Pricing Your Art Is Up To You And Only You - Tips For Artists
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- Опубликовано: 23 ноя 2024
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I struggled with this for years, and I don’t know if it ever gets any easier. All I can say for my own experience is that I always tried to keep my prices “affordable” to appeal to a wider market and what I found was that my prices were never low enough for the vast majority, and it wasn’t even covering my expenses! I had to make a decision to price my work towards a market that wouldn’t balk at a higher price point. When I started selling work at a scale that was fair to me to people who could afford it I felt a huge amount of pressure taken off because I was no longer running myself ragged to appeal to every price point. My work costs what it costs, and you can either buy it or don’t. I think artists are so afraid of not making sales that they undermine themselves and their art. This becomes wasted energy. Price your work fairly to yourself first and then focus on making good art instead of doing it the other way around. It may take a little patience but it will be a more sustainable practice long term.
Thank you for stripping away the BS on this subject. I refuse to cater to the lower end of the market because it simply doesn't pay me to do so. I want to be able to charge a price that factors in the cost of materials (and artists materials aren't cheap) and the cost of my time multiplied by the value my paintings are brining to the purchaser. I feel that's a fair price. If some people feel it's too high they'll find something on Etsy for £10 and feel they've got a good deal - well done them. That's not my market. I would resent selling at such a low price.
Artwork is a luxury item. The only people I have known with art on their walls were relatively well-to-do. Or they made the art themselves or the artist was in the family.
I think it all comes down to "You teach people how to treat you."
You’re a rockstar man! I’ve been slowly unfollowing other artists that I like because I’m starting to see that they only want to sell a course. You do this just because you’re a genuinely nice guy and want to see others succeed. This community that you and Klee have built is awesome!
You are correct! Price your art the way you feel and I say if you can make prints available for people who love it but can not afford it. I am a generous heart so I will probably never price it right! I say keep your heart in it! Just remember what you really want from your art.
Very well said!
Thank you so much for this video! I've been watching a ton of videos on pricing and this is by far the first one that calms me down. I'm doing my first art fair in two weeks! I'm going to just price with what I feel is fair to both me and the buyer and not follow some arbitrary formula..
Remember to have fun and meet lots of awesome people! You got this!
I thought I was being trolled at a show last summer. Several women commented that my prices were too low, and several commented that they were too high. I was expecting a youtuber or talk show host to pop up and shout Haha, got ya!! It must have been genuine responses.
I view my pricing as "ransom for my babies" -- which makes it very personal indeed! I have two joys in my work: one is the joy of creating it, and the other is the joy of putting it in the hands of someone who will appreciate/enjoy it. Now, when I'm giving my jewellery as gifts to people who know me, they know the work I've put into it, they appreciate it. But with total strangers, how do I know that my work is going to "a good home"? That it is going somewhere where it will be appreciated rather than languish? I know because they are willing to pay a fair price for it. I do use a formula, because that helps me figure out what a "fair price" is. In the handcraft world, sooooooo many people underprice their work, often because they only take account of the cost of the materials, not the amount of time they put into it. And by golly, I am NOT going to work for free, and I am not going to let people think that it is fair that I should work for free. That is not negotiable, no matter how many people tell me that I won't get an audience if I don't discount my work. Thing is, if I sell my work cheaply, then the only people who will find my work are the ones looking for bargains, and that is not the audience I want to be chasing.
Though that is by-the-by, because at the moment my Etsy shop is on hold, and I'm focusing solely on Redbubble, and pricing for print-on-demand is a whole nother ballgame.
I just started making art 4 years ago and I have my first art booth tomorrow, the hardest thing I'm struggling with and stressing with is picking prices for my work. You have no idea how much it helps just to hear you talk about this stuff in this way man !
As a 28 year veteran Artist making time living, I wholeheartedly agree with you
Actually this was helpful. Use some kind of structure to give yourself a guideline, but THEN use your own judgment about what seems right to you. Thanks Raffi!!❤️ Love your rants😀
This is GOOD advice. It’s your art, and the price of it is a personal decision based on many things. There is no FORMULA. Very good stuff and I thank you sir!
Absolutely!
It also depends on how much you need the money. I just sold a watercolor painting for about $12. I was posting about it on Facebook and remembered you need to tell people your art is for sale and ask for a price. So I did and I asked for a price that I thought reflected my effort. It was a fun afternoon project and I thought if I could make any money out of it, great, now that covid put most of my income generating activities on hold. I ended up selling a second piece because two people wanted the same painting. Funny, in the next few hours I got another illustration job for just a little under my rate, but I was willing to negotiate because I needed the money to pay my studio rent.
Thank you Rafi for all of your advice. I figure you know the ins and outs of things so I learn a lot from you. For me I paint very slow. So charging by the hour is not going to happen. Lol I’m a square inch person. And for me I don’t look at how long it took me but how beautiful it is when I get finished. It just blows my mind that I did that. 🥰
Is like you literally read my mind because I really needed to hear this words, I've been struggling for years when it comes to the topic of pricing my art, which is kinda the main reason why I still haven't started selling it, but now that I'm gonna start my bussiness I've been getting so many mixed opinions that instead of being helpful, they make me more confused and insecure than I already feel.
Although I just found your channel this week when I was looking for pricing guidelines, your videos were the ones that I actually felt comfortable and related to the most, so from a new artist to you, my most sincere thanks.
Great stuff Bro! As an artist, you have to price your work such that you are comfortable with it based on whatever criteria you set up. There's no harm in looking around to see what others are selling similar works for. But ultimately, it's up to you to decide what you'll offer yours for. Never undercut yourself due to fear of offending someone or for this or for that reason that is external to you! Nope, price it in a manner that is fair to you and fair to your target audience! That is how I go about it and I'm 100% ok with what I price a given piece for. There will be those who walk up, look at a piece, say, ohh, I like this--only to glance at the price and loose interest. That tells me that they didn't like it enough to pay the price that I've deemed to be fair to me and fair to them. I am 100% ok with that! Conversely, I have had many people to walk up to my booth--look at a piece and immediately say, I want it as they are reaching for their wallet/purse. Sure they glance at the price--who doesn't want to know if they actually have enough cash on hand and/or balance on their CC to cover it. However, in those instances, price wasn't usually the deciding factor! They wanted it and they were willing to pay what was asked. Some haggling? From time to time, sure! At the end of the day, you don't want to regret selling a piece for less than you really wanted to sell it for. You also don't want to be pushed into selling for more than you have done your own due diligence to determine the price there of. List out those factors that are important to you and use them to help determine the pricing that will help you sleep good at night!
Great discussion!! I've started using a basic length x width to give me a "base price" and then I consider the artwork itself. Work that required more time, focus or just plainly is one of my best work (so far) I will price a bit higher than my base price. Work that I feel someone will love but I see as awkward I will price lower. I struggle most with smaller pieces, 12 x 12 and under. For example, some 8 x 10 paintings I have took as much focus and effort as some of my larger works and I'm reluctant to give them away. Yet many consumers just assume a smaller artwork should be less $$ because of size. However many of us artists know that often the reverse is true, creating on a smaller scale offers some bigger challenges sometimes.
Rafi, my Mom says my art is “priceless” but I don’t think she means it in a good way.
Enjoyed the rant. You have basically stated what my gut has been telling me. Just started in this business after decades of sketching, doing pen and ink renderings of my sketches, adding watercolor washes to some, getting the work framed, and then giving it away to friends and relatives. Now pricing has come into play. My gut says one thing. My mind says something else. Artist’s I know say something else. I’ve seen the works of many others and what they charge. Comparing prices to works I like versus works I do not care for has given my gut feelings an edge when it comes to making the needed decision. I do take into account material costs, packaging and shipping, but that only serves to establish a base. Listening to the inner me then takes precedence.
I have created my own formula and then also I make "insecurity adjustments". Even though I have improved, it is still WIP
I so agree with you on this. It's your art and you put the time and hard work into your paintings.
So excited that I found your channel! Ive been back to art for the last few years. Thinking of selling. Your info made me so much more comfortable with the decision of pricing! Tysm!
You can do it!
I try to consider my potential art buyer when pricing. For local fine art sales, I found that pricing $2 per square inch is just too much for where I live, so it's more like 50 cents per square inch. For commissions like portraits, I try to keep $50 my absolute bottom rate for a very simple work, with a greater price rate for more sophisticated work. For my commercial work, I tell my potential clients my rate are based on the Graphic Artists Guild pricing guidelines, however, if I really like the client and what they stand for then I'll work with what they can offer if they have a smaller budget. I figure if I'm doing art that I enjoy then sometimes I'll work at lower rates and sometimes I'll get work that pays really well. Every job is an opportunity to grow and become better at what I do and to connect with people who really like my art. It all works out at the end.
You've hit the nail on the head on this topic for me. I have been lectured on this by my husband who would always scold me for underpricing my jewelry and craft pieces when I was first starting out. Like you said, that was due to insecurities about my skills, although my designs got a lot of notice. I am at the stage now where, when I price something higher than many of my pieces, I do go through the "insecurity discount" moment, even when I know it's well worth the higher price. Sometimes I do discount by a couple bux, but more often I'm finding I'm feeling more secure about leaving the higher price. When it sells at the higher price, I'm that much more gratified!
The thing I'm discovering is that the right person will find the right piece and have no problem paying your price, so I'm not worrying as much. And in the meantime, I'm working on improving my skills to bolster any future insecurities. Also, when I look at and purchase other's work, I make value judgements based on what I know about the skills displayed in the work, and the materials used and compare what they price their work for with what I price my similar work for. As you say, there is no one size fits all formula. It's very definitely an emotional thing for most.
Pricing is one of the scariest parts of being an artist for me. I keep running in to the problem would I pay that much for it. Well I’m a cheap ass I really appreciate others art sooooooooooo much but fear spending my hard earned money on it. But I am that way with many things
I hate to think of spending $80-100 on shoes when I can make due with Walmart shoes and buy my wife and kids the better things.
This is a subject that never gets old, and never is solved ‘right’ because it’s different for each of us. And thanks for the visit. It meant a lot.
Tallahassee, Florida.
This topic comes up so often in groups and from individuals. Nearly all of the people asking are looking for a starting point. They are so confused as to what a good starting point is. This is caused by the bickering debate between pricing snobs. I usually give then the formulas for either per square inch/cm or per hour. There is an adjustment for a breakdown of materials used and research. The part of the formula that is still determined by them is the total amount they need or want to earn per piece, hour, week, month or year. I usually run both examples with an estimated goal of $100,000.00/year and work backwards to the per hour or per inch/cm. I also tell them to do an honest comparison of similar art for an average pricing range. If 10 of us are at an event selling similar art at a wide price range and the goal is to sell the art, people are going to spend where they can get the best value for their money. In this situation we are pushed to price competitively. The only difference is when collectors are there to specially buy from certain artists. They will usually pay what the artist is asking with little haggling.
I also struggled to get the pricing right until I had a few sales. For a starting artist, make sure you at least cover the cost of your supplies. Covering your time comes later, after you have a following, and are relatively skilled, meaning you can create paintings fairly quickly. And, IMO, you should price your work so that all, or most of it sells when you are just starting out. Once you know what people are willing to pay, and have a strong market, you have a reference from which you can increase your prices as your skills increase.
I agree with you all the way. It is your work you are the only one to judge it's worth. Art is not set in stone
I think this is something most artist need to hear.... Thanks Rafi!!!
I sold a painting to my 5 year olds few months ago, she paid me with one of her artworks.....I was pretty happy about that!! I'm still trying to work out pricing, I'll get there one day!!
Very wise words once again. You are so helpful to everyone that's a really nice service you do for free.
This was really freeing to hear because some of my art I just want to give away because it is way too emotionally charged for me to even want to look at, while other things, I feel like I dug deep and made something beautiful out of ugliness and feel like that is worth more than the other piece even though they are about the same size.
As a fine art photographer, pricing my prints is a constant challenge. I frequently encounter people who dismiss photography as not being genuine art because all I supposedly do is press a button. However, this couldn't be further from the truth, especially considering that I exclusively shoot on film and often develop it myself at home. You're absolutely correct that our emotions and self-worth are deeply intertwined with the pricing of our art. I often find myself in a bind, either undervaluing my work and selling it for less than it's worth, or not selling it at all. This 'rant' came at the perfect moment. Thank you.
I have literally agonized over the pricing of my work. I have spent countless hours trying to figure it out. Soooo many factors to account for! I did finally come up with a formula I am happy with (for now). It’s a per square inch formula but it changes with the size of the painting. Basically, the bigger the painting, the less per square inch.
Thank you, Rafi! Hearing you get all riled up on behalf of other artists who may be struggling, or feeling at the mercy of "official rules", really reinforces your message of care about this community and artists in general. This is why I follow you and listen to every rant, podcast, vlog, etc! I needed to be encouraged this morning and there you were!😊💕
Great video my friend. The key word here: Subjective. The art world is full of very pompous people......One absolutely, has to know their sense of WORTH!
Boom
Thank you! You're the only one who makes sense!
I sell my work in a local shop and I think my pricing is too low. But the kind of customers will just not pay more for “art” so I accept this is where I’ve chosen to sell my art and so I accept the prices are going to be cheaper. These are the kind of customers who would rather buy cheap prints with the right colour to decorate their home. The paintings I sell at this local shop are also not my amazing portraits, for some reason portraits don’t tend to sell commercially unless it’s someone famous or so I’ve been told lol I have been thinking about how to manage my insecurities as I want to start advertising commissions. I want to sell more portrait work as that is what I prefer to paint. Pricing is most definitely an emotional thing for me. I have found that I have many comments of “oh that’s amazing art” “you’re so talented” but it’s so hard to get any sales. I gave up my on my Etsy store as I was spending more money than making ☹️ then all those stupid new rules came in so it made more sense to just let it go lol I’m just not a sales person. Through my life I’ve found many sales people were just not very honest, just to get the sale. So I guess I find it hard to promote myself for fear of coming across like one of those unscrupulous sales people I’ve met in my lifetime. It’s especially annoying when they come to my door trying to sell me something and won’t take no for an answer and I’m trying so hard not to simply say “f**********off “ Cause I’m polite lol but I have cut them mid sentence and said Firmly “I told you I’m not interested” and closed the door lol. I do not have any insecurity problems calling myself an artist. So why on earth do I struggle so much with being able to put a monetary value on my work and actually get sales. The key part being getting the sales. Perhaps it’s not the putting the price is the issue but more the lack of sales means I second guess and doubt my pricing.
Awesome video! I remember going through this process myself and still am with the feel of the demand! Just wish this video was out 5 years ago when starting on this crazy beautiful journey ;) So many artists starting out need to hear this stuff! Stay awesome!
Good rant. I agree and feel your POV. I use per square inch most of the time, but You didn't mention My personal pricing issue, is when I've decided I should try to sell a piece, but I also love the piece and value it based on My personal like, and it becomes "what price would allow Me to let go"
You have a very beautiful perspective! I love it. Very insightful.
I do agree is very hard to price Art they are our Babies ❤️❤️❤️❤️😍😍😍💫💫💫💫💫✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨Very well said.
It seems like a big factor has to be about whether or not you are selling the art. Insecure or not, if you aren't selling, price might be a factor. Not the whole story, but a factor
Part of it, but honestly price is relative. You have to look at all the context.
I quit for about a micro second and than realize that creating is a part of my life. Now I create what’s my inner-being needs to create. I don’t listen to opinions from other, not even my own opinion. I believe if we stop thinking, we start creating. Now I am passing on this valuable lesson. So sometimes it’s good to quit, but only for a microsecond. 😄
You are so right, it must be good for both parties and for me, I want people to enjoy my work and expand their awareness of what art really is, knowing the work that was put into the piece!
This is the most perfect pricing advice I have heard. It’s all been so confusing & overwhelming til now. Thank you so, very much. ❤️🙏🏽😊
You got this @brendajeannewyche2294! You are a champion!
@@Rafiwashere Thank you SO MUCH!❤️🙏🏽😁
I've seen the guy that said you have to price at $2 a square inch. When I look at my art, I see small pieces worth more then my large ones. I currently don't have any on the market, but those that see my work are drawn to a small one that took 5 minutes of me beating a panel with a brush, releasing a bunch of frustration. I could do $2 sq in on it, but not the largest one I have that I took my time on and thinking of giving away.
This is the best information I’ve heard yet . My inspiration is worth more than I was charging. Thanks.
It only took me 3 years to find you and because I'm just now going to sell my art. Thank you for your words of advice because it cut through all the BS and the plethora of "experts" and their pricing "do this" crap. There's my rant. I appreciate you as well.
From now on, ’Im going to change for materials used including the sealer, time worked, size, and amount of details (how I DON’T have carpal tunnel I have no idea!) before the “insecurity discount” as you call it... I appreciate you giving us your take on this...
I need this now ! Thanks for the video
You Rock @Artsence55!
Did I cause a rant😥😂😥😂. I’m sorry if I did. I value your advice and I appreciate you and your knowledge!!! Pricing is hard and I like that you don’t put the pricing “in a box”.
Thank you! A lot of what you said applies to where I am at on my art journey...
I'm SO glad you made this video. This is something I've been struggling with for a few years now. My heart kept saying I was pricing too low but my head kept saying that my work wasn't good enough and no one would buy it. I was surprised to see how many people bought from me and how many said I was charging too low! Time to get my heart and head in sync.
At first, my prices were low and reflected the fact that I was still learning. After I started selling, though, I had to raise them to keep people from taking advantage of me. Instead of "raising" my prices, what I've done is more large pieces, which go for more money. So I'm still selling small works for relatively cheap - to get the exposure, but have also begun doing larger pieces at higher price points. And after selling quite a few, I've developed an intuitive feel for about how much something should cost - it's not just a matter of time, but the creativity I put into it as well.
Thank you Rafi, that was the best video about pricing, that I've ever seen! ♥
Love how you bringing this
Thanks 🙏🏽
But what do you do when you set a price that's reasonable for the amount of time/effort/materias, but your inner critic says it's too high? I ignore the inner critic and hope for the best, but it's always there, whispering...about coffee mostly, but sometimes art.
For real though, this was probably the most honest, realistic, and healthy advise about pricing your work. Holy cow. Thank you so much.
Watching your video it makes me see that at the end of the day you have to know your worth. Thank you for this
Thank you. I feel like you were having a direct heart to heart talk with me. I sell some of my art at local markets and I'm always second guessing myself on using those formulas. Length times width.... even that, as I do feel insecure about pricing it. I have other vendors that tell me that's too high and that no one will ever pay for that at a market.... and then I have people that think it's more than fair, or even not enough. I just created a piece a 9x21 and I'm having a very hard time putting a price tag on it, from the réponse I get from friends, as that being too high. 189.00 is what the formula shows and that's not including a set price times the per square inch, nor materials.
I am almost made to feel shamed for wanting to ask the length times width price. I do tend to underpriced my work, and I've often felt saddened and disappointed in myself for selling it so cheap. My heart and soul went into creating it.... some better than others. I listen to so many opinions, that I feel like I'm never being true to myself, therfore, never knowing the true value of my art. I've had customers that didn't bat an eye and bought what seemed too highly priced by others, which didn't even make over the piece..... and I've had others who absolutely loved and made over how much they wanted that piece. I thank you for speaking to my heart. I really needed to hear this. Thank you.
Beautifully put!
Thank you. I usually shop.around to see what others charge and go for something that's comfortable
I spend most of my time drawing comics in Oil Pastel (or ink more recently) and I've got projects planned till the end of the year, but I plan to start doing paintings at the beggining of next year.
When I do start making paintings and selling original art I'm going to charge an absolute boat load though. I don't care if anyone wants to buy them; if I spend as much time on them as I do on my comics, it won't be worth selling them for the small price that a lot of people sell their art for. I'm really shameless though for someone with such naive art skills; my moto is, "You never get anything done unless you're willing to publicly humiliate yourself."
After all of the analytics have been resolved ask yourself what you would pay for your piece of work had someone else painted it. I charge a dollar a square inch. So far, that's working for me. Beyond all of that, you're absolutely right Rafi, pricing is entirely on you the creator of the piece, even if that piece is going in a gallery. If the gallery wants to give one guff over it, perhaps a re-evaluation of ones need for a gallery is in order. I don't do galleries because no one is going to get a cut of works I create except me. DeVanDe is pronounced as D Van D, it's a play on my intials sans my middle name.
This is what I needed. I’m so tangled up on how to price, I became blocked. Thanks for this!
You got this @dcaloger! You are a champion!
I value my art based on time investment and quality of finished painting.
Do you factor in materials? And if so, how? Thanks for letting me be nosy. ☺
I have a structure/formula that I use to come up with a price, and then tweak it based on that amount. Sometimes it’s lower, sometimes higher. Right now I have a couple of paintings in an exhibit that I’m thinking of bringing the price down a bit for the reason you mentioned, about if I think it’s fair to both myself and the customer. I really liked this video! Thank you for sharing your “rants!”😃
Thank you!
Thanks @Rafi, this is excellent help
Yeah, my work takes a VERY long time to do (hand woven tapestry is a very slow medium, lol!), but I can't charge per hour ... so as an emerging artist, I'm charging in line with the market where I live, and my plan is to raise the prices as my work becomes better known. Sometimes when people don't understand a medium, or understand the complexity, it can be hard to charge too much ...
Hand woven tapestry - wow. Impressive. Yeah, people are definitely not going to pay you what your time is worth. That's why I no longer try to sell anything textile-based; one is competing with machines, and nobody comprehends that these take many hours for human beings to make.
That's why I like galleries. I like to think of what I'm gonna get with the mula.
This rant really hits home. It really does come down to just what you are comfortable with. I’m a beginner and just need to start making my money back for supplies. I’m just going to start at 15-20 cents per sq in before shipping. I’ll see what demand is like and then slowly raise from there.
This was a very helpful video for many !
For me pricing also fluctuates based on how detailed a painting is. Love your advice rants and all.
This video is really timely for me. Thanks, as always!
Great rant, I've never seen your channel before, but I think I like it! Especially the insecurity discount- that is such a great idea of how to look at things. Thanks for sharing!
perfect, beautifully said
This really helped me, thank you ❤ 🖼
Well said.
Thanks again man!
That was great! Thank u for addressing this issue. I’ve priced paintings I didn’t think were very good but brave enough to put it out there and sold low. But I was happy to sell. And then I’ve sold pieces to a collector who I could have gotten more money for from another buyer but gave my collector a “deal” like mayb $50 -$100 less. But she’s bought 17 pieces from me. And I’ve also thrown in a small piece she loved that I was going to throw away. I’ll give her for free because she was spending like $600 that week. I’m selling my work based kind of on my time and how much I like the painting. My pieces t mostly 9x12” and I’m selling anywhere from $165 -$250. And prints anywhere from $65/75 to $125. I’m building a large body of work and as Ann “emerging/new artist I’m pretty happy with my sales. I have $200 weeks and I have over $1000 weeks but have huge gratitude for the people who buy my art. Of course😍it allows me to do what I love. Everyday right now as I’m going full time artist ☀️🥰 I’d love to hear ideas on where to market/sell my art. I’m only selling thru Facebook, Instagram and rarely if ever Pinterest. I see Pinterest page as just a way to catalogue my body of work. Other than that I did a few shows that were disappointing as they were expensive and a Lot of sweat and grit but weren’t “my market”. The shows were “sold” as upscale etc but these people had no discretionary income to spend on art as a group. I met some cool artists from other parts of the country who were so kind and told me “this is a bad show. Don’t get discouraged. Anyway...sorry for the rambling. Thank You so much for all that u do! Always pertinent.
Great rant, and great advice. it really is hard to price art haha
Rafi, can I share this video on my Facebook business page? I have referred several people to your other video about pricing your art. There is so much controversy on how you should price your art and even what art is. I do resin art, acrylic pouring, and crochet all of which I think are different forms of art. I start with a basic formula and then tweak it as needed for whatever piece. At the end of the day, I have to be comfortable with the price I set for a piece. And that's what I have told others... Whatever method/formula you're going to use at the end of the day you have to be comfortable with it. It doesn't matter what the hell someone else says. There have been a lot of heated arguments in some of the Facebook groups I'm in about this topic and anymore I just stay out of them. There are people out there that think their way is the only way.
Thanks Rafi! Love your videos and the advise
You are awesome you always say exactly what I’m feeling. You have good insight on things. Your videos have given me confidence I really needed.I get imposter syndrome when pricing my art and start feeling like I do not deserve to charge set amount. I Learned the hard way when I had to ship my fist painting.
We all do learn that lesson when shipping 😊
I price my art of fairness for the customer/fairness to myself/time but also, how much I want people to have my work in their homes. I love painting and I have all my life, and I want to share my art with everyone. So I probably under price myself by a lot, but I want people to have it cause art makes even non creatives feel good in their homes.
I love this video. TY!
Low I think is charging just for supplies and a little time. The Columbus market isn’t conducive to me selling original art. If one’s town is lucky to have an art scene, the thing that annoys me is the overall scene pricing things collectively too low & going lower. Which has happened and continues in my town. Realistically, the average income in this town can’t support an artist comfortably as a sole means of income. So I do prints locally. They do well. My pricing is based on supplies + hourly= base price. I then mark it up if it’s going through a gallery. Size is a factor but I haven’t done a one man show yet. (Or started an online gallery) so factoring in size hasn’t been an issue yet.
Rafi, thank you so much for this video. I keep trying to figure the pricing thing out. It is nice to hear that I can't do it wrong and it is OK that my pricing can change. Yes my emotions do play a big part in it. I hadn't really thought of it that way.
Off the topic my daughter was telling me I should only work in one medium or I wouldn't get good at any of them. I quoted Klee and said..."Are you art shaming me right now?" We both laughed and had a good conversation. Thanks Klee for the wonderful quote. Love you guys.
Thank you very much 🙏🏼
great advice! thanks
I feel like u have talked a lot about pricing, and not just in the videos specifically about pricing...I'm gonna take a long shot here and guess that this is a question u guys get a lot..??? 🤔😂 But seriously, thank u, Rafi, for understanding how anxious we all r about pricing our work. We always appreciate ur perspective, ur so genuine ❤
Oh and my mom and I r planning a small pop-up with a couple other artists so we can show our work to actual humans, wish us all luck! I'll probably literally shit my pants if I get single sale, but I'm super grateful to have a place to show my work, especially in these strange times we're living...
This has been the most useful vid you have ever done! And you have has some good vids my brother!
I hate pricing anything... prints are easier but actual artwork or commissions for digital art or physical art... ugh! Love this RR (RAFI RANT)
I'm late to this one, but this was really helpful to me. I am making a price list for my artworks inventory right now - this week. I've been fiddling with formulas, driving myself nuts. One thing I'm fiddling with is different price formulas for different kinds of things. I make or plan to make a lot of different things - collages, sculptures, OOAK books, print books, toy-like thingies (art you can play with), and small paintings and drawings - someday maybe even videos. I'll make whatever form of thing is going to express what I'm trying to get out of my head. And I have kind of a personal/political obsession with keeping my work affordable (without cheating myself out of fair payment). So I'm working up different formulas for different art forms.
My problem is, I calculate a price according to a formula for the collages and sculptures, and it comes out to a price that I think is fair for the object, but then I look at the general market and I start hearing all that stuff about how I'm not well known enough and don't have enough prior sales under my belt to charge that much, and my insecure imposter-syndrome kicks in. Do I have the "right" to charge this price for my work? So I start lowering it, and I quickly come to feel like I'm cheating myself and even insulting my own work.
So I'm figuring okay, how about I have different price ranges for different art forms? A one-of-a-kind handmade artist book is going to be impressively expensive because it's a lot of work. But a limited edition print book will be less expensive because there are more of them to sell, and a self-published, open edition, print book will be the least expensive and have unlimited copies available. A mixed-media collage on canvas is going to be pricey depending on its size and complexity, but a drawing or painting on paper can be fairly priced at under $50. Maybe this way, I can be accessible to a less spendy or more skeptical audience without undercutting my own work to do it. Eventually someone will want that $600 collage or that $800 book. Meanwhile, hopefully, I'll have grown a larger audience for myself. I don't know. Is there some kind of defeatism hiding in this idea?
Thank you, Rafi for posting this video. It came at the perfect time for me. I have been trying to figure out how to price my drawings. I have been finding it difficult because even though I have not sold my drawings, I am not a completely new artist just starting out. I am older and was a graphic designer for a while and did some illustration work. Now, I am wanting to start selling my fine art drawings and wrangling with how to make it happen. Also, with Covid occurring I am having to take that into consideration.
My prices are about twice what other artists in Norway tell me to charge but pretty much average for the US and most of my clients (when I actually have one) are in the US. I've actually lowered them from what some coach told me just because this is what feels right to me. As far as formulas go. I use linear cm and then adjust a bit using my gut and quality of materials
The best advice for artists is to get better, this will make you produce art faster and at a higher quality. You've hit the mark if you look back on work from 6 months earlier and you feel like it's so much worse than what you are making now. Challenging yourself to make high quality art is so rewarding, forget about money and make something that drops jaws. The world is full of mediocre artworks. I know I'm depressing by saying this, and am a bummer.
Great art sells.
How is Rafi selling 16x24 for 40$ and here in a 3rd world country I've sold multiple 16x24 for 250-350$ each?
Treat the canvas as if you paid 500$ for it... Not like you paid 10$
Thank you! I have watched this several times since you posted it! I have been shamed by people about the pricing of my work! People may ask, this is to high!! are you ready to charge such prices? Or this is so low, where is the value??
Well after viewing your video again, I am going to rip off the bandaid and price the way I feel is right! Yes pricing is an inside job!!
You Rock @robingrant1965!
Very helpful video, thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
great video and awesome advice @ $2 an inch bound to go bust 10 to 20 $ an inch more like it
I’ve had issues with this for years. I’ve made lots of different things over the years and I’ve had artist friends offer advice on how to price things. The one thing that I always end up arguing with my artist friends is this…I’m not, how do I put this, greedy. That might not be the right word, but in 25,000 words or less 🙄 I’d rather appeal to the masses and not just the elite. I had one artist friend tell me to charge an insane amount for one of my macrame hangers. First of all, it wasn’t worth that amount. It bordered on extortion (lol). Second, I’d rather more people be able to afford my work so that more of my work gets out there. I’m now doing acrylic prints with the gel plate. I’ve made some beautiful prints. But for me, it’s about more people being able to afford and enjoy my work. I’d rather sell ten prints at $30 than one person buying a print for $300. I want people to be able to afford my stuff. Not only will they come back for more, they might refer me to others, which, if we’re talking money, would ultimately mean more. A good example of this is something I once heard Sarah McLachlan say. She said, “no matter how big I get in the industry, I will never charge more than $85 for a concert ticket because I believe everyone deserves the right to see a concert live if the music moves them.” No ego. I loved that.