Being an artist is a full time job. It takes self motivation and commitment. I can't stress that enough when doing production type art and comics/graphic novels. When I tell people that each page can take 10 or more hours they look at me confused. When I reveal that I didn't do the colors for Wretched Things they simply don't understand it. Then I start explaining that I need to take the script and turn those words into pictures. Design characters, pose them, find the right 'camera' angles for each panel, throw down some perspective (for each panel!), populate the panel with characters, props, background buildings and characters, then render in details (dear god the fur and spikes in this series), make sure the scenes are lit right, it goes on and on.

I'm not writing this to complain. I won't get into working 2 full time jobs and clocking over 100 hours on the average week. I love creating art. I'll stand up outside and weld all day, throw paint at a canvas until the brushes start falling apart or sling ink onto paper until I notice the sun is rising and I've been at it all night. Why I'm writing this is so many don't appreciate the amount of work and effort that goes into creating. So many people aren't willing to pay or when they hear the price quickly run away or worse try and haggle to some obscenely low rate.

Seriously art takes time. Time costs money. Are you going to donate 10+ hours of your time to me for every page I draw? I'll have you walk my dog, do the laundry, cook meals, etc. If the answer is no then don't ask me to work on spec or for some absurdly low rate.