'[I] had a guy try to pay me with pottery': 30+ Freelance artists who had the most entitled clients ever

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Apr 24, 2024 11:00 AM EDT

These artists aren't staying quiet anymore about their commission nightmares. 

While freelancing online, you may have to jump through a lot of hoops before you can find a good client. Many people will head to an artist's DMs and start brainstorming about the artwork they want to buy. But right off the bat, a lot of people aren't prepared to actually pay for the art. They say things like, "Well, weren't you going to draw that anyway?" or "I think it should be free because it only took you a little while to draw." Artists are constantly forced to explain to people that yes, drawing can be work, and no, exposure doesn't pay the bills.

At least on X, formerly known as Twitter, these artists have an outlet to vent a bit about their most unbelievable client requests. Some people have the gall to claim, "I could do that," when shown the artwork. Well, if you can do that, go ahead! Almost any artist will tell you that if you have the nerve to say such a thing. You can literally make art whenever you feel like it, you don't need to hire an artist. All you need is all of the necessary tools, like paint, brushes, pencils, or digital software, plus talent, plus years of schooling or training, plus practice. See? Anyone can do it! 

After you check out these wild tales of entitled clients, read about the cafe worker who was so incompetent that he got fired after a single disastrous shift. 

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 9913498880
    via RhondaK Native Florida Folk Artist on Unsplash
  • 02
    SYLESSAE ✔ Fantasy Artist @sylessae What's your worst" "freelance artist moment? The WHAT
    via @sylessae
  • 03
    Kitin Clemente Tamayo @_hellokitin Client said I charged too much for an artwork that was taking "too long” to finish "when Midjourney could literally get sh** done in a minute"
    via @_hellokitin
  • 04
    Elhyana -commissions c @elhyanart Mixed the documents I send to the client, sent the personal commission invoice, instead of the commercial one, they got mad, I apologized and sent the right one, all in the span of 5 min, but I never heard from them again, so I'm still ????
    via @elhyanart
  • 05
    Zara Alfonso @artofzara MagicCon SOON I've been lucky that all the clients I've worked with have been good, but work inquiries have included: -large client wanted me to work for under minimum wage -client hit on me -request for art of Rick from Rick & Morty stepping on various planeswalkers
    via @artofzara
  • 06
    Anato Finnstark/ NEW A @AnatoFinnstark I worked for one of the biggest rappers in the world on the cover of one of his albums. (that alone is strange, given my general artistic direction) In close collaboration with his personal artistic director. The guy made me work for two weeks with back and forth emails each time asking me for changes some details (at least a hundred emails in TWO WEEKS) And after validation of the artwork, no more news until the release of the album... The cover was finall
    via @AnatoFinnstark
  • 07
    Moekaki69 ✪ @Moekaki69 I was being backed to do a SFW How to Draw book, but then after I outlined everything and got started I was told that nobody wants to learn to draw anymore because Al. Opportunity immediately died. ⚫
    via @Moekaki69
  • 08
    Jarrod Alberich, The Yar @yardsaleartist Fellow artist - who I had zero interaction with - randomly blew up at me at a con because he didn't like my pricing - yelled that I was "undercutting everyone on our row!" I suspect he was just angry from not selling much, but still - my business model is not your concern.
    via @yardsaleartist
  • 09
    Jonathon Reed ❤ @jonreedart I was given a text excerpt out of context from an unreleased handbook as an art description and was asked to paint a two- page spread in one week for $200.
    via @jonreedart
  • 10
    Svenja @SvenjaLiv "Hey, remember that commission 11 years ago that I half-paid for, then ghosted you before you finished it? Can you send that to me now?" Miraculously, I still had the file. Told them I'd finish it and send it once they paid the balance they owed. Never heard back.
    via @SvenjaLiv
  • 11
    Jacob Croft @JakeIllustrates Had a guy ask if I was available for work. I asked if it was for personal or commercial use and he questioned the difference, so I explained usage rights. He then proceeded to flip out about how I was ripping him off and there should just be one price not two and blocked me.
    via @JakeIllustrates
  • 12
    Rachel 'fear the old bloc @rachel_sala Once designed a poster for a non profit that needed approval from all eight directors. Every morning for a month I woke up to eight different critique emails which often contradicted each other.
    via @rachel_sala
  • 13
    Wazaga @TheBlueWazaga Cousin hired me to design a popcorn bag for his brand. Wanted real popcorn with pencil doodles interacting with it (Example: pencil tree-trunk with popcorn leaves) After I finished, he ask if I just got it off the internet. Got paid but never worked with him again. Just !
    via @TheBlueWazaga
  • 14
    RainyVeils @RaindropsLovely had a guy try to pay me with pottery for a few art pieces. Meanwhile he wanted a different art style that I couldn't do and he wanted to be present in a voice call the entire time while I was working on it. Safe to say I cancelled his commission
    via @RaindropsLovely
  • 15
    chichi (^) @chichilittle years ago a small company asked me to use my usual "art style" for their commission because they said they loved it, but then forbade me to use that art style ever again for anything else because it's now a part of their "brand". i said no
    via @chichilittle
  • 16
    Aleksandra @felrija Guy commissioned me to draw a family portrait then came back couple months later I thought I was going to draw the same people but he had a whole another family he kept secret and told me he divorced his first wife ???
    via @felrija
  • 17
    hamish steele! Preorder De @hamishsteele I was directing a pilot. We'd run out of budget. We told the producer we couldn't address any more notes. She said "If you promise all the animators a job if the show goes to series, they'll work for free!" She told us this on Skype while she lay by her pool. No. .Joke.
    via @hamishsteele
  • 18
    +Spats @_spatsula The worst I have gotten is random Youtubers that post FNAF animations on youtube asking me to animate a 15-30minute video for 500 bucks. I politely educated them on a fair quote and declined. Their videos had millions of views- obviously aimed at kids. Also it happened twice IF I HAD A NICKEL FOR EVERY TIME I GOT AN ORNAMENT IN A SQUARE BOX TODAY, I'D HAVE TWO NICKELS. WHICH ISN'T A LOT, BUT IT'S WEIRD THAT IT HAPPENED TWICE RIGHT? II GIF ALT
    via @_spatsula
  • 19
    Heads & Tails Studios ❤ @HeadsAndTailsAZ A client did a chargeback after they got their suit and when I confronted them, they said "I didn't think $7000 was a lot of money to you"
    via @HeadsAndTailsAZ
  • 20
    Kelly McKernan @Kelly_McKernan C2E2 I- SOON A woman came out of nowhere and spent $10k in a matter of months on my art and wanted to hire me for a full tarot deck for $50k. 6 months of discussions ensued, then as we're building the contract and down payment, she says she's actually having financial probs and ghosts me.
    via @Kelly_McKernan
  • 21
    stevie @steviefeesh picked up some small freelance work on an animated show with a fairly big name attached to it from an outsource studio stuck through their more than underpaying rates just so i can get the credits, only to be told i didn't do enough work to be credited
    via @steviefeesh
  • 22
    Meg (they) @meganroseruiz A company asked that I only work for 2 hours at a time so the show creator could review what I made in that amount of time. They asked this because they wanted to make sure I hadn't been lead astray. Am I crazy for thinking that was insane? Lol
    via @meganroseruiz
  • 23
    Crow Dalova Is Making Cos @CrowDalova Had a guy I used to work with who found out I sew and quilt, and ON MY BREAK he asks if I can make some stuff for a party he had coming up. I told him my hourly rates, before materials, and he got offended? Like my guy this is expensive??
    via @CrowDalova
  • 24
    Dova 18 @CapriFawn I used to design logo's for start up businesses. Halfway through a job (lawyer firm) they told me they could only pay me with homemade cupcakes...
    via @CapriFawn
  • 25
    @VDBlackclaw I had a person with a Lego Batman Icon try to convince me to draw like 20 some comic pages based on his idea for free, and when I told him I aint doing that, he complained that I drew and release art(That I made for myself) for free.
    via @VDBlackclaw
  • 26
    Artist with an Android ** @ChilloHaus "i COUID DRAW IIKE tHaT too, If I JUST SAT STILI AND hAd ThE pAtleNcE." Ok, then show me bro. II GIF
    via @ChilloHaus
  • 27
    Tommy Millar @TotoMimoTweets I did a paid art test for a larger, well-known studio about five-six years ago who were looking for some in-world creature and environment concepts. I didn't get the job, but they used my (quite distinctive) designs - near enough all of them
    via @TotoMimoTweets
  • 28
    Pardus Prime @pardus_prime Hired artist from Fiverr to design a logo for me. Swore up and down she spoke fluent English. Did not read my directions, did not look at the reference material, traced an existing logo from someone else's work. Asked for a refund after it was clear she wasn't going to do 1/3
    via @pardus_prime
  • 29
    Pardus Prime @pardus_prime what I asked, she refused, escalated to Fiverr mediation, Fiverr told her 'do the job,' she finally comes back with something approaching what I wanted, after five back- and-forths over the course of a month, and I was left holding an MS paint rendition I could've done 2/3
    via @pardus_prime
  • 30
    Pardus Prime @pardus_prime myself in 1/200th of the time she spent on it. I could not 1-star her service fast enough. 3/3
    via @pardus_prime
  • 31
    TeresaM @renmiou I had someone inquire about doing art for their Kickstarter Visual Novel for free (until funded). I explained I didn't do spec work and they came back complaining that nobody does anything to just help and they should have known. They didn't offer to help with my mortgage.
    via @renmiou
  • 32
    Alice Nebularis @AliceNebularis I agreed on doing a book cover for a friend. We initially agreed on a royalty payment as the book sold. (As he couldn't pay much upfront) half way through the project, he changed his mind and said my name as illustrator would suffice and to think of the 'exposure' I'd get.
    via @AliceNebularis

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