Board Thread:Off Topic/@comment-25396609-20151125184514/@comment-26397825-20151130073218

I just want to pipe in on the second point; not everyone can draw. Not every likes what they do draw. And doll makers, though available, don't always allow you to make your character exactly as you imagine them to be, which leads to the owner being dissatisfied which is why I don't use them as official images for my characters, even if I sometimes use them to get a feel for a style of clothing in certain colours.

And sometimes finding someone who will draw your character exactly as you want it is hard, as they either charge, or just draw it based on the idea they get from a written description without asking for input on certain things (like 'Does the face look right, is that the right body shape, Do those clothes look right'), which can lead to the owner of the character being dissatisfied again, even if they really like the image that was drawn for them.

Most artists will work with you on your character, asking for your input, but those are usually the ones who charge for comissions. Which is all well and good, there's nothing wrong with paying for someone to draw your character for you, but not everyone has the ability to pay for said comissions either.