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we have just completed our first commission and now need to sell them which we are doing so is anybody interested in us painting or building models.

Thanks

Alan & Emma

Picture is kinda dark. If you could light it better, then we could see the detail.

Is this any better?

Indeed better, Although I'd like to know what price you expected to sell them for

Now there's no picture at all.

If you want to do this as a business, make sure you handle presentation correctly, that includes doing the tiny bit of web searching needed to find the myriad of tutorials on how to photograph miniatures properly.

Otherwise, why should anyone bother with your painting service if you can't even bother to promote yourself well? And for that matter, what does that say about the quality of your paint jobs?

It would help if lighting was brighter and if you had a price in mind

Wow, harsh Vertrucio.

The problem with the pics is that you have them backlit in front of a white surface. You need to front light them. If you have a task lamp (drafting light), pull it in front of the figures. If not, maybe hold a lamp without the shade behind you when you take the pic. Just watch your shadow.

archont wrote:Indeed better, Although I'd like to know what price you expected to sell them for

ideally we was looking at £2-3 each

3pounds at 4 models would be 12pounds, roughly equal to 15euro.



I believe your Idea of selling this stuff is rushed, you should lean back, take your time (probably 2 years or so) and really get into the painting.


To me, painting is not something one does for business, it's love, it's dedication, it's understanding how colors interact with each other. Above all: It's the predetermination to create something original.


Foster your skills, keep your early figures! I still have some guys from 11 years ago, when I was 8 and started with the hobby. They look horrible, still, I love them. Don't sell such a big part of your history with miniatures, keep and treasure them, so one day you can look back and say: Man, my stuff looked crap. But I did as good as i could, and I love my Miniatures!

IMO, no one will buy 4 figures. It's not a fieldable unit, so that implies that I either have to wait for you to paint up more of them or I have to paint the remainder to match. If they're guardians, figure out what the typical unit it and then sell that e.g., 10 guardians.

We've actually put up another thread with selling details and all the info. We started this to see if anyone would be interested in our services.

We are not photographers and have just started out. We aim to get better with practice and our paint jobs are to a good standard.

Obviously helping us with the picture quality is helpful.
If your not interested your not interested.
Please stop wasting our time.

Thanks

Lol sorry for wasting your time with kind words and some hints as to what to do - you should probably stop wasting our time till you get your act together, good sir.

archont it wasnt meant for you
Thanks for your help it was took on board.

if we were to paint 10x ultramarines would anyone be interested?

Vertrucio wrote:Now there's no picture at all.

If you want to do this as a business, make sure you handle presentation correctly, that includes doing the tiny bit of web searching needed to find the myriad of tutorials on how to photograph miniatures properly.

Otherwise, why should anyone bother with your painting service if you can't even bother to promote yourself well? And for that matter, what does that say about the quality of your paint jobs?

ixlar wrote:Wow, harsh Vertrucio.

The problem with the pics is that you have them backlit in front of a white surface. You need to front light them. If you have a task lamp (drafting light), pull it in front of the figures. If not, maybe hold a lamp without the shade behind you when you take the pic. Just watch your shadow.

Harsh but very true!

Ifurita wrote:IMO, no one will buy 4 figures. It's not a fieldable unit, so that implies that I either have to wait for you to paint up more of them or I have to paint the remainder to match. If they're guardians, figure out what the typical unit it and then sell that e.g., 10 guardians.

archont wrote:Lol sorry for wasting your time with kind words and some hints as to what to do - you should probably stop wasting our time till you get your act together, good sir.

Also very true.

If you REALLY intend this as a business then Vertrucio's words are VERY helpful if somewhat brash. He is not wasting your time he is actually trying to help you. Vertrucio could have said nothing. Take it for what it is.

If you want to offer a product you have to offer the best product you can. A big part of that (many would argue the biggest) is customer service. The only way to show that product is presentation. You must let go of ego and be willing to accept ALL criticism and take an objective look at your fledgling business to judge if the criticism is valid.

Good luck. No sarcasm intended.

Also, on a point of business vernacular. If you painted the figures to sell them I believe they haven't been commissioned, you're just trying to sell painted figures. If you are commissioned to paint figures then you already have a buyer and are painting them to his/her specifications as outlined in a contract (whether verbal or otherwise).

Also, when you do get this going, it is probably a good idea to use written contracts because that way you know of any particular details the customer may want and can refer to them (e.g. only the left hands are painted crimson on all of the Crimson Fist marines). The written form protects both the buyer and seller.

Yeah, Vertrucio is correct. There was just no sugar coating on what he said.

AEMM_Commissions wrote:
If your not interested your not interested.
Please stop wasting our time.

Thanks

Probably not the best way to respond when on a public forum and potentially dealing with your customer base.

Focus on building up detail on the figures. I think you'll have a hard time selling your work till you can take it at least a step beyond basic paint. Once again, it is hard to tell because of the lighting.

Meh, I wouldn't pay for these.

Im curious to know why all of a sudden there's this mad wave of people wanting to paint for money yet all their paintings are... average at best. There's been like 5 in the past 2 weeks and I wouldn't pay a cent for any of them...

Most of the people that are offering this "service" need to spend more time working on their own models before painting for someone else. As someone mentioned in a previous post... spend a couple more years and gain some more skill then CONSIDER painting for other people.

Note: 15 Euro (20$ CDN or so) for 4 models... is WAY overpriced for what looks to be a basecoat with thick paint. Sorry for being harsh but that's what I am seeing.

anticitizen013 wrote:Im curious to know why all of a sudden there's this mad wave of people wanting to paint for money yet all their paintings are... average at best. There's been like 5 in the past 2 weeks and I wouldn't pay a cent for any of them...

Most of the people that are offering this "service" need to spend more time working on their own models before painting for someone else. As someone mentioned in a previous post... spend a couple more years and gain some more skill then CONSIDER painting for other people.

Note: 15 Euro (20$ CDN or so) for 4 models... is WAY overpriced for what looks to be a basecoat with thick paint. Sorry for being harsh but that's what I am seeing.

Blame the poor economic climate? People laid off who have a lot of time on their hands = people looking for things to do while they jobhunt. FWIW, if I painted faster and still had a decent "stable" to show off, I'd be seriously considering it over the summer, since my chances of finding work, even in London, aren't great.

GlauG wrote:

anticitizen013 wrote:Im curious to know why all of a sudden there's this mad wave of people wanting to paint for money yet all their paintings are... average at best. There's been like 5 in the past 2 weeks and I wouldn't pay a cent for any of them...

Most of the people that are offering this "service" need to spend more time working on their own models before painting for someone else. As someone mentioned in a previous post... spend a couple more years and gain some more skill then CONSIDER painting for other people.

Note: 15 Euro (20$ CDN or so) for 4 models... is WAY overpriced for what looks to be a basecoat with thick paint. Sorry for being harsh but that's what I am seeing.

Blame the poor economic climate? People laid off who have a lot of time on their hands = people looking for things to do while they jobhunt. FWIW, if I painted faster and still had a decent "stable" to show off, I'd be seriously considering it over the summer, since my chances of finding work, even in London, aren't great.

Pretty much. That's my story, essentially (although I would have been looking for new work regardless last November.) Although I guess I like the competition, because it makes my work look better, and my pricing is competitive.

Too many people don't realize how much work goes into running a commission painting studio, though. Hopefully too many customers won't get burned.

I'm just painting for trades right now, but I do plan to sell painted units on ebay as a store. I have no plans on making it a commission business, but I do illustration work on commission. Everything I do that's art related I handle with with a level of professionality.

I have exactly one miniature photo posted to this forum and it looks almost like a studio shot, but was taken with a crappy pocket camera. It took me less than 5 minutes to find 5 different tutorials on how to take miniature photo. About the same amount of time to set a couple sheets of paper against some DVDs, move my desk lamp and swing arm lamp into position, then set the exposure and white balance on my digital camera to get it to look right.

This is why I'm harsh on this topic. It takes almost no effort to take a good picture. And if you want to make money off anything, you want to put in that bit of effort to promote yourself as someone who can get things done.

In my industry, with animation, 3D, and games work being done on a daily basis, you can't afford to not be harsh when money and deadlines are on the line.