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How long will you take? How good will it look?
Pricing...three options:
1. labour + materials 2. real 'priceless' value (+ materials!) 3. barter for something you'd like that they have that's worth a lot more to you, or goodwill towards future credit for that.
(edited to add I've done a few portraits, but not oilpaintings, just airbrushed ones- all have been gifts though. Time taken varied from 4 to 14 hours each. Materials were not a lot- as gifts, I left it to the recipient to frame them. I treated the projects as an education & as a 'skill enhancement program' for myself, as I want to become more proficient at them. It wasn't about money.)
[ November 13, 2008, 06:37 PM: Message edited by: Ian Stewart-Koster ]
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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Figure out a price per square inch. That way, you eliminate the guesswork of worth. True artists will keep working regardless of money. Will it be from photographs? or are they sitting for it. Each are a whole set of looks and diciplines. They must be comfortable with the quote (as well as the artist) It also depends on how well known you are. I've seen butchered work go for that price. I've also seen beautiful top-notch painting go for a couple of hundred. A friend of mine who has gained prominence in that realm in the southeast, commands upwards of $30,000 for her stuff. Amazing. I don't think she uses one-shot anymore.
-------------------- David C. Petri Flying Peach Custom Paint Green Bay, WI 54302 cell 920-246-7821 Posts: 79 | From: Green Bay, WI | Registered: Jun 2006
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I'm pretty familar with the subject, I would say for a non name artist working in oils in a realistic style the price would be 2 to 4 times that. The stress involved with commissioned portriats makes signs seem like a cakewalk.
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Yeah - I kinda figured it would be all over the spectrum.
I'm a no-name for sure... and I know the guy. I'll probably go with my initial gut and let the chips fall where they may on this one... I don't want to do it for chump change, but I know i'm not worth 30K by a long shot....
I'll post it when it's done for your critique.
Thanks to all for your insights...
-------------------- Todd Gill Outside The Lines Potterville, MI Posts: 7792 | From: Potterville, MI | Registered: Dec 2001
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My dear little Russian Friend charges around $5,000 per head to be included in the painting...here is a link to her work....for inspiration if nothing else. She works with oil using only traditional brushes...no air.
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Dale - that's fantastic stuff!! Just reaffirms my "hack" status..lol. Thanks for the reference material...there's a lot to pick up from her stuff... great 'eye' work....and colors.
-------------------- Todd Gill Outside The Lines Potterville, MI Posts: 7792 | From: Potterville, MI | Registered: Dec 2001
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Todd, I don't think you can go too far wrong with your estimate. Unless you already have a portfolio of previous portrait commissions it seems like it would be very difficult to command top dollar.
After you finish I'll bet you'll have a pretty good idea of what to charge the next time.
It seems like charging by the inch would be good for determining minimum prices, but you would also have to charge for each head. A family portrait would be much much harder than the same size painting of an single subject.
My mind wanders. And that's not a good thing, 'cause it's too small to be out there alone. Posts: 3129 | From: Tooele, UT | Registered: Mar 2005
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this is one of my favorites.....ROWENA MORILL. i know from couple of the books i have of her art, she spends close to a YEAR.......on each original painting. http://www.rowenaart.com/gallery.html
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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[ November 14, 2008, 06:41 AM: Message edited by: Ian Stewart-Koster ]
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"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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I paint nudes every Thursday nights. It's a 3 hour workshop (1/2 hr of 2 minute sketches) and then a 2-1/2 hour pose to paint. This is how most painter work. The model takes a break every 1/2 hour. I also get to go to the San Diego Portrait Society to watch the demos once a month or so. Most professional portraits are done in 3 different settings of 3 hours each. I know this doesn't address the price question, but it should help with the time frame. Have fun. . . . .John
-------------------- John Arnott El Cajon CA 619 596-9989 signgraphics1@aol.com http://www.signgraphics1.com Posts: 1443 | From: El Cajon CA usa | Registered: Dec 1998
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Thanks John! We were always taught that if you can draw the naked, human figure - you could draw just about anything...because of the subtleties and myriad of shapes involved.
In my Life Drawing classes in college - we frequently had this ex-hooker (as she described herself) who posed nude.... and she always had a golf club as a prop. Why the golf-club? Nobody knew...and everyone was afraid to ask.
-------------------- Todd Gill Outside The Lines Potterville, MI Posts: 7792 | From: Potterville, MI | Registered: Dec 2001
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-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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not unless you was at PENN STATE 75-78)))))))i was the art professors assistant, when he didnt make it to class, i was teacher))))) and my bud spelink, i still pulled off a 3.75 G.P.A. used lotsa white out and typing correction tape))))) was BEFORE COMPUTERS)))))))
[ November 14, 2008, 07:46 PM: Message edited by: old paint ]
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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