Back down to art again

As of a few minutes ago, the text for my OSR coversion of Life of Rage is complete.  And, like the original version, all that remains is artwork.  This seems to be a recurring theme, and something that is a bit of a stumbling block for an independant (wannabe) game-designer like myself.

At this point, if I want to be able to charge a small fee for my original creations, I have one of two options.  I can either A) do the art myself, or B) commission the requisite artwork from a professional.

Option A is obviously the most cost-effective.  I work a day job that is adequate for covering the normal expenses of a full family.  So, finances are a major concern.  I don't have the kind of cash laying around to invest in something that could conceivably lose me money.  At this point, all of these efforts have cost me nothing except time.  Honestly, I'm a fair artist.  Not a professional in terms of ability, but I can get by.  And there are always a few shortcuts for a small venture like this.  So, this route is doable.  The main downsides are that it is very time-consuming, and that I am my own worst art critic.  So, I know that if I do the art myself, it will be a long time before this stuff is ready to be published, and even then, I will most likely be unhappy with the final product.

Option B has the downside of not being feasible at this point, due to the afore-mentioned financial constraints.  Art is expensive.  Good art is very expensive.  And I don't have the financial backing of an established RPG publisher.  I could crowd-fund, ala Kickstarter, I suppose.  But that adds the extra burdens of expectation and delivery.  And I'm kind of a coward when it comes to self-promotion and promising delivery.

Really, at this point, I have only one option.  So, I guess I ought to break out my pencils, pens, paper, and reference books, and get cracking.