Any artists know decent websites to get business through?

[gunslinger_burrito]

So I just moved into a much bigger city and am planning on hitting up some places to hang in, but on the side, I've been trying to find places online to get some art business through. Has anyone had any luck online? Every time someone emails me about wanting art and I quote a price for them, they stop responding (presumably because their friends can do it for free.... ) I'm going to post some new stuff up in deviant art, but I've had zero luck there, too. Thoughts?

[snipelfritz]

Typically if they come to you unsolicited and offer outlandish amounts of opportunity, its totally legit and not a scam.

But really word of mouth? I'm not an artist but I assume its similar to music. Just go support other artists. Volunteer at events and get known as a person. No rich benefactor is going to fall through the roof of your studio space and declare you the greatest artist that ever lived.

[gunslinger_burrito]

I think my problem, if you can call it that, is that I prefer to spend all my free time creating stuff and not schmoozing artsy folks. Maybe I'll get off of my ass on my days off this week.

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

etsy. ebay. CL maybe?

[jfrey]

I just started putting some paintings on Etsy. Sold one the day after I put it up.

[alexa.]

RaveNectar?

[gunslinger_burrito]

I just started putting some paintings on Etsy. Sold one the day after I put it up.

Damn. I have to give etsy another try. I had absolutely ZERO luck in the past, and I was even trying to sell prints. Selling originals is tough because I put many hours into a lot of them, and letting them go below a certain price point feels like I'm cheating myself. Most people don't want to buy originals at the price they're probably worth.

[jfrey]

I just started putting some paintings on Etsy. Sold one the day after I put it up.

Damn. I have to give etsy another try. I had absolutely ZERO luck in the past, and I was even trying to sell prints. Selling originals is tough because I put many hours into a lot of them, and letting them go below a certain price point feels like I'm cheating myself. Most people don't want to buy originals at the price they're probably worth.

I'm doing everything for under $200 but I'm getting screwed with shipping costs. I need to find a cheaper way to mail things. The canvases I use are 16" x 20" which is just a little bit bigger than the size of all the inexpensive mailers.

[gunslinger_burrito]

yeah, I could do some for under $200. . . Prints would be cool though because you can roll them up. Well, usually. . .

[futuresailors]

If you want to make the big bucks, publicity is more important than direct sales.
My friend's uncle is a painter. His shit jumped from going for a couple hundred to in the thousands because of gallery exhibits.

[D.o.S.]

If you want to make the big bucks, publicity is more important than direct sales.
My friend's uncle is a painter. His shit jumped from going for a couple hundred to in the thousands because of gallery exhibits.

Yup.

[gunslinger_burrito]

Has anyone used or read/heard anything about behance.net ? I'm making a profile on there just to see what happens.

[jrmy]

I use Behance as a digital portfolio for my design work. It's handy in that the interface is simple, and I don't have to worry about paying for hosting. I've used it to get clients, but never tried to use it to generate sales of individual pieces. I think that in the scenario you describe, it falls into the "certainly couldn't hurt" category.

[gunslinger_burrito]

Hmm, yeah. I would be looking for commissions through a site like that I think

[dase]

I use cargo collective as like an online portfolio too. Do you want actual commissions or like design work? All the money for me has pretty much always been in drawing shit for bands. But I can't recommend highly enough having a pretty simple agreement or contract if you do go that route. Getting paid for shirts I've drawn is like drawing blood from a stone sometimes. Musicians, we're the worst people.