Pricing Your Artwork

Getting Paid Without Undervaluing Yourself

Let's be honest - pricing your work is tough.

Whether you're a ceramicist, painter, sculptor, textile artist, photographer or sound artist, the same question keeps coming up:
What's this worth - and what will someone actually pay for it?

You need money to live. You've put time, skill, and materials into every piece. But price it too high, and it may never sell. Price it too low, and you're undervaluing your work and yourself.

Most artists don't get this right the first time. That's okay. Pricing is a learning process - but it becomes easier when you understand the difference between wholesale and retail, markup and commission. And when you've got tools that make the math easier.

That's where Artflow Pro comes in. It includes a built-in Commission Calculator Wizard, so you can work out sale prices with confidence - based on your target income, gallery commissions, and whether tax needs to be added.

Wholesale, Retail, Commission - and Where Sales Tax Fits In

Let's break this down:

• Wholesale is what you - the artist - receive. It's your take-home amount, before expenses.
• Retail is what the buyer pays.
• Commission is what the gallery keeps for selling the work - usually between 25% and 60%.
• Sales tax (e.g. GST or VAT) is added to the final retail price and paid by the buyer.
  • The gallery handles it. You don't need to factor it into your cut.

So if your work sells for $100 + tax, you still get your agreed share of the $100 pre-tax price. Simple.

The Commission Trap - Why You Can't Just Add a Percentage

Here's where many artists trip up.

Let's say you want to be paid $60, and the gallery takes a 40% commission.

You might think, "I'll just add 40% on top." That gives a $84 sale price. But 40% of $84 is $33.60 - which means you only get $50.40.

To actually get your $60, the pre-tax sale price must be $100.

Here's the formula:

Retail Price (pre-tax) = What You Want ÷ (1 - Gallery Commission Rate)

In this case:

• $60 ÷ 0.6 = $100
• Gallery gets $40
• You get $60
• Buyer pays $100 + tax
• Gallery handles the tax

With Artflow Pro's Commission Calculator Wizard, you can:

• Start with your desired payment and calculate the sale price.
• Or start with the retail price and work backwards to see what you'll receive.

Markups vs Commissions - A Simple Comparison

You Want To Receive Commission % Pre-Tax Price Gallery Gets You Get $60 25% $80 $20 $60 $60 40% $100 $40 $60 $60 50% $120 $60 $60 $60 60% $150 $90 $60

Markup Examples (for direct selling):

Your Cost Markup % Pre-Tax Price You Get $60 50% $90 $30 profit $60 100% $120 $60 profit $60 150% $150 $90 profit

In both cases, tax is added on top and handled by the seller (you, or the gallery). Your quoted price stays clean.

So What Should You Charge?
Here's what often happens:
Artists get a gut feel for what a piece might sell for - what the market will bear - and then work backwards.

Artflow Pro helps with that. You plug in the retail price you're aiming for, and it shows you what you'll actually receive after the gallery takes their cut. That way, even if you're starting from instinct, you can still make sure your costs are covered - and that you're getting paid enough to keep going.

If you're unsure, talk to your gallery. They know their buyers and are usually happy to help you hit the right range.

And remember - pricing evolves. You'll learn over time. That's why Artflow Pro tracks it all: prices, sales, time-to-sell, gallery performance, and your own payment history. It's all there, so next time, you're even more prepared.

Because pricing your work isn't just a financial exercise - it's a step toward making a sustainable creative life.