Business for Fine Artists: How to Market, Sell, and Ship

This lecture gives a realistic breakdown of what it actually costs to run an art business. You’ll learn why starting requires at least $5,000–$10,000 in savings and why keeping a day job early on makes the transition less stressful. The lesson covers essential living costs—rent, retirement contributions, health insurance—and the business expenses artists often overlook: materials, platform fees, shipping, taxes, and studio overhead. Using real financial data from 2023, including a detailed pie chart of expenses on page 5, you’ll see how processing fees, packaging, postage, and subscriptions quickly add up and why a third of gross art income often disappears to costs. The lecture also explains how to track expenses using PayPal, spreadsheets, and clean record-keeping, so you can budget responsibly and avoid surprise tax bills.

This lecture explains the safest and most effective ways to get paid for your artwork, both online and in person. You’ll learn how to use PayPal, Venmo, Squarespace, Etsy, and Klarna, and how each platform differs in fees, protection, and tracking—summarized in the comparison chart on page 1. The lesson shows how most sales begin on social media, then move to direct messages where you can send PayPal or Venmo details or a link to your website. You’ll learn how to handle credit-card buyers without using a physical reader, how Klarna pays you instantly while offering buyers interest-free installments (demonstrated in the screenshot on page 3), and why cash is still best for studio visits. The lecture also covers common scams—Bitcoin, cashier’s checks, overpayment schemes—and teaches you how to avoid unsafe payment methods and keep clean records through PayPal reports and spreadsheets.

This lecture explains how to price artwork in a way that is fair, sustainable, and grounded in real costs rather than comparisons with other artists. You’ll learn why pricing should start with the basics—materials, shipping, platform fees, and the time required to photograph, list, and pack each piece—and why keeping prices affordable for middle-class buyers often leads to steady, repeat sales. The lesson breaks down how different platforms affect profit, including Etsy’s typical 12–15% total fees, Squarespace’s lower transaction costs, and the steep 50% commissions in galleries. Using real examples from the document, you’ll see how bulk buying reduces material costs and how discounts, taxes, and abandoned-cart promotions affect your final earnings. The lecture ends with a complete cost-to-profit worksheet (pages 4–5) so you can calculate actual profit for each painting and set prices that match your output, workflow, and financial needs.

This lecture explains why artists should avoid “pay to play” offers—vanity galleries, paid competitions, consultants, ads, and services that promise exposure. Drawing on 35 years of experience and research across Reddit, forums, and artist communities, it shows that most paid opportunities lead to disappointment, with high cost and little real benefit. You’ll learn how vanity galleries charge $2,000–$6,000 just to hang work, why magazine ads rarely boost sales, and why competitions often produce low visibility and high frustration. The lecture also reviews artist feedback, noting that 60% of paid coaching clients report neutral or negative results, while free resources—YouTube channels, podcasts, and low-cost platforms—deliver far more value. The takeaway is simple: invest your time, not your money, and build skills and connections through free, reliable sources.

This lecture gives you a practical checklist of the key tax questions every independent artist should bring to a first meeting with an accountant. You’ll learn how to ask about filing frequency—monthly, quarterly, or annual sales tax—when estimated income tax payments are due, and whether your state requires registration before you start selling. The lesson explains how “nexus” works, including when online sales create obligations in other states, and how to avoid double-paying tax when using multiple platforms like Etsy, Squarespace, Shopify, and PayPal. You’ll also learn what records to keep, which expenses may be deductible, and which tools—such as TaxJar, Avalara, or QuickBooks—can simplify tracking sales and reporting. The lecture closes with questions about audits, penalties, business insurance, and how to maintain a long-term relationship with a tax professional who understands artists.

Students will learn how to prepare federal taxes as an artist—how to track income and expenses, organize receipts and reports from platforms like Etsy and PayPal, work with a tax expert, and understand what deductions may apply to an art business.

This is an older video made in 2020.  I have a newer video with text that I think more accurately portrays what is accurate in 2025 and incorporates the research and experience I have since 2020.  However, I do think that this still has some really good information you might find useful.

This is an older video made in 2020.  I have a newer video with text that I think more accurately portrays what is accurate in 2025 and incorporates the research and experience I have since 2020.  However, I do think that this still has some really good information you might find useful.

This lecture explains the three main places artists can sell their work: online platforms, in-person events, and the gallery system. It breaks down how the Internet gives artists the most control, from using email and social platforms to choosing between Etsy, Squarespace, or eBay. It covers the realities of in-person venues like art fairs, conventions, coffee shops, and nonprofit shows—highlighting the physical work, costs, and gatekeeping involved. It also explains why mid-tier galleries are often the least profitable, and how commissions, framing, and shipping can erase earnings. The goal is to help artists understand the risks, costs, and benefits of each venue so they can choose the spaces that actually support their practice.

This lecture explains why the Internet is the most effective and independent way for artists to sell their work. It covers how email becomes your strongest tool once you have a shop in place, helping you build trust, stay connected to collectors, and avoid platform restrictions. You’ll learn the differences between running your own store on sites like Squarespace or Shopify and using marketplaces like Etsy, eBay, and Saatchi, including real fees, risks, and audience reach. The lecture also shows how social platforms—Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest—rarely convert directly into sales, and why controlling your own communication, pricing, and storefront online gives you more stability than galleries, fairs, or conventions.

This is an older video made in 2020.  I have a series of newer video with text that I think more accurately portrays venues and incorporates the research and experience I have since that time.

This lecture explains how the gallery system works, why it’s difficult to break into, and why most artists don’t earn much from it. You’ll learn the typical path artists take—building a strong body of work, attending openings, gaining visibility, and slowly moving from small independent spaces to mid-level galleries. The lecture also breaks down the real economics: 50% commissions, shipping and framing costs, travel, and how even $10–15k in sales can leave an artist with little profit. It covers the emotional and career pressures tied to gallery relationships, from disagreements with directors to the stress of receptions. While a few artists benefit from galleries, the lecture shows why most artists do better building their own audience and selling directly online.

This is an older video made in 2020.  I have a newer video with text that I think more accurately portrays what is accurate in 2025 and incorporates the research and experience I have since 2020.  However, I do think that this still has some really good information you might find useful.

This lecture explains how blue-chip and mega galleries work, who gets into them, and why they represent the top one to five percent of the art world. You’ll learn what these galleries look for—museum exhibitions, critical reviews, curatorial support, a strong secondary market, and a recognizable artistic voice. The lecture breaks down the realities behind these tiers, including how mega galleries adopt artists who already have demand rather than “discovering” them, and why most artists build more stable careers in independent, mid-level, or online markets. It also outlines the common path upward through the gallery system and the professional expectations, visibility, and production demands required at the very top.

This is an older video made in 2020.  I have a series of newer video with text that I think more accurately portrays venues and incorporates the research and experience I have since that time.

How to photograph, edit, and make a listing for Etsy. (Latest info 2025)

Some of this is repeated in the photography and marketing sections.  For Etsy and Squarespace listings.  This is a quick overview of the most recent things I know about photographing and uploading images to Etsy and Squarespace. (This is repeated in the photography and marketing sections.)

Includes checklists and guides.

This is an older video made in 2020. I still thought the information could help you.  I have a series of newer video with text that I think more accurately portrays venues and incorporates the research and experience I have since that time.

This lecture explains a relationship-based approach to marketing your art, built on generosity, authenticity, and community rather than traditional advertising. You’ll learn why modern marketing isn’t about pushing sales but about forming genuine connections with people who share your interests. The lesson walks through practical steps: giving more than you promise, building friendships with collectors, avoiding old-style mass persuasion, and letting your art reflect who you are. It shows how to identify the communities you belong to, participate sincerely, and use social media with a 9:1 sharing ratio so your posts feel conversational rather than promotional. The lecture also highlights the behaviors that damage trust—self-promotion, trend-chasing, insincerity—and contrasts them with practices that build long-term loyalty.

I have decided to keep the previous lectures so that students can look at an earlier version.  I have labeled the earlier lectures with the approximate year they were made.

This lecture shows why email is the most reliable way to stay in touch with collectors and build long-term relationships outside of platforms like Etsy or Squarespace. You’ll learn how to create and maintain a clean email list using simple tools—pulling addresses from Etsy orders, Stamps.com exports, and Squarespace contact files—and how to organize everything in dated .txt documents that avoid formatting problems. The lesson walks you step-by-step through cleaning duplicates, removing invalid emails, updating the list regularly, and sending messages through Gmail using blind-cc for privacy. You’ll also learn how to write short, friendly, personal updates that feel human rather than promotional, offer small extras like free PDFs or coupons, and reply to collectors in a way that strengthens trust and keeps them engaged over time.

This information is repeated in the photography section of the course.

This lecture teaches you how to photograph and edit your artwork using only a cell phone and the free app Snapseed. You’ll learn how to set your screen brightness correctly, make simple edits in your phone’s gallery, crop the artwork cleanly, and avoid filters or “magic wand” tools that distort color and contrast. The lesson shows how to use Snapseed’s Perspective tool to square the image, correct lens distortion, and straighten edges so your work looks accurate and professional. You’ll also learn how to create clean detail shots—corners, edges, and texture close-ups—and how to prepare a full set of images for Etsy or Squarespace, including a situational shot that shows the artwork in context.

This lecture shows how to write clear, effective product descriptions for selling artwork online, especially on Etsy. It walks you through each step of the listing process: choosing strong photos, organizing your title, starting with shipping details, and explaining the theme and subject in plain, factual language. You’ll learn how to describe materials, size, surface quality, and process without adding interpretation, and how to identify the likely audience for the piece. The lesson also covers building keyword tags from your own description, understanding how Etsy SEO actually works, and setting prices, categories, and shipping windows that match buyer expectations.

Students will learn how to use a personal Facebook account to build real relationships, share art sincerely, interact with communities, and grow an audience through positive, authentic engagement.

This lecture shows how to use Facebook’s Meta Business Suite as a simple scheduling tool for posting your artwork to Facebook and Instagram. It walks through switching between your personal and artist profiles, opening the Planner, and setting up posts without touching any of the ad, monetization, or “boost” features. You’ll learn how to copy titles, descriptions, and prices from your website, add images, paste live links for Facebook, and adjust captions for Instagram. The lecture also covers checking previews, fixing errors, choosing posting times, and verifying that scheduled posts appear correctly in the calendar. The goal is to help you batch posts efficiently while avoiding the costly, unnecessary features Meta tries to push.

There is also an older version of this video made in 2020.  I think you should also watch that one since it has extra ideas and gives you a sense of the history and changes to Facebook over time.

This lecture explains how to use Facebook groups to build real community and steady visibility for your art. It walks through creating a solid profile, choosing groups aligned with your interests, and engaging through positive comments, sharing posts, and supporting others before introducing your own work. You’ll learn why generosity and consistency matter, how to avoid spam behavior, and how to repost group content to your own timeline effectively. The lecture also covers starting and moderating your own group, handling posts that may violate Facebook rules, and using simple art vocabulary to give respectful feedback.

There is also an older version of this video available and I think it would be helpful if you watched that one as well.

This video and guide are repeated in the photography section. 

This lecture teaches you how to create effective time-lapse and hyperlapse videos to promote your art on social media. You’ll learn why motion instantly captures attention and why algorithms reward this kind of content. The lesson walks through every step of the process—from setting up your painting materials and stabilizing your phone, to selecting the right camera mode, managing lighting, and framing your artwork. It also covers editing, combining clips, adjusting speed, cropping for vertical platforms, and making short highlight reels with music. The lecture ends with posting strategies, caption tips, and ways to manage phone storage so you can produce videos consistently.

This is an older video made in 2020. I still thought the information is relevant and will help you.  From time to time I will update or make new videos when things change substantially.

This is an older video made in 2020. I still thought the information is relevant and will help you.  From time to time I will update or make new videos when things change substantially.

This is an older video made in 2020. I still thought the information is relevant and will help you.  From time to time I will update or make new videos when things change substantially.

This is an older video made in 2020. I still thought the information is relevant and will help you.  From time to time I will update or make new videos when things change substantially.

This is an older video made in 2020. I still thought the information could help you. 

This is an older video made in 2020. I still thought the information could help you. 

This is an older video made in 2020. I still thought the information could help you. 

This is an older video made in 2020. I still thought the information could help you. 

This is an older video made in 2020.  The information is still in many ways, relevant to how Facebook operates today.  It also will give you a sense of the changes and some basic ideas about positive behaviors, attitudes, and actions you can take to improve your strategies. 

This is an older video made in 2020.  The information is still in many ways, relevant to how Facebook operates today.  It also will give you a sense of the changes and some basic ideas about positive behaviors, attitudes, and actions you can take to improve your strategies. 

This is an older video made in 2020.  The information is still in many ways, relevant to how Facebook operates today.  It also will give you a sense of the changes and some basic ideas about positive behaviors, attitudes, and actions you can take to improve your strategies. 

This is an older video made in 2020.  The information is still in many ways, relevant to how Facebook operates today.  It also will give you a sense of the changes and some basic ideas about positive behaviors, attitudes, and actions you can take to improve your strategies. 

This lecture provides a complete walkthrough of photographing, editing, and organizing images of your artwork using a phone or free desktop tools. You’ll learn how to shoot paintings in natural, even light—on an easel, on the ground, or outdoors—and how to use grid lines, white paper for balance, and both standard and high-resolution settings for web listings or print-on-demand. The lesson explains how to choose and use free editing apps like Photopea, GIMP, Pixlr, and Darktable for cropping, straightening, color correction, and preparing accurate images. Finally, it shows how to transfer files, sort them into folders, rename them with a consistent system, and create clean sets of full views, detail shots, and side angles for Etsy, Squarespace, or marketing.

This lecture teaches you how to photograph and edit your artwork using only a phone and the free app Snapseed. You’ll learn how to set your screen brightness for accurate viewing, make simple corrections with the built-in editing tools, and crop the image so the artwork fills the frame. The lesson explains why you should avoid automatic filters that distort color, and shows how to use Snapseed’s Perspective tool to square the image and correct lens distortion. You’ll also learn how to edit detail shots—corners, edges, and texture close-ups—so buyers can see the surface clearly. The lecture ends with guidance on preparing a full set of clean, accurate images for Etsy or Squarespace, including an angled “situational” shot that helps viewers understand the physical presence of the work.

This lecture gives you a clear workflow for photographing, organizing, and naming your artwork files so they’re ready for web listings, print-on-demand, and marketing. You’ll learn how to shoot paintings outdoors in open shade, avoid glare, use a sheet of white paper for later color correction, and turn on grid lines to keep edges straight. The lesson covers switching your phone to high-resolution settings for print use, taking full views, corner shots, detail images, and side angles, and transferring everything to your computer. You’ll also learn how to sort your photos into folders, rename them with a consistent file-naming system, and prepare clean, organized image sets that make uploading to Etsy, Squarespace, or social media fast and professional.

This lecture walks you through preparing, editing, and uploading oil painting images to Etsy using a clean, repeatable workflow. You’ll learn how to choose the best full-view image, straighten edges with Photoshop’s Skew tool, correct color using Auto Tone and Levels, and crop the artwork tightly for a clear main image. The lesson shows how to save different versions—including a main image, an optional environment shot, and a square Etsy thumbnail with a white border—so they display correctly on the platform. You’ll also learn how to set up a new Etsy listing, upload images in the correct order, choose categories, price work to account for fees and shipping, set processing times, use renewal settings, and publish a professional, accurate listing that represents your painting clearly and honestly.

This lecture teaches you how to edit, prepare, and upload drawing images to Etsy using clear, repeatable steps. You’ll learn how to rename files consistently, organize high-resolution and web-ready versions, and use Photoshop (or similar apps) to correct color with the white-eyedropper tool, adjust Levels, crop the artwork cleanly, and straighten edges using Skew, Warp, or Distort. The lesson shows how to create multiple versions—main image, full-frame version, detail shots, and a square Etsy thumbnail—and how to save each with proper naming. You’ll also learn how to build a clean Etsy listing: choosing the right category, adding up to 20 images in the correct order, pricing with fees in mind, setting free shipping, and publishing a polished listing that displays your artwork clearly and professionally.

This lecture teaches you how to create engaging time-lapse and hyperlapse videos of your artwork to boost visibility on social media. You’ll learn how to set up your phone on a stable mount, frame your canvas, and work with even lighting so the recording stays clean and steady. The lesson covers choosing the correct camera mode, combining clips into one video, adjusting playback speed, cropping for vertical formats, and using your phone’s editing tools to create a polished highlight reel. You’ll also learn what to include in captions, how to post to Instagram, Facebook, and other platforms, and how to manage your phone’s storage and backups. The goal is to help you make simple, compelling videos that draw viewers in and support your art marketing.

Many of the features in the newer subscriber only versions of Photoshop are the same as CS 3 through 5.  These videos go over many of those features but the interface may be slightly different. 

Although this is an older video made in 2020.  The information is still in many ways, relevant to how the program operates today.  It also will give you a sense of the changes and some basic ideas about positive behaviors, attitudes, and actions you can take to improve your strategies. 

Many of the features in the newer subscriber only versions of Photoshop are the same as CS 3 through 5.  These videos go over many of those features but the interface may be slightly different. 

Although this is an older video made in 2020.  The information is still in many ways, relevant to how the program operates today.  It also will give you a sense of the changes and some basic ideas about positive behaviors, attitudes, and actions you can take to improve your strategies. 

Many of the features in the newer subscriber only versions of Photoshop are the same as CS 3 through 5.  These videos go over many of those features but the interface may be slightly different. 

Although this is an older video made in 2020.  The information is still in many ways, relevant to how the program operates today.  It also will give you a sense of the changes and some basic ideas about positive behaviors, attitudes, and actions you can take to improve your strategies. 

Many of the features in the newer versions of image editing software and web interfaces have not changed much. Print on demand is similar across many platforms.  These videos go over many of those features but the interface may be slightly different. 

Although this is an older video made in 2020.  The information is still in many ways, relevant to how the program operates today.  It also will give you a sense of the changes and some basic ideas about positive behaviors, attitudes, and actions you can take to improve your strategies.  I will occasionally publish new and updated versions of these videos.

Many of the features in the newer versions of image editing software, Microsoft Word, and web interfaces have not changed much. Print on demand is similar across many platforms.  These videos go over many of those features but the interface may be slightly different. 

Although this is an older video made in 2020.  The information is still in many ways, relevant to how the program operates today.  It also will give you a sense of the changes and some basic ideas about positive behaviors, attitudes, and actions you can take to improve your strategies.  I will occasionally publish new and updated versions of these videos.

This lecture explains the full process and real costs of shipping artwork as a working artist. You’ll learn why each package takes two or more hours to prepare and why supplies and postage typically cost $30–$50, with large paintings reaching $400+ when using art shippers. The lesson covers choosing standard box sizes, matching artwork to common dimensions, ordering supplies from companies like Uline, and planning packaging for prints, drawings, and paintings. You’ll learn how to set realistic delivery windows—3–4 weeks in the U.S., 4–8 weeks internationally—and why it’s best to under-promise and over-deliver. The lecture also walks through using Stamps.com for labels and tracking, adding insurance, storing materials safely, and following up with customers. Finally, it highlights the importance of thank-you letters, good communication, and building shipping costs into your artwork price.

This lecture shows how choosing standard artwork sizes can make shipping faster, cheaper, and more professional. Using the 12×16 format as the example, you’ll learn how to match paintings to affordable Uline boxes, select foam inserts, and set up an efficient shipping station for about $200. The lesson compares different 12×16 panels from Blick—economy packs, cotton canvas panels, and archival options—so you can pick surfaces that fit your budget and still slide perfectly into standard boxes. You’ll learn how to trim foam, stabilize the painting inside the box, and add extras like letters or catalogs on top so collectors see them immediately. The lecture also covers best practices for sealing boxes, burnishing tape so it doesn’t peel, labeling packages, and using consistent materials that help your shipments arrive safely and look polished.

This lecture shows how to safely pack artwork when the painting and the box aren’t the same size. Using a 12×12 inch splined canvas and a 12×16 inch box as the example, you’ll learn how to choose box sizes that work for multiple formats so you don’t have to buy specialty boxes in bulk. The lesson covers comparing canvas prices, selecting durable surfaces, and filling extra space inside the box with foam so the artwork stays centered and doesn’t shift. You’ll learn how to trace and cut foam accurately, cushion the top and sides, and reinforce the package with properly burnished tape so it won’t peel during transit. The lecture also highlights how clean, professional packing builds trust with collectors and protects your work even when the fit isn’t exact.

This lecture teaches why thank-you letters are a core part of an artist’s business and how to write them in a way that builds long-term relationships with collectors. You’ll learn how these letters create goodwill, serve as informal certificates of ownership, help buyers talk about your work, and streamline your shipping workflow by keeping client information in one place. The lesson walks you through the full process: preparing a template, adding the client’s contact details, writing a sincere opening, referencing previous purchases, inserting a modified description with a thumbnail image, and adding a short personal update. It also demonstrates formatting tips, how to save letters for future reference, and how to use AI and mailing software to speed up the process.

This lecture shows how to use AI to streamline the entire thank-you letter process while keeping the tone personal and sincere. You’ll learn how to gather past letters, upload the artwork image, and feed the AI a clean prompt that includes the opening sentence, title, size, medium, and references to earlier purchases. The lesson demonstrates how to paste in the product description from your website, generate a Word document automatically, and then adjust layout details—like wrapping text around the artwork image, fixing italics on titles, and checking collector information against your sales records. You’ll also learn how to save letters consistently, reuse the same AI conversation for future collectors, and combine AI tools with manual edits to produce warm, accurate, professional letters in a fraction of the time.

This lecture explains how to find and use reference images legally and ethically when creating artwork. You’ll learn why most Internet photos are copyrighted—even if altered—and why the safest sources are your own photos, images from friends, crowdsourced references, or public-domain materials such as antique photos and images older than a hundred years. The lesson covers Creative Commons licenses (BY, NC, ND) and how to filter Google Images or Flickr to find allowable material. It also discusses what to do when someone copies your work, what protections platforms offer, and why pursuing overseas infringers is rarely practical. You’ll learn how AI-generated images fit into current copyright law, how to generate your own photographic references safely, and how to prepare images in Photoshop—cropping, desaturating, adjusting values, and simplifying forms—for painting demos or studio work.