Whats the Lowest You Should Charge for Your Art

In this article, you will detect my newest add-on to the helpful tools for artists – the Artwork Price Calculator apps and I will explicate how to use them. Then I will offer some of my own communication and tips on how to price your art and how to bargain with clients in this regard.

I will also talk about art (oil paintings), and the process of determining value and asking prices there.

💡 Please note: This article may include chapter links. When you buy through those links, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you lot. Give thanks you! For more info, please read our disclosure.

Tabular array of Contents

☆ Artwork Cost Calculators
- Hourly Rate Estimator
- Watercolor, Acrylic, Mixed Media Artwork Toll Calculator
- Digital Fine art Commision Cost Reckoner
- Oil Paintings Price Calculator
How Does the Artwork Price Reckoner Work?
How Much Should I Charge Per Hour?
My Tips on Art Pricing and on Dealing With Clients
How is Pricing Fine Art Unlike?
What About Pricing Your Art Per Square Inch?
Fine Fine art Pricing Tips
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) near pricing your art

I am happy and excited to announce the calculators, not only because I know they volition be really valuable to so many working artists out there simply also because I can see at present that the Art Side of Life site is becoming what I had always dreamed of and envisioned – that is, a one-stop full resources center with everything any creative person would need or desire.

I mean, I tin can at present offer on the site:

The Ultimate Self-Taught Artist Guide
How Much exercise Artists Make Guide
Fine art Prompt Generator
50+ Fine art Challenges Guide
Recommendations for Libraries of Drawing Books, Art History Books and Colour Theory Books
Over 200 (!) Video Interviews with Working Artists
Tons of Buyer's Guides and Reviews
And Many Other Resources also

And now the Art Pricing Calculator, which is definitely one of the most useful tools I've always been able to offer, and is completely free to everybody and super easy to employ.

And it is a truly effective and usable solution and a direct reply to questions I hear and so often from students and fifty-fifty already established working artists:

How Should I Price My Art?
How Can I Valuate My Own Work?
How Can I Know What to Charge as a Commercial Artist or Illustrator in Art Business?
How Much Should I Accuse for My Original Art?
How Much Should I Charge for My Fine art Prints?

💡Disclaimer

Please understand, that due to the nature of the data which change oft and sometimes are not fully accurate, nosotros presume no responsibleness or liability for whatever errors or omissions in the content of this article. The information independent in this commodity is provided on an "as is" ground with no guarantees of completeness, accurateness, usefulness, or timeliness.

How Practice I Price My Artworks?

Artwork Price Calculators

Hourly Rate Calculator

Use the hourly rate calculator to find out how much you lot should charge per hour.

If you lot don't incur business costs, or don't desire to add turn a profit margin, simply enter '0' for both.

My Pick

Graphic Artists Club Handbook

The about helpful guide for artists, art & design business concern, to navigate the world of pricing, payments, and protecting their artistic work!

16th edition (2021)

App: Hourly Charge per unit Reckoner

Your inputs and hourly rate will show below:

Almanac salary:
Annual business costs:
Hours worked per twelvemonth:
Margin: %

Your hourly rate:

Fable:
1. Almanac bacon ( one – ∞ ) = Salary you want to earn in a year
2. Annual business costs ( 0 – ∞ ) = Costs associated with your fine art and design business concern, if applicable
3. Annual hours ( 1 – ∞ ) = Hours yous program to work in a year
iv. Margin ( 0 to 100 ) = How much profit you want to brand, (usually x-15%)

Watercolor, Acrylic, Mixed Media Artwork Price Figurer

The traditional art pricing reckoner is great when y'all want to calculate the cost of your work for an art job or art committee.

If your hourly rate already includes business concern (& material) costs, you don't take to add together material costs again. But enter '0'. If you don't want to add a profit margin, enter '0' there too.

App: Traditional Artwork Toll Calculator

Your inputs and toll of your artwork volition show below:

Hourly rate:
Hours spent:
Textile costs:
Margin: %

Artwork Toll:

Legend:
ane. Hourly charge per unit ( 1 – ∞ ) = How much you accuse per hr
2. Hours spent ( 1 – ∞ ) = Estimated hours spent on finished artwork
3. Material costs ( 0 – ∞ ) = Costs of materials & tools if not included in your hourly charge per unit
iv. Margin ( 0 to 100 ) = How much profit you want to brand, (usually 10-xv%)

Digital Art Commision Cost Calculator

The digital art committee price reckoner is groovy when you want to calculate the price of your work for an art job or art commission done digitally.

Calculating digital art price doesn't usually include costs of cloth and tools.

App: Digital Art Commision Toll Calculator

Your inputs and price of your artwork will show below:

Hourly charge per unit:
Hours spent:
Margin: %

Artwork Cost:

Fable:
1. Hourly charge per unit ( one – ∞ ) = How much you charge per 60 minutes
two. Hours spent ( 1- ∞ ) = Estimated hours spent on finished artwork
3. Margin ( 0 to 100 ) = How much turn a profit you want to make, (usually ten-fifteen%)

Oil Paintings Price Estimator

The oil paintings pricing calculator is great when you want to calculate the price of your work using the price per square inch formula.

If you already include the cost of material in the toll per square inch, you can just enter '0' nether the material costs.

App: Oil Paintings Price Estimator

Your inputs and price of your artwork volition show below:

Artwork's height:
Artwork's width:
Price per square inch:
Material costs:

Artwork Price:

Legend:
1. Artwork'south height / width ( 1 – ∞ ) = Size of your artwork
ii. Price per foursquare inch ( one – ∞ ) – Acceptable price ready past the market
3. Material costs ( 0 – ∞ ) = Costs of materials and tools if not included in the price per square inch

What is an Artwork Cost Calculator?

This ingenious and useful tool tin can be called many different things:

Online Art Pricing Figurer
Art Toll Generator
Illustration Price Calculator
Art Committee Pricing Figurer
Digital Fine art Pricing Reckoner
How Much Auto

Ok, it'due south never really called a "How Much Motorcar" even if it should be. But whatsoever you telephone call it, the art toll calculator is basically a simple online tool that will help you, well, you know, price your art.

This is, afterward all, one of the most challenging parts of beingness a commercial artist – knowing how much to charge for your work. Y'all desire to accuse an amount that will let yous to survive, that will pay for your time, your talent and your endeavour, not to mention your materials price and overhead, and that will accurately reflect your value as an creative person and the quality of your work.

Yes, easier said than washed. Well, maybe not – it becomes a daunting, even overwhelming proposition if you are trying to price your art merely off the top of your head, fuzzily trying to correlate and summate too many variables and values and, especially, assuasive emotion and emotional rationalizations to enter into the equation.

That'southward why I love the thought of this simple tool. The art price calculator will permit you to enter in standard values – hourly rate, cloth costs, overheads, and wished profit – and get clear and consistent values for whatever and all of your work. Then y'all can and will know exactly what you should charge your clients.

The procedure of pricing will be so much easier, your pricing overall will be more consistent, you will feel more confident and clear when quoting and dealing with your customers, and they volition sense your consistency and certainty and answer positively.

How Does the Artwork Price Calculator Work?

My Choice

Graphic Artists Guild Handbook

The most helpful guide for artists, art & blueprint business, to navigate the globe of pricing, payments, and protecting their creative piece of work!

16th edition (2021)

All you demand to do is open up the page and enter some basic numbers into the calculator, and by the magic of digital computation there will announced the correct cost to inquire or quote for that particular work of art or job.

The bones numbers are:

How long it took you to consummate this particular piece or job (or how long you estimate it will take you)
Your hourly rate of pay (the hourly salary you want to earn)
The total cost of materials and supplies y'all used in completing this artwork or job (applies to traditional/fine art)
The profit margin (how much turn a profit y'all want to generate; usually between x-15%*)

I told you – bones and easy! Ok, there'due south one matter you probably demand to figure out starting time…

How Much Should I Charge Per Hr?

I recently published a very complete guide to how much artists make effectually the world. This can help you make up one's mind the hourly rate you should charge and should enter into the fine art pricing computer.

I'chiliad going to mention this afterward on in this article, but I should point out an important consideration hither:

If you are going to sell fine art in your own community, you want to charge prices and hourly rates which volition be appropriate in that economic system – whether higher or lower than worldwide averages. In this case, going to my Artist Salary Guide and finding your own country (country in your region) volition lead you lot in the correct direction.
But if you are going to sell art internationally, or predominately to the Usa, Great U.k., Germany, France, or even North America or Europe more often than not, yous shouldn't charge too little merely because your own toll of living might be lower. Charging also low of a price will non only make you lose out on potential earnings, but might lower your perceived value in the optics of clients and potential clients, and fifty-fifty hurt your chances of getting jobs or repeat business.

So in this 2nd case, I recommend using the United States department to decide the appropriate gross bacon level (per annum (yearly)). This, together with the turn a profit margin should satisfy your personal costs, such as taxes, insurances (e.g. health, social), home rent/mortgage, food, travel, savings, investments, and other personal expenses.

In one case you've determined the salary level, don't forget almost your annual business organization costs. You are, after all, running an art business concern, which naturally incurs business organisation costs. These would be the toll of rent/lease/mortgage; utilities (e.g. electricity, water, heating, trash disposal); role & art supplies; advertising & promotion (due east.g. Ads on Instagram / Pinterest / Etsy); labor costs (east.g. your employees or contractors); insurances; bookkeeping and more depending on your business organisation or freelance setup.

After you lot have done the calculations above, but put everything together and divide it by 1,840. That's the number of hours you will work if y'all take ca. 6 weeks out of 52 weeks (a year) for holidays, sick days, errands, recharge, then on. This number may be even smaller when you consider you will likewise be doing non-billable work, such every bit planning, strategy, outreach, customer calls, etc.

For example, if you are using the standard Us annual salary for a graphic designer – 63,000 dollars and your annual business costs are due east.g. 24,000 dollars – you lot separate that by 1,840 and come up with virtually 45 dollars an hour. On top of that, y'all will add a reasonable profit margin of virtually ten% and you stop upwards with rounded 50 dollars an hour.

To make it easier, my fine art pricing calculator volition also accept a bacon and costs / hourly converter built-in, so you tin can just go the salary from my salary guide, determine your annual business costs and go to the calculator, and it volition figure everything out for you.

And so, that'south information technology!

Yep, that'southward it. Merely effigy out your hourly rate, enter it and the two other bits of information into the calculators and you'll get the toll y'all should charge. Y'all will desire to round the number up or downwardly a picayune to make information technology more than even, and then y'all can face your client with certainty and confidence.

I recommend you consider using the art pricing calculator for each job or piece you are selling or marketing. It makes things easier for you, makes your pricing and overall impression on clients and on the market more consistent, and wholly removes emotion and dubiousness from the mix.

My Tips on Art Pricing and on Dealing With Clients

Don't Undercharge

In the above-mentioned salary guide, I mention that the salaries listed are for established employees, who take been in their positions for +3-v years. If you're just starting out, this might brand you want to adjust the bacon down so that you tin plug a more than "advisable" hourly rate into the art pricing estimator.

And yes, this might exist a skilful thought at the beginning, especially with your very first clients and your very starting time jobs. But once y'all've got the experience and the confidence that come from even one or two completed and paid projects, or one or two sold pieces, adjust your hourly rate support to the iii-five year level.

Just please don't adjust your levels downwardly because yous are worried that a certain customer won't pay more – it's not about what they'll pay every bit much as what yous're worth! And fifty-fifty if you lot're brand new, don't proceed your prices low for more than the first couple of jobs. Think that as well low pricing, while it may seem like it would exist bonny and a swell incentive, can and often does take the contrary upshot, reducing your apparent quality and value in the client's heart and undermining their conviction and even your own sense of self-worth.

Don't Overcharge

Y'all may accept a client who is clearly flush, and there will be a strong temptation to charge more than – even a lot more. Merely call up not merely of that short-term proceeds, but of the negative issue this tin have on your reputation in the market, and in that customer'due south eyes if they find out what you charge others.

And, if you're ever tempted to fiddle with the data for whatever reason, don't. That is, if yous are using the fine art pricing figurer, always enter the exact and right amount of hours a task took (or will have) and the exact and correct toll y'all paid for any supplies used, but non more.

Being consistent, articulate, and honest in valuation and pricing makes any creative person experience better about their piece of work and their human relationship with the customer, really improves the piece of work itself, and believe me, the clients can sense it, and volition honey working with yous even more.

Please don't be offended by these comments – I know 99 percent of my readers would never consider raising prices because a client is a hurting in the cervix (or other parts) or because they want a new laptop or leather jacket, and probably none of this applies to you. Only these are good things for anybody to keep in listen, and the ideas about consistency and how you are perceived in the market place are really important.

How Do Y'all Feel?

All that said, if you are starting time to feel underpaid, underappreciated, stressed, and inexplicably drained by work, and/or just manifestly pissy, it might be a sign that you should raise your rates. Just remember to do it in an unemotional, consistent way – that is, don't simply randomly heighten the price of a work, only utilize the art pricing computer and increment your hourly rate, and utilize that across the board and to all clients and jobs.

Exist Firm

Quote your cost and then be tranquility. Don't negotiate before a client even responds to the quote, and it may exist best to simply not ever negotiate anyhow. You are an artist, you are charging a fair price, and yous are worth it.

Don't Adjust

If you are pre-pricing your fine art, you need to summate how many hours it will take. You lot should never overestimate here (meet Don't Overcharge, higher up) merely don't underestimate either (remember, you are worth it!). And whenever possible, don't modify your rates before delivery.

If a job takes longer than you expected, it'south a swell opportunity to build honor and reputation if you stick to your quote and don't enhance your rates. And if you lot don't lower prices either, even if it takes quite a scrap less time than you lot estimated – it'due south a groovy way to build self-worth and conviction. Later on all, the clients pay for your feel and knowledge that y'all had to work for quite hard!

On the other hand, if you have pre-quoted and it is becoming clear that the slice or the project volition take much longer than you lot originally anticipated, communicate this conspicuously with the client as early as possible. If they are absolutely unwilling to compensate or budge from the original quote, it and so is up to you lot to decide if you will complete the chore and honor the quote. Merely keep in listen not but what it will cost yous right at present if you continue, but also what it might cost y'all in terms of professional person integrity, reputation, and future jobs if you lot don't.

Stay Confident – This is What You Do!

Recollect that this is your task and that you have to survive and thrive. Many new commercial artists can remain a picayune stuck in the mentality that they're non really working artists (or at to the lowest degree not nevertheless), that they're however not certain if it will piece of work and succeed, even that it's all kind of as well skillful to be true (somebody's going to pay me for this? Really?).

And so they also remain a little tentative and shy about pricing. Merely as soon as you put out your first quote, or offer your first piece for sale, you are a working artist, and yous should brand certain your prices reflect the piece of work you put in and that they are at least high enough to back up you.

How is Pricing Fine Art Unlike?

The same questions near valuating and pricing art ascend for the fine artists as well, along with a few more specific ones:

How Much Should I Charge for My Acrylic Paintings?
How Much Should I Charge for My Oil Paintings?
How Much Should I Charge for My Watercolors?
How Much Should I Charge for My Sculptures?
How Tin I Valuate A Fine Fine art Slice?
How Much Do Artists Charge per Square Inch?

Whether it'south fair or not, or fifty-fifty truthful or not, there can be enormous differences between the valuation of commercial art and fine fine art, which tin can be based on the beauty or effectiveness of the art slice, the reputation of the artist, the perceived levels of talent and arts and crafts, media, marketing and lot of other factors.

In general, fine art is considered to be much more valuable than commercial art and should be priced appropriately. But how can you tell precisely how much to accuse? Unfortunately, fine art pricing is not as simple as plugging figures into the fine art price figurer, though it tin can be a really fun, interesting, and inspiring procedure and a existent learning experience on many levels.

Of course, if you need to calculate the price for your artwork done with watercolors / gouache / acrylics / mixed media, feel gratuitous to use the pricing calculator above. For oil paintings, where information technology's common to employ the square per inch formula, continue to the adjacent section.

For the all-time, most effective and authentic valuation of fine art, the first thing you need to do is research.

Specifically, find the websites that could sell your art and which feature the art of artists working in media and styles like to you, and especially those who are as well similar in quality and talent and those with whom yous feel a sure affinity, and meet what they are charging.

You should too find artists who are fairly new on the scene or even only starting out, as established or famous artists can, and will, control prices far beyond what you should consider. If you practice this a lot, with many different websites that tin sell your art, and artists, you lot volition begin to come across a consensus and a reliable average toll that will exist appropriate for your fine art and feel good to you.

And while there may be lots of other ways, or other considerations, it doesn't take to be more complicated than just lots and lots of browsing through beautiful fine art sites, online galleries, catalogs, and such and see what you encounter. You will also, of course, demand to find the sites, galleries and artist websites that are in line with your work and aesthetic, but to outset with yous might want to cheque out these popular and successful fine art websites:

Saatchi Art
Artfinder
Artspace
Eyestorm
Counter Editions
Amazon
Etsy
Fine Fine art America
Singulart
Artnet
Society6
INPRNT

What About Pricing Your Art Per Square Inch?

I would never utilize some market boilerplate price per square inch to determine the value of art – at that place is besides much variance in the beauty, quality and craft, effectiveness and impact of individual pieces. On the other paw, if you have found art online that is very similar to yours in style, media and quality, but not exactly the same size, you lot tin can price artwork using the cost per foursquare inch of their work and arrange it to the size of your pieces.

The oil paintings pricing computer above volition assist yous with using the pricing per foursquare inch formula.

For example, if you find an oil painting that is 18 by 24 inches and costs five,000 dollars, y'all tin calculate the square inch expanse of that painting (18×24=432 foursquare inches), so divide that into five,000 dollars (5000/432=11.5 dollars per foursquare inch). Now if your work is 500 square inches you tin simply multiply 11.5 by 500, and price your painting at 5,750 dollars.

After that, you tin use the same formula to determine a toll for different-sized paintings from your own portfolio.

Fine Art Pricing Tips

And here are a few tips and hints for fine artists as well, things which volition make the whole process more constructive and your enterprise as a fine artist more successful.

Are You Cocky-Disquisitional? Are You the Opposite?

Since we're not but entering numbers into the art price calculator, in that location is much more of a chance of (perchance inaccurate) self-appraisal and even emotionality inbound into the process. Some artists are highly self-disquisitional, and while this may lead them to be better and meliorate as artists, information technology isn't the greatest or well-nigh useful quality when they are trying to value their ain work.

Other artists are notoriously self-bodacious, to the point even of self-aggrandizement and vanity which might badly skew, in the opposite direction, their power to conspicuously and accurately value their art.

In either case, or even if you lot're totally healthy and counterbalanced, and maintain a perfectly clear and unbiased relationship with yourself, merely go on doing the research, and exercise it securely and long plenty that you begin to get an accurate thought of what similar artists charge for fine fine art and where the market is at. And then, in spite of your cocky-assessment or any other emotional factors, stick with that market average in pricing your ain pieces.

Consistency is Key

Once you have done the research and determined a fair and constructive value for your fine art pieces, stick to information technology. The internet is littered with art sites and artist home pages where a painting, drawing, sculpture or whatsoever is suddenly discounted by 10 percentage, or 50 percent, and this does not send a good message almost the art'south actual value and quality, not to mention the artist's talent and worth.

If you lot are showing at a gallery, don't sell your work cheaper elsewhere, like in your studio or online. Doesn't matter if it is a brick-and-mortar gallery or an online gallery. To offering 1 cost in ane place and another toll elsewhere is very bad form, and can really hurt your relationship with the gallery and your reputation in the art community in general. It tin also demonstrate at least an apparent lack of confidence in your ain cocky-evaluation too every bit a lack of stability in establishing your, and your art'southward, worth.

Where Volition It End Up?

Don't base of operations your prices on your location. Well, if you are selling art merely locally then you have to, of course. If your local economy is lower, your prices should reverberate that and your work should be affordable in that economic system. And the changed is true as well – if y'all are in a strong economy you can employ that to your advantage.

But if you are selling art online to a worldwide market, it can be a big mistake to presume that because you are in a lower calibration economy, for instance, and your own cost of living may be lower than other artists, you should charge less.

If you want to learn and become inspired from already successful fine artists, I recommend that yous check out the following interviews:

Ep.197: Evolve Artist Program with Kevin Spud
Ep.164: Keen tips for art gallery shows with Marc Scheff
Ep.17: On why is somebody going to hire me with Marco Bucci
Ep.171: How to residual and grow with making art on the side with Marc Allante
Ep.131: How to make living by doing traditional art with Lioba Brückner
Ep.85: Hieu Nguyen (Kelogsloops) on capturing feelings in your artworks

Thank you then much for reading this latest article – The Art Pricing Computer – A Simple Tool for Knowing How Much To Charge for Your Art – and again please visit my blog – Fine art Side of Life – not simply for the podcasts but for tons of other inspiring ideas, resource, articles, heir-apparent'southward guides and a lot more!

*Source: Graphic Artists Society Handbook, Pricing & Ethical Guidelines

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) nearly pricing your fine art

How Exercise You Toll Art for Beginners?

To determine the value, and therefore the right selling price, of your fine art pieces, you lot should first do some online research on how much like pieces from other artists are selling for – but go on in heed that established artists tin can control higher prices, and information technology is good to showtime a little lower to get a few sales under your belt and establish a reputation. Delight roll upwards to my tips on pricing and dealing with clients and cheque out my article Self Taught Artist Guide, for more information.

How Exercise You lot Price Your Own Artwork?

Objectively determining the value of your own artwork tin can be tough, then information technology's a really good idea to practise some online homework first, finding out what similar sizes, types and styles of artwork from other artists are currently selling for. Depending on the quality, size, toll of materials and other factors, y'all tin brand adjustments to these "market place norms," but they can provide a great starting indicate. Please check out my tips on pricing and dealing with clients and How Much Do Artists Brand in 2022 for more information.

How Do I Price My Digital Art?

The amount yous can and should charge for digital fine art depends on a lot of unlike things – the quality of the piece of work, your level of feel, the time and the level of difficulty involved in making the piece and more. A great way to at least have a starting point, and some perspective, is to cheque out other digital artists online who have similar styles and like talent, and see what they charge – merely go on in mind that the more established and well known artists can always get a niggling more than. You lot may want to wait at my tips on pricing and dealing with clients – for more guidance and use the Digital Art Pricing Estimator above.

How Much Should I Charge For Drawings?

Showtime artists, in both traditional and digital media, often settle on around xx US dollars an hour for drawing and illustration work. It'due south then simply a matter of estimating the time y'all recall a drawing volition take, or determining how long a finished piece has taken. A skilful hint, though, is that if a corporate agent or buyer likes your work they may well offer higher prices than you might enquire, so you may want to let them speak first! You lot tin can cheque out some of my site'south manufactures – like my tips on pricing and dealing with clients, the Art Pricing Calculators and How Much Practise Artists Brand – for more help.

How Much Should I Charge for a Digital Art Commission?

There are a lot of factors that come up into play when determining an appropriate cost for a piece of digital art – your experience, your suitability to the task, the amount of time and endeavor you think it will crave. As a general rule, many new digital artists would inquire around twenty dollars an hr – for European and American clients, at least – and established artists may go essentially more. To get a clearer picture of all this, I recommend yous employ the Digital Art Pricing Computer above and read more in this article: How Much Practice Artists Brand.

How Much Should I Charge for a Digital Portrait?

High quality digital portraits often cost between 500 and one,000 US dollars, although well known and highly regarded artists can command often much higher prices. While new portrait artists may get less, don't sell yourself too brusque – it's good to get a few lower paying commissions at first, and to constitute a reputation and gain valuable experience, but likewise proceed a clear mind about how proficient you lot are and how much you are worth. Delight utilize the Digital Fine art Pricing Reckoner above and How Much Do Artists Make for more information.

Hullo, I am Iva (rhymes with "viva"). I am an artist, illustrator, teacher, and the founder of Art Side of Life™. I've worked as a commercial artist since 2009. I believe that we are all artistic in infinite numbers of ways and then I've fabricated it my mission to teach you lot everything I know, to contribute to waking upwards your creative genius.