Today I am going to embrace something which is pretty much a no-go area among many fine artists: Creating for a target audience.
Woe to him who suggests painting something with the purpose of, well, selling! The underlying theory among artists seems to be to create whatever you want and then find a market for it. To me, this is a very backwards plan if you want to make a living selling your work.
My suggestion is to think carefully about what you enjoy most about your creative process, including the subjects you paint, and then to refine that in a way that meets the need of a specific market.
Create for a Target Audience
I am not saying that you have to paint ballerinas all day everyday (unless that's what you love!), but the idea is to create art that has an appeal to a significant segment of the population. Without this it's going to make your job of selling work very difficult.
For example, perhaps you just want to paint toilet seats. You just have this passion for toilet seat painting that you can't seem to quench. Well, maybe it's just me, but I think it's going to be tough to sell a lot of work. Unless of course you're picked up by a real gallery who wants to back you. Then you may be okay, but the minority of artists have this opportunity.
Nor am I saying that just because you're creating with a target market in mind that you have to relinquish all creativity. In fact, I would be willing to bet that it will force you to think more and create more challenging work. And of course not every piece you create has to be with the intent of selling. In fact, you certainly need to create "just for the sake of it" in order to allow yourself freedom to experiment and discover those happy accidents!
My point here is that if you want to sell art, you must embrace the fact that you're creating a product for consumption by the general public. Your art is a product - you are the creator, fabricator, manufacturer, designer, etc. You must have a viable business plan, and any worthwhile business plan talks about a target market.
A Closer Look
As an artist myself when I have time, the idea of painting one type of subject matter all the time is rather depressing. But I don't think it is a necessity when approaching the idea of painting for an audience. Creating various series of work in your own unique style allows you to tie together many different subjects or themes while keeping them all related.
You may decide to create a series of eight floral still life paintings, then move onto a series on birds for example. Each of these series can be marketed separately to relative potential markets. You might attend a botanical fair or raffle a print to a garden club in your area for the floral series. For the series on birds you may put a small advertisement in a birding magazine. The beauty of this method is that it really challenges you to keep a theme for a prolonged number of pieces, which will force you to become a better artist and give a solid foundation to your work.
In the long run you will probably find that you get more satisfaction painting one subject over another, and as you pick up more collectors for certain pieces you'll be able to judge what to paint next. As with any business there are aspects of being an artist that just aren't enjoyable. Sometimes that may be painting something you're not entirely enthusiastic about, but if it's paying your bills and allowing you to continue to paint then it's well worth it.
I know that the dream of being an artist is doing what you love all the time. That's the reason a lot of people pursue the careers that they are in. But being a professional artist does not exempt you from having to paint or do things that don't inspire you every single moment of everyday. You must be smart and attuned with the reality of having to make a living doing what you do in order to succeed long term.
I'll end with an astute quote from lifelong artist Chuck Close: "Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just get up and go to work."
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Wholesale Printing Accounts for Galleries, Frame Shops and Interior Designers
This is a quick post today - just to let fellow business owners and sales reps know that we do offer wholesale accounts for those of you interested in reselling our services.
This is a great opportunity for fine arts related businesses, especially in the south Florida area.
Here are some excellent examples of how we can improve your business with our products:
Frame Shops: Offer your customers digital photographic printing services as a perfect compliment to your framing services. We'll give you canvas print samples for your showroom free of charge. Perfect for family pics, travel snaps, and portraits. We even offer free delivery on Fridays to businesses located in Broward County - how cool is that?
Art Galleries: We make the nicest giclee prints in South Florida. 100% archival, beautiful accurate colors, museum quality. Combined with our state of the art scanning technology, you simply won't find higher quality for a better price. We're so convinced you'll love our work that we'll make your first giclee free of charge. Shoot us an email today (info@printthatimage.com) to set up an appointment. I will personally visit your gallery with samples, wholesale prices, and to answer any other questions you may have.
Interior Designers: Need wall art for your next hotel project? Or how about one or two highly limited edition embellished giclee prints for your next high-end home design? We work with literally hundreds of artists and are perfectly positioned to set you up with excellent fine art or decor prints.
If you want to set up a wholesale account or set an appointment for a personal visit to your business then give us a call at 954-762-7692 or send us an email at info@printthatimage.com.
Our website is open 24/7 at www.PrintThatImage.com
Thanks!
This is a great opportunity for fine arts related businesses, especially in the south Florida area.
Here are some excellent examples of how we can improve your business with our products:
Frame Shops: Offer your customers digital photographic printing services as a perfect compliment to your framing services. We'll give you canvas print samples for your showroom free of charge. Perfect for family pics, travel snaps, and portraits. We even offer free delivery on Fridays to businesses located in Broward County - how cool is that?
Art Galleries: We make the nicest giclee prints in South Florida. 100% archival, beautiful accurate colors, museum quality. Combined with our state of the art scanning technology, you simply won't find higher quality for a better price. We're so convinced you'll love our work that we'll make your first giclee free of charge. Shoot us an email today (info@printthatimage.com) to set up an appointment. I will personally visit your gallery with samples, wholesale prices, and to answer any other questions you may have.
Interior Designers: Need wall art for your next hotel project? Or how about one or two highly limited edition embellished giclee prints for your next high-end home design? We work with literally hundreds of artists and are perfectly positioned to set you up with excellent fine art or decor prints.
If you want to set up a wholesale account or set an appointment for a personal visit to your business then give us a call at 954-762-7692 or send us an email at info@printthatimage.com.
Our website is open 24/7 at www.PrintThatImage.com
Thanks!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
The Importance of Written Contracts for Artists
Okay, so today I'm going to write about something a little different. This was inspired by some interesting discussion on the Professional Fine Art Network (pFAN) on LinkedIn.
Is it Necessary to Enter a Written Agreement with Galleries Who Sell Your Work?
The answer is YES. Always, without question. There is no situation in which written documentation should be neglected.
There are however various levels of documentation depending on the situation. But before I elaborate on that, let me explain why written agreements are necessary (though tedious and mundane for most of us).
If you are close friends with a gallery owner who has been in all ways trustworthy, reliable, and all that you expect of an ethical business owner, it can be difficult to see why an agreement is necessary. Here are a few situations that will show you why:
1. Gallery Owner Dies:
Not the nicest scenario, but these things happen. What happens to your work in a situation like this? Your work is now in the hands of new owners, family members of the previous owner, or some intermediary agency. Think of how difficult it will be to get that work back when there is no paperwork? You'll have to prove it is yours and figure out if any pieces are missing. This is no easy task at a stressful time such as death of a loved one. A written contract makes these things much easier.
2. Some of Your Work Goes Missing
Galleries carry a lot of artwork, and often keep pieces in storage to rotate with work on the walls to keep the gallery looking fresh. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that a piece is damaged by an employee, or sold with a partial down payment before full payment is secured (especially in tough economic times, galleries are more likely to do this to keep cash flow going). You might be "best friends" with the gallery staff, but you'll start to feel resentful if you notice work has been sold and you haven't made an agreement on the time line for payment, or with regards to damaged work.
3. Gallery is Robbed
This may seem like action movie material, but things like this happen - theft, fires, floods - and you need to have a written agreement with the gallery for any chance of filing a successful insurance claim.
So as you can see, situations may arise that are out of a gallery's control. And no matter how much you trust somebody, you must acknowledge that these are distinct possibilities and deal with them appropriately.
In ALL situations, at the very least, write up a consignment sheet which lists titles, descriptions of work, wholesale price (gallery price) and retail price (price at which pieces are sold to the public). Make sure all pertinent dates are included, and parties involved sign and print names on the sheet. This should be done whether it is for a one-time only public exhibition in a non-profit space, or for a long term contract with a high profile gallery.
Many long term gallery partnerships begin without a contract until the gallery feels comfortable working with you. This does not mean that you begin without a consignment sheet. You always need something in writing if you leave any work in the possession of a gallery.
If it is so obvious, why do we neglect to do it?
The main reason I believe is that artists do not want to "cause too much trouble." In reality, if a gallery doesn't want to "waste time" with written agreements then avoid them altogether.
Think of a written agreement as a clarification for both you and the gallery - it outlines the responsibilities of each party. If a disagreement arises then you can always refer back to a written contract.
You will also be taken more seriously if you take the business relationship seriously. It is normal business practice to have written contracts. Remember, as soon as you decide to sell your art you are no longer just an artist, but a business person also. Embrace this side of your art profession and you will be more successful.
Good luck and thanks for reading!
This article is copyright ©Chris Kennedy, 2009.
Chris Kennedy owns and maintains PrintThatImage.com, a specialty printing site for giclée prints, fine art printmaking, gallery wrap canvas prints, and promotional products for professional artists and photographers. His office is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Is it Necessary to Enter a Written Agreement with Galleries Who Sell Your Work?
The answer is YES. Always, without question. There is no situation in which written documentation should be neglected.
There are however various levels of documentation depending on the situation. But before I elaborate on that, let me explain why written agreements are necessary (though tedious and mundane for most of us).
If you are close friends with a gallery owner who has been in all ways trustworthy, reliable, and all that you expect of an ethical business owner, it can be difficult to see why an agreement is necessary. Here are a few situations that will show you why:
1. Gallery Owner Dies:
Not the nicest scenario, but these things happen. What happens to your work in a situation like this? Your work is now in the hands of new owners, family members of the previous owner, or some intermediary agency. Think of how difficult it will be to get that work back when there is no paperwork? You'll have to prove it is yours and figure out if any pieces are missing. This is no easy task at a stressful time such as death of a loved one. A written contract makes these things much easier.
2. Some of Your Work Goes Missing
Galleries carry a lot of artwork, and often keep pieces in storage to rotate with work on the walls to keep the gallery looking fresh. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that a piece is damaged by an employee, or sold with a partial down payment before full payment is secured (especially in tough economic times, galleries are more likely to do this to keep cash flow going). You might be "best friends" with the gallery staff, but you'll start to feel resentful if you notice work has been sold and you haven't made an agreement on the time line for payment, or with regards to damaged work.
3. Gallery is Robbed
This may seem like action movie material, but things like this happen - theft, fires, floods - and you need to have a written agreement with the gallery for any chance of filing a successful insurance claim.
So as you can see, situations may arise that are out of a gallery's control. And no matter how much you trust somebody, you must acknowledge that these are distinct possibilities and deal with them appropriately.
In ALL situations, at the very least, write up a consignment sheet which lists titles, descriptions of work, wholesale price (gallery price) and retail price (price at which pieces are sold to the public). Make sure all pertinent dates are included, and parties involved sign and print names on the sheet. This should be done whether it is for a one-time only public exhibition in a non-profit space, or for a long term contract with a high profile gallery.
Many long term gallery partnerships begin without a contract until the gallery feels comfortable working with you. This does not mean that you begin without a consignment sheet. You always need something in writing if you leave any work in the possession of a gallery.
If it is so obvious, why do we neglect to do it?
The main reason I believe is that artists do not want to "cause too much trouble." In reality, if a gallery doesn't want to "waste time" with written agreements then avoid them altogether.
Think of a written agreement as a clarification for both you and the gallery - it outlines the responsibilities of each party. If a disagreement arises then you can always refer back to a written contract.
You will also be taken more seriously if you take the business relationship seriously. It is normal business practice to have written contracts. Remember, as soon as you decide to sell your art you are no longer just an artist, but a business person also. Embrace this side of your art profession and you will be more successful.
Good luck and thanks for reading!
This article is copyright ©Chris Kennedy, 2009.
Chris Kennedy owns and maintains PrintThatImage.com, a specialty printing site for giclée prints, fine art printmaking, gallery wrap canvas prints, and promotional products for professional artists and photographers. His office is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Monday, December 28, 2009
The Artist’s Guide to Giclée Printmaking
In this article I am going to outline the basic procedure for making Giclée prints of your artwork. I hope to make this clear and simple since there seems to be a lot of confusion with the recent explosion in printmaking technology over the past decade.
First of all I want to give you a definition of what a Giclée is:
A Giclée is any print created using pigmented archival inks on archival paper or canvas using a high fidelity digital inkjet printer.
The important thing to note is that a Giclée does not have to be on canvas. This is a common misconception. These prints can be created on a wide range of archival fine art papers such as textured watercolor paper or photo paper. It is also important to note that just because something is printed on canvas it is not necessarily a Giclée. There are many inferior quality canvases that are not archival grade. In most basic terms a Giclée is an archival inkjet print.
Now I will outline the entire process that you as an artist will need to go through in order to create Giclée prints, and offer my suggestions and options to help you get the results you are after.
Step 1: Digitally Capture Your Artwork
This is the most important step in determining the quality of your prints. You basically have three options, varying in price and quality, but each with its own benefits:
Scanning Your Artwork:
The best way to turn your art into a digital image is to have it scanned on a specialized high fidelity fine art scanner. These machines cost upwards of $100K, and therefore scans can be pricey - expect to pay $60-$200 per scan dependent on the size of your work, and your desired final print size (prices are usually based on file size, with current market prices at $1 per megabyte). The Cruse brand of scanners, made in Germany, are typically considered the benchmark in the industry, so ask your local Giclée printer if they use one of these.
If you use this method, a resolution of 150 dpi (dots per inch) or ppi (pixels per inch) will suffice at your desired print size. If you wish to enlarge then you can go up to 600 dpi or more. The lens on one of these scanners will cross your painting up to 300 times and then compile all the information into one large digital image of unparalleled detail.
These scanners never touch your artwork which is placed facing upwards on the bed of the scanner (as opposed to face down on traditional flatbed scanners).
Another great benefit of these scanners is that you will never have problems with glare, highlights, or shadows caused by impasto or heavy brushstroke techniques. The scanning head has a light which is always shining directly onto the piece of the image being captured, eliminating these problems.
Professionally Photographing Your Artwork:
An effective “second best” method of digitizing your artwork. You can achieve beautiful Giclée prints from high quality photographs, and bringing a portfolio of work to a professional photographer should cost you less than scanning. Typical costs in Fort Lauderdale right now are $30-$50 per artwork, and I imagine that is fairly representative of nationwide prices.
There are some disadvantages inherent to photographing work:
- The camera is much further from the artwork than a scanner, and therefore the detail will never be the same. Minor changes in color due to ambient light between lens and artwork can also be a problem.
- Distortion may occur towards the edge of an art piece, especially in larger artworks. This can result in the colors or shapes breaking up and losing definition at the edge of an image.
- Shadows, highlights, and glare are more apparent, especially with very “brushy” paintings with high build oil or acrylics. If you paint in this style you should give careful thought to scanning despite the higher cost.
- If you need to enlarge an artwork in its print form it may be more difficult than with a scan.
However, working with a professional photographer in a correctly lit studio can yield excellent results. This is still the most common method of capturing artwork, and with improvements in digital cameras every year, the results can only get better.
Photographing or Scanning Artwork Yourself:
If you’re on a budget then this is the way to go. It is entirely acceptable and great Giclée prints are still possible this way.
You will need a digital camera with at least a six megapixel capability. The more megapixels, the larger you can go with your prints. Remember, you need about 300dpi resolution at the print size you want.
You should also have a tripod, and a room lit with natural light or full spectrum bulbs. Or photograph outside on an overcast day. I will write a future article on photographing your own work - for now just experiment with lighting and camera settings until you get decent results.
Alternatively, try scanning your work on a regular flatbed scanner. You can stitch multiple scans of larger works together on image editing programs such as Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements.
Obviously this method is less reliable than professional solutions, but it’s a great way to get started. You just have to be less picky about the accuracy of your print colors and the clarity of larger prints. However, with patience and practice you can create amazingly good prints and save a lot of money in the process. If you’re very prolific and create multiple paintings in a week which you’d like to print then you should probably go this route.
Step 2: Prepare Digital Files for Printing:
Once the digital file is uploaded to an image editing program it is cropped to size and carefully reviewed for minor flaws such as scratches, blemishes, and dust particles. These can be corrected easily on-screen. The image can be compared to the original painting and any obvious color problems can be addressed. Resolution and output print size is checked. Most print makers will perform these services at no charge with your print job.
At this point an artist signature can be removed from the digital image for artists who like to personally sign every print without a duplicate original printed signature (there may be an extra charge for this).
Step 3: Proofing and Color Correction:
This stage can take from 5 minutes to 5 hours depending on the quality of the digital image and the desires and budget of the artist.
A first small proof print is usually made almost immediately for direct comparison to the original artwork. From there, necessary color corrections can be performed. For highly accurate color correction proof “strips” are made. These are 2”-3” segments of the artwork which can be laid directly on the surface of the painting for a direct comparison. Good proof strips will virtually disappear when laid on the painting.
Color corrections can become costly so if you’re an artist who is VERY particular about colors and accuracy then you should definitely go with a scan to capture your artwork as that will give the most accurate results and require less color correction. Print makers will charge anywhere from $50-$150 per hour to color correct your work.
A reliable Giclée printer will provide you with a proof for free or a very minor fee prior to printing the full size print. Make sure to inquire about this up front as any print maker who can’t do this may be trying to hide poor quality work.
Step 4: Printing the Final Piece:
After proofs have been reviewed by the artist the final print is made. Today’s Giclée inkjet printers will print at resolutions of 1440 ink droplets per inch or higher, giving unsurpassed detail. A 24” x 36” print will take anywhere from 7-25 minutes to print depending on print resolution.
Giclée inkjet printers typically use 8 or more pigment-based ink colors (as opposed to dye-based inks which fade more quickly). This gives Giclée prints the ability to match virtually any color an artist can create. Traditional printing presses use only 4 ink colors.
A quick aside: Despite the technology used in Giclée print making, it is a popular myth that “you can’t distinguish a Giclée from the original.” I have yet to see a Giclée print that looks identical to the original painting in every single way. To the untrained eye this may be the case, but to artists and printmakers it is virtually impossible to achieve. Having said that, technology comes extremely close - just bear this in mind as you work through the process of making your first Giclée prints.
Step 5: Protective Coating of the Print
This separates the good prints from the best prints, and applies only to prints on canvas. Some printmakers will use canvas that is already finished in glossy, matte, or satin coating prior to printing. In those cases the ink is the last layer of the print, and therefore very susceptible to scratching and atmospheric damage. The best Giclée prints are coated post-printing with a varnish or veneer formulated specially for the materials being used. This coating helps protect from scratches, UV damage, and moisture. Without this coating I doubt that a print can actually qualify as being archival.
The coating is applied by foam roller or spray for a perfectly smooth finish with no brush strokes. Or, it can be brushed on to simulate paint strokes. At this point the Giclée print is finished and ready for sale by the artist. However, some artists take it one step further.
Step 6: Embellishing Giclée Prints:
This stage can actually be performed before or after step 5, it’s up to the discretion of the artist. In order to create one-of-a-kind prints for collectors, many artists “embellish” their canvas prints with paint strokes. This works especially well for artist’s who create brushy impasto style originals. Although the strokes can be clearly seen on a Giclée print, the texture is missing. By adding brush strokes to the print, the artist adds texture, originality, and value to their Giclées. Typically an embellished Giclée edition is limited to 25 prints or less to maintain high value among collectors.
And that’s about it from start to finish. I know it was a little lengthy, but I hope it has illuminated the somewhat misunderstood process of Giclée printmaking.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me. Thanks for reading!
This article is copyright ©Chris Kennedy, 2009.
Chris Kennedy owns and maintains PrintThatImage.com, a specialty printing site for giclée prints, fine art printmaking, gallery wrap canvas prints, and promotional products for professional artists and photographers. His office is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
First of all I want to give you a definition of what a Giclée is:
A Giclée is any print created using pigmented archival inks on archival paper or canvas using a high fidelity digital inkjet printer.
The important thing to note is that a Giclée does not have to be on canvas. This is a common misconception. These prints can be created on a wide range of archival fine art papers such as textured watercolor paper or photo paper. It is also important to note that just because something is printed on canvas it is not necessarily a Giclée. There are many inferior quality canvases that are not archival grade. In most basic terms a Giclée is an archival inkjet print.
Now I will outline the entire process that you as an artist will need to go through in order to create Giclée prints, and offer my suggestions and options to help you get the results you are after.
Step 1: Digitally Capture Your Artwork
This is the most important step in determining the quality of your prints. You basically have three options, varying in price and quality, but each with its own benefits:
Scanning Your Artwork:
The best way to turn your art into a digital image is to have it scanned on a specialized high fidelity fine art scanner. These machines cost upwards of $100K, and therefore scans can be pricey - expect to pay $60-$200 per scan dependent on the size of your work, and your desired final print size (prices are usually based on file size, with current market prices at $1 per megabyte). The Cruse brand of scanners, made in Germany, are typically considered the benchmark in the industry, so ask your local Giclée printer if they use one of these.
If you use this method, a resolution of 150 dpi (dots per inch) or ppi (pixels per inch) will suffice at your desired print size. If you wish to enlarge then you can go up to 600 dpi or more. The lens on one of these scanners will cross your painting up to 300 times and then compile all the information into one large digital image of unparalleled detail.
These scanners never touch your artwork which is placed facing upwards on the bed of the scanner (as opposed to face down on traditional flatbed scanners).
Another great benefit of these scanners is that you will never have problems with glare, highlights, or shadows caused by impasto or heavy brushstroke techniques. The scanning head has a light which is always shining directly onto the piece of the image being captured, eliminating these problems.
Professionally Photographing Your Artwork:
An effective “second best” method of digitizing your artwork. You can achieve beautiful Giclée prints from high quality photographs, and bringing a portfolio of work to a professional photographer should cost you less than scanning. Typical costs in Fort Lauderdale right now are $30-$50 per artwork, and I imagine that is fairly representative of nationwide prices.
There are some disadvantages inherent to photographing work:
- The camera is much further from the artwork than a scanner, and therefore the detail will never be the same. Minor changes in color due to ambient light between lens and artwork can also be a problem.
- Distortion may occur towards the edge of an art piece, especially in larger artworks. This can result in the colors or shapes breaking up and losing definition at the edge of an image.
- Shadows, highlights, and glare are more apparent, especially with very “brushy” paintings with high build oil or acrylics. If you paint in this style you should give careful thought to scanning despite the higher cost.
- If you need to enlarge an artwork in its print form it may be more difficult than with a scan.
However, working with a professional photographer in a correctly lit studio can yield excellent results. This is still the most common method of capturing artwork, and with improvements in digital cameras every year, the results can only get better.
Photographing or Scanning Artwork Yourself:
If you’re on a budget then this is the way to go. It is entirely acceptable and great Giclée prints are still possible this way.
You will need a digital camera with at least a six megapixel capability. The more megapixels, the larger you can go with your prints. Remember, you need about 300dpi resolution at the print size you want.
You should also have a tripod, and a room lit with natural light or full spectrum bulbs. Or photograph outside on an overcast day. I will write a future article on photographing your own work - for now just experiment with lighting and camera settings until you get decent results.
Alternatively, try scanning your work on a regular flatbed scanner. You can stitch multiple scans of larger works together on image editing programs such as Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements.
Obviously this method is less reliable than professional solutions, but it’s a great way to get started. You just have to be less picky about the accuracy of your print colors and the clarity of larger prints. However, with patience and practice you can create amazingly good prints and save a lot of money in the process. If you’re very prolific and create multiple paintings in a week which you’d like to print then you should probably go this route.
Step 2: Prepare Digital Files for Printing:
Once the digital file is uploaded to an image editing program it is cropped to size and carefully reviewed for minor flaws such as scratches, blemishes, and dust particles. These can be corrected easily on-screen. The image can be compared to the original painting and any obvious color problems can be addressed. Resolution and output print size is checked. Most print makers will perform these services at no charge with your print job.
At this point an artist signature can be removed from the digital image for artists who like to personally sign every print without a duplicate original printed signature (there may be an extra charge for this).
Step 3: Proofing and Color Correction:
This stage can take from 5 minutes to 5 hours depending on the quality of the digital image and the desires and budget of the artist.
A first small proof print is usually made almost immediately for direct comparison to the original artwork. From there, necessary color corrections can be performed. For highly accurate color correction proof “strips” are made. These are 2”-3” segments of the artwork which can be laid directly on the surface of the painting for a direct comparison. Good proof strips will virtually disappear when laid on the painting.
Color corrections can become costly so if you’re an artist who is VERY particular about colors and accuracy then you should definitely go with a scan to capture your artwork as that will give the most accurate results and require less color correction. Print makers will charge anywhere from $50-$150 per hour to color correct your work.
A reliable Giclée printer will provide you with a proof for free or a very minor fee prior to printing the full size print. Make sure to inquire about this up front as any print maker who can’t do this may be trying to hide poor quality work.
Step 4: Printing the Final Piece:
After proofs have been reviewed by the artist the final print is made. Today’s Giclée inkjet printers will print at resolutions of 1440 ink droplets per inch or higher, giving unsurpassed detail. A 24” x 36” print will take anywhere from 7-25 minutes to print depending on print resolution.
Giclée inkjet printers typically use 8 or more pigment-based ink colors (as opposed to dye-based inks which fade more quickly). This gives Giclée prints the ability to match virtually any color an artist can create. Traditional printing presses use only 4 ink colors.
A quick aside: Despite the technology used in Giclée print making, it is a popular myth that “you can’t distinguish a Giclée from the original.” I have yet to see a Giclée print that looks identical to the original painting in every single way. To the untrained eye this may be the case, but to artists and printmakers it is virtually impossible to achieve. Having said that, technology comes extremely close - just bear this in mind as you work through the process of making your first Giclée prints.
Step 5: Protective Coating of the Print
This separates the good prints from the best prints, and applies only to prints on canvas. Some printmakers will use canvas that is already finished in glossy, matte, or satin coating prior to printing. In those cases the ink is the last layer of the print, and therefore very susceptible to scratching and atmospheric damage. The best Giclée prints are coated post-printing with a varnish or veneer formulated specially for the materials being used. This coating helps protect from scratches, UV damage, and moisture. Without this coating I doubt that a print can actually qualify as being archival.
The coating is applied by foam roller or spray for a perfectly smooth finish with no brush strokes. Or, it can be brushed on to simulate paint strokes. At this point the Giclée print is finished and ready for sale by the artist. However, some artists take it one step further.
Step 6: Embellishing Giclée Prints:
This stage can actually be performed before or after step 5, it’s up to the discretion of the artist. In order to create one-of-a-kind prints for collectors, many artists “embellish” their canvas prints with paint strokes. This works especially well for artist’s who create brushy impasto style originals. Although the strokes can be clearly seen on a Giclée print, the texture is missing. By adding brush strokes to the print, the artist adds texture, originality, and value to their Giclées. Typically an embellished Giclée edition is limited to 25 prints or less to maintain high value among collectors.
And that’s about it from start to finish. I know it was a little lengthy, but I hope it has illuminated the somewhat misunderstood process of Giclée printmaking.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me. Thanks for reading!
This article is copyright ©Chris Kennedy, 2009.
Chris Kennedy owns and maintains PrintThatImage.com, a specialty printing site for giclée prints, fine art printmaking, gallery wrap canvas prints, and promotional products for professional artists and photographers. His office is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Adding Value to Your Giclee Prints
Today I’m going to show you some ways to add real and perceived value to your giclée prints which will help you command higher prices for them. If you’ve read my article on pricing and structuring your art prints for more sales then this is an important part of developing your higher end product offerings.
Take a look at these possibilities and use them to your advantage at your next art fair or gallery opening:
Number and Limit Your Editions
A simple and effective way to add real long term value to any of your giclée print editions is to limit the number of them that you produce. Obviously, this creates scarcity in your collector’s mind and helps you sell pieces faster and for higher prices.
There are a number of important issues and side-benefits here that you need to be aware of:
1. Select the size of your editions wisely. In general it is recognized that any edition over 200 has about the same value as an open edition print, and you should certainly make your editions smaller than this. In fact, if you’re just starting out and making a name for yourself then I recommend making much smaller editions - no larger than 80 prints. Aim to create an edition size that you can sell out completely, relatively quickly (within a few years).
2. Limiting your print editions creates a much higher value in the secondary resale print market (that is, art buyers who purchased your prints and are now selling them). Although you don’t reap the direct monetary benefits of these sales, it certainly increases the value of other editions that you produce and builds your name and reputation.
3. Be scrupulous. You must decide on an edition size, then stick with it - no exceptions. Keep track of which numbers have sold and once you sell out, don’t make more. The ease with which you can reprint giclées makes it very tempting to print “just one more” when an edition has sold out. This will cause you to lose favor with collectors and can ruin your reputation. Don’t do it.
Create Artist Proofs
What is an artist proof anyway? That’s somewhat up to your own discretion as an artist. I suggest one of two options:
1. The first few prints of any given giclée edition can be used as artist proofs. As an artist works with a giclée printmaker there may be some subtle variations in the first few prints as colors are manipulated little by little with each reprint in order to achieve prints closer to the original. Hence, each of these artist proofs are unique and command higher value.
2. Any prints from your edition can be used as artist proofs. The difference in these prints is that you personally inspect each artist proof prior to signing off on it. This is a little less cut and dry than option one, and you’ll need to be able to explain clearly why your artist proofs are more valuable. However, it makes it easier on you from a cost perspective since you don’t have to print your artist proofs first, before you can print standard giclées to offer for sale.
Make sure to limit your artist proofs to only 10% of your total edition at most, and number them separately from the rest of the edition. For example, let’s say you want to create an edition of 50 giclée prints for one of your paintings. If you make 10% of them artist proofs then that would be 5 prints. You would sign these with your name followed by A/P 1/5, A/P 2/5, etc. Then your standard prints would be signed with your name followed by 1/45, 2/45, etc, up to 45/45. Therefore, the entire edition results in 50 giclée prints of that given image, and it is clear to collector’s what they are buying.
Increase your price accordingly for artist proofs. If you sell standard limited edition giclées for $195, then an artist proof could be sold for $245 or $295. You’ll need to decide on that yourself.
Finish Your Giclée Prints by Hand.
I consider this a step below “embellishing” prints, which I will talk about in a moment.
Hand-finish your giclées by brushing on a varnish coating - this will create brush marks on the surface of the print giving it a more hand painted look. Experiment with different coating mediums to give you the look you want and that compliments your artwork. For painters who use thin layers of acrylic or oil you can simply brush on varnish with a big brush. For those whose originals are impasto high build acrylics and oils, you may want to experiment with some of the gel coatings that are available. These will allow you to create more texture on the print.
Embellish Your Giclées
This has become a very popular way for artists to add a lot of value to giclée prints. It works best on canvas prints, but can be done on fine art papers too.
Once you have the finished giclée in hand, go back to the easel with it and paint over portions of it with real paint. Generally match the colors and brush strokes as they are in the original so that you give it the same look and feel, but don’t get caught up in being exact. The point here is to create a unique piece from the print. Embellishing works especially well with prints of impasto oils and acrylics. Feel free to really add a lot of paint, heavy brush strokes, and originality to the print. You’ll be able to show potential collector’s who can’t afford your originals, and they will be impressed.
Here’s the catch - make your embellished editions very limited. You must make them valuable and rare, almost as rare as the original. To begin with try no more than five per edition. Once you’re selling a lot of work in multiple galleries you can progress to 20 or so, but be wary of making more than that. They will lose uniqueness. Your target buyer here is people who have already purchased originals, or are one step away from purchasing originals, so think high-end. Don’t under price these embellished prints - they have your original paintwork on them.
All of these are simple and fairly work-free ways to increase the selling prices of you giclée prints anywhere.
Though many people may disagree with me, I also strongly suggest keeping some of your paintings as unlimited open edition prints (albeit in smaller sizes, no embellishment etc.). This allows you to continue to market to lower priced markets and new or young collectors who may not yet (notice the word yet) have the financial wherewithal to purchase your originals or high priced limited editions. This is a key to building a larger group of loyal collectors in the future.
Thanks for reading!
This article is copyright ©Chris Kennedy, 2009.
Chris Kennedy owns and maintains PrintThatImage.com, a specialty printing site for giclée prints, fine art printmaking, gallery wrap canvas prints, and promotional products for professional artists and photographers. His office is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Take a look at these possibilities and use them to your advantage at your next art fair or gallery opening:
Number and Limit Your Editions
A simple and effective way to add real long term value to any of your giclée print editions is to limit the number of them that you produce. Obviously, this creates scarcity in your collector’s mind and helps you sell pieces faster and for higher prices.
There are a number of important issues and side-benefits here that you need to be aware of:
1. Select the size of your editions wisely. In general it is recognized that any edition over 200 has about the same value as an open edition print, and you should certainly make your editions smaller than this. In fact, if you’re just starting out and making a name for yourself then I recommend making much smaller editions - no larger than 80 prints. Aim to create an edition size that you can sell out completely, relatively quickly (within a few years).
2. Limiting your print editions creates a much higher value in the secondary resale print market (that is, art buyers who purchased your prints and are now selling them). Although you don’t reap the direct monetary benefits of these sales, it certainly increases the value of other editions that you produce and builds your name and reputation.
3. Be scrupulous. You must decide on an edition size, then stick with it - no exceptions. Keep track of which numbers have sold and once you sell out, don’t make more. The ease with which you can reprint giclées makes it very tempting to print “just one more” when an edition has sold out. This will cause you to lose favor with collectors and can ruin your reputation. Don’t do it.
Create Artist Proofs
What is an artist proof anyway? That’s somewhat up to your own discretion as an artist. I suggest one of two options:
1. The first few prints of any given giclée edition can be used as artist proofs. As an artist works with a giclée printmaker there may be some subtle variations in the first few prints as colors are manipulated little by little with each reprint in order to achieve prints closer to the original. Hence, each of these artist proofs are unique and command higher value.
2. Any prints from your edition can be used as artist proofs. The difference in these prints is that you personally inspect each artist proof prior to signing off on it. This is a little less cut and dry than option one, and you’ll need to be able to explain clearly why your artist proofs are more valuable. However, it makes it easier on you from a cost perspective since you don’t have to print your artist proofs first, before you can print standard giclées to offer for sale.
Make sure to limit your artist proofs to only 10% of your total edition at most, and number them separately from the rest of the edition. For example, let’s say you want to create an edition of 50 giclée prints for one of your paintings. If you make 10% of them artist proofs then that would be 5 prints. You would sign these with your name followed by A/P 1/5, A/P 2/5, etc. Then your standard prints would be signed with your name followed by 1/45, 2/45, etc, up to 45/45. Therefore, the entire edition results in 50 giclée prints of that given image, and it is clear to collector’s what they are buying.
Increase your price accordingly for artist proofs. If you sell standard limited edition giclées for $195, then an artist proof could be sold for $245 or $295. You’ll need to decide on that yourself.
Finish Your Giclée Prints by Hand.
I consider this a step below “embellishing” prints, which I will talk about in a moment.
Hand-finish your giclées by brushing on a varnish coating - this will create brush marks on the surface of the print giving it a more hand painted look. Experiment with different coating mediums to give you the look you want and that compliments your artwork. For painters who use thin layers of acrylic or oil you can simply brush on varnish with a big brush. For those whose originals are impasto high build acrylics and oils, you may want to experiment with some of the gel coatings that are available. These will allow you to create more texture on the print.
Embellish Your Giclées
This has become a very popular way for artists to add a lot of value to giclée prints. It works best on canvas prints, but can be done on fine art papers too.
Once you have the finished giclée in hand, go back to the easel with it and paint over portions of it with real paint. Generally match the colors and brush strokes as they are in the original so that you give it the same look and feel, but don’t get caught up in being exact. The point here is to create a unique piece from the print. Embellishing works especially well with prints of impasto oils and acrylics. Feel free to really add a lot of paint, heavy brush strokes, and originality to the print. You’ll be able to show potential collector’s who can’t afford your originals, and they will be impressed.
Here’s the catch - make your embellished editions very limited. You must make them valuable and rare, almost as rare as the original. To begin with try no more than five per edition. Once you’re selling a lot of work in multiple galleries you can progress to 20 or so, but be wary of making more than that. They will lose uniqueness. Your target buyer here is people who have already purchased originals, or are one step away from purchasing originals, so think high-end. Don’t under price these embellished prints - they have your original paintwork on them.
All of these are simple and fairly work-free ways to increase the selling prices of you giclée prints anywhere.
Though many people may disagree with me, I also strongly suggest keeping some of your paintings as unlimited open edition prints (albeit in smaller sizes, no embellishment etc.). This allows you to continue to market to lower priced markets and new or young collectors who may not yet (notice the word yet) have the financial wherewithal to purchase your originals or high priced limited editions. This is a key to building a larger group of loyal collectors in the future.
Thanks for reading!
This article is copyright ©Chris Kennedy, 2009.
Chris Kennedy owns and maintains PrintThatImage.com, a specialty printing site for giclée prints, fine art printmaking, gallery wrap canvas prints, and promotional products for professional artists and photographers. His office is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Get Paid More and Make Cients Happier with Your Next Commissioned Artwork
Landing a commissioned art project is exciting, but it can also be a nerve racking experience if not handled well from the outset. Today I’m going to share some secrets I’ve learned that will help you next time the prospect of a commissioned artwork arises.
I was a self employed airbrush artist for four years and learned the hard way about commissioned work - virtually everything I did was on commission: people rarely buy airbrush artwork that is already created. So, after numerous successful commissioned works on motorcycles, cars, RVs, T-shirts, and softball helmets I have a few key tips regarding what works and what doesn’t when it comes to accepting a commission and following through with the goods.
Set Clear Expectations for Yourself and the Client
Without a doubt this is the most important thing that you must do before accepting a commissioned work. You need to be up front about everything from the outset. Although the client has likely seen a few pieces of your work, make sure to emphasize that his or her commissioned piece will be similar in style and technique.
People tend to think that because you’re an artist and can paint a picture, then you can paint anything. As we all know this is not true. An artist works hard to perfect his or her style, and may or may not be able to paint what the client desires. The goal here is to manage client expectations - be clear about your style, color palette, capabilities, and working process. Listen to the client, and then speak at length with him (or her) to get the picture out of his head and into yours. Once everything is clear, then proceed to pricing etc.
Never Quote Immediately
A lot of clients will be pushy and insist on a quote up front immediately. DON’T DO IT. Simply get his or her contact information and tell him/her that you will call within 24 hours with an estimate. This makes you more professional. Don’t get pushed around when it comes to pricing your work. Value yourself and your time. If the client has a problem with that and doesn’t want to wait then you don’t want to do business with him/her anyway.
Quote High
Virtually every artist I know undersells his/her own work. If you want to be paid what you’re worth then you must take time to consider the entire commission project - research, preliminary sketches, materials required, gas and travel expenses, sanity, and completion of the final piece. Once you know exactly what you’re getting into you can make an educated estimate for the client. This is what I suggest - carefully calculate all the work and materials required for the project, come up with a figure in your mind of what you’d like to be paid, then double it. This is the figure you go to the client with.
Commissions are always more work than expected, and people frequently want to negotiate. Go in with that mindset. Quote high and with confidence. If the client accepts then fantastic, but if he wants to negotiate you have given yourself some working room. Always know before you go into any negotiation the least you are willing to accept for the project, and never go lower - if you have to let the job go then so be it. It’s better than slaving resentfully over a project that you wouldn’t have painted otherwise. Value your time and work and others will value it also.
When you get paid well you create better work, and you will work harder to please the client.
Get 50% Up Front
No exceptions here. You must get paid 50% of the agreed price before doing a single second of work on the project. There are three reasons for this.
First and most obvious, you’re eliminating the risk of working and not getting paid. This eases your mind and you can relax more while creating the work.
Second, you test how serious the client really is - if he will not pay now, it’s going to be tough to get anything from him later, and if you do it won’t be the full amount.
Lastly, you work harder when you’ve been paid for something you have yet to provide. You will produce better work, and the client will be happier.
If you don’t take the business side of your art profession seriously, you’re not taking your art seriously. It can be tough to ask for money up front, but you must be confident - we do it all the time. You pay first at fast food restaurants then get the food. You pay for books online then receive them in the mail. You will be more respected and taken more seriously if you request 50% up front. Just do it.
This article is copyright ©Chris Kennedy, 2009.
Chris Kennedy owns and maintains PrintThatImage.com, a specialty printing site for giclée prints, fine art printmaking, gallery wrap canvas prints, and promotional products for professional artists and photographers. His office is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
I was a self employed airbrush artist for four years and learned the hard way about commissioned work - virtually everything I did was on commission: people rarely buy airbrush artwork that is already created. So, after numerous successful commissioned works on motorcycles, cars, RVs, T-shirts, and softball helmets I have a few key tips regarding what works and what doesn’t when it comes to accepting a commission and following through with the goods.
Set Clear Expectations for Yourself and the Client
Without a doubt this is the most important thing that you must do before accepting a commissioned work. You need to be up front about everything from the outset. Although the client has likely seen a few pieces of your work, make sure to emphasize that his or her commissioned piece will be similar in style and technique.
People tend to think that because you’re an artist and can paint a picture, then you can paint anything. As we all know this is not true. An artist works hard to perfect his or her style, and may or may not be able to paint what the client desires. The goal here is to manage client expectations - be clear about your style, color palette, capabilities, and working process. Listen to the client, and then speak at length with him (or her) to get the picture out of his head and into yours. Once everything is clear, then proceed to pricing etc.
Never Quote Immediately
A lot of clients will be pushy and insist on a quote up front immediately. DON’T DO IT. Simply get his or her contact information and tell him/her that you will call within 24 hours with an estimate. This makes you more professional. Don’t get pushed around when it comes to pricing your work. Value yourself and your time. If the client has a problem with that and doesn’t want to wait then you don’t want to do business with him/her anyway.
Quote High
Virtually every artist I know undersells his/her own work. If you want to be paid what you’re worth then you must take time to consider the entire commission project - research, preliminary sketches, materials required, gas and travel expenses, sanity, and completion of the final piece. Once you know exactly what you’re getting into you can make an educated estimate for the client. This is what I suggest - carefully calculate all the work and materials required for the project, come up with a figure in your mind of what you’d like to be paid, then double it. This is the figure you go to the client with.
Commissions are always more work than expected, and people frequently want to negotiate. Go in with that mindset. Quote high and with confidence. If the client accepts then fantastic, but if he wants to negotiate you have given yourself some working room. Always know before you go into any negotiation the least you are willing to accept for the project, and never go lower - if you have to let the job go then so be it. It’s better than slaving resentfully over a project that you wouldn’t have painted otherwise. Value your time and work and others will value it also.
When you get paid well you create better work, and you will work harder to please the client.
Get 50% Up Front
No exceptions here. You must get paid 50% of the agreed price before doing a single second of work on the project. There are three reasons for this.
First and most obvious, you’re eliminating the risk of working and not getting paid. This eases your mind and you can relax more while creating the work.
Second, you test how serious the client really is - if he will not pay now, it’s going to be tough to get anything from him later, and if you do it won’t be the full amount.
Lastly, you work harder when you’ve been paid for something you have yet to provide. You will produce better work, and the client will be happier.
If you don’t take the business side of your art profession seriously, you’re not taking your art seriously. It can be tough to ask for money up front, but you must be confident - we do it all the time. You pay first at fast food restaurants then get the food. You pay for books online then receive them in the mail. You will be more respected and taken more seriously if you request 50% up front. Just do it.
This article is copyright ©Chris Kennedy, 2009.
Chris Kennedy owns and maintains PrintThatImage.com, a specialty printing site for giclée prints, fine art printmaking, gallery wrap canvas prints, and promotional products for professional artists and photographers. His office is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Five Keys to Profiting from Your Next Art Show
So you’ve tried the art show thing and it hasn’t been the leap to art stardom that you had imagined. In fact, it was downright hard work and poor sales.
I can’t whisk away the hard work, but if you follow the advice in this article you will sell more art, generate more leads, and leave the show with a great sense of achievement and money in your wallet. That’s the idea right?
Here are 5 things you must do to make your next show a success:
1. Maximize Opportunities:
Just like your website (if you have one), you will have numerous visitors to your booth who will simply walk in, look around, and leave. Why did they come into your booth? Well, they probably liked the look of some of your creations. Maximize this opportunity - engage every single person who walks into your booth and encourage them to sign up for your email newsletter. Make sure you have a notebook conveniently placed at the front of your booth for people to leave contact info - especially email addresses. Aside from actually making sales, getting visitor information for follow-up should be your priority.
It’s important to remember that only about one or two people out of ten will feel comfortable doing business with you on first contact. Most people require between five and seven “contacts” with you (email, direct mail, phone, newspaper ad, etc) before they will trust and buy from you. Keep that in mind and act accordingly to maximize your chances of long term results from every art show.
2. Diversify Your Product Offerings
A lot of artists seem to hesitate to do this because they fear it will decrease the value of their originals, but offering a variety of print sizes and editions of your work is one of the best ways to generate big sales at every show.
The segment of the general public who has a couple of thousand dollars to spare on buying art, never mind your art specifically, is very small. Respond by building a multi-tiered product offering with items available from $5 and up. Your low dollar items can be art cards, greeting cards, bookmarks, etc. You should also offer small prints of your work, limited editions on paper and canvas, framed and unframed giclees, and highly limited embellished giclees on canvas. You don’t have to do them all, just make sure you have items that anybody can buy as well as high end originals and giclees.
If you worry about decreasing the value of your work just take a look at artists who have done this very successfully - Guy Harvey and Thomas Kinkade. Try buying one of their originals, they’re not cheap. In fact, selling a lot of prints only increases the value of your originals. Be organized, honest, and effectively communicate the differing values of various editions of your work, and this strategy will be very rewarding.
The key here is having products that virtually anybody can buy. So if somebody loves a painting but can’t buy it, you can offer them a print edition, art card, or the like. You’ll be surprised how quickly small sales add up - at least you’ll have cash in hand to buy yourself dinner and pay for gas to get home (See my article “Structuring and Pricing Your Art Print Editions for More Sales” for a detailed explanation of this sales strategy).
3. Don’t Let Buyers Leave Without Leaving Information
This is an extension of point 1 above, but I felt it deserved its own segment.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of selling a piece of your work, no matter how small. But you MUST remember to request contact information from every single buyer. If they don’t feel comfortable giving it to you then tell them you’d like to send them a thank you card, complementary art card, or something else that will encourage them to give you at least a name and email address.
People who have purchased your work are far more likely to purchase again, so don’t lose them. You’ve heard it before - 80% of your sales will come from 20% of your customers. You need to get the information and stay in contact with these people. Once again, this will generate long term revenue.
4. Effectively Promote Yourself
This is one of the hardest things for many artists (and people in general) to do. A lot of people do not understand how to effectively promote themselves. They either come across as arrogant and pushy, or totally close up and sit in the corner. With a little practice it’s very easy.
Don’t try and sell your product immediately. Art is very personal, and therefore your immediate goal upon anybody entering your booth is to make a great first impression. Be friendly and welcoming, but don’t overdo it. Start up some conversation and genuinely get to know the people you’re talking with. Here’s the important thing - focus on your visitors, not yourself. Ask them questions rather than just telling them a pile of information about yourself, that’s boring. Once they ask you about your art (and they will) then feel free to elaborate and let your passion shine through.
People buy on emotion - give them reason to like you and you’ll greatly increase your chance of a sale. If you can make them laugh then that’s even better. And even if they don’t buy it’s easy to ask for an email address before they leave. You’ve made them feel good, so they’ll want to hear more from you.
Remember, you must take a long term attitude when building a valuable and responsive group of collectors for your work.
5. Follow-up Quickly
Your job isn’t complete when the art show is done. In fact, the work that will lead to serious long term sales is only just beginning. Within a couple of days of the art show make sure to follow up with every single contact you made - personally. Don’t send out a generic email blast, though you can send a newsletter along with your personal follow-up or shortly thereafter. I will write an entire article on the follow up strategy, but for now keep in mind that you are simply building genuine relationships.
Thanks for reading!
This article is copyright ©Chris Kennedy, 2009.
Chris Kennedy owns and maintains PrintThatImage.com, a specialty printing site for giclee prints, fine art printmaking, gallery wrap canvas prints, and promotional products for professional artists and photographers. His office is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
I can’t whisk away the hard work, but if you follow the advice in this article you will sell more art, generate more leads, and leave the show with a great sense of achievement and money in your wallet. That’s the idea right?
Here are 5 things you must do to make your next show a success:
1. Maximize Opportunities:
Just like your website (if you have one), you will have numerous visitors to your booth who will simply walk in, look around, and leave. Why did they come into your booth? Well, they probably liked the look of some of your creations. Maximize this opportunity - engage every single person who walks into your booth and encourage them to sign up for your email newsletter. Make sure you have a notebook conveniently placed at the front of your booth for people to leave contact info - especially email addresses. Aside from actually making sales, getting visitor information for follow-up should be your priority.
It’s important to remember that only about one or two people out of ten will feel comfortable doing business with you on first contact. Most people require between five and seven “contacts” with you (email, direct mail, phone, newspaper ad, etc) before they will trust and buy from you. Keep that in mind and act accordingly to maximize your chances of long term results from every art show.
2. Diversify Your Product Offerings
A lot of artists seem to hesitate to do this because they fear it will decrease the value of their originals, but offering a variety of print sizes and editions of your work is one of the best ways to generate big sales at every show.
The segment of the general public who has a couple of thousand dollars to spare on buying art, never mind your art specifically, is very small. Respond by building a multi-tiered product offering with items available from $5 and up. Your low dollar items can be art cards, greeting cards, bookmarks, etc. You should also offer small prints of your work, limited editions on paper and canvas, framed and unframed giclees, and highly limited embellished giclees on canvas. You don’t have to do them all, just make sure you have items that anybody can buy as well as high end originals and giclees.
If you worry about decreasing the value of your work just take a look at artists who have done this very successfully - Guy Harvey and Thomas Kinkade. Try buying one of their originals, they’re not cheap. In fact, selling a lot of prints only increases the value of your originals. Be organized, honest, and effectively communicate the differing values of various editions of your work, and this strategy will be very rewarding.
The key here is having products that virtually anybody can buy. So if somebody loves a painting but can’t buy it, you can offer them a print edition, art card, or the like. You’ll be surprised how quickly small sales add up - at least you’ll have cash in hand to buy yourself dinner and pay for gas to get home (See my article “Structuring and Pricing Your Art Print Editions for More Sales” for a detailed explanation of this sales strategy).
3. Don’t Let Buyers Leave Without Leaving Information
This is an extension of point 1 above, but I felt it deserved its own segment.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of selling a piece of your work, no matter how small. But you MUST remember to request contact information from every single buyer. If they don’t feel comfortable giving it to you then tell them you’d like to send them a thank you card, complementary art card, or something else that will encourage them to give you at least a name and email address.
People who have purchased your work are far more likely to purchase again, so don’t lose them. You’ve heard it before - 80% of your sales will come from 20% of your customers. You need to get the information and stay in contact with these people. Once again, this will generate long term revenue.
4. Effectively Promote Yourself
This is one of the hardest things for many artists (and people in general) to do. A lot of people do not understand how to effectively promote themselves. They either come across as arrogant and pushy, or totally close up and sit in the corner. With a little practice it’s very easy.
Don’t try and sell your product immediately. Art is very personal, and therefore your immediate goal upon anybody entering your booth is to make a great first impression. Be friendly and welcoming, but don’t overdo it. Start up some conversation and genuinely get to know the people you’re talking with. Here’s the important thing - focus on your visitors, not yourself. Ask them questions rather than just telling them a pile of information about yourself, that’s boring. Once they ask you about your art (and they will) then feel free to elaborate and let your passion shine through.
People buy on emotion - give them reason to like you and you’ll greatly increase your chance of a sale. If you can make them laugh then that’s even better. And even if they don’t buy it’s easy to ask for an email address before they leave. You’ve made them feel good, so they’ll want to hear more from you.
Remember, you must take a long term attitude when building a valuable and responsive group of collectors for your work.
5. Follow-up Quickly
Your job isn’t complete when the art show is done. In fact, the work that will lead to serious long term sales is only just beginning. Within a couple of days of the art show make sure to follow up with every single contact you made - personally. Don’t send out a generic email blast, though you can send a newsletter along with your personal follow-up or shortly thereafter. I will write an entire article on the follow up strategy, but for now keep in mind that you are simply building genuine relationships.
Thanks for reading!
This article is copyright ©Chris Kennedy, 2009.
Chris Kennedy owns and maintains PrintThatImage.com, a specialty printing site for giclee prints, fine art printmaking, gallery wrap canvas prints, and promotional products for professional artists and photographers. His office is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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