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Ask a Pro
Ask a Pro is a collection of illustration related questions answered by top art directors, designers, editors, artist representatives and other professionals in the commercial illustration industry.
If you have a suggestion for a question or know someone who might be a good candidate to answer a couple questions
Contributors
How do you justify getting paid for what you do?
(more questions)
I don't have to justify it. I come up with advertising and marketing ideas for
companies that help them to generate millions of dollars in income for themselves,
their workers and their shareholders. I've seen the results of my work in action.
When I met Steve Madden his company was about 3 million dollars. After my ad campaign
put him on the map, his company grew to 100 million. He has told me and my company
time and again that I bear a huge responsibility for his company's success. I
can name 5 other companies I've done the same thing for. In my business no one
gives you anything, you have to earn it. Every time a client needs a new campaign
or ad, everyone in the company works on it. It's called a gang bang. The work
that the client picks, wins. I've seen many creatives go for a long time producing
no work. The bosses of my last company for example. I did all the work; they pretended
they had something to do with it. I happened to be a person who almost constant
won those pitches. Therefore I concluded I must be pretty darn effective. At this
point in my career I feel I’m not being paid enough but I'm getting enough
to not feel cheated. In my business, actors, photographers and most illustrators
all have reps. They know what they should be paid per job, depending on the requirements
of the assignment. And believe me they get paid plenty AND deservedly so. So why
shouldn't I. It comes down to experience and confidence too. Some people have
this starving artist mentality. when you go around feeling this way, you leave
yourself vulnerable to be taken advantage of. the images created by painters,
illustrators, photographers, directors are selling lots of products and magazines
and newspapers. So don't fool yourself into some old thinking that artist shouldn't
sell out or earn their fare share. It ain't easy living in a big metropolis like
Manhattan. If you’re talented they should have to pay big coin to keep me
here.
Tommy Kane (more answers by this person)
Art Director
Samsung
http://www.tommykane.com
In your opinion which medium do you consider is the easiest and which is the toughest to work in and why?
(more questions)
The hardest medium to work in has to be oil painting. You need a whole room dedicated
to it. It takes forever to dry. There is the smell, the turpentine and the mess.
You need a sink that you can destroy to clean up afterwards. It is such a demanding
medium. Not for the faint of heart. It aint cheap, either. Then when you are finished
you have to photograph it perfectly in order to have a digital file. The easiest
to work in is ball point pen and a piece of paper. You don't need any skills or
training to do it. Even a 5 year old can participate in that medium. Plus it’s
cheap.
Tommy Kane (more answers by this person)
Art Director
Samsung
http://www.tommykane.com