So you have a love of art, you paint, draw or create digitally, and now you want a place to sell it.
There are literally hundreds of places around the world to sell art online, and many are free to show your work in your very own gallery or website page geared just for you. Some even provide your very own website address with your name attached and it’s free to upload your art. So let’s jump right in, how exciting, l can’t wait to get started, l’m gonna make so much money, this is brilliant!
1. Make sure your photo is 100% clear, no
blurry spots to the edges, if your work is
blurred potential customers won’t be
bothered to investigate it, after all if the
artist doesn’t care about how it is presented
what state is the artwork going to be in if
they purchase it.
2. Dark images are hard to see, the colours
change to dab and boring, if you have a nice
bright artwork it can be ruined by a dark and
gloomy light. Simple editing in programs like
photoshop can achieve amazing brightness
and clarity without falsely depicting the
colour tones to potential buyers. Free
outdated photoshop programs are free on
the internet to download.
Don't do this (below)
Instead crop your image
Don't do this - It's too distracting
Do this- Crop your image
4. Take numerous close up photographs,
customers want to see your work close up,
they want to see a story unfold, the details,
any points you as the artist think are
highlights, don’t be scared to show off.
Measuring and Describing your Artwork
Measuring art is not a science, but it is
important to be accurate, customers want to
know your height, width but also your depth,
some people like a thin canvas, but other’s
equate thick canvas’s with better quality, a
more expensive painting, so remember your
depth. If you have protruding 3D elements
that come out from the canvas a few
centimetres then add that to your
description rather than your depth
measurement.
Describing an Artwork
Be descriptive, this is your one chance to engage your potential buyer with your story, if it is a
picture of a house, don’t just say this is a picture of a house, that would be obvious to them what
they are looking at. Describe why you chose to paint that house, where the house was, what you
enjoyed about the house, for example: This house was located on a hill in the South of France, near
a valley of wild flowers, the sunlight seemed to reflect off the flower field onto the house giving it
that glowing light that l have captured over the house, it made the house colour appear magical
thus why l have created it as a mystical house, l felt like l was in a movie set blah blah. Engross your
buyer in a story not just telling them exactly what they are looking at, that is obvious.
So your now prepared to explore websites and upload your Artwork!!
Bluethumb (Australian)
Bluethumb is an Australian website that has a good set up, you can upload unlimited images for free,
Bluethumb take care of all payments and shipment of your artwork, you retain full control over your gallery page and images including profile, descriptions, price. Bluethumb advertises and markets widely across the internet. They take 30% commission excluding shipment upon sale, so make sure when setting your price that you factor that in.
The Art Box (Australian)
The Art Box is one of Australia’s biggest online art platforms, the beauty here is there is no expensive memberships or commission taken at all when your work sells. Membership is $25 flat fee that’s it (awesome).You get your own website page address link so you can send all of your customers directly to our very own page, you can create a resume and upload up to 1000 artworks.
Art Gallery Australia (Australian)
Art Gallery Australia is free to join but charge $40 per artwork uploaded. Artworks uploaded have to go through a selection process and be selected to display. An undisclosed commission is taken when artworks sell, this is explained and agreed upon after you join.
State of the Art (Australian)
State of the Art is free to join but by selection only, they take mainly trained artists but do occasionally take untrained self taught applicants. They don’t accept Fantasy Painting, Sunday Painting, Glamour Art, Manga, Amateur Art or Commercial Art. Applicants must include an artist statement. Undisclosed commission taken upon sale of work.
Art Me Gallery (Australian)
Art Me Gallery have two selections to choose from 1. Free membership but they charge 20% commission upon sale. The other is 2. A professional membership, $99 per year, no commission taken. Be sure to add on your shipping costs and 4% paypal charges to your prices as they are charged to you. Uploads are unlimited. You get your own webpage that has links to your own website or social media platforms.
Art Fido
Art Fido likes to keep things simple, free membership with 10% commission on sales.
Art in Tropical Australia (Australian)
Art in Tropical Australia has a limit of 10 uploads, charges $30 for the first and second year after which this limited offer expires. No commission taken on sales. Free bonus year membership to a European website called Krasart. A selection process applies, if artwork is not accepted a membership refund is provided.
Fine Art America
Fine Art America is free to join, but a premium membership will cost you just a little per year, (worth it for what you get) they don’t disclose it until you join, but you can still get a great page set up for free, this comes with a lot of great behind the scenes features such as people being able to comment on your work, email you, you can set up campaigns, blogs, print out brochures of your work with all their prices for the various ways they can sell your work. You can sell your originals but also they will turn them into prints, t-shirts, phone cases, shower curtains, cushions, metal prints and framed prints. This is a great set up, but sales may be slow because half the world seems to be a member. You get your own web pages and varying galleries with them. One to visit, they also send you weekly emails regarding your page views.
Gum Tree (Australia)
Gum Tree is great to put almost anything on, but art also, you don’t get your own webpage set up like a normal art selling online platform do, but it’s no frills and it’s all free, no joining or commission taken. Put your price up just a little because it’s known as a bargain hunters dream and buyers will try to get your price down, so try not to get offended, add an extra little bit then you can both have a win.
ArtPal
ArtPal is a free join membership, and you receive 95-100% of the sell price, you get paid instantly, it depends whether you want them to do shipping for you.
Etsy
Etsy is a bit like Ebay but all for art and crafters, there’s no joining fee but it does cost 0.20USD per item that is listed and they take 3.5% commission if they complete the sale online. There is a lot of extras thrown in and is a really good platform to sell with many people reporting it to be there main revenue stream.
ArtPlode
ArtPlode takes no commission for sales however does charge a one time fee of $60 to sell which goes towards advertising your artwork, artwork must be priced at $1000+ to list.
Cafe Press
Cafe Press is a unique platform where they pay you to sell on their site, it’s work like this you list an artwork, they turn it into merchandised products when a customer wants to buy something and they give you a commission for using your artwork. It’s a win win really.
Image Kind
Image Kind is a platform that turns your artwork into prints, you set the mark up above what they set as their minimum price and you keep 100% of it, for example they set their price to $23, you set your price to $10 so your print if purchased costs the buyer $33, you keep your $10 and the website keeps their $23 for producing and making the product and sending it to the customers. Win Win, free membership and comes with perks dedicated URL, unlimited uploads.
Zazzle
Zazzle is a platform where you upload your art to products, customers buy the product and you get paid a percentage according to what you set, it has to be between 5% and 99% but l’m sure you can manage that. For example the base rate for the product that the site sets is $5 you want at least $3 for everyone that sells, so the total product cost is $8 for the customer, you of course get you share of $3 on sale. Win Win.
Red Bubble
Red Bubble works in the same way as Zazzle, upload your products for free, they get showcased onto the sites various products like phone cases, stationary, home wares and when someone buys something you get paid your cut.
Amazon
Amazon turned their humble bookshop into a global empire where there are literally thousands of unique stores where people can sell just about anything including art.
Art Fire
Art Fire has 3 different ways of listing 1. Free to join, 24 active listings at any time, 9% final commission on sales. 2. A web store for $20 month, 3%final commission on sales and up to 1000 listings. 3. Commercial store at a cost of $60 a month, 5000 listings.
Other Peoples Pixels
Other Peoples Pixels is a platform for you to build a website and sell from it, it is created by artists for artists, it’s easy to use and set up is minimal.
Good Luck selling your art!
3. Depicting artwork with the kitchen sink in
the background will distract your buyers, you
need to photograph your artwork at an angle
where you can crop it straight without taking
off any artwork. Your customers want to see
exactly what they are buying.