Do any of you sell your art?

[drd]

And I don't mean making money from your job at art. I'm talking about selling pretty seascapes and vases of flowers to little old lades on ebay and stuff

I need to know if such an idea is even worth looking into, because to be honest I am in the hole, with a ticket to pay off

Anyways

It would be nice to make some extra cash. Has anyone had any experiences with this little less professional side of art business? Or any others ways for amateur artists to make money, really. I would take a job, but it'll be difficult for me to get a summer job because I'll be here for 3 weeks, then I'm going to be attending Ringling's pre-college program for juniors for a month. Then there's only another month until school starts up again.

[DavePalumbo]

I had teachers in school who talked about doing that sort of stuff under pseudonyms when they were younger. This may not be a great time for it though, lots of galleries are struggling. I don't know if that particular market is among them.

The problem with gallery income is that it's all speculative, and that's once you get "in".

Given your time frame, you'd probably do better with something else. Even if you do the work and find it a gallery in the next 3 weeks, it'll be awhile before you'd be likely to see any return.

[r.mccabe]

I looked into selling art on ebay. From what I could tell 90% of what goes up doesn't sell.The major sellers seemed to be centered around a gallery schema so that brings you back to the problem Dave just brought up.

[erinmcguire]

I sell prints on Etsy and have made a pretty decent profit. That market is definitely geared towards a certain aesthetic though. So good luck unless you specialize in vintage/indie/feminine art. There are similar sites, like http://bigcartel.com/ where you can sell handmade stuff, and the client base is a little broader.

Posting designs on threadless or 'design by humans' for t-shirts is always worth a try also. That way it can actually be cool stuff and not seascapes and flowers.

OR, a couple friends used to draw caricatures in their hometowns, at the zoo or wherever.

Best of luck.

[Chris Bennett]

Getting art sold in galleries takes a lot of time and patience. Selling prints online also requires a posh looking website and representation in the general print market on a pretty extensive level so that people see your stuff and visit your site with a definite view to buying what they have just seen of yours elswhere.

As Dave has said above, there are easier ways of making some quick cash if you are not already geared up in the business.
However, if you are going to give it a quick try, make sure the subject is neutral and decorative and imagine it sitting on someone's wall.

[Sekino]

I tried to sell art on eBay 2-3 years ago with mixed results. The good part was that most did sell (there is an overwhelming amount of crap on there so good art stands right out), however not for a high enough price to justify the time (and fees) invested.

I saw a few artists who were power sellers (earning more than $1000 a month) but their profiles were well established as they clearly had built a strong presence on eBay. That would take months/years and be pretty much a full-time job and it simply wasn't where I wanted to put my efforts.

Selling art on eBay is not easy money in my experience.

[drd]

Hm, it seems that its a little too much effort for too little gain.

I guess I'll just have to find someplace that'll hire me for just 3 weeks

[LORD M]

You know, you might make some money on comissions or something alike. Not much, but atleast some. :)

[drd]

Possibly, but I don't know what people would commission me for, chibi inuyashas?

[Jovian M]

Possibly, but I don't know what people would commission me for, chibi inuyashas?

Well, what else do people draw? o_O

Maybe try finding something in the Freelance job sections, or something of that sort?

[drd]

Haha, deviantart on my mind

Yeah, I know

I sort of doubt I have the ability to do the kind of work people are looking for there, but I suppose it can't hurt to go check it out. *waltzes down the forums...*

[MiniGoth]

There's no place anywhere to sell art to make a quick buck - just doesn't work.

You need to build up a following or viewership no matter what site or venue you want to sell your work from, particularly online.

[vandalrat]

Do portraits or caricatures of people on the street.

Do the same with your seascapes and vases with flowers and stuff, put them around you while you make caricatures and anyone interested will ask.

[Gavage]

A few bits and bobs, made about £200-250 in total but that isn't much considering it's over the space of a couple of years - better than nothing and a nice bit of pocket money on the side... but nowhere near enough to live off, obviously!

Most sales have come from the art being used in combination with something else - prints on t-shirts, designs being used on posters for music events, that kind of thing. It seems to appeal to a slightly wider audience, since art on it's own is something of a minority interest (around here, anyway) but when used with something else it seems to carry more appeal.

I've only sold stuff to people I already know, never tried on Ebay or anywhere like that, but a friend of mine swears by Etsy so that may be worth a look if you haven't already checked it out.

[violet]

Hi I sell my art through a gallery. They have a few, what could be classed as well know artists who sell pretty easily. However those artists have been making art and exhibiting for a long time, I mean 10 years and over. It takes a long time and a lot of hard work to get enough recognition to have sell out shows. It's definately not something that happens over night unless your very, and I mean very lucky. Good advertising goes a long way. So the more shows you have and the more people who you can get interested in your work the better. Places like online art magazines and blogs about art are a good start.

The way I see it is that you just have to keep making work and working hard toward getting it noticed and worry about selling it and actually making any money later. I don't know many artists who didn't have a part time job so they actually afford to be an artist at the start of their careers. So I wouldn't worry about making any money as such yet if I was you.

I personaly had all sorts of worries about making money from it, whether I was making the right sort of art, how people would recieve it etc, but I just stopped worrying eventually when I realised that I make art because thats who I am, and I couldn't stop even if I wanted to.

[ladydove7]

As many have said, with any venture where you wish to make money, it will take time and effort. You have to be sure that your art has a market, first of all, OR that you can find your market through clear and focused marketing efforts.

Have a website first if you intend to sell online. When you sell to eBayers, you are generally selling to buyers who are of a brand who don't generally buy based on name, but rather what they like. To be sure, there are art and antique collectors, but most people who surf eBay are just normal folks who like what they like or are seeking something very specific. If you present yourself as having a well established online presence, that is a HUGE step forward.

I've sold on eBay on and off when I've had the time and have only just now made it a focused effort. I do not recommend the eBay storefront, due to the high fees, unless you have something which can move fast and consistently like cosplay items or fan art. I've written a review about it if you're interested (linkage (http://angelicshades.blogspot.com/2009/03/ebay-shop-review.html)).

Also, here are some great books that helped me make the decision to try for eBay. Since reading them, I have decided to make eBay secondary to selling my art at conventions art shows, where I've had a greater return on investment and exposure to the type of crowd I want to attract.

Three Weeks to eBay Profits: Go from Beginner to Successful Seller in Less than a Month
by Skip McGrath

Internet 101 for Artists by Constance Smith and Susan Greaves (includes a guide on selling on eBay)

Generally, if you cannot let go of pieces for less than $150, I would say eBay is not for you.