How do make money doing what you love and your love is art ?

If you create art to make money before actually creating the art then you're missing a part of the circle there. Of course you need cash to buy supplies, pay bills, EAT, all that good stuff. But one can not set out to make money as an artist unless one can create art first. Its a little like inventing something. as an artist youre inventing pieces that the world has never seen before because you just made the thing. Now, you cant go and set up shop and say "ok this is my product come and buy because i know it is something you want." no, you couldnt do that in any business. there has to be a reason for people to want it. some buy cuz others are buying but those wont be your first customers. your first customers probably cant even afford your stuff but they will love it more then anyone. these are the "art lovers", and if you're lucky they will be "art collectors" (these guys usually have some money)- some who buy for the art not for the artist, not for the hype surrounding the piece- but they buy it because THEY like it or love it. an artist is self employed,...period, no buts about it. all aspects of that business are yours, not just the creation but the marketing, advertising, publicity . IT IS HARD WORK...just ask the shop owner down the road or the barber, or the local service guy- working for yourself is harder but the rewards are greater. that needs to be understood. later IF your work garners attention enough and you live in an area that can support such a luxury economically, then you add the expertise of people for hire, your publicist, manager, gallery- all that stuff. in the beginning people will want "pretty pictures" for next to nothing. sometimes thats the smart thing to do depending on who it is. sometimes you NEED to give (donate) stuff away. EVERYTHING, ANYTHING that gets more people to see your work helps. people know people. poor people know rich people or at least people that can afford the luxury of buying art. It is a luxury product. the WORLD cannot survive without art....but a person can. the price tag, with a little common sense, places itself. If you have possible clients that can afford x amount of dollars for your work then great charge all you can....but if not then move or just charge lower until you cant get any lower. you dont need to know your maximum, just your minimum. thats not all i have to say about that but i want to check out some other stuff now.

THE ANSWER IS .... Begin networking, this is a fun, free way to get your name out. Begin seraching for artist shows around town, visit the shows talk with other artists, make friends. Soon it will all come together, and someone may offer you a space to display your work. Usually these artist communities are very close and Im sure one you get in there the calls will start to come in. It will take work but mainly the type of work that is fun, like going out to events, meeting people, making conversation, etc. Good Luck!

The best way to get going is to start small- talk to people you know about what you love to do. Do things in your community that are art related- many cities host art walks/ art loops where local artists show new works in restaurants, cafes, boutiques, etc., all for the artist's recognition. Sell yourself- I had my first show in April, I closed my second show last week and my next show is in November. I brought a sample of my work plus my business card (both of which I printed on my own computer to save lots of money) and brought them to businesses that participate in the Art Loop where I live. I spoke directly with the store manager/ owner to see if they needed artists for any upcoming art loops and they looked at my work and took my contact information. I promote my self with a small network of friends, relatives and co-workers. Some businesses will also advertise that they participate in the Art walks because it attracts business- yes, people really do like to look at art- NEW art. And people in metropolitan areas like to buy art. Now the important part- how much do you sell your art for? Consider yourself on a salary as an artist- yes, consider how much you spend on your supplies. Multiply how much you make per hour times how many hours it took for you to do your work. Is it a difficult technique? Do you have to rent studio space or special equipment? These are small things to factor into your pricing. Take into consideration whether or not you really want to sell a certain piece- I know I have a few favorite pieces that I might not want to sell so I will set the price slightly higher because I know that it is recognized as something I, as the artist, am truly proud of. If you are just starting out you should keep your prices fairly modest- and you may be complimented on that. Keep an eye out for artist organizations through galleries- even if you decide not to become a member of the gallery you should make an attempt to attend as many of the gallery events with your business card- don't be afraid to approach people (many people like to be talked to- and remember you are at an art event- what a prime opportunity to talk about YOUR art!). Word of mouth is underestimated and you never know what kind of relationships you build from these events. Good Luck :)

It is sad that its so hard to get your foot in the door, and some people are lucky enough to just "fall in". Its even harder when you have people telling you that its not good enough, or you do it wrong. Real art holds no rules. Just beauty. Though it does confuse me how a canvas painted black can be considered a masterpiece. Maybe you could try selling it online? I wish you the best of luck!

My mom is an artist, and she enters her artwork into contests and art shows. Usually, first, second, and third place winners get a money prize. She also donates a painting to a school auction each year. Even though she won't get the money from her painting being in the auction, she builds her name up so people are more willing to pay the price for her artwork. Also, it is good to live in an artsy town where it is easy for you to enter your art into art shows. You could also join an art guild or an art club to meet other artists like yourself.

First you need a recognized name. Pick one similar to a known artist then sign your paintings that way.. It will give the people who don't have a million bucks a chance to hang something on the wall that by name looks expensive. Another is knockouts and art fairs like the one that lines the beach in Santa Barbara. And if your just looking for a little pocket cash start doing Caricatures of people. They are always good for 10 to 20 bucks and they are fast and easy to do.. The thing is if money is what you want then you need to get creative. Copy famous art works and sell them under your own name of course. Be sure on the back that you mention that it is only a copy. Don't want you going to jail over it.. But you need to talk to other artist who have gone through the same thing.. I spent 35 yrs studying a Chinese art form and still people will ask me to give it ton them for free I have done that but its too much effort to just give it away anymore so i quit doing it.. Look around and see if someone might want a mural on the wall . But like i say if you don't have the name or some gimmick nobody wants to buy it. There was a fella back in the late 60's named Keene who did kids and animals with huge eyes and he made a fortune with that gimmick.. Above all be creative.. Gary