If you ever expect to be a pro and sell your work, DON'T GIVE IT AWAY FOR FREE!
I am always surprised when I hear that artists do this and I think that it is a really dumb marketing ploy...
Think about it from your potential client's viewpoint...why should he/she be silly enough to pay big (probably hard-earned) bucks for a painting by you when other people get them for nothing?
If you don't value your own work, can you really expect someone else to see value in it?
I have seen artists who ask someone to model for them and then in "gratitude," actually give them the painting. Maybe it would be cheaper in the long run to pay the sitter, take 'em to lunch, and/or send them a note with a photo of the work enclosed?
Giving your work away for free not only harms your reputation as a serious artist, but sets a low standard for those artists who are trying to make a living by selling their work!
Don't give your work away!
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