What kind of income are we talking here?

Is portrait painting a current job or do you get clients every other blue moon?

I always have a waiting list of commissions since I began 3 years ago. I am not getting rich yet, but I continue to raise my prices and I do not have an agent. I know many people who are doing better than myself and I continue to study, read and train to improve my work. You can see my work and my price list on this site at Annette Ellingwood. Best of luck to you!

[Karin Wells]

My first portrait commission took longer than any other to get. I found that each portrait I produce that results in a happy customer leads to many more commissions. I have quite a backlog and have never had a period of time since I began that I was without somebody to paint. Instead of raising my prices further, I am finding ways to work faster without compromising the quality of my work. And yes, I have kept the kids in cookies by my painting.

[Lara Cannon]

Hello,

I am glad someone else started the topic of money. I know talking about income & art is probably in poor taste, but I really am curious and a little frustrated.

I started working as a portrait artist two years ago. I have had constant work since I began, but I have yet to make a sustainable income. In fact, I am fresh off of filing my taxes for the year and I have a very good idea of my revenues. After all of my expenses were added into the equation I only made $2,000 for a year of work. Although I am not putting in full-time hours, I am putting in part-time hours. (Not even Walmart pays that little!) I fully understand that building your own business takes time, and it is rare for a start-up cottage industry like portrait painting to make a significant profit for the first few years. I kind of went into all of this with the idea of improving my skills and being paid to do it. Which is my mind is a win-win scenario for now.

But looking into the future, I am curious about how long it has taken some of you to make a sustainable income (over $35,000?). I can't justify too many years of $2,000. I work too hard and portraits are such a custom piece of art that I get very little in return, other than a bigger portfolio and improved skills.

Okay, this is enough of my candid comments, I hope someone might venture a response?

Thank you,
Lara Cannon

[Michele Rushworth]

You're right that it's not uncommon for small businesses of all types to declare a loss for the first few years.

Your work is terrific, Lara. In my opinion, it's time to raise your prices at least 50%. That, plus being able to work faster with more experience should help with the profit equation.

[Lara Cannon]

Hi Michele,

Thank you, I forget how easy it is to zoom around to our websites and see what we are charging! I really appreciate your vote of confidence. I actually have raised my prices to the point that the work flow is turning into a trickle, and I am waiting before I bump them up again.

But on a less personal note, I guess I am hinting around trying to figure out if there is any kind of pattern in this business? (Or perhaps it varies so widely it is impossible to predict.) I know that even laying a business foundation takes time--not to mention the artistic and professional development required to demand the higher prices. Then of course, it also takes time to find and connect with the clientele who can afford to pay the higher prices.

Which brings me back to my original question: Can an artist who is working hard both professionally and artistically expect to make a living as a portrait artist. Or is it only an elite few who ever make it beyond hobby type wages?

[Henry Wienhold]

Originally Posted by Lara Cannon

Hi Michele,



Which brings me back to my original question: Can an artist who is working hard both professionally and artistically expect to make a living as a portrait artist. Or is it only an elite few who ever make it beyond hobby type wages?

Can an artist make a living as a professional portrait artist? Yes and no, it all depends upon the artist.

It has been said many times that a person can do anything they want if they have confidence and believe in their own capabilities. I believe that this is true, never giving up is the key.

[Michele Rushworth]

Lara, I think the reason you haven't gotten a specific dollars-and-cents reply on this subject from some of the more established pros (apart from modesty about money) is that there aren't that many long term pros participating in the Forum. Most of the members are relatively new to portraiture or are new at being a pro (as I am, having done this for less than three years). Of the couple of hundred active participants here I can think of only a dozen or so who have been focused on doing commissioned portraits for more than five years. (Someone else correct me if I'm wrong in this.)

However, to get an idea about your question of annual income you can take a look at all the artists represented on the main SOG site. (Most of those folks don't post here because they're busy painting -- which is what I should be doing right now!) Then take a look at the average prices. Assuming, working full time at it, that many of them complete ten or twelve portraits a year. (This is a number I have heard from various places.) Then the math starts to add up.

I just did a little informal survey, on the SOG page that lists artists "By Location and Fees." I went down the left column and wrote down the price range of the first ten artists who show pricing. Because I went down the left column, I got artists in different states. The average price of those ten artists (halfway between their listed high and low price) is $7,500. (I have three commissions on my waiting list that are priced higher than that so I know the figure is not out of line, and I'm still very new at this.)

At ten paintings completed per year that's total sales of $75,000. Assuming $10,000 to $20,000 annual expenses (which might include a new camera, a trip to one of the national conferences, etc.) it's well above your original $35,000 question.

I don't know if any of my fundamental assumptions in making that calculation are inherently flawed, but it seems to make sense to me. Someone jump in here and let me know if I'm way off base.

I'm not saying that every artist on the SOG site has $75,000 in commissions a year, or even most of the artists. (I certainly don't. I don't paint full time and I have given lots of discounts in the past to get the ball rolling. However I have six full price commissions in my waiting list now, so things are happening.) There are many portrait artists who have sales of a lot more than $75,000 a year, too.

It would seem, in any case, with these assumptions, that the "potential" is really there for the rest of us.

Hope that helps!