How can I get people interested in buying my Contemporary canvas's and start a business from it?

Question

I have listed an ad on www.livingetc.co.uk with no luck. I had one interest but it fell through. Its under the buy and sell section. Check it out and tell me what you think. Its titled Comtemporary Artist

Answer 1

Take it from an Artist.

What you really need to do if you want to sell your art is get with Interior decorators. They are the ones that people seek when decorating, create pallets for people, and market you. YOUR job is to make art, not to be a door to door salesman every week. If you wish to do galleries be ready for 33% to go to the gallery, and even more for MONTHLY rent of the space. Galleries I find for the most part are yuck. Can’t stand the places. They make more money than you will and there is more competition. Once a prospect customer walks in there are hundreds of artists on exhibit and you are just one.

BUT you must be a salesman at first to get your name out there. You have to contact the designers. Look in the phone books. Look up local designers on the web. Contact them and tell them you would like to meet them and show them your work. If not meet them, send them examples VIA Email, or a web site. You might even need to give them a piece of work on loan so they can hang it in their shop.

Works of art on BLANK white pages look like what? Nothing. Especially if you have NO NAME to go with it.

Do you have pictures of the ART hanging in someone’s OFFICE, HOME, WHEREVER? Take pictures of that. What looks better?

Your ART?

http://www.livingetc.co.uk/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/856/an/0/page/0#856

Or this?

http://www.lighttechdesign.com/images/lobby2.jpg

Look at the image above and crop the picture to where most of it is the art piece. In other words hold your right hand over half the picture and make the art more of the focal point. Don’t do the ANGLE shot like the picture, more straight on, little angle is cool.

Looks Better HUGH?


How much do you want to charge for these? In YOUR example I’d give $20.00.
In the picture I just gave as an example it would be more like $5000.00


I'm not meaning to be insulting above. It's just that you are MARKETING yourself as an artist to co-ordinate paintings WITH interior design. Show then HOW you can ACHIVE the look that the customer wants and maybe OVERWHELM them. If they say, “I WANT THAT.” There is no other option for someone that represents you to go. OK, I’ll contact that person. HAVE your NAME IMBEDED in the picture so that the customer KNOWS who you are.

Remember, you now have a relationship with your designers. DO NOT cut them out. You will get black balled and possibly a lawsuit!


If you DO want to do Offices there is a BIG market to RENT paintings. That way the renter has the option to change out paintings and you can get the art back. Reselling it OR even making more money off it by renting it again. What you need to do is figure how much for the frame and art piece. Divide that by 12 months and see what price is. Don’t be cheap on frames. A designer might even get you more money.
If the piece is returned, then you have another example to lend another designer.

Answer 2

See if there are any trade fairs locally and buy a stand. I live in the North West, and around here there are a couple of miscellaneous fairs, as well as lots of bridal fairs. Could you put a marketing emphasis on canvases for new homes? You could have a stand at wedding fairs, suggesting that brides put your work on their wedding list. Or how about bespoke art inspired by their wedding?

Have you got a website? That's essential sooner or later. Once you have one, do a few auctions on ebay, and link to your site in the ad. Even if they don't sell, having a link from a big site like ebay is a good thing.

Another thought - a lot of coffee shops/bistros/cafe bars, have modern art up that's actually for sale. Go through a directory of local places and visit them with samples. Once the word's out, you'll be off and away.

Oh, and hold in the reins over advertising. There'll always be 1001 advertising opportunities, all of them sounding like brilliant idea,s and only 10% being actually worth it. If you can, talk to other people in a similar line of business (maybe out of your area so they don't feel that you're competition) and see what works for them.

By the way, I visited livingetc.co.uk. Very nice work, and very saleable. This kind of directory will only though, at best, subsidise your income. Remember that you're selling something that (generally) people don't realise they want. It's not something they're usually going to go out searching for. When they see it, however, the desire for it kicks in. So, you have to get it out there under their noses.

Hope this has helped a little. Good luck with it:)

P.S. I really don't recommend making them too cheap. Once you price down your business will struggle if you want to price up again. If you sell one canvas at £400 it's worth four at £100 anyway. Make people value you - it's the only way to build a business.

Answer 3

Starting your own business can be very overwhelming and a lot of the time frustrating. Here are steps you can do: Step 1: go to your local government office to apply for a business permit. Think of atleast 3 names of your business as they will do a check to see if it is available. Ask questions about collecting and submitting taxes, local, state, etc. It's really not that difficult. Step 2: Sign up with World Wide Brands, they are the largest directory of wholesalers, dropshippers, liquidators, light bulk wholesalers etc. Upon research you'll find they are the only true wholesale directory on the internet. Step 3: Upon sign up you can decide whether you want to get into dropshipping, light bulk wholesalers etc. or the whole package. Step 4: With World Wide Brands it is a lifetime membership. Search category, suppliers and/or products. Sign up with a company you like to do business with, it's that easy. World Wide Brands has useful information, videos and tips to starting your business right. Good luck in building your own business.

Answer 4

I once went to a cafe and asked if the manager would be interested in displaying my work he agreed to it and I have been displaying there and selling for the last year, since then my confidence has grown and now I am displaying at pubs and restaurants too.
Some places will take a percentage, usually 10% of your takings but some are quite happy to just have your work up and if you sell they won't take a percentage.
Where about do you live? I'm in the Uk if you are too I am in charge of displaying new talent at a small restuarant, if you're up for it get in touch.
Good luck ; )

Answer 5

I urge you to use http://www.livingetc.co.uk/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/856/an/0/page/0#856 as a URL

a number of people earn money as artists visit http://art.search.ebay.com/art_Self-Representing-Artists_W0QQfromZR34QQsacatZ20158 then use the search feature to figure out what is most "moving"

The super nifty thing with this is zip code targeting. Imagine a Manhattanite viewing just those ebay artistic works that were from a zipcode on the upper east or west side. You could go to a physical gallery show the gallery owner what their neighbors actually like then point out how your stuff may be at the same sweet spot artistically. knightsbridge zipcode actual moving art equals an approach the gallery owners will like.

I've given more than a hundred $ maybe more than 200 to various online cartoonists

Answer 6

Nice Work! I like your style, especially the customizational aspect of it. I would suggest setting up a website, and possibly even a MySpace account as commercial sites. As far as sales go, you have to be willing to weather the ups and downs of business ownership.

I own a comprehensive marketing firm (ie. websites, advertising, graphic design, in-store displays) and the hardest part is getting customers to view your work. Possibly, your community has an open night at a gallery for up and coming artists, which are f airly common here. Scour the yellow pages, the internet, and whatever means you can determine, but don't get discouraged.

You are talented. Sometimes it takes a while to get your name and work to stand out, especially with the proliferation of the internet. There are a wealth of opportunities for you, for example, apoproaching offices looking to decorate, partons of the arts, schools, assisted-living homes, libraries, etc. The sky is the limit, so just think about business creatively, and good things will hopefully happen for you.

Answer 7

It'll cost you money on eBay if your work doesn't sell.... so why not try listing it for free on Tazbar?
http://www.tazbar.com/

More adverts for Tazbar on UK tv are planned for February.

Or why not try painting some ACEO Cards? You can put some examples up on this site:
http://www.art-cards.org/
It might be a way to get your work out there & noticed.

Good luck

Answer 8

Try selling in a local art gallery or get exhibited at an exhibition. You need people to see your work. It would be good if you could get a gallery to represent you. Send slides of your work off to loads of galleries who sell work like yours and hopefully someone will want to exhibit your work and represent you. Don't feel disheartened if your work gets rejected it happens to all artists. It is not a reflection on your work. Good luck.

Answer 9

Have you tried putting a few on e.bay it's worth a go.

Answer 10

As a struggling artist myself the best way is to upload it to the net. Phone local galleries. First Photograph it and share your portfolio. Send me a pic and Ill rate it