Selling
and Buying Art Online
Don't be a starving artist any longer; with all these resources at your disposal, you
can easily put yourself and your artwork out in cyberspace for all to enjoy
(and hopefully, purchase.) Here are
some places to display and sell your
artwork, in a variety of mediums:
painting, drawing, sketches, digital art, prints, woodcuts, ceramics,
sculpture, jewelry, and even a few have fiber categories.
Now, do be sensible and be sure to check out any
monetary cost or commitment before signing up with any site; many are free to
display, but there may be other fees to consider, such as a transaction fee,
monthly fees, and a commission to consider if you make a sale. And, since there can be money involved, just
be cautious about who you will provide your personal information to. And,
do note when you will get paid for your item; there may be a 14 to 30 day hold,
because of customer return policies.
And be prepared!
If you are going to offer a painting, for example, be clear on the
logistics (and cost) of shipping the item if you sell it. It can be very expensive to safely package
and ship a large painting. Be sure to find out who will handle the
shipping; if the site does not, you will
need to factor in a shipping cost to your pricing.
And even if you yourself are not the artist, browse
these art sites anyway, because YOU might become the owner of 'the next big
thing' in the art world with a purchase from any artist brave enough to share
their soul with the world.
Now, the caution for art buyers: As with any online purchase, be clear on what
you will receive. Will it be the actual,
original work of art, or simply a print (some print prices may have you believing
you will be getting the original!). If
you opt for a print, will it be on archival-quality paper? There are many affordable ways to get art
into your home, just be sure you will be satisfied with the product you will
receive.
And lastly, if you love art but have run out of wall
space, don't worry. Many of the sites
have wonderful options to have the image put on a t-shirt, tote bag, greeting
and post cards, and so much more.
Surround yourself with it!
This list is in no particular order of significance:
www.artsyhome.com
- 'Original art for home, work, and life'
This site offers a free plan to set up and
list. There is a 25% commission fee, and
processing fee for sales. It has a
clean, inviting interface that is easy to navigate. They accept listings for a wide variety of
creative mediums, including paintings, woodwork, jewelry, and more. Of interest is that Artsy Home creators state
that they focus on marketing your work to buyers, not only
to produce sales, but to increase your search rankings and to drive traffic to
your own website and social media sites. They state they will expose your work to upscale homeowners, interior designers
& trade professionals. They
indicate that they are a division of Distinctive Living
Magazine, Inc. , a magazine for homeowners , "along with developing and
managing websites dedicated to helping them find high quality goods and
services."
Upload your original artwork for them to make prints and posters to sell with a free basic plan that has few limits. I did notice that uploading images was pretty slow with my connection. If you have a Flickr account, they can import those photos. The site interface is clean and easy to navigate, with clear, friendly instructions on how to do each process. It's clear that they are eager to maintain the site's offerings as a quality product.
www.foundmyself.com - "Buy art directly from our artists. Our artists sell their art commission free, so 100% of your purchase goes to them."
This relatively new site has an
interface that is bright, colorful, and easy to navigate. It is free to sell, and they have a unique
opportunity to offer digital prints with a 50% commission to them (you must
send in 3 of your best images for a quality review first). As far as uploading images, my images
uploaded very quickly. They feature a
community style theme where others can comment and view your work, with a
forum-style atmosphere. The Found Myself
blog features great articles about using
Twitter, art theft, how to protect your
images online, and other topics worth reading.
This site has a very professional
feel; they tend to curate what is selling and what is not, so everything seems
very trendy and fresh. There is a 30%
commission on sales. To sell here, you
must submit an application.
This site offers a free plan, and
also a Silver and Gold Plan. The basic
free plan only allows 6 images, but as the site states, this free plan is
"Great for artists who wish to show a small
sampling of their art, contact information, and a blog. This basic ArtId is
best used as an online business card."
This
site has a clean, bright interface, and is easy to navigate. It has a very
European feel, but is open to artists worldwide. You can list 10 artworks for free at the
entry level plan, and art categories are varied, even including jewelry. If your images are fine resolution and large,
they may take some time to upload.
If your tastes in art run a little
on the wild side, this site is for you, whether you are an artist or an art
lover. As their site declares: "We are an
unapologetically addictive experience. Our world is a festival of originality
where everyone can revel in the freedom of artistic expression. We are the
deviation of creativity that shatters the confines of expectation. We can’t
help it—it runs through our veins and compels us to nurture it in others." I just love that, a 'festival of
originality'! You'll find anime,
illustration, digital art, and much more here.
My advice here is to pour yourself a relaxing beverage, sit back, and
take a wild ride as you browse the blast of creative and inspiring content.
The
list above is only the tip of the cyberspace iceberg of outlets for artists;
I'll be discussing more in the future; in the meantime, go forth, be bold, and be creative!
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