The struggling artist is a commonplace term that people use to describe almost every artist. The reason these artist struggles is not for lack of talent, but because they lack exposure and opportunity. If an artist can learn to promote paintings, this can greatly increase exposure and lead to better opportunity.
Instructions
1. Attend as many workshops and conferences as possible. These places are networking opportunities that allow you to establish relationships with other people in the art world. The more people you meet the better the ability to promote one's paintings. Be sure to have promotional materials you can share with these contacts.
2. Take digital pictures of your artwork and transfer them to a computer. This way you can use the images of your artwork on websites, business cards and promotional materials.
3. Construct a website to promote your paintings. Either you can pay someone to make website for you, or you can build one yourself. There are hosting sites that will allow you to upload images of your paintings to their site and even construct a website at no charge. There are also sites that charge a fee but offer better promotional utilities. See the Resources section below for more information.
4. Burn the images of your painting to a compact disk. A compact disk is an easy and inexpensive way to distribute images of your paintings to a large number of people. This does not replace the bound art portfolio but it gives the option of handing the CDs out to people interested in your art.
5. Compile an email list of people you meet that are interested in your art and email them updates about future shows or gallery openings. Every time you meet someone that shows an interest in your painting, be sure to get an email address and ask the person if you can add the address to your email list.
6. Advertise your paintings, gallery openings and contact information in trade show magazines and their websites. To effectively promote your paintings, you need to make sure people in the industry are aware of your work.
