How to Start Selling Your Art

Thank you for this! I’ve stressed about this so much!

Great video with a lot of good information. (the lighting in your studio is really great for your videos)

This was a very helpful talk. Thank you! I'm not ready to sell my work, but I like to gather information and form a plan. One question I have when selling originals is about returns. It seems like problems could arise (damage, costs, etc). If you do another video about selling your work, maybe you could share any experiences or advice on this topic?

Another topic of interest to me, and perhaps others, is how you digitize your paintings to create your limited edition prints. It seems it would require specific lighting and lenses. The only solution I've thought of would be to hire a photographer to shoot a batch of paintings at a time. I'll keep my eye on your website in hopes you might create a print of your beautiful painting "Afternoon at the Park". I fell in love with it at your Davis exhibit. It instills such a peaceful feeling.

I was painting a portrait of someone and she asked on Discord if she could buy it when I was finished. I was so happy because I've never made any money from my 'art', but by the time I'd finished it I'd convinced myself it wasn't good enough to accept money for... so I sent it for free. (I paid the shipping and everything) 😮‍💨

So I don’t really understand how you set up the shipping on Etsy. Like each painting weighs something different depending on whether or not the person is getting it framed. It’s all by weight and size. I don’t understand how to do all that. It’s very complicated with paintings. They’re also different. How did you figure all that out?

Im not a psinter, and I have no current desire to learn. I currently draw and I like working small. In order to make a good living with art, do you think one must paint? Does the market indicate that or even does it indicate being a sculptor?

Sold in person, still waiting for first online sale/connection so goes to new homes. Tough to let some go for the low prices, I know need to increase the demand and build up to a living wage organically but tricky with some when taken a while to paint.

This was helpful!

Thank you! Now how about packing and shipping canvas paintings?

i had a much different experience with both Etsy and IG...

I had a store for 2 yrs on Etsy and could barely get a nibble. it seemed like there was a neverending chasm of artwork, to the point where i had trouble finding my own pieces when searching. seems like they push frequent selling artists over actual content.

as for IG i'm in the low triple digit followers despite posting frequently. something changed in the last year to where if i post with hashtags posts get almost no views and very very infrequent follows from people i don't know who aren't onlyfans bots.

you see these artists that have tens of thousands of follows with very mediocre work and you have to wonder what have they done differently?

Lovely talk ❤

I am surprised Etsy worked! Have you promoted the artworks as well? Or just simply listed and sold it?