A "twisted " weekend

[Sawduster]

I have turned so many corners since joining this group .....I'm learning and trying things I never knew existed 3 months ago .....thanx everyone for your advice and encouragement !

I completed my very first piece done solely with spirals . I made the pattern from a picture of my bud

Merlyn.JPG

I also got my first commision this week . As a result of the cutting of the lady and her dog, another lady in one of our corporate offices in Houston requested a portrait of her kids to give the grandfather for Christmas.

kids.jpg kids 4 claudia.JPG

This was all done with spirals also ....nothing fell out and nothing broke off ! I am hooked !
My desparity now is what to charge, as it was not discussed beforehand .
All comments/suggestions/critiques gladly welcomed
Thanx for lookin'

[ozarkhillbilly]

You got it Man!!!!!

Robert, ya got it mastered I'd say. Great job on both patterns and cuttings, and congratulations on the commish!

How much time was spent making the pattern of the two children? And then how long did it take to cut it? But I'd say no less then 50.00 closer to 75.00 and that should make everyone happy. But try to settle on a price before ya start in the future

Keep em coming Robert! I'm looking forward to your next projects!

Spiral blades, twisted blades for twisted minds!!

[Daryl185]

excellent work Robert, very nice portraits

[CanadianScroller]

Outstanding! great work.

What did you use to make the pattern?
You really did it justice.

[SharonW0111]

Excellent job Robert-- You did super - I love the dog. Did you make the pattern for the kids- if you did you can charge extra for that too. But as far as pricing work I am no good at. I do sell a lot of mine but I do mine for the enjoyment and to cover expenses.If you get paid for the hours then no one would be able to afford them --
Sharon

[Gill]

Very, very good indeed .

Although I can't offer you any advice about selling your wares, you're skills are worthy of high remuneration in my opinion.

Gill

[Minnesota scroller]

Very nice stuff indeed. Soon we'll be calling you master. Great job, start to finish on both of them. As far as pricing, I'm kind of between the hillbilly and Sharon. I know I could never get $20 for my time but I also know I can get back more than just expenses. I just try not to think about the time I have into the projects. My most exciting reward is when the customer says "I love it". I've heard that quite a few times. The tombstone I just completed probably cost me about $3 total including cedar, plexiglass, 3 blades, tape and a little adhesive spray. I probably have about 6 hours into it, from start to finish. Sure, I only made about $3.50/hr., but like I've said before, watching TV doesn't make me any money, and it's not as satisfying.

Besides that, I do have a real job.

YOU GO ROBERT!

[Marcel in Longueuil]

Hi Robert,

Very nice work.

As for pricing, you didn't give the size of the finished product.
If 8x10 or 11x 14 definitely in the 50$ - 75$ range
5x7 around 35$

Ask her how much she expects to pay for it, before showing it to her if possible. Then price accordingly and chalk it up to a lesson learned.

Make sure you talk price first the next time.
This could cause someone at work to hold a grudge against you, which you want to avoid at all costs.

Regards,
Marcel

[lucky788scroller]

You did great! the two kids look so realistic, its top notch. Dont overcharge, but dont sell yourself short. I like what was said before, watching TV doesn't make me any money, and it's not as satisfying. I think that is so true.if you try for top dollar, you might not have a long range market. If you sell a little cheaper, you will always have customers waiting.If your doing it to live off of, its one thing, but if its a hobby,dont make it into a burden. dale

[Mick Walker]

Robert, I usually charge $65.00 for a cutting finished and framed, if I have to get a pattern made I charge $80.00. I charge the same for 8 X 10's, 8 1/2" X 11" or 11" X 14".
Nice job on both cuttings.
Mick P-20

[Minnesota scroller]

Here is what I would do Robert. I would tell her that others charge anywhere from $50 - $80 but since she is an acquaintance you will cut her a deal and let her have it for $40 as long as she gives out your cards to people that comment on it. You could pick up a lot more business from it. Be sure to tell her not to let anybody know how much she got it for.

I am well known for not charging enough for what I do, but even I would charge $40 for that portrait. Normally, I charge $15 for a simple cutout without having to design the pattern, and $20 for a more complicated cut. Due to the plaid shirts they are wearing, this added more time for the small cuts. I also quote $15 to design the pattern, but in this case I would have charged $20 because of 2 people vs 1. Like I said, I don't charge much for my time but it's also all I dare ask for around here.

Good luck and next time give a quote before hand.

[Jediscroller]

Great job on that Robert! I calculate all of my prices the same way whether a custom design or not. I charge 33 cents a minute plus material plus 30%. Often times I'll charge more than this but never less (some stuff I can stack cut 5 of in 30 minutes and I get $20 a piece for).
I've done them enough that I can usually guess pretty close to the correct amount. I also offer them what appears to be a deep discount if they buy 2 (stack cut them). Your piece looks like it would be about $60 for the first one but "only" $80 for 2. I increase my margin without any extra time and minimal additional material expense this way and the customer gets a fair price.

[Sawduster]

Thanx everyone for some very good advice and suggestions It is 8 x 10 by the way
Part of the problem is that I accepted it on a let-me-see-what-I-can-do basis, making no promises of a finished product ....lesson learned, go ahead and quote with confidence and if it goes badly, all that is lost is some time ....and that's not even a loss if I learn something
Time spent is not even a factor as I am so new to all of this that speed is not my friend. I was so elated and satisfied with the outcome and the use of the spirals that I have already made my spiritual profit and the rest is just gravy
I like the idea of a lesser price with the promise of refferals.
Thanx everyone for the straight shooting and zero "fluff " ....that is what I love about this group

Carl,
I used PSP7 for the pattern and my new Wacom Graphire4 6x8 , which I am still learning how to use effectively. It is vastly different than drawing with a mouse. It is a good difference , just quite a learning curve

[Minnesota scroller]

Robert,

Been thinking about you. Be sure to let us know how you turn out.