Art is talent, selling is a skill. Not many artists are blessed with both. For a nudge in a profitable direction, check out the few tips shared below to discover the little things that can go a long way at expanding your network, add value to your work, and get your name and work out there among those most likely to buy your art.
Network with Photographers
Regardless of the type of art you make, be it paintings or sculptures, all sales are done visually. It helps tremendously to have quality photographs taken from multiple angles. The best photographs are taken with quality cameras and should not be taken with your phone. If you do not have or do not want to invest in a decent camera and the time it takes to learn photography, consider bartering with a local photographer. If you do not know about bartering, it is like partnering, but a whole lot cheaper. You do a trade.
Just like you, photographers have the skills they need to sell, and they want something. It could be introductions, or you might have a piece that just isn’t shifting that you could give them, or offer up an exclusive deal where perhaps you provide a half-price discount for their next family portrait booking where you provide a discounted personal drawing service. In exchange, they provide you with a half dozen photos, taken from multiple angles and professionally edited as they do for their paying clients.
Also, if you are going to be submitting entries to art competitions, you are definitely going to need the best photography because it is the photo’s that panellists judge. It sure can help to have a good photographer in your corner.
Create a Log of Every Piece You Create
Not every piece of art you create will be born out of sheer inspiration. Some work will be commissioned, others inspired. Once you sell it, it is out of your hands. By photographing your work, you can build a catalogue. A digital version of that can be put on your artist website, shared on social media and most importantly, with your buyers. It is a portfolio of proven work that has been created and sold, and it shows your customers the diverse styles and one-of-a-kind pieces you have created. There is always a possibility of someone asking for a similar piece or a recreation.
In the future, you will be able to create a catalogue, either in print or a digital look-book of the pieces you have created. Catalogue’s with detailed descriptions can add to the story of your work by chronicling the thoughts you had at the time you were creating the piece, the inspiration that led to it, client stories for commissioned pieces (shared with permission), and perhaps why you chose to use pastel over oil, canvas over paper, and how you took extra care to choose the ideal frame. Sell the art and the story as a package for a premium. Offer a painting or print with framed and unframed options with both choices having the option to add-on the artist’s journal to tell the story of the art origin and creator.
Expand Your Online Social Circles
Too many artists work in too small a bubble. In an international marketplace where art can be framed, packaged, and shipped to anywhere in the world, there is no reason to limit your network to local, or to a specific sector such as art galleries and museums. Build a broad social circle to include art collectors, curators, interior designers, directors of art fairs, event directors and the agencies they partner with to make the fairs happen.