by The Extraordinary Tourist

Created on: March 17, 2007   Last Updated: May 08, 2007

Finding your market is the key to making money as a painter. It doesn't matter how well you paint, if a person isn't interested in your subject matter they just won't buy.

The first question you may need to consider is do you consistently paint the same theme or do you paint a wide range of unrelated themes? This is important because sticking to one theme will allow you to target your work to a niche market. If you paint a wide range of themes then you'll need to find a new niche market for each theme.

In general, you are more likely to sell if you appeal to a niche market (rather than trying to appeal to everyone) because you can focus your marketing on a smaller group of people.

So how do you find your market?

A good place to start, in finding out what kind of person would like your work, is to take a look at yourself. One can assume (I hope) that you like what you paint, therefore you're someone who may buy work like yours.

Next you need to ask where do people like you hang out? Where do they shop? Where do they socialize? If you're selling on-line, what sites do they frequent? These are all questions that can help you find people who may buy your work.

Take notice of people who say they love your work. These are clues as to who else might like your work. For example if someone old enough to be your grandmother pays your art a big compliment then maybe other people in their age group would like your work also?

Another avenue you can try is to look for galleries that exhibit artworks similar in theme and style to your own. Galleries usually promote to a specific market. If your work is similar to the work they have on display then there is a good chance they are selling to your market. You'll need a portfolio of work to show and some courage to ask if the gallery would be interested in considering your work.

Galleries are very selective so don't be discouraged if they don't take you on. Remember they are businesses that must weigh the risk of taking on a new artist against being able to pay the bills and earn a profit.

Competitions can be a good avenue for selling your work (and you may even win something too). It's well worth researching these to find out what kind of work is usually entered. Again if it is similar to what you're doing there's a good chance this competition is being promoted to your market.

There are many other avenues, including on-line galleries and even social networking web sites. The questions you need to ask about these are still the same.

Selling your art has little to do with how good you are as a painter (which is subjective anyway). The key to earning money is finding where your market is and showing your work to those people.

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