Galleries can take a commission of between 33% and 100%, but selling artworks through boutique shops and other exclusive channels can make it as much as 250%.  In all cases, commission should be negotiated with the organisation or company selling the work, and should be in your initial contract of exhibition or if you are represented by a commercial gallery.

Commission is added on to the sale price of the artwork / object for sale so the maker will receive the price they want for it, if it sells. Sometimes a gallery will buy work from the artist and sell it on for themselves - whichever way you deal with galleries, get the deal in writing before despatching any work.

For a fuller discussion about artist fees, including downloadable guides to pay, invoicing, tax and other financial issues, see the [a-n] website's Fees and Payments section. There is also a specific Good Practice in Paying Artists section which may be useful when negotiating fees with organistions.

Two interesting reports published in 2005 are the Arts Council England report Artists in Figures: a statistical portrait of cultural occupations, and the Institute for Employment Research bulletin A Balancing Act: artists' labour markets and the tax and benefits system, both available for free.