freelance rates - $$$

[black_fish]

I just wanted to know what concept artists on this board are usually charging for art, just to see if I'm too expensive or too cheap :)

FYI I usually give rates based on each piece (if you do hourly rates I also want to know):

Rough $50 (pencil)
B&W $100-200 (markers)
Painting $350-500 (Photoshop or Painter)


What do you think?

[Aerythes]

US$350 to $500 for a painting? Isn't that ridiculously expensive? (Okay, I'd understand if Craig Mullins give that pricing, but...)

[Elwell]

Originally posted by Aerythes
US$350 to $500 for a painting? Isn't that ridiculously expensive?
No.

[egerie]

I agree. No it isn't. Too many people are guilty of devaluating the market and killing prices.

Everyone you're going to ask will refer you to this handy book (http://www.gag.org/pegs/index.php)

[tj_frame]

Prices vary widley depending on how famous you are and the size/budget of the client. For example, an unestablished newbie/amatuer might be lucky if he can charge $10 per hour, a seasoned pro anywhere from 50 to 150 per hour, and the super-famous Mullins and Meads can charge much, much more. And when if comes to things like freelance film/TV matte paintings - forget about it! I know of one top matte painter who literally lives in a giant chateau in Washington state..

Just as in many other artistic fields, people doing the exact same type of job can vary from being dirt poor to extremely wealthy (ie. Jimmy's Local Struggling Cover Band vs. Britney Spears). I think most artists sort of know where they are on this sliding scale of talent/fame

- TJ

[Dr. Memory]

Originally posted by Aerythes
US$350 to $500 for a painting? Isn't that ridiculously expensive? (Okay, I'd understand if Craig Mullins give that pricing, but...) For a 2 or 3 day job, $500 is perfectly reasonable.

[Zuraffo]

I thought QUALITY of work is a major factor of pricing? No?

[TheMAILMAN]

^^^ to an extent but fame is more important, but yeah fame is usally created through quality work

[Hjelm]

Pricing is kinda a crazy thing. I know a guy who was going to college and doing a few freelance projects to get himself through school. Eventually, he was getting so much work, it was taking too much time from his homework.

He decided, "Hey, I'll just raise my prices so I don't get so many jobs."

After he raised his prices, he got TWICE as much work, and decided to quit school altogether. :)

So, if this pattern is very accurate (probably not) you might get less jobs if you lower your prices (or less satisfying jobs).

If you think about it, it kinda makes sense. If you lower your prices very far, people will not take you seriously, or they'll think YOU don't take your work seriously.

Maybe the question you should as is are your prices to LOW?

Have a Fun
Hjelm

[Calcaneus]

Pricing is kinda a crazy thing. I know a guy who was going to college and doing a few freelance projects to get himself through school. Eventually, he was getting so much work, it was taking too much time from his homework.

He decided, "Hey, I'll just raise my prices so I don't get so many jobs."

After he raised his prices, he got TWICE as much work, and decided to quit school altogether. :)

So, if this pattern is very accurate (probably not) you might get less jobs if you lower your prices (or less satisfying jobs).

If you think about it, it kinda makes sense. If you lower your prices very far, people will not take you seriously, or they'll think YOU don't take your work seriously.

Maybe the question you should as is are your prices to LOW?

Have a Fun
Hjelm

lol, wow. People do equate price and value I guess.

[xHUNTERx]

there're people that get 1000-2000 for a day's worth of freelance work. it depends on how good and well known you are.

[ArifQazi]

How does someone come around to doing freelance work? Contacts? Ads?

Some help would be useful