How to Be Successful with Your Artwork

To make money with your art, it needs to have a certain quality, be available in a certain quantity and needs to be consistent.

Art produced while you were a student is not quality because you have been learning the basics under the direction of a professor – it was only an exercise. You need to have had enough experience trying to find what you like and what you are good at so that you can produce quality artwork that says who and what you as an artist are about. You must narrow your art down to what you are best at, and when people look at a piece of your art, they immediately think of you and your style.

Most people have the idea that artists need to be starving, and they get famous after they have died. We need to change that thinking. God does want to give your share to you. What do you really want out of life? God has given you a talent and you need to learn how to use it properly.

Set a Goal

First you need to set a goal – write it down. Do you want to end up with your artwork being sold on the street or being shown in a museum or gallery? God wants to bless you with your wants and needs, but you have to want it first and be willing to work for it.

Quality

Craftmanship reigns supreme. To make quality artwork you must be obedient to the laws of art. Everything is governed by laws. If you learn the laws of art (basics) you can then produce quality work.

Study Your Market

The market needs producers. There are many persons who will make their living off of your artwork (galleries, curators, museums, stores, insurers, appraisers, etc.). You need to be aware of the needs/demand and you be the supplier.

Know the Value of Your Work

Know how much your artwork is worth. To find out how much a car is worth, you go to the Kelly’s Blue Book and look up the make, model, year and condition. Artwork also has a “blue book”. There are agencies to help you on your way to get your artwork recognized and listed in the artists “blue book”. You can research the price of fine art using auction sales results. Find artworks by over 180,000 international artists from Old Master to Contemporary Art. http://www.artnet.com

Agencies who support artists are on the local, regional, state, national and international level. The best place to start is locally. Have your professor or mentor give his honest opinion on your work. Try to submit what you feel is your very best artwork to art competitions, locally or online. Most charge for entry, but it is an investment in your future. Once you have won a few awards for your art, you can then apply to local galleries to have them display and sell your art.

These are tips that were shared with me by an internationally known artist, Wulf Barsch. He also gave a list of books that will be helpful to artists:

Money to Work II: Funding for Visual Artists (Paperback) by Helen Brunner

ISBN 0-9296605-01-5

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Open Your Mind to Prosperity by Catherine Ponder.