nikuworks

✨Campaign Rejuvenation

Added 2019-12-08 04:44:27 +0000 UTC

If you've taken a peek lately at my front page, you'll have noticed a complete overhaul of my Patreon campaign. I've been making gradual changes lately, and seeing how they felt. (Some stuck, some haven't.) Over time, one course of action has become glaringly clear to me...

Namely: it's time to simplify everything. Whew!

◇ What does that mean?

It means a complete restructuring of how I see this Patreon campaign.

Up to this point, I, like many other creators out there, have been stressing myself to the point of breaking in worry over how best to provide both art and benefits to my supporters. The people who believe in me and my work. You.

It's easy to let it terrify you, but then that does absolutely no good to anyone: suddenly I'm creatively locked up, and then the art no longer flows, causing even more stress, and the cycle repeats ad infinitum...

So I had to figure out what would take the stress of delivering off of me to let me feel creative once again. I looked high and low, at dozens of other Patreon campaigns of artists to see if I could find something that just felt better. Ultimately, this comes down to how I picture it in my mind. I believe I finally hit upon a winning combination:

A Patron-exclusive Sketch Blog, where I put EVERYTHING up on the feed as I create it, not just highly-polished illustrations. You've already been seeing some of this, expect a lot more.
All HD work will be thrown into a Mega Archive and the link will be refreshed every month. No more finagling "packs" or "art boxes" every week or month.
PSDs and process steps will still be zipped and uploaded to the feed.

That's it. Feels like a big ol' breath of relief! I hope it sounds good to you guys, too. This also comes close on the heels of another change I've made, which is to expand my work into more anthro/furry subjects, and human-based studies/subjects, in addition to Sonic.

Of course, these changes have been implemented in the newly adjusted tiers. The details of those are below.

◇ Introducing The New Tiers

Sand Dollar
$1 or more per month
✐️Sketch Blog

Early access to web-resolution sketches & illustrations, along with exclusive creator commentary and blog updates. Updates will be made frequently, with a target of around 10 -15 posts a month, or more. Exclusive Patron Discord channel access included where works in progress are shared.

For the first time since originally launching my Patreon campaign, I am making changes to the $1 tier. Originally, this tier was the meat of the benefits I offered: the HD versions of illustrations, sometimes sketches. This is changing.

You may have noticed an increase in content as I share more sketch works with you. It's about time I started being less formal, and let myself fall into a flow of casually creating, and not tie myself into stress knots thinking that it's gotta be polished art 100% of the time. More details on HD versions below...

Ripe Fruits
$3 or more per month
Hi-Res Mega Archive

Gain access to an online archive collecting new and old art in high-resolution. The link will be refreshed once a month, but the collection is updated throughout the month with new art. Sketch blog and Discord access is included.

There is a return of a tier that never quite caught on: the $3 mid-tier. This is where the new home of all HD work will be. The new addition? All of my past work will be available to Patrons of this tier as a dynamically updating folder starting today.

This was a BIG decision for me, as I'd held back on changing the price of access to HD content, feeling that it would be unfair to those who initially joined me on the $1 tier. I've since come to realize that it's a sign that I'm coming to better value myself and my work.

Fresh Coconut
$5 or more per month
🔎My Source Files

Enjoy looking through full-resolution layered PSD files and Step-by-Step image sets of my illustrations. High-res collection, Sketch blog, and Discord access is included.

The $5 tier remains the tier for those who want to have my source files and see process steps. All $1 and $3 benefits are included.

King Crab
$10 or more per month
Whoa!! An enormous gesture!

The same as Fresh Coconut, but for those who want to bask in the awesome feeling of knowing that you’re helping me out that much more every month! It’s a HUGE help!

There may be a super-special Patron benefit added to this tier in the future when an idea for one arises. But for now, please accept my heartfelt appreciation.

The $10 tier currently exists without unique benefits at this time. In the future when support reaches a point that would allow it, I would like to look into creating physical items and would likely offer store discounts at this level. There are a number of things I'd love to start creating, like charms and enamel pins, so we'll see where things go.

◇ "What now? I'm in the old $1 tier"

As a Patron in the now retired $1 tier, you will have until January 1st before the tier is removed (it has been unpublished and is no longer viewable on the front page.) Please make sure to choose a new tier prior to January 1st, otherwise you will end up in "No-Reward Limbo" once the tier is gone. I will reach out to anyone who ends up there, but it's best to just avoid it in the first place so you don't have any interruption of content.

If, as a current $1 Patron, you decide to join the new $3 tier and home of my HD content, please know that you will be making a massive impact on my livelihood, and for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

That being said, I have always been grateful for every single $1 Patron I have, and I will continue to be, so if you can't make the jump but would like to still support me, you have no idea how thankful I am for that. Or, if you would prefer to stop supporting me at the $1 level because of this change, thank you for all the support you've provided to me thus far. You have helped me change my life, and I will always be thankful every day for your support which has helped me far more than simply financially.