# Have any of you had experience with selling murals and paintings?



## Royal (Jun 18, 2011)

For the past two days, I've been confronted, while I was working on a school-funded mural, by a few people asking if I was a freelance artist and could make a few custom murals or custom paintings. I would like to, but I am not sure of what I should make the prices as. Should I make a solid pricing for the square footing of a mural and a size of paintings?

I was thinking for murals, I could do $10 (simple) a square foot, $15 (medium detail) a square foot, or $20 (extreme detail) a square foot, and maybe it would also depend on either I supply the wall paint or they do.

For custom paintings, I was thinking maybe $100-$125 for a 16" by 20" for all the supplies I use; I use 'Cellophane' and  'Gloss Medium & Varnish' to help make glossy colors that I use to help desaturate an image, 'Workable Fixative' for the sketch on the canvas, acrylic or oil paints that range from $10 to $60 each (a bottle, ><), 'Turpenoid' to make transparent toning, and illustration boards.

Do any of you have any opinions or advice on how I should price these?


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## Zydala (Jun 18, 2011)

if it takes you an hour to do a square foot, then ten bucks for a simple square foot layout is okay I guess. Just think about time investment and not just supplies - don't undersell yourself (i.e. don't work for less than minimum wage) on a humongous job or else your motivation on such a task is gonna go kaput.


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## DragonFoxDemon (Jun 20, 2011)

Only done a mural once but what I learned;

10 dollars an hour is not enough for the work. I was working with two other artists and we busted our butts to finish the mural in 13 hours. $130 bucks each, $390 total. The work we did was worth twice that.

Make sure you have a contact! Look up examples online and make one.

Make sure they buy the supplies; paints, brushes, ladders, drop cloth, charcoal (we used it to put the drawing on the wall), etc.

Have them prepare the wall. If you need the wall a base color have them do it.

Have it something in the contact about what happens if your commissioner changes the deadline. Same with repairs and changes.

Just as a a reminder beware copyrighted material.

As to the paintings. I'm not a painter, but the price should reflect your time and the materials.
Ex: $30 canvas + $30 paint + (10 hours at $10)= $160
The above is really cheap in my opinion but it should give you an idea. Size and how detailed the image is should be reflected.


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## VonRedwing (Jun 20, 2011)

I've done a mural before for someones exercise room. Painted a whole wall. I was payed about $10 an hour and the paint and brushes were provided for me for the most part.


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## Deo (Jun 20, 2011)

I did a mural for the City of Rock Island, IL a few years ago. I was second in command of the project and we had a crew of 6 to us. For one week of work I was paid $1,000 as a high school kid. but then again I had some SERIOUS connections in our art community that got me that job, like the curator of the FIGGE art museum and friendships with the Big Five local artists.

Honestly though I have no idea who good you are, and I think you need to do this as a case by case basis, not by square foot. Remember the footage when giving a quote sure, but you mainly need to be reimbursed for time and materials. 

Also don't use oil paint (ESPECIALLY WITH TURPENTINE) indoors without EXTREMELY good ventilation. Don't do it. The fumes will ruin the house. Also I recommend switching from turpentine to Turpenoid Natural, as it's far healthier on you and you really don't want to loose that many brain cells before you even get to college.


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## Royal (Jun 21, 2011)

Deo said:


> I did a mural for the City of Rock Island, IL a few years ago. I was second in command of the project and we had a crew of 6 to us. For one week of work I was paid $1,000 as a high school kid. but then again I had some SERIOUS connections in our art community that got me that job, like the curator of the FIGGE art museum and friendships with the Big Five local artists.
> 
> Honestly though I have no idea who good you are, and I think you need to do this as a case by case basis, not by square foot. Remember the footage when giving a quote sure, but you mainly need to be reimbursed for time and materials.
> 
> Also don't use oil paint (ESPECIALLY WITH TURPENTINE) indoors without EXTREMELY good ventilation. Don't do it. The fumes will ruin the house. Also I recommend switching from turpentine to Turpenoid Natural, as it's far healthier on you and you really don't want to loose that many brain cells before you even get to college.


 
I don't use Turpentine. It is Turpenoid Natural, and I always make sure I don't use oil for morals (unless outside) and most of my work is acrylic anyway. I learned from my first oil painting to never do indoors. Haha.


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