Making money selling art is not rocket science. To make your way from drawing a picture to getting some cash for it smooth and easy, I prepared this 5-step guide. Let me walk you through the process of finding people who will buy your pieces of art and tell you how to become successful doing it.
Step 1: Define Products You Want to Sell
Selling drawings is not the only way to make cash as an artist. There are many other types of products that can become more beautiful and attractive after you customize them. For example, you can start designing stickers as it does not require significant investments. The same story is with postcards. But if you decide to go big, I suggest customizing different clothes. For instance, denim jackets with drawings on the back are trendy now.
If you need some cash to start your art business, GetCash.com can always connect you with vetted lenders. You can get a short-term loan from $100 to $5000 as soon as 24 hours after filling out an online form.
Step 2: Create A Portfolio
If you just say you can draw anything, you are not likely to get many customers. People need to see what they pay for. Create a portfolio of at least 20-30 examples of what you are good at and show it. The more, the better. You can make a fixed set of artworks that are available for printing, or you can offer customizing things according to your customers’ requests – it’s totally up to you.
Step 3: Set Prices
Pricing is one of the most challenging parts of launching your own business. Set the price too high, and you risk scaring off customers. Set the price too cheap, and you’ll make your audience believe they’re not getting the best quality.
Pricing pieces of art is particularly challenging, as it is hard to determine the value of your craftsmanship. If you are just starting out and don’t have many followers or regular customers, you may want to begin with simple pricing. For instance, combine the cost of time and labor with the material costs. And then add a small mark-up at the end to make a profit. When you get a better feel for the demand for your art and gain fans of your products, then you can consider setting a higher price. You should also consider your competitors and what prices they are offering.
Step 4: Find a Way to Sell Your Products
There are two main options for selling your art pieces: online and in a physical store. My suggestion is to start offering your products on the internet as it’s much cheaper and less risky.
You can create an Instagram account for your products and start promoting it. Nevertheless, I find it more reasonable to create an actual online store. First of all, because in this way, you will gain more trust. Many people are too cautious when ordering things on Instagram, as it can be a trap. A website, on the other hand, shows that you have invested in buying the domain name and building the whole thing. So there is no point for you to disappear after getting a $15 order.
After your online business starts bringing you good money, you can consider opening a brick-and-mortar shop. From my experience, most of those who tried selling things on the internet and succeeded in it do not want to switch to offline as it’s way more work.
Step 5: Start Promoting Your Business
You may be the best artist in your city, and your products may have the highest quality the world has ever seen, but no one will care if you don’t create decent advertising. Try to be as loud as possible – tell about your business through all available channels. I’m not saying you should sell your house and order 1.5 min TV ads, but hiring a professional SEO to promote your website is undoubtedly a wise investment.
Don’t forget to order a hundred or two business cards for yourself. Give the cards to people you meet, mentioning that you are the artist who creates all the products.
Wrapping Up
Selling artwork online or offline is a great way to turn your passion into something that can pay the bills. Whether you want to customize clothes or sell canvas prints, there are plenty of ways to get started. Follow the steps described above and see what happens.
John Brown BIO:
John is a financial analyst but also a man of different interests. He enjoys writing about money and giving financial tips, but he can also dive into relationships, sports, gaming, and other topics. John lives in New York with his wife and a cat.