How do I price a commission versus an original piece?

The method is the same for both: time, materials, and overhead. Commissions often take longer because of client revisions and communication, so track those hours honestly and include them. Many artists also add a small commission premium because the work is made to order and cannot easily be resold.

Is this artist rate calculator free?

Yes. The calculator is completely free to use, needs no sign-up, and nothing you type is stored or sent anywhere — all the math runs in your own browser.

Free Artist Rate Calculator

Price your art the way it deserves.

Q: How much should I charge for my art?

A fair starting price covers your time (hours worked multiplied by an hourly rate you can live on), your material costs, and a margin for overhead such as packaging, admin, and marketing. This calculator adds those together, and can also adjust for a gallery or platform commission so the amount you take home is the amount you actually wanted to earn.

Q: Should I charge for materials separately?

Materials should always be built into your price, whether you list them separately or fold them into one number. Include canvas, paint, framing, packaging, and shipping supplies. Forgetting materials is the most common way artists end up underpaid.

Q: How do I account for a gallery or platform commission?

If a gallery or marketplace takes a percentage of the sale, your list price needs to be higher so your take-home stays the same. Enter the commission percentage and the calculator works backwards to show the price you should list at to still earn your target amount.

Q: What hourly rate should an artist use?

Use a rate you could comfortably live on, at least your region's living wage, and raise it as your skill and reputation grow. Beginners often start around 15 to 25 per hour, intermediate artists around 25 to 50, and established professionals 50 and up. Treat these as starting points, not rules.

Work out a fair price for any painting, drawing, or commission — built from your time, your materials, and your experience. No sign-up, nothing stored. Just honest numbers.

Currency

Hours spent

Hourly rate

Your experience level fills a starting hourly rate

Materials cost paint, canvas, framing, packaging…

Overhead admin, marketing, studio — % added on top

Gallery / platform commission % they take — leave 0 if selling direct

Recommended price

Fill in your numbers to see a fair price.

Everything is calculated in your browser. Nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere.

How it works

Two ways to reach a fair number.

Most artists undercharge because they only count the hours at the easel. A price that lasts has to cover everything that went into the work — and still leave you a margin. Pick whichever method fits how you think.

Time & materials

Add your hours at an hourly rate you can actually live on, then your material costs, then a margin for the unglamorous work — admin, marketing, packing. This is the most flexible method and works for nearly any medium.

By size

Set a price per square inch or centimetre and multiply by the area of the piece, then add materials. Popular with painters who want consistent pricing across a body of work, regardless of how fast or slow a piece came together.

Adjust for commission

Selling through a gallery or marketplace? Enter the cut they take and the calculator works backwards, showing the list price you need so your take-home stays exactly what you planned to earn.

What goes into a price

The five things every fair price accounts for.

Your time

The hours you spent, valued at a rate you'd be happy to earn for any skilled work. Include thinking, sketching, and revisions — not just the final pass.

Materials

Every physical cost: paint, canvas, paper, framing, varnish, packaging, and shipping supplies. Small costs add up and are the easiest thing to forget.

Overhead

The business behind the art — studio space, software, website, marketing, and the admin hours nobody sees. A modest percentage on top keeps you sustainable.

Experience

As your skill and reputation grow, your rate should too. Pricing isn't only about cost; it's a signal of where your work sits in the market.

Commission

Anyone selling on your behalf takes a percentage. Build it into the list price so a 40% gallery cut doesn't quietly come out of your own pay.

Profit margin

Covering costs isn't the same as making a living. The goal is to be paid fairly and have something left over to reinvest in better materials and time.

Hourly rate starting points

A rough guide, not a rule. Your local cost of living and the demand for your work matter more than any chart.

Experience	Typical hourly range
Beginner / emerging	15 – 25 per hour
Intermediate	25 – 50 per hour
Established professional	50+ per hour

Questions

Pricing your art, answered.

How much should I charge for my art?

A fair starting price covers your time — hours worked at an hourly rate you can live on — plus your material costs and a margin for overhead like packaging, admin, and marketing. This calculator adds those together, and can adjust for any gallery or platform commission so the amount you take home is the amount you actually meant to earn.

How do I price a commission versus an original?

The method is the same: time, materials, and overhead. Commissions often take longer because of client revisions and back-and-forth, so track those hours honestly and include them. Many artists also add a small premium for commissioned work, since it's made to order and can't easily be resold if the client walks away.

Should I charge for materials separately?

Materials should always be in your price, whether you list them as a separate line or fold them into one number. Include canvas, paint, framing, packaging, and shipping supplies. Forgetting materials is the single most common way artists end up working for less than they think.

How do I account for a gallery's commission?

If a gallery or marketplace takes a percentage, your list price has to be higher so your take-home stays the same. Enter the commission percentage and the calculator works backwards from your target earnings to the price you should list at — so their cut doesn't come out of your own pay.

What hourly rate should an artist use?

Use a rate you could comfortably live on — at least your region's living wage — and raise it as your skill and reputation grow. As a rough guide, beginners often start around 15–25 per hour, intermediate artists around 25–50, and established professionals 50 and up. These are starting points, not limits.

Is this calculator really free?

Yes — free to use, no account needed, and nothing you type is stored or sent anywhere. All the math runs in your own browser, so your numbers stay with you.

Stop guessing. Price with confidence.

Scroll back up, enter your numbers, and get a fair price in seconds.

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