Top 41 How To Sell Your Art Online Pdf The 167 Latest Answer

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How can I start selling my art online?

Can I sell my art work online?

The best way to sell art online is by building your own branded ecommerce site with a platform like Shopify. You can also sell your work on a crafts and art marketplace like Etsy or on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook Shops.

How can I sell my art online locally?

Rather than working with the online art platforms like Artfinder, Saatchi, Etsy or Amazon (or in conjunction with those sites), you can easily (and usually for free) set up your own website, or a page on Facebook or other social media sites, to show and sell your art to local customers.

Is selling art online worth it?

Even with the drawbacks, selling art online can be a wonderful way to increase your exposure, save time on marketing, and gain extra income. Only you can decide if it’s worth it. If you do decide to sell your art online, 25 Resources Every Artist Should Know About has excellent sites to look into.

How do I price my art?

Pay yourself a reasonable hourly wage, add the cost of materials and make that your asking price. For example, if materials cost $50, you take 20 hours to make the art, and you pay yourself $20 an hour to make it, then you price the art at $450 ($20 X 20 hours + $50 cost of materials).

Is my art good enough to sell?

But just because people aren’t buying your work doesn’t mean your work is not good enough to sell. If you are getting validation in the form of likes, comments, and followers, you are good enough to be selling your work. But to get sales you actually have to make sales. Just making art is not enough.

How do beginner artists make money?

What is the best site to sell artwork?

How can I sell my art online for free?

ArtPal is a popular, FREE gallery to sell art and buy art, representing many thousands of artists. No membership fees. No commission. Completely free with unlimited space to sell all of your art!

What kind of art sells best?

1. Landscape Paintings. Many people think that landscape painting is the most quintessential kind of art. After all, the landscape is universal: Everyone understands and appreciates a long view, so it’s an easy choice for a buyer.

Can I sell art on Amazon?

In order to sell your art on Amazon, there is a pre-approval process. Note that only certain types of art are eligible. Original paintings, drawings, watercolors, and two-dimensional mixed media, as well as limited edition photography and prints are permitted.

How can I sell my art online 2021?

How do I sell my original art?

Fineartamerica: A website where you can list and sell your fine artwork online. Society6: A site geared towards connecting buyers with sellers of unique artwork. Etsy: Sell all types of custom art, including original and digital art. Amazon: Sell wall art prints via Amazon or Amazon FBA.

Is it hard to sell your art?

It should be said in the first line of this guide that selling art is not easy. Whether through a gallery, through an online platform, or out of your own studio, making a sale of your own work will be challenging—but it can also be exciting.

Is it difficult to sell art?

Selling art is never easy, even in the most robust of economies, and at times like this, it can seem nearly impossible. But confronting adversities is a fact of life and any artist who expects to be successful must adjust to prevailing conditions in order to survive.

Is selling art online profitable?

According to Vectorise.net, selling your designs or photos to stock websites could earn you between 15% to 60% from the total revenue of your sale, translating to anywhere from $20 to $20,000 per month! This website also indicated that a vector artist can earn $300 a month in passive income.

How do I sell my first artwork?

How do beginner artists make money?

How can I sell my art online for free?

ArtPal is a popular, FREE gallery to sell art and buy art, representing many thousands of artists. No membership fees. No commission. Completely free with unlimited space to sell all of your art!

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How to SELL YOUR ART ONLINE for BEGINNERS 2022 l How To Make Money As An Artist or Creative

How to SELL YOUR ART ONLINE for BEGINNERS 2022 l How To Make Money As An Artist or Creative

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[PDF] How to Sell Your Art Online by Cory Huff eBook | Perlego

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[PDF] HOW TO SELL YOUR ART ONLINE: A Guide to Living a Successful Creative Life on Your Own Terms Online

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How to Sell Art Online in 2021: A Complete Guide

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• Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How to Sell Art Online in 2021: A Complete Guide Updating Whether you’re an art creator or a curator looking to sell art online, this guide is for you. We consulted experts for their advice on everything from marketing to pricing to shipping your work.
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Start Your Business with Shopify

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How to sell art online

Meet the art experts

What’s right for you selling your own art or selling works by other artists

What art to sell originals or reproductions

Reproductions of art open or limited edition

How do you print art and choose printers

How do you photograph and scan art

How do you build your brand as an artist or art curator

How do you set prices for your art

How do you sell art online with your own ecommerce store

Where can you sell your art online

Gallery exhibitions pop-ups and offline events for selling art

Can you work with galleries to sell your art

How do you market your art store

How do you package and ship art

Plagiarism issues and copyright protection when selling art

The artist as an entrepreneur

Selling art online FAQ

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How to Sell Your Art Locally in 2022 – Cafes, Coffee Shops, Restaurants, Stores, and More! – Art Side of Life®

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Where are the Best Places to Sell Your Art Locally

How to Sell Your Art Locally in 2022

Bonus Valuable Tips Real World Examples and Success Stories

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Is Selling Art Online for You? | Artwork Archive

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How To Sell Digital Downloads of Your Artwork… Part 1 – Getting Started

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What Is A Digital Art Print

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How To Make Your Artwork Digital

Selling Digital Downloads of Your Artwork

Licensing Your Artwork

Sending A License With Your Files

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12 Tips for Selling Your Art Online (Beginners Guide)

Heads up: This post may contain affiliate links, Learn more How to sell art online and make money as a new artist There is a preconceived notion that the only way to make a living as an artist is to hand your work over to a gallery owner in the hopes of making a profitable sale. But that’s just one of the many, many ways to make a living from your art. The rapid growth and advancement of technology have greatly increased the ease of doing business. The advent of e-commerce has made it possible to buy and sell almost anything online, including artwork. Today buyers and sellers from all across the world meet in virtual marketplaces. You can very easily start selling your art online, promote it, and attract customers from all over the world. It is possible to quit your day job and make art your full-time career. The “starving artist” is a mere myth and we’re here to show you how to keep that from becoming a reality. Here are 12 simple tips for selling art online as a beginner: 1. Find Your Niche. Before you begin to sell your work online, its good idea to find your niche and your unique style that sets your artwork apart from the rest. This will convey your strengths to your potential clientele and reflect who you are as an artist. It may be tempting to go broad with your art style choices but, learning from experience you’ll have a much higher chance of success if you narrow down your style, medium or theme to create or work within a niche. 2. Get to Know Your Art Business. If you’re just starting out, it’s a good idea to begin a self-study course for art business. Taking an online course has its own advantages as they’re easily accessible, more affordable, and you can go at your own pace. Our Resource Library has tons of online courses and business tools for artists. By taking courses and reading books, you’ll be able to determine how to best manage your money, any legal items you may not have considered, what to do about taxes and self-employment, and so many other invaluable areas of an independent art business you’ll eventually need to learn, so start now and save yourself time by learning from others. 3. Find the right marketplace to sell your art. A good method for selling your art online is online marketplaces that are specialised in selling and buying art. ArtFinder is an incredible platform for artists selling original and unique pieces. Art buyers from all over the world visit ArtFinder to purchase work from emerging artists. The site’s art sale success rate is relatively high even for first timers. Artists are making thousands of pounds using this platform. It may not be for everyone, but it’s worth a try. The renowned Saatchi Gallery also has their own marketplace for artists selling art online. Many people join this platform for the reputation the gallery has, not to mention the quality of inbound traffic and potential sales it can attract to your art website. Etsy is another very well known online marketplace for artisans, crafters, and creatives selling handmade products, prints and unique goods. It’s a very saturated marketplace, so it an be difficult for your listings to show up in search results, especially when you’re just starting with no previous audience or sales. There are many things to consider when posting your artwork for sale on this marketplace, good knowledge of search engine optimisation (SEO) and keyword research will get you started the right way. Illustrator Bonnie Lecat has a course on how to successfully sell on Etsy.

4. Don’t rely on one stream of income. An important thing to do when you’re selling your art online, is to utilise different online platforms or art marketplaces. At the start, it’s best to focus your efforts on one platform, correct and learn from your mistakes before moving on to listing your art on other platforms. Perhaps your art doesn’t sell very well on a certain website, but it could do very well with another. Selling your art on different marketplaces is a great way to expand your income sources. Consider selling your artwork in a few different ways, with both high and lower price points. You may want to sell original art pieces, art prints, stickers, calendars, cards, T-shirts, mugs you name it. Just make sure you don’t sacrifice the quality of your work when you decide on products to sell your art on. If you’re skilled in working with a particular art medium, you might even consider teaching workshops, or launching your own online course. Platforms like Skillshare and Teachable are great places for creatives to teach what they know, in order to create an extra stream of income for themselves. You can also try selling your art on online auctions, in crafts fairs, art markets and online galleries. Whatever you choose, make sure you do your research and only pick the ones that are trusted and reputable. If you’re not sure where to start with online auctions, you can try your hand at an Instagram auction like @seeyounexthursday Ways to sell your art and diversify your income online and offline: Selling art prints and original pieces on online marketplaces or your own website Sell your art on products like stickers, stationary, t-shirts, mugs with print-on-demand Teach your artistic skills through workshops or launch a course Sell your art in online auctions Sell at local craft fairs and art markets

5. Create an e-commerce art shop on your own website.

If you already have your own website or online art portfolio but don’t want the involvement of a third party marketplace, you can sell your work on your own website. Whether you sell your work in an online gallery or elsewhere, it’s still necessary to have your own website or online portfolio. The design of your website should reflect your artistic style and act as a showcase for potential buyers and fans of your artwork. It should feature your best quality work and be a virtual representation of your brand.

Get started with easy drag & drop site-builders:

Wix (Drag & Drop, best for beginners with no experience) SquareSpace (Best for beginners & designers) WordPress (Best for creators with website building experience)

6. Consider Print-on-Demand products

Print on demand websites are also becoming increasingly popular platforms for artists and designers to profit from their art. Once you’ve uploaded a high-quality image of your artwork, it can be printed on just about anything. The best part is, after you’ve submitted your work, the website takes care of the rest.

Get started:

7. Get Social Media Savvy

For independent artists, art marketing is an important part of selling your artwork especially online. The art world is saturated with fine artists trying to do the same thing. You’ll find that it’s a lot easier to sell your work to an existing audience. If you use social media to connect and engage with the people who are interested in your artistic skill and already find your Instagram page inspiring, you’ll have a captive audience ready to sell to.

Use Blogs, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, even TikTok, whatever social media platforms you’re comfortable with at the moment, to tell people more about the new art you’ve produced, or are in the process of making. Although beware that mindless self-promoting doesn’t usually lead to sales. Instead, give your audience a sense of who you are as the person behind the art. Share behind the scenes, your art studio, or talk about the inspiration for your pieces. This will help them to build trust and confidence in you and your work.

8. Know your worth, and how price your art accordingly

When it comes to pricing your art, it’s important to research the various ways to do this while still making sure you don’t underprice or overprice your artwork. If you’re a beginner and have never sold your work before, rather than pulling random numbers out of the air, you may find it useful to use an art pricing formula to begin with and make adjustments as you grow.

There are a number of online tools that can help your determine a price for your artwork, like this Free Art Calculator app. It’s a great tool to keep in your arsenal, although it’s not entirely accurate, it is a great starting point. All you do is put in the size, medium and style of your artwork and boom, you get a price. You will need to make some adjustments up or down, and prices are shown in US dollars so you’ll also need to convert the currency if you’re not in the US.

How to Sell Art Online: The Ultimate Guide

Try Shopify for free, and explore all the tools and services you need to start, run, and grow your business.

When I graduated from art school, I had mastered color theory and brush techniques and composition—but didn’t know the first thing about business. How can I sell art and paintings online? How would I market myself? What steps did I need to take to sell my art? How should I price my work, and what would I charge for shipping? At the time, the creator tools and channels to amplify and sell your own art online were practically nonexistent.

For gallerists and curators, the shift in how we buy and sell in the last two decades has allowed these businesses to represent more artists and expand into selling affordable art prints online to reach larger audiences worldwide.

How to sell art online

Decide what medium of art to sell Decide to sell originals or reproductions Choose a printer Build a brand as an artist Set prices for your art Setup your online store Apply for exhibitions, pop-ups and events Work with galleries Market your art Package your art

Whether you’re a creator or a curator looking to make money selling art online, this how to sell artwork online and in person guide is for you. We consulted experts and successful artists for their advice on everything you need to know to sell your art, from marketing to pricing to shipping. You can also use this guide to learn how to sell your photos online as art.

Meet the art experts

We reached out to experts in the art world—two artists and a gallerist—actively making their living by selling art online and asked, “how do you sell art online?” among other things. In this guide to selling your own artwork, their anecdotes will be woven into practical and actionable advice for any creative entrepreneur.

Cat Seto, owner and artist, Ferme à Papier

Ferme à Papier

Cat Seto is an artist and author, and the founder of Ferme à Papier, a San Francisco–based studio and boutique representing unique goods from independent West Coast designers. Her stationery has appeared in multiple publications and landed her partnerships with brands like Anthropologie and Gap. Prior to the pandemic, Cat closed the retail arm of her business to refocus and find a new location. The recent hate crimes targeting the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community have influenced her need for change. “I have decided that I am at a time and place in my business in which my collections need to represent themes which matter to me and those around me,” she says.

Maria Qamar, artist, Hatecopy

Hatecopy

Take note of our next expert especially if you want to know the best way to sell paintings online. Most famously known by her artist moniker, Hatecopy, Maria Qamar quit her advertising career to focus on art when her pop art paintings began to catch fire on Instagram. The success didn’t happen overnight. “I did contract work here and there,” says Maria. “When you’re starting out, you’re earning zero dollars.” Her full-time job, however, taught her business skills that were critical to selling her own artwork, getting off the ground, and marketing herself as an artist. Now she works full time on her art, selling her own artwork in multiple formats, from art prints to printed merch. She also published a book, Trust No Aunty, in 2017.

Ken Harman, curator and gallerist

Artistaday/Spoke Art

Ken Harman is the man behind the art empire that includes Spoke Art, Hashimoto Contemporary, and publishing company Paragon Books. Together, these businesses represent many global artists through physical galleries, online shops, and pop-up exhibitions. Unlike Maria, Ken didn’t have a chance to transition slowly at the start. When he was unable to secure a temporary pop-up location for a curated show, he signed a two-year lease on a space. “I really didn’t have any other options,” he says. “I just pulled the trigger.”

What’s right for you: selling your own art or selling works by other artists?

There are two ways for how to sell your art: create or curate. Cat built her career on both by creating and selling her own work and representing the work of others in her boutique. Which one is right for you? Let’s explore the two avenues in this guide to how to sell artwork online.

Artist Kelsey Beckett in her studio. Spoke Art

As an artist, you are the creator, producing original art and/or reproductions of originals and selling directly to your customers or indirectly through a gallery, retail partner, or agent. It’s never been easier for artists to sell directly, with emerging creator tools popping up seemingly every day. Depending on your style and medium, choose a sales channel where your desired audience hangs out. This is arguably the easiest way to sell art online for many.

Maria runs her own online shop, where she sells prints and merchandise, eliminating the middleman and keeping her costs low. But she also leans on relationships with experienced galleries for exhibiting and selling own artwork. If you’re learning how to sell your art, note that galleries can expose your work to new audiences. They may also have access to resources and professionals to help promote, exhibit, handle, and ship artwork.

Curate

Galleries can expose your work to new audiences and expand your reach. Spoke Art

If you’re not personally an artist but you have a great eye and a love of the art world, you can still get into the game of selling art as a curator. Some artists may be disinterested in marketing or figuring out the best way to sell art online and instead rely on gallerists, curators, and retail partners to handle this aspect of the business. As a partner to artists, you make a percentage of the selling price in exchange for your business knowledge and service.

There are several ways to work with artists to figure out the best way to sell art online for you—be it selling originals or prints to licensing works to be printed on merchandise or used in publication. “Most galleries offer an industry standard 50% consignment split for original art,” says Ken. “The artist provides the artwork, we do our best to sell it.” Spoke also operates its own print shop, selling limited-run prints of works by the artists it represents—offering a wide range of price points for their fans.

What art to sell: originals or reproductions?

As an artist, you may choose to sell your art, reproductions of that work, or both. The best way to sell art online will depend on the nature of your art and your chosen medium. Fine artists using classic mediums and selling at high price points may choose to only sell originals, for example, while digital art, which can be reproduced without loss of quality, is great for prints and merch. However, most art created in 2D mediums have multiple options for generating unlimited sales on a single work.

🎨 Consider the following options when determining the best way to sell your art online:

Original art such as paintings, drawings, illustrations (Note: you can sell both the original art as well as prints of the same work.)

such as paintings, drawings, illustrations (Note: you can sell both the original art as well as prints of the same work.) Limited- or open-edition prints (framed, unframed, or prints on canvas)

(framed, unframed, or prints on canvas) Digital downloads (desktop wallpaper, templates, print-at-home art, etc.)

(desktop wallpaper, templates, print-at-home art, etc.) Custom art made to order from a customer request or commissioned by a business (Note: Generally, this art would be one of a kind and not sold again as a reproduction.)

made to order from a customer request or commissioned by a business (Note: Generally, this art would be one of a kind and not sold again as a reproduction.) Merchandise (your art printed on hats, mugs, t-shirts, enamel pins, greeting cards, stationery, etc.)

(your art printed on hats, mugs, t-shirts, enamel pins, greeting cards, stationery, etc.) Repeat prints on fabric, wrapping paper, or wallpaper

Licensing work to other brands or publications (great for illustrators and photographers)

(great for illustrators and photographers) Collaborations with brands (limited collection sold through the partner brand’s store)

Stationery and greeting cards are just some of the products you can sell featuring your art. Ferme à Papier

Some mediums, like sculpture, are more difficult to reproduce or use for merchandise applications—you may consider a different route if you’re interested in the easiest way to sell art online. But for those impossible to scan and print, there are still ways to generate additional income from a single design. For example, clay works may use the same mold to generate similar pieces, and 3D designs can be created over and over with a 3D printer.

Reproductions of art: open or limited edition?

Reproducing art on t-shirts, mugs, or art prints means that a single work can bear fruit indefinitely. If you’re looking for how to sell artwork like paintings as prints, there are pros and cons. You can choose to sell an unlimited number of products (otherwise known as open edition). However, some galleries, like Spoke, opt for a limited edition model when you ​​sell your art (there are only a certain number of prints produced) on many of the works they represent.

The effect is much like that of a limited time offer—creating a sense of scarcity and urgency is an excellent marketing strategy. For Ken, however, the decision to limit print runs goes deeper. “We work really hard to find things that are very special to sell. Things that are special should be treated like they’re special,” he says. While Spoke may be able to make more money selling prints as an open edition, the choice to limit them adds to the value of the art.

Limited edition has its drawbacks, however. “A lot of the things that we sell have secondary market values,” says Ken, meaning that limited edition pieces may sell for inflated prices on the resale market (think limited-edition sneakers) because the demand is high. To help minimize reselling, Spoke will limit quantities of certain prints per customer. It’s also built a blacklist of known resellers. “Making sure that the real fans are actually the ones who are able to get the things that we sell is always a priority,” Ken says.

How do you print art and choose printers?

Choosing the right printing materials, technology, or partner for your art is an important step in the process. Ferme à Papier

Understanding how to sell your artwork comes down to getting very friendly with a printer, whether that’s your at-home inkjet or a company that handles the task for you. There are multiple options, from DIY to completely hands off, to help you sell art prints and other merch to your audience.

DIY printing

It’s possible to start selling your own artwork by creating quality prints yourself with the high-quality paper, ink, and home office printer. As a new artist, this method can keep costs low, but it’s not the way to go if you want to know how to sell your art sustainably so you can scale over time. “In the beginning, I would print, package, and deliver by hand every single poster that was ordered,” says Maria. “At some point the volume became so much that I couldn’t make time to draw. I was spending all of my days delivering and in transit.” This method is usually limited to selling art prints on paper, but some specialty printers may allow you to print on canvas paper or fabric designed specifically for this purpose.

Using a printing company

A local or online printing company can reproduce your work en masse and can even offer bulk discounts if you are printing many of the same piece. This can be the best way to sell art online if you have a small catalog of just a few works that you sell consistently and have a budget to purchase inventory upfront. With this method of how to sell artwork online, you will still be responsible for your own packaging and shipping.

It’s important that we are the last sets of eyes inspecting, packaging, and shipping the product to our customers. Cat Seto, Ferme à Papier

While a print-on-demand model for custom clients and orders is the best way to sell your art online for Cat, she often prints large batches for collection releases. In either case, the prints arrive at her studio first, rather than shipping directly to the customer. “It’s important that we are the last sets of eyes inspecting, packaging, and shipping the product to our customers,” she says.

Working with a trusted printer and requesting samples can ensure that your work is reproduced in a way that respects the original. Hatecopy

Print on demand

Print on demand is the most hands-off and versatile of options and possibly the easiest way to sell art online, especially if you plan to sell your work printed on merch like t-shirts or caps. Print-on-demand companies generally integrate with your online store and allow you to upload your designs, which are then printed and shipped directly to each customer when you receive an order. This is a great option if you want to know how to sell artwork on a budget, as there is little upfront investment with no need to buy equipment or inventory.

When the number of orders exceeded her capacity to print and ship work herself, Maria upgraded to using a print-on-demand company. “All I have to do is upload and let it do the work for me,” she says. “Now I can focus on actually creating the artwork and connecting with people.”

💡 Tip: Before you start selling your own artwork this way, request samples from the printer so you can inspect the colors and quality of the print. This is especially important if printed items will be sent directly to your customers.

How do you photograph and scan art?

Photographing and representing your products clearly and accurately is important for any online business. Without the ability to feel a product, customers need to get the best sense of what they’re buying through clear and detailed images. Selling art online is no exception.

“If you have a bad image of your work or the image doesn’t represent the work accurately, you’re going to have a harder time selling it,” says Ken. Or, you’ll be stuck dealing with unhappy customers and processing returns.

Product photography when you sell your art is a little trickier than other products, and a basic light setup may still cause glare or color irregularities. Consider hiring a professional to shoot larger works or art with any three-dimensional or glossy elements.

If you have a bad image of your work or the image doesn’t represent the work accurately, you’re going to have a harder time selling it. Ken Harman, Spoke Art

Lifestyle photos that feature your products or art in a space or scene help to inspire your customers and show scale. Hatecopy

For 2D works, however, Ken recommends scanning as an affordable and effective alternative to photography. Though his facility has a photography setup for shooting art, many artists submit their works to Spoke as scans because they need the digital file for their own archives anyway. “The most cost effective way to do that is to get a desktop scanner and scan the work in parts and stitch it together digitally,” he says. “If you’ve got a piece with a high-gloss coating or a resin, that’s a little tricker, but for the majority of works on canvas or paper, it’s pretty easy.”

If you’re selling merch or other products that feature your art, the general rules of product photography apply. Take clear shots from multiple angles as well as zoomed-in shots to show texture and detail. Lifestyle photos (your product in a scene) are great for your home page and social media and help to show scale. Print-on-demand companies often provide mockup images you can use on your product pages in lieu of or in addition to photography.

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How do you build your brand as an artist or art curator?

As an artist learning how to sell your artwork, your brand may evolve as a natural extension of your art. Your chosen style and medium will define you as an artist and you will naturally attract fans and buyers based on this alone. However, there are many decisions you will need to consciously make when you start to think of yourself as a business as well as an artist.

Because art is a personal and sometimes emotional purchase, your story as an artist could be a factor in someone’s decision to purchase. And other business assets like packaging and site design should mirror or complement the visual aesthetic of the work itself.

🎨 Ask yourself the following if you’re interested in selling your own artwork:

Do you create and sell art under your own name, a pseudonym, or a brand name?

What’s your brand story? How much of your personal story will you tell?

Do you have a mission, values, or a cause that you want to communicate through your brand?

Outside of the art itself, what is the visual direction of the brand? What’s the tone of your communication?

What branding assets do you need? Even without graphic design skills, you can generate a logo with free tools.

The answer to these questions will help you build a set of brand guidelines that will dictate many of your decisions going forward: branding, website design, marketing materials, etc. If you eventually scale your business, these guidelines will help you maintain brand consistency as you delegate tasks to staff or other partners.

In collaborating, I think it’s important to not only stay true to your brand, but to be able to listen and be proactive to whomever you are collaborating with. Cat Seto, Ferme à Papier

For Cat, the causes closest to her heart are central to her brand. While she is currently refocusing to work on themes that support the AAPI community, this isn’t the first time she’s made a statement with her work. Ferme à Papier launched a Saving Faces collection highlighting the stories of women and underrepresented groups.

Causes close to Cat’s heart are central to her brand. Ferme à Papier

Cat’s brand values influence the types of projects she takes on with brands and clients. “In collaborating, I think it’s important to not only stay true to your brand,” she says, “but to be able to listen and be proactive to whomever you are collaborating with.”

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How do you set prices for your art?

When setting retail price for art, consider more subjective aspects like value, demand, and popularity of the art or artist. Ferme à Papier

How do you sell art online—and make money doing it? 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.

Pricing original art

The best way to sell art online and in person is to be profitable—and you have to price your art accordingly. If you’re just beginning to experiment with how to sell your art and don’t have a widely known name in the art world, you can start with a simple formula to price your original art: your time and labour costs + material costs and other expenses + your markup (profit). For this method, you will need to assign yourself an hourly wage. It is typical for artists to undervalue their time and work, especially at the beginning.

Knowing what your products stand for and what you aren’t willing to compromise are key components in driving decisions about pricing. Cat Seto, Ferme à Papier

Where the formula above fails is that the value of art is subjective and not necessarily dependent on concrete details like material cost or labour hours. Famous artists can fetch exponentially more for a piece that has roughly the same creation costs as that of a new artist. Check the market to compare your pricing to similar artists at similar levels and adjust accordingly.

Remember that if you are selling through a gallery, that business will usually take half of the final selling price. You can usually work with gallerists, who are experts at valuing and pricing art, to set a price that makes sense for you, the gallery, and the market.

Pricing art prints

Selling art prints or other types of reproduction can follow a more simple pricing formula: the cost of printing + your cost to sell and market the print + your markup. Your markup may be on a scale depending on whether you sell open- or limited-edition prints.

“Knowing what your products stand for and what you aren’t willing to compromise are key components in driving decisions about pricing,” says Cat. For her, printing on sustainable paper was a must-have, even though it would drive up material costs and ultimately the retail price. Communicating these decisions to the customer is important, especially if your prices are higher than average.

📚 Read more:

How do you sell art online with your own ecommerce store?

Spoke Art

The best way to sell your art online is through your own ecommerce store. First, take a few minutes to create your store. At this point, you can set it up as a trial and tinker with it for two weeks before committing. You’ve already done a lot of the work if you’ve established brand guidelines, pricing, and business model (originals, prints, or merch)—this part is simply assembly.

Get started selling art online and try Shopify free for 14 days Email address Start free trial

Store design and themes

When setting up your online art store, choose a Shopify theme that lets your art breathe–large images and lots of white/negative space. Themes are like templates that you build upon, layering in your own images and copy, and tweaking colors and layout to suit your business.

🎨 Some of our theme picks for selling art online:

Narrative (free) is a theme for storytellers, allowing your artist persona to live front and center.

Editions ($) is an airy theme that gives bold artwork the breathing room it deserves.

California ($$) is a clean theme that lets your art be the star. It’s great for large collections.

Highlight ($$) is a bold theme with slideshow and parallax scrolling features that are great for visual storytellers.

Artisan ($$) is an ideal theme for artists who sell custom work and commissions.

Anatomy of a great product page. Spoke Art

Shopify is the easiest way to sell art online. It’s designed so anyone can set up a custom online store with no coding or design skills necessary. However, if you’re interested in customizing your theme even further to suit your business, consider hiring a Shopify Expert to help you with design or development work.

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Apps for art stores

The Shopify App Store is packed with apps that plug directly into your online store to solve specific pain points, add unique features, and help you run your store more effortlessly—allowing you to focus on the creative aspects of the business.

🎨 App suggestions to help sell your art online:

Print-on-demand apps. If you sell your artwork via prints and merch, apps like Creativehub, Printful, or Printify can sync with your store, taking the burden of shipping and fulfillment out of the equation.

If you sell your artwork via prints and merch, apps like Creativehub, Printful, or Printify can sync with your store, taking the burden of shipping and fulfillment out of the equation. Gallery apps. An app like POWR Image Gallery can feature past or out-of-stock works, serving as a portfolio or full catalog of your work for galleries or brands looking to partner with you.

An app like POWR Image Gallery can feature past or out-of-stock works, serving as a portfolio or full catalog of your work for galleries or brands looking to partner with you. Social marketing apps. As a creator, you may lean toward visual social media platforms like Instagram to help market your products and build an audience. Keep site content fresh with an app like Instafeed that pulls Instagram images into a gallery on your site.

As a creator, you may lean toward visual social media platforms like Instagram to help market your products and build an audience. Keep site content fresh with an app like Instafeed that pulls Instagram images into a gallery on your site. Product page apps. If you’re offering a specific piece of artwork with overlapping options (size, frame or no frame, paper type, etc.), use an app like Bold Product Options to layer item variants.

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Where can you sell your art online?

Etsy

What’s the best place to sell art online? Aside from your own online store, it’s the place where your ideal customer is already hanging out. If you have amassed a following on a particular social channel, for example, that might be a great place to start.

Where to sell your art online:

Online marketplaces like Etsy or eBay can plug directly into your online store, allowing you to sync sales and reach wider audiences.

like Etsy or eBay can plug directly into your online store, allowing you to sync sales and reach wider audiences. Social selling channels let you sell directly to fans who are already following you on their preferred platforms. Create customizable storefronts on Facebook and Instagram that integrate with your Shopify store.

let you sell directly to fans who are already following you on their preferred platforms. Create customizable storefronts on Facebook and Instagram that integrate with your Shopify store. Wholesale to other online boutiques and galleries. You can browse wholesale markets like Handshake to find compatible retailers that want to sell your art.

Cat now sells her work through multiple channels, but she cautions to start slow if you’re just learning ​​how to sell artwork. “Having multiple avenues came as an evolution to what first began as a wholesale business,” she says. While her retail channel is on pause for the moment, she now sells direct to customer and works on custom projects for clients and brands in addition to her wholesale business. “If I had tried to balance all of these from the onset,” she says. “I believe I would have been overwhelmed.”

Gallery exhibitions, pop-ups, and offline events for selling art

How to sell your artwork isn’t limited to online—you can sell via physical retail too. Because Maria works frequently in traditional mediums, much of the impact of the texture and scale of her work gets lost digitally. “It’s actual physical work, so when we do exhibits, you can walk into a gallery and see that I’m a real person that has technical skills that can do paintings and large scale installations,” she says. Artists can also connect with fans and find new audiences by taking work offline. You can use in-person experiences to drive people back to your online store.

🎨 Consider the following when selling your own artwork:

Partner with a gallery to exhibit work.

to exhibit work. Look into local art markets and events , and set up a one-time or semi-permanent booth.

, and set up a one-time or semi-permanent booth. Consign or wholesale with art, gift, or lifestyle retail stores, or set up a small pop-up within an existing store.

with art, gift, or lifestyle retail stores, or set up a small pop-up within an existing store. Open your studio to the public when you launch your website, or keep consistent weekly open-studio hours to invite fans into your process.

when you launch your website, or keep consistent weekly open-studio hours to invite fans into your process. Run a pop-up shop (partner with other artists to reduce costs).

(partner with other artists to reduce costs). “Lend” or consign work for décor to emerging retail businesses like cafés in exchange for the exposure.

Before Ken opened his permanent gallery, he dabbled in pop-ups as a means to build his reputation as a gallerist and validate the business idea, but has never let go of the physical part of the business. For those selling original works, some element of in-person experience is critical, says Ken. “It’s very rare to find a successful art gallery that functions entirely online.”

However, advances in technology like 3D and AR for online stores and the acceleration in digital experiences brought on by the pandemic may mark big changes for the art world in the future. It’s important to follow consumer trends while you learn how to sell your art and grow your business.

Can you work with galleries to sell your art?

Yes, you can work with galleries to sell your art on your behalf. If you’re not interested in how to sell your artwork yourself and instead prefer having your art represented by a gallery—or even in addition to selling prints on your own site—there are a few dos and don’ts:

✅ DO check out the gallery’s social media accounts. “If you have more followers than that gallery does or that gallery doesn’t have a lot of followers, that may give you pause,” says Ken. A gallery should be able to give you a wider exposure than you can get yourself.

❌ DON’T approach a gallery via social media. “You’d be amazed at how many people try to submit to us via Facebook Messenger or tag us in a post on Instagram and ask us to look at their work,” says Ken. “While social media is a major focus for us, that’s just not a very professional way to come across if you’re an artist.”

✅ DO your research and contact only those galleries who represent work in line with your own style. “You can’t sell street art to somebody who collects impressionism,” says Ken.

❌ DON’T sacrifice quality for quantity. “It’s frustrating when an artist who’s hoping to catch our attention tags us and 20 other galleries all in the same post.” Select the top few galleries that you want to work with most and send individual outreach to each.

✅ DO your homework. “Find the name of the director or the curator for the gallery,” says Ken. “Being able to personalize an email is a great first step in that process.”

How do you market your art store?

Many artists like Maria started on social media as the best way to sell art online, growing a following first before launching a store and monetizing their work. The channel where you’ve gained the most traction in the beginning is a natural place to spend your energy and marketing dollars first.

🎨 More ideas to get traffic to your site—and make sales:

Run paid ad campaigns on platforms like Google or Facebook.

on platforms like Google or Facebook. Invest in organic social by producing consistent content and engaging with fans and art communities frequently.

by producing consistent content and engaging with fans and art communities frequently. Run contests or offer exclusive discounts to social followers (bonus: use these to help build your email list).

to social followers (bonus: use these to help build your email list). Reach out to influencers and press when you launch your site or a new collection. As you scale, you may opt to outsource to a PR firm.

when you launch your site or a new collection. As you scale, you may opt to outsource to a PR firm. Use content marketing to drive organic traffic. Use your expertise to create content around art, how-tos, behind the scenes, etc., either through a blog, vlog, or podcast.

to drive organic traffic. Use your expertise to create content around art, how-tos, behind the scenes, etc., either through a blog, vlog, or podcast. Learn about SEO to help improve your store’s discoverability.

to help improve your store’s discoverability. Drive exposure with offline marketing. Participate in art shows and markets or work with a gallery to expand your reach to new, larger audiences.

📚 Read more:

How do you package and ship art?

As art is visual, you should pay attention to the smallest details, 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. As art can be fragile, follow these guidelines for ensuring your work arrives safe and sound.

DIY shipping art

If you are shipping original art, or elect to ship prints and canvases yourself, rather than through a print and fulfillment company, take extra precaution with your packing. Larger prints and posters are best shipped in cardboard mailing tubes, and smaller prints in rigid cardboard mailing envelopes. Use glassine (a water and grease-resistant paper) or clear cellophane sleeves to protect prints within the packaging. Remember: the best way to sell your art online is to make sure it arrives in mint condition as a bare minimum.

Shipping expensive and oversized original artwork

Framed works and canvases require additional precautions—they’re certainly not the “easiest” way to sell art online in terms of shipping. Packaging supply shops offer packing and shipping materials like cardboard corners and specialty box sizes designed specifically for art.

If you’re shipping original work to a gallery or art collector, there are ways to cut costs. “The cost to ship an oversized painting that’s stretched on a canvas can be pretty substantial,” says Ken. “Sometimes what we do is unstretch a canvas, roll it in a tube, and ship it that way, which dramatically lowers the freight costs. Then we can have the canvas stretched locally.”

Shipping art direct with print on demand

The easiest way to manage shipping is to not manage it at all. If you opt to sell prints or merch only, your printing, order fulfillment, and shipping can all be managed by your print-on-demand partner. They are able to access great shipping rates due to volume and partnerships with carriers.

Shipping insurance for fine art

Insurance is important when shipping original works, as a lost or damaged package can’t be replaced. Many standard carriers offer fairly basic insurance on most packages, and if you sell your art you should look into the specific extra coverage costs and limitations of each carrier’s insurance offerings.

If you’re selling your own artwork at high price points, Ken takes additional measures to ensure the safety of the work. “Shipping anything worth more than a thousand dollars is definitely tricky,” he says, and suggests that artists look into using a private freight company or a carrier that specializes in art handling, despite the higher costs.

📚 Read more:

Plagiarism issues and copyright protection when selling art

Artist Tuesday Bassen waged war on copycats—large chain stores who ripped off her original designs—by hiring a lawyer and taking her story to the media. However, both Maria and Ken say copycats and plagiarism are just an unfortunate reality of doing business. Maria took legal action only once, before shifting her perspective. “At the end of the day, it took me my whole life to learn how to do this,” she says. “If somebody is copying me, they’re going to have to sit down and eventually learn for themselves, because sooner or later they’re going to run out of ideas.”

It’s a sign that I’m inspiring others and that what I’m doing is right because they wouldn’t copy me otherwise. Maria Qamar, Hatecopy

Maria takes Hatecopy’s copycats as an indication that she’s on to something.“It’s a sign that I’m inspiring others and that what I’m doing is right because they wouldn’t copy me otherwise,” she says, “I’m not offended or bothered by it anymore.”

For galleries that represent multiple artists and sell art online, copycat websites are a consistent problem. “We do have an issue with various online sites just bootlegging what we do,” says Ken. “It’s part of the way the world works, unfortunately. We do our best, but it happens.”

While copycats may be a reality, artists and businesses have legal recourse and should seek the advice of a copyright lawyer to help protect intellectual property before infringement happens.

The artist as an entrepreneur

Artist Cat Seto in her home. Ferme à Papier

For many entrepreneurs, the best way to sell art online is from whatever space you already have—not some expansive warehouse or inviting storefront. Cat started her art business from a spare bedroom. Whether it’s a basement or a kitchen table or a guest room, it can work as your launching pad. In this stage of your business, you’ll wear all the hats: creator, marketer, packer, shipper, web designer, and customer service rep.

Cat describes this time in her own journey as lean and humbling. “It gave me assurance of knowing every aspect of my business inside and out,” she says, “including its strengths and weaknesses.”

You could know everything about business and you could know everything about art, but it’s the combination of both that really makes a successful brand. Maria Qamar, Hatecopy

Thinking of yourself as an entrepreneur right from the get-go will be crucial to your success. You may stumble as a creative to learn the business aspects, but they will ultimately help you grow and scale. Eventually, you can delegate and automate, allowing you to focus on what you do best: making beautiful things.

“You could know everything about business and you could know everything about art, but it’s the combination of both that really makes a successful brand,” says Maria. “I am obsessed with creating that harmony.”

Feature illustration by Pete Ryan

Cafes, Coffee Shops, Restaurants, Stores, and More!

With so much focus these days on selling your art online, some of us may have forgotten how much fun – and how profitable – it can be to show and sell your artwork locally.

The local venues – be they galleries, fairs, shows or coffee shops – have some real advantages, and you can have a really positive experience selling this way, as well as meeting some really positive people and getting more connected with the local scene.

So I wanted to put together a guide for local artists on the best places and best ways to sell your art in your area, and maybe give you some hints and tips along the way to make the whole experience more fun and successful.

💡 Please note: This article may include affiliate links. When you buy through those links, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you! For more info, please read our disclosure.

Table of Contents

I will try to answer some of these basic questions:

How can I sell my art locally?

Can I sell artwork at local cafes or coffee shops?

Can I get into a gallery?

Where do local artists sell their stuff?

Is Craigslist a good way to sell art locally?

How can I make the most money selling my art?

Where are the Best Places to Sell Your Art Locally?

Turns out, this is not such a simple question to answer.

I’ve tried to put together a fairly comprehensive resource for finding and listing the very best places for selling art in your local community – no matter where your local community may be.

However, in doing some basic research to write this article, as well as looking back at my own experiences and at stories, feedback and advice I’ve gotten from artists and the art community, it soon became quite clear that this is not as simple as I had originally thought.

I mean, I can definitely give you some pointers, but so many of the smaller local businesses, shows and markets where you can do really well selling your art are not really listed on the web, or are happening at certain, and often not regular, times and places – and so any specific listings for this or that city are really impractical, and wouldn’t be that helpful.

Selling Art Locally – Where Do You Start?

So where does that leave you? Well, again, I can, and will, give you some valuable ideas and suggestions here, but you will probably need to do the legwork yourself.

Luckily, this is about as fun and enjoyable as legwork gets – visiting local coffee shops, attending meetings with people who share your interests and passions, finding cute stores and galleries.

So let’s get into a few specific ideas of the best places to check out and explore, in this guide to how to sell your art locally.

Along the way I will offer some special tip – ideas and advice, mostly from my own personal experience, about how to make selling at various venues a more successful and positive experience.

At the end of the article, in the Bonus section, I will close with some links to a few great videos, made by artists and entrepreneurs who have actually done the work and had success – it’s wonderful to see their enthusiasm and hear about their results, and you will hopefully get even more good ideas!

How to Sell Your Art Locally in 2022

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Arts Societies, Groups and Councils (and Art Fairs, Shows and Exhibits)

Art societies often hold sales and shows, where you can either inexpensively rent space or even exhibit art for free, and the members will also have great ideas about other shows, markets and retail venues you can take advantage of.

So really we’re talking about a couple of different things here – one, finding a local art council, art group or society, which can give you ideas about how and where to sell your artwork locally, and two, finding out from them specifically about local art sales, shows and exhibits (and whether or not you can participate).

Local arts clubs like these may focus on a single form of art – like painting, sculpture or comic art – or they may be more general. They may be very small and informal, or quite well developed and well organized.

And they may have really just a few artists, or lots and lots of members. Either way, though, a good art society or club is a wonderful way to meet fun, friendly and enthusiastic people, to get ideas and to make new friends.

Finding your own local art council, art clubs and societies is not difficult. Here are a few local resources you can turn to, as well as a couple of online platforms you can search:

National Endowment for the Arts

In the United States, this is the go-to resource for finding art councils, societies and organizations in your area – at least the larger, more well established ones. Check their State and Regional Arts Organizations page. Other national governments around the world have equivalent resources.

Art Supply Stores

Check for bulletin boards that will often have announcements and information about local art societies or clubs – or just ask an employee. (You can also check bulletin boards at, for example, your local grocery store or coffee shop.)

Local Library

Again, public bulletin boards at your local library are great places to find information about local art meetings and clubs, and librarians love helping you find what you’re looking for (and who knows? They may be artists themselves!).

Google

Before going to specific search platforms, you might simply Google something like “art societies, Denver Colorado” or “art groups, Denver Colorado” – unless, of course, you don’t live in Denver Colorado. Wherever you live, though, you’re likely to find some good leads, especially if you’re willing to scroll down a few pages.

Facebook and Meetup

Before going to specific search platforms, you might simply do a general internet seach on something like “art societies, Denver Colorado” or “art groups, Denver Colorado” – unless, of course, you don’t live in Denver Colorado. Wherever you live, though, you’re likely to find some good leads, especially if you’re willing to scroll down a few pages.

Facebook, Meetup and other platforms may give you even better and more specific results – you may be surprised at how many like-minded people in your area are meeting and sharing, and how many current pages and listings you can find on these and similar platforms. I have had better luck in this with meetup.com, but both are worth trying.

Local Art Gallery

Local galleries may be focused on known artists and fine art sales, and may not want to sell your art (or they may – you never know until you ask!), but they can definitely help you in other ways, and are always in touch with the local art community.

Tip – If you can’t find a good local art club, one that works for you and your schedule or relates to your specific interest, start your own!

Many people I know have done just that, and have quickly and easily found other artists and a few new friends by holding fun and informal monthly meetings – again, meetup.com can really help you.

Local Art Galleries

Art galleries can be intimidating places, and as we’ve just discussed they often feature successful, well known artists and more expensive art, and cater to a certain crowd..

At the same time, there are other art galleries out there that are far more locally oriented, with less expensive art (and less snooty clientele!) and lots of them are willing to at least look at a well-presented portfolio and consider featuring your work.

These too can be a bit intimidating at first, even the relaxed local galleries, but once you actually work up the courage and ask, you are likely to find that the owners or managers are really lovely, gracious people – who have most likely been exactly where you are now at one point!

You can find tons of art galleries in any area just by searching the internet, and often their website or Facebook page will give you an idea of what they’re about and if it’s a good fit.

And, just like with the local boutiques, coffee shops and cafes we discuss below, you can also just wander through lovely and fun bohemian neighborhoods and art districts to find just the right place.

Tip – use your own good judgment when checking out places, and don’t waste your time, or the gallery’s time, by inquiring at places which are obviously at a much higher (or lower) level, or featuring a completely different style and aesthetic, than your own.

At the same time, be confident and don’t sell yourself short – if you really feel that your stuff is just as good as what they are currently showing, they may too!

Local Coffee Shops and Cafes

You might hear the phrase “art cafe” quite a lot, and have a picture of some swanky and exclusive restaurant with lovely artwork hanging from the walls, obscenely high prices barely visible on their discrete tags.

But that’s not for us!

What we’re really looking for is the funky independent local coffee house (also not for us are Starbucks or the like), often around colleges or art schools, as well as local retail areas, old bohemian art quarters or even hip gentrified neighborhoods – cafes where your typical local artist will hang out, and where you are likely to find little tables piled with handmade hats or cute home-crafted teddy bears, and walls hung with paintings made by people like you and me.

And this is where the fun legwork comes in because these places are pretty unlikely to have a strong internet presence or any internet presence at all.

And if they do, you often can’t get an idea from their website or Facebook page if they are the kind of place that is willing to let you exhibit and sell your art.

Anyway, it’s often much better to talk to and get to know the owner and staff in person.

Tip – be prepared and be professional.

The local coffee shop you’ve found may seem all laid back and relaxed, but they will really love you if you yourself are at least somewhat together – with a nice and attractive portfolio displaying a selection of your art that’s finished, priced and ready to sell, and even your own business cards.

Don’t waste their time with idle inquiries or by being unprepared, and make the most of the opportunity!

Local Markets

Local markets can include farmers’ markets, flea markets, market areas at music and arts festivals and neighborhood fairs and festivals.

These are always fun and often quite exciting environments, and can really attract art lovers, so you often find a lot of young aspiring artists there as well.

You may well find that farmers’ markets, pop-up markets and flea markets charge you for booth or floor space, and so it might be a good idea to check the market out first, and even ask some local artists there if they have good results.

Festivals and fairs, though, can be more relaxed (though not always…), and you might even find that you have good success just showing up and selling in the parking lot.

Again, libraries, art supply shops and art clubs can be great resources for finding where and when art markets and art festivals are held, and the organizers will often have pretty well-developed Facebook pages as well.

Tip – plan ahead.

Even big farmers’ markets and flea markets may have limited space, or even a waiting list, and they may require pre-registration, so you might want to contact the administrators well in advance rather than just showing up.

And, despite their often chaotic and unmanaged air, some festivals and fairs can be pretty strict about who can sell there and how to go about it, so ask in advance.

Retail Shops and Boutiques

Similar to a coffee shop, retail shops and boutiques can be great places for local artists to show and sell your art.

And, again like coffee shops and cafes, the best small, independent stores may not be easy to find online, so I’m afraid you will again have to resort to wandering around fun, hip neighborhoods and visiting lots of cute little shops!

A big difference between coffee shops and retail shops, though, can be that the owners or managers of stores may be less interested or willing to display and sell your goods, especially if they don’t currently sell art – or, conversely, if your work may compete with their existing offerings (or if your stuff is clearly nicer – the owner may be selling their own work, and so there may be a bit of ego involved).

Ultimately, though, stores want to make money, and if your art is attractive and saleable they may very well be interested.

Tip – again, like with coffee shops, be professional and prepared, and don’t waste the shopkeeper’s or manager’s time.

Also, it’s a great idea to show enthusiasm and appreciation – not just for your own stuff, but for the merchandise they already have on hand.

But keep in mind that if you have to fake the enthusiasm because you really don’t like what they sell, you’re probably in the wrong place to sell your own cherished work!

Art Parties

Art parties are my idea of a really, really good time.

They are social gatherings where people come to hang out and have a good time, maybe enjoy some music, snacks and games, and check out your beautiful art – what could be better?

There are two ways to proceed: one is to simply have a fun party with food and drinks, entertainment and socializing, and use it to feature and sell your artwork, and the second is to actually have a party where your guests try their own hand at creating art – with your own work still prominently displayed and available, naturally.

You may well find that there are regular art parties being held in your area, and you can contact the host and see if they are interested in having you participate (often for a commission), or you can simply hold your own – ask friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, bored-looking people at the dog park or in the checkout line.

You may have a lot of luck searching for art parties using Facebook or Meetup, or even just Google (less likely, though), or again ask at art group meetings, at the local library or art supply shop, or even your supermarket’s bulletin board.

And if you are hosting your own art party, you can use those same exact resources to advertise your event for free.

Tip – I’ve always found that the most successful art parties focus more on the “party” than on the “art.”

Yes, the real point of the soiree is to sell your pieces, but if your guests are having fun, relaxing, and enjoying yourselves, they’ll be happier and more conducive to purchasing your work – plus they’ll be more likely to come back for future parties and recommend them to others.

Craigslist

Our last suggestion for the best ways to sell your arts locally actually comes right back to the online world.

Rather than working with the online art platforms like Artfinder, Saatchi, Etsy or Amazon (or in conjunction with those sites), you can easily (and usually for free) set up your own website, or a page on Facebook or other social media sites, to show and sell your art to local customers.

And you can – with a little effort and know-how – support these sights with various tweets and shares and likes and whatnot.

But lots of art entrepreneurs find it is much simpler, easier, more direct and more effective to just use Craigslist, which has area-focused listings for something like 700 cities and locations around the world.

Listings for selling on Craigslist are free, and they have a strong and focused readership that is there to find things to buy.

Since the listings are for specific areas, you can easily market to, say, the MSP twin cities area, or Austin, or Philadelphia, or pretty much anywhere you are, and find local customers who are easy to connect with and sell to.

Tip – learn the Craigslist rules and regs before you really get into using the site – not just to make sure you don’t break any rules, but to make sure you can post as many listings as often as you want, and take full advantage of the resource.

And also, while there are tons of pages on the internet about making the best and most effective Craigslist listings, I have found the following to be the most important: write short, clear and friendly descriptions; post high-quality images of the product; and make it easy for the buyer to buy and pay.

Bonus: Valuable Tips, Real World Examples and Success Stories

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To close this article on selling artwork locally, I would like to point you to some great YouTube videos from people who have been there and done that – and with great success.

These videos will give you some great ideas about displaying, pricing, dealing with customers and a lot more.

Thanks so much for reading this article – How to Sell Your Art Locally – Cafes, Coffee Shops, Restaurants, Stores and More! I really hope it has given you some good ideas and leads, and that you have great success in selling your art in your own community.

And make sure to check out our website – Art Side of Life – for more helpful tutorials, buyers guides, informational articles and lots of other resources for all kinds of crafting and all kinds of crafters!

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