Having your Original Character (OC) drawn is one of the many joys of being a furry, but sometimes you don’t exactly have an idea of how you want them drawn, or perhaps your favorite artist isn’t open for custom commissions. Fret not! This is an opportunity to check out YCH auctions instead, allowing you the opportunity to bid on the chance to get a cool picture of your character at a great price.
YCH is an acronym for “Your Character Here” and is essentially a piece of artwork where the artist has left the character(s) unfinished, allowing you to pay to have your character(s) added into the scene with a predetermined pose and expression.
There are many different types of YCH style auctions and commissions. Each artist will have different requirements for their auctions. But first, lets go over how buying a YCH typically works.
How YCHs Work
Before bidding on or outright buying any YCH artwork, you need to read and understand each artists’ basic requirements for bidding as well as the character slot available. Most rules and terminology for YCH auctions are pretty universal, but the artist may have a particular artistic vision for the piece, and thus may have restrictions on what types of characters may apply.
Understanding these basics shown below will help both the artist and the commissioner(s) create a smooth transaction and prevent any issues that may arise.
YCH Rules and Terminology
YCH art has a completely different application process compared to a custom commission piece. They will typically run in an auction format where multiple people will have the opportunity to bid on the chance to have their character featured in the artwork being created, or a “buy it now” purchasable slot to have their character in the shown pose.
When bidding on artwork, the artist or person hosting the YCH auction will have a specific section for people to place their bids. They will usually say, “place bids here” and you add your bid in this location only. Sometimes they may host a silent bid, where you submit your bid directly to the artist privately so no one else will see your bid.
There are several common acronyms that you need to be aware of when bidding on a YCH auction:
- SB – Starting Bid. This is the starting point for any bids and all following bids must increase from this point.
- MB – Minimum Bid. This is the minimum amount that each sequential bid must increase from the previous bid. This prevents people from only bidding in small increments on more expensive auctions.
- MI – Minimum Increment. Exactly the same as MB, where each sequential bid must at minimum increase by the minimum posted amount.
- AB – Auto Buy. If the bidder wants to guarantee their character for the slot, this is the posted amount that must be offered. This will end the auction.
When bidding on a YCH slot, you must have the following available; the funds to cover the amount you offered on your bid and a visual reference of your character. If you don’t have a reference sheet, contact the artist prior to bidding and see if they will accept a detailed description in its place.
Understand that the artist may have a vision for the artwork and some specific requirements must be met before bidding. They will have these requirements listed in the YCH auction or slot details and possibly in their TOS. These limitations include, but are not limited to: gender, species, color, size, pose, expression, and/or body features. It is your responsibility to read these requirements before placing a bid.
Some artists may require you to use a specific payment method and cover any fees associated with those services. These will be listed in the YCH rules laid out by the artist as well.
Finally, paying in a timely fashion will create a positive experience for both artist and winning commissioner as well as preventing the commissioner from loosing their slot. Some artists may accept a partial down payment but most require full payment before starting.
Types of YCH Artwork
There are many different types of YCH commissions available but they can typically be classified in the following 3 types:
– Unlimited and Limited Templates
Unlimited and limited templates are YCHs where the artist will offer to let multiple people buy the same scene/pose. The artist then uses that same template for each commissioned character. In this model everyone “wins” a slot.
This type of YCH commission is typically very simple, affordable, and generally isn’t run in an auction format. Instead commissioners pay a flat fee after they decide they want their character’s colors and simple features filled within the template provided.
Some artists allow for an unlimited amount of slots like these to be filled and use them as their primary commission base, while others may only have a template available for a few commissioners before they create another template.
– One-of-a-Kind
Many YCHs will typically be run in an auction format and will be a one-of-a-kind piece that is intended only for the character with the highest bid and no one else. These types of artworks can include backgrounds, props, effects, and be drawn with more details.
These types of YCH options are quite popular with artists and commissioners alike because the end result is a unique stand-alone piece of artwork. They are often very personalized commissions that feel similar to commissioning an artists the regular way, but the artwork’s scene has already been thought of.
It’s important to note that some artists have a goal or vision in mind that they wish to fulfill with this type of YCH. There may be some restrictions on certain custom requests to position, props, and expressions. The commissioner must read any character requirements provided by the artist carefully before bidding to insure your character is a good match.
– Multi-Character
Some artists may have a multi-character YCH auction, allowing for two or more characters to be drawn together in a predetermined scene. These multi-character YCH auctions will typically run exactly the same as single character versions, but have a bidding section for each character slot.
Keep in mind that when bidding on these types of YCH auctions, you may end up having your character drawn with a complete strangers character. If you have multiple characters, you could bid on or auto buy multiple slots and have them featured together.
Best Places to Buy YCH Artwork of Your OC
YCH auctions can be found wherever artists congregate and art communities are formed online, but there are several places to start looking if you are interested in one.
The best places to buy and bid on YCH art is on forum style art communities like FurAffinity and DeviantArt. Not only do artists primarily post here but you can easily type in “YCH” in the search bar and filter by date to find all the active listings super fast!
Many artists may also host YCH auctions on their social media platforms, like Twitter or Instagram, or sometimes will provide a link where to go to bid. So if you are looking for a YCH style commission, it pays to follow lots of artists to keep up with what they are doing.
YCH Pros and Cons
YCH artwork is quite popular and provides both the artist and commissioners several distinct advantages, but there are some downsides to this style of art to consider as well. Lets go over some of the reasons why people like and dislike YCHs.
Pros:
- More artistic freedom – The artist can fully express themselves with the theme, scene, pose of the artwork without much influence from the commissioner in those areas. Commissioners are often inspired by these pre-planned artworks and can easily imagine their character fitting perfectly into a specific YCH scene.
- Can be affordable – Since auction style prices are based on a bidding system, if the sketch or unfinished piece speaks to you but not to others, you may be able to get a great deal on it.
- Creates social engagement – Some social media and online art gallery browsers display images based on an algorithm. This is a perk for artists because YCHs have the chance to get a decent amount of engagement which helps more YCH artists get discovered.
- Allows the artist to get paid for an original idea – Sometimes an artist will have a beautiful scene in mind, but can’t afford to spend unpaid hours creating it. Offering it as a YCH is a great way for artists to solve this dilemma and create a happy commissioner in the process!
Cons:
- Cookie Cutter YCH designs are less original – There are lots of people who are not fans of the unlimited template style YCH slots where many people can commission an artist for the same design over and over. Even with that said, there are plenty who do like them and will keep buying them as they are affordable and they find them enjoyable.
- Constant YCH ads can get spammy – If you are watching a bunch of artists and several are hosting YCH auctions, your art feed can get filled with YCH notifications and reminders more frequently.
- Less of a surprise to the commissioner – Lets face it, you will already know what the piece of art will look like, what the pose will be, and what the background will look like, so the joy of surprise is drastically reduced. However, the overall enjoyment of seeing your character in a scene you already love will still be there. So yay!
Final Thoughts
YCH commissions are a great way for someone to get artwork of their Fursonas and OCs at a great price! There are many great artists that offer these types of commissions as well as standard commisions.
If you are new to the Furry Fandom and want to learn more about Fursonas and OCs, check out our complete breakdown here:
https://furrieseverywhere.com/fursona-vs-oc