Most people can learn to paint, sketch, make fabrics, and do other forms of art, but not everyone is born with the ability to do so. To make a living as a professional artist, you must sell enough work to make working on your art full-time a viable option. Tell the truth about your work. Do other people enjoy it, or do you only do it because it’s a fantastic way to unwind after a long day at work? Family and friends may compliment you and tell you how wonderful your work is. You can’t count on them to be objective, though, because they don’t want to hurt your feelings. Post photographs of your artwork online and see what kind of feedback you get for a more objective assessment. It’s worth investigating if the overall response from anonymous strangers is positive. Otherwise, stick to your day job and create art in your leisure time to pass the time.
Treat your artwork as if it were a business
To be a professional artist, you must approach your work as if it were a business. This is concentrating on making art as often as possible while remaining professional in all of your endeavours. Artists are no different than the rest of us. To create sales, you must market your skills, speak with clients, look for commissions, and keep track of your finances. If you fail to pay tax on money received from selling artwork, the CRA will not be pleased. Act as though you’re the CEO of your company, because you are. Nobody else will take your artwork seriously if you don’t.
Make an online portfolio
It is critical that you have a portfolio of your work as an artist. This will come in handy when you’re looking for commissions or applying for gallery space. Because carrying around samples of your original artwork when visiting galleries or clients is impracticable, a portfolio is the next best thing. These days, many artists create internet portfolios. This makes it easy for them to promote their work on the internet. You can put up a website and publish images of your work using a blogging service like Tumblr, buy a domain and establish a website using WordPress, or pay for a dedicated artist portfolio from a service like Format.
An artist’s portfolio must have high-quality photographs in order to be effective. Take your own photos and edit them to remove any superfluous borders if you have a competent DSLR camera and a tripod. There are a plethora of online videos that provide comprehensive tutorials on shooting artwork. Taking shots in the daylight, using a tripod to reduce camera shake, and trimming images with photo-editing software are all helpful recommendations. If you have little experience with photography or if your camera is old, have someone else take the photos for you. Make sure you don’t mess up the colour balance of any photographs you post. Photos of your artwork should be accurate depictions.
Look for chances to exhibit and sell your work
Always keep an eye out for opportunities to show your work, both online and off. This is your opportunity to meet new people, generate sales, and expand your fan base. Look for art exhibits in your region. As an unknown artist, this is the finest place to be. Websites are buried in search engine results, while sites like Etsy are overflowing with art. Nonetheless, it’s worth making accounts on creative sites like Etsy because they’re inexpensive and could help you gain exposure, especially if you sell inexpensive artwork like graphic prints.
Your Work Should Be Promoted
Artists need to market themselves. You will rely on word of mouth to earn sales and get clients until you market your work. This can work if you are exceptionally creative and attract the attention of powerful individuals or the media, but don’t expect to make a major mark — there are a lot of other artists vying for the same space.
Believe in yourself as an artist
Have faith in your artistic ability at all times. Art is a highly subjective medium, and not everyone will appreciate or comprehend your artistic abilities. Many artists struggle to make a living during their lives. Some people go unnoticed until they die, and their work is only recognised after they are gone. There will be good days and terrible days, but if you keep pushing forward and generating work, your talent will blossom, and others will want to purchase your work. Celebrate your first sale – you can now refer to yourself as a professional artist!
By – Priyanka Dhillon
