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    Working for free

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    • Ari Sorokin
      Ari Sorokin last edited by

      For the past summer I have been doing free dog portraits twice a week. They take a lot of time and I love doing them. People are very thankful and in return I ask for a shoutout. Unfortunately they have become monotonous and I want to continue to breathe life into it. I know I am 16 and I dont have many followers but maybe a 20-30 dollar fee would be nice. Go to my Instagram account and maybe judge if it is worth it.

      https://instagram.com/thesketchmasterstudios?igshid=8x0ujmti1yt0

      NessIllustration aska Nyrryl  Cadiz 3 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • Gary Wilkinson
        Gary Wilkinson last edited by

        It all depends on what you consider to have the most value. Personally I would very rarely chose to work for free and I wouldn't consider a shout out to have much value. If the paintings don't take more than 2-4 hours then I would say that 20-30 is fair at this stage if you enjoy doing them, however if you are spending a larger amount of time on them, then it may be best to put that energy elsewhere. Focus on spending the time learning animal anatomy, color theory and inking as those are the areas it seems you have an interest in and it will be a valuable part of your art foundation. Explore other artists who you have an interest in and do some master studies or explore their art process, i'm sure that it will prove more valuable to you in the long run than being concerned about instagram followers or low paid commissions

        www.garywilkinsonart.com
        www.instagram.com/gwillustration/
        www.twitter.com/GWillustration

        Ari Sorokin 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • NessIllustration
          NessIllustration Pro @Ari Sorokin last edited by

          @Ari-Sorokin You can always ask for the money, and see if anyone bites. In the meantime, you can do dog portraits or any other art you want in your own time - you don't need clients, either free or paying, to practice.

          vanessastoilova.com
          instagram.com/vanessa.stoilova/

          Check out my Youtube channel for tips on how to start your career in illustration! www.youtube.com/c/ArtBusinesswithNess

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • jimsz
            jimsz last edited by

            Once you work for free people expect you to work for free.

            Your time and talent are worth something. if you don't wish to deal with money, build an amazon wish list of various priced items and tell people if they are satisfied go to the wish list.

            http://www.kidstimestudio.com - http://www.kidstimestudio.com/100days

            Ari Sorokin 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • Ari Sorokin
              Ari Sorokin @jimsz last edited by

              @jimsz what does this have to do with amazon

              jimsz 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • Ari Sorokin
                Ari Sorokin @Gary Wilkinson last edited by

                @Gary-Wilkinson what payment service

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • lpetiti
                  lpetiti last edited by

                  Honestly, the only time I work for free is when I sketch an engagement portrait for my friends when they get engaged, or when I do pro-bono work for my church. It's a gift I'm happy to give. But right now, you're doing what's called "getting paid in experience" and that's kind of selling yourself short. It's not about how many followers you have. Doing portraits is a service, and you can be sure that people know they're getting something good for free. There's not necessarily any guarantee that your customers will give you a shoutout...what if they don't? Setting up a Venmo or PayPal and charging a little at first is a good start.

                  One thing non-artists don't seem to realize is that, yes we enjoy making art, but it is something that takes up our time and resources. People would never dream of not paying a mechanic or doctor or plumber...but if they can get away with getting "free" art from artists, they will unforunately. So charging will help you breathe new life in and also show that you are worth getting paid.

                  Website: laurenpetiti.myportfolio.com
                  Instagram: @laurenpetiti

                  "So the man who really loves God could...paint his pictures, even if no man every saw them. He knows God looks upon them." - Francis Shaffer.

                  Ari Sorokin 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • jimsz
                    jimsz @Ari Sorokin last edited by

                    @Ari-Sorokin said in Working for free:

                    @jimsz what does this have to do with amazon

                    if the original poster does not want to ask for a fee for whatever reason, you can create a wish-list on amazon for people to buy you something instead of them paying you. Online gamers and twitch casters use this all the time.

                    http://www.kidstimestudio.com - http://www.kidstimestudio.com/100days

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • aska
                      aska @Ari Sorokin last edited by

                      @Ari-Sorokin Definitely start with some fee. Your work is quite impressive for your age. Keep it up!

                      Aska
                      www.mugaska.com
                      https://www.instagram.com/mugaska/
                      https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/mugaska

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • Nyrryl  Cadiz
                        Nyrryl Cadiz SVS OG @Ari Sorokin last edited by

                        @Ari-Sorokin your work is so good! I believe it's even worth more than 20-30 bucks. Unless it's Disney or some other large entity, don't work for exposure or shout out. if you're scared of charging $20-$30, start with $5 and build up from there. Let people know that you mean business.

                        Portfolio: nyrrylcadiz.com
                        Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nyrryl_cadiz/

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                        • Ari Sorokin
                          Ari Sorokin @lpetiti last edited by

                          @lpetiti very inspiring words. What dog you do your commissions on, paypal or Venmo?

                          lpetiti 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • lpetiti
                            lpetiti @Ari Sorokin last edited by

                            @Ari-Sorokin I usually use Venmo

                            Website: laurenpetiti.myportfolio.com
                            Instagram: @laurenpetiti

                            "So the man who really loves God could...paint his pictures, even if no man every saw them. He knows God looks upon them." - Francis Shaffer.

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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