When I first started selling my husband Drew’s art about a jillion years ago, we made money just one way: by Drew painting one painting at a time and selling it. We felt fortunate that enough people wanted Drew’s art to pay him to paint their surfboards and canvas. And it was great, until…we… Continue reading
Browsing Category licensing
Say NO to client’s wishes that will harm your art business
Many artists don’t realize that they can say “no” to something that will harm the future of their art. I want you to know that it’s up to you to enforce the best decisions for your artwork. If a Licensee (or client) wants to print your art on a product that is of poor… Continue reading →
Can you license Abstract or Edgy Artwork
(To learn about art licensing: sign up for my FREE ten week series called “ART LICENSING MADE EASY” which teaches how to license your art, negotiate contracts and know what to charge $$$. SIGN UP HERE! ) An artist wrote me to say that she wants to license her abstract artworks to be sold on products. But… Continue reading →
Want to be a Successful Artist? Sign Your Name!
The more your name is seen on your art, the more you will be remembered as an artist, the more the phone will ring, the more people will visit your website. Two questions I get from artists on a regular basis: “Should I sign my name to my artwork?” And, “My art is being printed on merchandise. Should… Continue reading →
What to do When your Client Won’t Sign a Contract for an Art Commission or License Deal
A reader wrote and described a common challenge that artists face: “My biggest problem is deals and contracts, and how to close a deal with clients in a way that we both win. When I talk about contracts most of my clients get scared.” Many artists use contracts for painting commissions, and most illustrators use… Continue reading →
Five Steps to Closing a Deal – Artist’s Trade Show Follow Up
(Artwork by the wonderful, fun and talented Sara Jane Franklin. Check out her blog here!) When Drew and I started showing his art at trade shows, the mission was to generate interest from publishers so that we could license Drew’s art to them. The first year we exhibited at License Expo in New York, we had no… Continue reading →
How to Achieve a High Value Goal in 6 Steps
“Most people spend more time writing up their grocery list then they do planning out their life.” Gary Ryan Blair, The Goals Guy In the past, goal setting stressed me out; the thought of not completing them, that is. And this angst has manifested itself by literally making me sick. I realized this after… Continue reading →
Should you Sign an Exclusive Agreement – What to Consider
“It is one thing to license one design or collection with a company to see how it goes. It’s like going on a blind date – you see what happens. But it is quite another to tie your wagon to a company for 2-3 years.” Artist Tara Reed Before signing any document that has the word… Continue reading →
What we can Learn from A Bikini Model – Art and Copyrights
Sometimes being a control freak is not so bad. Take, for example, when protecting your artwork and your image. Never sign your rights away, unless you don’t care about your image. (Exceptions at bottom of post.) WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM A BIKINI MODEL ABOUT ART AND COPYRIGHTS: If only the beautiful former model, Irina… Continue reading →
Ten Questions to ask Before Hooking Up Your Art With a License
Hooking up with the right manufacturer to license your artwork is a little bit like looking for the right mate. It requires a little research and vetting on your end. Much like finding that special sexy someone that you want to wake up next to everyday, there are things that you need to know about… Continue reading →
6 POINTS ABOUT PRESENTING YOUR ART TO A PROSPECT
Here’s a great question I got from the very talented Jeni Prince of Kaui: Aloha Maria, I enjoy your blog and all the great info. What’s the best way to send your portfolio to a prospective company? I would like to send artwork to a clothing company so they can see my work and use… Continue reading →
Help, a big company wants to license my art. What do I Do?
An Emergency E-mail arrived and I know that a lot of artists find themselves in this position at sometime or another: “I found your blog a month ago and have been reading it religiously. You give such great information! But now I have an EMERGENCY: I have a friend that has created some characters. She… Continue reading →