How do I buy art online? It seems scary!

Over the years I have realized that most people have no idea how to buy art. It has been a very important discovery for me because I am in the business of selling my own art and I want to make buying art less scary. I have purchased a lot of art myself and most of it has been online without having seen the artwork in person first. 

Most people are terrified of buying art online because they have no idea what the price is based on, they don’t know the artist personally, and they don’t know if it is going to fit in their home. All of this leads most people end up buying art from a large stores that have return policies, a commercial art gallery or a piece from a friend of a friend that is a bit artsy! This is truly a shame, there are so many amazing artists online and working everyday on their art and businesses so let’s support them.

Tips to help you navigate the uncertain world of buying art online: 

If I see a piece of art online I like, how do I buy it? 

In a perfect world the artist you are looking at purchasing from has all their prices on their website in a shop and you can browse and buy right then and there. If this is not the case, please know you are totally allowed to email them and ask how much something is and this does NOT mean you have to buy it!

To make this seem less scary, a scenario I have seen a number of times is if the artist writes back and says the art piece is $1200 for a 24” by 24” but the buyers budget is $800. I recommend emailing back and asking if they would be willing to create something similar in style but a size that allows for a budget of $800. I created a whole resource around commissioning artwork so make sure to have a look at that as well.

How to know if the work will fit in my home? 

There are many programs now that allow artists to put their work in a photo of a beautiful living room or other space. These “in-situ”photos really help collectors get a sense of what the piece will look like on a wall at home. To make this a more personalized experience, some artists will offer to digitally place their art in your home. You can send them a picture of your home and they can photoshop the image in to see what the piece will look like in the space. Another option is to DIY this process yourself by using a big piece of paper measured to the correct size of the potential art purchase. Tape the paper to the wall where you are planing to hang the new artwork to get a sense of it in your space. 

I have never met this artist, how do I know this will be a good purchasing experience? 

Well, we are so lucky to live in a world where we can get to know people all over the globe with social media! The best way to buy art is to get to know the artist and the stories behind their work. This is also important for later when you are touring dinner party guests through your art collection, it is amazing to know what the work is about and more about the artist.

The best way to do this is to follow artists on Instagram and to subscribe to their newsletter. Artists work hard to show their work to their fans and often will share more personal information and the latest work in their newsletters. This is a great way to get to know them and see how they run their business. Artists often do art giveaways and discounts to their newsletter lists. On Instagram artists often show the more day-to-day experience so you can get a sense of what the experience of buying art from them is like and even better to see happy customers reposting their purchases!

What is the difference between an art print and an original piece of art? 

The main difference is the original was done by the artists’ hand and there is only one out in the world. You are getting the original version of the piece. There may be prints of that piece but you are the only person with the original. Also, prints have to be printed on paper and the original may be created in a complete different medium like a painting on canvas. When you are buying a print you are paying less than the original because this is a copy of the original, but you will most likely need to frame the print so factor that into your budget when buying prints.

Some artists make artwork that is just sold as prints. The image below is an image that Rebecca Chaperon and myself made completely digitally so there is actually no original artwork. The medium makes it so that only a copy is available and this would be the same for photographers and digital artists. In this case, often you will see “limited edition” prints which means there are only be a certain amount of prints created and once they are sold out you no longer buy that specific image.

In a prefect world I would buy only originals because I love the idea of my art being truly one of a kind. But I often love an artists work and will start with a print and then save up to later get an original piece. I have a nice mix of both prints and originals which creates a mix of framed work and unframed work for my gallery walls.

Oh the mystery…how do artists typically price their work? 

Working with the many artists in THRIVE, pricing always come up and I will say that pricing is just as stressful for the newbie artist as it is for a newbie collector. I teach that artists should price based on square inch so you are paying for the size of the piece. The other factors they will look at is past sales, time to create each piece, material costs, the current market and their future goals as an artist. Professional artists will all have a price sheet and a formula they have created based on all these factors. Prices should never just be picked from the air, that is not just not smart business. Artists may adjust their prices over time and I recommend that artists raise their prices a little each year to account for inflation and added years of skill. 

I hope these help you make many future art purchases and support your local and global artists. Remember artists are just lovely humans who make things. Don’t be scared. Buy art!

xo jamie

PS: I created a whole class all about hanging art in your home. Take the class for free with using this special link- click here!

More Resources…