Don't Under Price Your Art from Zee Berrios
When I met Zee Berrios at a gallery that the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) was managing a few years ago, I heard him tell this story. At the Spring Tall Oaks Art Show on May 2, I heard another PWAS member asking Zee about pricing his art and he referenced this story, and I knew this would be a great art pricing tip that should be shared with our members. So, Zee wrote down for us.
Artist Zee Berrios Talks Art Pricing
When I was taking Fine Arts, at the University, I had the opportunity,
with another three students, to show with one of our professors, Luis
Hernandez Cruz (https://luishernandezcruz.
I was the only one that did not sell a single piece in that show. I asked my professor what was wrong with my art. He told me I was "underpricing" myself. He said that the serious art collectors like to brag about how much they paid for a piece. He mentioned that for most people "art is a want" and not a need (there are exceptions, but that is another story).
For the next show with another professor (Félix Bonilla, who actually was my mentor, Félix Bonilla Norat | Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico), I sold all of my pieces. They were the same pieces as in the last show, plus one more. I priced them three times higher than before.
The moral of the story... don't underprice yourself. Let your buyers know they are buying something of value and not a cheap item.
How much is your hour worth? Multiply that times the amount of hours you invested in the piece from its "sketch" stage to its completion (varnish and hanging mount), plus the materials invested and you will have a just and logical price.
Some price art multiplying the price of every inch time the number of inches of the entire piece plus materials. Others price art with the self question: "How much will it cost to get me divorced from this piece"? and those who are famous and fully experienced can almost price their work at any price, based on the years in the trade and the popularity of their work.
Whatever the method you use to price your work... don't underprice it.
Thank you Zee! What pricing tips would you add? Drop them in the comments below.
@2026 Prince William Art Society. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited without permission.
Author: Zee Berrios
Author: Donna Liguria is the Blogmaster for the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog and Donna's Cave Paintings Blog, and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, Virginia. And she takes on the PWAS social media duties as well (help me!) Donna specializes in acrylic painting of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.
Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm (typically, but check the website in case of any changes).
Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership
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