TonyWatkinsArt

Hey all,
Long time no see (on the forum at least haha). Unfortunately, I'm here on my old account to give a negative experience I've had.

NOTES: I'm "FlameoHotman", yes, this account is Jwatkinsart when I used to go by my middle name online. All updated art profiles are TonyWatkinsArt (insta/twitter) for lack of confusion (... can I change my name here somehow? )

I posted work of a lion on the TGL Discord server and was put in contact with PhantomFire of PocketPumaPets (which I'll call P3 going forward from here).

We discussed his needs and price and settled on the price for a base. 
For note, my ToS states that for orders under $75USD, I must be paid in full. This was under $75USD and was not a long-term contract.

PhantomFire told me he wanted to deviate from the current style of the site and into something more realistic. I told him I'd be happy to help with that and did 2 good-faith sketches shown here: https://sta.sh/03g54ut22jw
He followed up by sending me this image, stating that it was done in 2018 by an artist who "disappeared".
 

He then proceeded to tell me that the sketches I'd sent were good, but asked that I make the head bigger, the body "chunkier". I said I was surprised because initially I'd had the mouth open, but was concerned that it could interfere with items in the future, to which he told me that items are "cut to fit" the base, not the other way around.
I said I'd be happy to do this, but that since he liked the sketches and we were getting into actual work I'd need the payment down before making changes.
He then told me to "take my time" and disappeared for about a week. I chalked it up to being the holiday season and reached back out to check in. This is where things went down hill.
PhantomFire then stated that he would not be willing to pay me until the image was finished. He then claimed that the base needed to fit the style of the sketch he'd provided (above), that the items wouldn't fit on my sketch, and that he wouldn't be willing to pay even half without me continuing to work.

I told him I don't make exceptions to my ToS without long-term contracts, and that I'd already given him two good-faith sketches. 
He followed this up by telling me that I'd said I couldn't make the changes, and that he would not be willing to pay.

Guys, this was all super sus the whole way through. He repeatedly told me about artists who had "disappeared", and then tried to guilt me into working on this without payment because he'd "never had a problem with artists before". 
I've worked with a handful of you on here, so I think you all know the amount of pride I take in my work and professionalism. I'm willing to go an extra mile if needed, but there were so many red flags. 

I've attached parts of the convo below for you to view as well (I won't be sending the whole thing because at one point he starts to tell me quite a bit about his family as he's telling me he's refusing payment).

Be wary, friends.

TL;DR - insulting, calling cleaned sketches "rough", making excuses for why he won't pay me that completely contradict the original statements before I said I needed payment to continue, ends with stating that I've somewhere said I'm not able to make the changes he's requesting, which is 100% untrue. Be wary.

On 4/6/2020 at 3:57 PM, Martyn said:

@TonyWatkinsArt
You can usually make a thread on their forums or open a support ticket, that's if you have an account.
You can create a support ticket here, however you can also email them directly at [email protected].

I'd recommend contacting them via email first, then support ticket and as a last resort on their forums.
Good luck and let us know how it goes! ?

Thanks very much, Martyn! I'll shoot them an email.

Hey everyone.
Does anyone know how to contact the owner of Marapets?
I've found ads for their site on some graphic articles about murder, skinning pets, and transphobic content.
I can't imagine this is their target market, and I thought they would want to know (I know I would! )


Thanks everyone!

No longer available

No longer available

If anyone is interested just let me know. Looking for $8 for the set or $3 each

Hey there!
Is there a specific style you're seeking for your maps? I want to make sure I'm sending you relevant samples

Edit: I've also got these 3 items for sale if you're interested:

Hey everyone!

My name is Tony and I'm a full-time concept artist and illustrator. 
I've worked with a variety of clients, from big-name studios to independent creators, and now I'd like to work with you!

Have an established style for your project already? No problem! I specialize in style-matching and am happy to work closely with my clients to make sure I'm delivering exactly what they need.
If you don't have a particular style set yet, I can help you find the perfect one to fit your project.

A few of the people and studios I've worked with and have been featured by are;

• Lacuna Cube (currently working with)
  With Lacuna Cube, I style-match the previous artist to create new backgrounds for them.
• PBS
  Created merchandise concepts for a currently unlaunched title.
• Spotify
  Created social media images and posts for their SpotifyCares Twitter account.
• Nickelodeon 
  Featured for their Hey Arnold! Movie.
• Tons of independent creators, just like you!

Have a question? Hit me up! I'll be happy to hear from you.

Samples:

Good news, everyone!

Things have been sorted out. No more adult content in the game and moderators are keeping an eye on it from the player base.


Thank you all SO much for all the references

@Digital Thank you! That looks like exactly what I might need!

@demona Yeah, they don't have a sign-up system, or an agreement that you have to be 18+. They have a one line warning in their rules that states there might be "18+ content". 

Hey all.
I'm part of a game currently (NOT Lacuna) that has a community that regularly posts adult content, including sexting in the public chat.
The game is "18+" but allows minors as well, and does nothing to hide this content.

I'm pretty sure this is violating some laws in the US, but I can't seem to find any resources when I'm Googling. Am I wrong? Does anyone know where I can find some information to help prove a point that the game needs to work better at shielding minors from this content?

Thanks all!

Are you still hiring for this position?

I just want to say that I currently work with them doing background art, and it's been a great experience. I work closely with Haley, and she's been very clear and direct in communication. The few times we've had differences in opinions it was worked out in a very professional manner. I would strongly recommend anyone who is looking for work to apply, and will be sending a few artist friends of my own to try for this position. 

It's been a pleasure working with you guys, and I'm looking forward to continuing to do so

Generally, yes, I could do this on my own, but I'm rusty and don't have the time - so I need you!

I'm looking for someone to take this information: https://worldofeniv.weebly.com/points-guide.html
And turn it into an interactive Google doc where people can click various options to get a total score of points.

A good example is this: 
http://twwm.x10host.com/

Please let me know how much something like this would cost - and if you're in need of artwork, I'm willing to do a trade
www.jwatkinsart.com
www.deviantart.com/jwatkinsart



Thanks everyone!

Hey there! I'd be happy to give you a hand with this

As a commercial artist, I'm accustomed to creating work in a variety of styles. You can find examples of my work here: www.deviantart.com/jwatkinsart.

While there isn't anything in this exact style in my portfolio right now, I have no doubt that I could replicate the look and feel of your previous items, and bring that into the calendar and boxes. For the reindeer, I might need to see some examples of other animals in your game as well - haha. 

I'd also love to tag @halichu , who I've been working with for the past several months. I hope they would be willing to share their experience with working with me to replicate their past artist's style, haha. 

I hope I get to hear from you, and that you have a great week!

Hey Hare! 

I'd be happy to discuss this with you more in depth if you like my work. Here are just a few examples;

https://www.deviantart.com/jwatkinsart/art/Brightheart-764802003

https://www.deviantart.com/jwatkinsart/art/Scourge-763875583

https://www.deviantart.com/jwatkinsart/art/Soymilk-773788171

https://www.deviantart.com/jwatkinsart/art/SeaclanApp-764736624 (only the large cat)

https://sta.sh/01dtg1795rpf (this was a masked sketch commission)

https://sta.sh/01zih6uibf5b - and something a bit more cartoony, just in case.

As a commercial artist, I'm happy to work in different styles. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions, or to discuss pricing

1 hour ago, KingofCrows said:

What type of characters are you looking for? Humanoid, animal, etc?

 

I have many sketches that I'll never do anything with, but they're all creature designs and the like.

Oh sorry! I should've been more specific. I'm looking for fantasy animals and the rights to them for my game

Selling some sketches? I'm buying!

I need some secondary characters for a game I have, but rather than draw them all myself, I'm interested to see what you all have

Just pop an image here with your prices listed (not interested in commissions at this time, sorry), or send me a DM.

Thanks, everyone!

@anoua

I agree with you. If you're spending $50, why spend more if that didn't work? It's honestly a huge part of why I left that job. 
The thought process was "show them how many clicks they're getting, even if they're not engaged clicks". $50, for example, could get you clicks, but they might not be engaging clicks.

As far as what to spend, it really depends on what you're looking to achieve, your target market, and the keywords you're choosing. Some keywords cost significantly more than others, so you'll blow through your money faster, but you'll get better results. 

I know it's not at all relevant, but a great example is "mesothelioma". It's very rarely rivaled as the most expensive word in Google ads. Why? Because people look for "mesothelioma" very rarely, and when they do, they're generally looking for a settlement attorney, and those cases are incredibly easy to win. It's a very niche word, so it costs much more ( $320 per click, give or take). 

What I'm trying to say is, look at your keywords, try to figure out what exactly you need. Take that cost and work with it. Remember that not all clicks will generate any kind of return. I'm not sure what the average CTR is for petsites, unfortunately. 

Even being trained "certified" by Google as a company, I still find that word of mouth, affiliation, and niche ads work better when it comes down to it. If you're not a large company, there's not a lot of reason to put money into it, if you ask me.

I actually used to work for Google doing just this. 
The thing is, you get out of it what you put into it. If you don't have any experience in SEO, I'd suggest looking into it before you start. I'd also suggest NOT going to Google for help. The people there are paid on commission, and they'll want your ad money gone asap rather than waiting for the best results (or at least, that's what we were taught to do when I was there). 

A few tips I could give are;

• look into the cost of your keywords. More isn't always better with Google's algorithms. Use keywords only that are directly relevant. Otherwise, you're wasting money. For example, "petsite" might be good, but "pet" and "site" won't be. 
• Have a landing page set up that has as much information on it as possible. The more people have to click, the less likely they are to be engaged with the site, and the faster they leave. Google times this, if they leave your site quickly, your rating within goes down and you lose holding both on Google Search and within Google Ads. 
• Target your demographic. Use the age and location options. You don't want to be pitching your petsite to 90-year-olds, you know? They're less likely to want to play. Likewise, you might not want to target 13-year-olds because they have less money to spend (though their parents do). Think about it from a financial viewpoint.
• Finally, spend more than the credit. Those credits are just a way to get you into Google's contact pool. They're not enough money to really get a business much more traction. 
• EDIT: Another suggestion! Throw grammar to the wind when it comes to capitalization. The formatting of an ad means so much. 
  If you want this: "Check out Petsite! It's awesome."
  Do this: Check Out Petsite! It's Awesome." (every first letter is capital). 
  
  Sounds stupid, but it works.

Thanks very much, @Passage

Some new cartoony examples (unshaded) that I'd created for Warlords.

Hey everyone!
My name is Tony, and I'm currently open for commissions. 

I can do a wide variety of work and styles, including backgrounds, humans, animals, graphics, and more.

Feel free to take a look at my work, and if you like what you see, don't hesitate to reach out to me.

Thanks for your time!

My Website

Backgrounds and Atmospheric Pieces

Rendered/Painterly Animals

Cartoon Animals

A Few Logos

 (Warlords Icon to go with it)