Discussions

selling art online - realistic?

Posted by acousticguitarist • 10/11/07 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: art, online painting

I was just having a coffee an hour ago in a cafe and ran into an artist I know. Her work is good and wanted to know how realistic it is marketing art (canvas) online?

User Comments

10/11/07

crkian

There is a bloke on ebay who put a painting on ebay that he did a couple of years ago and now he sells hundreds of paintings on there.

Anything is possible on the internet, its just going about it rthe right way

[reply]
1. 10/11/07
  
  acousticguitarist
  
  Thanks, was ut his original work ..you know a lot of stuff
  
  Try this: what notes are in an E7#9b5 chord?
  
  and by the way English won't win the RU either
2. 10/11/07
  
  crkian
  
  I dont know g,Bb, C, D, F
  
  Franch look good
  
  I cant find the link at the minute, all his work is original, mostly he just splashes paint onto canvas and he now has staff that do the same for him
3. 10/11/07
  
  acousticguitarist
  
  I knew there'd be something you don't know..it's taken a week to locate it :-)
  
  thanks again
4. 10/11/07
  
  crkian
  
  Give me guitar hero on ps2 anyday, I gave my electric guitar to my father in law this week only had a go once since I got it a year ago
5. 6/15/08
  
  mattiasx
  
  A flat 9th? If it's a 9th, it can't be a 7th chord...but then again I don't know how to read guitar chord postings.
10/11/07

wandadog13

My Partner before she did Fabulous Photo Gifts was a digital photo artist - I built a website for her to really showcase all her work which then became an actual online shop where people could buy prints, ltd editions and stretched canvasses etc.

Best tip for traffic (and hopefully sales) is get on as many art directories and home designer websites as she can.

Has she tried picture and image libraries? their image file requirements are pretty stringent but if you can meet their requirements then you can earn a commission from every image they sell worldwide to their various clients.

Who knows, her artwork may end up on a billboard etc. Several of Mandy's have been used now all over the world - mostly book illustrations etc but a couple of live events including one by Epson at Olympia a couple of years ago.

Incredibly hard to sell art online though - first problem is making the images big enough to really see, but small file size to download quickly, then you've got to watermark your images,etc. The biggest problem is getting enough visitors to it to make a sale - eventually. Art is so subjective - what one person likes, another will hate etc.

Have a look at the site though for ideas... www.purple13.co.uk

Hope that all helps - Jonathan.

P.S good luck with the guitar 'john - crkian - williams'

[reply]
1. 10/11/07
  
  acousticguitarist
  
  Thanks Jonathon
  
  very very helpful
  
  tony
10/11/07

wandadog13

Hi - I forgot to add that the website can still be a useful way of showing your portfolio to prospective buyers etc.

A bit more instant than sending out small free prints or carrying around heavy portfolios of a selection etc.

Still Mandy's websites primary objective (as well as selling to any passers by etc) but now sadly very much a hobby since she started Fabulous Photo Gifts.

Jonathan

[reply]
1. 10/11/07
  
  acousticguitarist
  
  thanks again
10/11/07

ThriftShopRomantic

Sure, there are lots of original artists on Ebay that sell their work on canvas. No reason not to. I myself have bought quite a few paintings that way. There's one artist in particular I'm really fond of, and I keep tabs on what he's posted online. It's a great way to discover someone who you feel has talent.

[reply]
1. 10/11/07
  
  acousticguitarist
  
  thanks
6/15/08

MeannaBlog

there's loads of methods of selling art online and there are many people doing it. Here's a place to start to check it out...
sellmoreartonline.com/

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6/15/08

LGramlich

It's a risk with no guarantees, like everything else in art. The more exposure an artist creates for themselves, the potentially better. I wouldn't recommend eBay, personally. Not only are new rules creating higher fees/commissions, but there's a lot of scamming going on there these days, not to mention that people associate it with cheap products.
(As an artist, myself, I've been reading a lot about art marketing over the past week, but my response is from my own experiences.)

[reply]
1. 6/15/08
  
  LGramlich
  
  Addendum; Considering the relatively low price these days, having her own website isn't a bad idea (particularly if she's able to photograph her own work.)
6/15/08

clioandme

If nothing else, it would be a way to show more art to people who have already met the artist. It could function as a good PR tool, if not necessarily as the main point of sale. If the artist had the URL on her card, then people could go and see her stuff and decide to go look her up again at her atelier or wherever she has her stuff. The website might also get hits from people interested in the area where she lives, perhaps attracting people who had not known about her. Add a blog to that, and she can use it to network.

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6/15/08

kevingoodman

I think the internet is only a means and implementing a strategy toward promoting that work online would take as much work as it would in a gallery or elsewhere.

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6/15/08

cooper

My mom has never sold on line and she sells a lot of work. She also own two small galleries - she doesn't run them just own them and they don't even use online marketing.

I think that for new artist an online portfolio is a good idea, but as for just online selling it is probably better to put the effort into getting a few shows somewhere.

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6/17/08

pobeptr

A website is OK, but it takes a long time and a lot of work to get you site in the top 20 of popular search engines. AND most people never look past the 1st page displayed by their search engine. Places like ebay is faster and reaches a large amount of viewers. As with any advertising it will take practice and repeat listing of items to hit your target market.
Good luck

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6/17/08

jafabrit

I suggest your friend visit wet canvas, an artists website, business section, internet sales strategies. They have oodles of info, tips and artists who sell online who can help or advise.
wetcanvas.com/forums/channels.php?s=&channel_id=4

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6/17/08

Lucyvp

My sister in law sells her art online. Because they are usually Scottish scene watercolours, she reproduces them as cards and prints which she has managed to get Historic Scotland and the National Trust to take in their shop too. Your friend producing her work as prints and gift cards would sell well on the net I should think.

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6/17/08

sdk1988

My paintings have done very well on ebay, you won't know until you try. I have gotten a few orders through my website for custom drawings, I'd tell her to give it a try.

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6/17/08

wehireu

I don't think that you'll get a huge amount of money for paintings or canvas. I think if you did prints or linocuts, which you sell in batches, you could do very well on ebay.

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11/08/08

yogeshagrawal

hello sir .............all are nice to know about you and your works for art development..........In India we are also trying to develop high quality tribal and folk art since 1988.......Sanding you a link to see our art works............working as N.G.O we love to share our art with you please tell us about you terms and others How we can do some thing with you.........Thanks a lot
Yogesh
fineartamerica.com/profiles/banaras-art-gallery.html

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11/08/08

chrissymarie321

Like Lana I have researched putting art online and know a great many people that do use this method. Etsy is also an outlet for many artists but as yet I haven't gone down that route. Recently I have added my work to a site called Essential Artwork.
It is free for the first six peices of art so at the minute I have added four and am about to get a couple of my paintings framed up to add them to my listing. I am pleased with the clean lines of it and the gentlman tha runs it contacted me when i got an error message and put things right for me. I was well impressed with the service which I am not even paying for as yet. Although if I do start to sell, I will happily upgrade.
Imagekind seems to be another good site where you can upload your work (photographs too)and people can buy canvases, prints or cards of it.
I think the exposure is good if you choose the right method for you.

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11/08/08

Bayho

I think SDK1988 said it best, "You won't know until you try." If your friend believes in her work, then why not try it online? I don't know how much she feels her art is worth, but artist are in it for recognition more than money right? It's good for artists to just get their work out there and obtain as much publicity as possible. I'd say to her, GO FOR IT!

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11/08/08

rainatee

Online shopping and promoting is the way to go these days. I would say, promote on free classifieds like www.craigslist.com/ and www.khrido.com/

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