How To Get People Engaged With My Art?

[Pere]

Hello everyone! I'm an artist currently in the second year of a Fine Arts degree.

I've been working on my craft daily for around 3 years now, and people reactions makes me think that I've reached a level where I could start making money from my art. That would be a great thing, since I would be able to help my parents out paying my degree and also invest more on my education. 
What makes me think this is that I've already reached frontpage on two subreddits with two of my artworks, getting around 30.000 views, but any of those end up becoming followers nor potential customers. I'm also giving out advice on forums to people starting out, and posting daily on social media, but nothing happens. 

So I'd really appreciate if anyone can help me out or link me to any resources about personal branding, social media marketing or anything that can guide me. I could teach begginers, sell prints, do some comissions... ( I've already done some of the last ones, but 100$ for 30 hours of work isn't a good deal I believe).

Also, any ideas are highly appreciated, I'm really lost in this topic and I really want to learn and am curious about it!  

I don't know If it's ok to link my portfolio or some of my pieces, so if anyone wants to see my work just tell me! 

[Leo Gura]

That's a challenge. To sell stuff online consistently you need a MASSIVE audience usually or a highly useful or highly desirable product.

To become a successful artist you need to create a very unique style and make exceptional art. Your work has to WOW people. Then you can start to slowly build up a fanbase. If your work is not remarkable, it will be almost impossible I would think. So one thing you need to really focus on as an artist is developing that WOW factor that sets you apart from every other wannabe artist.

Marketing is one of those things that no one can really give to you. You gotta be very persistent and dogged, doing tons of research, running tests, and looking for weaknesses and opportunities in the marketplace you wish to enter.

There are thousands of different seminars and information products out there on the web about various kinds of marketing. Define more clearly how you want to sell your art and then you can do some Google searches for marketing products.

It might be helpful to find an artist you already admire who is financially successful and research the hell out of his business model and marketing methods. Then emulate and refine and customize to fit your needs.

[Pere]

48 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

That's a challenge. To sell stuff online consistently you need a MASSIVE audience usually or a highly useful or highly desirable product.

To become a successful artist you need to create a very unique style and make exceptional art. Your work has to WOW people. Then you can start to slowly build up a fanbase. If your work is not remarkable, it will be almost impossible I would think. So one thing you need to really focus on as an artist is developing that WOW factor that sets you apart from every other wannabe artist.

Marketing is one of those things that no one can really give to you. You gotta be very persistent and dogged, doing tons of research, running tests, and looking for weaknesses and opportunities in the marketplace you wish to enter.

There are thousands of different seminars and information products out there on the web about various kinds of marketing. Define more clearly how you want to sell your art and then you can do some Google searches for marketing products.

It might be helpful to find an artist you already admire who is financially successful and research the hell out of his business model and marketing methods. Then emulate and refine and customize to fit your needs.

Thank you Leo, I'll just keep at it then! All what you said makes perfect sense, I wasn't thinking on the WOW factor that much. I think there are many ways to develope this, being smart or incredibly skilled would be two examples I guess. 

It's inspiring to see how many things I still have to learn! 
 

[YM]

9 hours ago, Pere said:

Hello everyone! I'm an artist currently in the second year of a Fine Arts degree.

I've been working on my craft daily for around 3 years now, and people reactions makes me think that I've reached a level where I could start making money from my art. That would be a great thing, since I would be able to help my parents out paying my degree and also invest more on my education. 
What makes me think this is that I've already reached frontpage on two subreddits with two of my artworks, getting around 30.000 views, but any of those end up becoming followers nor potential customers. I'm also giving out advice on forums to people starting out, and posting daily on social media, but nothing happens. 

So I'd really appreciate if anyone can help me out or link me to any resources about personal branding, social media marketing or anything that can guide me. I could teach begginers, sell prints, do some comissions... ( I've already done some of the last ones, but 100$ for 30 hours of work isn't a good deal I believe).

Also, any ideas are highly appreciated, I'm really lost in this topic and I really want to learn and am curious about it!  

I don't know If it's ok to link my portfolio or some of my pieces, so if anyone wants to see my work just tell me! 

6

Hi Pere,

Before willing to launch an artist career there are different aspects to think about.

First do you enjoy doing art? Second is your entourage truly impartial? The number of like on FB will not pay your bills.

I would advise you to go to a few galleries and show your portfolio. Select the galleries wisely, see what artists they represent and how your artworks can complement their collection. The relation gallery - artist is based on trust, so only work with people you feel good with. Don't jump on the first one who promise you a solo show and run away from anyone who ask you money. The first show is not the hardest, to stay for decades that's the challenge.

Participate to competitions that will increase your reputation. Get ready to have a budget for that, so select wisely only top ones.

Final advice if I may, don't think about selling art and become rich. Think about creating artworks that are meaningful to you, and then if you can make a decent living, then it's perfect. The million sales artists are exceptions only represented by 10 galleries in the world. 

If you decide to embrace an artist career, do it because it's your passion and your life purpose. It will show in your art for the benefit of the viewer.

If you decide to go pro, I may help you; I set up an art charity. Because my life purpose is to help artists and creatives in the world.

Take care. YM

Edited February 8, 2016 by YM

[Simon Zackrisson]

I can sort of relate, even though I haven't even started yet.

Interesting reads. 

[YM]

5 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

That's a challenge. To sell stuff online consistently you need a MASSIVE audience usually or a highly useful or highly desirable product.

To become a successful artist you need to create a very unique style and make exceptional art. Your work has to WOW people. Then you can start to slowly build up a fanbase. If your work is not remarkable, it will be almost impossible I would think. So one thing you need to really focus on as an artist is developing that WOW factor that sets you apart from every other wannabe artist.

Marketing is one of those things that no one can really give to you. You gotta be very persistent and dogged, doing tons of research, running tests, and looking for weaknesses and opportunities in the marketplace you wish to enter.

There are thousands of different seminars and information products out there on the web about various kinds of marketing. Define more clearly how you want to sell your art and then you can do some Google searches for marketing products.

It might be helpful to find an artist you already admire who is financially successful and research the hell out of his business model and marketing methods. Then emulate and refine and customize to fit your needs.

Sorry Leo, if I may, that's the marketer / problem solver that talks there maybe not the coach. Take care. YM 

 

[Pere]

Thank you YM, but I didn't clarify it well. I'm moving towards a kind of Fine Artsy illustrator, rather than a contemporary gallery artist. So the galleries aren't my thing now, maybe in the future but for now as I see it, there's no place for my work in any local gallery. 

[YM]

2 minutes ago, Pere said:

Thank you YM, but I didn't clarify it well. I'm moving towards a kind of Fine Artsy illustrator, rather than a contemporary gallery artist. So the galleries aren't my thing now, maybe in the future but for now as I see it, there's no place for my work in any local gallery. 

Get a job with Pixar or Disney, learn with them and in parallel, you can try to sell prints on a creative platform. Cheers. YM

[Leo Gura]

@YM My forum comments are not coaching. They are bits of quick, crude advice.

[Soulbass]

 

On 8/2/2016 at 1:19 PM, Pere said:

So I'd really appreciate if anyone can help me out or link me to any resources about personal branding, social media marketing or anything that can guide me.

Try this :

- Seth Godin "Purple Cow" and "Tribes" audio books on youtube, or TED.

- V.S. Ramachandran & William Hirstein "The Science of Art : A neurological theory of aesthetic experience".

Edited February 15, 2016 by Soulbass

[Ben Landrail]

@Pere "Show Your Work" by Austin Kleon is exactly about building an online presence.

Your work doesn't even have to be great. It has to be good and it has to improve. Well, it also has to be original. The most valuable advice I can give is to go slow and steady, start small, enjoy the tiniest achievement and be smarter than the competition. For instance, make a list of 50 best ideas to improve your art and market it better. Try every single one. If nothing helps, which is unlikely, you can always find another 50, and so on. 

You're in the right place, just keep going.

And yes - add links to your work in your profile description so everyone could see it. 

[abrakamowse]

I'm an illustrator too @Pere but I am actually working more on graphic design. I want to move to do more illustrator work, comics, cartoons and maybe animation (2D). I am in the same situation like you, the only difference is I am much older hehehe... and I was drawing more like a hobby, so it took me longer to develop my style but finally I think I'm close to have a professional style.

I really can't give you advice because I have no idea about the "artsy" market, I am more into the commercial stuff. Didn't you thought about the illustration market for magazines, advertising agencies, etc??? There's good money there, cover book design too.

[abrakamowse]

On a second thought, maybe doing what Leo is doing. Create a youtube channel, upload some art techniques and advices, and then you can offer a premium service with more stuff for amateur artists who want to improve their skills.

[MIARIVEL]

You tube is a great way to get an audience and potential customers buying your art, but as Leo said, research all about marketing and test a few suggestions out. I struggled with marketing my business myself so I just ended up hiring someone (this can be expensive though). 

[Christopher Cant]

Hi Pere, I cant say I know anything about fame or even making a living, but I've been practising digital painting for 7 years now, and I have ideas about where I want I want to go with it.  Something you may not have considered is taking a look at twitch.tv/creative and seeing what various artists get up to there.  Patreon and Kickstarter have also provided opportunities for many artists to find a small amount of compensation, and a few to flourish.  I think the digital scene is currently shifting slowly away from studio employment and freelance, into crowd-funded, self published products.

Edited February 13, 2016 by Christopher Cant

[Cookiesliyr]

@Pere it is good to have ambitions, don't get me wrong, but in art and living on selling them .... how to put that? .... i have few close friends and even family members who are true artiest, some have international prices, but they don't sell painting, some never did before and some stopped doing it because the world economy B.S.

but that doesn't mean you should give up, if i were you i would go and ask real artiest online, specially the ones who have shows and animations or paintings in some websites and people who are looking for jobs, like Christopher Cant he has lovely gallery check them out, and see how they come around, most common advice i heard in this field (as most of free lance actually) is: it is all about the network, you need to know people and people to know you, and in time of need when they need an artiest, guess what? they will seek you.

but about making your painting catchy so you can sell them ..... ummmmm, have you heard about The “Onement VI” A.K.A The Blue Canvas?

Edited February 23, 2016 by Cookiesliyr

[mandyjw]

I make a living off my art but I am a glass artist, so my art is also a product in a way.  I also spend most of my time making what sells, not necessarily what I am inspired to make. Just make sure you are ok with that before going forward. Otherwise just make art and say "screw it" and forget who sees it or what people think. Every now an then I indulge in one of those projects myself.

The best advice I was ever given on selling art was "Don't expect to sell something if you don't have it up for sale." Don't expect people to come to you for commissions, ask for your prices, go out of their way and ask if something is available. Create an online shop even if it's just Etsy or make a website and have your art there for sale clearly. Of course this takes a a huge amount of work up front.

 

I think you might find this video really helpful. I really did and I think it pertains a lot more to what your vision is than my own.