How to Price Your Art Commissions (for Beginners)

[@wingedcanvas]

☝Take this first step: Download the free ArtDen App -- designed for digital art commissions: www.artdenapp.com/

[@Axeta.]

hey i tried to find the app but it keeps telling me that it’s not available in my region, even when i use a vpn :/

[@kristinasilverbears5034]

Doing lives now? Nice.

[@wingedcanvas]

@@Axeta. Sorry to hear that, they are taking requests for service so contact ArtDen and let them know where you'd like to see them expand to!

[@NekoSamaIru]

$20 to $25 per hour! Damn! I have been taking that much for a whole day's work. I didn't realise how under-priced I was. Yet, people still ask me for discounts.

[@IcyDaBoss]

Yea Mfs who ask for art pieces 90% of the time don’t draw themselves, don’t under-price your art because art is a luxury to have and a blessing skill to have🙏

[@kashawnahill1357]

@@NekoSamaIru oh my gosh! A discount from $20 is crazy work. Those type of people don’t truly appreciate art🥹

[@marusera.]

1 dollar in my country XD (R$6)

[@potnoned]

undercharging not only hurts the artists, but also other artists, because the bar is put so low that others can't compete

[@Hyginx]

I really do appreciate the topic, but at the speed I work, coupled with the quality of my art, I could not charge based on minimum wage. I would be outcompeted drastically by artists who are far better and more efficient than myself.

[@wingedcanvas]

And that's totally fine! Don't let the pressure of having to sell your art get to you if you don't feel like you're ready! Good on you for recognizing that, and know that taking the time to learn art and things you want to learn will help you grow and get faster naturally! Focus on learning first, and know that we're rooting for you and you will do great! c: - Iggy

[@Funky_Freshness]

I've been thinking about doing commissions later this year when I have a consistent style and I'm a bit more advanced, so this was really helpful! Also Jessie, you're absolutely gorgeous 😱♥️

[@iconicanemone9544]

I would love to learn how to charge for commercial use of my art and designs! I’ve had that asked of me at one point and totally blanked on it, so I would love to learn more so I have a better response in the future!

[@AndiZ-j3c]

I really like doing commissioner for out of country dollars. *20 dollars is ALOT in my place lol*

[@axelerwan7281]

I'd definitely be interested on a "selling art for commercial use" version of this

[@louenry]

This video was great! I’m slowly getting into doing commissions so this came at the right time for me :) I have a question: For something like character cards for books, that get printed and sold by the publisher of the author (who would be the one to commission me) for a longer period of time, should I charge a commercial fee? And how would you calculate that? Especially when you don’t know how often it’s actually getting printed and sold beforehand.

[@SnowFox-gv2rn]

Thank you for making video! It was very helpful and clear Also, I’d be interested in learning about the royalty pricing process as well

[@Quincyboo1]

Would it be possible to see a video on how to protect yourself as a digital artist doing commissions? For example, payment up front or a deposit and then payment upon seeing the final product? PayPal scams and or best ways/apps to be paid through to protect ourselves. What kinds of terms of service would you suggest to implement when advertising for commissions? Also insight on standard practice for a customer that decides to cancel a commission last minute would be really helpful! Sorry for the long comment. These are just things I’ve been curious about that have held me back from taking public clients!

[@wingedcanvas]

We are actually working on a video about this exact topic -- what to include in a terms of service! Stay tuned ;)

[@miamalt]

I personally charge full upfront for sketch commission and for bigger pieces I offer an alternative of 50% upfront and 50% after the sketch is approved. Especially in times of AI, I would never hand out anything before at least partial (non-refundable) payment is made. Consider that even if the commissioner is not happy with the sketch, you still took your time to not only draw it but also talk with them beforehand, study their references, do research etc.

[@BrwnBunniX33]

i personally dont think my art is good enough to charge 20+ plus i work extremely quick, but this video is still extremely helpful!

[@Fire-Toolz]

@@BrwnBunniX33 if you work quick you should be paid MORE

[@BrwnBunniX33]

@@Fire-Toolz ehh I get what you’re saying.

[@MattGoesSplat]

Thank you for the video - very helpful! New to this channel, but another topic I’m curious about are the rules of fan art? Perhaps there aren’t any, but wondering if permission needs to be granted to draw existing IP characters and selling those. Thanks!

[@Blissofthelavender]

As someone who doesn’t make a living off of my art and still lives with my parents as a minor I will usually charge base price with added on for how difficult something was:)

[@tsukiraaquarius8746]

What is the difference between royalty pricing and personal comission pricing?

[@xxtechnocatxx916]

Would my drawing speed affect cost? Like rn i draw pretty slow and i dont wanna charge a lot based on my own inadequacy

[@spam-el3ee]

Maybe just cover that with the client beforehand. You know, put out a timetable or something.

[@Mystical_Kit]

I want to do art commissions so much, I even tried spreading awareness for it, but like many other attempts I've done, it's gone unnoticed by people just seeing the example art (mind you at least 12 years of art experience so I say my art skills are at least a high medium) and just saying good job, and for family just saying I love you, and it just reminded me of the time when I tried to put it out there I was selling sewn up dolls because it was another one of my art forms and it went unnoticed and nobody bothered with it, so it just makes me scared to do anything with my art

[@zinzolin14]

Thank you for the helpful insight! I'm planning to start freelancing this year and was thinking of starting at around $25 CAD/hour, ideally finish a piece over the course of a week or two. I do prefer to do sketches, iterations and concepts before I tackle the actual end product, so that adds a couple hours in too. I'm generally a slower drawer, so it's something I have to consider. Any advice in my case?

[@emeraldqueen1994]

IF I ever did commotions, my prices would be (cost of supplies - including shipping for physical art) required up front plus ($X per hour of work)

[@AozoraOrigami]

as someone whos been thinking about comission prices, also in ontario, this was really helpful!! thanks!

[@wingedcanvas]

So glad we could help!

[@SilverShion]

​Question: If I ask for a commission and I use it for a game I'm working on, do I have to pay the artist extra based on my profit?

[@wingedcanvas]

This depends on what's agreed upon in the Terms of Service of the commission! Generally, you should always tell the artist if you use the artwork elsewhere or for purposes previously not clarified. This video covers public commissions only and doesn't really go over licensing and other agreements. We'll cover what should go into a TOS in our next video 🤓

[@zthekitsune]

I'd say, as an artist, that it would be preferred. Also do tell the artist you're gonna do that to see if they're okay with it. I personally would be okay with it but others may not.

[@zthekitsune]

I'd say, as an artist, that it would be preferred. Also do tell the artist you're gonna do that to see if they're okay with it. I personally would be okay with it but others may not.

[@abcdefg-hv2ks]

Depends on the artist's wishes. You absolutely have to ask to license the artwork. You can either settle on a % of the profits you make from their creations by using it in your game, or as a flat sale. It matters a lot more when the artwork is prominent ie as a simple buttons or items, or artwork of a character,etc. Im not an expert, but that's what I've seen.

[@dankmersi4282]

Could you make a video on how and where to advertise for commissions? effective marketing strategies would be an awesome accompanying video to this one

[@wingedcanvas]

Thanks for the suggestion! Have you seen the rest of our Commissions series?! What did you think? kzbin.info/aero/PLUqm7Uq0GjEDVyKQA_5QTUIdHK_d3jFYw

[@wingedcanvas]

Have you tried the ArtDen App: www.artdenapp.com/

[@dankmersi4282]

@@wingedcanvas I have thank you and loved each video! each one thus far is very informative and is giving me a direction to follow to set up my own commissions properly :D

[@dankmersi4282]

@@wingedcanvas Thank you I will check it out!

[@meow-meov]

i looked it up and where i live aperantly people are working 3$/hour 😥 i feel like i shoudnt use that as a starter, feels really really low

[@HugoYogurt]

very helpful

[@maskedYoutube7551]

You sounded like darwin at the last part. But I'm really glad i found your video, i want to start doing art commissions simply because i love art. And for my question, how many different kinds of art styles are there?

[@amandad5803]

4:53 And I did something similar for FREE 😭😭😭

[@A_R_B.]

Dumb question: how do taxes play into this? I want to start commissions, but I have this (potentially irrational) fear/worry I'm gonna end up in trouble. I never really see anyone talk about those things, and if they do they explain it in a way I can't wrap my head around. I'm in the states if that matters at all.

[@jerzuma]

I've seen this a lot, but why charge less for a second character? It's a little confusing why you'd charge less when you'll be doing the same amount of work

[@olestraumy3647]

Second character is usually (though not always), well secondary to the primary character. If you want a piece featuring Batman with Joker as a background character the artist will spend more time (thus charge you more money) on Batman compared to Joker. However, if you want Batman and Joker as equals (they're fighting or whatever) it makes sense to charge primary character x2 since the piece has two primary characters.

[@jerzuma]

@@olestraumy3647 I see! That makes sense. So overall the pricing depends on the piece. Thanks for explaining!

[@Wolfury_30]

Where i live in the US and minimum wage is $10 an hour

[@frankkennedy6388]

But how do you determine the exact number when factoring in skill level?

[@y2k_aureta]

Make a video on how to make commissions sheets plss

[@wingedcanvas]

Great idea, we'll have to dive more in-depth into that. Have you seen the other videos in this series? kzbin.info/aero/PLUqm7Uq0GjEDVyKQA_5QTUIdHK_d3jFYw

[@y2k_aureta]

@@wingedcanvas yes

[@y2k_aureta]

Yes I have yes ma am also I'm still learning to draw also I'm 15 and have a disability with memory but sometimes I can rember it's just my memory is different next minutes I rember then another time I forget

[@y2k_aureta]

That's why I watch your videos they help me sometimes when I watch them and also helps me with my art block sometimes to!

[@wingedcanvas]

That's awesome to hear, thanks for the support!! @@y2k_aureta

[@collegemaster5683]

Sooooo pretty ✨

[@TheSleepyWarlord]

Im going to charge pretty cheap because im mainly just doing these for fun and most money im just going to use to buy things i want, since i still live with my parents and have a part time job.

[@botaktatasumo]

i have a question!! 😂 : - If i've never worked as an artist but have had post secondary art education, would it still make me legit?

[@dragonninja9908]

Yes

[@Shadowthevampire]

Where can we find YOUR comission page 😊? I think it would help me by looking st it and I got curious of your art

[@t0ffeeb3an]

ok so i have been drawing my entire life, been drawing dragons for 5 years, been doing digital art for 2 years, I am a pretty advanced artist, and my commissions (for a full body dragon/human) is $25. is that too much for too little? PLEASE SOMEONE TELL ME.

[@itsshepherd5618]

@@t0ffeeb3an too little

[@lilyanacreates]

I made a drawing that took me 54 mins and 23 seconds. What do I price my art commissions???????

[@hyleore]

I'm a slow artist, so I'd feel bad charging minimum wage per hour for my art, especially since I'm not a professionally trained artist. maybe I'll divide it by two, or four haha

[@evans_design]

help, how do i factor in drawing on my WACOM + going 2 a private art school?? both were super expensive and i feel like any number higher than minimum wage is 2 much 2 charge 😭😭

[@IAN-uj6zg]

Damn, minimum wage in my country is like 3$ per hour

[@CCDibujos]

If you are latin american and your'e watching this: this is not the same. in latin america they will think that you are over charging for "Just a drawing" because people will always want to go with the cheaper option or think that you're art is not worth what you say it is, so set different prices for latin american countries.

[@wilderulz]

whats your experience shipping art within canada and internationally? i've had a hell of a time with how expensive it is, do you have any advise?

[@FurbyFWX]

Rn i set my fully rendered + shaded fullbodies at 10$USD each, but is it too expensive? I charge by piece, not time (since i often procrastinate when i draw, i take quite some time) so far, i have not been commissioned EVER YET. Is it too expensive? My style is like cartoony, maybe comic style

[@773Spair]

You may already have a video on this, but I'm asking the question here because I'm not sure how you would phrase the topic. How do you describe what kind of image you want an artist to create without creating it yourself, therefore defeating the purpose of commissioning the artist? You would want to avoid the scenario in which an artist spends several hours creating an image just to find it's far from what the commissioner wants/needs.

[@CuriosityRocks]

Make a mood board of photographs and if you have any music or poetry that describes the mood you want then add that too, explain how the finished work should make the viewer feel for example is it happy and joyful, scared, suspenseful etc. and if you want a portrait of yourself or a drawing of something you own then you need to provide your artist clear and well lit photos

[@773Spair]

Thank you, @@CuriosityRocks , I've saved this as a note😁

[@miamalt]

I‘d also add, if you have a specific composition or pose in mind, sometimes it already helps the artist when you doodle a quick stick figure thumbnail to give them a better idea. So you don‘t have to draw the full thing with proper anatomy and linework etc. just a rough visual orientation for them.

[@773Spair]

Thank you, @@miamalt , I've added your input, too.

[@maddalenamatteo4578]

but if I live in Europe and want to take commissions from anyone, should I write on my commission page the prices in euros, or in dollars?

[@romina-s9y]

i usually like make my prices a bit cheaper cause 1 dollar is like 57 pesos or smt lol i forgot

[@MaddieAnonymous]

How do you export the files when doing art commissions with medibang? I've been thinking about the possibility of considering taking commissions for a little while, but I only have medibang paint🙃 I know people do art commissions with medibang, but I'm not sure what file types to use to send the client. Most of what little information I can find on this is to "export it as a PDF" but, as far as I'm aware, medibang does not have that option. I would like it if clients were able to printout the artpieces, if they so desired, since I don't currently have the resources, but I can't find much straight-forward non-conflicting information on this subject. What file type do you send to the clients? Please give me info! 😭😭

[@kwingle]

What's the reason to email digital artwork as opposed to sending it over discord?

[@wingedcanvas]

Discord automatically compresses all images you send, meaning the files visual integrity is being lost. Typically a commissioner will want a higher quality image. It's also a good record of work delivered, in-case of push-back later on.

[@sarahcorreia485]

Art den isnt available in canada i am going to CRY 😭

[@wilderulz]

they said it should be available sometime in January

[@artdenapp]

Hey! Please don't cry :( We are actually releasing to Canada sooner than expected! It will be available to Canada on January 8th! 🎉

[@malx_heartz]

Soooo.... Uhmm, maybe min wage is not such a great idea if you live in country like mine.... It's around 1$ per hour..

[@Shadowthevampire]

We don't have a minimum wage in Sweden what do I do then? Also Art den is not avalible in Sweden yet can you give an alternative something that exist in Eu? :)

[@quantummechanized2975]

people expect bone carvings to be dirt cheap so if you want to do bone carving expect to make next to nothing, you certainly couldnt survive off being a bone carver, a piece that takes 12 hours to make is expected to cost like $40 even though you spent $20 on making it so a $20 profit for 12 hours work would be $1.60 profit per hour, or just to pay the rent youd need to spend about 200+ hours a week carving then you need food and other bills so youd need to spend 400 hours per week carving just to scrape by

[@TheRatWhoLived]

300 for that example?? i did something similar a few months back for like 15

[@noar8189]

Acording to my country's minimun wage, I should charge 1,40 usd per hour 😶 wtf I usually charge according to my monthly bills

[@wingedcanvas]

This will vary depending on your country. Some countries have no minimum wage, or a low, or high one.

[@StruggaBugga]

Why not send it over Discord?

[@CuriosityRocks]

Because Discord really reduces the quality of the image and also tends to skew the colours weirdly

[@Neno-zb1ci]

>25 dollars per hr in this ai age u playin games

[@wingedcanvas]

Oh, we get it! With AI popping up everywhere, it’s easy to think, “Why pay for human art?” But here’s the twist: hiring an artist isn’t just about getting a pretty picture-it’s about capturing your vision, style, and all those little details that make the artwork uniquely yours. 🎨✨ Artists bring years of practice, storytelling, and emotional nuance that AI simply can’t replicate. It’s like comparing a gourmet chef to a vending machine snack-both fill you up, but only one is a crafted experience. 😉 So, when you hire an artist, you’re investing in creativity that connects on a human level!

[@berugitv3562]

i have questions that may be answerable by google but i want the answer from someone who've had experience with paypal 😭😅 1. can you use paypal without using your real name? 2. how does currency difference work on paypal? what if i take a commission and they pay in USD but i have a different currency 😮 any answer would be appreciated 😁😁🙏

[@klutzmtg2310]

The best way to price art commissions is not to do them at all :D. Stickers and adoptables are much better overall.

[@malakmoustafa7707]

Ma'am 😭🤌🏻 I have been an artist for about 6 years now I love drawing hyper realistic portraits, they are super detailed, such a hardwork THEY TAKE ME ABOUT 45 HOURS OF PURE WORK TO FINISH 😭😂 I can't possibly make it 450$ for a digital art work Literally no one will order 😭

[@Meoo_kkkkqq]

I have a question... 1. What website should i use? 2. Where do i post my art? 3. Should i buy a tablet(