If you create amazing art and share it on social media, sales will start rolling in, right? What does it really take to start getting your work and name out there as a professional artist? What marketing tactics work for artists in today's world? As I have shared in past blog posts and YouTube videos, being a full-time artist and making regular art sales involves way more than shutting ourselves in our studios, consistently producing work and blindingly sharing on social media. Studio time is absolutely essential, don't get me wrong. However, so is creating meaningful connections, as well as making time to learn about business strategies, marketing and sales. At least this is the case for all of us who want to get to a point at which we're making a livable income from our work/artistic skills. As artists, we are creative entrepreneurs. It's imperative to make peace with the fact that we're business owners and that we're selling products and/or services. Meaningful, unique, impactful products that we should be proud to share with those around us! No matter how skilled we are or how amazing our work is, sustainable success implies learning about business, staying on top of boring and tedious tasks we may not want to do (such as accounting and taxes) and creating connections with other artists/art businesses/art lovers. All this has to be done while consistently producing new work and getting our message out there in a way that is professional and coherent. This may not be something us introverts want to hear, but we need to be able to talk about our art, too. Repeat customers or collectors buy our work because they establish a connection with us, the creator of the piece, not only because the artwork is nice to look at. And we want repeat customers! There's a lot to learn, for sure. And it can certainly be overwhelming, as well as frustrating, when we're putting in so much work and not getting the traction we're hoping for. Learning from other artists who are farther along in their journeys, as well as from creative business experts has been a huge factor in me being able to grow both my artistic skills and my online presence, which has led to exciting opportunities and sales. And though I have a long way to go still, I'm very thankful that we have access to others who so generously share their advice with us. Today we have an article contributed by Erica Martin, who creates educational content for ArtworkAbode and has 10 years of experience in creative writing, Graphic Design and the online world. She'll be sharing seven key things that artists should make sure to start and/or continue working on throughout their careers that will help ensure greater, sustained success. Without further ado, let's get into her article! 7 Useful Tips to Market and Promote Your Art
Unfortunately, there are a lot of artists out there that want to make an income from their work, yet don't know enough about business, or show any interest in learning about it. Oftentimes, they associate negative emotions like shame or fear when it comes to business and selling, and refuse to see them as areas that can be creatively fulfilling and can grow alongside their artistic skills. Marketing and sales are instrumental in an artist's career and success over time, and the sooner one is able to embrace them, the sooner the success will come. I've met artists that don't even know how to price their work! Some have no idea how to earn a profit from their paintings and end up losing money on sales. Others drive away potential buyers by overpricing their work. In Erika's blog post titled Essential Tips on Taking Art Commissions, she explains two common methods used by artists when pricing their work, as well as many other important points that will help you keep healthy relationships with clients. Here are seven key things to start doing to market your art and begin gaining the experience/connections you need to grow your brand and make sales more consistently. 1. Get in Touch with Galleries, Businesses or Event Organizers that Could Provide a Space for You to Physically Share your ArtIn the art world, it’s essential to create meaningful relationships and network on a regular basis. Not only with other artists, but also with people you could work with or could offer valuable opportunities to show your work in the future. As tempting as it may be to spend all our time sharing on social media and online communities, nothing will replace connections we create in person, especially when we're just starting to get our work known and gaining expertise. It’s important to approach gallery owners or venues that can provide a space to display your work, as well as establish strong communication with possible collectors who have already bought from you or have expressed interest in your work. We cannot just connect with other artists and expect to make sales this way. Visit as many art shows or related events as you can, whether you're displaying your own art or not. Have updated marketing materials such as business cards prepared at all times. The more events you visit, the more people you will meet, and the more likely opportunities will come your way. It's as simple as that. If the idea of networking makes your skin crawl, try to look at it as opportunities to meet like-minded creatives or art-lovers. Do your best to stay open and always approach every new person thinking how to can provide value to him/her, as opposed to what he/she can do for you. Be on the constant lookout for art-related events, opportunities to participate in art shows/markets, and even competitions or juried shows (if that's your thing). Charity events, non-profits, restaurants and small businesses can also provide great opportunities to start getting your work out there. There are also artist associations or clubs where you can meet a lot of peers. Through participating in such groups, you can learn important business tips that have worked from others, as you simultaneously grow your artistic skills and stay motivated. 2. Build a Strong Social Media Presence as a Professional Working ArtistNow-a-days, having a strong social media presence is basically essential for all kinds of businesses. If artists don't have a professional-looking website that is updated frequently and aren't consistently sharing their work/message (in a professional manner) on social media, they are missing out on opportunities to create connections and make sales. You can’t just close yourself in your room and think that your art will magically find its way to other people! Luckily, social media is available for everyone. Even those who don't like the idea of investing in advertising. All social media platforms give you the option to build your profile or professional page where you can share your work and engage your target audience. What’s even better is the fact that most social media platforms come with some basic analytics you can use for free. These tools can help you learn about who is interested in your work and help you define your target audience better, which is very important. Experiment and do research to learn about what works on each social media channel because they are all quite different. I'd recommend to explore a few different ones that you feel called towards, and then limit yourself to a couple that you feel work best for your particular situation. Become an expert at those and stay consistent so that you can grow your communities. You'll need an audience in order to start selling your work. Make sure that your online participation shows you in a professional light and that you are including links or contact information everywhere. People need to know what you offer and how to contact you at all times. Follow best practices when you're creating your profiles and pages. With ever-changing algorithms that share our posts to our followers less and less, it's even more important to make sharing quality content a priority, as well as staying up-to-date with changes. Finally, remember that social media is meant to be "social". You want to engage with people who ask you questions and show interest in your work. It's all about building those relationships, and not only about constantly sharing or selling. You never want to appear spammy! 
3. Strengthen Your Art Portfolio and Make it Available for OthersAll artists need to have a strong, updated portfolio where possible customers/clients can find their work easily. It's important that your portfolio shows your art style and includes the kind(s) of pieces you're personally interested in working on. Remember, that it's important to commission yourself. Always be working on personal projects that excite you and make your style shine, even when you aren't having others commission you. Carefully curate the work you include in your portfolio. As you continue progressing in your career, weed out the projects that no longer serve you or make you shine in your best light. Make sure to include information like size, title, medium and, if the piece is available for purchase, state the price. Write an Artist Statement describing/contextualizing your work and your story. Why do you feel compelled to create art and what sets you apart from other artists? 4. Build Your Art BlogBuilding a blog (or YouTube channel) is one of the best things artists can do now-a-days in terms of online marketing, as these help you build a community around your work and your brand. Not to mention a blog is, by definition, updated with new material frequently. This means it's one of the best ways to build a strong SEO online. I will not be getting into SEO in this post, but do know that it's an essential component behind making a website rank in Google. Websites that aren't regularly "fed" with more content, don't have a chance of ranking when they have competition from bloggers who regularly create new content. For any artist looking to set up an online store, knowing about SEO and keywords is key as well! An artist's website should include a portfolio and a blog through which he/she can share the 'behind-the-scenes'. Through sharing special insights into their life and creative process, artists are able to establish deeper connections with their audience. Let people into your process! Allow them to see the work that goes into creating your pieces and what fuels your projects. Whenever you have new posts on your blog, you can share them on your social media channels of choice and continue feeding useful, inspiring information to your audience. Slowly but surely, you'll build a community and create deeper connections. 5. Write a Creative Business PlanBelieve it or not, artists also need to have business plans. Don't get scared, though! They don't have to be overly complicated or extensive! A business plan is a document which outlines all your goals, resources and actions you need to take to achieve set objectives over time. As Erika shared in her blog post Time Management for Artists: My Secrets for Staying Consistently Productive, it’s not enough to have a vision – you need to build a smart plan and stick to it over time. A business plan reminds you of what’s important and helps you stay on course. Some of the questions your business plan should give answers to are:
6. Regularly Revise Your Business PlanAs a creative business owner, you're going to be wearing many hats. You're also most-likely going to be plagued with new ideas (shiny objects) that pop up as you continue learning about all the moving parts in your business and try to take advantage of opportunities that pop up. It's easy to get off-track and loose sight of your objectives. It's important to review your business plan every so often to make sure you stay on course and continue making steady progress towards your goals. It's okay if you're going slow due to life responsibilities, just keep your artistic objectives in mind and keep taking small steps in the right direction. A year from now, you'll be happy you pushed on! Make sure to add both short-term and long-term goals to your business plan and make sure to assess whether you are achieving those goals. If not, revise and adjust. Things don’t always go as planned, and there's nothing wrong with adjusting your strategy. You're going to discover things that work and things that don't as you continue taking those steps, which means you're going to eventually have to make changes to your plan. You'll discover factors you hadn't initially considered that are impacting your work towards your goals. Things you'll have to include into new versions of your document and continue working to improve along the way. This is completely normal! A business is a living, breathing organism after all! It's important to stay flexible. You may even find that new, exciting doors open up for you that take into into a path you hadn't even considered before! 7. Never Stop Networking with Art Lovers, Businesses and Other ArtistsAs we mentioned earlier, creating connections is essential and people need to know about what you do. Start shouting what you do from the rooftops and growing that web of people around you that you could possibly work with, learn from or even support. You'll go far if you make sure to come from an honest, inspired and helpful place. Try setting a personal goal to attend art-related events once or twice a month, or whatever works for you're own situation. Stick with it over time and it'll do wonders! Reach out to other artists online and join artist communities that will help keep you inspired and consistent. Just remember to grow that web through both local and online actions. Once you're able to establish a good network of people and others have gotten to know you as a reputable, hard-working artist, your work will start promoting itself. Of course, this takes time and persistence over time, so don't get discouraged! As with any entrepreneurial venture, it's important to stay persistent and to keep going, even when some opportunities don't pan out. It takes time to build a name, but remember that everyone started at zero. I hope this post was helpful! Thanks so much to Erica Martin for so generously sharing all of this useful information with us. For more inspiring articles from Artwork Abode, visit their blog here. Thank you for reading and I wish you much progress and enjoyment in your art journey! Become a Patreon community member to get access to: -Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary -Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists -Weekly sketchbook prompts to help you stay consistent and progressing your art skills -Direct feedback from me -Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art -Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared -Live Q&A sessions -Live classes on Art Fundamentals and Monthly Creative Assignments + much more! *Click below to learn more! 
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Do you need to go to art school to become a highly-skilled and successful artist? What experiences do art schools provide that being self-taught doesn't? As a beginner artist going down the self-taught route, what can I do to ensure steady artistic progress and get to a point at which I'll be able to actually sell my work? Throughout the years, I've had the honor of meeting many successful artists both online and offline. Some of them did go to art school and some of them didn't. There are highly successful artists who didn't go to university at all and took up low-paying/low-stress jobs until they advanced their skills enough and started making an income from their art sales. There are artists who reach success later on in life, after having completed university studies and years of working in a completely different field. There are others who did attend art school only to realize it was a total waste of time, as they had to learn all of the techniques they were personally interested in, on their own. There are others who did go to an amazing art school that allowed them to advance their skills immensely in an inspiring and challenging learning environment, and also created great contacts that helped them fast-forward their careers post-graduation. Finally, I've met people who went to art school and created breathtaking work, but gave up and started on a different path after they realized that making a consistent income from art involves learning about sales and marketing, as well as being willing to push past their comfort zones. The scenarios are really never-ending, and there is no right or wrong way to go about it. Every artist has to forge his/her own path, depending on his/her own goals, as well as the situation they are personally in. You need to define what success means to you personally. Does it mean being able to create artwork your proud to share, but not necessarily earning an income from? Perhaps just a side-income? Does it mean getting your artwork shown and sold by popular galleries? Do you want to get known on an international level and sell on your own terms? Does it mean earning enough of an income through art sales that you're able to live comfortably? If so, what does living comfortably for you actually entail? How much of an income would you have to be making each month in order to live that way? Today, I'll be sharing the five key things that successful self-taught artists do since the beginning of their journeys, which enable them to make faster progress in both their cold artistic skills, as well as their confidence and ability to share and speak professionally about their art. But first, I'd like to clarify a couple of things. I personally did go to art school. I was lucky to be given a scholarship and was able to attend a great university through which I learned from experienced professors not only in the Graphic Design field, but also from artists teaching (very basic) drawing, painting, silk-screening and photography. It was through university courses that I learned about Art Fundamentals, how to talk about art, experienced what it's like to create an original project from scratch and pushed myself to see a piece through until completion, which is so, incredibly important. I leaned about the importance of sticking to deadlines, managing multiple projects simultaneously and experienced what it's like to get my work critiqued by skilled professors who literally tore my work down in front of large groups (eeek!). 
Click on image to visit original source on Unsplash.com.
This said, in terms of painting, which is how I make the majority of my income now-a-days, I'm mostly self-taught. And though I'm thankful for having the opportunity to go to art school, based on my experience post-graduation, as well as what I've gathered from other artists who've I've had the chance of meeting, it's definitely not necessary to have an art degree in order to become successful. Especially because, in today's world, we're able to experience and learn all of these things art schools offer through the internet. More specifically, through blog posts, video tutorials, courses offered by skilled artists who are willing to share their techniques and knowledge, and online communities. This said, having all of this information and possibilities at our fingertips can often be confusing and overwhelming, especially when we're just getting started. Many beginners don't know where to start or skip over fundamentals, just to be disappointed with their creations or with the fact that no one is liking/buying their work after they've put very little time and effort in. Before getting into the tips, I want to briefly explain what being "self-taught" means to me, as there are different opinions on what this entails. To be perfectly honest, I don't feel there's such a thing as a 100% self-taught artist. Reason being, whoever is serious about improving in any field, will most likely be taking it upon themselves to look for material to learn from, whether it's books, videos or classes. These resources were, of course, put together by someone else and as consumers of such content, we're getting directly or indirectly influenced by them in some shape, way or form. Most of us, even started drawing by copying other artists' work. In a sense, we were learning from other artists even back then, as we were replicating those shapes, lines, colors, etc. Throughout our lives we've all been influenced by artists around us and were exposed to all kinds of art that were created in or before our time. And the artists who created that work were also influenced by artists around them and art that came before their time. We're all influenced by others, whether we want to admit it or not. This goes for people who've been to art school or haven't been to art school. We're all a wonderful mishmash created by the culture we've been brought up in, the people who've been around us throughout our lives, and the different kinds of art (design, music, literature, cinema, etc.) that have impacted us in the point and time we've been living. For the sake of this post, however, I'll explain what I would personally consider to be a self-taught artist. In my opinion, being a self-taught artist implies not attending art school, or any kind of academy in which a full art curriculum has been laid down for you to follow over a relatively long period of time. A self-taught artist, for the most part, decides on his/her goals, searches for resources and learning material (whether it's books, workshops, classes, figure-drawing sessions, online courses, etc.) and goes through his/her own self-imposed "curriculum", so to speak. Though an artist that did attend art school still has to continue doing all of these things after having obtained his/her degree in order to continue improving (the learning never stops), a self-taught artist didn't go through that initial "formal" training. *That formal training could have been amazing, or it could have been useless. In my opinion, taking a workshop a couple of times a year, or following individual tutorials online, doesn't really count as formal or in-depth training (unless one takes a very complete course through which you're able to obtain direct feedback from the instructor). Most likely, one-off workshops or stand-alone video tutorials will not lead to steady or significant progress unless the artist actually prioritizes his/her work enough to continue working consistently and complementing those classes or tutorials with other resources in a coherent way, depending on his/her current skill level and goals. Short workshops or week-long art retreats are super fun, but usually, students are basically copying the instructor's techniques and are not taught Art Fundamentals, which are what will allow them to create original, visually pleasing compositions from scratch. I know because I've taught those workshops. Because there's a very small amount of time, the instructor ends up giving his/her students the fish, instead of teaching them to fish for themselves. The instructor's goal is (usually) to give you a taste of what creating art is like, and to facilitate an experience that will enable you to have a quick art win (oftentimes something pretty that you can take home). It's not to encourage you to find your own style or give you the tools necessary for you to make significant progress in your journey on an individual level. Short workshops and video tutorials don't allow for adequate feedback on part of the instructor or deep conversations amongst students, which are key in order to improve at a deeper level. Oftentimes we're unable to see our own mistakes when we're just getting started. Not to mention, it's incredibly important to get used to sharing and talking about both our art, as well as art created by others. Next, I'll be sharing five key things you can do to ensure you're getting the most out of the resources offered by the Internet and make faster, meaningful progress as an artist. 
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4. Be found
Like with any search engine, you should make time to learn about SEO and use keywords that will help you get found. Strong keywords will help your products show up in the shopper’s queries listing.
Make sure you're using them in your title, description and filling up all available tags. Brainstorm these keywords first, try to make similar searches and check results.
- Title –Be specific and detailed in your title and use words that shoppers are actually typing into the search field (oftentimes these are very different from words we would use). Focus on using the strongest keywords here and stick to the 140 characters limit.
- Description – Describe everything you can about your product. Think about possible questions shoppers would have and reply to them into this section. Don’t forget to mention your artwork size, medium, supplies used, care instructions, and any other relevant information.
- Tags – Tags are a word or combination of words used to describe your product briefly. You can add up to 13 tags per item listing (use all of them!). Etsy suggests a few keywords to your tags, which you shouldn’t ignore! They are based on the audience’s searches to related products and are extremely useful. Without these tags, chances are your work will be hidden from potential customers.
If you need some extra help into deciding which keywords are best, you could try EtsyRank and/or Marmalead.
5. Get noticed
Every time you publish a new product, it will be displayed on the top of its category for some time. Use this in your favor and don’t upload all your products at once. Choose the best time, when most of your target audience will probably be scrolling on Etsy, and upload your products then.
Another way to get noticed is by driving traffic to your store through social media. Make good use of Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and so on. Learn about what works best with each platform and select the ones that are right for you. These tools are the best solution to create awareness and engage with your potential customers.
Remember, social media is all about engagement, not only posting. Use them to create connections with potential customers and stay away from only promoting work you want to sell. Reply to questions, ask your own, and always think of what your possible clients would like to see.
Finally, start to learn about paid promotion to amplify your reach. Think of investing a small amount in targeted campaigns via Facebook and Etsy's own promoted listings and testing out different strategies.
Final Thoughts
Etsy might not be the perfect platform, but it's probably the easiest for beginners. You will have to learn about technicalities and selling strategies, but this is applicable to any other e-commerce platform.
Put some effort into understanding the algorithms, using keywords appropriately, having great photos, managing finances, and driving traffic through your social media. When you feel more confident, you could even open your own website and sell your products directly.
Annabelle Carter Short is a freelance writer and seamstress of more than 7 years. She’s passionate about selling on Etsy and starting a handmade business. In her free time, she likes to make DIY projects with her two kids. Annabelle also works with few organizations to provide the best resources for raising and educating a special needs child.
Follow Annabelle on Facebook here.
I'd like to send out a huge thanks to Annabelle for sharing her expert advice with us.
And I want to encourage you, fellow artist, to make time to establish your own artistic goals. Set a plan for yourself and get to it. Do whatever research you feel you need to do, but don't allow yourself to get stuck or overwhelmed with contradicting or confusing advice.
Take action and implement what you learn because otherwise, you'll never really know if that path will work for your specific situation.
Inform yourself, make a decision based on your gut feeling, and get to it.
As one of my business coaches always says:
"Clarity comes through engagement, not thought."
And even if a platform doesn't turn out to be the best for your own goals, you'll have learned a whole ton from taking action.
Finally, if you're passionate about your art and it's your dream to one day make a living from selling, step one is to get your skills up to a level at which you're able to offer original, quality work with confidence.
Helping aspiring artists progress their skills and find their voice is one of my passions, and I'm here to help in a variety of ways.
Become a member of the Becoming Artists community on Patreon to gain immediate access to content on Art Fundamentals, exclusive drawing and painting tutorials that I don't share anywhere else, as well as live classes and Q&A's in which I answer all your questions.
I'd love to help you out!
Become a Patreon community member to get access to:
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Weekly sketchbook prompts to help you stay consistent and progressing your art skills
-Direct feedback from me
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
How does one go about making a living as an artist? How do working artists manage to juggle their art production, marketing, all of the administrative tasks that come with running a business and their own personal life? What does it really take to be able to sell art online? How can we deal with artistic burnout/creative block in order to keep producing consistently?
Podcasts and YouTube videos created by working artists and art-business experts have been invaluable for me ever since I first started planning on leaving my last "normal" full-time position, up until today, as I navigate the challenges of online creative entrepreneurship (while still teaching and selling locally). Today, I'll be sharing my top five.
Honestly, if it weren't for all of these amazing people sharing their own experiences and advice so generously, I don't think I'd be here today. I simply wouldn't of had the courage to leave my many years of working as an employee and starting my own art business.
Check out my past blog post/YouTube video titled How I Became an Artistpreneur to learn everything I did to prepare to leave my last full-time job.
I absolutely love listening to these podcasts as I draw or paint and I highly recommend all of them to anyone who's just getting started with selling their art or wants to make any amount of income through their artistic skills. All of these are both inspiring and incredibly useful as they provide practical, actionable tips to help get your art career up-and-running.
I talk more about each of the podcasts in this video and you'll be able to find direct links to all of them below.
If you enjoyed this video, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel! I share a new video every-single-Friday with art tips, drawing/painting tutorials and encouragement for aspiring artists.
Best Podcasts for Artists
1. Creative Pep Talk
http://www.creativepeptalk.com/episodes/
2. Art Biz Coach Podcast
https://artbizsuccess.com/podcasts/
3. The Jealous Curator (Art for Your Ear)
http://www.thejealouscurator.com/blog/art-for-your-ear-podcast/
4. The Thriving Artist
https://clarkhulingsfund.org/chfpodcast/
5. Beyond the Studio
https://www.beyondthe.studio/
Hope you enjoy them and find them inspiring and helpful!
1. Creative Pep Talk
http://www.creativepeptalk.com/episodes/
2. Art Biz Coach Podcast
https://artbizsuccess.com/podcasts/
3. The Jealous Curator (Art for Your Ear)
http://www.thejealouscurator.com/blog/art-for-your-ear-podcast/
4. The Thriving Artist
https://clarkhulingsfund.org/chfpodcast/
5. Beyond the Studio
https://www.beyondthe.studio/
Hope you enjoy them and find them inspiring and helpful!
Become a Patreon community member to get access to:
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Weekly sketchbook prompts to help you stay consistent and progressing your art skills
-Direct feedback from me
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Weekly sketchbook prompts to help you stay consistent and progressing your art skills
-Direct feedback from me
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!
*Click below to learn more!
Are people starting to show interest in your work, but you're a bit nervous about getting into a paid project? Have you started taking commissions and have been disappointed with the experience of working with clients? Interested in streamlining your commission processes and getting others to see you as a professional working artist?
As artists, it can be difficult to tap into that business-mindset, but it's an absolute must if we plan on making a consistent income with our art. In today's blog post, I'll be sharing six tips that will help you look professional in the eyes of prospective clients, ensure your art commission processes go as smoothly as possible, and help you build a positive reputation that will attract more clients in the future.
A great amount of self-employed artists make the majority of their income by working on commissions for clients who demonstrate a liking of their work and ask them to create a piece based on their particular needs. This said, I want to preface this post by saying that there is a vast amount of ways that we can create an income for ourselves through our art and our artistic skills.
There are artists who only sell their work through galleries, others who make the majority of their income through teaching (online or offline), artists who create YouTube channels and/or blogs and become ambassadors for art supply brands, artists who have Etsy shops through which they sell original artwork and/or prints, artists who sell at local art markets/events... The possibilities are literally endless.
And I 100% believe that you can become successful at any path you wish you pursue, as long as you're willing to put your entrepreneurial shoes on, are willing to step out of your comfort zone to make your dreams happen, continuously learn from other artists that have become successful in what you wish to do (and actually put that knowledge into action), and stay persistent. Be aware that things take time, though, and that you have to be smart about how you go about pursuing your dreams.
Whatever combination of paths you decide to pursue is entirely up to you and what you're personally willing to do to make your goals happen. I do highly recommend you look into setting up a variety of income streams for yourself, as this will help you always have something to fall back on. Not to mention, this will allow you the possibility of turning down commissions when they don't align with who you are as an artist and/or you feel the potential client on hand doesn't entirely respect your work.
Working with clients is definitely an experience all beginner artists should go through, as it helps us develop a vast array of skills such as artist-client communication, time-management, etc. However, every artist should give serious thought to what his/her professional long-term goals are, so that he/she can go about establishing short-term objectives and focus on making them happen.
Check out my blog post titled Time Management for Artists: My Secrets for Staying Consistently Productive to learn how I go about establishing goals for the different important areas of my life and plan short-term objectives/weekly tasks to ensure I'm consistently moving towards them.
If you liked this video, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I share a new video every-single-Friday with art tips, drawing/painting tutorials and encouragement for aspiring artists!
Tips on Taking Art Commissions
1. Have a set method for pricing your artwork
There are two common methods that artists use to price their work:
a) By hour: Amount of hours worked on painting x hourly rate
This method requires you to determine your hourly rate, which will be completely dependent on your experience and skill level. I always add the cost of supplies to this total afterwards.
b) By size: Set cost per square inch x amount of square inches in painting
This method entails you set a particular cost per painted square inch, which will be dependent on the quality of the supplies you're using, as well as the level of detail rendered in your work.
Think about which option would be best for your particular situation and stick to it. This way, whenever anyone asks you how much you charge you have a clear, definite answer, which will make you seem a lot more professional.
In my particular situation, I use both for separate situations. When I create artwork to sell at art shows or to sell through my Etsy shop, I go by size. This tends to make the pricing/buying process less confusing for both myself and my customers. When I do commissions, however, and I'm asked to create a piece in specific dimensions, using specific materials and perhaps even different subjects from those I'm most used to painting, I price by hour.
A few extra things to ask yourself when establishing your prices:
-How comfortable are you drawing/painting the particular subject on hand? Is your lack of skill with that particular subject going to make you take longer? *If so, consider how you'll be lowering your prices to keep things fair (cost per hour wouldn't make sense in this case).
-Is the work urgent? Will it entail you working long hours or weekends? *If so, consider raising your prices.
-Will this project help you expand your knowledge and/or skills in a particular area your interested in developing? Would it be a great portfolio piece that will help you get the projects and clients you'd like to work with in the future? Is it fun/meaningful for you? *If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, consider taking the job even if the pay isn't as high as you'd like it to be.
2. Plan your time wisely
As a working artist, it's absolutely imperative to learn about time management, get systems in place, and stick with them as best as possible. We have to treat creating art as our job if we intend to make a living from it, which entails, among many other things we have to do to keep out business running, sending our customers/clients updates and turning in work whenever we've promised to do so.
As a general rule, I never promise I'll get something done by a certain date if there's even the slightest chance I won't be able to finish on time. I like being as transparent and as honest as possible, right from the beginning.
I love the idea that I heard from a business specialist a while back about "underpromising and overdelivering", and I apply this when it comes to estimating a delivery date. In other words, I almost always tell my customers that the painting is going to take me at least a couple of days longer than I think it will and do my best to finish before that day. This way I can surprise my customers and even make the unboxing experience more special by making the packaging extra awesome and maybe even adding small gifts.
Whether I'm going to be working on a shorter project or a longer one, I like creating a time table that I send to my prospective clients and include in the document I will be talking about in point number 3. I make time to sit down for a few minutes to create a calendar/timeframe using InDesign (whatever software allows you to make tables will work perfectly) and give thought to how many hours I'm going to have available to work on said project, day-by-day, throughout the next few weeks. *See example of an estimated project timeline I sent to a prospective client below.
I never commit to any due dates and take my other responsibilities into consideration when creating this timeline, as well as the time I need for my mental and physical health (this info is omitted in the version I send of course!). As I mentioned, I add in a couple of extra days just in case any emergencies happen, clients don't send feedback when requested, or if I have to re-do something.
Creating this time table is especially important when you're being asked to work on a longer project that will take over a month to complete.
Prospective client started communications with me at the beginning of September and clearly stated he needed the project to reach completion by the end of October. Taking the brief and the due date into consideration, I created this timeline as part of the quote document I sent over.
3. Have information available on your website for possible customers, as well as a formal document to send whenever you're asked for a quote
It's extremely useful to have a section of your website in which you share information about your creative process and any general terms pertaining to how you sell your work. Some artists do this in the form of a Frequently Asked Questions section in which they list common inquiries they receive. For a solopreneur, this is incredibly useful, as this helps you not have to answer the same questions over and over again and serves as a type of tripwire, so that only those that would seriously be interested in working with you seek further communication.
One suggestion is to make this area of your website fun and actually educational. Add pictures of yourself at work, your workspace, your supplies, your work in progress, etc. Actually use it to help educate non-artists on what your creative process actually entails. Make it known that you love your work and make an effort to provide quality drawing/paintings.
Some information you should definitely include in this section:
-Your method(s) for accepting payment (bank deposit/PayPal/etc.)
-What percentage of the total cost you need to get started (make this non-refundable)
-Do you offer refunds?
-Whether you ship your work internationally (if so- what are your shipping terms/costs?)
-Will you require anything specific from the customer to get the work done (high-resolution images, etc.)?
Aside from having this information available on your website, it's also very useful to send over a formal document whenever you're asked for a quote. It doesn't have to be overly complicated, especially if the commission on hand is a simple project. However, when projects are a bit more complex and/or will entail you working on it for over a month, I do recommend spending a longer time on this document.
It should establish the specifics of the project on hand (what it is the client is asking for-exactly), state the cost (I like clearly describing how I arrived at that total by making my hourly rate and cost of materials known), and provide at least a general timeframe (I like including when each "phase" of the project will be finished by and when I'll be sharing progress notes and/or attending meetings).
In this document, it's also very useful to re-state important payment terms that were already stated in the informational section of your website, along with any other notes you want to make extra clear (i.e. how much extra changes or meetings would cost, etc.).
If you're starting to work on more complex projects that will take a longer time to complete, or are taking on a project commissioned by an established business, I highly recommend starting to read into Client Agreements and actually getting a contract signed before starting to work on anything at all.
4. Make sure your prospective customers are aware of your artistic style and aren't expecting something you can't/won't do
Having a portfolio available for customers to see and keeping it updated with the kind of work you're interested in producing is very important. I would say that your portfolio should have at least 10 different pieces so that people can have a good idea of what it is you do, as well as what range of subjects you'd be willing to work with.
By sharing your portfolio and consistently sharing what you're currently working on, there will be much more of a chance that people who like your work will reach out with their inquiries. Get business cards made that include your website and social media channels on it! Have them on you at all times when you're out and about, and don't be afraid to tell people you're an artist and let them know where they can find your work.
5. Ask questions and make sure you clearly understand what you're being asked to do
Make sure you ask a ton of questions and have a clear idea of what you're being asked to do. Don't be shy about it, either. I've had people reach out to me thinking they know what they want, but as soon as I start asking specific questions, they realize they don't.
Getting started on a project in which the customer is unsure of what they need will leave you guessing, and this is a surefire way of making the art-making process way more stressful than it should be.
I've also found that I'll if I actually take time to get to know my customer a bit before getting started, there's more of a chance that I'll create a piece they'll absolutely love.
Here are a few questions I always ask:
-What art styles do you like? *Have them send over a couple of pictures of specific artworks that call to them.
-What color schemes do you enjoy? *Do they like warm colors? Cool colors? A combo of both?
-What area of your home/office will you be decorating with this piece? *I've even had customers send over pictures of the space that will be decorated with my painting(s) to have a good idea of their decorative style, the color of the furniture, etc.
6. Be responsive and make communication a priority
If a prospective client emails or messages you with inquiries in regards to a possible commissioned piece and you don't respond quickly, you may loose the opportunity. Make yourself as accessible as possible and always try to answer back within a reasonable amount of time.
Also, make communication a priority throughout the process. This isn't to say you should be calling or emailing back and forth every-single-day, but make sure you don't let a long period of time go by without informing them about your progress, possible setbacks, etc. This will help avoid confusion, surprises, and prevent any negative ideas about you and your working process pop up in your clients' heads.
Put yourself in your customers' shoes. Think about what it would feel like to pay for a job and have no idea of what's going on.
I once hired a photographer who let months go by without sending me any information in regards to his progress editing the photos from our photoshoot. My mind couldn't help but wonder if he was prioritizing other peoples' projects over mine, if something had happened (i.e. did he lose the photos?) or if he simply didn't care about getting the job done on time. And, yes, I could have simply called him to ask him what was going on, but I'm always very busy and also wanted to be respectful (I know how time-consuming editing photos can be as I've done it myself). Not to mention, I really believe that if you're the professional getting paid to do the job, you should take it upon yourself to keep the client informed about what's going on and not rely on them calling you.
*Final bonus tip:
Don't be afraid to turn down prospective clients if you feel who they are or what they are asking you for doesn't align with you.
If you feel that what they're asking you to do goes against your moral compass or beliefs, or if you feel there's any possibility that the person doesn't respect your work and your creative process, it's not worth it! Avoid getting into these high-stress situations in the first place.
Always remember that it's your decision whether to take a project on or not. Never to let anyone minimize your passions and undervalue your work.
If you feel that what they're asking you to do goes against your moral compass or beliefs, or if you feel there's any possibility that the person doesn't respect your work and your creative process, it's not worth it! Avoid getting into these high-stress situations in the first place.
Always remember that it's your decision whether to take a project on or not. Never to let anyone minimize your passions and undervalue your work.
I hope you found this post helpful and wish you tons of success in your artistic endeavors! Do leave me a comment below letting me know if you've had any negative experiences while working on commissions. I'd love to hear about it!
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