Upfront and HONEST pricing Explained. Yes, this is really happening!
MY pricing for all my work and WHY !!
Let's be frank, if you are looking to buy a piece already created or commission work from any artist you will have to get to the price eventually, and that can be worrisome. What exactly are you paying for? Are you getting ripped off or jerked around? With these questions, as an Artist, I throw a couple back at you. Are you collecting to support the artist on their journey, sort of a patron? Are you seeing art as an investment and expecting monetary gain over time? (NONE ARE WRONG- there are many reasons we love and support the arts and artists. But like preferences of food, there are chefs more specialized in certain types of cooking. So one artist is not going to fit everyone's style. And you are NOT hurting my feelings if I am not the artist for you. In fact, I love many other artists' styles and works; If I can help direct you to another I will gladly.)
There are so many reasons to be concerned over pricing and so I am going to, as honestly as I can, explain the basics and my experiences to you. My Pricing and I will also try to discuss what you see from other artists and why. I hope this helps in your journey in art and COMMISSION PIECES you are wishing to order.
Charcoal's & Pastels
I do not charge different prices for custom vs. non-custom works (your vision vs. mine). I base my pricing on materials used, technique/skill, and detail.
Below I will show examples of what price ranges are for which type of piece.
I list all my works based on square inches. All of my works will differ by .25 cent increments.
My works in Charcoal & Pastels are listed between $0.75 - $2.00 PER SQUARE INCH.
So, if you want an 11"x15" piece, you will be priced at 165 Square Inches.
165 x $0.75 = $123.00
165 x $1.75 = $288.75
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LOOK BELOW AT PRICING EXAMPLES
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Acrylics & Murals
Oh my goodness, here comes consistency!! I price all my works based on materials used, technique/skill, and detail.
The Abstract Fauvism movement can look drastically different from artist to artist and from work to work, but MINE usually fall in the same "style". Pricing changes in these works vary based on certain "special materials", like gold leafing, and change with CUSTOM orders.
I have had CUSTOM orders that called on me to mix styles such as Abstract Fauvist Portrait and Realism B&W with a Street Art style background. This was a Custom Price but explained to the client.
ACRYLIC
PER SQUARE INCH $1.75 - &3.50
So, if you want a 24"x36" work, you will be priced by 864 Square Inches
864 x $2.00 = $1,728.00
864 x $ 2.75 = $2,376
MURALS
PER SQUARE FOOT * $15-$30
WHY ARE OTHER ARTISTS MORE EXPENSIVE AND OTHERS PRICE THEIR WORKS LOWER?
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That is a great question, and here I come to share what I know about pricing and why it varies SO MUCH.
1. MATERIALS, MATERIALS, MATERIALS !! I can not stress this enough. Charcoal and graphite pencils do not cost the artist much out of pocket, but some of these do cost more than others. This is because of the QUALITY of the materials. Using a charcoal pencil that is as smooth as butter and clings well to heavy papers is worth its weight in gold to the artist as where a pencil that is hard, scratchy, and distorting your vision makes us want to stab something with that crap pencil. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. Any craftsman can attest to this. your tools make your work. Now I use the BEST charcoals and pastels on the market, but I do not use the "absolute best" when it comes to acrylic. I DO use very good quality acrylic paints. Thick and silky, saturated colors, vibrant, and DURABLE.
2. TALENT AND TECHNIQUE !! I am no master and any artist who compares themselves to a MASTER is lying through their teeth. Even artists whom YOU think are amazing and could put old Michelangelo to shame - THEY still think they are needing to work on their skills and improve where you may see perfection... it's how every true artist will die, wishing they could improve one more area, skill, or piece. You are paying for the lifetime of experience and study that the artist has had and their time. **IF you are looking for monetary gain from collecting art, you are looking for not just an established artist, but one that is always growing and evolving. Sometimes you are going to find this in an ESTABLISHED artist. One of my favorites, who keeps throwing in new things, but is a "Famous" artist Chihuly. He's done more than glass works.
-PRICING OF PRINTS AND ORIGINALS -
You also need to look at Reproduction of pieces. I will only make prints of limited pieces and I will only have 2 prints made. After those two are sold, the prints are discontinued and thus keeps ALL my originals and their 2 prints value from falling.
(***ALL of my works have one print as an ARTIST PRINT and marked as such. This one print for the artist will not effect the pricing or amount of a limited print(s) or the original. It will be only printed in one size and only for the artist)
3. WHY ARE OIL PAINTINGS SO EXPENSIVE? Because of the oil paint itself. Yes, you pay for talent and skill, but with oil paintings, you are going to be doling out a big bank for quality materials used. Did you know BLUE is one of the most expensive colors of oil paint? Did you know to make the pigments of oil paints they use crushed gemstones and other raw materials from the earth? You can go to your local craft store and grab a tube of blue oil paint (about the size of your finger) and spend around $5-15 a tube. Your "fake" color will not be vibrant, will not blend well, and will have the WORST coverage you have dealt with. These are the tubes that make will make you depressed. THEN you can go to an ART store or online and order actual oil paints that are made for QUALITY works. But you are going to be looking at $50-250 for the same size tube, which used crushed Azurite for your color. I have seen a phthalo blue oil paint for almost $500 a tube. So this is why you see an oil painting of 11"x15" selling for 3k or more. Oil paintings are priced between $4-10 usually, but can go up DRASTICALLY if the artist is talented and established... looking at $7-12 and even up to $20+ per square inch. Don't even get me started on the Dead artist, haha.
4. THIS OTHER GUY IS "BETTER" AND SELLING FOR LESS. No sugar-coating from me. Some artists are underpricing themselves so badly and it breaks my heart. My prices are honestly the "norm" for a good but not vastly established artist. I've been trained, studied, shown in galleries, and have had solo shows, but my following has stayed relatively small. I'm not prominent and in magazines all the time (YET!). That being said, there are other "artists" that are pricing their works as if they have the same or better skills than their betters/mentors. Now an artist MUST evaluate themselves, and be honest with their experience and skills to THEMSELVES first. So there you are- some are overpriced for what they offer and skillset while others are underpriced. Usually, we have imposter syndrome a lot. Never really see our talent and value, just looking to improve and fix our mistakes. "Sorry, I could have done better" is always in the back of our heads.
**If you have read this then I will finish with one more honesty bomb. I also price my piece based on what I know my skill level is and what I produced. I have no issue with lowering prices from what I regularly do. If it's an "eh" piece, you may see it is priced a little lower. If you see a piece that is higher than normal, I request you look at the details or maybe the mixing of styles. I have my reasons and if you EVER have a question about my pricing, I WILL BE HAPPY TO EXPLAIN. NO SMOKE AND MIRRORS- Feel completely free to look behind the curtain, it's weird back here though.