Price is built from a practice
Artists often begin with a consistent relationship between size and price, then adjust for unusually costly materials, complex production, editions, or major changes in career demand.
A gallery also looks across the artist's existing market. Similar works should make sense together so that one sale does not undermine another collector or create arbitrary jumps.
What price cannot measure
Time spent is relevant but not a universal formula. A concise drawing made after years of practice may carry more value than a labor-intensive work that is less resolved.
Buyers should compare information, ask questions, and stay within budget, but the final decision is not a spreadsheet. The work must justify its place in your life as well as its number on the page.