Environment, Lifeforms,Fantasy
WHAT I DO AND HOW MUCH I CHARGE
Ordering ORIGINALS... a guide to styles and prices
Please note: my style is illustrative not photorealistic. Look at the portfolio samples on the first page of this site to see if this works for your idea.
My standard mediums are:
My standard subjects are:
I can create these to fit in an off the shelf mat. You will need to use a mat, and a glass fronted frame to preserve the art. Check my page on framing for details on preserving your art safely: https://www.swordwhale.com/framing-101.html
My base standard prices/sizes are:
"Seaponies" are the ponies of Chincoteague/Assateague Islands, done as seahorses. Most are the Virginia ponies, owned and managed by the Chincoteague Fire Co. I am also familiar with the MD ponies (a separate herd managed by the Park Service) and can do those as well.
I also do other fantasy characters and creatures; purrmaids, seadawgs, mersonas, your pony as a unicorn, winged horse, hippogriff, etc. Ask about custom characters. I don't really do monsters and creepy characters.
Rainbow Bridge Pets are your old buddies, any species, done with ethereal rainbow wings, or other variations on the theme (the ginger kitty above has ginger wings and a bit of rainbow in the background). I've done seaponies with wings as well as mermaid tails.
I generally do not do canvas works, and absolutely do not do oils. No. Nope. Nada. If you live in the area and can pick up your canvas, I can do one in acrylics. Masonite board is also plausible. But again, pickup. Not shipping that! Paper is sooooooooo much easier!
Please note: my style is illustrative not photorealistic. Look at the portfolio samples on the first page of this site to see if this works for your idea.
My standard mediums are:
- watercolor (with Prismacolor pencil and some acrylic) on vellum bristol paper. May include Folk Art Colorshift acrylic.
- Tradigital combination of traditional media like watercolor/Prismacolor/acrylic with painting or other noodling on Photoshop. You get the watercolor and a fun digital JPG to print as you wish.
- Prismacolor pencil on matboard "smol matboards" are done on repurposed/rescued mat board samples from a defunct arts and crafts store. I often do them at events. Catch me there, and get one for a donation to the artist fund. Order one: $35.
- I REALLY DO NOT DO BLACK AND WHITE. I have, in Nancy Springer's Stardark Songs and some gaming modules back in the dark ages. I do not like it Sam I Am, I do not like pen and ink, it does not allow me to splash color all over, and I find the stark contrast of black and white annoying. It is not faster, or cheaper, it actually takes longer. I can, in a pinch do black and white watercolor (but WHY are you not printing in color?!?!?!?!?). I will charge MORE for black and white because it is more annoying, harder, and takes longer.
My standard subjects are:
- nature based fantasy, contemporary, classic, historical, mythic creatures and fae (eyeball the portfolio and see if this matches your ideas) I do NOT do horror. (no judgement, I just can't do it). I also do not do science fiction, much as I love it, technology or architecture.
- nature. I've done work for local parks like Nixon County Park in Jacobus PA. While I have worked large scale there, I am limiting murals to them.
- seaponies, purrmaids, seadawgs, and other mer-creatures. From smol matboards on up.
- mersonas (your mermaid character), fantasy characters, portraits; 9x12 or 11x14. These require a lot of reference, matching faces and other characteristics and details, and do not work well at smaller sizes.
- rainbow bridge pets; 9x12 and 11x14. The detail needed for these as well as reference and matching the animal requires larger sizes.
- animal portraits, especially horses; 9x12, 11x14, basic background. The detail and matching actual animal needed requires larger format.
- book/story illustration and covers; 11x14, complexity will determine price. I can also create a JPG or PDF with type for a cover.
- I am a nerd, and love all things Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and Star Trek. I do not illustrate them. I do not do other cartoon styles, starships, aliens (unless very nature based) or cityscapes. I admire the heck out of Dougal Dixon (does amazing aliens) but I am not that cool. My work is based on the natural world of Earth. Also there is a fine line between fan art and infringing on copyrights.
I can create these to fit in an off the shelf mat. You will need to use a mat, and a glass fronted frame to preserve the art. Check my page on framing for details on preserving your art safely: https://www.swordwhale.com/framing-101.html
My base standard prices/sizes are:
- $200: 11x14 vellum bristol paper. Seaponies, pets, mersonas, fantasy characters. Good for a full fledged illustration (as for my friend's book illos) or for more than one character. Basic background, fine, add all of Middle Earth, and the entire Fellowship of the Ring, will cost more. Contact me with your idea, and we can discuss! See my book cover for Black Horses, as an example.
- $95: 9x12 vellum bristol paper, fits in 8x10" mat opening. Seaponies, pets, mersonas, fantasy characters. One character, simple background (see samples) . Additional characters, $50.
- seriously, it's not the size that counts, it's the complexity... the History of the Universe and Cast of Thousands in 9 x 12 costs more cause it takes waaaaaaaay more time!
- $65: card on vellum bristol paper fits into 5x7opening mat, or is folded and stands alone as a "greeting card". Seaponies, pets, wildlife. These are one character, with minimal background (swashes of color). Can be seen, matted, at places like Nixon County Park.
- $35: Matboard miniatures: Prismacolor pencil on archival matboard. These vary in size and color, but are about the size of a smartphone. They are recycled/repurposed matboard samples from the framing dept of a defunct craft store. Seaponies, animals, pets. These are one character, with the color of the matboard as background.
- Tradigital: this is a combination of traditional media like watercolor and Prismacolor, but with painting and other enhancements on Photoshop. Prices are going to vary wildly here; you may commission a seapony like Ace (see samples below in the slideshow) then ask for rainbow wings. You'd get the watercolor at its normal price, and the JPG of the tradigital at an extra fee (depending on time and complexity). I can also noodle photos! Please ask for details.
- Models and miniatures: apparently I can customize model horses and people. I've done it for many of my own collection as well as friends. Check this page for examples: welcome to Hawk Circle
- discuss custom sizes or other ideas as needed: [email protected]
- I have dithered and repaired photos, fixed art on Photoshop and done other digital work. I am fervently and loudly and adamantly opposed to AI of any sort so don't drop that garbage on me. I will, however make that bookcover look better, design you a new one, or fix photos and images (jpg only).
- Complexity increases price because it increases time and research spent. I will adore you and feed you and call you squishy (see finding Nemo) if you find reference photos of what your characters are wearing, tell me details of their coloring, and their horse's too.
- I prefer PayPal (send to friend to avoid fees), but will take checks from some folks if asked.
- It's ok to ask for a "estimated finish date". Usually within a couple weeks!
- I will need many pics of your subject, whether a pet, or you, your mermaid tail, etc. JPGs emailed or FB messaged are fine. Or if it's "my cat has hawk wings" or "my mertail is a betta fish" I can look that up. Describe as much as you can about your character.
- I will send a JPG to be sure the art is acceptable. For larger, more complex pieces, I can send a JPG of the sketch. I also send a large, printable JPG of the finished work.
- I sell you the art only. You have the joy of matching your own mat and frame to your couch or your cat.
- Sent as disaster proofed as possible. If it arrives damaged, we send out the faerie mermaid ninjas and get you a new piece.
- Some art is available at York County PA gift shops like Nixon Park in Jacobus, or at events we do.
- If you buy an original artwork, it's yours to photograph or print (for your own amusement, not for sale). I may still do and sell prints of some pieces, if they are seaponies or other creatures not specifically you or your relatives/friends (which are yours alone). I can also sell you the rights to use a piece of art for embroidery, OOAK dolls, etc.
- I often do live streams on my Facebook page, of work in progress. I can give you a heads up if it is your piece I'm working on.
"Seaponies" are the ponies of Chincoteague/Assateague Islands, done as seahorses. Most are the Virginia ponies, owned and managed by the Chincoteague Fire Co. I am also familiar with the MD ponies (a separate herd managed by the Park Service) and can do those as well.
I also do other fantasy characters and creatures; purrmaids, seadawgs, mersonas, your pony as a unicorn, winged horse, hippogriff, etc. Ask about custom characters. I don't really do monsters and creepy characters.
Rainbow Bridge Pets are your old buddies, any species, done with ethereal rainbow wings, or other variations on the theme (the ginger kitty above has ginger wings and a bit of rainbow in the background). I've done seaponies with wings as well as mermaid tails.
I generally do not do canvas works, and absolutely do not do oils. No. Nope. Nada. If you live in the area and can pick up your canvas, I can do one in acrylics. Masonite board is also plausible. But again, pickup. Not shipping that! Paper is sooooooooo much easier!
"Can you...?"
"NO."
I am a professional artist who survived three years of art school, several dammit jobs, and depends on payments beyond Social Security to actually pay actual bills.
"I have this great idea for a kid's book, I'll split the profits."
"No."
I will encourage you to publish on Amazon or other free platforms, introduce you to some people who can help format it, make suggestions as to how you can get your actual kid to draw some pics (my friend Phyl Campbell has had numerous kids publish their own books with her help), or take toys and models out and take pics. You can pay me for a cool cover.
"I have this great idea for a book, can you help write, we can split..."
"NO."
I may be able to beta read it and offer suggestions, I will point you in the general direction of Amazon, and encourage you to JUST WRITE and get good at it. I have enough of my own stories to write. But, yu can join Rillan's November+ Build A Book page on FB. We'll gladly help you wade through the process of doing your own book.
I will rah rah and encourage all of you to be madly creative. It's how the human race has thrived over millennia. No artist or writer will ghost write or "halp" for half of whatever might come off Amazon. If you go through a traditional publisher, they will judge your work, and pay you if they accept it. It is truly fun and easy to indie publish stuff. It doesn't have to be perfect, just well thought out.
If you are sending your story to a traditional publisher they will choose an artist they think will sell the book, whether for covers, or interiors. Artists and writers don't collaborate on kids' books, unless it's indie published. And then, see my pricing: $200/page.
And I swear to all the goddesses if I hear you using AI to do any of this stuff, I will send the ELF ninjas to fry your computers...
real creativity, whether art or writing takes practice.
Just.
Do.
It.
"NO."
I am a professional artist who survived three years of art school, several dammit jobs, and depends on payments beyond Social Security to actually pay actual bills.
"I have this great idea for a kid's book, I'll split the profits."
"No."
I will encourage you to publish on Amazon or other free platforms, introduce you to some people who can help format it, make suggestions as to how you can get your actual kid to draw some pics (my friend Phyl Campbell has had numerous kids publish their own books with her help), or take toys and models out and take pics. You can pay me for a cool cover.
"I have this great idea for a book, can you help write, we can split..."
"NO."
I may be able to beta read it and offer suggestions, I will point you in the general direction of Amazon, and encourage you to JUST WRITE and get good at it. I have enough of my own stories to write. But, yu can join Rillan's November+ Build A Book page on FB. We'll gladly help you wade through the process of doing your own book.
I will rah rah and encourage all of you to be madly creative. It's how the human race has thrived over millennia. No artist or writer will ghost write or "halp" for half of whatever might come off Amazon. If you go through a traditional publisher, they will judge your work, and pay you if they accept it. It is truly fun and easy to indie publish stuff. It doesn't have to be perfect, just well thought out.
If you are sending your story to a traditional publisher they will choose an artist they think will sell the book, whether for covers, or interiors. Artists and writers don't collaborate on kids' books, unless it's indie published. And then, see my pricing: $200/page.
And I swear to all the goddesses if I hear you using AI to do any of this stuff, I will send the ELF ninjas to fry your computers...
real creativity, whether art or writing takes practice.
Just.
Do.
It.
