$$$$$ money money money

[da blob]

folks, I need help again. I've been asked to do some CD cover art for a band (thrash metal) and I am not sure how much to ask for it. I think some of you here have done this kind of thing, if you could help me with the range of price - thx.

[ScruU2wice]

what's the band name and/or name of CD...

[da blob]

http://www.karnal.org/

the cd's not fully recorded yet - you can download 2 tracks to get a taste in the k-files / mp3 / demo 2004 section

[subterfuge]

I charge an hourly art rate, but it depends on whether it's going to be design, a digital painting, or web design. Logo design doesn't take much effort, so it's less. Digital paintings take a whole lotta time and effort, so they're much more per hour.

Maybe to help you out, the going rate is anywhere from $45.00 to $65.00 per hour at the print / sign / screenprinting businesses in my city. That would be for logos, t-shirts, biz cards, flyers, signs, etc.

[Supafly345]

You charge hourly rates for goods? I am not a trained professional in the least, and I have zero business expirience in art, but I always thought it would be fair to have a settled price for a work that would be negotiated based on how much work would be estimated to go into it. Assuming this would be fairer on the buyer. But I have only done stupid stuff for profit like design tatoos and do portraits, so you know...

On the amateur level like mine I would go $50 for something like this, but that is a bargain for what subter suggests, which would go upwards from $90.

[ScruU2wice]

Wait I thought you wanted help as in Tips on how to move stuff around or different stuff like that.

A career in art is kinda one of my dream jobs, but I'm so paranoid that nothing I ever make is good that I don't think I would totally suck at it...

[Matt Harty]

Originally Posted by Supafly345

You charge hourly rates for goods? I am not a trained professional in the least, and I have zero business expirience in art, but I always thought it would be fair to have a settled price for a work that would be negotiated based on how much work would be estimated to go into it. Assuming this would be fairer on the buyer. But I have only done stupid stuff for profit like design tatoos and do portraits, so you know...

I thought the same thing, but I don't know much about the business. You'd need to have some serious trust with the artist to agree to pay per hour. Who knows if they're working on it or not?

[glowbelly]

pm doopa

[da blob]

I've never charged a hourly rate, but what I'm used to is illustration like for children's books, or good old painting - where you just basically ask for as much money as you think people would be ready to pay.
thanks for your help, all.

[subterfuge]

Originally Posted by Matt Harty

I thought the same thing, but I don't know much about the business. You'd need to have some serious trust with the artist to agree to pay per hour. Who knows if they're working on it or not?

When I charge by the hour, I say that the job will take approximately x amount of hours. Then, that sets the total. So the customer actually gets the total amount up front. I then ask for 50% down to begin the job, and the balance upon completion.

I got the idea to do it this way because it's how we do it at my work place too, which is a sign & t-shirt shop. We sub out a lot of jobs to local biz card companies, because we don't do that kind of printing, and that's how they charge art time too. It's also tax free because it's labor.

It's a weird business, so I suppose you can make up your own rules as you go, just so long as artwork's getting done and the customer's happy.

[FartinMowler]

Give them some sketched samples... then depending on the one they pick and how much detail and time is involved then decide how much to charge them. I wouldn't do an hourly rate, ask them how much they want to spend and work from there.

[ziggytrix]

at the studio where I work, they do quotes based on an hourly rate multiplied by the number of hours they expect it to take. that's pretty standard, i think.