Questions about artist quotes and pay structure

[PyBandit]

I've been in communication with a few different artists for CG scenes and the one I'm leaning the most towards has suggested instead of paying per CG or a lump sum for all the work that it would be easier to do a monthly salary. It's a small indie visual novel so I was wondering if this is a common agreement? It'd actually be cheaper for me to pay per piece than the salary, especially since I wouldn't be able to pay them for more than three months.

Also, is it common for a CG artist to include a basic sketch of the background and charge for the background even though the BG artist will need to go in and complete the BG?

[Elsa Kisiel]

It's uncommon in little indie productions, and more common for bigger projects.

1) -> Is it a real salary? With taxes and legal agreement? If yes, I would advice you to really look at what you'll really have to pay, especially if the artist live in another country than you. Pay attention to what you'll have to legally do. If possible, discuss it with a layer.

2) -> Are you certain that the salary would cost more than paying per CG? A salary will often cost less if the artist is fast enough, and if there's enough work to do.
Some studios ask for a test, limited in time, to know if the artist is fast enough. Note that this test is often paid, especially if the studio is not very well know.

3) Especially if your project is a commercial game, be aware that licence fee don't work exactly the same way in a salary or a freelance type of payement. It is not because you paid the artist to drawn something that it means the drawing licence belong to you. Discuss it with the artist, and if possible, with a layer.

4) -> Yes, of course, if your CG artist had to work on a background sketch for you, they will charge you for it. And if they have to render it, they will charge more. You could also ask the CG artist to only draw the characters, and let the BG artist do the sketch work too. But if you're asking for work, you have to pay for it.


I would NOT advice to go with a salary if you are a little indie production. I do not think it would cost more, but on a legal point of view, it can cause a lot of worries.

[Mutive]

I would NOT advice to go with a salary if you are a little indie production. I do not think it would cost more, but on a legal point of view, it can cause a lot of worries.

I wanted to echo this. I am very much not a lawyer, but once things become salaried, there are often legal implications that can vary from country to country (or even sometimes state by state or city by city).

[Gaudeamus]

Each artist has their way of doing things, and most will charge you for the whole project for safety for them, and usually customers say they have a visual novel with a certain number of scenes and want to hire an artist but after seeing the first job, they decide to look for another artist to finish the project while the first one I stop looking for other job offers and reject some for dedicating themselves entirely to your project thinking that you were going to have something big and stable to dedicate yourself to and that's the main reason they charge per project.

The solution would be to make a contract for both parties to make sure they fulfill their obligations, the artist to deliver a certain number of pieces in a certain number of time and the developer to maintain the commitment to hire it until completing the number of pieces for which it was originally agreed, so you can put inside these clauses that you can pay per piece and assure you that you will have work for a certain time without having that resorting to the figure of salary, although of course this is easy when you hire artists from your place of residence or country, but remotely it is unreliable for both parties, although it is still the best way to negotiate so that both parties feel calm.

Before making a commitment like this, you should commission the artist "just one piece", saying, "I just want you to make me a piece and if I like to make a contract"specifying what I already commented on before, so that the artist is more motivated to do his best to keep that project, but in case you don't like the result there is no pressure from any of the 2 parties to fulfill a contract. It's more expensive because it will charge you as an individual piece than as a project, but it's safer because you might like an artist's style, but you realize it's not what you want for your project.

Regardless of the project or company, hiring artists for salary, it should be for artists who live in the same city and preferably already having a fisscious headquarters of your company, since this makes it easier to monitor the progress of the work of each part, because it is not the same as an Indonesian artist tells you that it takes you 2 or 3 days to draw a hand, for see yourself tthe reason of why your artist is it takes those 2 or 3 days and see the whole process and see if it's worth that time and money invested or on the contrary tell you to simplify things.

And yes, is normally an artist has to charge for the background even if another artist finishes it, as long as you have asked for it, and this is something that you must clarify before you start the work, tell him that you only want the characters, since the ideal is to have the background done and show it to him so that on it draw the characters , not the back line, but already mention each artist has his amnera to work and try to take advantage sometimes of those small gaps or questions that are not clarified before they start negotiating or working.