The Art of Selling Art

I am the manager of Ignite Artists and I wanted to share some of the tips I have learnt along the way on the 'Art of Selling Art'. Over the last week I have been writing posts on using the ndis to expand your art practice. A ndis goal to sell your artwork is very similar to running a small business and if your ndis goal is to sell your artwork then you should take a business approach to your art. This includes having a business plan.

Business Planning

A very simple business plan might look like this:

produce artwork to sell > sell artwork = making money

The goal of any business is to make money. In order to achieve this you need to sell your art at a price more than it costs to make. For example a canvas costs $10, paints costs $20.  So the sales price for that piece of art needs to be more than $30. However in creating your artwork, art supplies will not be your only cost of production.

Costs of production will include:

• Art supplies
• Studio costs
• Tools 
• Transport
• Gallery hire or market fee

When you add all these up you will get the total cost that your artwork costs. But there is one more cost you need to add to the cost of your artwork, that is your time.  As a professional artists you need to value your talents and skills. 

The Budget

Most artists have no idea on how much an artwork costs to put on a gallery wall.  The sales price is plucked out the air no other small business could sustain itself using this method of setting prices. To effectively do this you need to know how much your assets are worth.  Assets are the net value of your art practice.

Assets may include:

• Tools
• Studio space
• Art supplies
• Art you have already created

The total of all these things will give you the current value of your assets.  When you decide to create new work, your not going to buy new brushes.  However over time you will need to replace your brushes, pens, pencils . . . .paper.  Thus, these two need to be factored into your costs. 

So as you move from a hobbyist to a professional artist it would be good to take a current inventory of all your art supplies and tools and begin to write down the cost of any new supplies. This is the beginning of good business practice.  

The other thing that will affect the prices of your work is market demand.  If other artists are charging $75 for a 20" x 20" work on canvas, buyers may not pay $200 for a piece of your art.  Exceptions apply! If someone really loves your work and decides they must have it $200 might not be unrealistic.  As you practice and become more skilled in your art practice you will want to charge more.  This varies depending on the type of art you produce and where you sell your work.

The Market

This is where you sell your artwork.  Previously we have talked about the different types of galleries and art 'n' craft markets, you might also decide to sell your artwork online.  Above is a current display of my artwork at Ipswich Arttime Supplies you can rent this space for 1 month for $40.  Remember to add this cost to your production costs.  If I am doing an art exhibition the cost of an artwork is the total cost of the exhibition divided by the number of artworks in the exhibition. 

So my questions are . . . Who do you think will buy your artwork and where will you find those people?  Beginners usually answer that question with . . . 'my friends and family.'  True they might buy your first few pieces but there not going to be able to afford all the art you produce, so you might need to look outside your network circle for a target audience.

Aspire Gallery in Paddington

I am now looking for galleries outside the Ipswich Region, because as my experience develops my friends will not longer be able to buy my artwork. 

Depending on the artwork you create an artists market might be more suitable. Markets suit art forms such as textiles, prints, cards, dolls, pottery and ceramics. 

If you want to sell your work you will need to tell people where to find your artwork.  You will need to think about advertising, marketing and social media. You need to tell the world about your art!

Marketing Plan

This is a current flyer I have for my display at Arttime. I am also using this image on my social media.  I use Facebook, Instagram and Redbubble.  These can also be platforms to sell your artwork or you might want to create a website.  There are many types of traditional advertising that still work.  

However the tried and true marketing method is 'Word of Mouth'. Tell people about your artwork so they will tell their family and friends. Hopefully some of them will turn up at your opening night.  Social media only works if you have a large number of friends who will see your posts and share them with others.  I am currently paying for advertising on Instagram and Facebook, but the reality is we are saturated with marketing and individual invitations still work best.

Whatever method of marketing you use, the cost of advertising needs to be added to your production costs.   

This is just a brief introduction to the business of selling your art.  You might want to consider if you need to do some marketing workshops.  Flying arts offer these throughout the year. You might need to think about how you use you ndis compacity funding for extending your skills in this area.

I hope my series on post school ndis options for those who are interested in visual arts has been helpful.  Remember this was general information to guide your search and processes and supports mentioned may not yet be available in your area.