krysdecker
patreon
Small changes and adjustments for future works.
🕑 Added 2023-06-01 19:19:24 +0000 UTCHey everyone, as most of you that are around for some time know, I like to be transparent on things happening and explain why I change things.
First things first:
From now on, pin-up images with more than one character will use "2 slots" of the month.
As much as I try to make them as fast as possible, there's a limit on how fast they can be done. I thought "hey, if I make the zelda image with less background and pack the characters in a smaller area, it will be faster".
Well ... it wasn't. It still took a lot more time than a "single character pin-up". For reference, pin-ups usually take 5 days of work. The Zelda image took around 8 days of work.
Some people might argue it was possible in the past, but the reason why it was "possible", was because I worked overtime to get them done (which means weekends, holidays etc).
While I do have a general idea of how much time an image will take, it's not an accurate thing as "oh, this area will take 15 minutes, this will take 30, etc etc".
Since I like to try out different ideas so there's more variety in the images than simply "random scene of the character standing there", I'm often painting things that I didn't paint before, which is great. The downside is that I can't really have a proper idea of how long it will take to make it.
Burnout, frustration, social media etc.
And this is causing another problem that's leading to frustration on my part. I imagine that nobody likes to see work piling up. I see the end of the month getting near and I start to think "oh shit, I have x days to finish this, what if this takes more time etcetc"
While I'm used to the effects of social media, slowly but surely the effects start to squeeze in through the cracks. As much as we tell ourselves we don't need the "approval" of social media, when I paint the images, of course I want people to like it, I want for it to reach a lot of people on social media etc. I mean, one of my favourite things when I post images is see how people will react to it.
And when images start to pile up and delay one another, I start to lose timing to post them, specific dates etc. Those things have a huge impact on the reach each image has. It really sucks when you spend 20+ hours on an image only for it to have a minor reach on social media because you posted 1-2 days later and lost the "trending" train.
And those things start to live in your head rent free. I start to get demotivated, which starts to affect the pacing of the production, I have days where I simply can't get much done in terms of work because my head "is not in the game", I can't focus properly, which further delays works, and it's a snowball effect.
The reason why I'm posting this, is because I'm not happy with the situation. It's one of those situations that I tried to make images that are more interesting, have more characters etc, but ended up having the opposite effect.
Conclusion / TL:DR
- So moving foward I'll try to keep in check my own mindset of "the image needs MORE!!".
- Images that have more than 1 character will use more slots.
- I'll wrap up the current images of may (Gerudo Springs, Jessie Voyeur, Mermays), and send up those rewards by monday (june 5th)
- Aloy image will be send afterwards by the end of next week.
Anyway, this is a bit of a rant / why things are the way they are. =)
Comments
wahldemahr
I'm looking forward to your new images!:)
Lee
yeah, I think it's important to have a balance between the amount of works and the quality of them. I did consider changing the patreon model at some point, but honestly, I think the "3 to 4" images per month is good enough. I just need to be more realistic on when it's 3 images and when it's 4, so I don't run into a situation of saying it will be 4 but not being able to deliver them in time.
Lee
As much as people understand, I think it's important to keep everyone on par with what's going on =D
Lee
thanks. While not ideal, this month made me realize that it's a necessary change. Both the Mermaids and Zelda images took well over 50% more time than the usual pin-up. So it's really not viable to keep treating them as "single images" =(
Lee
thank you! I'm glad you are on board =D
Lee
thank you, I appreciate the support =D there's a lot of timing when making some characters. While some can be painted any time, there's often the "flavour of the month". So I prefer to focus on certain characters while they are trending, because from my experience, while images with more characters are fun, if they are poorly timed, they don't get a lot of attention =c
Lee
yeah, on the long run it's definitely important to be able to keep doing what I'm doing lol
Lee
thank you, I'm glad to have your support =)
Lee
thank you =3
Lee
thank you, I appreciate the support =)
Lee
thanks, it's something I need to keep in mind. I take deadlines and how the "system works" very seriously, so it always sucks when I can't keep up for whatever reason =c
wahldemahr
Hi Chris! I have been subscribing to your patreon for 9 months. I love your drawings a lot! I totally support your decision. I think you fell into the trap of your own rules: to create a certain number of images every month. But you are an artist, a creator, not an assembly line on some car factory. In my humble opinion sometimes in pursuit of quantity you lose the quality: some of your recent works lack a spark that was in the previous ones, although technically your drawings are flawless. But the quality of your images, not the quantity what is important for me and, I believe, for your other patrons too. So it doesn't matter to me how many images per month you draw: 1 or 10, as long as they are created with a soul. Maybe you should radically change the approach to creating content for patreon? And, of course, take care of your health, you can’t buy it for any amount of money! Maybe even you should take a break for a bit of time:)? In general, health is more important than money, and quality is more important than quantity! I hope you understand me :). Good luck!
Call_me_Snake
So what for what others think ? It's your job, and if there are delays, it's ok (for me) : I have a job too and won't put pressure on you to see some amazing pics... By the way, for the choice of characters, you should have the last word you know if it took 2 slots now, as some characters would becOme recurrent... Take care of you ! ;-)
Zach
Your art is excellent quality. I'd rather have fewer images if it means keeping up to your normal standards. Keep doing your awesome work, and we will keep looking forward to the next one!
David Spracklen
Team Krys! Quality over quantity. You're the best
Ryurendan
A) NNOOOOOO!!! Q_Q, less art from Krys per month (end of sad me) B) we totally understand and as patrons (aka fans) of your work, we value your health over the quantity, because a healthy and happy artist makes better art, and also that means more art from you in the long run because we know you won't be running yourself into the ground. Your honesty is also always greatly appreciated Krys! C) just an idea like that, you are the one deciding what works best dor you, but i was thinking you could do scenes with a single charscter most of thr time and just have a month with just scenes/pieces with multiple characters, and if you do have time you can add a freebie like a quickly made piece you felt like doing or as a preview for something you d like to come up :). Either way keep up the amazing work but as long as you do it in a healthy way!! 😉
Adam
As always, take care of yourself first. You’re the most talented artist I support, and while passion for the work is great, mental health is always priority number one!
Nazadrim
Feel you on the burnout side of social media :/ take your time, your health is more important than work. If we'll have less pin-ups when more characters are involved, so be it, I am fine as long as you are having an easier time! ^^
Adèle
This is completely understandable ! It's important that you continue to love what you do. 🙏
Rithrin
No problem, of course! Everyone's got to take care of themselves!
Juraks (No Credits)
It would be nice to be able to vote for the pairings or groupings in things like the voyuer where we normally vote. Regardless, you do great work and while it is always good to push oneself to their limits and beyond regularly. Don't let it manufacture doubt on the side, when you can't hit a "deadline." Think the posts above are proof enough that you have everyone's support. Don't let people's misguided complaints add foundation to the doubts you may have about things being late. Will support you for as long as I can.
Damian Graham
You make amazing content Krys. Just keep doing things the way you want, and keep doing what you love. I will keep supporting you as long as I can, and I certainly won't stop because the rewards teir needs adjusting. And I'm willing to bet I'm not the only one who feels that way. So try not to focus on the pressures, and just chase the joy.
miniMeissner
I love to see this kind of step! I'm sorry for how any of us (here on Patreon or other social media) have made you feel like you need to meet our expectations at the cost of yourself. I'm genuinely glad to see you decide to prioritize your own health and set the boundaries with yourself and our expectations to do that. With love and support, screw overtime! 😁
Arch
All of the things you said makes perfect sense. The last thing we'd want to see is you getting burned out and demotivated of making art. Also worth noting that as the time goes by you put more quality into your art and it's understandable that it's time consuming. Do what needs to be done.
