Pricing art is hard because value in art is both intrinsic and social. You must reconcile hours, materials, and overhead with positioning, demand, and the story people buy into. Panic comes from trying to solve it all at once. A calmer method separates inputs from context and then combines them with a clear narrative.
Start with inputs. Track hours per piece, studio overhead, materials, and a complexity factor. Use a calculator to set a baseline. If a medium painting takes ten hours, involves fifty dollars of materials, and you pay rent and utilities that translate to fifteen dollars per studio hour, then your cost before margin might be two hundred dollars plus your target margin. Complexity, risk, and special handling can justify multipliers. Write this down, because the narrative begins with how value is produced.
Now address context. Where is the work shown? What is your track record? How scarce is the series? Context is not a license to inflate prices arbitrarily; it is a way to tune the baseline to your market. If you are early in your career, favor velocity: price to move pieces into the world and gather collectors who will grow with you. If your waitlist is long, your time is the scarce input, and price should reflect it.
Build a pricing ladder. Offer works at different sizes or formats that naturally scale. Avoid random jumps. When buyers can see the structure, they trust it, and trust accelerates decisions. Review the ladder quarterly alongside your inputs and context. If either changes materially, adjust calmly and communicate clearly.
Finally, protect confidence by practicing the conversation. Role-play price discussions with peers. Prepare answers for common questions about materials, longevity, and care. Confidence is not bravado; it is clarity. When you are clear, the conversation shifts from defense to shared enthusiasm for the work.