Hello again,
I find myself once again looking at the money situation for artists. I have had some people contact me to do commissions and they have been VERY good clients. They are respecting of my time and effort and the amount of money I ask for my work. But there have been times in the past where I have been asked to work for VERY low pay, if any. And I know most of us have been there, if not there now. But there is an important truth I want to share with you.
Artists are due money for their work. If you are wanting to take money for work, you are a working artist. Maybe you are not 'professional' in the sense you do random jobs and are not doing it as a living, but you ARE a working artist. And as such you should demand respectable money for your work.
"But my art is not worth a lot!" Says who? You. Yep. You are saying that. And who says what you ask for is a lot? What is the going rate?
I am going to share with you selected price lists that professional artists use based on the guidelines provided by the Graphic Artist Guild. This is what the typical working professional artist gets. Some get more some get less, but this is a good ballpark starting point. So lets have a look.
(These numbers are from the GRAPHIC ARTISTS GUILD'S PRICING & ETHICAL GUIDELINES HANDBOOK 12th ed. 2007)
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Salary Averages
entry-level ….......................................................$29,000-36,000
designer...............................................................$32,000-45,000
senior designer....................................................$42,000-61,000
Median Freelance Rates (per hour)
designer.................................................................$40
senior designer..........................................,...........$60
creative director/designer.......................................$75
LOGOS
Corporate Logos
Major Corp........................................................$4,000-25,000
Minor Corp........................................................$1,500-12,000
Logotype
National/large company......................................$7,500-15,000
Regional/small company.....................................$2,000-6,500
Individual.............................................................$1,000-3,000
ILLUSTRATION
Salary Averages
1 to 3 years experience....................................$32,750-44,500
3+ years experience.........................................$42,750-60,000
specialized illustrator........................................$53,500-76,750
This includes technical, medical, scientific, even cartoon.
ROUGH HOURLY RATES
Illustration Freelance Rates (per hour)
amateur to entry-level.......................................$15-30
illustrator.............................................................$25-70
senior illustrator.................................................$70+
BOOKS
Book Covers - hardcover
major title.......................................$3,000-3,500
small print run...............................$2,000-3,000
small press....................................$1,200-2,500
textbook.........................................$1,200-2,000
young adult/chapter....................$2,000-3,000
Book Covers - paperback
major distribution.........................$2,500-5,000
trade paperback...........................$2,500-4,000
textbook.........................................$1,500-2,000
young adult/chapter....................$2,500-4,000
Additional fees (% of original fee)
rush fee............................................................25-100%
sale of original artwork..................................100%
unlimited use for any media for 1 year.......50-100%
foreign publication rights..............................50-100%
total copyright transfer..................................150-200%
Children's Books (32 page, hardcover, illustration ONLY)
advance.......................................................$7,000-40,000
royalty (percent of list price).....................3-5%
royalty escalation.......................................4.5-6%
paperback edition......................................3%
^subsidiary rights
foreign publisher........................................25%
motion picture, TV......................................25%
publisher direct sales................................25%
Merchandising...........................................25%
BAND ART
Music Packaging (popular & rock)
major studio/distribution...........................$1,500-6,500
small studio/distribution...........................$1,200-3,000
VIDEO ART
DVD&Video
major studio/distribution...........................$1,200-3,500
small studio/distribution...........................$750-1,500
RETAIL ART
apparel........................................................$1,800-4,200
electronics..................................................$1,200-3,500
gifts/novelties.............................................$1,200-3,000
sporting goods (ex. skate decks)...........$750-2,000
toys/games.................................................$2,500-6,000
^additional fees (% of original fee)
sale of original art............................................100-250%
rush fee..............................................................20-150%
total copyright transfer.....................................100-200%
transfer of legal authorship and all rights....125-300%
COMICS
Comics Rates (per page)
writing................................................$75-120
painted art........................................$300-400
pencil art...........................................$80-250
ink art................................................$75-200
lettering.............................................$40-50
coloring.............................................$100-150
ANIMATION
Fees (per second) 2D 3D
Advertising....................................$300-2,000.......................-
Broadcast......................................$175-500..........................-
Corporate......................................$150-2,500..............$275-3,000
Web, large client..........................$200-1,000..............$300-2,000
Web, small client.........................$120-800..................$325-1,500
Median weekly salaries of animation artists
2D animator......................................................$1,425
3D animator......................................................$1,809
Animatics (per frame)
5x7".....................................................................$150-450
8x10"..................................................................$175-500
Storyboards (per frame)
thumbs...............................................................$40-150
8x10" keyframe................................................$200-500
9x12" keyframe................................................$250-500
WEB DESIGN
Salary Averages
web animator (1 to 5 years experience)........$38,250-53,500
web animator (5+ years experience).............$51,000-73,250
web site designer (1 to 5 years)......................$40,750-59,000
web site designer (5+ years)...........................$59,250-85,000
digital artist for web content (1 to 3 years).....$31,250-40,750
digital artist for web content (3+ years)..........$40,750-54,000
Median Freelance Rates (per hour)
web designer......................................................$50
web programmer/developer............................$75
content developer............................................. $60
Web Site Design (Client revenue of $1mil to $10mil)
static Site.............................................................$7,750-15,000
e-commerce........................................................$7,500-18,000
price of 6-10 Elements (animation/audio).....$400-1200
monthly maintenance fee.................................$150-750
Banners, Buttons, Flash Animation................$575-5,000
additional fees
rush fee................................................................50-200% of original fee
monthly maintenance fee.................................$150-750
Next you must have in mind any work done MUST be done under a contract. Some contracts can be as simple as an email laying this out and the other person agreeing. BUT, I would suggest actually working with a legitimate contract. Here are a few facts you need to know when you are dealing with contracts. Make sure these things are covered so you do not get screwed later if things go south.
"Kill Fees" - Cancellation & Rejection Fees
How many times have you heard "I decided I don't need you" or "I found another designer" from a client whilst working rigorously for them? Well, contrary to the claims from clients who believe they don't need to pay you if they aren't going to use your work or don't need you to finish, they most certainly do. And there are specifics on the matter to boot.
Cancellation-
A cancellation fee occurs when a client halts progress on a project due to unforeseen circumstances or any other reasons beyond the artists control. All rights transfered to the client, agreed upon in the contract, are still valid for what work is completed by the artist.
Averages (% of original fee) Illustrators Graphic Designers
prior to completion of sketching stage...................................25%..............................40%
after sketching stage, prior to finished work.........................50%..............................80%
after completion of finished work...........................................100%...........................100%
Rejection-
a rejection fee occurs when a client halts progress on a project due to dissatisfaction/no desire to finish project. All rights transfers written in the contract are not to be obtained by the client, and any completed work may not be reproduced by the client.
Averages (% of original fee) Illustrators/Graphic Designers
prior to completion of sketching stage................................................21%
after sketching stage, prior to finished work......................................42%
after completion of finished work........................................................100%
A Brief Overview of Contracts.
As freelance artists, you want to have a working, or boilerplate contract for use with every client. A boilerplate contract is a basic ready-made contract that can be augmented and fine-tuned on a client to client basis. Clients do not need to follow and absolutely specific formula. As long as everything is explained, either simply or in a complex manner, and signed by both parties, it is a working, legal contract. Contracts themselves incorporate all the little nuances listed and discussed so far in this news article. Here's a bullet point list of what's needed for a good contract:
- Date
- Both parties named
- Explanation of the project (name of project, type, media, where will it be used? Be as specific as possible.)
- Use (advertising, editorial, corporate, book, personal)
- Geographic area of use (N. America, Europe, Planet Earth, etc.)
- Length of use (one time, one year, etc.)
- Ownership of original art (who keeps the original work?) <-- This is the important part for all you commissioners out there. You need to know if your sale is of the actual work or of certain rights
- Exclusivity (are the rights secured by the client in the contract exclusive to the client?)
- Fee/estimate (original fee for project, as well as additional kinds discussed above)
- Other expenses/'Overhead' (cost of supplies, travel expenses, etc. Are they to be paid for by the client or must the artists cover these expenses themselves?)
- Kill fees (cancellation or rejection fees)
- Mapped out payment/project schedule (avoid client suggestions of payment AFTER completion of work. Any respectable client will know that segmented payment for assurance is the correct method)
- Late payment fees (agree upon a date when payment from client is considered late. What are the penalties? Usually, clients are charged 1.5% of the total price per month late.)
- Client alterations (any changes to the artwork requested by the client not discussed or agreed upon prior are considered billable. Fees for such occurrences are up to the artist. Most tally any additional time toward alteration an bill by their hourly rate. For example, an artist whose hourly rate is $40/hr must be paid $80 for 2 hours of alterations to a project.)
- Final artwork (How will it be delivered? Physically by mail, digitally by email? Does the artist receive finished samples if the artwork is for reproduction? Insurance/compensation if original artwork is damaged and cannot be returned to artist?
Negotiation
A contract rarely is accepted by a client or artist on the first writing. But do not be afraid to make alterations to parts of a contract you are not in agreement with. These are some guidelines for both clients AND artists for reviewing contracts:
- Read and reread very carefully.
- Make separate note of problem areas.
- Strike-through any sentences or clauses you do not agree with and plan a rewrite of them on a separate document (notepad, what-have-you).
- Alter the original contract neatly with your rewritten clauses. Initial next to every change.
- Send to other party. A cover letter along with an alert to changes you have made is encouraged. It is important to come across as positive, since you are effectively denying something you were wanted to agree with.
- The other party will do as you have done with the contract and send it back to you. The process goes on until both parties are satisfied and are ready to finalize their agreement.
Finally, both parties sign and date the contract!
So there you go. This is what a professional artist has to deal with, or have an agent to deal with it for them for a fee. But, what about you? Do you want to be a professional? Do you want to be paid a reasonable amount? Then use this as a way to begin thinking about how you will conduct your art AS a business.
And I know what a lot art thinking, 'But I cannot charge these prices! Most of my clients are ____(fill in the blank)!' Yeah, I get it. I have some people who want my art who have no money. But I am a professional artist. I have to value my art and time. True, there are some people who cannot afford my prices. So I will sometimes run a sale. I will sometimes do gift art. There are ways to make your work available without cutting your business to the bone.
And to the working artists, this is how we change things. Hate doing art that takes you days for $5? Hate having to compete with people who are charging $3 for something they SHOULD charge $40 for? Then stop doing it. Have a price and expect that. And beyond that, you can't just say you want money and wait for clients. You have to go out there and find them. And keep in mind, DA is NOT a great place to get a lot of sells. There are a lot of kids with no money here, there are a lot who will just take your, or another person's art, and 'tweak it' to make it what they want. Plus of the actual artists here, most can just do what they want themselves, unless they happen to be a fan of your art. So you have to go out there and find people who need art. It is not easy and there is no one or two places I can say to go to. It really depends what kind of art you do, what you want to do, where are there people who want the kind of art you do. And then you go there and you do all you can to get people to see you and want your art.
So I will stop here, this has already gone on for a LONG time. I hope this has been some help or at least has gotten you started to think about your art and the dollar value for it.
Thanks all.
Dwayne
Sta.sh
Get those entries in by July 4th!
If you can't take constructive criticism, please withdraw from the game now. You will be disqualified the very first time you attack your coach or teammates or give them a hard time for providing you with critique.
by ~BreedStock
and
Passionate 
We know how hard it can be to do a specific theme.
Helpful 
KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID (otherwise known as the KISS that doesn't come with black and white make up).
Your reference sheet should SHOW as much as possible with only a few words to back it up. Don't feel the need to cover it in text. Only write about what you are showing when the image might not be clear. 
Make sure that your image is in full colour so that artists who choose to do colour entries can know how to portray your character.
If something needs extra explanation put it in your artist's description. Keep this short too - no one wants to read a War and Peace length background of your character, just enough to give people a sense of how to portray the details that make you character who they are. If you're doing long paragraphs (more than four sentences), you're probably doing too much. If you have more than five - even short - paragraphs, you're probably doing too much.
Unless there is a specific template, information you put into your artist's description is usually optional, dependent on how well you think you can show things in your reference sheet and audition comic. After all, a couple of well thought out poses can give readers everything they need to know about your character's personality.
Don't be afraid to leave things open to interpretation, and don't worry about covering absolutely every base. Let your opponent come to you with questions or surprise you with their own spin on your character. Who knows, they might come up with something you'd like to incorporate into your own comics.
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