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Why Do People Expect Free Artwork?
People who expect free artwork from you has to be one of the most annoying things that artists have to deal with. I’m sure you’ve experienced it. Someone finds out you’re an artist and they ask, “Oh! Can you draw (insert subject matter here)?”
What gets me first and foremost is that they find it incredible that you’re a full-time artist (if you’re fortunate enough to do that). As in, how can you survive creating artwork for a living? But then they want you to create free artwork for them! Well, that’s why they find it so hard to believe that full-time artists are a thing. How can anyone survive doing stuff for free full time? And why wouldn’t it occur to them that you’d actually charge?
What gets me next is that they’re actually put off when you tell them you can do the work for a price. I can’t tell you how many people are genuinely shocked when I tell them what my prices are. And trust me, my prices are very competitive. As in the low end of competitive.
Are you rolling your eyes as hard as I am right now?
But apparently drawing and painting isn’t real work and therefore should be created for free?? I have a hard time understanding the logic behind the way these people think. It’s gotten to the point where I have no emotional response when I get asked to draw something…
