I have several paintings I would like to sell, but I am unsure of how much to sell them for. I have sold paintings for quite a bit but that is not the norm. I don't want to give them away byet I do not want to charge a huge amount for them. Some people cannot afford them, but they like them . A gallery owner friend of mine says once an artist starts off selling at a higher price they should never sell anything of that size for less. But not everyone has that kind of money. What do you think I should do? I would like a decent for me yet easy on my customers kind of pricing--- if such a thing exists. Any ideas at all would help. Right now I am overloaded with works and need to get them out there. Help! :)
2007-12-09 23:03:48 · 8 answers · asked by misteri 5 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Visual Arts ➔ Painting
My personal rule is that if you want people to buy your work then it has to be affordable. Too many artists seriously over price their work and it remains hanging on the gallery wall even when it is absolutely fabulous. I would rather have my work hanging on someones living room wall than a gallery wall. I've sold pieces and I've even given pieces away to people who love the work, but comment that they can't afford it and let me tell you it's not an easy thing to do, but when you know that your work is going to be appreciated and loved by someone then it is worth the sacrifice. I'm not saying give your stuff away because I know how expensive it is to be an artist and how much it actually takes to create a painting. Anyhow, it's really up to the artist to determine how much their work is worth. You could try selling them on eBay and see what people would bid for them. It would also give you some idea as to what you could sell them for outside of an auction.
Good Luck
2007-12-10 01:45:56 · answer #1 · answered by Sptfyr 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am an Artist who has been selling my own work for years now, and I am the Gallery Director for a large Art Gallery in my city. So, I have sold more work than I can even count. Here are a few ways to price your artwork.
Some people do charge per square inch. So, if you have a 24in. x 36 in. painting: 24 * 36 = 864. Lets say that you think a square inch of your art is worth 50cents. 864*.50=432, try rounding up to $450. Does that sound reasonable?
Another thing I do is modify the square inch amount per general "Size" of the painting. I.E. a small painting may be 55 cents an inch, a medium is 50 cents and a large is 45 cents per inch. That way your large paintings aren't over priced and the small ones aren't under priced.
Another classic method is 1/3, 1/3, 1/3. That is One third cost of supplies, one third time and the last third "Inspiration". So, if the canvas, supplies and rent on the studio equals about $150. you would give yourself $150 for your time. If you spent 8 hours on the painting then that is about $18.75 an hour. When you add in the "Insperation" cost you will have a $450 dollar painting that you made $300 on.
One of the last methods you can do is the hourly cost. That is a foolish way to charge for art. Some paintings of the same size take different amounts of time. So, if you spent 20 hours on one painting and 15 on another of the same size you will have two paintings that you should charge the same amount for, yet cost drastically different prices. There is no better way to scare away a collector than huge fluctuations in the prices of similar sized paintings.
As stated earlier, DO NOT ever go down in price on your art. If you sell an 10inx18in painting to a collector in 2006 for $200 and then they see a 10inx18in in 2007 for $180 they will feel like they just lost $20 and a year of their lives on your art. Even if they collected they work just for the love of the painting, (which is ideal), they always want to think that they made some money. It is that simple. When they feel like they lost some money, they will never buy from you again.
You can always give good friends a break, like 20% or something, but that should be about it. And make sure your friends don't tell everyone you gave them a 20% break. The value in art is tied to how well and how valuable the artist is perceived. Not everyone has a lot of money who likes your art? That is true in all things. I want a Bentley, yet I make about 100k a year too little to buy one. Leave the finding of a buyer up the gallery in the same way the Bentley dealer finds a buyer. The guy in the factory who puts wheels on the Bentley know noone who can afford 350k car, yet he isn't worried, why should you be. Charge what your art is worth!
---Ricky Hansing
2007-12-10 06:35:49 · answer #2 · answered by rickyhansing 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am an artist as well and i was always told that you charge by how long it look you to do the artwork, detail, how big and always make sure you get at least what the cost you put into it.. no less.. Since your overloaded you could price high and put a Sale sign on them and put a lower price as if they are getting a deal so if they like your work they'll come back and know the prices aren't always that cheap..
2007-12-10 01:30:47 · answer #3 · answered by Alisha N 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well I've been told by one of my teachers...well i'm going to do a senior exhibit next year and i'm going to sell some of my paintings....to sell them around 100 to 1000 for the first painting sale. But if you are way more experience and have sold alot more than sale them for more. But it also depends on how big the piece is, detail/texture, time, effort, how much paint was used and so on. Good luck!
2007-12-10 08:51:15 · answer #4 · answered by butterfliez2002 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's good to keep your prices about the same so that everyone who buys your art has paid an equal amount and that it doesn't get back to them that you played favorites. When one is selling there art, I was told to not only keep prices the same but not to reduce them any more than ten percent for anyone.
I would keep your prices within a range and not stray from them if you want to be fair to your customers.
2007-12-09 23:28:27 · answer #5 · answered by John T 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Pricing is complicated. An artists shouldn't under sell his/her paintings. in case you have an unique which you do no longer prefer to section with at marketplace value then shop the unique and sell in user-friendly terms good high quality giclee prints of that piece somewhat. you're good approximately over pricing. I even have considered artists value themselves out of the retail marketplace besides as commissioned paintings. consistently set the value on the factor the place you could stay with somebody walking out the door with your paintings and sense satisfied with the quantity of money on your hand. Set an hourly value for your self, upload factors, trip time and cost for those factors, then double that determine because of the fact maximum galleries value 50% consignment value. desire this facilitates.
2016-10-10 23:31:26 · answer #6 · answered by prebor 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I asked my professor the same question once. He suggested giving myself an hourly rate, plus cost of materials. Maybe start at like $40 an hour plus materials, and establish a range to work in. You can always add to or lower the price, but don't give it away.
2007-12-10 05:22:38 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Believe it or not but my friend charges by the square inch, I'm serious, absolutely no kidding.
2007-12-09 23:49:28 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋