Problem Problem Problem

i was texting the guy who wanted me to do this painting today. texting you ask? yea i know so unprofessional right? but thats how he got in contact with me. anyways i was showing him how far i have gotten on the piece and told him that i roughly wanted $500 for it. he spat out that it was way too much. first off how do ppl expect artists to live on their art work if they dont make some profit for it. if he was expecting $100 for it then i would only make a $10 profit just off the art supplies and thats not including any labor into it. i know a lot of fine arts ppl and i already talked to them about paintings and shiz since they mostly do that kind of stuff and i told them $200 was my original price and they said that i was selling it for really cheap and selling myself short,.,.,..,uh ok?? and they basically work two jobs and on commissions to make ends meet. if their galleries are a bust then they are out in a lot of money. i even talked to my roommate who is a fine arts major and showed her everything and how much everything cost and she that just the size alone would be $200-300 easy, then the labor put into it. (and thats basically what they all said to me too when i explained what i had to do) i never worked on a big piece like this,.,.,,.and i really hate painting,.,..,i know how to charge for making clothes easily since thats what i do now, but painting at this scale i dunno? i dont want to continue to waste my time if i cant sell this damn thing.,.,.,its about half way done.,,.,.just the lips and little details need to be added and it will be done. i dont want to sell myself short nor do i want to lose my customer and im working really hard on this painting (even though i basically bitch and complain the whole time i do it,..,,.painting is not my thing) the only reason im making it the best i can make it so if someone sees that painting and ask who had done it.,,.then my name will get out there,..,.,sadly for painting not clothing (T-T) ahhhhh either way im putting away the brushes until he answers me back what his pricing would be,.,..,i would settle for $350.,,.,.but i do have bills to pay food that needs to be bought.,.,., (why i always end up going friends houses so i can eat a nice meal there) XDD