Making a living as a career artist involves more than just creating beautiful art. It involves understanding how to build an audience, how to price art, and the specific requirements for shipping art. It means thinking like an entrepreneur.
Before the advent of e-commerce platforms, artists relied on third-party gallerists, agents, and retailers to distribute their work. Today's creator tools allow independent artists to own their distribution channels, creating and selling their work online on their own terms.
These changes have allowed gallery owners and curators to connect with more artists and begin selling prints online to reach wider markets.
Whether you're an artist or an agent looking to make money online selling art, this step-by-step guide will teach you how to sell art online, with tips from successful gallerists and artists.
In the following sections, we'll cover the basics of selling art online for both beginners and experienced artists. Review the information in each section, including working with printers and combating plagiarism.
Artist Maria Kamar in her studio
Whether you’re into original acrylic paintings, digital prints, or sculpture, this article has helpful tips for every artist. Read expert advice from Spoke Art gallerist Ken Harmon, Ferme à Papier owner Kat Seto, and artist Maria Kamar, aka Hatecopy. These experts will walk you through every step, from learning how to sell paintings online to reproducing your work on merchandise.
1. Choose your business model: sell your art or the work of other artists
There are two ways to sell art online: create or curate. Kat has built her career both ways: creating and selling her own work, and featuring other artists' work in her boutique. Which way is right for you?
Create and sell your own art
As an artist, you are a creator who creates original works of art, reproductions of originals, or digital works of art. You can sell these directly to your clients or indirectly through a gallery, retail partner, or agent.
It's never been easier for artists to sell directly, with new tools for creators appearing almost every day.
Artist Maria Kamar runs her own online store where she sells prints and other merchandise, cutting out the middleman and keeping her costs low. But she also relies on collaborations with experienced galleries to display and sell original art there.
If you're just learning how to sell art online, remember that galleries can introduce your work to a new audience. They may also have access to resources and specialists to help you market, display, process, and ship your art to buyers.
Curate other artists' work
If you're not an artist personally, but you have a great eye and a love for the art world, you can still get into selling art as a curator.
Some artists may not be involved in marketing or finding the best way to sell art online. Instead, they rely on gallerists, curators, and retail partners to handle this aspect of the business. As an artist partner, you receive a percentage of the sale price in exchange for your business knowledge and services.
There are several ways to work with artists to sell their work online, whether it’s selling originals or prints, licensing the work to be printed on merchandise, or using the artwork in publications. “Most galleries offer a standard industry rate of 50% for original art”, says gallerist Ken Harmon. “The artist provides the art, we do our best to sell it”.
2. Decide what to sell: original art or reproductions
The best way to sell your art online will depend on the nature of your art and the medium you choose. You can sell the artwork itself, a reproduction, or both.
Artists who use classic materials and sell their work at high prices may, for example, choose to sell only originals, while digital art, which can be reproduced without loss of quality, is great for prints and souvenirs. However, most artwork created in 2D environments has multiple options for unlimited sales of the same work.
Let's consider the following formats:
- Original art: paintings, drawings, illustrations (you can sell both original art and reproductions).
- Limited or open edition prints: framed, unframed or canvas prints.
- Digital Art or Digital Downloads: Desktop Wallpapers, Templates, Artworks, etc.
- Custom Art: Made to order based on a client's request or a company's commission.
- Products: Get your artwork printed on hats, iPhone cases, mugs, t-shirts, badges, greeting cards, stationery, and more.
- Prints on fabric, wrapping paper or wallpaper.
- Licensing: "renting" your work to other brands or publications (great for illustrators and photographers).
- Collaboration with brands: limited collection sold through the partner brand's store.
Indigenous artist Patrick Hunter creates affordable reproductions of his work on products such as greeting cards and clothing.
Some materials, like sculpture, are harder to reproduce or use commercially. But for those who don’t have the ability to scan and print, there are still ways to make extra income from a single design . For example, clay crafts can use the same mold to create identical pieces, and 3D models can be created over and over again using a 3D printer.
Art Reproductions: Open Edition and Limited Edition
Hatecopy art adorns clothing and other products on Maria's own website
Reproducing artwork on t-shirts, mugs or as prints means that one piece can bear fruit indefinitely or for a limited time. There are two ways to sell your artwork as prints: open edition and limited edition.
What is open source?
Open publishing means printing and selling an unlimited number of products (reproductions or copies of the original work).
Advantages
- You can continue to profit from a single piece of art indefinitely as long as there is still demand for it.
- Your art can spread far and wide through satisfied customers who never encounter an " out of stock " warning.
Flaws
- Making your work available without restrictions can devalue your work as a whole.
What is a limited edition?
Limited edition means that only a certain number of copies are printed before they stop being copied. They are often numbered and signed by the artist to increase value and authenticity.
Advantages
- The effect is much like that of a limited-time offer: creating a sense of scarcity and urgency is a great marketing strategy.
- Limited availability increases the value of the artwork, meaning you can sell copies for higher prices.
Flaws
- As demand exceeds supply, a secondary market emerges where buyers resell items at inflated prices.
This print by Van Orten Design is limited to 100 pieces and is available on the Spoke website
Spoke often opts for a limited edition strategy. “We work very hard to find things that are special to sell. Special things should be treated special”, says Ken.
To minimize resale, Spoke limits the number of copies sold per customer. “Making sure that real fans can actually get what we sell is always a priority”, says Ken.
3. Take a photo and scan your work
Clear and accurate photography and presentation of your products is important for any small online business. Without the ability to touch the product, potential customers need to get a better idea of what they are buying with clear and detailed images.
Selling art online is no exception. “If you have a bad image of your work or the image doesn’t accurately reflect it, you’ll have a harder time selling it”, says Ken. “Or you’ll have to deal with unhappy customers and process returns”.
Selling photos
Photographing art is a little more challenging than other products, and basic lighting setups can still cause glare or uneven color. Consider hiring a professional for larger pieces or pieces with three-dimensional elements or glossy surfaces.
Photos that show your products or artwork in a space or on a stage help inspire your customers and convey scale. Ferme à Papier
If you sell merch or other products that feature your artwork, general product photography rules apply. Take clear shots from different angles, as well as zoomed-in shots to show texture and detail. Lifestyle photos (your product in a scene) are great for display on your homepage and social media, and help convey scale.
Print on demand services often provide mockup images with your artwork embedded in them. You can use these mockups on your product pages in place of or in addition to your main photo.
Scanning Artworks for Sale
For 2D work, Ken recommends scanning as an affordable and effective alternative to photography. “The most cost-effective way to do this is to buy a desktop scanner, scan the work in sections, and combine them digitally”, he says. “If you have a piece with a glossy finish or resin, this will be a little more difficult to do, but for most canvas or paper work, it’s pretty easy”. For more complex scans, galleries and other printing services can help.
In both cases, you want the final product to reflect your work as accurately as possible so you can use it in your portfolio or sell it as prints or digital art.
More details:
- A DIY Guide to Perfectly Setting Up Product Photography
- The Complete Guide to Photography for an Online Store
4. Use a printer to make prints of your artwork
Understanding how to sell prints of your art comes down to being good with your printer, whether it's a home inkjet printer or a company that does the job for you. There are a variety of options, from DIY to standalone, that will help you sell art prints and other products to your audience.
Print your own prints
You can start selling your own artwork by creating quality copies (prints) yourself using high-quality paper, ink, and a home office printer. For a new artist, this method can reduce costs, but may not be sustainable as the business scales over time.
“At first, I printed, packaged, and delivered each poster I ordered by hand”, says Maria. “At some point, the volume became so big that I didn’t have time to draw. I spent all my days working on shipping and transportation”.
This method is usually limited to selling reproductions on paper, but some dedicated home printers allow you to print on canvas or fabric specifically designed for this purpose.
Using a Printing Company
A local or online print shop can mass reproduce your work and even offer bulk discounts if you print a lot of the same pieces. This may be the best way to sell art online if you have a small catalog and a high volume of sales of those pieces.
With this method, you will still be responsible for packaging and shipping the copies you sell online. But these companies can often produce high-quality copies thanks to their more advanced printers.
Artist and shop owner Kat Seto often prints large quantities for collection releases. Although she uses print-on-demand services, the copies are first delivered to her studio rather than shipped directly to the customer. “It’s important that we are the last ones to check, pack, and ship the products to our customers”, she says.
Print on demand
Print on demand is the most convenient and versatile option, as well as the easiest way to sell art online, especially if you plan to sell your work printed on souvenirs such as t-shirts or caps.
Print-on-demand services typically integrate with your Shopify store as an app. When a user places an order, the app sends the information to the service, which starts the printing process and ships the item directly to the customer. This is a great option for selling art on a budget, as there is no need to invest in equipment or inventory.
When the number of orders exceeded her ability to print and ship the work herself, Maria switched to using a print-on-demand company. “All I have to do is upload my work and let them do all the work for me”, she says. “Now I can focus on creating art and connecting with people”.
Print on demand products are not limited to paper copies. Your artwork can be printed on a variety of items for sale, from phone cases to stickers.
Request samples from your print-on-demand service provider so you can check the colors and print quality. This is especially important if the products will be shipped directly to your customers.
5. Create your artist brand
When you start selling your art, your brand can develop as a natural extension of your business. The style and medium you choose will define you as an artist, and through that alone, you will naturally attract fans and buyers. However, there are many decisions you will need to make consciously as you begin to think of yourself as both a businessman and an artist.
Because art is a personal and sometimes emotional purchase, your brand story as an artist can influence someone’s purchasing decision. And other business assets, like packaging and website design, should reflect or complement the visual aesthetic of the work itself.
Branding work should be based on answers to the following questions:
- Do you create and sell art under your own name, pseudonym or trademark?
- How will you tell the brand story? What part of your personal history will you reveal?
- Do you have a mission, values or purpose that you want to communicate through your brand?
- Beyond the art itself, what is the visual direction of your brand? What is the tone of your communication?
- What branding resources do you need? Even without design skills or the budget to hire a graphic designer, you can create a logo with a logo maker service and design your branding with free and easy tools.
The answers to these questions will help you create a branding guide that will form the basis for website designs, marketing materials, and more. As you begin to scale your business, this guide will help you maintain brand consistency while delegating tasks to staff or other partners.
Your brand story can appear in a variety of places, including social media content, on-package inserts, and on the About page of your website, like Australian artist Sarah Migliacco's page.
Many artists build a fan base around their online accounts or personal brands that are closely tied to their art. Tatiana Cardona, also known as “Feminine Alchemy”, has chosen to put her face at the center of her social media strategy.
For Kat, the causes closest to her heart are central to her brand. Kat’s brand values influence the types of projects she undertakes with other brands and clients. “I think it’s important to not only stay true to your brand when collaborating”, she says, “but also to be able to listen and be proactive with whoever you’re collaborating with”.
More details:
- How to Create Your Own Brand From Scratch in 7 Steps
- What is a Personal Brand? 7 Steps to Building Your Business
6. Set retail prices for your products
When setting a retail price for art, consider more subjective aspects such as the value, demand, and popularity of the artwork or artist. Pexels
How to Sell Art Online and Make Money Making a living as a working artist is possible if you know how to value and price your work. Pricing art is challenging because it doesn't necessarily fit neatly into typical pricing strategies.
Original Art Prices
Running any business that is sustainable over the long term involves making a profit at some point. To do this, you will need to price your art accordingly. If you are just starting to experiment with how to sell your art and do not have a wide following, you can start with a simple formula for pricing your original art:
Your cost of selling and distributing the product + material costs + other expenses + your markup (profit) = retail price
When using this method, it is helpful to consider the time you spent creating the drawing. It is common for artists to underestimate their time and effort, especially at the beginning.
The formula above may not work because the value of art is subjective and does not necessarily depend on specific details such as the cost of materials or labor. Established artists can charge much more for a piece that costs about the same to create as a new artist. Check the market, compare your prices to similar artists of a similar caliber, and adjust accordingly.
You can work with gallerists who are experts in art appraisal to set a price that makes sense for you, the gallery, and the market. Note that the gallery will take a commission on the retail price for online and offline art sales.
Prices for art reproductions
The sale of reproductions or other types of reproductions can be carried out using a simpler pricing formula:
Cost of printing + your costs of selling and distributing the copy + other expenses + your markup (profit) = retail price
Your markup may depend on whether you sell prints in open or limited editions. Other costs may include stationery, software or app fees, professional services, studio rental, and more.
“Knowing what your products are and what compromises you’re not willing to make is a key component when making pricing decisions”, says Kat. For her, printing on eco-friendly paper was a must, even though it would increase material costs and ultimately drive up the retail price. It’s important to communicate these decisions to the customer, especially if your prices are higher than average.
More details:
- How to Price Your Product: What You Need to Know About Pricing Before Launching
- The Right Price: 14 Strategies for Finding the Perfect Price for Your Products
- Product Pricing: Setting Prices for Wholesale and Retail Trade
7. Create an online store to sell your art online
The best way to sell your art online is through your own online store. You've already done most of the work if you've defined your brand guidelines, pricing, and business model (selling originals, copies, or merch). Selling your products through an online store is simply putting all the pieces together.
Critical pages of an online store
Every online store should have a few important pages that customers expect to see when browsing the site. These include the home page, contact page, about page, collection pages, and product pages. Some lesser-known but important pages to pay attention to are the terms and conditions, frequently asked questions, privacy policy, and shipping policy.
Online store "Tracie Andrews"
For artists, a gallery or portfolio page can also be useful if you plan to license your work, sell through galleries, offer custom artwork, or partner with brands.
Online store of the artist Alex Garant
Store Design and Themes
When setting up your online art store, choose a Shopify theme that allows your art to breathe - with large images and plenty of white/negative space. Here are some of our themes for selling art online:
While Shopify themes are designed to be easily customized without using code, you can customize your theme even further by hiring a Shopify expert to help you with design or development.
The Spoke Art website uses a simple theme that prioritizes large images and lets the art become the focal point. Spoke Art
More details:
- Best Ecommerce Website Designs: 27 Site Examples
- How to Choose the Best Theme for Your Online Store? Take Our Test
Art Store Apps
The Shopify App Store is full of apps that plug directly into your online store to solve specific problems, add unique functionality, and help you manage your store with greater ease, allowing you to focus on the creative aspects of your business.
Recommendations for apps that will help you sell your art online:
- Print on Demand Apps: If you sell your artwork as prints and merchandise, apps like Creativehub, Printful, or Printify can help you get started.
- Gallery Apps: An app like POWRful Photo Gallery can be used to create a portfolio or catalog of your work that can be shared with galleries or brands looking to collaborate with you.
- Social Marketing Apps: Keep your site's content fresh with an app like Instafeed, which displays Instagram images on your site.
- Product Page Apps: If you offer artwork in different sizes, frames, paper types, etc., use an app like Bold Product Options to add options to your products.
More details :
8. Explore more online channels for selling art
What is the best place to sell art online other than your own online store? For example, if you have a large following on social media, this could be a great place to start.
Having an omnichannel strategy is important to building your independence as a writer. A standalone website allows you to control the look and feel of your site, as well as have direct contact with the audience you attract. But using other channels can help you access additional markets and build your personal brand.
Where to Sell Your Art Online
- A standalone website that uses an e-commerce platform such as Shopify.
- Online marketplaces like Etsy, Amazon or eBay can be integrated into your store as additional sales channels, allowing you to synchronize sales and reach a wider audience.
- Other specialized art marketplaces can help you find places where art lovers congregate (Society 6, Artfinder, Saatchi Art, Fine Art America, etc.).
- Social media channels like Facebook and Instagram can also be integrated into your Shopify store. Sell on TikTok and run TikTok ads to drive fans to your store.
- Sell wholesale or ship to other online boutiques and galleries. You can browse wholesale markets to find suitable retailers who want to sell your art.
- Collaborate with other artists who sell art online. Gain access to their audience by creating collaborative pieces to sell and promote on both your site and theirs.
In addition to her wholesale business, Kat sells directly to customers and works on custom projects for clients and brands. “If I had tried to balance all of that from the start”, she says, “I think the results would have been amazing”.
9. Sell your art offline: gallery shows, pop-up shops and events
Because Maria often works in traditional mediums, much of the impact of the texture and scale of her work is lost in a digital format. “It’s real physical work, so when we do exhibitions, you can walk into the gallery and see that I’m a real person with technical skills and the ability to create paintings and large-scale installations”, she says.
Artists can also connect with fans and reach new audiences by selling artwork offline. There, you can personally attract people to your online store.
When selling your own art in real life, keep the following in mind:
- Partner with a gallery to exhibit your work and create buzz.
- Explore local art markets, art fairs and events and set up a one-time or semi-permanent booth there.
- Sell retail or wholesale to art, gift or lifestyle retail stores.
- Open your studio to the public when you launch your website, or host a weekly studio open house to give fans a glimpse into your work process.
- Open a popup shop (collaborate with other artists to reduce costs).
- Lend or donate your decorating work to emerging retail businesses such as cafes in exchange for display.
Before Ken opened his permanent gallery, he dabbled in pop-up shops to build his reputation and test the business idea. “For anyone selling original work, the element of personal experience is critical”, says Ken. “It’s very rare to find a successful art gallery that operates entirely online”.
However, advances in technology such as 3D and AR for online stores, as well as the trend towards digital experiences, could bring big changes to the art world in the future. It’s important to keep an eye on consumer trends as you learn how to sell your art and grow your business.
10. Partner with galleries to sell your art
You can work with galleries to sell your art on your own behalf if you are not interested in the business side of art. Or as an additional sales channel in addition to your own efforts. This partnership can give you access to a new audience, including serious art buyers and collectors.
Here are some rules of thumb about what you can and can't do when working with galleries:
✅ DO check out the gallery's social media accounts. "If you have more followers than the gallery, or the gallery has a small following, it's worth considering the effectiveness of the collaboration", says Ken. "The gallery should be able to provide you with greater exposure than you can get on your own".
❌ DO NOT contact a gallery through social media (unless they specifically ask you to). “While social media is a major focus for us, it’s not a professional way to get your name out there if you’re an artist”, says Ken.
✅ DO your research and only contact galleries that represent work that matches your style . “You can’t sell street art to someone who collects impressionism”, says Ken.
❌ DO NOT sacrifice quality for quantity. “It’s frustrating when an artist who hopes to get our attention tags us and 20 other galleries in the same email”. Pick a few of the top galleries you want to work with the most and send a personalized message to each.
✅ DO your homework. “Find the name of the gallery director or curator”, says Ken. “Being able to personalize the email is a great first step in the process”.
11. Sell licenses for your art
Besides selling artwork – both originals and reproductions – another way to make money as an artist is through licensing. Licensing your artwork involves selling permission to a brand, business, institution, agency, stock photo site or individual to use a digital version of your image for a specific use and for a specific period of time.
Artists often use sites like Behance to sell licenses for their illustrations or design work. Behance
Licensing contracts vary and may include unlimited rights to use or the right to use the digital artwork indefinitely. However, there are usually restrictions in place to protect the artist. Before entering into any legal agreement, understand what you are signing and make sure you still retain ownership of your artwork.
Consult a contract attorney for help in negotiating the terms of your licensing agreements. This is especially important if you plan to gain more exposure or expect the value of your art to increase.
12. Promote your art brand
Many artists like Maria started on social media, first building a following and then opening a store and monetizing their work. The channel where you get the most traction early on is where you can put your energy and marketing dollars first.
Artist Adam Spychała uses Instagram, a platform where he has over 100,000 followers, to promote his work and his printing house.
There are several ways to promote your art and drive traffic to your sales channels. Try these marketing strategies for your brand:
- Paid Advertising. Run advertising campaigns on platforms like Google or Facebook.
- Invest in organic social content by posting regularly and engaging frequently with fans and artistic communities.
- Run contests or offer exclusive discounts. Use them to build your email list of potential customers.
- Use influencer marketing. Reach out to popular personalities to advertise when you launch your website or a new collection.
- Apply SEO. Learn eCommerce SEO to improve your store's visibility in search engines.
- Try offline marketing. Participate in art shows and fairs, or partner with a gallery to reach a new, wider audience.
- Use content marketing. Share your expertise through art, tutorials, behind-the-scenes looks, etc. via a blog, TikTok account, YouTube channel, or podcast.
Artist Shogun Caesar shows fans the process of creating a painting.
Ultimately, you’ll need to balance the amount of time you have available for marketing with your skill level and desire to create content. Often, artists prefer to focus on what they do best and leave the rest to the experts. Working with retail or gallery partners may result in lower profits, but will take the burden of marketing off your shoulders.
More details:
13. Packing and shipping of works of art
Because art is visual, you need to pay attention to the smallest details, right down to how your art is packaged and shipped. Art that arrives undamaged is the bare minimum: give your customers an experience that matches the quality and care you put into your work.
Because art can be fragile, follow these guidelines to ensure your work arrives safe and sound.
Delivery of reproductions and posters
The Paper Tube Co. sells standard and custom tubes that you can use to professionally ship your oversized prints.
If you are shipping original artwork or choosing to ship prints and canvases yourself rather than through a fulfillment company, take extra precautions when packaging. Larger prints and posters are best shipped in cardboard mailing tubes, while smaller prints are best shipped in rigid cardboard mailing envelopes.
Use glassine (water- and grease-proof paper) or clear cellophane envelopes to protect the sheets inside the package. Custom branded packaging, such as tissue paper or polythene envelopes, with your brand or design on them can enhance the customer experience of your brand.
Many eCommerce platforms integrate with shipping providers and shipping apps to help you find the best shipping rates for each market and package. Determine whether you will offer free shipping and include the shipping cost in the retail price or charge a flat fee to keep shipping costs transparent.
Shipping of expensive and oversized original works of art
Framed artwork and canvases require extra precautions. Packaging supply stores offer packing and shipping materials, such as cardboard corners and specially sized boxes designed specifically for artwork.
If you’re shipping an original work to a gallery or art collector, there are ways to cut costs. “The shipping cost for a large canvas painting can be quite significant”, says Ken. “Sometimes we’ll stretch the canvas, roll it up, and ship it that way, which cuts shipping costs considerably. We can then stretch the canvas locally”.
Direct delivery of artwork using print on demand
The easiest way to sell art online is to outsource printing, processing, and shipping to a print-on-demand partner. They can access great shipping rates due to volume and carrier partnerships.
Artwork Shipping Insurance
Insurance is important when shipping original artwork, as a lost or damaged package cannot be replaced. Many standard carriers offer fairly basic insurance for most packages, and if you are selling your artwork, you should research the specific additional coverage costs and limitations of each carrier's insurance offerings.
When selling his own high-priced art, Ken takes extra steps to ensure safe delivery. “Shipping anything over a thousand dollars is definitely difficult”, he says, suggesting artists consider using a private freight company or a carrier that specializes in shipping art, despite the higher costs.
Learn more: Order processing and shipping: A step-by-step guide to getting your products to customers.
14. Understanding Plagiarism and Artists' Copyright
Artist Tuesday Bassen waged war on copycats — big-box stores that stole her original work — by hiring a lawyer and telling her story to the media. But both Maria and Ken say copycats and plagiarism are just the sad reality of doing business. Maria sued once, then changed her mind.
“In the end, it took me a lifetime to learn how to create my own art?” says Maria. “If someone copies me, they’ll have to sit down and eventually learn for themselves, because sooner or later they’ll run out of ideas”.
Maria sees imitations as a sign that there is something valuable in her ideas. “It’s a sign that I inspire others and that what I do is right, because otherwise they wouldn’t copy me”, she says. “It doesn’t offend me or bother me anymore”.
For galleries that represent multiple artists and sell art online, copycat websites are a constant problem. “We have a problem with different online sites just copying what we do”, says Ken. “Unfortunately, it’s part of the way the world works. We do our best, but it happens”.
While copycats remain a reality, artists and companies have legal recourse. They should also seek advice from a copyright attorney to help protect their intellectual property before infringement occurs.
Start Selling Art Online
For many aspiring artists, the best way to sell your art online is to simply start with what you have available. Kat started her art business in an extra bedroom. Whether it’s a basement or a kitchen table, it can be your launching pad.
At this stage of your business, you’ll be wearing all the hats: creator, marketer, packer, shipper, web designer, and customer service representative. Kat describes this time in her journey as lean and humbling. “It gave me the confidence to know every aspect of my business inside and out”, she says, “including its strengths and weaknesses”.
Seeing yourself as an entrepreneur from the start will be crucial on your journey to becoming a successful artist. You may stumble while learning the business aspects, but in the long run, they will help you grow and scale your online art business. Eventually, you can delegate and automate some responsibilities, allowing you to focus on what you do best: creating beautiful things.
“You can know everything about business and know everything about art”, says Maria, “but it’s the combination of both that really makes a successful brand”.
Artistic illustrations by Pete Ryan.
FAQ
What is the best way to sell your art online?
What steps do I need to take to sell my art online?
If you are an artist and want to learn how to sell art online, you can get started by following a few simple steps:
- Choose a format: originals or reproductions.
- Choose a printer (for reproductions).
- Create your artist brand.
- Create an online store.
- Expand your reach by selling through marketplaces or online galleries.
- Market your art business.
Is it profitable to sell art online?
How can I sell my original artwork online?
What type of art sells the most?
This is a difficult question because art is so broad and subjective. When you sell prints of your work, it can be very profitable because you can continue to make money from a single piece. Lower prices (compared to original art) mean you can likely sell a larger volume. As a curator, you should follow trends in art and design to understand what art collectors and potential buyers are buying, and then work with artists who have the potential to be successful. As a creator, you should rely on the style you do best and build an audience based on that.
Is it possible to work with galleries to sell your art?
Yes, you can work with galleries to sell your art. Both online and physical galleries are always looking for new talent to feature. They can help with online art sales or promote your original artwork at a gallery show. Many successful artists benefit from showcasing their work in this way. Send a personalized, professional email with links to your portfolio. Each gallery may have a different application process, so do your homework!