I've been too busy to really take the time to be on the Forum and frankly, I miss it. I read every day but with painting, there is not much time to contribute right now. But I thought I would put my 2 cents worth in on this one.
When I paint a custom paint job I wet sand the entire piece, listen to the customer and try to give them more than they expect. Airbrushing scenes or pictures takes a LOT of time. Just the materials cost hundreds not to mention utilities, equipment, effort and all the little things that can go wrong when painting with automotive paints.
Some want the artwork to be bright and stand out like a cartoon. Some want the art to be 'blended' and faint. Some want it both ways and some will never be pleased.
Custom paint job costs depend on the amount of detail required. "Real Flames" are quick and relatively easy and some will charge more than I feel they are worth. Taped flames are a little more difficult with layouts and pinstriping if needed.
The most expensive are the ones that hand you a picture and want you to detail that on their bike!
The minimum I charge is $400 for basic work. This cost covers my material, labor and must be completed in a two day period. The most I've charged is $15,000 for a complete scene on a Boss Hoss that took almost 6 months to complete!
Here is an example of a fairing I just completed last night. This VET is a very dear friend and he handed me a picture and wanted that picture on his bike. He also wanted the American Flag and all to be blended into clouds.
Here is a pic of the product. Regular cost ... $1500. What I charged him....$0.00. What he gave me....FREEDOM! I needed to give something back to the Vets and this is my way to do that.
Now about the paint job. I was not happy with the result. It took 40 hours of painting, over 20 colors and over $200 in materials to complete. I replicated the picture just fine, added the flags, smoked the clouds and then screwed up the lettering.
He thought it looked perfect. I see all the imperfections. This is what makes artwork expensive. Trying to please yourself is much harder than pleasing your customer.
Everyone's idea of what they want on their bike is different and painters or artists don't read minds. My suggestion is to find an artist, tell them EXACTLY what you want and then give them some flexability to insert their own talent. Tell them what you want to spend and let them suggest a value for your dollar.
Ok, back to painting.