The Price Of Artwork On Leather

[daniellevergneartist]

I always wondered if my prices were accurate; i mean i buy my leather perfectos 120 euros to my retailer, then i airbrush and paint with many details some complex pictures on back and sleeves etc, i sell total 399 euros; but it seem to me its not the right price, i might sell more expensive, its not only airbrush and it need 3 weeks to achieve a jacket,what do you think? and where could i find customers for this deluxe production?

Edited February 24, 2015 by daniellevergneartist

[Ferg]

You are obviously a great artist with the air brush. I am an old man by many standards and come from much more subtle times than you.

That said, How about using some art that refers to Patriotism, wounded soldiers, doesn't matter what country you wish to aim your product.

I realize your jackets are more to the liking of Motor Cycle enthusiasts and modern music aficionados. Doesn't mean you couldn't waiver from that. You are an excellent artist. You need to widen your interests.

I think your pricing is about right.

Just my .02

ferg

[Beaverslayer]

I see that you are from France. I also see that you are an excellent airbrush artist. I think that you would do very well if you were to also market your work to the tattoo industry, as it would fit in very well with the type of art you do.

Here is a website that lists all the Tattoo Conventions in France this year. You could possibly get a booth or share a booth at a number of these shows.

http://www.worldtattooevents.com/category/france/

Here's also a list of all the other countries in Europe that are having Tattoo Conventions as well.

http://www.worldtattooevents.com/tattoo-conventions-europe/

[daniellevergneartist]

Thank you so much !

[Thor]

...

That said, How about using some art that refers to Patriotism, wounded soldiers, doesn't matter what country you wish to aim your product.

...

That is a false statement. It truly only relates to patriotism which is great in the US and Canada, but she's from Europe (France). Her market is far different from the North American market.

It is a matter of using the right venue. If you want to sell pricey items you don't advertise on low budget platforms. If people like Alice Cooper are wearing your jackets then let people know and go to their fan base for example. Let them know they can have the exact same jacket at x-amount.

Further, using your models as samples and offer custom orders would make it a bit easier.

[chriscraft]

Danielle, the reason I am replying is that I was once in your position. With your skill level, your obviously on the top notch end of airbrushed leathers. I too used to do this skill level of work and would run into the same issue when making a sale. I would use expensive materials like automotive base coats on leather jackets to make my artwork stick and never come off. To the customer, this meant nothing as they expected any paint not to rub off no matter how cheap or expensive one would price it.

It took me many many years to understand why I was having a hard time trying to get artist prices for artist type work on leather jackets. I mean, people owned 30 thousand dollar motorcycles and would pay hundreds of dollars for quality leathers then expect to pay a few 20 dollar bills for airbrushed work on this gear. I was always puzzled by this and thought at first it was due to my lack of skill. As years went by, I got faster at painting jackets and my work also improved. Still, I was always disappointed in the amount customers wanted to spend. I finally just started naming my price and was firm, non negotiable, if you could not afford it then maybe this was not for you. This was the beginning of me not giving my work away and cutting myself short. It was also the end of me airbrushing leathers as I never picked up another leather jacket sale. I was not rude, they just were not willing to spend $300 on artwork and that was fine by me. My bread and butter became selling airbrushed t-shirts, same quality of work and time to make them. Let me use your classic Frankie black and white photo for example. I could take a $12 solid color t-shirt and airbrush this same image, most I was going to get would be $65-$95 to the right monster fan. But these were not flying off my shelf. I would sell no more that 2-3 of these each year.

Take the same classic Frankie image and airbrush it on a leather jacket and most I could get was double. Also I was only running into 2 or 3 classic Frank fans per year and I had a shop inside a high traffic mall and a portable airbrushing trailer setup for fairs and festivals. I got thousands of " great job" comments and many pats on the back from other airbrush artist. Obviously if your a known artist, you could get more for your work. What I mean by a known artist is one that focuses on one niche market. Has original artwork and developed a following over time.

I was not a well known airbrush artist like the ones that appear on magazines and have published instructional books. But I had mad skills and could keep up with the best. The only way I was able to support my family by airbrushing was to sell airbrushed t-shirts priced under $18. I could paint these simplified designs in under 5 minutes each and have a steady income of $900-$1500 each week by staying booked at outdoor fair events and indoor malls during winter. Every time I would attemt to stray away from simple t-shirt designs I could not make more than $150 per week. One can not survive and support a family on $150 each week here in the US.

I had a love for this type of airbrush artwork from the age of 15 y/o and the only reason I airbrushed for so many years. If I could do it all over again, I would stray away from wearable items unless I was only painting for the popular stars. Your average consumer will always have a budget and will never see this type of artwork as an investment if painted on clothing. Items designed for the stars that are worn by that star will always gain value if ever available for sale.

For that reason I decided to either convert to airbrushing on canvas to be appreciated as an artist or stop airbrushing all together. I chose the later and picked up a regular job as it was easier.

Danielle, Your type of leatherwork is different from what one can find on this forum. Even though you only paint on leather and don't construct the leather item, it still is a wearable leather product that some of us run into the same pricing issues.

Thor is right about using your connection with Alice Cooper and aim at making reproduction vest for his fans. Many artist already do this with great success. We don't know the story of how you ended up airbrushing leathers for Alice Cooper and if it was commissioned work or just donated on your behalf. Whatever the reason it sure looks great on him. Chris

Edited March 11, 2015 by chriscraft

[NVLeatherWorx]

That connection with Alice Cooper and the fact that he is actually wearing one of those vests makes the price of such an item much more than the 399 Euro's, that type of association and exposure brings it into the Ultra Premium market where you can ask much more for them, especially with that beautiful artwork.

[leatherwytch]

Danielle, what you really need to do if find out if there is any Comicons, Horror.cons, Comic and Entertainment expos in France or somewhere easily accessible to you. They would gobble these up there. Also 399 Euros I feel is a bit underpriced. If you don't have a website get one.

If I had these to sell at the upcoming comicon, they would probably be sold out the first day.

[daniellevergneartist]

i have read all your answers and traduced them, i am very thankfull to all of you for the time you took for writing them! really clever and very kind