How Old Do You Need to Be to Start Art Commissions

Painting past Natasha Wescoat licensed to Murals Your Way

When I began as an artist, I was really enjoying the experience of selling my work direct to people. It was so much more exciting than hanging it on a wall in a gallery.

I had more control over my work, when it was bachelor and where I could place information technology for auction. There was no middle man involved and I preferred it that manner.

But something was missing.

I wanted to find other avenues of making money from my piece of work, but I wasn't sure how. I saw artists launching clothing lines, doing book signings and licensing their fine art on collectables with well known brands.

I wondered how they were doing that. Did the company find them? Or did the approach come from the artist? It appeared a daunting and impossible achievement.

"Those artists must be veterans by now," I figured. "They have thousands of fans and their art has to be in galleries everywhere."

I had no idea how licensing worked or what was expected. Interestingly enough, it was simpler than it appeared to exist, idea non without some piece of work.

Extra income, actress exposure

When I began licensing, information technology was through the well known site, Art.com. Dorsum in 2005, I used their Print-on-Demand program for artists, which means they print orders equally they are taken. They offered a decent typical market royalty to artists for every print sold and fifty-fifty later, a small percent on their framing, which they do in-house. It was a great option, because I didn't have the equipment or funds to offer prints directly from my studio.

I and then discovered other Impress on Demand sites like Imagekind.com and FineArtAmerica.com. It would turn out to exist a slap-up pick for actress income as well as exposure to hereafter collectors. For a fourth dimension, because of Art.com's program, I was exposed to a broader audience than I could've encountered through my site lone. This was invaluable to my business organisation and helped me grow as an artist and a business concern person. I fifty-fifty caused several custom commissions from clients who wanted something 'larger' than what the print sites were offering.

This was ironically a great style to also acquire new licensee clients. They plant my art through sites like Art.com and emailed me to ask how they could put my work on their products. Because of sites like Fine art.com and Imagekind.com, I take signed on with product companies that now feature my work in stores like Bed Bathroom & Across, Target and art shops across the US.

It was wild when just 1 day, opening up my email to find requests on a regular basis. I built a larger following and soon had regular paychecks coming in the mail!

Residue income architect and gap filler

What'south great about licensing is that you are able to make full in the gaps when art sales are at a low or in a seasonal slump. This helps immensely when you need to become the bills paid! If you lot want to do this full-time, and so you have to expand your multiple streams of income. Licensing is a continual, residual income builder.

Painting by Natasha Wescoat licensed to Olivia Olive Oil Company

Licensing 101

So how does licensing work? What do companies look for? How tin can y'all pitch to clients? How do clients find you?

Outset, licensing is a big business. Non simply can you offer prints, but you accept the potential to create a Brand. Everything from collectables to dwelling house decor to car decals. There are endless possibilities.

Companies work with manufacturing companies that deal with artists and designers to create products. You accept to know how it works in club to not only aggrandize your fine art brand, but to protect information technology likewise.

It's worth registering the copyright of your work whenever you come up with a new design or drove. Here in the United states of america, as in many countries, copyright is automatically granted to you equally before long every bit you lot create a piece of fine art, merely registering the copyright means that your buying is a affair of public tape, and makes it easier to defend your rights. For instance, if you desire to bring a lawsuit for copyright infringement, you will demand to annals your copyright. (More information at the US Copyright Office FAQ.)

I remember i day, while on vacation in Florida, I spotted an artist friend's signature fairies on a t-shirt in Hot Topic. I then contacted her to notice out it was a copycat ripping off her work! Because she had her work protected nether police force, she was able to take that copycat's products downwardly. You have to protect your work and brand sure it's copyrighted with the Copyright office, not just to merits what's yours but to protect it in the hereafter.

What companies want

Companies are looking for themes that they can use beyond a range of products, with complementary images.

So whether you are a fine artist, illustrator or graphic designer, it's of import that you create your work in sets. I know it may seem unappealing if you are a fine artist to be a little commercial in your efforts, but if you can offer sets of four, v or 10 in a collection of themes, they are able to brand more products or sets with it.

Another attractive thing to offering is patterns. If you are a designer or tin can piece of work in pattern, you could make patterns and designs that would work great to complement your original art images, or to license to fabric companies.

Typical licensing terms

i. Royalties

Companies will offer artists anything from four% to 30% royalties on the price of their products. It depends on the market and type of product. At that place are different types of royalty rates depending on the product. For example, typical royalty rates for prints and posters are around 10-15% whereas licensed gadget cases or like can be around 4-vii%. You can negotiate these as well, remember! Try to get the most you can for what y'all're worth.

2. Contract length

Virtually licensing deals final from 1 to 3 years and volition be renewed or canceled depending on how well the deal is working out for you lot and them.

3. Ownership of the work

Never ever let the company claim ownership of your art, take your ownership or give them exclusivity.

Unless you are creating an sectional collection for that company that is separate from your other art, do not ever allow a company to strength yous into a corner. Yous don't desire them to take your correct to license the same art somewhere else. Make sure it's in the contract that they are non expecting you to simply license to them for that particular product.

I've found many artists don't realize just how much control they have over their own work, when it comes to art licensing. You not only take the power to create opportunities but you tin can make the deals happen.

You don't need an agent. Y'all don't need a managing director. You just need to larn how to license your piece of work, and make it happen for yourself.

How to begin licensing your fine art

i. Do the inquiry

Read books, websites and blogs such as MariaBrophy.com, Theabundantartist.com and ArtsyShark.com on how artists can license their art. There is valuable information on the steps to follow, merely more than chiefly – HOW to negotiate deals and also HOW to PROTECT your rights.

Know what the typical licensing rates are for fine art or any your arts and crafts is and also know what you lot need to protect. With this basic knowledge, you'll be ready to negotiate on your ain.

2. Know your market

Before y'all pitch to any companies or brands, you should already know what your goals are and who you are selling to.

Are yous a cartoonist? An opera songwriter? A fashion designer? A fine artist? A book illustrator? Your genre of work and your market will determine the best people to contact, because you'll know exactly what products y'all desire to launch or companies you will want to work with. E.one thousand. You shouldn't pitch to a visitor that merely licenses fantasy art if y'all are a floral artist or to a children's volume art company if you are a fine creative person painting landscapes.

Also – see what other artists in your genre are doing. How are they creating licensing deals? Did they employ a certain site or practice certain things that led to that? Who do they work with? Accept note of these things.

3. Brand the pitch

You can create your ain opportunities. Make yourself known to companies you lot want to piece of work with. Enquiry their sites, their brand and so write a thoughtful letter describing your interest and make a brief introduction of yourself.

Offer links to your piece of work, every bit sometimes attachments are marked spam or they won't open up. Show them how THEY tin benefit. Not simply that you want to work with them. Show how y'all ii fit. Link to the best examples of your work that complement what they already license.

4. Create a program

You should make it a regular programme to pitch to companies either monthly or every few months. Create a listing of companies you lot've contacted and ones you want to contact.

5. Mock-up a itemize

If you have the skills, create a portfolio of products that your fine art would be slap-up on. If you lot desire to do toys, create some with your work. If you lot want to sell yourself equally a voiceover, create pretend commercials or jingles that you'd practise.

The idea is to aid them envision your work already on their products. This tin accept a few months to create and put together, but it's an important function of your 'sell'.

Nearly people go on these offline or available as a downloadable file, or you can brand this a public portfolio on your site – even amend!

6. Follow upwards

Requite it 2 weeks to a month before yous contact again, asking if they have gone over your electronic mail. This is good to evidence that you are serious about your proposal and besides to remind them, considering they might exist too decorated to keep up.

7. Use social media

If y'all really want to make a business opportunity happen, connect to the people who can get in happen – and social media is a smashing way to practise this. Correct from the kickoff of my carreer, I've establish it important to really connect with people and be a 18-carat source of friendship and value.

Follow them on Twitter. Talk to them on Facebook. I've found huge opportunities considering of MySpace and eBay, two places you'd NEVER expect to make a connection. People are people. We are all normal. We are all using the cyberspace these days, and not simply for business.

Connect on a personal level and befriend others! Don't expect that your opportunity to happen overnight. You take to provide them with something of value as well. It'due south a requite and take space.

8. License the work yourself

There are lots of websites that will assist you explore and develop your offerings, such as Imagekind.com, Artistrising.com, Zazzle.com, Glossi.com, iStockphoto.com and Blurb.com.

Some of my friends who are now famous authors got publishing deals BECAUSE of their success in self-publishing. Another very famous case is Justin Bieber, whose fame began on YouTube when he was merely a footling boy performing on instruments and singing! The potential options are ENDLESS!

If y'all want to license your work, search the web for your particular arts and crafts. There is bound to exist a site and software available for you to start making the product happen today.

Over to you

And then what do you think about licensing?

Do you plan to license your work or produce your own products?

About the writer: Natasha Wescoat has been a total-fourth dimension artist since 2004, living and working in Michigan with her two children and extended family. Her art is seen in publications and licensed products across the U.s.a. and at WescoatFineArt.com

williamswastrame.blogspot.com

Source: https://lateralaction.com/articles/art-licensing/

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