I would consider this step to be the most important since every artist has their own style and personality that it’s more wholesome to start with commissioned art to those who believe in your artistic mission. There is a sense of community and gravitational pull that brings liked-minded people that request art that aligns with what you represent. This style is going to be displayed in someone’s home, office or where ever they decide to keep their commissioned art so make sure it speaks to who you are. All in all, put in the most heart and detail in your statement for the art you’re trying to convey.
This way could be a little intimidating at first because of the type of expectation Instagram or TikTok videos give off but don’t let that stop you. Sometimes, all it takes is focusing your camera in a different angle to give more perspective or zooming in on the brush stokes could do the trick. This will also give you the opportunity for other outlets like Makeplease to repost it and give you more exposure.
I’m not referring to those strange bot comments saying, “Follow back for more Followers” but actually giving feedback or insight on other artist’s posts. It’s become more common than ever to find more information and context in the comment section. The amount of people who trickle in to check you out could be well worth it and improve your following in a significant way.
We all have a mom, dad, auntie, sister or even best friend that is totally okay with gassing you up! The people that care about you and your success are a perfect foundation for you to get that support to keep making your art and also to promote it. This will help you expose your art to other people they know that you would have never interacted with otherwise. This is always a great way to get a diverse flow of commissioned requests of what totally different people are looking for.
Local art exhibits are a fun way to meet new artists and get in touch with curators who are in charge of the exhibitions. There are art curators who are looking for new artists to showcase and it’s a good opportunity to get your name out there in your own neighborhood. This could also get you to the point of one your art pieces getting sold or commissioned by a passerby.
I think this type of way of promotion is so important because you want to have a clear and clean copy of your art that you could digitally or in print pull out at an unexpected time. The organizational aspect of getting all your favorite pieces together and photographed could help paint a better story for commission ideas and other future job opportunity.
Planning which art you’re going to focus on and analyzing the timespan it usually takes to commission it, is a great way to promote your reliability. Just like any other promotion, you want to be able to give a positive experience for Takers. You want to be able to have a game plan and not bite off more than you can chew when promising an end date. Also, know your worth and stick by whichever payment you feel is best. Sometimes people think haggling is part of art transactions but only you know the worth of your art- stick to it!
Post a free profile on Makeplease! Makeplease is a platform for Makers of all kinds to show off their skills and take commissions. It’s also your virtual portfolio, and you can have Takers post reviews on your profile!
You can even contact us, and our founder Haley will put on a Maker of the Week feature of you and your work all over our social media!
If you haven’t become a Makeplease Maker already, then it’s time to sign up! Promoting via Makeplease will open doors for your career and you will create longterm connections with like-minded people in this fun, ambitious, artistic community of Makers.
