When do you call it quits?

Many great suggestions here.

1. Go do something else and come back to it.
2. If what she is complaining about is perspective/sizes - try the grid method
3. Give her the $ back, but tell her you are going to continue to work on it. It may make you more relaxed not having that hanging over you.


Good luck!
Wess

Ok, so I put the drawing down for a while and went back to it this week and I am just done! At first, I gave the client some credit for her complaints, but now, she will ask me to change one thing, then doesn't like what I changed, so I change it back. Then she wants me to change it again. At this point I am getting rather annoyed and I just don't think I can do this little dog justice anymore.

I have tried everything ya'll recommended (including tracing...oh no, the "T" word) and it's still not good enough. I am not even going to post the reference photo or drawing in here as some of the things she has asked me to do look nothing like the photo she provided. She is basically asking me to draw from a dark picture where the dog is sitting behind a screen door. Then I somehow need to interpret what "she" remembers of her dog because it's not clear in that picture or any of the pictures she gave me.

Anyway, If anyone in here feels up to the challenge of taking on this project let me know. Maybe one of ya'll can do something magical with this dog's portrait. I told her that if she's still not satisfied on this last attempt (which I believe is my 7th at this point), then she can have her money back and I'd happily refer her to one of my other artist friends.

I have literally been sick to my stomach over this drawing and it's just not worth it to me, especially for what I charge.

Liz, are you game enough to PM or email me the reference photo and your drawing? I'd love to have a look and see if we can do anything to fix it for you. If you still want to pass it on, I'll have a look at the reference and if I think I am brave enough to give it a whirl, you are welcome to pass on my contact details.

I just wanted to add that this has been a real blow to my confidence. I know I can't please everybody, but it makes me not want to do commissioned work anymore. Well, for a while at least. I have a few more fundraiser pieces to do and a couple commission orders (thankfully from people who have bought my art already, so I know they already like my work), but I might just take a break and play around with some of those new mediums I've been trying out.

Yeah, I could do that Kayty. Thanks. But the things she's had me change look nothing like the reference pic. But any advice is VERY much appreciated. I can giv you a little play by play as to the things she hasnt been happy with. I'm going to go have dinner in a moment, but will PM you the pics when I have a chance. Thanks again!

OI! No losing confindence over one little commission, it's not the end of the world ;)
You are a lovely artist and by the looks of how you've been going, you are getting a lot of commissions. Don't allow one difficult client knock your confidence. Particularly a client that is extremely difficult.
I've had similar experiences, clients wanting changes that don't look anything like the reference, but they don't have a photo to show what they want. You're supposed to know exactly what kind of personality that animal has, from one photo, and if the subject looks excitable in the photo, but is actually a very 'regal' animal, you get told to make it look 'regal' out of an excitable photograph. Explaining that is making my head hurt!
Anyway, don't pack it in, you have some lovely work and all of your other clients have been happy. Focus on the good reviews :)

If other people have been satisfied I would just turn work away that couldn't provide a proper photo.

PUNT THAT SUCKA'!

Go get another work to start on and just do it for fun.
Wess