Comments on: Spec Work and the Pixish Debate

By: julie b

julie b — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 21:30:48 +0000

I am definitely a novice when it comes to this… I am a graphic designer with tendencies towards illustration, so I am not a working illustrator, but it seems like sites like these would be good for professionals in the long run. Do you really want to work for the cheapo who would rather find illustration as cheaply as possible? And, don’t you think the quality of work will eventually drive potential publishers back to the professional illustrators?

Like most designers on a budget, I have been big into the cheap stock sites. I’m sure this is to the detriment of the field of photography (not my use of cheapstock, but everyones). I can see the benefits (getting a foot in the door, building your portfolio) and the bad (lessens the value of professional work).

I guess it’s hard for someone just starting out to know what to value their work at, and it feels like reward enough to just be doing it… until you start missing the income that should be there.

By: Warren

Warren — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:06:03 +0000

One point I think Dani forgot to point out is against the idea that Pixish offers exposure. My experience with sites like these is that invariably the artist gets no credit for the work, even if they are “credited”. Whether the artist’s name is attached to the work or not, when the client gets asked where they had the illustration done, their reply is always something like “oh, just some artist on Pixish”. (substitute ‘Pixish’ with applicable artwork distribution supergiant in question)

The point is, the institution gets the credit, not the artist. Which is fine, if the institution is paying well. But if they’re citing exposure as a form of payment, well, no one’s going to know you for the work you did on Pixish. The value of that kind of payment amounts to exactly $0.00.

By: beto

beto — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:26:05 +0000

As much as I respect and appreciate Derek, it seems as Pixish, the way it is now, can potentially do more harm than good to an industry which desperately needs to be taken seriously in money terms. As someone who majored in graphic design a long time ago, I have yet to understand why the design and illustration fields are so prone to be severely undervalued - and often, we have no one but ourselves to blame by giving away work that should be paid for. Do you ever argue with a professional doctor or lawyer about their bills? Why, then, it happens all the time on design/illustration? Is this field less “valuable” than those? How so? What about all the long hours hunched over your desk?

Then again, no one HAS to go and use these sites to promote their work and find clients. There are plenty of other ways around. I think the lion’s share of the guilt lies on those who seemingly don’t appreciate their own work, time and effort enough so they end up out there selling it for peanuts, or just plain giving it away for free. I just have to wonder how do they make ends meet every month. Either that, or are all illustrators overgrown boys and girls still living on their parent’s basement?

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:57:15 +0000

Thank you for telling us. I’m one the novice illustrators hoping to get into the industry soon. I would not have started there at all. I’m planning my starting point on Deviantart.com by selling prints of my digital paintings there. A little later I’ll seek out clients. I’ll have to plan the rest as I go or research everything I need to do and map it out. Dani, thank you for looking out for us.

By: Gerald

Gerald — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:11:32 +0000

Over the years I’ve been approached by people thinking that an artist will take any opportunity to have his/her work seen and they assume I would simply jump at any chance offered. I’ve learned my lessons the hard way, unfortunately.

Given the current environment, it’s hard enough to make a living doing illustration part-time much less as a full-time concern. Dwindling fees are the norm and sites like PIXISH aren’t making it easier to make the case to publishers that the illustrator is trying to make a living, not merely get published.

Not encouraging.

By: Megan Stringfellow

Megan Stringfellow — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:56:59 +0000

It seems to me that it will just continue to further the idea that art/illustration should come cheaply. A lot of people don’t understand that work that goes into creating illustrations, and therefore tend to undervalue them. Though, on the bright side, we probably wouldn’t want to work with these clients anyways.

By: Darren

Darren — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:51:32 +0000

Agreed… But I wish all the major sites that have posted about it hadn’t linked to it. Inadvertently they already have a community because of the free press which will continue to grow because of the on-going publicity and debate stirred up because of the controversy. Only Derek can do anything about the way the site is used now.