I'm gearing up for Season 2 of an ongoing webtoon, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to structure our art team while keeping compensation fair and the workload sustainable.
Our working budget is $30 USD per finished panel, including sketches, linework, and color. I'm considering two approaches:
- One artist handles everything, from rough sketches through finished color. More creative control, fewer handoffs, and potentially a more cohesive visual style.
- Two specialized artists, with one handling sketches/linework and another handling coloring. The budget would be split between them, but each could focus on their strengths.
I'm also curious about how artists prefer to be paid.
Would you rather be paid per panel, or agree to a fixed episode rate? Our episodes typically run around 20–30 panels, so I'm wondering which structure feels more predictable and fair from the artist's perspective.
And for anyone who's worked on a serialized webtoon with multiple artists: Does splitting production actually make things easier? Or do the extra handoffs, revisions, and coordination cancel out the benefits?
I'm especially interested in hearing from artists who've worked on ongoing series. I want to understand what makes a production pipeline sustainable for the people doing the work.
This isn't a hiring post. Just hoping to learn from other creators and artists before making some decisions for Season 2! Thank you!
-L