WHAT IS THE OPTIMUM SIZE FOR A PAINTING?
This isn't a question I get asked often, but if you want to sell your work, it is a crucial point to consider.
Recently the daily painting movement has made a radical difference to being an artist. The movement is based on creating a finished work each day and selling them online. Due to time constraints and the amount that buyers are willing to pay when they perceive it has not taken much effort, these paintings are traditionally 8" x 10" or smaller. An offshoot of this is the hand painted ACEO which is a tiny 2.5" x 3.5".
Some artists find it difficult to paint large and others find it difficult to paint small: They are both learned techniques. 8" x 10" is a size that is acceptable for most artists and buyers. It is easy to find space in any home for something that size and the canvas to hand size, is not too restricting. Smaller paintings can cramp an artists style and larger can be too difficult to paint in one day.
Naturally, smaller paintings sell for a lower price point and therefore more often, to bring in a living wage. Miniatures can sometimes take longer to paint than a larger piece, so unless they are very simple watercolours they should have a higher price per square inch (buyers often don't understand this).
Most artists believe that painting big encourages expansiveness and freedom and helps in developing a unique style. Cost of supplies can spiral with larger works because the structure must be stronger and it's easy to blast through copious amounts of paint. Although buyers know this, buying a large painting may be a once in a lifetime purchase rather than an impulse buy due to finding the space for a large piece and also the higher cost.
It's important to paint in a size that suits your style, but little sales pay the bills, so the smaller the better. You will sell fewer large works in the beginning, but it gives you a greater high and allows pays the bigger bills. I find that my ratio for small to large sales is more than 10 to 1, although that is increasing as I become better known.
CORELLA PEAR
8" x 6" Canvas Panel
Framed
Available at Daily Paintworks
VIew my online Gallery of large works and Limited Editions at ARTFINDER
View my online Gallery of small works at DAILY PAINTWORKS
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO and printed products here
Art Cards $5 and Art Postcards $3 here
This isn't a question I get asked often, but if you want to sell your work, it is a crucial point to consider.
Recently the daily painting movement has made a radical difference to being an artist. The movement is based on creating a finished work each day and selling them online. Due to time constraints and the amount that buyers are willing to pay when they perceive it has not taken much effort, these paintings are traditionally 8" x 10" or smaller. An offshoot of this is the hand painted ACEO which is a tiny 2.5" x 3.5".
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| CORELLA by Sea Dean 8" x 6" Canvas Panel |
Naturally, smaller paintings sell for a lower price point and therefore more often, to bring in a living wage. Miniatures can sometimes take longer to paint than a larger piece, so unless they are very simple watercolours they should have a higher price per square inch (buyers often don't understand this).
Most artists believe that painting big encourages expansiveness and freedom and helps in developing a unique style. Cost of supplies can spiral with larger works because the structure must be stronger and it's easy to blast through copious amounts of paint. Although buyers know this, buying a large painting may be a once in a lifetime purchase rather than an impulse buy due to finding the space for a large piece and also the higher cost.
It's important to paint in a size that suits your style, but little sales pay the bills, so the smaller the better. You will sell fewer large works in the beginning, but it gives you a greater high and allows pays the bigger bills. I find that my ratio for small to large sales is more than 10 to 1, although that is increasing as I become better known.
CORELLA PEAR
8" x 6" Canvas Panel
Framed
Available at Daily Paintworks
VIew my online Gallery of large works and Limited Editions at ARTFINDER
View my online Gallery of small works at DAILY PAINTWORKS
Shop for Limited Edition ACEO and printed products here
Art Cards $5 and Art Postcards $3 here
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All work by Sea Dean protected by International Copyright - No printing, copying, electronic transfer or any form of duplication allowed without written permission from the Artist.