Process

Introduction

While each project consists of its own unique set of needs every project can be broken down into several distinct phases. In this document, I will briefly walk you through each of these phases so that you can know what to expect from me at every step along the way.

Understanding Your Project

The key to a successful collaboration lies in clear and concise communication. Because of this, it’s important that I understand your needs and vision for the project before drawing up a quote or putting pencil to paper. In one format or another, please provide the following information.

^{Who is your company/business & what do they do?}
^{Who is your target audience?}
^{What are the specific deliverables needed?}
^{How/where will the artwork be used for how long?}
^{When do you need final artwork by?}
^{What is the budget you have allocated for artwork?}

Pricing

Please note that I do not quote based on an hourly rate. Rather, when drawing up a proposal, I take into account the entirety of a project’s scope. This includes factors such as how, and for how long, the artwork will be used, the level of detail required in the rendering of the artwork, how soon the artwork is needed…etc.

I have found project based pricing to be most effective in keeping both artist and client accountable to a clearly stated proposal. That is to say, the artist does not abuse an hourly rate at the expense of the client and the client keeps feedback clear and concise within a limited number of revisions to ensure the project stays on course.

Turn Around Time

The amount of time required for concept development, revisions, and the rendering of final artwork varies from project to project. That said, as a general rule of thumb—and because of my existing workload at any given time—it is safe to expect a turnaround time similar to the following timetable.

The particular needs of your project will determine whether or not more or less time may be needed.
_{Initial Sketches: 1-3 weeks

2 Revision Rounds: 1-2 weeks

Final Artwork: 1-5 days

Project Duration: 3-5 weeks}

Sketches

At the onset of the project, an agreement will be made as to how many initial concepts/sketches will be delivered based on the needs of the project. It is often found that too many choices leads to confusion rather than clarity in discovering the right solution to the problem at hand. Because of this, I have found much success in limiting the number of initial concepts, for any given project, to a maximum of three.

These concepts will be presented in the form of rough pencil sketches. You can expect these sketches to be loose and rough in nature. Working in this manner will allow us to quickly and easily weed out ideas that aren’t working and make revisions to those that are. Edits to subject matter, composition, and overall personality should be made in this phase of the project. Edits to final artwork (artwork completed after this phase) can often times be time intensive and result in additional fees.

Presentation
Sketches and all future progress will be presented within a .PDF featuring a cover page listing relevant information concerning the artwork, including notes on the rationale behind my decisions. In the case of a minor revision, or a tight deadline, a less formal presentation may be used (i.e., an email including notes and a .jpg attachment of the revised artwork).

Revisions

Once the project’s revision count has been exhausted, additional revisions can be made for the fee agreed upon in the initial quote. (Don’t worry, I will never invest time in a revision meriting a fee without first checking in with you.)

Final Artwork

Once the sketches have been revised and refined to an agreeable point, final artwork will then be produced. Most all final artwork I produce begins on paper using a pen and/or brush. Because of this it becomes increasingly time consuming to make edits after final artwork has been created so be sure, where at all possible, to communicate larger revisions while the artwork is still in sketch phase.

Once completed, final artwork is then transferred to the computer to produce a digital file appropriate for your purposes. Final artwork will most commonly be delivered as a vector .ai file, when possible, or as a raster .psd, or .png file. Please specify at the onset of the project what file formats you require.

Billing

Once the project has been completed an invoice will be sent to you listing several methods of payment. These methods include check by mail and online payment through Paypal. Unless otherwise specified, payment terms are Net 30 upon delivery of the final assets.

FAQ

Q1. What is your hourly rate?
A1. I do not work from an hourly rate (unless addressing out of scope revisions), rather I quote each project based on the entirety of its scope (how, where, for how long, the artwork is needed…etc). This includes any usage rights that may be associated with your project’s needs. See above section on pricing and Q2., below.
Out of Scope Revisions: $100/hr
^{(Revisions made outside of the agreed project scope or after artwork has been approved by client)}

Q2. What are usage rights and why are they an additional fee?

A2. Usage rights refer to the rights to use artwork for commercial profit. The cost for usage rights is determined by several factors, the most basic of which are:

The format or media artwork will be used in.
The length of time artwork will be used.
The estimated size of audience that artwork will be exposed to.

Depending on the size of your business and the type of exposure your project will receive, usage rights may already be included in your project’s estimate. Otherwise, you can expect to see usage as a line item in addition to the cost of producing your artwork.

Q3. Can I have the original artwork?
A3. If you would like to receive the original artwork, please state this at the onset of your project. Original artwork can be provided for an additional fee. If you are an individual requesting a personal
commission, the original artwork will be worked into the cost of your project.

Conclusion

Thanks again for considering me as the artist for your project!
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions or concerns you may haves. Regardless of your budget and turnaround time I’m more than happy to discuss how I might be able to accommodate your project’s specific needs.

I look forward to working with you!

- Nathan

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