Marketing yourself?
 

I have a rather lengthy question-not the question so much as setting it up.

I am in the rural part of a quaint small town. For many years it has been completely with nearly zero art related businesses. Dress shops, the usual shoe stores, etc. Finally, art is here and we actually have an art gallery. I painted in a local group for over 18 years beginning as all 6 of the others, a housewife raising a family and painting when we could. This group grew with the housewife image intact but others moving on and getting more serious about their art. I am one such person.

Next phase: this week I attended a luncheon/meeting in which it is presented that a handful of us (about 10) start Professionl Artist Group. Marketing is a full time difficult part of being an artist as we all know. I am known here locally as an artist in oils. The reading I have done and various people I have spoken to both show opposite opinions of this. One is that of not being taken seriously if you are always pushing the art group and saying you are a member of this. Second opinion is that of "sell yourself" market yourself. What do you think? Around here, it seems when you say to townspeople that you are a member of ---------- it is as if you have just told them that you gather for a quilting party. Not that it is a bad thing but how do you finally get taken seriously as an artist and professionally. I feel that I approach prospective clients professionally and they do indeed take me seriously. Could some of you tell me where you began your career and how you dealt with all of this? Is this Professionl Group a beginning; is it a good move?

Thanks and sorry for this lengthy thread.

Patt :?

Hello Patt!

You may want to search the forum here for additional info on this subject. Look for the Brochure thread, contract, and possibly others.

Anyway, I can share a bit of what's worked for me. I'm sure there will be other stories, and perhaps differing opinions.

First to start, being a part of a "professional" group is fine, I don't think it can hurt. I for one, don't even mention I'm a member of ASOPA. It hasn't hurt my business any. (I just forgot to include it actually).

Your first concern is to make your work as strong and cohesive as possible. For me, my target market is Families, and I focus my 'stare' (advertising efforts) on venues where I can reach them. However, prior to this, I worked hard on presenting an advertising package.

My process went like this...I decided I wanted my brochures to be of a permanent nature, that is, not changed for several years. I have a website, and use this for updated work, and reaching clients outside of my area. My brochures include a logo, (my identity) which carries over to stationary (letterhead, envelopes, business cards, notecards). It is also included in my website. All the elements relate and are designed as a whole. I wanted all these pieces to looked as polished as possible. I know my limitations, and sought professionals in graphic, and web design to do the work. I paid for their services with cash, as well as bartering. The graphic designer was paid w/ a portrait I did, the printer w/ a landscape for their lobby, the web-guy, cash. Total cost and time is extensive, but I feel worth the price. I look professional (may not act it, but hey, another story..kidding..)

Mind you, Pegg, this took several years of plotting. I was very goal-oriented and focused.

Back to target market. I started donating to high-end fundraisers that draw affluent people. Displayed a portrait, and included my promo material. Worked like a charm. I do these 2x a year. Because of that, and referrals, I'm booked until December. :D

It sounds like you've made some strides in your community. Focus on what you want to specialize in, and hunt the crowd down. Go to the next town over, and introduce yourself. Be clear on what you do that makes your work special, and don't apologize for your prices.

We artists are here to remind people of beauty again. Be proud of that, not everyone can do it.

Thanks for sharing so much information with us, Stanka.


"Back to target market. I started donating to high-end fundraisers that draw affluent people. Displayed a portrait, and included my promo material. Worked like a charm. I do these 2x a year. Because of that, and referrals, I'm booked until December."

Do you donate paintings for these fundraisers and display a portrait as well?

Thank you Stanka for all your input. I certainly will put more effort into doing as you mentioned. I went to a Fundraiser Art Auction just this Saturday locally. Mind you, it is a fundraiser for our local stage Theater (a town about 10,000 residents). I usually donate but didn't this year. It was a great function but the bids range from $75 - $800. Are you suggesting that one donates a piece of work and asks to display yet another piece ie. portrait :? Or, donate a figure piece of work for auction and that is your advertisement? I have donated to this function for the past 5 years hoping to bring more exposure about my artwork but haven't noticed much at all except I always receive another letter asking me to donate again next year.

I certainly will have to check on other functions outside of this area as I do not feel that art is appreciated here nearly as much as larger areas. After all we are the bargaining Appalachians. It makes me a little sad when the piece goes for less than half of what my commissions sell for. Am I being too picky about all of this?

Thanks again
Patt :(

Thanks for sharing so much information with us, Stanka.


Do you donate paintings for these fundraisers and display a portrait as well?

Sorry for my breezy chatter, should have clarified more...

My donation when I started this was the cheapest oil portrait I offered (a single-figure, head & shoulders length). The value at the time was $3,000. I had them set the starting bid at $1,000. and it went up in $100. increments. I did a full 'freebie' this way 3x. All three times, the clients either upgraded (wanted a double portrait) or had another child for an individual portrait. Also, the same fundraisers brought in additional full price work.

One year, they put my piece in the 'live auction' portion, and it went for $4200. That went to charity, and the portrait was a 'freebie' for me. THEN, that same family followed me to my 2nd fundraiser for that year, bid, and WON for their child #2!! (oohhh was I mad).

Now, my rules have changed. I offer a gift certificate for $1,000. off towards a portrait of their choice. That way, it can be any length, and I am guaranteed at least some money out of it. However, some charities think its too complicated and choose not to do it, but that's OK.

Also, I have restrictions: New clients, and 6 months expiration.

At the bidding table, I display my promo materials, as well as a SAMPLE original portrait. I have several that are part of my permanent collection. That way I don't bother my commissioned clients. However, I donate to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and I usually use the previous year's winner as the sample piece. They usually attend the event and its easy to manage the delivery, etc.

I hope this clarifies things. Good Luck..

Thanks again for your patience Stanka. That certainly clarified it much better. Very good suggestions.I have begun to realize that I need to venture away from home more often. I honestly believe that is part of the problem.

Very Appreciative,
Patt

Stanka

Thanks for the information you've shared here. I was just curious about another thing. I see a lot of Portraitists listing all the awards and prizes they've won. In your opinion, how much does that help ? Is it mainly your portfolio of samples that people are influenced by, or by the credentials and accolades etc.? I mean, undoubtedly, the awards must help, since everyone seems to be listing them, but do they make a huge difference?

Tarique

Tarique,

Well.. what can I say, I have yet to win a national award of any kind!

Local competitions I have won, but I don't mention that, nor my memberships. Quite frankly, I have never been asked about any of that. They ask out of curiosity where I went to college, and then I feel the work speaks for itself. I'm not a perfect fit for everyone. Fortunately, people are astute enough to recognize my strengths (and I've become familiar with them by now as well) and don't ask me to be the type of painter I'm not. There's usually quite a dialogue between us prior to the commission beginning to make everything clear.

As I mentioned earlier, being clear on my vision and presenting that cohesively assures them that I take my vocation seriously. It's been quite a joy for me. :)

Perhaps those of us in this circumstance could come at it sideways, in the way John Updike did in one of his poems (which I'll have to paraphrase):

"Just yesterday I failed to win the National Critics' Prize."

It's no small thing to be overlooked by the judges at a prestigious competition, but I'd have to think a while to figure out how to put the right PR English on the shot.

The Notion of Credentials
 

I have never, ever had a client who wondered or cared about whether I had ever won a big award.

However, several years ago, I realized that someone, sometime MIGHT care, so I developed a credentialing plan. I sought out venues and organizations I considered prestigious, mainly because artists I admire are part of them. So I chose carefully how and where I would submit entries, and it has worked out quite well (notwithstanding some very funny interactions).

Of course now that I have started this, I feel that I need to add something each year to my resume, which can be a little stressful....

I think that credentials matter to a higher extent in a number of different realms: teaching, public speaking, articles, books (I don't think I could have realized my contract without any credentials), yet even so, I think that clients relate to committing to commissions in one of two basic ways: first, they like your work; and/or second, their friends have hired you. In the latter regard, I feel that there may be a very strong "prestige" interaction ("I paid $25K for this painting, by X") I have seen it here.

So, I think that your credentials, how you pursue them, and how you utilize them are different for each painter, depending on the components that find their way into your career path.

It would be valuable if the SOG painters who have received the big awards, could describe how their careers have been impacted.

Regards, Chris

The impact of winning competitions
 

An interesting question. In fact, I have been telling my students and other portrait artists for years that entering competitions is a fun, if stressful, enterprise. It gets your face out there and is noticed by your peers, but does not make much difference with your clientele. As Chris says, you are hired based on if the client likes your work, not on your list of accomplishments. This is what I thought.

However....I just returned from my first "art party" since winning the "Best of Show" in the PSA competition in 2000. I don't think that I received any additional commissions based on the win, the clients still buy based on the quality of the work, but a very interesting thing happened. Commissioning me gave the client "bragging rights." Suddenly, it was not just the "Best of Show" for those entering the PSA competition in 2000, I was the "Best in the United States," and the "Best in the World." It all became embarrassing to me, and the more I tried to correct the overstatements, the more "humble" I was accused of being. This may have an impact. I do not know as yet. I will tell you why I think it is valuable to enter the competitions.

1) It teaches you to learn how to take good photos of your finished portraits, how to prepare slides, how to follow entry rules. This helps you to understand how to present your work in a professional manner.

2) If you are striving to create the "work of the year" for the competitions, you are pushing yourself to paint better this year than you did the previous year -- to constantly improve.

3) You learn to honestly evaluate your work. You see who is below you and who is above you in quality of work. You can chart your learning progress and find ways to improve.

4) It places you in a position to take criticism in a safe atmosphere, to be evaluated by your peers. A scary place to be, and not for every artist, but I learned a tremendous amount from kind and honest artist judges who truthfully judged my work.

5) There is nothing like waiting to see your painting up there on the big screen. The anticipation is overwhelming. I give the PSA and ASOPA credit for picking the ten finalists before the competitions. It was unbearable to wait in the dark, crowded banquet hall while the finalists were chosen from 200 (or 600) entries. With the ten finalists chosen before the conference begins, there are only ten people in the banquet hall who are too nervous to eat, instead of all of the 400 artists who entered the competition.

Bottom line, is it necessary to enter competitions to have a successful portrait art career? No.

Will you get more commissions if you win a competition? Probably not.

Will you have a better chance of getting the notice of the Art Agencies and Galleries? Yes.

Will you have a better chance to teach? Yes.

Like a chilly swim in icy water, is it good for you even if it's uncomfortable at the time? I think so.

So go for it. Gambaro!

Peggy Baumgaertner

I'm trying to lose 15-20 pounds before summer. (Don't ask -- I have my reasons.) Please tell me which competitions to enter to be nervous enough.

"A Friend"

Peggy,

Could you please explain to me the benefits of being "noticed" by Art Agencies and Galleries who take at least 40%? :o

Steven,

You are so good for a laugh. Oh my goodness I roared at your last comment..

Steven,

Remember some people are too nervous to eat, whereas others EAT (indiscrimately) WHEN NERVOUS (like me). If you are a member of the latter species, you'd GAIN!! 15-20 pounds before summer.

Peggy,

I see your point about the process of entering competitions serving the purpose of getting practice presenting yourself. So, I do agree that at least doing the work to enter competitions keeps your marketing skills sharpened I guess.

However, the thing that struck me, was that there were 600 entries from whom which eventually 1 was the winner. That means a portraitist has a 1 in 600 chance or so on average of getting selected. This works out great, if you win, but what about the remaining 600? Would that indicate that a very small number of portraitists actually benefit. Also, there could have been several portraitists whose work might have been so close in quality that the selection of the winner might have depended on the subjective notions of a single judge - art, I've always thought, is highly subjective, although I guess the judges must use some kind of excepted judging standard.

What a plethora of responses!

Steven,
The big gut wrenching competitions are the Portrait Society of America and the American Society of Portrait Artists Competition, because....

1) They are the largest in the United States.
2) The top prizes are substantial, both monetarily and career wise.
3) The finalists are up and center in the banquet hall, much like the academy awards, needing to look like good sports if they win and good sports if they lose. No dancing around in glee or cursing of the judges.

As I've told Steven in the past, I am a political animal and there is much in this business to excite beyond painting pictures and getting commissions. The question asked was if winning the top awards were important to the client, which I tend to think it is not. However, if you are interested in teaching, writing, publishing, producing videos, judging, critiquing, being active in the portrait societies, being on television or in magazines, being noticed and being heard, this is the fire that winning the competitions feeds.

Stanka,
I mention being noticed by the art agencies because there is still a not insubstantial portion of the portrait making population who see being with the agencies as a major goal.

Tarique,
There were 8 years of competitions before I started being recognized, then another 10 years where I was a finalist, merit award winner, Miss Congeniality, etc., before finally receiving one of the top awards. Why did (do?) I enter? I like for my peers to see my work. I want my friends to see what I am doing. I want to see if my work is accepted (relevant) outside my expertise. (Entering landscape or still-life competitions.)

There are many competitions to enter. The Artist Magazine Portrait Competition was always a favorite, and of course the ASOPA and PSA competitions. I like the Portrait Society of Atlanta competition. I've also entered the Oil Painters of America Competition -- to be recognized as a painter by that group is something to be prized.

I guess for those of us who do not have initials before or after our names to show that we are professionals and ready to take this show on the road, winning the competitions is a way of showing ourselves and our peers that we are contenders.

I have found the judging of these portrait competitions to be fair and reasonable. I usually agree with the choices of the judges. The criteria I look for in judging a competition are:

1) The drawing, being anatomically sound, confident line, edge control.
2) Value control and composition.
3) Interesting subject matter.
4) Quality, assurance, and facility of painting.
5) Overall effect.

It is the non-portrait competitions that can be frustrating in the somewhat arbitrary criteria of the judging. (....although I was once in a "portrait" competition where the top prize went to a painting of three pears....anyone else remember that one? ).

Peggy

Stanka,

I hope I am not out of bounds here so late in the comments but I wanted to tell you that I am about to attempt to put your idea into action at a function that I was asked to give a donation. Mind you, rather a small town affair but, I shall try anyway. I will display a previous portrait and offer a "gift certificate" with X amount off a portrait commission with a particular 2 sizes offered. Wish me luck:D, that is if this is approved by the person on the board.

One more question, although quite different. You say you are very motivated and focused. I find that so difficult for some reason, more than likely for many reasons. How does one learn this or is one born with it? Ha Ha, I feel rather overwhelmed many times as I try to keep up with it all. The group (local artists) will have a show and I feel pressure to enter because I've always been there, I receive probably 6-8 brochures a year of various competitions to enter (not that I do) but this is the pressure. Thinking I am trying to "get my name out there" so I feel I must DO IT ALL, so to speak.

All the above not counting LIFE, FAMILY, GRANDKIDS, BILLS, FUNCTIONS TO ATTEND and oh yea, there's the 10 room farmhouse that still needs vacuumed and back to square one. The studio was left in a mess as I scurried out to the next meeting and can't work in a mess, so clean that first.

Honestly, sometimes I really want to "Escape" into a place to paint or at least FOCUS without any interruptions at all.

Had to vent, whew. Do we have a venting section?????

Thanks

Peggy,

You certainly have summed up all that I have been trying to formulate into words but couldn't seem to speak.

As in my previous post, I have been trying to enter competitions and have for many years (local mostly) within the state. Why? Well, I do like to see where I rate on smaller scale and yes, I like my peers to see my work and be accepted. In my small town, if you cannot keep producing some sort of "proof" of yourself, well...you disappear. I have worked long and hard and yes, maybe beginning later in life but still have that need.

I constantly want to enter on larger levels (many of which you mention) as I am member. But each time, I find myself saying "I will as soon as I have a great painting to offer, so back to the drawing board and in some way, that seems to create fear in me and I fall into the same tracks locally to get that "atta girl" pat on the back.

Do you think this is common?

Dear Stanka et al,

There are many painters who are interested and able to handle their own marketing, but there are also some wonderful artists who cannot...and for these painters, it may make great sense to hire an agent to do this work. The major problem, as I see it, is in the transition from a market and price structure that was never built to accommodate the finder's fees that are required by agents/brokers, to one that can. No one can essentially double their prices overnight without risking the disenfranchisement of the local market they have worked to build. If one so chooses, then there exists the threat that you become a painter who works at the mercy of another, since you can no longer work your own market at the new rates. It's a very, very, tough call.

It's a decision that is uniquely personal to each painter, given their temperament and desires.

Chris

Hello again everyone..

Patt,

I understand the feeling of being overwhelmed.

An odd thing happened to me AFTER I was married and started raising 2 boys (really 3 counting my husband). I wanted to be in the studio as much as possible!! (maybe its not so odd) However, like you, I couldn't always go. I work around my 6 yr. old's school schedule and in between managing the household. My big fantasy is to have a spa vacation, get massages, etc. then go paint. AHHH...

Now that my time at the studio is at a premium, I am much more motivated than when I HAD the time.

Chris, Peggy and all,

I do understand the motivation behind acquiring representation. Its a big thing to market. My beef is WHY the HUGE commission? Who decided that, and why do we artists accept that? Does anyone know what actors pay their agents?? I would be more than happy to give them 25%. Unless they are standing at the easel with me, paintbrush in hand, 40% and up is NOT RIGHT!

A very famous potter/sculptor here in Taiwan, named Ah Leon, was recently giving a slide presentation at my son's school, and a photo came up of him at his potter's wheel, elbow deep in a clay vase, with two kids and a woman seated nearby. The artist said of the photo, "My wife has three children . . . of which I am the oldest."

My daughter just sent me an e-mail from DisneyWorld, saying that she was having fun while trying as well to conduct herself in a well-mannered way but, she said, "It's hard when your dad is Goofy."

Perhaps this is a more common perception amongst wives and daughters than I had been aware.

Stanka, I've never told a single person about the gallerys' commission on artwork without inducing something between cardiac arrest and militant outrage. Nobody can believe it. That being said, most galleries have to pay substantial rents in high-visibility locations and original works of art don't go out the door very often, so the padding's got to be sewn in somewhere. (I'm actually more unhappy about a Realtor's taking 7% of the value of my house.) Still . . . when I see a gallery piece that I really like, my mental churn goes something like, "I'd pay $1,000 to the artist for that, but no way am I going to pay the gallery another $1,000." If a gallery is moving your work, that's great, but you do get yourself into a painted corner, because once you've accepted representation, you have an obligation (ethical and probably legal, depending on the agreement) not to undercut the gallery by selling your work on the side for your "discount" price.

It's a sticky wicket. I'd try to unstick it, but my son's got this really cool Nintendo game on the other monitor . . .

A guy who just wants to have fun,
Steven

Forty percent?

"Because that's way we've always done things.." ?

Because a 40 percent number is enough to keep the doors open?

Because artists are so willing to accept it, that owners have never competed with each other on a cost basis, to say "I want your work. My gallery can make it on 30 percent."?

Never having run a gallery, I don't have a clue what the financials look like...for some though, I can bet their overhead is enormous, coupled with the cost of full color print advertising, particuarly in regular national magazines. But while the overhead for a place like Portraits Inc. must be staggering, it in no way compares to a little storefront in Scottsdale, Arizona that wants FIFTY percent.

The idea of across the board percentages, by definition, means that the the $20,000 painter is probably heavily subsidizing the $800 painter.

Still, it all gets back to your own price structure, and whereyouwill find yourself over the longer term. Remember Warren Beatty in "Heaven Can Wait"? He said something to the effect, it doesn't matter what it costs, it matters what we make. If your net take after paying the sales commission keeps you "whole", you'll be OK, so long as your volume doesn't suffer.

So 40 percent? It depends on where you are, and where your price structure is. Being compensated properly is YOUR business. Selling the work is theirs.

Now, of course, other business concerns come into play. Far and away, the biggest chunk of value in painting a portrait is your time. However, there are a lot of other regular expenditures that attend the business, and they are under your control. Buying in quantity, standardizing materials, PLANNING your own budget, saying "No" to marginal opportunities, etc. I have seen so many artists who look at thier sales, subtract their expenses, and then find out what they earn per hour (and it can be an abysmal surprise).

Chris

Speaking of dollars per hour
 

I'm curious, and if noone wants to answer my rude question, (my mother would faint if she knew I was asking people how much they make) that is fine.

But I am curious as to the range of money per hour people actually make painting portraits?

I have found it varies a whole lot for me. A portrait I struggle through could end up being $15/hour, then one I find particularly easy could end up ten times that since I charge obvioulsy by piece. Usually it falls somewhere in the middle.

When you are pricing your work, do you figure in your mind what the minimum dollar per hour is you hope to make and go from there? Or do you figure another way?

Pricing is a very hard thing for me. There is so little information on how to do it right! I don't want to undersell myself or back myself in the corner. I do think I could go higher, noone ever complains about my prices being too high, especially after they have gone through the brochures of Portraits South, Portraits Inc. etc.
If anything they think they are stealing it after that. I think that because I am so much less expensive is why I stay busy, though I am quite sure these people would go with a more expensive artist if they didn't like my work.

However, because I don't have to compensate anyone forty percent, I am a WHOLE lot less. Is this a bad or good thing?

OOOOOOOH..I HATE the money part of this. (Love making it, but hate asking for it).

Chris,

From everything I know, when the brokers run those expensive ads, whatever artist is featured pays 1/2 the cost of the ad. I always wondered what happens if someone calls off the ad and then goes with another artist. Does the artist who paid 1/2 of a very costly ad get some token percent to help offset their investment?

Steven,

Too bad your're not attending the Portrait Society of America event in Philly. At that event, all the Stroke of Genius artists (well most) that are in attendance are converging to have dinner one night....about 30 of us. From the forum are Stanka Kordic, Peggy B., Karin Wells, Jim Riley. I'm sure I can speak for all of us in that you would be a most welcome and entertaining addition. Why don't you just hope a flight and drop by? :)

Thanks for the invitation, Cynthia, sounds like a good gig but it's a 20-hour "hop" each way and I've already got the trip booked for mid-May. Anyway, I'm moody, surly, and shy in person, deaf in one ear, hear selectively with the other (apparently a "male thing"), leer, and exhibit marginal social skills and highly unsanitary table manners. Later, in the lounge, karaoke often makes me weep and I begin to exercise poor judgment. I think it best to stay on top of the game I'm running now.

Although I continued to paint portraits throughout the many years that I worked in the commercial/industrial design business it has only been within the last year that I have committed to full-time painter (as hobbies, yard, and other interests permit) and have found that networking has been my biggest (most productive) activity. The many years of part-time painting provided me a portfolio and the materials to display on PortraitArtist.com (A Stroke of Genius). The latter is my online portfolio and is an easy way to show your work or have it circulated among prospects, family, friends, other professionals, etc. (In the old days you had to have multiple portfolios (Photo prints) to send and recover from possible clients. Yuk!)

I also had business cards made (attached) and it has been quite effective. Several commissions have come about when a client forwarded my card to a friend or associate. The business card sends them to my web site and, as you can see, I list important portrait Society memberships (Complete with typo to be fixed upon reorder). These cards costs less than $125.00 per 500 for full color on one side and black on the text side. The reorder will be less. Even with the type correction.

For many years I donated watercolor floral paintings to the regional public TV station for their annual "Art Auction" but this year agreed to donate an oil portrait (Approx 16" x 20") I supplied a painting as the example to be displayed on TV and the winner will get a painting of the subject he choses. As good fortune would have it, the painting will also be cited as a "Judges award winner" among the donations and promoted often throughout the three day event. It will reach an audience that loves the arts and covers an area 7 or 8 times larger than my community.

I am also negotiating to paint the portrait of a well known restaurantuer/art lover (many paintings are displayed in his restaurant) that I will offer to paint for free if neccessary to hang prominently in his business. I did something similar a number of years ago and gained much recognition and more than a few commissions.

Jim,

Are you going to put Doris on the next version of your business card?! And, when I get back from the shows, we need to put Doris on your web site.

Administrator's Note: I could have made this a private message to Jim, however, I wanted those needing marketing help to see when you have such a winner portrait like Doris, you want to capitalize on it as much as possible). If you missed the unveiling of "Doris", you can find it here: http://forum.portraitartist.com/show...=&threadid=593

Cynthia,

Yes, I may do that. Given the relatively low cost of the cards, I have also considered having a set made with a childs portrait. I definitely will add her to the web site. This portrait seems to evoke the same kind of response that I received with the portrait of "Willi" on my current card. Everyone wants to know who they are.

Forgive me for burging into your thread, but I have a question which is relevant to the topic of marketing yourself. This time it is not myself I need to market, but my father, Joel Kass.

My father is a typical talented artist who doesn't know how to market himself but neither do I. I wanted to find a person who could basically sell and promote his paintings, what can I do or who can i contact? I tried looking for an agency on the net but I saw none. are there any agents or promoters existing?

Please give me your thoughts.
Ben Kass,
My father's web site - http://www.joelkass.com/

You can find a list of twenty or so portrait agents elsewhere on this site, with contact information.

I do my own marketing, following the ideas in great books like "Art Marketing 101" and "Taking the Leap - Building a Career as a Visual Artist", both available on Amazon. I'm also doing a lot of personal networking and donating to four or five very high-end charity auctions in the city where I live (Seattle).

I've always heard that any artist (or any self employed business person, for that matter) needs to spend about half their time on marketing. That's about what I do. Given that, I understand why the agents charge 40%. Having a productive agent relationship frees the artist from having to spend all that time on doing their own marketing.

Oh, also, a question for Jim Riley: can you tell me where you go to get your business cards printed? That sounds like a good deal!

....If the agents will represent you. With all the discussion as to if an artist should or should not go with an agent or gallery, I think it should be mentioned exactly how difficult it is to find agent representation.

In 1990 I had an interview with a broker from Portraits South. She told me that every year they receive over 400 queries from artists. They accept (maybe) 2 new artists a year. And this was in 1990. There are more burgeoning artists every year, each vying for that very limited position of new artists that the agencies will represent.

The big agencies represent between 50 and 150 artists. Many (if not most...) of the artists are represented by more than one of the big agencies. So you are looking at possibly 200 artists in this country who are represented by the portrait agencies, and the agencies accepting maybe 5-7 new artists in any given year. I won't even begin to enumerate the small number of artists that actually receive a significant number of commission from the agencies. Being with a broker does not guarantee work.

My point to this is that looking to find representation is an end-line marketing move, not a first-line marketing move. The agencies are not looking for a diamond in the rough. They are looking for a stone that has been faceted, polished, mounted, and presented in a fine velvet box with ribbons.

For all of those of you out there that think that you don't know about marketing, and that you will find an agent, broker, or gallery to sell you, this forum is of paramount importance.

YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO SELL YOURSELF.

I am afraid that that is the bottom line. The hard truth is that in this business, marketing yourself is as important as learning to paint.

Peggy

Peggy

Thanks for this most enlightening post. I'm now wondering if artists get selected for representation, by an agency, only after they've already reached a certain level of recognition and skill with their own hard work and self-promotion. The numbers you mention, like 200 artists all around the US, and 5 to 7 new artists per year, essentially rule out representation for almost everyone.

Let me contrast those numbers with other professions. In computer consulting you have a total of around 5 million engineers in the US of whom say at least 1 million may be agent represented (and agent-hopper!!!) contractors like me. In addition, 195,000 foreigners are imported every year to pick up the slack (in good times). That's the level of demand we have in high-tech (or at least had during the Y2K bug and .com days).

Am I correct in concluding that the market for something like portraiture is confined to just a very small select group of clients who are wealthy and knowlegdeable enough to realize the value of portrait ?. If 200 artists around the US complete an average of 1 portrait a month, that's around 2400 portraits a year times an average price of say $10,000 would be $24 million, or let's jack it up to $30 million spent on portraits in the US a year. That strikes me as relatively low compared to other areas where affluent people spend disposable income.

I wonder if more artists got their work out there, that the demand for portraits would increase. After all, people spend a lot to join the exclusive $35K Rollex watch, and $10K mink coat clubs. If only it were better known that having a portrait painted puts a person in an even more exclusive group (celebrities and leaders in business, education, clergy, government, and other professions etc.)

Tarique