Digital Art Commission Calculator
Professional pricing tool for freelance artists. Calculate quotes for 50+ art types (VTuber, Emotes, Illustration) with tax, platform fee, and commercial rights logic.
About
Pricing artwork is the single most difficult hurdle for freelance creatives. Underpricing leads to burnout and earning below minimum wage, while overpricing without justification scares away potential clients. This tool acts as a financial safeguard, bridging the gap between artistic effort and business sustainability.
Unlike simple calculators, this application accounts for the Invisible Costs of freelancing: platform transaction fees (Upwork, PayPal), self-employment taxes, and hardware depreciation. It utilizes a massive database of industry standards - from Twitch Emotes to Live2D VTuber models - to provide an immediate, data-backed starting point. It separates the Labor Cost (time spent) from the Asset Value (licensing rights), ensuring you are compensated not just for your hands, but for the intellectual property you generate.
Formulas
The calculator uses a tiered logic system to derive the Gross Quote (what the client sees) and the Net Profit (what you keep).
1. Labor & Complexity (Clabor)
Clabor = (Rhr × Hest × Mcomplex) + (Qqty × Cmat)
2. Rights & Speed Multipliers (Vadded)
Vadded = Clabor × (kcomm + krush + kexcl)
3. Total Client Quote (Qtotal)
Qtotal = Clabor + Vadded
4. True Net Income (Inet)
Inet = Qtotal − (Qtotal × Fplatform) − (Qtotal × Ttax)
Where Mcomplex is the complexity percentage (e.g., +25% for extra characters), Fplatform is the service fee (e.g., 20% for Fiverr), and Ttax is your estimated tax withholding buffer.
Reference Data
| Art Category | Project Type | Avg. Hours | Market Rate (Est.) | Licensing Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Character Art | Sketch (Bust) | 1 − 2 | $30 − $60 | Personal Use |
| Character Art | Full Body (Rendered) | 10 − 20 | $350 − $800 | Personal / Commercial |
| VTuber / Live2D | Model Art (splitted) | 40 − 80 | $1,500 − $5,000 | Commercial Included |
| VTuber / Live2D | Rigging (High Range) | 30 − 60 | $1,000 − $3,000 | Commercial Included |
| Game Assets | Pixel Art Sprite | 2 − 5 | $50 − $150 | Exclusive Rights |
| Game Assets | Concept Art Sheet | 15 − 25 | $500 − $1,200 | Internal Use |
| Streaming | Twitch Emote (Batch of 3) | 6 − 9 | $100 − $250 | Commercial Included |
| Publishing | Book Cover (Commercial) | 20 − 40 | $800 − $2,500 | Distribution Rights |