Commission pricing: what artists get wrong

A client emails. They love your work, they say. They want something "similar to that blue piece, but maybe a bit bigger, and could you add their dog?" They ask what it costs.

You reply with a number you pulled from somewhere between gut instinct and anxiety. They say they'll think about it. You never hear back.

This is not a story about a bad client. It's a story about a number that was wrong before you even sent it.

The time trap

Most artists price commissions by calculating time multiplied by an hourly rate. This is a fine starting point and a terrible ending point.

Time alone ignores the cost of materials, the back-and-forth before a single brushstroke happens, the revision round you didn't budget for, and the emotional bandwidth of working to someone else's brief.

A 30x40cm oil painting might take 20 hours of work. But it also involves two or three consultations, reference photo reviews, a progress check-in, packaging, and shipping. Bill 20 hours and you've covered roughly half of what you actually did.

Photo by Sema Martin on Unsplash

What the number actually needs to cover

When you price a commission, you're selling more than studio time. You're selling your ability to interpret a brief, manage a client's expectations, produce something they couldn't produce themselves, and deliver it finished and on time.

That's worth more than your hourly rate.

Here's a simple framework: start with your material cost and multiply by three. Add your time at a rate you'd accept from an employer. Then add 20% for admin, revisions, and the invisible overhead of working with another person. If the number makes you uncomfortable, that's information. It usually means you're about to underprice.

The "I don't want to scare them off" instinct is real. But clients who push back hard on a fair price are rarely the ones who turn into loyal collectors. The clients who see your price, say "yes," and pay the deposit are the ones worth working for.

The scope creep problem

It starts with "just the dog."

Then it becomes "actually, could we make it more of a warm tone?" Then "my partner thinks the background should be lighter." Each request sounds small. Together, they're a second painting.

The fix is a written brief before work begins. Not a long legal document - a short email that says: "Based on our conversation, I'll be painting X in Y size, in Z style, with one revision round included. Additional changes after that are billed at [rate] per hour."

Most clients appreciate the clarity. The ones who don't are telling you something useful.

Deposits aren't optional

Charging a non-refundable deposit before you start - typically 30 to 50% of the total - is not aggressive. It's professional.

Without a deposit, you're betting your time on a client who hasn't committed to anything. With a deposit, both parties have skin in the game. The client is less likely to disappear, ask for unlimited changes, or suddenly decide they don't want it anymore when you're 80% done.

Photo by Dannie Jing on Unsplash

When they push back on the price

"That's a bit more than I was expecting" is not a no. It's an opening to a conversation.

You have three options: hold the price, offer a smaller scope for a lower price, or decline the commission. What you shouldn't do is lower the price without changing anything else. That signals that your original price was made up.

If you hold the price and they walk, that's fine. You now have the time to work on a piece that's entirely yours - one you can sell again and again. A commission at the wrong price costs you that.

Blenda's preview tools can help bridge one common hesitation - clients who can't quite picture the finished piece in their home - but no tool solves a pricing conversation that started wrong.

A few numbers to anchor yourself

The average commission request comes in through Instagram or email, from someone who found you through an algorithm and has no frame of reference for what art costs. They're not trying to underpay you. They just don't know.

Your job is to price with confidence and explain briefly: "This size, in oil, typically takes me three to four weeks. The price covers materials, studio time, and one revision round."

That's it. No apology, no discount, no "let me know what works for your budget."

A client who respects your work will respect the price. And that's the only client worth doing a commission for.

FAQ

How do I price a commission?

Start from what a comparable finished piece of yours sells for, then add for the custom process: the briefing, the approval rounds, the client looking over your shoulder. A commission should cost more than a gallery piece, not less.

Should I ask for a deposit on a commission?

Yes, always. 30 to 50 percent up front, non-refundable once work begins. It pays for your materials, and it quietly filters out the clients who were never going to follow through.

What if the client doesn't like the finished commission?

Decide that before you start, in writing: how many revision rounds are included, and that the deposit covers your time either way. The awkward conversation is cheap before the first brushstroke and very expensive after the last one.