Careers in Art, Getting Started.
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Before you venture out into the art world to try to make money with your art, there are a few things you should know. You really want to have an idea what to expect so that you can avoid any frustrations or failures. Most of the time, the reason artists are not very successful is because they were never taught anything of the business side of art.
Of the various careers in art, what I'm talking about today will mainly apply to fine-artists, but no matter what you are getting into, having a bit of business knowledge will never hurt.
There are many different ways to make money from art. You could sell art at shows, get into a gallery, sell online, build a list of customers, an so on. It really depends on what type of art that you do and what kind of prices you want for it.
I'll give you some general tips to get you started.
If you want to sell at local shows, many of them have a jurying process before you can get in. Jurors all will have different opinions, so don't be discouraged if they don't like your work. Before you even try to get juried though, check out some of the shows yourself to see what's going on. See if your work fits into the over theme of the show. Check out the prices on the pieces similar to yours. See if they are originals or reproductions.
I try to make an effort to talk to the artists in the show. It's usually just friendly chat, but eventually I might ask about the show itself and what to expect if I ever wanted to get in. See if they are very enthusiastic about the show. If things haven't been selling well for them (or if they seemed stressed), their tone will probably reflect this.
An alternative to shows is getting into galleries. This is a bit more difficult since they are usually a bit more picky. You can either do a single showing or try to get your work there on a continuous basis. This will depend on the gallery and they type of work that you do of course. Some galleries will want to see a disc of your work that they can review, others will want to see the actual work.
I recommend going to a gallery where you work might fit in and talking casually with whoever is there. Ask them about the gallery and how they look at new artists. Don't just take in work to show them. They probably won't have time right then to see it anyway.
I actually think it's best to do a few shows or installations before seeking out a gallery. That way you can say that you have done such-and-such and you're not just a unknown artist. They may even contact you if you get enough exposure.
Let me also go over selling online really quick here. A lot of people want to see the original artwork before buying, depending on the price point. Some are okay with buying off of a well known dealer like eBay. Some people would rather buy cheaper reproductions rather than originals. So, take some time online to search and see what is being sold and advertised.
It would take me a while to go over everything you should know about careers in art, so I highly recommend that you invest a little in a course that will teach you everything that you need to know. One course that I can honestly recommend is The Thriving Artist. It is a course that you can download with each course presented in multimedia format. It's a bit more interesting than simply reading a book.
It covers everything I just went over in much greater detail. In fact it lasts over 13 hours. There are many different topics like art marketing, price points, shows, and many others as well. I think it's worth a look for anyone interested in part-time or especially full-time art careers or anyone who just wants to make a bit of money here and there with their art.
Here is the link again so you can read more about it.
>>click here for more info on The Thriving Artist.
I'll try to compile some more tips later. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my free articles on drawing and painting. Let me know if there's anything I can help you with.
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