Selling Art Online: A Cautionary Tale
Jan 19, 2011 Art General
Selling art, especially online, is an ongoing learning curve for most of us. Hopefully, you can learn from my mistakes!
The Background
I have a website dedicated to my portrait art. The way it’s set up allows people to contact me through e-mail, order and pay for commissions all online. This opens up business to anybody, anywhere. While the majority of my clients are local people, I have had a few random visitors commission a portrait, and one of my long term goals is to increase that number.
The way I have arranged it is this:
- The client orders a portrait and sends in their photos.
- Work on their portrait does not start until a 50% deposit is made.
- When the client has approved the completed portrait by e-mail (digital image), the portrait is shipped.
- When the client receives the portrait, they are then responsible for paying the remaining 50% plus shipping.
Internet purchases are about mutual trust. The client is trusting that I will provide a satisfactory product, and I am trusting that the client will pay for it. I require a deposit as insurance in case the client decides to cancel their order halfway through. That way, I am compensated for the work that I have done up until that point. I don’t ask for the full payment until the client actually sees the physical portrait. This gives them the insurance of knowing exactly what they are paying for.
Which brings us to…
The Cautionary Tale
About a week before Christmas, I got an order for a portrait from a gentleman from another country who came across my site. He was understanding of the fact that he would not get the portrait before Christmas, but hoped it could be done as soon as possible. E-mails were exchanged and within hours of the initial message, the pictures were sent and the deposit made.
I was thrilled to have a sale from my website. I got to work right away and let me tell you, I worked my ass off! I finished that portrait in record time and managed to get it in the mail before Christmas, even paying extra out of my own pocket for faster shipping. I was more than willing to go the extra mile to satisfy a customer that might bring in more business.
Weeks went by and I heard nothing. According to the tracking number, the portrait arrived shortly after New Years. I heard nothing.
I sent invoices. I heard nothing. I sent e-mails.
I heard nothing.
At this point, all kinds of things are going through my head: maybe he forgot… maybe he’s out of town… maybe I’ve been had.
Luckily, I had his mailing address, as well as a cell phone number. I debated the best way to reach him and decided that a direct approach would be best. I called him and had one of the strangest conversations I’ve had in my life. He stated that he’d forgotten and assured me he would pay the balance the next day.
That was three days ago. Still nothing.
The Moral of the Story
Protect yourself when it comes to online art sales!
I certainly made some mistakes throughout this process, but I’ve always had the philosophy that I would give the world the benefit of the doubt until I got screwed. Well, this is it. Whether the payment comes through or not, I’d rather not go through this again. Next week I will write a post about the mistakes I made, as well as the steps I am going to take to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Sign up for my RSS feed to make sure you don’t miss out! I’ll also keep you posted on the payment status!
Tags: art tips, promotion, selling art
Big OOPS Turns Into Good Idea: Mistakes and Making Art
Jan 9, 2011 Art General
“Big OOPS turns into good idea.”
One of the things about blogging is that, as with art, inspiration comes from many places. The phrase above was actually the subject line of a post on a wedding planning forum. The poster messed up on her invitations and in the process of fixing the mistake, found a solution that was even better than the original idea.
This sentiment can be applied to your art practice as well!
Mistakes are not bad things. Mistakes do not mean you’re a bad artist. Mistakes do not mean you don’t know what you’re doing. Mistakes do not equal failure.
We have been programmed to see mistakes as negatives, indications of personal shortcomings and failures. In terms of art, this could not be farther from the truth. Mistakes are an indication of freedom, experimentation, play, and confidence. They are the result of doing something new and unexpected.
When you add this unpredictable dynamic to your art process is when exciting things start happening!
What would happen if you never tried something new or took a risk with your art? You would do the same thing over and over. Giving yourself permission to make mistakes liberates you from this kind of stagnation. Mistakes are the kick-start to creativity. They are what get your brain working on a problem and how to fix it. Have you ever seen the words “creative problem solving” on a resume? The key word here is problem. Without the problem, you don’t get the creative solution!
It really comes down to confidence. You need to have the confidence in yourself that when you do make a mistake, you will have the tools and ability to fix it. This kind of confidence doesn’t come from playing it safe; it comes from playing around and experimenting.
Making mistakes is essential to a dynamic and productive art practice. Go out today and try something new, something a little bit scary. It’s okay to screw up!
Tags: art tips, Creativity, motivation
Pointless Art Products: Crap You Don’t Need!
Nov 10, 2010 Art General
This is a follow-up to 3 Things that Really Do Make a Difference in Your Paintings. While you shouldn’t cut corners when it comes to the quality of your paper, brushes and paints, we all want to save a bit of cash.
The thing to remember is that the art industry is like any other industry: it is littered with products you don’t need. Don’t give into pressure and marketing! Most of these things are gimicky little devices that may look cool, but aren’t very useful.
Here are some areas where you can cut corners without affecting the quality of your art work.
Palettes
Don’t spend your money on fancy contraptions that you don’t need. A palette is just a place to mix your paint. You can use an old ice cream bucket lid, a dinner plate or even a piece of glass. You can also make your own painting palette.
Easels
These certainly look “official” but aren’t necessary for painting. All you really need is a way to prop your painting upright. If you’re working on canvas, you can hang it directly on the wall to paint on it. If the canvas is particularly large, set it on two blocks to raise it off the floor and lean it against the wall.
Brush Cleaner
Another unnecessary product. When it comes to getting brushes clean, special brush cleaners don’t work much better than a regular old bar of soap. I have noticed that brush cleaner works slightly better when getting oil off brushes, but it’s not enough that I’d recommend you run out and buy some. Bar soap works just fine!
Brush Stands
Yes, they exist. No, you don’t need one. Store your brushes laying flat, or standing up resting on the handle. Never store your brushes on the bristles, it can bend them permanently.
Wooden Mannequin
While these models aren’t specifically painting related, they are another pointless art product. I remember when I first saw one of these and thought it was the coolest thing ever. I was given one for my birthday and realized that it wasn’t good for much of anything. These mannequins don’t make a good reference because they don’t give a very accurate depiction of the human figure and don’t mimic the body’s movements well at all.
Portable Easels
If you’re into plein air paintings, you don’t need to shell out for a portable easel. Lori Mcnee has some great information on how to build your own pochade box.
If you’re on a budget, the things you should really worry about are brushes, paints and paper. These are the essential painting tools that can make or break your work. Everything else is just fluff. Some fluff is more useful than other fluff, but none of it is necessary.
Have you seen any other ridiculous art products?
Tags: art tips, save money
Is Your Painting Finished? 5 Questions to Ask Yourself
Sep 29, 2010 Drawing
How do you know when your painting is finished? With some pieces you just know, but with others you need to make a conscious decision to stop. It can be difficult to figure out when your painting is finished. You often don’t know it was done until you go too far and realized you should have stopped ten minutes earlier!
Here are some questions to ask yourself to help determine if your painting is finished.
1. Is there enough contrast?
A fully realized painting should reflect a full range of contrast between values (light and dark) and hues (vibrant and unsaturated). When looking at values, it can be helpful to squint your eyes. This highlights the contrast between the lightest and darkest areas of your painting. You can also take a picture of your painting and digitally make it a gray-scale image. This gives you the best indication of the range of values. With not enough contrast in value, your painting will appear gray and flat.
Paintings should also have a mix of hue intensity; the brightness of colours. If you’ve used all of your colours straight out of the tube, you may want to think about toning some areas down by tinting the paint with white or a complimentary colour. This will only make the neighbouring hues look that much brighter!
2. Is your subject matter appropriately rendered?
I tried to word this in a way that could apply to any painting, regardless of subject matter. What I mean is, have you executed your painting in a way that reflects your style and aspirations? If you’re going for a realistic style, are there any areas that are clumsy or need more work? If you’re going for a loose, expressive style, are there areas that have become too tightly overworked? Don’t get lazy with what you’re painting and don’t make excuses.
3. Does the composition make sense?
Composition is the arrangement of the formal elements of your painting on the canvas. It can play a big part in the feeling of your piece. Have you considered the way the parts of your painting interact with each other? Even if you do thumbnail sketches, you may need to make changes to a painting’s composition. For example, when the subject matter gets too close to the edge of the canvas, it can create tension. If this isn’t intentional, it can take away from the effect of the painting.
4. Does it convey the right message?
You need to know what it is you’re trying to get across in your work and make sure your painting reflects that. Sometimes this can be hard to figure out all by yourself. A good way to answer this question is to get other people to look at your work. Other people will react to only what they see and feel in your work, not the ideas that are in your head. If you find that people are responding to something you didn’t intend, you may want to re-consider your approach.
5. Could you live with it?
Would you be happy hanging your painting in your house? Try it! Live with it on your wall for a few days. This is a really good way to get a new perspective on your piece. If there was an area bugging you, you may find that you suddenly know how to fix it.
Some paintings come together with almost an audible click. You step back and it’s finished. Others are a struggle every step of the way. With these pieces, it’s incredibly important that you be critical and evaluate each element of the painting, asking yourself what it brings to the piece. If you don’t feel that sense of completion, don’t panic! Turn on your critical, analytical side and evaluate the painting to determine if it’s finished.
How do you know when a painting is finished?
Disclaimer: Of course, the answers to these questions greatly depend on the style of painting you are doing. While it’s my opinion that most successful paintings have a full range of values, not every painting needs it. It really depends on what you are trying to achieve with your work. Whatever you’re going for, these questions reflect some of the things you should consider along the way.
Tags: acrylic painting, art tips, Creativity, oil painting
7 Tips to Make the Most of Art Gallery Openings
Sep 26, 2010 Promotion and Exhibition
You’ve lande
d an exhibition and the opening date is fast approaching. You begin to wonder what it’s going to be like, how you should prepare and what you should expect. Here are a few things to keep in mind for gallery openings, whether for a solo or group exhibition.
1. When to Arrive
It’s always a good idea, in my opinion, to arrive at the gallery a little bit early if you can. This lets you get acquainted with the gallery director or curator, get a feel for the space and help set up, if you’re so inclined. Some people like to arrive fashionably late, but that’s not my style. I like to know the lay of the land and have a few minutes to relax before jumping into networking.
3. Speaking of Networking…
Be prepared to “work the room.” You’re there to meet and greet, not only for your benefit but for the galleries. It’s a draw for visitors to know that the artist will be in attendance. Some tips for successful networking are:
- have a statement prepared to talk about your art when asked for more information
- keep business cards on hand throughout the evening, and give them out!
- have a website to direct people to if they want to see more of your work
- show genuine interest in your potential clients; ask questions (it’s not all about you!)
- mingle, but stay close to your work when in a group show
- be willing to approach viewers and introduce yourself; don’t wait for people to come to you
- don’t stick with friends or family during the opening, this makes you unapproachable
Basically, try to adopt an open and friendly attitude. Be there to answer questions and share information about your work, but also socialize and meet new people. You want to make your visitors feel welcome and valued for showing up. Remember that each person you talk to is a potential client.
4. Dress Appropriately
Don’t roll in looking like you’ve just left the studio. Yes, you’re an artist, but you also want to make a good first impression. The people you meet could be your future clients and collectors. It’s important to present yourself in a clean, professional way.
5. Saying a Few Words
Be aware that you may be asked to “say a few words” at the opening, sometimes with very little notice. At my exhibition opening last week, I knew I was going to be asked to speak. In fact, it was a mini artist talk and I was expected to talk for five to ten minutes. I made sure I had a small speech prepared so that I wouldn’t forget any important information. I’ve also been at openings where the curator has pulled me aside and said that he would introduce me in five minutes, when I’d be asked to “say a few words.” If you don’t have anything prepared, you run the risk of rambling on and on without direction or getting stuck and not knowing what to say.
6. Drinking
Wine may or may not be offered at gallery openings. If it is, I see nothing wrong with having a glass to relax and be sociable. Sometimes it’s good to just have something in your hand! Just be careful that you don’t over-indulge. Nothing screams unprofessional like a stumbling, slurring artist. This should go without saying, but it’s easy to do, especially if you’re nervous.
7. Most Importantly?
Have fun! This is the moment when you get to be in the spotlight and people can appreciate your all the hard work that often goes on behind the scenes. A gallery opening is an event, for artists and viewers alike. It’s a chance to get out, dress up and enjoy good art and good conversation. Enjoy every minute of it!
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