Author:
Michael Bridges

Being an artist myself, I know how hard it can be to sell your art in the real world that is one reason you might what to try to sell your art online. A few years ago I decided to start selling my art online and I’m glad I did. Now, I’m not getting rich doing this, but I have made more sells online than I ever did in the real world. Plus I don’t have schlep my artwork from place to place.

Lets just take a look at some reasons you should consider selling your art online.

Convenience

In the real world you have to sale your art in galleries, art festivals, fairs, libraries or any place that will allow you to place your art and sell it. Now consider you have to pack up your artwork and carry it to these places and in some of cases hung the work yourself. Also consider that the pieces that don’t sale you have to take them down, pack them up and carry them back to your home or studio

However, when you sell your art online you just put up some photos of your artwork on a website with some information on the size, medium and price and depending on where you put it you may be able to keep your artwork there indefinitely. Even if the artwork doesn’t sale on a site where it has to be removed, all you have to remove is a photo and some information. No packing and no carrying bulky paintings back and forth.

You Have Total Control

By selling your art online you take over total control of your art career. No more middlemen telling you how much to price your art for and then taking a cut of your money when the art sells. Galleries will take anywhere from a 40 to 50% cut of your art sales. Art Festivals will charge any where from $200 to $500 fees just to be in the festival and demand that you have a certain amount of inventory, which you have to pay for. If you don’t sell anything at the festival you are just out all of that money.

If you sell your art online you can decide when where and how long you have your art up on a website and although there are some sites that may charge you to have your art on them, most of the places are free and the ones that do charge it’s usually a very small amount. Also most places where you can sell your art online will let you set your own price and won’t charge you a commission. So you can keep 100% of your art sells. Also on most places that allow you to put art on their sites, you can put up as many or as little as you want.

A Worldwide Customer Base

When selling your art in the real world your art sales are usually limited to the place where your art is at the moment. If you are exhibiting at a gallery your art sales are limited to that gallery and the people that come into that gallery. If your art is being shown at a fair your art sales are limited to the people that see your art at that fair. I think you get the picture. For the must part in the real world your art sales is going to be limited to local or regional sales.

On the Internet you have a worldwide audience to market your art to. Because of selling my art online I now have my artwork in Japan, France, Great Britain, Canada and other places that I would not have been able to reach in the real world. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world you will be able to reach people from different countries. An artist in Italy can sell a piece of art to a buyer Russia or an artist in India can sell a painting to a buyer in the United States. Your online presence is your art gallery to the world.

I’m not saying not to sell your art in the real world, but as you can see by opting to sell your art online you have more control and a wider buyer reach. However there’s no reason you can’t do both.

About the Author:

These are some reasons why you should consider selling your art online. For ways on
How To Sell Your Art Online
just click the blue link.

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
–
Sell Your Art Online – Why You Should Consider It

By
Kathy Gulrich

Have you ever wondered why you often find a coupon tucked inside your cereal box, or get invited to a customer preview sale at your favorite department store? Those companies know that their existing customers are the best – and most profitable – customers they’ll ever have. So it’s not surprising that they’ll do whatever they can to keep these customers happy and coming back again and again.

Believe it or not, the same concept holds true for your art career. While you don’t want to ignore potential customers, you’ll find that when you pay a little more attention to the customers and collectors you already have, it will really pay off – in increased sales and profits for your art business. The following 10 practical strategies will get you started.

1 – Understand how and why your customers buy art

Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. What’s in it for them when they purchase your art? Maybe they feel great about owning a piece of original artwork. Or they’re happy to support an emerging artist. Perhaps they’re looking forward to showing their new painting to friends. Start listening to your customers and asking questions, and you’ll learn a lot – fast.

Don’t underestimate the power of being an art collector yourself. You’ll know firsthand how your collectors feel when they purchase your work, and you’ll be a great role model for them. Even better, you’ll be supporting other artists.

2 – Make the first purchase a fabulous experience

When you sell a piece of artwork, remember that it’s also an exciting event for your customers. So let them be excited about their purchase. Accept any compliments graciously. Then share something personal that lets them know that you’re excited about the sale, too. Tell them how the sale is meaningful to you: It’s your first; your first to someone in New Jersey; your first in this series, or your last one like this. A positive connection now can pay off for years to come.

3 – Be businesslike in everything you do

Treat your art as a business, and treat your customers in a businesslike manner. Be meticulous about meeting deadlines and keeping appointments. Always provide the materials or information you promised – complete, and on time. And remember to thank your collectors personally when they attend one of your shows or support you in any way. A quick note or an e-mail will be appreciated, and remembered.

In addition, be businesslike when you price your artwork. Keep your pricing consistent: from the gallery to your studio, and from city to city. And stick to your prices no matter what; never discount your work.

Naturally, it makes sense to present yourself in a professional manner every time you show someone your work. That said, never try to be someone you’re not. Let your personality come through, and you’ll be the best businessperson you can be: you.

4 – Make it easy for your customers to purchase more of your work

I was at a friend’s house recently and admired a beautiful hand-made journal she’d purchased at a local craft fair. Thinking it would make a perfect gift for another friend, I asked for the artist’s name. When she didn’t remember, we looked inside the journal and discovered the artist’s name and phone number were nowhere to be found. The result? He or she lost a sale.

Put your contact information on everything that leaves your studio: letterhead, invitations, show announcements, note cards, etc. Affix a personalized label on the back of each painting that includes your name, plus your e-mail address or Web site.

And send your new collectors home with an “Artist Pack”: a professional-looking folder with your business card, resume, artist statement, bio, articles about you and by you, and so on. Youíll be amazed at how often your customers will share it with their friends and associates.

5 – Ask for another sale

When liquid shampoo first came out, it gave consumers a convenient and easy way to wash their hair. “Lather and rinse,” the label said. But shampoo sales really took off when just one word was added. Your shampoo bottle now says, “Lather, rinse, and repeat if desired.”

Repeat sales can revolutionize your business, too. So display your work in your home and studio where visitors will see it. And when customers are making a purchase, be bold: Ask them if they’d like to purchase a second (or third) piece. Ask your collectors for referrals to another collector, or to a shop or gallery where they think your work might fit in. Or suggest a commissioned piece you’d like to do for them. The key here is to ask for the sale.

6 – Upgrade your customers

Another way to increase your income is to upgrade your customers to a more profitable product (“deluxe” shampoo for color treated hair, for example). It’s really pretty easy, once you get the hang of it. Here are some upgrade ideas that have worked well for my clients:

• Encourage your customers who ordinarily buy giclee reproductions to purchase an original painting.

• Introduce your existing customers to some of your more expensive or larger pieces of art.

• If you have collectors who so far have bought only your sketches or drawings, suggest they purchase one of your paintings next time.

7 – Cross-sell your customers

Cross-selling is simply selling your customers something different from – but related to – what they’re already buying. Think back to the shampoo example. Wouldn’t it be relatively easy to cross-sell hair conditioner to someone who already uses shampoo?

Now take a look at your own artwork. Cross-selling might mean selling a piece of your pottery to one of your painting customers, selling a painting to one of your sculpture collectors, or suggesting your art note cards as an add-on sale when a customer stops by to pick up his pet portrait. Be imaginative, and you can increase both sales and profits.

8 – Get to know your customers and collectors

Remember that your customers are people first, customers second. Take your relationships beyond “business” and build personal relationships, as well. If appropriate, invite them to social gatherings, send a holiday card or drop them a postcard from your favorite vacation spot.

When you’re chatting with your collectors, make it a habit to listen for important dates and occasions. Then remember their very special occasions with an artwork gift. Imagine having a small piece of your artwork forever connected in your collectors’ minds with their 50th anniversary, the birth of their first child or grandchild, or their son’s graduation from medical school. Sometimes a little goes a very long way.

9 – Let your customers get to know you – and your art

Don’t you just love it when you get to watch another artist at work and see for yourself how they do what they do? You’re not alone.

Almost all art collectors are curious about how you create. So it makes good business sense to find ways to share your process with them. You might invite them to an informal demo. Show them photographs of the location that inspired you. Or even let them try the process themselves. Take the time to show your customers what makes you and your art unique.

Customers who understand how you apply your paint, why you use those strange-looking long brushes, or how you get so many layers of color onto your canvas are not only educated about what you do – they’re interested in what you do. And that will translate into more sales, and more referrals.

10 – Build strong, ongoing relationships with your collectors

Don’t be shy about asking your customers for advice and input, whether it’s on how you showcase or hang your work, or on new projects or techniques you’re trying out. Do it one-on-one, or host a studio open house (notice I did not say “studio sale”) to find out what they think.

And when you’ve just finished a new series or collection, or you’re ready to hang a new gallery show, invite your best customers to your studio for a special preview of your new work. They’ll love it.

Most importantly, be yourself with your customers and collectors. Yes, you may meet a collector or two who wants to be dazzled by art double-talk and rhetoric. Most collectors, however, will want to get to know the real you. They’ll love hearing about your feelings about your artwork, some of your artistic quirks – and even some of the mistake youíve made.

Once customers and collectors really connect with you and your work, they’ll be back for more. And that’s good for every artist’s business.

Best-selling author Kathy Gulrich helps clients get from idea, to action, to results – more quickly, and more easily – whether they’re looking to write a book, develop a new product, or market their product or business. Clients love her direct, no-nonsense approach – and her gentle insistence on great results. Find out for yourself: Check out one of Kathy’s teleclasses, or pick up a free worksheet, at
http://www.smARTbusinessCoaching.com

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Gulrich

http://EzineArticles.com/?Making-the-Connection:-Customer-Relationships-That-Build-Your-Business&id=34940

By
Nina Alvarez

You’ve found your niche online and have interested readers filtering into your website through forums and social networks. How do you get them to make a purchase?

*
Know your competition.
Study the work of other online artists with work truly comparable (popularity, experience, subject, style, size) and note their prices. Take a hard look at what they’re offering and for how much. Then undersell them. People shop online because they are looking for good deals. Give them one.

*
Know your audience
. Try posting a friendly, anonymous survey up on your site, asking your reader some basic questions: where they live, age range, gender, and their art-buying price range. If they already like your art, they will be happy to help you out. If they don’t, then you don’t need their demographic information anyway. Use your findings to think strategically about where you promote your website and how much you sell your work for. (Note: Many blog servers like Blogger and WordPress offer survey widgets which will also do the trick.)

*
Write Like a Pro
. Pull out your best writing skills to describe the pieces you want to sell. Include a bio and artist statement on your site. Often, a timid buyer will be reassured by this professional touch.

*
Make buying REALLY easy
. Allow your potential buyers to become actual buyers. Next to each image of your art keep its price, shipping costs, and a “Buy Now” button (use Paypal if you don’t have a shopping cart). Don’t force them to go through the rigmarole of sending you a query email and awaiting your response. More likely than not, you’ll lose the sale.

*
Give them a reason to come back
. Just because someone leaves your site without buying doesn’t mean they won’t be back. Collect email addresses with a newsletter sign-up on your webpage. Promise it’ll be a good read and deliver. Once you have their email address, follow through at least once a month with a newsletter that is sharp, witty, informational, and full of your art.

Nina Alvarez, Chief Editor of
http://www.Artspan.com
– an online artists community, and writer of the Artspan blog on art marketing. She also created the Philthy Art blog offering encouragement to writers and artists, and the popular poetry blog NinaAlvarez.net. Nina has an master’s degree in English and is

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nina_Alvarez

http://EzineArticles.com/?Marketing-Your-Art-to-Your-Niche-Online&id=1760505

Author:
Chris London

For an artist or
graphic designer
there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing your art on actual product out in the retail environment. I’ve been designing and developing art and products for licensing for quite a while now and it’s still like Christmas every time I receive product samples for approval. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy opening boxes filled with various product samples that I have designed and created. Maybe you already know this feeling or maybe you are just starting to venture out into the world of artwork licensing. I hope so! If you are just starting out then you should check out Surtex National Stationery and Gift Show in New York. This show is one of the best ways to show your work to people actively seeking new talent.

Artwork Licensing can be an extremely rewarding and profitable venture. There are many benefits to licensing your artwork. The obvious benefits are that you retain ownership and copyrights to your creations while other people market and distribute your creative works for sales. This allows you to gain passive income through royalty payments, usually payed quarterly, and the ability to use that same art in new ways for future profit.

As fun and exciting as Art Licensing is, there are some things you should know before entering into any contractual agreement. First of all, there is a lot that you won’t know in the beginning of your licensing career and a ton that you will learn along the way, but you should have a good understanding of what the terms of your agreement will be before signing anything. If you are presented with a licensing contract – review it and understand that you are the one licensing the art and you have the power to negotiate your terms. Also, it’s always a good idea to have your own copyright attorney review the contract.

Before we discuss this topic further let’s get familiar with a few terms, that is if you are not already familiar with them.

1. Licensor – You!

2. Licensee – the company you are licensing artwork to.

3. Royalty – The percentage you will be payed on the sales of your art.

4. Net Sales Price – the price for which the Licensee sells the Licensed Products

5. Licensed Design – shall mean those designs owned by Licensor and incorporated into one or more Licensed Products

6. Sell-off-period – A period of time used by the Licensee to clear out licensed product. This usually takes place at the end of a contract when the licensee needs to dispose of all of its existing inventory of Licensed Products on hand. During the Sell-off Period, no royalties shall be payable to Licensor for the sale of Licensed Products that must be liquidated (sold at or below cost).

Every licensing contract can vary in detail, however, there are some key points that should never change. Your licensing contract should clearly state that the licensed artwork is yours and that you retain the rights to the artwork being licensed. You should specify that the “licensee” (the company you are licensing your artwork to) does not have the right to sublicense your art to other companies without your written approval. Also, under no circumstances is the licensee entitled to any ownership rights to your original art nor do they gain any copyrights to any piece of your art. In fact, you should specify your own copyright line to be used on every product that the licensee produces. Would read something like;

© YOUR COMPANY NAME HERE All Rights Reserved

Licensed by (Licensee’s Company Name Here)

You will probably find that most negotiation comes into play when determining your royalty percentage. Here are a few common ranges of royalty rates in the giftware industry that may help guide you in determining an appropriate royalty percentage.

* Greeting cards and gift wrap: 2% to 5%

* Household items such as cups, sheets, towels: 3% to 8%

* Fabrics, apparel (T-shirts, caps, decals): 2% to 10%

* Posters and prints: 10% or more

* Toys and dolls: 3% to 8%

As I previously mentioned this is a scale of acceptable industry standards. In my own experience, I have found 5% to be a very standard and acceptable rate for most items. However, for some stationery items like gift cards and gift wraps 2% is the acceptable standard. If you are just establishing yourself as a licensing artist it would probably be wise to aim for the 4-5% as opposed to the 10%. In this part of your contract you can expect to see a line stating that no royalties shall be payable to Licensor for the “closeout” sale of Licensed Products that have been deleted from Licensee’s line of products. The licensee will almost certainly include this statement in your contract, however, one thing that you should stipulate directly after that line is that the Licensor must be notified in writing prior to the “closeout” of a line or products and that any licensed products sold during the “sell-off-period” that are non-liquidation orders are subject to royalties. Yes, a company will liquidate it’s products and product lines to clear out inventory, but not all sales made during the sell-off-period are liquidation sales which you should be paid a royalty for.

Keep your licensing arrangements clear, concise and simple. You may get advice from people to get an advance against royalties or negotiate a one time licensing fee. These are not common practices for people just getting into licensing. An advance against royalties is exactly what the term states – an advance payment on future royalties on a licensed work. My personal belief is that it is better to negotiate terms with a fair percentage that works for you. Then make sure to avoid unnecessary deductions such as sales commissions, undefined “fees”, or any marketing, promotional and advertising expenses that the licensee engages in. Some deductions are acceptable, for instance deductions made before the royalty is calculated for taxes, credits, and quantity discounts.

I really enjoy art, graphic design, and the rewarding feeling you get from seeing your art out in the market place. I would like to see more artists reaching out to the public with their creative works. It takes time to build a successful licensing career. The key is always play to your strengths. Stand apart by doing what you do well and not replicating others. When it comes time for you to enter into a licensing arrangement – I hope that you have found this article helpful. I would also like to offer a template for a standard contract regarding the licensing of artwork as a resource to help give you a heads up on how to protect your “assets”. This licensing contract template, set up for a standard 5% royalty.

You can find this template at:


http://www.pixelproductionsinc.com/news.php


or


http://pixelproductionsinc.com/blog

Please note: This contract is intended to be used as a reference to help artists looking to establish licensing agreements for their artwork. Any legally binding agreement that you enter into should be reviewed by you and your attorney prior to enacting said agreement. This material is a reference for you, but we are not responsible for any legal agreement you enter into.

About the Author:

As the Art Director for Pixel Productions Inc., I have had the privilege of creating and designing art used for licensing on hundreds of products from stationery to mugs and door mats. You can find our art in retail environments like Hallmark, Michaels, and Target. As a graphic designer, being able to take part in designing art for licensing is such a rewarding experience and one that I hope many young artist will be able to know. You can see my work at:
http://www.pixelproductionsinc.com

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
–
Licensing Artwork? How to Protect Your “Assets” When Entering into an Agreement to License Art

By
Arnold White

Artists are a special breed. They march to a different drummer. Artists have been given a special gift, and that gift can be very rewarding as well as very frustrating. The rewards are self-evident. The frustration comes from how to make money from your creative efforts. The purpose of this article is to provide you with some tools to solve this problem.

It is important for the artists to understand that they are the most important part of the “Art Market”. Without the artist there is no art market…no art galleries, no art shows, no art books, no art magazines, no art workshops, no art supply houses, no art agents. In fact, no businesses of any kind relating to the art world exist if not for the artist.

Making money will never be your primary motivation, but it must run a close second if you want to make a living from your talents.

How should you represent your work in order to make a professional presentation of your artwork? As a professional artist it is extremely important to put your best foot forward when submitting your art for review. The following six components are the foundation for making money with your artwork.

1.

So, let’s start with how you communicate visually; and let’s also remember that as an artist you are in business, and every business should have a professional image. Here is what you will need in the category of “Professional Stationary”: your letterhead; your business card; and your mailing envelope.

Your letterhead should be simple and creative. It should have your telephone number, address, e-mail address and web address. Your business card should have all of the information that is on your letterhead. Finally, your mailing envelope should have your logo and return address.

2.

You will also need some “Professional Quality Slides and Photographs”. What does professional quality really mean? As an artist you are creating a visual product, a product that needs to be seen before it can sell. Slides and photographs are your product inventory. If you are capable of taking a high quality photograph of your work, that is fine; but unless your photography truly captures your work, get a professional to do this for you. It is important when photographing your art that you never photograph your art framed. Framing is fine when your work is sold and hanging, but those reviewing your work are distracted by the framing process.

When submitting your art for review or consideration, your slides should have at the minimum your name and telephone number. However if you really want to be professional, your slides should also have the title, the medium and the size. The lab that does the developing can do this for you. If submitting photographs instead of slides, be sure that all of the above appears on the back of every photograph.

Every dollar you spend to make your art appear professional is more than worth the cost. Photography is a business expense and tax deductible.

3.

What about a “Professional Website” you ask? Absolutely! Four or five years ago, most artists were not aware of any of the following terms: URL, dot.com, Internet, Hosting, On-line, Search Engines, etc. Only now are they beginning to see the value of an online presence as an incredible new opportunity for exposure.

If you don’t already have a web site, you should remedy that as soon as possible. The fact is the Internet offers contemporary artists a unique opportunity to showcase and sell their art.
4. Professional Brochure

A first class brochure can be the most effective way to visually present what you do and how well you do it. A professional brochure can create a better impression than an entire book with cheap reproductions. Your brochure should contain a representative sampling of the scope of your work and should also include your biography.

A photograph should also appear on your biography page. Although this is not essential, an interesting picture of the artist can influence the reader’s interest in the artist’s work. Be sure your brochure is produced using the four-color process and is printed on 80-100lb gloss stock.

5. Professional Biography

Your biography is basically an artist statement. It is comprised of why you do what you do, who has influenced your work and anything that has been written about you. Your biography should incorporate a photograph of yourself.

6.

Finally, who should you submit your art to for review? The most readily available sources are: galleries; juried events; competitions; print publishers; agents and representatives; art fairs; and art festivals.

Take these simple steps one at a time to help get going on the road toward making money from your artistic talents. Remember to put your best foot forward and to represent yourself and work as if you were in a business because, indeed, you are.

Arnold White has been a publisher and distributor of fine art prints for over 20 years. He is the President of Winner’s Circle Gallery, a firm that represents artists seeking to enter the print market. Mr. White serves as a consultant and reviews work from artists wanting to enter this market. You may contact Mr. White at Winner’s Circle Dept. AB, P.O. Box 4814, Palm Springs, CA 92263 or call (800) 748-6400. More on selling your artwork at:
http://www.framehousegallery.com/WinnersCircleGallery/index.html
Comments or questions can be sent directly to Arnold White
swhite@DC.RR.com

Copyright usage: No permission is needed to reproduce an unedited copy of this article as long the About The Author tag is left in tact and hot links included. Comments or questions can be sent directly to Arnold White
swhite@DC.RR.com

Article Source:
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http://EzineArticles.com/?Attention-Artists:-You-Can-Make-Money-with-Your-Art-with-Six-Sure-Fire-Ways&id=304938

Author:
Mary McNeil

It’s a well known predicament… how can you, as a creative, fill your life with your art and still make enough money to pay the bills? And because it’s so well known, there’s an assumption that goes along with the predicament. An assumption that says you simply won’t be able to support yourself financially whilst living a creativity-led existence.

It’s a common belief that in order to live a highly creative life and to produce great art, you have to suffer. The starving artist and the freezing writer in their respective garrets – you know the images. And yet this lack of money is actually a choice. For some it’s a more conscious choice than for others, but it’s a choice nonetheless… A choice against the commercialisation of your art, a choice against the kind of comfort that numbs your wit, a choice against the mainstream, a choice not to have to think about anything so base as money. And if that’s the kind of life you want to lead, then it’s an entirely valid choice… go for it!

But what if you want to live a creative life and to do so with a degree of comfort? Can’t you choose to do that too? And is it possible to do that without having to work long hours and exhaust your best energies in a soulless job? It may take a paradigm shift in your thinking, but I believe it’s entirely possible to live a life that champions your creativity as well as paying the bills.

The assumption that so many creatives fall prey to is to believe that they must make their beloved art pay. An assumption that throws up any number of difficulties for them, not least of which often involves them losing all the pleasure in the creative activity they so love. So if you want to avoid this particular trap and are ready to play with the way you think about creativity and money, there are three mental steps to consider…

– Step number one is to treat the processes of making art and making money separately

– Step number two is to understand that both are highly creative processes

– Step number three is to embrace the creativity of making money whilst jettisoning guilt feelings about it

Wealth creation as a creative process, and purely for the sake of creating wealth, can be enormous fun. It can also be practised within your own timescales, it doesn’t involve having a boss or an employment contract. And because you’re ‘creating’ wealth, it’s not oppressive to anyone else – the money you make is not coming directly out of anyone else’s pocket or pay packet.

The creative avenues to take a look down of you want to make money without having to take on an employed job are well known. Which tickles your creative fancy the most? Property investment, the stock market, the internet, or starting your own business? Each has its own challenges, each has its own areas of specialist knowledge and skill (which are all entirely learnable, of course), and each has great potential when approached creatively.

So when you’re pondering how you could possibly live the kind of creative life that you yearn for whilst still paying the bills, try turning your creative mind in an entrepreneurial direction. Don’t think you have to start big (or you may not get started at all) and don’t expect to make enough money to pay all your expenses this way in year one. But if you start viewing wealth creation as an activity in its own right and get started now, you will be able to pay those bills another few years down the line whilst having time and energy left for the creative pursuits of your choice.

About the Author:

Mary McNeil of
Create a Space
is an experienced life coach, working with artists, writers and musicians. She specializes in coaching and supporting her creative clients as they make creative living a practical and sustainable reality.

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
–
A Creative Life That Pays the Bills

Author:
Greg Gillespie

Before I tell you a story about how just one piece of artwork created over 15 years ago continually and regularly brings me $3,000 every year I would like to ask you a question.

Have you ever wondered how you could be capitalizing on your art talents in way that could generate some extra income for you and your family?

I certainly have as a veteran artist of some 25 years, creating and selling art across the globe, have at times wondered if there were any ways to actually sell my art that would keep on bringing me income long after I have finished my artwork.

The times when my income has dropped for whatever reason, recessions, global financial crisis or just general market dips, have been testing times and have forced me to “think outside the square”. After careful research along with some trial and error, I have come up with 3 sure fire ways to make money from your art, that are bound to help you if you put them into practise.

3 Smart Ways To Make Money From Your Art

1. Sell your art online and have royalties come in for years to come

2. Sell your art tution to students willing to learn “how to…”

3. Other people sell your art & art tution

So how is it done?

1 Sell your art online – collect royalties for years.

This is my preferred Smart Way No1 as it has a payoff that just keeps coming, for me personally 4 times a year I receive a royalty check for work done over 10 years ago. This is a very smart way to make lots of money from your artwork, but you have to know what you are doing before you can guarantee success with this method.

Who Will Pay For My Artwork? What are the Markets? First and foremost you need to work out which markets are going to be interested in your artwork. Do you like to paint landscapes? Or animals? Or cartoon characters? Or Cars & Bikes? Or Nudes? Or abstract? Or caricatures?

Each of these have different markets that can be exploited for royalties for years to come. Some of the distributors of such art are: jigsaw puzzle companies, computer and cell phone wallpaper companies and homewares companies, are 3 goldmine areas to explore. Each of these different markets rely on fresh and inventive artists like yourself to come up with more “PRODUCTS” for them. That is right, you are the product creator, they are the marketers. That is how it works.

Let me give you an example:

Several years ago I was approached by a jigsaw company in Australia “Blue Opal Jigsaws” and asked if a piece of artwork I had already made for a former client who allowed me to retain copyright of the original and profited from, could be reused for a new jigsaw they had planned.

After careful negotiations I was offered $1,500 for some slight modifications to the artwork and a 7% royalty, payable quaterly for the life of the product.

I currently recieve approximately $3,000 annually from this one puzzle that keeps on selling over and over. I will give you a hint – it is in the souvenir/tourist category (this market never gets tired of buying your product, because they are a new breed every year, as most people take that big overseas holiday perhaps just once in their lifetime and so they want something classic to remember their trip by) which is the perfect market for a repeat sale of your product. You don’t want to choose something that is contemporary if it is longevity is your aim, as it will eventually lose steam and fade out of existence.

Here’s an another example:

Visit all the pop culture websites and make a list of the coolest people (celebrities of course!) and create cool caricatures of them(just Google celebrity and follow the leads). They need only be head and shoulders, (face really – you will see why in a minute). Each different subculture idolizes a different mob of heros, so get your mind into their space, in fact MySpace is a great place to start. Learn your market, think like your market and create what you would want if you were them instead of you. It takes a little time but well worth it when you read this next sentence.

Each year the mobile phone ringtone industry sells $7,000,000,000 dollars worth of ringtones to young people around the world. This market has tons of disposable income (mummy and daddy are paying for the house, food, transport and general upkeep) so they love to spend their time (also tons to spare) with friends online and on their cell phones. Guess what they love to spend their spare cash on – “Wallpapers”. For those of you youthfully challenged readers are probably wondering what’s a Wallpaper and why would they buy it?

A wallpaper for a cell phone or mobile phone is the display image on the full color screen on the phone itself. The picture is small so a celebrity head that fills the screen is going sell better than a whole body, so less work to do (this is easy if you know the secrets to a quick and cool caricature).

Wallpaper sales are the next most popular download (read purchase$) next to cell phone ringtones, so you can see it is a huge market. Yes I hear you say but how do you sell to this young lot, isn’t the market saturated with products like this? Well yes there is competition like any field but you only need a small piece of a very big pie to feed the family as they say.

You could setup your own website, (more info on doing this correctly below) and draw in traffic by giving away 5 free wallpapers to members who register for your weekly newsletter (the one you send with your latest “pay for” caricatures, that is the who is hot and in the news this week, follow scandal websites for tons of ideas here!!!) and watch the income increase as your newsletter subscriptions increase. If only 4% of subscribers bought your latest celebrity caricature of the week for .99c and you had a subscriber list of 50,000 you would be $1,000 a week better off.

Work once and get paid many, many times now that is smart.

2 Sell Your Art Tution Onine – Everyone Wants To Learn How To.

Now the obvious suggestion here is to launch a website and setup a shopping cart and off you go to success, but if it were that easy then everyone would be doing it right? Exactly, so that is NOT what you are goint to do. You are going to set yourself apart from the herd and have people lining up for your tution and keep on paying you forever, or as long as your art teaching is popular.

So how is this going to be done?

Everybody loves to watch don’t they? Yes, they love to watch others and see if they can pick up some tips on how they are doing their magic, whether it is oil painting a landscape in “plein air”, sketching caricatures at a theme park, or creating fantasy art with 3D computer programes. Whatever your leaning towards, if you have mastered your craft then you can get people interested in learning your methods by this very simple technique, that doesn’t cost you a cent.

A) Set up a Youtube account

B) Record yourself creating your art

C) Publish to Youtube some introductory video lessons

Once you have published your artwork on Youtube and all the other major video sharing sites, watch the traffic of visitors come in to your website to learn more. That is how it works for me, as some of my videos have had 50,000 viewings in less than a year. That is a lot of targeted traffic for your site and the “Full length videos on DVD delivered to your door – for $39.95” or the “ebook instant download version for $29.95”. I personally have “How To…Products” that have been selling on an almost daily basis for months now and the best thing is the market is steady despite the economy being anything but.

3 Get Other People To Sell Your Art & Art Tution!

This one is also a favorite smart way to make money by selling your art online. Creating art as in example 1 and then selling the tution in 2, sets you up perfectly for doing this – getting AFFILIATES to sell your artwork for you.

You see there are whole armies of folks selling things online to their audiences who login on regularly to the websites that they control. Most of their time is spent on creating content for blogs, answering forum posts and keeping the site up to date, so they have precious little time to do what you and I do – make art!

So those with the website visitors, (some popular sites have hundreds of thousands of unqiue visitors everyday) are in the perfect position to sell your wares, your artwork by commission, your art ‘how to…’ products. I personally have a long list of affiliates who are out there promoting my ebooks who only get paid IF they make a sale. Now that is my kind of workforce, no base salary, no holiday or sick leave to account for, only commisson on sale. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Using the contemporary example above for cell phone wallpapers, you can approach hundreds of website owners with your – “this weeks best sellers celebrity caricature wallpaper” and have them sell for you on a royalty basis as well.

The limits to these lucrative areas are boundless and with your crazy artistic imagination you are going to do well to follow these 3 smart ways to profit from your art online.

About the Author:

Click here to see some celebrity caricature examples you could be doing:

www.learn-to-draw.org/caricature-celebrities/

and scroll down and go to page 3, 4, etc for some very cool looking celebrity caricatures.

For more information on how to draw caricatures and make money with your own website set up to sell, please visit Greg Gillespie’s webiste,

http://www.learn-to-draw.org

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
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3 Smart Ways To Make Money With Your Art

Author:
Cathy Robertson

As an Artist you know there is no greater thrill than seeing your artwork on someone’s wall; knowing that they love it, that you have brought joy into their world. Whether you’re a part time hobby artist, a full time professional or somewhere in between there is always opportunity to sell your work. You may find that one or more methods work well for you. Pursue them. Hone your skills. Reap the rewards! Remember the old adage, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained …”

Your Local Art Community

If you haven’t already done so, check out your local ‘art scene’. Many communities have organizations designed for the budding Artist. They offer classes, exhibits, information on local events (booth opportunities) and general art related resources. You may also fine resources through the Chamber of Commerce and your local Colleges and Universities. It’s a great place to start.

Word of Mouth

Everyone loves to sell by word of mouth. It’s free and you know people are talking good things about your art. Great word of mouth is every seller’s dream.

Advantage: Someone else is marketing for you simply by giving their recommendation to a friend.

Disadvantage: In order for “word of mouth” to be affective, people have to know about it first!

Conclusion: It takes time to develop ‘word of mouth’ selling. Produce good work, conduct yourself with integrity and a great reputation will follow! It is worth its weight in gold.

Commissioned Work

With commissioned work, you sell it before you create it.

Advantage: You can pretty well expect to get paid for the job, assuming you deliver as promised.

Disadvantage: You have to market yourself to get the job. And you are obligated to paint within someone else’s parameters rather than yours completely.

Conclusion: Working within boundaries forces you to solve the problems it presents. It forces creative solutions. Many of us do our best work when presented with unique challenges!

Event Booths

Event booths can be a fun way to sell your artwork and participate in the community.

Advantage: Booth rentals can be relatively inexpensive. You get to talk with people and promote your work. You get instant feedback. You know immediately how people feel about your artwork; everything from style, content, size and price. You get a ‘feel’ for the market. You have the opportunity to get the word out about you and your art; give out business cards or email contact.

Disadvantage: You have to deal with how you will accept payment (credit card, cash, check).You don’t want someone to walk off with one of your paintings and find out their check was bad. You need to sell enough to cover your expenses. Event opportunities may not come around often enough to suit your taste or you may not have enough pieces to warrant having a booth.

Conclusion: Consider these – renting a booth with other Artists if you don’t have enough work to fill the space; excepting credit cards or cash only; selling low price point prints or cards of your artwork to passers by (for spontaneous sales). Market yourself to the hilt. Tout your web site.

Your Own Web Site

Nowadays everyone seems to have their own web site. If you have anything to sell, people expect you to have one.

Advantage: It’s fast, convenient and you’re not confined to any one location. Your artwork is available for people around the world to see 24/7. Getting online can be done on the cheap. If you’re willing to do the research, the world is literally at your fingertips to learn the In’s and out’s of being online.

Disadvantage: Getting on the web is one thing. Getting found by people searching for your product is quite another. Getting listed on page 158 on a Google search doesn’t add up to sales. Unless your prepared to take on the full time job (and expense) of marketing your site, you will most likely only be found by people to whom you have personally given your web address. You will also need to have a payment and delivery method. And work out things like who pays shipping.

Conclusion: If at all possible, at least get a web page. Give people a convenient way to see your work and contact you by email. It’s expected.

A Hosted Website

Showing your artwork on a hosted web site is a fairly fast and easy process.

Advantage: When you show your work on someone else’s web site, you don’t have to market your art or your website. It is relatively inexpensive. There are online companies that will ‘host’ your artwork and often for free or a small annual fee. Buyers are then directed to you; where you handle the sale and shipping, etcetera… Some of them even take care of accepting payment, shipping and returns if you sell prints of your art that they produce (for a fee of course). Luckily many are able to print on demand, so you don’t have to ‘buy’ the print until someone places an order for it.

Disadvantage: The hosting site makes the bulk of their money by selling their services to you (hosting and producing prints), not by selling your original pieces of art. In other words, they do not target sales to a specific market of art buyers; but rather you, the Artist. You may have to provide your own digital capture. If you want to offer larger prints you will need to use high end capture methods (professional camera or scanner). The hosting company may also take a % of the sale for themselves.

Conclusion: It’s a fantastic way to get your art ‘on the web’ without a lot of time or expense involved.

Art Shows & Galleries

Art shows are often hosted by galleries and organizations that can attract lots of interested buyers.

Advantage: The event is advertised by the host, so you don’t have to. Art shows can be a great way to introduce yourself and your art to the local market (and possibly larger, if a licensing agent sees your work). You have the opportunity to sell your work or walk away with an award. Everybody loves an ‘award winning’ artist! Many Artists get their start via shows and galleries.

Disadvantage: You may not be accepted into the Show or you may have to pay to enter. Galleries are very particular about the work they carry. Once you are accepted, if you are accepted, you can expect the Gallery to take 40-60% commission right off the top. You must do your homework and deal with reputable galleries only.

Conclusion: The Internet is great, but it’s impossible to beat the ‘real thing’ when it comes to viewing art. Viewing the original up close and personal is the true art experience. The high end sales are still made in the galleries. Go for it.

Sell Prints

Selling prints of your original art is easier today than ever before.

Advantage: You can sell prints of a popular piece at an affordable price. You can sell the original as well or choose to keep it in your own private collection. Fine art printing companies are widely available on the Internet and elsewhere. Many of them do digital capture as well as the printing itself. Depending on your budget, and quality of digital capture, you have control over the type and quality of the Giclee Prints created. You also have choice of selling limited or open edition prints.

Disadvantage: You have to invest in the digital capture and printing services and hope that you can re-coup those expenses through the various methods of selling your art.

Conclusion: Whether to sell prints or strictly one of a kind, originals is a personal decision. The advantages are obvious, yet for some, it goes against the grain. Follow your heart.

License Your Art with a Company

Your “license” is your permission for someone else to market and sell images of your work. How the image is used is agreed upon in the contract.

Advantage: Your art continues to work for you long after you have created it, generating a passive income.

Disadvantage: These companies usually license art only for their own use. Meaning the art is used strictly for that company’s product.

Conclusion: Once you have a contract it is a no hassle way to sell your art. Be sure to sell your license, not your copyright!

License Your Art with a Commercial Licensing Agency

With this type of licensing your image is contracted out to manufacturing companies through the Agency. How the image is used is agreed upon in the contract. It could be used on anything from mugs, dishware, cloth, napkins, art prints, T-shirts stationary and any number of things in the manufacturing industry. Licensing art with an agency is the professionals’ game.

Advantage: Once you create the original artwork and sign a licensing agreement, you can return to the art of creating great Fine Art, all the while earning passive income.

Disadvantage: The licensing market is highly competitive. Agents will only license what they believe they can sell because it literally costs them thousands of dollars to land good contracts with manufactures, publishers and various agencies. They need art they ‘know’ they can sell. Some licensing agents will ask you to put up a significant sum of ‘good faith’ money to help off set their expenses. Then you both cross your fingers that it sells. If the agent doesn’t get paid, you don’t get paid. You get 30-50% of the contract price the agent makes with the purchasing company; about 4-10% of the wholesale price of the product (not retail sale price).

Conclusion: Even at a fraction of the wholesale price, the profits can be huge. If you are talented enough to play that game, my hat goes off to you. Well done!

I am sure you have noticed these selling channels are interrelated. Many Artists will participate in event booths; selling prints, handing out business cards with their web address, drumming up commissioned work and developing a good ‘word of mouth’ reputation all at the same time! And why not? The more you put your work ‘out there’ the more chances you have to sell it. Whether you just dabble in art or make it your bread and butter, there are selling opportunities for you. Some obviously require more time and effort than others. The great part is, between the Internet and local organizations you can get as little or as deeply involved as you want. Keep it fun and enjoy yourself!

About the Author:

Cathy Robertson is an Artist and writer for Fine Art Castle. Have fun, informative decorating & design articles delivered to you! Sign up for our monthly Newsletter today at
http://www.fineartcastle.com/decoratingtipsanddesign.aspx
. Or stop by and take a peek at our Fine Art Prints for your Canvas Art decorating needs at
http://www.fineartcastle.com

Article Source:
ArticlesBase.com
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10 Ways to Sell Your Art, an Overview of Selling Options