Fantasy Illustration, Graphic Design & Web Design

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. It’s good to write down an action plan for yourself before you start looking. While browsing the many styles and artists, check your first reaction. Were you attracted to the art immediately? Why? After these questions have been answered a few times to several artists, you will start to understand what it is that is important to YOU in the work. Write them down and keep them close as you for reminder. Also be mindful of what your project is and needs. You might like the fashion illustrator best, but if your project is about fishing lures, that might not be a fit. Be sure the artist has an interest in the project.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. 1. If you have a low budget, sometimes artists have pieces that have been used before where he/she still owns copyright. You can buy second and third printing rights from them at a big discount. Or, if you see something they have all ready done, and want to purchase first rights, or first rights with a few changes, that can be done.
2. An artist who is truly interested in your project will give you the very most in return. Find out what the artist is interested in. Often times that will be revealed in their portfolio, especially the pieces that were not commissioned. If that artist collects dragons passionately for a hobby and your project happens to be about the international history of dragons, you will never be sorry. On the other hand, if an artist has no interest in fantasy and/or legend, the efforts to spark an interest might outweigh the results.
3. Consideration goes a long way and you can show it by realizing the artist has another life and might not work on weekends and evenings or maybe the opposite is true. Find out. When they answer a question, believe them.
4. If you have a long-term situation, sometimes this will cut the need to solicit for the artist and he/she will consider a small discount or “bulk rate”. For example, if you need an artist to commit four hours a day for the next year, you can get that hourly pay to come down from $50/hr to $40/hr or even less. The secret is to negotiate, but have something to offer.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. 1. How do you like to communicate? Email? Phone? Some artists just want to keep their hours focused on their work and set aside time to read mail and answer questions. A constant ringing phone is non-productive in this profession.
2. How long have you been doing this? You can gauge that an artist who has been doing this a while will cost more.
3. Are you willing to travel? Are these sorts of things important?
4. Are you interested in my project? You can decide for yourself just by looking at the art the professional presents, but sometimes they might have always wanted to do something like what you have, and never an opportunity. This will mean a lot if that is the case.
5. Are you willing to make changes if we specify? Your answer should be something like “yes, I can make three changes in the sketch stage, and one in the color stage”. A novice often does not understand that a change can translate to many hours and could have been avoided for many reasons. When a lot of changes are requested, it shows disrespect for the artist and ultimately the finished work will suffer.
6. Do you negotiate copyright? Clear the air ahead of time.
7. What rights do I get at that price? You have a right to know.
8. Who owns the original art in the end? If your project requires a painting on canvas for instance, you might have bought the right to print, but the canvas piece remains the property of the artist usually, unless you negotiate for it.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. Once you have decided on an artist(s), cover these items. 1. Let him/her know your project, how many illustrations you will require, size of each, and deadline if any and what they will be used for. Lay it out with as much detail as you can. This gives the artist the information needed to give you a more accurate idea of cost. 2. Be prepared to tell them what you saw in their art that you really liked and how you would like it used for your project. 3. Be up front about money, credit and copyright. If you want to buy all rights, are you willing to pay for it? Do some homework. Find out what copyright means and some of the legalities. There are all sorts of ways you can go about this in an agreeable way for both. Quite often the artist can tell you the rights he/she is willing to surrender and help you to understand what that means so you can decide this in with your plan. 4. Create a budget for yourself. Then add some padding, just like if you were remodeling your house. The budget is what you want to spend, and the padding is going to go for things like change in plan—there will always be new ideas midstream. Count on it. Ask a few artists to bid on it and compare them to each other. It is okay to divulge your first budget if you want. Some artists could flatly tell you, “can do” or “no can do” right away. Time saved. 5. Know how this will be paid for and delivered. Often times you will be expected to pay a third before, third during and when the job is complete, the last third. 6. Understand this is an emotional undertaking. No matter how you look at it, the appearance of your project is going to be the factor on weather it sells (or in fine art terms, ‘works’). I have never met a client who is indifferent about color for instance.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. In my painting, I was working with layers long before Adobe was invented. I studied the glazing technique of Maxfield Parrish back in 1980, but even he was not the first to do it that way. The technique is to have layers of glazed transparent color so light will bounce between them and create the glow. Combining transparent and opaque techniques just adds to the happy family of color. It is very pleasing to look at. I translated that oil technique to acrylic and soon it was like an old friend when I learned Photoshop.

It ‘s not enough for me to just love Art. I take a personal responsibility to make mine the best I can because that is what I have to offer.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. Yes, I have gone back to college four times since I received a commercial art certificate. I realize we are not talking about masters here, but I have had the sort of clients who are more interested in the end product. I have gone to Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Hennepin Tech, and St Paul College for short courses and most recently, I received a diploma at Pittsburgh Institute of Art for web design.