Category: Tips

Tips on How to Sell Canvas Art Online

sell-art-online-02With the latest advancements in technology, artists are taking their careers online. Using the Internet, artists now have more platforms in sharing and selling their canvas arts outside the usual art galleries. There are thousands of online markets where artists and buyers meet. With many fish in the sea, how can you stand out so your canvas art prints are the ones sold online? Here are some tips that you can use to get more exposure and help boost sales of your art.

1. Take time to write the best descriptions for your artwork. The best online art galleries allow full descriptions for each artwork uploaded to their websites. Make your descriptions easy and enjoyable to read, free of spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. Include keywords in your descriptions that art buyers use when searching art online. Also, prepare a small bio and artist statement to introduce you to website visitors.

2. Create a portfolio site or blog. Upload the photos of your artwork and include complete descriptions. Make sure that you use good and clear images of your work since the colors of your art and its photo may vary when posted online. Promote your work and use a friendly tone to invite new visitors and potential buyers. Provide the information on payment, handling, and shipping.

3. Use the social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest are some of the most popular social media platforms available today. Use them to introduce yourself and your work to your network and your friend’s networks. Create a YouTube channel to showcase your artworks and your skills. Join forums that you enjoy to network and don’t just settle for art forums. Expand your network beyond the art world by joining forums related to the themes you use. If you paint nature, join a botany forum. Put a link to your website in the signature line of your posts.

4. Create newsletters for art lovers. If you own an art blog, it’s easy to send email newsletters to your subscribers. This is where you can inform them about the latest in your projects and finished pieces. Regular contacts with them can help you build long-term relationships and to let them know what you’ve been busy with lately.

5. Choose one online art gallery. The President of BoundlessGallery.com Luke Terpstra advised artists to do a lot of research about online art galleries but choose only one to try out wholeheartedly. He said it’s more productive for artists to concentrate on one venue than be all over different galleries and become overwhelmed with all the inquiries and issues in managing the business. If you give all efforts and still don’t get the sales that you expect in your chosen art gallery, then go to another venue and see if it will give you what you seek.

Image from here.

Linen Canvas vs Cotton Canvas: Which to Use?

As young artists, we are faced with lots of choices even before we start that first brush stroke. We think about the theme of our painting, what medium should we use, the size of the canvas to use, where to get inspiration, or which canvas would be perfect for our art. It could be overwhelming, especially for newbies out there who have just started in the art of painting.

There are debates on which canvas is better: linen or cotton. Here we lay down the benefits and drawbacks of using a linen or cotton canvas.

oil in linen

Linen

Pros
Linen is a canvas made from flax fibers. The word is derived from the Latin word “linum” which means the flax plant. Professional oil artists prefer linen canvas for its longevity and high quality. Linen is very receptive to sizing and priming applications. Sizing is a glue barrier which prevents the ground and the paint from coming in contact with the linen fibers, making it a more durable choice of canvas. A linen canvas preserves its natural oils and easily adapts to moisture changes which gives the fiber’s flexibility and helps prevent cracking over time. The linen fiber has a more natural weaved finish and is available in different textures, weights, and smooth or rough finish.

Cons
Linen canvas may be a better quality canvas and resistant to wear and tear but it is not that widely used because of its price. It is more expensive than cotton, jute, or other fibers used as canvas because producing linen is quite labor-intensive. If you’re just a student, the high price tag may turn you off. Also, you may have difficulties in priming and stretching a linen canvas but it provides the smoothest and stiffest painting surface, perfect for oil paintings. Students should avoid using a linen canvas unless their painting skills and quality of work are outstanding and are comparable to well-known artists.

painting on cotton

Cotton

Pros
Cotton is a soft fiber from a cotton plant native to the Americas, Africa, and India. More artists choose cotton canvas because its cheaper. Since cotton is more available and has low manufacturing costs, the price of a cotton canvas is more affordable than linen. It is more flexible and easier to stretch properly, making it a popular choice among art students. It is good to know that a properly prepared cotton canvas can be as durable as a linen canvas. So, if you want to use a lasting canvas without hurting your wallets, consider a cotton canvas.

Cons
Cotton is known for its flexibility and its ability to stretch easily, but it is not advisable to use it in very large paintings since it is prone to sagging.

Before you choose a canvas, consider the medium you are using and what you want to achieve on the canvas surface. For students or hobbyists, a cotton canvas is recommended because of its practicality and affordable price.

Images are from here and here.