Nice topic.BTW,you can't get fries with that.

You mean: "You can't get the files with that."

*thumbs up*

I will totally book mark this for future reference so I can better choose my commission prices when I get to that stage of my art career. Thanks for the share :)

you get what you pay for

I agree.

Love this.

Not an artist myself, but I can completely agree with this

Fantastic.

Yes and no.

I have no problem with an artist charging a "fair" price for good work. Far too often, I see artists with an inflated opinion (or maybe just mistaken) of what their art is worth. Some of what goes into a price is quality and some of it is the fame and reputation of the artist. Some of the artists in the fandom really do produce fantastic work, and I have no problem with the commission prices they charge. Some just turn out "refrigerator art", yet the can ask as much as a better artist. Yeah, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" but I'm sure people reading this know what I mean.

The biggest problem I have is when artists compare their prices, and hour estimates, to a "normal" job. When I commission a furry artist it is very different than, say, hiring a plumber. Or hiring a commercial artist. I've hired commercial artists for work projects before, and just as with hiring a plumber or electrician, you get some guarantees of performance and quality. You get a professional that works with you the whole way through the commission. You get that with some furry artists, but not consistently and not with everyone. I have not commissionined nearly as many furry artists as it seems many folks to around here, but my experience has been a lot less positive than working with commercial artists. So, I'm just saying that additional risk, when factored into the equation, simply means a lower price.

Just my two cents worth.

"Some just turn out "refrigerator art", yet the can ask as much as a better artist" I understand where your coming from. It can be frustrating, but It just boils down to supply and demand :C , if people are willing to pay that, then good for the artist I guess!

" I have not commissionined nearly as many furry artists as it seems many folks to around here, but my experience has been a lot less positive than working with commercial artists. So, I'm just saying that additional risk, when factored into the equation, simply means a lower price."

Thats probably because the fandom is largely composed of many people that do this as a hobby --and some artists decide to take on clients with little professional experience. But thats not to say that someone who does this for fun can't be professional. I am sure if you research your artist, (do searches on artists beware for example) you can weed out the majority of folks that aren't professional.

I studied illustration for 4 years, and have been taking commissions since 2005. I am fully aware I am not going to get industry standard prices with the furry community, but on the same token I'm not going to work for slave wages on that basis that it's "furry art", and that sometimes people aren't professional. Their mistakes aren't my problem and they aren't a reason for me or other professional artists to lower my prices. I think the solution boils down to wisely selecting an artist prior to hiring them.

Also, this attitude just bugs me 9__9 : http://eskiworks.tumblr.com/post/23321863059 (great article written by  wolf-nymph) 'Furry art is not a real job' (just leaving that there since it's somewhat related)

Whoops - wrong button. My reply is below.

Thanks for the reply.

You are right, it is supply-and-demand. Even if I don't understand who would pay some of the higher prices for the lower quality stuff. But it's not my money, so who am I to judge? My frustration is that is pushes prices up without any corresponding increase in quality. Like you said, many in the fandom do it as a hobby, which is fine. And there is a big grey area between professional and slimy. Some are great artists, which is a good thing, but they really don't know how to do business - and they have let the fact that they are good artists give them a sense of entitlement (leading to the bad business practices).

If I had to sum up the point I was making, it is that when people complain about art prices in the fandom, I want people to know that some artists should be charging lower prices because of how they handle the process. Some should charge higher. You are right, it is supply and demand, and maybe my frustration comes from the fact that there are some people who seem to have too much money on their hands and really drive some of the good commission prices out of sight. But more power to the artist if they can get it, I suppose.

I'm just glad that many (most?) artists still create works for themselves and share with the fandom. As someone who works with artists, I know it's a lot of work to create, scan, post art for nothing more than a "thanks" from the community. And often not even that.

I know what you mean about "furry art not being a real job". From the artists' point of view, I can agree. But sometimes they do bring it on themselves. I don't think wolf-nymph has that particular problem, but if you remember when Doug Winger used to post in the fandom, you'll know what I am talking about. When artists get off into, let's say the "niche", corners of the fandom I think it really does lead people to think that. After all, it's generally not the kind of work a professional artist would include in their portfolio. At least not the artists I work with! I'm not saying that adjust pieces are bad, but you know what I mean. Now take someone who is not in the fandom or "only here for the clean art". It's easy to see how they could believe "it's not a real job". Amplified by the fact that many furry artists aren't really artists in their "day job".

PS: For the record, I always binned you in the "professional" group

Thats a neat article .