What is YOUR Art Worth? Brutally Honest Guide to Pricing your Artwork

[@HilariouslyScary]

I've been wanting to start commissions, but I'm so scared of creating bad art when someone's paying for it

[@LemiaCrescent]

Don't be scared! Did you watch the first video? It talks a little bit about creating samples of artwork that you can make reliably. You don't want to hype up your art to the person buying by showing your best pieces. Hopefully the first video will give you the confidence you need to get started!

[@laurentiare]

it’s ok! just charge by size and count by increments of 5 dollars...but you should not be scared! put what your mind tells u on paper

[@lilylavenderart5034]

You could always pay back the money. If you are struggling with a picture give the money back explaining that you bit off more than you can chew. I think most people will respect you for it and move on

[@asiladust]

HilariouslyScary You know what? It's okay because guess what they payed for the commission and they get what they get in the end. Yes you can of course try your best to satisfy them but if you can't. Remember not everyone's art is perfect and you can't satisfy everyone. They will receive the peice they payed for in the end and just have to deal with it. They should know your art level enough to know that what there about to pay for will be something in that art style. If they hate it then guess what? What were they expecting. You will do your best and that's all that matters.

[@LillenArt2]

Do you have multiple examples to show potential commissioners exactly what they can expect? Keep drawing, learning, and investing in yourself. I think that's the best way to gain artistic confidence.

[@VILVERMIN_SQWIRL]

Cat: huh I see you're drawing a complicated piece of art with messy supplies that can easily smudge.... would be a shame if... *someone were to sit on it.*

[@pyrania6828]

Perhaps one could make a painting where cats' paws are dipped in paint and the cats walked all over the canvas.

[@DeuceGenius]

@@pyrania6828 wel then the cat should get paid i think

[@bethscott8219]

@@DeuceGenius nah my cat lives rent free with a personal chef, butler and door opener 😂 that stinky bastard isn't getting a penny

[@thatskai3070]

Yup

[@thatskai3070]

*learn

[@Cristopherthekiller1]

My art is worth negative money, I should pay people to ask me for commissions.

[@ramy701]

Chris Lmao sAME

[@loser5136]

Chris hOnestly sAmE

[@TinyMafioso]

*_same_*

[@somedudeontheinternet8165]

Omg me 😂

[@snow77721]

Good for you 8D

[@firecloud6503]

You forgot to mention the relatives and friends which think they can get stuff for cheap just because they have a personal relationship to you. They are also a bad reference to how you should price your stuff.

[@LemiaCrescent]

+firecloud I thought that was obvious but I'm starting to learn that I'm wrong about a lot of stuff. Some people may not know that. Lol

[@firecloud6503]

It is, but sometimes you even have to point out the obvious things. People tend to avoid thinking about things that make them feel bad. And thinking about your friends and family using you to get cheap art while you could do "real" commissions does make you feel bad.

[@Itsachapel]

firecloud You've had family use you for your art or want free art? I've heard about this happening with friends but not family?

[@firecloud6503]

No, but I`ve heard of people having problems with their family. It must be hard. I mean you can quit your friendship with someone but your family always stays your family. I`m glad this stuff never happened to me. But on the other hand, I really don`t mind if someone is mad at me for not drawing them something XD I wonder if people think I`m mean...

[@SuMon-xw1bt]

firecloud They are the mean people, to be honest. Art is worth it. It takes time and improvment.

[@christinastoeffler9841]

DUH I WANT MONEY BROOOO

[@shygato4989]

Christina S that was best! 😂

[@SwitchbackCh]

*BROW XD

[@alexa-jb1gk]

Aaron KTJ what?

[@josiejeanne758]

*moNEY*

[@gremlin623]

Lel

[@LillenArt2]

The problem with "pricing your artwork for cheap" is that there are a bunch of people who think art should be free and that drawing really isn't work. It's more effective to attract people who will want your art because they love what the artist does (or the artist themselves) rather than the people looking for a deal.

[@LemiaCrescent]

+Lillendandie Art It's weird, I'm getting these comments about people having being paid a ridiculous amount to do some sort of art. Why is anyone saying yes? O_o Also in video one I go more into depth about the importance of growing your fan base. This is pretty much part 2 of another video.

[@minty.bliss.]

Okay I love this. Wish u had this when I started commissions because I accepted so many at once, excited that people would buy my art, and then got overwhelmed quickly. Leaned my lesson little too late. This will help so many people though! Great video

[@jamesng.6387]

Minty Bliss phamily

[@marshateslosing1654]

Minty Bliss Lel I'm not old enough for commissions, but I did this with requests and it's been 3 weeks and still haven't finished them because there are too many

[@indigoxalis]

I did the same thing. ;3; I took over ten commissions at once when I first started, and ended up having to apologize profusely to a few people for being late/slow with their commission. Time management is so important!

[@kottonkandy0962]

That’s why you should only take 2 or maybe 3 at a time. Remember to always check in with the customer with drafts at every level of the drawing process because without it you might end up wasting your time on art that the client doesn’t want.

[@KrispyKitty66]

fr i know this js old but i have like 8 to do rn and no time

[@sambeawesome]

To be honest, I think a lot of artists start trying to sell commissions too early. I know I did. Looking back on it now, I had no demand, no one was asking, I had no following, and my art skills were extremely poor. I think that's why the "minimum wage" method is so tricky to make work for everyone, because brand new/beginner artists will charge minimum wage, but the skill doesn't really match the price. It's harsh and unfair, but that's how I've seen things work in this industry. I think the thing with commissions is new artists think it'll be instant money, when really it's a LOT of hard work, both in marketing and in creating artwork. I get that it's exciting, and money may be needed, but I feel like it should take a back seat for beginner artists. If you're just starting out, just a couple years or so in, I'd hold off. I think this is why SO MANY artists on places like Deviantart are willing to work for pennies, and it's sad. Just wait. Your advice at the beginning hit this best. You either need a large following, a very interactive community, or both. Great video though, nicely said :)

[@TULIP.1689]

sambeawesome totally agreeing! Also if you don’t have a cohesive portfolio of work clients will not trust you and end up nitpicking more. Newer artists can also get stressed working on projects if you aren’t experienced enough to have a work flow yet.

[@Tomipeace13]

Lol this read tf out of me. I just want it to be a side job if someone wants my art

[@shygato4989]

I think its great you're not sugar coating this. I see it too often on twitter that we as artists should charge a lot of money because "we're worth it". I never felt comfortable with that mindset, at least for me, because I do not have the confidence to sell my art at such inflated prices. Back in the day when I did do commissions, I used the 'Price to sell' method, it worked great for me. Although I didn't realize I could charge more after I had a huge demand that I stopped taking commissions when it got crazy. I wish this video was out at the time XD

[@LillenArt2]

I honestly think there are a lot of artists out there just trying to make a living. Some artists invest $20,000+ into education, thousands into supplies, pay taxes, rent, bills, etc. If they want to do art professionally full time, then they are going to need enough to cover those costs. A hobbyist or someone who does art on the side is going to have a different perspective.

[@shygato4989]

Lillendandie Art well then it depends on the artist, we all have different needs. I am pushing toward making art professionally to be a game designer. At the moment I have another job. But in my case, I didn't go to college for art. Maybe that's why I don't have the urgency? If anyone feels or needs to price their artwork high, that's their decision. I just never felt comfortable doing it because it felt wrong for *me* personally. Most of the time other artists are sort of generalizing all artists into this group, telling them they should price their artwork high, because artists that price their artwork low, are ruining the market for other artists that want to price it high. That's kind of why it bothers me. It's either wait until you *think* your work is worth it, and start pricing it high. Or don't sell your art at all because selling low creates a problem for other artists who sell professionally. But again, I feel like we shouldn't push others against a wall, and tell them what to do. If it works for you, great, doesn't mean others will find the same success. Also for clarifications sake, when I say "you" I don't mean 'you' literally, I'm just generalizing. Hope I didn't sound awful, I'm sorry if I did 😟

[@shygato4989]

This is something that I wanted to add in this thread. I apologize in advance for this rant: Art is not the only market that people want either cheap or free stuff. Majority of people already know their are brands out there like Apple who sell their stuff for very high amounts of money. Do you think certain people respect those prices just because they are a huge brand? No. You see these people going to eBay to buy it for cheap, stealing it or whatever. This is a minority of people though. Does Apple see these people as potential customers? Honestly I don't know (lol), BUT I wouldn't! The reason I'm bringing this up, is that no matter what, there are people who are going to be cheap. It doesn't matter if all artists shoot their prices up, there are going to be people that don't have the money, asking you to lower it to fit their budget. They are obviously not your potential customers, and they never will be. If they ever bring up the argument that so and so artist is selling it for cheap, therefore you should charge less. That's their way of trying to guilt you. Do you think that the cheap customer honestly liked this so and so artist that sold their art for cheap? Of course not, they are only bringing up their name to use as an incentive to lower the prices of the better artist. These are shifty people, they don't see the value in art, and honestly I don't believe they ever will. Just don't waste your time with these cheapos. Maybe I'm oversimplifying everything, I'm still figuring out some stuff. I just find it odd bigger artists are telling smaller artists they have to sell higher, as if anyone is going to pay that price for a new artist beginning to sell their art. I mean I'm not going to sell my art for pennies or anything like that, that's stupid. For sure I'm not going to charge 100 flipping dollars either.

[@shygato4989]

Ok, last one I swear!! I wanted to mention that I don't see anyone's art as inferior. No one has accused me of this, but re-reading what I wrote in my last post might seem that I see "cheaper artists" as under qualified. When I spoke about that, I was thinking in the shoes of the people who try to swindle artists. Honestly, I'm always in the middle, I like to be in grey area, rather seeing things black and white. Not accusing anyone of this, but that's why I speak the way I do. I'm done, I'll shut up now! 😶

[@yasminblakemore571]

ShyGato what were your prices?

[@LemiaCrescent]

Here are some questions that you guys left! Lets get to it. *Q: You are SO wrong! I get paid per hour and everyone loves me and values my time!* A: Cool. Good for you! 8D *Q: Art is a service, not a product!* A: I respectfully disagree. I think a service is like...getting a massage, or going to a doctor. When you pay someone for art, you want the final product. *Q: Omg WhY Can"T U Accept OTHER PEOPLE Have ValiD OpInIons toO! So intolerant!* A: Sorry. I don't know what to tell you. I know I could tell you something you'd WANT to hear, but I won't do it. This is my perspective based on 100+ personal commissions sold and working with a handful of major art companies among many smaller ones. If you are unable to tell that I put a lot of real, actual information into my video, then that is just sad for you. I think a lot of other resources out there are not helpful in the slightest and because of that, are bullshit. Lets agree to disagree. *Q: It's important not to undercharge! I get paid 2 dollars and a snaple cap for my artwork!* A: !! Why on this planet would you DO work for that much money!? Nobody could make me move a pencil for $2 let alone do something for them! D: Even when I was little Lemi first starting, I wouldn't have bothered to even consider doing anything for someone. This absolutely blows my mind. I know there are people who pay ridiculous prices and stuff out there. But why would you DO it?!? JUST SAY NO! D: Afk I'm going to go rip my eyes out now. *Q: I compare my art to other people who do similar things, that is how I found an accurate-ish price.* A: This is pricing to keep method. Obviously the both of you won't have the same amount of people or the same involvement in community, and one of you is lesser known. Also very rarely can you accurately compare yourself to another. So I would use this as a very rough guideline to the pricing to keep method. *Q: But charging per hour IS a good way to figure out if you're being taken advantage of! It's also a good way to make sure you're not underpriced!* A: I still think that this is only a rough guideline for pricing to keep method. I continue to think the speed of the art being made vs the personal price per hour vs minimum wage is a lot left to the imagination. And this only really works if you have art of good quality. Which I think people have difficulty assessing if their art should be sold or not. So this leaves a lot to the imagination. *Q: As for paying for time, why is art different from any other job? They tend to pay by the hour. What is the key difference here?* A: So, About being paid per hour -> This is mostly when a company has too much work to do and they need an outside artist to pick up the slack but they don't want to hire them on full time. So they hire you part time until what they need you to complete is done. Then they put you in reserves until they need you again. But that isn't the same as commission work, that's actually working for someone. lol It's more of a job, or a side job, you're an employee. I'd probably stick that under general freelance work. And YES! I'VE DONE THIS TOO! lol 8D *Q: Are you "allowed" to charge like 5 extra dollars if it took you a long time?* A: I would only charge additional money depending on the complexity of what you WILL do for the client. But you MUST do it up front. I definitely would *never* do it afterwards. It is dishonest to change a price after production. Plus, it may rub the buyer the wrong way and they may not return with future work for you. Errr, that or they may want all of their money BACK for not receiving what they should be receiving for their money. Also, you may want to check part 1 of this video series where it talks a bit about selling options.

[@ganbaatarjadamba6398]

LemiaCrescent ok

[@anngreen6257]

i have a question: how often should we do commissions? let's just put it this way: you have a large comunity, you are doing commissions atm but you don't know for long you should keep doing them? or if you have already done commissions and want to do them again but then you're like ''i just closed them last week, shoul i wait...?'' like, does it also have to coarrelate with your commission goal? like, if you want a monthly income, you do commissions each month?

[@robertmorris2900]

I sent you a message hopefully you'll respond.

[@LemiaCrescent]

Hello Robert Morris. I did get your message yesterday (from storenvy) and I responded by e-mail.

[@LemiaCrescent]

I think these are questions you need to ask yourself Ann. What do YOU want out of your commissions? Do you want as many as you humanly can take on? Do you want only a few? After you figure out what makes you happy then you can balance the prices of your work with the supply/demand and find a happy spot for yourself. If you're asking if stopping and going with commissions is a thing, you can definitely do that. Close and reopen. You can also have commission spots in your listing so you only take on 5 at a time and then NOT accept more until you're done. Please see video 1, I think that one may help you.

[@Stupidtacocatstuffgrr]

I also think it’s the type of art medium. Like costume making or blanket making. Like if someone is making very high demands of materials and the type of costume is really complicated I charge by the hour because it’s my time. I charge half up from too. I had a conversation go like this. “Hi I’m interested in a commission!” “Great! Can you send me photos of the character and tell me what type of fabric you would like, and what exactly I would be making?” They then sent me a very complicated armor piece, with a dress underneath. “My measurements are such and such, and I want the armor to be made out of worbla, Eva foam, and I want silk fabric, I want the full package including a styled wig” Not even kidding, worbla is extremely expensive, I don’t even use it for my own costumes unless I’m feeling booshy. But I know how To Work with it so I accepted telling this person the price upfront. “Ok for the cost of materials that would be 200, and for the amount of time I’m putting into the costume about 400 dollars” This is severely under minimum wage, and this costume was extremely detailed. I also told them if the materials were more expensive the cost would go up. “Are you fucking kidding me? This is a joke right?” “Excuse me?” “That’s what too much, how do you get off on charging that much!” “Look the materials are extremely expensive, if you want something cheaper, the only thing I’m willing to lower is the material cost if you’re willing to change that.” “You’re serious? 600 dollars for you to make me a costume? You’re not even famous you’re just a wannabe, IM A BIG DEAL. I have lots of followers, either you take 150, or I’m going to blast you as a scammer.” I was kind of in shock, this person wasn’t even willing to cover the minimum cost of materials. “Look, you’ve got 200 more followers than me and I’m an adult ok? This isn’t my job this is a hobby. If you want a costume for under 300 go to Miccostumes, I’m sure you’ll find your character there. “ “You’re a horrible cosplayer and don’t deserve a single follower! I’m reporting you for solicitation!” “Ok, I’m a public figure so I’ve stated I’m a small business. Go ahead, please do. I’m trying to be professional with you, but I don’t do complicated commissions so cheap, especially if it’s detailed and you want everything perfect.” “But I need this costume for a cosplay contest.” “Ok first of all, that’s stealing, if you enter MY COSTUME. A costume I made into a contest that’s stealing! Now that I know you’re true intent I am refusing you commission.” This girl called me every bad word in the book after this and I reported her and received a bit of hate from her fan boys. I then screenshotted and posted what she said to me not showing her name. And the harassment stopped.

[@unaestrella1876]

I don't care, you handled this very well! People don't have any knowledge of art and how expensive the materials are and the time consuming it can be. Well done.

[@GudetamaSit]

Props to you on handling that in a civil manner, would've lost my rag (and I don't do costume design or anything remotely creative mind you!) I get the initial surprise but all it takes is a quick google search to see the price range of material - her immediate freak out and those aggressive accusations are not at all warranted. I'm constantly reminded in art communities that creative jobs require much more patience, customer service, tax juggling and general grit than we give them credit for 😓

[@CapTrainT]

You forgot to mention: Just because a bunch of 10 year olds online say you're the best artist ever doesn't mean you are the best artist ever. Be realistic with your artwork...if you're not the best....then don't price like you're the best...sell that shit for 5 bucks and move on.

[@LemiaCrescent]

+CapTrainT If you can only sell for 5 I would just wait on improving before trying to sell. I kinda talk a bit more about that in video 1. I really like your icon. T_T

[@CapTrainT]

Oh I agree completely, but there's a lot of people out there drawing like an elementary school student on deviantart trying to sell a drawing for 30 bucks >_< And thank you :3

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Hey Lemi! Great video, love how real you are! I wanted to mention that underpricing can be just as harmful for your sales as overpricing. This is particularly true for selling "fine art" to more mature audiences. People can be suspicious at low prices and have a "what's the catch?" mentality. A lot of customers don't necessarily understand art (and associated pricing and factors at play) so they might well think that more expensive = better. Or value it less, because they think that even the artist doesn't value it highly because of the low price tag. I Personally, I do consider how long a commission takes me, in my pricing. It usually takes around 5-8 hours for me to complete a single standard pet portrait commission (depending on complexity), and I knew this before taking commissions. I obviously don't charge per hour, but I know that with the price I ask for, I'm getting a reasonable pay for my time where I live (average wages are different between countries, also worth mentioning!) But of course, this is not a pricing strategy that works for everybody. Heck, a year and a half ago I was completing work in the same amount of time but not to the same amount of quality. And moreover, what might take me 5 hours to complete could take somebody else 2 hours, and another person 40. I'd recommend artists research other artists who are offering similar quality and type of work to get a vague idea about pricing. Like you said though, demand is also important to consider, so when researching these artists I would recommend that people also check to see how often they seem to be getting commissions and how much of an active following they have on the social media platform they're primarily selling from.

[@kelvinmorris2634]

Underpriced problem

[@passingwhim]

That peel porn is what we all came here for 😂

[@supersqueak]

I was actually surprised that you were honest in a way that I hadn't heard a real working artist speak before. Not that people don't work really hard to make their art but if you are trying to make money then be more realistic on what you can get for it. If and when you start to do well then you can get raise your prices later.

[@FearlessFighterAkida]

I would say that pricing your art commissions by min wage x number of hours taken should be the average amount of time it takes. Because even though art is different than working a normal minimum wage job, you should still treat it as such and not basically sell yourself as a slave. So for example, if it takes two hours to finish a piece (on average) and you charge two dollars for it. You wouldn't work any other job for that amount of money, so why would you do it for art? Not saying to change it for every individual piece, but that should be your standard prices. and if you feel like your art is not worth minimum age at least, then honestly just don't sell commissions. Work on improving or if you only charge because you want to draw for people, just do requests.

[@Manalu538]

Its not helpful. You can still make minor money sums and popularity through commissions even when your art is not minimum wage. And I would hate to break it to ya but its literally bullshit to charge 100+ for a painting when your art is "barely" there. Unless you work for a company. Its simply impossible to factor the wage in. Unless you want your art to forever to be with you and your commission list to be empty. This is what happened to my friend while I'm always keeping up my prices reasonable and on the long run, I end up getting more money than her. You can't "sell" when your prices are not reasonable to the final product.

[@sofialaya596]

if you were a very deficient worker, should you really charge for minimal wage?

[@IThinkImObsessed]

Keepin it real and helpful as usual

[@ladyj.9350]

I'm an oil painter who uses large canvases and when you said the cost of materials is minuscule, I was like "what? in what world??? O.O" XD glad you clarified

[@amuckamuckamuck273]

I’m reminded of that quote that those who insist on being brutally honest enjoy the brutality more than the honesty. Artists, this is not a brutally honest guide to pricing, it’s a guide to underselling. Deep down you know your worth, and you know if a number is too high. Be assertive but kind in telling ppl what you’re worth. Or follow the advice in the video and enjoy letting your talent turn into a really stressful hobby!

[@Ace-in8qr]

Unfortunately the world doesn't work like that. Your feelings about yourself and what you think you deserve could be severely undervalued or severely overvalued depending on the person. Feelings don't determine market or artistic value, the market, your level of recognition, your level of output, marketing, the level of quality... I could go on. Those are what matters, not some abstract feeling of self-worth. Besides, that goes both ways. You could severely undervalue your art when you should be pricing it much higher. Feelings are not an objective metric of anything, and relying on them is only going to make you bitter when people don't buy for high price you've set it at, or depressed when you're not making enough money to earn a living. It's why I seriously recommend other creators (artists, composers, designers, etc.) to take extensive business classes, because you get stuff like this. So many creators fall flat because they haven't taken the necessary steps to establish a name for themselves, network, or they use their feelings as a guide. It just doesn't work.

[@MindyStyle]

The end clip of you pulling the tape off was so satisfying,

[@7lowufoz]

My art is probably worth a fraction of a penny.

[@mariumahmad3355]

Abra Westerfield SAMEEE

[@asiladust]

Abra Westerfield look your work hard on your work? Yes? If you do then your artwork for all you know could be worth like $30! If your working on something for like 8 hours but putting your all into it. Well by God I say it's for sure worth like $40 or something. It doesn't matter your skill level. You worked hard and that's what's important .

[@7lowufoz]

Aww, thank you for your kind words! It means a lot to me.

[@caitlinauriemmo8470]

+Abra Westfield if there was a fraction of a penny, I could sell art for a fraction of that

[@LemiaCrescent]

Price to keep! lol

[@ratsandrocks]

I know this is stupid but when there was extra pastel on the paper I blew on my phone...

[@christalcavanaugh]

I think it’s easy too for younger or broke people to think “man even $5 would be great!” Even when selling something worth $50. While you might be happy to have even a few bucks for something that would otherwise collect dust, don’t undersell yourself. Even if a few bucks is enough for now, if you want to sell for more someday, your clients might not value your work as much as they should after you undersell it. Even if you’d be happy with $10, if it’s worth more, ask for more. The worst they can do is haggle or say no

[@TheHealthKitten]

That intro had me scared, but your advice is really realistic, honestly. Especially the bit about growing your audience. If you don’t have an audience, people aren’t going to buy it, or they may not even be able to find it. Anyway, thanks for the tips!

[@UnseenIvy253]

This might sound really harsh, but I feel like so far this is the most accurate video I've seen talking about pricing your artwork/commissions. A lot of times people do under charge for their artwork because you really deserve to be paid more but that does not mean that you will get more. The art market is heavily oversaturated so you do have to realize that in order to stay competitive you sometimes have to lower your prices. So being paid by the hour is really impractical! I think this is a great video for explaining this whole system!

[@janetmartin8574]

That's why there called starving artist. When you price your art work under value you are setting a precedent, not only for your work but others as well. I will price my work according to what comparative work sells for

[@chuck0y]

I think everyone's art is priceless because they put a lot of effort into it and also used maybe expensive art supplies but regardless of the cost of the art supplies, the time, energy and work done into the piece is absolutely mind-blowing!

[@tobeseve4020]

Honestly I think people just shouldn't sell their artwork until they reach a certain skill level where a full illustration is worth at least minimum wage per hour. Not as in charge per hour, but like if you usually take 6 hours like you said, charge for 6 hours. If one day it takes you 8, still charge for 6. If one day it takes you 4, still charge for 6.

[@LemiaCrescent]

I kinda covered that a bit in the first video about selling commissions. I think it's pointless to even try to sell until you have some sort of interest from your base. Otherwise it's wasted energy and just makes you feel bad. Per hour never really made sense to me. Why would you estimate beforehand how long it would take you and then charge an amount based on an hourly rate? Especially when it may take you over or under that a amount. Why not just charge for the job? D: It gets extremely hairy when you start charging NOT minimum wage. So an hour difference makes a large difference in price. I guess I never figured the point in making confusing guidelines like that.

[@tobeseve4020]

Well, the point isn't to have an hourly rate, it's just to make sure you're not underselling yourself.

[@LemiaCrescent]

The price you pick per hour might not necessarily be your maximum price and/or you might not necessarily get the regularity you want. It seems to be more of a shot in the dark guess to me regarding your personal price. I guess it's how I wrote it in the video, it's more of a price to keep or what you personally think you're worth. You'll get some sort of result one way or another after making a listing if it's accurate or not. Or if it has the results that you want. Then there is the issue of people who think they're really good when they're just simply not there yet. Then when everything converts into prices they just don't see any business. That's always sad. :(

[@ClaudiaSketches]

My problem is that minimum wage (and living costs) where I live is a lot higher than minimum wage elsewhere in the world. No problem if you're advertising to a local audience, but internationally it can be difficult to price fairly. Just thought I'd mention that. When I started off I wasn't able to charge minimum wage per hour, and waiting until I could would've potentially hindered my business growth. I charged myself essentially an "apprentice wage"- I thought it would be better to get some money for my work rather than turning down potentially clients, and starting relatively low gave me a chance to test the water and get a feel for the business end of things. But I do think it's important to price fairly so that if it was your full-time or part-time job, you're earning a reasonable amount for it and could survive off of it. It is skilled labour after all!

[@kuwaizair]

that is why i gave up. networking and being a good person to get commissions. so I can get to wildspiritwolf popularity

[@BAKAROID]

This is very good advice and you talk about this with a very economical point of view, which I appreciate - however I'm not particularly fond of how you are saying that only you are being honest and saying the truth, and basically that every other artist is lying and not respecting the younger artists who want to get started on commissions. The way one wants to price their work is very subjective, and the way the audience perceive that same work and decides whether or not it is worth its price is just as subjective. Giving a more economical point of view on this doesn't necessarily make it the "real", "best" or "correct" point of view.

[@laurentiare]

art usually isn’t worth like 1 million dollars like Van Gogh and stuff...but likewise I usually charge by size increments of paper...like for ex. 9x12 in is $10.00 or 11x10 in is $15.00, I count the pricing by intervals of 5 to start, which is an easier way for me to make money and do the correct math of how much money I actually make from them...it depends on ur skill level and ethic or a large following on KZbin or anything else like that

[@lisamoers4211]

I did a drawing for a friend and got payed with snickers... :/ But, honestly, what you are saying does make sense...

[@MakimaDog]

I would draw for a snickers tbh

[@lilliesbag1105]

I'd draw for half a snickers lol

[@25blackninja]

I would draw for a snicker

[@emeraldm0on-yt]

LooIsBoring I'd draw for kit Kats

[@mataharinatal]

meh, i think it's worth it for a few snickers😂

[@giuliami2706]

You make really valid points in a general sense, but something I feel people often forget is that art (especially original work) is a luxury item. You don't need it, it's something that you get for the pure reason that you want it. Just like you wouldn't go into a jewellery and ask the maker to lower the price because you can't afford it, the same goes for your art. If you can't afford it, you don't buy it, that's the definition of luxury item. Obviously you should price at a margin where you will actually be able to sell, but reducing it to prices such as 5$ as I often hear is recommended is too little... Sorry for my broken English, it's not my mother tongue

[@heyitsanabell]

This was so helpful!!!! I was just furloughed and now have so much extra time to paint and recently discovered a love for cartoon portraits. A lot of friends ask for them so I thought I could start commissioning to help me out during these times. I had no idea what to price and I hear so many artists talk so aggressively about pricing but everything you said here makes sense and is filled with more logic than ego. 🥰

[@ThePortraitArt]

good video. Applies to most people and most clients. It's also important for people to know a lot of this no longer applies to artists/clients leaning toward one side of bell curve.

[@timesiick]

why am i watching this i don't do art i don't buy art what

[@mikuenjoyerXD]

Its good to know, research, idk

[@dragonfruit8615]

This comment is pretty old but maybe you were here for the drawing

[@ravenoctober9936]

I really enjoyed this video. However I personally disagree; I think that COMMISSIONS are most definitely a service. An art print is not a service and should not be treated as such. But seeing how commissions are private requests, to me they most definitely are. You are going out of your way to great a piece for someone. So that's one of the areas I do think should be treated as a service. If you make a print or a traditional piece made from yourself then that is not a service. Though it makes sense that paintings like you mentioned should pay for the supplies it took to create it. I hope I don't upset you by this. Just a thought 😄

[@EpoxyMuffin]

I love the lighting you did on this piece, Lemi!! I also really appreciate the bluntness of your advice-- sugar coated advice might spare your feelings but it won't help in the long run. It's much better to be realistic :)

[@ChiakiHatori]

I don't do commissions ( yet ) since I don't think my art is good enough or people would want it. I'm working on improving so maybe I'll come back to this video in 2 years ^^

[@jonvolcaman9309]

If an example of your artwork is the icon next to your name, then your art is good. However it's similar to what many starting artists draw. I started by drawing Marvel comic characters. But to sell I had to create something unique so that when people see my work they knew it was one of mine. So in other words try to change it up a little so that it does not look like another copy. I have lots of copied oil paintings I did years ago just to find out if I could do what the masters did. Now I am stuck with them as decorations.

[@Queensocks]

Its been 2 years since this comment - are you commissioning now?

[@rem6517]

It’s been 2 years, u coming back?

[@BasicGeometry]

THANK YOU ABOUT THE TIME/MATERIALS POINT OMG. I once saw an artist on tumblr list their commission prices per hour instead of flat rate and it blew my mind. If you aren't skilled enough to draw at a rate you're comfortable selling at, you're not ready for commercial art

[@genisay]

This seems to pretty much be the model I figured out on my own after quiet a few years of taking commissions. I started with having full color, shaded pieces that were like $20 when I first started out, and as I got interesting from others, and my skill level and speed at which I could complete commissions, also including how much work I felt I was putting into them (because I will put loads of effort into making a commission as good as I can get it), I slowly began to raise my prices. At present, my full color, shaded commissions sell for $80, and when I feel I can get these done for people even faster, as the same level of or higher quality, or the demand goes up again, the price will likely also go up. Another thing you can do to control supply and demand is open and close commissions. If you feel you are getting overwhelmed, close the slots until you catch up, then be sure to let people know you are ready to go again. You might also have to do this if you are like me, and you work 40 hours a week most of the time, but need extra funds during certain parts of the year. If I am not super busy, though, or some one pitches me an idea that stokes my artistic fire, I might be willing to do a commission for them during my busy season, so long as they understand the wait could be longer. I think I've only ever done sales when I was /really/ hurting for money, and needed to pull in some stuff, fast. But, there is a bit of a draw back for people who would only wait for my sales. I usually only do this on projects that are of a lower tier, and can be completed quickly. Which means, if they were hoping to get a sale on a cell shaded or full shaded, they might be out of luck. That was not something I really planned to be mean or anything, just that it turns out that way because I don't have the time to work on the larger projects, or I am unwilling to work for less on those. I also try to keep in mind who most of my clients are likely to be where I currently am selling my art at, and that not everyone who would love to have a piece of my art works a full time job and can afford $80. But people who are just waiting for me to do sales could be waiting a long time. I have done something like three sales in the last five years and they were sporadic as to when they would happen. xp There is also some caution that should be taken in under pricing your work as well. I have run across people who will not actually buy work from artists that they think are under charging for their pieces because they view that as the artist short changing themselves and it speaks for how little the artist thinks of the worth of their work. What you charge starting out might also have something to do with the platform you are using for your selling base. DeviantArt has a lot of younger people running around who can not afford higher prices, and being found by the people who can and are willing to pay more can take longer. Where as if you go to some place like Furaffinity, as an example, you might be competing against a larger pool of very awesome artists all in a small space, but the average person looking for commissions is going to be willing to pay a lot more right out the gate as they may have very well come to that site looking specifically for commissions. You might need to build up a pool of work, as well as your art skills and skills in dealing with customers before you can move to a site that is more specific to commissions. As to the 'no one cares how much time you put into a work of art'.....there are actually a lot of polls on Deviantart that would beg to differ. They might not care about the exact /number/ of hours you put into a piece, especially as some people can do a very good project in two hours, and some one else takes five to do the same quality, but time and time again, I have seen that most people are willing to pay more and would rather wait a little longer for quality pieces than get a piece super fast that is of only 'good' quality compared to what they know the artist is capable of. A bit of caution though, this tends to mostly apply to artists who are above beginner level, and regularly turn out pieces that show clear dedication to their craft, especially in their paid work. It can be very disheartening to commission an artist you know can do amazing work, only to get something they rushed and that is sub par compared to what you know is their typical level of quality.

[@vyn388]

I love brutally honest videos. It tells me that I'm not as good as i think I am, it keeps me from being full of myself ❣️

[@ivydene2107]

I’m so thankful that you’re not sugar coating it and are being honest so us artists know what people actually think instead of living in a comfort bubble where we think everyone should like our art New subscriber!

[@STICKYArt]

Great topic and video! Just my 2 cents, I think if you are doing commissions or selling art it is very important to value your own time... for example If a piece of art takes legitimtly 3 hours you need to at least be charging min wage... if the buyer cannot see the value in something that takes considerable skill + time vs someone working a job that requires little to no skill than they do not value your art enough to own it!

[@captainme810]

Little secret...I have been going through all of your videos and have been clicking on your ads so that you can get money.😂😂

[@anngreen6257]

you just made realize that i have been using ad block all this time and i haven't supporting, so tenks

[@screamingmimi90]

That’s 21st century dedication right there. ❤️❤️❤️

[@christinebulalaque8429]

Wow

[@randomperson1714]

You are the hero the world needs but doesn’t disverve.I will do what your doing from now on.

[@Darrell_draws]

Love ur art lemi ..... I have a question since u said us a diabetic awhile back , November is diabetes awareness month will u do a picture for it in November ( as a fellow diabetic it would be great to c a KZbinr with the same problem draw a picture of it 😊)

[@LemiaCrescent]

Omg, we have a month!? That's crazy! I had no idea! XDD I'll have to see what is going on in November. I have a lot of stuff happening in October, with the YTAC, my wedding, my honeymoon, inktober, etc. XD So november might also be busy if I can't keep up. We'll see! Thanks for letting me know Darrell! :D

[@Darrell_draws]

Yeah November is national diabetes awareness month 😃😁 I hope ur able to do a pic ( as long as u have free time 😂- if not that's ok😊) since ur channel does a lot of vids about information and ur opinion on things it would be cool to c a vid on u explaining diabetes 😊

[@yourmelody5118]

Okay I somewhat studied a lot of commissioning videos and this is brutally honest yet the most informative. I love this one a lot cause it's bringing out my points in a video. Thank you so much for this!

[@nayomii1377]

i need helppp, so i am 14 and recently i sold a piece of my art at an auction (the auction was to raise money so i didnt get any) i thought it would go for maybe £40 tops but it sold for £110!!! i now have many people wanting me to draw them the same thingbut it’s difficult to do that over and over again... should i just do one last one orrr？

[@rachelmurray3434]

I'm so happy you are so brutally honest, I've been thinking of doing commissions some day soon and just stumbled upon this video on sheer luck, so I'd say this is fate to finally know how it all works in realistic standards. The last part really stuck with me too, I have many relatives all vying for me to draw them self-portraits of them for 50 to 60 bucks each, which as skilled as I may or may not be at 18 I know is still way more than a stranger would pay for the same drawing. I hope to implement a lot of your way of thinking when I do end up selling, so just a big thank you from me because this was beyond helpful! :)

[@williamerickson520]

My that's a pretty picture you have there, wonderfully rendered. Are those charcoal pencils you're using?

[@freohr789]

those were points I always got conflicted over as well, was people looking at the pricing I was asking for commissions and saying "your work is higher quality than that" but like.... I didn't want to _raise_ it any higher than that because I haven't built a following yet. For now while I'm still trying to accumulate followers and interested buyers, I felt like I should be pricing lower. the other was the fact that people said "calculate based on how long your work takes on average" but like.... I draw kind of slowly. I don't get much accomplished in the time I take, so it didn't make sense to me to charge per hour. When I calculated what that made my pricing, I was like "no way that's WAY more than it's worth!" So like, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do with that information. so I'm glad for the "take the price you think you're worth and lower it" and also the "don't worry about maintaining a commissions post until you get somebody who asks if you take commissions" advice from the other video. I think it'd take a lot of stress off of me to stop maintaining that post anymore and just focus on drawing. (I still get commissions from friends at least, so I can keep my prices in mind for them, but when it comes to strangers I'll just have to wait!)

[@witchyfirbolg]

I expected this to be really disheartening with the warnings of "brutally honest" but it's honestly what I expected and some of it I already knew. Thanks for this information, it was really helpful!

[@RainingColors]

This was a very interesting video to listen to! Learned a little bit about myself too. Though I don't know if anyone's going to see this comment, I have a question for a rather tough situation. A couple of years ago I used to use the pricing to sell method, low prices, and a surprisingly high demand. High enough to make me use the 5 slot method as well, which those got taken within 24 hours since opening. Back then I knew I could finish a piece within an hour or so, and for that, I probably should mention I mostly offer digital work. I then slowly worked my prices up, little by little with the thought that "hey, people are really interested in these and it's getting a little overwhelming to work for this cheap". The demand decreased very little, but as time went on and gradually switched over to the pricing to keep method, the demand decreased and decreased before my eyes. My current prices are, frankly, based on the effort I put on each individual piece, and I'm lucky if I get a customer once a month. I am seeking to switch back to pricing to sell method, but I'm afraid I'll cause the mindset to people that they can wait for me to lower them a little more until I'm at the lowest point. How should I approach the switch of methods, if at all?

[@efflyn_art]

You taking the tape off at the end was the most satisfying thing in this video. The advice and work was great as always, but God, taking the tape off of paper after completing art is the best part of it in my opinion.

[@RebeccaR1014]

Really loved this video. Everyone on twitter and tumblr makes a big deal about underpricing artwork, but to be honest overpricing is a much bigger deal from what I've seen, especially from the anime and anthro communities. Also lmao all the people disagreeing with this and getting upset are either beginner artists who aren't good enough to be selling commissions yet or unknown artists who set up commissions when they have less than 50 followers

[@Sa1SUE]

This is very helpful! I was about to start commissions, and this video helps a lot. Thank you!

[@NaomiNaumann]

So I know I'm late to the party but I've been reading through the comments and I just cant help myself. To start off, Thanks Lemia, I felt like this point of view was a breath of fresh air compared to many other blogs, videos and other pricing "guidelines" I've seen(I've done my research I've seen a lot). I feel like this is a more practical guide for someone who is just starting out with commissions or just pricing their work in general. the one bit of advice I would have added is if you have no idea where to start try to find someone who has similar work and following and start a little lower than them or something, or just consider their prices when coming up with your own.(You might have mentioned this in another one of your videos about commissions but i cant remember) I watch and read all of these other artists advice on the topic and most of them put a lot of emphasis on making sure you charge enough and don't under sell yourself, which I do agree is important, but I also think it is just as important to not over value your work. Especially considering if you are just starting to come up with prices you probably don't have the biggest following and you might not yet have the greatest skills. I understand why so many artist warn against under valuing your work because it sets up a president within the art market that art isn't valuable and blah blah blah... but the simple fact is that the art market is kind of flooded with competition and with the introduction of the internet the market has changed in some ways for the better others not so much. I've heard so many times that you should at least be charging roughly minimum wage for your work. And I'm seeing this all over the comments section, but the way I see it your advice is much better. However, I do agree that we should all strive to, at the very least, push our prices up to minimum wage as we grow our following and our skills. And I think if we all did push up our prices as we grow then that might help with the undervalued market and help set a better president. But what do I know I'm an artist not an economist or expert in these maters. Simply put I think your advice is better for beginners entering the market, and lots of the other advice I've seen is much better suited for artist who are already established, have decent followings and have already really developed their skills.Problem is if they are already established like that chances are they have already figured out their pricing and whatnot. I just wish more videos were like this one to give beginners a more realistic idea of how manage their art "buisness", because if you are just starting out and think you are going to be making roughly minimum wage on all your work you are bound to be disappointed. Sorry for such a long comment I've been up all night and am now reading some of the comments at 6 am and they have just got me in a rambling and ranting kind of mood :) and i just get carried away.

[@choux8372]

Wow, I'm really impressed at HOW real you are when it comes to commissions and pricing! Ive been drawing for 15 years but I started selling my art just 3 years ago. I'm always told that my art is much worth than what I'm selling it for and I know deep down it's true, but that doesn't mean people are going to pay that amount. That being said, a lot of my clients have actually been really generous and even tip from time to time!

[@berryzem]

Those flowers turned out so pretty! >///////////< Hmm...I am kinda torn on this. I get where you're coming from but I still think time taken is a notable factor. I know at least one person who doesn't like her own art but still manages to charge $80 for a piece and still be in high demand because she factors in the time. I really like the idea of people deciding to open commissions when their art reaches a certain skill level, but that's not the world we live in. Some people love their own art but people won't buy, then there's the aforementioned opposite case. At the end of the day art is subjective, and unless you plan on commissioning yourself, how you feel about your own art also doesn't matter...but how you price yourself is a good sign to others which can affect their decision whether or not to commission you. There is a strange irony that occurs with the types of clients/customers you have. Higher paying clients are more likely to value you and your work while cheaper clients are more likely to be demanding and expect more, and if you already charge cheaply because of low self-esteem they'll just make you feel worse about yourself. Even if you "overcharge" for your work, the worst that can happen is people simply don't buy it and complain that your prices are too high (I've seen people charge less than $10 and people still complain so even that isn't relevant. Cheapskates are *everywhere* so don't take it to heart). It still boggles my mind when people feel the need to tell people they're charging too much. Like...stop, just stop. If you don't want to buy it, don't buy it. If they complain no one is buying, encourage them to better their skills, not charge less. They're going to get better by practicing anyway, so at the very least you're helping them do it faster. Anyway, in a nutshell, my mind has been changed a bit, but I still like the idea of using minimum wage as a base because it would be nice to have some sort of objective, concrete standard for artists so we wouldn't have to deal with being exploited so often D'X. Like, "Hey, here are some laws that you should respect when hiring this person work for you." It's not full proof, but it's better than artists charging $1 and being worked so hard that it crosses over from being hired to being enslaved. Thank you for bringing this up, Lemi. It really got me thinking. (sorry again for the long post XD)

[@ClaudiaSketches]

Totally agree, especially with the cheapskates! Underpricing is dangerous. You attract the wrong people (people looking for a bargain or the best deal, rather than people who have chosen you for your art), but you also can scare away the people who would be willing to spend a pretty penny on it too. Art is a luxury item and there are the kind of people who are looking for a certain range of price-tag as they believe that reflects the quality of what they'll be getting... especially if they don't really understand much about the process.

[@berryzem]

Exactly! Thank you, I agree with what you said about driving away good-paying customers too. I've seen posts of people genuinely feeling bad when they see people charging so little for a commission that they don't have the heart to put in an order >.

[@MysticHeather]

Yes yes yes, agree 100%. It can be dangerous to charge too little and I have been a victim of that in the past to the point that I ended up drastically undervaluing my skill, time and investment not to mention my actual physical health. Once you start down that road people expect those cheap prices and then the customers and “loyal” fans you’ve attracted won’t be willing to buy once you start inching it upwards, they’ll begin to complain and say “I can get it from so and so for $5”. Trust me I was a successful professional tattoo artist that could’ve been immensely more successful while also physically taking care of myself if I had only valued my work at what it was actually worth. So I guess just be honest w yourself in the beginning and obviously if you’re a total beginner then yeah start low but if you’re talented be realistic and don’t under value yourself

[@lilymcalister1825]

I had a nice little laugh, was that your kitty at 9:19 time stamp? Lol!! Aren't cats funny?! Gotta love them!! They know how to get pet when they are due for some loving. Puuurrfect!! 💜

[@archerkacey]

I think what you're saying is absolutely true! Especially the part about how people tend to not care how much time an artist spends on a piece. I don't think it's out of spite most of the time, it's just that when people don't see everything that goes on behind the scenes, they aren't interested in how much time it took or whatever.

[@luthien2531]

Personally I think a good way to figure out your prices is to look on Etsy or another platform where people sell commissions for similar style/quality commissions to see what people are charging for that. It prevents you from overcharging so you can see what's average, while it can prevent you from horrifically undercharging to the point where people are suspicious. While I agree that charging less than some of your competitors is a good way to build up business, you shouldn't charge $10 for a piece that's the same quality as something that's selling for $50 on average on Etsy. (glances over at the kids selling their art for literal pennies on DeviantArt.) As a customer, that makes me suspicious that the art is secretly lower quality or I'm being scammed.

[@cloudwyrms9752]

No need to apologize, it’s just the truth! I’ve gone through so much of what you’ve said in the video now that I’m starting commissions myself; generous family commissions at first, considering charging per hour, realizing that wouldn’t work and starting small + working up to higher prices depending on customer feedback... Now I’m at the point where I have a small fan base, but a loyal one with some frequent clients. I like a lot of the points you mentioned in this video, and it’s helped me sort of map out what I’m going to do pricing-wise. :)

[@toohopeful160]

I actually just watched a video that gave a really good idea about pricing while considering an hourly wage: Don't check what the minimal wage is, ask yourself whether or not you'd work for x amount of money per hour. For example, the minimum wage for a 16 year-old where I live is roughly 6.27$ per hour, but I am fine with working for 6$ per hour, and so a piece that would take 6 hours, a fully colored full body drawing in my case, would be 36$, which also happens to be around the range I can see myself selling my artwork for. I think using this method and then lowering it for your initial price when starting out could also work, or maybe compromise between how much you think your art is worth vs how much time it takes you.

[@petef503]

Hi. I just stumbled across this channel. Not only are you an awesome artist, but, you're an incredible human being as well! This video was ON POINT! and you have a new follower. Thank You.

[@julyol119]

I understand that people who are new to art can't charge the same amount an experienced, consistent artist can. But I keep seeing awesome artwork for laughable prices. And that's not because their art isn't worth it. It's because of peer pressure. And I don't even talk about a minimum wage (although I do think that a skilled artist should earn more then a non-skilled worker at a fast food restaurant). I'm talking about people selling themselves off for 1$ per hour. That's insane. And it's not because people wouldn't pay more. It's because artists keep under-pricing consistently. Metaphorically it's like betting each other up on an auction on an item (or in this specific case, a customer) that's clearly not worth the money the betters are ready to give. Do it once, okay, do it consistently and you'll be broke for no reason other then your own inability to think in the long run. Fairness isn't easy. And someone might think twice before buying something that's actually priced according to the work you put into it. But in the long run, people will be able to pay their bills with it. Not just a coffee here and there. And I can assure you, that the guy you pay to chop down a tree already made the calculations on it, including an abstract hourly wage and working materials. Just because you don't see the calculation, doesn't mean it's not there.

[@sabrinagessert2742]

I totally agree with you. Pretty much any product or service has already been priced with manufacturing costs in mind. The fact that artists are even sharing the info on how much their materials cost just shows good communication and transparency between seller and consumer. Also, if artists continue to lower their prices and assume that their skills aren't worth much, it'll make it harder for other artists who are pricing themselves fairly. Buyers will assume that the fair prices are actually overpriced

[@eddiewednesday8257]

As a person super new to the artist/customer arena, this was immensely helpful. Love the honesty, love your work, and again thank you!

[@VimblesArt]

Why i do not charge per hour (as already stated in the video): I do not always draw at the same speed, sometimes i'm less motivated so i'm slower- sometimes i draw very fast and i'd feel so bad for people paying more for the same thing just because i watched a youtube video in between but kept on drawing very slowly :C

[@gabbys.210]

A great video Lemi! I really enjoy these videos.

[@justinehornberger3715]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR FRIGGIN HONESTY!! Seriously it never occured to me to take time out as a factor-- I was always taught to do that so I just did. Taking that part out makes the whole process so much simpler

[@weebchan7123]

I think sales could work if you only do it for holidays (christmas, halloween, etc)

[@aimeedelenn8353]

I did the first model you said - I do pet portraits (Realism A4) and I started at $25, and boy... I had to close down the ad after I had 15 commissions in 2 hours. It was very overwhelming, but I have put it up to $35 and they are still coming in. Thank you

[@MegLivingInsideOut]

This is really helpful. Thank you! I think I'm going to go the "Price to Keep" model as I want to focus my time on creating products *with* my artwork, and don't want the pressure of regular commissions. I applaud you for telling it like it is! Basic Economics 101! And I give you a standing ovation for doing the hard work of starting low, then building your reputation to charge higher!!!

[@jakelees5104]

I love your frank and honest advice it’s giving me very realistic expectations for wanting to progress into a career in drawing. Much appreciated!

[@androsfart]

I LIVE for the peeling at the end!

[@AriesFae]

I do realism portraits for people. I only have a handful of customers/followers. The artwork i am specifically asking about is not colored, portrait, young child, and the dimensions are small. It took about an hour and a half to draw. My customer agreed to buy it for $30.00, but i personally don't think it's worth that much.

[@somethinguncreative]

Thank you so much for making this video. I've never felt comfortable taking money for my art (although I do art for people if I like the concept enough and trust the person) which is why I've held every job under the sun but artist and experience bouts of frustration and sorrow when the current job I have does not allow me creative time due to long hours. For me translating the mental experience of creating a piece into dollars is about as tricky as converting galleons into pounds into dollars.

[@dolliasdear9638]

can you be under aged to do a commission? like is there a particular age you have to be?,cause I feel like I'm a bit too young, and people will judge.( ; - ; )

[@LemiaCrescent]

You don't have to be any particular age. lol If you want to use paypal you have to do so with parental permission and all that because there is an age restriction on that website. Like, if a kid in school comes up to you and asks to buy a picture. You can get the money first and then hand over the artwork they want. lol No age limits!

[@bluechamomile7623]

Nope ^w^ You can start commissions whenever you want :3 (I started when I was 14 ^^)

[@FearlessFighterAkida]

You can start doing commissions at any age. However, I wouldn't necessarily advise it unless you have someone willing to let you use their paypal or take cash in person. Honestly speaking, I wouldn't really commission someone under the age of 18 because of the fact that if something goes wrong (such as them not completing the commission) then they can't really be held accountable.

[@angelraulgarcianavarro8138]

Nicole dear in

[@bridgetcable1357]

I feel like it’s worth mentioning that nobody needs to know your age online, and if you’re young it’s better to be kept secret 🤫

[@cheddarbaby]

Art is a luxury and artists need money to live, there's an actual pricing guide that professional artists go by. It's generally material cost = enough to make a second of that same piece then you multiply however much you think you should make per hour on how long the piece took, depending on how new or well-known you are you can raise it or lower it from like $3-$15 its up to you really. Then the thing no one talks about is cultural value which isn't a physical thing its really just based on the value your name has. Someone like picasso has obscenely high cultural value (maybe too high) and someone who just started creating has very little. But the cultural value is usually just tacked onto the end and is usually like added to your per hour price. Anyways don't listen to the advice in the video its not very good and your time is absolutely worth at least minimum wage. No matter how new or old you are to the art world your work is AT LEAST worth minimum wage. Never work for less and don't lower your prices because people then expect you to always work for less. You should be going up in price not down. How do i know this? Taking business classes during my degree with a professor who sees people constantly underselling their work because misunderstandings about art prices.

[@henrymartinez4871]

Wow! I'm learning and also appreciate you creating during the video. Well done, now I am a fan! Beautiful work.

[@kuniosaiki]

thanks for the harsh advice, i probably needed such a reality check. i have high ambitions for myself, but i have to be reasonable. currently im in the research and creating a following stage, i know i cant go in blind.

[@jewelsims8805]

Wow I love you for placing those titles telling what you're talking about. I hate it when I wanna skip somewhere but don't know what the KZbinr is talking about anymore

[@LemiaCrescent]

+Jewel Sims it took forever to add them but I felt the same way! I'm glad you found it helpful! :)

[@lawshorizon]

Well, it really depends on how much work you put on it and how much people can afford to pay. For example, you can do a $300 highly detailed drawing in 30 hours or 10 less detailed drawings (or impressionism) at $30 each (10x30=300) in the same time. In this case, the expensive $300 drawing will just sit there until the off chance someone buys it (which isn't likely). On the other hand, the $30 drawings will likely sell. It's not a question of talent (given enough time practically any artist can create a great artwork), it's really a question of your time, what the average buyer can afford, how well known you are, and the audience (e.g. eBay or Gallery). Of course, the cost of materials comes into play, so if you're going for the cheaper-drawings route you will have to keep materials, and the cost of shipping, to a minimum. This generally means doing smaller artworks (e.g. ACEO or 5"x7" that can be sent by letter-mail). On the other hand, if the quality is very low then nobody will buy it -- so it's a question of balancing your time in proportion to the quality relative to the affordable price range of your average buyer.

[@endgold743]

I know this is an old video but here it goes. 🤷🏽‍♂️ 1. When you take commissions for art, how would you suggest getting the money from people online? Would you do it through e transfer? Also do you take money before or after you finish the art? 2. Would you suggest sending the art to the person that asked for the piece through the mail? Or do you just take a picture and send it online? What’s better? If you send through mail, do you charge them shipping? 3. Is it a bad idea to sell your art through redbubble or something if you’re just getting started as an artist?

[@NehaSharma-kq2rz]

I love the brutal honesty of this video! I started painting again after almost a 10 year gap :/ life!!! haha And, I have been looking for someone to guide me in the right direction about art sales, and artist etiquette. I am very pleased with your honesty. I wish more people had your guts. :)

[@heytogrey]

You are right in saying that you cannot vary your pricing wildly depending on the amount of time you spend on each specific piece. You are also right in saying that buyers do not care how much time you invested, and that often you will not be able to sell a piece at a high price simply because you spent a lot of time on it. But I want to add the following, which I direct specifically at artists who want to make a living doing art (or at least contribute significantly to their income via art sales), and who are in a place where they have honed their skills and are able to create solid pieces in a professional manner: It DOES matter how much time you spend on your art, just not in the way you usually are told. Take the AVERAGE amount of time you spend on the types of pieces you try to sell. Then consider the highest price at which you have been able to actually sell your art. If you are putting 10 hours into your pieces on average, and you sell each piece for $30, that is $3 per hour. You cannot sustain yourself at that income level if you are treating this as a career rather than as a hobby or a small side income. So what do you do? One solution is that you must find a way to become more efficient at creating art, whether that be through practice or perhaps through switching mediums, subject matter, or the size of your average piece. Or it's possible that you could make up for the time/price discrepancy by selling prints of your originals, since prints take very little time once the original is complete. I just think it is important to treat your time as an important factor when deciding whether an art career is for you and, if it is, what approach you take to make the best use of your time since it is truly the most limited resource you have.

[@rovagrafx]

Great Videos Zac. Keep them coming. Good ideas and things to think about. Now to put it all together!

[@franko9978]

You are highly intelligent and know what you’re doing, so that’s great you share it with growing artists to further success in this field!!

[@Epsellis]

About the pricing thing Read your FAQ, While I agree with what you said, I don't think it covers the full scope. covering the entire scope would be more valuable to them. This is where the confusion is: I'm sure we all agree that artists are a real job, right? But if everyone's an artist, why should I hire anyone else to make art since I'm already an artist? That logic is pretty faulty, I agree. This is where we agree: Not all art is equal. and I think your point is the basic economic principle of Supply and Demand. But the problem with the supply and demand system is why minimum wage exists: Because people have a (very rational) desire to get something for nothing. Here's where it goes wrong. There's a huge demand for good art, Listen to any fandom out there: "We deserve better music" "Where are all the action cartoons?" "Why are there only these cheap repetitive anime? They can't even get the fanservice right." "Where did all the good games go? what's with this casual crap?" There's a lack of supply, there's a big demand of great artists, Why isn't it working? Because money isn't mathematical, it's far more psychological. Which is why "70% OFF EVERYTHING MUST GO SALE" works better even though it's the same price. The biggest problem is the mainstream belief that "art isn't worth money" Let's face it, we've spent far more on stuff we want or need less than art. just because it's what everyone else pays. Even arts aren't equal. gaming this system are museums and art auctions inflating art prices using this very system. And in those communities, art is worth a lot. Why? The mainstream belief that "Art is worth nothing" is very real. The minimum wage is there to counter it. Not everyone deserves the minimum wage, but it still should be adhered to. I hope this sheds some light as a counterargument. This is a far too complicated topic to cover in a KZbin comment,

[@airyballoon]

This was super informative! I love the way you articulate your thoughts so clearly and to the point.

[@RayneHiroshi]

I love your brutal honesty!

[@MoonCatArts]

This video was very helpful :) thank you :3 I had some of the experiences you mentioned in the video but not regarding commissions themselves as I rarely do them but I had not that long ago my first table at a convention. And what I saw there made me kind of sad ... most of the artists were selling conhon entries for 2€ so they were basically giving a mini commission away for 2€ ... I agree with you on not over pricing your artwork if you want to sell it but this was extremely under priced in my opinion ... I sold mine for 10 bugs. Obviously there were not a lot of people there who bought them but I sold 3 that makes 30€. The other artists had to sell their work 15 times to make the same amount of money but they also like me but a lot of work and effort into their work so they were not even able to sell as many because it takes them very long to finish a single one... as I said I agree with you that you can't really sell your art for super high amounts of money but I think you shouldn't under price your artwork too much. It also depends on your skill level as well of course. I've been drawing almost every day for 9 years now and I my mindset is more like "if you think my art is worth the money I ask you to give me you'll buy it if not pls go ahead and buy someone else's" but illustration is not my main income that's why I can think like that

[@LemiaCrescent]

+MisaS Art Why would anyone bother at that price? I also do not do the convention market at all so that pricing is lost on me. I mean, why do it at all? Wouldn't you lose money on the table?? D: I feel like people need to call it quits until there is a demand for the artwork. I went into this more in the first place. You can have good quality art but if you haven't done the work of growing an audience it's pointless to try and sell at a loss.

[@MoonCatArts]

LemiaCrescent i didn't understand those prices as well but I've talked to my table neighbour and she told me she's selling it for 2 bugs because she's been at the same convention before and had higher prices and just didn't sell anything because apparently it's harder to sell at smaller conventions but for me this was the first convention and I have not a big following especially because the followers I have mostly do not live in Germany where I live but I still sold stuff I guess that's the difference between the conventions and the social media commissions because people see what you can do in real live so they might consider buying something easier but I mainly did it to grow my audience rather than selling a lot because I knew beforehand that my following is not very big :D but still I refused to under sell my art as most of the others did on this con ... it just made me sad that they felt the need to do a commission for 1 or 2 hours and then sell it for 2 bugs that just sees wrong in any way to me :/

[@jegantdragoch.7088]

QUESTION Hope im not late to the party and not asking questions that you already answered but here it goes. Q: You mention in the beginning about doing irregular commisions or once in a while, does the cost have to be lowered to reflect that or i just think its up to the artist to accept and decline project based on their schedules. Q: You talked about doing art commissions and that the clients dont want the original print sometimes. Is it ethical for the artist then to sell the original print later one or sell copy prints of that art work. (im assuming based on agreements, copy write, etc) Q: this follows up with the previous one, of is it ok to film yourself doing commissions , or even stream it. like, "watch me do this art work that was paid by someone else" . Q: Is it possible to make certain medium (water color as example) cheaper but add some warning for the client like they are buying this service with the understanding im still building my skills and that they are paying more (70%) for the canvas and materials than my own time, and only later when I have more confidence, increase the price to the regular amount with the other mediums/styles i have options. (i hope i made some sense with this one LOL)

[@Thiefofcookies]

Hahaha, I usually get family members commissioning me and expecting less than strangers would! It's good to see someone acknowledge the saturation of the online art community as far as commissions go. I've tried pricing my stuff at the rate I "should" charge, but that sure doesn't help me out if I don't get any clients at that price. Not to mention when you're freelancing with other things and competing with artists in third world countries for whom a livable wage is much lower, things get pretty rough if you follow the pricing that most artists tell you to follow :/ It's good to hear someone say it's ok to wait to charge a livable wage until you can command such a price with your following/art quality.

[@someonenamedwill975]

I use the per square inch approach to pricing in example a 16x20" canvas has a surface of 320 square inches times that by 50 cents (hypothetically) brings my starting price for that piece to $120.00 and so on, as I progressed I raised my per square inch pricing in accord. Note: if you have a solid color background regardless of how big canvas is you should figure out the percentage of the canvas surface actually painted and charge in accord, this method works for me and everyone is different in their pricing approach and yes I have sold work for as much as $2.50 per square inch as I have made substantial progress in my art over the two yrs I have been painting and featured in a few magazines. But be realistic and realize if you need room for growth then leave room in accord on the prices you charge.

[@jandamen9132]

Lemia you are 'on the money' with your Brutal Hones.....Truth! We do this stuff because we love it - make it rich with passion & inspiration and any $$$ that follows is a bonus. History shows artists have lived 'hand to mouth' until chosen - whether that moment be brief, sporadic or last a lifetime stick to what you love the most about it. Well done - and nice artwork!

[@amynhotep7651]

This was extremely helpful! I've been kind of in the dark pricing wise, and I've been trying to figure out why no one's advice seems to actually help. Also, that tape peel at the end was super satisfying. Mm, those clean lines

[@michaelskywalker3089]

I agree with every point in your video although I have no practical experience to back up my opinion. The only question I have is: does it make sense to price artwork by the inch and adjust all of the artwork or commissioned projects by that standard assuming the quality or value to the customer/client is scalable.

[@hannahjoyarmerding4224]

how much would you price a print vs a original?

[@yopestevens1505]

That's a really good question and no one here bothered to answer, brutally honest or not! Did you happen to find helpful information elsewhere? Pricing my originals "to keep", but willing to sell art prints til the "cows come home". How do I go about it?

[@quinsomnia4934]

Thanks for the truth bombs, I intend to start up commissions next year and I really needed this.

[@Yunyun5955]

Love the points you made! Personally I do a pay what you want method. My customers tell me what they are willing to pay, and I let them know what I'm willing to do for that price point. I like it because I can do a bunch of smaller sketch commissions or a few larger pieces depending on my workload. I've found it works well for me because it's easy to control the amount of work and make a little more money with people who wouldn't purchase the art at a higher flat rate.