Estimates for Art Costs (2022/2023)


Planning an art budget for your board game? Here are average estimates I'm seeing lately, as of the end of 2022. But first, a caveat: Quotes vary by many factors, including but not limited to the following:

  • Dimensions: The bigger the art, the more expensive it is.
  • Medium: Traditional paints and inks cost more than digital.
  • Style: The more you make an artist work outside their expertise, the more it will cost.
  • Complexity: A shot of a superhero flying in the open air is cheaper than the full super-team defending a city. 
  • Color/Ink: Some artists will cut you a deal if you only need linework.
  • Terms & rights: If you want full work-for-hire rights to the art, expect to pay for it.
  • Size of cast: Each character multiplies the complexity of the scene. If you want a big battle, it'll cost more depending on how many participants there are.
  • Detail: Photorealists charge more than cartoonists, typically. That's not always the case though.
  • Timeline: The sooner you need it, the more expensive it will be.
  • Planning: If you can provide plenty of visual references, photobashes, sketches, composition notes, and other prep materials, that may reduce your costs. The more mind-reading you make an artist do, the more it will cost.

All that said, here are the quote ranges I'm seeing for these typical game art specs:

  • Isolated Characters (Full-body, no background): $100—$250
  • Isolated Objects and Items (Weapons, Vehicles, Tech, Clothes): $50—$200
  • Any of the above set in a full scene or backgrounds: Add $100—$300
  • Game Cover or Game Board: $1k—$4k
  • Card Art (like in a CCG): $150—$550

This is the average I'm seeing for board games. Different industries charge and pay their own rates. Even within the tabletop game industry, there's huge variance. For example, one CCG card illo can equal an entire board game's budget, whereas most RPGs barely pay a fraction of that.

As always, approach an artist respectfully, as a professional, and be honest about your expectations. Even if that particular negotiation doesn't work out, that artist may be able to recommend another artist who is a better fit for your project. 

As always, pay artists promptly and well. Good luck in the new year! 

Comments

  1. MarcJanuary 8, 2023 at 11:39 PM

    "one CCG card illo can equal an entire board game's budget"

    Wow! I had no idea. I would have thought a game like MtG might actually pay less than other gigs. Glad those folks are getting paid!

    How about something like the blue and red demon shots on this page, which were real miniature shots "arted up" for the rulebook?

    https://www.beastsofwar.com/news/snarling-badger-new-skirmish-game-reign-in-hell/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Daniel SolisJanuary 9, 2023 at 6:59 PM

      That's good question! They might have an inhouse team of photographers and Photoshop specialists who can arrange those scenes.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

5 Graphic Design and Typography Tips for your Card Game

Image
Chris Farrell of Illuminating Games just wrote a thorough critique of card games setting their body text to be so small that they cannot be read at arm's length, let alone across the table. Here's an excerpt, but the whole thing is worth a read for any would-be card game designers out there. (Myself included.) Break out your copy of the base set of Dominion, and look at the Chapel. This has a text box roughly 3.5cm by 4.5cm. It's got a single line of text. That line of text is 1 (one) millimeter high. 1mm! For me, it's only clearly readable at half an arm's length even in the bright light of day. (...) Compare this to a more sane game like Glory to Rome, where the font size is 2-3 times as large (text is 2mm high, keywords 3mm and usually highlighted). I can generally read Glory to Rome cards across the table, and can certainly see the important keywords. To heap insult upon injury, not only does Glory to Rome have far more legible text than Dominion it also has
Read more

One Thing to Avoid in Game Design

Image
When game designer Paul Peterson was interviewed for the upcoming Titans Series of games from Calliope Games, there was one segment at 1:55 that really caught my attention (emphasis mine): "A couple years ago I was teaching people how to play Guillotine and I hadn't played in a while. The first thing I did was say, 'The first thing you gonna do when you open your game is you look through this deck and you take this card.' I pulled out the Callous Guards card and threw it over my shoulder. Everybody laughed. I said, ' That's the biggest mistake I ever made as a game designer in my life.'" Oof. Those are strong words. What's the big deal? For context, the game Guillotine is all about collecting the heads of French nobles during the revolution. There is only one guillotine, with a line of nobles waiting for their grim fate. On your turn, you play action cards to change the order of the line, then take the Noble card from the front of the
Read more

Belle of the Ball Guest Name Generator

Image
Here's a fun little toy to tide you over while Belle of the Ball's is still in playtesting. Come up with your own name for a Belle of the Ball guest! Start with a first name from the first table. Then add a surname by combining a prefix and suffix from the second table. Bang! Now you're one classy Dental Untercaw or Chive Pimplesack!
Read more