https://neilhubert.com Neil Hubert Commercial Art LLC Fri, 05 Dec 2025 21:41:00 +0000 https://neilhubert.com en https://neilhubert.com/Early-Work Fri, 05 Dec 2025 21:41:00 +0000 Neil Hubert Commercial Art LLC https://neilhubert.com/Early-Work <img width="453" height="700" width_o="453" height_o="700" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a6dc8cf9df995059a355edd79402def5f2b041984a564bb8376364a99f0627fc/DEC_poster.gif" data-mid="241473042" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/453/i/a6dc8cf9df995059a355edd79402def5f2b041984a564bb8376364a99f0627fc/DEC_poster.gif" /> <img width="508" height="700" width_o="508" height_o="700" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/077b52199f0a28adb76af0b68c5b6ee89f0ad764e8a626674b39ced1c018d3bd/poster2.jpg" data-mid="241473049" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/508/i/077b52199f0a28adb76af0b68c5b6ee89f0ad764e8a626674b39ced1c018d3bd/poster2.jpg" /> <img width="333" height="500" width_o="333" height_o="500" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e0b9b9c01cf4d31368e83f5e7919330bca87ca90394dcbdd1d5c3595a4f7cfd5/roos1.gif" data-mid="241473058" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/333/i/e0b9b9c01cf4d31368e83f5e7919330bca87ca90394dcbdd1d5c3595a4f7cfd5/roos1.gif" /> <img width="600" height="400" width_o="600" height_o="400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e0f7188a7dac73397e45b7ad742af85d6f84d174251af7eb297d9208d00daf21/barcards2.jpg" data-mid="241473054" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/600/i/e0f7188a7dac73397e45b7ad742af85d6f84d174251af7eb297d9208d00daf21/barcards2.jpg" /> <img width="333" height="500" width_o="333" height_o="500" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3ff0a3ad17892344f2f25b3a6abb3a0053ce79fb57dce294ee30838de9a64567/roos2.gif" data-mid="241473060" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/333/i/3ff0a3ad17892344f2f25b3a6abb3a0053ce79fb57dce294ee30838de9a64567/roos2.gif" /> <img width="686" height="1038" width_o="686" height_o="1038" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7b65f6245f9b61caa98b1160ada4c05f6dc1baf80efa691767657035b046f0ae/premier.gif" data-mid="241473057" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/686/i/7b65f6245f9b61caa98b1160ada4c05f6dc1baf80efa691767657035b046f0ae/premier.gif" /> <img width="719" height="506" width_o="719" height_o="506" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1b27d4bf763db7b34f6e0473aa65a1c99b0ddb22f4beccd3498ba5da7d5791c3/NY.gif" data-mid="241473048" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/719/i/1b27d4bf763db7b34f6e0473aa65a1c99b0ddb22f4beccd3498ba5da7d5791c3/NY.gif" /> <img width="1230" height="1228" width_o="1230" height_o="1228" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7dbb95354f8077e01fe367c1337c464d195866597dee0201a2f2c9ee193ec702/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-5.54.38PM.png" data-mid="241473474" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7dbb95354f8077e01fe367c1337c464d195866597dee0201a2f2c9ee193ec702/Screenshot-2025-12-04-at-5.54.38PM.png" /> &nbsp; https://neilhubert.com/Freelance-Commandments Thu, 10 Dec 2020 20:08:04 +0000 Neil Hubert Commercial Art LLC https://neilhubert.com/Freelance-Commandments The ten freelance commandments 1. Thou shalt ALWAYS get a down payment before starting a project. 25% is good, but 50% is best. This single act weeds out so many problem clients, and guarantees you won’t be totally screwed if someone ghosts you mid-project (trust me – it happens). A buddy of mine in the mortgage industry calls this “a financial handshake” – it keeps everyone honest. The exception here is large companies or agencies with a history of, and a process for, working with independent contractors. I usually feel ok about not getting anything upfront in that case. Just try to protect yourself in any way you can. 2. Thou shalt know thy rates. Pricing… Not an easy thing to figure out. But, you need to give it some hard thought and consideration BEFORE you start getting inquires. Think about how much you need to make in a year to survive, your monthly overhead, how long an average project takes you to complete, and what level of designer you are. Be realistic about how much work you’ll get, and how many hours a week you’ll be able to bill (your clients don’t pay for you to update your website or do other admin work). You’re going to need to put a monetary value on your time, talent, and knowledge. If you are a humble, people-pleasing type this is going to be pretty uncomfortable, but if you’re a self-assured narcissist, you might need to dial it back a notch. I’m not going to quote any numbers here, because inevitably some newbie freelancer in a small town will get mad and say that I’m a pretentious entitled snob quoting unrealistic numbers. And then some pretentious entitled snob from NYC will climb up on his high horse and tell me I’m devaluing our profession and not charging nearly enough. There are lots of pricing guides online, other designers of your age, experience, and in your area are a good resource, and yeah… watch that Chris Do video, and read this article by Jessica Hische. A friend of mine has a saying… “The cost is as much as you can get them to pay” I know this sounds harsh (and super vague), but it gets at the subjective value of art &amp; design. You need to price the job AND the client. The swoosh doesn’t pay the same amount for a tee graphic as my local coffee shop. Side note: I studied sign painting at a trade school, and learned more about pricing and best business practices in 2 or 3 one hour lectures than I did in my entire 4 year BFA at a liberal arts college. It is borderline criminal to charge what a 4 year institution does, and never mention anything about the economics of our industry. Y’all design professors need to step up.3. If thou art 1099, thou shalt save 30% for Uncle Sam, and whenst thou annual income reaches $50,000 thou shalt seek out a financial professional and get ye house in order.4. Thou shalt learn the dark arts of self promotion, sales, negotiation, contracts, and client relations. I know, I know… Figuring out the art side of being a designer is hard enough, but business too? Yeah… well, its what you’re signing up for when you hang out your own shingle. You’re the CEO, the janitor, and everything in between. If you feel up to it, it’s definitely worth taking a shot at going freelance for a while – even if it isn’t permanent, it’ll give you some great perspective, broaden your experience, and make you a MUCH better employee when you land back in-house. And read this blog post from Jessica Hische. 5. Thine Ego is not Thine Amigo. Look… art and design are subjective. There are very few completely right or wrong answers. Clients have good ideas, smart changes and well thought out edits all the time. It should be a collaborative process. I make it a rule to at least try every edit (within reason) that the client is suggesting before shutting it down. And if you find yourself in an argument about kerning with a client – pull your head out of your a... you know where. 6. Thou shalt know when to say “no”. There are lots of good people in this world… but there are also a few toxic ones. Potential clients will try to devalue your work in myriad ways, for many reasons: in search of a better bargain for themselves, out of being uninformed, and sometimes just out of spite. This is pretty tough to deal with as an artist – Your self worth, livelihood, and sense of purpose are all on the table in these negotiations. It’s OK to say NO. Just because you're capable of doing the project, it doesn't mean you have to do it. No amount of money is worth sacrificing your dignity, your soul, or your mental health over. ...unless studio rent is due and the business account is pegged at zero. 7. Thou shalt continually seek to improve thine own skills. Tutorials, podcasts, workshops, books, conferences, online classes. And not just in your field. Do some personal projects. Make some stickers or posters. But does the world really need another t-shirt that says “FREELANCE AIN’T FREE”? 8. Thou shalt help the needy. Non-profits and charities… Not your friend’s cousin with “a great idea” but “no funding yet”. Freelance is about skill &amp; connections, but you’d be suprised how much dumb luck plays a role too. You’re going to need all the karma you can get. I use Catchafire.com to find organizations in need of pro bono design work. (Shameless plug: I found this through Patagonia Action Works) Their platform makes it dead simple to find projects that are a good fit, and takes a ton of guesswork out of the process on both the client &amp; freelancer side. I actually wish there was an equivalent for paying jobs. And hey, donate blood while you’re at it. I go through Vitalant.9. Thou shalt mentor the young. Pay it forward – We were all young and inexperienced once. You help yourself (and all of us) when you share information. United we bargain, divided we beg. If you are young and inexperienced… Respect ye elder’s time, lest ye find yeself in the spam folder.10. Thou shalt stack thine cash. Seriously though – Save some money when you can. Just got a windfall payment from a big job? Maybe don’t blow it on a trip to Tulum and a new laptop. (Or whatever the “global pandemic” equivalent is... cashmere sweatpants and a new mattress?) Freelance life is a rollercoaster that you’ll get used to if you stick it out. A financial cushion will really help you manage your stress level, and keep you from having to accept every yahoo job just to make rent.I'd be remiss if I didn't thank Mathew Foster. When I signed on to Radical Co-Operative in 2015 he graciously shared years of hard won knowledge with me, and then we continued to hammer out the rest of these practices during our tenure at RADCO World Headquarters in Chinatown, LA.Disclaimers: Its OK if you disagree with this list. Some folks are going to be mad that I'm saying not to take certain jobs (they’ll think my head is too big, and that I think I’m “too good” for some work). Somebody will yell "NEVER WORK FOR FREE" at me in regards to the one about pro bono work. And I guarantee that kerning joke is going to trigger a bunch of font designers... It's tough to write a guide like this that will be relevant for freelancers at all levels. If you're early in your career, you're likely just waiting for the phone to ring. Any kind of client inquiry would be welcome. As you grow into a more seasoned veteran, you're going to become a bit jaded, and your perspective will be different. Being a freelancer never gets easier; every time you solve one problem, another will crop up. First, develop a workable art style and figure out your craft, then find clients, next figure out pricing, then employees... all they way down the line until you retire (Do people even do that anymore?). And all the while, the problems you thought you had solved will keep un-solving themselves. Being your own boss has a lot of upside, but you know what they say: the grass is always greener...Mad at me for giving this info out for free? Put your money where your mouth is... Feel free to hire me for speaking gigs, option the coffee table book version, or send me a crisp 100 dollar bill. https://neilhubert.com/Home Wed, 26 Sep 2018 23:29:49 +0000 Neil Hubert Commercial Art LLC https://neilhubert.com/Home <img width="2500" height="1728" width_o="2500" height_o="1728" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/72c7d701c4305b027416b5c4c75547f9661f6c3e42630ee4c355d827ddc0e43f/cargo-header-v1.png" data-mid="169463654" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/72c7d701c4305b027416b5c4c75547f9661f6c3e42630ee4c355d827ddc0e43f/cargo-header-v1.png" /> https://neilhubert.com/Info Wed, 26 Sep 2018 23:25:58 +0000 Neil Hubert Commercial Art LLC https://neilhubert.com/Info Neil Hubert is a commercial artist. He was born and raised in Michigan, and received a BFA in graphic design and illustration from Grand Valley State University in 2007. He spent much of his early 20s in restaurant kitchens and the back room of a bike shop, before cutting his teeth in the ad &amp; design firms of Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 2013 he packed up his midwestern work ethic and moved to California. His first stop was the legendary sign painting program at Los Angeles Trade Tech College. While slinging paint and learning to use a mahl stick he freelanced his way through the LA design scene. In 2015 he joined Mathew Foster at Radical Co-Operative and helped build the small agency from scratch – focusing on ground-up identities for emerging businesses and distinctive graphics for long standing brands. During his tenure, RADCO's client roster grew to include everything from LA's best NY style pizza shop to the global brand Nike. In 2019, After 4 years at RADCO, Neil moved north to the orange scented Ojai valley and began work in the apparel graphics department at&nbsp;patagonia. There he has had the opportunity to collaborate with world-renowned artists and to mentor up and coming creatives. He developed patagonia’s in-house embroidery studio, teaching himself the art of embroidery digitization along the way. And he has art-directed multiple seasonal capsule collections celebrating patagonia’s unique history, environmental activism, and technical innovation. He works closely with many departments – balancing business needs with creative opportunities, and shepherding physical product through creation, internal review, marketing design, and launch. Neil’s style has been described as analog, old school, hand-done, or his personal favorite: “blue collar”. He has a fluency in illustration and hand lettering combined with a graphic designer’s foundation in layout, composition, and typography. He creates art for commercial purposes: unique graphics that reveal the human hand. Neil has worked with clients large and small, independently, at agencies, and in-house. He has honed his practice of commercial art over many years. This practice stretches from screens to printed matter, physical products, signage, interiors, and beyond. His management style has developed along the way – benefitting from the many workplace dynamics his career has included. It focuses first on empathy, balanced with a capable “can-do” attitude, personal responsibility, a knack for problem solving, and a foundation of good-faith relationship building. neilahubert@gmail.com&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Instagram Clients: Patagonia, Nike, Califia Farms, Wired Magazine, Herman Miller, Tom’s of Maine, Warner Music, Topo Chico, Herb Lester, Alta Motors, Orvis,&nbsp;Bow &amp; Arrow Wine, 213 Hospitality, Merrell, The Hundreds, See See Motorcycles Pro bono (many via Patagonia Action Works): California Wilderness Coalition, Friends of the Inyo, Los Angeles Waterkeeper, Climate First Ventura, California Rivers &amp; Lands Conservancy, California Farmer Justice Collaborative, LA Downtown Women’s Center, Green Valley Project, Central Oregon LandWatch, Santa Barbara City College