Are you an artist? Are you already selling your original pieces and even making money from printed postcards and art prints? Then you might not need this article. But just in case, I recommend you check out our future marketing posts. 😉
Have you ever wondered why designers and illustrators who create commercial products and ads often hold exhibitions and become well-known artists, yet fine artists who create original work rarely use their art for commercial products or advertising? 🧑🎨 🧑💻
It’s true that with easier access to digital tools, more artists are turning their work into products. However, the number is still small. This seems to be related to a few traits that artists often have.
First, artists tend to focus less on others. Most artists value following their own path, regardless of what others think. They rarely start their work just to make money or to please others. Because of this, it’s hard for them to look at their own art from a consumer’s point of view. Even if they’re interested in selling, they often lack the necessary training compared to others.
Second, they lack digital marketing knowledge. Many artists use traditional tools like brushes and canvases. While they might use digital tools, they often don’t see them as a way to sell their work because they don’t have enough time to focus on marketing by themselves.
Our Design & Marketing Collaboration for Artists
I wanted to share my design and marketing knowledge with these artists and go on this challenging journey with them. I’d always been interested in marketing for artists but had no idea how or with whom to start. Then, a close artist friend approached me with an unexpected offer.
“Juna, I want to turn my calligraphy into products. How about we collaborate? You can handle the design and I’ll create the art.”
Our project, an exciting part of the SayLizard creative journey, began right there during a lunch meeting. Our first collaboration partner is Toronto-based artist, Su Kang, who specializes in Korean calligraphy. Calligraphy is a very popular art form in Korea. The simple yet free-flowing nature of the Korean alphabet offers endless variations, and the deep meanings in the words resonate with people. This gives it immense commercial potential.
The First Step: Systematically Listing Your Work
So, what did we do first?
We started by organizing the artist’s work. To turn art into a product, you must first organize it so you can see everything at a glance. We decided to use Canva to photograph her work and sort it by theme.
The artist’s folder had around 1,000 pieces! Since the meaning behind calligraphy is so important for buyers, we knew a visual list was essential before we could decide which pieces to use.
If you’re an artist who wants to turn your work into products, why not follow our process and do the same? I know many people use Canva, but I attached a short video below for potential artists who might not yet be using Canva. Once you sign up for Canva, simple tasks are free, so give it a try. 🙌
After uploading all the pieces to Canva, we asked the artist to create categories like “Anniversaries,” “Celebrations,” “Love,” and “Encouragement” and so on. We then tagged each piece with its corresponding label to organize them.
Organizing your work by category like this is incredibly useful for planning products and brainstorming ideas. It’s not just for product creation, either—it’s a great resource for building a portfolio website or curating pieces for a solo exhibition.
Tips for Successful Art Monetization
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Mass appeal: Is the theme or design something many people would like?
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Product fit: Which product would best showcase this art? (e.g., mugs, posters, phone cases, apparel, etc.)
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Timeliness: Does the art relate to a specific season or holiday?
This week, we’ll choose the artwork and plan the products. Next, we’ll create products using artwork and get ready to research the platform where we start to sell our product. If you’re curious about our journey, stay tuned for the next post!
🌸 Let’s connect instagram at @say.juna / @saylizard.creative / @artistry_community