Home Forums The Art Business Center General Art Business Pricing of acrylic paintings

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  • #990859
    mommabuck
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        Recently sold two paintings for the first time. When it came to pricing I found so many different ways to do it, suggestions, etc I finally gave up and just decided to take supplies times 3.

        For a 16 by 20 acrylic painting I sold for 50. Many have said I didnt’ charge enough, but I want to simply get enough to buy more supplies and a little extra.

        Does it sound reasonable?

        #1186723
        Kmart
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            Hello,
            can you post up some pics?
            Thanks,
            Kyle

            #1186729
            Davkin
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                Sounds way too cheap to me. Most people use an amount per sq in. rule for their pricing. $1/sq. for example which would be $320 for a 16 X 20. Personally I wouldn’t sell for less than that. If I couldn’t sell for $1/sq.in. I’d figure out if it’s the quality of my painting or my marketing efforts and rectify that until I could get what’s generally considered to be a low level price for art. Your price is buried well down in the bargain basement.

                David

                David

                #1186722
                ~JMW~
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                    Seeing some your work would give us a better idea..

                    But with the economy and just starting out, a slight lower price is reasonable. A lot depends on the area you are selling in, high end or middle class etc.

                    ~Joy~

                    #1186718
                    Greg Long
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                        Far too cheaply. I’d expect someone to start out at possibly as low as $200. You need to factor in your time, heat, light, rent, as well as your brushes canvas and paint. There is the other side as always of course; When you work for nothing, you will never be unemployed. :angel:

                        #1186713

                        For starting out, it could have been fine. And if your goal was to cover your supplies with a bit extra, and you’re happy, that’s okay for a starting point.

                        I sold on eBay to start so let other people decide the value… and that works. Slowly prices increased. A formula like $ per square inch only works if you have a ready and waiting demand for your work, otherwise you start low and work your way up as people show they’re willing to pay your price. :)

                        Next paintings, price a little higher, and so on. So how it goes!

                        Abstract coast and geology art: www.tina-m.com | Art/Science gallery: www.grejczikgallery.com

                        #1186726
                        Freesail
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                            I had always assumed that the $1 per square inch rule applied to oil paintings and not acrylic paintings.

                            Solvent = Leaner Oil = Fatter Drawing is the basis of art. A bad painter cannot draw. But one who draws well can always paint. (Arshile Gorky)
                            #1186733
                            moepar
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                                Anymore I’m not sure what to price mine at too. Been trying to sell some but can’t seem to move any.

                                #1186730
                                Davkin
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                                    I had always assumed that the $1 per square inch rule applied to oil paintings and not acrylic paintings.

                                    The medium should have nothing to do with pricing. Ya. I know there’s a silly prejudice by some against certain mediums and oil is the most popular but that doesn’t mean acrylics have to sell for less. There are plenty of artists that get high prices acrylics, watercolors and pastels. There are plenty of multi medium artists that charge the same regardless of medium. As long as the artist is using materials and practices that achieve achival quality paintings the medium should be irrelevent. Ya, there’s a bias, but plenty of artists have beat it, I’ll follow their lead.

                                    David

                                    David

                                    #1186725
                                    Apodemus
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                                        Quality of the work must come into the equation somewhere.
                                        Some work offered for sale isn’t worth $1 an acre, never mind a square inch.

                                        Como le dijo el mosquito a la rana, "Mas vale morir en el vino que vivir en el agua"
                                        #1186714

                                        I had always assumed that the $1 per square inch rule applied to oil paintings and not acrylic paintings.
                                        ____

                                        No idea why. Medium is irrelevent. While cost of materials comes into play of course (my acrylic is the same price as oils and I use more of it to create the same effect) the main element in pricing is skill and quality. One artist’s pencil drawing could cost more than another artist’s oil painting.

                                        Tina.

                                        Abstract coast and geology art: www.tina-m.com | Art/Science gallery: www.grejczikgallery.com

                                        #1186731
                                        Davkin
                                        Default

                                            Quality of the work must come into the equation somewhere.
                                            Some work offered for sale isn’t worth $1 an acre, never mind a square inch.

                                            Very true. My opinion is that if the quality isn’t at least at that level then the artist shouldn’t sell until their work is at that level. I beleive selling art for less devalues the whole art world. On the flip side of that coin though is art that really isn’t that good selling for large sums thanks to “quality” marketing. Unfortunately it seems to me that marketing skills are more important than painting skills when it comes to selling paintings.

                                            David

                                            David

                                            #1186737
                                            DaveCrow
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                                                $1 per square inch? The acrylic hanging above my couch cost me almost five times that! On the other wall I have a watercolour I paid about 75 cents a square inch for.

                                                Both are by artists I admire and respect. Both were commissioned works. The watercolour is significantly smaller and was commissioned as part of a fundraiser to send the artist to Surinam for a residency.

                                                My point is that pricing art is very subjective and variable. The same artist who did the watercolour also does large acrylics selling for considerably more per square inch.

                                                A 16×20 acrylic painting for $50 sounds like a bargain to me, but if you are happy with it then it is a good price. The best price is one where both he buyer and the seller walk away feeling they got the better deal. Congratulations on making a sale, may it be he first of many more to come.

                                                "Let the paint be paint" --John Marin

                                                #1186739
                                                mommabuck
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                                                    #1186734
                                                    levanty
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                                                        Recently sold two paintings for the first time. When it came to pricing I found so many different ways to do it, suggestions, etc I finally gave up and just decided to take supplies times 3.

                                                        For a 16 by 20 acrylic painting I sold for 50. Many have said I didnt’ charge enough, but I want to simply get enough to buy more supplies and a little extra.

                                                        Does it sound reasonable?

                                                        Not nearly enough according to a gallery owner that called yesterday.
                                                        He said to multiply the height by the width and divide by the price to get a formula that represents your price per square inch. Example: I have a 16×20 which is priced at $425. Then divide $425 into 320 inches to get approx $1.03 per square inch which covers cost of supplies, time, frame, etc.

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