully, for a competitive price on schedule, and at a level of quality consistent with how you present your work to the public.

If somebody comes to me with a really detailed explanation of exactly what they want--then I'll typical treat it as commercial work. Meaning I do what I can to satisfy their stated goals and make them happy. Down the road will I look at that as something representative of my art? Probably not.

2. Willy Wonka. That's right Willy Wonka. "We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of the dreams." The creative fine art side of me wants to take somebody's character and use it as a theme to explore something. It wants to break that character open and see what's inside, play around with it, and throw out something that's distinct to how I view the character. The challenge is to keep the character recognizable--but I've been fortunate enough to have people come to me who like my art and are willing to let me just take the ball and run with it.

If you're looking at artists for a commission, that might be something to consider. Do you want them to basically voice your ideas faithfully within the constraints of their style and ability? Or do you want to give them authority to do something unexpected. Often times I end up doing both. I start out as Willy Wonka, but get reined in and by the end of the project I'm a commercial artist.

As an artist, I greatly prefer seeing a model sheet of your character. Really cuts down on miscommunication issues or me having to re-create your costume in the costume creator because I can't tell what's what from the screens (which I've had to do a LOT and its not a great use of time).

I also encourage people to get involved with their pieces. If you learn more about the artistic process, then you become an asset to the artist that you've hired. Working in a vacuum almost never gets my best results. When I can back and forth with someone and get even more ideas flying, then the end product is much stronger. This is why we have things like art directors and group critiques. You might think you've come to your absolute strongest composition, but then you run it by another person, and they see something that can bring it up to the next level.

I'd like to thank all of those who have responded in one form or another as it's helped me clarify some things in my head and given a bit of insight to things I hadn't considered.

Bayani and Wassy mentioned model sheets, but frankly, I have my problems with that idea. First off, through all the DA galleries I've gone through, I've found 5 with model sheets. I'm sure there are more, but I'd have expected to find more than 5 with all of the galleries I've been perusing of late. Bayani, Planet Girl, Wassy, Comrade Hero, and one other who's name escapes my mind right now. Wassy and the one I can't remember drew their own model sheets, and I can't do that so I'll ignore those. In the case of Bayani and Planet Girl, it seems to be contradicting what Bayani claim that it's not a complicated process. The steps Bayani outlines are rather involved but what one would expect for a fully commissioned piece of art, not just a model sheet. And that's only taking into account the first artist to touch it. Bayani and Planet Girl have 3 to 4 artists involved in the process, which makes it even more complicated.

The other thing that bothers me about model sheets is that if I have one commissioned and then ask another artist to use that as a reference, they are basing their work on the work of another person, not the character. Brandon is a fine artist, but I don't want everyone's interpretation of TJ to be based on Brandon's interpretation of him but rather of how he looks in the game. That's my interpretation of him, and that's the one that counts to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrozenDeath If you're looking at artists for a commission, that might be something to consider. Do you want them to basically voice your ideas faithfully within the constraints of their style and ability? Or do you want to give them authority to do something unexpected. Often times I end up doing both. I start out as Willy Wonka, but get reined in and by the end of the project I'm a commercial artist.

A very good point BW. At this point in time, I want them to voice my ideas faithfully within their style and abilities. I'm not looking at artists that specialize in .... let's say chibis ... and expecting to get what I want since that isn't their style. Not saying there is anything wrong with chibis, just that it isn't the style I'm looking for. Similarly, while I love Bruce Timm's style, I don't want to see TJ depicted in that style. At least not yet.

After I get some history between me and a particular artist, if it's someone I've had produce consistent work that meets my expectations, I might be open to a suggestion from them of doing something unexpected. But again, it would be with much back and forth in an approval process, probably even more involved in this case.

Once again, I thank all of you that responded.

In absence of a true model sheet (I don't have any), you can at least put something together showing your character from as many angles as possible and try to zoom in on important details (as especially complicated glove or weapon or whatever)

Tally-Ho

This still won't be as good as a real sheet (No one ever gets Tally's reticule right or adds her freckles at all) but it's better than a single screen shot.

I have those in my reference shots in my DA gallery, including closeups of what I consider to be important details.

If they can't, or won't, get the details right from the reference pics, they aren't an artist I need to consider doing business with. Especially if it's a case of "won't".

Eh, don't think that a model sheet is going to influence the style of most decent artists. You mentioned Bayani... notice the huge amount of different art he has? Still using that McKinney model sheet. The artists are getting the costume information they need and going from there. As another example, I gave MY model sheet to Steve Sanchez for a sketchshot and got this...



... and I couldn't be more pleased. He got the important details of her costume (those receivers are a HUGE part of her character), but still is 100% his style, which is what I wanted.

Also, model sheets ARE exactly your interpretation, including if there are aspects to the character costume you can't get in-game. That wasn't how McKinney would have pictured Bayani... Bayani was very particular about the sheet so it was exactly how HE saw his character, and the exact costume he has, so future artists can get that information in the most efficient way possible.

Since there are no aspects of my character costume that you can't get in the game, it's a bit of a moot point for me at this point.

I'd still prefer the artist base it off of my interpretation of TJ, which the game does extremely well, over someone else's interpretation of TJ.

I guess it's a case of different strokes for different folks. Much as people's preferences in art styles differ, so do opinions.

I've still seen no compelling reasons for going through the complicated process to get it made (and yes, dealing with a penciller, inker, colorist and possibly someone for corrections is a complicated process) and the cost involved so I'll just stick with what I have.

/shrug

Alright, you just wanted more insight into the process, and from the artist's insight, the model sheets will generally allow me to put out a better result with faster turn-around.

If you don't have access to getting a model sheet done, then you'll want some good screenies, close up, and from all angles, with good lighting. Having full-scale bios for all of my characters is my weakness, though I try to write a brief blurb if there's a particular thing that defines the character. Sometimes I know exactly what pose I have in mind to have commissioned, other times, I'm curious to see the artist's interpretation of the character.

After looking at your references, I have a few questions as an artist.

Is your personal vision of the hero a realistic piece of work? I noticed the basketball player references, and the 6'4" description of your hero. I mention this because as a realistic depiction, what you're gonna get from any capable artist is a basketball player who is wearing a superhero costume. Which in my humble opinion is not heroic.

Yes there are tall superheroes, and there are sports themed heroes, but they are depicted as "comic book" drawn people, with anatomy that defies realism. That is to say while you describe someone as a lean build, perhaps because you say under the mask TJ is you, that the character should in fact be lean when drawn.

Again, you have a valid point of what you want, but I see the final coming off as an awkwardly tall dude dressed in a costume. Muscles add character, though no, not everyone has to look like the Hulk, or pip squeeky like the Kirby drawn Bucky Barnes.

However, your character evokes a nice take of both patriotic and swagger, fire powers which I love to do, and that whole cowboy thing which could be fun... yet I would feel like if I didn't make it obvious that he was lean, 6'4" and not muscular, that again he would come out less heroic.

Don't get me wrong I get that Spiderman is sometimes shown as rail thin, or overly fit with 0% body fat... my question to you is, would you be open to a pushing the envelope depiction with the anatomy? Or does it have to be exactly what you want.

I always try to give the client what they want, but I find that sometimes going with what turns me on about the character will bring out a better solution. Otherwise I feel why not dress up some tall dude and take a photo?

I don't mean anything by that, only that in listing details, sometimes people forget to make their characters inspiring. Artists like to depict moments as far as I know, I always want to capture that. Yes there are collectors who have had the classic poses done of their toon, and suddenly want ones with normal clothes, a new outfit, a normal everyday setting, or something mundane as , this is my toon shaving with his costume hanging on the shower door.

I get that. I'm just curious, do you want that version first as a collector, or later?

And something to think about, or ask the collectors who have more than 10 versions of their toon depicted. What do you want your hero doing in artwork number one, or twenty one? You really should know, and it would help immensely.

EDIT: Hope you don't me just jumping in...

THIS is actually bigger, pm your email, and I'll send you the full size which is double this...

Getting ready for work so not much time, but I do want to touch on a few points here.

Wassy, I'm not discounting your input as an artist. It's appreciated very much. I'm not blowing off your suggestions, I'm just not fully sold on the idea of model sheets. Maybe I just need to let that percolate and simmer in the back of my head for a while.

StormVyxen, more good points for me to think on. You struck a chord with the comment about "a particular thing that defines the character." It's one of those things that make ya go Hmmmmm.

LJ, there are several points you raise that I want to address specifically, but just don't have the time right now. I don't want to rush getting my thoughts down and inadvertently give the wrong impression, I want to make sure I'm saying things in a very specific manner to try to keep from being misunderstood. The comments on the body frame and musculature have me rethinking some things there. I'll likely have a lengthy post in response to yours tonight.

Suichiro, I think you've misunderstood some of my comments, and I'll likely address them tonight as well, but I do want to clear up one point in this post.

As for model sheets being more effort than they're worth: The fact that (I think) every artist who has commented in this thread so far has said that they prefers working with them is a HUGE factor to get them.

Specially if you are trying to get art done by a picky or choosey artist who can pick through requests for which ones he really wants to do, there is no reason not to make your request as attractive to them as possible...


Regarding how difficult model sheets are to get: While I agree that there seems to be a distinct lack of artists offering these on their menu, once you do find someone to do it the process likely doesn't need to be quite as complicated as you think.

Byani is very exacting and precise about what he wants and he wants the best. (Or at least that's my take, apologies if I am mistaken...) I would imagine that due to this he was much more exacting and demanding in his model sheets than is absolutely neccessary. I believe he wanted "Pro Quality" model sheets, not just "something that will be sufficient."

Seems to me, the main goal of the model sheets are to make the character clear. To make it easily seen where that stripe goes, the placement of that symbol, how tall the boots are, how low the jacket hangs, etc... I don't think you neccessarily need "Pro Quality" model sheets for that... I believe Bayani wanted them because he is going after "Pro Quality" artists and thus wanted the best to attract the best... If your goals are not quite so lofty I believe you can go with more readily available model sheets that won't be nearly so difficult to get.

In other words, if you found a good artist who was willing to do them you could probably have the same person do the pencils, inks and colors and get a perfectly good and usable model sheet.

Where to get one done: So far the only artist I have found who offers model sheets on their menu is Gavinslayer, his journal with his menu is here. I considered using him but have held off so far since, and I don't want to be rude here but... I had some concerns about his ability to correctly pull off Caemgen's horns. They've proven difficult for most artists and while he has talent I've had better have problems with them. *shrug* Still, I may end up going to him for Fenian...

But yeah, he's the only one I've seen so far outright offering that service.

Still, inquiring about an artists willingness to do model sheets is NOT the same as asking them about their willingness to do a style that they don't normally do. What you would be asking them is if they would do the style they do already but do the same porse from 2, 3,4 (whatever) different angles. It's not ALL THAT MUCH different than having them do a commission with 3 different characters in it and no background.

I get where you're coming from on that though, I am very reluctant to be too pushy with requests and such. I basically feel if they're not offering it I'm not going to ask... But this isn't asking a chibi artist to do comic book style... This is asking a comic book style artist to do several very similiar comic book style arts of the same character.

And regarding thiese quotes:

As Caemgen mentioned... you're probably not going to find an artist who specifically offers model sheets. But that doesn't mean they wouldn't do them, as it falls under some of their other pricing structures. I wouldn't make up a whole new category on my website for model sheets because I price by media (which is a better reflection of the time it takes), but if asked to do one I could price it out.

As pointed out by Suichiro, and maybe you don't mean it, but you are coming off as totally blowing off all the good suggestions by people who both commission frequently AND do the commissions. You wanted help with making your process easier, but have just been arguing as to why what you thought all along was the right way anyway!

Model sheets helps artists. This isn't different strokes, its just the way it is. Yes, you definitely have room for improving your references via screenshots and can get something serviceable that way. But its just plain not your best option, and you were looking for best options. If you want second or third best option, improve your screenshots.

If you have a problem asking artists questions about what they can do for you, you're not going to get much of anywhere. Its EXTREMELY frustrating working with someone who thinks anything they say to you will be a bother. I take on clients because I WANT to do commissions and I WANT to work for them. If they can't communicate with me because they feel its rude to ask me anything, that does NOT make the process easier. It makes it horrible. Caemgen also mentioned that more communication is better than less, and I can't stress how much I agree.

It was right of you to look for some advice, because your current stance on the process is WAAAAAY off base. You just now need to seriously consider TAKING some of the advice.