What is the going rate for 256x256 game textures?

We have a few artists around here, so maybe I can get a rough idea of what to expect for this. I am talking about game-ready textures, not cropped & tiled photos. Think UT2K3 but only 256x256 ( I'm not making an UT clone, it just happens to be a decent example of the level of work on the texture. )

So let's suppose I buy them in sets of 10. That way the artist can bail if he has other commitments, and doesn't feel bound to stick with me, and I get small packs of textures which fit together, so I don't end up with a lot of textures which don't work together if I have to switch artists. How much should I expect to pay for a set of 10 256x256 UT-style game-ready textures?

I'm not looking for a quote BTW, at least not yet, but I am looking to get an idea of the kind of budget it's going to require to make this game, so that I can plan the financing accordingly.

No one?

Do people buy textures?

I've never used an off-the-shelf texture. They've always been created specifically for the job in hand. But then again, I work with an artist.

I'm not talking about off-the-shelf-textures. I'm asking what I should expect an artist to charge me for making them to order. I have a rough idea of what I can expect to pay for modelling, rigging and animations, albeit that it varies between artists of course, but I really have no idea at all what I should expect an artist to charge for environmental textures.

£40 a texture (sensible max), if one texture takes an hour. Look at the artist's hourly rate.

That really what was confusing me, because I don't know how long it might take an artist to make such a texture. It takes me ages, but most of that is due to a severe lack of skill and experience. You're an experienced artist. Does an hour seem reasonable for the kind of texture I've described?

Dont pay per hour. Pay per completed pack.

Yeh, I hate the old per-hour jobbie - I wouldn't touch anything that is not per completed pack - whether it be textures or 3d stuff.

None of the people I am buying stuff from charge per hour.

Alrighty, here's my formula.

One texture map is ~$15.00 regardless of size. That doesn't include the UV mapping involved to lay it out nice and pretty (since that is the most time consuming, for me). If it involves organic subject matter (something I may have to construct from scratch as opposed to using textures I've made, or can make easily) then the price goes up $5.00. If it's a complex model (over 4000 polys) then the price jumps $10.00.

So, you're looking at ~$20.00 a texture if the UV are already layed out. Otherwise, that's a bit more. Also, if you're talking about the texture that are layed flat on a wall/floor/ceiling etc, then it's ~$10.00 per. Hope this helps.

Gabriel, I charge £30-£40 (I discount for larger jobs). I can bang out 2 generic textures (earth/grass) within an hour if its going well, or one specific texture per hour.

The actual size of the image isn't a limiting factor (don't let any artist tell you otherwise) unless it is "pixel" artwork - ie old skool. That will take a painstaking amount of time.

Otherwise we work on textures at a large scale anyway. If this artist is trying to charge you more because it is bigger then he is trying to get a bit of extra money out of you. You can't really blame him, but you can point this out.

@Tyler - dude, I doubt you will make a living from this, sorry no offense intended. I've been round the block doing this and you will not make ends meet. You're paid $10 an hour?????

Most textures won't even take an hour (providing as an experienced artist you've built up a good library of base textures/materials)..and if it's for a pack the going just gets quicker

:) The textures take me 10 minutes to make at the least, 30 at the most. So it's more like 20-60 an hour.

Thanks guys. Good to have all the information to hand before I approach anyone for it.

I would avoid paying artists hourly if you can avoid it,... work by a set bid price per project. This is the way I work and everyone knows up front what costs are going to be.

The animation studio I work at has an hourly rate of around $200/hour, but I can't recall a single job in the last 10 years that has paid an hourly rate. (This is film/tv animation, not games.) Instead, we work backwards by determining how long it might take to complete the project, and then breaking that down to determine the bid based on our hourly/daily rate. If the job takes longer than our estimate, we end up eating the difference (unless the extra time is due to additional client requests, which can cause the bid to grow, but this is all known upfront.)

You should try to approach the artists in a similar way,... "How many textures of what quality can I get for $XYZ?"