// TERMS & CONDITIONS

LAST UPDATED 02/17/24.

Please read the following page carefully.
When filling out a form to request a commission, you will be required to acknowledge that you have read this page in full.
In order to submit your request, you are required to indicate that you have read and agreed to the terms and conditions of service outlined below.
If you are not comfortable/willing to accept these terms, you may not request a commission.
Any attempt to violate these rules will result in an indefinite blacklisting of services.
If you have any questions, please check the F.A.Q. tab below before contacting me.
If you cannot find an answer or need specifics, you can contact me via VGen Messaging or email me at ren@gardensveil.net.
If you take any inspiration/ideas from my ToS and wish to incorporate it into yours, please feel free to.

(Please do not send inquiries through social media or Discord DMs.)

♥ FAVORITES

✦ OCs / Original Designs

✦ Object Heads / Unconventional Designs

✦ Creatures / Monsters / Aliens

✦ Robots / Mech / Machine Parts

✦ Blood / Gore / Body Horror

✗ WON'T DRAW

✦ IRL People

✦ Fetishes / Porn

✦ Explicit NSFW

✦ Political Material

✦ Offensive / Discriminatory Themes

Included is material that may not be intentionally malicious but still insensitive, such as orientalist and stereotypical designs and tropes (ex. sexualized qipao/áo dài, revealing 'dancer' outfits, entities forbidden to be named in certain cultures, etc.) If you are a part of said culture and have the right to claim/navigate a theme's nuance, I wholly respect that- however, I myself do not feel at all comfortable depicting them as someone who is not.

I do not do fetish/porn art, including 'mild' and innocuous-seeming fetishes. Trying to deceive and circumvent this rule will result in being permanently blacklisted.

✓ WILL DRAW

✦ Fanart / Ships

✦ Armor / Weapons

✦ Furry / Anthro

✦ Suggestive Themes

✦ Complex Designs

While I may accept fanart requests for commissions, I tend to be more inclined to choose original characters rather than canon characters (unless the subject media is something I'm into). OC x Canon ships are also allowed.

※PREFACE (IMPORTANT)

I do my best to make progress in a timely manner, but as a chronically ill, disabled individual, I struggle to consistently fulfill a reliable timeline of events. To this end, I prioritize my own health- both because it is important, and if I don't, the quality of my work will suffer, and I would much rather take longer to finish something worth its price than deliver a rushed, burnt-out product. Thus I deeply appreciate those who endeavor to work with me anyways, and am ever so grateful for any and all support. This is not anyone else's burden, of course, and I certainly don't make it anyone's business- I only ask for a little patience, is all. 🖤

※GENERAL TERMS

All commissions listed are digital goods and services. No physical items will be delivered.
GARDENSVEIL reserves the right to refuse any request on any grounds.
Be default, GARDENSVEIL reserves the right to use commissioned works for self-promotion (e.g. Social media posts, promotions, process GIFs, speedpaints, etc.) Full privacy may incur additional fees and must be given notification by the client prior to payment.
Waitlist and turnaround times depend on various factors, such as existing queue and workload, irl obligations, and personal health.

※CONTACT + COMMUNICATION

Inquiries, communications, correspondence is made through VGen Messaging or email at ren@gardensveil.net.
Clients have the right to request updates and check-ins, but excessive, intrusive and demanding requests may result in cancellation in extreme circumstances.
Clients and prospective clients may refer to the Trello board for all sorts of information, such as working status, waitlist status, completion percentages, etc. Clients may also see if their response is needed by the artist. The board is regularly maintained and serves as a means of staying updated in between direct check-ins. It is manually updated, so it may be a little behind at times.
Upon payment, the client is expected to keep GARDENSVEIL informed of any changes in contact information. If all information provided becomes unusable before the start of the order and the client can no longer be reached, the commission will be canceled after 10 business days. The client will no longer be eligible for refund.

※CLIENT EXPECTATIONS

What the artist requests/requires of the client:

REFERENCES.

Visual references are required. Google Drive, Toyhou.se, Dropbox, etc. links work perfectly! If a reference repository has more than one look/outfit/appearance/etc., make sure to specify which you want (or if it's artist's choice).
If you would like specific poses or moods, you may also share relevant images you have or create yourself (no matter how scribbly or messy it is, I absolutely don't judge- even stick people work well for this)!
Mood boards, inspiration boards, and written descriptions that accompany visual references are more than welcome! Vibes are very important to me and I love reflecting a character or scene's essence whenever I possibly can.
If unable to decide between ideas or characters, you may pitch several to choose from! Obviously only one will be accepted (and any others are more than welcome to be requested in the future). Make sure to indicate that you're offering several ideas as choices to avoid confusion.
Use of AI-generated imagery in any instance is unacceptable and will result in blacklisting.

※ARTIST EXPECTATIONS

What the client can expect of the artist:

COMMITMENT.

Willingness to draw characters of any body type, skin tone, species, etc. and an earnest endeavor to depict requested characters as close as they are intended to be within the artist's stylization.
Commitment to proper representation and active collaboration with the client in making the best effort to properly depict what is requested.
The freedom for clients to redline/draw over/edit WIPs in order to communicate what is desired.

STYLE INTERPRETATION.

Muted palettes and cool-leaning tones. Original colors, especially saturated ones, will likely be translated but will remain accurate and recognizable in relativity.
(Respectfully) exaggerated features, shapes and forms, and the sharpening of softer traits.
Minor alteration of certain details that balance out the overall shapes and composition of a piece.
If given direction to emphasize certain aspects/avoid others, they will be heeded!

CREATIVE FREEDOM.

GARDENSVEIL reserves the right to retain a level of artistic freedom: as artist and client, a commission creates a partnership and not an employment.
Artists are sought for their style and vision, and the artist is not expected to carry out something that is far too removed from established aesthetics just because for no meaningful reason (In regards to changing significant/overall style, not that I won’t draw subject matter that doesn’t align with my aesthetics).
The artist is not to be used to execute arbitrarily difficult ideas or demands, and has the right to decline a commission for any reason if uncomfortable or inadequate at the current level of skill.
The artist will not imitate or replicate other artists' art styles or edit/augment other artists' works.

If what the client desires is deemed beyond the artist's capability to execute or is far too different from what they usually do without allowing personal artistic expression, they may be better off seeking someone who better fits their vision.

My goal as an artist is to find the balance between style and accuracy, and push my boundaries drawing aspects I otherwise would not typically draw on my own. I want to be proud of what I make and give my clients something to cherish.

※PRICES + FEES

All prices are listed in USD, and payments are processed through VGen's proposal system OR PayPal invoice (in the case of custom off-platform projects).
Prices are based on demand, livable wage, and the amount of time and effort it takes to finish in accordance to the artist's skill, experience, and quality.
Prices are FINAL and NON-NEGOTIABLE. Any attempt to haggle or insist on discounts is unacceptable and will result in blacklisting.
Abusing the member discount through methods such as (but not limited to) subscribing/unsubscribing in order to receive a discount that exceeds the membership cost will result in blacklisting.

COMPLEXITY FEES.

Complexity fees are made on a case-by-case basis dependent on a myriad of factors, including but not limited to:

Amount of detail needing to be drawn (complex and busy designs, amount of objects, etc.)
How something affects an overall piece (props, extra appendages, poses, etc.)
How much detail needs to be simplified/condensed (chibis, etc.)
Anything affecting the difficulty and time spent on a commissioned project.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS.

Additional characters are added as if commissioning another character, and are separately calculated in terms of complexity/prop/etc. costs.
Things such as backgrounds and props wouldn't need to be doubled. These are considered a separate pricing factor from the character(s).
EXAMPLE: If you are paying for a commission with two characters with a background and only one of them has a complex prop, then the cost would be approximately calculated as: [ 2x characters + 1x large prop + background = total ]

DEADLINE / RUSH DELIVERY FEES.

By default, there is no set deadline for commissioned projects. Requests are taken on a relative queue basis (dependent on commission type etc.)

Various factors affect a rush delivery fee, such as:

The type of request (and thus how long it will take to complete before the deadline)
Current waitlist, queue, and workload (and thus how much must be put aside to meet the deadline)
Any other factors that may affect the artist's ability to work within the deadline's requirements.
In general, rush delivery fees can range anywhere from 10-80%.

PRIVACY FEES / NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT (NDA).

Progress and final products will be kept private, and will only be shared with the client and any other party explicitly approved by the client.

For full, indefinite privacy, a 50% fee will be applied to the request.
For partial, time-based privacy, a 25-45% fee will be applied to the request based on how long it must be kept private.

ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS + FEES.

Reasons for additional payments include but are not limited to:

Outstanding balances for payment plans.
Requested additions after the initial proposal / invoice has been accepted and paid for.
Revision fees for significant and/or excessive requests at the client's behest.

PAYMENT PLANS.

By default, a 100% upfront payment is assumed. When requesting a commission, the client may indicate if they desire a payment plan.
If the commission is $100 and under, the client must pay the total in full.
If the commission is over $100, the client may choose to either pay in full or half upfront.
If the commission is over $500, further payment plan options may be discussed.

DISCOUNTS / FEE WAIVING.

Supporters pledged to the GARDENSHALLOWED tier on Ko-fi receive 5-10% off non-commercial commissions.
If a character has disability aids inseparably important to them (such as wheelchairs), prop fees will be waived or highly discounted. Complexity fees may still be applicable if the aid in question is extremely detailed/intricate/ornate, but still less than the standard. (As someone with a hidden disability, I don't want to deter people from commissioning their disabled characters as they are due to the required upcharges that accompany their aid.)

※REFUNDS / CANCELLATIONS

CANCELLATION.

GARDENSVEIL reserves the right to cancel a commission at any time for any reason. Similarly, the client may also cancel in the same manner.
If applicable and within reason, the client will receive the unfinished work in equivalence to the refunded amount.
Abusive behavior towards GARDENSVEIL will result in cancellation of the commission, potentially without refund in the most extreme cases.

REFUNDS.

If the client has not yet paid, no transaction has been made, and nothing is owed.
A 10% administrative, logistical fee is exempt from all refunds, even if work has not yet started.
Skeb-like / 'Surprise Me' requests CANNOT be refunded due to dissatisfaction, as the 'surprise' aspect is agreed upon by the client.
The client is no longer eligible for a refund if they choose to cancel after half of the work (50%) is complete.
If eligible for refund, the client will be issued a refund depending on what has been finished, not including transaction or platform fees.
(Refunds may take time depending on whether I have the current funds or not, since I am financially unstable due to student loans and bills. This will be clearly communicated. I do not have savings, and am working to the point where I can have the means to issue refunds when needed.)

PAUSING DUE TO FINANCIAL HARDSHIP / INSECURITY.

If the client still owes future invoices due to partial payment and wishes to pause their commission in order to recover and see it finished, they are implored to notify GARDENSVEIL of their wishes. The commission may then be put on hold for an extended amount of time, at GARDENSVEIL's discretion.
(I will be more than happy to put the project on hold to continue on later, if you would still like it to be finished. I wholly understand and would implore you to take care of yourself first and foremost.)

※CHARGEBACKS

Chargebacks are prohibited and will result in blacklisting.
This is considered a method of abuse and exploitation, most commonly used as such, and will not be tolerated.
If the client would like to request a cancellation or refund, they must contact GARDENSVEIL first.
Purposeful chargebacks with no prior notification will result in a permanent, public blacklisting from all future commissions.

※USAGE (ARTIST)

By default, GARDENSVEIL fully owns the works created and reserves the right to sign/watermark their work, as well as to publish, post, and display in a portfolio (e.g. posting on social media, uploading and using in a portfolio, streaming progress on Twitch, speedpaint videos, process gifs, etc.).
Works in progress (WIPs) may also be shown to Ko-fi members in full, or occasionally in public in the form of previews and snippets.
If the client wishes their commission to be private, a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) fee must be paid.
Intellectual properties the artist does not own (such as characters, concepts, designs, etc. that are not owned by the artist) belong to their respective owners.

※LICENSED USAGE (CLIENTS)

Works in progress (WIPs) that clients receive may be shared among others in private spaces (such as among friends, discord servers, locked accounts, DMs, etc.) Please refrain from sharing them publicly without asking.

PERSONAL USE.

By default, all commissioned works are considered under a personal use license.

Under this personal use license, the client is free to use their commissioned works however they like, given that:

Explicit credit to the art (GARDENSVEIL) remains,
The work is not claimed as the client’s own,
Absolutely no profit is to be made from the work in any way, whether directly or indirectly.

Examples of personal usage may be:

Printing on products intended to personally keep OR give as gifts (no profit)
Usage as icons/banners/wallpapers/etc. for personal accounts (NOT company/business accounts)
Reposting and sharing on social media, character repositories, etc.

COMMERCIAL USE.

A commercial use license can be purchased by the client as an additional fee for the rights to use their commissioned work commercially, the cost of which is highly dependent on how it is wished to be used- for example, producing merchandising rights would cost significantly more than a subscriber emote, etc. Commissioned works may only be used within the limitations outlined by the agreed upon terms.

Examples of commercial usage may be:

Reproducing, reproducing, and redistributing the work for profit (such as merchandising),
Usage in branding, promotional material, content, and website (including icon/banner/etc. usage, for company and business accounts),
Usage within mediums/platforms where the client receives profit (eg. Patreon, Twitch, YouTube, etc.

The client is expected to uphold the usage terms outlined above.

※NON-FUNGIBLE TOKENS / CRYPTOCURRENCY / AI

Clients are not permitted, under any circumstances, to use any part of their commission for AI image generations/training and non fungible tokens (NFTs).
Use of commissioned products in any advertising or profits associated with blockchain-related technology, such as (but not limited to) NFTs and cryptocurrencies is strictly prohibited. Use of commissioned products in any AI/ML model training is strictly prohibited.
Cryptocurrency as a form of payment is unacceptable.
GARDENSVEIL will never sell/resell any work whatsoever as non fungible tokens. If such work is found listed as a non fungible token or resold for cryptocurrency, it is not permitted and is stolen as a direct violation of these terms.

※STARTING A REQUEST

Commissions are requested via VGen, where you can easily view what types are currently available!
VGen is a marketplace made for artists and clients, allowing both parties to handle commissions with ease.
General updates and notifications regarding commission statuses will be shared via Trello , Discord, and sometimes Twitter.

If a listing is OPEN, it is readily available, and requests will be reviewed and taken as they come on a general first-come-first-serve basis.

If a listing is on WAITLIST, prospective clients may still submit normally, but should expect to wait before their request is started.

If a listing CLOSES after a prospective client submits a form, that submission is still valid.

To make a VGen request, visit my page and click on any 'Start request' or 'Join waitlist' button. You will be able to view the listing's information, prompted to read and accept the terms of service, and fill out a form detailing your request. Once submitted, I will review it as soon as I am able. As a chronically ill, disabled artist, correspondence time may vary, but I will do my best to be as timely as I can!

REQUEST VIA VGEN

※FORM REVIEW

I try to reply within a few days, or within a week for larger projects, but sometimes it's difficult due to life complications.

If your request is accepted:

You will receive a proposal outlining the scope, timeline, and payment breakdown for the project.
Clients may be reached out to beforehand to address concerns or seek clarification.

If your request is waitlisted:

If moved FROM an OPEN submission, I'm likely fully booked, busy, or experiencing high demand. VGen will notify you if this happens.
Sit tight- I'll be with you as soon as I'm able! You can always refer to the Trello board to check in on what's going on, and see if anything might be affecting my process. Wait times may depend on a number of things, such as current workload, health, irl complications, backend changes, etc.

If your request is declined:

You will receive the reason why.
Probable reasons include prohibited content, inability to reliably fulfill the request or deadline, or excessive vagueness detailing the request.
If your request was declined due to excessive vagueness, you are free to try again and provide more information.
If you have any questions, or concerns, feel free to contact me through VGen Messaging or email me at ren@gardensveil.net.

※CONTACT

Contact and correspondence will be handled exclusively via VGen Messaging or email at ren@gardensveil.net if the client does not have a VGen account.
Please DO NOT attempt contact through any other means for your commission (e.g. Twitter or Discord). These avenues are not set aside for work purposes.

※PROPOSAL + PAYMENT

This section refers to the proposal/invoicing process. See the PRICE / PAYMENT tab above for more information on prices and payment.

The proposal will contain a price breakdown and other relevant information to follow. Ensure that it is read.
All prices and fees will be clearly communicated, and will never be hidden.
If the proposal is not to the client's expectation, they may reach out or decline the proposal.
Payment is made directly on the provided proposal. The VGen platform will allow you to use PayPal or VGen Payments (a Stripe-powered method).
DO NOT preemptively send any kind of payment anywhere beforehand.
In the case of off-platform, custom requests, PayPal invoices will be used instead. This will be clearly communicated through inquiry correspondence.
If a client has not responded with any update or payment within three days after an invoice is sent, the slot may be subject to forfeit and canceled.

※UPDATES + REVISIONS

Once the client accepts the proposal and pays the invoice, work will begin. Once it has, it will be marked as a WIP, and the client will be notified.
The client will soon receive draft(s) as needed to ensure their satisfaction with the overall product. Afterwards, work will continue as agreed upon. Works in Progress(WIPs) will continue to be shared along the way, and the client will be able to request changes as work is done to avoid later revision fees.
If, at any point, something is in need of correction, please reach out- I want you to be happy with your commission and depict your character(s) correctly!! It is also more than acceptable to draw over/redline WIPs to better illustrate what sort of idea or change you'd like.

REVISIONS

Up to TWO MAJOR REVISIONS (entire composition/pose changes, etc.) can be made during the initial drafting phase (concept/thumbnailing stage, or colored sketch draft if given as the initial draft). Once the client approves this stage and the overall direction is established, only minor adjustments may be made afterwards without fee. Highly excessive and arbitrary requests, however, will incur fees relative to the time spent on changes as compensation.

PROGRESSION WITH PARTIAL PAYMENTS

If the commission still requires payment due to a milestone payment plan, work will only continue up until the milestone as discussed. If the client experiences any sort of financial hardship or insecurity and wishes to see their commission completed, they may have it paused as long as needed or discuss a change in their payment plan in order to proceed while maintaining financial stability.

NON-RESPONSE

If no answer is given in response to a request for feedback after 7 days, the project may be subject to cancellation with no refund. If the client is expecting to be away or unable to respond for any reason, they should provide notification so that the artist is made aware.

(These rules are set in place for ghosting/scam situations. Even if it happens, if it's an honest mistake, just let me know! If you need time to think about how you feel about a particular WIP before approving it, don't feel pressured to respond right away.)

※COMPLETION

Once the commission is completed, approved, and final payment is received (if not previously taken care of), the final piece and other byproducts (such as style testing, model sheets, concept sketches/thumbnails, etc.) will be sent to the client in full through VGen and/or email. Any byproducts created after the delivery date (such as speedpaints, process GIFs, showcases, etc.) will also be sent.

The client is responsible for saving any information, images, and other digital media delivered. All commissioned work is saved and archived, cannot be guaranteed against unforeseen circumstances such as computer failure or accidental deletion or loss in the future.

※SHARING + USAGE

Once the client confirms that they received and are satisfied with the commission, the work(s) may be uploaded by the artist on to online platforms such as social media, VGen showcases, and portfolio galleries. If provided a handle and permission by the client, they will also be tagged.

The client may also publicly post and share their commission at any point in the future, as long as credit is given.

If a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) was paid for, then it will not be shared as per the agreement (or until the agreed upon date, if applicable).

※FIRST TIME / NEW TO COMMISSIONING?

Just let me know and I'll help walk you through!

The whole commissioning process can be intimidating if you're new to it, but it's super easy- my ToS is long to cover all my bases (plus give people an idea of what to expect), but if you just let me know you're new or that it's your first time, I'll keep it in mind as we work together.

※WHEN DO YOU OPEN FOR COMMISSIONS?

Commissions are almost always open, but specific types can change status to open/waitlist/closed at any time. The best way to get notified is through Discord pings and following me on VGen.
You can hang out with our community on Discord or set it to notification only- you sign up for the specific pings you want (commissions, shop news, adopts, etc.), and @/everyone is reserved for the most important updates so you’ll never be spammed with pings you don’t want.
If you sign up for VGen, you can get notified when commissions open, track in-progress requests, and communicate via DMs.
Announcements may also be made on Twitter or other social media, but isn't guaranteed and not as reliable.

※HOW DO I COMMISSION YOU?

Commissions are requested via VGen forms! You can submit requests for the desired type as long as the listing is open or on a waitlist.

Check out the WORKFLOW PROCESS tab for more detailed information on how it works.

※DO YOU DO FCFS? WHAT AFFECTS ACCEPTANCE?

Commissions are generally fcfs (first come first serve), since I tend to operate on a waitlist queue. I rarely ever reject requests unless it breaks ToS- but since I do commissions for a living, I'm always working as long as my health wills it, so even if you miss the window, there's always chances in the future.

Reasons for rejections (aside from ToS violations) include:

I feel I cannot fulfill a requested deadline.
I feel that a request is beyond my ability to execute.
A client or their request feels suspicious.
I feel that I am being disrespected as an artist and/or disregarded as an individual with personal aesthetics and style.

※WHAT IS SLOT PRIORITY?

Ko-fi members and Discord server boosters have priority on requests, especially on waitlists. Priority slots are not guaranteed to be first in line, as slot timing is chosen for a variety of reasons, but are certain to be accepted much quicker than they normally would be without priority status.

※DO YOU DO LIVE2D MODELS? DO YOU RIG OTHERS' ART?

While I do Live2D models in a more stylistic/limited sense (such as my mascots and soon-to-be L2D sprites), if you're looking for a more orthodox or elaborate rig than what I offer or are interested in the 'meta', I have arrangements with a trusted associate for an art + rig collaboration package in the works.

As a part of this package, clients will receive model art done by me (GARDENSVEIL), while the rig will be handled by another rigger (timberfen). More information will be provided when the time comes.

I do not rig others' art due to the extra difficulty working with unfamiliar art styles and the uncertainty of PSD layering.

※HOW DO I CONTACT YOU?

For commission-related inquiries, please contact me either through VGen or email at ren@gardensveil.net. Any inquiries made elsewhere will be directed to these two avenues for organizational and record keeping purposes. Methods such as Discord and Twitter DMs are for personal use and are unreliable in getting my attention in a timely manner

ILLUSTRATION + ANIMATION