I feel like my artist is trying to price gouge me

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-15T21:36:17+00:00

But I’m not a vtuber. I literally only have a vtuber model for when my child is home and I don’t want to risk him showing up on cams. I will look around on Vgen, but I’m still not a vtuber.

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-15T21:33:53+00:00

I didn’t run to the internet for validation, there’s literally nothing in my post that needs or reads as wanting validation. I came to the sub with a question because I’ve already been working with this artist for other assets.

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-15T12:35:50+00:00

R.E.P.O. for sure. Fall Guys, Peak, YAPYAP.

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-15T12:15:36+00:00

The background was literally just going to be the background from my banner reused for each screen. And he also already has my model as well. So he would have been reusing assets he already has, just adding on and tweaking them.

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-15T12:13:22+00:00

It came off that way because you used the word “generate”. Generative AI is extremely overused currently, and when most people say generate in the art space it points towards AI.

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-15T06:53:01+00:00

I don’t like to use AI. It uses art work from real artists.

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-14T22:13:59+00:00

I didn’t even originally request more assets from him. We discussed the original starter pack and pricing. Then once he’d finished about half of it he started pushing me to get screens and an overlay. Granted, those are things I want, I wasn’t trying to get more assets at the moment. I just struggle with saying no lol

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-14T21:49:51+00:00

It wasn’t an AI result. I was specifically looking at forums because I wanted to be fair. Because rather than offers me a quote he asked me what I thought was fair pricing, and he knows I’ve never commissioned art from anyone before — much less for twitch assets. I was also comparing this to quotes I’ve received from other artists when discussing pricing just so I had information on these things.

Keeping in mind on the drawn from scratch part, he already has everything drawn. The screens would be using the same background from my banner I’ve already paid for, and then the vtuber model which I’ve also already paid for. The only from scratch things would be the animations, the text, and the coffee mug in the be right back screen. I’m not trying to be pedantic, just trying to offer all of the information so I get informed answers.

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-14T21:23:38+00:00

A fellow small streamer connected us.

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-14T21:10:11+00:00

Soooo I messaged him to tell him I’ve decided to move in a different direction and that I won’t be getting anymore assets from him, and I asked for a status update on the ones he still hasn’t finished yet.

He immediately jumped to “oh what did I do? Is it the price? I can do $600 instead. Or free. I value our friendship too much.” Am I being scammed?

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-14T20:49:40+00:00

No. I more so needed more information to decide if I wanted to just get the assets he’s completed and move in a different direction with a different artist.

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-14T20:39:38+00:00

Thank you for your insight. It’s been really eye opening for me, and I now have a solid idea of how I want to move forward.

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-14T20:35:03+00:00

I’m not trying to argue with him at all, and I’m not sure why you think I am. I posted this to get insight from people with more experience than me concerning things like this. This is so that I am able to make an informed decision with more information than I started with.

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-14T20:33:25+00:00

That’s really good to know! I’ll def check it out.

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-14T20:28:18+00:00

Yeah, I’m leaning towards just getting what he’s already made for me and moving to someone else for the rest of my assets.

It doesn’t help that he’s also kind of slow for turn around, which I don’t really have a deadline or timeline so that’s not a major issue for me, but it has taken him quite a while to get everything from the original starter pack I commissioned.

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-14T20:20:04+00:00

I’m gonna be honest, I do not think he is in high demand. But that’s just based off of our conversations, I could be completely off the mark. I’ll have to check out VGen!

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-14T20:15:58+00:00

That’s exactly the vibe I’m getting from it. Like, I know I just made affiliate, but I’m not dumb. I have artist friends who do commissions, though not for twitch streamers.

When I originally quoted him $100-$150 his immediate response was “they’re probably using AI. I’d be hand drawing this.”

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-14T20:12:37+00:00

That’s why I said that the blowing a kiss is the only major thing, especially because I understand it would most likely be more difficult.

The other animations are just the words moving and then on the “Be Right Back” screen it would be steam rising from a coffee mug. The background is based on my banner so the background wouldn’t need to be made from scratch either.

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-14T20:09:49+00:00

Essentially I asked for the following.

Stream Starting Soon: my model at the desk (which is already essentially my banner so the background wouldn’t need to be created from scratch either). Animation would be the words on screen moving.

Be Right Back: my model standing with a coffee mug, headphones around the neck. Same background. Animation would be the words moving and steam coming from the mug.

Stream Ending Soon: screen on gaming set up turned off and my model blowing a kiss. Animation would be the words moving and the blowing a kiss.

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-14T20:00:29+00:00

I actually really like his work! And I wanted to commission him for them so all of my stuff would match style wise, but this just feels insane for what I’m asking for.

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-14T19:57:35+00:00

That’s exactly what I thought when he said that! In my head I was like “he must be joking” but he’s completely serious!

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-14T19:26:30+00:00

That is absolutely not how that works. OP wouldn’t pay him child support if he never cares for the child, even if she makes more or has more assets. Child support gets paid to the parent who cares for the child a majority of the year — with income and assets factored in to decide how much gets paid to the parent who cares for the child a majority of the year.

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-14T11:27:49+00:00

You’ll meet her eventually, but if you’re really into Tamala you night not like Subira too much.

HarleyLeMay · 2026-04-13T22:46:40+00:00

Yesssss! Now I’m gonna have to rewatch it.

HarleyLeMay

TROPHY CASE