Okay so some one brought a thought to me. How difficult it is to get started as an online artist. I'm talking about how to get your art noticed, build a fan base, and make some sales. So, here's my personal experience and my advice on this topic.
I can say this, getting started is the worst thing. I've been trying to sell my art for years, no one ever paid attention to my Etsy shop accept for some friends I made. My commissions started selling when I was doing promotional work. Such as live streaming my digital drawings. I hosted a livestream and gave away 5 free drawings to the first 5 people who logged on. I stayed up and drew some quick sketches up, I asked them in return to give me credit and post the drawings up with my gallery's link. They did that and a week later I had my first commission,
Another thing is to price low. Like my traditional sketches are only $5 right now. Because there's too many artist at my level who charge more and are more well known than me. So, until I become more popular as an artist, the best thing I can do is beat their prices. I'm hoping this will help me to get a better fanbase and become a better artist over time.
Which brings up another topic, it's who you know. Some of my friend's are some very popular artists amongst the furries on furaffinity, I also make a point of starting conversations with big name artists so they will remember me and recommend me. It's always who you know.
The very best advice I can give on getting your art work sold is to not try and compete online. There will always be some one more popular and more talented than you online. So to reach their level start local. For instance I just got back from a mini anime con in my state. It was a free con and I made a point of talking with the more established artists, I passed out some home made business cards and went to the lengths of adding them on social media like Facebook and Devientart. They remembered me and because of that some of their fans noticed me and I gained more notice and more sales.
The best thing that happened to me was that I was invited to 3 more cons as an artist. So there's 3 more opportunities for me that web sites can't give me to get noticed. I also was approached to be the illustrator in a children's book series, which I accepted and I'm currently working on that project. Even if the book doesn't take off. it gets my art noticed and I'm still being paid for the work I'm putting in.
So basically what I'm saying is as far as selling your art work goes, get out and make friends amongst other artist to get yourself noticed. Popularity is what sales on the online art world. But don't forget the most important driving force of all, which is talent!
I hope this was helpful to all those furry artist out there trying to get noticed and sale some art out there.
