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I don't think industry and personal rates should be the same for art commissions. I've talked about this in my Masterpost Commission Journal, but both of these are not the same thing. Pressuring younger artists to charge these rates could set them up for failure. THREAD
Normal people with limited funds aren't going to pay nearly as much compared to standard industry rates for professional artists generally*(note this here). This doesn't mean you can't develop your skills and eventually charge more, it's just something to keep in mind.
I've seen it time and time again with beginners getting frustrated because they take this advice from (well-meaning) professionals. As a result, the initial message of developing an audience, maturity, personal growth, artistic development and handling social media is lost.
Instead of charging more being seen as a way to encourage upcoming artists, I've seen it more often than not, used to shame and limit their artistic growth. The responsibility that higher pricing calls for is an EXTREMELY neglected point of the conversation.
When people are paying you more money for a product, the responsibility for handling that project RISES. Some people are good project managers, but NOT AS GOOD at financial decisions. You can learn this overtime! However, starting out small is a good way to lessen the pressure.
This isn't me trying to disparage people who have been able to start high from the get-go. Not at all! This is simply a matter of perspective. Many professionals are still learning to handle that pressure too. What does it say when you place it on someone who's maybe not ready?
What does it say when younger artists who may not even be interested in the industry are shamed for not charging industry rates? Why should someone feel bad because they can't charge $50 a piece from the get-go? You don't have to be a professional to start!
Plenty of people, including myself, started with low prices and increased them over time (I still do even now). There is nothing wrong with appealing to different markets while keeping different values in mind. Instead of immediately telling people "don't charge less" INSTEAD-
-offer helpful tips and suggestions. Mine? Personally, if you're looking for nothing serious, just extra cash, charge according to time. Don't take anything that requires too much effort. You'll burn yourself out for $10 that way. For people wanting something more longterm-
-increase you prices with the effort and value it took to make it. Time can be flimsy when talking about artistic development and isn't helpful advice for me personally, but this helpful video might work for you!:
I've never been a fan of this shaming for people who don't charge over "$X" for work. My first grievance is that is assumes everyone is around the same financial stability or already has professional experience. My other grievance is that it ignores how flimsy social media is.
As much as we'd like to think everyone can easily get successful in a few years, in reality, that's a small minority of people. Not everyone develops their stability on sites like Twitter. The % of people following you who want to monetarily support you will generally be low.
Whenever I see people tell me to raise my prices, I'm honored! I'll even thank them, but I'll continue at my own pace. Why? While other people are well-meaning, more often than not, a lot of our own perceptions of others are based off assumptions we have from limited information.
I can't tell people what's the best to charge at starting out. I'm NOT you. YOU have to make that call! Just like others can't gauge everyone's ENTIRE financial history from lower commission prices. Artists can share similar experiences, but we are NOT the exactly same.
Does this mean never raise your prices or have confidence in what you make? NO! Please, raise them overtime. Decide what you think is best for yourself! There's nothing wrong with doing that to make a living or extra cash. Please assess your situation and proceed as needed.
As much as some pros may be well-meaning (including myself), please proceed with caution before taking ANY general financial advice from others. They are NOT you. Guidance is wonderful if you don't have that at home, yes! But please, don't take advice that may not work for you.
Resources to help with this:
Pricing:
Art Level (Gauge where your work might be at):
General Commission advice:
My Commission Masterpost: https://www.deviantart.com/inkfy/journal/HOW-TO-COMMISSION-MASTERPOST-Artist-s-Edition-840919478
Pricing:
Art Level (Gauge where your work might be at):
General Commission advice:
My Commission Masterpost: https://www.deviantart.com/inkfy/journal/HOW-TO-COMMISSION-MASTERPOST-Artist-s-Edition-840919478
