How Much Should An Illustrator Charge Project Rates Vs Day Rates

Creative Boom: Tips Illustration How much should an illustrator charge? Project rates vs day rates When it comes to pricing your illustration work, how do you get it right? Two agents who negotiate fees for a living explain how to charge what you're worth, from your first quote to raising rates years into a client relationship. Written By: Katy Cowan 8 June 2026 Image licensed via Adobe Stock Figuring out what to charge clients can be the biggest headache for freelance illustrators. There's no universal published price list. Nor is there a handy calculator that spits out the "right" number.

And whatever rate you choose, it has to cover all costs, such as studio rent and utility bills, and even help maintain a healthy cash flow during quieter months. Quote too low and you're going to struggle. A quote that's too high without any explanation is a surefire way to say goodbye to that lovely project. When chatting about the challenges of freelance illustration, the question we hear most often is: Should you charge a project rate or a day rate? So we asked two people who price illustration for a living to talk us through it, along with everything else worth weighing up before you send that quote.

We invited Jon Cockley, co-founder of Handsome Frank, an illustration agency representing artists like Matt Blease and Molly McCammon, and Clara Marcus from The Jacky Winter Group, an agency in London that represents illustrators such as Adam Parata, Lauren Martin and Jay Cover. Together, they help set prices for work every day. Here's their advice on charging what you're worth. Start with the inputs: how to arrive at a number Before you think about a single figure, get clear on what's driving the price. And usage is almost always the biggest factor. Clara's starting point is to decide how you're calculating the work itself.

There are two common approaches: a creation fee, based on the time required to make the work, or value-based pricing, which focuses on what the work is worth to the client rather than the hours involved. Either way, she'd add a separate usage fee based on the licence the client needs. That licence is where Jon spends most of his attention. "Usage is of course the main factor," he says, so Handsome Frank looks at the media the work will appear across, the territory, and the duration of the licence.

The broadest agreement – all media, worldwide, in perpetuity – is also the most expensive, and his advice to clients is to be more specific wherever they can, so their budget goes further. He also factors in the client's profile and size, since that affects how many people will see the work and what it does for the artist's reputation. Even when exclusivity isn't requested, he points out, taking one high-profile client in a sector can quietly close the door on competitors, so it's worth considering. Then there are the practical realities of being an illustrator – something both agents bring up. How busy is the artist?

How long will the work take? Will it mean late nights or lost weekends? Clara's key piece of advice is to build a pricing structure that works for you. "If your costs are based on a logical calculation rather than just pulling figures from the sky," she says, "you'll feel more confident when you propose them to the client." Project rate or day rate – which serves you better? In most cases, a project rate will serve an illustrator better in the long run, but there are clear moments when a day rate is the fairer choice.

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The article provides valuable insights on pricing for illustrators, which is significant for the creative industry, though the concepts of project vs. day rates are not entirely new.