Selling Your Art Part 2 - Online
How to sell your art online or in person is what nearly all artists ask about at some point. This is the second in a three part series on the multiple ways for artists to find art opportunities for getting their art seen and sold.
See Part 1 of Selling Your Art here
Selling Art Online
Here is where doing the research seriously comes into play. There are plenty of people that have success with various art selling platforms and there are probably even more artists that do not. Any of these platforms can get quite expensive if you launch into something head first and don't know what you are getting into.
With the increasing turn to selling art online, the internet has become a very busy place. There are tons of fine artists, craft artists, painters, photographers, sculptors, and digital artists in every nook and cranny at every career stage and every style and genre.You'll need to clearly articulate where and what you do to find your best fit.
Hard work? Yes. There are some ways to make life easier like scheduling posts, so research art tips, tricks, hacks, money saving ideas and suggestions to make what you can easier but as always, being consistent is key.
A Professional Website
Do you need a website? It is generally considered that a professional artist should have one. This is your personal store front, your main source where people go to learn more about you. Keep it clean, keep it simple, clearly show your artwork.
About quality images for your website:
- Show your art straight on (NO background, trim the image)
- Show from different angles
- Take close up shots of the art showing details
- Have shots of YOU with the art
- Show the are in a different room or two so that the viewer can imagine it in their own environment.
It is important to remember that on the internet Content is King. Content Matters. Keywords and Key phrases are how you find information online AND how people find information about YOU. An image without TEXT is a dead end. Thus, you must provide text as well as images.
On Social Media
Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, X / Twitter, TikTok, and perhaps YouTube
Artists might use Facebook Marketplace to sell art or via their own website. Some artists use social media as a feedback platform and places to post upcoming events. Involve your viewers in what you do so that people get to know you and always provide links to your main storefront, for whichever platform you may use.
Create a consistent plan that you can stick to and manage when posting content. Create a schedule and post with purpose.
See Getting Your Art Out There: Social Media, the Internet, Your Art and Your Art Group
Online Shopping Platforms
There are many of them with a variety of services, pricing, ease of use - you name it. Ask around what other artists are using, their opinions, and success rates. As always, updating and working your information is a daily, if not several times weekly, hands-on art task toward selling your art. Here are some choices:
Amazon, Etsy, Shopify, Fine Art America, Saatchi Art, eBay, ArtPal, Artfinder, Society6, Redbubble, Artsy, Singulart, DeviantArt, Artplode, ArtStation, 1stDibs, ArtSpace, Kooness, Artistics, Artsper, UGallery, Pictoclub, Rise Art, Zatista, Artmajeur, OpenSea, SuperRare, Mintable ... to name a few.
New ones come in and some fade away. As always, do the Research, research, re....
Have a Newsletter
Create and send out a periodic newsletter. Collect emails and schedule your time frame (at least quarterly, if not monthly). Your fans can opt-in to receive your content and opt-out if they change their mind. The potential is toward building a loyal and supportive community fan base that want to learn more about you.
Be genuine, start simply, offer exclusive content.
About Blogging
Talk about what you are doing, how you are doing it, what you have new, what you are working on. Write about your inspirations, your studio, your tools, your upcoming projects and shows. The blog is a subset, a link on your website. Share your blog with your social media to help promote content. See Tech Series 4: The Blogging Story
Being Online
Consistency is a MUST, you will need to do something everyday to promote your art online, some how, in some way, even if in only a small way.
Look into QR Codes perhaps vs. Business Cards. Personally, I like have a card with a QR Code AND using QR Codes as well. See Artist Documents - What Do I Need?
Remember that online on social media, the algorithms change. This means that although you may find your art sales may be going well at some point, when the website platform makes a change, you may see a shift in your sales one way or the other which might then trigger adjustments. Nature of this terrible beast.
Obviously, becoming an artist and trying to sell your artwork can be looked at as a daunting, if not expensive path to take. Start off small (if need be) and look for so called "free" or less expensive art opportunities, have a budget, and build your career. Talk to more experienced artists, follow blogs like this and always be learning.
For Further Reading (Listening)
Tech Series 1: Instagram for Artists
Tech Series 2: Are You Reeling on Instagram?
Tech Series 3 How to Be Pinteresting
Tech Series 4 The Blogging Story
How to Build a Professional Facebook Page as an Artist (2026 Update)
Did you like this post? Learn something new? What tips do you have to share on selling your art? Drop a comment below.
Follow this blog and watch for Part 3 of Selling Your Art on Monday, January 26, 2026.
Author: Donna Liguria is the Blogmaster for the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog and Donna's Cave Paintings Blog, and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, Virginia. And she takes on the PWAS social media duties as well (help me!) Donna specializes in acrylic painting of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.
Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm (typically, but check the website in case of any changes).
Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership
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