aaargh, my first comment got eaten by my browser, so I will try to reconstruct the main points:

Rough drafts - excellent idea, really like it, would make it much less stressful to be an artist, and possibly allow real work to begin sooner.

Betas for artists - I like this idea, would appreciate developing a community of Merlin-oriented folks willing to crit art. Perhaps could grow out of an artists' support comm?

I also really like itzcoatl's idea about giving artists a month after the writers turn in their final stories, to refine or elaborate on their work, and to recover from any "oops, what I drafted became a deleted scene" problems.
I think that time could really transform the sort of thing I, at least, produce, and would probably benefit all the artists.

Thanks for asking the great questions!