Con, the recap.

[Rena_Muffin]

Explain this "formal commission" concern to me; are you a subcontractor somewhere that could see you being tasked to create an image you don't want to do?

Well done on telling him to take a flying leap; if he comes back & does try again, you're bound to recognise his crazy grammar so surely you can again tell him to proceed forth in a jerking manner?

I agree with Morgana; for the time you say you devote to your work, your price is WAY too low!

I consider a "formal commission" to be when someone contacts me online and It's way more elaborate and detailed than a commission I'm doing at a convention. I can't really check the identity of someone who wants one until they actually send in the request and what not. I dunno, I'm weird and I feel it would feel more awkward than when I refused him at the con. Also, I'm always worried I'll upset someone one day and they'll go, tell their friends about my manners, and then I'm out some business. Word of mouth is the one way I really get any business.

[Rena_Muffin]

...$7? That's a little low. <.< Yikeadoodles.

Jeez, I'd have jumped all over that, and would've been darned grateful to boot!

I've learned from going to cons since I was 16 to keep my prices to that which the typical con goer can pay. It get's me really good business considering others charge like 9-15 dollars.

[Moosenogger]

Ha, the part about the incorrect Japanese reminded me of something that happened at a convention I went to a few years ago. I was in the marketplace area (where people are selling merchandise) and was looking at some anime CDs. I was reading what few English words I could find on the back of a CD when this girl standing next to me says (excitedly), "You can read that?!"

I laughed and told her that no, I was just looking at the English words. She seemed disappointed. D:

As for that SC, he sounded like a complete douche. Obviously he doesn't draw himself, since he'd realize that coloring and inking takes a LONG time.

[Enjis]

Wowsers....I agree that you charge way too little. I go to a lot of furry cons, and the patrons there are all art-lovers. They pay well for good art. I'm going to one tomorrow, where I'll be in the Dealer's Den. I start my con sketches at $25 for pencils, (one character) and the price just goes up from there. My full-color con badges are $30. I usually tell my customers that their piece will be done overnight, to be picked up the next morning.
Full color pics cost WAY more, take WAY longer, and are done after the con and mailed out. I too use colored pencils, and am a perfectionist. No way could I do one of those at a con.
I have turned down customers with unreasonable demands, or gross ones. I don't need to take shit from anyone, and neither do you. Stand your ground. You are giving incredible value for a small payout(which you need to get UP FRONT!) and don't need to take any lip from jerks.

[MaggieTheCat]

I'm really glad I'm not a sketch artist and don't get the weird, creepy requests for hentai or anything. I make polymer clay charms and what I've got is what I've got; I can't do custom ones unless I'm doing a con in my hometown and have access to all my clay and my oven. Still, the type of customer rena described isn't all that uncommon. I do get the clingy ones who insist on something specific and then get pissy when you either can't provide, or can but will charge more for it. Thankfully they're a lot less common than your typical happy, polite con-goer.

[Hawaiian Eskimo]

Out of curiosity, what was the abomination of a phrase this guy wanted written?

I've only been to a couple small cons, but I've always respected the talent of the artists there. It sucks that you get people that don't realize that quality work takes time. Next time you get someone that wants something drawn OMG RIGHT NOW, tell them to go browse Pixiv if they want instant gratification

[Rena_Muffin]

Out of curiosity, what was the abomination of a phrase this guy wanted written?

I've only been to a couple small cons, but I've always respected the talent of the artists there. It sucks that you get people that don't realize that quality work takes time. Next time you get someone that wants something drawn OMG RIGHT NOW, tell them to go browse Pixiv if they want instant gratification

To the best of my knowledge, the thing he wanted written was something like "I love "character name," which in Japanese would be something like "character name" ga daisuke. (This is basic, basic Japanese. I'm not the most fluent person, but I do know this phrase since I use it a lot to say I like anime. I'm a dork....) However, he didn't understand that while there is a Japanese word for love (Ai) that it's more normal to say you really like someone. And, the way my teacher explained it to me, if we were using Ai, it would need to be written something like "Character name"-Ai. Also, I don't think Ai is really used when you're talking about a person and while it was an anime char, it's still kinda a person when you're talking about it. I only know basic Japanese, so this may not be entirely acurate but I do know what he was insisting was not correct.

He wanted the message to be written as "Ai *character name*", but with Ai spelled with just an I. Ai does make an I sound, but when written in English it is actually spelled Ai. He would not accept this, just kept insisting I had it wrong and Ai was spelled I. That was the main thing he was arguing with me on. He also argued when I offered to write in Japanese, saying that if I didn't understand how to write in Japanese in English, he was sure I couldn't write in Japanese (his words exactly. That sentence makes me weep a bit). It was about here I suddenly had nine more commissions and sent him on his way.

The whole ordeal was just a headache, but I'd like to stress it was the only bump during that weekend. I made a whole lotta money, bought a dating sim, got a voice actor to sign my boobs, and even got a kiss on the cheek from a Mal cosplayer (he was drunk, I have a boy friend, and it kinda came out of nowhere, but he was an excellent cosplayer and I didn't mind too much.) All in all, it was one of the best cons I've gone to.

[Hawaiian Eskimo]

Oh, romanization fail. I hate that, plus if it's a long phrase it's a major pain to get even close to what they were trying to write

Usually when I see a character actually saying they love somebody, they're either using plain old 好き (suki, like), or some form of the verb 愛す (aisu, to love), while 大好き (daisuki, really like) is used more for saying things like "I love ice cream", although you can use it to say you love somebody as well. ...Hey, I watch a lot of romance.

bought a dating sim

...What game? *hides*

[EricKei]

Next con, try this: "Sure, there's an extra charge for color." "How much?" "$30".

SmivMoc beat me to it -- Charge a bit more, yeah -- it'll thin out the numbers of...well, people like your SC ^_^ And, charge based on time. If the base price represents 45 minutes of work (give or take) and coloring brings the total time up to, say, 2 hours and 15 minutes (45 mins x3), charge triple the base rate for a colored sketch. 3x the work, 3x the time, 3x the price is quite reasonable. Maybe offer them a discount if you draw the sketch at the con, and mail them the colored one later (make them pay for shipping and insurance)

To the best of my knowledge

I got beaten to this one, too From what I recall from my classes....Ai is "usually" reserved for person-to-person love/like/etc. Suki (like) or daisuki (lit, much/large like/love) can be used for people or things.

As for liking anime...? You're among friends here Just please heed my old Sensei's advice and do your best to avoid *speaking* like an anime character (she me and a friend use "anime Japanese" intentionally for a "class skit" once; she had to use all of her willpower to keep from ROTFL *in class*, and it wasn't because the dialogue was particularly clever, if you catch my drift...). Even the works that pay more attention to the way things are said, still are aimed at a certain demographic, and the language tends to suit that.

[Fudgethatkay]

Only two anime I enjoy and respect anymore... Rurouni Kenshin and Ouran Host Club.

Manga...its meh now. Rurouni Kenshin's creator is my God.

[Evandril]

"How much more for color?" One decimal place

[Argus]

Also, I'm always worried I'll upset someone one day and they'll go, tell their friends about my manners, and then I'm out some business. Word of mouth is the one way I really get any business.

Their friends probably have a good idea of that person's behavior. If they don't approve of it, they won't pay attention to complaints about your manners. If they do approve of it, they probably behave the same way and you're better off without that business.

[Rainman]

To the best of my knowledge, the thing he wanted written was something like "I love "character name," which in Japanese would be something like "character name" ga daisuke. (This is basic, basic Japanese. I'm not the most fluent person, but I do know this phrase since I use it a lot to say I like anime. I'm a dork....) However, he didn't understand that while there is a Japanese word for love (Ai) that it's more normal to say you really like someone. And, the way my teacher explained it to me, if we were using Ai, it would need to be written something like "Character name"-Ai. Also, I don't think Ai is really used when you're talking about a person and while it was an anime char, it's still kinda a person when you're talking about it. I only know basic Japanese, so this may not be entirely acurate but I do know what he was insisting was not correct.

He wanted the message to be written as "Ai *character name*", but with Ai spelled with just an I. Ai does make an I sound, but when written in English it is actually spelled Ai. He would not accept this, just kept insisting I had it wrong and Ai was spelled I. That was the main thing he was arguing with me on. He also argued when I offered to write in Japanese, saying that if I didn't understand how to write in Japanese in English, he was sure I couldn't write in Japanese (his words exactly. That sentence makes me weep a bit). It was about here I suddenly had nine more commissions and sent him on his way.

The whole ordeal was just a headache, but I'd like to stress it was the only bump during that weekend. I made a whole lotta money, bought a dating sim, got a voice actor to sign my boobs, and even got a kiss on the cheek from a Mal cosplayer (he was drunk, I have a boy friend, and it kinda came out of nowhere, but he was an excellent cosplayer and I didn't mind too much.) All in all, it was one of the best cons I've gone to.

Ooooooh the captain kissed you? lol (loyal Browncoat always and forever here) Cons are great, I also attended one over the weekend, was yours perchance in Boston?

[Crossbow]

Ooooooh the captain kissed you? lol (loyal Browncoat always and forever here) Cons are great, I also attended one over the weekend, was yours perchance in Boston?

Considering I was at a con over the weekend as well, I'd be curious to know which city either (or both) of you were in...

[Rainman]

Considering I was at a con over the weekend as well, I'd be curious to know which city either (or both) of you were in...

Boston here, I was at the Penny Arcade Expo, awesomesauce!!!