Price of Oil Paintings | Refine Art Gallery

How do we work out the price? The price depends on the complexity of the original work, such as the style ( abstract, photorealism, impressionism, classicalism...), technique, background, size, quantity of each order, quality levels of the paintings and canvas material (nylon, cotton or linen) your required, and how much time will be involved per work. It's very important to provide pictures to us for evaluating cost. The detailed aspects affecting the price and quality are elaborated as below:

1. Artist's talent and skill

1). Top artists. They could be professors, lecturers or first-honor graduates from Art Universities or institutes and they have strong painting knowledge and creation capacity. They should be able to grasp the core and spirit of all kinds of reproductions and can do original work. They are often engaged in top quality reproductions of masterpieces and original artwork. The wage of these artists is very high. They are appropriate to work for super-top quality oil painting.

2). Senior artists. They could be lecturer or graduates from art universities or institutes and have many years' experience in oil painting commerce. They can develop new commercial oil paintings according to customer's design request. They are good at reproductions of high quality oil paintings and have capacity to grasp the spirit of original oil paintings. They are often assigned with high quality oil painting work.

3). Junior artists: Most of them graduated from art universities or institutes, but some of them grow up from apprentice. They are good at the commercial oil painting work and have many years painting experience and they constitute the major production force in our factory. They could become the leaders of a group of apprentices and engaged in a certain subject of oil paintings. They can control the painting work in quick way and work for large volume of economic, medium or high quality oil paintings.

4). Apprentices and new painters: They could be new graduates from art universities or institute, even high school. They should have a certain art basis before painting. Their painting works are supervised by junior artists and they work for large volume of economic, low quality oil paintings.

2. Quality level of oil painting in current world market

1). Low quality. The painting requirement for low level is not strict. The subjects of low quality oil painting often include home-decorating type, abstract and fixed-patterned types. These paintings can be painted in a quick way and cost is very low.

2). Economic quality. The oil paintings with such quality level occupy a large percentage of volume in quantity and cover all kinds of the subjects. But, comparing with the original version of the oil painting, the reproductions are often modified by painters to speed the painting process. Some components of the oil painting may be removed in the reproduction. The painting may not be exactly like the original ones.

3). Medium quality. At this level, the basic consistency between reproduction and original ones are assured. But, some detailing and layers of colors may be missing.

4). High quality: This level of oil painting will approach the original quality. Components, brushwork, tone, level of colors will be presented well. The detailing will approach the original ones.

5). Museum quality: It could be assured that reproduction is almost consistent with original artwork. Components, brushwork, tone, level of colors should be presented perfectly at such level. In some cases, the reproduction may even replace the original one. Such level must be painted by senior or top artists.

3. Complexity of Oil Painting Content

The complexity means multiple elements in the composition of the oil painting and multiple paints layers in the surface. The price of the oil painting is directly related with complexity of the main components of the paintings. Though the size of the oil paintings is sometimes same, their price could be different for the different.

From the point view of the complexity, the subjects could be classified into several categories:

1). Multiple persons, multiple animals, or very complex landscape etc.

2). Single person and animal

3). Complex landscape and still life, etc.

4). Simple landscape and still life etc.

5). Complex home decorating ones

6). Simple home decorating ones

4. Color tone and layers

The different tone will affect the cost of oil painting.

Solid tone: It requires a few paint layers in painting and is easy to paint. The oil painting with such feature could be painted in a quick way.

Gray tone: It requires multiple paint layers to obtain the perfect color effect and it is technique challenging. The painter who works for the oil painting of more gray-tone should be well trained and talented. The painting time is longer than solid tone.

5. Brushwork

Realistic: Painting requirement is rigorous. Multiple painting layers are required. The painting time is longer and the painter should be qualified.

Modern: This category includes impressional style oil painting. Small brushwork will take more effort. The oil painting looks softer. Big brushwork will take a little effort and could be painted quickly.

6. Size

The painting area is in terms of size. The painting cost is directly related with area.

7. Painting time

The price is proportional to painting time with a certain factors. The factor is mainly determined by artists' position. The weight factor for senior and top artists is big while that for junior artists is small.