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"So how much is this gonna cost?"
PRICING
Ah yes, the age old question that separates the true customers versus cheapskates.
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I believe it is important to be transparent about prices of artwork because I want customers to fully understand my thought process for "valuing" my artwork.
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My mom thinks it is priceless, but here's what I believe:
Materials Cost
Per usual, it does cost me money to pay for materials. And no, I do not purchase things for their MSRP value. I am a crafty broke college kid who waits for sales and coupons. I do not profit from this, and include a copy of my receipt upon request. Since I am in the state of Washington, taxes are included.
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I have multiple resources I get materials from, but mostly I try to support local businesses. Blick Art Materials, Spokane Art Supply, & Hobby Lobby are where I get most materials from. I also try to get the highest quality materials for what I do, from Master's Touch canvases, Golden acrylic paints, Speedball printmaking supplies, and Strathmore sketchbooks are just some of the brands I use.
Labor Cost
As of May 2021, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics states that fine artists average about $29.69/hr. This is an average, meaning some artists charge more, and others less. Since I don't have as many years as a working professional independent artist, I currently value my time at $25/hr. Now I can predict your next question: How long does it take to complete a project? Well, that is going to depend entirely on what I'm creating for you.
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For example: A recent commission for three 8x10 canvases with only three colors used was requested. The colors and canvases cost me a whopping $9. The amount of time it took me was about an hour and a half, resulting in the total cost of labor to be $34.5 (and that's a very quick turnaround for work because the images were only line work). This is now a total of $43.50!
However in another case, a commission took me 14 hours to finish painting along with a material cost of $47. Altogether, that piece cost $369 on labor and materials.
Creative Tax
Yes, you read that correctly. I have a creative tax that is variable to what I'm being asked to do. So what is a creative tax from HGolden Art?
It is accountable for the years I spent through trial and error of creating art. Experimenting with materials and techniques, my collegiate courses that I partook in, and it accounts for my own unique creativity!
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How does it work?
In the earlier example with the three 8x10 canvases, I additionally charged a 1.5% creative tax on labor only. My reasoning for this is my client wanted me to take the reigns and gave me loose guidelines for what they wanted. So, the total for that commission was $34.50 X 1.5% plus the $9 material cost resulting in... $60.75!
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In my second example, the creative tax was significantly less because the client provided an example of what they wanted and a photo reference. In that case, I only charged a 0.15% tax, so let's do the math..
14 hours X $23/hr = $322. Multiplied by %0.15 is an additional $48.3 that will be added to the total. The final cost for that piece was $417.30
Since the creative tax is variable, the percentage will be discussed upon consultation.
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