Need an artist!!!
by Ron Barbosa · in Torque X 2D · 05/21/2010 (11:07 am) · 12 replies
Hey guys...I know this is not the "help wanted" section of the GG forums, but I'm looking for leads from folks that are using Torque X 2D.
I'd like to know if you can refer me to any artists with a good price/quality ratio. I've been in touch with a few guys, but either my budget isn't big enough, or the job scope isn't big enough.
I'm not looking for free work...I am more interested in quality over quantity, and I am willing to pay.
So I'm looking for referrals from the community.
Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.
I'm looking for in-game environmental art work, HUD/UI work, title/splash screens, and cover art.
Thanks!
--RB
I'd like to know if you can refer me to any artists with a good price/quality ratio. I've been in touch with a few guys, but either my budget isn't big enough, or the job scope isn't big enough.
I'm not looking for free work...I am more interested in quality over quantity, and I am willing to pay.
So I'm looking for referrals from the community.
Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.
I'm looking for in-game environmental art work, HUD/UI work, title/splash screens, and cover art.
Thanks!
--RB
#2
Concept guys average around $800.00 a page.
Models vary drastically based on what it is, but a character can be created for $800-$2000 depending.
Also I've worked with a 2d animation studio that charges around $100.00 an hour.
My core team of artists work for free (all friends) so I really haven't outsourced much, though I have looked into enough to know good work can be really expensive (for me anyway) :(.
05/25/2010 (1:19 pm)
Heya Ron, I work with a ton of guys that freelance on the side. They produce very high quality work but are probably on the higher end of pay.Concept guys average around $800.00 a page.
Models vary drastically based on what it is, but a character can be created for $800-$2000 depending.
Also I've worked with a 2d animation studio that charges around $100.00 an hour.
My core team of artists work for free (all friends) so I really haven't outsourced much, though I have looked into enough to know good work can be really expensive (for me anyway) :(.
#3
I guess I'll figure something out...but I don't have friends with that kind of talent, so I have to look to the indie/freelance artist community.
That is a nightmare in an of itself. Expensive prices aside, I haven't seen very many organized sites with good portfolios. I've also seen several sites with "contact us" links that the people/artists don't even respond to. That's been most perplexing. I've tried to approach at least 5 artists for discussion to determine their costs, that have never even returned my correspondence.
So I figured rather than look for the artists directly, I'd look for referrals through the TX community.
If anyone can direct me to someone they'd recommend, I'd appreciate it.
Thanks...
--RB
05/25/2010 (1:33 pm)
@Matt...you're not kidding. The prices get outrageous really quickly. I'm funding my game project out-of-pocket, so I'm limited in what I can afford to spend. But at the same time, I understand that not having high quality artwork pretty much dooms your title to the trash heap. :(I guess I'll figure something out...but I don't have friends with that kind of talent, so I have to look to the indie/freelance artist community.
That is a nightmare in an of itself. Expensive prices aside, I haven't seen very many organized sites with good portfolios. I've also seen several sites with "contact us" links that the people/artists don't even respond to. That's been most perplexing. I've tried to approach at least 5 artists for discussion to determine their costs, that have never even returned my correspondence.
So I figured rather than look for the artists directly, I'd look for referrals through the TX community.
If anyone can direct me to someone they'd recommend, I'd appreciate it.
Thanks...
--RB
#4
05/25/2010 (2:03 pm)
I spoke with Ron but sadly my spare time was scooped up by a contract until the end of July. If nothing works out by then Ron, give me a call/email.
#5
http://www.polycount.com/
http://www.deviantart.com/
You'll find good artists at both sites.
Direct link to freelance page:
http://www.polycount.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=51
05/25/2010 (2:32 pm)
Let me suggest you check out: http://www.polycount.com/
http://www.deviantart.com/
You'll find good artists at both sites.
Direct link to freelance page:
http://www.polycount.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=51
#6
how should he get in touch with you?
05/25/2010 (2:36 pm)
i asked around and found one guy who's between contracts.how should he get in touch with you?
#7
@Matthew...thanks for the links. I'll check those out...I had hit deviantart.com, but found it difficult to trace assets back to an individual for contact/proposal. I'll have to dig deeper. I don't think I've hit polycount.com yet.
@Steve Wigmore...thanks for looking around...I appreciate it. I can be reached using the email address associate with my profile.
garagegames at exibeo dot net.
Thanks all!
--RB
05/25/2010 (2:57 pm)
@eb...I will certainly keep in touch. I had hoped we'd be able to strike an agreement, but I understand the value of a contract in hand. Maybe next time. But I have to say...if I still haven't found an artist by late July...I might have to gouge my own eyes out. ;)@Matthew...thanks for the links. I'll check those out...I had hit deviantart.com, but found it difficult to trace assets back to an individual for contact/proposal. I'll have to dig deeper. I don't think I've hit polycount.com yet.
@Steve Wigmore...thanks for looking around...I appreciate it. I can be reached using the email address associate with my profile.
garagegames at exibeo dot net.
Thanks all!
--RB
#8
In the end, I was able to strike a deal with an artist that worked for my budget.
--RB
06/10/2010 (8:11 am)
Hey all...thanks for your references and help in finding an artist.In the end, I was able to strike a deal with an artist that worked for my budget.
--RB
#9
06/10/2010 (9:05 am)
Don't forget to show us images from time to time and talk about your experience on this venture, in a blog!
#10
Would you say that was the top-end of the market for professional quality 2d animation? Or middle of the road? Or low-end?!
Are you able to put some context around this in terms of likely timescales so I can estimate some costs? i.e. how long it takes to produce typical 2d game animations.
As an example, how many hours might a pro studio need to produce an animated sprite sheet for a character's walk cycle? That sort of thing...
06/13/2010 (7:27 am)
@Matthew H - re: "Also I've worked with a 2d animation studio that charges around $100.00 an hour."Would you say that was the top-end of the market for professional quality 2d animation? Or middle of the road? Or low-end?!
Are you able to put some context around this in terms of likely timescales so I can estimate some costs? i.e. how long it takes to produce typical 2d game animations.
As an example, how many hours might a pro studio need to produce an animated sprite sheet for a character's walk cycle? That sort of thing...
#11
We worked with an animation group once for some commercials, it was multiple hundreds of $$ an hour. The agency I was working for billed us out at over $150 an hour, add on the cost of the animators + 15% markup and you can see where that goes.
On the other end of the spectrum I have had great experiences recruiting kids from colleges. They work cheap and really mostly want something for their portfolios.
06/14/2010 (5:43 am)
I think $100 an hour is on the lower end. When you hire a studio or design group they usually come with a team and management and overhead. If you want a guy or two then you get into the $100 an hour or less, or at least that has been my experience.We worked with an animation group once for some commercials, it was multiple hundreds of $$ an hour. The agency I was working for billed us out at over $150 an hour, add on the cost of the animators + 15% markup and you can see where that goes.
On the other end of the spectrum I have had great experiences recruiting kids from colleges. They work cheap and really mostly want something for their portfolios.
#12
I'm not as familiar with how long 2d animation takes to finish as I work mostly in 3d. In my limited experience the one time I was going to hire a 2d animation studio they did the entire locomotion set for 2 characters for around $2000. (I used to work there though so they may have quoted me a deal)
The following animations:
idle *2
walk *2
Attack *1
Crouch *1
Jump *1
Fall *1
Landing *1
9 animations at 2000 so they budgeted me at a bit over 2 hours per animation.
I know with 3D depending on the complexity of the character an animation can take from 4-8 hours plus. (assuming they are not interacting with another character that takes longer, ie a throw. And some animations are really more then one. For example a fireball cast may need a start, loop, and end.)
In general around 300-400 for an animation is around what I would expect to pay for a 3d character though I'm sure you can get an animation made for cheaper.
Just look at it this way. Animators at a big studio make an average of say 65,000 a year. That is 1354.00 a week or 270 a day. But they also get vacation time and health benefits. So when freelancing a top quality animator will need to make more then 270 a day to make up for the lack of paid vacation and health benefits.
Then again hiring kids out of college as Henry suggests is always an option. :)
06/14/2010 (10:15 am)
100 is on the low end for sure when hiring a studio. I'm not as familiar with how long 2d animation takes to finish as I work mostly in 3d. In my limited experience the one time I was going to hire a 2d animation studio they did the entire locomotion set for 2 characters for around $2000. (I used to work there though so they may have quoted me a deal)
The following animations:
idle *2
walk *2
Attack *1
Crouch *1
Jump *1
Fall *1
Landing *1
9 animations at 2000 so they budgeted me at a bit over 2 hours per animation.
I know with 3D depending on the complexity of the character an animation can take from 4-8 hours plus. (assuming they are not interacting with another character that takes longer, ie a throw. And some animations are really more then one. For example a fireball cast may need a start, loop, and end.)
In general around 300-400 for an animation is around what I would expect to pay for a 3d character though I'm sure you can get an animation made for cheaper.
Just look at it this way. Animators at a big studio make an average of say 65,000 a year. That is 1354.00 a week or 270 a day. But they also get vacation time and health benefits. So when freelancing a top quality animator will need to make more then 270 a day to make up for the lack of paid vacation and health benefits.
Then again hiring kids out of college as Henry suggests is always an option. :)
Torque Owner Steve Wigmore
Default Studio Name
cartoon, stylized, toon shaded, textured 3d, photo real motion blur'd 3d?
normal maps for each asset? frames per second? number of animations? stills?
number of assets? is the design of the assets locked down or do they need to be designed as well? The designs and complexity of the content will have a big impact on the price points of artists.
on average though, most artists I work with hover between the $20-$30/hr range. Depending on complexity, asset creation time could range between a few hours, and a few days for a fully detailed model, a week or more for rigging and animations.
So you may have to sacrifice quality for affordability.