When you enjoy the process and know why you create, you worry less about whether your art will sell
— Barney Davey
The short and long answer to knowing if your art will sell is trial and error. But your perceptions about selling and expectations for your art business are x-factors. They influence the outcome. So, it isn’t straightforward to determine if your art will sell.
But here’s the kicker…
Even though predicting which factors affect how well your art sells is challenging, you’ll find help here identifying indicators that affect whether your art is likely to be well received by buyers.
Quality matters.
One crucial factor to consider is the quality of your work. This evaluation looks at how skilled you are with your technique, how your pieces are put together and designed, and how well they are made overall. If your art is well-executed and visually appealing, it is more likely to sell.
Another essential thing to consider is how popular and in demand your subject matter is, the style of your work, and the latest trends in the art world. If your art is well aligned with what buyers are looking for, it is more likely to sell.
Know them first, then help them find and pick you.
Understanding your target audience and what they are looking for in art is vital. By learning more about your audience’s likes, dislikes, and buying habits, you can ensure your art fits their needs and is more likely to sell.
Ultimately, there is no surefire way to know if your art will sell, but by considering these factors and staying informed about the art market, you can increase your chances of success as an artist.
Salability and popularity are not in a silo.
Success in an artist’s field is not unrelated to success in their personal and professional lives. It has a strong connection to the way they produce, exhibit, and promote their art. The way of life, values, and ideals of an artist frequently affect their work and have an effect on how well-liked it is.
How artists market and present their work are also crucial to their success in selling art. As such, an artist’s reputation and conduct on a personal and professional level can influence how well and how widely their work is received. An artist’s fame as a whole, rather than only as a result of the work they create, is a reflection of their entire life.
The solution is learning and knowing what you want.
When it comes to the art business, I believe an artist should ask this primary question: What journey do I have in mind for my art upon its completion? What is your vision for what happens to you and your art business? Your answer guides you to intelligent business and marketing decisions that will increase your sales and save you time.
Tips to get where you want to go.
There is an equally important follow-up question. Do I have the skills and resources to fulfill my wishes to make and market my art? You can only get great results if you are honest with yourself. That’s because hope is not a plan. Keep it real.
Realistic plans avoid wasting time and keep morale high when stretch goals are set and accomplished. A good plan will pull you through tricky times too. As your art marketing skills improve, you’ll get better at finding the places where your art will sell. Your experience becomes valuable knowledge that you use to boost your productivity. I can imagine a similar boost in creativity. It’s a plausible dream.
Want to achieve balance and success in your life and art business?
Help is here. Look no further than AMXtra, the digital newsletter for visual artists of all skill levels. With twice-monthly tips and strategies on affordable and innovative marketing, as well as advice on how to live well as a working artist, AMXtra helps you navigate the business side of the art world and find success.
Help is available…
AMXtra is an online newsletter for all levels of visual artists. You can use it to help you figure out the business side of the art world and reach goals meaningful to you.
Take advantage of this unique opportunity to find balance and enjoy your life and business as a visual artist. Subscribe today and get on the path to a fulfilling life as an artist in business as you style it.
I would sometimes get questions about how did I develop my self-confidence. So, I sat down and wrote what has worked for me, and is universal.
Those interested in getting my free PDF, please visit my website and sign up for my newsletter.
Ten Tips for Building Self-Confidence
Copyright © 2011 by Eden Maxwell
OVERVIEW
James Beard: “The only thing that will make a soufflé fall is if it knows you are afraid of it.”
Expressed as a realistic and unwavering belief in one’s abilities, self-confidence extinguishes fearfulness, conformity, and apathy. Self-confidence emanates from one’s inner being, not from the opinions of others.
You can’t inherit, bequeath, buy, or put on self-confidence like makeup, nor can you in a hit or miss fashion meaningfully embody it by downing a pill or stiff drink. You can, however, begin to build an enduring sense of confidence by embracing, not memorizing, these field-tested tips.
I paint on canvas that needs to be photographed so i can print Giclee's. but my problem is. I can't find a photographer or a system that can eliminate the canvas texture when photographing the painting. Any suggestions out there?
I don’t think what you want is possible while maintaining the integrity of the image. Original paintings created on canvas are reproduced on canvas with excellent results when a master giclee printer handles the process. I suggest checking with a top atelier for the help you need.
If the original canvas is fully covered with paint and the weave is not visible the problem of making a giclee print on canvas disappears. Light shining at an angle of the original painting will show this texture. A professional photographer can help you to adjust the light so that the effect becomes muted. However, if the canvas weave is primed but not fully covered with paint, or with a thin layer of paint, he will always photograph the weave of the canvas and the high resolution will make it obvious once printed. In that case, doubling up canvas texture with canvas print is not a good idea. Of course, one can use the giclee print on canvas if the original is painted on paper.
The canvas texture is part of your painting. To eliminate that, choose a smoothe substrate like a wood panel.