Commissions are a big part of my fandom, if that wasn't obvious. I first took heart to this addicting hobby back in 2013 and ever since then, I haven't stopped. Suffice to say, this is the first time I have done something like this--first time remembering the commissions I have acquired in a year. I got a good number done and truthfully, I like each one very differently form each other. Obviously I'm going to boil this down with the ten that really stood out to me. With that said, I'm going to lay a few guidelines on why and how I picked the commissions I did.
Accuracy: Since I commission a myriad of different artists (and have been since I started), it's more than safe to say that the various styles will alter the measurement of accuracy. A certain character, let's just say Elsa, will not look the same from artist to artist and that's just the fact of commissions and/or fan arts. Take that same idea with Elsa: as long as one can look at the drawing and SAY it's Elsa, most of her features are present and said character is recognizable and the style is satisfying and complimenting to the Disney Queen (or insert whatever character we are looking at here), then accuracy is there.
Price Tag: This is also a pretty subjective area since different caliber of artists charge differently, and that is understandable. But it definitely does play a BIG factor to a Commission's status, whether it be good or bad. Expensive does not always equal HIGHER quality after all.
Time: Another factor that is also subjective. Time is money, yes, but something that took some time to do but produced some jaw dropping art work will definitely be considered to be on the top ten. On the other side of the coin, if something took more than a few weeks and the result is something I enjoy but nothing grand (and I paid good money for it), then it's going to have a hard time getting no my top favorite.
Client and Customer Experience: This may not have anything to do with the quality of the art and/or the caliber of the artist but I am a big fan of customer service and being treated like someone who is giving good money to get something done is important. Almost all of the artist I have worked with are professional so this hasn't been an issue with me. But there have been some artist who took a step above just to ensure my experience was great. They spend the time to communicate for clarification and for the sake of following up. The experience also becomes more satisfying if the Client just spends the time to show appreciation for the business I am giving him/her.
Personal Preference: Now obviously this plays a big part. When it comes to commissioning, there are a lot of areas that personal preference can play a big part to such as the character/s that are drawn, what kind of scenario, what is the theme (pin up, just awesome fanart, fetish... etc), and the meaning behind the commission. While it's hard NOT to put this as the forefront of my decision, I'm going to say it right now that it's a huge reason as to why some of these drawings made it to the top ten and beat the others. Just saying.
Okay, with all those laid out, let's get right into the list! Ready?
Honorable Mention: Sice & Seven (Final Fantasy Type-0)
By: ThunkStudio
How can I not mention My Commission of Sice & Seven? This was an unexpected commission that spawned off my unsuccessful DiDressphere contest. As a token of appreciation to one of the individual that participated in my contest (HoshinoBound), I offered to pay for the commission and much to my surprise, the characters and the scenario he picked was more than intriguing. FF Type-0 rarely get any love and it's quite a shock too because they have some intriguing characters. For those into DiD like myself, there's even plenty more to look at!
And what else can I say about ThunkStudio? An artist whom I've worked with for a while and have always experienced speed and excellence!
Okay! Here we go with my top ten list!
By: PapillionStudios
Terra and Rikku are my top two favorite Final Fantasy gals, that much is obvious! I couldn't help commissioning them together in one picture. The initial idea was to have them posed together fighting together rather than the final product, which is, of course, the two of them fighting against each other. When the sketch was given to me, I fell in love with the misinterpretation and at that time, I was already in the process of writing a Dissidia NT fanfic so the idea of two Final Fantasy characters duking it out was even more of a welcome idea. I truly love how it turned out with the expressions mirroring what I had in mind: Terra, a bit more serious, Rikku, the fun and jovial of the two. I suppose if there are two minor but very obvious mishaps are the size of Rikku's daggers (the missing yellow highlights) and her thong's strap not going down correctly. Other than that, it's a neat pic and a definitely a great way to get introduced to PapillionStudios!
Side note: This was my first time working with said artist. It was a treat and an experience that carried over for the rest of 2018.
By: BlackProf
Blackprof's Spider-Woman VS series is a bit of an infatuation of mine. For one, not a lot of artists feature Jessica Drew. It's even more rare that they feature her capturing damsels left and right! I noticed that Jessica Drew only touched the comic book damsels of the Omniverse so I had a thought: what if she went to the other side of the omnivores and started catching, I don't know, Final Fantasy gals? Terra Branford is an easy first pick and I wanted to do her Amano style costume/Magitek Knight some love since the Benevolent Maiden always gets more attention from me. The result is something delicious and a rarely seen mix both in fanart and DiDart. The angle, the webbing around her mouth, the expression, and the dynamics of her hair may steer away from the usually innocent look Terra has (at least in most commissions I have done), but hey, it's easily recognizable as Terra Branford. Dare I say that Jessica Drew is going after another Final Fantasy gal?
By: Shio-Bari
Need I mention that there is something hot about a damsel inside a closed quarter and inconspicuous storage? What's even hotter than that? Rikku! Rikku has a ton of energy so no doubt she will do anything that she can to thrash about to get someone's attention. Admittedly, it's Rikku's first appearance outfit, and the Al Bhed "Wetsuit" isn't exactly Rikku's sexiest outfit, but given to a talented artist like Shio-Bari and the result is something magnificent. Although I would have liked the treasure chest to be a bit smaller (to the point where Rikku has no where to move and squirm about), but that is a very small (no pun intended) complaint with what was provided. There were numerous versions for viewing. There are different pics with various levelsof transparency and/or viewing point, which is almost like more than one picture with one commission and as a neat bonus, on Shio-Bari's gallery, there is a version where one can drag the pointer and see different areas of the treasure chest to peek inside!
By: Gbeeee
2018 was Terra's year to start off as a rare DiD to turning into a relatively known DiD within the DeviantArt community thanks to the artists I have commissioned and others who have caught on. What else is there to say about this picture? I love how clean the lines and coloring are! I love the perspective and how the artist caught some pretty sexy angles! The skirt may look like shorts but that could be blamed on the fact that her legs are bound so tightly together that it forced the material of clothing together. Also, amidst the process of commissioning, I was pushing for alternate colors (for all three colors of her Magitek outfit), but alas, Gbeeee wouldn't bite. Still, the picture is amazing and it is one of my favorite Terra DiDart for 2018.
By: BlackProf
Blackprof gets another one on the slot thanks to his DiDart of The Cloud of Darkness. It's rare to see a villainess in Distress, isn't it? After playing Dissidia NT this year, I absolutely felt attracted to the Cloud of Darkenss, and it's all for good reason. Barely wearing anything, seductive voice, and probably the only Vanguard I can remotely use in battle, Cloud of Darkness was a for sure win to gravitate to my crosshairs. The way BlackProf depicted her struggle, her effort to remain on her bound feet, the wrinkled clothing due to the holy chains, and the funny way her own wraiths are gagged... yes, this is definitely noteworthy of being part of my top ten favorites.
By: PapillionStudios
My only Frozen Skyrim commission this year and it is a wonderful one. PapillionStudios takes another slot with 2018's favorite commissions. Not surprised since said artist is pretty talented. Elsa in her Winter Dress (Olaf's Frozen Adventure) with a posture that is both scolding and seducing, and then there's my Dovahkiin Onyx, who is having none of whatever she is telling him. While my work on my project is sparse to none these days, I do still have commissions in line and artists to hire. While tale of Elsa and Onyx may not be told by my hand these days, there are at least lovely commissions like these to remind me that the story is still there. The spark of that project still lives even if buried by other things right now. Thanks to PapillionStudios for pulling off a wonderful piece of art like this one!
By: Moonarc
This lovely art by Moonarc was the first commissioned picture I posted on this blog. At first I wasn't quite sure if I was going to be adding some DiD related material so I went with posting "SFW" artwork. Obviously the direction I chose was very different. But even if I only decided to post NON-DiD art, with quality work like this Terra Branford artwork around, it's safe to say I would have had some fantastic pieces on my blog. Truly, this artwork is something else. The spell effects, the dynamics on her cape and sashes, the look of determination, and can't forget the snowy mountains of Narshe behind her.... truly magnificent! I wanted this to remind me of my days playing FFVI for the first time and looking at this picture, Terra's theme song plays in my mind.
By: PapillionStudios
And another slot for PapillionStudios! This artist definitely made the mark this year with the wonderful execution of all my paid for visualizations of my thoughts! For this wonderful commission, it's an amalgamation of badassery and DiD-ness with Elsa coming to Spider-Woman's rescue! The colorful contrast of both the Snow Queen and the First Spider-Woman is something to admire! The determined look of Elsa despite a seemingly hard pressed battle along with Spider-Woman's angry and helpless nature really makes the entire pic. The minor details of the ruined battleground! This was a marvelously executed and this dynamic theme is something I haven't commissioned before; nor do I see it a lot in the DiD community. What the outcome of this scene is left for the imagination. Whether or not Elsa succeeds in rescuing Spider-Woman... well, depends on the mindset of the viewer, right? Regardless, this moment in time is awesome!
By: Titi-Artwork
This was the picture that started the entire series I had planned for Terra Branford's Distress! Done by the very talented Titi-Artwork, I can't describe just HOW MUCH this came out to how I had in mind. It tells a story even outside the concept of Bondage/DiD; Terra was once Kefka's puppet and this clearly draws that idea and story. And yes, it's a very sensual DiDart so what more is there to say about this? Let me just let the picture tell the rest of how I feel about this.
Oh man. Oh man. What can I say? First and foremost, I wanted Kusujin to do a DiDressphere artwork in the very beginning of the project's life but he didn't have time. During the last few pictures, he opened up and I jumped at the chance. It was perfect since the Freelance was a perfect summer outfit! I also DiD a 'modification' by removing her boots and having Rikku barefoot (Kusjin's other fetish) and this is the result! Hogtied, shibaried, and doing what Rikku does: moving around hyperactively despite being limited in movements. The expression, the rope works, the sand on her body, the disheveled hair, I can't say just how perfect this picture is. Definitely my FAVORITE commission of 2018! I also had help with the reference by my colleague in commissioning, FourPieces (an individual also responsible for some great commissions for 2018).
On a closing note, again I want to say that the other commissions that didn't make the list are not by any means terrible or wasted funds, it's just that, just like anything, there are favorites. Artists like Akira-JW, AkinaSilver, Night-Glare, SeductiveBunneh, TheBoundArtist, and a few others all contributed to a wonderful 2018 commission line up! I am very confident that 2019's commissions will be just as wonderful and more than likely, I will be working with a few more new artists along the way! Not to mention, by this time, I have already started off with some great commissions so yes, it's going to be a wonderful 2019! Can't wait!
Until Next Time!
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