Graphite portraits

[Mary Sparrow]

I wasn't sure where to post this. I love to paint more than anything, however, I am constantly being asked to do these quick sketches. I was wondering if it is wise to do graphite sketches for sale if I want to be taken seriously as a portrait artist? What do you think? AND, how do you price these? Is there a formula to follow based on what you would get for an oil?

[Cynthia Daniel]

Mary,

I wouldn't say it's unwise to do them. But, I would say that ultimately to move into the "big time", you would need to master other mediums as well.

Typically, portraits sell as follows in terms of medium popularity:

#1 oil
#2 pastel

I don't know how watercolor and charcoal (or similar mediums) compare in terms of sales.