I love a straight-to-the-point video by a man who knows what the fuck he's doing. I'm holding my first exhibition in two months. I paid for the space, and I get to keep anything I make.
Don't think I commented yet but this video and pricing structure has been the most transparent, clearest, and simplest way to price my work I've ever seen. It has given me the ability to be transparent with my clients and feel a lot more confident in my pricing, especially with entering new art markets. THANK YOU!
@@StefanBaumann-- yes, thanks is in order- IT WAS A COMPLIMENT - it’s part of who you are /your style. It’s fantastic / you look fantastic in the gear you wear! You have inspired me to keep my eyes open for things I love That are my personality To help create my image/product! So far I’ve found several items that are “me” Every time I apply some of your teachings, I praise my god on account of you & ask Him to bless you!!! (That is NOT RELIGION !!! God (& I ), hate all religions They are a deception! As a kid, I asked God what religion I should be? I audibly heard a male voice when alone in fields of Canada Say: “Have nothing to do with anybody’s club organization or religion. It’s NOT ME!” But your tailoring is just “you” Beautiful package Great advertizing for fantastic product!!!
You can raise the value of your work, but if people won't buy it because it's too expensive, you will have a garage full of "valuable" paintings you can't sell. Quality of the painting matters as well. Not all artist are good. And we are living in an economy where some things sell well and others don't. Paintings may not be one of those things that sell well.
Wow, this has been helpful, thank you so much. As an artist it's always been a "mystery" as to what you should sell your work for. $2.00/sq in minimum plus the double the frame, plus your time to put it all together. It definitely gives you a lot to think about and brings the value of your (and everyone's) painting up. Knowing the market and understanding it is so very helpful. I can't tell you how valuable this is! Thank you thank you, thank you!!!
As my teacher was saying to sell your art cheap is not to respect your talent and work, and while we love to do it, there still is time and labor involved, then there are materials that are not cheap at all, and last but not least there is the uniqueness of an original that even if there is an artist copy, no one can repeat every stroke it is something of one of a kind just like you and as an average, if people get something cheap they don't appreciate it (don't mix it with a bargain, like that $60 Banksy originals lol)😀
This was so important to me because I've always struggled how to price my art work and have shyed away on selling or giving a price. So I hold on to my work and figure one day maybe I'll sell one day. I've never had enough money to buy the good stuff so I paint in water colors. And sometimes acrylics in small frames of water color paper or canvas. I've always been told since elementary that I was destined to be a great artist. Well 57 years later I'm still painting on occasion. I'm a volunteer at a non profit and assist victims of crime and all my energy goes to that cause. But your videos are helping me to rediscover myself again. Thank you so much, I'm going to follow your advice and see what happens and who knows maybe meet you some day!
This is very good information. My paintings use to be sold for far less than that but the I was visited by an art collector and he asked why am I selling my pieces so cheap are you a hungry artist or an aspiring artist? He asked. Now my paintings are being sold at a much better price. You see you have to value your work, if you can't do that no one will do it for you. The time you invest in a painting is very important and just as costly as the material you use to produce the art work.
when i was university some of us mature students were desperate for a tutor to give a lecture like this, but sadly they never did.........instead, they hid their own feelings of competition with their students, and somehow art is a vocation not a business........soooo bad....so many of my fellow students went on to abandon their art and work in banks, supermarkets, etc. Thank you for this lecture. I so appreciate it.
A lot of that mindset is about stopping new artists shining their light in case they're better than the tutor. Maybe that's the case but there's room for many artists. There's 8.5 billion people on this planet, that's a lot of customers, a lot who will be happy to buy many types of art, plenty of room for everyone.
incredible confidence booster. This hits home with all the truths and doubts that go around my hea. How can Any good artist expect to make their crowning pieces, if they are constantly rushing a piece out to the client, for the sake of their budget. Find the Right clients if you are a good upcoming artist. Do not fumble with the audiences who will belittle your worth. Do NOT sacrifice your quality/detail, for the sake of a clients budget, or winning over their trust.. Because neither party wins that way. You will continue to suffocate and prolong your progressions into the limelight.
Great points, Great Post - my Example : I had a painting sell at a Gallery and they did not give me the info on the client,( I was a new artist in the gallery so I get it ) >> when they shut their doors and Closed the gallery >>they Did ship me my Paintings that were still there hanging. I was thankful they didn't just take off with my work. This was in North Carolina.
G'day Stefan, thank you again, your words made me rethink about the way I'm pricing my work. This video is a valuable lesson and I hope alot of artists watched this video.
I've missed not seeing a new video from you for a while. Now you post a new one, and it's one of your best! Pricing your art is so scary and confusing. This practical advice is most appreciated. Thanks, Stefan!
Oh, that's right! I've been reading some FB entries on the convention, all favorable. I hope you had fun. And, no, you're not behind. You're doing us TH-camrs the favor. We're just greedy Stefan Baumann fans.
Stefan Baumann we love you Stefan...and missed you...I kept checking for New posts and found a few just now...so excited...hope you had a wonderful time...I hope one day to have a chance to go to your workshop...bucket list my friend...bucket list...
Brilliant! My mom was a pastel portrait artist. She did 10000 of painting across America. She never did do a gallery. She claimed they were snobs. I agree a standardization of our market would be most helpful. She kept her prices low since her target audience was the working Joe. I always thought she drastically under sold herself.
Great advice! So helpful! I am helping my dad to market and sell his stained glass window panels. Some of his works are very complex but small, I was thinking of coming up with a calculation based on how many pieces the panel is made up of
This is great advice. I'm a practicing artist, and while this doesn't cover everything, I feel like it's really good advice and helpful to understand gallery relationships. 2$/square inch is a great baseline.
Many thanks for a much needed advice and tips on this difficult issue. Really appreciated . You do have and indeed make a valid point especially about the square inch point . I share your views. I am new to this field. Last year a friend of mind, a professional artist herself invited me to be her guest at an exhibition and to submit a painting I have painted . I didn't know how much I should put as price. I went overboard and put a big figure I would not have thought would help sell the painting. It was bought! So if you don't aim high you will never get there!
Exact same thing has happened with musicians. The clubs used to provide marketing, PA systems, clientele, etc. In today's world you have to be marketer, promoter, website designer, social media expert and hopefully, a good musician. Interesting comparisons.
totally true. There's also these assholes that make you pay-to-play and tell you you're investing in "exposure", then you get to the gig and you're playing at 6pm to a crowd of 8 people who aren't even there for the show....glad my musician days are officially over. fug all that nonsense.
My husbands a professional muscian and has been for 40 years and I'm a working artist.The parallels are indeed compelling. One observation that I have is that there used to be a fairly strong and influential muscians union that effectively protected muscians from the more egregious BS. Of course that's long gone and, so far as I now, never existed for us visual artists. I'm wondering if maybe co-op galleries might not be the way to go.
@@ravenpersonaldefensesystem9015 same with artists ... a rich asshole promissed me a proper studio , REAL stuff artists use for making paintings . but instead that fat fuck puts me in a small room with nothing but mirrors , no windows , a table im not supposed to drop any paint on because its 'KOREAN' Wood .... and my painting supplies ? FUCKING SCHOOL KID's PAINTING . ARTS AND CRAFTS SUPPLIES . but i still pull off some art work and what does he say to me at the end of the day ?..... its not black enough ..... I wasted 500 bucks travelled for 6 hours just to get to this fucker's office every day for a month with barely any money and that ... is what i get . So i thought to my self FUCK HIM FUCK MY OLD MAN WHO FORCED ME TO WORK FOR HIM and i went home and painted on a tshirt ... and its still the nicest thing i ever made for my self years later even with some of the ink and paint fading away .
you gain my integrity man...thanks for rhos enlightenment...i paid my first art commission for 1500$...late 2008.... that i made a steady pricing of my works.too....finding new client...from Philippines .....
Thank you for the information. I paint very small oils, all between 1inch x 1inch up to 5 inches x 5inches. The unusual thing for me is that the smaller the paintings get, the more money I make. The difficulty comes in framing. Framers are becomming unwilling to frame anythiing that small. I don't know if it's luck, a fluke or maybe the novelty of it all, but I did sell five of these little gems for $800.00, the largest was 4inches x 4inches. I learned a long time ago in the florist business that there are times went certain product demands more than keystone pricing and there are customers that can and are willing to pay for the perceived intrinsic value of that end product.
The level of skill, not to mention the eye strain it takes to produce a miniature painting is extraordinary. Many years ago there was an art gallery in Waterloo, London I would visit. The artworks were jaw dropping, the details astonishing. For that alone they should command a high price, so I can relate to your story
Thank you so much for this video. I've been a "closet" artist for my entire life. And due to encouragement from friends and family. I'm entering my first art show, but had no idea on how to price. This is so helpful
brilliant, makes me think of my art in a different way, just started painting in oils a couple of years ago and never dreamed I could sell paintings, still trying to find my niche and getting time to paint, its moving in that direction and this vid has inspired me to try a bit harder.thanks again.subscribed. Dan U.K.
Thank you! I’ve always undervalued my work when trying to figure out a price. Family has pushed the idea that “you can sell your work or have your work for sale.” You’ve given me a better perspective.
He says that if all artists demanded a minimum of $2 per square inch then people would have to pay the price. Here are some facts: Most people live their entire lives without buying a piece of original art. Original art is not like toilet paper...people don't really need to buy original art. People who buy high end art are usually thinking of it as an investment. If you are not in the high end of art then your art is not an investment. People who want to put a piece of art on their wall usually prefer a print of a Monet to original art by you. People will say that they love your art. They want you to give it to them for nothing.
part of what you say i agree with but there are people out there that do feel original art is a necessity in their lives. i know lots of them and i'm one of them. when you have an original piece of art, you have part of that artists soul. you have their blood, sweat and tears. the feeling is totally different than looking at a print. of course there are a lot of people that could care less.. especially nowdays but i could not live without original art in my life. and of course they want it for nothing and i feel that that is because they aren't educated. they don't know about art. and you can educate them, you can make them feel like they have to have it if you are honest and educate them. to me this is the hardest thing that i learned. i hate talking about my art to buyers. i hate when you get that pompous asshole that stand there and analyzes YOU through your art. i laugh now when i get those and i just say with a smile. "hmmm are we projecting here?" and that is exactly what they are doing. and yes original art does cost money and rightly so and there are people that won't spend the money on it for whatever reason but if you have someone that loves your work, really loves it, they will buy it. then the next thing is finding those people. the people that want my work for free and want it to go with a couch.. i don't want to sell to them anyway because they have no passion for art, they don't understand. it's hard work, very hard and painful work. to me i really feel the key is for education. when you can understand and appreciate what art really is then yo know what goes into art and then you are more likely to care, to love it and to want to have original art on your wall.
People but art and we need art and for every piece there is a buyer somewhere- this guy is amazing and I think you are just been overly negative and not helpful.
Wow ! Stefan, this makes so much "cents". (ha ha). Your information is so on track. I have viewed many videos that that try to suggest pricing, but you hit it on the spot. Great information, thank you for sharing. What you say about the artist and gallery relationship is so important. thanks again for the information.
May God forever Bless you. This information has already literally and figuratively doubled my base pay I was using the square inch pricing...but I had it at 1.00 not two👀 because the artwork is on reclaimed cardboard with duct tape trimming and house paint. Didn't consider more than 1.00 per sq in Glad I saw this video. The relationship building with the gallery give them 20% give the customer 10%off Never undercut the gallery I have over 500.00
Thankyou for your advice. I agree with everyone of us need to set standard pricing so both galleries and artists are on the same page. Then a buyer will learn to accept an artist's prices.
Man. 2/sq.in sounds like a dream; Something to aspire to. But worth it. Just as with any artist, my soul goes into my art. I'm never satisfied, fully, with my pieces. I have to talk myself into walking away from them while creating. My pieces haunt my dreams before, during and after I create them. Point being, I see why you want us all to stand firm on that price. I'm getting calls and commissions to do work. I'll work up to this in the coming 6-18 months. Thank you, sir, for your wisdom and pointers. You've really given me much to think about. Salute.
Good to see a new video Stefan. I was delighted that it was a long almost 30 mins video. I love listening to you while commuting back and forth from work. This subject is interesting. I've always wondered how much to price art. You've given us one way to follow. I'll give it a try. Thanks for the depth of information.
great as usual! I have not sold any of my work yet but according to the math you suggest, I have a bit over $1,000,000.00 in paintings that I have made all packed into my home/studio. I think I will soon be on the six o'clock news for my home bursting open from all my paintings. I look forward to your next video.
Peter Krenz hi, please forgive me..I had to share or comment...I lol...oh your comment is wonderful...nothing against Stefans message..really just your thoughts...I'm a comin knockin on your door...that is classic...can't make that....up...thanks
Actually, your videos helped me realize that my work was kind of lost and struggling :) since then I was able to make the choice to destroy the majority of my prior work. Since this comment and many of your videos -- I feel I have improved greatly as an artist. My home/studio is still packed full with paintings though... But seriously, I am concerned about my home/studio space bursting open from all my paintings.
This is so helpful right now. I am in the midst of creating a business plan so I can apply for grants and loans from the government. There are so many "angles" to consider that I have never considered. Experience is so valuable. Thanks for sharing.
I appreciate this hybridized advice for gallery and online marketing. The gallery is still an authority for art markets. The online presence that artists carry are still considered extensions and open the door for haggling. Very interesting. I am glad that I ran across this.
I came across this video while searching for something else. It was so easy to listen to, you have a calming voice and well spoken. Handsome too. Although I am Aussie, your information was much the same as here.. I sell a lot of paintings and I have just finished creating a website.. loved your video. x
So enjoy your videos and am learning a lot! Where I live, I was told by the local art "guild" or group, that because I was an "unknown", my work should be priced at about 50 cents a square inch. I don't live in a large city and there are no art galleries, so I have thought about selling online, but haven't as yet.
Very informative... Just started painting with oils and making my own pigments thanks to you. Would love to see a video that goes into the methods of maxfield Parrish. Keep up the great work!
thank you for sharing, it is so nice to know, painting since 2006-7, and so nice to know, even if I knew because of Niska (international well known artist) which I have known since I was young... and I saw artists cutting neck of other artists( french expression) selling for nothing and hurt other artists
Thank u so much for sharing this I've always struggled with the pricing of my pieces. I am definitely gonna stick to this method. I watch all ur videos they r awesome and so incouraging 🙏🏼🙏🏼😊
The $2 psi doesn't quite work for me. I use a kind of bell curve approach where the really large pieces come slightly under 2.5 (my price psi) and the really small pieces (8X8 in) come slightly over 2.5. Otherwise the small works would be ridiculously cheap and wouldn't be worth selling to me.
Yea, I get what you mean. I worked everything out by square inch and adjusted the smaller end and the larger end because once you get a bit higher up the prices were becoming ridiculously high and at the moment I don’t think I can command those prices. However Stefan is right if artists could just agree on this basic minimum this would change the art world. I have spent so much of my time throughout my life reading, watching, learning, getting qualifications, teaching, practising my craft and then sell a painting for $450 and that’s nothing really compared to what I went through to get where I am.
Very usefull and encouraging, as I struggled a lot with pricing my art. A lot of questions found their answer here. I must say that I was quite lucky enough selling my first paintings even at a higher price I initially put. The clients themselves wanted to pay more for it, as first suggested by me, as I did not have a clue about what Price to put at that moment. They took me by surprise. I know, of course, that it will not be like this, always. I actually put a Price on the time I spent on painting, like for instance 15 €/ hour, adding the frame and so on. But this maths does not really satisfy me, as I feel that there is just much more than just time spent. Your suggestion about Price/ inches is really good. Thanks a lot. You just gained a new subscriber ;)
Thank you so much. You make a lot of since and it really is a burning question amongst us new artists trying to make their way. I was told to figure cost of material. Which got confusing cost of paint, canvas, resin. This led to discouragement and frustration I prefer the square inch method it is not as stressful when figuring out what to charge.
Thank you so much...I loved my work but I need to sell too...And I have no idea whatsoever... Especially in my country paintings are bargained in Malls...So I thought I'd rather keep it ...I agree,we need to unite to give value to our artworks.
Please when you are in presence of a teacher artist , just close your mobile and don't let it ring and make such noise! Thank you Stefan for the very good info! I worked for a Gallery in North of Europe and the Gallery paid everything even the hotel for the artist who had the exhibition and it took 50%.. Now I am a full time artist and I believe that it is so good that artists and Galleries respect each other.
This was brilliant. This is better advice than art schools providing degrees give; this is an education in itself. Even the public should understand this. Artists make a living off their work and should be paid enough to support themselves and their families for their work and underpricing conditions buyers and the general public to expect and only accept really low, underpriced art thus harming the art community. Solidarity among artists in properly valuing their products to a decent living wage helps artists and the buyers, as artists who can support themselves can make more art, and buyers who will spend more are getting products which appreciate over the years and will end up being worth much more than they paid originally. Cheaping artists out only hurts everyone in the long term. Those southwestern people who got together like a union to protect and advance their group interest are brilliant; it helped their hard working artist community thrive and built respect everywhere for the value of their cultural traditions and influences, creating and multiplying value for every customer they've ever had in the process and ensuring it's growth for the future. Thank you for this Stephan!
so i made a big 90x90cm black and white portrait of clint eastwood.. i think it looks quite good to be honest but find it a bit weird to ask 1600 for it but you make it look sense, awesome video again!
Really impressed by how well said that was. Me artist upped my prices and sell more. I did not do a % I did an adjustment based on hourly wage increases but same idea more or less.
+Stefan Baumann Interestingly I had a painting priced in the $2.00 range per square inch originally. Then I received an email at an offer 2/3's below that price but never sold it. I kicked myself with thoughts that I should have sold it. So after sometime I went and lowered the price to near the price I was offered. You know, over long bit of time no one ever came back to buy it. lloydthibodeau.com/Paintings/GerberaDaisy/Gerbera-Melange.htm so now the price is back near it's original. I'm guessing that collectors realized my artwork values where not there. It may take sometime for collectors to understand I've readjusted to a set standard. How long I don't know but I'm going to stick to it.
Good stuff. Thanks. I've looked up three or so places and you guys all agree, glad you went in depth. I do have one question, is it okay to price different styles at different levels..ie, still life vs plein air, vs landscapes..etc.
Video is good but the problem is today Art is saturated and if you charge $2 per inch^2, you are not gonna get customers without some kind of leg up. At the end of the day you need people to buy and competition for cheap art is brutal.
given that art is subjective, more like don't PRICE art cheaply. But the problem is unless everyone agrees, some other guy around the corner ends up selling similar looking thing for half the price. then what you gonna do. Most artist don't get museum representation or reputation points, all they can easily control directly is the price. So they end up competing eachother out of good livelihood.
Hi Stefan, thanks for your expertise, very helpful! In the base price for each painting, do you also factor in general supplies (canvas, paint, etc) or only add those in for extra materials above and beyond what you normally use (resins, for ex) and write the general materials / supplies off as the cost of doing business?
Excellent advice! I especially appreciate your ethical and professional advice on handling the situations on buyers going around the gallery, and still giving credit (and commission) to the gallery. Subscribed! :)
A few years ago I came across an agent who wanted to take on new artists but would only pay the artists 10% of the sale price. I was the only person who spoke up and said why should I be working for nothing, 20% wouldn't even cover the cost of materials never mind my time. The whole room gasped as though I'd suddenly grown 2 heads. It was a lesson on being very, very careful who you trust your work to.
My favorite line, "... and it's not your business to try to paint something that they can afford." Love it. 25:11
True!
I love a straight-to-the-point video by a man who knows what the fuck he's doing. I'm holding my first exhibition in two months. I paid for the space, and I get to keep anything I make.
How'd it go?
Don't think I commented yet but this video and pricing structure has been the most transparent, clearest, and simplest way to price my work I've ever seen. It has given me the ability to be transparent with my clients and feel a lot more confident in my pricing, especially with entering new art markets. THANK YOU!
"Art is a luxury, not a necessity"
Awesome video, there's a wealth of info here
Lol, my husband just walked by and said Oh that voice, I could listen to him all day
Haha gay
@@pomodoro.pomodoro NO!!!!! JEALOUS?LOL
this man has the flyest vests
Thanks?
@@StefanBaumann-- yes, thanks is in order- IT WAS A COMPLIMENT - it’s part of who you are /your style.
It’s fantastic / you look fantastic in the gear you wear!
You have inspired me to keep my eyes open for things I love
That are my personality
To help create my image/product! So far I’ve found several items that are “me”
Every time I apply some of your teachings, I praise my god on account of you & ask Him to bless you!!!
(That is NOT RELIGION !!!
God (& I ), hate all religions
They are a deception!
As a kid, I asked God what religion I should be?
I audibly heard a male voice when alone in fields of Canada
Say: “Have nothing to do with anybody’s club organization or religion. It’s NOT ME!”
But your tailoring is just “you”
Beautiful package
Great advertizing for fantastic product!!!
$2 per square inch! let's unite and raise the value of our work together!
That's the bare minimum, personally for embroidered art, there's time to be taken into consideration too, so that's the very bare minimum price.
I have been charging $1 per square in for my custom portrait drawings and $20 per linear inch on my custom paintings.
You can raise the value of your work, but if people won't buy it because it's too expensive, you will have a garage full of "valuable" paintings you can't sell. Quality of the painting matters as well. Not all artist are good. And we are living in an economy where some things sell well and others don't. Paintings may not be one of those things that sell well.
I built my way up to $2 per square inch over ten years! I am hoping to increase it soon
@@angelaspaintings I'm very happy to hear that! Are you able to sell enough to live on?
Wow, this has been helpful, thank you so much. As an artist it's always been a "mystery" as to what you should sell your work for. $2.00/sq in minimum plus the double the frame, plus your time to put it all together. It definitely gives you a lot to think about and brings the value of your (and everyone's) painting up. Knowing the market and understanding it is so very helpful. I can't tell you how valuable this is! Thank you thank you, thank you!!!
Love you Kathleen
As my teacher was saying to sell your art cheap is not to respect your talent and work, and while we love to do it, there still is time and labor involved, then there are materials that are not cheap at all, and last but not least there is the uniqueness of an original that even if there is an artist copy, no one can repeat every stroke it is something of one of a kind just like you and as an average, if people get something cheap they don't appreciate it (don't mix it with a bargain, like that $60 Banksy originals lol)😀
This was so important to me because I've always struggled how to price my art work and have shyed away on selling or giving a price. So I hold on to my work and figure one day maybe I'll sell one day. I've never had enough money to buy the good stuff so I paint in water colors. And sometimes acrylics in small frames of water color paper or canvas. I've always been told since elementary that I was destined to be a great artist. Well 57 years later I'm still painting on occasion. I'm a volunteer at a non profit and assist victims of crime and all my energy goes to that cause. But your videos are helping me to rediscover myself again. Thank you so much, I'm going to follow your advice and see what happens and who knows maybe meet you some day!
Right on point. Be proud and enthusiastic about your work... sell it for it's value and worth instead of giving it away!
This is very good information. My paintings use to be sold for far less than that but the I was visited by an art collector and he asked why am I selling my pieces so cheap are you a hungry artist or an aspiring artist? He asked. Now my paintings are being sold at a much better price. You see you have to value your work, if you can't do that no one will do it for you. The time you invest in a painting is very important and just as costly as the material you use to produce the art work.
when i was university some of us mature students were desperate for a tutor to give a lecture like this, but sadly they never did.........instead, they hid their own feelings of competition with their students, and somehow art is a vocation not a business........soooo bad....so many of my fellow students went on to abandon their art and work in banks, supermarkets, etc. Thank you for this lecture. I so appreciate it.
A lot of that mindset is about stopping new artists shining their light in case they're better than the tutor. Maybe that's the case but there's room for many artists. There's 8.5 billion people on this planet, that's a lot of customers, a lot who will be happy to buy many types of art, plenty of room for everyone.
incredible confidence booster. This hits home with all the truths and doubts that go around my hea. How can Any good artist expect to make their crowning pieces, if they are constantly rushing a piece out to the client, for the sake of their budget. Find the Right clients if you are a good upcoming artist. Do not fumble with the audiences who will belittle your worth. Do NOT sacrifice your quality/detail, for the sake of a clients budget, or winning over their trust.. Because neither party wins that way. You will continue to suffocate and prolong your progressions into the limelight.
WOW!
Thank YOU !
Keep up the good work!
Great points, Great Post
- my Example : I had a painting sell at a Gallery and they did not give me the info on the client,( I was a new artist in the gallery so I get it ) >> when they shut their doors and Closed the gallery >>they Did ship me my Paintings that were still there hanging. I was thankful they didn't just take off with my work. This was in North Carolina.
I know this is from 2016, but as a new artist I found it interesting and helpful. :)
I didn’t think it was possible to realistically address this question in a TH-cam video, but he did it. 💚🎨👍
G'day Stefan, thank you again, your words made me rethink about the way I'm pricing my work. This video is a valuable lesson and I hope alot of artists watched this video.
I've missed not seeing a new video from you for a while. Now you post a new one, and it's one of your best! Pricing your art is so scary and confusing. This practical advice is most appreciated. Thanks, Stefan!
+AlonzoTheArmless Thanks I have been behind after going to the Plein Air Convention
Oh, that's right! I've been reading some FB entries on the convention, all favorable. I hope you had fun.
And, no, you're not behind. You're doing us TH-camrs the favor. We're just greedy Stefan Baumann fans.
+AlonzoTheArmless I love my fans
Stefan Baumann we love you Stefan...and missed you...I kept checking for New posts and found a few just now...so excited...hope you had a wonderful time...I hope one day to have a chance to go to your workshop...bucket list my friend...bucket list...
10:10 pricing, 19:15 gallery relationship
goddam thankyou sooooooo much
Cut the fat from the steak! Cheers.
Finally found someone who tells it like it is...thank-you.
First solid and firm pricing. This was definitely not talked about in grad school. Thank you!
Brilliant! My mom was a pastel portrait artist. She did 10000 of painting across America. She never did do a gallery. She claimed they were snobs. I agree a standardization of our market would be most helpful. She kept her prices low since her target audience was the working Joe. I always thought she drastically under sold herself.
En français svp
Great advice! So helpful! I am helping my dad to market and sell his stained glass window panels. Some of his works are very complex but small, I was thinking of coming up with a calculation based on how many pieces the panel is made up of
I'm following his advice. Makes perfect sense to me and makes it easy to price. No more guessing and pulling numbers out of thin air.
This is great advice. I'm a practicing artist, and while this doesn't cover everything, I feel like it's really good advice and helpful to understand gallery relationships. 2$/square inch is a great baseline.
Many thanks for a much needed advice and tips on this difficult issue. Really appreciated . You do have and indeed make a valid point especially about the square inch point . I share your views. I am new to this field. Last year a friend of mind, a professional artist herself invited me to be her guest at an exhibition and to submit a painting I have painted . I didn't know how much I should put as price. I went overboard and put a big figure I would not have thought would help sell the painting. It was bought! So if you don't aim high you will never get there!
Congratulations Great story
congrats! that's a great story. good for you!
Great, was it a nude with huge boobs?
Exact same thing has happened with musicians. The clubs used to provide marketing, PA systems, clientele, etc. In today's world you have to be marketer, promoter, website designer, social media expert and hopefully, a good musician. Interesting comparisons.
totally true. There's also these assholes that make you pay-to-play and tell you you're investing in "exposure", then you get to the gig and you're playing at 6pm to a crowd of 8 people who aren't even there for the show....glad my musician days are officially over. fug all that nonsense.
After 40 years of playing bars etc. I said screw it 4 years ago. I thought I'd eventually miss it. I don't, not at all.
You can outsource some of those tasks to other professionals.
My husbands a professional muscian and has been for 40 years and I'm a working artist.The parallels are indeed compelling. One observation that I have is that there used to be a fairly strong and influential muscians union that effectively protected muscians from the more egregious BS. Of course that's long gone and, so far as I now, never existed for us visual artists. I'm wondering if maybe co-op galleries might not be the way to go.
@@ravenpersonaldefensesystem9015 same with artists ... a rich asshole promissed me a proper studio , REAL stuff artists use for making paintings . but instead that fat fuck puts me in a small room with nothing but mirrors , no windows , a table im not supposed to drop any paint on because its 'KOREAN' Wood .... and my painting supplies ? FUCKING SCHOOL KID's PAINTING . ARTS AND CRAFTS SUPPLIES . but i still pull off some art work and what does he say to me at the end of the day ?..... its not black enough ..... I wasted 500 bucks travelled for 6 hours just to get to this fucker's office every day for a month with barely any money and that ... is what i get . So i thought to my self FUCK HIM FUCK MY OLD MAN WHO FORCED ME TO WORK FOR HIM and i went home and painted on a tshirt ... and its still the nicest thing i ever made for my self years later even with some of the ink and paint fading away .
Best conversation I've heard on how to price art, and working with a gallery. Thanks!!
Thank you for all your valuable insights. I watch / listen to you while I paint. You are a life saver!
you gain my integrity man...thanks for rhos enlightenment...i paid my first art commission for 1500$...late 2008....
that i made a steady pricing of my works.too....finding new client...from Philippines .....
Thank you for the information. I paint very small oils, all between 1inch x 1inch up to 5 inches x 5inches.
The unusual thing for me is that the smaller the paintings get, the more money I make. The difficulty comes in framing. Framers are becomming unwilling to frame anythiing that small.
I don't know if it's luck, a fluke or maybe the novelty of it all, but I did sell five of these little gems for $800.00, the largest was 4inches x 4inches.
I learned a long time ago in the florist business that there are times went certain product demands more than keystone pricing and there are customers that can and are willing to pay for the perceived intrinsic value of that end product.
The level of skill, not to mention the eye strain it takes to produce a miniature painting is extraordinary. Many years ago there was an art gallery in Waterloo, London I would visit. The artworks were jaw dropping, the details astonishing. For that alone they should command a high price, so I can relate to your story
Thank you so much for this video. I've been a "closet" artist for my entire life. And due to encouragement from friends and family. I'm entering my first art show, but had no idea on how to price. This is so helpful
brilliant, makes me think of my art in a different way, just started painting in oils a couple of years ago and never dreamed I could sell paintings, still trying to find my niche and getting time to paint, its moving in that direction and this vid has inspired me to try a bit harder.thanks again.subscribed.
Dan U.K.
Dan you go for it and let me know how it goes
Thank you! I’ve always undervalued my work when trying to figure out a price. Family has pushed the idea that “you can sell your work or have your work for sale.” You’ve given me a better perspective.
This is what is missing from art school education! Thank you so much!!!
You have just answered all my confusions about pricing my work. Thank you so very much xoxo
From the bottom of my heart
WOW!!! I REALLY NEEDED THIS EDUCATION ON HOW TO PRICE MY WORK!!! THANK YOU FOR TAKING YOUR EXPERIENCE AND SHARING !!!!!!!!
What a great video. Spoken with so much confidence and clarity and wisdom.
He says that if all artists demanded a minimum of $2 per square inch then people would have to pay the price. Here are some facts:
Most people live their entire lives without buying a piece of original art. Original art is not like toilet paper...people don't really need to buy original art.
People who buy high end art are usually thinking of it as an investment. If you are not in the high end of art then your art is not an investment.
People who want to put a piece of art on their wall usually prefer a print of a Monet to original art by you.
People will say that they love your art. They want you to give it to them for nothing.
YEP
part of what you say i agree with but there are people out there that do feel original art is a necessity in their lives. i know lots of them and i'm one of them. when you have an original piece of art, you have part of that artists soul. you have their blood, sweat and tears. the feeling is totally different than looking at a print. of course there are a lot of people that could care less.. especially nowdays but i could not live without original art in my life. and of course they want it for nothing and i feel that that is because they aren't educated. they don't know about art. and you can educate them, you can make them feel like they have to have it if you are honest and educate them. to me this is the hardest thing that i learned. i hate talking about my art to buyers. i hate when you get that pompous asshole that stand there and analyzes YOU through your art. i laugh now when i get those and i just say with a smile. "hmmm are we projecting here?" and that is exactly what they are doing. and yes original art does cost money and rightly so and there are people that won't spend the money on it for whatever reason but if you have someone that loves your work, really loves it, they will buy it. then the next thing is finding those people. the people that want my work for free and want it to go with a couch.. i don't want to sell to them anyway because they have no passion for art, they don't understand. it's hard work, very hard and painful work. to me i really feel the key is for education. when you can understand and appreciate what art really is then yo know what goes into art and then you are more likely to care, to love it and to want to have original art on your wall.
Frank Blangeard you sound like someone who cannot find a job.
i agree
People but art and we need art and for every piece there is a buyer somewhere- this guy is amazing and I think you are just been overly negative and not helpful.
Wow ! Stefan, this makes so much "cents". (ha ha). Your information is so on track. I have viewed many videos that that try to suggest pricing, but you hit it on the spot. Great information, thank you for sharing. What you say about the artist and gallery relationship is so important. thanks again for the information.
Greetings from Ireland. My wake up call, truly inspirational thank you so much.
Yes, I really enjoy your videos. Its like attending a master art class!!
well some day please do attend a workshop
May God forever Bless you.
This information has already literally and figuratively doubled my base pay
I was using the square inch pricing...but I had it at 1.00 not two👀 because the artwork is on reclaimed cardboard with duct tape trimming and house paint.
Didn't consider more than 1.00 per sq in
Glad I saw this video.
The relationship building with the gallery give them 20% give the customer 10%off
Never undercut the gallery
I have over 500.00
right on, brother. thanks for the talk. i need more people to talk to me like this.
Thankyou for your advice. I agree with everyone of us need to set standard pricing so both galleries and artists are on the same page. Then a buyer will learn to accept an artist's prices.
Man. 2/sq.in sounds like a dream; Something to aspire to. But worth it.
Just as with any artist, my soul goes into my art. I'm never satisfied, fully, with my pieces. I have to talk myself into walking away from them while creating. My pieces haunt my dreams before, during and after I create them.
Point being, I see why you want us all to stand firm on that price.
I'm getting calls and commissions to do work. I'll work up to this in the coming 6-18 months.
Thank you, sir, for your wisdom and pointers. You've really given me much to think about. Salute.
Your not here making paintings that people can afford your painting paintings that people need to collect
Good to see a new video Stefan. I was delighted that it was a long almost 30 mins video. I love listening to you while commuting back and forth from work.
This subject is interesting. I've always wondered how much to price art. You've given us one way to follow. I'll give it a try. Thanks for the depth of information.
+RedSoxKal Your so welcome and thanks for putting in the time to listen to me
great as usual! I have not sold any of my work yet but according to the math you suggest, I have a bit over $1,000,000.00 in paintings that I have made all packed into my home/studio. I think I will soon be on the six o'clock news for my home bursting open from all my paintings. I look forward to your next video.
Peter Krenz hi, please forgive me..I had to share or comment...I lol...oh your comment is wonderful...nothing against Stefans message..really just your thoughts...I'm a comin knockin on your door...that is classic...can't make that....up...thanks
Peter Krenz let's sell some of those paintings
Actually, your videos helped me realize that my work was kind of lost and struggling :) since then I was able to make the choice to destroy the majority of my prior work. Since this comment and many of your videos -- I feel I have improved greatly as an artist. My home/studio is still packed full with paintings though... But seriously, I am concerned about my home/studio space bursting open from all my paintings.
Hi Peter, can you borrow me a few dollars? :-)
ser marine kuch painting sell karba Sakta ha
This is so helpful right now. I am in the midst of creating a business plan so I can apply for grants and loans from the government. There are so many "angles" to consider that I have never considered. Experience is so valuable. Thanks for sharing.
your welcome
great advice on keeping in integral relationship with the gallery.
You Bet
I appreciate this hybridized advice for gallery and online marketing. The gallery is still an authority for art markets. The online presence that artists carry are still considered extensions and open the door for haggling.
Very interesting. I am glad that I ran across this.
I have a gallery down the street from me and yes they expect to have sold the painting for 50 percent more!! Stefan they have told me so!!
Hi, I'm a beginner Artis, I want just to say thank you so much, this video helps me a lot, wish you all the best 🙏🏻
I came across this video while searching for something else. It was so easy to listen to, you have a calming voice and well spoken. Handsome too. Although I am Aussie, your information was much the same as here.. I sell a lot of paintings and I have just finished creating a website.. loved your video. x
This has been one of the most Informative lectures.I've heard thank you.
You are an excellent speaker - I could listen to you all day!
So enjoy your videos and am learning a lot! Where I live, I was told by the local art "guild" or group, that because I was an "unknown", my work should be priced at about 50 cents a square inch. I don't live in a large city and there are no art galleries, so I have thought about selling online, but haven't as yet.
Very informative... Just started painting with oils and making my own pigments thanks to you. Would love to see a video that goes into the methods of maxfield Parrish. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much!! You have answered so many questions and have given me new directions to pursue!!
THANK YOU, Stefan!
This is an amazing teaching.
I’m
Just starting so I will apply as directed!!!!
Thanks!!!
thank you for sharing, it is so nice to know, painting since 2006-7, and so nice to know, even if I knew because of Niska (international well known artist) which I have known since I was young... and I saw artists cutting neck of other artists( french expression) selling for nothing and hurt other artists
Thank u so much for sharing this I've always struggled with the pricing of my pieces. I am definitely gonna stick to this method. I watch all ur videos they r awesome and so incouraging 🙏🏼🙏🏼😊
+Big Ray Ink thanks
The $2 psi doesn't quite work for me. I use a kind of bell curve approach where the really large pieces come slightly under 2.5 (my price psi) and the really small pieces (8X8 in) come slightly over 2.5. Otherwise the small works would be ridiculously cheap and wouldn't be worth selling to me.
$2 was just the minimum.
Yea, I get what you mean. I worked everything out by square inch and adjusted the smaller end and the larger end because once you get a bit higher up the prices were becoming ridiculously high and at the moment I don’t think I can command those prices. However Stefan is right if artists could just agree on this basic minimum this would change the art world.
I have spent so much of my time throughout my life reading, watching, learning, getting qualifications, teaching, practising my craft and then sell a painting for $450 and that’s nothing really compared to what I went through to get where I am.
Very usefull and encouraging, as I struggled a lot with pricing my art. A lot of questions found their answer here. I must say that I was quite lucky enough selling my first paintings even at a higher price I initially put. The clients themselves wanted to pay more for it, as first suggested by me, as I did not have a clue about what Price to put at that moment. They took me by surprise. I know, of course, that it will not be like this, always. I actually put a Price on the time I spent on painting, like for instance 15 €/ hour, adding the frame and so on. But this maths does not really satisfy me, as I feel that there is just much more than just time spent. Your suggestion about Price/ inches is really good. Thanks a lot. You just gained a new subscriber ;)
What a wonderful world it would be if it were the *seller* who determined value.
Thank you so much. You make a lot of since and it really is a burning question amongst us new artists trying to make their way. I was told to figure cost of material. Which got confusing cost of paint, canvas, resin. This led to discouragement and frustration I prefer the square inch method it is not as stressful when figuring out what to charge.
This was excellent advice! I've always struggled with how much to charge for my work. This gives me a standard and consistency to follow. Thanks!
You have given awesome advise with great integrity. That surely goes a long way.
Thank you so much...I loved my work but I need to sell too...And I have no idea whatsoever... Especially in my country paintings are bargained in Malls...So I thought I'd rather keep it ...I agree,we need to unite to give value to our artworks.
Please when you are in presence of a teacher artist , just close your mobile and don't let it ring and make such noise!
Thank you Stefan for the very good info! I worked for a Gallery in North of Europe and the Gallery paid everything even the hotel for the artist who had the exhibition and it took 50%.. Now I am a full time artist and I believe that it is so good that artists and Galleries respect each other.
I agree
Thank you Stefan very helpful information All the Best
Excellent Stefan, if I could give you 5 thumbs up, I would.
Thanks.
Timely advice, much needed and very helpful!!! Thank you for all your videos, I'm just getting into them.
Thank you so much for this! Looking at the worth of my art and talents in a whole new light!
THANK YOU SO MUCH! FINALLY A COMPRÉHENSIVE SENSIBLE GUIDE LINE.
I am not a painter, but I create jewelry and a lot of the advice given here applies. Thanks for providing food for thought.
Great info! So glad I found you on TH-cam.
Thank you for speaking about pricing your art. Is so hard. First time i hear an explanation on how to do it. I like your videos.
Thanks
This was brilliant. This is better advice than art schools providing degrees give; this is an education in itself. Even the public should understand this.
Artists make a living off their work and should be paid enough to support themselves and their families for their work and underpricing conditions buyers and the general public to expect and only accept really low, underpriced art thus harming the art community. Solidarity among artists in properly valuing their products to a decent living wage helps artists and the buyers, as artists who can support themselves can make more art, and buyers who will spend more are getting products which appreciate over the years and will end up being worth much more than they paid originally. Cheaping artists out only hurts everyone in the long term.
Those southwestern people who got together like a union to protect and advance their group interest are brilliant; it helped their hard working artist community thrive and built respect everywhere for the value of their cultural traditions and influences, creating and multiplying value for every customer they've ever had in the process and ensuring it's growth for the future.
Thank you for this Stephan!
Thanks for the amazing feed back, I would love to see your paintings!
so i made a big 90x90cm black and white portrait of clint eastwood.. i think it looks quite good to be honest but find it a bit weird to ask 1600 for it but you make it look sense, awesome video again!
Just found your channel & it's everything I have been looking for!
Thanks for you str8 forward opinions
Really impressed by how well said that was. Me artist upped my prices and sell more. I did not do a % I did an adjustment based on hourly wage increases but same idea more or less.
This is really good. I've bounced my prices back and forth. Going to stick to these principles from now on. Thanks for easing the mind on this.
+Lloyd W Thibodeau let me know how it works for you
+Stefan Baumann Interestingly I had a painting priced in the $2.00 range per square inch originally. Then I received an email at an offer 2/3's below that price but never sold it. I kicked myself with thoughts that I should have sold it. So after sometime I went and lowered the price to near the price I was offered. You know, over long bit of time no one ever came back to buy it.
lloydthibodeau.com/Paintings/GerberaDaisy/Gerbera-Melange.htm so now the price is back near it's original.
I'm guessing that collectors realized my artwork values where not there. It may take sometime for collectors to understand I've readjusted to a set standard. How long I don't know but I'm going to stick to it.
Thank you for such good information. I have been at a loss of how to structure a price for a painting and now problem solved.
Thank you so much for this video.. much love!
Great advice. If you undercut ultimately you are undercutting yourself and then every buyer will want your work for the cheaper price.
Great vid m8. I was just in this crisis myself of what to price my work.
Good stuff. Thanks. I've looked up three or so places and you guys all agree, glad you went in depth. I do have one question, is it okay to price different styles at different levels..ie, still life vs plein air, vs landscapes..etc.
Yes as long as you are consistent
Video is good but the problem is today Art is saturated and if you charge $2 per inch^2, you are not gonna get customers without some kind of leg up. At the end of the day you need people to buy and competition for cheap art is brutal.
given that art is subjective, more like don't PRICE art cheaply. But the problem is unless everyone agrees, some other guy around the corner ends up selling similar looking thing for half the price. then what you gonna do. Most artist don't get museum representation or reputation points, all they can easily control directly is the price. So they end up competing eachother out of good livelihood.
You need to make better art then.
@@ThePortraitArt the same thing happens in the music industry. Hobbits vs professionals.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience!
You are so 100 per cent right. Thank you very much.
Thanks for all these videos Maestro!
Your welcome
Good motivation. When you know minimum price of your future artwork then it is much easier to start working.
Hi Stefan, thanks for your expertise, very helpful!
In the base price for each painting, do you also factor in general supplies (canvas, paint, etc) or only add those in for extra materials above and beyond what you normally use (resins, for ex) and write the general materials / supplies off as the cost of doing business?
Thank you Stefan, Just the information I needed. I do struggle with pricing my art.
Let me know how it works
Stefan Baumann of
What is your point Susan?
I sure will Stefan!
Thank you so very much for this invaluable lesson.
Excellent advice! I especially appreciate your ethical and professional advice on handling the situations on buyers going around the gallery, and still giving credit (and commission) to the gallery. Subscribed! :)
you bet
The history and ethics of maintaining that relationship is crucial and such valuable advice.
Thank you for the tips Stefan,it's a very good instructional video!
your welcome
A few years ago I came across an agent who wanted to take on new artists but would only pay the artists 10% of the sale price. I was the only person who spoke up and said why should I be working for nothing, 20% wouldn't even cover the cost of materials never mind my time. The whole room gasped as though I'd suddenly grown 2 heads. It was a lesson on being very, very careful who you trust your work to.