About Graphic Art with D. L. Keur

My Custom Specialty Graphic Art

I specialize in middle to high-end graphics for print and internet media, mostly true color or grayscale, premium quality graphic art. I also do some vector graphic work for logos, text imprints, and business art packages which allows the art to be printed at any size on any medium.

My Graphic Art Clients & Customers

Many of you are on a budget. Sometimes you have a personal project like a wedding or maybe you own a small, budding company and need professional graphic art at a reasonable price. You may have priced out work around your town and gone white in the face, so you hit the Internet trying to find good work at a more reasonable price.

A lot of you have a pretty good idea of what you want; some of you want me to generate ideas to mull over, then adjust to your specifications. During the last couple of years, mostly since the rise in eBook publishing and indie artists creating their own CDs and DVDs, I also receive a great many of requests for "pre-made" artwork—graphic art that is ready to go "now."

(For pre-made artwork, go to this page.)

Graphic Art for Print & Web Presentation

There's a big difference between artwork intended for print versus graphic art intended for use in electronic formats, especially those for Internet use. Post an image designed for print on a webpage, and your visitors are going to suffer waiting for a file that is many megabytes in size and actually many, many megapixels in dimension. Web graphics are typically 72dpi, even though 96dpi is a more common setting on monitors, and then they are highly compressed using tools designed to reduce the number of colors, but keep the appearance. Print graphics are a minimum of 150dpi, and that's only for poor quality printing. The majority of print jobs are either 300dpi or 600dpi, but can run much higher. Then there is the total ink limit a printer sets, some of which are very low and the graphic artist must compensate for that, too.

Making It Easy, Even If You are Printing It In-House or are on a Tight Budget

Those of you ordering printable artwork sometimes want to print it in-house or want to use a service like Staples or Kinkos. Because you are doing a small volume and running on a limited budget, sometimes it is more cost effective for you to buy a good color printer than to pay for professional printing. So, to save us all frustration, for in-house print projects, I save to a formats most easy to use that way. Then you can either print straight from the file, or bring it into a favorite publishing or printing program, printing at the highest quality settings available on your system. This is the only way to beat the ugly results that can happen when using some of tools and wizards provided with your printer or that software manufacturers build into their programs intended for consumer use. Of course, sooner or later, you may decide to go for a large run and contact a professional printer with the file. That's usually when I get a call asking for a specific professional format.

Yes, Graphic Artists Use Stock Images and Photos

Bug in a Bubble What some folks don't realize is that a graphic artist depends, not just their own skills as an artist, but also stock images that provide a basis for the work they create, be it something with a subject, a scene, a design, or a combination of elements. For instance, graphic artists don't necessarily draw or paint that human figure the client wants included...or that sword...or that bull, horse, dog, cat, fence, tree.... =)

Some of us use stock images from sources like Getty Images or Shutterstock, but also have a private pool of photographs and models we tap to make our work unique.

I do.

I also know a lot of graphic artists who also double as photographers.

(I don't...because, quite literally, I break cameras. Instead, I often create objects using 3D modeling, rendering out elements in virtual.)

Graphic Art Styles

Some graphic artists specialize in a specific kind of look. It's their style, and, while they do a broad cross spectrum of "the usual," their choicest work expresses a certain distinctive feel and look.

SoundScape by DLKeur, copyright DLKeur I'm one of those who treads a middle ground, though, lately, I'm trending more and more toward just creating what I prefer. While I do a broad spectrum of generic styles because of your needs and desires, I'm really best at my own signature style, a style that emphasizes enigma and conceptual ideatives, using light playing with and against shadow.

Selectivity

Singularity, copyright 1997 While some artists take on absolutely all projects, regardless of style, content, and nature, I won't. I don't because sometimes I just don't think I can do the project justice. And, no, I won't and don't do it just for the money. You can't offer me some tidy fee to get me to work on, say, a Regency-style book cover. I know, right off, that whatever I create just won't look like "industry standard." I'm too "odd." My tendency to slip in visual enigmas, riddles, subtle, tongue-in-cheek drollery, and perplexities is just too deeply engrained. =) What I often do when I receive a request I think is too far outside my personal comfort zone, is to suggest an artist who specializes in the style of art you're looking for...if I know of a good one. Of course, most of the good ones charge quite a bit more money that what you might be prepared to pay.

PRICING AND COST FOR GRAPHIC ART

PRICE, TERMS, AND COPYRIGHT

PRE-MADE GRAPHIC ART: As priced. Customizations charged by quote and/or by the hour. COPYRIGHT: You receive one-time, project specific exclusive use, plus promotional privileges. I retain copyright for all other use and instances.
CUSTOM GRAPHIC ART: By the project quote and/or by the hour.

Terms for estimates and quotes: half down, non-refundable, balance on completion, payable through PayPal.

Terms for hourly charges, I reguire a minimum of $60 USD as a retainer, billing weekly until the project is completed.

Invoicing is via PayPal, and payment via PayPal is preferred.

Copyright or licensing, depending on our agreement, for the completed artwork, in its entirety as created, is yours once final payment is received. Copyright or licensing for elements used to create the artwork are not included. Also, I retain and reserve the right to display the completed artwork, as well as any versions, details, and/or elements, for promotional, memoir, biographical, and reference purposes.

More About Prices for Custom Graphic Art Work

Here's a look at my graphic art prices. All graphic art is produced to professional web specifications (72dpi) and/or to a print quality of 300 or 600dpi, depending on your needs. Plus, for print jobs, I provide some sample web-sized graphics, already compressed and reduced in size, as a courtesy for free.

Until this year, I often did custom work "on spec", that is, artwork for which you paid only if the work was to be used. As I've gotten busier and busier, I've tried to maintain that policy. But, now, I've hit a wall. I've run out of time, the most precious commodity in my life, so I'm sorry to say that I am no longer able to contribute time to a project without being compensated. There are just too many other projects waiting in the wings to be able to have that luxury. So, once I give you a quote or estimate on the cost, if you decide to engage my service, I will require a non-refundable down payment or retainer in order to commence work.

Of course, you are under no obligation to buy the artwork I create for your project. If you decide that none of the artwork I generate for your project suits your needs, then you are under no obligation to pay the balance due, but neither will I refund your down payment or retainer, because you contracted for my time, and I would not have created the piece had you not requested it. If you decide that, yes, you want the art, then full payment is due on acceptance of the final proof, afterwhich you'll recieve the appropriate files, terms of use, and copyright releases.

BY THE JOB: From as low as $30 USD on a per job basis.

BY THE HOUR: Hourly rates vary between $15 and $60 an hour, depending on what the job is. If I'm simply reducing some images for you, I charge the low end. If I'm designing something from scratch, it's the high end. Time is charged in 15 minute increments with an initial minimum of a $30 charge. All changes are charged at $15 plus any time required to complete the project over fifteen minutes.

PRICE EXAMPLES

Adding text only: $30 and up
Price depends on number of pages and changes. To get the work done at the lowest possible price is to MAKE SURE your copy (the text you send me) is EXACTLY as you want it, not in need of any editing or changes.

YOUR Design, Artwork, Images (includes setting text): Bringing your design and provided artwork up to professional print quality: from $30. Usually not over $400, depending on the amount of work required. You must own copyrights or license to use all images you provide!

MY Design, Your Artwork/Images: $129 and up, depending on the amount of work required to bring provided artwork up to professional print quality. This option requires you to purchase the stock images used in the work...which, especially in the case of independent projects, is safest and best for legal reasons. I'm just doing the job on a work-for-hire basis.

MY Design, Artwork/Images: $129 and up. Most projects run between $150 and $800 USD, but the price can run higher because it varies according to type of copyrights transferred, exclusivity, and how many hours it takes to get your project looking the way you desire.

Bottom line: Price all depends on the project, so do request an estimate. I usually come pretty close, and, when the project cost is beginning to overrun that estimate, I will advise you.

To recieve an estimate, use my contact form and describe your project needs. I'll respond via email or phone (continental U.S. only), and ask you to send any text and artwork you want included so I can give you an accurate estimate. (Please whitelist this email address in your email program's address list.)

I usually respond within 24 hours, business days, unless somebody working on the highway cuts the DSL cable (It happens!), or a family emergency comes up. In that case, usually a nice lady named AmyV will respond to you, but it usually takes her 48 hours, business days, because she only checks my messages and email once a day.

professional graphic art with artist D. L. Keur