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.)

@takingmytimeonmyride

Wow! You are amazing! I recently commissioned someone to do me a picture (of a house) and it's costing me £150. It's not something I'd normally buy, it's for a special birthday present. I've bought a print from another artist too.

Ahh, I'm so jealous! I got F in my art GCSE. 😂. I'd love to draw. I'm not sure I have the talent to learn. And definitely not the concentration and patience!

I didn't even take art GSCE I hated it so much and was so bad! I took Textiles (ie sewing - which I also hated, but not as much as art) and suffered Mrs Dawes for 2 years.....

I just appear to have a switch in my head which is allowing me to "see" stuff differently. just hope it isn't a brain tumour like DH and I appalling joked about last week...apologies if anyone is offended

Thank you for all the lovely comments by the way. I do still keep having huge doubts about my abilities so I really appreciate them.

OP I didn't do art GCSE and until a few months ago would have said, I can't draw anything, I was dire.

I don't know if it's poor teaching or what. But I tried recently and not as bad as I thought. I haven't got much concentration or patience but it's now very much on my list of things to do. If I got to your level in 20 years, I'd be pleased!

It's my best friend's birthday in summer and I'm hoping to do a pastel picture of somewhere we visited together, so I've got ages to do it.

The art teacher never taught in the kind of explanatory way you see on Youtube etc. She was more "draw this" and then just said what
I'd got wrong and not how to address it.

Perhaps my memory is incorrect but that's definitely how it felt.

@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.

When you sell an original, make it clear that you keep the reproduction rights, and the buyer does not have the right to produce prints and sell them. This is the standard in the art business, otherwise anyone who bought a Doug Hyde original could produce and sell prints from it. Before you let the original go, make sure you have a high res scan of it so you can produce and sell prints in the future. If you manage to find a gallery to sell your pics, make sure you then sell at the price the gallery sells at. It is really annoying to gallery owners to have a pic on the wall and a constant stream of locals saying 'She lets me have her pictures much cheaper than that'.