The Art of Pricing: Are You Undervaluing Your Work?
If you’ve ever sat there, cursor blinking, watching your soul slowly leave your body while trying to assign a price to your art, or clicked “edit markup” on a POD and tried to make sense of markups, fees, and emotional math, only to spiral into a late-night pricing crisis… this one’s for you.
In this post, you’ll learn how to avoid common pricing mistakes and start valuing your creative work the way it deserves.
Honestly, pricing your art can feel… weird.
It’s not math, it’s vulnerability. You’re putting a number on something you made from scratch, something you care about. That number can feel like a statement about you, your skill, your worth, your place in the art world.
If you don’t value your work, no one else will.
Regardless of the medium, whether you’re selling prints on a POD site, originals at a market stall, or licensing your work – how you price your art shapes how people see it. Undervaluing yourself doesn’t make your work more accessible. It just makes it easier to overlook what you bring to the table.
Common Pricing Pitfalls
These are some of the most common mistakes artists make when pricing their work:
🚫 Pricing based on what you’d pay.
You are not your customer. Most artists aren’t.
🚫 Only covering material costs.
Your time, skill, and creativity are the core of the value.
🚫 Being afraid to raise your prices.
Prices rise. Your talent grows. It’s okay to evolve with both.
Breaking Down Your Price (Without the Spreadsheet)
To make things easier, here’s a simple way to break it down. No spreadsheet required (cue happy tears). This will help you structure your prices with intention and clarity.
| What to Include | Example | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Material Costs | $40.00 | Canvas, ink, paper, framing, packaging. Every tangible cost counts |
| Time Spent | 8 hours | From sketch to finished product, editing, and final touches |
| Hourly Rate | $40–$150/hour | Reflects your experience and what feels sustainable for your practice |
| Platform Fees | 15% | Marketplaces like Etsy or gallery commission structures |
| Profit Margin | 30% | Sustainable cushion that supports growth and creative freedom |
Formula:
(Time × Rate) + Materials = Base Cost
Add fees and profit = Your Price
Art Isn’t a Calculation. It’s a Connection
We tend to overthink pricing, wondering if our work is “worth it,” or whether buyers will weigh every hour, cost, and skill.
But that’s rarely what makes someone buy art.
Most people buy art because of how it makes them feel.
Because it says something they couldn’t quite put into words.
Because it brings a sense of identity, escape, or comfort into a room.
Especially in times of uncertainty, art helps people reconnect with something that feels true. It gives them a voice when words fall short, visual language steps in.
That emotional connection? That’s the value.
And that’s why your price shouldn’t just reflect what it cost to make…it should reflect what your work gives to someone else.
Price Like You Mean It
If you’ve been second-guessing your pricing, here’s your gentle nudge to stop holding back and start owning your worth:
- Your creativity is valuable.
- So is your time and the skill behind it.
- Your art isn’t “extra.” It’s story, connection, and voice.
And the right people?
They won’t need convincing.
They’ll feel it. Because the magic that made it matter to you has a way of reaching them too.
Your art speaks. Give it a number that matches its voice.