How best to package and market artwork?

dubhdara · 06-04-2009, 05:28 AM

Does anyone have any experience in how best to present artwork online and market the same?

If someone has an original piece of art they have painted, should they sell that or should they make prints (copies) and, if the latter, what format? CD?

How is it best marketed? I know social networking and sites like deviantart help but I have heard they are inferior to having a strong personal website or gallery presence.

Any advice welcomed - but no guesswork please

Adrian Cooper · 06-04-2009, 06:45 AM

I doubt there is a market for digital art.

You need to set up an online gallery to sell your originals in my view.

I am not in that niche, but to me if you sell prints you are probably devaluing your original work and making it less unique.

I suggest you focus on selling your paintings as unique originals with a price to match.

dubhdara · 06-11-2009, 06:57 AM

Relying wholly upon originals would not be very lucrative considering the time it takes to create them. In the bricks-and-mortar world reprints create greater value (for both the artists and the publisher). There must be a way of doing this online.

I know that cafepress.com and other services allow POD artwork (t-shirts, posters, stickers, etc.) but you have to upload your own artwork.

Now, most people do not have the quality and size of scanner to upload paintings so I am looking for a service that offers much the same as cafepress BUT with the option to somehow get those paintings uploaded professionally....

Any ideas?

adamv · 06-11-2009, 07:02 AM

I wish I had some great advise for you but I made very little money selling originals or prints of my art work. I started making decent money after I made instructional DVDs teaching other people how to draw.

There is probably a bigger market for paintings than there is for black and white pencil drawings though.

I would definitely recommend having your own website and linking back to your own site using places like deviant art. You should also have prints made. Make a limited edition run and you can sell each print for much more than you could with an open edition. Number and sign each print and you can sell them for a premium price.

dubhdara · 06-11-2009, 11:45 AM

Thx for the advice - numbering and signing the limited prints is a good idea!

06-04-2009, 05:28 AM	#1
dubhdara Active Warrior Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: United Kingdom. Posts: 72 Thanks: 4 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	How best to package and market artwork? Does anyone have any experience in how best to present artwork online and market the same? If someone has an original piece of art they have painted, should they sell that or should they make prints (copies) and, if the latter, what format? CD? How is it best marketed? I know social networking and sites like deviantart help but I have heard they are inferior to having a strong personal website or gallery presence. Any advice welcomed - but no guesswork please

06-04-2009, 06:45 AM	#2
Adrian Cooper Veteran Marketing Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 601 Thanks: 20 Thanked 80 Times in 63 Posts	Re: How best to package and market artwork? I doubt there is a market for digital art. You need to set up an online gallery to sell your originals in my view. I am not in that niche, but to me if you sell prints you are probably devaluing your original work and making it less unique. I suggest you focus on selling your paintings as unique originals with a price to match.

06-11-2009, 06:57 AM	#3
dubhdara Active Warrior Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: United Kingdom. Posts: 72 Thanks: 4 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How best to package and market artwork? Relying wholly upon originals would not be very lucrative considering the time it takes to create them. In the bricks-and-mortar world reprints create greater value (for both the artists and the publisher). There must be a way of doing this online. I know that cafepress.com and other services allow POD artwork (t-shirts, posters, stickers, etc.) but you have to upload your own artwork. Now, most people do not have the quality and size of scanner to upload paintings so I am looking for a service that offers much the same as cafepress BUT with the option to somehow get those paintings uploaded professionally.... Any ideas?

06-11-2009, 07:02 AM	#4
adamv Senior Warrior Member War Room Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Sacramento, CA, USA. Posts: 1,111 Thanks: 165 Thanked 239 Times in 139 Posts	Re: How best to package and market artwork? I wish I had some great advise for you but I made very little money selling originals or prints of my art work. I started making decent money after I made instructional DVDs teaching other people how to draw. There is probably a bigger market for paintings than there is for black and white pencil drawings though. I would definitely recommend having your own website and linking back to your own site using places like deviant art. You should also have prints made. Make a limited edition run and you can sell each print for much more than you could with an open edition. Number and sign each print and you can sell them for a premium price.
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06-11-2009, 11:45 AM	#5
dubhdara Active Warrior Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: United Kingdom. Posts: 72 Thanks: 4 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How best to package and market artwork? Thx for the advice - numbering and signing the limited prints is a good idea!