Almost every artist grapples with the issue of pricing. Are you maximizing your prices, or are you too cheap? Or is your pricing so high that you’re losing jobs? You might begrudgingly drop your prices, itching for any work at all.

Almost every artist grapples with the issue of pricing. But wait, here are some things to consider before you drop your prices. Click To Tweet

But wait. If you want to earn based on on the value you create, you need to see your art as a business. Not as an indication of your self-worth.

What is “Too Expensive?”

There are certainly people in poverty who can’t afford a lot of things. To them, it’s too expensive.

But most of the people in today’s commercial world are used to spending. A long-awaited art commission, an updated gaming set up, your favorite musician’s merch drop.

Your instant purchase is someone else’s too expensive. It doesn’t hold the same value for them. Instead, it’s “not worth it”.

I’ve had people ask for my prices, only to tell me “it’s way too much”. And that’s fine, there are other people willing to pay.

Your potential customer has the money. They’ve spent on other artists. Ask yourself, why aren’t they spending on what you offer?

Price is a Proxy for Value

If you had to choose between two artists based only on their prices, who would you go for?

Personally, I’d ask “what’s up?” What did the more expensive artist do to justify their price? Do they have more demand? Do they put more detail and polish into their art? Have they worked with big clients?

On the other hand, why does the other artist charge lower? Are they not confident enough? Maybe they lack experience and charge less to make up for it?

• 

• 

• 

Despite the visual nature of art, your value doesn’t end at your art style.  How people perceive your worth, how you conduct business, and how you create customer experiences all play into your value.

However, your potential customers won’t really know your value until they work with you. Until then, your pricing will be the indicator your client looks to.

The One Thing You Need: Expertise

None of this will work if you do not have the ability and skill to back up your claims of value.

• 

• 

A lot of artists ask me why they aren’t getting any work. When I ask to see their art, I’m not surprised to see it looks amateur and unprofessional.  It’s obvious they haven’t put in the work to improve their skills.

Unpolished vs Unprofessional
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you need to create more detailed and polished artworks in order to charge more.

One of my favorite examples of an unpolished but experienced artist is Stormcow. His art may look rushed and messy, but the fundamentals and expertise are there. His anatomy is solid, and his gesture adds a lot of movement. And it’s not easy drawing two character interactions!

On the other hand, it’s easy to tell if someone’s a beginner artist. Their lines are unconfident and unexpressive. They overdo the details to hide their weak fundamentals. Their art lacks impact overall.

Start looking at the artists you admire, and compare your stuff to theirs. What are they doing differently that you can emulate?

I’ve recently run into this problem myself. A studio was interested in commissioning me but raised concerns about my coloring skills. It was not a question of “I don’t think I’m good enough”. I was actually not good enough.

Having built confidence from years of freelancing, I asked them to give me a few months to study the studio’s style. Now, it’s just a matter of putting in the work and improving.

If you want to charge more, you must build the skills and expertise to back up your prices. Be confident, but place your confidence in the right things.

Do You Have Enough Data?

Those who buy from you have an information advantage: they’ve been shopping around, so they have an idea of your art’s price-value relationship.

If you charge lower than they expect, they probably won’t tell you. There are many a good artwork my clients have shown me, where I exclaimed, “you only paid that much? what a steal!”

Get an estimate for where your art is at. It might be lower or higher than what you expect, but it’s important so you have a direction to aim for.

Want to get some feedback on your art and prices? Join us at the NSFW Artists Guild Discord server!

Test, Don’t Assume

It’s hard to pump your prices up and expect everyone to see its value. Consider raising your prices until you see resistance.

Some clients will say “this is way too expensive”, in which case you have the opportunity to down-sell. Others will be willing but reluctant, and need a reminder about the value of your art to them.

• 

• 

• 

• 

If demand drops, pause your price raising. Take time to determine the reason people aren’t biting. Does your price match the value your art gives? Are you targeting the right people? Are you showing your expertise? Ask the clients who shy away and the clients who stay!

The Hidden Benefits of Charging More

When I was pricing $30 a finished artwork, I would celebrate each new commission.

Then immediately feel sour. I knew the 10+ hours of work wasn’t worth the money, but I couldn’t get myself to raise my prices.

I was paralyzed. The fear of losing potential clients was stronger than my wish to earn more. It took a slow crawl upward to realize that charging more wouldn’t be the death of my business.

In fact, it helped me make things better. I was able to spend more time polishing illustrations, and felt more motivated to provide amazing service. This caused a snowball effect, where my art got better and attracted more high-paying, respectable clients.

• 

• 

Consider the opposite. You charge less, thinking it’ll get you more work. But at what cost? Shittier clients, more burnout. People start to notice your commissions are eh at best, and decide not to work with you.

---

I won’t hesitate to say I love making money. It’s not because of the money itself, but knowing people are happy to pay for the value I create.

Which of the ideas above resonated with you the most? What will you improve on, so you can start to charge your worth?

Let me know in the comments, or by tweeting me @hbeatsart

Cheers, Beats.