Clients and rates rage.

[Line]

I've become very frustrated lately.

On 10 occasions the past week, I've been contacted by people who had seen
my work, but to whom had never submitted my portfolio and knew anything of
them. On all occasions, after a brief intro, they would ask for my rates. Now, I
do not have any delusions that I am a guy who is supposed to make $500 per
sketch, but at the same time, I also don't want to sit a whole hour over a
piece of paper and make even a small drawing for someone in exchange for
$5. Not only do I feel my effort is worth more but I don't want to kill the art
industry for those above me.

Of course, on all these occasions, I never heard from the guys again. (Hell
I even asked a high profile art director for a crit and he offered to mentor me
but never replied after his first message!!! Talk about building false hopes.
Thanks for nothing pal.) The same thing happens in like, 19 out of 20
submissions for work I send out. Ok, that is the name of the game I accept
it.

But here we have the case of the other guy coming to me. He knows he can't
afford a top level artist, so he looks for an alternative. But does that mean he
should get it for free? And I'm not talking only about indie and low level RPG
publishers here, who will commission their pet cat to do work for them, I was
contacted by software publishers with a decent background who want to
branch out into games or whatever. If 40 to 50 euro per color illustration is
too much for you than don't make the damn game or use stick figures.

What bothers me even more is that at times I see work that's far below mine
all over the place. If these guys give it for almost nothing and screw the rest
of us over, then burn them at the stake, but what's even more surprising is
the publishers that actually use it!!! Some of them are pretty well known!!!

All this makes you feel that there isn't a gradation to the industry.

Anyway, I just had to bitch about it before resuming practice and study. If
anyone has had similar experiences especially the high pros (if you even
remember being in such a state) please share.