No way going around it. #2020 is a blunder for a lot of reasons. But one thing I can say is that at least it was another fantastic year for #commissions! I worked with a couple of new faces and I had a lot of fun building some of the artwork that came out this year. I was very pleased to share them with you all and it was hard to really pick the ones I did to be on their respected number. I #DiD it, and here we are. As usual, the pictures on the cover art don't necessarily mean that they got a spot--just, wanted to really get them their dues since they were awesome. But before I get to my winners, let's establish a few rules that I have used in the past couple of years.
Accuracy: Since I commission a myriad of different artists (and have been since I started), it's more than safe to say that the various styles will alter the measurement of accuracy. A certain character, let's just say Elsa, will not look the same from artist to artist and that's just the fact of commissions and/or fan arts. Take that same idea with Elsa: as long as one can look at the drawing and SAY it's Elsa, most of her features are present and said character is recognizable and the style is satisfying and complimenting to the Disney Queen (or insert whatever character we are looking at here), then accuracy is there.
Price Tag: This is also a pretty subjective area since the different caliber of artists charges differently, and that is understandable. But it definitely does play a BIG factor in a Commission's status, whether it be good or bad. Expensive does not always equal HIGHER quality after all.
Time: Another factor that is also subjective. Time is money, yes, but something that took some time to do but produced some jaw-dropping artwork will definitely be considered to be on the top ten. On the other side of the coin, if something took more than a few weeks and the result is something I enjoy but nothing grand (and I paid good money for it), then it's going to have a hard time getting no my top favorite.
Client and Customer Experience: This may not have anything to do with the quality of the art and/or the caliber of the artist but I am a big fan of customer service and being treated like someone who is giving good money to get something done is important. Almost all of the artists I have worked with are professional so this hasn't been an issue with me. But there have been some artists who took a step above just to ensure my experience was great. They spend the time to communicate for clarification and for the sake of following up. The experience also becomes more satisfying if the artist just spends the time to show appreciation for the business I am giving him/her.
Personal Preference: Now obviously this plays a big part. When it comes to commissioning, there are a lot of areas that personal preference can play a big part in my decision such as the character/s that are drawn, what kind of scenario, what is the theme (pin up, just awesome fanart, fetish... etc), and the meaning behind the commission. While it's hard NOT to put this as the forefront of my decision, I'm going to say right now that it's a huge reason as to why some of these drawings made it to the top ten and beat the others. Just saying.
2019 had some hitters! 2020 definitely had its own! Let me share the ones that really stood out to me!
::Honorable Mentions::
These guys were on my list for the top 10 and it was really hard to take them out of there. Also couldn't bear to just leave them out completely so here they are getting the spotlight that they deserve!
Honorable Mention: Frozen II (Skyrim) "Him"
by: JellyBX
#Frozen_Skryim had a bit more love this year both through commissions and, believe it or not, in writing. After Frozen 2 came around, I wanted to commission both Elsa and Onyx in their 'new' outfits so I knocked on Jelly's door after falling in love with his Elsa sketches. I really wanted to create that sense of 'searching' and somberness. I think this captured it well and it ties in with the "short" fic I wrote based on the events after Frozen Skyrim (which I haven't finished editing and writing). I couldn't pass up mentioning this commission. I Just love it.
Honorable Mention: Elsacest
by: Mileshendon
Yes. #Elsacest is the best Elsa-shipping ever! EVER! I had to make sure that everyone remembers how great it is through a commission. And, yes, Miles was responsible for this fantastic artwork. It has a couple of variations (a couple unintentional) and it's great. This had a few bumps through its working-progress days so it wasn't exactly the perfect commission. Still a great piece though and I'd be damned if I didn't give it the homage that it deserves! Miles really worked hard on this!
Honorable Mention: Spider-Woman's New Distress
by: frelncr
Jessica Drew got a new costume in 2020 and I like it. You know what it means when one of my mains get a new outfit, right? Well, take old distress and revamp it with more ropes and a tighter position! Her classic got some more love thanks to frelncr's oopsie, which I ended up not minding one bit. This is a fantastic piece and it deserves the love to equal the hard work that came with it. Classic is still better though but one can't fault me for enjoying Ms. Drew in any outfit she wears.
Honorable Mentions: Cloud of Darkness vs Terra
by: Banagherlinks
This is a unique commission from a very talented artist, Banagher! I've always wanted to have a comic strip commissioned and who better to start with than Banagher. Also, a villainess getting damsel-fied by Terra Branford? One of my mains who I tend to put into Distress far more than I should? At any rate, this was awesome. The process was awesome. Check out the link to see the first part and some of the WIPs.
::MVP Artist of 2020::
I noticed Orange this year and seriously, everyone else should take note of this Hentai/Bondage artist. He has a unique style that still has a very familiar flare with other artists I have worked with in the past and present. The first commission I had with him (Elves in Distress) is something I hold dear from both quality and the characters are drawn. After that commission, I knew that I had to work with him again and from there, the art just started pouring!
From Stereo Love to one of my #Victorious_Vixens like Terra Branford, Orange definitely has his talent put to good use by me. It also doesn't hurt that he has one of the most affordable prices for his caliber! This guy is a blessing!
I definitely see myself working with him a lot more during the course of #2021. It's gonna be a kinky year with my commissioning endeavors! He's got every bit of the style to fit my needs to make my kinky followers happy! Here's to you, Orange! Thank you for all your hard work this year!
::Top 10 Commissions of 2020::
Here's my list for this strange and odd year called 2020! Despite all the mishaps and the crisis, my commissioning year has actually been rather eventful. I had a lot of good commissions and some unique ones that I didn't do the previous year. With that said, it wasn't easy to leave off some of the things that I did, but hey, certain ones just stood out. So with that said, here are my top ten commissions for 2020!
by: ThunkStudio
This is actually quite recent and putting it on the list may seem unfair, but I do like this piece, and Thunk delivered with his usual quality AND finished it before Christmas Eve as I requested. All in all, it looks nice and it is Elsa in distress. Also, this might start off as a new 'series' for the next few years. Take a wild guess.
by: Sovjann
Now, this was a long time coming. My main 4 needed a commission showing all of them together looking all battle-ready and confident. Sovjann DiD a fantastic job with this and the same with the "sequel" that came after. Vibrant, expressive, and full of personality, this definitely was a fantastic commission and was a great first impression on Sovjann's part.
by: McBound
Elena Ivanova deserved a spot in the limelight. After all her hard work flaunting her legs about and being the voice in Sam's ear, a little bit of rest won't hurt. Luckily, McBound agreed to help me make that R & R a reality for the lovely Elena. With MC's style really gets the expression, the way he lets those lovely legs of hers just moving about to get 'free', this really was a treat through and through!
by: Hedrick-CS
This commission had a few things going against it. Hedrick was going through some things and so this art took a bit longer. This also wasn't exactly what I would say 'cheap', but in the end, the result is just amazing. Details, emotions, colors that are both vibrant and muted where it needs to be. Things complement each other and just make it one tragic picture. Gets the point across. I love this one.
by: ThunkStudio
ThunkStudio placed another one on the list. This little commission was a hitter beyond what I expected. I'm not the biggest She-Ra fan--though I'm far from not enjoying her presence. She was one of the Saturday morning Heroines from my childhood so to get her in duress isn't far from my radar. Having been second place in one of my DiD Polls, Thunk put so much work into this, the detail of the snake, the distress... just everything. Again, a sleeper hit! It really grew on me!
by: Llythium-Art
Llythium is another new face in my commissioning shenanigans for this year! I commissioned her twice and I was impressed! The Commission Sketch that Llythium offers is definitely one of the most unique art pieces I have in my gallery. Two headshots, a waist up, to one full body-colored, this is definitely great for character sheet and some good ole' fashioned #DiD moment. Definitely expressed a ton of distressing moment/s for Tifa.
by: OrangeBoybc
As the MVP of this year, of course, Orange's art work is going to get featured in my top 10! Wanting to give Rikku some single attention this year, I pitched the idea of this picture and who better to cuddle with the Al Bhed than the void sexy personified? Yeah, there was a lot of love put in this one. It was also a quick turn around that hardly resembles the quality with this. He seriously knocked this out of the park!
by: OrangeBoybc
And, yes, OrangeBoy just struck another gold with another commission! In his second season of collaborating with me, he started doing variants and I definitely jumped on board with that! The lovely Queen of Arendelle got three different hairstyles and a melting dress version. Seriously, this is gold. There's plenty to love with this artwork!
by: AleX00XelA
The "13 Nights of Lightning" Is a collaborated series between Wildcard4774, myself, and the commissioned artist of 'the moment'. Every artwork that has Lightning gets tangled up(literally) with another FF gal is a different artist so it's very reminiscent of the #DiDressphere project I had. Needless to say, with seven deep into the series (8th one in the works right now), we were bound to get some hitters along the way--and definitely DiD! Really hard to exclude the others since there were so many good ones but alas, QuistisxLightning just took the show. Alex has a way with art and man, this one really just takes the prize. Need more Quistis? This is it. Want to see Lightning with glasses, got it! Want them both bound and gagged for show? Got it too. Also, this is one of the most reasonably priced artworks in the series! This one takes my breath every single time!
by: AleX00XelA
This was the first commission I collaborated with Alex. I was in for a treat with the way Alex takes care of his customers. Quick turn around, very reasonable prices, highly sought after and high caliber pictures, Alex is high on my favorite artists from this year. Just take a good look at this Spider-Woman picture he DiD for me! As a homage to the popular Spider-Folks' pose, this is just amazing! The taut and intricate ropework, the perfectly sized and impeding gag, the obvious distress conveyed despite emotions hard to read with her eyes covered, it's just well done. There's plenty to like with this picture and Alex delivered!
What is there to say about #2020? Well, plenty of things but in regards to my commissioning shenanigans, well it was a success! Got to work on a new series, worked with artists familiar and new, and all in all, got some fantastic artwork this year that is just as breathtaking as the previous years! So here's to 2021 then! May it be as prosperous as this year and may it be better than this year outside of my commissioning hobby/addiction! Thank you to all the artists and other Deviants who participated! Let's go, New Year!
Until Next Time!
