Pricing your art can feel uncomfortable when you are early in your career. You may worry that your work is not “established” enough to have a real price, or that charging too much will scare buyers away. But a price is not a judgment of your worth as an artist. It is a practical way to cover your costs, present your work professionally, and build a clear record of your sales.
Look at comparable work
Start by researching artists whose work is genuinely similar to yours. Look for artists at a similar point in their careers who use similar materials, make work of a similar size, and sell in the same region or through similar places.
When possible, compare prices for work that has actually sold, not only work that is still listed for sale. The goal is to understand the range around your work and choose a starting point that feels realistic.
Choose one simple way to calculate prices
Choose a straightforward method you can use again and again. For example, you could set a fixed amount per square inch, or add together:
- materials
- payment for your time
- other costs
- profit
Remember costs that are easy to miss, such as framing, printing, studio supplies, packaging, payment fees, and gallery commission. If a gallery takes 30% or 50%, your retail price still needs to leave you with an amount that makes the sale worthwhile.
Keep your prices consistent
Consistency matters more than finding the perfect number on your first try. Similar works should have similar prices. The same artwork should not have very different prices on your website, in an exhibition, and through a gallery.
Keep a record of every artwork’s dimensions, materials, asking price, exhibition history, and final sale price. Over time, this gives you useful evidence for deciding whether your prices are working and when it may be time to change them.
Let prices grow gradually
Begin at a level that fits your current experience and audience, but do not price so low that you lose money or resent making a sale. Raise prices gradually when you have steady sales, more interest in your work, more exhibitions, or other clear progress in your career.
You should be able to explain your overall approach simply and confidently. A clear pricing system helps buyers understand your work, and it helps you make decisions with less stress.
How Artlope can help
Artlope keeps the details behind your pricing in one place. Add the current asking price, dimensions, materials, and other information to each artwork record. Artwork Details explains the pricing field and shows where to find an artwork’s pricing history.
Record the costs connected to a piece, such as materials, framing, printing, and transport, with Track Expenses. When a work sells, Managing Sales lets you save the sale date, buyer, final price, commission, exhibition, and invoice. Artlope then keeps the sale and pricing history with the artwork, so you have a clear record to look back on when setting future prices.
For a wider view of money coming in and going out, use Finances. You can also add costs that are not tied to one artwork, such as studio rent, through Manual Transactions.