Ben Krefta for hire...

I often receive requests to work on a wide variety of commercial projects. I'm capable of adapting my drawing style to suit different needs and always produce top end quality results for my clients. Having worked as a Web Designer, Graphic Artist and Illustrator, I'm able to offer a wider range of creative design services.

Click the type of work you are interested in for more information:

Manga style illustration		Other styles of illustration		Original Character Design		Tattoo Design		Book and CD Covers
Posters		Merchandising		Mascot Design		Anime style Portrait		Redesigning your Character
Book Illustration		A private 'one off' piece of artwork		Comic book page Colouring		Graphic Design		Advertising
Logo Design		Web site Design		Web Banner Creation		Flash Animation		Photo Editing and Manipulation

How shall we do this?..

The best thing to do is e-mail me a detailed proposal or brief. If you have an idea of what you're looking to pay or a set budget, let me know. If possible I'd REALLY appreciate it if you could include the following:

• Background: Information about the company or organization, including its size and primary services or products.

• Audience: General information about who the target audience is (this helps convey the general scope of the project).

• Objectives: Objectives can be as broad as "keeping the audience informed about our company" or it can be as specific as "get registered users of our product to order the upgrade".

• Vehicle: What is the piece to be created? *SEE ABOVE* Book cover design, a selection of characters, a web design, or see list above.

• Look and feel: General direction about the company positioning and it's target market: for example, "A cutting-edge design that appeals to tech-savvy Gen-X readers who surf the internet daily" or "a down-to-earth style that appeal to college educated women over 50".

• Specifications: Licensing rights required. How the design will be used. Finished size. Colour scheme, and so on.

• Time frame: Goal date to have the design completed by. (Is a specific event or mailing distribution being targeted?)

• Preliminary schedule: Initial concepts due. Revisions due. Final art date.

• Other questions: Will you handle the printing aspects? Are there additional services I must provide such as sub-contracting other professional to collaborate. Is there anything I have worked on in the past which you'd like incorporated into your design? What is the final deliverable? Digital content uploaded to the web, supplied on a disk or printed material?

What happens next?..

I will specify my availability and we will work out a price for the requested work.

Once I have agreed to take on your request and understand fully what you'd like, we shall typically sign a written agreement to confirm what we have discussed, after which work can begin. Some smaller private commissions will not require a contract.

I usually deliver work in stages. If I was working on a character design for example, I'll supply a sketch to show the client how I am interpreting the brief. Providing the sketch is approved, I'll then supply a final line art version. I'll then supply a finished coloured version. If need be, I'll deliver the final in a high resolution format via disc.

What you get for your money, Pricing and Costs...

Pricing can vary massively depending on the type of project, complexity and my availability. A piece of character art could take between 6 and 60 hours to complete depending on the level of finish, amount of initial sketches and detail. I usually produce detailed, crisp, smooth, digital artwork suitable for large-scale print which can take far longer than a sketchy, rough or simplified drawing. The considerations and small touches I add in order to turn a good piece of work into a great piece of work can be what takes the most time, but is always well worth it. A website design might take 5-25 hours just to produce a static visual and then making that visual 'web-worthy' by coding it in HTML could take a further 10-20 hours.

As well as the time factor, certain works may require licensing. This allows the work to be used in a commercial way under certain conditions. Many professional illustrators often charge more for the licensing than the time they invest in creating the artwork itself. I encourage any illustrator capable of producing a quality product to consider their licensing conditions and fee. For example, I will often charge for the right to use my work and stipulate the rights to my work cannot be sold on to other companies without my permission and that the artwork ownership rights revert back to me after a term. Rights are not a consideration when it comes to designing a website or a flyer for example, but it's something I consider if my art is used for something like merchandise.

Good communication between designer and client is seriously underrated. Especially in the internet era whereby even children from non-English speaking countries are pitching themselves as professional artists and designers. I have nothing against that at all, but I like people who deal with me to know they can expect concise and well articulated communication when corresponding. It is really important that I provide a client with all the details they need without confusing them and equally, I appreciate it in return so that both parties have a clear understanding. I'm a very conscientious person, so always willing to do that bit extra to make sure we're both happy with the final product.

I like having proposals and communication in writing in case I need to refer back, but let me know if you'd rather call me, meet me or arrange for me to work in-house.

The following costs give you an idea of what I might charge, although this can vary massively depending on the project, my amount of interests and work load. Prices are also subject to change:

• 8 character designs for an online video game. Initial sketch, then full colour, high quality versions such as your Spellcasta characters. Plus up to one round of free amendments at the sketch stage. Plus exclusive rights to use the works solely for the game and advertising of the game. The rights last for full length that the game is still online and playable: £200-£400 per finished character art.

• Re-work of a character design for personal use with background web use: £75-£200. For small personal projects I understand budgets are tight, so will usually simply decline unless it looks fun and I'm not too busy.

• Comic book page digital colouring: £85-£100 per page

• Completely bespoke 6 page brochure style info website for a small business with the aim to look more professional and appealing that all competitor’s sites: £400-£500 (subject to exact specifications) to design and construct in a web-worthy html format.

• CD cover and back featuring a character (American comic style. Head and shoulders with an interior of a bedroom in the background), full colour. Plus poster design including supplied text, and uses the character CD cover art. £250-£500

• Layout & Graphic design for Advertisement (for magazine ad and poster) for an independent store or service - text and photo to be supplied: £100-£200

• Tattoo design to cover shoulder cap and outer bicep of a woman's face, surrounded by swirls, feathers and flowers. Mainly black and grey: £75-£175. Again, for personal requests, I understand your budget will be limited, but if I can save your tattooist designing time, they may quote you a cheaper tattoo. Be aware tattooists can charge £40-£140 per hour and I imagine such a design may take 4-14 hours or actual tattoo time depending on the artist. If the design is small and you would like me to tattoo it also, let me know! I'm relatively inexperienced as a tattooist having only tattooed 50 times or so, but would love the chance to improve if you're willing to donate some skin!

Changes and Amendments...

Throughout the design process, alterations may be required. If I supply an initial sketch and the client requests amendments such as "make hair longer" or "make eyes smaller" this is considered part and parcel of the job. However if extensive changes or entirely re-worked designs are needed, which go beyond the original agreed upon scope of the project, additional fees will be charged.

I'm sure my clients appreciate all art and design tasks can take a great deal of time and effort. Therefore it's important to make sure I will be compensated in the event a project takes longer than initially expected due to changes or new requirements made after the work has began. Hopefully you would have checked out some of my previous illustrations and designs and will have an idea of how I tackle a brief. Also I like to get a good understanding of what's required before even picking up a pencil to help prevent any problems after work has commenced.

Anything else?..

• By commissioning Ben Krefta, you are hiring a professional to provide art and design based solutions. I understand client requirements and always aim to deliver the highest quality designs and services.
• Most artists feel comfortable illustrating in their own style and the more freedom you give an artist, the better the results.
• All types of other creative tasks considered.
• I look forward to working with you!

There's more?..

Examples of art and design projects I've completed for various clients.

Buy signed copies of my books, or limited edition artwork.