Oil Painting Lesson: Dick's Art World!

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Why Art is Expensive

It’s true that not all art is expensive—you can find lovely handmade things for very cheap, for less than $100. It’s also true that some art is exorbitantly priced at hundreds of thousands of dollars and up—I am not referring to the Picassos that sell at auction. For now I’m just talking about contemporary art, like mine, that is priced in a reasonable midrange—a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.

Suppose you see one of my paintings for sale for $1890, and you think to yourself, “Good grief, that’s a lot of money. Why on earth does it cost so much?”

Well, you’ve got to think of it in terms of what goes into producing such a thing.

Here’s an approximate breakdown of that $1890:

* Materials: canvas, primer, paint, frame supplies, and hardware (people often don’t realize how expensive art supplies are!):

$200

* Overhead: this unwieldy category includes the cost of tools, easel, computer, sketchbooks, camera, brushes, desk, chair, office supplies, file cabinets, shelving, rent or mortgage for studio space, phone, Internet, and utilities for studio, work truck for transporting art and materials, car insurance, gas, business licenses, taxes, etc., ad infinitum:

$250

(Note: I calculate my overhead per painting by dividing the total costs for the year by the number of paintings I made that year. I am actually keeping my overhead extremely low by basing my studio out of my home, driving an old beater of a work truck, etc.)

* Gallery commission: 40%-50%. Many people are shocked to learn that when an artist sells something in a gallery, the gallery takes up to a 50% cut of the sale, or more in some cases. This is an industry standard. It may sound unfair, but if a gallery is able to bring the artwork directly to buyers, in the end it is worth it because the artwork is actually being sold. My time is better spent in the studio making artwork than trying to attract potential buyers. Galleries have storefront property to maintain and plenty of their own overhead. Just like any other retail store, they mark up their products so that they can pay their expenses and make some profit. So the gallery’s commission is about equal to the artist’s bottom line for a given piece of work:

$940

* The artist’s time—After I subtract the cost of materials and overhead from my cut of the sale ($940), this is what is left as payment for my time:

$500

Of course the time spent on a work of art varies greatly from artist to artist, and from piece to piece. The thing that most people don’t realize is how much time must be spent on things outside of the studio. This includes time spent planning, sketching, and brainstorming, researching, talking to clients, writing promotional materials, photographing and cataloging work, packaging and transporting work. Tack on the time it took to actually make the painting.

Assuming I am very efficient, (I am) with all of these things accounted for, a painting may take me a total of 20 hours of work. You are paying not only for my time, but also for my skilled labor—all the knowledge, experience, and intuition that is the culmination of years of study and work in my field.

For this painting, I end up getting about $25/hour. To put that in perspective, graphic designers charge $60-$75, a good attorney or therapist may charge more than $100.

You might think that if I’m selling a painting straight from my studio rather than in a gallery, the price would be much lower, right? Well, no. The price would be about the same. This is because I must keep my retail prices consistent to be fair to all the collectors of my work. You would not be happy if you bought a painting in a gallery and then realized someone else bought a comparable painting straight from the artist for half the cost!

So when somebody buys directly from me, I end up getting more of the money—and direct sales can be a godsend for an artist. This is where I get most of my actual profit from, which allows me to grow my business. I am so grateful for all the work I sell in galleries–it allows me to open up to new markets that would not be available to me otherwise. But if I relied on gallery sales alone, I would not be able to make ends meet.

When you understand just how much goes into a piece of artwork, and how small the actual profit is, you will understand it from the artist’s point of view. The price will sound very reasonable—you will realize that you are getting a steal. Think about these things next time you see a painting or a sculpture that seems to be very expensive at first glance.

People should pay for the nice things that they want—buying art is like any other purchase of something that you want. It’s exactly like treating yourself to a new flat screen TV or the latest gadget, a beautiful sofa, a sexy leather jacket or a vacation. You wouldn’t raise an eyebrow about an $1890 price tag on a large flat screen TV. But TVs come and go, while original artwork, if well-made, will last hundreds or maybe thousands of years. It can be something beautiful that gives you joy or comfort every day when you look at it, something that you can pass on to your children after you are gone. Art is timeless and unquestionably human—if you connect to a piece of art on a personal level, and you know it is something you want to live with every day, if you have the money, it is well worth paying for.

That said, you still may blanch at a large price tag and wonder to yourself, “Is this price negotiable?”

The answer is maybe. It never hurts to ask. If somebody is buying multiple paintings, I’ll often give a small “bulk discount.” If you’re buying 10 or more paintings to decorate your whole home, I may give you up to 20% off, free shipping, or an additional small painting for free. If you are a repeat collector, I know that you are the backbone of my livelihood, and I am very likely to give you exclusive deals to show my appreciation for your loyalty. I can’t speak for everyone, but I would bet most gallery owners and artists feel the same.

Many galleries and individual artists are also willing to work with a customer to create a payment plan that works for them. Most commonly, I break the final sum into monthly payments, for up to 6 months. This makes it possible for people to purchase my work even if they can’t pay all at once.

About the Author

Cedar Lee is an artist based in Maryland. She paints vivid, dramatic landscapes, colorful flowers, and portraits by commission.