The Endless Forest has a lot of amazing artists, lets face it, we have some seriously talented members. Many of these members are gracious enough to accept requests of their art work. Sadly, as with anything, when there is a chance of getting something for free, respect and polite behavior can get thrown by the wayside. I've seen this happening a bit so I figured I'd blog about it.

---

How to Request Art
Asking for art isn't all that different than asking for anything else, but here are a few tips that can smooth over the process;

-Be polite! The artist is doing this for free, but they should be getting your respect.

-Stop and Read! Don't jump when you read the words "Taking Requests!" take a minute to read through what the artist is offering. They might have restrictions or a form you need to fill out for them with relevant information.

-Respect the List! If an artist has only opened so many slots, do not ask anyway. If they have a waiting list, this is fine, but don't ask to be 'squeezed in'.

-Supply Details! Don't just throw your hand in the air and shout "ME!" Compose your comment and give the artist all the information they need, link to a reference or biography page.

---

The Different Types
There are four main ways to get art for yourself;

-The Gift Art: This is given to you as a gift. You do not ask for this.

-The Request: You ask for an artist to make something for you and they do so for free.

-The Art-Trade: Much like a request but you return the favor by making art in return.

-The Commission: Much like a request but you are paying the artist to produce art for you.

As both artists and those seeking art, be clear about what you are offering. I see the term 'commission' getting used a lot when really people mean 'requests' and this is a huge difference; one that can lead to people getting confused/ripped off!