Make the work.
Find your voice.
Build a living.

Photographing your art so it actually sells

Good photos are the single biggest lever on whether a listing converts — collectors buy with their eyes first, long before they read a description.

Light

• Diffused natural light wins. Shoot outdoors on a bright but overcast day, or indoors at a right angle to a window — never facing directly into it.
• Bounce light into shadowed areas with a plain white card or sheet rather than using a harsh direct flash.

Angle & setup

• Shoot dead square to the canvas — even a slight angle distorts the proportions and warps straight edges.
• Use a tripod if you have one. If not, prop the piece securely and use your phone's grid overlay to line it up.

Avoid glare & distortion

• Glossy varnish or resin catches reflections — rotate the piece slightly and check each shot before moving on.
• Keep the camera still through the shutter press; a small shake blurs fine texture and brushwork.

Background & editing

• A plain white or neutral backdrop (foam board or a pinned sheet) keeps focus on the work and crops cleanly.
• Export as JPG or PNG in sRGB, around 1200px on the long edge for web — and edit brightness/contrast/saturation to match the piece in person, not how you wish it looked.

Shipping & packaging without the heartbreak

A great piece that arrives cracked is a refund, not a sale. Packaging well is worth the extra ten minutes.

What you'll need

• Acid-free glassine paper, bubble wrap, foam board, cardboard corner protectors, packing tape, kraft paper, and a heavy-duty plastic bag.

The wrap, step by step

• Wrap the piece in glassine paper first, folding edges away from the painted surface to avoid creasing it.
• Fit cardboard corner protectors on all four corners — corners take the worst hits in transit.
• Wrap in bubble wrap with the bubbles facing out, working from the corners inward.
• Sandwich it between two pieces of foam board taped together, overhanging the edges by 2–3 inches.
• Seal the whole bundle in a heavy-duty plastic bag to guard against moisture.
• Box it — at least 6 inches larger than the foam sandwich in every dimension — and pack the gaps with kraft paper so nothing shifts.
• Tape every seam in an H-pattern, then label it FRAGILE and THIS SIDE UP.

Insurance

• Always declare the actual value. Standard courier coverage is often capped fairly low by default (commonly under $1,000) — buy separate insurance for anything worth more.

Marketing & growing an audience

Two channels do most of the work: an email list you actually own, and one social platform you enjoy using enough to stick with.

Build an email list

• Social platforms can change their algorithm or disappear overnight — your email list is the one audience you fully own.
• Give people a reason to sign up: early access to new pieces, behind-the-scenes process, subscriber-only pre-sales, or a private viewing room for new work.
• One or two emails a month is plenty. Consistency beats frequency.

Use social media on purpose

• Post consistently rather than constantly — a couple of times a week of real content beats daily filler.
• Mix finished pieces with process shots and yourself in the studio; people follow people, not just product photos.
• Use a handful of specific, niche hashtags plus a location tag instead of dozens of generic ones.
• Reply to comments and DMs — it drives more reach than posting alone, and it's usually where sales conversations actually start.
• Short process videos tend to reach further than static photos on most platforms right now.

Taxes & legal basics

General information only, not tax or legal advice — rules vary by country and change over time, so confirm specifics with a local accountant.

Hobby vs. business

• Tax authorities generally look at profit motive: are you actively trying to sell, could you reasonably expect a profit, and do you keep proper records? A common rule of thumb (US) is showing a profit in three of the last five years.
• Selling as a "hobby" doesn't get you out of reporting the income — it just changes which expenses you can deduct against it.

Reporting income

• Report what you earn even if nobody sends you a form for it. In the US, platforms typically issue a 1099 once they've paid you over $600 in a year — but the income is taxable either way, form or no form.

Common deductions if run as a business

• Materials and supplies, a home studio or rented space (proportionally, if shared), contractor costs (a photographer, framer, fabricator), advertising and website costs, art-related travel, and equipment depreciation are all commonly deductible categories — ask an accountant which apply to you.

One good habit

• Open a separate bank account for art income and expenses from day one. It turns tax season into data entry instead of archaeology.