Who Wants To Buy Your Art & Why?

"Cascading Hair" by Malcolm T. Liepke

Who Wants To Buy Your Art & Why?

Knowing who wants to buy your art and why is a question every artist, no matter what the medium, needs to ask of themselves. I realize that artists feel inspired to create certain subjects but if you want to make money doing what you love then there has to be a market for it. There has to be a buyer for your art or you cannot support yourself painting them. It's that simple.

The fact is that if you want people to buy your art, then they have to feel connected to what you're creating or making. It's simple economics, people buy things because it's something they need, something they want or that they love. Simple.  If you want to be a successful artist then you need to have a strategy based on this simple idea.

People don't need to purchase art, but if you're creating visually pleasing art or creating something really amazing, then they just might believe that they need it. If you're making something unique that doesn't appeal to the masses then you have to figure out which niche part of the population that your art would appeal to and then target your marketing efforts to obtain buyers from that niche target group.

The other two reasons people buy are because they are things they want or that they love. This is where your planning comes into play. There are certain subjects that people prefer and if you produce good, original work that contains these subjects then you should do fairly well selling your art. I've included a list of art subjects at the end of this article. This list is in order of what art subject matter sells the best. Landscapes, to no surprise, are the best selling painting subjects. Paintings of nudes come in dead last so I guess there is still a large number of the population who are uptight about nudity.

Local Views & Locations:

Tourism is a niche target group for art related to certain locations. We've all been on trips and seen artwork that is related to the location that you're visiting. People want to take home a memory of their trip and what better way than a piece of art that contains a local attraction. Selling prints and postcards are great ways to make money and offering art at different prices allows anyone to purchase from you.

Fans & Hobbies:

If your art appeals to certain fans such as horror movies, science fiction, or is related to specific hobbies such fishing and hunting enthusiasts, then those would be good niche markets. People who participate in cat and dog shows are another huge group. There is a niche market for any interest or hobby.  If you get known by a specific group for creating authentic renditions of their hobby then you will quickly become the go-to artist for that niche group and reap the financial benefits as well.

Animals:

People are crazy about animals, especially their own pets. If this is your genre then you can paint pet portraits and offer pet portraits to make money. If you don't prefer to paint animals but just want to support your art then why not offer to paint pet portraits? Do I hear someone screaming "sell out" in the back of the room? Some people will argue this point and maybe if you're signed up with a gallery or hang in large groups of serious artist friends then I can understand this might not be a venture you want to take. For everyone else, this is a good way to make money that will give you financial breathing room to create what you want.


Personal Connections:

People love to buy personal items. You could be the "personal" part of your art. Everyone loves a story so tell them the story of your art. Why did you choose to paint this painting? What happened in your life that led you to creating this piece of art. How does it make your feel? What were you feeling when you created your art. People love to hear the story behind your art, that way when they have it hanging on their walls and visitors come to their homes, they can share your story. Your art becomes a conversation piece. It may even lead to other sales. People who buy your art want to make a connection. You have to find out how to make a connection with your potential buyers.

Subject Matter:

What you choose to paint affects sales as well. Certain subjects historically sell better than others so that is something you may want to consider. Usually artists get known for painting certain subjects but painting series is a way for you to venture into other subjects if you need or want to. Galleries usually want you to stick to painting the subject matter that you're known for so if you do get into a gallery, it's probably a good idea to stick with painting that subject matter until you've had a few successful gallery exhibits or have been successful with them for a few years before you venture into other subjects to paint.

Certain subjects sell better than others so here is a list of subject matters in order of their success.This list is according to a survey in Art Business Today.  This is a list of the top 10 best-selling subjects for paintings in the United Kingdom:

1. Traditional landscapes.
2. Local views.
3. Modern or semi-abstract landscapes.
4. Abstracts.
5. Dogs.  (my apologies to my cat)
6. Figure studies (no nudes).
7. Seascapes and beach scenes.
8. Wildlife.
9. Impressionistic landscapes.
10. Nudes.  (yes, we're still uptight about viewing the nude body)

I love to go to art shows and hover behind people and hear what they say as they're viewing art. I feel that this is the best way to see what people like. Listening to their comments is a wonderful way to make improvements in your own work as well as finding out what people like and want to buy. Go to art shows and craft fairs and watch what paintings or booths that people are congregating around. If you watch over a period of time then you'll get a little understanding of what the public likes.

Now go and create!
- Rick