Art Prices

[iago]

For those of you who buy art for use in your games -

What's a reasonable price?  For internal B&W art?  For a color cover?

What's the range of asking prices you've run across?

What's your usual budget for such things?

[Matt Snyder]

For those of you who buy art for use in your games -

What's a reasonable price?  For internal B&W art?  For a color cover?

What's the range of asking prices you've run across?

What's your usual budget for such things?

Iago, the industry standard is typically anywhere from $30 to $50 for a half page of art (actually more often referred to as $100 / page, with $50 for half and $25 for quarter).

I have worked with a number of artists, and my arrangements fall within that range, though more so on the lower scale -- $30 to $40 for half pages. I think great artists are willing to work for very reasonable rates, especially when they know another starving indie artist is on the other end of things.

[Mike Holmes]

I can confirm what Matt says. Also some artists will give you a break if you order in volume. Line art can be even cheaper than this, with full color work somethimes being a bit more expensive, OTOH.

But again, depends on the artist, and how sympathetic they are to what you're doing.

Mike

[Ron Edwards]

Hi there,

For black-and-white interior illustrations, Adept Press (which is to say, me) pays $100 up front, for however many pieces the artist thinks that's worth. Some provide two, some provide ten.

I also want to stress another issue: ownership. When I pay an artist, I am buying the use of that piece for the game. I'm not buying the piece itself, and the artist may use it, sell it, and do otherwise with it because they are the owner, not me.

Best,
Ron

[Matt Snyder]

I also want to stress another issue: ownership. When I pay an artist, I am buying the use of that piece for the game. I'm not buying the piece itself, and the artist may use it, sell it, and do otherwise with it because they are the owner, not me.

Excellent point, Ron. I do this in all cases as well. I request rights to use the art in the game, promotion for the game (including web ads, for example) and translation rights to use the art in a translation of "this" book.