SIMages Headshots

[Scott Eiland]

How about "If you don't like headshots, don't order them?"

Plenty of people still WILL order them, even if you don't like them.

It's not like the SIM makes money on them.

If you've got a problem, though, I think the appropriate place to take this would be to the "Contact" page. For starters, I don't like the new artists' work being publicly disparaged, and it serves no one to have any dirty laundry aired out here.

And, if you don't order headshots, maybe people who WANT them won't have to wait so long. So you'd be helping!
My two cents: If you don't like a headshot you've purchased, please contact the Steward privately.

[Hope Bentley]

Love Era and her bridle... and how its over her forelock! Dr. Seuss, is a cute colt, with his unique stripe.

[Lisa Strummer]

Talia & Rusty, love you guys, but are you on Sim crack??? I love the new artist's work, especially the more lifelike ones. I have always admired Dave's work, but for me it's fun to see a different "type" of headshot.

And I have to say, I agree with Scott, if you guys don't like the headshots or want to critique them, keep it private. Just think how you would feel if it was YOUR headshot you paid for that was getting dissed.

[Janie Jackson]

Everyone has different tastes, I for one especially love the more lifelike works and would be very pleased to have one by that artist.

I won't disagree that there are some headshots where the features seem a bit off, but that's nothing new. Sometimes I feel that way about some of Dave's too but no headshot will ever be perfect and jawdropping to everyone's eyes.

And I think I remember the Steward saying that in real life not all horses are gorgeous- some are fugly and the SIMages reflect that too.

I won't hesitate to order again, I believe it someone were truly unhappy with the work on their headshot something could be done to resolve that.

[Kris Bobby]

I have ordered a couple of headshots in the past, and I couldn't be happier with the results. I luv my horses!

[Stephen Saratoga]

Wow, why would anyone say anything negative? All artists, both new and old are doing wonderful work. Been here since 2006 and I think they keep getting better. World is Watching has about the most detail I have seen in one. Look at his neck and the braided mane at the top of his head. It is more than perfect. Thank you to all the artists. Please don't be discouraged.

[LaDonna King]

How about "If you don't like headshots, don't order them?"

Plenty of people still WILL order them, even if you don't like them.

It's not like the SIM makes money on them.

If you've got a problem, though, I think the appropriate place to take this would be to the "Contact" page. For starters, I don't like the new artists' work being publicly disparaged, and it serves no one to have any dirty laundry aired out here.

And, if you don't order headshots, maybe people who WANT them won't have to wait so long. So you'd be helping!
My two cents: If you don't like a headshot you've purchased, please contact the Steward privately.

i don't think you should be encouraging anyone to stop ordering headshots. people who pay for a service/product should have a right to talk about what they're buying. people are buying headshots sight unseen, it's not like they have a preview of the horse before they pay $30 real dollars. $30 real dollars might not be much to you, but it is to some people, especially those who buy multiple headshots. i know people who buy 4-5 and more headshots each session. when people spend several hundred dollars on something, they expect to be happy with the results. and i don't think it's a horrible thing to say they don't like what they paid for. how would you like it if you spent your hard earned cash on something that you really wanted and it turned out to be a big disappointment? if you go to a steak restaurant and order a $30 steak and it comes back burnt to a crisp, are you going to just eat it and not say anything? what if you like them well done and its still bloody? will you choke it down and not mention to the waitress that it's raw? if you say yes, that's YOUR fault. i speak up and tell them to fix it. and it should be that way when you're PAYING for something. i am not going to pay $30 for a steak that i won't eat. it really doesn't matter what you're spending your money on, you expect to be pleased with your purchase. if you buy something at walmart and then decide you are not happy with it,maybe it's not what you expected or wanted, you take it back and get an refund or an exchange. why should this be any different? yes, the artists work hard. nobody is denying that. but so do the people who spend $30 per headshot.

telling people to not buy is not the answer. it's a cop out. telling people to stop is taking money away from the sim. if people are pleased with their purchases, they'll continue to buy more. more headshots means more money for the sim. telling people to stop buying them means LESS money for the sim. who cares if the turn around time is less if you convince people to stop buying? the bottom line is that headshots bring in money. people who are happy with their purchases are going to then spend MORE money, this means that the sim will earn more money by selling more headshots.

some headshots set a high standard for all headshots. feature attraction, caesar augustus, and a few others are so SUPER nice that when you see some others, they're just not even close. it is NOT a knock to any artist. there's nothing wrong with wanting a nice headshot. some headshots just aren't.........pretty. not to be mean, just stating what is on the minds of a lot of people. there are ugly horses in real life, so i don't expect every single headshot to be like feature attraction. but in the case of ugly horses, their shading, shadows, highlights, shape of ears, eyes, and nostrils should still be correct.

my suggestion? before headshots are put up, send a copy to the person who ordered it, see if they are happy. if so, post it. if not, find out what they are not happy with. give said person x amount of time to respond, if no response, they're stuck with what the artist makes.

p.s. i personally would like to see bridle paths on the headshots. having crown pieces tangled in manes drives me nuts(yes, i realize they're not tangled in the headshots)

[Talia Ichinari]

Also to add I am NOT saying I don't like the styles of the new artists. That's not true at all as I love the style they bring to the sim since it gives us another option. I am only saying that there are some common mistakes they seem to make. Not saying all of their headshots are bad at all so next time please READ the entire post. I wasn't bashing them at all. I mean in some areas they succeed and in others not so much and its usually the same area for every headshot that particular artist makes. The artist who tends to lean toward a softer touch with shading just don't seem to make certain areas that aren't so soft and fuzzy sharp enough like the nostrils and mouth. Sometime there are odd leftovers of shading that you can see on the neck that should be cleaned up or else there will be an odd hazy area on the neck. I'm just pointing out some areas that need a bit of work so that the headshots can be even better. What's so wrong with pointing out mistakes?

[The Steward]

I guess I need to step in here and put a stop to this.

-If you have a problem with a headshot you received, do please let us know. Luckily, in 1000+ headshots, we've never gotten a single complaint but have willingly redone one that was kind of lame.

-The artists sans Dave read these posts, so please make sure that what you say is kind, because while it is always easy to critique people's art/training styles/grammar/etc, you don't really have the right to do so in public.

-Headshots do not make money for the SIM, they make money for the artists. So by not buying them, you aren't hurting us, and by buying them, you aren't helping us. It's just for your own pleasure. If you aren't getting pleasure, feel free not to buy.

-Keep in mind that two of our artists have been working for 6 weeks. For examples of Dave's 6 weeks work, see http://www.simhorseracing.com/horse.php?HorseID=15565 and http://www.simhorseracing.com/horse.php?HorseID=7382. Even though he has done them for 4 years now, he still throws one every few weeks that just isn't the "best headshot ever" but that's okay.

-After 1000+ headshots, they do start to look the same. See Em's Always Busy and Embrace if you don't believe me. Having new artists definitely mixes it up and a lot of people now prefer the new artists' detail and realism compared to Dave's "cartoonish" horses with large eyes and non-detailed ears.

-We do accomodate all requests the best we can, and yes, some people request one artist over the other. That's fine! Go for it!

-Do not make me lock the longest running thread in SIM forum history

Personally, our artists astound me. They have done 115 headshots in 6 weeks. Dave alone would take 23 weeks to do all that. I'm really proud of them. Horse art is extremely hard, especially when there is no reference point like a background so you can't tell which way a horse's head is tilted. They do a great job.

All other posts on this subject in THIS thread will be deleted.

[The Steward]

Lighting a Candle is up!

Perfect Storm is next.

[LaDonna King]

Lighting a Candle is up!

Perfect Storm is next.

candle looks so sweet!!!!

[The Steward]

Perfect Storm is up!

The Edge of the Night is next.

All these good TC race winners gettin' heads!

[The Steward]

Desert Nymph is up!

Ahead of the Game is next - he should be pretty epic.

[Meagan D'Amoure]

Ahead of the Game is next - he should be pretty epic.

SQUEE!

[The Steward]

Ahead of the Game is up!

Delicious Demon is next.

Whoops, I forgot to say Pi Kappa Dancer was up yesterday!