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How much should I charge for art commissions
- junior in highschool #art
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Robert’s Answer
It depends. The size of the piece. The media used. The complexity of the piece.
A good rule of thumb is double the cost of materials plus an hourly rate. If it's digital content, then double any costs you might incur in production, plus your hourly rate. $20 an hour would not be unreasonable, and the US national average for a fine artist is just below $25/hr.
The hard part is getting good at estimating how long it will take you to deliver what the customer is asking for in the commission. The first few times, you'll likely short-change yourself because things will take longer than you expect. But it's also OK to give a high estimate and then a lower final bill if the project comes in cheaper in materials or time.
But always get half of the commission up front as a deposit to cover materials costs.
A good rule of thumb is double the cost of materials plus an hourly rate. If it's digital content, then double any costs you might incur in production, plus your hourly rate. $20 an hour would not be unreasonable, and the US national average for a fine artist is just below $25/hr.
The hard part is getting good at estimating how long it will take you to deliver what the customer is asking for in the commission. The first few times, you'll likely short-change yourself because things will take longer than you expect. But it's also OK to give a high estimate and then a lower final bill if the project comes in cheaper in materials or time.
But always get half of the commission up front as a deposit to cover materials costs.
Thank you for your advice:)
Priscilla
Updated
Addi’s Answer
Hi Priscilla! This is a great question, and one that many artists will ask themselves at many stages in their careers.
For fine art/crafting, a good starting point as mentioned above is: (hourly rate X number of hours worked) + (cost of materials X2). For digital art, you can start with an hourly rate, but I recommend increasing that hourly rate. A common misunderstanding is that digital art has no "materials" involved, but you (the artist) still have to pay for software, subscriptions, equipment, and so on - so "materials" are very much part of the project!
Always be sure to get 50% deposit of the payment before starting any work. If a client disappears or stops responding halfway through the project, then at least you'll have been paid for your time. Never send originals/high quality files until you've received the rest of the payment.
As a newer artist, you may feel shy about charging an hourly rate when you don't know how long it will take to complete a project, but that's ok! Over time you'll get a feel for how long a project might take you, and you'll become more comfortable with giving an estimated cost to your client. At the very least, make sure your hourly rate is equal to your local minimum wage - you deserve that much! And of course, as your skills grow or your take on new techniques, don't be shy about increasing your rates accordingly. Your skills and knowledge are valuable, it's not just about the cost of the final product.
One last piece of advice: it might be tempting to underprice your work because other artists charge less, or you don't feel comfortable charging a certain amount, but please don't sell yourself short. When you underprice your work, you hurt your own brand as well as other artists. If it helps, set a goal such as "after 20 commissions at this price, I will increase my price".
Look up local minimum wage, and use that as a starting point for your hourly rate.
If working in fine art/craft, keep track of how much your materials cost.
Research other artists who are creating similar commissions to see a range of pricing, but don't be pressured to lower your prices if their prices are low.
For fine art/crafting, a good starting point as mentioned above is: (hourly rate X number of hours worked) + (cost of materials X2). For digital art, you can start with an hourly rate, but I recommend increasing that hourly rate. A common misunderstanding is that digital art has no "materials" involved, but you (the artist) still have to pay for software, subscriptions, equipment, and so on - so "materials" are very much part of the project!
Always be sure to get 50% deposit of the payment before starting any work. If a client disappears or stops responding halfway through the project, then at least you'll have been paid for your time. Never send originals/high quality files until you've received the rest of the payment.
As a newer artist, you may feel shy about charging an hourly rate when you don't know how long it will take to complete a project, but that's ok! Over time you'll get a feel for how long a project might take you, and you'll become more comfortable with giving an estimated cost to your client. At the very least, make sure your hourly rate is equal to your local minimum wage - you deserve that much! And of course, as your skills grow or your take on new techniques, don't be shy about increasing your rates accordingly. Your skills and knowledge are valuable, it's not just about the cost of the final product.
One last piece of advice: it might be tempting to underprice your work because other artists charge less, or you don't feel comfortable charging a certain amount, but please don't sell yourself short. When you underprice your work, you hurt your own brand as well as other artists. If it helps, set a goal such as "after 20 commissions at this price, I will increase my price".
Addi recommends the following next steps:
Thank you for your advice I really appreciate it!
Priscilla