‘Influencer’ Tried To Convince Artist To Do $290 Portrait For Free

Social media has turned into a great way for artists to show off their work but it has also turned some people into a strange kind of monster. A budding young artist was recently contacted by a woman who wanted to have her portrait done. When the man told her it would cost 15,000 Philippine pesos ($290), she claimed she is an influencer who would pay him through a shoutout on social media.

Hans Alcanzare is a civil engineer working in Manila, Philippines. The young man also enjoys doing charcoal portraits of celebrities like Miss Universe Catriona Gray and the recently departed dog celebrity Boo. Not surprisingly, Alcanzare’s talent has been noticed by a lot of people on social media. This includes an influencer who tried to get the young artist to do her portrait for free.

Alcanzare poses with his stunning portrait of the reigning Miss Universe.

In a conversation on Facebook, the unnamed woman reached out to Alcanzare asking for a portrait. She even mentioned that she needed the artwork by “next week.” The young artist quickly responded with a reasonable price but the woman balked at his offer.

“Ay ang mahal naman! Influencer ako shoutout sana kita! Madali lang naman yan! (That’s too expensive! I’m an influencer who could give you a shoutout! The portrait is so easy to do!)” the woman wrote.

Needless to say, Alcanzare insisted on the price and the woman immediately blocked him on Facebook. This gave the young man the chance to share his encounter and plead with people to respect all artists.

The influencer wanted Alcanzare to do her portrait for free.

Alcanzare wrote about the exchange on Facebook.

“My work might be just a piece of shape, curve, and shade for you. But for me, I consider it as my greatest workmanship and able to call it my own ‘Masterpiece’. I respect you as an influencer and I have nothing against with it coz’ I know that’s how you do for a living. But, I know you are getting paid for the product placements and endorsements as an influencer so please, don’t expect me to do something for free,” he wrote.

“I hope you understand that I invest so much on my art materials, time, energy and effort. Getting a shoutout doesn’t even pay bills or fill an empty stomach. Please don’t look down on us (artists) and on our arts. Thank you!”

It’s certainly disheartening how most people look down on artists. Hopefully, Alcanzare’s story will teach netizens to respect artists and their work.