I'm never sure what to say when someone emails me and asks me how much I'd want to be paid for pixelling some project or other.
Negotiate.
I like to offer them a range.
The range is usually wrapped around the exact amount that I want.
Most of the time when you present someone with a min-max situation they will instinctively choose the mid distance.
If you want $15 say $10-$20.
If you want $25 say $15-$35.
The range should have an obvious increment of some sort that isn't too large.
A silly exaggeration would be to ask for $10-$100.
Most people will not want to choose the mid distance of $50 in this case (yes thats fuzzy math, but thats the point).
They will just wonder why you are willing to take $10 for what could possibly cost $100.
I'm not as familiar with freelance work.
Most of my experience has been fixed pay or salary.
Around where I live artists start at $35,000 - $60,000 a year based on job, skill level, experience, etc.
Programmers start at $50,000 - $90,000 a year.
If you're not making that kind of money, after converting to whatever that is hourly, then I'd say you are significantly underpaid.
A good trick I've heard and used is "Take the cost of your rent and triple it. Ask for that".
and felt a bit wrong taking the money.
Unless you are forcefully stealing you are not "taking" money.
You are trading product for payment.
Making enough money to continue to hone your skills in the field, as opposed to on your own time, is a good thing.
Art and programming are important skills.
Entertainment is play, but it is also business.
Personally I dropped about $80,000 on my education (that I didn't have, all loans), so making money is a must.
There's no shame in paying bills while trying to float a reasonable profit.
but I still felt like it was too much money for something some other pixel artist could probably have done far better.
This kind of depends on who's paying you and how much they are turning around and using your product to sell their product for.
Bigger companies want good talent, but they also want to pay the least amount possible and make the highest profits.
They will have no problems with signing a contract that underpays you if it's your idea to be underpaid.
That will only make their numbers better, and that's what they want.
While it's not good to be greedy or ask for unreasonable amounts, it can be good to ask for something a little high and say that it's negotiable.
Like I said before I like to give a range so they feel like they are choosing what to pay, not just trying to talk me down from a single number that is way too large.
Furthermore keep in mind that when a high visibility & skilled artist such as you undersells their talents because of confidence issues, they're hurting the market for the rest of us.
I've fallen "victim" to this many times.
For some of the more seasoned veterans in the pixel art world this means that they might not get paid as much as they should from a job.
For someone like me that falls squarely into the mediocre bucket it means that I have no chance of getting the job at all.
Can't count the number of times that I've heard back "Yah so, we looked on the internet for about 30 seconds and found tons of people that are better than you for cheaper. F'off pleez".
I'm not one to point fingers, and I'm certainly not now.
My skill level and ability to get work is no one's responsibility but my own.
But I've often thought that there is an ecosystem of artists and programmers that is affected by many variables.
I haven't actually accepted many projects at all though in the past few years due to various reasons (this confidence thing being one of many)
I've stumbled across your art over and over.
Your stuff is great.
It's obvious to me that it is not the quality of your art that makes you lack confidence.
However no amount of ass patting will likely change a personality.
It's a little rude to say, I really shouldn't, but it's kind of a shame.
Personally I think art (this includes all art forms from food to education to videogames) is for the people.
It comes at a cost, which ideally a fair to generous portion should be given to the people doing the work, but it's meant to be shared.
Of course I understand that this is not everyone's view or ideal.
I would not go so far as to say it is your duty or fate to make art for others.
That would be demanding and cheesy.
I have a very strange sensation from entertainment.
When I enjoy something I appreciate it.
I think "Hey some dude made this game/image/whatever, and it's fun. He had some good thoughts here. Thanks dude".
Your art has that quality.
It's fun to look at.
It's fun to enjoy.
All of this makes me curious what your Myers Briggs personality type is.
I've been taught to use it as a way to understand how to work with the individuals of a game team effectively.
Initially I had no interest in such a way of defining personalities.
But after playing with the idea of using it to interact with others in a positive fashion it's hard to deny how effective it really is.
While MB is something like a horoscope, which makes me giggle, it can be a healthy reflection of self.
My assessment struck me as "man that IS how I am" and helped me mentally reinforce my strengths and work on my weaknesses.
I can understand where you are coming from.
Being humble is a quality that I constantly strive for.
It helps me to keep peace of mind.
I'm not the best.
I'm not the smartest.
But I'm willing to try my hardest.
And I have full confidence in whatever that may accomplish.
Even if it lands short in my own or others eyes.