/ic/ - Artwork/Critique

[Anonymous No.4531785]

Why are some artists so incredibly autistic over their commission prices?

[Anonymous No.4531796]

You don't understand how demeaning being told you could get art for cheaper is? 9/10 times, they're just pulling that out of their ass and they can't. The 1/10 time is like well okay, why don't you go to the cheaper person then? $40 is an hour of work at any office job that takes 3-5 years of experience to get to. Imagine spending years getting good at art, spending however many hours on a drawing, and someone is like nah $40 is too much.

I tried doing commissions for a few years, and while I did well, it just wasn't worth dealing with broke/cheap people. And let me tell you something- you deal with infinitely more cheap people than you do actual customers.

[Anonymous No.4531826]

>>4531796
what kind of art did you do

[Anonymous No.4531830]

>>4531785
if they wanted to get paid well, they'd be doing commercial work. they aren't good enough so they have to do $80 commission work.

[Anonymous No.4531837]

>>4531826
Watercolor illustration mostly, very feminine anime style art most of the time if we're being totally honest here. I still do it but just for me. I have a job that isn't art-related now and I was worried about going this path after I graduated and started my career, but fast forward five years and I'm positive I made the right decision. It's so nice to not deal with the bullshit that comes along with commissions.

I see a lot of burn-out in my art friends that actually made it and work as artists, freelance or otherwise. It's sad, not their burn-out but just that this is what making art as your career ends up doing. I don't get burned out from my job and it's because I get paid fairly, have benefits, and no one is coming up to my desk like hey I can find someone to do your job 100x better for half the price. It's frustrating that this is the reality waiting for artists when you "make it". There's just no respect.

[Anonymous No.4531839]

A local comic artist told that Dark Horse paid her 1200 dollars for drawing an entire normal issue. The problem this person has is that she wants to live off twitter comissions, that's not a proper job desu.

[Anonymous No.4531841]

>>4531785
If you want to get paid more, get better, simple as. If you're not getting paid as much as you'd like to be, you're not good.

[Anonymous No.4531844]

>>4531785
If by "Why are some artists so incredibly autistic" you mean "why are artists on Twitter autistic" then if you have a head on your shoulders you should be able to answer that.

[Anonymous No.4531917]

It's pretty autistic to message an artist and say "I can get better art cheaper elsewhere", just go elsewhere.

I ask for more on my commissions than some better artists. You know why? Because I have a fucking job and it's not worth my damn time to draw someone's bullshit for less. I'm not obliged to you to fit your price point.

[Anonymous No.4531956]

>>4531785
I always thought it was just a bargaining trick..you just have to say "okay my prices are still the same"
oh man if you are already having a breakdown with menial shit like this...

[Anonymous No.4531957]

>>4531841
I think you're underestimating the amount of really dumb people that waste good artists' time trying to get commissions for cheap.

[Anonymous No.4531967]

>>4531785
Why are some anons so incredibly autistic over artists trying to live from their craft?

[Anonymous No.4531982]

>>4531785
>Why are artist autistic?
Not enough beatings.

[Anonymous No.4531985]

>>4531785
I think that some artists just take it as something personal. What isn't, some people just like to negotiate prices.

[Anonymous No.4532007]

>>4531796
>>4531917
People also don't get that on top of doing the art, you have to deal with people and that alone is a job in itself. I wish it would become a thing that artists charged for each interaction, heh.

[Anonymous No.4532020]

>>4531841
How naive.

[Anonymous No.4532032]

>>4531785
Some people are incredibly autistic about their wage and prefer to rob customers instead of asking their boss.

isn't it waiters ?

[Anonymous No.4532060]

>>4531841
blind and capitalistpilled
>>4532032
based and accelerationistpilled

[Anonymous No.4532089]

>>4531796
One of the first lessons I learned freelancing was: there will always be cheapskates.
Second lesson is, always charge high, and negotiate down.
Third lesson is, someone buying will never look out for your well being, they just want it as cheap as possible.

Don't like my prices? I am far from the only artist in my market, and I charge market rates. Feel free to inquire elsewhere. Don't take it personally, it's just a waste of time for both of us. (I was not doing the kind of work being done by the kind of artist in the OPs image, I was doing commercial illustration for book companies and album art and such. That market doesn't exist anymore, because "we can pay you with exposure!")

An artist needs to figure out how much time their art is worth, and set reasonable prices. If someone comes sniffing around and spergs - well, they weren't your market anyway. Imagine if some dude in stained cargo shorts and a greasy t-shirt stomps into a Mercedes dealership and goes "Yikes! Ah kin get a car way cheaper on Craigslist, you have to sell me a new Mercedes cheaper!" Now, imagine how long it would take for the sales staff to stop laughing, and escorting him firmly off the lot.

That's your job, as an artist - occasionally escorting someone off your lot.

[Anonymous No.4532105]

Economies of scale and division of labor are the only reason you can get anything cheap. A single artist can't scale custom art, and custom work will always be expensive as a result.

[Anonymous No.4532113]

>>4531917
>It's pretty autistic to message an artist and say "I can get better art cheaper elsewhere", just go elsewhere.
Yeah, but that's common for pretty much anything these days, honestly. I know a lot of people who freelance, as photographers, videographers, writers, you name it, and all of them have been complaining for years, right along with me, how much time we spend wading through insulting lowballers and moochers and people demanding free shit.
A friend of mine is a musician, who has a group of musicians who pool together and do stuff like weddings and parties when they're not gigging. He was ranting not too long ago how someone tried to book him, and 3 other players, with a very specific playlist, and minimum 4 hours playing, and needed to provide a PA and lights...and were generously offered a free dinner for each musician and a drink ticket or two at the bar. And the woman was offended that he laughed at her and said 'We'll pass." Apparently it got nasty, she was saying things like "You should be grateful I'm willing to keep you employed, and you get free exposure too!"
This shit ain't unique to the online art commission world.

[Anonymous No.4532120]

>>4532113
>get free exposure too!
Musicians really get shit on.

[Anonymous No.4532127]

>>4532113
Not even just creators, really. People selling random used stuff on craiglist gets this treatment too.

[Anonymous No.4532135]

>>4531785
he's right you know

[Anonymous No.4532144]

nooooo if you know your worth and charge prices that are fair to yourself you’re narcissistic, everyone that doesn’t hate their work or themselves as deeply as I do is a conceited narcissist sociopath noooo you’re supposed to work for exposure and pennies because you’re just not good enough nooooo stupid narcissists!

[Anonymous No.4532196]

>>4532120
b-but they said nice things about my jawline!
>>4532135
it's not nice exposing OP as the cheap moocher that he is.

[Anonymous No.4532421]

I charge about $25/30 for full color. Fuck these artists

[Anonymous No.4532622]

>>4532421
but you're trash and no one wants to pay you.

[Anonymous No.4532775]

>>4532622
I would

[Anonymous No.4532970]

>>4531785
Stop producing generic low quality shit, and raise your prices. You’ll filter out all the retards that way and only get approached by serious clients willing to pay thousands.

At least that’s the case in comics/manga, where you’re hired for a longer term project and bank 3-4k sometimes more. Especially since competition is low in manga, as it’s way more difficult, and most people can’t draw it well. And I mean ACTUAL manga which requires a large variety of skills, not coomer anime-girl illustrators.

[Anonymous No.4532977]

>>4532421
thats not something be proud of you fucking fool
OP pic is obviously a retard but anything below $50 for /int/ work is underselling.
Hell, even if you're /beg/ your highest priced item shouldn't be below $50 unless you're an absolute beginner but if thats the case you shouldn't be taking comms anyway.
Have some fucking self respect.

[Anonymous No.4532979]

>>4532421
damn dont undersell yourself like that. if you put decent time into a drawing let yourself get more money for your work

[Anonymous No.4532996]

>>4532421
You would literally be making more working at fast food and you might get some PTO and insurance from that at least. How's it feel being an actual retard?

[Anonymous No.4533020]

>>4531837
um, so what are you doing now?

I'm in tech. and I feel like you basically just described my job. Kind of at breaking point, and not really sure where else to go.

[Anonymous No.4533025]

Artists nowadays really need to learn two things:

1. Your fans/customers do not actually care about what you want, need, or deserve. You might make them empathize, and one or two do-gooders might overpay, but not enough people will overpay for you to make a profit.
The vast majority only cares about the price and result, and no sob story or angry rant will change their mind. Your only chance is to network and specialize, doing what others can't or won't, e.g. specific style (kuvshinov), quality (kim jung gi), fetish (there are a lot). If you want to do something a lot of others do (realistic irl, anime, furry, fantasy) you'll have to race to the bottom.

2. Not everyone lives in Europe or America. Consider Vietnam, where the average wage is about $2/hour. In comparison, you probably live somewhere like Seattle, where the average wage is $40/hour, and the minimum is $16.
Before insulting another artist for their price (which doesn't make people buy from you, it just makes you look like an angry entitled calarts debt ridden crab), consider their situation.

[Anonymous No.4533028]

>>4532996
I am not that anon but I live in a country where average monthly wage is $450 after taxes, not everyone is from 1st world.

[Anonymous No.4533040]

I love in the thirdwordl and i'm feeling i'm currently underselling myself, Ive seen retards selling turds for 50+ USD and by turds I mean turds, so I think I will raise my price again just a tinsy bit higher, even though I still pretty much suck ass at drawing and i'm barely and slowly getting away the gravitational pull of /beg/, I decided to Made a living with drawing to not slave myself to death on some soulcrushing office work and turns out i'm doing even more slave work, fuck that.

[Anonymous No.4533063]

>>4531785
>lifetime of practice

why are semi begs so obnoxious

[Anonymous No.4533070]

I don’t see the problem. If people are willing to pay for art at the price that it’s at, then let them pay that much.

If people whine about art from someone being too expensive or try and get a deal and get rejected, there’s only hundreds of other artists you can commission to do the exact same thing.

[Anonymous No.4533072]

>>4531785
Because it takes them a long time and they want to make a living.

[Anonymous No.4533076]

>>4531785
Precisely why I don't risk wasting my time on working for Twitter randoms. I don't overcharge, it's $150 flat for a day of work, if you can't pay this much than you don't really need my hard labor.

[Anonymous No.4533098]

>>4532089
my man

[Anonymous No.4533146]

>>4531785
There's nothing wrong with demanding being paid a respectable amount for skilled work that, usually, takes hours to complete. If you think an artist commission should cost the equivalent of being paid $5 an hour because hobbyists in the market sell their shit for $15 a pop then neck yourself.

[Anonymous No.4533177]

How do you value your work? I never sold anything, but i want to try, considering that I have already been asked whether I sell or make prints. I paint with oil and sometimes acrylic on canvas or tick cardboards. The sizes are small, 30x40 cm the biggest of them. Time? I don't know, i never counted. I usually paint them for a very long time, like a couple of months but with long breaks. If you add up all the hours, it may come out a couple of days. Or a day.
Would be asking like 100$ too much for these? Maybe 80$? I think it makes no sense to sell for a lower price, since I just go to zero on the parcel, I live in the CIS country, so shipping will be quite expensive.
(Of course, I plan to do this only after the coronavirus will be gone)

[Anonymous No.4533210]

>>4532007
>I wish it would become a thing that artists charged for each interaction, heh.

people do this by charging more. just charge more right away or let your customer know that there is a limited number of feedback rounds and you will charge more for each extra request.

[Anonymous No.4533446]

>>4533177
I really like these. They are definitely worth more than $100. A general guideline is to count the hours you spend making it and multiply by the $/hour you'd like to be making.

[Anonymous No.4533460]

>>4533177
Really cool colors. Whats your secret?

You should put 4x more time into the lieart / undersketch phase, and you can charge 600USD for each piece.

[Anonymous No.4533501]

>>4533446
Oh, thank you. Maybe i can even sell for 200$? That would be fantastic, for me it's a great price. Another question then: where do you sell traditional art? Etsy, Instagram, Twitter?
>>4533460
>Whats your secret?
Ever heard about horror of noon? I'm trying to paint that.
>You should put 4x more time into the lieart / undersketch phase
Yep, I'm still learning how to convey perspective, light and all that.
I go to painting classes. Hopefully this will improve over time. Now I'm doing the best I can.
>600USD
Seems like something beyond imagination. That's more than i get paid for my job in month.

[Anonymous No.4534048]

>>4533501
>That's more than i get paid for my job in month
can you give me a number of your online accounds where you shill your stuff?

[Anonymous No.4534081]

I mean that's a dick way of putting it but those are still cheap prices, the artist is probably trash and not worth hiring in the first place though

[Anonymous No.4534107]

>>4534048
I'm working on it, in my country doesn't fully functioning PayPal (you can’t drop this money into a bank account or just at least cash it. I was born in hell.). I think of trying to use Payoneer, but since there is quarantin i have to wait until it's over to order a card.
Don't bother, i'm okay.

[Anonymous No.4534133]

Art field is oversaturated. It's why you have to get better and have a lot of references.

[Anonymous No.4534144]

>>4533020
save your money and quit for a few years or retire at 45.

[Anonymous No.4534154]

Have any of you actually looked at that artists’s art??

[Anonymous No.4534159]

>>4534107
>Don't bother, i'm okay.
you becoming schiyzo like my. tell us your story mr

[Anonymous No.4534160]

>>4534154
If that is what on it's avatar then it's not worth such money. It's not worth even 5$. Fuck, i wouldn't take that shit for free.

[Anonymous No.4534165]

>>4534154
>lookin at op artists’s art on /ic/
go back my sweat summer child...

[Anonymous No.4534174]

>>4534159
I don't have one, i just paint horror of noon, but i'm not good at it yet, it's the only thing that worries me for a couple of years now.

[Anonymous No.4534177]

>>4534174
wtf!!! I live there. are you hacking me??

[Anonymous No.4534182]

>>4534177
No, YOU HACKING ME

[Anonymous No.4534248]

>>4534160
>If that is what on it's avatar then it's not worth such money. It's not worth even 5$. Fuck, i wouldn't take that shit for free.
HA I laughed so hard at this my chest now hurts. And it's difficult to make me laugh, but you caught me by surprise.


I looked at that person's "art" and I can't believe anyone would pay for that. I guess their classmates at their junior high maybe?

[Anonymous No.4534265]

>>4534248
Yep. I looked at it too.

[Anonymous No.4534307]

>>4533177

500-1000 a piece, easy. Give it to a gallery in the US and people will shell out for it easy. Your work is great because it’s not too abstract, and it leaves room for interpretation, both of which are factors that art buyers fucking love.

Very good art anon!

[Anonymous No.4535038]

>>4534265
You just know that if it was porn people would pay for that shit

[Anonymous No.4535061]

>>4535038
You sure, for real? For MS paint level porn?

[Anonymous No.4535071]

>>4531785
It doesn't really matter, capitalism will take care of that. If their art is worth the price then people will pay it, if not then they'll have to lower their prices.

[Anonymous No.4535181]

>>4532089
you sound like a pretentious kike


>>4531796
so do you


>>4531967
fuck off jew


>>4532144
fuck off kike


>>4532996
gas yourself


>>4533072
jew


art should be free

[Anonymous No.4535207]

>>4531785
Not gonna lie, this got me inspired to start a furry art acc.

[Anonymous No.4535209]

>>4535181
ok tranny

[Anonymous No.4535229]

>>4535181
call others jew,but them want all free,shalom who's the jew now ehhh,it's better that you say you're broke than put this nonsense out of your
filthy mouth goldberg.

[Anonymous No.4535233]

>client doesn't want to talk over email
>wants to used some third party service or fucking discord

[Anonymous No.4535237]

>>4535207
Those accounts are always dead, you look at their FAs and they have like less than 10 submissions in 2 years

[Anonymous No.4535244]

>>4531839
And 1200 dollars for an entire issue from Dark Horse is a "proper job"? What the fuck, man...

[Anonymous No.4535257]

>>4535233
Those peoples are creeps who want to rp their OC with you or some sad loner with no irl friends

[Anonymous No.4535259]

>>4531839
Well comics pay like garbage

[Anonymous No.4535299]

>>4535181
cringe

[Anonymous No.4535312]

>>4535061
>coomers
>having standards
There's always one desperate guy out there.

[Anonymous No.4535317]

>>4532120
I got music i'll shill for free. Where do I submit?

[Anonymous No.4535379]

>>4532089

Based.

[Anonymous No.4535399]

>>4535244
>>4535259
How much can you pay through webtoons?

[Anonymous No.4535411]

>>4533025
Low IQ post.

[Anonymous No.4535421]

>>4535181
t. brainlet nmgi

[Anonymous No.4535439]

>>4532120
Musicians are gay

[Anonymous No.4535479]

>>4535209
>>4535229
>>4535299
>>4535421
samefag bernietard art whore crying because he can't bilk people for 1300 usd commission for "neon green dick"


fuck off retard

[Anonymous No.4535495]

>tfw made the pivot from art to design
>making 10x the money for 1/10 of the work
It feels good being smart

[Anonymous No.4535504]

>>4533028
Thats such retarded reasoning, WHY WOULDN'T YOU CHARGE AT AN AVERAGE RATE FOR MORE MONEY? You fucking third world brainlets are so fucking stupid, your fucking over yourself and everyone else.

[Anonymous No.4535505]

>>4535495
>design
Elaborate on the difference and how you got to where you are.

[Anonymous No.4535517]

>>4535505
I make logos, e.g. stuff like pic related (not mine). I have 0 academic education in the field, I just find design interesting so I picked it up naturally, as for skills all you need is Adobe Illustrator to vectorize what you come up with. I work with local businesses and they come to me through word of mouth, so if you're in a small place it might not be for you.

[Anonymous No.4535566]

>>4531785
>>4531796
this is why you shouldn't lowball. people who want art on the cheap will never be happy, they'll always want it for less and they'll be very rude about it. they are not worthwhile clients.

[Anonymous No.4535603]

>>4535517
Nice. How much do you make monthly?

[Anonymous No.4535612]

>>4534307
Thanks for the opinion, anon.

[Anonymous No.4535849]

>>4535207
>>4535237
And, how did it work out?

[Anonymous No.4535857]

>>4535566
Did you see her art? She is not worthwhile artist, goddamit.