Getting supplies, framing your work and understanding the basics of the art buying industry are important steps in selling your artwork. Once you get to this point, getting your art into the hands (and homes) of art buyers is easier than you think. All it takes is a little bit of organization and self-motivation.
In this guide, we'll show you how to reach the art market with your finished product. Art lovers everywhere are opportunities for you to sell your art. Getting your art career off the ground is easier than you think.
1. Get feedback before you list it.
Releasing a new piece of art is a special moment in the art world. You should make sure everything is perfect before you start to find art collectors. So, get some feedback. Ask your family and friends how they feel about your piece.
Even if they don't like it, you should know that their opinion is valid. Maybe they think something needs to move, or their eyes are drawn to the wrong part of the piece. Make corrections before you start worrying about art sales.
2. Be realistic about the price of your work.
Be realistic about how much your art costs. You can get a rough estimate by looking at other pieces on the market and determining what makes yours similar or different from them.
As a sticker seller, I mostly make reproductions of my art. I don't sell my art to art collectors, I mostly just sell to the broader art market. So my price is all about materials cost and competitiveness.
But if you're selling real paintings or one-of-a-kind art, then pricing your art is more a reflection of your brand than materials cost. Every artist has a price: what do you think art collectors will pay for your work?
3. Get your art in the right places.
Do you think art auction houses are the places where your art will sell? Do the work to find the most appropriate auction houses, then take steps to get your art listed in those art auctions.
Try to find local art galleries that are hosting an art show. You can also try online real-time bidding auctions, estate sales or even classified ads on Craigslist. No matter where you go, be sure to take informative pictures of your artwork so buyers can get a good look at it.
4. Make the most of your social media
Even for a famous artist, social media is a great tool. Art collectors and art buyers are on social media just like the rest of us. So meet them where they art. Any art advisor worth their salt will tell you that social media is a valuable tool for the art world.
Social media even supports you if you're exclusively doing art fairs. You can use social media to get in front of local art collectors.
5. Create a budget for your art career
You need to treat your art business like a real business. That means developing a budget, building a list of contacts and establishing a schedule for when you'll follow through with the steps required to sell your work.
Remember that being consistent is going to get you more sales than trying to go viral. Understand art buyers: they need to be shocked, moved, or impressed by your art works to make a purchase. Buying art is all about emotion, not price.
So meet collectors where they are, and move them. Serious collectors will see the underlying themes in your art, and if they like your style, you'll have loyal art collectors for decades.
