Make "Open for Commissions" show examples of artists' work, and their price sheet

I feel this is something the community has wanted for some time! I look forward to whatever route you choose. I was thinking though, if it was possible, perhaps you could further the commission shopping process by including filters for commission types (sketches, reference sheets, ect) or even price ranges. An easy to navigate feed would likely be a good idea, but closer to list format rather than an overwhelming amount of images and options.

Very agree here, like Renashe suggested, let us add site filters based on commission openings within a curated pool of tags. If I'm not open for character sheets, I wont touch that tag, but broad options like 'sketch', 'icon' or 'full image' would help narrow what I'm taking as an artist, and help avoid buyers asking for things I can't cover at the time I open.

Not a bad idea. What other important filtering tools / tags would be critical? It'll be important to avoid the dreaded 'category staleness' problem that happens on other sites, whereby the categories were drawn up once, and become irrelevant as time goes on...

Going to say a good break down that's not too narrow would like something like:

Icon

Sketch

Illustration

Character sheet

Comic

Animation

Convention Badge

Other (Digital art)

Other (Traditional art)

Having a category for available YCHs and adoptables from all artists might be useful, too.

seeing as such types of items are done rather often by some, I have to give this suggestion a +1. fortunately it comes with no regrets.

Maybe also other options like Fursuit, Plush Animals, Figures etc.

Perhaps implement a tag system for commission opening/requests instead of having actual categories? That way, people could tag it as absolutely ANYTHING someone might be looking for, like specific subject matter.

• Price range
• Commission type
• Artist's favorite tags
• Do's and don't list

All should have a sort of default list but allow unique tags (for consistency, but not limiting). With do's and don't list, it could filter out those artists who wont draw a specific fetish or things like backgrounds, if you include those in the search.

Why artist's fav tags I think is important is because at least I look up people who enjoy drawing the theme I want to commission, it always produces the best outcome. Those themes don't always display very well if the artist does mostly commissions (secretly hoping this thing might get me more dragon commissions and not the neverending list of dogs xD).

I like the idea of yes/no tags for themes being tied to commission openings. Easy to put -humans -bugs -pokemon, +dragons +cars +balloons and let people use tags to filter down those open for commissions by things they want.

I think price range is going to be way, way too subjective and variable to filter well. I can say my price range is $20-$50, but someone is going to be upset when I give them a $100 bill for their six headed dragon with rainbow wings that increased the price.

now that is a bunch of really great ideas that I can't believe I have not yet thought of.

Yeah, wanted to take a look at the commissions system here but the first thing that comes up is adding an image price sheet. It would be great if we could have "add-on" categories like shading and coloring. So if someone wanted a shaded sketch they'd just look at the price of a sketch and add the price of shading on to that.

So here's a question for you all - how should we handle adult/non-adult price sheets?

Not all users of the site will be browsing with adult mode on, and as such, we need to decide what content level we will allow for price sheets. If we DO allow adult content in price sheets, then we'll need some way of uploading a 'non-adult' price sheet that's shown to users with adult submissions turned off.

Which do you think we should do, and why?

1. No adult content in price sheets. Only one non-adult price sheet per user, displayed to all users

2. Adult content allowed in price sheets. For users with adult submissions turned off, price sheet does not show / shows with a "Content Blocked" warning

3. Adult content allowed in price sheets, with option for non-adult price sheet alternative. For users with adult submissions turned off, non-adult price sheet is shown.

Discuss!

3. probably is the best course of action so artists can customize their price sheets based on the audience.

It also assures that every user can see the the prices without having to turn on adult content (option 2)

I'm not certain if this is going completely off the rails with what is planned, but I would suggested a specific "examples" tab, containing submission fields that can be set by the artist themselves. You'd have two or three "columns". First you'd have the example itself, which the artist would set from their gallery/uploaded directly. Next to this would be a short description of the piece/style/options, and finally there'd be the "base price".

This way, the columns that include examples marked as 18+ could be set to simply not be displayed in the first place, or (alternatively) simply display a "Content Blocked".

... Though, as I said, that's probably making things too complicated. So, I would say option 3 is the best one. Making it so that the general price sheet is mandatory, and the adult one is optional. Otherwise, people without adult submissions on wouldn't see the price sheet if someone has only the adult one uploaded.

While option 1 and 2 seem to be the easier ones, I think 3 could work since it offers the most control for both parties (artists can post clean and/or adult sheets, and commissioners can view the respective sheet depending their settings). Also I think that if an artist really means to make money with his work, I guess it would be a reasonable step to upload two price sheets to satisfy as most potential customers as possible. And if for the viewer it would be able to simply switch between clean and adult sheets, I don't think this would be too much trouble. So I think I'm gonna settle for option 3.

3. Adult content allowed in price sheets, with option for non-adult price sheet alternative. For users with adult submissions turned off, non-adult price sheet is shown.

I like this option the most, voting up comments that agree.

Edit: In addition to this, SFW and NSFW example sections would be ncie :)

I personally like option 3 the best - it seems like the most versatile option. Option 1 seems like a bad idea because there are some artists who almost exclusively do adult content. Sure, they could "dumb down" their price sheets, but since adult art is primarily what they do, that seems like it would be forcing them to misrepresent themselves.

And on that note, would it possibly be a good idea to implement the tag system on the price sheets too? That way people can search not just for artists who are open for commissions, but artists who are willing to draw the stuff they want to draw. They can search for commission-able artists based on their interests.

It's hard to decide but I think we should have it where, yeah, you can have adult content in the price sheets but you also need something that's sfw for users who don't browse the adult stuff.

I've seen a lot of competent artists use just nsfw price sheets and it's really just limiting them to people who aren't looking for that or don't like to look at that. We should have the ability to upload what we please but I think having a sfw alt (even one with just black bar censors etc) is good.

I think that number 3 is the best option. The others are too limiting, in my opinion.

I think Nr. 3 is a good idea.

I'm more a fan of the single-page option but I can see merits to multiples in some cases.

So, my idea (crits welcome:) Allow multiple pages that we can select as PG, Mature and Mixed.

In the case of a mature-only commission page, make the entire page itself invisible to minors or non-logged-in users/general public.

In each case, however, any art that is included that would normally be behind an age-filter I think should be behind the filter regardless (and if it's possible, can the tag filtering system also apply? So, say I don't want to see "subject X" and an example they've included is of "subject X" then I'll just not see it.

Oh, and one more thing... Maybe a disclaimer... If the person is paying with a payment service that does not allow adult material AT ALL (eg: Paypal) in order to prevent drama and legal snafus or whatever (since being an intermediary for these sorts of transactions MAY bring y'all in if ever there was a problem) have a statement saying "This service does not permit this kind of material." If you wanted to go whole-hog, if you included a "if content that purchaser has selected is against payment-services ToS, that option is simply disabled" kinda thing (with the disclaimer as well so that they are informed as to WHY they won't be able to use that service for the commission.)

Does that make sense and does any of that seem practical?

Let the artist create a price sheet for regular stuff, and one for adult content. This allows:

- Regular users to see most of the things.

- Content distinctive information. Ergo, adult stays adult = unseen by those that dont want to.

- A rather sorted experience. You see, some people ask artists if they do or dont do adult artwork. Using this aproach would answer this question before it is even asked.

I would say option 3, in general - no artist wants to risk business by putting up an adult sheet and missing out on clean commissions, or vice versa.

However, I suggest something similar to what Ingwie Phoenix is suggesting - If an artist has both sheets uploaded (Clean and Adult), anyone who can view the adult one can also view the clean one, as if it was a submission in the same folder. As I see it, this has two benefits:

- People browsing with the filter on won't miss out on information or examples that might only be seen in a clean Commission Sheet (whether by design or accident).

- Artists could tailor each sheet accordingly, making an 'Adult' version about adult commissions specifically, while keeping a 'Clean' Sheet for extra information and for others who may see one but also be interested in the other.

If this was how it was done, one could even filter artists by "Open for Clean Commissions", "Open for Adult Submissions" and "Open for both Clean and Adult Commissions".

I think it'd work!

3 is ultimately the best option. I think it's important for those artists who specializeo in adult themes to be able to display the theme they draw best in the price sheet.

BUT I think it'd be decent to first require the swf pricesheet to be uploaded and then give option to upload the adult one after. That way those who browse on sfw mode are ensured to not get black boxes because people are lazy :P

Adult content should definitely be allowed, so number 3 is the best.

Also, I'm insanely for the idea of a tagging system and filters by price and content, also open commission status. I have wanted this for years now to make it easy to find open artists who can fit my intended budget for a piece and also draw what I would like. Currently I experience some commission gridlock because searching for open artists on sites like FA is daunting, and more a "I'll have to take the first thing I see" sort of deal.

If we had this implemented, I wouldn't end up commissioning the same two artists all the time because it'd be easier to find new people to fit what I want.

#3 for sure.

Upon further ponder, I don't think a single image sheet is even the best way to go about this. It's what people did on FA because that was all they were permitted, they'd get in trouble if they uploaded 10 images back to back that were single close up shots of a YCH style sketch, lineart, solid fill, digital color, and backgrounded full piece just to be loose in gallery for linking.

Here, we have the afforded option of the loose files (icon, banner, current pricesheet) that don't show up in submissions in any place. So if there's no issue there, you should be able to do a neat form that has (+) buttons for adding another tier/type and the little (trash) icon for removing the entered row (or like custom profile fields). Each of those new added fields would have a title, description, starting price, checkbox for maturity, and then an image upload example.

This could result in a clean constant grid of tiles something like our feed or gallery does. Perhaps with a tweak of adding the tagging form features could do as some others here suggested and have a white/black list for searching for open commissioners, perhaps a (+)(-) of number of slots open on the page after that form was submitted and prettified (like the reorder v ^ arrows for custom profile fields when not in edit mode). As soon as you accept someones request it can automatically decrement that counter, and then when you complete it, it can increment or you can go back and do it manually (so that if it was a one time batch/iron artist, it doesn't keep renewing).

Artists that decide to flag themselves as open for commissions should be able to select a piece of their content for the OFC page algorithm to use instead of the artist's chosen avatar image. that's me throwing my 2 cents out for consideration.

As for separate price sheets, option 3 would give the best "variety" of options and is therefore subjective to my opinion that it is objectively better in every way. but I can only say that in this case I would have to remember to bother moving my lazy hand so that the mouse cursor will point at the content rating switch and then click it prior to viewing the price sheet of any artist. (breathes) if I wanted porn, I'd go to e621. but that's my opinion.

The more important question is, what are we looking for, when we browse "the open for commission section?" I think it's not the porn, it's mostly the style, but since some artist are so specialized in adult, I don't think it would be great, to force them to do a general one.

1 Solution great for style, but there are some, who especially interested in adult art, Commissioners and artist.

A general non adult price sheet would be the best option, you can ask the artist afterwards for examples or he can add a section like " also doing adult on request"

Pro

- you can see all sheets at once

- eventually mass on Pm's on the artist profile, asking for adult examples

con

-Transparency, especially for artist, who are specialized in adult art and costumer, who are looking for adult art (what about new users - would eventually follow to a spam on pms)

Also a the second solution with the "Content block warning" would be also a nice idea

the artist could create one Pricesheet and everyone could see it and it's on their decision, if they want to see an adult sheet or not.

the 2nd solution

Pro

-would be fine for since the artist posts one sheet everyone, who wants to see it can see it.

-the costumer can decide, which one he wants to see

con

-you have to click every adult sheet, when you are on general

So the 3rd would mean the artist has to double post his sheet.

When you change the filter to adult,the vernal sheets would be also shown, you have to change the filter to only show adult.

pro

-you can see what you want, it's up to the users decision, also transparency

con

-can lead to double posting, since the filter isn't changed to only show adult. On adult you would see the general and the adult one, which would be a unnecessary double posting.

I have a 4rd solution you can split the commission sector in adult and general, so if you are looking for adult artist you click the adult section and find all the adult artists you want, with their sheets and a general one where you can look for general sheets.

-the artist mustn't double post his/her sheet (I think when you are online on adult you will see the sheet doubled the general one and the adult one based on the 3rd solution, which isn't necessary.

pro

-Everyone can decide which he want to see, if somebody wants adult art, he will go to the adult section, the other one will go to the general section

-everybody can decide

-no double posting shown

con

-maybe lots of work for create the 2 sections and you can't see all sheets at once

So this would be my opinion, I would love to see the 3rd solution, but you have to change the filter, which could lead to the sections I was talking about.

#3

Could have a toggle button that's only usable to those with adult settings enabled, that'll switch between SFW and NSFW, as long as the artist makes the price sheets exactly the same, with added adult parts.

On the commissions page to do up your commission info there is a small problem. You can upload an image to it to show your commission prices, but to get rid of it you cannot. It would be nice to be able to delete that image if you no longer require it.

I agree with Shirefox's comment up above for a fourth option.