How much time does it take to make an illustration

Hey guys! Today I’d like to talk a bit about my regular workflow. As you know, my primary occupation is making psychedelic illustrations. When a customer comes to me and describes what he is looking for I reply with schedule and a budget. The budget differs from one illustration to another and it is usually something between $150 and $300. But the schedule is usually the same ’cause I prefer to set realistic but not very relaxed goals.

So here is my regular schedule assuming that I have all the information necessary to start the project:

  • 1. The customer sends me 50% advance payment.
  • 2. I make 1-3 sketches depending on the task within 3-5 work days.
  • 3. The customer picks one and makes a list of adjustments if necessary within 1-3 work days.
  • 4. I make the digital version within 5 work days.
  • 5. The customer checks the illustration and can ask for minor adjustments within 1-3 work days.
  • 6. I make the final adjustments within 1-3 work days.
  • 7-a. If the customer is happy he sends me the remaining 50% payment and I send him the original file.
  • 7-b. If the customer wants more adjustments I make them for $30/hour on top of confirmed budget after remaining 50% payment is complete. But this rarely happens ’cause luckily in most cases both me and a customer have a clear vision of what should be done in the first place.

So if you are wondering how long will it take me to complete an illustration the answer will be 10-16 work days. The reason I usually don’t take urgent requests (unless it is something obviously simple and won’t take much time) is something good can not be accomplished fast. The artwork needs some time to brew and my mind needs pauses to have better understanding of the problem and come up with better solutions.

If you have read through all text above you might be looking for an illustrator at the moment so I’ve got good news for you – I’m open for one free project at the moment. You can read more about applying for this offer in my previous post.

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