How To Increase The Value Of Your Artwork

How To Increase The Value Of Your Artwork

Have you been thinking about increasing your art prices but are afraid that you will lose sales if you do?  

There will be times when you will want to increase your selling prices during your art career.

Everyone gets excited when they receive a raise from their job, and as an artist, you deserve to be able to increase the value of your artwork as your artistic skills enhance.

How To Increase The Value Of Your Artwork

Do you have artwork that is hanging around your art studio collecting dust? 

Did you know that there are strategies you can start implementing today that can increase their value now?

You might be asking yourself, “How can I sell the art that is hanging around my studio for more money when it has not sold at the price I am asking for?”

In today’s post, I will share with you strategies that successful artists and businesses use to increase the value of their brand.

Branding Yourself Online

• What makes art sell?
• What makes anything sell?
• Why do people spend more money on name brand products when a generic product has the same ingredients?
• Why do people update their Apple iPhone every year when there is nothing wrong with the iPhone they already have?
• Why are Norman Rockwell’s illustrations worth more money today than when he created them?

The keywords are NAME RECOGNITION.

Consumers pay a premium for Morton because, over time, the brand has created a perception of quality, consistency, and trust. Leading brands like Morton are more than just products or services—they evoke memories and emotions associated with quality. (Source: Microarts)

Creating a brand is more than just a logo, font style, or color.

A brand is remembered because a personal connection was made between the consumer and the company and or product.

Here is an inspiring speech by Steve Jobs.

Disclaimer, the audio of this video is not the best but you will get a ton of value watching this short video.

How can you separate yourself from all of the other artists selling art online?

It is more simple than you might think. All you have to do is share your story.

• What is your story?
• What message are you trying to get across with your artwork?
• What are your morals and core values?
• What are your inspirations?

Your story, morals, and core values will attract your target audience online and build brand awareness.

You know what your message is, it is your job to share it with the world.

That is if you want to increase the value of your artwork.

Watch this inspirational video about how John Deere uses content marketing to educate their customers.

Here is my story:

Here is my story.

I have built a successful online art business for over 16 years because I have worked hard on creating a content marketing strategy based on my core values.

My core values that relate to my art business are:

• To help artists start, grow and monetize an online art business
• Protecting wildlife
• Encourage children to be creative
• Creating Keepsakes
• To leave the world a better place than when I arrived

My success didn’t happen overnight. I had a clear vision of what I wanted to achieve, and I was consistent with my efforts.

At no point was I discourage when a plan did not show the results I was hoping for. 

Instead, I learned from the information I gathered, which allows me to make better decisions for my next marketing strategy.

I share with my audience all of the information I have gathered over the years to help them make better decisions for their art marketing plans.

The artwork I create is, for the most part, is commissioned work. I create keepsakes that will last a lifetime.

Besides commissioned drawings, I create pencil drawings, pastel paintings, and wood burnings of wildlife and nature scenes.

I am proud to say I have donated thousands of dollars from my artwork’s profits to help animals in need.

I believe that protecting wildlife will be one way to leave this world a better place for the future.

What Makes A Piece Of Art Valuable

Arts value increases when there is a personal connection between the collector and the artwork and or artist.

How important is an art in our lives?

Art is integral in our culture because it provides us with a deeper understanding of emotions, self-awareness, etc. (Source: Lesli Walsh)

You might be familiar with this beautiful painting by Norman Rockwell.

What makes Norman’s paintings so much more valuable than all of the other pictures found online that are similar?

Norman Rockwell was a master at creating paintings and illustrations that told a story.

But there are thousands of other artists that can create the same style of art Norman created.

Why is Norman’s work so valuable?

Norman Rockwell’s art is so valuable not only because of his work’s quality but also because of his brand, his story.

Rockwell, Norman (1894–1978) US illustrator. An immensely popular painter of rural and small-town life in America, he was best-known for his covers of The Saturday Evening Post (1916–63), among which were the “Four Freedoms” series used as posters by the Office of War Information during World War II. (Source: Encyclopedia.com)

With all of the examples I have talked about, what do they all have in common?

They all have a unique story that people have become fond of.

How did their story become so popular?

Their stories became famous because they started to share their story and vision.

• What is your vision? 
• What is your story?

If you want to increase your artwork’s value, you have to start marketing your art online and start telling your story.

Let everyone know about who you are and what message you would like to share with your artwork.

You might be saying to yourself:

• Nobody will be interested in my story.
• It makes me feel uncomfortable talking about myself.

These feelings are normal.

Sharing your feelings is intimidating especially if you are an introvert like I am, but I do want you to know that it does get easier the more that you do it.

I also want you to know you that your story is important and people what to read about it. They want to get to know the artist behind the artwork they admire.

Sign Your Artwork

There are thousands of artists that are learning how to sell art online and make money.

We have talked about how sharing your story and your core values to your audience will increase your art value.

But how do you get people to read your story when nobody knows who you are?

How can you guarantee that people will know you are the artist who has created the artwork they are admiring online?

It is easier than you think. All you have to do is sign your artwork.

Your signature confirms that you are the artist who has created the art that is being showcased.

The number one question people ask when they first see a work of art they are connected to is, “Who is the artist?”

There is nothing more important when it comes to branding your artwork than signing your art legibly.

Related Post: Build Brand Awareness With Your Signature – Artist Branding Tips

Choose The Perfect Name For Your Art

Can you imagine trying to buy a book from Amazon if there were no titles on the eBooks?

How easy would it be to find something to watch Netflix if there were no titles for the movies?

It would be nearly impossible to find an eBook you were interested in reading or a show that you wanted to watch if they had no titles. 

It would take hours, if not days, to find something you were interested in.

• Do you want people to remember your art?
• Would you like to create an emotional connection between a viewer and your artwork?

You would want to choose the perfect name for your art if you answered yes to any of the questions above.

There are two reasons why you will want to spend some time thinking about what you would like to call your finished piece.

First, the name will give the viewer an idea of what the message is behind your creation, and second, you need a name that will be searchable in the search engines.

People use keywords (words that describe what they are searching for) to find the content they are interested in.

Think about what words people might use in the search engines when searching for art you are trying to sell and try to incorporate them in the title.

Take a look at the examples I have found above.

What artwork do you think will be easier for people to find online if they were searching for a horse painting print?

How many people do you think will type in Google’s search bar “For The Roses” if they were interested in purchasing a horse painting?

It is a beautiful painting, and I understand the connection to the art, but the name is not searchable.

Including keywords such as “Horse Painting” or “Horse Race Painting” would make the listing searchable online.

Building brand awareness and connecting your art to your target audience starts by making your artwork searchable with a title that includes keywords.

Related Post: Keywords 101 – Generate Traffic to Your Art Gallery

Dating Your Art

Dating your art will increase the value of your artwork over time.

The more famous you get, the more significant your earlier work will become.

Think about how much Thomas Kinkade’s first original painting is worth today.

Make your art more valuable by dating it.

Some artists add the year they created the art after their signature, while others will date the piece’s back.

Decide on what will be best for you and be consistent. You will be happy you did in the future.

Number Your Prints

Offering a limited edition has been shown to work well for many artists.

An easy way to increase your income is by selling prints of your original art.

Related Post: How To Sell Art Prints Online And Make Money

You can increase the value of the prints you are selling by numbering them and offering a limited amount. This is also known as a limited edition.

All you have to do is decide how many you would like to sell and number them accordingly. (This is an example of how you can number your prints, Print Number 5/200)

Don’t forget to sign the print. Your signature will also increase the value of the edition.

Deciding to sell your work in limited edition prints can be a great way to generate interest among collectors and create a sense of urgency around the buying process. (Source: Liana Hayles Newton)

Art Description

The landing page will be the last page a potential buyer sees before deciding to purchase your artwork or not make a purchase.

Your landing page should include a short story of what the art is about, the size, what materials you used to create the art, and a list of your policies.

I have found that the more time I spend on my landing pages, the more sales I receive.

This will be the last chance you will have to convince the buyer that this art piece is perfect for their home.

Related Post: How To Write Great Art Descriptions That Sell

Final Thoughts On How To Increase The Value Of Your Artwork

Every artist wishes to sell art and increase the value of their artwork.

Selling art is an art, and you will want to spend some time every week to learn more about online marketing.

If you want to increase your artwork’s value quicker, you will want to learn how to become an online marketing expert.

How To Increase The Value Of Your Artwork Overview:

• Branding Yourself Online
• What Makes A Piece Of Art Valuable
• Sign Your Artwork
• Choose The Perfect Name For Your Art
• Dating Your Art
• Number Your Prints
• Art Description

You Might Also Be Interested:

• Best Etsy Shop Ideas For Creative Minds
• How to Sell Stickers And Make Money On Etsy
• Artist Commissions – How To Get Started And Best Practices
• How To Get Rid Of Clutter And Become A Productive Artist
• 10 Effective Strategies For Promoting Art That Increase Sales

Did you enjoy this article? Don’t forget to sign up for my free weekly newsletter.

You can also join me on:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest

Learn how to start, grow, and monetize your online art business.

Art Business eBooks

Art Business Workbooks

Art Marketing Video Courses

Art Business Planners

Art Marketing Resource