Open Question: As a visual artist-- what concerns do you have in regards to exhibiting and selling your artwork online?
- Have you had any overly positive or negative experiences in regards to exhibiting or selling artwork online?
- Do you have any advice about selling original artwork online?
- Where do you prefer to 'exhibit' your art online?
- Do you feel that the Internet is changing the 'landscape' of the global art market? If so how?
- What is more important to you-- gaining exposure and recognition for your artwork online or establishing an online business that is focused on your artwork?
11 comments:
i get worried about people stealing what i post online. i'm not manic about it but i don't like the idea of someone using my hard work for their gain.
IN IT FOR THE MONEY BABY!!! I HAVE BEEN MASS PRODUCING WORKS AND SELLING THEM ON EBAY FOR YEARS. IF YOU PAINT SOME BEARS DANCING AROUND SOME FOOL WILL BUY IT. LOL
I'd say most artists are worried about having images stolen. But it always seems the artists who worry the most are the artists who have never sold anything.
there are some problems while buying or selling online, that some people can steal your hard stuff. Your personal details are also leaked. I suggest to go for a paid service which secures your work and thus helps to sell the stuff with full security and according to the copyright laws.
I have had "real" businesses over the years. a shopfront, and a consulting business, so I have had experience in the traditional. I am not too worried about somebody stealing ideas. I would love to get a good online business going where I could build up a wonderful clientele and exposure, I just don't know how etsy or like, would work for me in Australia.
Postage insurance & packing could out way the profit.
For red bubble and etsy, I am wondering how lost you would get in the maze.
Thank you for posting these questions, I will be interested in what others say. I do think that online selling is the most interesting way to go. People are much more likely to purchase on line today than 5 years ago, and the 15 year old in now 20, so a more open minded buyer is coming our way. regards Sharon
None. What are the best sites?
I haven't tried Etsy, or Red Bubble, or even Ebay (as I know artists who sell there), so no opinions there. But I have made sales from my blog, my website, and myspace back when it rocked. I don't make a point of trying to do this actively anymore though as I'm generally concerned about sharing my best or limited editions online (including my own website!). Plus I've been told by a number of curators that they won't take work that's been seen online.
I have had the experience of work being lifted and published without credit, and a concept being lifted and developed for a magazine. Probably not common enough to keep my panties bunched up, but the experiences have left me a bit shy. Really now I just have stuff online for exposure and to have folks get a preview of my efforts, like for submissions, etc. I'm a fan of walking into galleries with my portfolio - that old fashioned way has honestly been the most quantifiable strategy for exhibiting and selling my work. For now anyway...
SeBiArt, curators are a fickle bunch-- they all have individuals rules to follow. I know there are old hat traditionalists who try to stop pictures of the exterior of their galleries from showing up online. I suppose it is a control issue-- they want total control.
It is that type of 1950s power-grip that artists should try to avoid. The last thing you want is a dealer who tries to control you interviews and every other action available to you. It is a partnership-- so never allow a dealer to treat you like an employee.
Having viewed hundreds if not thousands of gallery websites one thing is clear to me-- most gallerists no very little about website design or current technology and applications for that matter. Many are still stuck in the 1990s as far as website design goes.
In my opinion, try to avoid curators who try to block your online efforts. By the way, you are very, very lucky that walk-ins have worked for you. Most artists end up turned away or simply ignored when a portfolio is observed in their hands.
As for copyright issues-- by all means, contact me when it happens and I will do my best to expose the offender. I’m a strong supporter of copyright.
You are so right - it is definitely a control issue and one that scares the bejeeZus out of me - especially since my career is just taking off and I'm inexperienced in the arenas I'm about to step foot in. It's a most specific concern right now, as I don't want to lose opportunities to show my work in respectable spaces - but I do want the exposure that only online networking can create widely at zero cost. Thanks for the response - t'was generous and useful.
I'm just tired of art sites that don't offer free accounts! I got spam today for Foliotwist.com. Foliotwist was co-founded by the creators of www.emptyeasel.com a well known website that reviews other online art community and offers tutorials for artists ranging from studio tips to advice for gaining exposure online. The bad part about that is that www.foliotwist.com features several things that Empty Easel has trashed other online art communities for such as only offering members a brief demo of the site before they have to start paying, bold claims of how great the site is for exposure when the site is barely on the radar of Alexa and other website ranking sites. The fact that the site costs really tuned me off because Empty Easel has made a point of warning artists not to waste money paying for similar sites. But they do have a history of supporting other pay sites that happen to buy ad space on Empty Easel! It makes sense that they have knit-picked other online art communities given the fact that they had Foliotwist under their belt this whole time. BOOOOOO! All is fair in business but it just seems catty for them to put down the hard work of others only to do the same thing and in some cases worse. It just comes off catty and unprofessional.
I'm worried that some one else will copy my work,but I have to get it out there because then no one will see. The net is a great place to show work with out haveing to leave your house.Ihtink all you can do is make sure you can put a watermark on the image.Also if the images are posted on diffrent sites then people will know it's your work.Gaining exposure is imporatnt to me but also an online business because its wonderful for me to get paid for something I love doing,then I can do it fulltime.
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