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Artists, Their prices or WHY SO HIGH PRICES?!
12 years ago
I started to write about myself, but it turned to a text which explains this topic about all the artists around.
Please, read it and remember for a future.
Few words about my prices. Prices are not high, prices are not low. It is reasonable.
Drawing and making furry art is my only job, it’s my way to make money, so I can pay for food, my dog’s vet.bills, traveling and visiting YOU at furcons. Next time when you wanna say “It’s so sad that you can’t come to BlaBlaCon”, instead say “Got it, this year I will commission you, hope it will help you to pay for a flight!”
For example, for making a badge, I spend about 3-5 hours, depends on how difficult is your character, how many markings it has, etc. Price for it is just $30 (or even lower, if you are ordering more than one). So it’s about $10-$6 per HOUR of my work. If I will work 8 hours a day, for example, maximum I can get is $80, but it’s MAXIMUM. Usually it’s less. And it’s only a number that you write in your PayPal.
You sent it, what is next? Since it’s you commissioning me, sure I will pay PayPal’s fees. For receiving $30 payment, PayPal takes $1,47 from me. So for your badge I get $28,53. Since I can’t use PayPal to pay for food in local stores, I need to withdraw it to my bank account in Russia. In Russia we use Rubles as a currency, so PayPal will have to swap dollars to rubles for sending it to me.
And if in bank 1 dollar = 32 rubles (which makes your payment something like 928 rubles), then it PayPal it will be almost 30 rubles for 1 dollar. So, in the end, at my bank account I will have only 870 rubles. Which is only $27. So it’s like $9 max for one hour of my work, if I’m fast enough. Or $5, if I’m working as a normal human, with some breaks for food, or just a cup of coffee. And it leads to only $40 a DAY.
So tell me the truth, would you like to work for $5 per hour and say no shit about that? I have some doubts.
Yes, it’s only my problem. And you see how I deal with it, I’m rising prices from time to time, when I think that my art deserves to be paid better. And even with prices like that, you see what I get in the end.
Another thing that people tend to say is that they can get much better art for this price. Probably it is truth too. But I can do nothing with people underselling themselves for some reasons, or a new artists who tries to get popular first, before rising prices. I know one artist who joined FA like one year ago, he asked 10$ for a fullbody sketch. Now he is asking $65 for a headshot. He deserves it, cos in my opinion, he is much better artist than I am. Is it cheap? Not at all, for all of us. Is it a lot for an artist? Upper, I explained, why it isn’t.
Also, you have to remember about stuff which in human world is called “Brands”. Popular artist is a brand, you can’t deny it. It means something, when you say “Yeah, I got a picture from Blotch”. And even if difference between quality of Blotch and random CuteKitty228 is minimal, everyone knows Blotch, and no one knows CuteKitty228. You DO pay for a brand, this is true.
Another question is if you need a brand or just a good picture. Popular artists charges more than artists with a similar or a lower quality art, it’s easy to understand. And they have this prices for a reason that they have more commissioners than they can serve. Please, don’t blame them for it.
If you think that price is too high, just DON’T write to artist, DON’T commission him. You see what you pay for. Think twice before making your order.
Please, read it and remember for a future.
Few words about my prices. Prices are not high, prices are not low. It is reasonable.
Drawing and making furry art is my only job, it’s my way to make money, so I can pay for food, my dog’s vet.bills, traveling and visiting YOU at furcons. Next time when you wanna say “It’s so sad that you can’t come to BlaBlaCon”, instead say “Got it, this year I will commission you, hope it will help you to pay for a flight!”
For example, for making a badge, I spend about 3-5 hours, depends on how difficult is your character, how many markings it has, etc. Price for it is just $30 (or even lower, if you are ordering more than one). So it’s about $10-$6 per HOUR of my work. If I will work 8 hours a day, for example, maximum I can get is $80, but it’s MAXIMUM. Usually it’s less. And it’s only a number that you write in your PayPal.
You sent it, what is next? Since it’s you commissioning me, sure I will pay PayPal’s fees. For receiving $30 payment, PayPal takes $1,47 from me. So for your badge I get $28,53. Since I can’t use PayPal to pay for food in local stores, I need to withdraw it to my bank account in Russia. In Russia we use Rubles as a currency, so PayPal will have to swap dollars to rubles for sending it to me.
And if in bank 1 dollar = 32 rubles (which makes your payment something like 928 rubles), then it PayPal it will be almost 30 rubles for 1 dollar. So, in the end, at my bank account I will have only 870 rubles. Which is only $27. So it’s like $9 max for one hour of my work, if I’m fast enough. Or $5, if I’m working as a normal human, with some breaks for food, or just a cup of coffee. And it leads to only $40 a DAY.
So tell me the truth, would you like to work for $5 per hour and say no shit about that? I have some doubts.
Yes, it’s only my problem. And you see how I deal with it, I’m rising prices from time to time, when I think that my art deserves to be paid better. And even with prices like that, you see what I get in the end.
Another thing that people tend to say is that they can get much better art for this price. Probably it is truth too. But I can do nothing with people underselling themselves for some reasons, or a new artists who tries to get popular first, before rising prices. I know one artist who joined FA like one year ago, he asked 10$ for a fullbody sketch. Now he is asking $65 for a headshot. He deserves it, cos in my opinion, he is much better artist than I am. Is it cheap? Not at all, for all of us. Is it a lot for an artist? Upper, I explained, why it isn’t.
Also, you have to remember about stuff which in human world is called “Brands”. Popular artist is a brand, you can’t deny it. It means something, when you say “Yeah, I got a picture from Blotch”. And even if difference between quality of Blotch and random CuteKitty228 is minimal, everyone knows Blotch, and no one knows CuteKitty228. You DO pay for a brand, this is true.
Another question is if you need a brand or just a good picture. Popular artists charges more than artists with a similar or a lower quality art, it’s easy to understand. And they have this prices for a reason that they have more commissioners than they can serve. Please, don’t blame them for it.
If you think that price is too high, just DON’T write to artist, DON’T commission him. You see what you pay for. Think twice before making your order.
Prices raise from popularity, The "brand" as Fleki sais, and for the fact that is unique and made at your specifications.
People can only see if can and want to go for getting something from a popular one, or just need the quality. Then there is lot to chose from :)
But yes I can agree, I wish i as an artist was known more as well. :c Its my dream to be a famous artist, but that takes time D:
If they want to complain, perhaps they can go ask wolf-nymph for example how much some art can turn out costing.
(I ve had a few commissions, and I would always get payed in €)
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5281338/
Lots of great artists in this fandom priced reasonably, and you're among them, but for every underappreciated or underpaid one, you have others artificially inflating their price or garnering money their art simply is not worth.
But if there is a lot of people who is ready to pay a high price, no matter if 80% will cry about your prices, if this 20% is enough for you to have work to do, means your art is WORTH IT.
If people cant understand that - its not my problem.
I'm not interesed in discussions about this point. I stated my point clear, you may agree or disagree, but at this page, it worksjust like I wrote.
Myself, when I get better, I would love to charge 100$+ for a character, or even more, if people will be willing to pay.
Less than a year later he was doing regular commissions for like 60 bucks a pop. So no, I don't see how 'someone paid' justifies that kind of tactic.
Capitalism is not a defense for being a grifter, and not all furry artists are as honest as you.
And then, if they dont get that here at my page I'm the only God, they can think that I'm petty. They can think whatever they want while banned.
No time for fighting, no time for drama. If people need to get banned to stop - let it be.
I'm sick of people going "woah woah woah 5 bucks for that is waay too much". Too many cheap cats that try to haggle the blood out of you
How anyone can not look at the bigger picture and realise this is beyond me.
Hell,my girlfriend lives off her artwork profits.
It is not necessary to have any to live, but it's something you may want ounce open a time, if your budjet permits it.
If you can afford it, great ! If not, well, too bad, but that's how life go, you can't get everything you wish all the time ...
And noone remembers, that Kaji got that for like incredibly detailed art, and he will spend many hours to make it done, plus drawing furries isnt his main job, he has regular one, so he have to spend his spare time for it, thats why you have to pay more so he is even drawing for you. Same goes for Wolfy. When he is open for commission, he gets over 100 notes a day, and chooses only 10 of em. So you pay more to get in the list. It IS luxury stuff, why it should be cheap?
Why do people think it's OK to ask an artist to draw for 10$ per hour or less, and still whine about the prices - but on the other paw, they are perfectly fine with a handyman charging 30$ per hour to fix your stuck toilet, or for a car mechanic to charge 60$ per hour to exchange your brakes?!
I don't mind paying 2-300$ for a piece of art done for me personally, when I know the artist invests a day or two of hard creative work into it.
Sure, this means I can't go hoarding commissions by the dozen like some other furs do (I know of a few that have collected a hundred and more commissions in a few years, and then complain about not having any spare money..).
Obviously, people don't have to work 8 hours a day, etc. etc., but the fandom has phenomenally good prices. They kind of don't remember that the people selling for 'eye-popping' amounts like $250 or $1000 a piece are closer to what normal artists would charge.
Also, that price for art isn't that bad on the market, in countries where people can easily afford computers. No you can't get one every week, but you make enough to stash away some money and tadaa, you can afford art. People are cheap.
Of course it is an intermittent profession, some months you may not get anything at all, though unlikely since everyone on the site loves high quality penis to be drawn daily. When you take this much from the community though, way more than you really need, I feel you should give some back, but it never really happens. (not you specifically, I mean the people who charge ultra high prices)
It goes right along with the popufur thing though. Meh.
I've never seen anyone charging that much more though, I thought $200 was high, but more? Now that's just ridiculous. People throwing money at porn instead of the poor, the hungry, and the sick. Well that's the way the world works I suppose, if you can't do anything useful, you just bleed out and die, and if you can, you charge way the fuck over what you should to get rich quick. A bit moot really since the currency in the USA won't last much longer, and when it collapses, all the others will take a huge hit too.
For example GoldenWolfen charges 620$+ for a fullbody with a simple BG, watecolors.
Acrilics complex painting from her starts from 1000$ and goes up to 10000$.
And just so you know, noone is drawing a good stuff in 2 hours. Good pictures takes up to 10 hours of work on it. Just so you know.
Meh, I'm done with the topic though. :P
I dont need "luxury" which everyone can afford. What kind of luxury is that then?
But oh well, if you are done, then have a nice day.
It has to be exceptionally amazing quality to be considered luxury if you're going to charge that high amount for it. Luxury doesn't mean how rare it is or how expensive it is, it means how nice it is. Luxury: "the state of great comfort and extravagant living." I guess extravagant is often a part of it because luxury goods normally cost a lot. Extravagant: "lacking restraint in spending money or using resources." but yea. Luxury is about quality, not price. Everyone can afford luxury goods and it still be luxury if everyone has it. Doesn't make it non-comfortable just because everyone has one.
And then the people who complain about price, well they have to complain because the rich ones who throw all their money at something prove to those people that they don't need to lower their prices at all because they have the audience of the rich.