image credit alexanderdrachman
“I just don’t know how to get started!”
This is probably the number one thing I hear from artists around the world when it comes to selling their art. Now, I’ve written a number of blog posts about how to sell your art, but I figured that it would be good to get some perspective from artists who have been at it for a while with some success. I put the word out to some of the artists I admire most, asking them “Knowing what you know now, how would you start selling art?“
Here’s what they had to say:
“I would start with offering prints first and allow my originals to start at a no reserve price (in auctions) because momentum and anticipation are so priceless in selling online. You can’t rush the process of building your fanbase. Ever!” – Natasha Wescoat
I have focused on licensing my art since the first day I realized I could actually make money with it and not just be a “hobbyist”. I considered things I HADN’T done – would I try to do art shows, craft shows, look into galleries, online direct-selling options… good food for thought! At the end of the day I realized I am right where I am supposed to be and that feels great!
Being online has been the #1 game changer for me. It has provided the opportunity for thousands to see my work (much different than a few years ago when I depended on local galleries with a couple of hundred people visitors in a month’s time!) and the beauty of the Buy Now button (folks don’t have to hunt me down to see if a) if I want to sell and b) if they can afford it).
I would select three things to focus my time on when online—-building relationships is the key and if you try chasing too many things at once (Facebook, blog, website, Google plus, Instagram, Linked In, Pinterest, newsletter, etc, etc) you can spread yourself so thin that you won’t make an impact much of anywhere.
Be yourself: Be your lovable self in all that you do. Create what you love, not what you think will sell. If you blog (and I do believe in blogs), write like you’re talking to a dear friend—because you are.
Be consistent: Whatever tools you decide are best for selling your work, do it often and do it regularly. Being sporadic, hot and cold, in posting on either Facebook, your blog or sending out newsletters will not have the same impact as a consistent, steady effort.
Be brave: I have learned to take some plunges, do some things that scare me a little (sometimes a lot!). Not everything works, but a nervous YES opens up a whole lot more opportunity than a scared No does— every time!
First, make a body of work–a group of pieces exploring a particular theme from several perspectives. Next, find a venue to show these works in and send out press releases for your exhibition. It’ll be easier for art writers to write about your show since it has such a clear and fascinating thesis, and getting this press is the key to selling your art. People like what they like, and they like buying from people they like, but, also, they like being told that something is worth liking by someone who is supposed to know what they’re talking about.
Hi Cory—great article and thanks for including me! I like best your idea of others sharing where they got their first sale and how they turned that into regular sales. Hopefully, a lot of your readers will weigh in on this. I sold my first art piece many years ago in a video rental store (yep, that does date me:)
Selling online has been a good choice for me because I live in a more rural area–not as much local opportunity for selling art, but the world becomes your marketplace when you are online. I hope your comment list grows long here with folks sharing where they started and what has worked for them. It is enlightening and courage building to realize successful art careers can happen in many different, wonderful ways!!
Being a new and emerging artist, and with so many different launching points out there it’s hard to know where to start. These tips were very valuable and helpful. Thanks for the article.
Great article! My story is a little unique…I wasn’t trying to sell art at all or even considered myself an artist at the time of my first sale. 6 years ago I took a local class on creativity (The Artist’s Way book/program) and I made a little collage to show the others in the class just for fun. I was so nervous to bring it in! Anyway, everyone loved it and the teacher wound up buying it – my first sale! That led to (among other things) commissions, my work in local stores, and online shop, and a solo exhibit in 2011!!!! So, I would advise artists to just get your work out there – you never know what might happen 🙂
My name is philip from Kenya and i have some fine art from a local art dealer which just sell them self. How can i get to start selling the arts online? Is it possible for i to get the arts to the auction organisations like Southbeys and how can i do it?
Cory,
This post is spot on. Haven’t finished reading it all yet but I’m sure this is power-packed 🙂
Thanks for this. And more power to theabundantartist
Gerome
The first piece of artwork I was happy to sell was sold to one of the secretaries in my doctor’s office. I brought in about ten paintings to show my doctor and his technician asto how I utilized my time during my “down” days or weeks.
My twelve year old daughter was with me and we showed the ladies in the front office first. My daughter, Dylan, also showed them a painting with a single figure to the far right edge of the canvas and the rest of the (24 x 30) canvas seemingly contained negative space; but if you held it up to the light, as Dylan explained, you could see another solitary figure that is not visible just by looking at the painting itself. The ladies were intrigued and excited!
As I was called in to see the doctor, I took some of the paintings in and showed the doctor and technician, after which, the technician said to me that one of the ladies in front would like to see the paintings again and would like to buy one of them!! I was ecstatic!! She wanted to buy the original, but I was only selling prints. So we had prints made, bought a nice frame and a decorative bag as well as a thank you card. I put the first “dollar” I made, in a silver frame and it sits on my night stand as a memento of my first sale and also for the Law of Attraction.
My sister, who lives in Los Angeles and who supports and encourages me tremendously, brought about the next two sales for me from a dear friend of the family. I have promises and hopes for future sales and I continue painting and putting myself ‘out there’ so that my dream will someday come true. The support of my children, family and friends keeps me motivated and excited! Sites like” The Abundant Artist,” tweekart, Facebook, etc.. are vital to a newcomer’s existence because they are our parents, teachers, mentors, instructors, examples and lifeline to the art world. I appreciate the work and research you have done to make it an easy transition for us, Cory Huff. My thanks also to the Artists you’ve interviewed because I have received sooooo much insight from their stories. Thanks again to all of you….
cocothebipolarbabe
My first sale in 2009 is what made me even consider being an artist as something I could profit from. My husband had a pen and ink drawing of a crocodile that I made pinned up to the wall at his work. A guy named Lyle happened to see it and asked who the artist was, at which point he was told about the awesome artist Yevgenia Watts and directed to my Flickr stream (which is where I kept images of my art before I had a website). He saw something he liked, emailed me and we agreed on the price (which was ridiculous by my current standards..framing cost more). Turns out, he was “Lyle the Crocodile” 🙂
That was the turning point that got me started on online presence, art fairs, and commissions. I don’t know if I can call my sales “regular” yet, but I think they must be a function of the quality of work and marketing. As I have gotten better at both in the last three years, my sales definitely increased. One strategy that has been particularly successful this year is to love your collectors (people who already bought something from you in the past).
Love your story. Hi I am a self taught pen doodler. I don’t call myself an artist because I’ve only had my drawing showing in my local gallery for one week and didn’t know what I was doing. We were to say a little about ourselves and about our art. I was the only pen doodler there and just said I have been doodling since I was in the 4th grade. I was in aww that people were interested in my drawings. I have never sold one, I would just give them away to friends that would say that they really loved them. Now that I have Googled pen art, it has opened up my whole thought of just doodling, I love what I draw and enjoy drawing with a pen. I have the slightest idea on selling them. I go to hobby lobby and buy to have them mated and framed. Please, please help! Where do I go from here.
Great post Corey. My art medium is mosaics. I sold trivets, coasters, frames and such but don’t consider that “art”.
The first piece of art that I made sold because of FB. I just posted a picture of it on my Timeline. I received lots of positive feedback and got 2 sales and two commissions from it!
However, those two sales did go to people that I already have or have had a relationship with.
I started selling my prints about two years ago at local shows & festivals. My art is very thought-provoking and demands interaction from the audience. Having an open-minded discussion about my drawings is very important to making a sale and art festivals provide a great platform for that. Although doing festivals are hard, tedious work and no guarantee of recouping the fee, they’ve helped build my brand and give me great exposure as an emerging artist.
I live in Denver which has the fabulous Art Students League of Denver. ASLD has an annual show at which anyone who takes classes can show. I showed for the first time in 2008 and sold 13 pieces!!! It was a Sally Field moment (“They like me! They really like me!). I was off and running ever since.
Hi Cory:
What a nice article! I’m always interested in learning about how other artists go about marketing and selling. While I’ve been painting all my life, I’ve only recently decided to take action to try to market myself and my works almost exclusively through the Internet. I have some green shoots starting to grow, but it is a slower process than I would have thought. I find it has been easier to obtain viewership from other artists which has been great, but have not yet developed a clientele base. So articles like these give me hope by hearing what worked or is working for others.
Thanks so much for sharing some great information and ideas! I surely appreciate it!
I opened a facebook page about 18 months ago and have been amazed at the response. I’ve probably sold something in the region of 300+ paintings and prints in that time.