Producing work that realises someone else's creative vision is an art in itself. You'll need to juggle tasks like pricing, contracts, feedback and payment, and there's opportunity for miscommunication and other inefficiencies to throw a spanner in the works. Building a solid process that works for you and your clients is essential for making sure it all runs smoothly.
Syd Mills works full-time as a freelancer whose client work includes book covers, character art and illustrations for tabletop RPGs. Her first piece of advice for those taking on commissions is that you start out small; begin with just three or fewer clients to make sure that you don't become overwhelmed.
Before you get going, work out your timescales and pricing. "Figure out how long it takes you to complete a non-commissioned piece, and understand that it may take much longer while working with a client," she says. "Requests for major revisions, delays in feedback, and personal life events can break up a timeline you assume will be smooth."
When you've got a sense of how long it takes you to complete an image, use this to calculate your minimum charge for a project of a given length. "Build your pricing around the expectation that you deserve a living wage for what you do," says Syd. Take into account that you should be earning enough to build up some emergency funds, and remember to push your prices up in line with inflation.
"I always make sure I understand exactly what the client is looking for before I set a price," she says. "Rates depend on the specifics of the job, typically number of characters, cropping (whether it's a full or half body), the outfit or armour, any accessories, and environment. I repeat these exact five things to almost every prospective client I speak to so they know what information to provide."
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Denne historien er fra August 2023-utgaven av ImagineFX.
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Raquel M. Varela
Raquel is inspired by magic, fantasy and fairy tales. She loves designing female characters from distant worlds. \"My greatest reference is Loish's art, thanks to her I learned to draw the movement and fluidity I like to convey.\"
Estrela Lourenço
Estrela is a children's book author and illustrator. Her work is influenced by her background in character animation and storyboards for clients such as Cartoon Network, and she channels comic strips like Calvin and Hobbes.
Daria Widermanska
Daria, also known as Anako, has been drawing for as long as she can remember. Inspired by Disney and classic anime, she loves creating new characters and often finds that a single sketch can spark a unique story.
Allen Douglas
Allen has been painting professionally since 1994 for the publishing and gaming industries. Inspired by folklore, he distorts the size, relationships and environments of animals, and calls his paintings 'unusual wildlife'.
Thaddeus Robeck
Thaddeus has been drawing from the moment he could hold a pencil, but it was the 2020 lockdowns that gave him the time to focus on honing his skills.
DRAW FASCINATING SYMBOLIC ARTWORK
Learn how JULIÁN DE LA MOTA creates a composition from his imagination with a focus on crafting figures, volumetric modelling, and light and shadow
First Impressions
The artist talks about his journey into the mythological world
CREATIVE STRENGTH IN COMMUNITY
Co-founder and creative force André Luís talks about the ethos and evolution of Trojan Horse Was A Unicorn
Gigi Murakami
Shock and terror! Step into the world of the American horror manga artist, where her tastes are on full display
The path to the top at a video games company
No cheat codes required Tanya Combrinck finds out exactly what it takes to make the leap from burgeoning student to game-shaping art director