At least from my own experience, when your artwork is about to leave the studio and become a part of a greater audience, pricing becomes a question that seems so removed from the thoughts and considerations while making. Perhaps there is a formula...
External and Internal research provide a good basis for how to go about pricing; paintings,prints,sculpture,drawing or whatever you make.
.Either way...For the external part, pick a medium and size.Get on your bike, go to different galleries and note;
-Who the artist is?
-Where the gallery/venue/space is in relation to cost of real estate and quality of living?
-Compare commercial galleries and co-op galleries effect on the pricing of the particular medium and size.(Understand the 50/50 nature of commercial galleries.)
-Note the price of the work you see in relation to these three considerations.
And now for some math... (Calculated with sympathy,love and respect. For all the makers out there.)
For example, consider -on a micro level- the process of making a 40" x 36" painting. (These are ballpark numbers...if estimates arent exact enough at least follow the prototype.)
-Stretchers/Structural Integrity- 90
-Staples/Staple Gun- 10
-Canvas- 17(Divided out of large roll of cotton duck canvas)
-Gesso- 3
-Paint- 150
-Brushes/Mediums/Turp- 100
-Half a months studio rent (For sanity) - 300
-Utilities- 50
-Photo Equipment/IT- 200
-Studio Time, our precious time at an ideal rate of 20$ an hour x 30 hrs.( I would like to think im worht at least that much.) - 600
Health Insurance (Fraction of total) -50
Cigarettes smoked during the making(Pick your poison; rollies or packs. Either way - Too Many
1570 is what we arrive at.
(Framing was excluded from process)
Hope this helps.
KB
