tarot deck artist

Hello all! I am interested in hiring someone to create a tarot deck for me. I was wondering if anyone has had this experience and more specifically, how much they charged the person for their work. Thanks so much.

Michael

Every artist will have their rates, which will naturally be a bit higher than minimum wage for an hour's work.

Speaking now from an artist's point of view, I would tell you to first determine what style, or 'feel', you think your proposed deck project would be, and then look around for an artist whose work already tends in that direction. Artists tend to specialize, and they aren't interchangeable. It's not as though any given artist can do any given art project.

Can you be a bit more specific? Describe the qualities you figure your finished project would have, and maybe that will help more than simply asking for 'an artist'. You might point us toward artwork that was somewhat similar to what you have in mind, to help us grasp your intentions.

You might also be a bit more specific about what kind of deal you want to offer. Is this one of those co-ownership deals, where the artist works for nothing up front for some sort of value later on, or did you want to work out a rate per finished card, or maybe an hourly rate? Details like that can sift out potential collaborators more easily than a blanket request.

I'm doing the same thing--kudos for being willing to pay for the art, rather than trying to get artists to do it for free.

The way I went about it was going onto DeviantArt's forums and posting in the "paid work" folder what I was looking for (including rough details of the art style), and how much I was willing to pay per card. You should decide if you need to own the art (in case you want to sell prints or t-shirts, or the deck itself to a publisher), or if you're willing to let the artist keep ownership, and have a contract for either scenario. Myself, I own the art, but I allow the artist to also sell prints in a limited capacity. Then look through the responses you get, and find an artist (or multiple artists) who have the skill and style your deck needs.

I did it this way even though it means the deck is taking awhile to construct (as I save up money for each card)--I could have tried to find an artist willing to do the work for a split of future profits, but I, personally, don't like that arrangement, as it puts the burden of risk on the artist (and I have too many artist friends to do that ).

As for how much per card, that's up to your budget, and how detailed your preferred style is. If you want Vallejo-style paintings that take hours or days, but are offering $50 a card, you're probably not going to have much luck. And also how established your artist is--someone just starting out will be more willing to work for a lower price than someone who's already getting steady illustration work.

Are you still looking for a Deck Artist?

I would love to sketch your tarot cards for you! It may get me off my rear to make my own, too! What design/style/symbols did you have in mind? Did you want it to be grayscale or in color? I can do either.

I am not a graphic artist, I'm a sketch artist, but I do have a scanner so I can send you the drawings. ^_^ If you're interested, please PM me so we can discuss pricing! (I'm hurting for money at the moment too, so the sooner I can maybe work on this, the better!)

Thanks!
Amaris

Are you still looking for a Deck Artist?

Eeep, double posted...