Market Research

[tealin]

I'm looking at very much belatedly getting on this 'internet artist' bandwagon and turning some of my hobbies into something that could challenge me artistically/prfessionally and give me a little pocket change between jobs. There are two problems: self-promotion runs entirely against my grain, and I don't know the first thing about how to go about doing any of this. So I reach out to you, O internet, faithful friend and ally, to offer some sort of feedback. Please please chip in your two cents on anything you have an opinion on, I am out for data.

1. What would you, or people you know, be most interested in buying if I were to offer it in an online shop? (e.g. sketchbooks, prints of nice finished artwork, prints of existing rough artwork, original artwork, phone cases, tote bags, cupcakes, whatever)

2. Do you have any suggestions for new things I could make that there would be interest in?  (e.g. an illustrated cookbook, nicely formatted and illustrated art tips, 'art books' for things I tend to return to a lot (as if they were actual animated productions))

3. Do you have any experience with monetizing your art?  What would your advice be? Do you have any strong feelings on one online shop host over another?

Any and all feedback is appreciated (including 'stay pure! don't do this!') so please take a moment or two to tell me what you think, even if it's a general comment that doesn't address any of those three points.

THANK YOU!

Comments

[inevitableentresol]

As far as I can tell, the money is in commissions, generally either fanart or doing people's original characters in your own style.

My top tip would to be to keep your prices high and not be swayed by the floods of other artists charging peanuts, no matter how good you think they are. Work out your likely workrate per hour and base it off that.

I sold my own art before days of the internet, at art fairs and in local shops, so I don't know terribly much about this, sorry.

To promote that you're doing commissions, make a post on tumblr with a selection of your work and prices for each style/level of detail and ask for reblogs. I'm sure you've seen the kind of thing a dozen time but here's examples from the lovely Gabrielle Houle.
http://mariealbertine.tumblr.com/tagged/commissions
(oops, there's some graphic sexual content on that tag, a few posts down, that I didn't notice, so warning)

Here's a simpler post without pics from Polly Guo.
http://pollyguo.tumblr.com/post/61019099916/commissions-are-open


As for myself, as a potential buyer... yeah, I'd probably be most interested in buying commissions over anything else. I find it fascinating to see how each artist re-interprets well-loved characters. I've commissioned a few pieces in the past, mostly of BBC radio comedy characters.

[tealin]

Thanks for your input! I'm a little afraid of charging too much for commissions (i.e. the going professional rate for the time involved) because the majority of the people likely to commission me would be scared off and I don't want to lose any of the market right out the gate ... it's a balancing act, I suppose, and I'll just have to feel it out.

[inevitableentresol]

This was my philosophy: If you're doing it for fun, give your art away. If you're doing it for money, charge the proper rate.

It was really awkward sometimes when friends and family commissioned me, and I'm pretty hard-nosed. If I didn't feel comfortable charging the full going rate, I just turned it into a gift.

If it helps, think of the other artists who get really annoyed when someone with your talent and experience underprices themselves, and so drives down the price for everyone.

In the long run, you don't make any more money by undercharging, as far as I can tell, but you do increase the grief considerably. Those who want freebies/cheap art are traditionally the most nightmare, demanding clients. I've heard such stories. Those who value and will pay for art properly I found to be much nicer to do work for.

If you're scared of putting people off by the price, open commissions, but also do some freebie requests for fun for those who can't afford you.

Good luck whatever you decide.