How I Price My Paintings for Sale (And How My Approach Has Evolved)

One of the biggest questions artists face especially when starting out is:

How do I price my paintings?

It can feel overwhelming at first. You don’t want to underprice your work, but you also want to stay accessible and competitive.

In this post, I want to share how I approached pricing when I first started and how I approach it now, with more experience and confidence.

And I’ll also introduce you to a few common pricing methods that can help guide your process.

Now, after more experience, more exhibitions, and a growing audience, I take a more structured and confident approach.

I consider:

✅ Materials cost (still important!)

✅ Size of the painting

✅ Level of detail / time spent

✅ Experience level as you grow, your prices should reflect that

✅ Emotional / artistic value, some pieces are simply more meaningful or unique

I now also think about market positioning:

👉 Where am I selling? (Pop-up, online shop, gallery)

👉 Who is my audience? (Collectors, casual buyers, decorators)

This allows me to price my work fairly, while respecting the value I bring as an artist.

If you’re new to this, here are a few popular methods you can explore:

1️⃣ Materials Calculation Method

👉 Add up all your material costs (canvas, paints, varnish, etc.)

👉 Add an hourly rate for your time (ex: $20/hour)

👉 Multiply by 2–3x to cover profit and overhead

Pros: Very logical, ensures you cover costs.

Cons: Doesn’t always account for perceived artistic value.

👉 Set a price per square inch (ex: $1.50 per sq inch) or per sq cm.

👉 Multiply by the size of your painting.

Example:

16 x 20 inch canvas → 320 sq inches → $1.50 x 320 = $480

Pros: Creates consistent pricing across your body of work.

Cons: May need to adjust for very detailed or very simple pieces.

👉 Consider the painting’s emotional value, market value, your experience, and audience.

👉 Price higher for pieces that are more complex, unique, or align with your signature style.

👉 As your reputation grows, gradually increase your base price.

Pros: Flexible, allows you to price premium pieces higher.

Cons: Requires confidence and good self-awareness.

There’s no one “perfect” way to price your paintings. The most important thing is to price in a way that:

✅ Covers your costs

✅ Respects your time and experience

✅ Aligns with your market and audience

And remember: as you grow, your prices should grow too.

I’m still evolving my pricing approach as my work develops, and that’s part of the journey.

If you’re just starting out: be kind to yourself. Start with a method that feels good to you, and know that pricing is a skill you’ll refine over time.

If you’d like to know how I prepare my paintings for sale from final checks to packaging and presentation, you can read my full guide here → How I Prepare my Paintings for sales

If you enjoyed this post, stay tuned I’ll soon be sharing how I price my surface pattern designs and collections too