dudebulge
patreon
An Update
🕑 Added 2019-06-24 17:39:42 +0000 UTCHiya! Just wanted to offer an update regarding some concerns, and a little about my process as well!
Recently I've had a couple anonymous exit interviews saying they left because I wasn't posting enough/ wasn't engaging enough as a creator. These are fair points, and unfortunately my work is never going to please everyone like I would like it to, but I would like to address these concerns all the same.
I seriously work as hard as I can to put out content. A typical piece takes at bare minimum one full day to gather reference pieces, create a rough draft, ink, put in flat colors, shade, highlight, finalize details, and in some cases create a background as well. Usually, because I have high expectations for myself, a single piece will take 2-3 days to get it how I want it. For example, each of my comic pages takes 3 full days. So far I have not been able to get them done any faster than that, but I am happy with the level of quality so I'm not trying to rush them.
At the moment I am working on the Mario RPG orgy scene I posted about at the beginning of the month, and it is a WHOPPER of a project with 18 different characters included in one scene! I've also been breaking up the work on it throughout the month so that I could post some smaller pieces here and there! And this is where it becomes tricky: Should I forego larger projects and just put out single, simple illustrations with more frequency, or should I mix it up and try new things, new projects and ideas with some taking longer than others?
For me, I like to keep things fresh and interesting. I also think, in the long run it's more interesting for you guys that I don't post (basically) the same piece over and over. I want to draw a variety of characters in different ways while still holding true to the hunky daddy theme. I'm not a machine, and boredom can quickly become a problem for me if I keep doing roughly the same illustration over and over, so to keep myself consistently involved, I have to switch it up.
Regarding being more engaging, I want to be! That's a big part of why I'm on social media in the first place! I always try to include detailed descriptions of my work, maybe with a silly tale about why I was moved to create it in the first place. I could post more about my personal life/thoughts in general but I don't want to clog this Patreon account with a bunch of stuff that isn't art-related. Do folks have thoughts on how I might be more engaging? I hope once I reach my art stream goal that that becomes a great way to feel engagement with me as I work from time to time. In the meantime, I respond to personal messages, and read every comment left here. (I also hope I come off as approachable generally, because I promise I am!)
Lastly, I've received comments regarding it being difficult to look through past work/posts on this platform. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if there is a decent solution to this. I tag everything, but there is no archive view, there are no folders or galleries available... Patreon says it is looking into ways to add such things to the U.I. but until then, I'm unsure of a good workaround. If anyone knows of something, please let me know!
Sorry for the wall of text, but when people are dissatisfied with my work, I like to address it. It is disappointing that I am not made aware of such things until after someone has canceled their subscription, but that's the way it goes sometimes. The artwork that I create can't be done especially fast, or the quality will drop. I am unsure what the expectation is for how many pieces I should have completed each week or month, but I do know it is different for every visual artist out there and I can only do my best.
To sum up, I'm not upset about losing some folks because I'm not meeting their level of expectation. Quite the opposite, I'm happy to respond to these concerns and hopefully provide some insight for others who may have felt similarly, or are just curious. In the end I hope the work speaks for itself, and I hope the vast majority of you folks are happy to be here and enjoying the content. I know I am! If you have thoughts on any of these subjects, or answers to any of these questions, please let me know below or in a private message! Thanks for reading.
D.B.
Comments
Dude Bulge
Awesome, that's cool to know. I don't have the money at this time to follow any other artists (save 1) so I have nothing really to compare myself to. Thx man, I like that sentiment. That is definitely what we have here: what I most like to do! :]
Dude Bulge
Ah, I did not know that (I've nvr left a patreon I was subbed to!) so thx for telling me! I don't expect it was a random selection, but it's fine, I'm always keen to know what ppl expect. And good, I'm glad to hear the wide selection of facial haired fellas is appreciated!
Doobige McBongbong
Out of all the artist I patron, you consistently post more often, and with quality work. Some people can’t be pleased....I like the stuff you put out, and as an artist myself I can appreciate the process. I want to see what you like to do...not what I would like you to do.
Mikha Bruin
Don’t take those exit polls too seriously, it’s a multiple choice question and people sometimes click random answers just to close the window. We do appreciate the time investing in each work, and making different characters makes it exciting!
Dude Bulge
You're right ofc, and I am painfully aware I can't make/keep everyone happy, and I've made my peace with that. Patreon gets my full attention, and I really just want all of my patrons to know that.
FrighNaar
I really like your work and in my opinion you produce enough content. And I think you engage quite a lot with your followers. Don't take it to heart if a few leave. You can't make it right for everyone. So keep up the good work, a lot of people like it :)
Dude Bulge
Thx very much, Athelstan! I think one of the coolest things about the Patreon, functionally, is that as I get to work on my art continually, it will only improve as time goes on, and I hope you folks can see the improvement over time as well. :]
Burley
Your work is amazing and I’m okay with what you make for how much I pay. I think churn is inevitable. I’m constantly culling my patreon. At one point it was $350 a month. I stop following mostly when I realize I like the art but don’t love it. I love yours and it’s enduring.
Dude Bulge
Tyvm for saying so, Terrabyte, it means a lot to me to hear. I literally work 5 and a half days a week on content solely for Patreon, because I want more than anything to be successful at this. It's not just a job to me, this is what I love to do!
Terrabyte
Huh that's odd. You're probably one of the most frequent posters that I support. Also seeing that you take the time to reply to most of the comments you get shows that you engage with us a lot. I personally enjoy the way you've been doing it so far.
