How to Make Art that Sells
A guide for artists looking to connect with buyers and make money off of art on Redbubble.
If you want to make money off your art, but are struggling to make sales, I find it helps to take a step back and look at the art you are making objectively.
When someone decides to buy art (for themselves or as a gift), they likely do so because they’ve made a connection in some way with the art. This can help you, as an artist, think about what to create. So instead of making art, you are making a connection between the art and the buyer/collector.
There are a few main ways I've found that Connection is broken into:
1. Connection via. Subject Matter (What the art is about)
2. Connection via. Art Style (What the art looks like)
3. Connection via. Artist (You as an artist)
The more connections someone forms with an artwork, the more likely they are to purchase the art! For example, if you have a fan who wants to support you because they like you as an artist, that is 1/3 connections formed. If they also like your art style, that is 2/3, and if they ALSO love the subject matter, that's 3/3.
You don’t need to tick off all three boxes to sell your art, but thinking about the connections buyers make is a good way to think about what will sell.
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Connection via. Subject Matter
Subject Matter is the most easily made (and potentially the most important) connection for selling art. It is especially important for sites like Redbubble, where most people find art via. hashtags, scrolling through popular images, or just by stumbling across monthly themes.
If someone is going to make an emotional connection with the subject matter, it helps to be something folks are interested in. On Redbubble, it helps to create art for popular hashtags (such as #cottagecore or #vintage as examples) to make a quick connection with people looking for specific designs.
Making art of generic subjects like landscapes, funny t-shirt quotes, or tarot can be a great way to make sales but sometimes doesn’t give you as much artistic freedom, or an emotional connection. This is where fanart and original art come in.
Fanart vs. Original Art
When artwork causes an emotional response in someone, they are much more likely to purchase the art. When you make fanart the 'emotional connection' has already been created for you, so you don't need to do the work involved in getting people excited. Someone likely has strong feelings towards a specific subject, and can quickly connect with the art regardless of who made it or what style the art has been created in.
This is great for folks at conventions, or people looking to sell to a fanbase. On Redbubble, there is a fantastic Partner Program that allows artists to create fanart legally, and make money off of the Subject MAtter connection easily.
With original art, it can be more difficult to make an emotional connection if someone doesn’t know what the subject matter is. This is why Original Characters (OCs) do not always make as much money as art that people can more easily connect with. If you're making original art, then you lose out on that 'subject matter' connection as easily.
However, if you want to make original art but still have a connection via. the subject matter, that is where certain topics/themes can really help. Adding in elements that are easily recognized to original art can bridge the gap and make your art more universally recognizable.
Fairy Tale elements, Mythical Creatures, Emotional Subjects (mental health, queer topics, etc) are all excellent tools that you can use to tick off the 'subject matter' connection while making Original Art. People will recognize, and connect to your art, even if they don’t know the full story.
Connection via. Art Style
Regardless of the subject matter, the art style of a piece can be a quick way to connect with your audience. This can also be an excellent way to stand out from the crowd or give you a chance to make matching pieces for multiple sales. If you have a series of artworks all in a similar style that follow a theme, it can be a quick win for someone looking to purchase more than one piece of art.
Fantasy (everyone loves dragons), hyperrealism, traditional pen and ink (hello #inktober) and countless other styles are excellent ways to connect with your audience and find a voice that is uniquely your own. By combining Subject Matter and Art Style you can start to build up a portfolio of work that people are excited to purchase.
Connection via. Artist
This is one of the trickier connections for folks to foster, especially on sites like Redbubble, but can be a huge asset over time. If someone wants to support you as an artist, they are more likely to make multiple purchases, tell others about your art, and become a lifelong fan. If you are still struggling with Subject Matter and Art Style, then connection via. Artist will likely come in the form of friends and family who want to support you as a creative person without really caring about the actual art.
In order to make more connections via. the Artist, it is important to build up your personal brand, develop a style, and have an online presence. Making sure folks can follow you easily and learn more about you gives your audience the feeling that they are connected with you and your art regardless of what you decide to create or what style you develop.
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By taking a step back, and thinking about what you want to create and how you want to connect with your buyers, you can boost sales both on Redbubble and across whatever platforms you use to sell your art.