Ok everyone. I am up against a tight deadline, it’s been a stressful morning, I haven’t eaten anything and don’t have time to type all this into the computer. So I am TALKING into the computer and its converting my sound waves into text.
Ok, ok. That looks good. Mental note. Delete the first paragraph.
Ahem. Ok. Let’s do this!
SO, AS AN ARTIST, HOW MUCH IS YOUR TIME WORTH?
Even more words of caution by George Peter Gatsis ( youtube twitter ) for Bleeding Fool.
Since you are here reading this on BLEEDING FOOL, I will assume you understand the concept of Quantum Physics and how it relates to a great plate of French Fries. Gosh, that has nothing to do with the title of this article.
Munch, munch. Oh WOW! That is tasty.
Oops. Mental note. Delete last sentence.
Ok, Ok. I was at an art competition with my cousin and I see the first girl who I ever dated looking fine. I turned to the bartender and he said, she looked real fine!
Munch, munch. Side tracked again. Delete last sentence.
So the artist is working, right. And it seems like he’s making MAD money doing all these awesome drawings. And he’s traveling across the Bay to do the work and spend money on food and gas too!
Munch, munch. Oh, that is good.
So he meets this big shot, who happens to be in the same baseball league, and he wants drawings of his favorite superheroes, so he can hang on the walls in his house and impress his friends with, “geek cred.”
They got to talking right. “Yo, I hear you got draw skills. I want you to draw me superheroes.”
And the artist went, “no doubt, no doubt. Watchyo budget?”
And the Big Shot went, “whatyou charge?”
So they went back and forth, no one giving up a number. The big shot wanting drawings and the artist wanting work. It seemed like it was going to end with no one getting what they wanted. If only the artist Googled HELPFUL WAYS TO NEGOTIATE AND SET YOUR ART PRICES.
The artist chose to call a Life-Line.
That’s where I come in. I was eating a great plate of fries, while getting over waking up with a hangover and finding weird people in my home playing Ouija Board Monopoly… and fighting off evil demons, all before lunch time. When the phone rang.
It was my artist friend wanting advice on how much to charge for drawing, for this Big Shot.
I haven’t calmed down yet from my epic battle, so I was in prime condition to answer quick like.
I said, “yo how long will it take you to do one drawing?”
He was like, “a couple of hours for a full figure, four to five hours with background.”
“Ok, Ok. So take minimum wage and multiply it by four, for your time per hour. But charge extra for the paper, any pens, pencils or inks .”
Munch, munch.
So my artist friend was grateful and told the Big Shot his price. The deal was done.
Later I call my artist friend because I was confused. Since he was making Mad Money already, why was he having a hard timecoming up with a price for the Big Shot.
He answers the phone from a concert of protesting screams and pleas for help, and I asked him.
He told me, “the mad money he was making was barely paying for his travel expenses, internet, food and rent, which made him mad.”
Check out my previous article for writers who don’t know how to draw here.
