Would you like to make money doing something you love to do? In this post, I am going to answer your question, “Can I sell my drawings?” and provide you a step by step guide on how to build an online art business.
Can I Sell My Drawings
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Being able to sell your drawings starts with the right mindset.
First, you have to believe in your art and the ability to learn how to market and promote your artwork.
Learning how to draw and learning how to market online is a skill that can be learned.
If you believe that your drawings are good enough to sell, you are one step ahead of the game. The next step is to learn everything you can about online marketing. I will be covering some of the basics below to help get you started.
Do you feel like you need to improve your drawing skills before you start selling them online?
Ask yourself these hard questions:
- Is it difficult for you to show your art to your friends and family?
- Is it difficult to talk about your drawings?
- Would you feel comfortable talking to a potential art buyer about your artwork?
- Do people close you know that you draw and that you are interested in selling your drawings?
- Would you buy your art if you saw it online?
Do you dream of selling your drawings but feel like your drawings are not good enough yet?
Below are some courses that will help you to improve your artistic skills.
Drawing Facial Expressions by Gary Faigin
Drawing Children: Charcoal Portraits by Hetty Easter
Drawing the Draped Figure by Matt Weigle
Drawing Wild Animals by Sharlena Wood
Drawing Essentials: Rendering Form by Charles Valsechi
Drawing Dimension: Shading Techniques by Catherine V. Holmes
In order for you to be able to sell your drawings, you have to believe in your drawings.
Every time you complete a drawing you have to feel like it is exactly the way you wanted it to come out.
You have to be proud of your work and eager to share it to the world.
Work hard on enhancing your skills every day and soon you will be exactly where you want to be, selling your art to people around the world.
How To Sell Drawings Online
Below is a step-by-step plan outlined for you to start an online art business.
Building a business takes time and a lot of effort. Be prepared to work on your business every day.
Know Your Objectives
The first step is to know what your objectives are.
- What do you want to achieve with your art business?
- How much money would you like your art business to generate?
- How many people will be working for you?
- How much art do you want to sell per year?
- Are you going to sell prints of your drawings?
- Are you going to sell your drawings at craft shows?
- What do you envision your art business to be in one year, five years and even ten years from today?
- What are you willing to sacrifice for your business?
Related Resources:
How to Write Goals You Can Achieve Workbook
Artist Goal Planners in Light Blue
Annual Art Business Review Workbook
What Products Will You Be Selling
The second step is to decide what products and services you will offer.
This is not set in stone and can change as your business grows.
- Are you going to sell original drawings?
- Are you going to offer frames?
- Are you going to offer matte for your drawings?
- Are you going to sell unlimited or limited prints?
- Are you going to sell merchandise like mugs, greeting cards, calendars, etc.?
- Are you going to provide commissions?
Identify Your Target Market
The third step is to research and identify who your target audience is. This will help you with deciding what your pricing will be, branding design, where to promote your art, and marketing strategy.
Related Posts:
Sell Artwork Online By Knowing Who Your Audience Is Part 1
Sell Artwork Online By Knowing Who Your Audience Is Part 2
Related Resource:
Art Pricing Guide – How to Price Art to Sell
Pick An E-Commerce Platform
Picking the right e-commerce platform is as important as deciding what products and services you will be offering.
I recommend building an art business on a platform you own. However, if you are just starting out or you are just planning on selling a drawing here and there a third-party site will work fine.
Below are three popular e-commerce platforms that artists use to sell art online:
WordPress
To launch your WordPress site you will first need to purchase a domain name and hosting.
You can purchase a domain name and hosting for a very affordable cost at BlueHost.
BlueHost also has a 1-click WordPress Install option that will have your site up and running in just a few minutes.
WordPress Features:
- Cost Effective
- User-Friendly
- Thousands Of Free And Premium Themes
- Thousands Of Free And Premium Plugins
- Mobile Responsive
- Secure
- Rank High In Search
- Built-In Blog
Below are some resources to help you build a WordPress website for your online art business.
WordPress Dashboard Guide eBook
WordPress SEO Basics eBook
Shopify
Shopify has grown to be one of the most powerful e-commerce platforms on the web. Some of my close friends own a Shopify website and they are very pleased with it and the company.
Shopify Features:
- 70+ Customizable Themes
- Mobile Responsive
- Access To HTML and CSS
- Domain Names Available For Purchase
- Full Blogging platform
- Free SSL
- And more…
Visit Shopify
Etsy
Etsy is a platform that has been created for artists selling unique handcrafted goods and has built a large audience over the years.
Starting an Etsy shop is free and the selling fees are very reasonable.
The downside is that Etsy does not have a blog integrated into the shop. Content marketing is a powerful online marketing strategy that will drive traffic to your art listings.
If you plan on using Etsy for your platform I recommend starting a blog to link your Etsy store to and learn everything you can about social media marketing.
Related posts:
How To Open an Etsy Store Step by Step
How To Start A Successful Art Blog
Related Resource:
28 Day Blogging Challenge for Visual Artists eBook
Market Your Artist Website
The last step is to start connecting to potential buyers.
Online Digital Marketing Strategies:
- Email Marketing
Ultimate Email Marketing Guide for Selling Art Online
Email Marketing for Crafters Video Course by Abby Glassenberg
- Content Marketing
28 Day Blogging Challenge for Visual Artists eBook
Blogging to Sell Your Products Video Course by Megan Auman
- Social Media Marketing
7 Effective Social Media Tips For Growing Your Artist Brand
Build a Social Media Plan That Actually Makes Money Video Course by Ryan Deiss
- SEO
WordPress SEO Basics
SEO Basics Video Course by Dave Nevue
Conclusion:
Can you sell your drawing?
Yes, you can. All you have to do is be willing to work hard at enhancing your drawing and marketing skills.
The only person who can stop you is you.
Shoot for the starts and start living your dreams.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase by clicking on an affiliate link, Nevue Fine Art Marketing may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate relationships include, but are not limited to, Bluehost, Tailwind, Skimlinks, SareASale and StudioPress. To learn more visit Affiliate Link Disclosure Policy
28 Day Blogging Challenge for Visual Artists
Are you ready to start building an online presence?
Available on Amazon or Download your copy today.
The Productive Artist How to Live Your Dreams
The right mindset and time management skills are essential for any business. These topics are often not talked about but are key elements for your success. You will learn how to have a winning mindset and time management skills necessary for operating a successful art business.
Available at Amazon or Download your copy today.
Get More Done in Less Time The Part-time Artist
Proven strategies that will help you to get more work done in less time so you can sell more art and earn more money.
Available at Amazon or Download your copy today.
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