Pricing rougher experimental pieces vs your polished portfolio work
I finished a batch of environment sketches last month that I'm genuinely excited about. Loose brushwork, visible construction lines, almost no rendering pass. They feel more alive to me than some of my tighter portfolio pieces, but they took maybe a third of the time.
Now I'm stuck on how to price them. Part of me thinks the energy and ideas in these sketches have real value, maybe even more than a stiff overrendered piece I spent 20 hours on. But I also wonder if buyers see "rough" and automatically expect a lower price tag.
Do you price based on time and polish level, or on how strong the piece feels regardless of finish? Has anyone found that looser experimental work actually sells better once you stop underselling it?
Would really like to hear how others have navigated this.
I wrestled with something similar a couple years back when I started doing small alla prima landscape studies outdoors. Loose paint, visible brush marks, finished in one session. They felt more honest than my studio work but I kept second guessing the price. What ended up working for me was listing them at roughly half what I'd charge for a finished original of the same size, and being upfront that these were experimental pieces offered at a discount from my usual pricing. It took the pressure off both sides. Buyers appreciated the transparency, and I got to see whether the looser work resonated without worrying I'd undercut my more resolved paintings. It also taught me a lot about whether my standard pricing might be keeping people on the fence. Worth a try at least.