Eric M. Strong 

What do you, a small business owner, a self-publishing author, and a creative director all have in common?
You’re all searching for great looking artwork at the best price possible! So how can you get the most bang for your buck?

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1. Buy in Bulk
The buying in bulk concept doesn’t just apply to 50 pound bags of potato chips. Ordering Artwork in large quantities can save you money as well.

Let’s say you are developing a weekly cartoon for your company’s blog. Once you have found the right artist, have them quote you a price for the whole quarter, instead of just a single cartoon.  As a freelance artist, I am always looking to build my list of clients not just my list of projects.

With a whole quarter’s worth of cartoons, your artist can create an assembly line process, or template to streamline the work. This makes the artists job more efficient, which translates into less work, meaning the artist can afford to charge less for your project.

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2. Plan Ahead
This is a principle we can all benefit from daily.

For example the last time you purchased a product online you were probably presented with a number of shipping options. The amount you paid for shipping is in direct correlation to how quickly the product was delivered. In other words if you didn't plan ahead, and needed the package in a hurry you paid for rush shipping. If you did plan ahead, you were able to save money by just simply waiting longer.

In the world of freelance art it is feast or famine. There are periods when I am swamped, periods where I am looking for work, and periods where I’m waiting to hear back from clients on projects before I can proceed. Wouldn't it be nice to have something to work on even if it didn't pay as well as the other projects? Something is better than nothing right?

This is where you want your project to be. If an artist is swamped, they have the freedom to set your project on the “back burner” and tackle the rush jobs. After the crisis is over, they can return to your project and finish it up.  This really is a win-win situation. You are providing stability for the artist, and getting a discounted price in the process.



​3. Hire Hourly
Really? Yes, really. A freelance artist has to look at the whole picture when quoting a set price for a project. Since they may not know how particular you are or how many revisions or changes a project is going to have, they pad the bid to compensate for the potential revisions. Hiring an artist hourly lets the artist take those considerations out of the equation and can be a real money saver. Hiring an artist to work hourly puts the burden of the unknown on you.

 If you Buy in Bulk, Plan Ahead, and Hire Hourly you can save your artist some time, and save yourself some money.