Earlier this week, I stuck my foot in something nasty.
An earlier guest post on selling art on Fiverr.com raised some hackles. While she says right in her post that artists should limit the amount of time that they spend on Fiverr.com projects, apparently the mere suggestion that ANY piece of art could sell for as little as $5 was enough to release the hounds of war.
In addition to the blog comments, my email inbox has been inundated with negative feedback. People unsubscribed from the mailing list. Others told me they were outraged that I even suggested such a thing.
I can tell when I’ve crossed a line. My bad. Sorry. Won’t happen again.
Better now?
What is the Value of Your Art?
TAA reader OD made several comments that I thought were very on point. He pointed out that the value of art is completely subjective. I agree with him.
So – what is the value of your art? How much money is it worth? Obviously, most artists feel that their art is worth more than $5.
Perhaps the value isn’t monetary. Perhaps the value of art lies in something like how many lives can it change, or how many pieces of wilderness can be saved, or who is elected president.
Can I level with you for a second, though?
I was actually really surprised that so many artists spoke out against selling their art for $5. There are thousands of artists that read this blog, and every day I get emails telling me how difficult life is for an artist, how no one recognizes their talent and how they need to sell “just a few more pieces of art” to make a living.
I figured it would be interesting to show artists an easy way to make $5. After all, if you can make $5 with your art, you can make $10, right? If you can make $10, why not $100, $1,000 or $10,000? It’s a stepping stone. So, at what point is selling your art for $5 beneath you? When are you too good to sell for $5?
I recently interviewed Owen Garrett, the Pencilneck. In the interview, he told me that he used to go door to door selling his art. He used to do simple sketches for very small amounts of money. Now, he draws for celebrities and has a six-figure art career. That’s a pretty awesome blue-collar artist story (we’ll be posting his interview soon).
Could you go door-to-door selling your art? Is that too far beneath you? Is your art worth more than that?
Look, I’m overjoyed that most of you feel that your art is worth more than $5. It makes my job easier, actually. Do yourself a favor, though, and as yourself what the true value of your art is, and if you aren’t making a living from your art just yet, evaluate whether you really are doing all that you can to make it happen.
Thanks for reading The Abundant Artist. I’d be nowhere without the amazing artists like yourself reading and sharing what’s written here.
Let us know what the value of your art is in the comments!
I think it was an interesting article, and place to generate new leads. I wonder how many people who got offended would spend months or years writing blog posts for $0.00 in order to get their name and art out there.
To me it was a good article. Sure it isn’t a place where you would want to offer masterpieces, but it is a cool way to build some momentum, customers and feedback with quick pieces. I’d consider it.
Thanks Chris. How have you used the web to promote your work?
Cory, I’m only beginning as an “art artist” but as a rigger/programmer in 3D films, I’ve used Youtube and blogging to showcase my work and forums, G+ and Twitter to converse with people.
All that activity has never directly made me a dime, but it is how I find almost all of my contracts.
Some people got mad at the article, but I’d be more interested in asking “how can I create value, relationships or a portfolio that will build over time with this?” before ignoring it prematurely. To me it seems like you could also approach it like those sketch-a-day type exercises some artists do. I don’t know. The site seems fun to me.
I can understand artists having a bit of a rant about selling their art for $5, but unsubscribing from your mails is a bit extreme when you offer some wonderful information.
My personal opinion is that artists should consider each other when valuing their work, rather than just trying to make a buck. I work with a lot of different artists, some are stay at home mums (like myself) who don’t necessarily need to make the minimum wage in order to pay the rent, but some are out there on their own.
If artists start selling their works for the minimum that they can afford, then it will either become an activity for the privileged, or, and I have seen this, talented artists will start spending their time knocking out crap just to make an easy buck.
I spent a lot of time making sketches for about $5, and selling ACEOs, but I have found that if I stand by the value of an original piece of art, I can sell the same sketch for around $25, and some ACEOs for about the same price.
The customers who either can’t or don’t want to buy art for more than $5 have options such as small prints, bookmarks, and other merchandise.
Great thoughts Lisa. We should definitely consider that many artists are just starting out or don’t need the money!
I remember Art-O-Matic. These were cigarette machines changed to dispense small boxed art. The tokens were purchased at a low price. I think $ 20.
You had no way of knowing ahead of time what would be dispensed to you. The element of surprise was the draw. You could get a tiny, well-rendered painting, or just a doodle. All the art was donated.
I guess, I’d rather donate my art than to sell it for a fivver.
Interesting. I’ve never heard of art vending machines. Are they still around?
The store, FACES in Northampton used to have one of those art vending machines. It was such a cool idea. I suppose the places an artist chooses to donate or sell their work at a very low price has much to do with the context of the outlet. The vending machines were /are very experimental and concepual in nature so I imagine they would appeal to artists doing more experimental /edgy stuff than the type of work you’re likely to find at a craft fair or on fivrr.
On the other hand, if you’re able to use your creative mind to offer somethingon fivrr that would be fun, easy, and related somehow to the work you really love to do (rather than something that feels trivial) then it could be a stream of income to test ideas, practice sketching out quirky concepts, and as Chris said above, “create value, relationships or a portfolio that will build over time”, selling work on fivrr /or donating work to silent auctions for organizations you believe in could complement a proactive artist’s other marketing efforts.
I haven’t read the other article but I don’t see any harm in selling something for 5 dollars if it was quick to do. For me that’s the key thing, certainly when you are starting out. Doing something like that raises your profile ( I’ve not seen the site you refer to). And perhaps when you are a well off artist – its a hugely generous and fun thing to do. In the UK there’s a Royal College of Art postcard sale once a year and people buy them without knowing who the artists are. You pay your £5 for an image you love may find that you’ve bought yourself a piece by a star of the artworld or an as yet unknown.
As for the chap selling door to door – that’s so hard to do – for most of us. Hats off to him!
That’s awesome, Gabriella! I’m actually relocating to the UK very soon and would love to go to that sale–sounds absolutely wonderful and fun! 😉
-K
What? Your bad? No, even though I was one of the ones who was outraged, I’m glad that you raised this ugly dog so we can talk about it and examine it. I am against the idea of selling my work this way but it does make me think about how and where I want to position myself against the considerable competition in the creative world.
As one of my favorite radio personalities, Marty Nemko, says,
“We find comfort among those who agree with us, growth among those who don’t.”
I guess it all depends on who you’re selling to and the value you the artist place on your time and efforts.
If you’ve spent thousdands of dollars on art school and then each year the same for supplies and work full time, I can’t see how selling work so cheap could be justified. Unless it came down to eating that day, and still I would be kicking myself for not setting higher standards.
I used to sell some small paintings on an auction site during a slow sales period starting the bids very low. Some of those paintings sold for $35 and do you know that those sales were the only complaints I’ve ever had from clients who bought my work.
I then decided that I wanted to increase the value of my work and to attract higher end clients that would value and cherish the work, the effort and care that went into making it. Then if there were any problems, it would feel worth my time and effort to make it right with them (though I’ve never had any complaints or problems since). My prices are still quite low, more than reasonable, but I never undersell myself anymore.
If an artist feels truly that their work is of value, he or she will communicate this naturally to their collectors and everybody wins.
So it just depends- who do you want to own your work- who are you selling to? Do we just want to get by or do we want to thrive? The artist sets the context and can build from there. Make work worth owning and then people are overjoyed to take part in it.
I think that the intial outrage is the idea that art takes a lot of time and in some cases money to create and there really is very little return on a five $ investment.
But I also think that that outrage was given due to a very focused and limited idea of art. Paintings and things that take hours to create. But that’s not what this article was all about.
Using fiver is quick money so you put out quick work. Sketches, card sized water colors, etc.
Or even more outside the box, do you do caligraphy or some other craft-esque art? You could sell a hand written gift tag for five bucks. Takes you 10 minutes to write up and 50 cents in postage. The supplies are cheap. You could really rack up a few bucks that way.
There are more ways to be an artist than just fine. Also, in cases like these, people aren’t buying your art, they’re buying your time. And I generally have 15 minutes to spare to make a few bucks.
Good point Donyae. It seems everyone is imagining producing a finished painting, when there are other creative ideas you could likely come up with.
People unsubscribed from your mailing list? So they won’t receive any more great posts because of one that they didn’t agree with? Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face! No one’s ever going to like every single post from even their favourite bloggers. Get over it, people!
I wasn’t keen on the $5 idea at first, but maybe having a $5 rack at a Open Studio type event has merit. Perhaps offering quick sketches would get people talking about the artist, coming back for more, starting a collection… And how many quick sketches could you do in an hour? 5? 10? 20? As an hourly rate that could be better than time spent on a major painting. Worth thinking about anyway.
A slight concern is that the people buying a $5 sketch are choosing that instead of other entry level merchandise, possibly leaving the artist with unsold stock. I sell puzzles, cards and postcards and have noticed that people still only spend the same amount even though I’ve increased the range. But hey, at least they’re buying. My motto is “Always make them choose which they’ll buy, not if they’ll buy!”
I’m delighted you contacted the Pencilneck. Owen is a very creative spirit. Personally, there were days I would have killed to have someone pay me $5 for a piece of art! I must put things in perspective, though. It’s not the $5 for the art, but the connection and what it might lead to that are important. So, stop being an art snob and perhaps try it before you jump onto a self-rightous pedestal. For $5 I think I’ll give it a try, too.
Must admit, I kind of wanted to respond the way you did, but I didn’t want to insult anyone in any way. I guess this little debate is like discussing politics and/or religion; everyone has an opinion whether based on facts or not. Anyway, I do agree with you and appreciate your courage to just say it like it is.
I usually don’t respond to your blog, not because I don’t enjoy it, just don’t have time.
Just couldn’t pass it up. For several years I owned and operated an art gallery and sold my own work as well as several artist.
My personal work was painting and sculpture. I needed work of different levels of price to keep the gallery and myself going. Many pieces I finished quickly and sold with a much less price tag to have an income and not spend a lot of time on concept but providing an original work and not ripping off my customers and other work that I spent a lot of time I sold for much more.
At different times we have to charge more of less and when you have been an artist for quite a long time you know how to do both types of work to meet your particular needs. Most of all I don’t think you should cheat your clientel with any of your work and you should produce something that you are happy to pass on but just haven’t spent a lot of time producing. Never sell something that you would be embarrassed for people to know that it was your work no matter what the situation.
I too went “are you kidding me?” With the fiver post. “Now what? If so called Artist will sell original art for $5, what hope is there for any artist to counter that ridiculousness!?” The next thought. Vent an outrage now addressed …moving on to you next… Per Square Inch x’s an incriment tends to be how artists works are evaluated. Miniature scale given a higher per inch than larger/oversized so to speak too. 8×10=80×6=480 vs 30×40=1200×4=4800… As a general guideline, with commission work adding for additional specifics as in a portrait extra figures etc. as an artist receives national exposure and/or collection status, the amount per square inch increases. The Artist who sells at a gallery cannot sell their painting for one price personally … Then increase it to add the gallery commission What gallery would want to sell that artist if they know if the customer calls the artist they will get the work for half the price. Integrity must remain for the “business” of art to remain, and for artist to make a living. General common sense has goverened that its not wise to hastily raise your prices, or lower them. No investment worthiness value would be applied then. Alas if one thinks it haughty to value art as a collectible commodity, then it is not.
Yes!
I actually filed your Fiverr idea into the back of my mind!!!!!
I loved the idea, actually, if I could find something that didn’t take me forever to fit my standards of what $5 should be.
Like Chris mentioned, those sketch-a-day exercises would be good to use. Most of mine are in an actual sketchbook…but I wouldn’t mind doing them on “postcards” and selling them for $5.
So many ideas…so little time.
My art is worth more then the materials, time, education and experience that went into it. For my paintings I’ve set a per square inch cost ranging between 75 cents to $1.25. Stating the price in these terms first begins the price discussion. My thoughts to the $5 approach were – sites like that commoditize art. If every artist in the world banded together and didn’t sell for less the $50 – there would be alot more respect and desire to understand art and artists’ process. We aren’t selling pencils on the street corner. I belong to several different art groups that hold art sales. Price limits are agreed to by all to set a standard for the groups work. No one can price under that limit. Pricing above the limit reflects the extras: time, materials, techniques. Our shows sell out twice a year! Also…. From a marketing stand point it’s really about doing your homework and finding your audience then setting a suitable price. If your work suits high end hotels they want art that matches their brand. The point I’m trying to make – Price reflects value. People buy value. Return buyers expect consistancy in pricing too. Thanks for sharing the feedback. I really really appreciate your website! Regards everyone. Keep doing your art!
“Price reflects value.”
Totally true.
Interesting – and by the way, I love how you have handled the negative feedback…showing a good example for us all! I haven’t even read the fiverr article yet, but when I read the headline, I thought, oh, what a good idea…and I was thinking art print greeting cards…$5 is on the money with that item and price point…so thanks for both articles…it has produced more “thinking outside the box” for one reader here!
Thanks Cindy. Negative feedback can often be more valuable than positive!
Reading your response to the backlash you received did make me smile. Mainly because I was tempted to comment myself along similar lines. I can see the for and against re: fiver, but I think it just comes down to what current position you are in as an artist, in terms of people being aware of and engaging with your work, and where you feel your times is best spent.
Thanks Lee. It is all about where you’re at isn’t it?
I heartily agree with Chris’s comments. As a professional writer/journalist, I’ve often had the unpleasant task of advising budding writers to start is by offering their services for free – via a blog, an internship, or some other venue. It’s sad, but true. That said, the goal is to immediately find a way to ‘monetize’ the work – whether it involves writing, fine art, or music. As an artist, I’m NOT inclined to charge five dollars for a painting — but I can remember a time when I may not have felt that way!
I keep an alternate identity for selling my art at a price I feel competes with my regular art. I haven’t done fivrr yet – but I just bought a printer that could tempt me to sell $5 mini prints of my paintings there. 🙂
That said I lost a potential illustration job yesterday for having quoted a price that was “Too High” – but I’m cool with it because I’ve worked hard to create an artistic voice and feel I need to steward that responsibly. Then again I give away images with my website on them to attract traffic to my site and I know I’ve gotten commissions from doing so. It’s dance, isn’t it.
As I read this article it reminded me of how we artists can be quite an emotional lot.Sometimes we have trouble being practical.I certainly have mixed emotions about this subject.On the one hand it is always great to sell a piece of art but on the other five dollars doesn’t seem worth the hassle.But the point I think many may have missed is that a five dollar work of art would definately be something you only spend a small amount of time on,like a half hour or less.That’s $10 an hour to do what you love and isn’t that what we’re all looking for?My husband who’s a bussiness man is always making me look at it that way, in terms of an hourly wage.I know that’s not very artistic thinking but it sure does make sence in this materialistic world that we live in.
Replying to Carrie – It’s a little less than a half hour’s work if you take social security and income tax off… and then, we’re talking about the minimum wage for a craft that takes years to master.
If you don’t intend to pay those charges because maybe you are just starting out, you need to bear in mind that it is unfair competition for those who do 🙂
Yes, we all have had to start somewhere and we all know that you have to “walk before you can run”. However, to suggest that anyone could make money by selling their art for $5 nowadays is simply ridiculous!
Leaving the [very important] issue of creative value to one side, the mere cost of basic materials today, negates the possibility of creating anything of any decent perceived quality that people would want to buy.
I am sure there are many who would disagree with me and we all know that art today is very subjective… there’s a real difference between an ‘unknown’ and a ‘known’ name [who can produce rubbish that collectors clamour for], so for the majority of us, pride in our work is of paramount importance.
Don’t forget also, that public perception is fickle – art for £5 is all very well on a craft stall, but ‘serious’ art for a mere $5 will be seen as just not very good and not worth buying.
Current difficulties with ‘making a living’ from one’s art is purely due to the downturn in global economic downturn and I, as a single example, am struggling to keep my head above water until the art market picks up again – to drop my prices by up to 99% just to get more sales, would be total artistic suicide!
actually, it has nothing to do with selling at that price being “beneath me”, which implies snobbery and false entitlement. Selling for $5 is #1 not sustainable #2 really bad for clients that have paid hundreds and thousands for paintings WHICH IS HOW MUCH GOOD ART COSTS TO PRODUCE. “exposure” is a word used to take advantage of artists and get the benefits of what they offer without paying.
I liked the article. I have a friend that watercolor painted greeting cards, and $5 sounded about right to me. I thought it was a great way to introduce your art to people in a smaller size, and then offer those buyers the opportunity to buy larger pieces for larger amounts of money. So what if you have to shrink the size of your art so that its profitable. If that means you can make money doing what you love, then it’s a great idea. No need to apologize for suggesting that.
You got it right. I feel the exact same way and it was part of what I sent Cory in an email. Some artists just want to sell their work to become rich and live the abundant life. Sometimes, it is more than just about the money and more importantly, thinking outside the box and making an opportunity of something that may not appear as such.
I was not offended by the article. It made me think of an artist that I have collected that is quite famous for selling his art for 10.00 and up. Check out this article about Steve Keene : http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2011/08/stephen-keene-art-santa-monica.html
The value of art, especially when being self assessed, is difficult to determine. There are many factors, to many to enumerate here, that are to be considered. The quickest answer is ‘it depends’. One way to guage where you are at is to do some good ole market research. If you don’t know marketing, take a course, read a few books, or surf the net (it is loaded with marketing info). Oh, and just remember, marketing is not onc size fits all. I can guarantee you one thing for sure; you can sell anything for whatever you want (be realistic) if you market properly.
Its not about how much the art work sells for but it is about who gets to see your art. this is why artitst are choosy about when and to whom hey sell their art. Someone may be willing to buy my art right now for a lot of money but i may not sell because im saving it up for a show.
Hi! I read your blog post yesterday, and then went to Fiver. I have to say, I was not impressed either. $5 art pieces… that’s lower than minimum wage per hour, and we all know that between time, materials and artistry… many of us will not give our work away to buyers. It gives no credibility to one as an artist. Things cannot have gotten that bad yet! I’d burn it in the backyard first or give it to friends and family. We do art because it moves us, so if one’s not selling, one does it to fill the need to create. We can’t sell ourselves short. The art business is a business to work at.
I find there are many in the arts’ businesses trying so hard to “make it” or get a break that they will give art, music, etc. away for nothing hoping for a name. This, to me, creates a problem for those of us who are serious artists. It gets worse as millions of ‘would be could be’s’ are vying for attention from so few collectors and buyers with real disposable income. Giving away your art is not going to get a collector to buy. They don’t feel you’re serious and they love the bragging rights of how much they paid for it. Just my humble opinion. (+:
Great thoughts Kathryn. I can tell you are a professional and have some experience.
Do you think there are any circumstances when it is okay to give away your art?
I give away art regularly. Amazingly, I’ve gotten back more than I ever donated. Don’t discount this. BTW this is one of the 101 Tips in my book, 101 Tips to Sell More Art
I also give away original art often as a marketing promo, to foster connections, as thank-you’s and just for plain fun…
Funny that you got all the negative feedback, then you apologize then proceed to double down on your original comments.
I’m not against selling my art for a “small amount of money” IF it took me a minute to create. I have sold my writing for up to $5.00 a word and for as little as two cents per word for an SEO (keyword) article. One is art, one is not. Simply producing an image isn’t necessarily “art” unless you are a highly recognized artist whose every mark creates excitement.
I would not state I would draw anything they want, a portrait, etc. I would say they get a quick sketch. Since artists should always put their best foot forward, is selling something less than your best always a good idea?
On Fiverr, you have to take the time to communicate with the buyer, and the buyer can ask you for revisions. You need to package and ship the art. Even if the art took you one minute, this other stuff could easily take over an hour. The packaging and postage could cost several dollars.
If you sell for $5.00, or any amount, you should retain all rights to reproductions of the art, including other pieces you make from that original piece. It seems almost ridiculous to have a contract with that amount, but you should protect yourself. This is going to create more issues with Fiverr as buyers will not expect that. You might end up drawing a character you’ll want to keep using. Or a lovely piece you could make prints out of. (If you DO do something you love, maybe keep it and send them something else). Look what happened to the creators of the Superman comics, they sold their work for next to nothing and had no rights to the character.
Perhaps the question is not “what is my art worth,” but “what is my time worth?” Could I make more money doing something else in the same amount of time? What is selling my art for $5 going to do to my self-esteem? What if people start giving bad ratings on Fiverrr because they expect a fully developed piece? Is this going to hurt me?
I’m linking to this free booklet written for people who are commissioning illustration. It encourages people to recognize the value of what they are getting and to be prepared to pay for it. This is the kind of advice that should be getting to art buyers. That art has value and is special.
http://www.hireanillustrator.com/how-to-commission-an-illustrator.pdf
I keep seeing ads by people self-publishing books who want to pay as little as $300 for a whole children’s book when the going rate is thousands of dollars. I know their books have little chance of making any money back, but it’s the same amount of work for the artist.
Just like doctors and lawyers, artists went to school to study (or many do, anyway), racked up bills, gave up other things to develop their craft. All that gets factored into the value.
If people want cheap art, they may be better off buying a nice postcard.
I don’t believe your arguement holds water, but I respect your opinion. Also, TAA simply posted an article and what you do with it is your business. I don’t think Mr. Huff had anything to be sorry for to begin with. Get a grip. If you think your words are made of gold, great. Go sell them to people who think they are gold and forget about Fiverr or any other similar site. It is your choice to sell to whoever for whatever you want. For others, Fiverr might fit into their marketing mix and work just fine.
thanks Rob, but let’s remember to be kind, even when people disagree with us.
You think I was a tad unkind? Sorry. not my intent. That was actually my tamed side. But hey, I will try to be nicer if at all possible.
Since I am new to selling my art, I am exploring many different avenues. I thought the Fiverr guest post was interesting. I haven’t gone as low as $5 for a piece but for events I’ve been in, I’ve sold black and white prints for $10 or 3 x 5 acrylic paintings on wood for $15. Mostly of my sales are from larger pieces, however, I get more foot traffic and interest from people when they see that they can afford to buy a piece of art at a price they are comfortable with. I have heard time and again from customers that they wish they could afford my bigger pieces, but this way they get to have something they also like at a price they can afford right now. Either way, they are a paying customer, I am earning money by making art, and I am sharing my art in more places by selling smaller priced items. These are potential repeat customers and most importantly my supporters. Just like any business marketing is very important. At the same time, I understand not wanting to undervalue your work, but business is business. My plan is to sell at my current prices until the demand for my art increases. Then my prices will increase as well. But until then, I think for any artist just starting out or stuck in a rut, something like Fiverr is just another outlet at potentially earning some money as an artist or getting your work out there.
i appreciate your assistance at being a success at being an artist..but do you realize the cost of a 18 x 24 stretched canvas??or the cost of a 20 x 30 peice of strathmore 500 illustration board..or brushes and quality paints and mediums?it all cost way too much investment to sell a piece of work for 5.oo..”i will paint whatever you want for 5.00″ i’m sorry but that’s ridiculous..
I’m selling off my artwork right now at 75% off… Why? Because I can. Because I need the money. Because the studio is stacked with canvasses getting dusty and damaged. Because I want them to go to new homes. Because I’m constantly creating…
And most of all, because sitting in the studio, they haven’t earned me a cent.
I sell lots of small prints and greeting cards for $5 – they all add up 🙂
I wouldn’t sell door to door where I live though LOL – too many dogs LOL
xox
Marg
This might be too long for a comment, I will try to condense it a bit. The value of art is such a great question it always reminds me of what happened to me and the lesson about value that it taught me. I was hiking the Appalachian Trail. I would trade art for room and board. One day my hiking partner and I did a long day, I think it was 23 miles. We had big goals ahead and it was a dreary rainy day. We didn’t see anyone else out but we were heading to a cabin. During the season it’s something like $5 or $7 to stay. I don’t really remember but it was very little. It didn’t matter though because it was past the open season and it would be locked up. We were hoping the cabin would have a covered porch that we could get shelter under for the night. Instead, when we arrived in the evening there was smoke coming from the chimney and the caretaker was out chopping wood. That night I spent a little less than an hour on a little drawing of us sitting around the fire and I offered a trade for the night, I did offer to trade for my partner and I so I was probably getting just over $10 for the drawing. The caretaker was thrilled! He had spent his entire summer there and he had just come in for this one night to board up and say good bye to the place. He cherished that drawing that captured his time there. My partner and I on the other hand, had hiked all day wet and chilly and had been welcomed with beds with mattresses, shelter, a fire, AND a hot breakfast of pancakes to send us on our way in the morning. I feel that both parties got so much more than the nominal fee and I want to find a way to bring this story to selling my art now. By the way, I have also sold my art door to door for small fees, those can easily create bigger leads and part of doing art is that I really love people’s reactions to how beautiful their world is in a picture.
I think it is OK to see some “art” for $5. for something quick, etc. I wouldn’t do it myself, I really don’t want things out there that aren’t representative of the work that I do. If it isn’t what I would normally paint, I don’t feel that I would gain much from it as far as exposure or future sales.
I do give away original works and a certain amount of limited edition giclees. I have started using the giclees more often because it was a way of getting my best work seen by an audience as promotion rather than a mediocre painting. I don’t want to give away my best paintings. But, I can afford to give away a great gicleé.
I think any artist needs to always keep in mind what audience do they want to appeal to and what there ultimate goals are. Will fiverr benefit or hinder that goal?
I was amused by the anger at the $5 art suggestion. As an emerging artist with my own studio, I finally, in a moment of cheapness, decided that the newprint charcoal practice sketches cost 12 cents for the paper alone and shouldn’t be thrown away. I put them up on a wall of the studio with blue paint tape from Lowes and sold them for $1 a piece. They flew off the wall like hotcakes. I got a charge everytime someone bought one. Keeps them out of the landfill too. I was stunned at what people would buy. I couldn’t sell them at $5 a piece. I tried that first. Seems like folks just have to buy something so close to free. I also have a free pile – same concept – keep it out of the landfill. Works fine. Gets my name out there and my art. While looking at my super cheap and free stuff, people sometimes buy my pricier art – like a reproduction of my work for $50. One person gave me $10 for a $1 piece and refused to give me any less.
Pride is pointless. Sorry. Get over it folks. Crawl first, then run the marathon. Even Picasso probably started out poor.
That’s awesome, Laura! 🙂
Laura — Picasso, like many artists of his time, actually sold small works on the streets at one point during his early years… enough to hit the cafe. ;p
I have no clue how much my art is worth. I took a 15 year hiatus from doing any sort of art work and have just started back up again. Right now, I am just happy when I get a “like” on Instagram where I post art that I am creating now. I hope one day I can share my work and perhaps make a few bucks, but right now I am just enjoying creating again..I really believed for years I was not good enough or creative enough..so…its just good to be breaking those walls down and proving myself wrong.
A lot of artists have many ways to sell their art.
The artists who, get away from the traditional venues,
often have decent sales.
Artists are numerous, so smart ones try everything.
I say do what ever works.
I show in non traditional venues, always have.
Getting paid matters to me.
I am not precious about my work, I want it to be working
for me in the population.
So far, so good.
I am not a starving artist, by choice.
Time never sleeps, I sell my work any way I can.
I made some cues for artists. They came about , after I was asked to be on a panel in New York, at no honorarium.
Here are some of the cues.
Get some sponsors to pay your way to art workshops.
Pay back with art.
Get a some one to have a show of your art in their home.
Write real letters to people, put drawings on them, it’s good
marketing. Maybe do some each quarter of the year.
Call the press and get a photo story on you and your work.
Make certain to speak to a real person.
Contact feature editors, reporters, not critics.
Show in nontraditional venues.
Copy the story at the instant printers, writ letters on the reverse.
Make postcards with more than one work of art on it, a
generic postcard can be used all year.
Read The Outliers- by Malcolm Gladwell- the chapter on 10,000
hours is very helpful.
Repeat these cues often.
Add to them.
See Bob Ragland-by Google.
Great come back Cory. Clearly it all boils down to a matter of perspective…no pun intended:-)
Wow! I am also surprised at the feedback you received on fivver. And
when I received that mail, after I thought about it for a minute beyond my initial reaction (which was “are you
kidding me???”), I thought about the idea of producing some small prints or ATC’s or bookmarks (reproductions).
Or even blank notecards. And why not? It would give me more exposure which is what we all need, right?
As I mentioned on the other article… I can see how an artist may benefit from offering scans of quick drawing studies (and perhaps quick painting studies) on that site for $5. Especially if they happen to be college art students (most are expected to do sketches outside of the classroom).
Obviously I don’t think an artist should spend days on a painting that is going to end up being sold one time as a $5 scanned image.
Shoot, I know artists who look down at other artists if their work is not priced at a certain level. But at the same time, I know of artists who offer $30 works, quick studies, and earn more throughout the year compared to other artists who demand thousands for works that took a great deal of time to complete.
I see nothing wrong with making a living by offering affordable art. Not every artist dreams of high profile art galleries. And as Cory implied… some of those artists end up embraced by the big market in the end.
I remember when the Painting A Day trend started… a lot of artists thought it was crazy — but I’ve read about a few who, at least at the time, made a living income from it.
I’m also reminded of an artist who decided to make one of a kind works of art on t-shirts. If member serves me correct… he offered them for $30 a pop. His shirts are now sought after by celebrities ranging from Lady GaGa to one of the stars of The Hunger Games — fetching hundreds per shirt.
Again, some artists may frown at that… but something tells me that the artists I mentioned don’t care — especially when they check their bank account.
I have sold my art for $5. It allowed me to improve my form and to understand what people liked and didn’t like about the pieces. After reading comments about artists NOT willing to sell their art for $5, for whatever reason, I conclude that their ego is on the line. You are not selling art at $5 you are selling your practice time, your name, you are giving it away for a donation, so to speak. So what? give it up! share it! see where it goes! release the ego, and you, your art, and friends/followers will benefit from this generosity. There are millions of artists, and musicians, and writers, who are way too into themselves. no one cares. Just release and see how much you get back!
I love your attitude Melissa!I feel the same way.I have found that when I hold onto a piece too tightly it just gathers dust in the corner.It is so hard for most of us to let go of our creations(our babies)but if we never let them go how will anyone ever find us.I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t create just for the rush I get from it(and I DO get a big rush from creating).I also do it to share with the world and sometimes that means letting it go for less than a perfect price.
I will, but that will be my art/choice/ expression/ subject/theme, produced in my free/leisure time.. payment must in advance and quantity should be minimum 50 pcs. in nos. Immaterial will be the material and medium, must be provided by the buyers and collected personally from my studio… when price is prejudiced care and quality has to be compromised.. Happy buying ..
There’s a very thin line between what we think our art is worth and what we can actually get for it.Let’s face it,if I am an unknown artist I can’t expect to get what someone who has featured in a well read art mag can get.But that doesn’t mean that I can’t think it is worth as much(or more).This is something that I struggle with continually.I have sold art for $5 and also for $100(can’t seem to get past that magic number).I am at a point where I have stopped thinking about how much time I have in a piece and just try to evaluate its value by really looking at it with an objective eye as if I were a buyer and try to figure out what I would pay for it.Sometimes this works, sometimes not so good.In the end I think this subject is like discussing religion or politics, it’s all a matter of oppinion and no one can claim to have the perfect answer.I certainly don’t.
I love painting landscapes.. as well as some abstract too. I know abstract art can be worth a lot some times, they have a lot of individual creativity. But what about landscapes?
What I find interesting is that the guest didn’t mention that she did it herself, it just mentioned that she had taken a photo of something and had someone emailed her back a “painting” in a digital form. I’m just wondering if the artist didn’t use a program to make it look like a painting. She then gives some tips on how to promote yourself on Fiverr ( note again she doesnt mention she does this herself) here is what she says:”I will turn your photo to painting art, it will look like it was painted by an artist, from image to painting for $5” Please note that this does not take long perhaps minutes. She also mentions that to make sure that whatever you claim you will do on Fiverr doesn’t take you five hours Please also note: Fiverr allows you to eventually sell your items for more than $5 as well. What it boils down to is what YOU want to do with your own art and business. You can’t compare your art to anyone else’s. If you want to sell your art for 5.00 by all means do so that is your business. Anyone can do whatever they want with their own art. If I feel my art is worth more than that is great whether it took me 5 mins or 5 days. Its up to me. I don’t compare my work to anyone else’s. There is no “going rate” to art.
Hey Corey,
I actually think that many artists should stop focusing so much on how much their art is worth monetarily and start trying to define what value it actually provides to their target audience/tribe/market/whatever you call it.
Money only represents some real, empirical value, it is not value itself.
So if an artist really defined what his/her art’s value truly is, they would be able to sell that and could start at a reasonable rate and build from there.
I’ll give an example (not sure how accurate this is, just a quick assessment) Thomas Kinkade’s value that he delivered was tranquility for his viewers. That’s valuable if you have a hectic life or if you just appreciate the beauty in calmness. Warhol literally took celebrities and products and turned them into icons. People took notice. Banksy sells political activism and revolt, huge market for that.
The prices come AFTER the value, not before.
Art that is of no real value will sell to no one.
Sorry if this came off as a rant!
I think a lot of you are missing the point of the $5 art. An artist should have work in different price points for different customers. Obviously you wouldn’t do your “best” work and sell it for $5. But I could see sketches on postcards, or small easy watercolors, etc. on a postcard that someone could frame or send to someone else. It’s a fun way to get your work in the hands of more people. And if they love your work, they’ll buy more larger pieces. I would definately do this.