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TheFalseVyper
Jan '18

Hello all!

Recently, I have become more comfortable in my drawing abilities. This makes me want to expand and try my hand at drawing other people's characters.

However, I am still EXTREMELY new to commissions.

My question to you guys is this: What would you consider to be reasonable prices for my art?

I would like honest answers as well as any tips when it comes to drawing commissions such as: what do you guys do when the buyer wants you to constantly change something in the work - or they just don't like it once its finished? Answers to questions similar to that would be a great help.

Here is some of my work to give you a better idea -

Redraw Unwanted Light Extra.png940x1220 792 KB

V and Z Picture.png940x1074 580 KB

The piece below was a HUGE commission I did for a friend -

FC.png1199x677 903 KB

Any feedback/suggestions for helping me through this mystery would be very appreciated!

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    Jan '18

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    Jan '18
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arushiangelica
Jan '18

Frankly I am not sure. I haven't ever done it. But I think the main thing to remember is that the buyer should feel that they are getting something worth their bucks. Also, the price would also depend on how popular you are. Because, and this is really sad, people do end up judging the worth of the artist by their subscribers and following.

TheFalseVyper
Jan '18

Oh I understand that completely! Which is why it makes pricing my work so difficult. On one hand, I feel that my work is worth paying for, but on the other, I compare it to other artists and I realize that I'm no where good/popular enough to warrant charging what they do.

DiegoPalacios
Jan '18

Make sure you are clear about what are you willing and unwilling to do. For example, if you don't do NSFW stuff, is better if people know in advance. (It also avoids many awkward situations)

joannekwan(ง ˙o˙)ว here to help~
Jan '18

Per your other questions I had to give them a bit of thought.

In my own experience, for changes: Be upfront that you may charge for major changes to a work once the base is set. Also ask your clients to be as specific as possible with their request. I usually send a sketch to the client first, and if any changes are to be made, that's when they should happen. Most of the time they are very minor, like changing a detail here and there and I accommodate the client's wishes free of charge. If it's something major like an entire pose change, then I would consider an extra charge (perhaps like $5). If you are more reserved and unsure if the client will like something, ask them! You can send thumbnail sketches of rough pose/composition ideas and they can choose from those. And once I have the final piece ready, I send the client a preview and ask again if any small detail needs to be tweaked, again if they only take me a minute, I will do them free of charge. Ideally these practices will mitigate any potential "make these 10+ changes please"

And while I haven't experienced this myself, If the client doesn't like a piece when it's finished, ask them what specifically they don't like and see if you can come to a compromise. You can fix the piece to their liking for an extra charge, or if the client is really not having any of it and are super unconsolable, it may be best to cut your losses and issue a partial refund.

ReroOnyx
Jan '18

You set the price what YOU want it to be and then you can haggle with the commissioner if need be. You should never degrade your capabilities and lessen your art by lowering it until necessary. You set the price and if the commissioner won't do it, maybe you can drop it then until you both have reached an agreement.

But in the end, if you want to make a profit, your costs of working on the project must be less than the actual price being paid. Simple business practice and all that you know. As noted with someone asking to change things. If its minor, probably nothing to worry about and easy to fix. If its major, you add an extra cost to it.

If someone doesn't like their finished project, see what's wrong? Ask them what they don't like and see if you can fix it. This is also a reason why you might show them different completions of the project to make sure everything is alright and, if at possible, keep different forms of the project at the ready so if you need to go back, you can do so.

To be quite frank, this is a risk that someone asking for a commission must make. That they are willing to pay for something in which they may not necessarily get exactly what they want. It's also the risk of the artist if they want to refund. You've already lost a potential commissioner and you wasted hours working on a project to earn nothing about it. But at least here you have to worry less about the person degrading your name. In the way someone who has a bad experience at a restaurant might tell other people not to go there.

In the end, what are you as the artist willing to risk in the long run?