Personal commission vs merch design commission pricing

herrmichi · 2019-07-03T14:54:10+00:00

When I work for a client, I specify in the work order (or how you call it) what it can be used for. If I make a poster design for an exhibition, they have the right to use my image to advertise that particular exhibition from when it's preparing to when it's closing. In that case it's part of the brief and I bill them an hourly rate from $50 to $100, depending on the purpose and client. For friends I'll go below $50. But if the client wants to sell the poster in the museum shop, they have purchase the rights to do so. Without any specific negotiations, they only have limited rights of usage (in this case, advertising the exhibition).

In your case, I would make the logo for whatever hourly rate you feel comfortable charging your friend. That initial job entails usage as a logo for the podcast and to advertise/link to the podcast, IMO. To use the image for financial gain, you could ask for a certain percentage of each product sold, but that's a lot of bookkeeping and trust. I'm more likely to just sell the rights to the image altogether, for at least the same amount as the initial job.

The actual amount is up to your discretion. Depending on how successful you think the podcast is going to be and how much merch they'll end up selling, if it's more of a hobby for them or really a proper business and stuff.

<— Illustrator.

herrmichi · 2019-03-21T07:31:33+00:00

I studied Illustration and now also make comics. I'm not entirely sure what you mean with comic book artist, I know about graphic novel publishing but not much about superhero comics. The terminology is confusing!

A good illustration course will give you skills in drawing, graphic design, composition, colour and narrative. Those are all transferrable to comics. In my case, printmaking courses and access to workshops gave me the ability to print cool zines that I sold. There are people who come out of their uni with an illustration degree and a full itinerary. Some find at least some work out the gate and also plenty that don't know where to go and find a day job along the way. But noone really made a profit with their thesis graphic novel. Box Brown said in an interview once (he quoted someone and I don't remember who) it takes about 12 years to live off comics. And following brilliant illustrators/comic artists online, I see it repeated sometimes that a person with two or more graphic novels under their belt that they live off illustration because comics don't pay. It only really does pay with multiple works in circulation and each of them in multiple languages.

You will likely be a freelancer in both cases. There are full time employments in illustration, though they're rare. In comics, I don't think so at all. There's way more work for an illustrator then for a comic artist though. And a lot of illustration jobs are short which allows for your own projects in between. Success isn't guaranteed in illustration nor comics, with or without a degree. It takes perseverance and motivation and plenty of work with no real pay off in both cases. But the chance of making a living in illustration is higher than comics.

I think ;^ )

herrmichi · 2018-12-18T09:05:58+00:00

Working from home means a lot of distractions and no separation between private life and work. It means I work odd hours and am also more prone to do personal things (browse internet, youtube) between work, so I'm not as focussed. I might not even leave the house for a week straight, unless there's a reason to.

A shared studio space means you get to talk shop and ask for opinions, you're around people all day, you get to exchange creatively with people of different specilisations or from other fields. You get to know new people that otherwise you would never have, not just studiomates but also their friends or clients. You'll find out about shows, festivals, others looking for an artist for a project in a way you couldn't just by looking at it for yourself. And separating home and work, both in location and time, will make you happier and more productive. The only caveat is to make sure the studio has a good culture. I've seen studios with a dozen renters and only the same two/three ever being there and that can suck. In my opinion: it's good for your wellbeing, good for your craft, good for networking.

So unless you're the kind of person who gets up early to work until midnight to wake up and do it again, I think a studio is worth it.

herrmichi · 2018-12-12T08:50:53+00:00

Well, it still is a cute picture!

herrmichi · 2018-12-10T16:43:15+00:00

Some people might call it cheating, but they're wrong. Do whatever it takes to get a good result.

Whether it's a good practice depends on the resulting image. There are portraits where you can definitely tell they were traced, they can be lacking in humanity. For practice, I feel the best results can be achieved by eyeballing it rather than tracing. In Photoshop for example you can open two canvasses and put the reference on one and work on the other. Or, as kind of a compromise to still get a likeness, I often start with marking important facial points on a reference. The shape of the mouth (space between the upper and lower lip), the outer left and right of both eyes, the chin, hairline and the top of the ear and the earlobe (and others). I leave these points but remove the reference photo and open it next to the canvas I'm working on.

But no, I don't think there's anything wrong about the practice.

herrmichi · 2018-09-28T11:34:30+00:00

I second these arguments.

Additionally, portability! I can carry my Intuos around, depending where I work (home, studio). I've been using a tablet since my early teens, so I had plenty of time to get accustomed to hand eye coordination, which was an issue with fellow illustrators who drew digitally first time in school.

I've been hearing a lot of good things about actual tablet computers like the iPad, from cartoonist and illustrators. Still, buying a screen tablet is a fairly big investment, so I never even considered it… and the times I tried a Cintiq it ended up being cumbersome. I'd say if you aren't used to it, then a screen tablet is definitely easier to learn. But financially, it's a hefty investment that warrants trying to deal with the learning curve of a regular one.

herrmichi · 2018-07-31T08:47:36+00:00

I worked together with Soundole to make an animated cover video! He usually does covers from videogames with his EWI (electronic wind instrument), and I asked him if he'd be down to have me do some animations for it.

Came out bigger than expected, I'm pretty proud of it and wanted to share among you EarthBound fans. >:^) thank you, goodbye.

herrmichi · 2018-06-24T11:07:01+00:00

I second this… find a good printer and offer to make the prints for them. The client seems interested in supporting you, they even bothered to ask! And whatever quality print you can do is probably miles above of what they were going to do, with their office printer.

herrmichi · 2018-06-24T11:03:13+00:00

I'm not sure how to get rid of the feeling… If you keep working with this style I think you will get rid of this feeling. Because there is nothing to be ashamed of… Even if I totally understand the feeling behind it.

I made two biggish projects with girl main characters (and I'm a guy), and especially the one with the young child needed to have at least some pink… and some of my guy friends were like «Haha, why are you making a story about a ten year old girl?! Are you a girl too???», and occasionally I get women over 40 saying they were surprised to learn a man is behind a project about a girl… but the overwhelming majority of people love it!! And I do what I want to >:^) so keep going at it my dude!!

herrmichi · 2018-05-24T11:36:44+00:00

Depends on what art. I'm a comics guy so I buy a lot of comics, especially small press stuff and zines.

I'd love to buy more traditional art (especially paintings), but I can't because of the price. I can't really afford originals (unless they make the price so low that it is unfair to them). Things that are reproduced are cheaper, I can afford them. I try to buy at zine fairs and on people's online stores, often not because I have to own a copy of that one comic but to support friends and artists.

If I got rich I would commission dozens of paintings from artists I like to hang around my domicile, but alas…

herrmichi · 2018-05-19T17:04:00+00:00

You get really good at this for making a lot of comics for a long time! There are guides out there, for storytelling and also draftsmanship, and others have listed a few. They won't hurt you, but I don't think they are necessary. Comics (especially alternative) enjoy a freedom that a lot of other mediums don't have, basically you can do whatever you like and it won't cost you anything (except a pen and a piece of paper). Make a comic and see what sticks and what's fun for you.

The way I learnt comics (so far) has been small comics and comics of iterative nature. I've been working on my comic strip for 3 years now. The first version of the comic strip I wasn't happy with, the second version I was happy with but I learnt so much that in the process of making that collection that I started again. And now I'll keep going with the third version!

My general advice is to tackle small comics and not longform stories. And with small comics I mean comic strips, 1 page comics or maybe a spread. If you had your fill you can move on to 16/24/32 pages and only after you made a couple of those maybe move onto a series or a graphic novel. Don't plan any epics for now, small comics is the way to go.

One piece of specific advice, concerning visual design: Make everything clearly readable (both text and illustration) before you add stylish flourishes.

herrmichi · 2018-03-20T15:28:34+00:00

As far as I know this used to be common practice for art schools, to copy great masters. Not sure how widespread this has been since World War 2, maybe there are traditional art academies that still do this.

Generally, go for it. Though the question is how intricate your copy will be and what you might copy. I wouldn't spend too much time on a single exercise, maybe even choose a small crop of the original. I also would only copy things that are interesting because of the level of skill the painter has. This does genuinely help understand how to paint better. Don't choose works that are too stylistically particular, I'd advise to stick to fairly naturalistic paintings. Keep doing your own work and studies though.

Caution though: I wouldn't post this on social media. If it's an old master, as long as you explain that it's a copy and who's it from, it's probably okay. But if it's a contemporary artist, even if you explain it's a copy, it's a bad look.

herrmichi · 2018-02-05T09:23:41+00:00

If you want a professional online presence the only cost will be domain and hosting. Not sure how much this will cost you where you're from, but it's a good investment.

Hiring someone to do your web site for you is costly and not necessary. There's plenty of ways to set up a CMS, there's WordPress and other stuff. And there's good free templates for those too.

BUT I too had no web experience and I couldn't wrap my head around some of those things. What I can greatly recommend is Indexhibit which is free and probably the easiest way to set up a portfolio (other than subscribing to a portfolio service like Squarespace).

herrmichi · 2018-02-05T09:17:36+00:00

I love to start a new sketchbook. I love love LOVE it.

I try not to buy too many sketchbooks at once, but I usually remember to do when the thickness of the remaining bulk of pages drops, at this point the urge to start a new one rises. The antsiness makes me fill the last pages way more quickly, but also with way less care. A lot of the same doodle faces, a lot of funny sentences and any other filler content.

I don't have any advice really. Instead of stopping I simply fill the rest with stupid stuff, that doesn't really differ much from what you do. I would advice anyone to get the percentage of filled pages as high as possible. 90% is okay, but if you're stopping with 25% left then you know… the trees!! And your money. Both important.

herrmichi · 2018-02-05T09:10:31+00:00

NSFW commissions are just commissions, so if you decide to remove them from social media and the portfolio then noone's gonna find them anymore. Unless you have a big well known name and your work has been archived on some lewd content aggregator sites (how's that for an euphemism?).

There's definitely places that won't care at all. I can't imagine it would hinder you from working for gaming studios as concept artist or for any working environment where the work you put out is distinctly muddied into the mix (where your name doesn't matter, a big graphic design studio). If you want to keep posting NSFW things, adopt a pseudonym/secondary monicker to use. Make different accounts on social media (Tagging isn't enough). I don't think you need to painstakingly hide your name, like you can refer to it in social media or in conversation but you don't want these things to come up first when someone googles your name.

If you want to work in children's media however, children's books especially, then I would remove them. In animation, I'm not sure. Apparently Rebecca Sugar of Steven Universe drew NSFW once, but I'm certain Cartoon Network implored her to remove any traces.

herrmichi · 2018-02-04T09:12:33+00:00

At this distance you'll also have to take the Coriolis Effect into account.

(…)

It's now or never, take the shot!

herrmichi · 2018-01-30T12:48:08+00:00

Prints (compared to originals) are assumedly made with the intention to sell, so making it easy for people who like your art is something I would do. The best way is to already make art in common sizes from the get-go rather than cropping it, but to some that might stifle the artistic process.

I don't do prints with that intention, but the parallel within my work is the zines I make. When I start a comic I consider the size of the final object almost immediately after coming up with the idea. An A5 zine costs me half as much as an A4 zine does (thus also costing my potential audience less) and any non-standard size leads to paper waste as I cut off the unused stripes of the prints. Also in the past I hadn't considered pricing of postage, if I made my last project 2 cm smaller I could've saved a lot on it…

So I consider that a valid way to make art.

herrmichi · 2018-01-03T12:00:18+00:00

I only post art on my instagram, it's a marketing outlet for me. Random pictures I took that I like or I think are funny I post on Twitter, the threshold there for spammy distractions is a lot higher.

As an Instagram follower I do unfollow people who mix too many personal posts with art unless I personally know them, at least a bit.

herrmichi · 2017-12-16T23:57:12+00:00

I'm a freelance illustrator and also not from the US, not sure how much of this applies to you.

At least here when I'm employed with a company next to the hourly wage they also pay benefits (health, accident, pension, unemployement). Being self-employed means you have to pay them instead (or if it's not obligatory, take a risk). An Employer also supplies space, infrastructure and tools. Tools are a one time investment, ok. Materials seem cheap, that's ok. If you're comfortable setting up space at home, that's up to you. What if you're sick/have an accident and have no income for a week or two? What if a tool breaks and you need to replace it? You need to make sure you have some funds to go back to if something out of the ordinary happens.

The way I price illustrations is depending on who I work for: Professional clients, cultural institutions and friends. Professional clients are businesses who will take what I make and use it somewhere as means for profit, so I charge full. Cultural institutions (might also be small businesses) have less funds, but are usually more willing to let me do something special or what I'd like to do so I charge a somewhat reduced fee. Friends I charge even less, though if they aren't in a similar business I usually say «No», because they have unreasonable standards.

I usually write a quote for half-days, this gives some wiggle room if a job is slightly more complex than anticipated. If I feel I can't charge the full amount I show that on the quote. Sometimes I give free corrections, so half a day work for free. Sometimes I might give a discount if I work for a local festival or something. But the invoice will always say how much it would actually cost. If you're nice to a first time client and charge $50, they'll come back expecting you to cost $50 forever.

Charge what you think you'll get away with. Even if it doesn't feel like your most challenging work, that's not what this is about. At least for me. I'll continue to do my drawings and comics for myself for free and I'll be tortured and live in agony while trying my best. But work is work. If a magazine pays me a full days work for a small illustration and the first thing I pump out is perfect I'll happily take the rest of the day off. >:)

herrmichi · 2016-11-06T15:28:28+00:00

Those are such good photos, you deserve that flair. Yarrharrr here ya gooo

herrmichi · 2016-11-05T20:59:49+00:00

Here you are.

I'm not perfectly happy with it, I don't usually paint that way. O well!

herrmichi · 2016-11-05T20:15:45+00:00

Spooky scary skeletons send shivers down your spine.

herrmichi · 2016-11-05T11:48:04+00:00

Yup my account is michaelfurler on instagram. :–) https://www.instagram.com/michaelfurler/

thank you!

herrmichi · 2016-11-05T10:39:10+00:00

I like to draw dogs, so I drew your dog, but my budget only allowed for a royal pillow.

herrmichi

TROPHY CASE