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Originally Posted by Mary Smith
Gee, thanks for totally depressing me.
I struggle very hard with this. I charge basically half for pastels what I charge for oils for the reasons Mike mentions. I just feel like I am supposed to. Painting portraits is my opportunity to stay at home with my children and not have to get a job. So I have to keep it coming in and by having something lower in price to offer there is something always there to do.
However, this is very frustrating to me. I feel like pastel comes easier to me but at the same time takes me just as long to complete as one in oil would. So perhaps it isn't really easier, maybe I just enjoy it more. So, this is a fight I have been having with myself for this past year that I have been offering these pastels. I spend the same amount of time making half the money, but because there is something offered at such a lower price I never have nothing to do, and I HAVE to have something always paying, or my patient husband won't be so patient..shew, hows that for some proper grammar streaming from my brain!
I wish I felt as comfortable with oils as I do with pastels, and maybe if I had more time to do both? Well, that will be a few years from now when everyone is in school all day. I guess I just have to settle and do what has to be done.  |
I don't really struggle with this, I do agree with how Chris made her's the same cost, if/when I become good enough I would do the same thing, not because of this is harder or that is harder, but because I feel a pastel is equally as beautiful as an oil.
Pastels achieve such a different look from oils I can't even look a them as apples and apples. I think it is the "look" that your client is wanting that should dictate this. A pastel can be so much looser and impressionist than a traditional oil, and some people like that.
I find that the best thing for me to do is bring people into the studio and let them see the difference and decide that way.
Mike if you like them why don't you just equal out your prices, thus it will dictate if you do them for something other than making more money?
If anything I find that oils have challenged me to be that much better with my pastels. I think it is exciting to take the "oil" techniques and apply them to pastels. The results can be incredibly beautiful, but then again they can go the other way too.
If there is a cost difference in you rate sheet, I tell people this can really equal out when it comes to framing anyway.
Who wouldn't want one of Sharon's ballerinas hanging in their house?
Maybe we should band together all just price them equally.