Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So I really want the centerpiece of my army, Trajann Valoris, to really pop. I also want to put him on my desk at work. I have tried to paint him twice, and both attempts look well, crappy. Is there a good method for hiring a professional model painter to do my Valoris? I see him go on EBAY for around 200-400 for expert level painting, and wasn't sure if that was bunk or true accurate price?

Any advice? I mean it's a 40$ model, I don't see why it costs the same as a Daemon Primarch.

I would ask around locally in the game store community. There are likely some talented painters who are not world famous but probably pretty darn good, and may charge a bit less to do a good job. Also, you can see their work beforehand (even if its on a different model, you can get the idea, I reckon).

Generally if you're after centrepiece model paint jobs, be prepared to pay for the time people put into a model for the result you want.

Ebay is not a great metric to work of for Pro-Painted stuff. The best way to assess what something is worth paying for is to figure out a guideline hourly rate (say £10/hr for 20hrs for simplicity) people work at and whether YOU like their work. There are lots of artists out there with many different styles, so you have to take that into account.

Size of the model doesn't make a lot of difference but there will always be some and that cost can go up or down depending on the detail. Valoris is a really detailed character and I'm not surprised that he costs the same as a larger model. Larger models can be expedited by using an airbrush which is harder/less useful to use on smaller models.

FezzikDaBullgryn wrote:
So I really want the centerpiece of my army, Trajann Valoris, to really pop. I also want to put him on my desk at work. I have tried to paint him twice, and both attempts look well, crappy. Is there a good method for hiring a professional model painter to do my Valoris? I see him go on EBAY for around 200-400 for expert level painting, and wasn't sure if that was bunk or true accurate price?

Any advice? I mean it's a 40$ model, I don't see why it costs the same as a Daemon Primarch.

Ebay may not be a great guide, but for a showpiece model you're very much paying for the artist's time and skill. Keep in mind that many professional painters often spend 30+ hours on centerpiece models. Pay them what their time is worth.

Search locally, then regionally, then internationally. Compare prices and choose your artist base on their style. Different studios have their own way of calculating price and quality.

I myself calculate most items based off of GW individual retail x2 or 2.5 for IK/flier/30k characters; sometimes the base retail have to be adjusted due to weird GW pricing. Charge 20% extra for paint stripping/white or yellow main colors. The work includes: mold line removal, pinning, gun barrel drilling, magnetizing, details like eyes, light weathering, decals, basing. Welcome to check my gallery through my profile.

You’re essentially paying for the artist’s time, not only in the actual time painting your model, but the time it takes for them to reach that point. I recommend FLG painting service in the US, I had worked for them for a year sometimes back.

Dukeofstuff wrote:
I would ask around locally in the game store community. There are likely some talented painters who are not world famous but probably pretty darn good, and may charge a bit less to do a good job. Also, you can see their work beforehand (even if its on a different model, you can get the idea, I reckon).

Seconded. Always work local if you can.

If you're looking for quality you should first find some artists (preferably local) and check out their work to see if you like it. I wouldn't charge you 400$ personaly, but around 200$ sounds accurate. The model isn't huge but it is very detailed, which means it takes a long time to paint it to a showcase standard.

Having others paint for you is allways going to be a costly thing, cuz would you work for free? nor do they.
Start local, find clubs and see if anyone does comission work, then expand if the results are negative. You will find amazing painters abroad but then you allso has to count in the shipping and local tax to your final cost.

I cant say if the prices you have found for your spesific model is correct, but that price range is what you have to pay an artist for the higest quality(that it sounds like you are after) they can do.

FezzikDaBullgryn wrote:
So I really want the centerpiece of my army, Trajann Valoris, to really pop. I also want to put him on my desk at work. I have tried to paint him twice, and both attempts look well, crappy. Is there a good method for hiring a professional model painter to do my Valoris? I see him go on EBAY for around 200-400 for expert level painting, and wasn't sure if that was bunk or true accurate price?

Any advice? I mean it's a 40$ model, I don't see why it costs the same as a Daemon Primarch.

In my experience very good painters ask for 2x or 3x the retail cost of the model to paint a hero. In your case something like 80-120$. Higher prices don't make any sense and are mostly traps; with all the good painters available you shouldn't have trouble to find a cheaper one without losing the "pro-painted" result.

Reddit has a forum called brush for hire. Lots of artists like myself frequent it when we're looking for work. Generally speaking, it shouldn't take more than a week or two for a professional to paint a super nice mini. That being said, look at their art before paying.

 Blackie wrote:

FezzikDaBullgryn wrote:
So I really want the centerpiece of my army, Trajann Valoris, to really pop. I also want to put him on my desk at work. I have tried to paint him twice, and both attempts look well, crappy. Is there a good method for hiring a professional model painter to do my Valoris? I see him go on EBAY for around 200-400 for expert level painting, and wasn't sure if that was bunk or true accurate price?

Any advice? I mean it's a 40$ model, I don't see why it costs the same as a Daemon Primarch.

In my experience very good painters ask for 2x or 3x the retail cost of the model to paint a hero. In your case something like 80-120$. Higher prices don't make any sense and are mostly traps; with all the good painters available you shouldn't have trouble to find a cheaper one without losing the "pro-painted" result.

$80 to paint a mini to a centerpiece, showcase standard sounds like a painter who's willing to work for far less than a minimum wage. Keep in mind that you're also paying for X years of practice that these painters have put in to get to that particular level of skill.

 Mr. Grey wrote:

 Blackie wrote:

FezzikDaBullgryn wrote:
So I really want the centerpiece of my army, Trajann Valoris, to really pop. I also want to put him on my desk at work. I have tried to paint him twice, and both attempts look well, crappy. Is there a good method for hiring a professional model painter to do my Valoris? I see him go on EBAY for around 200-400 for expert level painting, and wasn't sure if that was bunk or true accurate price?

Any advice? I mean it's a 40$ model, I don't see why it costs the same as a Daemon Primarch.

In my experience very good painters ask for 2x or 3x the retail cost of the model to paint a hero. In your case something like 80-120$. Higher prices don't make any sense and are mostly traps; with all the good painters available you shouldn't have trouble to find a cheaper one without losing the "pro-painted" result.

$80 to paint a mini to a centerpiece, showcase standard sounds like a painter who's willing to work for far less than a minimum wage. Keep in mind that you're also paying for X years of practice that these painters have put in to get to that particular level of skill.

People don't value skill in art these days. They want China Sweat Shop pricing but decades of experience results.

Art is EXPENSIVE. But no one wants to pay for the cost of the food on their table.

I did commission work a long time ago, decades ago. I stopped because it was below minimum wage work. I did it because I enjoyed it. But when that ended, the money wasn't worth it. People's pay has not kept up with their cost of living and things like hobbies get squeezed.

80 bucks for a display grade model paint job? Hell no. A top grade model takes a lot of hours, I would say 120 bucks USD minimum. You'd have to paint 10-14 hours a day if it was your main job just to eat top-romen only and live in a one bed no bath flat in the worst part of town.

I would gladly and easily pay 200 if they could certify their work before payment. I.E. Paint the model, send pics, if I don't like it keep the model. But I am not dropping 250 on a Surprise paint job, like some wierd FUNco Pop mini. No, I have a few 3000$ paintings in my house, and you buy the painting you want, even on commissions. That is how art sales work. There is no painter out there that gets the money BEFORE the work is complete. Many will even throw in the frame or at least give you advice on what type of frame will go well with the composition.

What a 40k Painter is essentially asking is, I buy the model, pay to send it to them, pay to ship it back, pay for the painting, all SIGHT UNSEEN. That sounds like a great way to rip someone off. Theguy I spoke with on the phone from FLG told me they don't varnish the models because that would tarnish the paint. Dude, I'm not letting you send me a painted, brittle piece of plastic that was likely air brush painted, with no protective layering....

EDIT - cost of mini added to final cost.

The 'multiple of box cost' thing is utter garbage. Nobody at all in their right mind uses that as a basis for business, and it only kinda-if-you-squint works because GW's pricing is... well, steep. Stop perpetuating it - it's all about HOW MANY HOURS DOES THIS TAKE. That's it.

With regard to the levels of work (starting at what I call high end tabletop) - the further toward competition you put this, the more well known globally the artist you're talking to should be. If you've not seen them published and they're talking about competition grade think very carefully about whether you believe they can deliver what they're promising. At the lower level, a good portfolio (and prolific enough web presence) is proof enough. No web presence or portfolio, then they're not investing in it as a profession, or aren't established enough. All of which should ring alarm bells at decent standards of work.

My estimates on reasonable commission studio prices (I'm not accepting private commissions these days, but this is roughly what I'd charge):

High end tabletop, 3 days, maybe 4. Expect to pay £120 - £160. This is likely not your mate in the FLGS's tabletop. This is the sort of level of squads on box art - eyes will be done, etc. etc.

Very high end tabletop / low end competition*, about a week. week and a half for that sort of mini (which is what the GW studio sort of do). Expect to pay £200-£250 ish, plus shipping. This is the sort of level characters on box art are usually done to.

*: Good finalist pin / honourable mention / magazine photograph contender level at major worldwide competition (Crystalbrush, GD(UK), etc). 'Should get noticed'.

Full-on Competition** grade, two to three times that. Artist may want paying up front, or possibly in installments. It's a massive time and effort commitment. 'Chance of winning'. This is globally-recognisable artist stuff here. If you're booking this, you already know the artist you're booking. If you don't and someone's promising you this, they're lying - hand over no cash.

**: Good trophy contender level at major worldwide competition (Crystalbrush, GD(UK), etc).

Artists doing these levels of work will have an established portfolio, and may want a non-refundable deposit on the work (for the first few jobs anyway until you're a trusted customer). Communication during the job should ensure you're happy as things go. You may be allowed minor tweak suggestions before the job is signed off. You will be expected to settle any outstanding balance, plus shipping costs before anything is sent to you.

Note that this work may be scheduled over several weeks, alongside other work, etc. The working time on a job is not necessarily concurrent, and to be able to eat, pay rent, and do all the stuff working folk have to do a (professional) artist needs money coming in month on month. You will not be the only customer, and they're not doing it for you as a favour, and it's not a favour to 'let them paint your mini'.

Edit: Also, the varnish thing is bollocks. I varnish everything I do. If I need shiny metals I'll just go back and hit it with gloss. feth's sake, some people...

winterdyne wrote:
The 'multiple of box cost' thing is utter garbage. Nobody at all in their right mind uses that as a basis for business, and it only kinda-if-you-squint works because GW's pricing is... well, steep. Stop perpetuating it - it's all about HOW MANY HOURS DOES THIS TAKE. That's it.

With regard to the levels of work (starting at what I call high end tabletop) - the further toward competition you put this, the more well known globally the artist you're talking to should be. If you've not seen them published and they're talking about competition grade think very carefully about whether you believe they can deliver what they're promising. At the lower level, a good portfolio (and prolific enough web presence) is proof enough. No web presence or portfolio, then they're not investing in it as a profession, or aren't established enough. All of which should ring alarm bells at decent standards of work.

My estimates on reasonable commission studio prices (I'm not accepting private commissions these days, but this is roughly what I'd charge):

High end tabletop, 3 days, maybe 4. Expect to pay £120 - £160. This is likely not your mate in the FLGS's tabletop. This is the sort of level of squads on box art - eyes will be done, etc. etc.

Very high end tabletop / low end competition*, about a week. week and a half for that sort of mini (which is what the GW studio sort of do). Expect to pay £200-£250 ish, plus shipping. This is the sort of level characters on box art are usually done to.

*: Good finalist pin / honourable mention / magazine photograph contender level at major worldwide competition (Crystalbrush, GD(UK), etc). 'Should get noticed'.

Full-on Competition** grade, two to three times that. Artist may want paying up front, or possibly in installments. It's a massive time and effort commitment. 'Chance of winning'. This is globally-recognisable artist stuff here. If you're booking this, you already know the artist you're booking. If you don't and someone's promising you this, they're lying - hand over no cash.

**: Good trophy contender level at major worldwide competition (Crystalbrush, GD(UK), etc).

Artists doing these levels of work will have an established portfolio, and may want a non-refundable deposit on the work (for the first few jobs anyway until you're a trusted customer). Communication during the job should ensure you're happy as things go. You may be allowed minor tweak suggestions before the job is signed off. You will be expected to settle any outstanding balance, plus shipping costs before anything is sent to you.

Note that this work may be scheduled over several weeks, alongside other work, etc. The working time on a job is not necessarily concurrent, and to be able to eat, pay rent, and do all the stuff working folk have to do a (professional) artist needs money coming in month on month. You will not be the only customer, and they're not doing it for you as a favour, and it's not a favour to 'let them paint your mini'.

Edit: Also, the varnish thing is bollocks. I varnish everything I do. If I need shiny metals I'll just go back and hit it with gloss. feth's sake, some people...

I really appreciate this, thank you.