((this is all ooc but parenthesis look stupid so))

i’ve had this character for over a year and he’s gotten loads of art. that tag isn’t even all of it. very few things in that tag, i’m personally responsible for the creation of. only two of them are commissions. some are requests.

i specifically remember talking to someone who would get jealous of the amount of art i got. she had had her account for about the same time i did, had about the same number of followers, and interacted with the same amount of people (and even the same exact people that i did). some people are gonna know exactly who i’m talking about but that’s not important. what is important is: what did i do that she didn’t? how do you get art?

here’s how:

1. don’t be a fucking asshole to the people who you want pictures from.
   don’t beg, don’t say “you have to draw this”, don’t make requests while they’re not offering requests, don’t vagueblog, don’t send anons, don’t make passive-aggressive statements (not even in the tags of your posts), don’t talk shit about those artists behind their backs. if you’re forceful and pushy, you won’t get anything, i guarantee it. 
2. don’t be a fucking asshole to the people who have already drawn you pictures. 
   same as above with the added bonus: just because someone drew you something once does not mean they are obligated to be your personal little art slave forever. if they accept critique or ask for it, critique them, don’t tear them down to their very bones about how awful it was. be nice.
3. have good a description of your character up somewhere easy to find and keep it up to date.
   if there’s nothing to be found anywhere, you’re probably not going to get any art because there’s nothing to go off of. if it’s not up to date or you were vague, don’t get mad at the artist for drawing your character “wrong”. it’s your own fault. you are not entitled to be a raging douchemonkey because OH NO!! THEIR PIERCING IS ON THEIR RIGHT EAR, NOT THE LEFT!!!
4. make sure your character isn’t ridiculously over-complicated.
   if they have 902340935735 details the artist needs to keep in mind, this might be intimidating and discourage people from giving you art. if you get art, some details might be left out. don’t freak out. be polite. thank them anyway. a good example for over-complication is most sparkledog OCs on deviantart. calm down with your design. 
5. make a request when the artist has them open.
   don’t assume an artist has requests open unless they explicitly say so. sometimes people will only take requests from their friends, there is nothing wrong with that. don’t get mad because their best friend got a request and you didn’t. if they have requests open for anyone, make one and give the artist an easy job by linking to pictures or descriptions or something. 
6. commission them.
   yes, even if you want free art, sometimes you might want to spend money. besides, art is hard. they need the money, i guarantee it. give them a tip or commission them regularly. you will be helping them out and they will be thankful. remember to be polite while commissioning them too. you are not paying for the right to be rude, you are paying for a service. they have the right to refuse service.
7. open your submissions and check your url tag.
   sometimes people want to anonymously give you art because they’re shy. if you don’t give them a way to do this, you won’t get anything. also maybe someone has already drawn you something, but you didn’t see it. check your url tag just in case. you never know. 
8. SAY PLEASE AND THANK YOU AND BE POLITE.
   why do i have to say this. really.

keep the following in mind:

• art is hard and it takes time. a lot of time. even a quick sketch took years of practice.
• artists are every bit as deserving of respect as you are. 
• always mind your manners.
• just because an artist drew something for someone else doesn’t mean they have to draw something for everyone. 
• always mind your manners.
• take no for an answer. being pushy is not going to help you.
• give credit for any art you get.
• don’t edit any art you get without permission.
• sometimes artists won’t draw pictures very much for other artists. there is nothing wrong with this. if you are also an artist, please be understanding of this. 
• you might get bad art, or details of your character might get left out. DON’T BE RUDE. gifts are gifts. if you’re a dick about it, no one is going to give you anything. 
• read numbers 1 and 2 from up above several more times. 
• art is hard and takes time.
• mind your manners.
• art is hard and takes time.
• mind your manners.
• art is hard and takes time. 
• mind your fucking manners i swear to god.