Post 115: Pricing Your Artwork

Pricing Your Artwork

The biggest question, and the hardest answer to come to, is when an artist decides to sell his or her artwork and they ask themselves, "How much do I charge for it?"

Sure, you can charge ANYTHING you want for your artwork, but the point is, how do you price it to SELL? It is just as easy to under price it as well as to over price it, but how do you get to a FAIR price for it? May I dare say, a reasonable price for it?

 

Photo by Omid Armin on Unsplash 

How Much is Your Time Worth?

Whether you decide to put a price tag on your artwork because you want to make a living from your art or you are tickled silly that someone just wants it, at a minimum you should have an idea of a fair hourly wage for yourself and what did it cost you to create it? That equals:

Hourly Wage x Time to Create the Painting + Cost of Materials = $?

That's only a starting point. Obviously, a newer inexperienced artist will be at a bit lower hourly wage than a long-time more experienced professional artist that has been selling art for years.

There are a few things to do to come to a reasonable price and we'll go through them here. 

1. Keep track of how much time it takes to do the work. You'll also need that information when building a proposal if you are asked for commissioned work so that you have an idea how to price that work too.

 

2. Keep track of your cost of materials. Obviously, look for the best prices for the best quality of materials you can afford, but if you come across a sale or free art supplies (!), you don't necessarily have to pass along those savings in the artwork price. What would older art supplies have cost you in TODAY'S purchase prices?

 

3. Are you selling outright as an independent artist or in a gallery, in an artist group, at an event, or on something like Etsy? You will need to figure in fees, costs and their cuts that help to have your artwork seen in the first place.

 

In other words, are you selling:

Wholesale - Will you be selling directly to your customers?

Retail - Will you be selling through an art gallery or art group? Know what their fee structure is. If you are lucky, it could be as low as 10-15% of your posted price OR it could be upwards of 50-60%.

 

Do Your Homework

We are not recommending you to "compare" your art to someone else's work but we are suggesting to research comparable artwork and see what they are charging for their work - and hopefully they are a selling artist as well.  

 

Go to your local art galleries and art shows and see what's selling. (By the way, those red dots on the label mean that the work is sold.) Or look at some of the online art sites and find work that is of similar style and medium to see what they charge. Find 3 or more artists that are painting pieces similar to what you do and get an average. Take note of course of the size, medium, canvas, if it is framed or not.

 

For the beginner artist, an important consideration is your talent, your skill level, your current position in the art world. By doing your artwork homework, this will give you a ballpark of where you may be able to step in.

An aside from these notes is to understand what most of your audience's location/area, show, or gallery will support or spend. As an extreme example, a known gallery in New York would have higher priced artwork than a small art show in a small town somewhere.

 

Cost of All Materials

What are the cost of all the materials you used to create your art piece?

All Cost of Materials: Canvas (Paper, Board, etc), Gesso, Paints (Acrylics or oil, Watercolor or Pastels, Inks, Markers, etc), Varnish, Fixatives, Wiring, a Frame - etc. 

Speaking of Frames: DOUBLE the price of your frame when adding to the art price so that you recuperate your time and expenses, matting etc.

Look at Other Costs: these can include a percentage of your website hosting for the year, travel expenses to get to the show, art fees to enter the show, and/or percentage of sales to the art group or gallery. Realize that there are hidden costs too which could be your art space, heating, cooling and water bills, etc.

What did you pay for the printing services for those art prints? 

Did you purchase art equipment - say a printer, weight scales, or an easel to paint that giant canvas?

What will you be paying for shipping to send the artwork across the country or across the world? The size of the artwork can potentially wildly add to your costs. Consider total weight and distance, shipping materials, label, postage. 

Also include the applicable taxes or duties, especially if allowing "free shipping".

See, there is potentially a lot that went into making that artwork. 

Options

Charge per Hour Plus Materials

Charge per Square Inch - here is a look at how per square inch would play out. I don't recommend starting at under $2.00 psi - it's there to see.

 

Artwork Commission Calculator

Try this calculator out too! 

https://hickmandesign.co.uk/resources/art-pricing-calculator/

Some Do's and Some Don'ts

• Do be consistent in your pricing - and don't have the same artwork listed at different prices in different locations.
  
• Don't sell yourself short, cover you costs!
  
• Do know your experience level as a starting point.
  
• Don't put artwork "on sale" for the most part (for consistency) - your artwork should slowly go UP over time as you grow in experience and art sales.
  
• Do document all of your sales and track your expenses. 
• Comparison shop and purchase your art materials on sale and at the best price whenever possible.
  
• Do try placing certain pieces in specific places, especially if you have the inventory to manage that. Perhaps your larger pieces for gallery events, some medium sized works for art shows and smaller, easier to ship sized for online sales as a suggestion. Do what works for you of course, but experiment to see what works best too.
• See the Artistry Spin's blog post on Commissions: https://artistryspin.blogspot.com/2021/10/post-48-request-for-commission-for-your.html
  

This is a big subject, so I do recommend the following videos and web links so that you can be fair to yourself, to your potential buyers, AND actually to your fellow artists. Those artists that price their artwork terribly low don't do justice to the value of anyone's art.

 

Some Great Reading on this Important Subject

Artists Network - a great look at calculating your selling price at https://www.artistsnetwork.com/artist-life/a-simple-formula-for-pricing-artwork/ 

 

Format.com https://www.format.com/magazine/resources/art/how-to-price-your-art

 

The Art League - Beginner's Guide https://www.theartleague.org/blog/2016/05/20/how-to-price-your-artwork-a-beginners-guide/

 

Felt Magnet https://feltmagnet.com/crafts/How-Much-Should-I-Charge-For-My-Paintings

 

Skillshare Blog https://www.skillshare.com/blog/expert-advice-how-to-price-your-art/

 

ArtBusiness.com https://www.artbusiness.com/artists-how-to-price-your-art-for-sale.html#:~:text=Pay%20yourself%20a%20reasonable%20hourly%20wage%2C%20add%20the,X%2020%20hours%20%2B%20%2450%20cost%20of%20materials%29

 

How do you price your work? Do you do something different?

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Local Art: Visit us at Open Space Arts at Stonebridge in Woodbridge, VA on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 – it’s free to see the artwork! Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

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Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com & her Blog at https://donnascavepainting.blogspot.com/.

 

Post 102: Painting What Sells?

Painting What Sells?

Do you paint only what you want without a thought to the work being sold? How's your attitude toward your artwork - "if it sells, it sells" or do you paint with SELLING as your ultimate goal?

Do You Paint for the Purpose of Selling?

I do believe creative people just HAVE to BE creative, somehow and some way, just for the love of it. They just have to. 

I was wondering though, how many of you do your artwork with the subject, theme, perhaps the colors, with the intention of making a sale with what you create?

Definitely, I've met artist that are both ways. Some are trying to make a living being an artist - which means of course, getting out there and pushing, pushing, pushing toward getting their artwork seen and getting those sales.

But I see it as do you paint (or create) what you love and try to sell it or do you intentionally select what you create so that it appeals to specific audiences (clients) that you show it to?

Favorite Themes that Sell

I went in search of "what sells" when it comes to art. 

 

Although you never know what might strike someone's fancy when it comes to art, there are generalized art themes that are said to sell. There is no set formula. The uniqueness, the quality of the work and the cost all effect the sale-ability and probably a LOT more, including:

• the person's decor
• the size of artwork
• colors used in the artwork
• the person's budget
  

Obviously, there is a lot we have no control over as the artist. Also a beneficial influence is that people do enjoy meeting the artist and getting to know them, albeit even online, which familiarizes the appeal for that person's art. It puts a familiarity and personal "relationship" with the artist.

There ARE things that do sell more than others and this list is basically in order:

 

• Traditional Landscapes and Local Views - from tranquil mountain, field and forest scenes and farmlands to your local-to-you hot spots and historical spots. I found that while in Occoquan, have artwork OF Occoquan.
  
• Modern and Abstract Landscapes
  
• Seascapes, Beach Scenes, Harbors - these remind many potential buyers of a great vacation and dreams of "where they wanna be".
  
• Abstracts - probably includes paint pours. Emotion, mood, color, size all must appeal to the viewer.
  
• Dogs - You know people and their pets, dogs in particular. Dog and Cat pet portraits done well at good prices, that is pay dirt in my opinion.
  
• Wildlife - Lions and tigers and bears, oh my. I've seen a lot of sales of sea turtles and birds, so sort of knowing what favorite critters are, and cute depictions of various critters, and larger than life animal life paintings have appeal.
  
• Impressionistic Landscapes
  
• Figure Studies and Nudes - these appeal to a lot of people because people like looking at other people -with and without their clothes. Frankly, I admire the artists that are good at painting the human form.
  

What Size of Paintings Sell?

Some artists only work on a large scale big-butt canvases, while others may work on a mixture of sizes. Some artists can work in miniatures and small sizes with great detail, while another artist may find that too confining a space to work in.

The big as a couch, over-the-couch paintings, diptychs, triptychs - the multi-panel paintings, are considerations for the buyer as focal point walls, which also means that the color(s) plays an important part when people decorate their homes. 

Much harder to tote around huge paintings for art shows - for you and the potential buyer, these impressive pieces do have impact, eye-catching effect. Delivery and or shipping, pickup - all have to be considered, perhaps by both.

I think the artist has to analyze when displaying and showing his artwork what will most likely sell AT that art event. This past year I started the "3x4 mini painting with easel" trend for my own artwork. A good price point, a good gift, easy to find a space for it in a home or office, they do sell. And the animal ones seem to sell the best.

A question I have asked at some of our Prince William Art Society events is "What has sold best in the past at this event?" Often, it has been the smaller paintings for the reason of price and carrying the purchase around. 

Some may see it as I can sell one large piece for big bucks as opposed to nickle and dimes for many small paintings - well, maybe if you are already a successful artist. Your opinion needed on this one...

 

What Media Sells the Best?

Prints - obviously because they are generally less expensive than the original artwork. People can support the arts without buying that original piece and the most popular sellers are the limited-edition prints - from offset-litho and giclee prints.

Oil and acrylic paintings are still the next selling media, with watercolors coming next.

Next thought is how well mixed media does - I'm interested in how well these trends are as I see many artists in our group producing some fascinating work in mixed media.

 

What Color Sells the Best?

I'm not sure how true it is but I am reading that the color red helps a sale. If landscapes and seascapes are so high up on the list of what sells, wouldn't that mean that blue sky, blue water, and green landscapes are big sellers? 

Every year the fashion and decor folks come up with "color of the year". I'm wondering if there is any influence with that choice?

Where Do You Sell the Most Artwork?

Do you sell more online or offline? Where online? Do you do well at local art shows, art galleries, libraries, art events?

Do you sell more locally or internationally?

Maybe a lesser question is do you find a better time of year to sell your artwork?

"Seasonal" Art?

Holiday, snow scenes, pumpkins - there is definitely artwork for certain times of year, but do you leave it up all year? Do you leave a snow scene or a Santa Claus painting hanging in its spot throughout the year? Or do you cycle your artwork out depending on season?

 

And Before I Put the Paintbrush Down...

I do have a few more questions.

Being absolutely unique in style - definitely more eye-catching and quite often very interesting, is it harder or easier to sell?

Still life - do they still sell well? 

Is there a price point that sells best - not only for prints but size of painting?

There is absolutely no right or wrong when an artist is being creative. I'm not saying that. And I do believe the "starving artist" thing isn't necessarily true these days, but you do what you have to do to keep food on the table. Just DO what you are good at. But I do see it as having multiple price points available to appeal to more potential clients.

I recently sold a painting called "Just Look Up" and hearing from the new owner, she said, "Whenever I look at my new painting, it makes me happy." As the poet Robert Frost said, "And that has made all the difference."

 

By Donna Liguria "Just Look Up" 16x20 Acrylic on Canvas (SOLD)

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Local Art: Visit us at Clearbrook Center of the Arts at Tackett's Mill in Lake Ridge, VA on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 – it’s free to see the artwork! Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

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Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA and Artistry Spin Blog Admin, specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com, Donna's Etsy site and her Blog at Donna’s Cave Paintings.

 

 

Photography/Video Credits: 

Donna Liguria

Post 87: PWAS: New Board of Directors for PWAS

Prince William Art Society New Board of Directors for 2022-23

At the PWAS monthly meeting on November 22, 2021, some big topics were on the agenda along with voting for PWAS Board of Directors. A few positions continue, a few new people are on deck.

Congratulations to the New PWAS Board - Let's Meet Them Here

Let's give a big congratulations to our new BOD!

PWAS President: Ana Quispe

Ana is an artist living in Woodbridge, Virginia working in mixed media, acrylics, and watercolor. She has been a member of the Prince William Art Society since 2015 and has more recently been on of the board members of PWAS serving as Vice President. Ana received a Master's in Special Education and works in her community. She loves learning from a diverse community through work, volunteering, and more.

Her artwork has had many influences over the years, from her love of colors, and her varied background: from academics, a blend of cultures, and experience as well as from some of her favorite artists.  She challenges herself and its shows mostly in works in abstract, landscape, and animals. 

 

 

 

Ana's Website https://sites.google.com/view/aquispeart/artwork

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aq_arte/?hl=en

Or @aq_arte

PWAS Vice President: Staci Blanchard

Staci Blanchard is a 51 yr old mom, wife, and caretaker when she isn’t painting. Staci is a self-taught artist who first started painting about 3 years ago for therapeutic reasons. She quickly discovered painting and creating was more than a hobby for her. Once she realized others enjoyed her creations, she started looking for ways to put her art out into the world. She joined PWAS in August of this year (2021) and immediately felt at home with all of the new and wonderful people she met.

As Vice President, Staci hopes to contribute in the growth of the PWAS membership, to create opportunities for her fellow PWAS members to display and sell their work, and for increased awareness of the visual arts in Prince William County.

PWAS Secretary: Maria Briganti

Maria was born and raised in Austria and her family moved to the USA in the 1960's - when Maria learned to speak, read and write English. She was exposed to a lot of art culture growing up, but it was pushed aside while raising her family, once marriage and holding a career priorities were in place. Her family moved to Virginia when her youngest was in his teens, and she took some art classes at NOVA and with private art instructors. She found PWAS and joined their art group to get back into art world. By 1987, she joined their board and has been on the Board (nearly) ever since. Maria has been President twice, Vice President twice, and is currently the PWAS Secretary. 

During the past 20 years, Maria has been a member of the Fairfax Art League, the Clifton Art League, exhibited with the Torpedo Factory and at the Lorton Workhouse when it started. She has also served and been a member on the Board of ArtBeat (which was a co-op in Old Town Manassas for 14 years) which sadly no longer exists. Her art training was in Old Master Techniques, which she states that she has strayed from over the years and until she found her niche. Her favorite mediums are pastel and oils. She also paints miniatures and has sold them up and down the East Coast. Other memberships include the Manassas Art  Guild and P-Art-ners, both located in Manassas. She loves being around artist friends and she states that they keep her on her game.

 

PWAS Treasurer: Ken Meardon

Ken began his “photoart” endeavors while living in North Carolina and had his first art show in Hillsborough, NC, in November 2005.  In 2006, Ken received a People’s Choice award for his photoart in Hillsborough, NC, and in 2008, was awarded 2nd Place in Photography at the 2008 Hearts of Virginia Festival in Farmville, VA.  In 2011, Ken and his wife and moved to Northern Virginia when he took a new job.  In September 2014, he exhibited his multi-level photoart at the Buchanan Partners Arts Gallery at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas, Virginia.  Ken has been an active member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) for about 7 to 8 years.

In the middle of 2021, Ken assumed the duties of Treasurer for PWAS and will be continuing in that role for 2022.  In assuming these duties, he reviewed and still continue to review the PWAS finances – how much income the group generates and from where (membership dues, sales, and show fees), and how PWAS spends that income (e.g., insurance, post office box, show fees, supplies).  As part of the budget for 2022 that Ken is required (as Treasurer) to prepare, he will put forward recommendations to the PWAS board concerning membership dues, percentage of sales that PWAS keeps, and the amount PWAS charges to participate in shows.  The recommendations are intended to generate enough income to meet the financial responsibilities while at the same time encourage all members to participate in PWAS shows and other activities.  In sum, Ken believes that that no one in PWAS should feel that they cannot afford to be an active member.

PWAS Member at Large: Linda Keuntje

Linda joined PWAS in 2020, looking to connect with a community of artists. She's found great support for these early years of exploring her creativity. Linda enjoys developing her sketching skills, especially life drawing. She also paints in acrylics when she makes the most of bright colors. Some of her favorite pieces are the murals decorating her house. Linda recently experimented with polymer clay and hopes to use learning from her figure drawings to build that skill. As Member-at-Large, Linda looks forward to getting to know the Society members better and bringing their ideas and concerns to the Board. Linda hopes that as PWAS grows, it reaches artists of all media and stays accessible and inviting to the creative and the curious in Prince William County.

PWAS is - the Prince William Art Society

President: Ana Quispe

Vice President: Staci Blanchard

Treasurer: Ken Meardon

Secretary: Maria Briganti

Member at Large: Linda Keuntje

Committee Volunteers. These committees can always use some additional help. Please contact the Committee Chair if you are interested in helping.

Clearbrook Committee:

Chair: Shadow Campbell

Staci Blanchard

Sandra Lewin

Possibly others not on the sign-up sheet

Social Media Committee:

Chair: Donna Liguria

Ana Quispe

Andrea Castaneda

Sandra Lewin

Event/Show Committee:

Chair: Sandra Lewin

Individual show Chair: Ken Meardon

Individual show Chair: Barbara Abel

Programs Committee:

        Chair: Emily Hawes

Hospitality Committee:

Chair: Penny Shaw

Phone Tree Committee:

Chair: Jewell Pratt Burns

Linda Keuntje

Possibly others not on the sign-up sheet

Scholarsip Committee:

Chair: Jewell Pratt Burns

Emily Hawes

 

 

By the way, I want to thank all who volunteer and get in there to do the work to get the job of PWAS done. In 2021, we celebrated the 50-year mile-marker anniversary of PWAS, and it happened because of its members volunteering. - Donna Liguria

 

About the PWAS Board of Directors

The BOD serves for a period of two years, presiding over member meetings. 

The President convenes at least 6 Executive Board Meetings per year, prepares agendas and delegates responsibilities and assigns tasks, while serving as a liaison between public, other organizations, and the Society.

The Vice President is an assistant to the President, and fills those shoes if the President is absent. The VP is the liaison with Committee Chair persons, and Society members.

The Secretary records the Minutes of the Executive Board Meetings and general membership meetings. Duties include correspondence, maintain the By-Laws and Amendments and/or Special Rules.

The Treasurer receives all of the Society's funds, deposits, bill paying, art sales and distribution of those sales, maintaining, reporting, and budgeting of all finances, revenues and expenses. Duties include the membership database, corporate license, insurance, and dues to Prince William County Arts Council (PWCAC)

The Member-At-Large represents the Society members interests at the Executive Board level.

Congratulate the new team in the comments!

Please see our blog post on "Getting Involved in Your Local Art Group"

https://artistryspin.blogspot.com/2021/10/post-57-joining-your-local-art-groups.html

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Local Art: Visit us at Clearbrook Center of the Arts at Tackett's Mill in Lake Ridge, VA on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 – it’s free to see the artwork! Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership

Thank you for visiting, and remember to Share, Follow, and Comment!

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Author: Donna Liguria
An artist member of PWAS in Woodbridge, VA specializing in acrylic painting. She paints landscapes, seascapes, animals and many subjects. Visit her Blog at https://donnascavepainting.blogspot.com/.