How To Price Art - Part 1: Paintings, Works on Paper, Fine Art Photography & Prints (+Calculator!)

[@contemporaryartissue]

Hello, dear readers and subscribers, I am pleased to present our complete online guide and tool to price your art. You can find the free online article here: www.contemporaryartissue.com/how-to-price-your-art/ and the Price Calculator Tool here: www.contemporaryartissue.com/product/price-calculator-painting-works-on-paper-photography-prints-sculpture-excel/ As always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments and chat soon! Cheers, Julien

[@JTCLT]

I noticed that the index numbers on the spreadsheet are higher than those recommended in the video. Is there a reason for the difference, or are the numbers on the spreadsheet just "place holders?"

[@contemporaryartissue]

@@JTCLT The index numbers from this video are designated to calculate prices in Euro using centimeters. As a result, the version designated for USD and inches has higher index numbers to generate the same value. Hoping this might clarify things further

[@JTCLT]

@@contemporaryartissue That makes perfect sense now. Thank you for the clarification.

[@gesudinazaret9259]

I want to thank all of the people involved with contemporary art issue ,I started watching your videos around June 2023 and I never touched a brush but then I started painting around October ,organized a solo show in December and now just recently I finally got some of my paintings in a gallery and I must say I know the hard work starts now ahah but the point is I couldn’t have the confidence of pursuing this career without your videos guys

[@MariannesStudio]

Wow, that's so impressive! Kudos!

[@luizhenriquedarochaazevedo7786]

It's very good of you, Julien, to have tackled this topic, which deals with the approximate price of our paintings, considering each one of us. A standardized and very clear formula. Each of us with common sense will find the value of our index. Thank you.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Hi there, I trust you are doing well. Thank you so much. That is exactly the objective and purpose of this article, video, and tool. Thank you for your ongoing interest and support!

[@KuroiHato69]

As a later in life beginner artist everything is so confusing as to where to start. I appreciate all of the information. Thank you!

[@contemporaryartissue]

The art world can indeed be incredibly challenging to navigate. As a result, I am here at your service! Wishing you all the best!

[@_jrosier]

I was looking for a more deliberate way to price my work, so I downloaded the spreadsheet. It was easy to use and it makes something concrete out of an otherwise very squishy process. Thanks for that.

[@contemporaryartissue]

That's terrific to hear-thank you so much for your purchase. Wishing you all the best!

[@TN_Bank_Angler]

Thank You so very much for this needle in the haystack! I've looked at 1,000 videos trying to find this information... Thank You

[@ivancal123]

Thanks Julien for the deep knowledge and the kindness and willingness to share it with the art community. I highly recommend to purchase the files ICA has available. Those already helped me a lot and supporting ICA is fundamental to the longevity of the channel.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Thank you so much, the pleasure is all mine! Wishing you all the very best

[@danielle3139]

Love it! And the Gallery Assistant

[@contemporaryartissue]

Thank you so much! Greetings from us both 🐶👋

[@williamerickson520]

This is just what I needed! Thanks!

[@contemporaryartissue]

Excellent! The pleasure is all mine, wishing you all the best!

[@cosmeherrera]

I would love a video like this for sculptors

[@contemporaryartissue]

Coming very soon! The article and tool discuss sculpture as well so feel free to have a look. Wishing you all the best!

[@y0urlillyness]

This is a great video, thanks for all the work you put into it! I'm just a hobby artist, but it's eye opening to see that my art is worth lot more than I would have thought. I'm glad I found this video because i want to start an etsy shop and now I am well informed on how to price my art 😊

[@jonsalmon2352]

Thank you Julien, I value your knowledge and credibility.

[@contemporaryartissue]

The pleasure is mine, thank you for tuning in!

[@LizeOkoh]

thanks for all the information you provided. it's exactly what I was looking for to understand how to go about pricing my work for my exhibition.

[@nicolasb.henry294]

One of your best tutorials I always struggle to price my work anbd this helps me a lot.

[@EmmaAagaard]

Hi CAI, I recently stumbled upon your channel and after browsing the internet like crazy trying to find this kind of information from a trustworthy source, I can't explain how grateful I am to have found your channel and for the service you provide for free. Thank you for that! I'd love to hear your take on - perhaps in a video - how to transform from a social media/commercial artist to a fine artist? Is that even possible? I've started out a little over a year ago by trying to become a social media artist and has had somewhat a succes. I have a webshop, I sell prints, I have a few thousands of followers, I'm on an online marketplace where they sell art, but deep down it just never felt right. I think my art is worth more than just being degraded to a decoration object and I'd like to slowly transition into becoming more of a fine artist. But... I'm afraid that the approach I've had so far will close doors for me to go in this direction. I'm also scared to loose my followers if I start to make more contemporay art and change the way I post about it on social media. What's your take on this and do you have any valuable advice? Thanks in advance!

[@contemporaryartissue]

Dear Emma, great to hear you have found our platform and channel. Most welcome! Most online traces can be erased so it is most likely very possible to make this pivot in your career. Of course, you might lose some of your current followers or ongoing sales in this process, but if they aren't bringing you any closer to your real goal or purpose, I wouldn't worry about it too much. This particular topic/case is perhaps a bit too specific to dedicate an entire video to because it will only be useful for a very small group of people. However, it might be interesting to discuss how artists can balance between both career paths in the first stages of their career. Make sure to watch our on video on different career paths and how to use Instagram as well and more ufesful information will be coming your way soon if you stay tuned :-) Wishing you all the best!

[@nohemimarchan3434]

Thank you for the excellent content you are offering. Valuing one's own art is difficult for those of us who are starting out and who are not related to a gallery that can guide us.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Absolutely-especially considering the tremendous amount of conflicting information out there. Thank you for tuning in

[@EminMathers]

Excellent work! Thank you very much! Picked mine!

[@janetatuniquerawfoods2361]

Hope you are doing well with the new family member. You make things so clear and it seems important to listen carefully to the considerations… thank you. I appreciate your website and information there and visit when I can. Sincerely Janet

[@contemporaryartissue]

Dear Janet, the newest family member is doing great-thank you for asking-although the parents are a bit exhausted but very, very happy. I appreciate your ongoing support and interest, wishing you all the best and greetings from all of us here!

[@markwardel6751]

Super helpful...thank you

[@contemporaryartissue]

My pleasure! Wishing you all the best

[@bellestewartmusic4280]

Very grateful for the wonderful information you provide. I would love to know what index to use for gallery wrap? :))

[@sky-frequency]

Thank you. Great advice

[@contemporaryartissue]

The pleasure is all mine, thank you for tuning in!

[@femkevindevogel7239]

Thank you so much for your advice Julien. But what if your artwork is painted on paper and it has white space around it that is part of the work? (The image is 21 x 21, and the paper 25 cx25, and the edges takes a part in the piece) Which size should you calculate then? The size of the paper (25 x 25 cm, partly painted), or just the painted image itself?

[@shaquilmaria8248]

Great video! Thanks for the valuable information. I was wondering how should you approach this with digitally created art? In terms of selling it digitally and or prints?

[@shanzmcg]

Thanks so much for this video, its been one of the things holding me back from properly pursuing art as a career. I would be considered a hobby artist. I live in South Africa and I was wonder if I just convert the currency or sell my art in Euros?

[@WhatsTherapy]

Thank you, this is very interesting and helpful, but I have to wonder why $10,000 is listed as the upper limit of what even the most successful artists would be selling their work for, when obviously there are advanced emerging artists that sell their work for significantly more, no? I guess what I'm getting at is the funny disparity between what artists are expected to reasonably price their own work for contrasted with the nonexistent upper limit of what business people can be expected to sell an artist's work for to profit from on their own. Thanks again for the insightful video though!

[@contemporaryartissue]

When we surpass the 10K mark, the market is really taking over the pricing in a sense. We start to see secondary market activity which can be either destructive for the value or a true catalyst. Over 10k (for two-dimensional artworks) we enter the realms of mid-career artists-artists who have surpassed the levels we discuss in this video. Business people will have to set the same prices as illustrated in this video for new or advanced emerging artists no matter what. So this disparity is more a pitfall in perception than a reality. Thank you for tuning in and for your interesting comment!

[@WhatsTherapy]

Extremely helpful comment, thank you for the response! @@contemporaryartissue

[@octaviopena1520]

Always great content. Thanks! Question: Does the calculator work with, or can you import it into “Numbers” in a Mac?

[@contemporaryartissue]

The pleasure is all mine! With a (free) Google account, you can open and use the tool in Google Sheets. Hoping this might help. Have a great day!

[@MarcusDelzell]

Would we double the index number if we are working with a gallery? Or is the index number for both private sales & gallery sales?

[@janetatuniquerawfoods2361]

I do have a question regarding multimedia… my previous mostly abstract paintings have some graphite and wax string hand stitching. Now I have some works on hand pieces water color paper as well as on rice paper. Primarily inn watercolor… they are hand sewn on muslin and mounted on stretchers. These have some acrylic and oil paint as well. How is this sort of multi media viewed … especially based on the pricing guidelines here please… if you are able to expand on this? Thank you again. The comments in the video and discussion here is good. Stay well and rested…Janet

[@contemporaryartissue]

Dear Janet, the work you describe is still painting or arguably work on paper, as it is two-dimensional art, on stretchers, and showcased on a wall-so the pricing models discussed in this video remain valid in this case. Multimedia art in the art world refers to using various non-traditional art forms such as video, sound, performance, and more. Hope this might clarify things further!

[@Aluenvey]

I might add in my case specifically: ( Height + Width ) x index times 1.5 to 4, because I do paintings over several canvases. Ex. 15 x 8 x 4 would be 480 dollars.

[@SerapKocacenk]

Hi Julien. Thank you. My q is about having width multiplied with height. I’m a bit surprised you didn’t mention is at an option. I’m under the impression that most in the business operates with the model I mention. What are your views on this? ✨

[@killianmcclellan285]

he did briefly mention square inches which is what you’re referring to

[@aspecialbunny]

Wonderful video! I wonder how an artist should price the artwork when the artist moves to a new market in a different country?

[@tekannon7803]

This is the hardest thing in the world for me to do as an artist: pricing my work. When I have let people put their own price on a painting for example, I have recieved much more than I would have charged. The truth is if you do 15 paintings, the best one gets picked and that is why it is so hard to know how much to charge.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Absolutely, yet those best ones are priced the same as the other ones. Hoping this tool or approach might solve this struggle for you once and for all. Wishing you all the best!

[@andrewc56]

In the case of fine art photography, do you think there is a difference in the index number for silver gelatin vs. inkjet prints? My intuition tells me that a silver gelatin print handmade by the artist should be priced higher than an inkjet print, but it's not clear to me if collectors feel the same way and expect to pay higher prices for analog darkroom prints.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Sadly, there is not, where there-indeed-perhaps should be a difference. Michael Harding oil paint is also a lot more expensive than for instance Golden acrylics. Yet, if the career level is the same, the prices should be the same. For the market-collectors-there is no difference when it comes to the material attributes, it as about the collectible object, the sell-through rate, the possible return on investment, etc. Of course, if the process is more time-consuming and more cost-intensive, you can set your index number slightly higher within your range.

[@davo-ju6er]

Great video 👍.

[@veneficarius]

great video!

[@abhirudrakhari3651]

Sir I u r genius 🎉❤😊

[@minimalprintart8647]

How should we price digital arts?

[@Samuelharrison-ji1ph]

Interesting, I heard the height is multiplied with the width then that sum is multiplied by the how much you charge by the square inch

[@contemporaryartissue]

Yes, the square inch formula is a very common pricing model-especially in the United States-but it has some flaws. The problem with this approach is that small paintings will be very inexpensive, and large paintings are very expensive. Therefore, the size of the picture is becoming more important than the quality of the picture or the reputation of the artist. This would mean that a small picture by an established artist with a high price per square inch would be lower than the price for a big picture by an unknown artist-which does not make any sense from an art market perspective. Wishing you all the best!

[@dionysiaadamopoulou5559]

What is the index for a self educated artist with a small selling history? (not only friends or family) Is it 5?

[@cozmin1424]

Very useful video! It annoys me that your channel is so underrated. Cannot find this information anywhere either!

[@ilanadotan-c4k]

Thank you 🌺

[@contemporaryartissue]

The pleasure is all mine! 🙌

[@BR-nv8bw]

so i’ve yet to put myself out there outside of university shows, but my skills are not that of a hobby artist, yet my experience within the art world is the amateur part. It’s so mixed bag, where does this put me? Do skills not matter and my presence in the art world puts me at the bottom? Im nervous id be underpricing my work severely for a long time until i get to emerging artist level.

[@contemporaryartissue]

If this is the case, I would go for the high-end of the amateur index range. Skills do matter. But only via a resume can the art world objectively start to value your work. Otherwise, we have to change the price depending on the person who is standing in front of it. If it is really good, you may expect good results with this price range. If it is rather low, but still a serious price-which will be the case with this index range-the good results in sales can be a great start to your selling history. Going up is easy. Starting too high and having to drop your prices is not. Hoping this might help you!

[@gmfr2762]

Do you consider digital art as real art and would these pricing strategies work for prints of digital art? I don’t mean AI etc, but things I create on my iPad or drawing tablet. I know the fine art community looks down on it, but personally I don’t understand why when there is a thing as fine art photography in that case. I actually draw everything, but because it’s not with paint on paper, it’s not considered worthy but if i took a camera and didn’t draw anything myself it would be😅

[@theCineArts]

Considering offering each digitally-created artwork as one-of-a-kind to up the value. Maybe if all digital artists did "unique" the market would value the skill and effort more.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Yes, digital art is a real art form, and I would indeed advise you to use the pricing model for fine art photography. But you're absolutely right about digital art being perceived as inferior. Digital art and artists seem to be too close to the realms of illustration art, video games, and other forms of creativity that are perceived as low/popular culture. Even more, NFTs seemed to be ideal solution to add scarcity to digital art, but the rise of NFTs came with an instant drop, only 15% of the NFT sales consisted of art-related NFTs, and 20% got lost in scammy constructions. Now, with the arrival of AI, an even larger shadow looms over digital art-as it becomes impossible to know if a digital works was created with AI or human creativity. As a result, I am afraid one of the most recent art forms has already become obsolete. And that is too often the thing with technology, it never ages well. Thank you for tuning in and wishing you all the best!

[@gmfr2762]

@@contemporaryartissue Thank you for your reply. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking these past months and while I will continue my shop with prints of my existing illustrations, I think it’s time I pick up my paint brush again. Digital art became a comfort to me because I traveled a lot and it was more practical than travelling with paint, but the joy was ultimately cut short with AI. Back to physical art I guess

[@contemporaryartissue]

Sounds like a great idea. Time to get your hands dirty! @@gmfr2762

[@stanleyg3694]

This is an insightful video but can’t help feeling pricing my work by the square inch would make me question whether I’m selling art or wallpaper.

[@contemporaryartissue]

You're absolutely right-as a result, we're not pricing paintings by the square inch with this formula. With this formula, the career of the artist is more valuable than the dimensions of the artwork, resulting in a value that is in line with the art market for optimal results in terms of sales and possible collaborations. Thank you for tuning in!

[@mevlidasofic9131]

❤❤ 0:16 0:18

[@ew3861]

I probably exist on your scale as a high amateur. I make works on paper 38x 50 inches, framed. I am 60 years old, I just started showing my work in 2018. I went to art school many years ago and quit making art for a long time. We sold my work $8000 framed. I sell about 85% of the work I show at my gallery in a small town in California. I bet it’s because the work is exceptionally brilliant.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Congratulations!

[@caro_es]

So you're measuring in inches not cm, yes?

[@asaadbobby1]

PayPal link on calculator isn't working!! 😭

[@contemporaryartissue]

We are working on the PayPal button at the moment, my apologies for the inconvenience! However, you can select PayPal in the regular checkout. Click add to cart instead of the PayPal button. Go to your cart via the cart icon or the "view cart" pop up. Proceed to checkout and select PayPal as your payment method. Hoping this might help!

[@asaadbobby1]

Thank you🙏

[@MSOTV-ug4ln]

My paintings are worth millions!!!

[@weedo4269]

Well i bet you make very large paintings and are a very well known and important artist with a lot of demand for your work, congratulations

[@jmsjms296]

Prove it

[@cozmin1424]

@@jmsjms296😂😂😭

[@flatspots101]

Your paintings are worth millions but your comment is priceless 😉

[@TintaeArte]

Time = Live = Money = Art ... The price should be based on your time and cost of living. If a painting takes 1 month to complete, full time, then it is worth the monthly cost. After that I would use the parameters covered in this video. How much is your time???

[@contemporaryartissue]

Hi there; thank you for tuning in. Time does not always reflect the value of a painting. In fact, some of the best artworks were created in just a couple of hours because they were painted so well, concentrated, accurate, and talented. Cost of living is another strange parameter in my opinion. Nevertheless, thank you for sharing your honest thoughts here!

[@TintaeArte]

@@contemporaryartissue I agree with you. I spend much more time researching than painting. I believe that all parameters must be included and considered according to the economic reality of the artist (beginner). Anyone who wants to make a living from art and will depend on it to pay the bills must also take their monthly productivity into account. What is the Patron of the channel for consultancy? I wanted to participate. Your content is sensational.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Thank you for your most kind words, I greatly appreciate it. The consultancy service for artist can be found here www.contemporaryartissue.com/product/cai-advisory-report/ and our Patreon page can be found here www.patreon.com/contemporaryartissue Stay in touch! @@TintaeArte

[@CarloVergaraYT]

All this tome I thought it was height x width and not +.

[@contemporaryartissue]

Yes, the square inch formula is a very common pricing model-especially in the United States-but it has some flaws. The problem with this approach is that small paintings will be very inexpensive, and large paintings are very expensive. Therefore, the size of the picture is becoming more important than the quality of the picture or the reputation of the artist. This would mean that a small picture by an established artist with a high price per square inch would be lower than the price for a big picture by an unknown artist-which does not make any sense from an art market perspective. Wishing you all the best!

[@CarloVergaraYT]

@@contemporaryartissue Thanks for the info. 🙂

[@herrwoland3500]

No love for sculptures?

[@contemporaryartissue]

I adore sculpture! In fact, we have covered sculpture as well in the article and tool. However, we decided to present this information in two different videos. So stay tuned!

[@KpxUrz5745]

I categorically reject each and every piece of pricing advice offered in this video! This all makes zero sense. Despite the apparent fact that Picasso once priced his works to Kahnweiler and other dealers based upon "square inches", it makes no sense to follow such current guidelines today.

[@marypatriciawarming4548]

Spell check so we can take you seriously

[@AliceWisdenArt]

Why does this make me even odder to be involved with art after all these years makes no difference to the oddity in the gallery since I entered one around 90's the tate modern first time age 5 i looked like I should have been cleaning for the people involved and still do artist s even if you are good at the seller bit still if you're looking at the Bacon painting as the first thing you can feel is a real part of the reason why you can't not make art you won't give a shit what goes on once you have access to the paint don't make me hate it by involving numbers. I'm going to get it in on time just pay for the oddity creating and you deal with the members of the other way in life I don't want involving in public I am very bad at it and like alone no one to get in the way of

[@blorble4701]

god being a painter sucks. i want to paint not... this

[@contemporaryartissue]

If you build your career the right way and find gallery representation, you can become a painter who only has to worry about painting. However, all jobs or career paths will have some less exciting aspects. I love the CAI magazine, but I dread the accounting and technical maintenance of the platform-but it has to be done. Wishing you all the best!

[@səblæ]

Your writings on the screen fly so rapidly and you speak in a hurry, I slow down it,why do you do that