Hi everybody,

I've just had a quite bad experience contracting an art studio. They delivered very uneven quality assets. They were quite irresponsible because they lacked the skills to develop such project but they just wanted to scracth money from the project budget.

My fault I didn't realize this until they developed some assets. It was my fault too I was interested in them because their prices were cheap and I ended up with cheap assets. They didn't show any interest in the project and they just kept developing inconsistent assets until I told them to stop.

I ended up wasting money and I was wondering if there could be a place in the forums where I could denounce this. I'm no pixel artist, but I love what you do guys, but some called "studios" pretend they can do anything you ask them.

Sorry for my little rant.

You get what you pay for, cheap artists gives you cheap assets. ;)

I think that should have been your first and only red flag to stay away from them.

really? and I thought you scammed me when you didn't pay me for the art test I made. But it's ok, I learned a lot from that experience , including finding some nice payment methods.

Oh, I remember your test Sergiotron. You wanted me to send the test money to a parent of yours that was in my country. Besides, you didn't supply what was asked for the test. End of story.

The current artist did a test job for free and it was really nice art. He even did a bit more of what was asked. He obviously knew that he has the skills for getting the job done instead of just trying to scratch some bucks.

So you guys think that I should stay away from artists asking for paid tests right?


Edited by joanrocagas - 11 November 2011 at 7:56am

I do. But I don't really have any expertise to back up that statement. Hopefully jalonso or Adarias or Fool might look into this topic and provide you with real advice.

Delicious is on the money for this one.

If you are gathering candidates for a job, the experienced and professional ones will expect payment for their time. When you make your living from the artwork you make for others, spending time doing speculative sprite work for a potential client for free can only go one of two ways:

Not being picked is essentially time spent that you cannot get back that could have been spent toward something more fruitful and productive; be it doing more work for existing clients that they might still have, sending in rate bids for other jobs, or even time spent updating their portfolio or blog (which will aid in the future legitimizing of themselves as capable in the eyes of a potential client).

or

They end up being picked for the job, best case scenario.

Of those two situations, there is one that's a good outcome, but the odds that they will not get picked are not in their favor, so it stands as a safer option to seek opportunities elsewhere than to potentially work for free with no projected gain unless they are in a tight situation.

You honestly should not even be asking an artist to do a test sprite (which you should pay for!) unless you have talked with them and weighed other potential artists that are within your price range and skill level that you want anyway, so it's not like it will wreck your budget to be paying people for samples.  This is money that should be budgeted and planned for which stands as an investment of trust between the worthy candidates.  It will show the artists that you aren't half assing what you are doing so that they can put a legitimate effort into the test sprite while having the peace of mind that you aren't a seedy individual that might not pay them for the actual work once all is said and done if they do end up working for you afterward.  Putting your money where your mouth is will draw better artist bids, as well as form a better image for yourself as an employer that is not doing this as a hobby project that might never finish.

Gotta go put the baby to bed, so sorry if this is cutting off in the middle of a point.  Wanted to dethrone all this nonsense going around that artists asking for a paid sample are RED FLAGS NO NO NO because that is simply scary to think that people might be convincing employers to be thinking that is true.

EDIT: Wanted to add that it was unfortunate that they started working far below the bar that was initially established to be acceptable from the start. It is their job to live up to the standard of work that they set your expectations of them to be from the start.  You wouldn't have hired them if the art looked as bad as it was when it began declining, would you? It is your job to be direct in giving direction and feedback on the artwork that they deliver so that it lives up to the product that you agreed to pay them to create.

It is one thing if you were changing your mind and having revisions sent back for things that weren't asked for from the start multiple times - If more extra work or frustrating indecision keeps clogging up what needs to be done then I could see where they might start getting sloppy just to get it done and over with until you make up your mind. But if it just starts getting crappier and crappier looking from deliverable to deliverable to the point of being clearly under par of what they presented being able to make, a line must be drawn. If you tell them that the work is unsatisfactory and inconsistent compared to what they said they would produce at the rate they boasted to be capable of from the test sprite and quote given, then they should be realistically expected to step their game up or risk losing the contract.

And you should be rational in realizing at what point things are not working out and put a stop to production before you get yourself in too deep into paying for inadequacy. If they were legitimate, they would be realistic in recognizing that they were not working to the ability they represented themselves as having and remedy the problem. If they are unwilling to admit or see the issue in what you have with it, and if you aren't being unreasonable in your accusations, then you need to just get out of that business partnership before you end up paying for even assets that weren't what you agreed upon when you ordered. Pay them for the work that was earned and done correctly and inform them that they will be paid what you agreed upon for the parts that they made badly if they are willing to fix the issues, then move on to find somebody capable to complete the remainder of what was needed.

If it is not made clear when things are looking against the grain, then they will just keep doing it. If they still stay their course of doing sh*tty work in unmatching styles, then leave a non-malicious-but honest review. Chances are that word will get out and people will just stop working with them.

There are trustworthy artists out there.  You just have to take the time and allow the process of finding a good artist to be done correctly.  And if it is not what it seems even after they prove reliable and capable from the screening, then be honest and direct that you will have to terminate the agreement to keep working together.



MAN I'M TIRED, sorry if any of this dribbled together as incoherent. Felt myself getting really tired in the middle of making this post so my brain may have had a few lapses while forming thoughts, haha.


Edited by StickyTape - 11 November 2011 at 8:18pm