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[jeffrobot]

Hi guys,

I'm looking for advice on how to pay an artist for work they're going to do. The game is for a contest, so there is potential prize money involved, which sort of complicates things. I'm  thinking of giving them an option of being paid hourly OR receiving a larger amount of money IF we win. If they chose that option and we lost, then I wouldn't pay them anything (which isn't totally unfair if you think about it - I'm not making any money either). Also, we're both students, so we both enjoy just getting to make something and put it out there.

Any advice? Tips on being fair? Payment methods that keep the artist motivated? (should I keep concerns of motivation out of the pay scheme?)

Also, what would be a good hourly wage for a student artist? $20?

Thanks

[Evan Balster]

I suggest just partnering up with someone in the conventional sense and sharing prize money if you happen to win.  Paying wages out-of-pocket in a situation like this sounds a bit overkill, though I suppose it depends on how much art you need.

[bateleur]

Pay only if you win seems the best here if your artist is happy to go with that option. Look at it this way: if you win, you'll be happy because you won. If you don't win, you'll be glad you didn't spend money unnecessarily.

As an aside: I wouldn't generally expect paid art to be by-the-hour. Having both worked as an artist and commissioned art from a contractor it's always been flat rate fees. You say "I need this by this deadline, how much?" then the artist quotes a rate and that's what gets paid on delivery.

[dsilvers]

@bateleur Agreed. Best way to pay for contracted artwork is either on a per-deadline or per-asset basis. In the case of making something for a contest, though, come to an understanding that if you win you will split the winnings, otherwise the project is just a resume builder and they will be credited properly.

[Starflier]

How do you pay an artist? Generously. As much as you can afford, and maybe take out a line of credit or something? 

Okay, so, I still stand by that, but, the deal is you'll get better results if you take someone on in such a way that it becomes a shared project, rather than you hiring them as an outside contractor. Just, make sure that you have some sort of mutually accepted written agreement about how money will be divided up should there be any. Also, you'll need to be open to their suggestions on gameplay and design, because it's their baby too now.

If you just want to hire a freelance artist, then decide what your art budget is, and what you want it to buy ahead of time. Then, if you're making a post in a classified section of an artist community or something, include that information. This may seem like common sense, but way too many people are really vague when trying to hire an artist.
Always pay after the work is completed. And don't try to use "royalties" as an extra carrot. Set your offer ahead of time and let the artist take it or leave it. If nobody's taking it, then you're not offering enough.
And when you find an artist who wants to work on your project, and has a style you like, keep in touch and be nice to them, because general courtesy and respect will do more for an artist's work ethic than money ever will.

So, yeah, that's my two bits as an artist who does some freelance...

[Gabriel Verdon]

Whatever you do, please come to the table with an offer. Even if the artist responds saying it's too low, don't worry, you won't hurt their feelings. The worst that can happen is that they will ask for a higher rate. As an artist it's extremely annoying to have to haggle over your own work.

The other thing, is don't try to inspire them by describing how awesome and unique your vision is. They've probably heard it a thousand times. The best thing you can do is be upfront about the business portion, and then get to the fun stuff once that is worked out.

I mean think of it this way - if you go to a hot dog vendor, would you describe to them this amazing idea for a hot dog you have, and then expect them to jump on board and talk about payment later?

So yeah, just be upfront about the business and come to the table with an offer - so you can get the business out of the way as quickly and efficiently as possible. Hope that helps 

[Gryxitl]

My 2 cents are to pay the artist accordingly to his work.  Not to offend but for this post I am going to refer to "The Artist" as a male.  Also I will be using a decent amount of profanity.

If he doesn't give you a price you can completely ream him.  Although I do not suggest this as it may come back to bite you on your ass.  Although my kind are generally dicked upon by most non artists.  What you want to do is negotiate with him.

On the subject of pricing itself.  If you are working with a freelance animator it generally costs about $475 USD per second of animation(although that is subject to change on various factors and possibly significantly increase).  If he is still a student make sure he is damn good or else 20 an hour is not worth it for you.  Usually I charge between 30-35 for my work but it's very negotiable.  Really it depends on a per project basis and you will have to negotiate the terms and pricing of the project.

Huge amount of factors come into place when pricing, such as are you a company, non profit or solo?  Pricing changes dramatically based upon that and the scope of the project.

Royalties are bullshit unless you have a seriously good contract do not rely on them, both you and him will end up in court unless you are the best of friends.  I cannot stress this enough.  I've seen countless projects go sour due to this.

Have a strong contract look it over with a lawyer if you can.  You want to make sure the work you paid for is actually yours.  This is a VERY common issue and can lead to very serious problems down the road.  Currently the way copyright law works everything is owned by the artist upon conception unless otherwise noted.  So if the work he's done for you isn't contracted to you then there is an issue when it comes time to release.  Which means he can sue you unless you actually own the work created for you.

In addition to this if you are an artist, check out this book, it will help severely in all cases if you are attempting to go freelance or already are.  Don't get let anyone fuck you.  You need to eat and pay rent.  If you get screwed it hurts all of us. Graphic-Artists-Handbook-Pricing-Guidelines

TL:DR
Royalties are dumb, pay him accordingly.  Don't get reamed on price don't ream him on price.  Have a strong contract or expect to go to court.  Be nice to artists and programmers were all in this fight together.  GO INDIE GLHF!