Plan for Paul Malyschko

Final Art for Void War... Or How Not To Do Contract Work

I've been working on artwork for Void War for the last couple of months. Recently the website has gotten an upgrade and I don't seem to be able to go to a website without hearing about it, or Rampant Games and the wonderful work they're doing.

Anyhow, I've finished my contract stint, and will show you what NOT to do if you want to be successful in doing contract work (of any kind). This is not out of disrespect to Jay Barnson, as he has been a pleasure to work with, and hope to work with him in future; this is more of a warning to and about us 'flakey artists' (as a well-respected GIDder would put it) and how you can whip us into line, and how we can escape that ungodly stereotype.

1. Deadline!

Observe the doubling rule whenever you set a deadline. Then add at least a two week buffer for the communication lag you'll experience due to timezones, e-mails, Acts of Deity and anything else you want to include. Then you may have a sufficient deadline.

I foolishly said I could do eight portraits in a week. After a week and a half, I had most of the characters down in thumbnail, though some still needed a bit of work. All of a sudden, I was hit with studying for exams and final essays. I hadn't factored any of that into the deadline. After doing a couple of heads, we realised there had been a miscommunication with regards to the requirements, and coupled with wanting to change the style, we were back to square one.

You need to factor in as much of this as you can when estimating a deadline, and if a deadline is going to change, tell the person straight away. I was able to at least do that.

2. Be Firm

This goes for both parties involved. The artist needs to be firm with the time and money requirements of the project, and how much they can and can't change. If your contractor keeps changing the requirements, and keeps wanting you to change things, it's probably not worth your time. It should be part of your contract that if there is a major change to the requirements, then there is a monetary consequence to the contractor. Make sure your contractor knows the priority of their work as well... if you have better paying work that needs to get done, then let the contractor know.

Equally, if your artist is not communicating, nor doing the work on time or making excuses, the contractor needs to be firm. The contractor needs to be on top of the situation, because artists can and will give you excuses (read below for that). If it's anything other than, "I've got paid work, you'll need to wait", get on their case.

If I was Jay, I would've cursed something blue about me as an artist. For the most part I think I acted in a professional manner, so maybe I'm being hard on myself.

3. It's Not About The Money

Artists don't work for the money, they work for fame. I'm trying to make a name for myself now, so I don't have to tap-dance for contracts later on down the line (Obscure Fact About Paul #145: I can actually tap-dance; I was a dancer for 14 years. Requests, anyone?). However, fresh artists who are asking for money from projects, without appropriate references, are a trap. You may think they're doing because they need money... most are doing it because it's a reward they can quantify, and the logic is that with that potential reward in the air, they'll push themselves to work harder. Right?

WRONG. They'll work harder to begin with, and then find an excuse not to do it. Excuses are the bricks artists use to pave their road to obscurity, and they have a truckload in stock. Good artists are rare, artists who can work independently are even rarer. Be prepared to get onto your artists' case if they begin making excuses, even if you feel guilty about it. Sometimes there are genuine reasons of course, but if it becomes a pattern, you need to get another artist.

It's a necessary evil, I know, but that's the hard part of indie projects.

If you're a contract artist starting out, then don't think the idea of money will motivate you. Motivation has got to start with something deeper and more lasting, and has got to be a part of your life, not something you do now and then. No-one's perfect of course, but you need to take stock if you think money is what will get you to work.

Anyway, there's some tips for you contractors and contractees. On related news, here are the final pieces of art I did for Void War. I had them up previously, but needed to rework them.

Lance



Clay



Ethan



Jackie



Enjoy!