Skip to main content

How to Sell Your Art Without Selling Out

Virtually everything you should have been taught in art school about earning a living from visual arts and crafts but weren't is how I'd describe Steve Popkin's 27 part, arts marketing course, How to Sell Your Art Without Selling Out.

Years ago there was a famous ad for Gillette shavers featuring a guy who was 'so impressed he bought the company', well I didn't buy Steve Popkin's company but I did the next best thing and became an affiliate after completing only the first two classes. That's how good the information was!

It's important you know this up front because I don't want to be covert about recommending this as a product. Should you decide to purchase How to Sell Your Art Without Selling Out through the links from this article, you will be giving me a little financial 'thank you' that says you trust my opinion and insight into Steve's course. With that out the way, lets get on with helping you decide if this course is for you.

I purchased the downloadable version of this course after baulking a few times because of the sales letter, the tried and tested landing page that promises the easy life, typical of online marketers for almost any get rich quick product you can imagine.

The sales letter includes, off putting, too good to be true quotes like:
"Now all you have to do is follow the system...and you can make more money in a weekend than most artists do in an entire year!"

"Almost overnight, you will go from selling a few pieces...to selling everything you make and taking orders for more!"

Fortunately these were the exceptions with the majority of claims sounding more solid than 'get rich quick'. Personally I don't think Steve needs these kind of 'instant, easy income' claims but would you wrestle with your decision to purchase if he said things like 'with a little research and effort you could improve your sales over time?' You'd probably stop reading, right?

I powered through all twenty seven classes, ranging from 10 to 40 minutes in length (with exception to the selling your art online section which runs a whopping 85 minutes). It took me the best part of two weeks. There's only so much 'art business' one can digest in a day!

Each class is delivered like a power point presentation. Each key point is displayed on a slide as Steve's voice communicates the lesson. There is a nice picture of Steve to look at too so it almost feels like he is there, delivering the lesson personally.

The first class starts with the answer to the most common question I've heard artists ask, how do I price my art? I've researched this question over and over in the last few years, discovering many different answers. Steve's is the only answer that lays out a realistic strategy for encouraging people to buy your more expensive artworks.

Not only that but Steve looks at different price points and, for me at least, shows you can sell work on ebay and through a gallery without damaging your reputation or undercutting your gallery prices. In fact selling on ebay could compliment your galleries marketing strategy.

That goes pretty much against everything I've heard about selling art on ebay if you want gallery representation - even my own advice to other artists which, in the past has been, if you want gallery representation, steer clear of ebay.

There is too much in the course for me to comment on everything but by the end of it you'll know so much about the arts industry and all the possibilities that you may find yourself bursting with ideas about where to find your market and how you will sell your art.

After pricing some of the highlights for me were:

  • Creating Art for Niche Applications

    It's true. Selling to a niche is much easier than trying to sell to everyone. Steve will tell you why and give you tips on how to do it without selling out.

  • How To Sell Your Art Online

    This will tell you virtually everything you need to know. The pro's and cons of gallery web sites, using ebay, creating your own web site etc. It's a massive section that could of been made even bigger if it looked at the 'Print on Demand' market such as Cafepress and Imagekind but still, more than enough to get you started online.

  • The Secrets Behind Weekend Art Shows

    Having tried and failed at selling my art at a weekend market for the best part of six months, Steve's tips may have come in handy back then.

  • How to Sell to Galleries

    I knew there was a reason I wasn't interested in galleries at this point in my career. Steve explains everything you need to know about approaching bricks and mortar galleries and shows why galleries aren't necessarily a good thing if you're just starting out.

  • One of a Kind, Production Work or Both...

    This class is a must for new and emerging artists. If you think working as a professional artist is simply selling each 'one of a kind piece' as you create it then this will open your eyes to a whole other side of professional art practice that you may not have considered.

There is so much more I could list. Head on over to Steve's Sales letter and click the link to view the full list with descriptions of the 27 topics covered.

I will say that almost every single class had something to offer in the way of new information. This is well worth the money. It's the kind of presentation that you'll refer back to when it comes to applying Steve's concepts. In fact I wouldn't mind this course delivered entirely as an audio presentation so I could keep it handy and refer back to it on my MP3 player.

There are few negatives to mention, apart from the sales letter. It does deliver on most claims and probably would deliver on all of them if you were highly motivated to get started right away (but you know how most people are and I think your brain will feel a little fried from overload after 27 classes).

Some of the classes tended to be a little repetitive but that's just the nature of the business. It really doesn't matter who you're selling to, it's all about finding your market and creating art for it. It's the different ways to find those markets that Steve gives you plenty of advice and ideas on.

I can say that the free bonuses didn't play much of a part in my decision to buy this product. They're certainly good value but other than access to Steve personally, I don't know how much of an impact they'll have on my future business. I certainly don't feel like reading Napolean Hill's 'Think and Grow Rich' as an ebook after pushing through Steve's course. I'll leave it to you to decide if the bonus materials sound like value for money.

How to Sell Your Art Without Selling Out is a course that is ideally suited to any artist just starting out or any artist who's been trying to sell their art for a few years and not really getting any where close to a decent income.

It really doesn't matter what kind of Visual artist or Crafts person you are the strategies will be relevant to you (Steve is a glass artist and uses his art in many examples).

If you've been all over the internet looking for information on the business side of art (I know I have) then you'll find everything you need to know, explained in simple to understand language.

Once you've completed this course you'll be able to have a fresh look at the art you produce and will have plenty of new strategies to help you do what you really want to do... create art.

Having purchased and completed the course myself, I highly recommend it. Read through the sales letter as it actually does tell you quite a bit about what to expect.

Comments

Buy Gifts and Apparel featuring art by TET.

Popular posts from this blog

How to Transfer Any Line Art to Your Griptape - Easy Skateboard Griptape Art Tutorial

Dog Star Griptape Art by TET Griptape art is once again gaining popularity amongst modern skateboarders. For those of us who have tried to create our own griptape art, using paint pens, you'll know reproducing your design onto the grip, without making any mistakes is incredibly challenging. Mostly because you just have to go for it and draw the design freehand, with paint pens, directly onto the griptape. You can make the odd mistake here or there but if you get the proportions of the design completely wrong, it can be very difficult to fix. Often you just have to live with the mistake. To address the problem I've come up with an easy way anyone can transfer a line art design to their griptape, removing almost all the anxiety of getting the proportions wrong. In fact, you could do this with any line art design, even if you have no drawing skill at all. Watch the video below to see my technique in action and/or skip past the video where I highlight the basic steps to get your de

Skateboard Trick Tips: Two Ways to Ollie North (Ollie One foot)

You have to be quick to see my Ollie Norths! Ollie One Foots, otherwise known as the Ollie North, is one of those skateboard tricks you learn and then tend not to do very much as more interesting trick challenges grab your attention. However it does look really cool if you learn how to kick your front foot well past the nose of your skateboard. Still shot from Braille Skateboarding's Ollie North tutorial. I was inspired to make my video below, showing two different techniques to achieve a successful Ollie One Foot, when I not only saw that Braille Skateboarding's Tutorial used a different method to the one I had learned but also, when I looked at various other video tutorials, I discovered yet another technique, with no one using the method I had originally learned. Braille's method is to simply Ollie and drag your front foot past the front of your board. The second method I came across in several video tutorials is to Ollie, drag your front foot and tap your

Are Ion Thrusters the Future of Flying Cars? Spoiler - Probably Not But... Hover Boards... Maybe?

Undefined Technologies Ion Propulsion Drone prototype 3D concept image. You may have heard of Ion engines or, more likely, Ion thrusters. NASA uses them on their spacecraft to help maintain a craft's position or to propel them through space.  Upon hearing that you might think they're big, powerful engines, but actually they are not. They work well in the vacuum of space but, once any kind of atmosphere and gravity is involved they'd be hard pressed to launch you off the ground if you strapped four of them to your lawn chair and yelled "up, up, and away!" I am no expert on Ion thrusters - they're basically magic that science has an explanation for. If you want to know the details, The Space Techie website has a layman's explanation .  Build Your Own Ion Thruster Earth based Ion Thrusters work a bit different to their  space based cousins by Ionizing the same air that we breathe to create thrust (an effect known as Ionic-wind ).  While they sound highly soph

Book Review: Brand It Purple by Ashley Knoote-Parke

Ashley Knoote-Parke. Image: Facebook It seems almost redundant to review  Brand It Purple  given you probably won't find a hard copy edition without digging into the second hand market. The book's author and publisher, Ashley Knoote-Parke, seemingly, disappeared off the face of the Earth around about 2015. Which is a story in itself. However, the book is still a very informative guide and, while not specifically targeted at women, many may relate more to a book written by an experienced female entrepreneur. Brand It Purple is a personal marketing and branding guide released in 2009 by then, star on the rise author, Ashley Knoote-Parke, an English born, South African expatriate, who made Adelaide, South Australia her home. There she started her own publishing company releasing a photographic, coffee table book of South Australian sights, along with books showcasing female, then male, entrepreneurs. As well she published 'Brand It Purple'. I came across the b

Movie Review: Force of Nature - The Dry 2 (2024) *No Spoilers*

Eric Bana returns as Detective Aaron Falk in Force of Nature - The Dry 2 , and that's the only real connection between this and 2020's  The Dry . This is an all new mystery set in a new location. I will say, given that it's either wet or rainy, with the incoming threat of a major storm for most of the movie, the filmmakers really missed a trick in not renaming the film, The Wet. Back when I reviewed the first film I noted that I would love to see the second book made into a movie too, and here it is. This time Aaron and his detective partner, Carmen (Jacqueline Mackenzie), head into the mountains to investigate the whereabouts of a missing informant, who disappears on a workplace, team bonding retreat. All the performances in this film are easily on par with the first, though I do think some pretty outstanding actors really didn't have a lot to do here. In terms of mystery the first movie was better constructed as a who dunnit film you could play along with. Here you mo

I'm Joining the Illuminati Brotherhood By Personal Invitation of Hiltom Rothschild... Wait, What?

How special am I to have finally come of age (53 years young) and am now eligible to participate in building the world alongside other members of the Illuminati Brotherhood... Yes I've received the call by way of an email, which I'm sure is real because I had to translate it from the Dutch language and it was personally written by Hiltom Rothschild, one of the non-existent members of the Rothschild family (or perhaps deep undercover because Google has never heard of them?). A Transcript of the email below: To: etourist From: Illuminati Brotherhood  Subject: Illuminati Broederschap (Illuminati Brotherhood) I am Hiltom Rothschild, a member of the Rothschild family, one of the 13 families of the Illuminati brotherhood. I'm here to let you know that you've come of age and are eligible to participate in building the 🌎 world. It is a calling and a privilege to honor him with pride and gratitude as not everyone will ever be chosen by the LIGHT, many are called but few are ch

Nobody move, I've dropped my brain!

I'm probably one of the last Pirates of the Caribbean fans to see At World's End which is still playing at a few cinemas as it nears the end of its run. The title of this post, which is a quote from the movie, aptly describes the difficulties of trying to get your head around the plot. Although it does continue from the previous film in the series (all the characters are there) it doesn't seem critical to know the back story. The main plot is established right at the start. The East India Trading Company is out to wipe out pirates and anyone that so much as glances at a pirate. Our motley crew, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swan and Captain Barbossa join forces to bring together the Brethren of Nine pieces of eight (nine pirate lords who can unite all pirates) and stop the massacre of their kind. Slight problem. Captain Jack Sparrow is one of the nine and he died in the last film. Since Captain Barbossa died in the film before that, we know that coming back from the dead isn'