As an Accent Artist one of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen customers make is trying to get custom accents without knowing what they’re doing.
Disclaimer: These aren't rules, just a guide to help newbie or regular players have an easier time getting customs and to help accent creators have an easier time making them.
Tumblr Version
Here’s some tips to make the process easier, or to make it so that asking isn’t as uncomfortable even if the artist doesn’t wish to do customs.
What is a custom Accent Or Skincent: A custom accent or skincent is usually an accent with no more then 10 copies available made for someone else. A custom accent for a creator is usually no more then 5 to 10 copies as well and was made for their personal use or a to a friend gifts. The difference between custom and limited accents for a creator is that Custom accents was using made just for their dragons but released a few more copies to sell and trade.
1. When Posting about your idea in forums or through pms please give a short description or a sketch of what you’d like your custom to look like and rather you'd like a skin or accent
I understand that you may not want to give information about your precious ideas before getting commitment but it could make all the difference between the artist saying no or yes. Artists like knowing what they’re in for due to many reasons. The artist might have time for a jewelry accent but not time for fur or detailed items & they might not be good with the species of dragon you want it on or they might not be confident in their skills to change or alter a dragon in the way you ask for.
2. Look at an artists style and the work they produce before asking them for a custom. Ask for art you know they can do, don’t ask artists for things they aren’t experienced in.
Please don’t ask an artist for things that you know is out of their comfort zone because their art may be cheaper then a more experienced artist in that field for a reason.
There’s a lot of artists who are selling their work cheaply because they’re comfortable with certain types of art and don’t mind selling it at a reduced price. It is the artists job to tell you what they’re comfortable with too but many want to experiment and be the best they can be. But Since going out of their comfort zone will cost them more time to learn and please. Consider doing so carefully and offering extra gems for work that you know will require them a lot more time.
3. Be Upfront with how much you’re willing to pay, always post it on your main post or pm.
Getting this out of the way quickly makes it easier for the artist to assist you and helps to avoid miscommunication.
4. Know the costs of Blueprints and the process of selling accents.
This has to be one of the single most important things about buying custom accents from accent artists.
It costs 1000gems for a single accent blueprint alone and 2000gems for a skin. This is a cost that is non deductible They have to pay for the accents to be made. The only reason most accents are 500 gems is because by buying in bulk they get discounts on blueprints. It may not be worth it for you to buy a cheap custom accent for 2000gems because that’s probably a minimum you’ll have to pay for even newbie artists when you include blueprints.
5. Don’t guilt trip the artist into making your accent.
Pleading about how much you’ve been trying to get this accent and how badly you need it will always increase the likelihood of an artist declining your request and you may find that those artists who do accept may create a sub par product because they never wanted to create the product int he first place. An artist who is happy with their payment or with the theme is more likely to produce high quality content in nearly every situation.
If an artist is only doing art for you because you tried to put an air of importance and urgency into the idea then they’ll be making you art for the wrong reasons and it may show through the piece.
6. Honesty and transparency is of the utmost importance.
I can’t stress enough how important it is that you tell an artist if you plan to make a profit with the custom you are buying. It is the best way to avoid drama, if you want to sell each copy of a custom for a high price it’s worth telling them because you’re less likely to deal with conflicts over misinformation or confusion.
Don’t stop with just asking if they’re okay with profiting, ask if they’re uncomfortable with certain prices. Ask if they’re okay with you giving away the other accents should you buy more then one.
I know the accent is still your idea and that legally on the site you can sell for what ever price you wish. But finding an artist who is on the same page as yours really helps in the long run.
7. If you’re poorer consider changing your request.
If you really can’t afford buying your own personal custom but you’re okay with other users wearing that idea consider asking an artist if they’d be willing to make an accent that they can sell publicly Either by request or by extra payment might be worth a shot.
If the artist likes your idea they might be okay with this, especially if they’re doing it in their own time and the idea appeals to them. But be aware that you may not have as much control over the appearance of the accent.
8. When buying from popular artists go high or go home.
I don’t want to come off as rude but it usually is counter productive for an artist to sell customs especially if they sell hundreds of regular accents for a good profit while making designs they like or enjoy doing.
If you do want to buy from them it has to be worth their time. Offer them multiple copies of the accent to sell at any profit they wish, Offer a decent amount of USD, Offer old Festival Apparel or Old dragons. Offer things on their wishlist. These bonus things could make the difference.
9. When you go high don’t beat around the bush for cheaper art.
Some artists have dozens of people waiting for a ping to get a custom. Or some artists do auctions, some don’t even like customs and other may be able to sell one copy of a personal custom for 25k gems plus.
With all this in mind don’t ask. “How much would it cost for ___” A lot of popular artists are humble, how much their stuff sells for may not be how much they’d want to ask one person to buy. No artist wants to say. “It would at least be 30k gems because my regular stuff sells 100 plus copies for fun personal designs and I can make that much regularly.”
Artists usually want to sell art for reasonable prices because they like knowing people enjoy their content. But when you buy a custom you’re taking time away from an artist’s ability to make more public accents for everyone. You’re also getting a design for your enjoyment instead of theirs. Public accents are usually more fun to make but can be harder to sell in terms of on site work. But usually a fun design an artist knows more people will enjoy is worth it more then a custom one that may sell for less and only be for one person.
10. Know what you want and be aware of what you may get.
This links back to having your idea written or a picture but If you aren't confident in something an artist does that’s super important to your custom maybe ask around a bit before asking the artist you thought of.
There is nothing more frustrating then doing 20 plus edits as an artist because we can’t get the smoke/glimmer/hue just the way you like it. It may look good and be technically fine but if what you need is highly specific it can be frustrating.
Some artists are really good with critiques but if your art is looking for a style and you know there’s going to be a lot of edits and problems on the way make sure you are okay with not always getting the perfect product. If you need a perfect product reconsider buying until you find what you need or be honest and let them sell a design. (if it’s not an OC) Getting a refund is okay as long as the their personal rules allow for it.(Ask ahead of time) Save the artist and yourself trouble if it’s in the early stages. Let an artist sell what they created to make up the difference if they’ve put a lot of work into it in the later stages.
11. Be willing to say it’s okay that they can’t make a custom.
Nothing makes me more motivated to do art then knowing the person asking isn’t counting on it. Sometimes I’ll tell them I might give it a go so long as it’s for fun or in my own time.
And that’s it! This is by no means the rules for asking or buying customs off artists. It’s just tips to make things easier for you as a customer and for other artists. Not all artists will agree with my mindset so it’s just good to ask. Hope this helps.
Disclaimer: These aren't rules, just a guide to help newbie or regular players have an easier time getting customs and to help accent creators have an easier time making them.
Tumblr Version
Here’s some tips to make the process easier, or to make it so that asking isn’t as uncomfortable even if the artist doesn’t wish to do customs.
What is a custom Accent Or Skincent: A custom accent or skincent is usually an accent with no more then 10 copies available made for someone else. A custom accent for a creator is usually no more then 5 to 10 copies as well and was made for their personal use or a to a friend gifts. The difference between custom and limited accents for a creator is that Custom accents was using made just for their dragons but released a few more copies to sell and trade.
1. When Posting about your idea in forums or through pms please give a short description or a sketch of what you’d like your custom to look like and rather you'd like a skin or accent
I understand that you may not want to give information about your precious ideas before getting commitment but it could make all the difference between the artist saying no or yes. Artists like knowing what they’re in for due to many reasons. The artist might have time for a jewelry accent but not time for fur or detailed items & they might not be good with the species of dragon you want it on or they might not be confident in their skills to change or alter a dragon in the way you ask for.
2. Look at an artists style and the work they produce before asking them for a custom. Ask for art you know they can do, don’t ask artists for things they aren’t experienced in.
Please don’t ask an artist for things that you know is out of their comfort zone because their art may be cheaper then a more experienced artist in that field for a reason.
There’s a lot of artists who are selling their work cheaply because they’re comfortable with certain types of art and don’t mind selling it at a reduced price. It is the artists job to tell you what they’re comfortable with too but many want to experiment and be the best they can be. But Since going out of their comfort zone will cost them more time to learn and please. Consider doing so carefully and offering extra gems for work that you know will require them a lot more time.
3. Be Upfront with how much you’re willing to pay, always post it on your main post or pm.
Getting this out of the way quickly makes it easier for the artist to assist you and helps to avoid miscommunication.
4. Know the costs of Blueprints and the process of selling accents.
This has to be one of the single most important things about buying custom accents from accent artists.
It costs 1000gems for a single accent blueprint alone and 2000gems for a skin. This is a cost that is non deductible They have to pay for the accents to be made. The only reason most accents are 500 gems is because by buying in bulk they get discounts on blueprints. It may not be worth it for you to buy a cheap custom accent for 2000gems because that’s probably a minimum you’ll have to pay for even newbie artists when you include blueprints.
5. Don’t guilt trip the artist into making your accent.
Pleading about how much you’ve been trying to get this accent and how badly you need it will always increase the likelihood of an artist declining your request and you may find that those artists who do accept may create a sub par product because they never wanted to create the product int he first place. An artist who is happy with their payment or with the theme is more likely to produce high quality content in nearly every situation.
If an artist is only doing art for you because you tried to put an air of importance and urgency into the idea then they’ll be making you art for the wrong reasons and it may show through the piece.
6. Honesty and transparency is of the utmost importance.
I can’t stress enough how important it is that you tell an artist if you plan to make a profit with the custom you are buying. It is the best way to avoid drama, if you want to sell each copy of a custom for a high price it’s worth telling them because you’re less likely to deal with conflicts over misinformation or confusion.
Don’t stop with just asking if they’re okay with profiting, ask if they’re uncomfortable with certain prices. Ask if they’re okay with you giving away the other accents should you buy more then one.
I know the accent is still your idea and that legally on the site you can sell for what ever price you wish. But finding an artist who is on the same page as yours really helps in the long run.
7. If you’re poorer consider changing your request.
If you really can’t afford buying your own personal custom but you’re okay with other users wearing that idea consider asking an artist if they’d be willing to make an accent that they can sell publicly Either by request or by extra payment might be worth a shot.
If the artist likes your idea they might be okay with this, especially if they’re doing it in their own time and the idea appeals to them. But be aware that you may not have as much control over the appearance of the accent.
8. When buying from popular artists go high or go home.
I don’t want to come off as rude but it usually is counter productive for an artist to sell customs especially if they sell hundreds of regular accents for a good profit while making designs they like or enjoy doing.
If you do want to buy from them it has to be worth their time. Offer them multiple copies of the accent to sell at any profit they wish, Offer a decent amount of USD, Offer old Festival Apparel or Old dragons. Offer things on their wishlist. These bonus things could make the difference.
9. When you go high don’t beat around the bush for cheaper art.
Some artists have dozens of people waiting for a ping to get a custom. Or some artists do auctions, some don’t even like customs and other may be able to sell one copy of a personal custom for 25k gems plus.
With all this in mind don’t ask. “How much would it cost for ___” A lot of popular artists are humble, how much their stuff sells for may not be how much they’d want to ask one person to buy. No artist wants to say. “It would at least be 30k gems because my regular stuff sells 100 plus copies for fun personal designs and I can make that much regularly.”
Artists usually want to sell art for reasonable prices because they like knowing people enjoy their content. But when you buy a custom you’re taking time away from an artist’s ability to make more public accents for everyone. You’re also getting a design for your enjoyment instead of theirs. Public accents are usually more fun to make but can be harder to sell in terms of on site work. But usually a fun design an artist knows more people will enjoy is worth it more then a custom one that may sell for less and only be for one person.
10. Know what you want and be aware of what you may get.
This links back to having your idea written or a picture but If you aren't confident in something an artist does that’s super important to your custom maybe ask around a bit before asking the artist you thought of.
There is nothing more frustrating then doing 20 plus edits as an artist because we can’t get the smoke/glimmer/hue just the way you like it. It may look good and be technically fine but if what you need is highly specific it can be frustrating.
Some artists are really good with critiques but if your art is looking for a style and you know there’s going to be a lot of edits and problems on the way make sure you are okay with not always getting the perfect product. If you need a perfect product reconsider buying until you find what you need or be honest and let them sell a design. (if it’s not an OC) Getting a refund is okay as long as the their personal rules allow for it.(Ask ahead of time) Save the artist and yourself trouble if it’s in the early stages. Let an artist sell what they created to make up the difference if they’ve put a lot of work into it in the later stages.
11. Be willing to say it’s okay that they can’t make a custom.
Nothing makes me more motivated to do art then knowing the person asking isn’t counting on it. Sometimes I’ll tell them I might give it a go so long as it’s for fun or in my own time.
And that’s it! This is by no means the rules for asking or buying customs off artists. It’s just tips to make things easier for you as a customer and for other artists. Not all artists will agree with my mindset so it’s just good to ask. Hope this helps.
