Pricing your art

[Marcus Lim]

Originally Posted by Joan Breckwoldt

... if I'm selling direct then it would be half, which is certainly more reasonable but way below what I'm charging.

Hi Joan, i reckon what you mentioned here, rings another important issue that we have to sit on for a while: pricing against the gallery.

It's important to be price sensitive not only to customers, but also with galleries. By selling direct this way, it'll become fodder of bad reputation among collectors, and especially galleries. So my view is to establish a fair pricing that works well selling direct, and for galleries.

[Joan Breckwoldt]

Hi Marcus,

I hope you didn't misunderstand me.

I have just started doing commissions and I don't see myself in a gallery for a long long time, if ever. I am lucky (with regards to marketing) to live in a large city with, from what I can see, a strong interest in portraiture. In other words, I feel like I will be able to get enough clients to keep me busy as soon as I start getting my work out there. So . . . . all that was to say that when I commented on trying to figure a reasonable price, by cutting the price I calculated using Richard's $21 per square inch, it made more sense to me if that was possibly what a gallery might charge. I assumed that because it's way more than I'm charging, many times over.

I understand that if I were in a gallery I would need to keep my prices the same as their prices. I do love to paint figuratives, so I suppose it's not outside the realm of possibility to be in a gallery sometime with my figuratives. But I was thinking more near term. I'm about to donate a portrait at our church's annual rally day and I feel like that will give me some exposure. We'll see.

So, when I think of pricing, I'm not even considering a gallery's part in my work since that's waaaaaaaaaaay into the future. Sorry I didn't make this clear.

Joan

[Marcus Lim]

Hi Joan, it's clear to me you have that thought of the future possibilities already, and that you do know about pricing your art with galleries. It was that issue that i'm concerned with and hope to share with you.
I see you'll get far in your career with that mind of yours!

[Joan Breckwoldt]

Hi Marcus,

I've learned a lot from this forum and fellow artists here in Houston. I do understand about galleries, I enjoy reading about other artists' experiences here on the forum. Perhaps I should do a bit more painting and a little less reading if I really want to get into a gallery

Joan

[Mischa Milosevic]

Richard, thank you for your prompt reply. I did not know that my site is down? It was acting up the other day but I did see it active. In the last while I've had axes problems, wanting to do a page make-over. I contacted my provider and he is looking into it.

I hope no one minds me posting a few photos being that my page is down. Here is a color study and one of my charcoals and a chalk. Just to give you an idea. How would you price these and I would appreciate your honesty.

Regards,
mischa

[Mischa Milosevic]

charcoal

[Mischa Milosevic]

chalk