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Originally Posted by Sharon Knettell
There is a good article in Harpers magazine this month explaining the difference between the player and the worker. it is a bit complex to explain here, but the player, who does not produce anything and usually has the money, tries to get as low a price from the worker (the person who actually produces something). The player, (stockbroker, politician, CEO), generally has contempt for the worker.
I find that if I ask what I think are high prices, the client has MORE respect for me. What I found is they like to brag about HOW much they paid for it, or in the worse case, how they snookered the artist.
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I've spent a lot of time thinking about this concise observation concerning pricing, Sharon...and I have found this to be true as well.
Thanks for mentioning the article..it is a good idea for artists to become familiar with economics, workers rights, union activities, pay scales and so on in the industrial world because professional artists that accept commissions are workers in fact...(without labor organizations to offer protection or negotiate pay)...and like other skilled professionals, they need to be aware of the existing market and know how their "product" compares to the competition.
As a self-employed artist I try to remember that I have entered this profession at great financial risk. Health care, retirement, paid vacation, workman's compensation and the many other benefits that state employees or factory workers enjoy are simply not available to the self-employed artist. With those factors in mind, I set down every quarter and take a hard look at my taxes to determine how much I am
really making per year. Typically the results are not actually very impressive when compared to other highly skilled specialists.
Extensive training and years of practice are required to develop the skill set one needs to become an accomplished portraitist. When well executed the
product is uniquely rare and will become more valuable with time. Fees should reflect that.