[Lindy]

I been asked to do a pyrographic commission. The piece is a coffee table and the pattern is going to be a dragon scene. The gentleman is going to provide the unfinished table as well as the pattern, I will do the table preparation, pattern prep, burning (of course ), staining and waxing. So my problem is - like so many others have asked on this forum - how do I figure out what to charge?????

I've looked on the net to try and find something similar but all I'm finding are boxes, gourds, novelty items and flatwork, nothing on this scale. So please any and all suggestions would be greatly and deeply appreciated.

Thanks
Linda

[Pyrographer]

Originally Posted by Lindy

I been asked to do a pyrographic commission. The piece is a coffee table and the pattern is going to be a dragon scene. The gentleman is going to provide the unfinished table as well as the pattern, I will do the table preparation, pattern prep, burning (of course), staining and waxing. So my problem is - like so many others have asked on this forum - how do I figure out what to charge?????

I've looked on the net to try and find something similar but all I'm finding are boxes, gourds, novelty items and flatwork, nothing on this scale. So please any and all suggestions would be greatly and deeply appreciated.

Thanks
Linda

Linda, that is a very difficult thing to figure. When I was just beginning I know I was giving away my work for slave labor (perhaps $2.00/hr). After a couple of years as my work improved I slowly increased my price.

Some factors to consider: what is the market like where you live. To give you an idea of prices I have charged. In Texas I was selling an 8 x 10 burning for about $35.00 when I started and increased it to $50.00 (that was perhaps 3 years ago). Now I get about $200 - 400. Of course my work has improved and I've established more of a reputation than I had 3 years ago.

One factor is that prices in Texas are lower so perhaps I might get $150-200 today if I were there. That also includes the wood. What I'm charging now is approximately $20/hr for my time but that is approximate figures. It's also a question of what the market will bear, the quality of your work and what people are willing to pay....lots of things to consider.

Perhaps since your relatively new you might want to start at $10/hr and see how that flies. What I did when I started is kind of set a price that I thought people would pay. If it didn't sell I'd lower it, if it sold too fast I would raise it. Selling crafts and art work is a hard thing and hard to figure pricing. Woodburnings don't command the price that paintings or drawings do because even some of the most talented pyrographic artists are still looked at as "craft" and not art. Well that is of course except for someone like David Krieder who can get anything he wants for his work!

I did a commission a couple of years ago and sold it for about $200. It was about 8 x 10. I was told that I gave it away and now I agree but at the time I was thrilled at getting that much and she didn't even bat an eyelash when I said it. This past year I sold a piece that was approx 9 x 12 that won best of show for $450 and he didn't bat an eyelash so I guess you never know what you can get for something until you ask.

One thing you want to be absolutely sure of since you are selling it...even though he is providing the pattern it must be his personal pattern that he drew or a copyright free pattern (in public domain) or you must get permission from the artist to do the burning. If the pattern was done by an artist, such as Susan, you must get written permission because it is being sold!!!!

Even though he is providing the pattern, be sure you know the source of the pattern and the artist and be sure you have permission to use it. Either he or you will have to contact the artist for written permission and I would take the commission unless I had that in my hot little hands. Don't get yourself in trouble by doing a piece that is actually someone else's design.

Nedra

[Lindy]

Yeah, it is tricky. I've sold some of my bark carvings and gotten between $45 - $150 depending on the size. I've sold one wood-burning which was 8 1/2 x 10 for $50. All of these were original pieces and not copy-written as I am always aware of infringement not only legally but morally as well.

I've been thinking more about this piece this morning and I have a nephew who is an amazing artist who just happens to like drawing dragons and stuff so I'm thinking of asking him to draw out the pattern for me once I have an idea of what "type" of dragon they like. I would pay my nephew a portion of the commission. I've actually already asked Tyler, my nephew, to come up with some drawings for me both for carving and burning.

Nedra, as always I appreciate your input.

Regards,
Linda

[Pyrographer]

Originally Posted by Lindy

Yeah, it is tricky. I've sold some of my bark carvings and gotten between $45 - $150 depending on the size. I've sold one wood-burning which was 8 1/2 x 10 for $50. All of these were original pieces and not copy-written as I am always aware of infringement not only legally but morally as well.

I've been thinking more about this piece this morning and I have a nephew who is an amazing artist who just happens to like drawing dragons and stuff so I'm thinking of asking him to draw out the pattern for me once I have an idea of what "type" of dragon they like. I would pay my nephew a portion of the commission. I've actually already asked Tyler, my nephew, to come up with some drawings for me both for carving and burning.

Nedra, as always I appreciate your input.

Regards,
Linda

Linda, what a great idea. I figured you were aware of the copyright issue but it's been such a problem with others on one of the other pyro sites I always like to mention it. Some people just have no compunction about copying other's works and it just amazes me how frequently it happens.

I had someone copy a piece from my site that was an original design and blatantly post it on a pyro site not even saying it was a copy of my work. I saw it and really got upset. They said they didn't know they couldn't copy it and yet my site clearly has copyright info on each page and on each piece of artwork. Go figure!

Nedra

[Irish]

Remember Lindy that your client is paying for a wood burned table design AND original artwork by HIS artist ... part of the payment should include bragging rights.

If he just wanted a decorated table he could have gotten that just about anywhere. What he wants is a piece of your artwork that he can then tell his friends and relatives "I discovered this artist and got her to create me an original!"

Nedra has offered some great price range ideas .. I would then add 10 to 15% on top of that for his bragging rights

Susan

[Irish]

Nedra ... when that happens again ... which it will because your work is so outstanding ... you can contact the web hosting service and have the entire site taken down! When you sign up for a website you click agree to no copyright infringement. This means that you, the copyright holder can simply tell them, the host, here's my original posted on my site.

Every webhost has a posted Abuse email and instructions on what they need you to provide to show you are the copyright owner ... just follow those instructions.

Web hosts do not want anything to do with infringements and will either block the site until the person removes that image or more often just delete the site.

Susan