Are You Charging Enough for Your Art?

Your art is worth what you think it is. That’s why it makes me sad when I see artists charging too little for their work. I see it every day, everywhere. Why is it more common for artists to charge too little, rather than too much? Are we artists the ones perpetuating the starving artist mentality?

This subject has me particularly peeved lately. Etsy has been sending out holiday gift recommendations. Amongst the recommendations are art listings, and I don’t like what I’m seeing. I’ve seen custom paintings selling for as low as $25-$40 a piece - whether it be family portraits, pet portraits, or house paintings. And that’s with free shipping. How is it possible to charge this little and make a decent living? As an artist, I know it isn’t. Sadly, those who have these listings up will probably burn out soon, and maybe even quit art all together. It breaks my heart. These artists are self-destructing, and they don’t even know it.

So how do I know this pricing is too low? While everyone is different, I’ve been painting daily for a long time. I consider myself a pretty productive artist, and I know I can paint for a maximum of four hours per day. After that, my body is too sore and my head hurts. I have to do something else like editing, shipping, marketing, or blogging. And thank goodness, because that stuff is important too. I’ve actually heard that you should spend half your time marketing your work and half making it. Maybe that will give you permission to accept your body’s limitations. Some people will be able to paint a little more than four hours per day. Some a little less. Most days, I’m only painting around 2 hours. However, in order to charge these prices, you’d have to be painting A LOT more.

Let’s say these artists can do one painting per hour (which sounds fast) for four hours. At $40 per painting, that’s $160/day. If you go through USPS, the cheapest you can ship with a tracking number (which you need to be a Star Seller on Etsy) is around $7. So that’s $28 per day for shipping. That leaves us $132/day. There are 260 weekdays in a year, so that yields an annual salary of $34,000. I’ve left out expenses (including supplies and Etsy fees), and vacation time. These artists are lucky if they’re taking home $25,000 in profit per year. And that’s before taxes. That’s not enough in the U.S., especially with prices skyrocketing. Let’s just hope they don’t live in an expensive part of the country. Don’t even get me started on those who are charging $25 for a custom painting.

This all leads me to the conclusion that we artists that we are the ones perpetuating the starving artist myth. We are starving ourselves. No one said we need to charge as little as possible for our work. Quit the opposite, actually. Art is a luxury good. It’s worth as much as we say it is, because people don’t need it. It’s a ‘nice to have item’. There is actually science behind the idea that when priced to low, luxury goods sell less. They should be expensive and short on supply - similar to watches and luxury cars. By pricing ourselves too low, we are hurting other artists too. If one person is charging to little, it makes another artist’s work look too expensive, even if they are priced fairly. It undervalues all art.

Why have we accepted that doctors and lawyers can charge too much, but not artists? In some ways, I think art is saving lives every day too. I don’t mean to minimize these professions at all. I’m just trying to give art the credit it deserves.

So how do you know if you’re charging too little? Without even knowing your situation, I can say you are probably are. Most artists could tack on an extra 50% or more to their current prices. Some would do well to double or triple their prices. If you don’t believe me, it can be helpful to consult friends or family members on this matter. Ones who value what you do. We always underprice ourselves, so they can help you decide what your art is worth.

Assessing your financial situation and goals honestly can help too. How much do you spend? How much do you want to save per month? So many artists fail to ask themselves how much they want to make per year, because they are just trying to get by. What kind of lifestyle do you want to lead? How much money would let you live your best life? Many artists feel so fortunate to do what they love for a living that they don’t expect to live their best lives too. You deserve both.

I’m lucky that I was doing really well as a freelance designer before I transitioned into art full-time. I learned how to price my services fairly the hard way. I had many years of burnout before I tripled my hourly rates. And guess what, customers still paid. In fact, I received more work. Because I learned this lesson early, I was already used to a certain kind of lifestyle. I wouldn’t settle for less. And guess what? I’ve made as much as I expected going into an art career. Most people do. Don’t settle for less. If you aren’t making enough, it’s possible you’re standing in your own way.

When calculating financials, make sure to overestimate your studio expenses, seller fees, software, supplies, shipping, and any other expenses you need to run your business. It’s probably more than you think. Add that to your desired annual salary. Make sure you calculate how many hours you can realistically work per day. Realism is key. This is not the time to embellish your talents. Calculate how much vacation you want to take. Do you want to work weekends? I don’t believe you should have to just because you do what you love for a living. Based on this information, try to come up with a goal for how much you want to make per day. What does this mean for your pricing model?

My best tip is to charge so much that you often hear your art is too expensive. Not every day, but maybe several times per month. How is it that I charge more for a print than other artists charge for a custom painting? Because I’m okay with the fact that my art is not for everyone. I often have people message me on Etsy asking how I can charge what I do for an unframed print. If someone feels this way, I don’t take it personally. My art just isn’t for them. If they don’t think it’s worth it, they shouldn’t buy it. That’s perfectly okay. I want to work with customers who value what I do. If someone is looking for discount art, my shop is not the place. However, if they want a high print quality and unique style they can’t find elsewhere, that’s me.

A good question to ask yourself is how would you price yourself differently if you were a super successful artist? How are artists you look up to pricing their work? Is it possible your current pricing is keeping you from living out your dreams? Price yourself like you’re an in-demand artist now, and see if you become one. When priced too low, people often assume your work is low quality and unpopular. I’d urge you to price higher than you’re comfortable with, and then lower your prices if you have to. Your prices should be high enough to make you squirm a little. When selling online, we’re fortunate to have the power to play around with pricing, so don’t take it too seriously. Try to experiment and have some fun.

The beauty is that once you charge what you’re worth, your whole day will be better. You can work slower, and you’ll be dealing with people who really love your work. Not those who just want a deal and put unrealistic expectations on you. Your reviews will be better, because your true fans will be buying your art. Most importantly, you’ll be able to do what you love for a long time, because you’re being kind to yourself.

Thanks for tuning in for my little pricing rant. I’m coming from a place of upmost love and respect for you all. I want you to be able to do what you love forever. And I want you to live your best life in the process. You deserve nothing but the best, and fair pricing is key to achieving your dreams.

If you’re confused as to what you should be charging, let us know in the comments below (and include your shop link)! Hopefully we can help each other determine our true worth.