Art Galina
How to sell your paintings?
Artist, Give Me a Discount
"Give me a discount." This topic is as old as life itself. Our song is good, let's start over. And what's there to draw, think of a brush on paper. And why are you tired, just give me a discount. And why not draw with a pencil, it won't cost you anything. Do you recognize it?
Usually, I joke it off. Of course, I'll give you a discount, and you'll come to my house and do the dishes and clean up. Or yes, sure, here's a stack of my bills, go to the bank and please pay them. It's a great idea to suggest they buy groceries for me at the store and bring them home for me. They might as well cook while they're at it.
– "Give me a discount!"
– "Of course, I'll give you one. Will you pay my bills, at least for the phone or gas? Would you like that?"
Oh, and this phrase works! Try it! Or answer like this:
– "Of course, I'll give you a discount. When's payday? I'll come by, and you'll give me a portion of your salary."
– "Why is that?"
– "Because my profit is included in the price of the painting. If I share my profit with you, then you'll share your salary with me."
Clients quickly come to their senses. Tested. You can add: will you buy medicine for my mom, here's the prescription, and also the bill from the clinic.
Sometimes they argue that someone else is giving a discount. And what's that got to do with me? Why should I do what they're trying to impose on me? I work for money. The watercolor is fantastic, the price is excellent.
Here's where attention comes in. For some reason, this client came to me instead of staying with someone else. Why? There are clients who try to bend you to their will. So what? That's their problem, not yours. Usually, they just don't want to pay for your work. They value their own. Art is not milk or bread, or medicine.
The client is a specialist in their field, and I am in mine. For those who have their own website or paintings published on social media profiles with prices, it's convenient to do the same. I ask: "Have you seen all my works? Have you checked the prices? So you're aware of the prices, right?"
Here's another one of my stories. When a lady tried to explain to me that the price was too high. And the arguments: "As if anyone buys this. Look at the painting by a famous artist, his winter landscape costs several times less! Who is he, and who are you! Is this what you have? Watercolor?? A painting, miss (she addressed me), is done in oils, but yours is who knows what!" In general, she came to me with these texts for a week. Just a common troll. Clearly not my client.
Remembered another case.
– "Gal, draw me 5 pictures, I really need them!"
– "What? About what? (I look) I understand, it will cost (I name the price), it'll be ready tomorrow."
– "Are you kidding me? Do you really think I can't find someone else to do it?"
A week passes, she appears with a stack of drawings and throws them on my desk:
– "Look, here they are! Tanya made them for me! And not with a pencil, but with a pen!"
– "How much did you pay Tanya?"
– "Me? Pay? Oh, she did it for me for free, unlike you!"
Normal, right? In reality, it's Tanya's personal business how much she charges for her work. What's that got to do with me? Why should I spend my resources just because someone wants something for free? When they approach me like this (asking for a discount), I can suggest negotiating. Yes, suggest your options, let's discuss. Respect yourself and others, value your work and time.
Learn to sell your paintings, and you'll get both money and pleasure.
Where should I start?
– Hello, Galina. Where should I start selling paintings?
– Hello. Start with studying the materials in our group and in the educational courses. There are videos and texts on many topics, so take advantage and get started.
Dear artists, I don't know your specific situation and requests. But I know for sure that my methods are applicable to you too. I'm sure that among all the materials you will find what suits you personally. It's proven. Imagine you're at a buffet, choosing what you want from a fully laid table. Convenient, isn't it?
I can't give you a detailed personal answer just based on the request "Hello, Galina. Where should I start selling paintings?" because I'm not a fortune-teller, and I'm not a telepath to provide recommendations without knowing the artist, their work, and the situation. Moreover, I don't engage in personal chats. Here are some possible responses to your question:
– I don't know where you should start personally.
– Maybe you need to continue what you were doing.
– Or something else, there are plenty of options.
– What have you been doing before this, where, when?
– What results have you achieved?
– And now, what are you expecting to achieve?
– Publish a post in the group with your question to have a useful discussion for everyone. If you want something specific for you, come for a paid consultation, we'll analyze your case, and you'll get a personalized step-by-step action plan.
Cheatsheet for Online Communication
There's a wonderful way to ruin your page. Sending spam. These are messages with unsolicited information, flooding the inbox or private messages of other users in the network. Remember, there's always a *report spam* button or its equivalent. You could get banned, have your account deleted, or blocked. Or you might get dragged into arguments about whose art is more artistic, or whose watercolor is more watercolor-y. I've experienced both ends of that spectrum pretty quickly. And I learned my lessons fast. So, how should you properly communicate in social networks?
1. Politeness. Set up *Thank you* responses after someone adds you as a friend. Or initiate the contact yourself. Make it a habit to address people by their names.
2. Avoid being a bore. When someone only talks about themselves, it gives off an air of indifference to the other person. What does this look like? Messages solely about paintings, invitations, advertisements, and messages that are only interesting to you.
3. Entertainment. Why do people hang out here? Drop a funny line, share a humorous picture—there are plenty out there. Any video that interests you. Your personal opinion. When you share information, explain why you liked it, why it caught your attention. The phrase *I liked it because* works wonders; it introduces you as a person. Or describe your emotions: "Oh, what a seaside! Lovely flowers! Beautiful view. Unusual voice for the singer," and so on. Such messages often get retweeted, shared, reposted.
4. Interest, retweets, likes, shares. Visit your colleagues/friends' profiles and generously share information from there. You'll get noticed and remembered. Comments in interest groups work the best, and they should be well-argued, including posts. Again, express your emotions.
5. Events. You have a workshop, a new painting, a new series of works— it's appropriate to talk about and invite people to them. Events in your life, where you've been, what you saw. Then write about how everything went and add photos; it'll make for good post promotion.
6. Posts from your blog. Set up automatic posting of blog messages to your page. This is important. Don't know how to do it? Either add them manually or ask me. There are special services and search engines for this.
7. Tell about yourself. But be careful. Very careful. There are boundaries to communication and to your territory. Only you decide where they lie. How is it done? In different ways. Talk about others.
8. Share links from other sites. Information from other pages. Read an article? Watched a video? Something interesting happened to a friend? Then give it a like! Repost!
9. Propose a discussion topic. Ask questions, respond to comments. Organize contests, polls. Help solve other people's problems. And to do that, you have to respond to messages. Gradually, you'll attract regular readers who are interested in what you write and find you interesting as a person. So, write and behave in a way that makes you interesting to others, and they will read you, even if it's not reciprocal.
What's the main mistake people make? The simplest one. They only talk about themselves and their paintings. Solely "I'm an artist" and "buy my paintings." It's a good theme. It's a shame it's only interesting to the author.
For some reason, it's believed that everyone is ecstatic and should immediately want to buy something. Do you seriously think people are seeing and hearing about your profession as an artist or the opportunity to buy paintings for the first time? Do you really think so? Think again. And now, let's think together—why do people come to the network? Are you personally interested in reading only ads? How many *likes* and shares does such information get? Go in, look, think, compare. And what do you yourself read? What do you share? The conclusion is obvious.
It's like a soccer comment. The pass was good and strong! It's a pity the field suddenly ended! I wish you only make passes on the field and score goals!
To the Artist, Everyone Owes Something
What's also astonishing is the belief that everyone owes something to the artist. Especially striking is the audacity of statements like, 'Galina, you know how to sell paintings. So sell mine for a percentage of the sales.' Yes, I do know how to sell. But why should I do it for you? And do you know what they say to me afterward? 'But I've been told by internet experts that la la la.' Well, if they said so, let them sell it themselves. And when I ask for specifics, it's either silence or 'Galina, you don't understand. Internet experts have valued my works at …' Well, good for them. Let them buy or sell independently.
What's my role in all of this? And here's where the plot thickens even further. Because nobody owes anything to the artist. And fundamentally, with his deep inner world and everything he wanted to express, he's not particularly interesting to anyone either. I know it sounds harsh. And it's only after realizing these fundamental positions that movement towards sales, money, and recognition begins."
Customer Questionnaire
1. Why do you think you're losing customers?
2. What do you believe could be the reason for the low conversion rate between viewers and sales?
3. What methods do you use to attract customers?
4. Do you think it's necessary to ask questions before offering products or services?
5. What criteria do you use to identify customer needs?
6. What are your thoughts on which questions should be asked before offering products or services?
7. What are your preferences in terms of art style, direction, and color palette?
8. What criteria do you use when selecting artwork for your collection or gifts?
9. How do you typically go about purchasing artwork: do you plan in advance or make spontaneous decisions?
10. How often do you purchase artwork for your home or office?
11. How familiar are you with the specific artist's work?
12. What criteria do you consider crucial when evaluating the quality of artwork?
13. How do you ensure that you're viewing original pieces of art?
14. How many pieces of artwork do you typically have in your home?
15. What are your expectations when purchasing artwork?
Feel free to add to the list.
About money for artists
Why is it necessary to know your painting buyers? Why is it necessary to understand how customer flows are organized towards your paintings? Why is it necessary to pay attention to and assign tags? Because money doesn't come from nowhere, from nothing. Usually, money before becoming yours belonged to someone, belonged to someone. And money always comes to us from people.
Please pay attention to my words. All this means that you somehow motivate other people to give you money. Think. What is there in your paintings that other people are willing to give you money for? What is there that your customers bring you money for?
Quality of Creativity
Sales, especially at the stage of your professional development, have nothing to do with pure and noble creativity, if you thought otherwise.
Creativity. Wildly complex activity that will require significant effort from your brain.
Imagine that you have a bag of parts weighing two and a half tons, from which you need to manually assemble a car. That's what awaits you. Do you really think you can just sit down with your muse and quickly paint a top masterpiece for the last 2,000 years and the next 5?
If you've never drawn before, it might take you several weeks to create a decent landscape, still life, or portrait. And all because you'll have to pay attention to the quality of the watercolor drawing, think about accents and lines, follow the rhythm, composition, light, and air, and maintain the viewer's interest. It's not as simple as it may seem. And if you make a mistake somewhere, it will be noticeable right away, not only to an experienced artist but to anyone who has heard of watercolor. Approach it like your favorite job.
For those whose results don't match their expectations
For those who are afraid to start and take action. I did and redid. Corrected, changed. I never looked at stores and galleries and thought, "That's it, perfect forever." No. There were 6 websites. I left 2 of them. And constantly adjusted one according to the buyers and readers. Of the planned and proposed courses, only half "worked." From this half, only a few survived. The rest fell apart into pieces and will be incorporated into future projects.
And that's normal. Testing your ideas and gradually mastering the skill of articulating ideas clearly for others. And bringing them to fruition as a complete project cycle. And tons of texts, videos, different forms, and so on. Because. When you start, especially when you start, you almost always do things wrong, or slowly. Or you get something completely different.
The secret is that if you don't start, nothing will happen. At the beginning, you don't really know yourself and your paintings. And what you want from whom, you imagine in a fog. Especially by what means. Hence the mistakes and hesitation. It's like in intimate relationships. The better you know yourself and your desires, hear your feelings and your partner, the more often you engage, the more pleasure and orgasms you get. What do you think?
What to do if you have a closet full of paintings
And buyers have disappeared forever beyond the horizon?
Start crying and don't stop! And then buyers will surely come to the miserable, feeble-minded artist. To paint a fence and quietly haul away the paintings.
Start pitying yourself and looking for flaws! And then buyers will definitely notice you, curators will come running. To paint a fence and quietly haul away the paintings. In general, no matter what you do, the result is the same. So it's time to prepare for a sad outcome in obscurity and poverty.
But what if you look at it from a different angle? Maybe while you're still alive and have a collection of paintings, everything is just beginning? Maybe it's time to move forward and finally break free from whining? Start enjoying life, relaxing, having fun, eating delicious food, sleeping sweetly, creating a new series of works? Well, of course, you won't enjoy it for long. Because buyers will quickly come rushing in, start making noise, giving gifts, being happy, buying, bringing friends, and distracting you from the creative process.
And then it will all start over again.
Can someone explain the logic of exhibition organizers?
The condition for delivering the painting is only EMS without specifying the value of the work. At the same time, the exhibition is positioned as a sales exhibition, participation is paid, and the delivery is at the expense of the artist. Organizers bear no responsibility for the safety of the painting, so you need to insure it. Usually, when sending by mail, the full value is indicated for this, because in case of problems, the post office compensates with money.
Actually, this is insurance. And it is included in the cost of postal services. Well, let's say I send the paintings there, everything arrives safely. How will they be sent back? Also, without specifying the value? And what if there is force majeure? What then? Where do I look for my work in case of loss, delay, and who will pay compensation? And what if I prefer DHL? Who has encountered similar conditions, share your experience or how to deal with them?
The problem with most artists
Now I'll tell you what the problem is. The problem with artists. The problem with the majority of artists who want to sell their paintings. The problem is that they are superficial. They don't want to delve into things. They don't want to think. They don't want to apply themselves. And through application, gain skills and results. You see how simple it all is.
Because in order to take the time to look into a group, read posts, contemplate why we're all here and how it's organized, you need to allocate time and pay attention. And instead, artists often continue to post poorly photographed paintings without descriptions. They persist in posting despite comments. The problem is not only that these posts are in groups where there are no buyers. And I'm sure that similar posts are in other groups where there are no buyers (I've seen it myself). The problem is that the artist, apart from themselves, sees and hears no one. No feedback on their posts, no buyers, no one.
But why? I'm an artist, I'm a star. What happens next? And then it gets more fun and interesting. Later, they write to me:
– Galina, how do I sell paintings?
– How good it is to know how to read. Open the documents in our group, the posts and videos.
– But who will do all this?
– Of course, you yourself!
And in conclusion. It pains me to see people seeking buyers for works of good craftsmanship. It pains me to see these identical posts asking for help in various groups. It pains me to read about how artists and their families have no money or how good paper is expensive."
I provide practical information for this purpose. And not only me, other artists too, thank them, participate in discussions, offer advice, share experiences. This is truly invaluable and worth a lot. A friendly atmosphere in our group. You're safe here. Take it. Ask questions. Inquire. Discuss.
So, I've written everything, what should I do next?
Actually, it's an interesting question. You need to show your work to dealers and galleries, as well as independently seek clients. Voice in the audience: "Bring valerian! The artist feels bad! Is there a doctor in the house?"
If you now ask where to find addresses, passwords, and secret signs, your diagnosis will be ready instantly. You don't know how to use search engines and navigate through the clutter of the internet to find the necessary information? You can't navigate among discussions where critics and art lovers gather in any form of representation? If you can't, then you're hopeless and useless. What about sales and profits?
If you understand that you'll have to hustle, that's already not bad. You can select suitable options based on the genre of your subjects and your execution technique. For example, there's no point in sending a realistic landscape or still life to groups, communities, or galleries focused on surrealism or figurative art. Got it? Well done.
After sending your portfolios to a dozen email addresses and not receiving a response, you can confidently send them anywhere. To all possible addresses related to art. Maybe your business card will finally appear, and you'll learn how to leave it in the hands of other people. And even take their business cards. However, sooner or later, the day when you receive positive feedback will come. Assuming you're smart and did everything right.
Stop taking failures so painfully.
About Prices for Paintings
The question of pricing is perhaps one of the most complex for artists. Always. Always! You'll hear polar opinions, from "why so expensive" to "why so cheap." And they'll add, in a friendly whisper: "Tell me, can you even paint?" I suggest we silence this whisper and sideline discussions about artistic and masterpiece value.
What determines the price? No matter how much you think and ask, the decision is ultimately yours. Accept it. You decide how much your work is worth and at what price to exhibit it on a specifically chosen platform for online art sales. In doing so, perhaps you consider several factors important to you personally.
For example, I'm amazed at the question of how much time I spent on a piece. But for some artists, this is important. Or what's difficult for one to draw might be easy for me. For instance. I also often browse what's being exhibited on sales websites and auctions. Sizes, levels, prices. And, most importantly, the level of name and career comparable to yours. Here's a quote from some comments directed at me personally as an author: "You're not La Fe!" Yes, I'm not La Fe, nor are many worthy masters of watercolor painting and drawing. And those masters aren't all architects. Get the idea?
Here's the thing. When you see a work and its selling price, make sure it's actually being bought. Because if what you see isn't selling, then the price means nothing. And another important point. Having low prices as an idea isn't good at all. Let me tell you a story.
I was browsing works for sale posted in one of the Facebook groups. There was a very decent copy of Shishkin's painting. The first thing that caught my eye was the price being too low. Very. You can't imagine how many questions it raised! And not from happy buyers, eagerly clutching money in their hands. But from specialists. And buyers read all these dialogues and discussions and draw their own conclusions. If you're tired of selling at reduced prices, then raise them urgently! There's a chance that sales will increase.
And I know what's happening. That nothing sells at your low prices. Why? That's a separate topic for another article. So you sit there with a pile of works and no profit. That's why it's become tiresome. Raise your prices.
For some reason, people usually take into account only time and materials. They take out a calculator, do some math. Look at the art market around them. And are surprised. Where's the artist's profit? Why don't you pay yourself? But you want the buyer to pay.
Another story. This time about my hand-painted T-shirts. I collected almost 1000 comments under a post on social media in one evening. On one hand, people started calculating the quality of the cotton in the T-shirt and its price. On the other, they showed comparisons and prices. I was amazed. Thankfully, they started calculating the paint consumption. Nobody thought about the artist's labor. To create a design and paint it personally. And when I looked at the examples they sent… when I subtracted the price of the finished T-shirt from the actual T-shirt price, it was sad – what's left for the artist?
Here's what I do. I have prices for each work. I change them periodically. It mainly depends on the presentation and the platform I exhibit on. I also consider the nomination. There's a difference between "decor" and "original by the author," after all. Plus, I know the shipping costs to different countries. And I always base my prices on my profit. What else, in my opinion, is important when I set the price? The price range from $30 to $300. So there's a choice. Besides, it's emotionally difficult to part with some artworks. It happens, yes. I have a whole folder in the closet called "not for sale." Thick.
Set a price that you're willing to part with, and it will cover your lost emotions. Not for 50, but for 370, okay, take it. Got it? Here's to good buyers lining up for your paintings! And to decent profits!