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F.A.Q.- (Frequently Asked Questions) If you have any questions for Crizl, please read this FAQ before sending an e-mail! You may find your answer here. Commissions  "What does ‘commission’ mean?"
Commission means ‘paid job’. I offer to do art commissions, meaning I create arts in exchange for a payment. I’ve discovered that many people believe that ‘commission’ just means ‘request’.  "How much do you normally charge for a commission?"
My price varies by each individual request. Prices are determined by an estimation of the material costs, amount of time to be spent on the request, and amount of detail. I estimate my time to be worth $12 per hour. As a professional artist, the minimum I have been paid is $17 per hour by various companies. However, I realize that most people who do not own a big business cannot afford such a high rate. I try to make my services more affordable to those who do not have so much money to kick around. For example, lets say someone asks me to do a fancel. Fancels are rather easy for me to produce. I estimate the cost of materials to be around $5. I’ll spend about an average of 4 hours on one fan cel. The cost is a total of the materials ($5) + cost of my time (in this example, $45) + shipping costs and insurance (I do not ship any of my work without insurance, so you’re looking at $10). The total for this job would be $60. For something simpler than a fancel, like a small chibi drawing for an avatar or sprites for a forum, of course the price would be lower. Something like a plush will cost significantly more. Materials for a doll cost more than art materials and paints. The average cost of materials for a plush doll is around $25 or more, depending on the doll. I can average anywhere from 8-15 hours on a plush. Some parts have to be done by hand, such as attatching the head and all the layers of hair. I also have to draw the artwork for the eyes, face, any logos or details on clothing, etc, then make iron-ons for them. My plush dolls are also larger than the average UFO Catcher style doll. So the cost would be at least $120 or more, plus shipping and insurance.  "Don’t you think your prices are too high?"
No, absolutely not. Actually, I think they are rather reasonable and I could charge even more. Here’s a list of reasons why: 1.) I have a degree, a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts and Animation. I am a professional. I have already been hired for various professional artist jobs. As I mentioned before, the minimum I have been paid for my professional work has been $17 per hour. I’m not just some kid with no credentials. 2.) I work rather quickly. I was highly acclaimed at my college for being fast and efficient with my art. 3.) I already have a part-time job where I earn $10 per hour plus tips and benefits. I’m not working for less than what I could get at my other job. 4.) When you hire me for a commission, I dedicate myself to your request until the very end. I will make sure you get exactly what you want, I strive to make sure all my customers are 100% pleased with their commission. 5.) I am not irresponsible and take on more than I can handle. I make sure I only take a few commissions at a time and do not take more until my previous commissions are complete.  "I’d like to hire you to do a commission, but would be a present and I need it quickly. Can you complete a commission quickly?"
Sure! However, it would really depend on your request and how soon you need it. It would also depend on how possible it is to complete your request in the amount of time you have given me. For example, if you want a drawing for a friend that has a birthday in one week, I should be able to complete that for you in time. However, if you need a plush doll by tomorrow, that isn’t going to happen. I’m fast, but I’m not a miracle worker! I may also charge an additional ‘Rush Service Fee’, depending on your requested commission and how much time I have been given.  “I’d like a commission from you, but I don’t think I can afford to pay your price. Can I get some sort of deal?”
Erm….hmmm….well, I’ve already stated that my prices are non-negotiable, meaning no one can ask me to change them. I can make acceptions for certain commissions. For example, lets say you’d like 10 sprites for your website and my price is about $10 per sprite, but you cannot afford $100. Since you are asking for a big order and sprites don’t really require materials, I can probably offer my work for $80. But this example is rare and in most cases I really cannot afford to offer cheaper prices. I try my best to offer my services to anyone who really wants my work, but I have to make a living!  "I know *insert other artist's name here* charges less than you...."
By all means, go get your commission from that other artist then. I will not budge my prices. If you are so concerned about getting a deal, go get the better deal. I'm not the only artist on the internet! :D While I'm on the subject, I know that many people have a cloudy vision of how much work goes into art and feel art is not worth that much money. They know they can buy a poster from Wal-Mart for $5, get a painting from that kiosk in the mall for $30, or pay that kid in the back of algebra class $2 for a pencil drawing of Goku. FYI, the artist who made that poster at Wal-Mart was paid much more than $5, same goes for the artist who did the kiosk painting. The price you pay is just for a copy, not the original. The kid in the back of the class is making alot considering he probably drew the picture in 5 minutes and did it on cheap looseleaf paper with lines. If that kid did a picture every 5 minutes for an hour and charged $2 each, he's make $60! Sitting down and creating a drawing isn't any less worthy of payment than flipping hamburgers, bagging groceries, mopping floors, running a cash register, babysitting,...you get the idea.  "Will you do erotica/nudity/hentai/yaoi artwork? commissions?"
I will, but it would really depend on exactly what you would like. I don't mind tasteful nudity, or sexual tension, and I'm certainly not against homosexual relations. However, I refuse to do anything involving rape, incest, beastiality, etc. To be honest, there are many artists out there who specialize in erotica, so I would reccommend going to them before me.  "I’d like to be a professional artist too! Where do I start?
I get this one a lot, and it never gets easier to answer. First, you really need to learn how to draw. When I say learn to draw, I mean everything, not just people, cars, or unicorns. You should study how to draw anything and everything you possibly can, especially anatomy. Do backgrounds, details on clothing, furniture, vehicles, trees, animals, fantasy, reality, cartoons, try it all. Always be drawing when you have the chance or the inspiration. Learn how to use artist’s tools such as which kinds of paper to use, different paints, colored pencils, clay, and CG programs, don’t be shy! Go to art supply stores and look at everything. Even if you can’t afford something, learn about it. Try everything and figure out what you enjoy working with the most, then focus on the ones you feel you are best at. Study different styles of art. You can try and get your own style by duplicating many of your favorite styles, then combining them into your own. Try not to make your style look too much like that of another artist, or else you will be heavily criticized for it. Try to be versitle and be able to draw and create in more than one style. Being an artist takes years of practice, so be patient and keep trying! It’s not going to happen overnight. If you start to doubt your talents and feel you are not good, don’t give up! Take a break from your drawing if you need to if you feel burned out, but don’t quit for good. You can always try looking for inspiration in books, movies, magazines, etc. When you are old enough to go to college, and you feel your art skills are average, you can consider getting an art degree. You cannot be a professional artist without a degree, unless you are some sort of artistic genius. There are many art colleges all over the United States and around the world. You can always ask your school counselor for advice on art schools near you, or you can check out the internet.  "I heard that it’s hard to make decent money as an artist, isn’t it hard?"
Yes…..yes it is. But it’s not impossible to get a good artist job, you just need to look in the right places. For example, if you live in the middle of no where, Indiana, where your town has a population of 72, then you’re very unlikely to find a job in the art field. You need to move to where the art jobs are, and that’s usually in big cities. But you don’t need to move to New York City or Los Angeles to find an art job, just do your research and you’ll find jobs in many big cities all over the place. One problem many artists have with finding a job is that they are too introverted. This means they are too shy, quiet, and modest. As an artist, you need to be able to talk to many people and sell yourself. Be outgoing, talk to be people, be friendly, and have confidence in yourself. Don’t be conceited, or ‘suck up’, but don’t have doubts in your talents. An artist who speaks up is more likely to get a job before the quiet artist sitting in the corner. There are art jobs everywhere, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Artists can get jobs in advertising, architecture, movies, fashion, television, newspapers, magazines, package design, product design, sign making, video games, website design, and many other places. These jobs usually don’ have the word ‘artist’ in the titles, but they are still art jobs regardless. Just look hard enough, and you’ll find them!  “I want to learn how to sew! Can you teach me?”
Wow, I have no idea how to teach someone how to sew…..through the internet!!! @_@ That would take forever, there’s so much that really would need to be shown that are difficult to explain in just an e-mail. My best suggestion for anyone who wants to learn to sew is to try and find someone you know that can teach you! Someone in your family may know how and be happy to show you the basics of sewing. But if your family is half a world away like mine is, you can always try getting sewing lessons. Many sewing supply shops offer lessons, just go in an ask your local sewing store. If you are in highschool, some schools offer Home Economics classes which teach sewing. Try signing up for it when you can! Of course, as with all skills to be learned, be patient and always be willing to learn more. You’re not going to become a great master seamstress overnight, so practice and don’t be too hard on yourself if you mess up. ^_~  “Do you have a pattern for your UFO Catchers that you can sell me?”
I’m sorry, but I do not offer my patterns for sale. I’m not being stingy and unwilling to share….trust me, I love to share all the tips and tricks of the trade as often as possible! The problem is that my pattern was made unlabeled, so no one can really understand it except myself. I’d feel guilty if I gave out a pattern that is confusing!  “How can I make my own fancels?”
I learned the tips of creating fancels from this website, Baka Neko Anime Fancels! . I highly recommend it, Lia has a great tutorial on how to make fancels. She also does commissions!  “How do you use the computer to make your pictures?”
First, I draw all my work by hand. Next, I will scan my drawing with a scanner and import it into a program called Photoshop. (There are a few versions of Photoshop available, I use version 6) Photoshop is a professional art program used to create artwork, edit pictures, etc. I also use a tablet, which is a piece of computer hardware that consists of a flat surface that plugs into your computer and a special pen called a stylus. For those who want to know what tablet I have, I use an Aiptek HP12000U. (If you look at the goofy pictures I drew of myself, I am holding a tablet and stylus.^^”)  “Photoshop is so expensive! Is there another program I can use?”
There are other programs out there, some even are free, but not as nice as Photoshop. Other programs are nice to learn with though! So don’t feel bad if you can’t use Photoshop right away. Other good programs are Paintshop Pro and Gimp (you can get it free at www.gimp.org. One more program I recommend is CG Illust Version 2 by Deleter. It is an art program used by anime/manga artists in Japan and there is an English version for only $60! Go to www.akadotretail.com for more info, you can also purchase this program on the same site!  “You seem to have a lot of art supplies from Japan, is there a site I can order some from too?”
Yes! As I mentioned above, go to www.akadotretail.com and check out their ‘Manga Supplies’ section. I highly recommend this site, they are fast, efficient, and very friendly. Give them a shot! I also recommend www.animebooks.com.  "You refer to your costumes as 'cosplay'...what is cosplay exactly?""
Cosplay is a combination of 2 words, 'costume' and 'play'. Cosplay is a catchy little word that is used by folks in Japan to describe the act of wearing a costume. Because it is a Japanese term, many people beleieve that cosplay is only used to describe costumes based on Japanese media such as anime or manga characters. But really, cosplay can technically refer to anyone wearing a costume.  "How long does it take to make one of your costumes?""
Making a costume really consists of 3 main steps; research, gathering, and construction. Research is taking the time to find out what your character's costume looks like, gathering pictures of your character for reference, then finding out where you can get all the materials you will need for your costume. (I find this step to be one of the most time consuming, especially if I need an item that is hard to find or I'm looking for the best prices.) Gathering is the act of going out and getting all the necessary items for a costume, including wigs, cosmetics, etc. I'll go to at least 3 different stores for my materials and order a few things on-line if I need them. (I almost always have to order a few things online for my outfits because one thing or another isn't available in my neary stores, especially wigs!) Last step is the construction, which is the act of actually making the costume. In my opinion, the construction is the easiest part! So what was the question again? Oh yeah, time.....I'd say this whole process can take me anywhere from 3 weeks to 2 months, depending on the costume.  "Why do you show pictures of your costumes, yet you do not offer to make costumes?""
I've done this because I wanted to show my skills as a seamstress, which applies to my skills of making plush dolls, which I DO offer to do! If I can make a full sized outfit for a human, I can make one for a doll, right? I do offer to do costume accessories, small items such as arm warmers, leg warmers, t-shirts, iron-ons, etc. I'll hopefully have some samples to show on this site sometime soon.  "Do you have any particular reasons why you choose to dress up as the characters you have made costumes of?""
I always have different reasons behind all my different costumes. The main reason will always be because I like the characters, I almost never dress up as a character I don't really like or know much about. I did do a Tifa Lockheart costume for my very first anime convention, despite the fact that I knew very little about her. But that was mainly because I really wanted to go to the con in costume, but I didn't have alot of money or time to make a difficult outfit. Tifa wasn't that hard, and I already had the hair for it, so I went as her. That was the only costume I had ever made for myself of a character I wasn't very familiar with.  "Crizl, you seem pretty cool! Will you be my online buddy?""
Oh! I love to make friends, and I love to talk to anyone who wants to chat with me! But if you'd like to be my friend, I beg that you please be patient and understanding with me! It all narrows down to not having alot of time...*cries* I work at least 25-30 hours per week at my regular job, I moderate 3 different art forums online, have friends and family to keep in contact with, commissions and art to work on, websites to work on, and many other every day tasks. I'm always a busy girl, it's very rare that I find myself sitting around with nothing to do. So if you'd like to e-mail or chat, please, please be patient. I try to answer all my e-mail as quickly as possible!  "Didn't you also work on some other websites? Like About Tekken?"
Yep, for years I've had several shrines for Jin Kazama, a popular character from the videgame series, Tekken. My first version was Jin Kazama's Discorama, second was Jinz Rave. Both are down, however I'm rebuilding yet a new Jin shrine, Jin Rox U. I realy can't logically explain my fascination for this half-devil, but I can't let the guy not have a website, he's just too freakin' cool. I also have a website for another of my favorite videogame characters, Anji Mito from the series, Guilty Gear X. I think this surprises some people that I would like Anji, considering he's so opposite of other characters I like. Surprise! I like all kinds of characters. :D My Anji site is also a collective shrine for all the characters from Guilty Gear, not just Anji. You can check it out at www.anji-mito.com  "I remember your art from a magazine, did you have some of your work in PSM?"
I did! I was really excited! I had 2 of my pictures in 2 issues of PSM (Playstation Magazine) in the art section. My Final Fantasy 10 pic of Lulu and her moogles made it, also one of my many Devil Jin pics was in there. I was also in Game Informer, I won first place in the Tekken 3 art contest sponsored by Funcoland (which is now Game Stop.) Two of my costumes were also in magazines, hardly worth saying much about though, they were so small. ^^"  "Looks like most of your work is Japanese influenced. Are you Japanese or ever lived there?""
Nah, I am half Asian, but not Japanese. Although....If I really wanted to go far out on a limb, I am half Native American and it's been discovered that ancient Native Americans were Japanese people who migrated to the the U.S. thousands of years ago....well, that's really pushing it. ^^" Seriously though, there really isn't any special reason why I chose to be so inspired by Japanese pop culture. I actually got into Japanese culture as a kid but I never really realized that the things I really liked were even from Japan until my late teens. (Voltron, Transformers, Japanese styled art, anime, martial arts, etc.) My boyfriend is half Japanese and has informed me on ALOT about Japan, so he's been my main resource about the culture. I'd visit for sure, I don't think I'd want to live there, though...pretty expensive!  "I think this whole 'selling your art' thing is pretty conceited. Why do you think anyone would want to buy your art? No offense, but you're not famous or anything."
Who cares if I'm famous or not? I went to art college for 4 years to get my Bachelor's of Fine Arts, that gives me the full right to charge money for my art and makes me a professional artist. Pros get paid. If you feel this site makes me sound full of myself, well, that's just too damn bad. In order to be a professional artist, you have to be able to sell yourself. This means you have to sound confident and offer your work. In otherwords, I have to talk about myself and what I can do, or else I won't get any work! ^^" The artist who sits quietly, sits unemployed. Deal with it. |
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