Art Selling Tips
I want to share a few simple tips that can hopefully help you sell - or sell more - art or photography online. For the last 3 years art has been my full time career. In that time I've sold over 200 of my paintings, these are some things I've learned along the way. When I refer to "art" and "artist" I also mean photographs and photographer ;)
#1 - Give your pieces a title.
This goes for whatever type of art you're selling, from drawings to paintings to sculptures to photography. Artists who create visual art are by nature visual people, but many people who buy art - are not. That's why they buy it, it blows their minds that someone could create/think that way.
Once someone is "wowed" visually, they'll often want to understand what they just looked at. A title can help them connect with the piece - and the artist - on another level. A title can explain the location of a landscape, or the subject of a portrait. A title can be playful, it can make someone laugh or smile. It can be serious, or simply a record of where along the artist's career it was made.
One suggestion I made to an artist who told me he had trouble coming up with names for his paintings was to give them "people" names "Jack" "Sara" "Henry" etc.. - just something to add another level for a viewer to connect to. You could also simply name them "#1", "#2", "#3"etc.... and that way a viewer can connect with how many pieces you've made.
One time I had trouble coming up with a name for one of my own paintings, and I took my own advice and named it "Bob" - and it sold because the person asked me "Why "Bob"? - and laughed when I explained the story!
"Bob" - 4 x 4 inches, acrylic paint on canvas- SOLD
#2 - Show a price
Have you ever heard "If you have to ask, you can't afford it"?
I see so many artists make the mistake of not showing a price with their art. The price is one of the most important things a potential buyer will take into consideration when buying art - can I afford it? Your job is to make it as easy as possible for people to buy your art, so, don't make them go out of their way to find a price.
There's a million reasons someone might not ask a price - maybe they're shy, maybe they don't want to bother you, maybe they assume if there's no price it's not for sale, or already sold, maybe they don't want to insult you by making a lowball first offer, or maybe they're afraid of over paying by making the first offer. Bottom line is if you show a price with your art online, you'll be making it easier for people to buy art from you.
If possible, even include shipping costs, at least for the most common place(s) you ship to. People often have the expectation that shipping art is super expensive, and while it can be expensive, it often isn't overly expensive.
#3 - Stick to one style
An artists work is their "brand". The more "brand recognition" you have for your work, the more you'll sell. People will search for your art specifically if you develop a unique style.
I like to compare it to music - if a band completely changed styles of music and image each album, they'd probably have a hard time keeping their fans interested. Same thing with art.
Think of some of the most well known artists you know of, what are they known for? Chances are, they're known for one thing mainly - a certain style of abstract, a certain way they do portraits, a certain way they do landscapes, a certain subject they photograph or deal with often. A way they depict certain aspects that you can look at almost any of their work and say "Aha, that's by ______"
One big reason it helps to stick to one style , is once you have a certain style you're known for, it'll be easier to get commissions. People will feel more comfortable hiring you to do custom art, because they can have a reasonable expectation of what they'll get as a final result when they hire you.
On the flip side, if someone wants you to do something you don't normally do, you're probably better off saying"No" than creating something the client might not be happy with. Just because you're good at pet portraits doesn't mean you can do a huge mural at a restaurant, or vice versa. Sometimes people assume any artist can do any type of art, which as artists we know just isn't really true lol
I hope these tips help, if you found value in my post consider upvoting and resteeming! -Adam
Visit my website https://www.NexusVisions.com
Me and happy client Leslie with her custom Mandala "Flight of the Phoenix"
