Art Prints vs Original Drawing - Pricing

[JulietMadeChutney]

I have just sold a few (limited edition) prints of one of my charcoal drawings (just to friends/facebook friends - so possibly just pity-purchases...) Sold about 4 in 2 hours for £15 each. I am of course delighted. Covers costs and probably pays me c£10 an hour. (No way does it cover any start up costs but am still happy as those really are start up costs of a hobby). I may yet sell a few more if I shove it on Etsy.

So anyway, one of my friends has asked how much for the original. Arghhh. Help.

No problem selling it to her but just got no idea how to pitch the price. So if the prints are £15/£20 how much should I sell the original for? Crappy photo attached (decent scan on the computer in the office and CBA to get it.)

I’m no expert but there’s an established (but not super famous) artist I love and his prints - limited edition of 100-150 - are about 1/15th to 1/20th of the cost of his original paintings.

You’re really good by the way!!

Thank you. It is really difficult. I have sold another 3 prints of this one since I posted. My sister thinks I am undercharging - but it is a bit of a mates rates thing. And testing the water. Possibly, as above, pity purchases .

I am in no-way a trained artist. Unless you call watching 3 or 4 YouTube videos training! Before July last year I could not draw anything at all - gave up art as soon as I could at school as I hated it. So this is literally the first time I have sold anything - so makes me feel like I cannot ask too much - if that makes sense?

I shall have to think. Have been desperately googling to see if there is some "golden formula" but to no avail thus far....

Have you tried looking on Etsy to see what other artists are charging?

Wow You are crazy good. Get on etsy ASAP

Your pricing is good/accessible at £15-20 for limited prints (i would go for runs of 200/250 high quality prints) id go with low mid pricing and a volume strategy to kick you off.

Original I would say £100 as mates rates otherwise £150. Online if listing originals depending on size and complexity between 150-300 is the right ball park. Maybe 60-80 if it's tiny.
Tact on a % if it's personalised/commissioned

Ps you would make $$$$ doing personalised pet portraits
If you set up an etsy shop PLEASE tell is as I would 100% want one

I would keep the prints at £15 but not limit the print run. At that price point they are an affordable impulse buy, people may buy 2 or 3, limited edition just limits you. Any higher it becomes a considered purchase and you may well sell fewer. It would need to be a small limited number to push the price up. Remember to that things may well sell better at the start, but will decrease over time. I would pitch a non-commissioned original at £150-200 if just starting out but also capitalise on prints. Your work is gorgeous, you may well increase prices as you become more known.

If you set up an etsy do please post! I'd love one!

You're fantastic!!

I can't help with the pricing really - originals I've bought have been c£100, but I'd absolutely buy your prints if you put them on Etsy!

Eek. Just asked for £100. If she would like it great, if not...sold £90+ worth of prints today.

Thank you so much for all your help and advice. Have spent the entire day admin-ing for the 14 prints (Harry plus a couple of others) I have sold. Note to self - get admin ready before you ask friends if they want a print!

Inventory done, payment requests sent (and mostly received), printer emailed and certificates of authenticity prepared.

Would rather have been drawing.

And (because I am afraid I really do have the self-esteem of a lowly gnat) thank you for the Harry the Hare love. I am quite overwhelmed by it to be honest. I will pop back once I have got my arse in gear on Etsy. In the meantime - a couple of other pics I have sold in the last 24 hours... different style - but again do you think people will buy these?

Just popped back on to say the original sold for £100. Am delighted. Delivering it tomorrow. Thank you for all.

Well done! Your other pictures are really good too, although I'd only buy the hare as that's more my style.

I'd buy greetings cards of the giraffe, but not the boots.

(To be honest I'm wondering who on earth would want a picture of boots, but what do I know!)

@TeenPlusTwenties

I'd buy greetings cards of the giraffe, but not the boots.

(To be honest I'm wondering who on earth would want a picture of boots, but what do I know!)

I kind of agree about the boots - but I sold 3 (or could have been 4) to a couple of friends. They are quite DM booty kind of people though.

Interestingly though I am putting a copy of the giraffe in my downstairs loo. Will make me smile while I wee

I don't think you should sell the originals. They are a source of income to you and now they can be a source of income to your friend.

I am in no-way a trained artist. Unless you call watching 3 or 4 YouTube videos training! Before July last year I could not draw anything at all - gave up art as soon as I could at school as I hated it. So this is literally the first time I have sold anything - so makes me feel like I cannot ask too much - if that makes sense?

Your work is amazing, don't sell yourself short! I have a friend who sells her art professionally, it's usually £100+ for an original, and you could absolutely charge that because your quality is so high.

My daughter would buy a print of the boots. She's nearly 17, I reckon a few of her mates would too so maybe see if you have any inroads to the youth market and what you could create to target them?

@HollowTalk

I don't think you should sell the originals. They are a source of income to you and now they can be a source of income to your friend.

I checked this out before I came on here it does happen frequently. Artists sell originals and continue to sell the prints

I've drawn up a receipt/bill of sale outlining that I retain the copyright (which is always the case with art) and will continue to sell the limited edition prints. She was aware before she agreed the sale. I have undertaken not to do a replica of that image (ie another original almost identical to it).

@SingingSands

My daughter would buy a print of the boots. She's nearly 17, I reckon a few of her mates would too so maybe see if you have any inroads to the youth market and what you could create to target them?

Stupid me. ^ photo was in response to this. Yep, had that thought..did this but it was my first ever attempt at colour (used the DCs pencils). It did not go well .

Am going to give it another go now am a bit better with colour and have some pastel pencils.

Do you mind if I DM you to ask you a few questions about how you’ve gone about printing/selling etc?

I know Doug Hyde prints sell for about £500 framed. An original is about £15,000-£20,000. It's my husbands favourite artist and I wanted to see how much an original would be so I enquired with his agent.

@Megmargs

Do you mind if I DM you to ask you a few questions about how you’ve gone about printing/selling etc?

Of course not - happy to answer DM - but happy to share here anyway/as well:

1. Found out you need to get scans of your pics of at least (I think) 300 dpi ideally in a Tiff format. I dug out our years old scanner and found out it did Tiffs to 600 dpi - so that was a tick.
2. Found printer who could do giclee prints on acid free fine art paper. I am lucky I have one down the road (well 10 miles). He also does scans so if I didn't have a scanner he could have done it for me. Was £18 a scan though. I did (for peace of mind) get him to do the Hare for me as well as my scan). That was a tick.
3. If you are using colour you may need to adjust the scan with "curve lightening" - just because the printing process can darken it a tad. I did 2 prints of the giraffe as a test run and it did look more of a match with the "curve lightened" one. I just did this on Iphoto. Black and white pictures don't need it.
4. I got some proofs done. Of the boots, the giraffe, a couple of others. More to test the need to curve lighten or not. Results ^
5. Posted my finished drawing of Harry the Hare on my facebook page, asked if anyone wanted any. Got 9 yes replies.
6. Posted on my facebook page that as I was going to the printers would anyone like any of my other drawings. Got 11 more orders.

So that is kind of it so far. I am going to do an etsy page.. I have just accepted my first pet portrait commission (eeek - very scared. Am hoping it won't ruin the joy I get from drawing).

Oh, and have spent some money on A3, A4, A5 cello bags and hard backed envelopes for posting them out. I also created a "Certificate of Authenticity" to go with each print. And an art inventory so I can keep track of what is happening.

I am bored of all the admin now. But got some systems in place to do some more selling - but just want a break for a weekend. Last weekend turned a bit mad with the admin. This weekend I want to just draw.

Hope this helps.

That’s so helpful, thank you!

I’ve done a couple of pet portraits in the past but because it was just posting out the original piece I didn’t have a clue how I would go about scanning, printing etc. Really appreciate the information.

You are more than welcome. There may be other ways of doing it - but I spent a couple of hours looking into it all. I have to say the Giclee prints are amazing - you can see every pencil stroke - almost identical (well no charcoal dust!). I can recommend a Hertfordshire based one if you would like. PM me if you do.

My husband sells limited Ed lithograph prints (100) A3 about £25, A2 giclees are £60-80 (run of 50) and the originals are usually between £800 and £1500.
We post in tubes so about £1 per tube and all tracked so roughly £4 uk, £14 Europe and £18 for the rest of the world.

Oh and he has a seal rather than certificate for the giclees.

Oh really pleased you are pushing on with this
You are very talented!
I hope it's the start of a great business for you!!!