How much should I charge for commissioned drawings?

[Former_Member]

Hi there, I have finally filled my shop with my art prints - but I have mainly been getting emails asking for commissioned drawings, but as I don't have much experience in it, I'm not sure where to start. Do I charge before I start drawing? (To save the worry of a customer not paying after spending hours on a piece) and how much should I be charging?
My idea was to charge £45 for A4 pencil drawings, and £35 for A5 ones, as I do take a while to finish each piece, often up to 20 hours, as I am still learning! But is it too much, too little?
Would love some advice on this, and my shop if you have time to take a peek - and thank you in advance!
Grace

[CraftyGirlMerch]

Hello Grace! :) I'm not sure what the best prices for your pieces would be (though I do think the prices you quoted sound reasonable), but for custom drawings, I would definitely charge before you start drawing. Some sellers who do custom orders charge the price upfront, or charge a percentage of the price upfront and the rest when the piece is completed. I'd suggest that you pick the one that makes the most sense to you. :)

Good luck! :)

[kzannoart]

I do custom drawings a lot. I usually have them start with a deposit and the make a listing for the balance. I sell a lot of 5x7 inch drawings for $45.00. You are welcome to browse my shop and see what I charge for the different sizes.

It's great people love your work and are asking for custom drawings.

[Inklets]

Your art is great! The colours are vibrant and you've definitely got your own style going on. I've been doing pet portraits offline for years, but only recently started to offer them online. Offer a variety of options, like, pencil studies that they can download, or clean illustrations that you can mail out, for more middle of the road pricing, and of course, the big ticket portraits that take time. For the lower range, say, $99 and under, create a custom order and take the pay upfront. Anything more involved and expensive, take a deposit up front.

I don't charge much at all for my 8x10 custom sketches, which the customer downloads when finished, because I need to work on drawing studies daily and I don't normally get paid for it! As for big ticket items, like customized people portraits made out of plants or animals, I haven't had any takers online yet.

Start out with offering custom quick drawings first, to get a feel for the process. I found the online experience nerve wracking at first.

Anyway, best of luck!