Pricing Art Across Mediums: Debunking the Hierarchy Myth

A RedDot Blog article advises artists working in multiple mediums to avoid pricing based on a perceived market hierarchy that favors oils over works on paper. The author argues that collectors buy individual pieces, not averages, and that pricing should reflect the artist's own body of work and narrative. Three strategies are proposed: the Studio vs. Field narrative (immediate works as studies, slower works as major pieces), the Scale narrative (faster medium for smaller works), and the Process narrative (equal pricing if creative effort is equal). Artists are urged not to penalize their efficiency, as collectors pay for aesthetic impact, not production time. The piece emphasizes building a rational internal pricing structure that can be confidently explained to collectors.