oxsso
patreon
Pool about content/tiers and update!
🕑 Added 2023-04-11 23:08:14 +0000 UTCHello dear patrons, and welcome again to all the new comers! I'm very happy you decided to support me and I hope you'll enjoy the future content here. :)
So, I wish to update you about a few things, but first of all let's discuss future content and tiers.
As many of you know, I deleted the 5€ tier since I didn't have time to create extra sketches on top of the exclusive pictures, nonetheless I would like to propose more to those of you you might be interested so I can find a way to please you, and increase patreon revenues without burdening myself with too much work since I'm running this patreon on the side of my IRL duties.
With the influx of recent new patrons, I've decided to create this pool to test the waters. You can vote for more than one option, so if there are several options that you like go for them.
These are the ideas I have, and while I'm open to other suggestions, my mind is already set on a few things. Still, lemme know what you think of them, and which ones tickle your fancy (terrible pun done totally on purpose).
I've also decided to make this pool public so future patrons could also propose some ideas, but I will only share it outside of patreon in a few days so you patrons can answer first.
I was thinking about a first tier above $3 that could propose alternate versions of pics, sketchs/wips, and exclusive art ideas. A second and higher tier would propose private streams, discord server, plus voting privileges.
With that said, here are the ideas listed in order of preference!
- Alternate versions, sketchs and WIPs. These are very simply to set in place, since they are part of the creative process. I personally don't like to look at them when it comes to fetish art as it spoils the surprise, but I know some people really like to see the art process from beginning to end.
As for alternate versions, like what I did with the last exclusive picture, that is easy enough to do and doesn't require too much extra work.
- Exclusive art ideas. Instead of doing extra sketches based on your ideas on top of the exclusive art, I thought I could instead ask you directly for exclusive art ideas and have you participate in some of the process. In fact, I could even have you come up with ideas of pics that I would then share online to advertise the patreon.
This could also help me since I sometimes struggle to come up with fetish ideas, but you could propose any type of future exclusive art, including non-fetish oriented pics.
I would still have my regular rules: no nudity, no extreme fetishes, no characters based on IRL personalities, etc...
- Private streaming. I've already been streaming for a bit on Picarto, so I could stream exclusive art for patrons as well. I'll just need to buy a membership to unlock private streaming and figure out how to set it up with a patreon tier. I'm not sure, but I think Picarto charges around $20/month for that option.
I'm debating about also leaning towards the more serious side of things during private streams, such as a few art tips and rendering techniques. I could even draw a few things with my professional style, for fun.
Finally, I'm also flirting with the idea of having private-draw-what-you-want streams at a even higher tier, but that's definitely a double-edged sword: I don't wish to corner myself in a position that could lead to extreme burnout in the long run, unless that's a tier I will only activate from time to time.
- Voting powers. The higher tier could vote on which ideas get turned into full pictures, even though I reserve the right to paint whatever idea I'm in absolute love with.
By the way, I believe these ideas give more incentive to people to be patrons, since you get more than simply starring at pretty pictures. I know I'll never be able to keep all of this behind a paid wall: my art will end up being shared online, in a way or another. And while piracy can be a form of free advertisement, it can also be a financial hit. Private streams, voting powers and exclusive art suggestions are not things people will get by just pirating.
- Comics. Would you rather have comics instead of exclusive pictures? Keeping in mind that most comic would be made public: you'll simply get pages in advance on patreon.
I have some ideas in mind, the main one being "Kylian's Adventure" obviously. It's non-fetish oriented, it's super long (that thing will follow until the end of my life if I ever start it) and I understand it will unlikely interest a lot of people, but that's my number one priority/dream-project. I started working on the first pages but had to stop because the narration was a bit clunky, and because I still haven't worked on the design of some of the main characters.
Ideally, if I ever start making comics, I think it could be good to divide them into shorter chapters, and then try juggling between two projects (one page of project A, then one of project B), simply to keep things creatively fresh in my mind.
I have other comic ideas: some fetish-oriented and some non-fetish, some shorter and some longer, and I think you'd like some of them. To be clear: when I say "fetish-oriented", I don't mean as the "trollangina" comic which was very short and very fetish-oriented. What I would like to do are stories with a beginning and an end, character arcs, etc, with fetish scenes here and there.
Right now I have two stories that are somewhat fetish-oriented: a first one which is rather silly and that amuses me a lot, and a second one that's slowly turning into another big thing (though not as big as Kylian's Adventure) and that could either become a fan favorite or just a huge cringe-fest! ^^"
I also recently came up with two other stories, but they're not as important at the moment: just know they're there, in the back of my mind...
The only problem is that it would be tricky with my current schedule to work on comics and exclusive art at the same time. Plus, since comics take a lot of time to draw, I don't want to force those of you who joined for fetish art to have to wait for weeks (months?) for a fetish scene to show up in a comic.
- Discord server.
...Hm...I'm an old boomer who doesn't really get discord and hardly uses it. :/
I'd need to create a server, and then...Figure out a way to make some channels private and linked to patreon?
Unless I make all the server private?
Then find moderators? And unfortunately I don't see how I'll be able to pay them before I grow enough, so...That would be the most difficult thing to set up for me.
I know a lot of people like interacting with other people on a server, so I might create one if I grow enough. The only issue is I'm an introverted person who only sporadically interacts on discord or online chat systems...So, I'd just pop there a bit, post updates and art, a little message here and there, and mainly let people discuss between themselves.
- Other ideas? If you have other ideas, feel free to post them below! :)
You'll notice there are a few things I'm not proposing, such as PSDs, process videos, or commission discounts. Here are my reasons :
PSDs are personally off-limit: I'm rather protective of my art so it's not something that I've ever considered sharing with people, unless I sold tutorials and drawing lessons. Anyone with the original file could do anything they want, change it, impersonate me...So I won't share PSDs, specially not of very personal artwork.
As for process videos, with everything going on with AI I'd rather not share those either and will simply stick to streams.
Regarding commission discounts, I simply don't want to get in a situation where I end up stuck doing commissions for a living. Ultimately, I would prefer those to be exceptions while I focus my energy on my dream projects, but more about that below.
Now, let's move to a little life update. You may obviously skip all of this and go directly to the poll.
So, you might know that I've recently landed an art job IRL! :) So far it's going "okay". Not great, but okay...I'll be honest, the reason it's not going great is because of AI art and its implications, but I won't get into the details of my job. If it weren't for that, I would be extremely happy at the moment!
The pay is okayish, not bad not great, and I hope my contract will be renewed and that this job will lead to future opportunities (EDIT: and I totally hope one of those opportunities would be meeting the right people and the right time and turn Kylian's Adventure into an animated series or something! XD).
However, it is obviously taking me most of my time (between one thing and another it's pretty much a full time job), which limits the time I can dedicate to my patreon. I already had to pause billings last month, and I'll likely have to do it again in the future (unless the patreon becomes super successful: I'll be willing to a lot of overtime for that! ^^). Also, due to the current art climate I'll be looking at other options to avoid becoming jobless. It's pretty certain I'm gonna have to switch careers again in the future, and I'm taking that into account. It's unfortunate, but so is life...
I'm obviously wishing for this patreon to be successful in the long run amid everything that is happening, so I can make a living out of it.
€100/month would currently be the bare minimum for the time I invest in it to be a bit profitable.
Starting at around €500/month, I'll be able to reduce what I'm doing IRL to a part-time job and start doing more things for my patreon...Unless whatever I'd be doing IRL paid much more.
Which brings me to an important issue: what do I really want to do with my art?
I need to balance the amount of SFW and fetish art I create, as I unfortunately still deal with burn-out feelings when I do too much fetish art. It's really a shame, but to give you an idea of how it affects me, it's like stuffing myself with chocolate cake and hamburgers only: I love those, but it needs to be in reasonable amounts!
My IRL art job works as a salad and fruits, and allows me to fuel my creative energy, which then allows me to work in fetish artwork. And, to quote Dollhouse, the fetish artwork is my business but not my purpose.
My ultimate goal is to find the right financial equation so I can make a living and work on the stories I want to share with people. Mainly "Kylian's adventure", then the others I have in mind.
I've already discussed a bit about Kylian's Adventure, so I'll just say I hope to be done with the main characters' designs before the end of the year and to start posting the first pages.
Still, I'll always try to propose some fetish art as long as I'm not burning out for a few reasons.
1) I don't wish to disappoint those who have discovered me and follow me for that type of art, and who might not like at all the stories I wish to work on. I understand that me focusing on my little personal projects could be seen as a waste of time, or even as a betrayal by some.
2) I can't help but acknowledge my roots. If I hadn't done some specific fetish pictures, "Kylian's adventure" and many other stories would have never existed. I would have never learned art, and I would have never ended up where I am today.
...In a way, I got a professional art gig IRL because at some point I started drawing wiggly toes getting tickled.
Funny how things work!
So that's enough of an update, and this rambling is long enough! Thanks a lot for reading, and don't hesitate to vote below. :)
