As an artist, you are often probably looking for a better way to market your work, and the internet is one of the best ways. With so many online platforms out there, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. In this blog post, we'll explore some of the top options for selling your art online!

1. Tappan Collective

Co-founded in 2012 by Chelsea Neman Nassib, Tappan Collective (or Tappan for short) is a Los-Angeles based, e-commerce platform and online gallery designed especially for emerging artists. Their mission, as outlined on their website, is “to reinvent the approach to discovering and collecting contemporary art, going beyond the traditional art paradigm to showcase exceptional emerging talent” while remaining committed to “investing in their artists' careers, supporting development through exhibitions, residency programs, and strategic partnerships, while offering an opportunity to connect directly to their collectors.” Currently, there are approximately 1,300 artworks available on the site created by 56 artists and the list continues to grow. Artworks sold on this platform usually range in cost from $15 all the way up to $12,000 and this covers mediums such as sculptural work, photography, textiles, paintings, mixed media, drawings, and more and they are frequently updated by adding to their collection every week.

A definite pro of this site is that it’s so multifaceted. Tappan offers more services than solely a space to sell your art. Because they’re dedicated to helping new artists grow, they offer brand partnerships, residencies, and exhibitions where they collaborate with commercial partners such as Vince, Sweetgreen, and Jenni Kayne to facilitate exposure, ease of transition into new markets, and added value to your work. Their skilled and experienced team also offers free personal advisory. Another aspect that I like about the platform is that they present a brief, detailed write-up on each artist so that your collectors can get better acquainted with you as well as your work which is a nice personal touch.

However, I’ve noticed that their commission rate is undisclosed which can be a drawback, and also, the site doesn’t make it very clear on how to submit for their other services and opportunities such as residencies, brand partnerships, etc. but you can most likely inquire through an email inquiry form. Despite this, it’s still worth looking into the platform as an option for selling your art.

The submission process is simple! All you have to do is send your bio, artist statement, CV, link to your website and/or social media channels, along with a PDF of your available works to submissions@thetappancollective.com. Doing so will also allow you to access their roster. The site states that seeing that their Artist Management team reviews each submission individually, it can take up to a month to receive feedback.

2. saatchi art

Saatchi Art prides itself as being “the world’s leading online art gallery, connecting people with and artists they love” by offering an “unparalleled selection of paintings, drawings, sculpture and photography in a range of prices, and it provides artists from around the world with an expertly curated environment in which to exhibit and sell their work”. Their ultimate mission is to provide convenience and ease to both artist and collector. Currently, owned by Leaf Group (formerly Demand Media), Saatchi Art offers artists an opportunity to grow holistically as well as financially. Their constantly updated art blog is designed to inform and better equip artists with knowledge about a series of art-related topics as well as feature and highlight upcoming artists. Equally, upcoming artists also have a chance to be featured on the site’s homepage if one of the site curators notices your work which in turn will provide increased exposure.

Continually, with their user-friendly mobile app, you can further manage your sales and account through your phone and provides; however, unfortunately, this app is only available for iPhone users. This internationally recognized brand also has a notification system where your followers get notified when you upload new work. When it comes to sales, artists receive 65% of the profits which you’ll usually receive via Paypal or wire transfer one to two weeks after the work has been delivered to the collector. It’s important to note that the artist has to fit the cost for packaging the piece and package the piece themselves. It’s essential to abide by Saatchi Art’s shipment requirements to have access to an insurance policy.

Furthermore, this site is partnered with the Other Art Fair, an event spanning across six cities worldwide, namely, London, Bristol, Sydney, Melbourne, New York, and Los Angeles., that allows artists to apply and share their work with even more prospective customers through exhibitions and fairs. They actually have open applications for upcoming exhibitions around the world which you can check out here.

Artists also have a lot to say about the e-commerce platform, mostly boasting about its wonderful assistance. Los Angeles-based artist, Erick Laubach gives a testimonial about the site stating that “since joining Saatchi Art in 2014, I’ve sold originals in eight different countries including Greece, Singapore, Australia, and the United Kingdom. If you’re a local artist looking to expand your reach, Saatchi Art is the site for you!” and artist Jung S Kim explained in her testimonial that “After presenting my work CIRCLE II series in “Rising Stars” on Saatchi Art, a French publisher contacted m, and I have had an opportunity to publish my whole CIRCLE series in Paris. Thank you again for discovering and recognizing CIRCLE II series. You brought me the greatest gift in this year”.

There is no charge to signing up but when you do so, it’s important to stay realistic when selling on this site because it can be difficult to get discovered which would directly impact your sales. However, there are ways to optimize your visibility on the site such as those identified by Canvas (Saatchi Art’s blog). They are as follows: upload high-quality, realistic representations of your work, include a detailed artist bio along with engaging and accurate artwork descriptions, keep your portfolio up to date and relevant, appropriately price your artwork and know your artwork’s shipping dimensions and weight.

3. ARTFINDER

Artfinder was created in 2011 in the United Kingdom by Spencer Hyman, Chris Thorpe, Brian Fulkerson, and Mark Norman Francis. This art marketplace was founded “because artists exist everywhere - as do people who value authentic, handmade works of art. We believe in ‘made to last’, in ethical production, in building a business that makes all of our lives better by supporting creativity in communities around the world.” The site has a wide scope with currently 7,000 artists selling from 108 countries with 15,000 new artworks added every month. The mediums that they focus on are painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, drawing, digital art, and collage with numerous subject matters including landscapes, abstracts, portraits, still life, animals, and architecture.

Their guidelines for applying to become a seller on Artfinde are as follows:

You must have 4-6 examples of your work, for review and links to other media pages or your website. They advise that you consider the following to optimize your chances of being approved. What they want is you to relay your story in as much detail as possible so that they can better understand your work and you as an artist. It’s a must to always submit high-quality images because it will be a great reflection of your commitment to quality and to a professional shop which you will have to manage for yourself. When describing your artwork, do so in detail! For example, under the category for Medium, include information about your artwork’s dimensions along with the materials or techniques used. Furthermore, it’s one of their requirements for you to have and link your personal website or social media account that showcases your art. This is in order to “demonstrate the ability for customers to purchase your art and contact you. As artists are responsible for fulfilling orders themselves on Artfinder, [they] need to trust your prior experience of shipping internationally.” You are also responsible for creating and managing your listings and your shop. Any text that is presented in your shop or any communication with customers must be done in English. Your application form must be in English as well to avoid any miscommunication or translation issues during the review process. This can be a disadvantage for non-native English speakers or those who do not have a professional command. Upon receiving your application, it can take up to 6 to 8 weeks to receive feedback during which Artfinder advises against prospective sellers contacting them about the status of their application. You can contact them if the 6 to 8-week timeframe has expired though.

There’s no cost attached to signing up with the site; however, a commission fee of 30-40% is taken from each piece sold. This is in order to finance the runnings of the site, marketing, and returns of artwork. They state that all of the commission is reinvested into artist promotion through both online and offline advertising. Commission is only charged on the retail value of the artwork sold. It is not charged on shipping. The percentage that is charged depends on the Seller Plan you choose once you are accepted. The three different Seller plans are pictured below.

If you need help finding which plan is best for you, Artfinder has an article just for that. They also have a seller’s guide with some handy information and frequently asked questions that you can review to find out more about the process including an article about “what does a good application [to Artfinder] look like” and their detailed step by step guide to completing the application form.

4. SOCIETY6

Society6 was founded in 2009 and designed by artists in order to combat the expensive price tag attached to becoming discovered and provide a more affordable option for artists to showcase and sell their work. They have a global reach of 300,000+ independent artists from 160+ countries. They “value original artwork from creators of all kinds—from painters to illustrators to photographers to pattern designers and everything in between. We empower creativity around the world—because each purchase pays an artist.”

A cool feature on Society6 is their affiliate program that allows artists to “earn money by sharing your favorite products or designs with friends, family, and followers. Simply share your unique affiliate link and watch your earnings add up.” As stated on their site, you can earn a 10% commission on purchases made through your link. It’s free to join and has no minimum sales requirements to cash out your earnings. You can track your earnings and see exactly which products have been sold. There’s also a 30-day purchase window meaning that if someone visits through your link and purchases any time within 30 days, you still get a commission for the sale. All the necessary information about becoming an affiliate is right here.

To sell your art on Society6, you have to upload work, then design and enable products. Their minimum quality standard for uploads is 6500px X 6500px and there is no limit to how much work you can upload. Now it’s time to promote your work and watch your earnings come in. Creating an account is easy! You first select ‘upload art’ and create a username along with a display name. You also need to provide your email address and password and that’s it… you’re all signed up. Click here to create your account.

Plus the website has a blog and help centre to answer any question imaginable pertaining to joining and being a part of their community.

A pro is that they organize packaging and shipping for you which can reach all over the world thanks to their international shipping. However, Society6 artists only earn 10% of every sale, but they’ve stated that “For art prints, framed prints, and canvas prints; artists have control over their markup and can set their own prices above the standard 10%.” The amount you earn is dependent on your product type. You also get paid monthly regardless of the quantity of the amount.

5. ARTSY

Based in New York City, Artsy is one of the leading online marketplace designed for artists to share and sell their work. They host numerous galleries and auctions. They characterize themselves as “a smarter, faster way to sell your art”. With over 800,000 artworks from 80,000 artists worldwide, Artsy has partnered with over 2,000 galleries to provide opportunities for emerging, mid-career and experienced artists.

How it works is straightforward - Firstly, on their website click the sign-up button located in the top right-hand corner. Then, you will see a list of options from which you select Sell. This should take you to a page with lots of information about selling on Artsy, including descriptions about their risk-free sales, insight-driven matching, and speed efficiency. As identified under the risk-free sales section, Artsy does not have any upfront fees, their auctions are confidential and you keep your artwork until it’s sold. However, you should note that when the artwork is sold, they will charge a nominal seller’s commission which is a percentage of the sale determined by the total value of works you sell on the site. You won’t have to pay for shipping or insurance though. If you keep scrolling, you should see a section explaining how the Artsy process works. The first task is to submit your artwork (both details and images) for review by their team. Once approved, you will receive offers about competitive consignment from their curated auctions, auction houses, and galleries. Finally, their specialists will guide you so that you can select the best-suited option for selling your work. Below this, there is a button to submit your work. When you click this button, you will be taken to their sign-up page where you have to provide information such as your artist name, personal full name, email address, and password. Subsequently, you’ll be prompted to describe your work and upload images.

They accept mediums such as painting, prints, photography, sculpture, works on paper, mixed media, and design with popular genres that include abstract art, figurative art, still life, and landscapes from movements like street art, pop art, contemporary, impressionism, post-war and more. You should consider though that their support page states that they “only accommodate works by artists with established demand and a resale market consistent with [their] partners’ current interests” which can be a con for some artists interested in selling online.

Nevertheless, if you are approved, they hold many auctions monthly so your artwork has a better chance of being sold as quickly as in 2-6 weeks.

In conclusion, there are pros and cons to each and every online platform that focuses on selling out there. You’re best bet is to choose one that aligns as closely as possible with your wishes and a company you’re comfortable aligning yourself with. We hope that this article gave you some insight into how to sell art online and some of the best platforms to do so with!