deviantART has a sad culture of artists charging pennies for hours of work. I think a lot of this has to do with the implementation of points. I never really blamed the site for it (at least until I saw this, ug), because it's the deviants who make their prices and there are a lot of children on this website who don't have jobs. When I was 16 and I opened commissions for the first time, I never had a job, and getting $50 for 10 $5 commissions was ~*~*~* OMG SO MUCH MONEY I COULD LIEK BUY A DINNER AND SOME NEW PANTS ~*~*~*~* These days, it's even worse with people charging 50
for their artwork. That's 63 cents. [apologies for those outside the US who don't use USD currency]. Artwork is precious. Artwork is something to value and cherish. Custom commissioned artwork is not something that should cost the same as a frozen pizza. And if you are a client who feels that a piece you've commissioned from an artist IS worth as much as a frozen pizza then you need to do two things: 1) Actually research your artist so you know what you're in for and 2) punch yourself in the face. I say this with love
I'm going to copy pasta a post that painted-bees made on her tumblr:
PSA: If you can’t sell your art at minimum wage, you’re probably gonna have a hard time selling it for any less, as well. :T Cheaper does not always mean more enticing. In fact, it can be a real turn off to potential buyers who either consciously or subconsciously equate monetary price to intrinsic value and quality. (If you want to price your art cheaply, frame it as a ‘sale’ off the ‘original price’. The reception will generally be much better than simply pricing your work cheaply from the get-go. [See also: the infamous JC Penny fiasco])
If you’re selling your art for peanuts and STILL have a hard time making sales, the harsh reality comes down to you possibly needing to do one or both of the following:-Take some time to improve your craft/skillsets. You do not need post secondary school for this (in fact, there are plenty of BFA owners who appear to have learned nothing during their post secondary adventures), you just need the internet’s infinite wealth of resources, and a few spare hours every night before bed. And some hard core drive/will power to improve, I’m not even gonna pretend it’s as easy as reading a few tutorial or watching some videos <___> Art is hard, man.
-Take some time to learn how to promote yourself, your work, and your services in a more effective manner. Again, you do not need post secondary school for this, you just need the internet, and a few spare hours every night before bed. If you have some dollars to spare on it, there are also some really excellent books available; like “Crush It” by Gary Vaynerchuk (which echos a lot of the things I’ve said in the past, and much, much, much more).
Alternatively, keep doing what you’re doing if it’s working for you… or if you think I’m full of shit, that’s ok too.
And another post; probably the only good one to come out of artist-confessions that was written by not an artist, but someone who frequently commissions artists-- BADGERMUSHROOM
That last one is a really good one and if you don't read anything else in this journal/rant then at least read the above.Really low prices make me less likely to commission an artist.
Me: I’m not an artist. I do commission artists - I spend around $300-600 a month on digital art commissions.
I sometimes find an artist who has really impressive work, or a unique style, or something else that makes me think “I should commission this person.”. Then I look at their prices and they are crazily low. As in less than 20 dollars for a colour full body character.
And I don’t commission them. Because I can’t pay prices that low and feel good about myself for doing it.
I know it takes hours to draw even one character. Plus the time it takes to study the brief, look at the references, communicate with me, etc etc. No way are they making even minimum wage this way, let alone a living wage.
I commission art because it’s fun. It’s my hobby. If I’m knowingly paying someone slave wages to support my hobby, it isn’t fun.
To artists who undercharge: Please reconsider. I’ve heard many reasons why you decide to do this (see below). But if you price your work like you don’t respect it, you won’t get clients who will respect you or your work either. You charge peanuts, you get monkeys.
To commissioners who push for these prices: Have some respect. Not just for the artists, but for the other commissioners out there. You’re giving us all a bad name. If you can’t afford decent prices, don’t be mean about it. Save up, or find some other hobby. Or hey, learn to draw.Comments I get whenever I say the above:
- "No-one will buy commissions from me at decent prices." - That’s a pity. But you realise by underpricing like this you are making your problem worse, by contributing to the “art should be dirt cheap” mindset that seems to exist in dA and other places? (okay mostly dA, that place is a cesspit) Besides, there are other things you can do than keep lowering prices. There’s tons of advice in dA:
'Official' Pricing Your Commissions or Artwork Thread
Finding Freelance work: pricing and self doubt!
And other places:
How to get commissions: A guide
Getting the Most Out of Commissions
If none of the above helps you… maybe you need to reconsider if you are at the right stage in your development to be offering commissions. Sorry.- "I’m only doing this for fun, I don’t care about the money." - Good for you. But there are others that are trying to make a living doing this. Have some consideration for them, yes?
- "It’s the clients pushing my prices down." - Gah. Then your clients are awful people who don’t respect you. It’s a trap though - you charge low prices, you get cheap clients. There’s only one way out of that trap.
- (Commissioner says) “But I want this drawn and I can’t afford higher prices.” - I want to live in an exact replica of Wayne Manor, but I can’t afford that. So, um, I don’t. Simplify your idea, or don’t commission it until you can afford to do so without ripping off the artist.
- (Commissioner says) “By paying less per artist I can support more artists.” - No. Just… no. You are not supporting artists, you are exploiting them. Paying less per artists lets you exploit more artists.
- "Just tip the artist." - I have done that, but it sends the wrong message. Tipping isn’t the norm in this game, so when I tip artists assume it’s because they did an extra-awesome job, when in fact I’m tipping them because they did their normal-awesome job. Plus if an artist is charging one-third or one-quarter what they should be, do I tip them 300%?
(Image by me. Not an artist, remember? The price list is made up, but based on real lists I’ve seen recently.)
submitted by -badgermushroom
It breaks my heart when I see wonderful artists charging $10 for what I would price at $80. Artists who are WAY better than I am. Not only because they deserve so so so much more, but because [as stated in the quotes above] it hurts other artists who do want to charge reasonable prices for their work.
Anyway, that pretty much sums up my views on the matter. As Bees said, you are more than welcome to feel like I'm full of shit haha.
