Pricing artwork is always a hot topic among artists. It is also a deeply personal decision that every fine artist has to
make about the work he or she wishes to sell. Of course you want to be able to sell work for as much as you can
reasonably ask for it, but unfortunately many artists fall into the trap of pricing their originals at the bottom of the
market.
Why does this happen? I think there are two main reasons. Number one is that by pricing lower it is seemingly
easier to sell work. Number two is that a lot of artists doubt the worth of their own work and find it hard to justify
higher prices.
So in this article I’m hoping to provide some solid arguments you can use to justify charging a good price for your
work. It may help you personally to think this way, or it may be that you already understand these points yet need to
convey them to your potential collectors in order to give them the reasoning they need to make the purchase.
Remember people buy art based on emotion and then justify with reasoning. It’s also good to remember that most
folks outside the art industry just don’t understand the artist’s lifestyle or the art world in general. We can’t
automatically assume people should just “get” why art is priced as it is.
First of all let’s take a moment to debunk a myth. Pricing lower does not necessarily mean that you will sell more art,
find it easier to sell your art, or make more money selling art. It very much depends on the market you are selling to.
If you spend any time worth talking about creating your art, your target market should be affluent households. You
are selling a luxury - like a BMW or a cruise in the Mediterranean.
That being said, if you price your original work too low then you take yourself right out of the affluent market. Mrs.
Brown does not want to purchase a $300 painting for her wall when Mrs. Jones next door has a $5000 original on
hers. This is not a justification for pricing work higher, but it is the way a lot of people think when it comes to buying
stuff for their home and lifestyle. If possible, you want to be in the $5000 market rather than the $300 market.
Now let’s look at three ways to justify pricing your work in the thousands rather than the hundreds:
1. You have spent years (possibly a lifetime) developing your work and style.
Unless you picked up a paintbrush for the first time yesterday and are trying to sell the work today then you have
probably invested a considerable amount of time, money, and frustration into your art practice. You know this, but the
buyer may not. Explain to them that it has taken you years to develop your own unique style and body of work. You
should be paid for that investment. A doctor does not leave medical school and ask for $10/hour. In part, this is
because of the massive investment he or she has made up until that point. You must think the same way.
2. Your art is a premium quality hand crafted original.
It’s important that you use quality materials and present your work in a consistent and finished manner. This
includes the way you stretch a canvas, how you finish the edges, how you frame it, how you sign it, the varnishes you
use, and all the little details that go into making your art “your art.” Quality is something that cannot be argued with,
and people will pay for it. Focus on quality rather than quantity as you create your work and it will show in the finished
piece. This translates into being able to command higher prices.
3. Your art is unique AND part of a developed body of work.
Any original creation is unique, and therefore the only one in existence. However, this argument alone cannot be
used to justify a good price for your original work. Anybody can go to the art store, pick up canvas and paints, and
throw together a quick “masterpiece.” Not anybody can sell a painting for $3000.
To a large degree the price you command for your work depends greatly on the other work you have created and
how frequently you spend time creating. Developing a consistent body of work is probably the single most important
thing you can do to increase your worth as a professional artist. It is something which prospective galleries and
serious collectors will evaluate before purchasing or promoting your work.
The good thing for you is that most artists have not thoroughly developed a consistent body of work. Once you have,
it will set you apart from the crowd and help you justify solid prices.
The Take Away:
With all that said I want to be clear that I am not encouraging cranking up the prices of your original work for the sake
of it. Commanding good prices for your work requires that you put time into developing your artistic skills and
creating high quality work. The more you practice, the more you create, the more you sell, and eventually the more
you can ask for your work. It’s really that simple. All that’s left is for you to sit down and create each and every day. So
get started today. Good luck!
This article is copyright © 2011 Chris Kennedy, www.PrintThatImage.com.
PrintThatImage.com offers giclee printing in the Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and South Florida Area. We also provide
giclee and fine art printing services online nationwide to fine artists, photographers, galleries, and frame shops.
make about the work he or she wishes to sell. Of course you want to be able to sell work for as much as you can
reasonably ask for it, but unfortunately many artists fall into the trap of pricing their originals at the bottom of the
market.
Why does this happen? I think there are two main reasons. Number one is that by pricing lower it is seemingly
easier to sell work. Number two is that a lot of artists doubt the worth of their own work and find it hard to justify
higher prices.
So in this article I’m hoping to provide some solid arguments you can use to justify charging a good price for your
work. It may help you personally to think this way, or it may be that you already understand these points yet need to
convey them to your potential collectors in order to give them the reasoning they need to make the purchase.
Remember people buy art based on emotion and then justify with reasoning. It’s also good to remember that most
folks outside the art industry just don’t understand the artist’s lifestyle or the art world in general. We can’t
automatically assume people should just “get” why art is priced as it is.
First of all let’s take a moment to debunk a myth. Pricing lower does not necessarily mean that you will sell more art,
find it easier to sell your art, or make more money selling art. It very much depends on the market you are selling to.
If you spend any time worth talking about creating your art, your target market should be affluent households. You
are selling a luxury - like a BMW or a cruise in the Mediterranean.
That being said, if you price your original work too low then you take yourself right out of the affluent market. Mrs.
Brown does not want to purchase a $300 painting for her wall when Mrs. Jones next door has a $5000 original on
hers. This is not a justification for pricing work higher, but it is the way a lot of people think when it comes to buying
stuff for their home and lifestyle. If possible, you want to be in the $5000 market rather than the $300 market.
Now let’s look at three ways to justify pricing your work in the thousands rather than the hundreds:
1. You have spent years (possibly a lifetime) developing your work and style.
Unless you picked up a paintbrush for the first time yesterday and are trying to sell the work today then you have
probably invested a considerable amount of time, money, and frustration into your art practice. You know this, but the
buyer may not. Explain to them that it has taken you years to develop your own unique style and body of work. You
should be paid for that investment. A doctor does not leave medical school and ask for $10/hour. In part, this is
because of the massive investment he or she has made up until that point. You must think the same way.
2. Your art is a premium quality hand crafted original.
It’s important that you use quality materials and present your work in a consistent and finished manner. This
includes the way you stretch a canvas, how you finish the edges, how you frame it, how you sign it, the varnishes you
use, and all the little details that go into making your art “your art.” Quality is something that cannot be argued with,
and people will pay for it. Focus on quality rather than quantity as you create your work and it will show in the finished
piece. This translates into being able to command higher prices.
3. Your art is unique AND part of a developed body of work.
Any original creation is unique, and therefore the only one in existence. However, this argument alone cannot be
used to justify a good price for your original work. Anybody can go to the art store, pick up canvas and paints, and
throw together a quick “masterpiece.” Not anybody can sell a painting for $3000.
To a large degree the price you command for your work depends greatly on the other work you have created and
how frequently you spend time creating. Developing a consistent body of work is probably the single most important
thing you can do to increase your worth as a professional artist. It is something which prospective galleries and
serious collectors will evaluate before purchasing or promoting your work.
The good thing for you is that most artists have not thoroughly developed a consistent body of work. Once you have,
it will set you apart from the crowd and help you justify solid prices.
The Take Away:
With all that said I want to be clear that I am not encouraging cranking up the prices of your original work for the sake
of it. Commanding good prices for your work requires that you put time into developing your artistic skills and
creating high quality work. The more you practice, the more you create, the more you sell, and eventually the more
you can ask for your work. It’s really that simple. All that’s left is for you to sit down and create each and every day. So
get started today. Good luck!
This article is copyright © 2011 Chris Kennedy, www.PrintThatImage.com.
PrintThatImage.com offers giclee printing in the Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and South Florida Area. We also provide
giclee and fine art printing services online nationwide to fine artists, photographers, galleries, and frame shops.
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Four thousand bucks for that?!! - Justifying the Price of Original Art
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