I would think that many artists do start off drawing and painting when they are young little Picassos and our mums show off those artworks on the family refrigerators held up with magnets. Oh, remember those days when Mom thought we were all so clever?
Then our family members and friends all LOVE what we do and want our artwork, so we may give away a lot of our early stuff. Or we happen to enter an art contest and win first place - Great! Yet...we haven't really sold any artwork and our art portfolios are pretty sparse. Or we haven't yet built up our art inventory and our inexperience, our art style is potentially in its early stages.
We all come into the world of art at different times. Some people don't really begin their art lives until they retire and have more time to create art. Some young people grow up with full intention and dedication that they are going to BE an artist. Some folks get into schools and colleges and study art, but until they start actually selling art, they are NOVICE artists.
Someone that is just starting to hit the art shows, galleries, popup shows, art festivals is not at the level of a seasoned artist with lots of art shows, juried art shows, gallery exhibitions, solo shows, and building a client list of commissions. Your hourly rate just cannot and should not be the same as an artist with a lot of art sales behind them. And these artists are way beyond selling their art to family and friends (although we do thank God for their support!).
Your experience level as an artist should affect where you are in the pricing strategy, as well as the medium used, the size of the artwork, and the demand for your work.
You must build your art sales up before you can garner the so-called "big bucks". And that happens over time for nearly every artist since the beginning of art being sold.
Tidbit Trivia: Did you know that Vincent van Gogh, although creating over 2,000 artworks in his lifetime, only sold ONE artwork in his life?
I recently heard a story about a beginner artist that was actually quite good and does exquisite work. The artist had not ever been in an art show or been in a gallery, nor offered art online, until one day he put a price tag on his art. The artist had priced his artwork in the thousands of dollars - and wondered why they were not selling. Truthfully, there could be a lot of factors behind that statement and much disappointment for the artist, but I don't know any artist that can start with an artwork priced that high. (And if anyone has, that is a rare exception and SO not the rule!) If you are sitting on your artwork with a big tag on it and nothing is selling...as the well-known comedian once said, "There's your sign".
And it is NOT the fault of anyone if you spent multiple hours, days, weeks, months, or longer on any piece of work. Especially when after you have become more experienced, you can develop a similar work in far less time. What I mean is that when I know I'm trying to get a technique or a look in the painting and I have to keep painting it over again and again, that time spent shouldn't have to apply to the time spent, ticking up the price per hour.
The potential "buyer" doesn't care how long it took you to paint it. The buyer wants to understand WHY you are asking $500 for a 16x20 painting on this wall, and around the corner is another 16x20 painting of yours for $1000.
People and Pet portraits - true, these artworks must represent and be recognized as the persons and the pets being presented, but does that mean those subjects are any more work than another? Interesting point, I think, as I recently understood from another artist that I got the feeling portraits deserved special pricing.
Build Your Resume
Keep
track of every ribbon won, every People's Choice, every solo show,
every gallery exhibition, shows you were juried into, and any press releases. As the resume builds, these
items will help to show the art world around you what you have going on.
Getting recognized also means, like has been said consistently on this blog, get out there to art shows, art receptions, go to galleries, TALK to people! Enter as many shows as you can for the artwork that you create!
The Mid-Level Artist, Things Are Selling
This level of artist has been selling regularly and is a competent artist, mastering his or her style, beginning to sell some art to people that are NOT our relatives and getting commissions from people that we aren't related to as well. Our body of work is increasing, with a nice selection of work we could enter into various art shows. And we have art that HAS been juried into art shows around us and potentially won first, second, third places, or People's Choice awards.
Many art shows and calls for art do not want repeated entries nor older artworks, so you'll need to be replenishing and constantly creating art inventory.
Look at it this way too - when you are accepted to have a solo show somewhere, you will also need a cohesive body of artwork, and often a lot of it, to actually put up on the walls for display!
The mid-level artist is showing plenty of growth, is amassing a good number of inventory and steady sales. Again, if artwork is pretty much selling out...there's your sign.
The Professional, the Expert Artist
As the artist grows and develops into an established, professional, sought-after and recognized artist locally and perhaps even more far-reaching, their hourly wage would be considerably higher than a mid-level artist. These artists consistently sell art, get into art shows, juried shows, and solo shows, have a large following that want to see what they are working on to perhaps have the first option to buy.
Your
experience level as an artist should affect where you are in the
pricing strategy, as well as the medium used, the size of the artwork,
and the demand for your work. Critical acclaim, exhibition history, artist reputation, and yes, rarity, all play a part in that price posted on the art label along with the cost of the materials used, the labor (time spent creating that canvas), and the outright years in the refinement of the skills honed by that artist.
