How Much To Charge For Drawing Commissions

Nosotros put together an anonymous survey for artists who take or have taken commissions to assistance creators better navigate the rates that they charge and the methods in which they accept commissions.

Equally mentioned, the data was gathered anonymously via Google Forms from a sample size of 290 artists. We are not cartoon conclusions or interpreting the data, just presenting the results.

All of our page rate data is in USD. If whatsoever creators responded with a different currency that was noted, we've converted that to USD. The data has been compiled into a few different categories

Sample Size: 290 Artists

Of the 290 artists that responded to the survey, 96.9% currently have submissions. The remaining percentage take taken commissions in the past merely do non at the moment or any longer.

We'll attempt this survey again in the future having learned quite a few things about the collection of the data, simply it was actually difficult to find common ground to average everything out. Artists accept commissions in completely different ways, and then we've tried our best to lump the rates together based on the information we were given. For instance, "SKETCH", "BLACK & WHITE", and "FULL Colour" are based on an average commission size of 6 x 9 (or roughly in that area).

Lots of folks didn't specify more outside of "BUST" or "FULL BODY" for some of their responses, so this could mean a number of unlike things – we apologize that this isn't made clearer (again, like we said, we will adjust the survey in the hereafter).

The well-nigh accurate information that we were able to compile is that of the hourly rates. Lots of artists seem to exist working on hourly rates and that was very easy to process here. Some artists piece of work in half hour increments but also included their rate for the total hour.

Ultimately this isn't meant to be thebe all and terminate all of artist commission rates. Delight understand that we processed the information as best as we mayhap could but it does have some flaws (as we've tried to outline). Use it equally a base of operations guideline, if y'all'd similar, but it shouldnot be the definitive way to cost your piece of work. Many folks specified that the rates provided were also thestarting point, so please proceed that in mind every bit you lot look through the information.

PUBLISHED CREATORS – TRADITIONAL

	HIGHEST	Lowest	AVERAGE
SKETCH	$80	$15	$32
BLACK & WHITE	$200	$twenty	$69
FULL Color	$300	$40	$122
BUST	$120	$12	$55
FULL Torso	$300	$45	$155

PER HOUR

	HIGHEST	LOWEST	Boilerplate
HOURLY Charge per unit	$lxx	$20	$37

PUBLISHED CREATORS – DIGITAL

	HIGHEST	LOWEST	AVERAGE
SKETCH	$75	$15	$29
BLACK & WHITE	$65	$20	$35
Total Colour	$120	$20	$threescore
Bosom	$lxxx	$12	$30
FULL BODY	$125	$20	$65

PER HOUR

	HIGHEST	LOWEST	AVERAGE
HOURLY RATE	$45	$7	$29

UNPUBLISHED CREATORS – TRADITIONAL

	HIGHEST	LOWEST	AVERAGE
SKETCH	$45	$10	$24
BLACK & WHITE	$64	$10	$35
Full COLOUR	$100	$xv	$52
BUST	$150	$ten	$34
Full BODY	$200	$15	$57

PER 60 minutes

	HIGHEST	Everyman	Boilerplate
HOURLY RATE	$45	$eleven	$23

UNPUBLISHED CREATORS – DIGITAL

	HIGHEST	Everyman	Boilerplate
SKETCH	$50	$x	$25
BLACK & WHITE	$100	$ten	$43
FULL COLOUR	$150	$30	$73
BUST	$120	$10	$36
Full BODY	$240	$20	$69

PER HOUR

	HIGHEST	Everyman	Boilerplate
HOURLY Charge per unit	$85	$x	$42

What medium do the responding artists typically piece of work in for commissions (ie. digital or traditional)?

51.7% – Digital
15.5% – Traditional
thirty.7% – Both

The remaining percent was broken upwardly past creators going into the specifics (ie. "mostly digital but takes traditional commissions at conventions").

Where do the bulk of creators take commissions from?

89.7% – Online through social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc.)
21.vii% – At conventions merely
4.5% – Through Etsy, Shopify, and/or other e-commerce platforms

Other respondent comments:

Personal web site
Email just
Art dealer
Commiss.io

How do the bulk of creators receive payment for commissions?

79% – PayPal

The remaining percent was individualized responses such equally:

Cash up front (for conventions)
Square (for conventions)
E-transfer
Patreon, Ko-Fi, Payoneer
Google Pay
Venmo

How much exercise commissions contribute to the majority of overall income for creators?

Additional notes and tips from artists on commissions:

Remember to take payment up front (ie. first payment for sketch, require 2d payment upon approval before moving onto inks/colours – don't work without compensation received or a eolith of at to the lowest degree 50%).
Under-pricing harms the whole manufacture, even for newbies. It helps to also offer lay-by options, which people appreciate and brand utilise of.
Charge based on edits (ie. at each stage, offer a few small-scale edits (two-3 usually), and if they are unclear in their instructions/description/etc. and information technology causes a longer work process or information technology becomes more complicated, try charging $25 for each additional hr you work on a slice).
For more detailed commissions, go everything in writing – outline what you'll practise equally an creative person (ie. thumbnails, sketch, ink, and color stages) along with what changes are acceptable at each phase. Offer them a contract to sign so they empathize the obligations and expectations completely, or as closely every bit possible.
For personal commissions, offer the ability to tip when you send an invoice and you may exist surprised by how many of your clients requite yous an extra 30-40%.
Don't exist agape to exist selective with your piece of work. You can turn down commissions that don't interest you lot or that you lot don't experience you can practice justice to.
Don't work for free for friends and family unless you admittedly want to. Offer a friends and family discount but never feel that youaccept to work for gratis for them.

If you accept any questions, feel free to attain out to united states of america at info@creatorresource.com. Nosotros thank all the respondents for their time and efforts in helping u.s.a. create this base rate list.

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Stephanie is a Toronto-based comic book writer and editor. She's the founder of Creator Resource and Creator Advisor, and works with the comic book community as much as possible to help foster safer and more than inclusive spaces for all. You can observe her work at stephaniecooke.ca.