Art Pricing Woes

DESERT WIND by Sea Dean

I just read a really valuable blog and when I was adding my comment I realized both the blog and my comment would make a valuable post.

Myths and Misconceptions of the Art World | Myth #4 – Lower Art Prices = More Sales

My Comment

“This is a brilliant post and something many artists need to take to heart. 

I live in a country, retirement and tourist area and the market is flooded with craft shows and artists on pensions who price their work to cover costs, or even less to clear out their under-bed storage. I am a classically trained artist that returned to my roots after a career in business, so initially I fell into the standard marketing traps that Jason has mentioned. I priced my work low to develop a market. Back then my techniques were rusty and I was painting upwards of 250 small works a year to hone my skills. I sold work, but nowhere near as fast as I thought it should sell at those prices. I was in the mass market with hundreds of other art crafters in the area and I was exhausted. 

Over the years I have worked tirelessly on niche marketing and understanding the luxury market. There is a mass of opinion out there to wade through, but Jasons is the most accurate I’ve found. I can add two things, that in order to sell your work you must find a way to create VALUE, regardless of price. Size matters: It takes as much time, if not more, to create a miniature as it does a large painting, but a buyer is more willing to pay that price for an impressive size. BE UNIQUE; most selling artists are talented, but if two similar paintings are on offer, the buyer will go for the more unique style, technique or color combination even if it is more expensive. 

Lastly, make sure you value your own uniqueness, don’t be afraid to ask a price that makes a statement, gives your work stature and you a decent income. For some genre such as landscape or portrait you must be technically talented, but for most modern styles of art, knowledge comes secondary to things like wow factor, curiosity and even quality materials. It has taken me 50 years to figure this all out, I hope you benefit from my hard won learning.”