Share Your Artwork

5 cool ways you might not have thought off!

If you are anything like me and your art isn't crazy expensive, but is also not exactly cheap, you probably go through long period of art sales droughts. It can get frustrating when trying to set a value goal for your art, but wanting to of course sell.

Should I lower my prices for the sake of you know...food or should I thug it out because one day I just know I'll make that life changing sale? I chose to not compromise too much; other than the occasional sale and the first time collector discount, my prices have been steadily going up and are still on track to rise every 2 to 3 years.

Regardless to the prices of my original pieces I always wanted to be able to share my work with anyone that felt connected to it. I realize that a $1,500 piece might not be on someone's priority list, but maybe a 40$ art print could be. It all started with prints because those are the most popular and logical options for visual artists looking to expand on sales, while not devaluating their original work.

Over the years, so many more creative ways to express my work came about and were so well received, I figured I should let you know about all my methods for sharing art with the world, maybe one of these might work for you too!

1. Wear it!

Who doesn't like a t-shirt? A few years ago I started experimenting with printing a few of my most requested pieces on t-shirts. I was a bit nervous at first because I had to invest on supply, had inventory to handle and let's be honest, this whole thing could have very easily been a huge waste of money. Luckily, it turned out that people really liked that option and after selling out of a couple of designs, I decided that the best option would be online drop ship services: no inventory, no shipping, no upfront costs, no stress!

Merch by Amazon  is where I sell all my shirts (hoodies, long sleeves and pullovers). You will have to register and there is an acceptance waiting period to get in, but once you do, it is pretty straight forward and fun! Don't get me wrong, like with everything if you want it done well, there is a a fair (huge) amount of research that needs to be done (niche, price range, best designs etc) but I think it is absolutely worth it. I actually found the facebook Merch pages pretty helpful as well. Other alternative sites are Society6, Printful, Custom dropshipping an Redbubble (I personally never tried this last one).

2. Carry it!

Look, I'm not sure when recyclable grocery bags became a fashion statement, but let me tell you, totes are a great canvas for your work! They are fun, look good and are super affordable! Not everyone is into the tote so for those I found backpacks to be a great alternative. The go to, to get these made, is once again Society6, if you know of another option please drop it in the comments.

3. Write in it!

Journals and notebooks are an awesome personalized book that with the extra touch of ones favorite art piece, can take on a whole new life. Okay that was a bit extra, but journals with art the buyer felt really connected to, lands pretty well! With these I go two route, one is...you guessed it Society6, the other is a bit more manual.

I really like Cork screw notebooks (Michael's has my favorite ones thus far) so I started adding art to a selected few with a matte transfer technique (do you want to know more about this method?Ask here). It takes some time because each journal requires a resting time of 24hr but the results are awesome!

4. Call with it!

Phone cases! I have used both Custom Drop Shipping and Society6 .To be perfectly honest most of these type of cases aren't ideal, mainly because they are made of hard plastic and if they fall they aren't exactly protective. People seem to like them for the images, so my suggestion is to simply be transparent and let them know what to expect with these.

5. Dress your tech

Another awesome and affordable way to share your art is with Laptop or Ipad skins. and laptop sleeves. Think about all the coffee shop goers working on their laptops with your art in full view! You just know someone is going to ask where they got it from!

Obviously, whatever route you chose to go, if not all there is a cost: you will pay a commission on every sale you make. I find it to be well worth not having to worry about fulfilling orders, returns and inventory.

Are there other ways you share your artwork that are not mentioned here? I'd love it if you could let me and everyone else know too!

Ciao for now,

Aby