Ok, this time on a very different subject.

Has anyone ever employed a freelance artist/designer?

Are rates normally quoted hourly for this kind of work?

If so does anyone happen to know what kind of rates to expect?

TVM!

Speaking as one of those fabled creatures, I quoted a figure based on the brief given to me. I kept my hourly rate to myself.

I guess it also depends on what you're expecting them to do. If you expect the designer to go away and do the job you've given them, then they have to cover their overheads and so on. If you're providing the desk and equipment, just paying for their time, it could well be a good deal less expensive.

As an example, in my new job where I'm currently paid as a freelance, I work on site and get paid £15 per hour. Out of that I have to pay my stamp and taxes. It's a pretty good rate, to be honest. If I was working from my own desk, my rate is more than double that.

I charge £100 an hour, but quote an amount on how long I think a job will take, if it takes longer, within reason, that's my cost to bear. That's not my personal charge though, that's my company charge. I would expect to pay a freelancer no less than £30 an hour depending on skill.

As Heather said though, that would be them using their own equipment.

Hmm. I was toying with the idea of getting someone to design a large version of my avatar (so it looks good printed at 15cm by 15cm.)
However that would be a waste of cash as I'm sure it would take several hours to do.
I have no artistic skills whatsoever.

There's loads of sites on the net where you can get very skillful people yet to make their way in the commercial world to do stuff for bugger all. The best way would be to find someone you know to do you a favour. I'd offer, but I'm currently tearing my hair out over a mate who's being ultra fussy over a job I've charged a tenth of my usual rate for.

What kind of work is it to do? A web designer could cost a lot less than a advert designer or a logo designer, or the other way round

Like fin says, find someone who specialises in what you want and you'll get the best deal.

My company offers just about anything, but you'll pay through the nose for anything we can't do in house. That said, we do sort the whole thing out, so it's not as if we do f' all for the margin!

We do stuff in house and with a company we work very closely with, they regularly do stuff for Rolling stone magazine, wall street journal, lucas films and more but they are a lot more reasonable for design, especially when they get to have more input

I'm sure you've all seen this

http://clientsfromhell.net/

Just got a reply from him and he's very interested and said he will do the first piece (it's only one picture for this one) for free and then give me a rate if we want to work together further.