Do you charge for the first round of style exploration on custom illustration projects, or roll it into the quote? I’m finding that a half-day moodboard + two rough comps in Procreate (about 4 hours) helps clients decide, but on smaller jobs it eats the margin — curious how you frame this in proposals and where you cap iterations.
I get where you’re coming from; those four hours for a moodboard and two comps really add up, especially on smaller jobs. In my experience, I charge for the initial exploration but credit that toward the final project if they book. It helps manage the margin while still providing value.