Commission Price Calculator

Calculate fair pricing for your artwork commissions based on time invested, material costs, and your experience level. Get professional pricing recommendations that value your artistic skills appropriately.

Project Details

Include sketching, painting, and revision time

Canvas, paints, brushes, digital tools, etc.

Ready to Calculate

Enter your project details to get a professional pricing recommendation

Pricing Tips

Consider These Factors:

  • • Complexity and detail level
  • • Deadline urgency
  • • Usage rights (personal vs commercial)
  • • Client relationship and repeat business

Market Research:

  • • Research similar artists in your niche
  • • Consider your local market rates
  • • Factor in your unique style and skills
  • • Don't undervalue your expertise

Understanding Commission Pricing as an Artist

Pricing artwork commissions is one of the most challenging aspects of running a creative business. Many artists struggle with undervaluing their work, often setting prices that fail to account for the full scope of time, skill, and materials involved. This calculator provides a structured framework for determining fair commission prices by breaking the process into measurable components: the hours you invest in creating the work, the cost of materials consumed during production, and a multiplier that reflects your experience level and the market value of your expertise. The goal is not to produce a rigid price tag but to give you a defensible starting point grounded in real costs rather than guesswork or anxiety.

How the Experience Level Multiplier Works

The experience level you select adjusts both the base hourly rate and the profit multiplier applied to your total costs. A beginner artist working at $15 per hour with a 1.0x multiplier is pricing at cost recovery, which is appropriate when building a portfolio and establishing client relationships. An intermediate artist at $25 per hour with a 1.2x multiplier begins to account for the value of developed skills and a growing reputation. Advanced and professional tiers reflect the premium that clients pay for proven expertise, reliability, and distinctive artistic voice. These rates are based on industry surveys and freelance market data, but they should be adjusted based on your specific medium, geographic market, and the complexity of work you typically produce.

Factors Beyond the Calculator

While this tool handles the quantitative side of pricing, several qualitative factors should influence your final quote. Commercial usage rights typically command a premium of 50 to 200 percent over personal use pricing, because the client derives ongoing business value from the work. Rush deadlines warrant surcharges of 25 to 50 percent to compensate for schedule disruption and the pressure of accelerated timelines. Revision policies should be clearly defined upfront, with a set number of included revisions and a per-revision fee for additional changes. Repeat clients and long-term contracts may justify modest discounts as a relationship investment, but be cautious about setting precedents that erode your standard rates over time.

Building a Sustainable Pricing Strategy

Consistent pricing builds trust with clients and protects your income as a working artist. Document your rates in a clear pricing sheet or terms of service that you share with prospective clients before beginning any project. Review and adjust your rates annually to account for inflation, improved skills, and changes in market demand. Track the actual time spent on each commission to refine your estimates for future projects. If you consistently spend more hours than quoted, your hourly rate estimate needs adjustment. If clients regularly accept your prices without negotiation, you may be underpricing and should consider incremental increases. The most successful commission artists treat pricing as a living system that evolves alongside their career.

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