Tips For Selling Art

Hi guys! So lately I've noticed quite a few artists trying to sell their work, only for the topic to not get any interest. I decided to put a little list together of various causes and some fixes to help give you guys an idea of what you can do differently :)

1. Practice: If you're new to art the best thing that you can possibly do is NOT SELL IT. You're just beginning, you're figuring things out, your work should be drastically changing within the first few months as you're learning and experimenting. What you should be focused on instead is practicing, experimenting, improving, and having fun. After all, what's the point to art if you don't use it to have fun and express yourself? If you create something that you are really proud of, keep it for yourself! You should enjoy your accomplishments.

2. Know Your Market: Another thing that you may want to do is look and see what kind of stuff on the market isn't selling currently VS. what is. This can help give you an idea of where to focus your energy! If you see that art of certain animals tend to not sell well then you should expect that it's likely a sale from you of the same type of animal also may not do very well either, especially since this is a horse sim. ;D You can also compare how different types of quality sell, something that is painted inside the lines and has colors that go well together generally sell better than bucket fill and colors that clash.

3. Get Creative: Of course, there's no need to copy what's being sold at any certain time. If there's a lot of sunny field tags being sold, maybe try mixing it up with something dark and gloomy. Sometimes making a sig sale when there aren't very many at the moment can also be a good idea. You should also never copy someone else's work. Look to what's selling for inspiration, but be original! See an unnatural design that you really like? Use that inspiration to make one too if you want, though get creative and use different colors and patterns!

4. Quality: Those who have really practiced and worked to improve their art will generally have better sales than those who don't. Tags and sigs generally sell better if they are shaded, though it's ok if they aren't. As long as they're clean looking with smooth lines, and the colors are within the lines and aren't hard to look at you'll generally be ok. Same thing with designs! If you want them to be natural, really try to make them look accurate to the color you are going for as well.

5. Pricing: Another thing that may deter people from buying is if the price is too high. Look around at what your fellow artists are selling and for how much. Be sure to take into consideration your level of experience, look particularly for artists who are selling art at the same level that you are. A fully shaded, professional level tag is most likely going to sell for much more than a simple flat colored tag. Adjust your pricing accordingly!

6. Just keep Swimming: If your art isn't selling, don't get discouraged! Think of what might be the cause for it to not be selling. Try adjusting the price at first, if it still isn't selling take a look at the quality. Is it bucket filled? Are the colors inside the lines and does it look clean? Is the shading patchy and have spots that are too dark or too bright? Is the picture hard to make out?
Look for things that you do and don't like to see in other's art in your own and try adjusting to that! Also, don't go around changing the sale name several times or bump the post every hour. People get tired of seeing the same sales over and over again and become frustrated, which can then lead to them not wanting to buy art from you in general. Be respectable with your sales! If what you have isn't selling: it's ok. Wait a few days to a week to see if it gets any bites. If it doesn't then let it die and work on something new that's different from your last sale. Also be sure to frequent the art help forums and ask for advice! There are plenty of artists here on EV who are willing to help you improve :)

Good Luck!
If anyone has anything else to add feel free to post below or message it to me!

Last edited on 2016-03-05 at 08:19:19 by ξιίzα Й

Something I saw quite often when I played Furry Paws was upgraded members "sponsoring" basic players. The upgraded member would wear the tag that the basic player made in order to attract people to the sale thread. It was a great help to me when I was trying to get started in tag sales.

The pricing is definitely a big big key, especially on here. Unfortunately it also comes down to "popularity", but generally the popular ones are the best quality. It can be a struggle to determine what price to set at, and sometimes you need to realize you set the bar too high and lower it.

I cannot draw to save my life (for HARPG I trace), but that comes down to not having the desire to want to improve. I enjoy just coloring things and such, so I just buy premade things (or custom) to use. And there's nothing wrong with that, so that's another view point people might want to look at.

I'm not a fan of selling tags made from premade bases for a high amount, but they are a good starting point to getting used to coloring tags/art for others.

And oh dear lord folks, don't get discouraged in the beginning, especially when it comes to design sales. I cringe at the thought of the designs I used to make, and thank god I have no idea where any of it would be stashed.

But I had a great person help me along the way, and I've made vast improvements.

Also, when making natural designs ... try to make designs that actually would work and look like the markings they are supposed to. There are 232321434325342 ways to make a tobiano, splash, overo, etc. But there are key points that do need to be remembered.

If I'm struggling to come up with a pattern I like, I often will google the pattern I'm looking for an take some inspiration. I'd never copy a marking, but it's a good way to get an idea forming in your head.

Don't know what to do for a design? There is a color generator with tons and tons of options, and even has some descriptions of what that color or marking is.

Color Generator

I've found that people get frustrated when their art doesn't sell after a few hours. Give it at least a day or two - Rome wasnt built in a day!
If you've asked for critique or advice, act on it! Someone has given it to you to try and help at least give it a go c:
Choose a style - when you want to make something realistic, work on the anatomy or it won't look right. If you wanna do something cartoony, dont worry about anatomy too much.
Make it look tidy - nobody wants to buy something that looks like its been thrown together in minutes! Colour inside the lines, don't bucket fill...
Credit properly! That puts me off buying no end.

When I first started doing digital art I did ALOT of research. If there was something I wanted to know, I looked it up, and if I was still stumped I asked for help. I still do that to this day. But research is always a big help when arting.

I dont know how to make art i really want to make it

If you're looking to make art to sell on EV you need to start off with a program like GIMP or Krita (I suggest GIMP to start out with). There are tons of youtube tutorials on how to use these programs and we have a good art community here that's willing to answer any art questions.

Great Advice! I started doing art a few months ago, and it just came to me like I was doing it for years! I do hope people like my art!