Pricing per square inch

[Chris Saper]

Hi Lon,

I think that pricing by the square inch is reasonable, especially to the extent that the painting's size relects the amount of time you need to complete it. In this case, it also gives you some basis upon which to calculate price for odd sizes, too.

If you are starting oils, you probably won't know the relative time you need until you've done 100 or so, particulalry if they are a departure from the sweeping vignette style you often use in your charcoal/pastel work.

There seems to be a "standard" that oils run about 1 1/2 times the price of works on paper. Actually I doubt there's any real basis for that, and I do know of artist's who charge the same, regardless of the medium.

What I particularly shake my head at is the practice of discounts for multiple subjects...and I do it myself. The rationale is that it promotes multiple subject purchases (it probably does), the problem is that it ofter takes CONSIDERABLY more time to do, than the same number of separate paintings.

Chris