Pastels - out of business?

[Mike McCarty]

I agree that it's a good idea to offer a less expensive alternative to oil. To this end I think the monochromatic drawings serve this purpose well. To me they seem to be a more reasonable match of effort to price.

I started by creating a pricing matrix that encompassed every medium possibility within each and every canvas size. My thinking has evolved to a much simpler statement. It always comes down to a personal negotiation anyway IE: size of canvas depending on composition, this hand in, that Spaniel out. So why not just have a broad pricing guideline which leads you into these negotiations, instead of some hard wired grid which may only serve to limit your own ability to be flexible.

When you are perceived as one who easily moves away from your own hard written guidelines, then the other side senses that everything is up for negotiation.

[Brenda Ellis]

Hi.
I'm new to the forum, but just wanted to say thank you to Mike for starting this thread. This is something I've been wondering about for myself, lately.
I had decided to pursue pastels because I thought that they would be easier with my strength being in drawing and not color. However, the advice I received recently was if I wanted to make any money as a portraitist I should pursue oils. Being a rebel, I disregarded this advice. And the very next week, was asked to do an oil portrait. I'm finding oils to be easier for me. Probably because they are more forgiving and you can mix on the palette instead of clogging the paper trying to get the right color.
However, I'm not one to give up and I want to be proficient at both pastels and oils.
My question is (and this is probably a broader question), do we artists have the responsibility to advocate for pastels as a medium equal to oils in value or should we leave influencing the market to the patrons?
I don't have an answer or an opinion on this question, I'm just wondering what more experienced professional artists think.
Thank you, and I promise not to post any more until I've finished reading the rest of the forum.

[Mike McCarty]

My question is (and this is probably a broader question), do we artists have the responsibility to advocate for pastels as a medium equal to oils in value or should we leave influencing the market to the patrons?

I take the key word in your question to be "responsibility." Personally, I don't feel any particular responsibility to do this. I do feel a responsibility to be in a position to educate on the subject, but not necessarily to advocate for any particular medium. I want to be an effective advocate for my own strengths. The medium will have to make it's own way on this earth as best it can, just like me.