i’ve been lurking around here and on episode for a while and i’ve noticed something that i wanted to ask about.
i see that a lot of people ask for free covers, backgrounds and scenes. i’m talking original artworks, paintings, not edits based on limelight/ink artstyle. is free art normal in this community? how many of these artworks are commissions and how many are free?
i’m asking because i’m an artist myself (daohiwa on instagram, i mostly post anime fanart lmao) and i’ve been thinking about opening commissions for covers and art scenes on here, but i’m just worried my prices might be way too high since people actually do free art on here. that’s why i kind of wanted some perspective.
if you need an artwork, would you be willing to pay for it? and if yes, how much? what’s your opinion on asking for free art?
ps. i don’t mean to offend anyone, i’m just genuinely curious. if you want to give away free art, then you do as you want ofc.
ugh your ridiculously talented but i’m not able to pay for commissions atm (i’m not at that age yet ) but if you’re planning on doing free art i’d LOVE to request. Unfortunately i’m not at the age to be able to financially support myself so I kinda depend on free art and all that jazz.
And yes, it’s normal to have free art in this community. It’s usually on Instagram where the commissions are
Your art is stunning! I think it’s definitely worth paying for & that if you can make money from your art, you should, as I’m willing to bet that your art takes you a lot of time. It’s not uncommon for people to take commissions (paid), rather than requests (free) in the community, and there’s nothing wrong with charging for your work if you need the money.
thank you so much that means a lot to me!
the thing is i do feel bad for asking for money, but since i’m studying uni and i live alone i really need it to pay rent etc but it’s good seeing people are willing to give free art for people who can’t pay
Personally I wouldn’t pay because I’m only 15 and don’t have the money for that which is sad because there are some incredible artists who commission work.
Free art and commissioned art are both normal in the community and there are amazing artists from both!
don’t feel bad at all! your art is 1000% worth paying for, and trust me if I could, I would! i’m sure many people in this thread would also agree that you are TALENTED asf so don’t even apologize for charging money for what you’re good at
Soo for smth u do… I would b prepared to pay. Idk an exact price but personally I would b prepared to pay like 70 dollars for 2 ppl half body. Imo. for ur talent, that’s a v reasonable price. Lots of episode authors expect artwork like urs for idk 20 dollars and that’s far too little, imo ofc! u shouldn’t feel manipulated to lower ur prices/do for free bc as the artist u know how much effort n time goes into ur art. I would pay n I’m sure many others would too, ur incredibly talented.
Honestly, I understand 100% that people don’t like paying/don’t have money to pay, but for all the hard work artists do (and most likely you do too) and all the time they spend on their artwork, it’s totally understandable why so many people charge for their art! Don’t feel bad at all about charging when you are spending your personal/valuable time making art for someone else!
In my opinion, I say charge for your art! It’s stunning and beautiful work and you deserve to make money off of something you’re good at! I personally would 100% buy art from you.
sorry for tagging you all but i just wanna say thank you so much for your kind words i’m so soft knowing people are as welcoming and kind as you are makes me feel more confident in opening commissions! thank you so much
I think it depends. For me, I’m very particular about the things that I don’t want and I tend to get picky. I feel like if I’m getting free art, I can’t really say too much, as artist took their time to actually do something for me, for free.
If I’m paying, I feel like I get to voice more concerns or ask for some changes, because at the end of the day I’m paying customer.
Then again, I’m at the position to pay and I’m very lucky to have an amazing artist to work with. If I was underage or underpaid I’d definitely try to get a nice free art.
that’s totally valid! i always tell my commissioners “don’t be afraid to spam me with details and specifics, bc in the end the most important thing to me is that you’re satisfied”, and it also makes my workflow a lot easier when i don’t need to come up with stuff myself and have a concrete idea to follow. since you pay for it you should get what you paid for
Yes you should take money, most people here expect amazing art for free. Art is not free it’s a service, nothing against those who it for free I do that myself
But you should never feel like you can’t take money for your art. Your doing a job your not selling the art but your time. That is what they pay for,
i agree, i spend many hours on a single piece. being a student and living alone, time and money is valuable to me. i was surprised to see so many asking for free art here
I don’t charge for my art, for example. The reasons for it are simple: 1. I am a working adult and art is just a hobby to me. So I also don’t have time to draw that much. 2. I don’t like dealing with extra responsibilities to the paying customer during my free time, it’d stress me out. 3. My art is not so good
Your art is beautiful and totally on comission level. I don’t see the slightest reason to be shy about charging for your work. However, before you start, I’d recommend checking out artists who have been doing comissions for some time. Look at their ‘terms of service’, so to say. Just to protect yourself from getting scammed (for instance, most artist take at least 50% payment upfront etc).
thanks for your reply, you really gave me some insight! your reasons to not charge are totally valid.
thanks for your kind words about my art i have opened commissions before so i do have terms of service prepared, but as you suggested, it’s a good idea to look what they say in this community! thank you again
but it’s good seeing people are willing to give free art for people who can’t pay
knowing people are as welcoming and kind as you are makes me feel more confident in opening commissions! thank you so much 
