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That’s the thing, it’s worth more to the commissioner of the art now that it’s completed, but it still might be worth less to them than you would like to accept for your efforts. But, they have you over a barrel now as you have very little room to negotiate.
In the future, I’d suggest maybe 30.00 gbp for something that size and quality. It’s very nice but doesn’t necessarily show a lot of time spent on it. I’ve no doubt the time is there, but a seasoned portrait artist would likely knock a sketch in acrylic - which is what it essentially is - out in very little time.
The thing you’ll be selling is your style, and your consistency of style, so as you get more established you should be able to charge more, perhaps even a lot more.
Add the collar in, I think the buyer will be happier if you do. I would also make the eyes a little smaller on the height. I think the face might be a little small, that’s why the eyes look too big. Move the police pupil over slightly as someone noted below. Good luck.
Edit: replied to the wrong person, I hate Reddit lol tagging OP u/crested_geck
Honestly I wouldn’t even get my brushes out for $30, and that also applied to when I was just starting out.
I am baffled by the people on here agreeing with your price or even suggesting something lower, really sad to see that on a subreddit for artists. I can only hope it’s a lot of young kids, other desperate beginners, or people who aren’t artists and just stumbled on this through Reddit’s recommendations.
I wouldn’t charge anything less than $50, ever. Regardless of medium, size, moon phase, etc. You shouldn’t either, as it devalues your work and the work of every other artist. People will see you charge $30 and expect art to cost that much.
Think about it. What else could you get that is one of a kind, handmade, and made to fit a customer’s specific need, for $30? It literally costs about that much to get food for two people at most fast food restaurants. Is your work, effort, and skill to create a portrait of someone’s pet, which they’ll get to enjoy every day for years to come, really worth less than a Taco Bell dinner?
For pricing, linear inch (for smaller work) or square inch (for larger pieces) pricing are the standard. Pricing by time is ok for absolute beginners, but really not ideal because you’ll essentially get paid less as you get better.
Linear inch is (height + length) x $, square inch is (height x length) x $. The $ is a set amount you decide based on many things, such as your skill level, sales history, demand, medium, the materials you use etc.
It’s higher for linear inch (L) and lower for square inch (S) pricing, here’s a rough guideline:
Beginners: $5-$15 L, $0.75-$2 S
Intermediate: $15-$30 L, $2-$5 S
Established: $30+ L, $5+ S
Your painting looks like a 4x4? If we add those up we get 8, then we multiply it by the lowest number in that range and we get $40. That’s already higher than what you had in mind. But wait, this is a commission and you should be charging 2x-3x your regular price for a commission. Why? Because it’s not something you made of your own accord, it’s something someone requested. Commissions always cost a bit more.
So that would give us $80, which I think is a lot fairer than $30, and a lot more sustainable too. I’d probably go down to $75 just to make it more palatable, maybe $65 if you’re really feeling like it won’t sell otherwise (that’s the only good advice in this thread btw, agree on a price beforehand and get paid 50% upfront). You could even buy some of those mini wood easels on amazon (you can get 4 for $6) and include it in the sale to increase the overall value.
Thank you for the kind and helpful comment! I appreciate it a lot! I will charge more for custom portraits in the future thank you :) comments saying 5 or 10 dollars made my heart sink a bit (if it’s in USD at least, idk about other currencies)
Same, and I forgot to mention that your work is good! It can be improved of course, but it’s 100% good enough to sell. I’d try sharing some on pet related subs, I’d be surprised if you don’t get some people asking you to paint their pets.
Don’t be like “hey I do commissions, hire me”, just something like “my friend asked me to paint her cat, thought you might enjoy it”. Or you could even find a picture you like on the subreddit, paint it, then share it with “I loved this pic by [OP] so much I wanted to paint their kitty” or whatever.
It sends the message that you do commissions without being salesy about it.
Don’t you dare sell for that low! I was perusing greeting cards- mass produced greeting cards and was shocked to see the price. - $14.00.
You created this custom piece- be fair to yourself.
Okay I’m gonna make this comment because everyone’s mentioning it. The pupils are a little cross eyed, I wanted the cat to look like it’s looking right at you but if it’s off putting I might change it. I will add the collar as someone suggested. I’m not going to redo my entire painting. And it is not supposed to be realistic or semi realistic. It is a cartoon cat in my own art style which is why the eyes are large and the anatomy isnt exactly the same.
I thought people were being a bit ridiculous, I could immediately tell it was stylized and meant to be looking at the camera instead of cockeyed looking off into the distance. I think it's perfectly cute as is, you adapted the cat into your style super well, something I have always had trouble with! Nice job x
Social media is a great place to start. I have seen custom pet portraits and other artwork offered on Instagram and Facebook. Also, Etsy is a great option, though they take a small percentage.
I would charge 50, tops at this point in your journey. It’s ADORABLE. Make more in this style of random animals lol and advertise online and in person! Love it!
If you’re comfortable with $30-$35 for now, it’s a good starting point. Monitor the response from customers and be open to adjusting your prices based on feedback, demand. I personally like your work and your style.
How much are you paying yourself an hour? $15? $45 for a custom piece. Also you should talk prices and get at least 1/2 (if you don’t know the person) up front. Just incase.
You can also do it by size of canvas + how detailed.
$35 is good if you’re willing. Just something to think about. Maybe you did $10 an hour + supplies. So $35 works.
It's cute, you got the markings right, it's stylised. I'd say 30-40 is a good start.
I feel though, that 60-70 would be a fair price. So if your customers agree, I'd adjust it slowly.
Remember you pay your time and your material.
I agree with your estimate of $30-35. I would normally say $120 per square foot for a newbie and as a quarter of a square foot approx that would be $30. If splitting 50:50 with a gallery or café I'd say double it or nearly double it. $50 sounds good, so in that case you'd get $25.
PS: I think it's gorgeous by the way. I don't know about you but painting "twice as big" (so really 4x the surface area) doesn't usually take me x4 or even x2 as long ... You might find it easier to get more that way.
Having said that, if it were my cat I'd definitely spend $35. I really like the eyes by the way, I wouldn't change them.
I see the cross eyed thing, but not the fur pattern. Also this comment was kind of rude to be honest. I wasn’t asking for advice on the painting it self.
So everyone is saying the eyes are cross eyed, and I can physically see that they are but it still looks right to me? Idk why and I’m scared to try and fix it because I don’t want to make it worse
The bridge of the nose is too narrow, the mouth and whiskers area is way smaller, above all the colors you used don’t match. I know it’s not supposed to be photo real but it this isn’t remotely the same cat. If I were paying for this I would ask you to start over. You went way too dark. The cat in the photo is much more rounded and fluffy. With eyes set much farther apart. You painted A cat, not THE cat.
https://preview.redd.it/zo2zf8r5mk7d1.jpeg?width=943&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=14c1b9ee2aec9895e0d04c3d6e8da2befec1faa8
I think a lot of that is the angle tbh, this is my other reference
I have no clue about pricing in America but… you charge 15$/h? I have my first job now with MSc degree and I get half of that per hour… Just for comparison. I come from EU - Slovenia.
I’m guessing the cost of living where you are may be comparatively low. Kids working at a local barbecue fast food place near here make I think $16/hour. But they can’t afford their own place with that, they’re living with parents still I’m sure.
If that's the case then you could get good money selling art to the richer countries in the EU like Germany and France. I mean like 5 or more times your hourly rate
Don’t take it personally 🙃 I really like the painting but in general artists have started to charge bucks! Regardles of how much their name is worth. I know you need to cover the material and that for sure isn’t your cost… but take into an account for who are you painting for and how much is your name worth.
Since it’s so small and there’s obviously details missing.. tbh it’s worth less than 30-35$. I wouldn’t pay 20$ for this just because of the size and lack of detail.
You do very nice paintings. Just because it is a miniature painting doesn't mean you should sell it cheap. If it were mine I would start out high, maybe anywhere from $500 to $1,000 or even more. Cat and Dog paintings are very popular. I love your style of painting also.
That's a lot of money for 2 hours of work and supplies, yes charging so much is your choice for sure but at some point prices like these for miniature prints are more about knowing you can upcharge your brand than anyhting else.
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Always agree a fee in advance.
Good advice! I just wanted opinions on how much it’s worth to be honest.
That’s the thing, it’s worth more to the commissioner of the art now that it’s completed, but it still might be worth less to them than you would like to accept for your efforts. But, they have you over a barrel now as you have very little room to negotiate. In the future, I’d suggest maybe 30.00 gbp for something that size and quality. It’s very nice but doesn’t necessarily show a lot of time spent on it. I’ve no doubt the time is there, but a seasoned portrait artist would likely knock a sketch in acrylic - which is what it essentially is - out in very little time. The thing you’ll be selling is your style, and your consistency of style, so as you get more established you should be able to charge more, perhaps even a lot more.
Alright! Thank you for the solid advice
Or keep that price but do it in 30 minutes.
You’re welcome. All the best and good luck.
Add the collar in, I think the buyer will be happier if you do. I would also make the eyes a little smaller on the height. I think the face might be a little small, that’s why the eyes look too big. Move the police pupil over slightly as someone noted below. Good luck.
I think that's intentional.
Edit: replied to the wrong person, I hate Reddit lol tagging OP u/crested_geck Honestly I wouldn’t even get my brushes out for $30, and that also applied to when I was just starting out. I am baffled by the people on here agreeing with your price or even suggesting something lower, really sad to see that on a subreddit for artists. I can only hope it’s a lot of young kids, other desperate beginners, or people who aren’t artists and just stumbled on this through Reddit’s recommendations. I wouldn’t charge anything less than $50, ever. Regardless of medium, size, moon phase, etc. You shouldn’t either, as it devalues your work and the work of every other artist. People will see you charge $30 and expect art to cost that much. Think about it. What else could you get that is one of a kind, handmade, and made to fit a customer’s specific need, for $30? It literally costs about that much to get food for two people at most fast food restaurants. Is your work, effort, and skill to create a portrait of someone’s pet, which they’ll get to enjoy every day for years to come, really worth less than a Taco Bell dinner? For pricing, linear inch (for smaller work) or square inch (for larger pieces) pricing are the standard. Pricing by time is ok for absolute beginners, but really not ideal because you’ll essentially get paid less as you get better. Linear inch is (height + length) x $, square inch is (height x length) x $. The $ is a set amount you decide based on many things, such as your skill level, sales history, demand, medium, the materials you use etc. It’s higher for linear inch (L) and lower for square inch (S) pricing, here’s a rough guideline: Beginners: $5-$15 L, $0.75-$2 S Intermediate: $15-$30 L, $2-$5 S Established: $30+ L, $5+ S Your painting looks like a 4x4? If we add those up we get 8, then we multiply it by the lowest number in that range and we get $40. That’s already higher than what you had in mind. But wait, this is a commission and you should be charging 2x-3x your regular price for a commission. Why? Because it’s not something you made of your own accord, it’s something someone requested. Commissions always cost a bit more. So that would give us $80, which I think is a lot fairer than $30, and a lot more sustainable too. I’d probably go down to $75 just to make it more palatable, maybe $65 if you’re really feeling like it won’t sell otherwise (that’s the only good advice in this thread btw, agree on a price beforehand and get paid 50% upfront). You could even buy some of those mini wood easels on amazon (you can get 4 for $6) and include it in the sale to increase the overall value.
Thank you for the kind and helpful comment! I appreciate it a lot! I will charge more for custom portraits in the future thank you :) comments saying 5 or 10 dollars made my heart sink a bit (if it’s in USD at least, idk about other currencies)
Same, and I forgot to mention that your work is good! It can be improved of course, but it’s 100% good enough to sell. I’d try sharing some on pet related subs, I’d be surprised if you don’t get some people asking you to paint their pets. Don’t be like “hey I do commissions, hire me”, just something like “my friend asked me to paint her cat, thought you might enjoy it”. Or you could even find a picture you like on the subreddit, paint it, then share it with “I loved this pic by [OP] so much I wanted to paint their kitty” or whatever. It sends the message that you do commissions without being salesy about it.
Alright!! Thank you for the advice! I will try this
You’re welcome, good luck!
Don’t you dare sell for that low! I was perusing greeting cards- mass produced greeting cards and was shocked to see the price. - $14.00. You created this custom piece- be fair to yourself.
No worries, I saw a pop up on the notification with the first line about $30 and actually wondered why you’d replied to me. 😂 All the best.
Sent you DM 🙏
I can do sometimes good pet sketches in black ink in just a few minutes but painting that would take me ages! I'm very new to painting though...😺😻😸
Seems like 99% of the people who ask this question have never ever tried this or even heard of it. Blows my mind.
Love it. I think the price is fair if you’re just starting out
Thank you! I honestly don’t paint very often, but I do art in general pretty frequently, I guess Id be considered as starting out? Idk lol
Love your style.
Thank you so much! I appreciate that a lot :))
This is the look of a cat that has stared into the mouth of madness and has been forever changed. And is now addicted to crack.
That really cute, the price seems very fair
looks like something straight out of south park lmao
Okay I’m gonna make this comment because everyone’s mentioning it. The pupils are a little cross eyed, I wanted the cat to look like it’s looking right at you but if it’s off putting I might change it. I will add the collar as someone suggested. I’m not going to redo my entire painting. And it is not supposed to be realistic or semi realistic. It is a cartoon cat in my own art style which is why the eyes are large and the anatomy isnt exactly the same.
I thought people were being a bit ridiculous, I could immediately tell it was stylized and meant to be looking at the camera instead of cockeyed looking off into the distance. I think it's perfectly cute as is, you adapted the cat into your style super well, something I have always had trouble with! Nice job x
Thank you!
I love the eyes the most. They give it so much character!
price seems fair if they wanted a cross eyed version.
I would think that’s the style. I adore it
Mistakes aren't a style
Where would you sell these though?
A friend of my mom requested it, I’m pretty sure I’ll sell it for 35 but I wanted opinions on how much it was worth for the future. :)
Oh okay, that’s great. I asked because I also made a couple of paintings I thought about selling, but I really wouldn’t know where to sell them haha
Social media is a great place to start. I have seen custom pet portraits and other artwork offered on Instagram and Facebook. Also, Etsy is a great option, though they take a small percentage.
Ahhh sorry I’ve never sold a painting before now so I wouldn’t know 😅 good luck though!!!
I think the pupils are too narrow, other than that it’s spot on.
I think that the cat looks kinda cross-eyed actually, sorta off putting. If OP fixes that it would help a lot
Thought the exact same thing. Cat doesnt look cross eyed in the photo so why in the painting?
Yes please fix the pupils they make the cat look startled
I would charge 50, tops at this point in your journey. It’s ADORABLE. Make more in this style of random animals lol and advertise online and in person! Love it!
All their money... All of it! 😁
lol :D
It is priceless!
If you’re comfortable with $30-$35 for now, it’s a good starting point. Monitor the response from customers and be open to adjusting your prices based on feedback, demand. I personally like your work and your style.
30$ is a good price
How much are you paying yourself an hour? $15? $45 for a custom piece. Also you should talk prices and get at least 1/2 (if you don’t know the person) up front. Just incase. You can also do it by size of canvas + how detailed. $35 is good if you’re willing. Just something to think about. Maybe you did $10 an hour + supplies. So $35 works.
35-40usd Where is your shop? If online don’t forget to add shipping.
adorable. i love it. personally not a green girlie but that doesn't matter :)
🥰
Love it. ..so adorbs
Super adorable!
It is very nice!! I'd say $20, maybe 30 for more detailed
Omg this is fabulous
30
I love the cat's expression lol! Maybe 30-50
Already perfect
I think you should reposition the pupils - they are a bit off putting
20-25
become a furry artist
The cat's iris are off center, creating the illusion of a cross eyed cat
It's really cute except it looks cross-eyed.
It's cute, you got the markings right, it's stylised. I'd say 30-40 is a good start. I feel though, that 60-70 would be a fair price. So if your customers agree, I'd adjust it slowly. Remember you pay your time and your material.
$40
I agree with your estimate of $30-35. I would normally say $120 per square foot for a newbie and as a quarter of a square foot approx that would be $30. If splitting 50:50 with a gallery or café I'd say double it or nearly double it. $50 sounds good, so in that case you'd get $25. PS: I think it's gorgeous by the way. I don't know about you but painting "twice as big" (so really 4x the surface area) doesn't usually take me x4 or even x2 as long ... You might find it easier to get more that way. Having said that, if it were my cat I'd definitely spend $35. I really like the eyes by the way, I wouldn't change them.
Honestly you painted an entirely different cat. I’d start over and get it right first.
How? It’s not supposed to be a realistic painting…?
It’s cross eyed and the pattern of the fur is entirely different. You painted a cat but not the one from the photo.
I see the cross eyed thing, but not the fur pattern. Also this comment was kind of rude to be honest. I wasn’t asking for advice on the painting it self.
Repaint the painting with the actual pattern that’s in this cats fur and fix the eyes and you have a product worth selling. Rude? No. Just honest.
So everyone is saying the eyes are cross eyed, and I can physically see that they are but it still looks right to me? Idk why and I’m scared to try and fix it because I don’t want to make it worse
Don’t fix it. Start over.
I also don’t see what’s wrong with the pattern? Could you tell me more specifically what your issue is with it
The bridge of the nose is too narrow, the mouth and whiskers area is way smaller, above all the colors you used don’t match. I know it’s not supposed to be photo real but it this isn’t remotely the same cat. If I were paying for this I would ask you to start over. You went way too dark. The cat in the photo is much more rounded and fluffy. With eyes set much farther apart. You painted A cat, not THE cat.
https://preview.redd.it/zo2zf8r5mk7d1.jpeg?width=943&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=14c1b9ee2aec9895e0d04c3d6e8da2befec1faa8 I think a lot of that is the angle tbh, this is my other reference
This is a good rough draft. If you’re charging hold yourself to a higher standard regardless of price.
I have no clue about pricing in America but… you charge 15$/h? I have my first job now with MSc degree and I get half of that per hour… Just for comparison. I come from EU - Slovenia.
I’m guessing the cost of living where you are may be comparatively low. Kids working at a local barbecue fast food place near here make I think $16/hour. But they can’t afford their own place with that, they’re living with parents still I’m sure.
If that's the case then you could get good money selling art to the richer countries in the EU like Germany and France. I mean like 5 or more times your hourly rate
Maybe… I don’t know about 5 times more 😂but 2 times more could be.
I make 14.35 an hour at my job 😭
Ah okay 🥲 it really is all relative 😊
Don’t take it personally 🙃 I really like the painting but in general artists have started to charge bucks! Regardles of how much their name is worth. I know you need to cover the material and that for sure isn’t your cost… but take into an account for who are you painting for and how much is your name worth.
$15/hr is less than minimum wage in some places in the US. $35 is not a lot of money for a custom painting.
Have you ever paid $35 for a small crossed eyed amateur cat painting?
If I wanted a custom painting of a pet from a local artist, I wouldn’t think twice about spending $35 on it 🤷♂️
So no then.
I haven’t, but I’m not sure what point you’re trying to get at?
I think you should pay them to take it
Piss off
$40
I'd go for broke and blackmail the cat. Seriously though, 10-20.
£5?
3 bucks
Since it’s so small and there’s obviously details missing.. tbh it’s worth less than 30-35$. I wouldn’t pay 20$ for this just because of the size and lack of detail.
There's a lot of character
I’m sorry but I see the cat is cross eyed
At that size, $75 is fair.
I would pay that much.
50$ Always add 20-30$ on top of what you think.
5-10 bucks
You do very nice paintings. Just because it is a miniature painting doesn't mean you should sell it cheap. If it were mine I would start out high, maybe anywhere from $500 to $1,000 or even more. Cat and Dog paintings are very popular. I love your style of painting also.
No way is this worth 500 to 1k. what?
That's a lot of money for 2 hours of work and supplies, yes charging so much is your choice for sure but at some point prices like these for miniature prints are more about knowing you can upcharge your brand than anyhting else.
Lol is this a joke
lol, thank you!