"Work wanted..." Topic

So I'm a relatively newish painter looking for work. When I say newish I mean that in my 6 years in hobby wargaming I've haven't gotten much work.
I mostly deal with fantasy and sci-fi but have recently gotten some WW2 figures and I'm up to just about any challenge.
Pictures of my work will be posted in this thread as soon as I can.

Hi,

I've been a full time painter for the last 15 years or so.

Pictures speak a thousand words providing that the pictures show the actual standard of work produced. I've always gone for one standard of work, what I do for me is the same as I do for others. It has served me well.

Do not under price yourself just to get work because it is hard to raise your prices once you have set them. If you are prepared to work for buttons, you might as well work for Primark. If you are making this your job, make it your job, don't mess about by quoting 'hobby for beer money' rates.

If you are good at what you do you will get work, if you are not you will not last long.

The biggest problem you might have, if you are good, might be managing the amount of work you are taking on. As a one man band you will, in all likelihood, take on more work than you can handle because the money looks good or, if you are undercharging, necessary. Pricing yourself properly generally handles this. I started at a batch price of £2.50 GBP a figure but now charge a minimum of £7.50 GBP; for individual figures or flags I charge £25.00 GBP. I am, if I say so myself, very good at what I do and I charge an artisan daily rate (£100 – £150.00 GBP), pretty much what you pay a good builder for his time.

Good luck with your business. Painters have a generally bad name because of unprofessional part timers that come into the business, undercharge and fail because of it, letting down their customers and the profession in general. Please don't do this, I have enough work as it is without idiots adding to my order book righting the wrongs of others.

Oh, I won't undercharge and I will only do work that I would find satisfying in quality for my own models. I was just stating that I haven't worked much yet.
I do appreciate your advice. It's good for other more experienced artists to check up on the community.
Like I stated I will have pictures soon. They've been "filed" by my computer in an update.
I'm working my largest model at the moment, the Blightbringer.

It might also help if you add, at least, your country of residence to your TMP profile.

Jim

I agree, change your profile to show the country you are in, or state it in the message thread. A person may like your work, but it might be too much bother to ship overseas.

And if this is more than "earn a little beer money" you'll want some sort of web presence. A blog is fine. But a regular way to see work, and get in touch…

Oh yes, I wrote this a few years back….

TMP link

I'll second what Olicana said and Extra Chrispy's guide is good advice.

Ditto to what the others have said. Do your best to stick to deadlines and use daylight to paint, your eyes will take a hiding using night-time lighting, so when its too dark to paint stop.

James how on earth do you manage to do so many figures per month by my reckoning 250+ per month? Start at 8 finish at 5? I have max 6 hour a day before my brain starts throbbing from the concentration. You using some trick or have you got a Gnome sweat shop in the garage :). Max I can put out to good gaming standard is 120 figs a month and that's with optimum weather and sun.
Cheers to all who get to do a fairly enjoyable job painting miniatures and the like out there, hobby and job all in one. .

The weather in North Texas has limited me for sure this year. It's been difficult to get even my stuff done. Not to mention having to do everything by hand entirely till I can replace my air compressor. This year has kinda sucked.
But it's getting better and I'm confident I can get some clients soon…