Quote - Erm... how long do you think a 300dpi 9x6" cover takes to render if you have half-decent materials? Because I've got a brand new, top of the line machine, and they still take a bit. Which is why the economy really doesn't make sense, unless you're living somewhere where the USD has a lot more acquisitive power.  Me, I can't bring myself to put my name onto something that takes me just half an hour to put together and maybe 15 minutes of post; THAT is why things like dead eyes or hair pokethroughs and weird looking joints are not sorted and Poser art gets ridiculed. haste isn't good when it comes to adding detail, and this is true both for an image and for a product.

 

I agree with your basic points here -- particularly if you are approaching the matter from the standpoint of doing book covers, et al for a living......and you want to create a certain reputation for quality for yourself.

But I'm also considering the "starving artist" angle.......it reminds me of a little ditty that I heard on an old 80's-era USA Network TV show once upon a time:

*He's the Commander, he ain't no jerk
He's just happy to get the work!

*Yes, I understand the desire for adhering to the ideal of quality.  And I also understand the necessity of eating.  For some -- it's a priority.

Hey -- if someone offered me enough cash to churn out quick-'n-dirty Poser renders to be used as ebook covers -- then I'd likely do it.  But only so long as my real name was never associated with the work.  :biggrin:

Doing ebook covers will never pay the types of engineering contract rates that I've been used to when doing contract work.  But it's FUN to someone who is stepping out of what's been their decades-long career path in order to do art as opposed to designing electrical wiring in chemical plants -- and there's something to be said for that.  Even if it's at 10 bucks a pop.

Something To Do At 3:00AM