How to Price your Art as a Beginner Artist
A Simple, Logical Pricing Model for Artists (Without Overthinking)

Pricing original artwork is one of the hardest things for beginning artists.
If you price too low, you undervalue your work.
If you price too high, you might feel insecure and it's not a good idea to lower prices once you've set them up.

When I needed to put a price on my work I searched to find a formula that could give me the confidence of reasonable pricing towards customers, even if I would run into people would disagree and critique- which will happen- because these are simply not your customers (and that's okay).

And at the same time I wanted the trust that I was giving myself enough credit towards my own work and value, since I've always made it a habit to put other's wants and needs before myself in life and thereby undervalueing myself. It's something I am learning to move away from, to reach a more healthy balance. Plus, in art and business, that is not going to work. 

And so I did some research to what is the norm in the industry and double checked with ChatGPT, who gave me the same formula and helped me to create this model to share with you. So that you can price your art with confidence based on industry standards.

This model is designed to be clear, fair, and scalable, without complicated formulas or guesswork.

Step 1: Calculate Your Base Cost (Your Non-Negotiable Minimum)

Your base cost is the absolute minimum price your artwork should ever sell for.

Use this formula:
Base Cost = (Hourly Rate × Hours Spent) + Material Costs

Example:
Hourly rate: €20
Time spent: 4 hours
Materials: €10
Base cost = (20 × 4) + 10 = €90

This base cost represents:
your time
your labor
your expenses
You should never price below this amount.

Step 2: Apply a Value Multiplier (This Is Where Art Becomes Art)

Art is not only labor. If that was the case art could be made in a factory. But the beauty and value of art is the soul. That is what art collectors are in for.

Because art also includes:
creative skill
artistic development
uniqueness
emotional and visual impact

Instead of using complicated “price per square centimeter” calculations - which would be more suitable if you are a more established artist - apply a value multiplier to your base cost.

Recommended multipliers:

×2.0 → Older work, early collections, entry-level pricing
×2.5 → More developed work, clearer style
×3.0 → Current work, strongest skill level
Selling Price = Base Cost × Multiplier

Example:
Base cost: €90
Multiplier: ×2.5
Selling price = €225

Step 3: Use Collections or Years as Value Layers
If you work in collections or by year, you can use this to structure your prices clearly.

I decided to price my all my artwork up to 2025 more or less the same, even though they were 3 different collections from 3 years, but you can definitely use this structure towards yearly collections if that feels right for you.

For example:
2023 collection → ×2.0
2024 collection → ×2.5
2025 collection → ×3.0

This approach:

keeps your pricing consistent
rewards artistic growth
avoids constant recalculations
gives collectors a clear entry point

You do not need to change your painting sizes or formulas when your work evolves.
Only the multiplier changes.

Why This Model Works:

It is easy to explain to buyers
It respects your time and materials
It grows with you as an artist
It avoids emotional or random pricing
It removes the urge to “average” different calculators

Most importantly, it helps you price with confidence instead of doubt.

Final Thought

Your base cost is about fairness.
Your multiplier is about value.

When you separate the two, pricing stops feeling confusing and insecure. If you want, you can adapt the multipliers to your own stage as an artist. The structure stays the same.

Let me know in the comments if you've struggled with pricing your art. You can comment and like by creating a free membership account,

Hope this helped!

Much love,

Denise

What It Means to Be a Self-Taught Artist

Being self-taught does not mean you learned nothing.
It means you chose how to learn.

You followed curiosity instead of going to formal art school, whatever the reason might have been. Sometimes it's a lack of money, maybe your parents didn't approve, or maybe like me, you just didn't have the mental energy for it anymore.

The good news is that you can teach yourself art, how amazing is that?! (I am sure this won't work if you could not go to school to be a neurosurgeon.)

You can stitch together your education from YouTube tutorials at midnight, Skillshare classes during coffee breaks, Instagram reels that sparked something in your chest, books pulled from dusty shelves, and endless hours of trial, error, and “why does this look weird?”

That counts.
More than counts.

Walking Your Own Path

A self-taught artist walks a path without railings.
No syllabus telling you what matters.
No grades defining your worth.
No professor’s taste shaping your voice.

Instead, your teachers are many and constantly changing.
One month it’s a watercolor artist on YouTube.
Next it’s a digital illustrator on Skillshare.
Then it’s a painter you discovered by accident while scrolling at 2 a.m. (Or 3, or 4, or 5...ask me how I know)

You learn what you need, when you need it.
You repeat lessons until they land.
You skip what doesn’t resonate.

You build an education that fits your nervous system, your life, your budget, your season.
That freedom shapes your art in ways no classroom ever could.
And what an amazing day and age to live in to make it all possible!

How Being Self-Taught Can Be Better Than Art School

Art school offers structure.
But structure can also become a cage.

As a self-taught artist:
You are not trained to please an examiner.
You are not subtly molded into what is “marketable” or “acceptable.”
You are not unconsciously taught to compare your growth to others at the same stage.

You develop intuition early.
You trust your eye because it is all you have.
You experiment without fear of failure because no one is grading you.

Your style may emerge faster because it is not interrupted by rules before you learned who you are, expressed in art.
Therefore, many self-taught artists create work that feels alive because it was never filtered through approval.

(Watercolor experimentation from my early days)

How Being Self-Taught Can Be Harder

But let’s be honest.
Freedom has a shadow.

Without art school:
You must create your own discipline.
You must decide what to learn next.
You may miss foundational skills at first and have to circle back later.

There can be doubt that can become your insecurity..
You may ask yourself, “Am I doing this right?”
I too had my moments where I wished someone would simply tell me the order of things. 

But struggle does not invalidate your path.
It strengthens it.

Because every gap you discover becomes intentional learning.
Every weakness becomes a choice to grow, not an obligation.

If you learn to look at it in this light, everything changes:
Now you begin to understand that every 'failure' is just a beautiful part of your journey.

Why You Can Be Confident as a Self-Taught Artist

Confidence does not come from certificates.
It comes from evidence.

You show up.
You practice.
You improve.
Your work evolves.

That is mastery in motion. 
That is where your confidence comes from.

You are self-directed, adaptable, resourceful.
You know how to learn, unlearn, and relearn.

In a world where tools and styles change constantly, that skill is gold.

Art history is filled with artists who never followed the traditional route.
And yet, their work changed everything!

Famous Self-Taught Artists

Yes, self taught artist, you are in good company:

Vincent van Gogh
Mostly self-taught, his learning came through books, observation, and relentless practice.

Frida Kahlo
No formal art education, her painting came from lived experience, pain, and identity.

Henri Matisse
Largely self-taught in his early years, developing his style through experimentation and intuition rather than strict academic rules.

Bob Ross
Self-taught painter who learned through practice and observation, showing that art can be gentle, accessible, and joyful.

Georgia O’Keeffe
Largely self-directed, developing her distinct visual language by following her inner vision rather than formal instruction.

None of them waited for permission.
None of them needed validation to begin.

The Truth About Being Self-Taught

Being self-taught does not mean you are less or that you are behind.
It means you are aligned.

You chose curiosity over conformity.
Practice over prestige.
Voice over validation.

Your path may look unconventional.
But art has never moved forward by people walking neatly inside the lines. On the contrary!

So don't be insecure.
If you are learning, creating, and listening to your inner pull, you are not “less than.”

You are exactly where artists have always been.
On the edge.
The place where there is no map.
And your inner guidance is your only navigation.
And it guides you to the art that is fully you.

Much love,

Denise

When are you allowed to call yourself an artist?

If you clearly have the talent from a young age?
If others tell you: "You are a born artist"?
If you have been to art school and got your diploma?
If a gallery wants to display your work?
If you have sold a certain amount of paintings?

Different people will give you different answers.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as this:

So, an artist is somebody who creates art using conscious skill and creative imagination.

It does not say anything about art school.
(You could also ask yourself what people who made art before the existence of art school were called.)

It says nothing about having to be born with talent.
Noting about selling your art and galleries.
And nothing about getting permission from anyone at all.

An artist is someone that makes art by using creative imagination and who is skilled in it.

And skill has a scale.
Somebody who creates art for a year is more skilled than somebody who started yesterday. 

But somebody who created art for 20 years is more skilled than the artist who started a year ago.

I would say that skill therefore, is relative.

When I started out in 2023, I had very little skills compared to today.  I did not dare to call myself an artist just yet. Especially not in public. 

I just could not see myself in that way.

As I progressed, my skills got better. And at some point, especially when you yourself are the one teaching yourself how to paint (albeit with the help from free online resources), you have to ask yourself: 

When can I consider myself an artist?
When am I allowed to call myself that?

The truth in my opinion is this.

1. We are made in the image of the great Creator and Artist, which makes us all creators and artists by nature - just by living our daily lives. Just by being yourself. Even if you would never would make actual art or if you would be really bad at it.

2. If you are created with a (hidden) dream, an artist dream in our case, we are destined to be just that.

A dream is not some fantasy.
A dream is your navigation towards your purpose.
It's just that we are taught to move away from that because bills need to be paid.

3. Being an artist is an identity. ("I am an artist".) 

And this is where it gets interesting.
Because nobody told you you could step into identity to realize your dreams way faster than the way you were taught.

We are taught that we need to work up to becoming something. You need to go to school for another 4 years to become this or that. And I am not saying that education and skill development does not matter. 

What I am saying is that I discovered that stepping into an identity, even before you see any proof in the physical world that you are that person, will manifest the thing that you desire into your life.

You need to see yourself as an artist first.
You need to BE that artist before you become one.

We will be diving into this a lot in future blogs.

But what I can say is this: I did this even before I realized what I actually was doing and in hindsight I can see that it works in general and that it worked for me.

Because at one point, early in my journey, I made a decision: I AM A GREAT ARTIST (even when I was not). I told myself this over and over again. And many times I started painting with this phrase on my mind. I was just being delusional about it basically, in the privacy of my own home. 

Things began to shift quickly. 
Resources appereared in my reality: just the right kind of online lessons that I needed. Oh, what a coincidence!

I began to paint better very quickly. 
People began to say to me that I was so talented. 
People began to give me art stuff (Like my standing easel that suddenly appeared out of nowhere).

It is easy to brush it all off as coincidence, or the natural order of things. That is what most of us do in life, when things like this happen. Because we have no clue how reality works and we often don't zoom out to reflect on it and investigate it.

But I did. 

For 2 whole years while I painted, I also learned about reality from a neuroscience and quantum physical point of view. And I realized how much psychology, religion and spirituality actually overlap when it comes to changing your life.

Identity shifting is a thing.
I experienced it.
I still do.
And I want you to experience it too.

Let's talk about it in future blogs and build a community together. If you create a free membership account, you can comment and join in on the conversation.

Does this identity shifting excite you?

Do you see yourself as an art lover?
An art collector?
Or art-enthusiast? 

I used to think I wasn't an "art-person" because art did not really seem to interest me. Where some people are swept away by the artworks of Van Gogh or Dali for instance, I could only think: Yeah, looks really...nice? 

(Like the flower painting below)

And knowledge about art history? I probably forgot, if I had any! Maybe I haven't found the right teachers but so far art history has been boring to me. The kind of boring that puts you to sleep. It never made me feel any passion inside my veins.

I guess I am totally giving away my culture barbaric nature here. But it's true. Most often those kinds of painters and their works don't stir up any emotions inside of me. (Whoops, can't help it.)

Subconsciously this made me a little insecure and also played a role in why I never pursued art. I felt as if artists are people who would have very deep thoughts and feelings about these things. And since I hadn't, I also felt I couldn't really be an artist. 

I never thought long and hard about it, but it was a belief I had picked up somewhere along the way. And beliefs make us think and act in a way that may limit us, where there should'nt be any limits.

Before I created my own art, even before the spiritual experience that started it all, I used to look for beautiful images of paintings on Pinterest just for fun and pinned boards full of them that did strike a chord in me. I wasn't really aware of it then, but what was happening was that I was finding the art that I loved. 

(a screenshot of some of the pins on my business Pinterest account) 

And those intensly warm and fuzzy "Oooooh"-feelings I had, whenever I found an image that was worthy to put on one of my Pinterest boards, were probably the same feelings others have when they look at works from the great masters (like Van Gogh). 

Same feelings, different subjects.

I never put 2 and 2 together. I was uneducated and under developed in art and in reckognizing emotions, and in how art and emotions are related. But nonetheless I was deeply appreciating the art that my soul connected to. Not in a museum or fancy art gallery, but in the comfort of my own home, scrolling through Pinterest on my phone.

Very modern. 
Very two-thousand-something.

And of course, this is nothing compared to looking at art in real life (something I learned later on). But it helped me to realize which art was "me". 

Because those Pinterest boards were filling up with paintings with gorgeous bold colors. And many were of female figurative portraits. And thus I began to see a pattern. Never in a million years I thought I could ever paint like that, even if I wanted to, but I appreciated it with heart and soul. And I learned I loved portraits and rich colors.

And if I would have had the funds I probably would have shopped my butt off. I would have filled my home with all those stunning fantastic images. Because Pinterest and Instagram are the place to be for those kind of shopping sprees. Art is very accessible these days and comes in more forms and sizes than ever before.

When I started making my own art, having made those boards came in handy, because I already knew what I liked. Without me realizing I had done tons of forework. I knew in what direction I wanted to go myself, which turned out to be a very valuable starting point.

Now that I am a few years into my journey I realize I AM an art lover. Even before I knew it. I love art deeply. But I am more of a modern 2000-something-art kinda girl. Maybe even a modern girly kind of art. 

Contemporary.
Figurative.

You won't see me staring at vague abstract pieces, whispering how I "get it", at museums.
Because I don't.
I just don't feel it.

I do love myself some abstract, but the kind that - in my eyes - truly speak. Statement pieces. With symphonies of colors, that's when I get it. Colors are my language. The pallettes that makes me want to shout it from the rooftops: Wow!!

Other than Matisse (I was told he was figurativly burned to the ground for using bold colors - So that's probably why I connect with his work.) and maybe Klimt and such, I haven't really found old masters that move the energy inside me.

(My favorite Matisse portrait "Woman with the hat" 1905 - which critics called infantile and madness because of use of the wild colors and disjointed brushwork.)

So now I am coming to terms with that: I am an artist and I don't feel connected with what some people would see as 'real art'. I am okay with that. I am in acceptance of me and who I truly am in art, in this moment (I figure it could change over time). 

I say to myself: I don't need permission to be me. Or to see myself as an artist when it doesn't live up to other people's standards of what that is supposed to look like. And just like that, I became an artist, embodying her most authentic self. (Matisse would be proud of me, I think)

So, how about you?
Do you love the work of the old masters?

Or are you more into the modern girly kind of art?
Did you know you have a passion for art?

Tell me about it, I would love to know!
A free membership makes you able to comment below and become a part of the community.

Much love,

Denise

The Spiritual Start of my Art Journey that I did not want to share with the world

I contemplated for a long time whether I wanted to share how I got started with my art journey in 2023.

BecauseII had a spiritual experience, and I did not want to put myself in the woo-woo corner if it wasn't necessary since often I already felt like an odd one. Causing myself to not fit in even more was not on my wishlist. 

Nobody would notice if I didn't tell, I thought. And so it was no problem to keep that information to myself. It would be more comfortable. 

I figured it would not help me in my journey, so the safest option was to tuck this away as a secret of my own. Like a rare diamond safely kept in a hidden vault. 

When this "secret" spiritual experience happened—and spoiler alert: I am going to reveal it in this post—I did not know I was going on a self taught art journey. And I did not know I was going on a inner healing journey (and how badly I really needed one).

And I definitely didn't know that these were very interconnected. 

I realized along the way though, that making art, and sharing my art with the world, is all about being real and authentic. And therefore my spiritual side, including my spiritual experience, cannot possibly stay tucked away in a hidden vault in my mind. 

So, hereby, I decide that I will not be ashamed of it.
I will not hide a piece of myself or my story in hopes of fitting in with the crowd. 

Actually,I hereby decide that I will be unapologetically me, regardless of what people think of me. Just to break loose of that trap—and who knows, I might bump into my true tribe along the way. 

Okay, with that out of the way, here it goes:

It was August 2022, and I was praying. I don't remember about what—(maybe I wrote it down somewhere. I will add it here if I find it.)

And then… out of the blue… with my eyes closed, I vividly saw images of blurry, colorful paintings. They were moving before my mind’s eye, like a carousel. I could only see color, but not details. 

When it had ended, I thought: what in the world just happened?!! 

I was literally shook for a moment, trying to grasp the experience and it's meaning. My first thought was: was this a spiritual (inner) vision?

I had heard about it but never experienced it. And I never knew anybody who did. So it wasn't really something that had been on my radar. Therefore, I went to Google to see what people said an inner vision was.I was even more shook when I saw it being described exactly as I had just experienced it!

So now what? I was really puzzled because it did not come with any instructions or explanation.

What did it mean?

Did it mean I would magically get the talent to paint? Because I was convinced I couldn’t paint good enough yet. I had tried several times, and it wasn't really good in my opinion. Not on an artist level.

Did it mean an art career would fall out of the sky?

Also, I have to tell you—my mind at that time was more focused on doom and gloom since we were fresh out of the pandemic and fully emerged in the energy crisis that hit us hard. 

We were financially struggling, and I was anticipating worse, escpecially with all the war scares (that haven't lessened by the way) and I was busy with my civilian charity project that helped people in need.

So exploring art—or even an art career—was 180 degrees in the opposite direction. And with my mind in survival mode, this sounded absolutely ridiculous to me. 

I really didn't know what it meant. And for the first few months, I just waited. For what, I didn't know. I guess for further instructions. I also convinced myself that it would be better to not paint just to make the vision come true. Somehow that felt like cheating. In hindsight, I really question why I thought this, because it is so backwards.

Apparently, I was waiting for golden fingers that would paint masterpieces in my sleep and a written-out plan to come to me in my dreams that would tell me exactly what steps to take.

News flash: this didn't happen.

After several months, I kinda figured it out, I had to go on a self taught art journey.  So by spring of 2023, I carefully began to draw and paint just to see what would happen. No masterpieces yet—far from it. (See image below - the painting peeking in the background is more recent)

But something in me told me to keep going. I had no budget to take art classes, so I went by YouTube tutorials and Skillshare classes for a little while (highly recommended!). Also, Milan Art Institute suddenly came on my path, from whom I learned a lot just by their free content on YouTube and a few of their masterclasses that I bought.

Looking back, I would say I don't think the inner vision gave me some special talent. What it did give me was a clear sign in the direction my heart had always secretly wanted to follow. I think I needed some divine intervention (or some would say it was just the subconcious) to show me that it was possible. That I wasn't born with some exceptional talent, but that learning skills and believing that I could was the way.

Now that I am writing this, it is August 2025—three years after the inner vision. I love the paintings that I make, and I recognize that I still have a lot to learn, but it is a journey. It is a journey of learning skills, of discovering who I am, what I like (colors, shapes, materials, etc.).

It's also a journey back to myself, the inner child that created without limiting beliefs, before I started to believe I did not have talent.

(Picture of a painting that I make a few months ago)

And all of this has made me passionate about sharing my art and my journey with the world, from beginning to end, woo-woo or not, in all its authenticity, vulnerability, and power.

I hope to inspire you to go after your deepest dreams and desires—whether it be in art or something else. It's not always about talent, but about skills, about believing in yourself and the path before you, and about deciding who you want to be. And then, to step into that identity and embodying it

I believe this is the path we all should go, before we get trapped in worries and the life we build around them. Some might need an inner vision to step onto that path, but really it all comes down to just making that decision: to step into your purpose, even if the rest of the path is unclear. I promise, it will be worth it!

I would love to hear about your thoughts about your own journey. You can comment down below by becoming a free member.

Let's create an awesome supportive community together!,

Much love,

Denise

I used to think that you had to be born with apparent talent in drawing and painting to be an artist. And to have gone to art school. Since I always struggled to paint and draw I also never applied to art school. And so I never met either of this criteria.

For 40 years, I only saw myself as “a creative.” I was always making things—repurposing, crafting, creating from existing materials. But I never truly felt like I was able to create from scratch, to bring something into the world from nothing. At least nothing of which I felt it was art-like.

I admired that ability in others. So many times I said out loud: “Oh, how I wish I could paint like that. It seems so freeing.” And every time that longing to paint bubbled up inside me…

Sometimes I'd try... I'd draw or paint. And most times, I was left with disappointment, because my creations did not reflect what I'd hoped them to be.

My art dream was locked away deeply inside of me. It was buried under layers of insecurity, validation-seeking, and the belief that I had no talent. It was buried so deeply that I hardly recognized it was there. Maybe that's something you can relate to.

 (It were drawings like the one above that made me doubt my ability to create better.)

The inner critic always silently popped up it's little head: “You're not an artist. You never will be." So art never even felt like a dream I could consider to ever pursue. At most, I thought that maybe I could improve my drawing skills enough to make and sell stickers someday. That was the extent of what I dared to hope for. And this was actually a goal of mine for a long time.

Not in a million years I thought I would ever paint the beautiful canvasses I make today. And I know I am only getting started. There is still a lot to learn, discover and evolve.

But it all began with a to guide me into this direction. And from then on I eventually decided to step into my artist identity and go on my self taught art journey. Even when I had no proof how this would end up.

These things helped me to unlock the artist that always had been within and which keep me going to this day.

And what about you? 

Do you have a hidden art dream?
A hidden longing you never thought you could take seriously?

Or a deep wish, buried under reasons why you shouldn’t- or couldn’t follow it?
Maybe you feel like you don't have what it takes?

Maybe you or the people around you had the believe that making a living from art is hard. And that you better pick a career with a more stable and garantueed income.

And maybe you thought, or have been told, you're not talented enough. And maybe, like me, you’ve believed it.  And therefore you took another path and left the dream behind.

All of these reasons are limiting beliefs.
They are not truths.

Art isn’t just about talent. It’s about stepping into an identity, and about expression, self discovery, healing, and authenticity.

Art is a journey.
And if you let it, it will lead you back to your true self. 

A true self that always was meant to walk this path.
A path that would unfold itself only when you would start walking on it.

And a path that would bring you everything you need if you could just trust that this is how it works, when you step into your true identity and purpose.

If you secretly long to make your own journey - a serious journey where you decide to live your life as an artist.... I invite you to walk this path with me. Because it’s never too late to begin. If you feel it deep inside you, that is all the proof you need that this is the path for you.

Come take this journey with me. I'll be sharing all the good stuff that I learned about how identity shifting into an artist works. 

And how this can help you create better art and make a living from it.

I'll be giving you the tools and the insight that will help you manifest the life of your dreams. We will talk about trauma, limiting beliefs, inner child healing, identity shifting, manifestation and more. 

And we will investigate it from 4 perspectives, to get a solid base to build on:

1. Psychology
2. Neuroscience 
3. Quantum Physics
4. Spirituality & Religion
 

We have a lot to talk about.
So let's go on this journey together!

Consider becoming a free member so that you'll stay in the loop for what's to come. This way you can also comment under blogs.

You don't want to miss it!
This can change your life.

Much love,

Denise