While I’m temporarily, or not, away from freelancing I’m still getting requests and offers and while some of the projects would be attractive their budgets aren’t.

And there seems to be a constant quest on the Board Game Geek for cheap artists. Rather, cheap, good, fast artists. I mean really cheap and really good. Maybe not that fast. But the point being that art is seen to have very little value. It’s just the shiny coat they put on their game design. They seem to appreciate its necessity but don’t afford it any financial worth.

I can’t imagine a designer going to a printer and telling them they want 10,000 11″x22″ mounted boards, 20,000 counter sheets and a 24 page, full colour collated rule book and declaring I’m on a tight budget so can you do me a favour…

I can’t honestly blame the designers. Art is one of those things we’re all taught at school as a bit of an easy option. Everyone thinks its a bit of fun, a past time, an OAP’s hobby. Certainly not something a proper adult would make a living from. Its not like being a plumber. (I know, I seem to have it in for plumbers. Sorry. We got charged £250 for a plumber to spend 30mins unblocking our drain. It wriled me a bit).

Designers really need to be educated. If they design as a hobby then their $30 budget is not going to get them a professional artist. Thats cool. They should find a student or part time amateur and they should keep their expectations realistic.

Anyway, yet again my lack of elloquence does me a dissservice so I’ll pass you onto the man with more of a tallent for writing than I.

Paul Strikwerda