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262 - Interview with Sema Martin

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Show Notes:

262 - Interview with Sema Martin

Sema left an engineering job to pursue her passion for colored pencil art. She was able to figure out how to thrive as a commission artist, drawing animal portraits for clients from all over the world.

She wrote the book, Art Is My Career, to help you start your own art commission-based business. This book is a friendly, practical guide that shows you how to make your dream a reality. Sema shares expert advice on everything from writing a business plan to pricing your work and raising your profile as an artist. Learn how to start taking commissions and ensure your long-term success.

References From This Episode

Sema Martin’s website: https://www.semamartin.com/studioshop

Other Resources for Artists

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217 Commission Considerations

217 Commission Considerations.png

Show Notes

Sharpened Artist: Colored Pencil Podcast

Release Date: August 26, 2019

 

Topic: Commission Considerations

 

Points of Interest:

If you’re diving into the world of commissions, John and Lisa want to save you from some of the mistakes they’ve made! Here are their top considerations:

-Have a set pricelist before anyone approaches you about commissions.

-Know how long a piece is going to take you so you can provide an accurate timeline to your prospective client.

-Have a contract with some important stipulations: copyrights, what changes you’re willing to make, etc.

-Educate your client on how to take care of the artwork.

-Be aware of the time and patience it will take going back and forth on client communication.

-Don’t be afraid to turn away a commission when you don’t have a solid reference!

 

 

 

 

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John’s Twitter: @sharpenedartist

Lisa’s Twitter: @lachri

 

 

As always, thanks for listening! Tune in next week for more from John and Lisa. In the meantime, be sure to visit www.sharpenedartist.com for additional updates and information. You can also join our Facebook group, Colored Pencil Podcast, or contact us by email at podcast@sharpenedartist.com .

 

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087 Painting's Perceived Value

Show Notes

Sharpened Artist: Colored Pencil Podcast

Release Date: January 16, 2017

 

Topic: Painting’s Perceived Value

 

Points of Interest:

Many colored pencil artists find that potential customers have a greater perceived value for painting rather than colored pencil art. John and Lisa talk about a few reasons this tends to be the case, and also provide some tips and suggestions for increasing the perceived value of colored pencil art when you go to sell.

 

 

Links Referenced:

 

John’s Twitter: @sharpenedartist

Lisa’s Twitter: @lachri

 

 

As always, thanks for listening! Tune in next week for more from John and Lisa. In the meantime, be sure to visit www.sharpenedartist.com for additional updates and information. You can also join our Facebook group, Colored Pencil Podcast, or contact us by email at podcast@sharpenedartist.com .

 

Stay sharp!

 

074 Art Shows and Fairs

Show Notes

Sharpened Artist: Colored Pencil Podcast

Release Date: October 17, 2016

 Topic: Art Shows and Fairs

 Points of Interest:

Have you ever considered entering an art show or fair? You’ll want to hear John and Lisa’s tips for having the best experience. This episode covers all the bases: setup guidelines, tips on customer interaction, the importance of marketing materials, travel/storage tips for your art, the pros and cons of a live demonstration, and more!

 Links Referenced:

Print your own business cards:

www.moo.com

John’s Twitter: @sharpenedartist

Lisa’s Twitter: @lachri

As always, thanks for listening! Tune in next week for more from John and Lisa. In the meantime, be sure to visit www.sharpenedartist.com for additional updates and information. You can also join our Facebook group, Colored Pencil Podcast, or contact us by email at podcast@sharpenedartist.com .

 

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042 Colored Pencil Question and Answer Show

Topic:  Question and Answer Show

 

 

This week John and Lisa answer some of the questions you submitted to us!  If you’d like to submit a question that may be potentially featured here on the show, just write to us at podcast@sharpenedartist.com  or complete the online form at http://sharpenedartist.com/qanda

 

Want to use your voice to record a message to us? Just click the side widget, at http://sharpenedartist.com/podcast to the right labeled "Send Voicemail", to send an audio file to us!  You can simply use your mic from the computer!

 

Some of the questions this week are:

 

  • What kinds of things do you see newer artists struggle with at the beginning?

  • How do I know when to Burnish?  It seems like I’m burnishing too early and when I’m done, I still see the paper showing through.

  • How much color theory do I need to understand to start in colored pencil?

 

Links mentioned in the show:

 

Lisa's longer Patreon videos

 

Do you need help building your own website or blog?  You can contact me to discuss the options I offer.   Click here for help building your website or for a free site evaluation.

 

 

As always, thanks for listening! Tune in next week for more from John and Lisa. In the meantime, be sure to visit www.sharpenedartist.com for additional updates and information. You can also join our Facebook group, Colored Pencil Podcast, or contact us by email at podcast@sharpenedartist.com.

 

Are you ready to increase your presence online and maximize your art career? Click here to start the conversation today!

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018 Considerations For Pricing Your Artwork

Are you at least on the right track?

It's the BIG question that we all ask. How much should I charge for my art?

Like everything else, art is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. It doesn't matter if you think your work is worth $4000. If no one will pay that then the fact is it's not. So how much should you charge?  Here are some tips to help you determine the right number for you.

Do not start high and lower prices when things don't sell.

The first thing to understand when deciding on prices for your work is that it will always be better to start low and raise your prices as sales increase. Don't start off unreasonably high and lower the price because they aren't selling. This will REALLY irritate your collectors who paid on the high end of the scale. You don't want that reputation. Start lower. As you continue to get sales, increase your prices. You can even increase your prices on your very next painting.

There are two extremes I see when artists price their work.

Either the artist is grossly overcharging or they are seriously undercharging for their work. The first tends to come from newer artists who are too emotionally attached to their work so they price their work, according to that attachment.  The other common reason for this is that they haven't yet produced many pieces, so that makes each one more valuable to them. If you are too attached to your work, then I think it's better just to keep the piece and not list it for sale yet. In a year or two, you will have created enough work that your skill level will have increased and you won't feel so attached to those older ones. Then won't feel so harsh to sell those first paintings for $75 each instead of the initial $4000 you thought they were worth at the time.

The artist who doesn't charge nearly enough is probably the more common of the two. You need to value your time. If you spent 40 hours on a painting or drawing, it just doesn't make sense to charge $40 for it.  That may not even cover the cost of supplies!

 

Well, how do I really know how much to sell my work for then?!

Unfortunately, there is no one straight answer for this. There are many factors that come into play when deciding how much to charge. So let's take a look at some of these things and hopefully it will give you a better starting point on how to price your own work.

 

How long have you been creating art?

If you are a new artist then you probably need time to develop both skill and a following. When we're first learning, realistically our work is not likely to be that great. That doesn't mean someone won't enjoy it, so don't get frustrated that you're not yet Michelangelo and give up or throw your work away. An easy way to get started in selling is to list your smaller pieces (smaller because they're easier to ship) on ebay. Let your friends and family know that you have a new listing by linking it to your social media accounts. See what sells, and how much it goes for. At least charge enough to cover the cost of your supplies. As you complete more work and get more constant sales, you can start to raise your prices. But don't assume that because you saw a blue dot sell for millions in a big art gallery that your landscape that obviously took way more time is worth more.

How much are other artists at your skill level/area/subject matter selling for?

Go to local galleries, check the prices on artist's websites who are similar in your subject matter and skill level. How much are they selling their work for? This is one of the easiest ways to determine where you should start. The catch here is that if you're not well known yet in your community, or online, you need to find other artists who are similar in those aspects as well. It doesn't matter if you paint as well as Thomas Kincaid, you don't have the name he built to back you, so your work isn't going to sell for as much. People buy for the artist as much as for the art itself so, in this case, popularity does matter.

Keep in mind that undercutting those in your range is not necessarily going to get you more sales. Most art buyers don't know much about art, they just know what they like. Sometimes all you're telling buyers is that your work is not as valuable as another artist by placing your prices just below that other artist. When I was focused on pet portraits, I got more commissions when I raised my prices above my competition than when I was lower. It was sort of like telling people "I'm worth the extra money", without having to say it. I'm not saying you need to to put your stuff hundreds or thousands above, but don't sell yourself short either.

 

Pricing based on size.

I won't lie. I fought this one for years. I don't feel that size indicates the value of a painting. I may spend 2 hours on a 2'x4' painting, and 2 weeks on one a quarter of the size. Why then would I sell the one I spent so long on for less than the larger one?! Well, frankly, because that is what buyers understand. They relate size toprice. There are two common ways to do this

  • Price by square inch: This is where you figure out the area by multiplying the length x width. UGG MATH!! I know I know, but it's important! So an 8x10 painting would be 80 square inches, and a 24"x36" would be 864 square inches.  Let's say you wanted to charge $1.40 per square inch, then your priceswould look something like this (my numbers are rounded):                                      

  • Price by linear inch: This is what I went with myself. To figure out your linear inch, you will add the length + width. So an 8x10" painting would be  18 linear inches and a 24x36" painting would be 60 linear inches. If you wanted to charge $20 per linear inch, that would make your prices look something like this:

Why did I choose linear inch pricing over square inch? As you can see by the numbers above, pricing by square inch leaves your numbers skewed a bit weird so that your smaller pieces are really cheap for the size compared to larger. Linear inch keeps the paintings more evenly spaced. I don't think this is a one size fits all thing though. Some artists like having their smaller paintings available for very low prices so it really comes down to what appeals more to you.

 

Pricing based on time.

While some artists like to be paid a specific amount based on the amount of time spent on a piece, I personally don't. First, as I stated above, it's not something most customers really understand. Second, when you're a newer artist, much of the time you spend is in trial and error and in fixing things that don't look right. Top that off with the fact that when you're newer you won't really know for sure how many hours a piece will take, that makes it nearly impossible to give a clear price quote to a client who is interested in hiring you for a commission.

Many years ago I used to do a bit of web design for other people. I was not an expert. I could do it, but I did so VERY slowly. Should my clients have to pay extra for my lack of experience while I was learning? I don't think so (and neither did they).  Art is the same. The longer you paint, the faster you will get. In part because you will make less mistakes that you need to troubleshoot.

That said, you may want to incorporate how long you think it will take you to complete a painting into your price per square or linear inch.   What do I mean by that? Well if you want to be paid $10 per hour (if you're more experienced that number should be much higher), and it's going to take you 10 hours to paint an 8x10"  piece, that means that you want to make around $100 for that painting. That puts your price at around $5.55 per linear inch.

Your cost of supplies.

You need to consider the cost of your supplies. If I paint something on linen, I'm going to charge more to make up the difference in materials (linen cost's quite a bit more than cotton canvas). Are you using Luminance colored pencils instead of cheaper prismacolors? You can, and should, be charging accordingly. In that case, the work created by Luminance is going to be far more archival that work created with prismacolor. This sort of thing matters. Make sure that you're factoring in the cost of your supplies when you figure out your pricing structure.

 

You need to be comfortable with your prices, but for those of us who tend to undercharge given our experience/following/previous sales and such, artist Melissa Dinwiddie said something that was genius:  " if my prices don’t make me feel at least a little uncomfortable that I’m charging too much, I’m probably undercharging!"

That is SO true. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that art is a luxury item. Don't feel guilty charging what you're worth!

 

Links:

http://theabundantartist.com/5-art-pricing-lessons/

Click here to enroll in the abundant artist course.

(The above link to the Abundant Artist course offerings is an affiliate link, so I do get a small commission if you purchase a product.)

http://melissadinwiddie.com/