Artwork Pricing Calculator
Set a price you can defend. Cost your work by time or by size, add materials, overhead, and a markup, and stop guessing at the number on the label.
Pricing that pays you, not just your costs
The most common pricing mistake is emotional, not mathematical: underpricing because asking feels uncomfortable. A formula takes the flinch out of it. When the number is built from hours, materials, overhead, and a stated markup, you can explain it to a buyer and to yourself — and you can raise it deliberately rather than apologetically.
Whichever method you choose, keep it consistent across a body of work. Buyers notice when a small study costs more per square inch than a major piece, and a coherent price list is itself a signal that you treat your practice as a business.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I price my artwork?
Two methods dominate. The time method values the labour that went into a piece: hours worked multiplied by an hourly rate you can live on, plus materials and a share of studio overhead. The size method prices by area — width times height times a rate per square inch or centimetre — which keeps a body of work consistently priced regardless of how fast or slow any one piece went. This calculator does both, then adds a markup so the price isn't just your cost.
What is the size (per square inch) pricing method?
You set a rate per square unit and multiply it by the area of the piece. A 16×20-inch canvas at $1.50 per square inch is 320 square inches × $1.50 = $480 before materials. Many artists like it because it scales cleanly across a collection and is easy to explain to buyers, but it can undervalue small, intensely detailed work — so compare it against the time method.
Should materials and overhead really be separate from my hourly rate?
Yes. Your hourly rate pays for your time and skill; it should not silently absorb the cost of canvas, paint, framing, or the rent and software that keep the studio open. Listing materials and overhead separately means you recover real costs on every sale and can raise your hourly rate later without losing track of them.
What markup percentage should I add?
Markup is the margin above your costs that turns a break-even number into a business. There is no universal figure — new artists often start modestly and raise it as demand grows — but a price that only covers costs leaves nothing for slow months, taxes, or reinvestment. Treat the calculator's base cost as the floor and the markup as the room you need to keep working.
Does this account for gallery commission?
Not directly — this tool sets your asking or retail price. If a gallery or shop takes a percentage of that price, use the Gallery / Commission Split calculator to see your actual take-home, and consider setting the retail price high enough that your take-home still covers costs and margin.
Educational estimate only. This tool suggests a price from the figures you enter; it is not an appraisal or a guarantee of what any piece will sell for.