How do I sell custom illustrations?
June 11, 2018 10:25 AM Subscribe
I do freelance illustrations on commission (cats!dogs!portraits!) in watercolor to make extra money from time to time. I've been promoting my work via relevant facebook groups, tumblr, and the kindness of friends who have twitter followers. Where else can I share my work, and what else should I be doing if I'd like to turn this into a more regular job?
Some relevant information: I'm currently selling watercolor paintings for 50$ and black and white ink drawings for 40$. I spend about two hours on a painting. I have no money at all to throw into paid advertising, but if that's the only way to do it go ahead and tell me to save up. I'd happily draw anything-(mostly I've fallen into pet portraits as that's the people I know, but I'd honestly branch out into anything there's a demand for)
Usually I can scare up 5-10 commissions a few times a year, but I think I have saturated my extended social media circle and I'd like to make it a more regular thing. What's the next step?
Some relevant information: I'm currently selling watercolor paintings for 50$ and black and white ink drawings for 40$. I spend about two hours on a painting. I have no money at all to throw into paid advertising, but if that's the only way to do it go ahead and tell me to save up. I'd happily draw anything-(mostly I've fallen into pet portraits as that's the people I know, but I'd honestly branch out into anything there's a demand for)
Usually I can scare up 5-10 commissions a few times a year, but I think I have saturated my extended social media circle and I'd like to make it a more regular thing. What's the next step?
Best answer: Instagram for sure. Some people do business direct from there using PayPal and email after connecting with someone. I see ads for custom illustrations from Fiverr. Also I see lots of this stuff on Etsy. Personally I have an Etsy that I market in part on instagram. Etsy handles payments and shipping then there’s buyer and seller protections which is nice. Plus they do have advertising options for cheap. Their fees are small and reasonable.ETA Etsy has an option for a button on your page for custom orders but of course your listing can be for custom stuff anyway too.
posted by Crystalinne at 10:34 AM on June 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Crystalinne at 10:34 AM on June 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Just saw some booths for this at a neighborhood pet fair/adoption event.
posted by roger ackroyd at 10:45 AM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by roger ackroyd at 10:45 AM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Instagram linked to an Etsy shop.
posted by DarlingBri at 10:50 AM on June 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by DarlingBri at 10:50 AM on June 11, 2018 [3 favorites]
Are you on Etsy?
posted by saturdaymornings at 10:51 AM on June 11, 2018
posted by saturdaymornings at 10:51 AM on June 11, 2018
Best answer: 1) Get yourself a basic website -- you should be able to do it for free on Square, Wix, or Wordpress. Make sure to get yourself a good, relevant and easy to remember domain name. Be sure to include it on your business cards or postcards, and linked to any other social media, etc.
2) Get yourself on Instagram. Possibly a Facebook page, although that is slowly dying, but some of your older target market clients probably still use it.
3) Get yourself on Etsy
posted by Jade Dragon at 10:58 AM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
2) Get yourself on Instagram. Possibly a Facebook page, although that is slowly dying, but some of your older target market clients probably still use it.
3) Get yourself on Etsy
posted by Jade Dragon at 10:58 AM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: If you're promoting the portfolio linked from the tumblr on your MeFi profile, the website is expired, which doesn't help. Neither does the illegibly tiny Tumblr text. If that's not your art-promo portfolio, disregard this advice (but probably remove the expired link anyway).
Make sure instructions/prices/examples for requesting commissions are clearly linked on the front page of your artist, profile, like in a pinned Tweet or a link in your Instagram bio. Recent Poorly Drawn Cats example. A "Commission Pet Portraits Here" link in your MeFi profile probably wouldn't get you mass exposure, but it wouldn't hurt either.
posted by nicebookrack at 11:02 AM on June 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
Make sure instructions/prices/examples for requesting commissions are clearly linked on the front page of your artist, profile, like in a pinned Tweet or a link in your Instagram bio. Recent Poorly Drawn Cats example. A "Commission Pet Portraits Here" link in your MeFi profile probably wouldn't get you mass exposure, but it wouldn't hurt either.
posted by nicebookrack at 11:02 AM on June 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
Search your local area for pet-friendly events. If there's a Walk to Support Pet Adoption, or a farmers market where everyone brings their dog, see if you can get a booth at those events.
posted by Former Congressional Representative Lenny Lemming at 11:17 AM on June 11, 2018
posted by Former Congressional Representative Lenny Lemming at 11:17 AM on June 11, 2018
Best answer: I disagree with getting a website but I don't think it matters if you really want one.
Here's my favourite, new example in your niche: Pets with Hats. Instagram and Etsy.
posted by DarlingBri at 12:10 PM on June 11, 2018
Here's my favourite, new example in your niche: Pets with Hats. Instagram and Etsy.
posted by DarlingBri at 12:10 PM on June 11, 2018
Best answer: Nthing Instagram. I just bought a print of a painting (so maybe do pieces you can sell prints of, at a lower price point than your originals?) from an artist I follow on Instagram. I sent her an email and she sent me a PayPal invoice.
posted by sarajane at 12:17 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by sarajane at 12:17 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Nthing Instagram as well! I have a semi large following there and most of my business comes from followers. Also recommending setting up an Etsy shop and linking that in your Instagram profile. I recommend taking REALLY good and thoughtful photos. Good luck!
posted by sucre at 1:14 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by sucre at 1:14 PM on June 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks everyone! I am working on my wordpress store/twitter/instagram set up right now. The examples of other shops and sellers of custom art are especially helpful (and I'll take more if you've got them)
posted by velebita at 4:19 PM on June 11, 2018
posted by velebita at 4:19 PM on June 11, 2018
You may contact local rescues and offer to donate custom portraits to help them raise funds. A local rescue here has a silent auction every year and has a facebook page for fosters and adopters. What I've noticed is that people will buy custom art at the auction, share it to the Facebook page when it's completed, and then one or two people will ask where it's from, and then they buy one, and the cycle repeats.
posted by amarynth at 4:29 AM on June 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by amarynth at 4:29 AM on June 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by noloveforned at 10:29 AM on June 11, 2018 [5 favorites]