Artist / Illustrator Commissions & Rates

How much do I charge?
$70 an hour is my flat rate for both illustrations and artworks.  This rate includes GST and there are no other hidden costs or usage fees.  And you won’t pay extra for 'reusage' rights for my illustrations or artworks you wish to merchandise. You have full rights to use those images without ever coming back to me for permissions (it makes it so much easier that way).
If you are looking for a quote, I’ll need to know details of the commission.  Then I simply estimate the hours it will take me do it and times it by $70, (plus add any material costs such as canvas and paints). Send me an email by clicking on my email address to arrange a chat:
ISCRE5@bigpond.com

How much time will the job take?
Charge is in direct relation to the time it takes to complete an artwork and that is seldom dictated by the physical size of the artwork but by the detail (the devil is always in the detail). If you want a stickman drawn, I can knock that out in seconds. If you are commissioning a detailed oil painting or elaborate illustration this will obviously take longer; especially if there’s added research or a photo shoot. But if the commission is very time consuming I am happy to negotiate the hourly rate. (If you want a stick man I am happy to give you a second-rate quote – sorry, terrible pun).

A few words on artists / illustrators.
Once you have done your research on Aussie artists / illustrators, you’ll soon learn hourly rates can range from $25 to $100 (and can be higher depending on the area of specialty and artist reputation). Not many stop to think what’s involved in being an artist / illustrator. And why should you; it’s not your business. You simply want an original artwork to hang on your wall or help sell your product for the cheapest price possible. As to pricing, well you’ve probably been down to your local supermarket and seen how much a painting sells for, right! And you’ve got a pretty good gauge on how long an artwork should take – you’ve seen those performance artists whip up a finished artwork in less than five minutes. So your original artwork should only take a few hours at most, right?

As an artist / illustrator, I find that it helps to inform clients on the realities of our industry. Those artworks selling at the supermarkets usually are not originals but are mass-produced art pumped out overseas where poor artists are paid cents per hour. As to the time factor, those talented performance artists may blow our minds by finishing an artwork within minutes, but we often forget how long they have practiced behind closed doors to get that one repeated artwork perfected for their performance.

Truth is producing an original artwork for a client is a creative process that is usually time consuming.  Just like you, we artists / illustrators hope to be paid a fair hourly rate. We are trades people just like plumbers and carpenters. When working out our rates we have to factor in our business expenses, administration and marketing, plus pay our taxes. Furthermore, we don’t get paid holidays, sick days or long service. 

Artist / illustrators are not trying to cheat anyone. Nor are we getting rich at your expense. Usually the rates we are charging are just enough to keep the lights on and put a bit into our Super. The successful artists that I know don’t have fancy cars or yachts – they charge just enough to stay in business so they can keep working in the industry they’re passionate about.

Copyright and Intellectual Property:
What a can of worms this is! Unless there is a contract to the contrary, the artist / illustrator always keeps the intellectual property to their creation.  When you commission an illustrator to do an artwork you are paying for a license to use that image for a certain purpose – much like when buying software for your computer.  For further information on this misunderstood topic please visit Illustrators Australia.

Illustrators Australia Website
Illustratorsaustralia.com is an excellent resource for artist / illustrator and those thinking of commissioning one.  It has outstanding advice on what to expect when commissioning an illustrator, standard practices, an illustrator ‘code of conduct’ and helpful info on artists’ and clients’ rights.
Yes, there are other illustrators on the Illustrators Australia website displaying their portfolios.  No, I don’t mind if you choose to go with one of these talented people.  My hope is you find a local illustrator whose style best fits your needs.  Furthermore, when you commission a local Australian artist it’s a win for our industry.