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I’ve been thinking a lot about my prices lately, and as I mentioned here, my prices will be going up as of March 20th, in honour of my 22nd birthday.
It’s hard though, looking at my prices. They won’t be going up by astronomical amounts, probably a few hundred dollars. Enough that I can actually break even and maybe, just maybe, make a profit. And I’ve been very logical so far, working out my expenses, figuring how much things need to be to break even. The thing is though, pricing is an emotional thing, a confidence thing. It speaks directly to how much we value what we do.
And I honestly haven’t even considered that yet. Adam King is constantly reminding me to price for the value that my art has and while rationally I know he’s right, it just hasn’t sunk in yet. I struggle with valuing my art outside the actual cost it takes to make it. I even struggle with valuing the time it takes to create something.
I’ve been presenting the tentative new prices to a few people and they’ve said that they’re reasonable and then asked me how I feel about them. I’ll be honest – I was hoping I could get away with not having to take responsibility for my prices. But they’re right – unless I feel good about my prices, how on earth can I ever stand behind them? Lord knows I haven’t been able to up till now.
It’s hard though, with the voice in my head that yells “UPPITY! YOU’RE BEING TOO UPPITY!”
It says I’m not allowed to value my art until someone else does – until the powers that be deem my work worthy enough to value. Don’t even ask me who the powers that be are – I have a feeling they’ve got something to do with Marcel.
I’m waiting for permission to value the work that I do. I’m waiting for someone else to tell me what I’m allowed to charge for my art, instead of looking inside myself and deciding what the value is.
I’m being forced to take a long hard look at myself and what I bring to the table, what I contribute to the world. And then put a price on it.
…
Yeah. To say I’m struggling is somewhat of an understatement. I’d rather remove my teeth without anesthetic.
I’ll probably spend the next couple days meditating on it, trying out different prices for size, until I find the pricing that fits me, and that I can stand behind.
If you’re interested in purchasing a piece before the prices go up, you can do so here:
Click here to buy art at the old prices
Those prices will be guaranteed until March 20th. Then they’ll be going up. I’ll let you know once I know the new prices.
Wish me luck.
5 Comments
I know how hard this is- it’s hard for me, too!
It’s not just an age thing; I’ve got 14 years on you, and I’m every bit as terrified of raising my prices.
…deep breath…
That being said, it’s good that you’re forcing yourself to do it, regardless. It’s important that we, as artists, value our work at what it’s worth- or nobody else will.
Hi Sarah,
Your portraits are under priced. Commission work costs more than “fine art” and is priced by “head and shoulders” “3/4″ and “full length”. An additional person in the same painting is usually discounted.
Go to this site and see how other artists are pricing their portraits. It’s almost never priced by size. Portraits are usually just under life size. Many artists choose 11×14 to 16×20 just for the head and shoulders. then the canvas gets proportionally larger for more body or people in the portrait.
Oh, I forgot the link to the site:
http://www.portraitartist.com/
Sarah,
Another idea to experiment with in pricing your art is to allow others to pay what they feel it is worth – like they would in an auction.
You may be surprised at how they value it, which allows you to become more comfortable charging those prices in the future, but eliminates angst about pricing in the short-term.
-Jeff
That’s a really interesting idea Jeffrey, thanks! I actually think I might give that a try. I’m intrigued to see how people would respond.
I have a feeling that you’re very right and that I would be pleasantly surprised