Thank you for your report!
We have received your report and it is currently under investigation by a forum moderator.
Charging for Commissions
Welcome to the forum.
Here you can discuss all things art with like-minded artists, join regular painting challenges, ask questions, buy and sell art materials and much more.
Make sure you sign in or register to join the discussions.
Hang on Studio Wall
This is a Studio member-only feature!
Join our Studio membership and save your favourite Painters Online content, from gallery artwork to step-by-step guides, to your own online mood boards. Create your go-to place for inspiration and learning. Plus, members can also enjoy a range of exciting features including monthly art videos and a digital magazine library.
If you are already a Studio member, simply login to your account.
Not a Studio member? Why not try our free 30-day trial - no commitment, no credit card required
Message
Posted
Hi, I've painted with acrylics for over 20 years and after several years of work getting in the way I took up painting again in 2015. I discovered my passion is therapeutic paintings for others. I show those interested, my art on my mobile phone, and that is how I received my commissions. People talk to me about their inner most feelings, a problem or a memory and I develop a painting from that. All my commissions have a story to tell which means a lot to the customer which is the most important thing for me. So I want to keep my prices affordable. I've had many years experience working with people and I seem to have developed a way of imaging their needs in a painting. So far no one has rejected my ideas. Commissions can take many weeks to complete which includes consultation and coming up with ideas. But being an amateur and unknown I'm at a loss of how to charge. My last commission I charged £170 for 20" x 30" box canvas and I put several weeks work into it. But how should I work out my costs? Should I charge by the hour? I want to keep my prices affordable although I'd like to be able to afford to pay some bills.
Posted
It's a subject that comes up regularly Amanda, quite recently we had the same question. Basically there is no easy answer, there is no scale of charges to make it easy for us. If you have RA or ROI after your name it's a whole different ball game. But you haven't, and neither have I, so it really is trial and error and testing out your market audience.
Obviously for a couple of weeks work £170 is ridiculous and unsustainable if you want to live of it. I work quickly and generally complete most of my work in an hour or say two at most but that figure would be around my hourly rate. This could be the problem, they are taking a long time to complete so your hourly rate has diminished to pennies almost.
Others will give you different ideas to think about I'm sure, but I can't give you any definitive answer to your question - that's because there isn't one!.
Posted
£10 an hour is pittance!, but it is better than what you are getting now. Of course I don't expect you to complete work in a couple of hours, I just happen to work quickly and my style of painting is almost certainly different to yours. I don't know if this is the case, as far as I know you haven't posted anything on the gallery. (correct me if I'm wrong).
So, if your paintings are taking a couple of weeks to complete, let's call it 2 x 30 hours - that will work out at a figure of £600 based on your £10ph. You may be able to demand that sort of price, but it is looking like you will have to stop fiddling around and cut down considerably on the time taken, If you can!.