How much is my drawing or work on paper worth?
Works on paper include drawings, watercolors, gouaches and pastels. They are unique works, unlike prints, and can sell well when the artist is known.
Across 75,658 works on paper sold at auction since 2021 in the ArtSell database, the median price was $953. Half sold between $319 and $3,528, and one in ten sold for more than $12,170.
Find comparable sales for your work on paper:
How prices are spread
| Under $500 | 35% |
| $500 to $5,000 | 46% |
| $5,000 to $50,000 | 17% |
| $50,000 and up | 3% |
Artists with the most works on paper sold
| Artist | Sales since 2021 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Sidney Nolan | 817 | $1,177 |
| Markey Robinson | 325 | $1,758 |
| Damien Hirst | 251 | $4,410 |
| Ernst Ludwig Kirchner | 212 | $16,609 |
| Anatoly Timofeevitch Zverev | 176 | $682 |
| Günter Brus | 158 | $1,141 |
| John Butler Yeats | 150 | $983 |
| Günther Uecker | 149 | $9,054 |
| Nikifor Krynicki | 139 | $2,261 |
| Raymond Pettibon | 139 | $9,600 |
Recent works on paper sold
- George Stanfield Walters, “Rochester Castle on the Medway”: $145 (Keys Fine Art Auctioneers, Oct 10, 2026)
- Wendy Reeves, “Autumnal landscapes”: $112 (Keys Fine Art Auctioneers, Oct 10, 2026)
- Francis R.Flint, “VIew over to”: $93 (Keys Fine Art Auctioneers, Oct 10, 2026)
- Jason Partner, “Hay Harvesting”: $86 (Keys Fine Art Auctioneers, Oct 10, 2026)
- Frederick William Baldwin, “Laxfield Suffolk”: $66 (Keys Fine Art Auctioneers, Oct 10, 2026)
- Grace Marion Collcutt, “Romney”: $59 (Keys Fine Art Auctioneers, Oct 10, 2026)
- Margaret Glass, “Fogbound”: $46 (Keys Fine Art Auctioneers, Oct 10, 2026)
- Wendy Reeves, “Highland / Lake views in Autumn”: $37 (Keys Fine Art Auctioneers, Oct 10, 2026)
- Simon Trinder, “Alighting Mallard”: $37 (Keys Fine Art Auctioneers, Oct 10, 2026)
- Brian M.Wigger, “Shooting Party with an alighting duck”: $33 (Keys Fine Art Auctioneers, Oct 10, 2026)
The highest price recorded since 2021: Alexander Calder, “39=50” at $15,648,500 (Phillips, May 18, 2022).
What affects the value
- Tell a drawing from a print: look for pencil pressure, erasures and uneven pigment under a magnifier.
- Studies for known paintings can be valuable.
- Note any foxing, tears or tape stains for the estimate.
Questions
How much is a work on paper worth?
Across 75,658 works on paper sold at auction since 2021 in the ArtSell database, the median price was $953. Half sold between $319 and $3,528, and one in ten sold for more than $12,170.
What share of works on paper sell for under $500?
35% of the recorded works on paper sold for under $500, and 3% sold for $50,000 or more.
Which artists' works on paper sell most often at auction?
Sidney Nolan, Markey Robinson, Damien Hirst, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Anatoly Timofeevitch Zverev have the most recorded works on paper sales since 2021.
How do I find out what my work on paper is worth?
Search the artist in the ArtSell price database to see comparable results, use the What's my art worth tool, or send photos for a free auction estimate.
Figures are recorded auction results (price including buyer’s premium where published, converted to USD) in the ArtSell database since 2021, updated twice a day. They describe past sales, not a valuation of any particular work.
More guides: prints · signed lithographs · screenprints · bronze sculptures · oil and acrylic paintings · watercolors · photographs · selling a whole collection