Key takeaways
- You can sell your art online without a gallery — directly to your audience.
- Sell originals or prints in editions, photographed in true colours.
- A certificate of authenticity or circulation creates trust.
- With Microcart you open your art webshop and determine your own prices.
Selling your work online as an artist means selling directly to buyers, without a gallery taking a significant share. It gives you control over your price, your presentation and your customer relationship. The challenges are different than with regular products: each work is unique, pricing feels personal, and shipping is vulnerable. This guide will help you translate your studio into an online store.
What exactly are you selling?
You have more options than just the original work:
- Originals — unique, highest price, but you sell each work once.
- Prints / reproductions — of your work, in editions. More accessibly priced and repeatable to sell.
- Commissioned — work to order, with a down payment and clear agreements.
Many artists combine: originals for collectors, prints for a wider audience. That broadens your market without diluting your work.
Praising your work
Pricing is often the most difficult for artists. Keep it consistent and imitable: a fixed logic based on format, technique and your experience works better than praising each work based on feeling. Take your materials and time into account, and don't be too modest — a price that is too low also reflects on the value of your work. Keep your prices in line across your channels.
Photos: crucial for art
Someone buys your work online based on a photo. It must be correct:
- photograph straight from the front, with even, neutral light (no reflections);
- display the colors as truthfully as possible;
- show detail (texture, brushstroke) and the work in a space for a sense of scale.
An incorrectly exposed photo will detract from your work and will lead to disappointment upon receipt.
Sending vulnerable work
Art is fragile and sometimes great. Pack securely (protect corners, flat shipments between cardboard, paintings in a sturdy box), and insure valuable pieces. Calculate the shipping costs honestly or include them in your price. General tips can be found in sending packages cheaply, although fragile or large work often consciously opts for sturdier (and more expensive) shipping.
Tell your story
With art, one buys the creator as much as the work. Your story, your process and your face make the difference:
- show yourself and your studio;
- tell the inspiration or story of each work;
- use Instagram to show your process — an ideal showcase for art.
Own webshop versus platform
Art sales platforms provide reach, but take commission and put you among thousands of others. Your own webshop gives you your full margin, your own presentation and a direct connection with buyers and collectors. The combination — a platform for reach, your own shop for your brand and margin — often works best. The specific approach can be found on our page about an art webshop.
Frequently asked questions
How do I determine the price of my art?
Work with a consistent logic based on size, technique and experience, and take materials and time into account. Don't be too modest — price conveys value.
Should I sell originals or prints?
Both are possible. Originals deliver the most per piece; prints make your work accessible and repeatably marketable. Many artists combine.
How do I send art safely?
Pack securely and protect corners and surface; insure valuable pieces. For fragile or large work, consciously choose sturdier shipping.
Is your own webshop better than an art platform?
Your own webshop gives more margin, control and customer relationship; a platform provides reach. The combination often works best.
How do I stand out as an artist online?
With your story and your process. People buy the creator as much as the work — show yourself, your studio and your inspiration.
Get started
Determine what you're selling (originals, prints or both), set up a consistent pricing logic and take true photos of your work. Tell your story in your own webshop and use Instagram as a showcase. Ready for the specific approach? Check out how to start an art webshop with Microcart. Do you also make other crafts? Learn how to make and sell jewelry.
