So an artist posted their personal commission prices, but you’re confused and maybe a bit ticked off because they “seem” high? Behold, a THREAD:

1. So this talented artist posted the following, and some of the negative responses gave me all the pauses : https://twitter.com/Miles_DF/status/1281631606227247111

2. This is because these rates are actually normal depending on the following:

Industry and skill level.

The art industries encompass many different disciplines, from illustration, film, games etc. And while these rates may seem high for some it could be normal for others.

3/ So before we continue, lets quickly give a basic estimate on rates. This isnt extensive or scientific, just ball park numbers from what I know each industry I’ve worked on pays. Important to note skill level and experience *do* come at play here.

Rates given are in USD.

4/ ILLUSTRATION:
For cover work you can expect anywhere from $1500 (very low) to 6k (high) for covers. You’ll likely see it at 3-4k

For card games like MTG you’ll usually get 1k per card, higher for rarer cards.

I dont have enough experience in comics or editorial to comment.

5/ GAMES

Entry level: 40-60k depending on skill and negotiation.
Mid level: 70-90k
Senior level: 100-120k+

6/ FILM or TV

Entry level: 2-3500k per week.
Mid+ senior level: 3500-5k per week.
AD/Production designer: 5k+ per week.
These depend on size of budget, skill and negotiation.
Rates vary depending on the production you are working for. And while these are the *BEST* paying jobs-

7/ FILM or TV cont’

they’re also extremely demanding, hard to come by and usually last for a couple months. You also have dry months where few hardly any work can be found, usually starting December and ending late February. Starts again in March.

8/ Ok so thats what you can expect as a professional in all those industries, at least in the US. Prices may vary depending on your local industry. For example, I know European companies don’t usually pay as much, as I’ve been offered big positions with a salary they thought-

9/ would be generous, but compared to US pay would have been effectively a pay cut.

Also note some companies work hard to keep pay RIDICULOUSLY low. Sorry to say but companies like Fantasy Flight are *known* for their big brand IP’s but pay their artists $100 per asset.

10/ Companies like these are not and should not be the norm (apologies if prices have improved. If they have, yay! If not, Fantasy Flight, pay your workers!).

Now, as professional artists starting out, sometimes you need to take *whatever* comes your way, even if you *know*-

11/ it’s not enough. I too had to do the same. Just be extremely clear with industry standards of fair pay, and if you arent offered that right away, understand the arrangement is and must be momentary. Do everything in your power to gtfo of that. Your technique will help here!

12/ Let’s talk about comission work and pricing.
For pricing, try and think of your rates not per asset, but by how long it takes you and if it sustains you. For example, let’s say a single character illustration takes you a 3 proper 8 hr workdays, from start to finish. At $100

13/ per character painting you are effectively making $4.16 per hour. That is less that minimum wage. That is a poverty wage.

You can say “ But Karla, it won’t take em *that* long to make an illustration”. I would say still calculate what your hourly rate would be and

14/ see if you’re still comfortable with it. Chances are you wontz

But maybe you’re like “Karla, I am a SPEED demon, and can do 1 illustration per hour, and 8 illustrations per day at $100 is good!”. I would say, please dont rush, but congrats!
You’ll still need non-stop-

15/ clientelle and this can get pretty unsustainable pretty quickly.

Of course there are other ways to make a comission lifestyle sustainable, but most roads lead to higher prices, especially if your work is in demand. You also want to work with clients who understand this is-

16/ a craft and won’t see you as an extension of their wrist. Clients who respect you and the creative laborer that you are.

Now most folks I know don’t survive off comissions alone. They have a whole array of products that are more affordable, so their work is accessible-

17/ to a wider group of audiences.

The folks who I know live this way sell books, apparel, and are constantly working to find new ways to reach new audiences, who could potentially be able to pay their rates. Their time is valuable so their rates reclect that.

18/ Fine art works similarly, except way more intense as you have to deal with galleries taking 50% off your profit. BUUUT making it big in the fine art world, well, that can be BIG $$$. Tho to be fair I know

19/ so many talented masterful artists who are still struggling in that world. And in my experience the Fine Art world is a bit more dependant on who you know, and skill isnt always a factor. It’s not an easy life. Its rewarding but not easy.

20/ Now, I’ve seen some extremely silly arguments that pricing high is something that is “Elitist”. That to me seems so tone deaf. You’ll usually see that argument from folks who have no idea what it takes to create good paintings. Folks who got used to cheap rates

21/ on the internet.
Folks who pretend good rates will turn you into some sort of millionaire...when in reality you’ll still be working class. If you’re extremely lucky you’ll be upper middle class. Very rarely do artists in the entertainment business go further. If they do-

22/ they are the exception, certainly not the norm.

So all those folks, screaming “Elitism!” for rates that are fair, are doing the following:
1. Expecting the craft/labor you have trained for YEARS, to be cheap
2. Ignoring that you as a person need to live.
Ignore them.

23/ Now for those of you who aren’t artist and instead wish to support your faves, thank you! If you cant afford a comission, thats ok! Buy prints, buy books, buy their work in galleries! If that’s too much, then share their work with credit! This means the world to us <3

24/ Do note, some folks live in places where $100 USD is quite a lot. If that is the case, I still want you to get paid industry rates, so you have even MORE.

Some of you are hobbyists, but if your skill is competent it I still want you to get properly paid!

25/ As fancy or romanticized as this may seem, it is still a job.

And like any profession, if you’ve put the work to learn and become proficient, you should be properly paid.

26/ Anyway I hope this thread will give you some tools and knowledge to help you understand what you’re worth. So in the future let’s celebrate good rates that not only will allow you as an artist to live, but hopefully also thrive! :)

P.S I apologize for all my typos. I am the QUEEN of them

P.S #2 For companies that pay low (i.e Fantasy Flight above) know that this is never a choice the AD's or creative ppl in the company make. They're fighting harder than anyone to get pay UP. It's always management :(

Comic book covers rates. Thanks for the info Olly! :) https://twitter.com/ollymoss/status/1282218906153676802?s=20

Happy to see this thread reaching people! However, I gotta mute since things are too engaging and distracting! Part of charging good rates is providing good service and that’s hard to do if I spend my whole day out here ;)

Anyway good luck out there, and hope this was helpful!