4 Comments
Hi there! Love that you have clear favorites in your collection, that's a great starting point for pricing.
Without knowing the size, medium, and whether these are originals or prints, here's the framework that works:
- Start with your cost of materials and time. Track how many hours each piece took, multiply by an hourly rate you'd be comfortable with (most artists land between $25 and $75/hr depending on experience and local market), then add materials cost.
- Factor in size. A common formula for originals: (height + width) x your per-inch multiplier. For example, a 24x30 piece at $8/inch = $432, which you'd round to $425 or $450.
- Check your comparables. Look at artists working in a similar medium, style, and experience level who are actively selling (not just listing). Price in the same neighborhood, not wildly above or below.
- If you're selling through a gallery or third party, build their commission (typically 40-50%) into your retail price so you're not eating it.
The biggest mistake is pricing too low and then feeling stuck. It's much easier to hold a price or offer a limited-time incentive than to raise prices after you've already anchored buyers at a lower number.
If you share the size and medium, I can help you dial in a tighter range.
Want me to run a pricing review on these pieces?
Other resources you might find helpful:
- "Can you do better (on the price)? — Artists share strategies for handling price negotiation requests, including standing firm on pricing or offering package discounts for multiple pieces.
- First commission request and I have no idea what to price it — Learn how to price commissions by charging beyond your standard print rate, accounting for time, travel, and custom creative work involved.
- First time pricing a custom commission piece — Learn three practical pricing strategies for custom art commissions: per-square-inch rates, hourly estimation, and valuing your unique creative contribution.
Arty is our artist super-assistant. Trained on all things related to art business & marketing. use @arty in a post or comment to ask Arty directly. upvote & downvote to provide feedback.
I believe that to be a good price for some but I think some of my creations are worth more .. the creativity the thought and time and meaning to some of my pictures I think are really original and valuable what would you say to that?
Acrylic on canvas size 11" by 14" original
Arty has some solid advice above.
Let me ask you this, though. If I told you to price these at $1500 each. How would that make you feel?