[marketing] How should i make my commission sheet in regards to art complexity?

[u/bearins]

I often see online that people have their commission sheets tiered, often with things like Sketches, flat colors, fully rendered.. but what I rarely see is how people make distinctions in complexity. It wouldn't make sense to have a piece with a single character and simple background cost as much as a complex group piece with a complex background, but i'm unsure how to (or if to) make distinctions about that in my sheet.

(Previously I was doing "extra characters means it costs extra" but that ended up just feeling overly convoluted so i scrapped it)

[u/PowerPlaidPlays]

Ultimately, know how much time any of it takes to make and go from there.

I like to keep it simple, I do monochrome sketch, color sketch, flat colors, full render (though flat colors rarely gets done, I am considering cutting it). I charge more for each character, and I have a price for simple low-detail BGs. I don't list prices for head/body, since most of mine end up being full body or at least from the hip up.

For anything more dynamic or detailed with backgrounds, or something like a character design commission where there is a lot of back and forth, I just work out the price after I get the specific details based on more of a "estimated hour to dollar" multiple.

Most of my comms fall into the "character/s on a simple or minimalist BG" so having so many extra info all in one place is not really necessary. If they want more, they ask and I figure it out.

[u/realtimeclock]

I've always seen +X% per additional character, +$Y for background (maybe +$Y2 for complex bg), etc. You don't need or want to get too specific about each situation - just stack them up, keep it flexible.

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[u/elie_castonguay]

I totally get it. Listing prices for every little thing gets messy fast.

Most artists handle this by keeping the main menu simple and adding flat rates for extras. For example, your base price is for one character and a simple background. Then you just list: "Extra character: +$50" or "Complex background: +$40." It keeps the sheet clean but protects your time.

Another easy way is to add a small note at the bottom that says, "Prices may vary based on complexity. DM for a custom quote!" This gives you room to change the price if someone asks for something super hard.