Hopefully, he still loses in the end from the bad publicity he'll get (deservedly so) from this video. I don't think Nerd City hid their identity, so they had to know it'd be heavily scrutinized, then put on blast🤔
Yeah I was also looking at that. No way is that overpainting, that's literally been run through one of those stupid "make a photo look like it was painted" apps.
Nerd City is a youtuber *for* youtubers. I hope content creators legitimately use this to learn from and produce merch that they’re proud of & looks good. Btw thanks for putting me onto Ayylien. Love their stuff.
A few weeks back i saw the poster they advertised in this video in the background of Leon Lush's channel. I thought that was cool he was a fan of Nerd City.
You're not crazy: the thumbnail changed. I'm testing some advice I was given about redoing bad thumbs and editing metadata. If it works out, I'll share what we learned!
@@hazzle5658 - yes, this is version 3. Been tracking CTR for each day. I made this one myself; if this style flops might try a few more from the competition on Twitter.
Ah, alright. Thanks for clearing that up. By the way, when you share the results, will you do it generally somewhere else or as a new video on your channel?
@@hazzle5658 Good question. I have enough material to make a Thumbnail video but I think that's too RUclipsr-specific. I think I might do it as a segment on Nerdline.
Exactly, I have only done maybe 3 commissions and I am slightly insecure about my art and stuff so I usually seem to give in to the terrible customers who want it super cheap, since I don't even know how much my art should be worth. This helped me figure out what I need to look for in a customer and honestly just stop giving in to them trying to get it dirt cheap for maybe $15 while I spend hours meticulously drawing and trying my hardest to make it look good for them.
@@GagePurple Look, usually the prices go based on the amount of hours you spend on the art and the amount you'd like to be paid per hour. Let's consider a basic, dirty cheap 5$ per hour(not even talentless McDonalds workers get paid that low). If you spend 10 hours working on your commission, the price should be 50$. If there are people willing to pay for your art, it means it has value, and if it has value, you need to respect that value, by putting a decent price on it. Consider that the minimum page rate for a junior pro comic book artist is 150-200$, the minimum price for a digital painting done by a junior pro is around 300$, the minimum paycheck for a junior pro character designer working for a small to middle company is around 2.000$ per month. Don't be afraid of asking for the right price for your time and talent :)
@@DeadKraken Thank you so much for the thoughtful reply, you bring up a lot of good points that I guess I really didn't consider. I really should be looking at it as if it was a job and pricing it to be AT LEAST minimum wage, and also accounting for how many hours it took. I know that my art isn't completely up to par with other artists, I just got out of high school last month and I have taken a bit of a break from art since I was so busy with senior year and social events along with preparation for actual graduation and stuff. There are some things that I really just cannot draw yet, I'm awful at real human proportions and poses because I have never really practiced it and I'm scared about doing commissions because I feel like I won't be able to do their ideas justice with the limited talent I have. Here is a higher res image of my profile picture that I did just over a year ago as an example of my art but its just really hard to determine how much a newbie like me should really be worth monetarily. imgur.com/gallery/oYZMpH9
@@DeadKraken Wow! I'm so happy that I found your comment because it's really helpful!! I have been wanting to sell art but didn't know how to think of the pricing so this is great!! I also just want thank you for taking time out of your day to write this and I want you to know that it is really appreciated!!! :D
Nerd City back at it with the BEST editing on youtube, hands down. As an artist, I have such a soft spot for this video. the creative way you represented each individual artists style was purely satisfying. The best presentation I’ve ever seen. Keep up the amazing work dude 🦖
19:43 Translation "I Haven't really experienced Bad clients in the art community but i do experience it in my normal day job that i work at to pay my bills."
As a full time artist myself, I agreed to be paid after the job is done 3 times. 3 times I got scammed and never got paid. So now I don't accept any commission without upfront payment. The way it works is that I have a long list of clients and never had anybody have a bad experience with me, so a way to know too is to do some research on the artist and see if you find a lot of happy clients or a lot of "where is my commission" comments on their page
I pretty much follow the same type of protection, there's ALOT of people out there who don't understand the value/time/effort put into the work. However if someone is super dedicated to not paying upfront, all of the "previews" they receive, are low-res screenshots from within the drawing software, sometimes with watermarks. That way they have nothing to walk off with.
KingKraken exactly. I don’t think anyone wants to fully pay for a project upfront with zero progress, but also some people may not want to pay half the amount if it’s a large sum with nothing to show yet. I said in another comment I think it’s best for the artist to send a rough draft, nothing major that would take a lot of time away from other projects, it’d be just to show that they’re interested in going forward, and that they’re a good fit. Then, both the client and artist can come up with a contract to solidify the entire exchange. After that I think both parties would feel much safer in continuing their business relationship.
That's the thing. I hear WAAYYYY more horror stories of clients not paying once it's done and delivered compared to stories of artists not doing the work after being paid. The artist tends to have more on the line (reputation, reviews, etc...) whereas most clients come out of the blue and don't really have to worry about pissing off one artist most of the time, since it's either a single person wanting one commission, or a big company who can sweep it under the rug.
L G I totally understand where you’re coming from. I’m just trying to put into perspective why nerd city did things the way that they did and said why he felt hesitant to pay upfront or half I guess. If it’s some random person with no footprint to find online I’d definitely be suspicious about working with them and ask for something in return to make sure this deal between us is legitimate. But nerd city is a reputable customer, so I wouldn’t worry about nonpayment. It’s a matter of researching on both sides. Go and see if the artist and consumer are reputable people. I think that can also take into account of whether or not you ask for payment upfront, down payment, or upon completion. Just like contractors when building a home, you never want to give someone shady the entire payment upfront or a large sum of money because so many contractors just ditch. There are very few people who have good things to say about hiring contractors. I understand that that analogy doesn’t quite work since so many more artists are highly rated and raved about more than contractors, but I think you get the gist of what I’m trying to say.
I hope this doesn't get buried, but man, I just want to thank you guys for making what you make. It is so fun, educational, innovative, and intriguing that I can't help but rewatch videos of yours that I've seen a million times. I'm a bit on the younger side, so I can't help you guys financially (trust me, would if I could!), So I just wanted to give this little thank you in the comments of one of your best vids yet. Keep up the good work and thanks a ton!
Thank you 🙏🏼 I hope we haven’t corrupted you into thinking about buying merch, hahaha. If you’re under 13, please wash all advertisements out of your brain and delete the memories
Am Aussie, can translate Lamp Blakk's last sentence. Basically, he's saying that he hasn't experienced clients so bad that they're worse than those he deals with in his main form of employment.
Translation of Lamp Blakk’s final statement. “Haven’t really experienced awful clients in the business of making art, but I do experience awful clients at my job that doesn’t pay well but keeps the lights on”
A billion bonus points to NC for correct use of the word 'bogan'. None of the written words were really Aussie, but the word 'bogan' is up there with g'day in terms of iconic slang. To go further: "terribad" = terrible + bad = extremely bad "as eff" = as f*ck (i.e. 'AF') "wage cuck" = person who works for a wage (most people with full time work - implies the job is 'just a job') "pay them bills" = to maintain a minimum standard of living. Both of these are actually redundant to some degree (the first line already implies the second), and is mostly just shitposting slang (which isn't Aussie, but is basically their second language).
Let me translate that: "Oh, I have just scammed you, however if you want to get scammed again, here, have a coupon so you can get scammed for 20% less!"
As someone who does freelance illustration work for a living, this was really nice to see! A lot of research went into this and nerd-city has the social media commission etiquette DOWN
I love how you guys threw a few video edits together showing the artists' personalities; we need more of those, because the artists' personalities are just as important as their art.
As an artist, this video is fucking perfect at explaining everything and I hope a bunch of other folks share this around and hopefully improve the overall commission landscape by informing more potential clients. Great work, as always, buddy!
Yeah. With youtube and the volume of people who are likely to want channel art, it must be brutal having people who think giving you carte blanche to make work they don't like (and won't use) is somehow doing you a favor. This is something I would DEFINITELY have gotten wrong.
As an artist I agree, however if you do that, you'd better not decide that's not actually what you want after all and then not pay them for their time. That's the worst.
@@hoodedman6579 Freedom sounds nice up until the point where the customer is unsatisfied and they don't pay. I would love to just get payed going wild and making just what I want out of a vague concept but thats probably not ever going to happen unless the client is flush with cash and willing to take chances on an artist they like.
Lamp blakk: “ I haven’t really experienced bad clients in the freelance art industry, but I have experienced them in my job as an employed worker so I can afford living expenses”
Wagecuckin 'ard for the livin moneys I tend to do some research on a client if i can, its wise to to see if they can step up to the plate, that's prolly why i rarely encounter one in my art hobby.
@@ZoeClarkTattooer Nothing entirely wrong with living on benefits if you can't legitimately work i.e. disabled or old-age. Carrying out your due diligence on potential clients is imperative within any business. See it as if you were Reference Checking them.
Joshua Amberson I didn’t mention anything about living on benefits being wrong, I was simply portraying, as a tattoo artist, you cannot turn away people who look a little rough around the edges and can not afford a £1000+ project purely by looks alone. I was also going on the area I live in, as it’s well known for people who shit out kids for government payouts
" for our first round of designs, i wanted to have more of a direct impact on who submitted art... so i spent the last TWO YEARS scouting freelance artists on twitter"
@@nerdcity Definitely, but only as long as youtube doesn't shoot both of its feet off :D In general though, the evolution of YT content in the last several years has been incredible, and your channel's one of the finer examples on the "What RUclips can&should be like" list.
this is so true. Honestly, I get frustrated at tv shows and commercials- youtube tends to think like it's audience, since the best youtubers started out watching other youtubers. It's like the UX design of the television world.
These videos are so packed with info, neat moments and visuals that you could rewatch them forever. I'm disappointed that I'll never reach such level of quality ...
All of Nerd City's videos are proof that if your passionate about something and believe in quality over quantity, then you too can make great videos like these too!
@@chokichocat3083 I don't know why, but I get the distinct feeling that _you_ might be extremely insecure and negative yourself! Weird, right? Not sure what's giving me that impression 🤔
Man. The pure joy and excitement of seeing a Nerd City upload (I literally jumped out of bed and yelled "no way!") Is always dampened by the immediate realization that it may be months before I see another one. But holy shit thank you for doing this. So much of this also applies to fine art commission work. Especially the dream vs nightmare client stuff. I came to digital and commercial art from the fine art world, and just applied the same principals... Which I found didn't work all the time. It was always my policy to take a refundable 50% down payment up front. From which I would take a modest hourly rate or cost of supplies before refunding if the project falls through after the initial sketch phase. But these are for multi-thousand dollar paintings. I found that for smaller, cheaper, digital pieces it is still reasonable to take a 50% down payment. But with less time and almost no cost of materials involved it's not as necessary. So I changed my policy to only taking down payments for projects with a close deadline. If you don't mind being a low priority client, then you only pay on delivery. That's worked out ok for me. Side note: I actually have a bunch of concept art lying around for you that I started back when your youtube algorithm video came out and I decided this would likely become my favorite channel (which it has.) Maybe I'll finish those and get them to you one day lol. Thanks again for everything you do man. You're really pushing this platform to its fullest potential.
I do commission model painting like warhammer 40k and such, and i love the fact you guys asked about dream and nightmare clients. 100% can confirm, you are absolutely right with every one of those points. Even though what I do is quite different from the artists featured, the things that make a great or terrible client translate very well. Love your videos, I can't wait to pick up some of your merch.
Jojo Bizzare "Awful weird faces", you're not fooling anyone. Based on your name you know damn well what it's called and you prob have a folder full of those.
@@corvinesama9339 I sure hope my 7 year old cousin who likes watching Pokemon, Dragon Ball and Ghibli films doesn't know what ahegao is. Ah, but I guess he must, as he certainly knows and enjoys anime.
Bogan translation for Lamp Bakk I have not experienced terribly bad clients in the artist community. I have although had these experiences In my unsatisfactory low paying other job in which i need financially.
Quality wise? Definitely, in my opinion the best on RUclips that I've seen. But consistency wise, doubtful it will happen, the videos are just too effortful and great.
@@integraLderivation06 That could be part of it, but it is definitely an algorithmic issue more than anything else. Frequency, which on a popular channel also means consistently high views, leads to more promotion, and so on...
The only bad thing about your videos is the upload frequency. But ig that cant be helped when this much work goes into them. Truly quality over quantity.
Following a decent amount of people on RUclips I'd rather have slower amazing uploads than videos that just feel like they're trying to suck time away from you
As an artist myself, when i had my first commission, my client paid upfront, at 8:39 the devil said that it takes away the motivation from the artist, in my case it was the opposite, i felt pressured to finish it as the money was already spent. Before accepting the contract, i was thinking on suggesting a price to him and he could pay me anything, even zero if he'd been unhapy with the work. that reasoning i had made me feel more relaxed, but no, he paid in advance, now i need to finish what i started because he already paid. So to add to the video, i dont like to be paid upfront because it makes me unconfortable and ansious.
i'veonly taken one test commission so far where money was actually exchanged and i prefer to be paid after one of the sketches gor confirmed. if i know i get paid i'm a lot more motivated because i know i won't get scammed
Nathan Rodgers It's likely more nuanced than being a shit human or not... I've been in situations where I accepted a paid up-front project, but then still didn'thave enough money to pay my rent so I had to find more projects. If the second project withheld payment until completion: obviously they are going to be my priority cus I need the money ASAP. You want to be the second client.
I usually ask for half down. I've had people waste my time a few times, I've finished projects only to find out a client didn't have my payment at that time. I've had one particular client who took the drafts I supplied, and printed them as they were on shirts without payment. If a client does not want to pay up front I understand, but I just wouldn't work with them.
19:44 As an Australian myself, I believe what that last sentence Lamp Blakk wrote in his "nightmare client description" was something along the lines of, "I haven't really experienced clients that are too unbearably horrible in the art world, but I've had the displeasure of dealing with them in my day job."
That wasn't some sort of "Aussie" slang. That was internet speak used by virtually everybody at this point. Pretty sure everybody that's been on the internet for more than a week understood it. Good excuse to bring up your nationality doe.
Yea. I have personally commissioned a few times just because it's an artist I like and want to support and get something out of it. I know I always get nervous when asking for a changes in the Sketch stage. But I think what he said about commission people you are a fan of to be very good. And I hate the people who just find an artist with good art and want a free art piece or stupid cheap compared to their normal rates. You know their price so don't ask if you don't want to pay it.
youve got no idea how much ive been waiting for this, i checked your channel few times a week in case i missed a notification and here we are *finally*
I can't get over just how amazing these videos are. the editing, the characters, the gags mixed with the serious information on the market. its just. 10/10.
as an artist i can say that when there is no payment up front (deposite) clients are likely to disapear as well. Ive had luck with a 25% down payment, and a signed TOS to protect both them and me. when i required money at the end as 100% clients literally would just not pay me. and disappear. it was so disappointing.
Hey, so I'm also an artist, not as great as the ones in the video, but I thought I'd just throw my 2 cents in. For me, I ask for payment after I've completed the initial sketch phase (rather than before starting, or after the piece is complete). This is the logical compromise for me, because I've had clients not pay up in the past. It also means the client can see exactly what they will be paying for upfront, and they have a chance to give feedback & revisions early on in the process before I commit a lot of time into a finished design. I would consider a Nightmare Client to be someone who is more hassle than they're worth. It is really hard to grade Art into price bands, because each project will naturally have it's own set of challenges and take different amounts of time. A client who consistently asks for reworks, or tries to squeeze more into a piece than what they're paying for, is going to lose my faith quickly and affects what kind of work I would consider doing for them in the future. I personally would rather people didn't use the compliment sandwich when working with me, because it feels apparent when good feedback is artificial. I would rather a client just be straightforward with me about what they do or don't want. That being said, I do agree with the points about the commission brief. The more visual references I have to what you want, the clearer an understanding I have of what to make. Don't just think about the character, think about how they're posed, the lighting of the scene, etc. Moodboards are great to this effect. A dream client for me is someone who comes to me with a solid brief, and is prepared to have a conversation about all the details.
Yeah, after sketch downpayment is the best option imo. I have heard that telling the client upfront that you are willing to do x number of revisions for the original price and then anymore costs something is a good way to set expectations and avoid endless revisions.
I somewhat get the compliment sandwich part and where you’re coming from about it, but also think it is mentally and emotionally draining you if you only got criticism. I don’t think need city is saying “oh just compliment them over and over to get what you want”, they’re more trying to say that you want to let the artist know that you like what they’re doing but it needs tweaking. They also said they only used that tactic when trying to convince an artist of a more drastic change, not something simple like editing the color on one piece or dragging something down a little bit. Which as an artist I think you can admit it’s a bit frustrating when a client asks for a change like completely flipping everything to face the other direction? (That was the example they used for why they implemented a compliment sandwich)
Honestly becoming my favourite RUclips channel. When watching your videos, you can tell how much time is put into creating each different scene and the art used in each scene. 10/10!
Oh man. That’s so accurate. Spy TV with Michael Ian Black was one of those shows for me. I don’t remember much more than confusion, amusement, and thinking that surely Michael Ian Black was a fake name. Come on! MIB, Men In Black, Michael In Black. It was obvious! I think it was one of those hidden camera shows but I really don’t remember.
Why does this channel not have more views and subs, I mean this dude is putting out smart, creative and innovative content..... Really love your descriptive research based videos brother 👍🏼
Man.. this video goes even further than just getting freelance artwork. As a freelance musician, I appreciate the time and consideration you EVEN TOOK before contacting artists, THEN you went ahead and made a video for everyone else to learn from. Much respect man your videos get better and better.
I'm 11 minutes into the video! I absolutely love all of your videos. As an artist/graphic designer. I must say that I always ask for 20% down payment, if I don't get the down payment I do not start working. Then ask for the rest after I finish the work or the piece if you will. These things really do depend on the artist. So far, everything in the video is so true and amazing advice!
Can someone explain why nerd city isn't waaaaay bigger? His videos are possibly the most well done i've seen. The editing in particular is so seamless, and interesting. It has a feel of being extremely professionally done without feeling like it is too generic. 1m views is nothing to sneeze at, but seriously, three videos in and you are easily one of my favorite youtubers. Really well done to everyone involved in making these videos.
Making quality content doesn't guarantee you success on RUclips. You need to take a look at who generates the most views per day on average. You'll grow disillusioned with the system and quickly.
8:41 There it is, from the Devil's mouth; This is why we shouldn't pre-order videogames. Because we have, we've removed the incentive for devs to finish the work... and so, we have released games that are completed with updates... or struggle to even get completed.
Nah. I agree preordering is a bad idea, but not for that reason. Besides wanting their game to do well, obviously, the devs don't care about how many preorders there are, they don't see that money. They're paid a wage by their employer. And by the time preorders roll around the game is done besides a few touchups anyways. The only reason you shouldn't preorder is because you don't know if it's shit yet.
Dude for real, everytime Im like "finally!" But then I see the visual quality and I go "damn this took hours upon hours" and I totally underatand again. Another BANGER Nerd City! Awesome info!
Heard about you long time ago, but never really had time to fully inspect the channel. Binge-watched videos pretty much the whole day and every second was f@cking worth it.
Admittedly there's much less of an emphasis on finding a translator whose work you personally enjoy. But all the other stuff applies, especially with regards to nightmare clients being vague, uncommunicative migromanagers who try to haggle the rate. My favorite nightmare client anecdote from the industry: A client and a translator agreed upon a per-character rate for a big commission. After the translation was ready to be turned in, the client suddenly declared that they wouldn't pay the full price because "some of those characters were spaces, and you don't have to translate those, so we're not gonna pay for them". The translator graciously sent them the translation anyway... With all, and I do mean *all*, spaces and line breaks removed from this huge text. And wouldn't you know it, suddenly the client was willing to pay the full price after all ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
This is exactly what I needed to see! I was looking for some commissions for my twitch channel and I had NO CLUE how to approach asking for and how I want the art done!
Just a note from an artist's perspective: The reason many of us ask for payment up front is because our work can't often be reused. If a client doesn't pay us after we finish the work, we've lost that time it took to make them their piece and we can't easily reuse or resell the art because it is so specific to that client. Sometimes the work will be general enough, but other times with branding and characters it's not possible.
Business Wolf understandable. Especially after reading a lot of r/choosingbeggars I get where artists come from, but from a clients perspective I think it’s good to at least get proof that the artist is invested in the work before you do any payment. I think the best thing to do is to ask for a rough draft before sending a down payment. It shows that both the artist and client want to work with each other and are invested in the project. Also having a contract is very important to prove the seriousness of the project on both sides.
@@cmm3699 A contract is easy to say, but getting a contract for every transaction if you're more on the professional side of being an artist - if you're not, well, then it most likely will not happen.
DreamAlex true. But I still think just a quick very rough draft of something bare bones is a good way to start. Also that way you both can avoid getting into a negative business relationship if the buyer doesn’t see potential in the rough draft.
True, but most (at least of the smaller) artists I've seen charge after the sketch. Usually sketch only takes a few hours to a day, so not no time commitment but hardly takes the time of a full shaded piece. Personally though, I do charge upfront because I do this as a hobby, so I'm not really putting to much thought into ToS or anything, I'd just rather not get scammed.
I'm so glad that such an in-depth and well made video on this topic exists. I've always wanted to know this stuff. Thank you for all your hard work, Nerd City. From a very impressed fan
My man! Ive been looking forward to this for so long Yo Nerd. Translation for lamp, is he doesn't encounter bad clients with his art life as compared to his 9 to 5 work life.
Reveal the page names of the artists who scammed you or ‘forgot’ you want to protect their identities and all but scamming is a serious problem with online services.
"OH SHIT I FORGOT I MADE YOU PRE-PAY AND AGREED TO DESIGN ART FOR YOU. IM SO SORRY LMAOLOLOLOLOL" This dude must either be super unprofessional or had the longest weed nap ever.
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
Every RUclipsr has an audience. I feel like Nerd City's audience is other RUclipsrs.
In the end, we will all be RUclipsrs 👨🏻🦳
And when everyone's a RUclipsr, no one will be.
@@nerdcity Will part 3 be out anytime soon?
@@nunoamorim4909 Incredibles is so rad
@@nerdcity YOU'LL FLOAT TOO!
Hate to be the Devil’s advocate, but this is some solid advice. Glorious job Nerd City!
Y'all should collab
Hahaa 😁
i love this comment so much
Fuck this is funny
the Devil and Jesus Christ collabing would be the collab of the century
jesus christ you're good at making videos
Holy shit real Boyinaband
Fokin'Daveo
OI ITS BOYINABAND
@@nerdcity same tbh
Agreed
#3 straight up put a paint filter on you in photoshop and charged you an arm and a leg for it, what a weasle
Hopefully, he still loses in the end from the bad publicity he'll get (deservedly so) from this video. I don't think Nerd City hid their identity, so they had to know it'd be heavily scrutinized, then put on blast🤔
@@lizp5004 he did lol at least there profile picture and there twitter
Lol used a filter and clip art.. What an "artist"
Yeah I was also looking at that. No way is that overpainting, that's literally been run through one of those stupid "make a photo look like it was painted" apps.
I wasn't gonna like this comment (not because I hated it) but this man used the words what a weasle
Nerd City is a youtuber *for* youtubers. I hope content creators legitimately use this to learn from and produce merch that they’re proud of & looks good.
Btw thanks for putting me onto Ayylien. Love their stuff.
A few weeks back i saw the poster they advertised in this video in the background of Leon Lush's channel. I thought that was cool he was a fan of Nerd City.
Nerd City, you should try and get this merch design process put on skillshare once it’s done
Emcee Hammer
It is cool. Yes.
I certainly am.
I’m so much more inspired to start my own channel now after watching him
Oh my god. Nerd City has made 2 videos this year!
LOL, Right.
Jivy thats the joke
@Jivy r/woosh!
@Jivy you are a genius
I'm crushed
I get so sad when the video ends, you must be the greatest youtuber of all time Nerd City. Respect
You get to hear that funky theme though, that's good consolation.
Can't rush art, but damn, it's some good shit. Wish I could have new videos of NerdCity every day!
You're not crazy: the thumbnail changed. I'm testing some advice I was given about redoing bad thumbs and editing metadata. If it works out, I'll share what we learned!
Hasn't it changed several times?
@@hazzle5658 - yes, this is version 3. Been tracking CTR for each day. I made this one myself; if this style flops might try a few more from the competition on Twitter.
Ah, alright. Thanks for clearing that up. By the way, when you share the results, will you do it generally somewhere else or as a new video on your channel?
@@hazzle5658 Good question. I have enough material to make a Thumbnail video but I think that's too RUclipsr-specific. I think I might do it as a segment on Nerdline.
Ahhh i thought for shure i was going crazy.
All three thumbs have been great though.
Keep up the good work!
I know this is FOR the clients, but this is a great video for new commission artists, a teaching moment for both parties
Exactly, I have only done maybe 3 commissions and I am slightly insecure about my art and stuff so I usually seem to give in to the terrible customers who want it super cheap, since I don't even know how much my art should be worth. This helped me figure out what I need to look for in a customer and honestly just stop giving in to them trying to get it dirt cheap for maybe $15 while I spend hours meticulously drawing and trying my hardest to make it look good for them.
@@GagePurple Look, usually the prices go based on the amount of hours you spend on the art and the amount you'd like to be paid per hour. Let's consider a basic, dirty cheap 5$ per hour(not even talentless McDonalds workers get paid that low).
If you spend 10 hours working on your commission, the price should be 50$. If there are people willing to pay for your art, it means it has value, and if it has value, you need to respect that value, by putting a decent price on it.
Consider that the minimum page rate for a junior pro comic book artist is 150-200$, the minimum price for a digital painting done by a junior pro is around 300$, the minimum paycheck for a junior pro character designer working for a small to middle company is around 2.000$ per month.
Don't be afraid of asking for the right price for your time and talent :)
@@DeadKraken Thank you so much for the thoughtful reply, you bring up a lot of good points that I guess I really didn't consider. I really should be looking at it as if it was a job and pricing it to be AT LEAST minimum wage, and also accounting for how many hours it took. I know that my art isn't completely up to par with other artists, I just got out of high school last month and I have taken a bit of a break from art since I was so busy with senior year and social events along with preparation for actual graduation and stuff. There are some things that I really just cannot draw yet, I'm awful at real human proportions and poses because I have never really practiced it and I'm scared about doing commissions because I feel like I won't be able to do their ideas justice with the limited talent I have. Here is a higher res image of my profile picture that I did just over a year ago as an example of my art but its just really hard to determine how much a newbie like me should really be worth monetarily. imgur.com/gallery/oYZMpH9
@@DeadKraken Wow! I'm so happy that I found your comment because it's really helpful!! I have been wanting to sell art but didn't know how to think of the pricing so this is great!! I also just want thank you for taking time out of your day to write this and I want you to know that it is really appreciated!!! :D
"I would ask them how much they'd like to be paid"
_Jake Paul has left the chat_
I'd say this is TV quality, but it feels like an insult.
We can make RUclips better than TV ever was, let’s gooo
Nerd City why do I automatically want to downvote, I mean, something doot, when I see “lessssssssssgoooooooooooo”
Also learn your art mediums breh. Oil paint on canvas is completely smooth.
Nerd City's content is too good for RUclips
i agree
I know I always feel guilty I'm broke and can't pay
Right? They deserve to have their own dedicated site where they won't be demonetized by RUclips.
Too bad it’s been so long since we saw it…
I guess we don’t deserve them either
Which I guess is why he doesn't upload anymore lol
Nerd City back at it with the BEST editing on youtube, hands down. As an artist, I have such a soft spot for this video. the creative way you represented each individual artists style was purely satisfying. The best presentation I’ve ever seen. Keep up the amazing work dude 🦖
Ok... I never expected you here Ray..
Ok....never expected you here Thanos...
@@ghjkrsxcg YEAH, unlucky name choice from my parents
nice to see a cool artist here!
Damn. The presentation on these videos is eye-popping. I like to go back and re-watch parts because the editing is so gorgeous.
Right? I rewatched the globe icecube scene a few times, it just looks so neat
rjmario22 I know right I have watched all his videos multiple times he’s like a genius with editing I can’t edit for sh!t lol
I watched this on acid. Holy shit it truly is amazing
Doctapeppur 😂 😂 you enjoy your trip 👾🧠👋🧚🏻♂️🍄🌟🌈💫
@@Danboi. Of course :)
As an artist I really appreciate the video as a wake-up call to commission work artists and those commissioning.
Welcome, Fam Squad 👤
Your Furvius suits are on the hangers in the back. Please get dressed and let’s get started.
My Garfield fursuit is on, now I am ready to be blessed
I'm so glad I checked the comments
I've always wanted a furvius suit. ITS NOT A PHASE DAD!
Lets get into a phase! again...
I wonder how many subs, besides me, you got from him. There is so much gold hidden beneath the rubble of this platform I haven't yet discovered.
19:43 Translation
"I Haven't really experienced Bad clients in the art community but i do experience it in my normal day job that i work at to pay my bills."
It's less bogan speak, more chanspeak. Might frequent /biz/ or some shit.
@@sadface Are you kidding me? I've seen the term wage cuck on every board.
I am a human
Yes
19:39 I cannot even begin to describe the love I have for this particular art piece.
It... It speaks to my very soul.
You feel like a snakey?
"M8 I'LL FUCKIN NIP YA"
@@L16htW4rr10r aye, No step on snek!
quixling badger - I laughed for a solid minute the first time I read the text. It’d be nice to know who makes these memes sometimes 😂
@@nerdcity - its my new wallpaper
You have no idea how much I’ve anticipated this
As a full time artist myself, I agreed to be paid after the job is done 3 times. 3 times I got scammed and never got paid. So now I don't accept any commission without upfront payment. The way it works is that I have a long list of clients and never had anybody have a bad experience with me, so a way to know too is to do some research on the artist and see if you find a lot of happy clients or a lot of "where is my commission" comments on their page
I pretty much follow the same type of protection, there's ALOT of people out there who don't understand the value/time/effort put into the work. However if someone is super dedicated to not paying upfront, all of the "previews" they receive, are low-res screenshots from within the drawing software, sometimes with watermarks. That way they have nothing to walk off with.
KingKraken exactly. I don’t think anyone wants to fully pay for a project upfront with zero progress, but also some people may not want to pay half the amount if it’s a large sum with nothing to show yet. I said in another comment I think it’s best for the artist to send a rough draft, nothing major that would take a lot of time away from other projects, it’d be just to show that they’re interested in going forward, and that they’re a good fit. Then, both the client and artist can come up with a contract to solidify the entire exchange. After that I think both parties would feel much safer in continuing their business relationship.
That's the thing. I hear WAAYYYY more horror stories of clients not paying once it's done and delivered compared to stories of artists not doing the work after being paid. The artist tends to have more on the line (reputation, reviews, etc...) whereas most clients come out of the blue and don't really have to worry about pissing off one artist most of the time, since it's either a single person wanting one commission, or a big company who can sweep it under the rug.
L G I totally understand where you’re coming from. I’m just trying to put into perspective why nerd city did things the way that they did and said why he felt hesitant to pay upfront or half I guess. If it’s some random person with no footprint to find online I’d definitely be suspicious about working with them and ask for something in return to make sure this deal between us is legitimate. But nerd city is a reputable customer, so I wouldn’t worry about nonpayment. It’s a matter of researching on both sides. Go and see if the artist and consumer are reputable people. I think that can also take into account of whether or not you ask for payment upfront, down payment, or upon completion. Just like contractors when building a home, you never want to give someone shady the entire payment upfront or a large sum of money because so many contractors just ditch. There are very few people who have good things to say about hiring contractors. I understand that that analogy doesn’t quite work since so many more artists are highly rated and raved about more than contractors, but I think you get the gist of what I’m trying to say.
@PixelLightShow are you ok? they are having a polite discussion and you'r acting like a boomer..
Never clicked on a notification so quickly. Nerd City is back!
They never went away.
Same lmao
yes!!
Cant wait for part 3 for the end of this year
Yessss
I hope this doesn't get buried, but man, I just want to thank you guys for making what you make. It is so fun, educational, innovative, and intriguing that I can't help but rewatch videos of yours that I've seen a million times. I'm a bit on the younger side, so I can't help you guys financially (trust me, would if I could!), So I just wanted to give this little thank you in the comments of one of your best vids yet. Keep up the good work and thanks a ton!
Thank you 🙏🏼 I hope we haven’t corrupted you into thinking about buying merch, hahaha. If you’re under 13, please wash all advertisements out of your brain and delete the memories
Thanks, Lucas! This means a lot to us!
Not under 13, just a jobless bum lol. Thank you so much for your response!
Am Aussie, can translate Lamp Blakk's last sentence.
Basically, he's saying that he hasn't experienced clients so bad that they're worse than those he deals with in his main form of employment.
I have no idea why every Aussie watching this video seems to think that was some Aussie slang. It's not. At all. Not even in the slightest.
@@Tanwolly Considering NerdCity didn't understand it, we were obligated to.
@@Tanwolly It's almost like it's a joke you're just simply too smart to understand.
@@Tanwolly but the accent was?
I shall call you, "the bogan whisperer" :P
I just realized that the Devil’s friend is Paul McCartney
You are literally the first person to say they noticed that detail.
How nice
I noticed it lol
But who is the devil
@@Eidolon5150 this devil? Chill guy. The true evil figure that is worse than Satan?
Why, its............
*Bottom text*
Honestly I think I am speaking for everyone here... NerdCity makes the best in quality youtube videos ever put on this damned website
He's tied with the legendary Captain Disillusion
@@-47- Couldn't agree more!
Captain Disillusion and Mister amazing are also good ones
You sir are the speaker of jesus
@@-47- jja
Woo!! I was on that commission artists list. That was so cool to see. Thanks man!!
Hey! 👋🏻 Glad to see you here
Aayee frost drive 👋🏻
@Trantor The Troll I never screwed no one. I'm a virgin dude
Translation of Lamp Blakk’s final statement. “Haven’t really experienced awful clients in the business of making art, but I do experience awful clients at my job that doesn’t pay well but keeps the lights on”
A billion bonus points to NC for correct use of the word 'bogan'. None of the written words were really Aussie, but the word 'bogan' is up there with g'day in terms of iconic slang.
To go further:
"terribad" = terrible + bad = extremely bad
"as eff" = as f*ck (i.e. 'AF')
"wage cuck" = person who works for a wage (most people with full time work - implies the job is 'just a job')
"pay them bills" = to maintain a minimum standard of living.
Both of these are actually redundant to some degree (the first line already implies the second), and is mostly just shitposting slang (which isn't Aussie, but is basically their second language).
Pff... Only IDIOTS would need a translation,
@@nopenope6494 Why would you put "pay them bills" on the list? It means exactly what it says and isn't slang.
@@Kpazz Mostly because it's redundant with wage cuck. It is also, albeit debatably, slang because it's a saying with grammatical errors.
Nerd City: Where's my art it's been a month
Artist: *LMAO SOZ I TOOK ON TOO MUCH WORK HAHA LMAO HERE'S 20% OFF ON YOUR NEXT REQUEST FROM ME THO LOL*
Let me translate that:
"Oh, I have just scammed you, however if you want to get scammed again, here, have a coupon so you can get scammed for 20% less!"
As someone who does freelance illustration work for a living, this was really nice to see! A lot of research went into this and nerd-city has the social media commission etiquette DOWN
I love how you guys threw a few video edits together showing the artists' personalities; we need more of those, because the artists' personalities are just as important as their art.
All artists are weird tho
@@raialasio1574 and that is good.
Agreed
this
@@raialasio1574 Nope, only the really talented ones are weird.
The tryhard videos are so good, it's always worth the wait
Wish I could go 10 years ahead and binge nerd city
Unfortunately, time stopped before that...
Just so you can watch 7 extra videos 😆
@@annon9269 More like 1
As an artist, this video is fucking perfect at explaining everything and I hope a bunch of other folks share this around and hopefully improve the overall commission landscape by informing more potential clients. Great work, as always, buddy!
Ayyy, love the vids
That name... As someone that plays Tf2, you haunt me.
Yeah. With youtube and the volume of people who are likely to want channel art, it must be brutal having people who think giving you carte blanche to make work they don't like (and won't use) is somehow doing you a favor. This is something I would DEFINITELY have gotten wrong.
Too true. A lot of clients believe that giving the designer a lot of freedom is beneficial. Quite the opposite. Direction is needed!
As an artist I agree, however if you do that, you'd better not decide that's not actually what you want after all and then not pay them for their time. That's the worst.
Except for that one guy who just wanted freedom... He seems to be the odd one out though.
@@hoodedman6579 Freedom sounds nice up until the point where the customer is unsatisfied and they don't pay. I would love to just get payed going wild and making just what I want out of a vague concept but thats probably not ever going to happen unless the client is flush with cash and willing to take chances on an artist they like.
Nerds rise up!
I want you to draw me a thing but I dont know what I want it to be. Got it!?
Lamp blakk: “ I haven’t really experienced bad clients in the freelance art industry, but I have experienced them in my job as an employed worker so I can afford living expenses”
*minimum wage job
Wagecuckin 'ard for the livin moneys
I tend to do some research on a client if i can, its wise to to see if they can step up to the plate, that's prolly why i rarely encounter one in my art hobby.
Lamp Blakk Smart geeza, I tattoo and wish I could do that, imagine the awkward conversation “eeeee na, you look like you’re living on benefits m8”
@@ZoeClarkTattooer Nothing entirely wrong with living on benefits if you can't legitimately work i.e. disabled or old-age. Carrying out your due diligence on potential clients is imperative within any business. See it as if you were Reference Checking them.
Joshua Amberson I didn’t mention anything about living on benefits being wrong, I was simply portraying, as a tattoo artist, you cannot turn away people who look a little rough around the edges and can not afford a £1000+ project purely by looks alone. I was also going on the area I live in, as it’s well known for people who shit out kids for government payouts
how many times will the thumbnail change on this video making me think that its a new nerd city upload, ultimately leaving me disappointed
We must keep on practicing into the night until we reach perfection!
My biggest issue with this video wasnt that it took nearly half a year, but that Nikki wasn't in it
They broke up, dude. Do you not follow their Instagram(s)?
@@jtm232556 aw fuck fr? that sucks man
Jay M
Did they? Weird that she would still be in the intro then.
@UCnLPI0I3p1o_HC3D9bq5fsQ Just now yesterday last week it's been a couple months.
@@jtm232556 Considering "nickytryhard"s insta account just posted about this video like four hours ago, that doesn't seem very split.
Everyone asks where is Nerd City,
But no-one asks HOW is Nerd City :(
WHAT is Nerd City?
WHY is nerd city
Who IS Nerd City?
WHEN is Nerd City?
Mmmmbawwwww hawawawawawwwwww dawww
" for our first round of designs, i wanted to have more of a direct impact on who submitted art... so i spent the last TWO YEARS scouting freelance artists on twitter"
Efficiency
Yeah just kinda lurking around. Watching. Always watching.
Makes you wonder about what shit nerd city is working on right now that's probably glorious and won't see the light of youtube for years.
This is actually useful for me someone who has been drawing for a while and have been considering making a push for commissioning my work.
Get out there!
@@youaskthedevil thanks. I will
SAME!! This is the only comprehensive tutorial for commissions I've ever seen.
Thank you for promoting my music and tons of my friends, you guys rock!
Thank YOU! I'm a huge fan of BarbWalters tracks, I look forward to every release
Art commission market GDP increases 500%
I hear DMs are sliding in at unsustainable speed
Stonks
Yeah but it's all in "exposure" 😂😂😂
Ur discord gave me a strike y papi
The one time exposure actually materialized! Keep up the good work!
You people are scarily good at this stuff. I'd say "tv quality", if tv quality nowadays wasn't mostly garbage compared to your level of production :D
I think RUclips can be a better medium than TV ever was! Let's do this
@@nerdcity Definitely, but only as long as youtube doesn't shoot both of its feet off :D
In general though, the evolution of YT content in the last several years has been incredible, and your channel's one of the finer examples on the "What RUclips can&should be like" list.
this is so true. Honestly, I get frustrated at tv shows and commercials- youtube tends to think like it's audience, since the best youtubers started out watching other youtubers. It's like the UX design of the television world.
“How will your culture be remembered?”
*Cats trailer:* ...
😂
Damn you know how to sell skillshare. It's like you actually use it. So refreshing.
I hope they stick around, it’s my dream sponsor. Other brands come around but damn do I like tutorials. No hesitation recommending that
Yeah Nerd city is one of the few ones who actually used the site and show cased it. I had my eye on skill share for quite some time now because of it
These videos are so packed with info, neat moments and visuals that you could rewatch them forever. I'm disappointed that I'll never reach such level of quality ...
All of Nerd City's videos are proof that if your passionate about something and believe in quality over quantity, then you too can make great videos like these too!
Yeah keep telling yourself that. Feed the insecurity and negativity.
@@chokichocat3083 I was kinda more saying this in admiration, but ok
@@BloodyMunchkin Don't let that troll get to you. He wont be any help for you on your journey.
@@chokichocat3083 I don't know why, but I get the distinct feeling that _you_ might be extremely insecure and negative yourself! Weird, right? Not sure what's giving me that impression 🤔
Man. The pure joy and excitement of seeing a Nerd City upload (I literally jumped out of bed and yelled "no way!") Is always dampened by the immediate realization that it may be months before I see another one.
But holy shit thank you for doing this. So much of this also applies to fine art commission work. Especially the dream vs nightmare client stuff.
I came to digital and commercial art from the fine art world, and just applied the same principals... Which I found didn't work all the time. It was always my policy to take a refundable 50% down payment up front. From which I would take a modest hourly rate or cost of supplies before refunding if the project falls through after the initial sketch phase. But these are for multi-thousand dollar paintings.
I found that for smaller, cheaper, digital pieces it is still reasonable to take a 50% down payment. But with less time and almost no cost of materials involved it's not as necessary. So I changed my policy to only taking down payments for projects with a close deadline. If you don't mind being a low priority client, then you only pay on delivery. That's worked out ok for me.
Side note: I actually have a bunch of concept art lying around for you that I started back when your youtube algorithm video came out and I decided this would likely become my favorite channel (which it has.) Maybe I'll finish those and get them to you one day lol.
Thanks again for everything you do man. You're really pushing this platform to its fullest potential.
We’d love to see what you made!
is that your work in your profile avatar? pretty neato.
I do commission model painting like warhammer 40k and such, and i love the fact you guys asked about dream and nightmare clients. 100% can confirm, you are absolutely right with every one of those points. Even though what I do is quite different from the artists featured, the things that make a great or terrible client translate very well. Love your videos, I can't wait to pick up some of your merch.
I have a guy that custom paints My D&D minis for Me. It’s worth it when you go to the trouble of buying them from custom forge.
People watch RUclips to watch RUclipsrs
RUclipsrs watch RUclips to watch Nerd City.
"How will your culture be remembered?"
*Puts a footage of belle delphine doing those awful wierd faces*
Hahaha. Something to keep in mind
Jojo Bizzare "Awful weird faces", you're not fooling anyone. Based on your name you know damn well what it's called and you prob have a folder full of those.
CorvineSama I don't see the correlation between JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and ahegao?
@@oldchannel7930 It's not about Jojo specifically. Every weeb or anyone who's into anime knows what Ahegao is, including you, me and him.
@@corvinesama9339 I sure hope my 7 year old cousin who likes watching Pokemon, Dragon Ball and Ghibli films doesn't know what ahegao is. Ah, but I guess he must, as he certainly knows and enjoys anime.
Ngl, I would not be unhappy with a glittery shirt
Aw shit it's krook
So weird seeing you here and not on an Overwatch video lmao
Bogan translation for Lamp Bakk
I have not experienced terribly bad clients in the artist community. I have although had these experiences In my unsatisfactory low paying other job in which i need financially.
He was also using some 'Chanspeak.
@Trantor The Troll yeah! I'm not even native english speaker, and still got it somehow xD
Was more shitpost speak than bogan speak.
This channel should have 17+ million subs - such polished and well thought content.
Not consistent or frequent enough. Will never even hit 2 million.
Quality wise? Definitely, in my opinion the best on RUclips that I've seen. But consistency wise, doubtful it will happen, the videos are just too effortful and great.
Thought-provoking, rewatchable; all of Nerd City's subsribers are ppl who prefer quality vids over quantity. Unfortunately there're not a lot of us
@@integraLderivation06 That could be part of it, but it is definitely an algorithmic issue more than anything else. Frequency, which on a popular channel also means consistently high views, leads to more promotion, and so on...
The only bad thing about your videos is the upload frequency. But ig that cant be helped when this much work goes into them. Truly quality over quantity.
Following a decent amount of people on RUclips I'd rather have slower amazing uploads than videos that just feel like they're trying to suck time away from you
As a freelance artist, I wildly appreciate this video, and it's so spot-on. Thank you for your research
This video was 1000x times more productive and forward-thinking than I was expecting from that thumbnail. Keep it up, ya mooks!
As an artist myself, when i had my first commission, my client paid upfront, at 8:39 the devil said that it takes away the motivation from the artist, in my case it was the opposite, i felt pressured to finish it as the money was already spent. Before accepting the contract, i was thinking on suggesting a price to him and he could pay me anything, even zero if he'd been unhapy with the work. that reasoning i had made me feel more relaxed, but no, he paid in advance, now i need to finish what i started because he already paid. So to add to the video, i dont like to be paid upfront because it makes me unconfortable and ansious.
Whilst what you experienced is great and all, it just means you're not a shit human being, something plenty of other humans aren't.
it is because you are not a lying stealing piece of shit, unlike the rest of the people out there.
i'veonly taken one test commission so far where money was actually exchanged and i prefer to be paid after one of the sketches gor confirmed. if i know i get paid i'm a lot more motivated because i know i won't get scammed
Nathan Rodgers It's likely more nuanced than being a shit human or not... I've been in situations where I accepted a paid up-front project, but then still didn'thave enough money to pay my rent so I had to find more projects. If the second project withheld payment until completion: obviously they are going to be my priority cus I need the money ASAP. You want to be the second client.
I usually ask for half down. I've had people waste my time a few times, I've finished projects only to find out a client didn't have my payment at that time. I've had one particular client who took the drafts I supplied, and printed them as they were on shirts without payment. If a client does not want to pay up front I understand, but I just wouldn't work with them.
Credit needs to be given to the Devil. I wasn't sold on the character in previous videos, but he really came into his own.
Dude! Don't give credit to the Devil... Are you nuts?
Gotta give the devil his due man
loved the devil since i saw him.
At least have a little sympathy...
This channel literally started with the devil content BTW.
19:44
As an Australian myself, I believe what that last sentence Lamp Blakk wrote in his "nightmare client description" was something along the lines of, "I haven't really experienced clients that are too unbearably horrible in the art world, but I've had the displeasure of dealing with them in my day job."
Thought that was clear but then again Americans usually have subtitles over British people
@@randomdude4669 Glad to know that my understanding of English dialects isn't as bad as average Americans.
Bohemond I of Antioch I thought it was a Nigga Lamp reference
Yeah, as an Aussie that was pretty obvious I thought to me, but Good "translation" lmao.
That wasn't some sort of "Aussie" slang. That was internet speak used by virtually everybody at this point. Pretty sure everybody that's been on the internet for more than a week understood it.
Good excuse to bring up your nationality doe.
Really one of the most underappreciated channels on RUclips.
Seriously why doesn't RUclips recommend him
His respect for artists is soo cool! They’re so under appreciated so this is really great! Looking at r/forexposure hurts my soul
Yea. I have personally commissioned a few times just because it's an artist I like and want to support and get something out of it. I know I always get nervous when asking for a changes in the Sketch stage. But I think what he said about commission people you are a fan of to be very good.
And I hate the people who just find an artist with good art and want a free art piece or stupid cheap compared to their normal rates. You know their price so don't ask if you don't want to pay it.
totally agree :)
youve got no idea how much ive been waiting for this, i checked your channel few times a week in case i missed a notification and here we are *finally*
Aurora Borderalis omg dude same
Keep checking in. 🤘
I can't get over just how amazing these videos are. the editing, the characters, the gags mixed with the serious information on the market. its just. 10/10.
Thank you, Stijn Kroon! That was nice to read
as an artist i can say that when there is no payment up front (deposite) clients are likely to disapear as well. Ive had luck with a 25% down payment, and a signed TOS to protect both them and me. when i required money at the end as 100% clients literally would just not pay me. and disappear. it was so disappointing.
As a artist my self I would say the same thing.
yeah i came to the comments to say this lol
This is probably the best channel on this platform. Thank you for making such in depth videos and putting so much hard work into them.
Idubbz is ip there too although he doesn’t put as much work as nerd city
God I love your videos. They're so informative and useful but entertaining as hell
Hey, so I'm also an artist, not as great as the ones in the video, but I thought I'd just throw my 2 cents in.
For me, I ask for payment after I've completed the initial sketch phase (rather than before starting, or after the piece is complete). This is the logical compromise for me, because I've had clients not pay up in the past. It also means the client can see exactly what they will be paying for upfront, and they have a chance to give feedback & revisions early on in the process before I commit a lot of time into a finished design.
I would consider a Nightmare Client to be someone who is more hassle than they're worth. It is really hard to grade Art into price bands, because each project will naturally have it's own set of challenges and take different amounts of time. A client who consistently asks for reworks, or tries to squeeze more into a piece than what they're paying for, is going to lose my faith quickly and affects what kind of work I would consider doing for them in the future.
I personally would rather people didn't use the compliment sandwich when working with me, because it feels apparent when good feedback is artificial. I would rather a client just be straightforward with me about what they do or don't want.
That being said, I do agree with the points about the commission brief. The more visual references I have to what you want, the clearer an understanding I have of what to make. Don't just think about the character, think about how they're posed, the lighting of the scene, etc. Moodboards are great to this effect. A dream client for me is someone who comes to me with a solid brief, and is prepared to have a conversation about all the details.
Yeah, after sketch downpayment is the best option imo. I have heard that telling the client upfront that you are willing to do x number of revisions for the original price and then anymore costs something is a good way to set expectations and avoid endless revisions.
I somewhat get the compliment sandwich part and where you’re coming from about it, but also think it is mentally and emotionally draining you if you only got criticism. I don’t think need city is saying “oh just compliment them over and over to get what you want”, they’re more trying to say that you want to let the artist know that you like what they’re doing but it needs tweaking. They also said they only used that tactic when trying to convince an artist of a more drastic change, not something simple like editing the color on one piece or dragging something down a little bit. Which as an artist I think you can admit it’s a bit frustrating when a client asks for a change like completely flipping everything to face the other direction? (That was the example they used for why they implemented a compliment sandwich)
I know it’s been over a year at this point but I still hope we’ll get to see part 3 of this where they compare a bunch of print on demand services.
Thot patrol is next! Heck yes!
Fantastic video, so many layers to unpack. I'm going to have to rewatch several times.
Make sure to join the wolf pack 😁
Honestly becoming my favourite RUclips channel. When watching your videos, you can tell how much time is put into creating each different scene and the art used in each scene. 10/10!
This channel somehow reminds me of being 12 and waking up to some weird ass tv show youve never seen before at 4am.
I love it.
Oh man. That’s so accurate.
Spy TV with Michael Ian Black was one of those shows for me. I don’t remember much more than confusion, amusement, and thinking that surely Michael Ian Black was a fake name. Come on! MIB, Men In Black, Michael In Black. It was obvious!
I think it was one of those hidden camera shows but I really don’t remember.
For me, it feels like 90's Bill Nye or Beakman's World. Maybe a little Mr. Wizard
Why does this channel not have more views and subs, I mean this dude is putting out smart, creative and innovative content.....
Really love your descriptive research based videos brother 👍🏼
Man.. this video goes even further than just getting freelance artwork. As a freelance musician, I appreciate the time and consideration you EVEN TOOK before contacting artists, THEN you went ahead and made a video for everyone else to learn from. Much respect man your videos get better and better.
me: doesn’t have any use for watching a video on commissions
also me:
Hahaha, yeah I was worried it is a little bit niche
Nerd City still good information that needs support ❤️
Do you know what the intro song is?
This is an amazing video, you made something that lots of artists have been trying to explain to clients for years in a simple 20 min. video.
Kudos!
Nerd I miss your content so much, everything you offered was so insightful and original. Truly a one of a kind content creator. Miss you dude.
I'm 11 minutes into the video! I absolutely love all of your videos. As an artist/graphic designer. I must say that I always ask for 20% down payment, if I don't get the down payment I do not start working. Then ask for the rest after I finish the work or the piece if you will. These things really do depend on the artist. So far, everything in the video is so true and amazing advice!
Thank you for doing artists a favor, you're awesome NC Team!
FRICK, I was just done watching part one the twelfth time waiting for this vid.
Can someone explain why nerd city isn't waaaaay bigger? His videos are possibly the most well done i've seen. The editing in particular is so seamless, and interesting. It has a feel of being extremely professionally done without feeling like it is too generic.
1m views is nothing to sneeze at, but seriously, three videos in and you are easily one of my favorite youtubers. Really well done to everyone involved in making these videos.
Making quality content doesn't guarantee you success on RUclips. You need to take a look at who generates the most views per day on average. You'll grow disillusioned with the system and quickly.
8:41 There it is, from the Devil's mouth; This is why we shouldn't pre-order videogames. Because we have, we've removed the incentive for devs to finish the work... and so, we have released games that are completed with updates... or struggle to even get completed.
Sarcasm stfu and go back to r/gaming
>devs
You mean publishers. The publishers whip and overwork the dev teams in tiny timeframes so they have no choice.
@@haiperbus I agree with you. look at the massive strides Bungie's made since they split with Activision.
Van Myers r/iusereddit
Nah. I agree preordering is a bad idea, but not for that reason. Besides wanting their game to do well, obviously, the devs don't care about how many preorders there are, they don't see that money. They're paid a wage by their employer. And by the time preorders roll around the game is done besides a few touchups anyways. The only reason you shouldn't preorder is because you don't know if it's shit yet.
Dude for real, everytime Im like "finally!" But then I see the visual quality and I go "damn this took hours upon hours" and I totally underatand again. Another BANGER Nerd City! Awesome info!
This channel (and the people in it) are _freaking beautiful!_
man i have been waiting four years for the next video in this series.
As an Australian, I can promise you that last sentence of Lamp Blakk's nightmare paragraph makes 100% sense
same
Am kiwi and it makes sense
Do you really say terribad? That sounded straight out of A Clockwork Orange
Im American, but i know/dated enough Aussies to understand lmao
@@nerdcity Australia is basically A Clockwork Orange mate
NerdCity is quickly becoming one of my favorite channels
Thank you, I appreciate you watching!
I honestly am sad whenever Nerd City uploads because I know I need to wait an eternity for another video
It won’t be so long next time. This was a tough one
same for colossal. they're my fave commentary channels on youtube.
Heard about you long time ago, but never really had time to fully inspect the channel. Binge-watched videos pretty much the whole day and every second was f@cking worth it.
This is good to hear - thank you for watching! 🤖
Better late, than never. Now go tell more people!
Fun fact: pretty much all the same advice applies when commissioning a translator.
That's interesting, you wouldn't think that was the case
Admittedly there's much less of an emphasis on finding a translator whose work you personally enjoy. But all the other stuff applies, especially with regards to nightmare clients being vague, uncommunicative migromanagers who try to haggle the rate.
My favorite nightmare client anecdote from the industry: A client and a translator agreed upon a per-character rate for a big commission. After the translation was ready to be turned in, the client suddenly declared that they wouldn't pay the full price because "some of those characters were spaces, and you don't have to translate those, so we're not gonna pay for them". The translator graciously sent them the translation anyway... With all, and I do mean *all*, spaces and line breaks removed from this huge text. And wouldn't you know it, suddenly the client was willing to pay the full price after all ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I’m addicted to rewatching the artists section of your video
It’s awesome seeing each artists unique and personal style
Ik rite
I know rite?
This is exactly what I needed to see! I was looking for some commissions for my twitch channel and I had NO CLUE how to approach asking for and how I want the art done!
Just a note from an artist's perspective: The reason many of us ask for payment up front is because our work can't often be reused. If a client doesn't pay us after we finish the work, we've lost that time it took to make them their piece and we can't easily reuse or resell the art because it is so specific to that client. Sometimes the work will be general enough, but other times with branding and characters it's not possible.
Business Wolf understandable. Especially after reading a lot of r/choosingbeggars I get where artists come from, but from a clients perspective I think it’s good to at least get proof that the artist is invested in the work before you do any payment. I think the best thing to do is to ask for a rough draft before sending a down payment. It shows that both the artist and client want to work with each other and are invested in the project. Also having a contract is very important to prove the seriousness of the project on both sides.
@@cmm3699 A contract is easy to say, but getting a contract for every transaction if you're more on the professional side of being an artist - if you're not, well, then it most likely will not happen.
DreamAlex true. But I still think just a quick very rough draft of something bare bones is a good way to start. Also that way you both can avoid getting into a negative business relationship if the buyer doesn’t see potential in the rough draft.
True, but most (at least of the smaller) artists I've seen charge after the sketch. Usually sketch only takes a few hours to a day, so not no time commitment but hardly takes the time of a full shaded piece. Personally though, I do charge upfront because I do this as a hobby, so I'm not really putting to much thought into ToS or anything, I'd just rather not get scammed.
Also your art looks very cute! OwO
I'll probably never sell merch. You guys are just so hecka entertaining, I'd watch you explore the effect of Aspirin on garden worms
I'd watch that for sure.
Weirdly that sounds fascinating.
I'm so glad that such an in-depth and well made video on this topic exists. I've always wanted to know this stuff. Thank you for all your hard work, Nerd City. From a very impressed fan
Thank you for watching, Elizabeth!
My man! Ive been looking forward to this for so long
Yo Nerd. Translation for lamp, is he doesn't encounter bad clients with his art life as compared to his 9 to 5 work life.
I love how you put all the music in the description for this video - very interesting and is cool to check out all the artists
Reveal the page names of the artists who scammed you or ‘forgot’ you want to protect their identities and all but scamming is a serious problem with online services.
"OH SHIT I FORGOT I MADE YOU PRE-PAY AND AGREED TO DESIGN ART FOR YOU. IM SO SORRY LMAOLOLOLOLOL"
This dude must either be super unprofessional or had the longest weed nap ever.
It's like RUclips Christmas every time you upload a video man
This is such a well educated video for anyone wanting to hire an artist. But also for artists that want to start doing commissions. I love nerd city💗
Love the scene with Omega Black. I've watched it multiple times. The combination of Nerd City's art and Omega Black's art flows wonderfully.
Putting that together gave me some of the late night spooks