artistguide – Art & News from EBSQ

Ring in the New Year Right with These 7 Portfolio Readiness Tips

Have a Steampunk New Year by EBSQ Artist Susan Brack

The new year is fast approaching. We thought now might be a good time to offer some concrete ideas on how to get your portfolio ready to rock for 2012:

Is your contact information up-to-date? Make sure we have your current private email address for lost password retrieval and public contact information for people who want to learn more about your art. We’ve often seen members post that they do commissions but don’t offer a contact method for potential buyers. If they can’t connect, you’ve lost a sale.

Are your website and blog addresses still correct? How about your eBay and Etsy IDs? Again, if we don’t have the right information, people aren’t going to be able to find you or your work at your preferred sales venues.

An addendum to the above: Have you linked to all of your current venues? And have you unlinked venues you no longer use? If you’re primarily selling at FineArtAmerica, but you only have a link to an abandoned eBay account, you’re squandering an opportunity to direct interested parties to work that’s currently available. We suggest you consider removing venues you aren’t actively using or maintaining. This includes placeholder websites and blogs that haven’t been updated in over a year.

When is the last time you took a serious look at your artist’s statement? Do you have a “Hi, I’m new,” message that you posted back in 2007 and simply forgot about? Or notes about your Spring cleaning sales from last year? Are you talking about your photography or sculpture when you’re now showing a portfolio full of abstract expressionism? Have you done any new shows or changed galleries? Don’t forget to add this new information to your CV.

Have your commission prices changed? If so, don’t forget to make these edits if you have pricing listed on your commissions page. Or maybe you don’t do commissioned work at all anymore–you can always turn off this feature by unchecking the “commissions available” box in your profile tools.

Are you showing your newest work? While we do have members that update their portfolio as soon as they have something new, others simply upload a handful of work when they join and forgeddaboutit, letting their portfolios collect cyber dust. When was the last time you added something new? Every time you add new art to your portfolio, that piece shows up on the front page of EBSQ, which in turn brings more people back to your portfolio. For best success, we strongly suggest you upload new work monthly, or even weekly. “Post and Pray” does not work.

Is it for sale? If so, you can add in a PayPal “buy it now” button directly in your artist statement. You’re also welcome to link directly to other venues where a specific piece might be available. (Just make sure you update your information if it’s already been sold!)

Have another great tip for getting your portfolio into shape? Please share it in the comments below!

Artist Guide: Anyone Selling Anywhere?

The following is a guest post by EBSQ Artist Ron Jumper (aka Tolun) in response to an EBSQ forum thread on the same topic.

Internet Cafe by Mike Jones

Unfortunately, it may just be a case of saying to yourself, “this too, shall pass.”

Art is a luxury item, when people are making money they are thinking of ways to spend it, redecorating, collecting and so on. But when money is tight they focus on the basic necessities and put off “I want that” purchases.

There are people buying, but fewer of them and more people trying more desperately to sell to them, so it makes for a more challenging environment.

This is a good time to focus your efforts on what you do best and what sets you apart from the crowd. Think about the kinds of art that sold best in the past and do more of it, focus on technical skills and push forward to improve your best work. Serious collectors develop an eye for the best artists so become one of the best in your field and they will find you.

Marketing-wise, getting your work in front of as many people as possible may not show immediate results, but it gives you the best chance to make a sale. Keep working on blogs and branch out into sites where people who might like your work go. If you do paintings of animals, for example, hang out on pet and animal lover sites and start interacting on the message boards there. Don’t start off saying “go to eBay and buy my stuff!” but just establish a presence, and mention your art if it comes up in conversation or put a link in your signature, if allowed.

Build a mailing list, and keep people updated about your art. If you haven’t done this, you might consider sending an announcement to previous customers but be brief and soft-sell, don’t sound desperate and don’t keep bugging them if they don’t respond. Invite previous customers to check out your website to see new work and/or sign up for a mailing list.

For selling venues, unfortunately, the buyers have to be there to make sales. It’s still mostly about eBay although some sites like Etsy and such are gaining. Spend your money wisely but maintain as much of a presence as you can afford on the sites where there are buyers. You’ll have to spend money to make money, which can be a difficult situation when you don’t have a big budget. But your time would be better spent blogging and seeking out new sites to find collectors rather than setting up items on a free auction site where no one is buying anything. Spend both money and time wisely.

If you don’t want to go with eBay or your funds are critically low, you might have to cut back on art in general and find other work for a while. If you have the money for supplies this is a good time to experiment and develop an inventory of art that you can sell when the economy improves. Even if you aren’t attempting to sell art right now, continue developing your mailing list and blogs etc. so that when you are in a position to sell more art there are people who are already thinking about your work.

Finally, examine the way you sell your art. It’s a good idea to have work available in several price points, as people who can’t afford a large painting for $500 might buy a smaller piece for $100 and people who can’t afford that might buy a print for $25. If you can’t do prints on your own this is a good time to look into low-cost options for getting prints done of your best work.

Remember, this isn’t the first time this has happened, and won’t be the last. The buyers will return, it’s just a matter or riding out the dry spell and positioning yourself to take advantage when things get better.

–Tolun

[Have selling/marketing tips you’d like to share? Drop us a line!]

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Artist Guide: Not Taking Risks Is Foolish

by Natasha Wescoat of NatashaWescoat.com

When you think of risk taking, you can see some person throwing all their money into an idea, losing their job, their family, their “riches” and ending up on the streets. Risk taking shouldn’t equal foolishness. Planning is part of risk taking. Planning and risk taking can work together. I explain how many of us artists make it work in the online world, amidst a struggling economy and evolving web. I explain how NOT taking risks is FOOLISH…

BUSINESS SHOULD BE REACTIONARY
I was watching a video by Gary Vaynerchuk (WineLibrary.tv) about how too many entrepreneurs try to plan out and predict the future and in turn continually lose out. I see business owners base their moves, their actions on what it may or may not do for them. They obsess over whether it will work or not, and miss out on the possibilities their ideas and businesses could bring out.

It reminds me of a topic I’ve wanted to discuss for so long on how an artist/creative business should go about promoting and selling their work.

How do I do it?

I don’t ask questions.
I don’t research for months before I try something.
I don’t wait.
Continue reading “Artist Guide: Not Taking Risks Is Foolish”

Tips of the trade: on shipping art

by EBSQ Guest Author Aja Trier

Ok. Since my Quit Your Day Job article was published on the Etsy Storque I’ve had a number of inquiries on how to ship paintings from new sellers. I’m going to post this here (mostly so it’s easy to find as I get more inquiries) but maybe someone will come across it and find it to be useful 🙂

I know the shipping aspect can be intimidating at first and can seem rather daunting. I actually go back and forth between shipping through a local shipping place and doing it myself, it depends on the time I have and the size of the painting. I’ve built a repertoire with the place I ship through over the past 4 years or so and finally took the plunge a few months back and it’s helped to have someone who can wrap up and take care of the really big ones instead of me fooling and fussing with it at home. When I do it I buy frame boxes and bubble wrap from them, there’s a bunch of sizes to choose from and I buy a good amount at a time. I have an account with FedEX and USPS.com and I have them pick the packages up. The accounts were easy to set up and it’s really convenient. You can also print shipping labels through paypal – hee’s there help explanation on their site – https://www.paypal.com/helpcenter/main.jsp;jsessionid=KT0DSyptYvvv5wHXdQynbdQplDtrc4WJGzS52hfKb4G8KJQn5ppC!-685170754?locale=en_US&_dyncharset=UTF-8&countrycode=US&cmd=_help&serverInstance=9004&t=solutionTab&ft=searchTab&ps=solutionPanels&solutionId=10773&isSrch=Yes

It’s really quite simple. You do need a scale – I got mine at Walmart for 10 bucks.

Larger paintings should really go through FedEX because of the cost and the shipping “zones”. 16×20 I’d send through FedEX. 11×14 can go just fine through the postal service.

For all of my small shipments (anything up to 12×12 or so) I use the free boxes you can get through the post office. You can order some online for free – they are for Priority shipments though so if you plan on sending your paintings first class you can’t use the free boxes. I always send Priority when I use USPS because it looks more professional and is faster for the most part. Here’s a link to order free Priority boxes – http://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductCategoryDisplay?catalogId=10152&storeId=10001&categoryId=13354&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=11820&top_category=11820&WT.ac=13354

The place I go to for my other boxes orders theirs from uline and sells them to me at cost. It’s good to start a relationship with a local place cause there can definitely be perks! Take a day and shop around. A really large box for me costs 16.00 – that’s for a 36×46 box, unfortunately sometimes you gotta cut um down since they don’t always have the size you need) I have heard some people go to Michaels and get their boxes on garbage day, but you have to be there at the right time – they wouldn’t hold them for me and it was like 20 miles for me so I just broke down and bought them outright. But that is an option.

When I am wrapping it myself I wrap the painting in plastic and tape it to secure moisture from compromising the painting. Then a layer of bubble wrap is tightly wrapped around and taped. Another layer of bubble wrap is then wrapped around the first, bubble to bubble, creating a “pillow” that is extremely effective in securing the painting from damage. The pillow is then placed in a sturdy mirror box for shipment with more bubble wrap or paper if needed.

Please copy and paste this URL in your browser to see how these “pillows” look just before shipment – http://tinyurl.com/5ws4ah

Note that with international shipping, to most countries the largest stretched canvas you can send is 22×28 through the postal service. The postal service has strict dimensional guidelines – length+girth (a tape measure wrapped around the middle of the box gives you the girth) can’t be any larger than 79 inches. This includes Australia, a popular shipping destination. For places with the 79 inch cut off I offer taking the painting off the stretchers and rolling it in a tube. This doesn’t always work though. I can’t do this with gallery wrapped canvas, only with canvas that has staples on the back – I can take staples out of the canvas. Can’t rip it from that groove the higher end canvases have, and I won’t cut the canvas from the stretchers. It’s best to advise your patrons of these things so they are aware. That’s why in my shop I only show US and Canadian shipping prices for larger works. Canada has a 108 inch cut off, so pieces up to 24×36 can go through USPS. Any larger and it has to be sent through FedEX or UPS – which for an international destination can be a couple hundred easy. If a patron is willing to pay the actual shipping cost then by all means. But it really is exorbitant!

It looks like a lot to take in, and initially it is – but after doing it a while you’ll become a pro and it will be second nature 🙂 Best of luck!

Be sure to check out Aja’s blog at Sagittarius Gallery

Artist Guide: Streaming Video For Your Audience

by Natasha Wescoat

One of the best inventions of the internet being used today is live streaming video. The viewer can watch as the broadcaster does things live over the net, and chat with them via the chat interface offered on the particular channel.

Sites like Justin.tv, Ustream.tv, and Mogulus offer free streaming video channels to people who sign up. There are many creative ways artists can utilize streaming video for their audience.

THINGS YOU CAN DO LIVE:

– Have a chat session. offer a time and place to have collectors talk with you. Do a Q and A or candid chat with fans.

– Create art live. Creating art (no matter what medium) live on video can be a bit of a challenge for the artist who’s trying to focus on their work, but you give viewers the chance to see the work created. Collectors LOVE this! You can even watch as they give their input in the chat room. Maybe you can be creative and allow the watchers to participate in choosing how the work is created.

– Live Auction. Sometimes you could offer a studio sale live. Let viewers bid on pieces you show them live on video.

– Studio Cam. Just have a live video feed of your studio going on 24/7. May sound boring but people love the ability to watch your studio and see what your up to. Set it up so you aren’t partcipating in the conversation but give the viewers a camera feed to view your everyday work. Simple as that.

What are some ways you can think of for using streaming video to promote and share your work? What do you feel are the pros and cons of doing so?

5 How-tos for Artists

If you take a gander at the Learn section of EBSQ, you’ll find several years worth of how-to articles on specific art-related projects like Cigar Box Purses and Felt Making. But did you know we also have how-to articles that address the business of art as well? Here are five of our most popular how-to articles:

How to Write an Artist Statement

An artist’s statement is a short document written by the artist which provides a window into the artist’s world. It offers insight into a single piece or an entire body of work and by describing the artist’s creative process, philosophy, vision, and passion. It enlightens and engages while at the same time giving the audience – potential buyers, exhibition curators, critics, fellow artists, or casual browsers – the freedom to draw their own conclusions. An artist’s statement reads easily, is informative, and adds to the understanding of the artist. (read more)

Image is Everything: How to Photograph your Art

Probably the single most important thing you can do to sell your artwork is to post good photos on your auction listing. Many of the photos I see on eBay have glare from flashbulbs, focus problems or poor color. The method that has worked best for me, whether taking digital photos or film photos is to shoot artwork outdoors. You will find that outdoor light is the best, even on slightly overcast days, and you won’t risk a flash glare on your work. (read more)

The Importance of Online Presentation

The importance of pictures shown in your auction is vital puzzle in the outcome of the sale.

Most people like to feel like they are actually holding that piece of art. They want to see the texture, the size, the edges; they want to be able to investigate the piece like it was in their hands. This refers to the art on stretchers, but close up details still apply to cloth canvas artworks too, of course. (read more)

The Lighter Side of Pricing your Art

There are so many facets to consider about when creating a work of art, because this category and subject can get very detailed and is quite broad based on each individual and style of medium. Whether you sculpt, paint, sketch, weld, to the many mediums and styles of painting, colors, textures media etc., you can spend more time in trying to determine what the final masterpiece will be priced at that what it took to create it. (read more)

Artist Business Cards

A professional business card can be a useful marketing tool for artists, and well worth the investment if you are trying to get your name out there. So, do you have a business card? If not, then it’s time to get on the ball and do something about it. (read more)

What other business topics would YOU like to see us address in the future?

Latest Mashable Guides for Artists

by Natasha Wescoat

Tweetable Art: 10 Twitter Tips for Artists

The Artist’s Guide To Flickr

The Artist’s Guide To Youtube

Be sure to share your input, ideas, comments, or share with us your experiences using these social media tools to promote and expose your work. Alot of artists out there don’t realize the awesome potential of the net to get their work out there and seen. 🙂

Artist Taxes made simpler-eBay Sales Report

The following is a guest post from EBSQ Artist Shannon Fogl:

Tax time is upon us again. Time to get all your sales records together, collect invoices and calculate fees! However, if you’ve been using eBay this just got a lot easier.

EBay offers a free application you can add to your MyEbay section. Simply go to: http://pages.ebay.com/salesreports/welcome.htmland click on which application you’d prefer for ebay to show you your sales reports. Both are free and simple to use and print. I turn these sales records over directly to me CPA who loves how organized and convenient they are.

From the two applications available I find the PLUS version is better if you sell multiple items across multiple categories, or you are a power seller. If you sell solely in the art category, the original will have everything you need.

You will get an updated report every month with your sales and fees for eBay AND paypal listed in easy one page printable files. If you want to retrieve a whole years worth, they’re stored right on eBay whenever you need them. EBay will keep up to 3 years of records for you just in case.

Now you’ve downloaded this application, how do you retrieve it? Just simply togo your MyEbay page, and click on the My Account tab. A drop menu with come down with a list of subscriptions and applications available for buyers and sellers to use. The Sales Report Link for you will be toward the bottom of that menu. Once you click on the link it will take you directly to your own person sales report page. There you will find a second drop down link with summary reports for all the months you’ve been selling there. Just chose your date and it will generate you a sales report with all your actual sales amounts that month, fees to ebay you acquired, and costs to paypal. They even top it off with a nice chart of those sales and fees too!

I hope this has made tax time a little less stressful!

~Shannon Fogl~

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Artist Guide: Speed and Intensity

by Natasha Wescoat

Web Presence, Exposure, and Evolution

When it comes to selling and marketing on the internet, speed and intensity is key. You may have this already working out in your favor, considering you have OCD tendencies, like me, and can’t wait to do this and that in regards to your business and art.

The internet’s rate of evolution is going at a much faster pace and increases. Now, if you spend about a month off of the internet and come back, you will notice new sites, new tools, new avenues of revenue possibilities. You may feel collectors or fans have long gone. It’s a catch 22, being an internet business. It’s about consistency and progress. It’s survival of the fittest or fastest!

Anything that’s static will die.

Read more here . . .

Artist Guide: Instinctual Business and Worth

Over the last few months, I’ve been trying to help a friend start selling their own creations online. The plan was that they would sell on both Etsy and eBay and begin blogging and networking online to sell their product. I even went as far as creating the logo design and designed their blog layout for them. They didn’t know how to do anything and I was going to be the one to teach and guide them.

I think after a few years of watching me do things, they assumed it was pretty well laid out and simple enough. I think even I did too.

Because when they went to start blogging – they found they could barely get traffic.

And when they tried to list their items on eBay, they found HTML nearly impossible and frustrating to do.

They’d ask, “What do I need to do to get traffic?” I’d say, “Blog like you have ADD. Write about things you love and write about what you do.”

Simpler said than done.

Continue reading “Artist Guide: Instinctual Business and Worth”

Artist Guide: Fabulous Creating

This sounds alittle corny perhaps. Natasha, you’ve lost your mind now. I want to discuss the art of making art. Have you as an artist given yourself the ambience and atmosphere that inspires, strengthens, and enlightens your work? Plein Air artists get the beauty and ambience of the outdoors. What about us indoor folks? ;P

Creating art while in a state of stress, clutter, or chaos can be constructive for a few, but for the rest of us, this is a killer of creativity.

Some ways to help you produce excellent work:

( Read more… )

Artist Guide: Island vs. City

Another artist, who’s efforts in self-promotion and genuine goodness I admire, Valentina of Val’s Art Diary has offered her own advice out to the masses about traditional web presence vs. the new Social media-fueled internet world we live in. You can subscribe to her art tips here at http://www.valsartdiary.com in the Art Tips section.

Some of the points Val has made connect with what I’ve always said:

– A website cannot stand alone. Expect traffic and sales, and you are foolish.

– Social media acts like a virus. You can draw new fans and collectors through these sites, and that acts as a catalyst, or more specifically a snowball, drawing even MORE people to your pages.

– Good web presence means having multiple streams of traffic:

a.YOUR HOME ON THE ISLAND: Website – This is where all of your important and vital information is placed. It’s the homebase for visitors who find your work being sold on the net, or find your myspace and want to find out who you are and gain trust. It’s your driver’s license so to speak.

b. YOUR VACATION CONDO IN THE CITY: social networking pages – Having a few social media pages to represent your work. If you become big, someone else will do it for you and you don’t want misrepresentation. Choose myspace, facebook, or the like. Google the word “social networking” or “social net communities” for sites to consider. Remember to keep in mind your target audience and where they might be. For some of us, we need to join these sites SIMPLY to figure out who that target audience is. People of all ages are on myspace, remember. Not just teeny bopper emo wannabees. 🙂

c. YOUR TRANSPORTATION: communication devices – We’re talking twitter, email, newsletters, blogging, videoblogging, etc. Using a one form or more for instant and open communication with your potential collectors and fans is the vehicle that drives traffic to your website and your social media pages. Many social media pages like facebook and myspace offer blogging, video uploading, and options to put a twitter widget in your page. Use the internet tools available in the form that works BEST for YOU to communicate with others through these sites.

– Keep it simple – Remember that there are hundreds of different sites and free net tools out there and it’s not NECESSARY or smart to use every single site just because everyone else is. That’s not methodical. That’s a mess! Stick to the things you like best, that work best, and that compliment your art best. If you only want to work with one tool. Twitter makes you confused. Then fair enough. Use what will provide you the best web coverage and connection with your fans and clients.

Would you rather open a gallery on an island? or in a city?

You know the right answer to that question.

Artist Guide: How To Survive The Art Expos

by Natasha Wescoat

In a letter to an artist I talked about New Years Goals with, I wanted to share with them advice about the Art Expo. They had asked before what I had thought about my experience and if it was worth the chance to attend. I gave them my ideas on the subject, and so I thought I should share a bit of it here as well…

“The Art Expo like I said, is strange, but it’s definitely going to be a great way to learn some things you otherwise would miss out on by not attending. I’m actually glad now that I did, though I seemed a bit cynical about it before after I had left. The initial shock of the experience can be negative and draining. However, it definitely was exciting and gave me ideas on how to improve the next chance I attend it again.”

My advice for attending the expo would be:

– Be sure to talk to everyone around you. Get connections with other artists, and don’t be afraid to ask questions, especially if they have been there before. They all have some amazing and funny stories about how it was at the expo their first time and what they are doing now to make it worth their time and money. Besides, half the time you will be standing there with nothing to do, your feet hurting, and little to no entertainment. Unless you were as lucky as me to have such amusing people to watch. ;P

– Be prepared for anything. Some people will be really excited about your work, and more than most will walk by with this look of disdain or shock on their face. The majority of attendees are people who know exactly what they want or aren’t even there to buy. Not everyone is going to like or understand your work. You have to expect the good and the bad.

– Teach them. Give them a chance to learn about you. Have posters that point out the latest noteworthy things you’ve participated in. Exhibitions, events, charities, competitions, etc. If you did anything you are excited about, it should be on that poster. Have flyers and brochures that they can take with them and hand those babies out even if they aren’t going to stop.

– Ask Questions. One of the most interesting lessons I learned going to the expo was watching the Thomas Kincade booth. They really know how to sell their work. I watched them take completely uninterested, unamused people who didn’t even collect art, and got them not only to buy some prints but to get excited about it. I couldn’t believe it!

Their secret was questioning, where they ask the people:

– How they like the show
– What they think of some of the art
– What they think Thomas Kincade’s work is worth

And then they go on to explain some key factors that would gain interest:

– The estimate of collectors and fans Thomas had, and how long he’d been in the business of art.
– What his art could be worth in the future.
– What his art conveys to people.
– What big things he has done that makes his art worth buying.

They appealed to the potential client’s personal benefit in buying the art, financially and aesthetically.

It’s a difficult issue for me, as I tend to feel it’s more important to be being genuine and let the buyer determine what they want, but if you are interested in the marketing aspects of it all, that is what most successful art sellers tend to focus on. It’s fascinating to say the least!

– Watch the others. Observe successful and emerging artists within the Expo. You should take time to get away from your booth to do this. See what they are doing to show their work. What is their art like? Do they have a consistent unique style or does it appear to be manufactered art. You will notice alot of both within the Expo. You can’t avoid it. What does the artist appear like? Are they easy to talk to? Do you appear to be nice and open? What do you percieve about their personal beliefs and marketing efforts whether good or bad that you can learn from?

http://www.natashasartcandy.com

Artist Guide: Creating Your Success: Online Self-Publishing

by Natasha Wescoat

Being successful doesn’t mean it must be determined through traditional channels. Media moguls are cutting college to develop their successful technology, artists are fending off traditional education in favor of self education, and writers are finding they don’t have to go through publishers to follow their dreams.

The world of DIY (Do-it-yourself) and POD (Print On Demand) is becoming a norm. Buyers are beginning to view self published products the same as traditionally produced items. It’s a matter of hard work, savvy, and marketing efforts that determine whether you will find success in your craft or not.

But, having said that, my point to be made is that one is no longer confined to the strict standards of traditional publishing and licensing markets. We have the ability to offer t-shirts, home decor, postage, cds, dvds, movies, books, magazines, calendars, and more custom designed, written, and produced by US. Edited and formated by us.

WE ARE OUR OWN BOSS
Because of companies like Zazzle, Imagekind, Cafepress, Lulu, and Blurb, we can be our OWN editors, designers, producers, clothing designers, merch retailers, writers, marketers, pr, and more.

We determine the deadlines.

We make choices on content and value.

We decide when something sells and when it’s retired.

We can offer limited editions, special editions, special series, one of a kind products that noone can get anywhere else but from YOU. We can create our own success.

( Read more… )

25 Things I Learned About Selling Art Online

1. Sometimes noone wants to buy that amazing painting. Ever. No matter what you try.

2. A lot of people just want something to match their furniture.

3. No matter how many links you put on your site or post in your newsletters, they always ask where to find your website.

4. eBay isn’t an easy road to success, it’s a challenging one. Like rock in a hard place challenging.

5. There are hundreds of artists, better than me, smarter than me, and more successful than me.

6. Sometimes having a Myspace only attracts gangster rappers and porn star wannabees who want to friend you.

( Read more… )

http://www.natashasartcandy.com

Using Flickr To Market Your Art

by Natasha Wescoat

Flickr has come to be known as one of the coolest and easiest photo management sites available. You can begin a free membership with up to 200 photos (If I’m wrong let me know. It’s been a while) and going Pro is only $24.95 per year which allows you access to other features. Joining is even easier if you already have a Yahoo! account to log in and sign up!

BASIC FLICKR FEATURES:

UPLOADING IN MULTIPLE WAYS

Photos can be uploaded from your desktop, sent via email, or directly from your mobile phone camera.

SIMPLE ORGANIZATION

You can create collections, sets, and tags for your photos for easy organization and professional look.

SHARING

You can join groups of similar interest, and use privacy functions to protect artwork you simply want to upload but keep private from public.

MAPPING YOUR PHOTOS

Share where your photos were taken, or where your art was created!

( Read more… )

Artist Guide: Artist Egos, Emotional Energy, and Success

by Natasha Wescoat

I have recently made my rant on my videoblog (Artist Guide: Pet Peeves #4) (www.youtube.com/postmodernartist) regarding the artist ego, but I wanted to provide a more elaborate, complete thought on the subject and what I mean to convey in this message.

From my video, I speak mainly of how frustrating it is for you and I to deal with egos or emotions, either personally, or through someone else. It can delay or obliterate success and progress in your art career. It’s one of the best examples of creativity killing.

But before I go on, I want to say that there is a lot more to this subject than egos. We are talking about emotional energy and it’s impacts as well…

Emotion is a powerful part of our business.

So, here is what I mean…

( Read more of Artist Egos, Emotional Energy, and Success )

Artist Guide: Artist Networking Through Microblogging

by Natasha Wescoat

Many of us artist have been made hip to the new social networking tools out there.

Twitter is known for 140 character posts with other people who follow you. It’s a great tool for quick messaging to friends, shouting out ideas, and sharing links. (EBSQ’s twitter is : http://twitter.com/ebsq)

Pownce, which was recently made open to the public, does that and more: allowing you to punch in html, video and other multimedia links, and sharing quick ideas without the 140 word limitation. It’s gaining notoriety, and inho would make twitter obsolete. It’s a matter of preference, I suppose, and…popularity of the tool.

Utterz is quickly gaining momentum. It’s the new micropodcasting site where you can record audio from your phone or via the computer. Now, you can record and post quick videos as well as photos and text posts. It’s a great way to converse with others should you forgo the use of the telephone/cellphone communication option. It’s free as well!

MICROBLOGGING VS. TRADITIONAL NETWORKING VIA THE NET

All of these tools and the many others available on the net would be an excellent tool to communicate and network with other artists on the net, and for these many reasons.:

( Read more… )

Artist Guide: Don’t Sell To Strangers

by Natasha Wescoat

Don’t Sell To Strangers

So, being online to promote your art already points out that you MAY have an idea of who you WANT to buy from you.

You want collectors that:
– regularly use the internet
– who regularly purchase things, in particular… ART
– and have the means to continue collecting from, in particular…YOU.

Unfortunately, if you only stick with these three things, you won’t ever build a consistent business selling your art online. You’re just selling to STRANGERS!

You need to know YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE:
* What is the age range and median age?
    * Is the group primarily male or female?
    * Are they country dwellers or metropolitan types?
    * What are their education levels?
    * What are their special interests or hobbies?
    * What is their income range?

Defining your target audience will help you understand the collectors you want to reach with your work, and you will be putting your precious time and energy in the right places and most relevant areas of marketing your art. It will give you the knowledge to market in a way that your target audience will respond to the most positively!

If you know who your art is for (no strangers!), you have a greater chance of drawing in more of the same collectors and build your collector base. And if you don’t already know, building a collector base is the path to consistent and successful art careers!

To begin, let’s first define your audience based on previous or current collectors and buyers:

    * Who are your best/ most profitable collectors?
    * Who are the majority of your collectors?
    * What do all these collectors have in common, besides collecting from you?

Now, we have to define what we are about and what we offer:
    * What is your type of art? whimsical? dark? intellectual? etc.
    * What is your story and how do you want to share it?
    * Is your art Fine Art or Commercial based?
    * Where do you want to be 5-10 years from now in your art career?

After you have answered these questions, and know your art brand/niche, you can begin answer the others above.

With that said, consider revising your business plan and put time into determining your art brand, should you consider selling your work mainly or exclusively online. This will determine the tools online that you utilize to market your work.

So, in conclusion I wanted to ask how many of you have learned about your collectors? Are there any methods or places online you use to connect and communicate with them and potential customers? How would you define your art brand? Anything you’d add to this article that would be useful in determining your target audience?

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Natasha Wescoat is a contemporary artist living and working in Michigan. Her work has inspired many artist guides and videos to inform and communicate with artists about marketing and social media online. Her official art blog is at http://www.natashasartcandy.com You can also take a peek at [youtube.com/postmodernartist] to view videos about the artist and the subject of marketing.