How much to charge for an illustration: how to work out your price

October 15, 2026

How much to charge for an illustration depends on two components: the working time it takes you to produce it, calculated with an hourly rate that covers your expenses and your salary, and the value of the licence, that is, the use the client will make of the image (where, for how long, with what print run and whether exclusively). There is no single price: the same illustration can be worth very different amounts on a personal blog and on the packaging of a product sold in several countries.

Why there is no fixed price for an illustration

An illustration is sold as a service plus a right of use. In most commissions, the client does not buy the illustration itself, but a licence to reproduce it under specific conditions, while you keep the authorship and, normally, any rights not granted.

That is why drawing a character for a neighbourhood association poster or for a brand’s national campaign can take you the same number of hours and still be worth very different amounts: the scope of use is completely different.

Factors that determine how much to charge for an illustration

Six factors drive the price: usage, print run, exclusivity, time, complexity, and deadlines with their revisions.

Usage and licence

Usage is where the illustration will end up: editorial (books, magazines, newspapers), advertising, packaging, web, social media, merchandise, etc. Advertising and packaging are usually valued above editorial, because the image directly helps to sell. The licence specifies the use: medium, territory (local, national, international) and duration (for example, one, two or five years).

Print run and reach

The more copies printed or the more impressions, the higher the value of the licence. In publishing, reprints usually involve an additional payment.

Exclusivity

An exclusive licence prevents you from licensing the illustration to others again, so it should cost more than a non-exclusive one. A full, perpetual assignment (what some clients call a “rights buyout”) is the most expensive case, because you give up exploiting that work in the future.

Time and complexity

Time includes research, sketches, execution, revisions, meetings and file preparation. Complexity multiplies it: a single isolated object is not the same as a scene with several characters and a detailed background.

Deadlines and revisions

A rush deadline forces you to reschedule other commissions or work overtime, so it justifies a surcharge. Revisions are also time: the professional approach is to include a limited number (for example, two rounds at sketch stage and one on the final artwork) and quote any additional ones separately.

How to calculate your base hourly rate

Your base hourly rate is the minimum you need to charge for each billable hour to cover your expenses, your taxes and the salary you want to earn. It is calculated as follows:

1. Add up your annual business expenses: self-employed social security contributions or equivalent, equipment and its replacement, software, materials, accountant, website, training, insurance and a proportional share of your home costs if you work from home. We will call this figure G.
2. Define the net annual salary you want and add the estimated income tax that applies to your situation. We will call the total S.
3. Work out your billable hours per year (H). These are not all the hours you work: a large share goes on promotion, admin, quotes, training and periods without commissions. Use real data to check what proportion of your time you actually bill.
4. Divide: base hourly rate = (G + S) ÷ H.

Example with illustrative figures: if you work 46 weeks a year, 40 hours a week, you have 1840 working hours. If you estimate you can bill 55 %, H ≈ 1012 hours. Your base rate will be (G + S) ÷ 1012. That number is your X €/hour, and it is personal: do not copy someone else’s rate, because their expenses and billable hours are not yours.

Pricing methods: hourly, per project or per licence

There are three common ways to charge for an illustration, and the most professional approach is usually to combine the hourly calculation with the value of the licence and present the client with a fixed project price.

Worked example: how much to charge for an illustration step by step

Here is a complete example for a book cover illustration, using a generic base rate of X €/hour. The percentages are illustrative: adjust them to your market and your experience.

1. Estimate the hours: research and initial meeting (2 h), three composition sketches (4 h), sketch revision round (2 h), final artwork (12 h), final tweaks and print-ready file preparation (2 h). Total: 22 hours.
2. Calculate production: 22 × X = 22X €.
3. Add a contingency margin of 10 % for communication and small changes: 22X × 1.10 = 24.2X €.
4. Value the licence: use on the printed cover and in promotion of the book, national territory, first edition, non-exclusive outside publishing. If you decide this licence is worth an extra 50 % on top of production: 24.2X × 0.5 = 12.1X €.
5. Apply surcharges if any: if the deadline is half the usual time and you apply a 25 % rush fee on production: 24.2X × 0.25 = 6.05X €.
6. Add it up: 24.2X + 12.1X + 6.05X = 42.35X €, plus any applicable taxes on the invoice.

Each additional use (posters, merchandise, other countries) increases the value of the licence, and a full exclusive assignment should multiply it considerably.

Always compare the result with what is paid in your sector: professional illustrators’ associations (in Spain, for example, those grouped in the FADIP federation) publish guides, model contracts and recommendations that help you avoid undervaluing yourself.

What to include in an illustration quote

An illustration quote sets out in writing what you deliver, how it may be used and how it is paid. Include:

• Description of the commission: number of illustrations, size, technique, colour or black and white.
• Deliverables and formats: for example, JPG for screen and TIFF or PDF for print. State whether or not you deliver layered files.
• Licence: medium, territory, duration, print run and exclusivity. Anything not expressly granted is not granted.
• Included revisions and the price of additional ones.
• Schedule: dates for sketches, revisions and delivery, and what happens if the client is late.
• Payment terms: it is common to ask for a deposit before starting and the balance on delivery, with a specific payment deadline.
• Cancellation: what is paid if the project is cancelled partway through (for example, the work completed to date).
• Credit: that your name appears as the author, and your right to show the work in your portfolio.
• Taxes: state whether the price includes VAT and any applicable withholding tax. Check your specific case with your accountant.

Before sending quotes, make sure your work is well presented: see our guide on how to make an illustration portfolio. To dig deeper into the business side of the craft, this book is written precisely for people who want to make a living from illustration:

Common mistakes when deciding how much to charge

Most pricing problems come from not putting the terms in writing or from counting only the drawing hours.

• Counting only execution hours and forgetting meetings, emails, discarded sketches and file preparation.
• Giving away all rights without charging for them: if the client asks for “all rights”, ask what use they will actually make and license only that.
• Unlimited revisions: without a limit, a commission can double in length.
• Lowering the price without removing anything: if the budget is smaller, reduce the scope (fewer pieces, a more limited licence, a longer deadline), not your rate.

Having a clear method and reviewing it every year makes negotiating easier. To stay consistent on the less rewarding side of the job, this book by Austin Kleon helps:

And if you are just starting out, also read what illustration is and its main professional fields and explore our selection of illustration books.

Frequently asked questions

How do I work out how much to charge for an illustration if I am just starting out?

Calculate your base hourly rate by dividing your annual expenses, taxes and desired salary by your real billable hours, multiply it by the estimated hours for the commission and add the value of the licence according to the use. Check the result against the guides published by professional associations in your country.

Is it better to charge by the hour or per project?

For commissions with a defined scope, the most common approach is to present a fixed project price, calculated internally from the hours and the licence. Charging by the hour suits open-ended work or ongoing collaborations better.

What is an illustration usage licence?

It is the permission you give the client to reproduce your illustration under specific conditions of medium, territory, duration, print run and exclusivity. You remain the author, and any uses not included in the licence must be negotiated separately.

How much more should I charge for exclusivity?

There is no universal percentage, but an exclusive licence should always cost more than a non-exclusive one, because you give up licensing that image again. The broader the exclusive use in time and territory, the bigger the increase should be.

Should I charge for the sketches if the client cancels the commission?

Yes, as long as you have provided for it in the quote. The usual practice is to include a cancellation clause that guarantees payment for the work done up to that point, and to ask for a deposit before starting.