Okay, so starting from the beginning…
I pay for the art I need in a story on episode (usually just the covers as I am not much for art scenes unless it is something that just couldn’t be shown in animations. I prefer to pay for the art as it isn’t as restrictive as getting free pieces. By this, I mean that I can choose a specific style/quality and know I will get something the exact way that I envision it. This is not something guaranteed when having something made for free.
I do prefer to make/and take payments via PayPal. This is a simple method and is safer for both the artist and buyer.
I use whichever currency the artist uses… most of my commissions I buy are in USD. But, as I am in England, I accept them in my currency of GBP.
I have paid for all of my commissions upfront. But this is due to using artists that are safe to do so with. Artists who are very clearly not scammers and who I have worked with multiple times in some cases. I have no issue doing upfront or 50% at the time of ordering and then 50% after sketch approval. I understand multiple view points on this matter, but sometimes people forget that even the sketching process takes time and there are people who will order and then not respond once the sketch has been finished which is then a waste of an artist’s time.
I would never scam someone. So, that is self explanatory.
Okay, the max price questions are a big vague. I put €70 or more as I have spent more than that before and for less than full body etc. The fact is, there are a lot of factors that go into how much you are willing to pay, for how much you are ordering etc. Different styles cost different amounts. Different levels of skill and levels of detail also incur different fees/costs.
If I was spending money on a very simple cartoon style, I would be willing to spend less than I would for very realistic, detailed, art.
In the past, I have spent maybe £25 (approx as I can’t recall exactly how much) on a one person half body piece in one style. And then over the £70 for one person bust in another style. So, I really cannot say a max as such, because I would have a maximum amount in my head for how much I would be willing to spend for the project I want and from the artist, in their style, how much I would be willing to pay for their work.
Frankly, and people may disagree, but it is within their right of course… but I think it is wrong for people to expect animals/tattoos/jewellery to be free. Allow me to clarify jewellery for a second first, by jewellery, I mean detailed things like crowns, tiaras, very detailed necklaces or rings etc that are a big focus point of the piece. Not earrings/necklaces/bracelets that are just basic and simple. This is due to them being an additional chunk of time and effort to create.
I have had people speak to me in the past regarding ordering characters covered entirely from neck down in tattoos (to waist or even more) it takes a LOT of time to work on one tattoo, let alone an entire body of them. If it is one small, simple tattoo, I think it is the artist’s choice over charging or not, but generally speaking, I think it is something that one should expect to pay extra for as it is another specific detail that requires more work. And if you do not expect to pay extra for an animal, I am confused as this is essentially another character… so… chargeable? Damn right!
I tend to think it is always best to have a png version of the art no matter whether you have a background or not. Sometimes you may want to use the art another way (example: use a cover piece as a splash art too) and it makes it easier to ensure it is the right size with a png of the characters that can be adjusted rather than a jpeg which may not fit well without cutting off pieces.
I don’t expect frequent updates. They have a life and a job to do. Usually for many people at once. I am usually perfectly fine with the arrangement of letting them do their thing and reaching out to me as and when they want for whatever reason. Some artists love to give updates, and some, I don’t see the piece until it is finished.
I will wait as long as it takes. Just recently, I waited over 2 years for 2 pieces by the same artist. It didn’t bother me at all. I have the stories planned and not started yet as my coding improved so I scrapped the original script to begin again.
Now, I can understand, if you have a deadline, then that sort of wait is not likely to be acceptable for most, but to me, I wanted that specific artist as I have loved her work for years. And in the end, I got two stunning pieces that I love!! The artist had a lot on her plate over that time too, and I wasn’t about to feel entitled to expect preferential treatment for something that, in the grand scheme of things, matters very little (it is art which can wait, basically).
I think that, sometimes, people can be very quick to forget that creators have lives and responsibilities away from the things you see them doing. Just because 2-3 weeks seems like ample time do draw something to you (the buyer) doesn’t mean it is much time for them. Perhaps they only do this work in their free time around a demanding full time job or college, or have a busy family life or have been unwell. Everything takes time, patience is only fair to have when waiting for something to be done for you. (Within reason of course, as with much in this world, each instance is different) I just think it doesn’t hurt to bear it in mind as this is a max waiting time question.
Yes, I do think it is fair to charge for a rush order. The artist may be giving up other work to get yours completed within that time frame. They will have to undertake hours of work on your piece in one sitting and may even be bumping you up the queue to get it done.
Again, I do not think this is a strict rule. Depending on an artist’s price, I think the percentage is more reasonable with different fees taken into account.
For example: If an artist charges £15 for a full body for example, I think 50% upward is perfectly fair for the second character onwards. At such a low cost, I wouldn’t even mind it being full price if I like the art.
If, however, the artist charges £100 for one character full body, I would think 50% for the next character would be sufficient as they are earning far more. But again, this is something that varies on lots of factors. Quality of the work, their style, etc… I would consider it for each artist. The more advanced and detailed, the more you pay essentially and expecting any artist to take a loss for the same quality on a larger piece of work wouldn’t be fair. I generally just accept an artist’s fees and either agree to paying and think it is worth it, or don’t buy from them. Some prices will always be too rich for what you want to spend, but depending on the project, it is always possible that will change. (For example: I would spend more on a literal book cover than an episode cover as one will be in print, one shown small on a screen)
As for how much you should charge if it takes you over 18 hours… I cannot say. I think you are too into the length of time spent on it then as opposed to the quality you have achieved in that time. I have, many times spent over 48 hours on things I have made. Be it backgrounds or art work. But I charge very little in return. This is because my art is not right up there with other semi realistic artists work (I do art for a little bit of fun and small additional earning. I am a writer first and foremost, so I don’t expect big fees on my artwork, and I want my backgrounds to remain affordable for people and enjoy making them when I get time to)… if I was to charge based on how long it took me to make an extravagant 3 zone background or a two person full body piece, then I would have to raise the prices significantly. I think, in the end, the fee you charge should be true to the quality you produce or the purpose of what you are making (affordable resources for instance in backgrounds)
I mean this kindly, but people have put €31-€40 in this question and though you are not ready to take commissions at the current time, looking at your art, I would say this is a fee that I don’t imagine people would be willing to pay for the quality as is or likely to be over the next couple of months.
Personally, your art is not to my preference of style at the moment, so truth is that I wouldn’t buy it over summer, no. (Also, I am not in need of art at the moment haha)…
Whether your prices are cheap or not, there is still a standard that is expected when someone is exchanging money for your art. That in itself can add pressure. At your current level, someone might receive a piece and ask you to make improvements that you aren’t 100% able to do sufficiently but will be pressed to for them to be satisfied with the outcome.
I think lots of the time, people do not want to cause offence on here and say you are ready to make people feel happy and encouraged, but in a way, I find that a little cruel as it doesn’t really help and can end up making them feel worse when they go to take commissions and hit a snag with no orders or perhaps a bad experience with one.
In all honesty, I selected that you need more practice and not to start taking them in the summer but maybe a bit later.
There is no need to rush to commissions. You have time to hone your skill some more.
At the moment, I think there are some key places for improvement.
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The first one that really jumps out is the eyes. Every one of your examples has the same eyes. They are very large, very wide and almost in a startled manner. Try to practice working on eyes for different emotions, different shapes, work on male eyes and female eyes. They are very rarely this wide. They are also very basic and lack life and depth… which brings me to:
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Add detail! - Your art examples are, for the most part, lacking in detail, or a bit clumsily done. By this, I mean, there is very minimal or simplistic shading, it appears to be made of maybe one or two colours. Try to experiment with warm and cold colours to see the different ways you can contour and highlight to bring about a more multidimensional piece.
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Work on lighting and shadows. Choose a source of light for your piece. Or a direction at least and try to replicate the lighting. It is a good idea to copy references for a time to try this by doing photo studies. Choose an image and replicate it from scratch in your chosen style.
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Use all of the resources your app gives you. I do not know which app you are using? But many have hundreds of brushes to use. Try them all. See what works for you. See what gives you the best results.
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Smoother lines. Your outlines are not very smooth or defined. Try stabilisation tools to give your brushes more sweep and less shake.
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Hands and feet can absolutely be tricky!! Do some studies on those and find some little tips and tricks to make drawing them easier.
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Hair: Hair brushes are your friend!! Use a more solid one to lay down the foundation for the hair. The generalised shape and colour, then switch up the brush to add shadow and highlights to match your chosen style.
Also, remember you cannot use any Episode assets in your commissions whenever you choose to take them. So be careful to replicate tattoos etc but not copy and paste them into your design. Mentioned only as the tribal one on the guys arm looks like it has been pasted but I may be wrong.
