To price an art commission, start with the amount of work required to create it, add your material and production costs, account for size and complexity, define how many revisions are included, and charge separately for commercial usage when applicable. The goal is to arrive at a price you can explain consistently instead of inventing a new number every time someone asks for a commission.
A useful starting formula is:
Labor + materials + complexity + additional revisions + commercial usage + other direct costs = commission price
You do not have to use every part of that formula for every job. A small personal portrait may be straightforward. A detailed multi-subject piece with shipping, revisions and business usage needs a more complete quote.
How Much Should You Charge for Art Commissions?
There is no universal art commission price because artists are not all selling the same product.
Your price depends on factors such as:
- how long the artwork takes
- the size of the finished piece
- the medium
- the number of subjects
- background detail
- materials and production costs
- how many revisions are included
- whether shipping is included
- whether the commission is for personal or commercial use
The important thing is to create a repeatable system. If two clients request essentially the same commission, your pricing should not change dramatically just because one conversation makes you more nervous than the other.
A Simple Art Commission Pricing Formula
I would break the price into a few separate pieces rather than trying to guess what the finished artwork is worth all at once.
| Pricing factor | What to account for |
|---|---|
| Labor | Planning, sketching, creating the finished work and normal client communication |
| Materials | Paper, canvas, paint, ink, specialty supplies and other consumable materials |
| Complexity | Additional subjects, detailed backgrounds, unusual technical demands or other time-intensive requirements |
| Revisions | Changes beyond the revisions already included in your standard price |
| Production | Scanning, photography, printing, framing, packaging or other project-specific expenses |
| Commercial usage | Additional value when the client will use the artwork for business, advertising, products, publishing or another commercial purpose |
| Shipping | Packing materials, postage, insurance or other delivery costs when applicable |
Step 1: Establish a Labor Baseline
Start by estimating how much of your time the commission will actually require.
Do not count only the final drawing or painting time. A commission can also involve:
- reviewing reference material
- planning the composition
- preliminary sketches
- client emails
- approval stages
- revisions
- preparing the finished artwork
- packing or delivery
An hourly rate can be useful internally even if you ultimately quote clients a fixed project price.
For example:
Estimated hours × your internal hourly baseline = starting labor cost
You can then adjust that starting point for the characteristics of the actual commission.
Step 2: Add Materials and Direct Costs
Traditional artwork can have meaningful costs beyond your time.
Depending on the commission, this could include:
- drawing paper
- canvas or panels
- paint, ink or pencils
- varnish or fixative
- specialized materials purchased for the project
- framing
- professional scanning or photography
- packaging
These expenses should not quietly come out of the amount you intended to pay yourself for creating the artwork.
If you are mailing the finished piece, my guide to the cost of shipping artwork can help you think through that part separately.
Step 3: Adjust for Size and Complexity
Two commissions of the same physical size can require completely different amounts of work.
A simple portrait with a blank background is different from a detailed scene containing several people, architecture, clothing, animals or other complex elements.
Consider charging more when the request adds:
- additional people or animals
- a detailed background
- complicated clothing or objects
- an unusually large format
- difficult or poor-quality reference material
- a shortened deadline
The point is not to invent arbitrary surcharges. The price should reflect the additional work the request creates.
Step 4: Decide How Revisions Work
Commission pricing becomes much easier when both artist and client know what happens if changes are requested.
Your quote might include a defined number of revisions during a particular stage of the project, with additional changes priced separately.
For example, it is much easier to make composition changes during a preliminary sketch than after a detailed final painting has already been completed.
Spell out what is included before beginning so that the original price does not accidentally become an agreement to revise the artwork indefinitely.
Step 5: Separate Personal and Commercial Commissions
A commission for personal use and a commission for commercial use should not automatically be priced the same way.
A private client may be purchasing a portrait to display at home. A business might commission an illustration for:
- packaging
- advertising
- a publication
- merchandise
- a website or campaign
- another revenue-generating use
In a commercial project, the client may be paying both for the creation of the artwork and for defined rights to use it.
That usage should be discussed separately instead of assuming that commissioning the work automatically grants unlimited business rights.
How to Do the Math for an Art Commission
A simple way to calculate a quote is to work through each cost in order.
- Estimate the hours required.
- Multiply those hours by your internal labor rate.
- Add direct materials and production costs.
- Add any amount necessary for unusual size or complexity.
- Add shipping or delivery costs if you are charging them as part of the project.
- Add commercial usage when the artwork will be used for business purposes.
- Compare the resulting number with your minimum commission price.
You can then present the client with a single project quote rather than exposing every internal calculation.
Should You Charge by the Hour or by the Project?
An hourly rate is useful for calculating what a project needs to earn, but many artists find a fixed project price easier to present to private commission clients.
| Method | Useful when | Potential drawback |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly | The scope is difficult to predict or time itself is the clearest measure | The final cost may be less predictable for the client |
| Fixed project price | The artist understands the typical workload and can clearly define the scope | Underestimating the work can reduce what you effectively earn |
| Starting price + additions | You offer repeatable commission types with optional complexity | The extras need to be communicated clearly |
A useful approach is to calculate the project internally using time and costs, then turn that number into a clear fixed quote.
Set a Minimum Commission Price
A minimum price prevents very small requests from becoming disproportionately time-consuming.
Even a simple commission can require:
- answering an inquiry
- reviewing references
- sending a quote
- collecting payment or a deposit
- creating the work
- communicating with the client
- packing or delivering the finished artwork
If those fixed tasks are required for every commission, your minimum should be high enough that the smallest job still makes sense to accept.
Create Commission Prices Instead of Quoting From Scratch
If you repeatedly create similar commissioned work, a starting price structure can make quoting much easier.
For example, you could organize commissions according to:
- size
- medium
- number of subjects
- background complexity
- personal or commercial use
A client could then see something like:
| Commission type | Pricing approach |
|---|---|
| Small single-subject piece | Your entry-level starting price |
| Larger or more detailed piece | Higher base price reflecting additional work |
| Additional subject | Added to the relevant base price |
| Detailed background | Added when the composition requires substantially more work |
| Commercial use | Quoted according to the requested usage |
This gives potential clients useful information without forcing you to publish one rigid price for every possible commission.
How Art Commission Prices Relate to Original Art Prices
Commission pricing should make sense alongside the rest of your artwork.
If an existing original of similar size and medium sells for more than a custom commission, the pricing may be difficult to justify because commissioned work typically introduces additional client communication and constraints.
You do not need an identical formula for originals and commissions, but the two pricing systems should not contradict each other.
If you are developing the rest of your pricing structure, see my guide to how to price original art.
Deposits and Payment Terms
Before starting custom work, decide when the client pays and what happens if the project is canceled.
Depending on your process, your terms might address:
- the deposit or initial payment
- when the remaining balance is due
- whether work begins before payment clears
- cancellation
- refunds
- additional revisions
- shipping costs
- usage rights
Whatever system you use, communicate it before beginning the commission rather than trying to establish the rules after the work is underway.
How to Present Your Commission Prices
You do not need to publish every possible price publicly, but a clear starting point can filter inquiries and make the process easier for both sides.
A commission page or pricing guide can explain:
- the types of commissions you accept
- starting prices
- available sizes and media
- what is included
- typical turnaround
- how revisions work
- payment terms
- how to request a quote
If you are building a site around your artwork, my guide to making an artist portfolio website covers the broader website structure.
Common Art Commission Pricing Mistakes
Charging Only for Drawing Time
Planning, communication, revisions, production and delivery can all be part of the job. Ignoring them makes the project look more profitable than it actually is.
Offering Unlimited Revisions
A fixed price paired with unlimited changes creates an undefined amount of work. Establish the revision process before starting.
Ignoring Materials and Shipping
Paper, paint, framing, packaging and postage should not unexpectedly reduce the amount you earn from the project.
Treating Commercial Use Like Personal Use
A business using commissioned artwork to support a product, publication or promotion is receiving something different from a private client purchasing artwork for personal display.
Changing Prices Based on Confidence
A pricing framework helps separate the quote from the discomfort of asking someone to pay for your work. Use the same underlying system consistently instead of lowering the number simply because you are worried a client might say no.
Art Commission Pricing Questions
How do I calculate an art commission price?
Estimate your labor, add materials and direct project costs, adjust for size and complexity, define revisions, add shipping when applicable, and price commercial usage separately when the client will use the artwork for business purposes.
How much should I charge for an art commission?
There is no universal amount because the price depends on your workload, medium, size, complexity, costs, experience and the rights the client needs. Calculate what the specific commission requires instead of choosing a price solely from someone else’s rate sheet.
Should I charge art commissions by the hour?
You can. An hourly rate is particularly useful as an internal calculation tool. If the scope is predictable, you can use the estimated hours and costs to arrive at a fixed project price for the client.
Should commissions cost more than existing artwork?
They often require additional communication, planning and client-specific constraints, so commission pricing should account for those demands. Your commission prices should also remain consistent with how you price comparable original artwork.
Should I charge extra for additional people in a portrait?
If another subject meaningfully increases the time and complexity of the artwork, it makes sense for the price to reflect that additional work. A starting-price system with clearly defined additions can make this easier to communicate.
Should commercial art commissions cost more?
Commercial commissions can involve rights beyond possession of the physical artwork. If a business wants to reproduce or use the work commercially, define that usage and account for it separately from the cost of creating the artwork.
Build a Pricing System You Can Repeat
The most useful commission pricing system is one you can apply consistently.
Start with labor and costs. Adjust for the actual complexity of the commission. Put boundaries around revisions. Separate commercial rights from personal use. Then check the final quote against the minimum price that makes custom work worthwhile for you.
Once you have that framework, quoting becomes much less about guessing and much more about evaluating the work in front of you. For the broader business side, continue with my selling art online guide.