Where will your painting find a home?
I spoke of this once before on my Facebook page, Blue Sky Red Earth Gallery, but a few months later I was surprised when a curator at one of my galleries mentioned that I should consider the buyer's colour scheme.
Investors often consider a painting a lifetime purchase so I think this is valid feedback. Fashion is constantly on the move and many customers are looking for art to match their new decor, but even more buyers need art which fits in their current decor.
Generally speaking, if you paint natural landscapes, portraits and tonal compositions, you are fairly safe.Buyers are more likely to imagine your work in their home if you stick to neutrals. Acrylics should be muted and soft pastels softly coloured to attract both male and female buyers.
Black, grey, umber and cream work anywhere, but what if you have a
hankering for pushing colour or creating stunning Abstracts? Certainly contemporary, brightly
coloured work sells in a modern city environment, but if you're a prairie Artist it's difficult to find and maintain distant Galleries.
One possibility is that buyers seem to overcome their fear of colour when purchasing florals. Flowers provide bright relief to a colour starved artist, but the genre does come with a lot of competition.
Some other options
Experiment with small touches of brilliance; a dash of cadmium, manganese, lime or lemon will perk up an otherwise neutral palette and still be generally acceptable.
Hide some colour in the shadows and even the colour shy buyer will like your work.
Experiment with using colour as value and if you are accurate you can get away with quite a colourful palette. It's surprising that in a value painting no one questions why leaves are bright blue and tree trunks are purple.
Add a touch of iridescence, a rich and unique way to give your painting pizazz. I've tried many brands but I always return to GOLDEN copper fine which has a lovely flow but still has intensity.
Don't be afraid of colour. If you really want to produce bright paintings, go ahead. For tips on trends, visit Interior Design websites, home magazines and furniture stores. As long as you create work on target and market that work while the colours are in fashion, you will do well. As you continue on your painting journey and people start to collect you as a brand, it will be less important to "fit in" and your love of colour will be part of your unique style.
Sea Dean is a daily painter who exhibits and auctions her work at Daily Paintworks
Sea is also an Art instructor author and genealogist. Sea's brightly coloured works hang in collections and exhibitions around the world.
Register for ongoing "Paint a Masterpiece" blogs
http://eepurl.com/liwXz
Posted by Sea Dean
on 7/15/12
| tags: modern figurative surrealism abstract digital landscape drawing photography realism painting Interior traditional pop design BUYERS buyer gallery Blog blue green neutral home house colour staging sculpture red mixed-media
I spoke of this once before on my Facebook page, Blue Sky Red Earth Gallery, but a few months later I was surprised when a curator at one of my galleries mentioned that I should consider the buyer's colour scheme.
Investors often consider a painting a lifetime purchase so I think this is valid feedback. Fashion is constantly on the move and many customers are looking for art to match their new decor, but even more buyers need art which fits in their current decor. Generally speaking, if you paint natural landscapes, portraits and tonal compositions, you are fairly safe.Buyers are more likely to imagine your work in their home if you stick to neutrals. Acrylics should be muted and soft pastels softly coloured to attract both male and female buyers.
Black, grey, umber and cream work anywhere, but what if you have a
hankering for pushing colour or creating stunning Abstracts? Certainly contemporary, brightly
coloured work sells in a modern city environment, but if you're a prairie Artist it's difficult to find and maintain distant Galleries. 
One possibility is that buyers seem to overcome their fear of colour when purchasing florals. Flowers provide bright relief to a colour starved artist, but the genre does come with a lot of competition. Some other options
Experiment with small touches of brilliance; a dash of cadmium, manganese, lime or lemon will perk up an otherwise neutral palette and still be generally acceptable.
Hide some colour in the shadows and even the colour shy buyer will like your work.
Experiment with using colour as value and if you are accurate you can get away with quite a colourful palette. It's surprising that in a value painting no one questions why leaves are bright blue and tree trunks are purple.
Add a touch of iridescence, a rich and unique way to give your painting pizazz. I've tried many brands but I always return to GOLDEN copper fine which has a lovely flow but still has intensity.
Don't be afraid of colour. If you really want to produce bright paintings, go ahead. For tips on trends, visit Interior Design websites, home magazines and furniture stores. As long as you create work on target and market that work while the colours are in fashion, you will do well. As you continue on your painting journey and people start to collect you as a brand, it will be less important to "fit in" and your love of colour will be part of your unique style.
Sea Dean is a daily painter who exhibits and auctions her work at Daily Paintworks
Sea is also an Art instructor author and genealogist. Sea's brightly coloured works hang in collections and exhibitions around the world.
Register for ongoing "Paint a Masterpiece" blogs
http://eepurl.com/liwXz
