Why You Shouldn’t Underprice Your Work as an Artist

Conversation before an art sale. There are many reasons why you shouldn’t underprice your work as an artist

When starting out as a professional artist, avoid selling your art pieces for anything less than they’re worth. Learn why you shouldn’t underprice your art.

MAX ROSSI, ARTCENTRON

Pricing is a hot topic in the art community. Some artists say you should keep your prices low to draw in new customers. However, underpricing your art can have negative effects on your business. Here are some of the main reasons you shouldn’t underprice your work as an artist.

You Should Make More Than Minimum Wage

So many beginner artists make the same mistake of underpricing their work when pursuing a professional art career. What many of them don’t realize is that they aren’t valuing their own work in the process. Many artists who keep their prices low aren’t even calculating based off minimum wage. When pricing your original artwork, always consider the number of hours that went into the piece, the amount you spent on materials, and your hourly rate.

You Might Experience Burnout

Burnout can negatively impact your efficiency and creative process as an artist. Underpricing your artwork often leads to a higher demand for commissions because you appeal to a wider audience. However, you’ll need to take more work to make a healthy living, which can lead to burnout.

When you increase your prices, you probably will lose potential customers and commissioners. However, you’re more likely to attract customers who fully value and respect your work and time. Plus, you’ll still be able to make the same amount of money with fewer working hours, which leaves you with more time for other work or yourself.

You Won’t Be Able To Sell Prints

When you underprice your original artworks, you leave yourself with no room to order prints and sell your work beyond the original copy. For example, you can use the money you make from selling an original work to print high-quality copies, which you can continue to print and sell. However, if you underprice your original work, you won’t be able to order many high-quality reproductions for future sales. You should also avoid underpricing your prints, especially high-quality reproductions such as giclée copies. Follow the tips for correctly pricing your prints to add to your sales.

For professional artists, selling their original works and prints is their main source of income. However, if you’re pricing these items too low, you won’t be making enough to support yourself and your career. Remember these reasons you should avoid underpricing your art so that you can continue to build your reputation as a professional artist in constructive and positive ways.

Do you know other reasons why you shouldn’t underprice your work as an artist? Share them with us. Leave a comment.