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reisafp
Posts:63
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| 05/16/2007 6:33 PM |
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| I am a new artist starting out and I am interested in doing portraits of people and of pets. I was wondering if anyone has any advice on the best way of going about getting commissions? The best way to advertise? |
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www.reisafp11.com |
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Tim
Posts:20
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| 05/17/2007 10:49 AM |
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Reisa,
If I may be so bold as to reply to your question. I am an aspiring professional artist. I have acquired a few commissions in my brief history as an artist. First, we must create a body of work and that requires, in my case, painting, painting, painting.
The next step is to treat your art just like any other business. So, try to determine from sorces other than art...primarily business...how to market, sell and close business. One problem we have is that while we're painting...we're not selling. And while we're selling...we're not painting.
First, I would think of every way possible to get the word out that you are a serious artist looking to sell your work and/or you will take on commissions of work that customers want created. Tell you family friends and associates. Come up with and practice with a quick 30 second commercial for yourself. So, if someone on an elevator ask you what you do. You can boldly give them your commercial. Another technique is to, rather than ask people if they'd like to buy some art or a portrait from you...is to ask them "who" they know that would like to have a portrait painted or purchase some of your art. This somewhat lowers the resistence wall of being in a buy/sell situation and sort of puts them on your side of trying to help you find someone to buy your work. That's another technique...ask people for help in identifying "others" who would buy your work.
I can't speak directly to advertising. But, any advertising has to be cost effective and you have to be sure that your target audience will be exposed to if frequently.
Mailings can be good and less expensive than advertising. "Google" the name Ed Peters...he has a ton of marketing ideas that you can glean from his website. He charges for consutation, but you'd be shocked at what all you can pick up just by going around his site.
Websites are good. But, like a corner store, you have to do other things to get people to go there.
Business cards...and leave them everywhere.
Find in expensive places to display your work. Some businesses and resturants will hang your work and even let you display that it's for sale. Agree to change out the work every week or month or so.
Just some ideas. But, the main ones are to expose what you do to anyone and everyone you know and see.
Tim |
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Timothy Beacham
"Whatever your arts desire." |
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reisafp
Posts:63
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| 05/17/2007 2:17 PM |
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Thanks, Tim!
I really like the idea of asking people who they know who would like a portrait rather than if they would like a portrait! That is a very clever idea!
I will definately go to Ed Peters site, I need all the ideas I can get! Every time I feel like I am finally getting established in a community, we move again and I have to start all over (my husband is in the millitary, so we move every 3 years or so). Developing contacts and getting the word out seems to be the hardest part and I hate to waste money on advertising if it doesn't bring people in.
Thank you again for you time and ideas! I appreciate all the help! |
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www.reisafp11.com |
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Tim
Posts:20
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| 05/21/2007 10:35 AM |
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Reisa,
Y'all are in the military. Well, thank you both for your service. "They also serve, who stand and wait." Well, I just became an official US Army retiree, albeit from the Army Reserves.
Look on your transfers as a blessing...a way to expose what you do to more and more people at the government's expense. The cheapest way to contact people is electronically through sites like this or email. Go back through your memory and think of anyone that showed an interest in your work...or just anyone you've had even a brief relationship with. Try to contact them and get an email address. Then develop a little news letter or a web site. Then via email you can send them a news letter or call their attention to updates on your web site.
Maybe you never heard the story about the two shoes salemen that were going to be assigned to sell shoes in Africa. One responded, "Oh no! No body wears shoes in Africa!" The other responded, "Oh boy! No body wears shoes in Africa!" The second guy looked at this as huge untapped market where everyone that didn't wear shoes was a potential sale. So, everyone you've run across in the military is a potential art collector or a connection to one.
You might be interested in a project that a group here in the Atlanta, GA area is doing, and I'm participating in. The group, Atlanta Fine Arts League, has a project, Art From Teh Heart, where some of us are painting portraits of GA service members killed in Iraq or Afghanistan at no cost to the families. I have one that I just completed and will be posting to their site soon. They have some portraits post to their site now.
Tim |
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Timothy Beacham
"Whatever your arts desire." |
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reisafp
Posts:63
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| 05/21/2007 11:26 PM |
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Tim,
Thanks, for the advice! I would totally be interested in that project! That sounds like a wonderful idea! Please let me know what ever I could do to help, I am more than willing! |
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www.reisafp11.com |
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Tim
Posts:20
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| 05/22/2007 6:20 AM |
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Reisa,
If you would like to participate, try going to http://www.atlantafineartsleague.org/ and checking out their projects and gallery. I assume you can contact them and volunteer to do a portrait. Keep me posted on what you do.
Tim |
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Timothy Beacham
"Whatever your arts desire." |
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