Changes Coming...

( TDLR section below, below the animated gif  ⬇️ )

Hello to all my wonderful, supportive patrons! ❤️

It is time to update my Patreon Page — I want to shake things up a bit, add some new perks, as well as reevaluate my offerings and value.

I am also about to embark on widening my subscription offerings on other platforms to gain more support of my work, beginning with DeviantArt. I've learned that some people simply like certain platforms, and only feel comfortable to support artists on their preferred site(s). While I have had 2 simple subscription tiers over there for the past year, it is time to bring them fully into the fold by mirroring benefits my Patreon supporters get that they haven't been able to receive.

Added Coordinated Input

I will coordinating Contests and Polls between Patreon and DeviantArt subscribers. This will add more ideas and more votes! I hope to invigorate contest entries, which have dipped a bit in the last year. (Some contests only had 3 or 4 entries out of 300+ members; and voting has been low, in the range of 20-24% of eligible members).

Voting will be a combined tally between both sets of subscribers. I may, in future, also combine voting into one voting "mechanism" that both platforms can access (say, a Google Form). This is still in the works. Until then, I will add votes from Patreon and DeviantArt subscribers together to pick the winner(s).

Animation

Especially with all the good feedback I've gotten over the past year, anyhow much I've enjoyed working on animation, I want to pour more time into my animated shOrts and mOvies. In order to do that, I will need to take the time from one of the Contests and put it into my Animation projects each month.

I am removing one of the Watercolor Contests each month, lowering the number of image contests to three (plus the mOnthly grOw Illustration). The time to communicate with the winner, the rough sketches, the final artwork, setting up the poll and recording results, and creating posts with the image will roll over into my Animation schedule!

Revamped Art Contests

Removing: I will be removing one watercolor art contest, and putting the time involved into animation instead (see above).

Renaming: I am renaming the Contests slightly for easier identification. No more "Tiers". Now, they will have simple names:

Color: Name remains the same — the usual Color contest I've had all this time. Images are tightly rendered 7000px images like before. (Eligibility: Supporter and higher, as before.)

Flex: The revamped Tier 3 Grayscale contest. Now, this will rotate ("flex") to different contests each month — either Color; Color-themed; Grayscale; or, Grayscale-Themed. Images are tightly rendered 7000px images like before. (Eligibility: Admirer and higher, as before.)

Watercolor: The revamped Tier 1 and 2 Watercolor contests. Now, this will rotate between themed and open entry contests. Images are watercolor 5000px images like before. (Eligibility: Admirer and higher.)

Eligibility: One change will affect eligibility to enter Contests. As I look around at other artists that offer subscriptions, I have been seriously undervaluing the benefit of adding ideas to be made into art.

Most other artists have a minimum subscriber cost of about $10 to enter ideas into an art contest, with only a few slightly lower. This makes sense when you compare the cost of a Commission (which, when you win a Contest, is almost a similar product). HOWEVER, I don't want to raise the threshold that high. The compromise is to remove Contest entry eligibility from the lowest tier ($3) and continue to allow Admirers and higher to enter contests as before.

Beyond that change in eligibility, all the previous conventions remain. All tiers above the $3 tier will be able to enter TWO of the three contests of their choosing (no more "pick one from this group and then one over here"). Just whatever two you'd like!

More Benefits

I am adding a few, new benefits to eligible tiers:

More Speed Process Videos: I will add a Speed Process Video for the Watercolor Contest now. Each month will now have 4 Speed Process Videos instead of 3.

More Color Art: by adding Color to a rotating schedule in the new Flex Contest.

More time spent on Animation (See "Animation" section above)

Three "Classic" art pieces will also post each month, each one at least one year old. Great for newer subscribers! I will be taking these from the last 6 years of Patreon creations (a library of over 500+ images)! This will be available to all tiers.

New Terminology

I am renaming a few items for clarity as well as to make things homogenous across sites:

Patreon Art Contest will become either Subscriber Art Contest or simply Art Contest in some instances.

For clarity, "very high-res" files will be called "ultra-res" to avoid confusion between 2 naming conventions having "high" in them. These are about 7000px wide (5000px for watercolors)

"Patrons," when referring to Patreon subscribers, will simply be called subscribers (as it can now apply to more platforms).

Price Updates

Inflation has hit us all, and it has affected my ability to fairly value my work. It has been about 4 years since the last price change, and this update will bring the value closer to what it was in 2022 (ex: $11 in 2022 equates to $12.28 in 2026). I also want this to be able to support me into the near future.

Many entry-level subscribers choose this tier because of the lower cost. Taking this all into account, there will be price changes to just 3 of the 5 current tiers, keeping the lowest and highest tiers the same. A new "angel" tier will also be added for those few who occasionally like to give added, generous support, even if only for one month.

The price changes (that only affect 3 of 5 tiers) will only be $1 per month. That's HALF the cost of a small fries at Mickey D's or a taco from Taco Bell (both $1.99 locally, but could be as high as $2.50 or more) ! And the yearly cost ($12) is less than the price of ONE fast food meal ($13-18 depending on locale) spread out over the course of an entire YEAR! (*All prices in USD)

TransitionAt first, the price increases will ONLY apply to all NEW subscribers when the updates go into affect! New settings in Patreon now allow me to do this instead of creating new tiers (as I had to do in the past). I will grandfather in all current subscribers to your old rate for the following time periods:

Followers — No rate change. New benefit structure goes into effect April 2026.

Admirers — 2 months (new rates will apply June 2026 to current subscribers)

Supporters and Fanatics— 3 months (new rates will apply July 2026 to current subscribers)

Zealots — No rate change. New benefit structure goes into effect April 2026.

New Pricing:The small, added cost will help cover: more animation time, more Color art time, equalize value that has lowered due to inflation. This will ONLY apply to NEW subscribers for a short time (see "Timing" below):

Followers — NO price change. This level will remain at $3. To help balance this out, entry into Contests has been removed. All other benefits will remain the same.

Admirers — $1 increase.

Supporters — $1 increase.

Fanatics — $1 increase. Coupon codes remain the same amount.

Zealots — NO price change. This level will remain at $20. Coupon codes remain the same amount.

Timing

The new pricing schedule: goes into effect Wed., March 25th.

Pricing for NEW subscribers: goes into effect Wed., March 25th.

The monthly benefits changes: begin April 2026.

Current Admirer price increase: June 2026.

Current Supporter and Fanatic price increase: July 2026.

(* "Current" meaning those with memberships before the new prices changes go into effect.)

❤️ THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR $UPPORT! ❤️

Without your continued support, your favorite artists (not just me) can't produce the work you've come to enjoy. And, in instances like here on Patreon, you get to contribute in that artwork creation! Supporting individual artists on platforms like this makes you a true patron of the (expansive) arts. It's not just transactional — it's true support to your most-loved artists so they can create, explore, and dream up new ideas that you crave!

Sincerely,BustArtist

➡️ ➡️  ======== TDLR ==========  👀 👀

Hello to all my wonderful, supportive patrons! ❤️

It is time to update my Patreon Page — shaking things up a bit, and reevaluating my offerings and value.

Added Coordinated Input

I will coordinating Contests and Polls between Patreon and DeviantArt subscribers. This will add more ideas and more votes! Voting will be a combined tally between both sets of subscribers.

Animation

I want to pour more time into my animated shOrts and mOvies. In order to do that, I will move the time involved each month from one of the Watercolor Contests into my Animation projects each month.

Revamped Art Contests

Removing: One watercolor art contest will be removed.

Renaming:

Color: Name remains the same.

Flex: Rotate ("flex") to different contests each month — either Color; Color-themed; Grayscale; or, Grayscale-Themed.

Watercolor: Now, this will rotate between themed and open entry contests.

Eligibility: Most artists have a minimum subscriber cost of about $10 to enter ideas into a contest, with only a rare few in the $6-9 range. My compromise is to remove Contest entry eligibility from the lowest tier ($3).

Starting in April 2026, all members in tiers above $3 can enter any 2 of the 3 contests.

More Benefits

I am adding a few benefits to eligible tiers:

More Speed Process Videos:  4 Speed Process Videos instead of 3.

More Color Art:  Color added to the rotating Flex Contest schedule.

More time spent on Animation.

Three "classic" art pieces from the last 6 years on patreon (over 500+ images) will post each month.

New Terminology

Patreon Art Contest > Subscriber Art Contest or simply Art Contest.

"Very high-res" files will be called "ultra-res" to avoid confusion.

"Patrons" will simply be called subscribers.

Price Updates

Inflation has hit us all, and it has affected my ability to fairly value my work.

The price changes, which only affects 3 of 5 tiers, will only be $1 per month. That's HALF the cost of a small fries at Mickey D's or a taco from Taco Bell (*All prices in USD)

TransitionONLY apply to all NEW subscribers when the updates go into affect! Current subscribers will get a grace period:

Admirers — 2 months (June 2026)

Supporters and Fanatics— 3 months (July 2026)

New Pricing:

Followers — NO price change. This level will remain at $3.

Admirers — $1 increase.

Supporters — $1 increase.

Fanatics — $1 increase. Coupon codes remain the same amount.

Zealots — NO price change. Coupon codes remain the same amount.

Timing

The new Subscriber Tier structure: goes into effect Wed., March 25th.

Pricing for NEW subscribers: goes into effect Wed., March 25th.

The monthly benefits changes: April 2026

Current Admirer price increase: June 2026

Current Supporter and Fanatic price increase: July 2026

(* "Current" meaning those with memberships before the new prices changes go into effect.)