I used to think these were decent prices back when I started my illustration journey, but when you factor in the sheer amount of time it takes to create applibot quality illustrations not to mention revisions and waiting on clients, you’re looking at (at least for me) 3 weeks to a month on one illustration.. For just $8hundred bucks.. if you’re lucky maybe you can get $2k. But only if you’re super pro level and well known and also have a great relationship with the company which takes years to cultivate.. Of course you could take on multiple jobs in one month, but when you’re putting 12 - 21 hours into just one illustration, where is your time to actually be a human being? I know that’s the life some people choose as an illustrator, but if all you do is sit at a desk all day and work for shit pay just to say that you’re a pro illustrator, it sort of defeats the purpose of this shit. I would rather be miserable with a cubicle job and doing what I love on the side, instead of being miserable trying to make a living at what I love and never having time to create what I want or even live for that matter (I want a social life god damnit).
So now that I’ve taken the time to lift my head up from my wacom to actually look at what I’m killing myself for, It honestly doesn’t seem worth it. So the only options I have is to start looking for that sweet in-house position where I get to interact with other humans - maybe eat lunch with them, or go the content creator route and find a way to make content I enjoy that is also hentai so i can make the patreon monies..joke..

I don't know what i meant to do by writing this huge rant but I hope it helps someone out there in some sort of way. It’s definitely helped me realize I have to do something other than sit in my corner and quick if I don't want to end up a hobo.

>caring this much about pay
Artist are people who generally don't give a fuck about these things, anon. For good reason. They seem much more worth in doing art and enjoy it. Pay is almost nothing to them. It's like, "Oh I get paid as well to do this? Well, why not?" They could very well work free, but that would not fly in this day and age so of course they get paid. Besides, as long as you're good, the money will come rolling in, it doesn't matter what you do, just be good and they will raise the price just for you because you're a valuable asset. So, by reading your posts, it's clear this career just isn't for you, anon. You can go do those other options, it makes sense for your situation. Art is hard work, but professionals know how to deal with it. It's work, it's not play time. They love it much more than just doing it on the side, they love it to the point that they would enjoy working on it. If you don't, then don't go for it. Not for everyone. Artists still have social lives, as long as they know how to manage their time and schedule. Many people don't know how to do that these days, but there are some that do and it's a pretty good skill to learn.

Caring this much about pay? You know you need to make money to live right? For you to try and justify how fucked the industry is when it comes to decent pay by saying you should love so much you dont care what you get paid is complete bullshit dude. I love art but I also love not fucking starving and having a roof and mattress, maybe a pillow. The things I listed are not outlandish wants and you're basically saying I'm asking for too much.. What?

>>2548106
>you shouldn't want to get paid, you should do it out of love!
>money will come rolling in!
>art is work, not play!

I think you're confused.

>>2548093
The reality check is you won't be able to get an apartment without some sort of career under your belt. You're fucked. If you aren't at least making $15/hour you will never move out. Sure you can probably go for the cheaper apartments in the $500 range with the shittiest of job but those are almost always in high crime areas with poor maintenance and roach infested complexes.

A pillow costs less than $10. That's all you need to survive. That and toilet paper and baby wipes.

The idea that an artist can make a living and support himself with his art alone is incredibly modern and the whiny, entitled notion that an artist should be able to is even more recent.

Get a real job or become exceptional enough in some way that you can justify having other people give you money for making pictures. Whining will not help either things happen.

>>2548137

Not really, artists have always been businessmen. What's modern is the notion that anyone can just decide to become an artist. Back in the day, there was literally no hope for anyone who wasn't an apprentice working directly under a master, that was just the only way to get access to the supplies and knowledge. In turn, there were fewer artists to go around so they were all a lot more valuable.
It's simply over saturation of the market now that so many more people have the resources to become successful, which has created a competitive race to the bottom since anyone hiring can just go down the line to find who'll do the job for the least money.

if only people spent this much time drawing kek

>>2548095
>Of course you could take on multiple jobs in one month, but when you’re putting 12 - 21 hours into just one illustration, where is your time to actually be a human being?

You have the same time as any other working person.

20 hours for 1 illustration that pays for say 500 bucks if we're very conservative by your own standards. You want 3.600$ per month to live comfortably. That means you have to do 7.2 illustrations a 500$, which comes down to 144 hours of work per month. That's exactly 36 hours per week, just like what any regularly employed person works. Even less actually, in most places it's usually 40 hours per week.

So really, what you're complaining about is that as a mid to low tier illustrator you might have to work as hard as any other employed person with a 9 to 5 job to make a living. No shit.

>>2548093
Do you really need that much money? I honestly don't know what people do with their money. Rent+utilities are 700€ here for a decent 1bd apartment (been looking for a while and it was cheaper because people don't want to live in the ground floor)
I make 1400€ a month and live very comfortably. I spend only about 200-250€ on food and I still have lots of money at the end of the month. Could survive on just 1000€ which is considered to be very low here.

The first month is high though, so you need some savings or take a small loan, but after that, what the fuck do people do with their money?

>>2548252
Neat! where do you live?

>>2548255
Germany. Why does it matter though? OP would probably need about the same amount of money, but says he needs 3,600$ which is fucking crazy
Grow up and stop buying useless shit, OP.

Just get some career in the industry. You know, an actual job in a studio instead of freelance. The Freelancing part comes when you have years of experience under your belt.

>>2548106
>They could very well work free
except when free work means they starve, which is always the case.

>>2548379
This. Freelancing is very hard, even if you're a skilled artist. Not that getting a studio job is easy, but it's easier to make a living with it.

Maybe not for autistic losers such as myself though.

>>2548106
Yes, that worked out great for Gogh, didn't it you fucking retard?