Artists of LSF,
for my project (Sickness) I am currently looking to commission a few CG artists.
I say "a few" because the scenes vary in content matter, and I know most people tend to have preferred genres/styles.
Also, there are quite a few CGs to be done (70+), so while there's no strict deadline or anything, it feels like it's too much for just one person.
Sickness will be played in 1080p, so please keep that in mind while considering pricing and the like.
Also, apologies in advance for the long post. It's moments like this that I wish LSF had collapsible spoilers >.<
The Story
You can get an overview of the story here: https://sickness-vn.com/index.php?page=about
If that's too long for you, here's a very quick summary:
-Main character and his sister are orphaned.
-MC quits school, starts working. Begins to break down mentally and almost kills his boss.
-MC is "saved" by a "friend", who tricks him into pursuing illegal and often violent sources of revenue.
-MC starts to get a taste for violence, becoming increasingly indifferent until he accidentally kills someone.
-Hearing of his exploits, the MC's boss offers him a different line of work; primarily as a hitman.
At this stage, the MC spends most of his time juggling his new job, the obvious morality issues, and the task of keeping his new job from his sister. Amidst his free time off the job, the MC can retreat from the harsh reality of his situation by fostering romantic relationships, spending time at home, training, etc.
Although you can go off on tangents, having fun with other characters, indulging in comedic scenes, etc. Sickness is very story-centric. The relationships you build can have drastic and unforeseen effects on the story; spending time pursuing romance instead of training can get you killed, lies can come back to haunt you, bad relationships mean fewer people you can rely on, etc.
Genres/Content
It's hard to pin a single genre on Sickness, but the most commonly recurring elements are crime/violence, and romance/comedy. Sickness goes to and fro between murder scenes and gentle embraces, consequently containing scenes that vary significantly in tone.
There are a few "neutral" CGs, but most of them are split between romance and violence. So I'm anticipating at least two artists: one for romantic scenes, one for crime scenes, maybe a third for "neutral" scenes.
There are also themes of mental illness throughout Sickness, but these are mostly explored through dialogue. The end result may evolve into a violent CG, but otherwise it may not be something you need to worry about.
*Note that the romance is purely Male x Female, and will always be between the main character and one of four girls.
You can see these characters here. (Click to zoom, then click "Toggle Character Bio" for brief info on the character)
Art Style
https://sickness-vn.com/index.php?page=screenshots
https://sickness-vn.com/index.php?page=characters
Although I'm open to different styles, I do want some level of consistency between the art in this project.
I'm fine with CGs being a bit different in style to the backgrounds and sprites, but it shouldn't feel like it's a completely different VN.
Some scenes, particularly violent scenes, I would expect to deviate a bit. When the main character is piercing someone's spine with a blade, he isn't going to look the same as the cheery sprite having fun with his sister. Similarly, Lucia won't look so calm or happy when she's getting her throat cut, and Misa won't look anywhere near as innocent when she's cutting someone's head off.
So some deviation is fine, especially if it's a violent scene. But keep in mind that if your style is completely different to the general feel of the VN (eg. you usually do medieval drawings), then I may feel that you're unsuitable to work on this project.
Progress/Pace
At this moment, Sickness is at roughly 114k words. The script is not yet complete, and it will likely be 130-150k words in total.
Some of the backgrounds and sprites are done, but there's still plenty to go.
Because of this, not all of the CGs I have started detailing can be worked on just yet. For example, they might feature a character whose sprite hasn't yet been drawn. Similarly, there will be more CGs by the time the script is done (at least 10 more; I don't have an exact number, sorry).
Given that the art and script are ongoing, I felt it best to start commissioning CGs now and streamline the process.
Of course, with that being the case, I don't have a definite timeline for when sprites will be done, BGs will be ready, etc.
So there's no strict or definitive deadline for CGs. However, I would like to finish Sickness some time this year, so I can't be too lax.
It'll depend on how many CG artists apply, but if you can get a few done each month, then that should be enough.
Payment
I bet you skipped right to this part, didn't you?
I don't have a set rate in mind. I'm aware that the CGs to be done vary a lot in difficulty and likely the time taken.
For the overwhelming majority, the background doesn't matter much, or it will be based on a BG that's already done, or it'll just be a wall or something equally bland.
The CGs average on 1-2 people being visible at once, and many are half-body.
Also note that some CGs have "variations"; a violent scene may change slightly to show more blood and weary eyes as someone bleeds out, or in a romantic scene the girl's expression may change from surprise to joy.
So your BG-drawing skills probably won't matter for the most part. Even for the scenes where no BG has been done, something basic and not prominent would be fine.
If you have a price list, please let me know.
The amount I'm prepared to pay will depend on the quality of your work and on existing work that you can show me.
However, even if you're the world's best artist, my funds are not unlimited
Depending on the complexity, quality, etc. the prices could be $30-100 USD. If the scene is really complex (eg. including variations) it could go higher... but I'm hoping most of the CGs will be around the $30-70 USD mark. Low if it's single-character, no variations, recycled or very basic BG, etc.
Payment will be through paypal, either USD or AUD (my paychecks are in AUD). Most people on this forum I've seen deal with USD, but if you're an Aussie, I'm happy for you to quote me in AUD instead.
Licensing
I don't suspect that this will be an issue, but it's best to address it sooner rather than later.
This will not be a free game, and it will not be open source. As such, I can't accept restrictive licenses on your artwork.
On the flip side, since the CGs will be made specifically for Sickness, it wouldn't make much sense to openly permit their use in other games.
So in my opinion, the best agreement we could reach would be either:
a) you retain ownership of the CG, and license it exclusively for use in Sickness, or
b) as the commissioner, I own the CG, but allow you to use it for promotion and the like (eg. to show to prospective clients, to show off on DeviantArt, etc.)
Whatever agreement we come to, you will be credited for your work. Even if you transfer ownership to me, I'm not going to claim that I created the CG. (Me? Draw? I wish!)
If you have any specific terms in mind, or you're just thinking "Whatever, just pay me and use the damn thing!", please make your intentions known when you apply so we can reach an agreement before commencing work.
The Process
I've worked with a few artists, and they all have slightly different approaches to payment, updates, etc.
I'm flexible. If you have a preferred method, let me know.
I won't pay you everything up front, due to the flight risk (it hasn't happened to me yet, but you never know), but otherwise I'm open to suggestion.
My preferred method would be:
-a lower downpayment (eg. 30%) before you start on a CG
-you send lineart or drafts or whatever (depending on how you work) as you go. If it's near completion, I'd expect watermarks or something similar (so I can't run off with your artwork
)-upon completion, I pay you the other 70%, then you send the final product
For the format, I'd prefer PSDs (or XCFs, if you use GIMP) with the layers in tact for the final product. Especially for CGs with variations.
If you object to this, please say so up front (rather than waiting until the first CG is complete).
So... where are these 70+ CGs?
I've written up a spreadsheet here with basic info, such as whether the scene is "mature" (violent or perhaps suggestive), whether it can be started or not, etc.
I've also been writing more detailed descriptions into word documents, which describe the scene, the characters involved, any BGs that can be referenced, etc. These will be supplied when you start working on a specific CG.
Questions, how to apply, etc.
If you have any questions, please either submit them here or PM me.
This thread feels a bit all over the place, so while I've tried to include info that would be relevant to a CG artist, I'm prepared for any questions you might have.
Similarly, if you would like to work on Sickness, either posting on this thread or PMing me would be fine. If it's going to be a long reply, or you'd like to discuss your rates, etc. then a PM would probably be best.
To summarize what's already been said, when applying please provide:
-examples of past works (most important; you don't need an extensive portfolio, but I need to see what you can do)
-your prices (a price list, or just estimates)
-scene genres you'll work on (only romance? Only violence? What are your limits?)
-any licensing input
and anything else you think will be relevant, such as preferred contact methods, turnaround times, etc.
