Art by Analise Black
How do I raise my rates? Am I working too slowly? Is this a lousy assignment? Jake Parker, Lee White, and Will Terry give their perspectives on these issues and more in this episode.
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SHOW LINKS
Episode 130: Everything About Agents with Kelly Sonnack
Episodes about AI: 125, 133, 137
Dan Santat
Draw 50 Things class
Mike Butkus
Anthony Wheeler sketchbook
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Everyone’s got to make a living, and in the current economy, that means raising your prices. Don’t be guilty or ashamed of being practical and asking for more. Be positive and straightforward and trust that your clients will understand.
Working with kids at home has no shortage of challenges, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Flexibility and clear communication with your partner make all the difference.
There are no bad assignments! While some are more interesting or challenging than others, every assignment is an opportunity for you to create from your heart.
QUESTIONS
Sarah asks: “I’m doing a lot of work in coloring book style (black and white, inked digitally). Each piece is $400 and takes me about fifteen hours, so I’m earning just over $26 an hour. Do I need to charge more or just figure out how to speed up?”
Where possible, speeding up is a good idea. While that may happen naturally over time, 4you can also shorten your process by making your images less detailed or hiring an assistant to help with inking. Talk to your publisher about changing your pricing: highly detailed pieces are more expensive, while simpler images are cheaper. We’d love to see you finish one piece a day and charge at least $500 per image.
Beatriz asks, “How do I raise my rates?”
If you’ve been to the grocery store lately, you know that prices are rapidly rising. Illustration is no exception, and your rates must increase to keep up with the cost of living. There’s no need to grovel or over-explain yourself. Here’s a simple phrase to inform clients of your rate changes: “My new rate is $800 per page, but since we’ve worked together so much, I will do $600 per page on our next book.” (Adapt this template to your projects.) This creates a win-win situation: you’ve raised your price, and your client got a deal on your services!
Kirsten asks, “How do you design a complex image with multiple characters, trees, foliage, etc.?”
Will Terry’s class, Draw 50 Things, teaches exactly how to approach a busy scene. Here are a few key tips.
Figure out what’s important in the scene and what’s not
Group things by value, detail, and contrast
Use Jake’s “blob method”: rather than drawing characters, trees, animals, etc., draw blob shapes as placeholders while you work out the composition of your image
Lukas asks, “What is your advice when freelance jobs are few and you have to say yes to ‘bad’ projects to stay afloat? Should you say no and wait for better jobs to land?”
If accepting a poor job is the difference between paying your rent or not, it’s irresponsible to say no. Less desirable jobs can fund your life while you work on portfolio pieces and prepare for the dream gigs you hope to land someday. Until then, a change in mindset can make all the difference. Determine to over-deliver and make every piece true to you, and you’ll discover there are no bad assignments. You can inject your perspective into any illustration, even when the subject isn’t your favorite. This attitude shift can bring about huge satisfaction and growth while you wait for more exciting opportunities.
Lukas asks, “How did you balance having small children in the house while staying productive as an artist?”
It’s tricky, but it can be done! We found that clear communication, setting boundaries around work time, and dividing the labor at home were essential. Some seasons (such as life with a newborn) require you to be flexible and work odd hours to maintain balance at home. If you can accept that (and remember it’s not forever!), you’ll have a lot less stress throughout your career.
Charlotte asks, “How do you find your first easy jobs as a beginner?”
Search for jobs that are low-risk to publishers. Spot illustrations in magazines and textbooks are relatively small investments, and if you fail miserably, you won’t take the whole publication down with you. Publishers are more willing to take chances on newbies for this kind of work than for high-cost endeavors like children’s books.
LINKS
Jake Parker: mrjakeparker.com. Instagram: @jakeparker, Youtube: JakeParker44
Will Terry: willterry.com. Instagram: @willterryart, Youtube: WillTerryArt
Lee White: leewhiteillustration.com. Instagram: @leewhiteillo
Daniel Tu: danieltu.co.
Lily Camille Howell: lilycamille.com
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