Let’s talk about selling your first painting!
When did I sell my first painting? I remember it clearly. Okay, no I don’t. I actually had to go back to my old Etsy shop page to check when, exactly it happened.
Here’s what I do remember: In late 2015 I felt compelled to quit the business I’d been working on (intuitive eating coaching) and make art, instead. The urge to do so was so strong there was no possible way I could ignore it.
At first I was doing some hand-lettering and drawing and making some signs with uplifting phrases, and in the winter of 2016 I sold a couple of prints of those items.
And then nothing.
I’d lost confidence in myself and wasn’t creating much of anything for a while, but luckily my soul stood up again and said, “You need to do this!”
In the fall of 2016 I distinctly remember creating three tree paintings. Each one had a different phrase from the loving kindness meditation and I was really, really proud of them.
One of those trees was the very first painting I ever sold, in early 2017.
That same summer I hung my work at a local coffee shop, and I sold a couple more paintings. Magically, from that point forward, I’ve always sold something, even if it’s just a pack of cards, every single month.
But how can you do the same thing? How can you get on the selling your first painting train? Well, here’s exactly what I did.
Selling Your First Painting: The Exact Steps
1. Build a list of people who know and like you.
As I mentioned, I was attempting to create a business all about making peace with food and your body. I’d completed a Master’s in Health Education in late 2013, and after my daughter was born in 2014, I decided going back to work full time wasn’t going to work for me. In order to promote my health coaching business, I started writing blog posts and guest posts (in places like The Huffington Post and Tiny Buddha) to get people to my site. Once they were on my site, I had a free thing to give away that encouraged people to sign up with their email addresses. Once I got that email address, well, I started connecting with my people!
Basically, I emailed the people on my list regularly and let them get to know me. When I transitioned over to making art I gave them a heads up, and surprisingly, many of them stayed. These were the first people to buy art prints from me.
I can’t overemphasize how important this step is. People are much more likely to buy work, especially more expensive original work, if they know you. Tell them what makes you tick, show them behind the scenes of your studio, let them know your goals and dreams. Let them know they, too, are part of your story.
2. Create an online shop for easy purchases.
Back in the day I was rocking an Etsy shop; these days I sell things from my own self-hosted shop. It doesn’t really matter what kind of shop you have, but if you want to sell your paintings, you have to make it easy for people to buy them!
Etsy is fine if you don’t have a website or don’t want to pay for the shopping features that come with certain websites like Squarespace. They’ll take some fees and eventually that might bug you, but it’s quick and easy and the storefront is already all set up for you. Even if you only have a handful of things to sell, get them out there so people can buy them!
3. Share your work on social media.
Ah, the blessing and the curse of social media. On the one hand, if you spend too much time on social platforms it will slowly corrode your soul, but on the other hand, social media is full of people who want to buy your paintings!
I would advise only focusing on platforms that you enjoy and make you feel good. I personally enjoy Instagram and Pinterest which are, conveniently, very visual mediums good for showcasing artwork. My Instagram automatically connects to my Facebook page, and I know there are certain people who only see my work there, but I don’t put any time or focus into that space.
At first it just might be your friends and family who see your work. Heck, it might be your friends or family who you sell your first painting too, and that’s all good! Let things grow organically and then, when you’re ready, put more time and effort into building your social media profile.
4. Make your work look good!
And of course here I’m talking about photography. When I look at the photos I took of my early work (like the painting above!), I cringe. Still, I sold work with photographs like these because at least they were clear (not blurry) and the colors translated at least somewhat close to the real thing.
We’re so very lucky to live in the era of carrying around pretty darn fancy cameras right in our pockets, a decent phone camera is fine when you’re starting out. Beyond that, the two things that really helped me up my photography game were taking pics of my art in good lighting and learning how to use photo editing software.
I tried and tried to get good photos in the house my husband and I were renting back in 2016 and 2017, but it was SO HARD. The front of the house was way, way too bright; the back of the house was way, way too dark. I also hadn’t started ponying up for Photoshop, so I had no good way to edit my photos.
In the fall of 2017 we bought the house where we are now, and thankfully my studio space is pretty great for taking photos. There’s light, but it’s not overly bright. If you simply don’t have a place in your house to take good photos, do your best. Go outside and photograph on a cloudy day for best results. No matter when or where you take them, edit them before posting!
Photoshop is about $11 dollars a month and I use it every single day. I couldn’t do my job without it! I admit, though, there’s a pretty steep learning curve that comes with it; even though I was a graphic design major in college, many things about Photoshop had changed since I finished school in 2001. There are tons of online tutorials, though, and you’re probably going to need to focus on making your photos lighter and brighter. Know that your photos may not be great at first, but they’ll get better. Keep learning and trying new things.
One last thing: When you can, photograph your work in a living space so people can imagine what it would look like in your space. Can you hang it over a mantle? Prop it up next to a plant? Put it over your couch? If you absolutely can’t do this, no worries. A clear photo with decent lighting is more important!
5. Change your mindset.
Remember how I said I started and then failed when art came back into my life? It’s because I totally got in my head about not being good enough and how I could never make this work and blah blah blah.
It might sound weird, but people can feel the energy you have about your work. If you’re putting it down, way underpricing it, begging people to buy it, well, that feels gross.
You don’t have to think you’re the greatest artist ever, but spend some time being kind to yourself and saying nice things. “I’m growing my business and my skills.” “I wouldn’t be doing this if it didn’t feel like the right thing for me.” “I’m going to go with the flow and see where this takes me.”
A while back I wrote a post on changing your negative thoughts; see if that gives you some more ideas for moving toward a positive mindset.
Final Thoughts on How to Sell Your Artwork
Are you feeling good about selling your first painting? It’s so exciting! If it’s a friend or family member who buys your first piece, be appreciative. Eventually people who you don’t know personally WILL buy your work, if you keep at it. Be sure to concentrate on showing up and letting people get to know and like you. You’ve got this!
And if you’re looking for more dedicated creative time, check out this free mini class on intuitive painting.