How to Make Money Selling your Art - Portraits

If you are artistic you may be able to make a good income drawing portraits for a commission. Your customers will pay you cash before you begin.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Practice, practice practice! Draw or paint everyone you know. Go to the mall or to a park and draw people there. Take your best examples and copy them. Make a flier and put it up everywhere. Hand out business cards. Offer to draw portraits for a charity function and hand out your cards there.

2. 
   A Lady With Short Hair

   Charge a lot of money for the portraits you draw or paint. You may feel uncomfortable charging for your artwork but the truth is that most people can't draw and they are fascinated by anyone who can and they are willing to pay for your talent!
   
   I used to charge $25 for quick pencil portraits. These are good for carnivals, parties, bazaars and sidewalk sales. Be sure and display some of your more polished portraits, framed, at the spot where you're doing the quick sketches. Put your contact information in a prominent spot.

3. If you need privacy and quiet to produce art, consider creating portraits from photographs. Charge at least $75 for these. When someone watches you work they see how long it takes and don't feel it's worth as much. It becomes craft, rather than Art. If you draw in private, they are left wondering what terribly complicated acts you go through to create your art.
   
   As you gain a following you can charge more.

Tips & Warnings

• Use professional supplies and deliver the finished artwork to the customer in a protective sleeve.
• Some people have unfortunate physical attributes. Be careful how you include these defects. Some people are offended if you include a wart or if you exclude it. You never know. I prefer to downplay warts, moles, and other irregularities by softening shadows, colors and light.

[rwhite-writer]

on 7/22/2009 Well-written article. I especially appreciate that you suggested starting prices for your readers. So many newbies have no idea where to begin. Thanks for posting! 5*

[goodselfme]

on 7/11/2009 good marketing idea to sell portraits.