My commission was bombed :( not that I produced it and they didn't like, but they just thought it was a little out of their price range. I read up on pricing and took the advice of several friends in the profession. One has just finished his degree and deals with mainly fantasy illustration, another has worked as an illustrator/graphic designer for many big companies, (I'm in awe of him), for the last maybe 20 years. The last has lectured and taught art for most of his life, he's retired now so he does it for pleasure. He's about to put an exhibition together. I guess the first thing they all told me was not to panic......so I panicked.
Pricing is so tough and as we discussed, it's a huge confidence thing. One told me to charge as much as I could get away with, then after the event said I should be charging around £10 "until you get really good".
Another said I should be charging between £20 and £25 per hour as a freelancer, I know he charges more, but his work is truly amazing and he has much more experience. He said,
"Be bold and don't undersell yourself, start with a high standard, I'd say £100-£120 for a pencil portrait."My retired friend said I should charge bare minimum £10 per hour, then materials, rent, lighting etc on top. All said,
"Just make sure you make a profit!"I find money confusing, I don't like it and wish we could all go back to bartering!
I've gone from friends asking me for my pictures for Birthdays and such to this. It's certainly a lesson! I guess it's that whole value, feeling valued thing. Sometimes if you don't even go there it's easier to deal with, yet if you don't go there you will never know!
I don't feel particularly creative right now, my head may as well be in a brown paper bag, but since when did I ever give up that easily!
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