He sold No Paintings at his NYC art Exhibition - what went wrong?

[@AlpayEfe]

Please guys, be respectful in the comments! It takes a lot of character to put yourself out there and slew deserve some respect for that! He put together a great show! Check out his other video’s and show him some love 🙌🫶

[@ShayaFury]

I totally agree with you!

[@paul_domici]

It's so difficult to sell art for some! Do you make what you love or make what sells? Hopefully you can do both!

[@tracy-eire]

Oh, no doubt about his bravery. I couldn't do that. Props to him. If he hears you out, it will go better next time.

[@SuperRobertoClemente]

A good gallery should know enough about the market to price your art so that it sells. I'm a contemporary art critic and I know nothing about "fantasy art" or whatever genre this is. I can tell you that it doesn't look to me like the artist went to art school? He has plenty of skill, that's not in question, but the work itself looks like a personal compendium of fantasy characters-- with stories attached. I'm not sure it's just the pricing or the fact that the audience was family and friends. I doubt that a show like this would sell at an art fair, either. Maybe this guy should make less KZbin videos and look for artist colleagues who can critique what he's doing so he can improve it.

[@SuperRobertoClemente]

and by the way, $5,000 is not actually that high for painting-- IF the painting is good and conversant with the rest of the art world.

[@ct5625]

I think there are a lot of ways to look at this, but the biggest issue (I think) is his subject matter and style and how that's appreciated by the expected audience who can afford those prices. The people who can spend $5K on a painting are not the same people who love fantasy art. I'm sorry, they just aren't. He's created a niche for himself in gaining traction on YT but that doesn't suit the art-buying public who can afford those prices. I know he does a lot of different things but a lot of his work featured on KZbin focuses on a younger audience who love that glossy and graphic Tumblr style of fantasy art. His style is great, his skill is great, the finished work is great, but the people who can afford to spend that kind of money on a painting generally aren't in their 20s or 30s and love Dungeons & Dragons, they're wealthy people in their 50s and up who prefer portraits, scenic landscapes, edgy concepts, modern art... the "traditional" kind of subjects. He's successfully creating art for YT views from one audience, and then trying to sell that same style of art to a completely different audience. The people who are liking his videos of the Mirror girl aren't the same people who can afford to spend $5K on a painting. He could probably sell prints at a much lower price to his YT audience, but to sell the original piece to the people who can afford it I think he might have to consider changing his style and subject. That sucks, but he does do some really amazing portraits that aren't targeted for YT views.

[@toiler1]

yep, the best answer so far, he invited his young, broke ass friends and thought they would buy a painting for 5k

[@cloudsofsunset7323]

EXACTLY. Also the place and the people he knows.

[@gardeniainbloom812]

my thoughts exactly.

[@DustyMusician]

Absolutely there's a disconnect between the NYC art buying market and his KZbin audience. Some people are saying to lower the price of the originals but I still don't think it would have changed much I very much think it's the audience

[@cloudsofsunset7323]

@DustyMusician Plus the audience is international. No way they would travel to NYC from another country just for that.

[@carlkligerman1981]

There’s being respectful and then there’s what I call toxic positivity, which does NOT help an artist grow. This isn’t personal, Slew is a good egg and a go get em guy and is running a studio workshop and all that is great and goes without saying. BUT there’s a very simple reason Slew didn’t sell, and it’s not just price (although I totally agree his asking prices were WAY too high). He has not yet matured to the point where he has coherent taste, his works are either anachronistic technical exercises or graphic street inspired pieces and he put on a ‘retrospective’ (who asked for this???) rather than presenting a coherent body of recent work that collectors are going to, you know, be able to live with! And this is proof positive that you can have technical ability and still make paintings nobody wants. You can be big in the KZbin bubble, and not make a dent in the commercial art scene. Now you can hate me for being honest but I had some commercial success as a younger man and it was achieved not only by working hard, but by working smart. So, any young artists reading this please know this: when you first start showing price your pieces at material COST, to find out if anybody wants them, if you sell you at least get to replace your materials and the venue you sold in will want more of your work, and remember, at first amassing some sales is actually MORE valuable to your career than getting what you think is a ‘fair’ price. From there it’s about slowly compensating yourself for your time IF and only IF people want the paintings. Make sure your paintings are about more than technical exercises too, that you present a coherent and original idea. You should work TOWARDS a show, not just slap up a decade’s worth of paintings as though your journey is something people want to see (that kind of show is for far later in your career and generally organised by others!). And a BIG thing to remember is WHO is going to be buying your art? Keep in mind, decisions like framing are HUGE, so if you can’t afford a framing consultation with a professional outfit at least do some research into interior decorating trends and choose frames that help your work but that don’t look like they are straight out of the Louvre! Far better IMO, to not frame your work at all when you are emerging and let the people who buy you stuff handle all that post sale! When it comes to the production of fine art and EMERGING as an artist internet fame has very little bearing initially on how you will do, and in fact it may HURT your chances rather than helping them. Slew is exemplary of this, unfortunately, but you kids can learn from his error, if you’re able to digest some actual practical criticism. If you’re a serious young artist making FINE ART by far the best way to ‘break through’ isn’t instagram, or KZbin, it’s getting a proper, coherent portfolio together and applying for group shows in established venues that tend to do ‘survey’ shows seasonally as these are full of lurking collectors and curators and THIS is how you can score a partner who knows what they are doing for your first solo show, and make a buck or three! WHO you know is at least as important as WHAT you know. Okay, nuff said. Tough break for Slew, but he’ll only learn from this assuming he has people around him willing to be direct with him about the gamut of reasons why this went so wrong. Peace and love to you all, keep painting!

[@HankHillspimphand]

yea everyone likes him so wont tell him a truth, all his mates love him and his stuff but they arnt buying it. i like his stuff but even if i was rich would i buy large fanatsy art of slews friends?? im glad people here are being kind but honest

[@avr4h]

Thank you for sharing your experience and analysis. Also, good on you for being so kind in your delivery. I could never.

[@mrjanssen3856]

That was a real stand up comment, something I will definitely take to heart ❤

[@marcinwrzesinski7941]

thank you for this comment, very valuable

[@Svenburchard]

Great comment, thanks for taking the time. This is super valuable and surely not only the price was the error. It was incohevesive, and while it sounds good to document your whole artistic journey, thats in no way how your first solo show should be. Almost starting off with the end of your journey.

[@TheMediaMachine]

One of the most important things I learned in sales. Your family, your friends, your neighbours and even your own workers and students...are NOT your customers. Leave them alone. The world is big, so go and attract them but leave your inner social circle alone.

[@cloudsofsunset7323]

I am writting that down.

[@leighowl1]

As slew mentioned in his video, he put this show on mostly just to showcase himself and the studio. I have to wonder if he maybe priced things higher because he wasn’t ready to sell them. I know that I personally get very attached to my art that I put so much time and effort into.❤love you both. I enjoyed your feedback and I appreciate you supporting other artists.

[@Shmyrk]

@@solarydaysGeesh. I don’t know shit but it looks amazing to me

[@sacrebleu1371]

My inner circle wants my work. I don't wish to sell to them. Guess it's different for everyone.

[@furiaaa3]

true

[@BoneLonesome]

As a full time working artist I have learned that you have to price your work for the market you have. Letting people who are passionate about your work buy your work is the best advertising there is. They will proudly display it, brag about it, build up your reputation and generally boost your career. The cost of course is not selling work for what you might believe it's worth. But that changes. Your prices will go up as demand goes up. I still make a point of doing less expensive art for those on limited budgets, usually smaller work. This has worked for me.

[@TheDaeldren]

Better said than how I worded it, also 10yrs of actively working seems to be the rough time period that artists start to get more peer recognition etc. at least from professional artists insight I’ve garnered.

[@shellysolomonart]

Pretty much, and a lot of the time if you get hard core fans they'll start overpaying.

[@PHeMoX]

@@TheDaeldren It has nothing to do with time worked or time spend though. Someone could develop themselves into a very professional artist in only a handful of years. It just doesn't tend to happen so often. Same goes for music where a debut album blows up into something crazy successful. It's not so likely to happen, but it happens every now and then.

[@GuyGoodwin-l4q]

I’m retired and have sold 3’x4’ paintings for $1000.. but now I almost always paint 8”x10” that are priced at $200. Why so small? Call it a matter of impatience. 2 or 3 hours is in keeping with my attention span. Another reason is the cost of frames. Matted and framed.. Walmart.. at a cost of $12. I only promote my originals on 2 Facebook sites that focus on my community of Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada.. so the exposure is limited to about 2 days and the audience is limited. But I also sell 8”x10 prints and they’ve been profitable. The best selling prints are the ones featuring a popular chips and hotdog booth.. and a seagull with a mouthful of fries. One was earned an about $1000 so far. All this is to say.. although I’d starve as a full time artist.. there’s room to make money just painting and selling locally. All fun.. no hassles.

[@GuyGoodwin-l4q]

I’m retired and have sold 3’x4’ paintings for $1000.. but now I almost always paint 8”x10” that are priced at $200. Why so small? Call it a matter of impatience. 2 or 3 hours is in keeping with my attention span. Another reason is the cost of frames. Matted and framed.. Walmart.. at a cost of $12. I only promote my originals on 2 Facebook sites that focus on my community of Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada.. so the exposure is limited to about 2 days and the audience is limited. But I also sell 8”x10 prints and they’ve been profitable. The best selling prints are the ones featuring a popular chips and hotdog booth.. and a seagull with a mouthful of fries. One was earned an about $1000 so far. All this is to say.. although I’d starve as a full time artist.. there’s room to make money just painting and selling locally. All fun.. no hassles.

[@AbstractArt813]

As an emerging artist, I had learned so much from reading your comments here. Thanks to all of you for sharing your experiences, Jose from Tampa.

[@riafernandes2893]

I attended Slew’s show on opening day. It was nicely set up. I went downstairs where the merch shop in hopes to buy a print, but there was none. He was selling a hoodie, a tote bag and a book mark. I have plenty of hoodies and totes so I purchased a book mark to show my support. I really wish Slew offered prints of his work as an affordable alternative since I’m not in a position to purchase one of the paintings.

[@erinskilbrei]

Yes! I'm an artist, and I almost only sell prints. I sell originals maximum once a month.

[@LaurenOliviArt]

Prints are so important !

[@eobardthawne5246]

How to scan huge paintings so prints can be made?

[@AileenBaker]

A note about varnish: there are other sheens available, they dont have to be glossy! I use a matte varnish myself, but there are also different application methods you can use to tone down the sheen on a gloss varnish (e.g., re-brushing once tacky, using a sprayer, etc.). Varnishing is really important to stabilize against UV rays, but also to create a barrier for general environmental grime. Makes cleaning the painting in the future much safer against paint loss.

[@Entropyyyyyyy]

I thought it was interesting Alpay doesn't like it, because another thing varnish does is equalize the depth/richness/vividness of all the paint and make it look like all of it is evenly wet, which is at least how I intend the painting to look once it's done. Certain spots, even in the same area can totally change color and value once it's dry and doesn't look like you meant it to anymore. Once you varnish it it brings it back. I guess oiling out could technically do something close but I've still had it get chalky and dry after that too.

[@petersenesac8102]

Also he's showing us the paintings in a room multi light directions the varnish painting he's showing is still wet so that's why it's so glossy.

[@Zabvenie]

Exactly. And while Alpay does say it's his preference, they're both direct painters, not traditional academics, so their work doesn't benefit from the glossiness and light penetration that indirect painting does. So it's really important to understand your medium and working style to make choices that are best for your work, because it doesn't apply to everyone.

[@RA-ly2yp]

@@Zabveniei Will Google it but what is direct/indirect painters? And how does traditional academics paint? English is my second language so I do not know all niche terms 😅

[@ognoface437]

Thank u , I was like wat his he talkin bout

[@jimjimgl3]

Artists like this young man are, in my opinion, a dime a dozen. I know this seems harsh but people who are represented by NYC galleries are at the top of their game. His success seems to be his KZbin channel and I think he might have had KZbin posts in mind when coming up with this idea for have a "gallery" show in a rented space in Tribeca. Hats off to him to spend the time and money (and have the balls) to pursue the idea of a show. But if I was walking down the street and looked inside the gallery and had no idea who the artist was I would have just kept walking. I actually might have thought it was a student group show. The work was completely scattered both thematically and technically. Some artists are technically brilliant, some have compelling stories and some have both. Right now I think he has neither. I went to school for fine art (painting) but after two years assessed my skill level and changed my degree. But to this day I still paint and sell my work but because I know how demanding and rigorous the NYC art crowd is I would never rent a space and expect to suddenly sell a bunch of paintings. It just isn't how the gallery world works. My first job out of college was working at an art gallery on West 57th Street and have friends who have devoted their lives to fine art and I see the struggles (and successes--one friend has had representation at a mid-tier gallery for years and just now is seeing success. The Met has bought a few of her works) they have and their level of expertise and craftsman ship and thematic continuity are just so much greater than where this young man is at the present. I'm not sure he will ever be a successful fine artist but he seems successful at KZbin and I think he had one eye on the show and one eye on the content he could create by announcing his show.

Indeed, bro needs to research on how the art world really works. Great comment.

[@chrissgchriss]

People need to get more positive feedback like this. Well written. Instead of the old. - you can do anything. There are no rules.

[@cherylroberts1839]

I absolutely agree, the price was the issue, the exhibition guests were all friends, family and followers, they don't have $5000 to spend on a piece of Art, especially if they've flown in to support you, in the Uk we do a "soft" opening of an exhibition with friends and family etc, there's no prices up and everyone is aware that there's no expectation to buy, its a sneak peak for people who are close to you and have supported you, then the full opening night happens complete with price listings with local patrons of the Arts, the Mayor, local radio , TV personalities, hotel owners etc, your guest list is full of people who can afford those big ticket items but also can talk about your exhibition to their audiences and their friends and colleagues and if any of your soft opening guests want to come back then of course they're very welcome 😁

[@DerBingle1]

No matter how far up painter mountain you get, friends and family will never buy your work, nor should they. Just be generous with your talent and give it to them. Good karma in the bank.

[@k.barber3413]

I agree a show where your core audience is friends and family are fun, but you're not going to make a lot of sales. Also, the prices should have been about half or a third of what they were. Lastly sales are down in many places right now, everything is so expensive, people are cutting back on art spending. Many of my artist friends are feeling the loss...

[@DerBingle1]

Prices for that dungeons and dragons crap should have been in the low hundreds. Thousands is crazy. But that kid's family is very rich so he didn't need the money anyway.

[@DerBingle1]

@@k.barber3413 The point was to make the video. The kid's family is pretty rich. He'll never have to work a day in his life and he can play at being an "artist."

[@DerBingle1]

Those things should have been priced between $50 and $175. It's utter crap. But the point was to make the video.

[@slayer12234]

Hes a better youtuber than artist. Not to say he's bad but the popularity comes from his entertaining and well made youtube content not his art. Not trying to be a hater since I actually like his channel a lot and watch his vids.

[@user-td2lg1fl6h]

Correct. KZbinr > Artist. I dont see gehardt richter, jenny saville, cecily brown wanting to be youtubers. There’s nothing wrong with being a KZbinr, but honesty is very important and if calling balls and strike is considered mean, then continue living in a self delusion where people can’t handle feedbeck and the world is what is wrong, not them.

[@MrArtton]

I totally agree with you , about the pricing , he ,s good but not that good ! Im a painter myself so i know what im talking about , its also for a niche market and i don,t see cohesie in his work , your work is also niche , but from a higher level in my opinion 👍🏻🙏🏻😉

[@axleochidae2853]

Yes man, elite collectors don’t want to pay big $ for KZbin illustration paintings.

[@DiegoB0525]

You worded it better than I could. I was going to leave a similar comment, but I didn't want to deal with people's drama 😂

[@Kliffot]

@@MrArtton Idem. As a youtuber he's ok but sorry his work is really average ( mediocre I should say... ), the prices proposed by Alpay Efe were actually very generous. Feels the dude made a gamble and hoped he had some fan followers with deep pockets.

[@Haddepe]

I think a big part is also promotion of the exhibition, as he said in the video a lot of the people that come here family members, friends and students of this class. You typically don't sell your art to your family and friends (especially students that typically don't have much money). I don't know what he have done to promote this events but the hardest part is to find clients (promote your work to the right audience). And yeah the price is also a part of the problem especially for the small painting.

[@cloudsofsunset7323]

exactlyyy

[@cheeseburger347]

Appreciate the friendship displayed in this video.

[@popesuavecitoxii2379]

With a friend like this who needs enemies...

[@dezkarcy]

To put yourself out there and be honest about the results is tough. How many KZbinrs do we see inflate numbers and sales to lure a bigger audience. Regardless of your taste in art, this approach and honesty should be valued. 🤘🏾🤘🏾🤘🏾

[@Handotr]

I followed him up through the show. I don’t know him personally but I was extremely proud. A young man putting it all out there. I wish him nothing but success.

[@Chalis222]

Reason the prices were ridiculous ? It's so that he could convince himself it was the price that put people off, not the quality of the artwork. If they hadn't sold at 150 dollars he'd have his answer and he's probably not ready to hear it.

[@holynationclub]

I think this type of art, what I call “oddly specific,” is hard to sell. It’s not about how well it’s painted, how long it took, or even how big it is. People buy paintings when they make them FEEL a certain way, and they like that feeling and want that feeling reignited every time they look at those paintings. My theory is that nobody bought any of his paintings because they either didn’t feel anything they wanted to or felt something they didn’t like. When I look at his paintings, I feel uncomfortable. I can still appreciate the skill, colors, and technical things that went into their creation, but I would not want his giant portrait where he looks like a king on my wall or the weird-looking faces; I find them disturbing, and I wouldn’t want them for free. Sorry. I prefer art that makes me feel peace, love, joy, etc.

[@jaywillingham4085]

Absolutely. I want to be able to just stare at a piece on my wall that makes me feel glad I bought it. Not something that on first glance, I feel "off" over. I love pop art and even more illustrative looking pieces, but nothing about his work, regardless of how well done, malese happy.

[@unseriouspainter]

I was looking for a comment like this. I feel like a lot of people in these comments focus too much on how skilled or not skilled he is. But almost daily we see examples of people that would not be classed as "skilled" in terms of their technique or how perfect they can draw a hand sell paintings for a lot higher prices than this. But for me these paintings really didn't make me feel anything. I look at it and it looks like a painting version of a dollar store poster (might sound super harsh but you know what I mean). I just think this was the biggest issue, the paintings lack personality and doesn't make us feel anything special when looking at it.

[@marye8624]

some of it is downright ugly

[@forrest603]

Alpay, thanks for sharing this. The video offers a grounded, realistic perspective. Watching Slew go through this, I couldn’t help but see myself-it’s exactly what I would do in his shoes. I can’t even begin to imagine his disappointment; it hit me hard knowing he didn’t sell anything. Honestly, I’d be at home crying. There’s a lot to unpack here. While I haven’t had my first official show yet, I’ve learned a bit about the “art business” over the years and how challenging it can be to navigate. For instance, working with galleries often comes with the caveat of them taking a large percentage of your sales. As an artist, you naturally want to receive a fair value for your work, but achieving that balance can feel elusive. Maybe there’s room for more discussion or advice on these topics-how to price your work fairly, taking into account factors like location, the demographics of your audience and the show location, what others in the area are pricing at, and even how to structure the show itself. For artists just starting out, where do you find resources or support to set up a show like this? It also reminds me of what the iconic designer Halston once said in an interview: your art isn't worthy anything unless someone important believes it is. Warhol echoed a similar sentiment, essentially advising artists to cultivate relationships with wealthy, influential friends-go out, drink and talk about your work, and get them to talk about it too. This approach helped them set price points in an almost self-fulfilling way. While that era was decades ago, I can’t help but notice similar dynamics still in play today-especially in high-profile art hubs like NYC. Pieces like a banana taped to a wall or a single brushstroke on a canvas, or random splatters of paint can sell for outrageous sums, largely due to the social capital and exclusivity surrounding the work. It’s fascinating, but also a little disheartening and insulting, as so much of it seems tied to connections and exclusive social dynamics rather than solely the merit of the art itself. I wonder how emerging artists can break into or navigate these networks without losing their authenticity.

[@ringsroses]

A thing that gets forgotten in the social side of it is that appreciating art requires connecting to it. There's obviously a cynical side to cultivating "the right" connections with collectors but it's also just, when there are so many creative people that you could support, sometimes there's a need to connect more deeply than you might in a gallery (online or offline) setting where some brief words describing the work don't necessarily mean as much as a few words with the artist might. My father always got commissions when people talked with him. People loved his unusual life story, point of view and how many creative mediums he worked with. The work itself wasn't usually enough and a short bio didn't convey the charisma. But, it can be discouraging to need to give so much above and beyond the skills you develop.

[@sonyadeantonio]

This needs to be pinned. This is really the only reason he didn’t sell anything. People in the comments have no idea how exclusive art collectors and galleries are. Slew’s paintings are good

[@quenuk]

Thank you for speaking on this topic & for leaving the comment section open for discussion. I know this is a sensitive topic because Slew is such a well liked KZbinr and active member & contributor to the art community. I have learned a lot from the discussion.

[@AlpayEfe]

I almost regret it now seeing so many people casually spread so much negativity here…

[@quenuk]

@@AlpayEfe I understand what you´re saying however I find it highlights the numerous and different perspectives on the value of art pieces. The discussion is valuable on many levels whether artist´s have sold out an exhibition or sold nothing and anything in between. I give you credit for making a video on the subject. It makes it clear how complex it is for an artist to find their place in the art world.

[@jayviz5304]

I agree about the negativity, it’s too harsh but i really learned a lot from this comment section. Thank you

[@AFAskygoddess]

I'm an artist and a former antique dealer. The latter endeavor taught me that not everyone is going to like what I sold. Not everyone is going to value what I was selling. The same goes for art. You can paint what will sell, or you can paint what you love and *hope* your target market falls in love, too. But don't plan on that. EVERYTHING in life is a choice. Choose wisely.

[@jennefer24]

Nice comment. I share the same opinion.

[@vitaliyjuterbog8912]

"We are going to walk through the stages of grief, then learn to get humble."

[@LaurenOliviArt]

It would be awesome to have prints! I’m sure so many people would have bought those. $50 a pop or something around that. Prints are so amazing!!!!

[@Tall_Greg_Art]

Yeah prints make more than originals when done right. I love open edition prints. Sell the hit forever.

[@TheDerangedBlood]

I've thought a lot about this actually. I love Slew, his channel is amazing. In regards to the art show, there was no clear theme or continuity of style. In art school they would often say, make them cry and they will buy. People want paintings that make them feel something and there are others who just want huge colourful paintings to take up a large space in their home. I think if he takes all the knowledge he has gained over the years and paint a world people can relate to he will grab their attention. I struggle with this in my own artwork. When you have so many interests and ideas, it is difficult to sit down and stick to one theme. I would like to see him create 6 paintings of one subject all relating to each other and see what happens. I gasp at the prices. Just to add, my favorite work of his are the girls without heads in different color combos.

[@kidroid2317]

As an artist who's had numerous art shows, I can tell you there are two types of people that go to art shows: art enthusiasts and art buyers. If only art enthusiasts are showing up, you won't sell any pieces no matter how low the prices are. Furthermore, buyers will purchase art that either moves them or has investment value (ie, made by a known artist that has market value). If you're an unknown artist, your work has to emotionally move people to expect any sales.

[@SteveK139]

Been following SLEW for a couple of years. LOVE this guy and his art.

[@ChuckLeeMBM]

I struggle with pricing, and a lot of this made sense to me. Both you and Slew are super talented and I cant wait to see whats next!

[@changeofpaceart9700]

Okay but the Medusa painting for 15k is what got me. If you don’t want to sell something, don’t mark it for sale 🙃

[@mf--]

There is also the concept of setting the expectation which makes the other paintings "a deal" in contrast. He needed to advertise for millionaires to come.

[@lindatannock]

That's more than Johnny Depp charges for one of his very large original pieces! (Not his limited prints). He's way more well known as a personality (and now professional artist), and has been doing art for over 40 years! He currently has a huge art exhibition/show in NY that's run for at least 2-3 months, and he's signed with a big gallery in the UK that sells his art. I personally love his art style, and bought one of his limited edition signed screen prints around a year ago. They're beautiful quality too, and look expensive.

[@KarMa-ws3ll]

@@lindatannock omg you are right. Even quite big paintings of him.. Also: You can RECOGNIZE his personal style basically instantaniously. They dont look like someone downloaded them from a poster store.

[@XMGi00]

He seems like a better content creator than an artist TBH

[@kcirful]

I live in NYC and have an artist background. I'm sorry that the artist did not get the validation that he wanted and spent so much to put on his own show. His prices were not high by any standard, they were cheap! The art was skillful but lacked mature content, that was the problem. ( No one was saying that they are moved to the point by his art that they had to have one.) Plus, self representation in coop galleries are often a failure as far as sales go. It's better to have representation through galleries who will market your work.

[@stephenmorton8017]

His prices were high for my standard. In fact they were exorbitant for sticker art. That's what they reminded me of. Stickers. Not that there's anything wrong with that! They just don't look like paintings.

[@q13studio82]

The prices may be an issue, but, for me, the question is, why would I like portraits of the artist in diffrent situations? The subject matter doesn't call my attention. Sorry for the criticism.

[@jm7804]

No one wants that. It doesn't show great technical ability or innovation in any way whatsoever.

[@creativecolours2022]

That is what I've said in another comment. Portraits are the most difficult to sell type of paintings because no one is going to buy someone else's portrait unless this portrait is some sort of masterpiece of an Old Master. Most people commission their own portraits or that of their family. Only collectors buy other people's portraits but they buy only portraits made by already well known and established artists as an investment. Not because they are going to put someone else's face their home as a decoration. Now exhibiting a whole series of portrait's and on top of that the face of the artist himself is the recipe for sales disaster.

[@awrekone]

I would say he should’ve done more small affordable paintings and have one big painting as your main show piece. Big paintings are hard to move unless you have big collectors who have the space for it. Also this year was really hard on many galleries and artists for sales.

[@NativeIntelligenceCheckMyDJmix]

love this video within a video. i price my work at $1.00 per square inch for friends and family and personal sales and double that at 2 dollars a square inch for galleries which will take half. so my 36x36 inch gallery canvas go for $1,300 or gallery priced at $2600..not bad. i'm a beginner and unknown and this is working for me so far. thanks for video from both artists

[@mikemaxwell2591]

You are one of my favorite artists and have been for years already. I think you are absolutely correct on the prices. I think most prints by many are overpriced as well. Slew is out there doing it and will continue. Life is a learning process and you will inspire him too. You make great videos and this is great as well.

[@EyekooDrawsStuff]

I appreciate seeing such a supportive video toward another artist on KZbin. Exactly as you say, it's a LOT of hard work that goes into a putting a gallery show together. And that along with the courage that it takes to really put yourself out there with an exhibition, it is something to be celebrated and respected, for sure. I do agree that those prices were quite steep from my perspective. The other thought I had was that the different genres and eras of his art were all mixed among each other, rather than grouped together by clear theme or approach or time period. But this is just from what I saw in the video, and not reading long wall-sticker text. Perhaps they were more linked than it appeared, but to me seemed a bit all over the place. I still think it's awesome what he did. Looking forward to see what he cooks up for the next one.

[@inb4230]

i came across slew a few years back, saw a couple videos and didn't felt the need to watch any more, not because he doesn't look like a nice guy but because he's simply not GOOD, someone has to say it, he's not good technically, he's not good creatively and he lacks so many art fundamentals that you SHOULD know coming out of art school..I won't even mention those graffiti head type paintings(I'd blast 20 of those with a couple cans in 10 minutes)because that's something 90% of people would only collect from a trash can to paint over, but his portraiture is simply weak, his finished paintings are what i would call a first layer to establish my tones and masses , it lacks depth, detail, sharpness, separation. i am a tattoo artist,I do a lot of realism and we have no 2nd chance at it, no glazes no I'll look at it tomorrow with fresh eyes and I'd be embarrassed to let a client out of my studio with something that resembles his work. sorry but the truth will let you free, if you want to grow take a look at your work every single day and compare it to the people that sell their work in minutes and see what you're lacking, in slew's case, A LOT,and seeing how little he improved in all this years implies to me the I'm already out of this world good so why should I study any more kind of artist. Look at the centaur girl thing whatever,(that's the only one i bothered to look at for 10 seconds),there are so many flaws overall in that piece alone that anyone that knows anything about art will find what they need to know about him right there, that's the type of stuff you should be doing BEFORE going to art school,just pause at 8:09,the face is something i would draw as a small kid, feet and hands especially the fingers where YOU KNOW it's where everyone is gonna look after the face,the warm tones on her are way over saturated, some contradictory to the light source and if you're doing a character doing nothing just staring at camera at least make him look like he belongs in the environment it's in(since she's stuck in the middle of a golf course😂 you'd think some of that green would bounce back on her right?),instead dude gives her a warm (boiling!) light source on the body and a cold one in the face and horns,light source coming from the upper left yet the drop shadow from the body looks like it's coming from behind.That's why he didn't sell anything, and YOU KNOW IT

[@larryj1048]

Ouch! Well you certainly gave him some things to think about!

[@inb4230]

​@@larryj1048sorry man,it might be painful for him but it has to be said and that's pretty mild compared to what I had to listen(still do sometimes!)about my artwork, the thing is I was always my biggest critic and take it as fuel. After 30+ years making all kinds of art, graffiti, airbrush,traditional/digital painting, tattooing, I'm yet to look back at one of my pieces and saying"that's perfect I wouldn't change a thing " and some of those won conventions against hundreds of artists from all over the world. He improved NOTHING in several years,and that's adding to the fact that he wasn't that good out of art school, I don't know where he went to school but I rarely met anyone that graduated with such a poor level, he's lacking fundamentals you learn first year.Tell me what did I get wrong

[@Pulapaws]

I wish I can like thousand more. I have a friend that make the most beautiful oil painting ever. He only have a BS degree but he never want to art school just plain art at a college. He at pro level with his oil paintings the text of his brush stokes when you walk up to his art is amazing to me. He have a business doing art for business like cards, shirts, etc. However I been trying for years to get him more into his oil paintings on the side. He told me he don’t like to oil paint and that is clear as he don’t fo as many pieces. But when his business was beyond slow he sold a lot of his artwork pass 500 dollars a piece without selling to family or friends didn’t even told me he was selling his art :-( and I would have love to pay one. He give me his junk piece for free and I happy with that. Have it on my wall and people came in asking about it. So if you good with the subject, the lighting, the colors, the way it makes you feel as you look at it it will sell and sell fast. He get people that just come in his shop asking about his oil painting on his walls and be wanting to buy them. I wish I could get him to paint more you don’t see pure naturally taint like that. I do understand painting do take a lot of work and it hard to part with your painting when it comes to selling them. Doing mech and other things is a more quicker sell, less time, lot less effected, and a more stable income as a artist. A good tip I also see if you own a shop or you have friends that own a shop hang up your paintings there. You can naturally get a lot of buyers. My aunt hang my painting in the nursing home and the people will ask all the time about the painting and when they found out I painted it they told me how nice it was and even tried to pay it. I was a teenage. So give your painting to people that have a business with high foot traffics can begin a customer base for yourself. Start small than grow big.

[@emmaphilo4049]

He is not bad. His art is ok and will please potential buyers. Only the pricing was really wrong I totally agree. A small quite basic painting of a hand holding a sword is ok and will attract some people, but not at that price even if you've put it in a beautiful expensive frame!

[@kevinabasolo6121]

@@Pulapaws hi, can you tell me what his page name is

[@user-kd4ng4sc9m]

alpay, both you and slew are my favorite art youtubers. i've been watching both of you from around late 2019 when i started to paint :) love it how he invited you to judge in his contest and now it's funny that you're making a video about him

[@VaivaToo]

I'd love if you spoke about art pricing more in the future. Great video!

[@ciskid23]

I think it’s the art, sure it was expensive but how many ppl want a cyclops on the wall.

[@angelbedolla347]

No, it was the pricing.

[@ciskid23]

That your opinion, I paint and been inspired by Alpay, TenHundred, Cbabi bayoc, and I never wanted anything on my walls like his work. How many cyclops are hanging on your wall?

[@jm7804]

People who work at Gamestop want a cyclops on their wall. Not exactly the folks who have 5k to spend on a painting.

[@DerBingle1]

The art was childish crap.

[@manualfair]

thank you for this honest overview... I think that both pricing and subject matter played a big role. well said! Nevertheless our success is also determined by our journey. This was was a beautiful journey on SLEW's life. I hope he will come back stronger then ever and with more skills to show for...

[@stephenmorton8017]

Pricing and subject matter being pretty much everything.

[@DanielBerberich]

Would highly recommend trying a satin varnish! It is the most beautiful thing! No glare whatsoever!

[@lisafox4795]

Can you please to share what brand or kind of satin varnish you use. Also is there no differemce for oil or acrylic paintings which varnish tonuse?

[@reiniergamboa]

I think he used a satin varnish... still has glare just not as much as high gloss

[@angelomariano9494]

@@lisafox4795 GAMVAR satin finish, by Gamblin is the best.

[@larryj1048]

I use satin varnish and it does have some sheen to it. Halfway between Matte and Gloss is...Satin.

[@MarcinKebsMielczarek]

Most of painting that I sold where small paintings sold on mittlealtermarkts (medieval style events in Germany) and local markets organized by some small museums. Recently I had some bigger commissions but only because some saw my work live on those events. Most of my small commissions are portraits of relatives and pets. And I love painting them there is nothing bad in painting someone’s dog or uncle. Social media is good for marketing but if you don’t put yourself in local events i doubt that you can sell your art only online.

[@cloudsofsunset7323]

agree

[@douglasriddle6447]

I enjoy most of Slew's videos and he does work hard at building a community. He has technical skills, but I think his choice of subject matter holds him back; there is art out there for every taste, but it doesn't always sell.

[@HankHillspimphand]

his comments are what i think is toxic positivity. all positive and no honesty and truth. "15k...bro really?" i like him ALOT but he said he didnt expect them to sell? that just not true slew mate. you dont spend like maybe $10,000+ with private security, flying out you mom to just celebrate your art journey. maybe his ego and what his friends thought its worth?? they should be 25%? . then if they all sell you make more raise the price and keeping going untill you find the real cost. also KZbinr fans, friends and family doesn't really matter as they probably wont be buying art in a exhibition in NYC. i say this as a fan of him and think he is a great guy. also spending days on one painting, getting everything perfect, that you worked you heart in doesnt mean its of anymore value than a simple rough painting. i sold one piece for 10$ an hour that took me 12 hours and one rough watercolor which took me 30 mins which would be 280$ an hour. value is subjective in art. that what makes is so hard.

[@lindakaragozian8051]

I 100 percent agree with you Alpay. I myself am a wildlife artist and there is NO greater appreciation of your artwork than a sale. !

[@stephenmorton8017]

What did you think about the complete lack of backgrounds in a lot of those paintings?

[@MelakKhaleelArts]

This is such a syperficial approach to art. My husband and my family are my biggest fans and supporters. Yes they've commissioned little things from me way back when, but the pieces that I make for my career and what I experiment with, pieces that I know may be too graphic for them at times to have in their homes, these pieces, are often their favourites! Just because they did not purchase it from me, it does not make them love it or appreciate it any less. when 50 people love the work just as much but only ONE of them is capable of making a purchase, it doesn't negate the love of the 49 other people. Money and possession are sepeate aspects to loving the arts

[@lindakaragozian8051]

@@MelakKhaleelArts I said the greatest appreciation not any appreciation....

[@lindakaragozian8051]

@@stephenmorton8017 Sometimes minimal is better, I think it depends on the subject matter. Being a wildlife artist it requires a decent background most of the time or else it looks like a portrait. I do have several animal portraits usually on commission.

[@stephenmorton8017]

@@lindakaragozian8051 i thought this artists lack of backgrounds was glaring. wildlife art notwithstanding. there is a lot of latitude as to backgrounds in your field. (get it?) lol.

[@nicholasbazarow4135]

Price doesn’t match the quality of work. Simple as that .

[@stephenmorton8017]

I was thinking by about a factor of 100.

[@TheClassicalSauce]

@@stephenmorton8017 Sadly I think the frame is worth more on most of his paintings.

[@DerBingle1]

Should have been a couple hundred at the most. $5,000? I'm laughing. NO ONE wants that dungeons and dragons bs at any price. You can download and print it yourself for free.

[@dennisschultz9180]

I would urge every artist to read 17 dollars a sq foot by Forrest Fenn, a former gallery owner who was best friends with Eric Sloane. When Sloane asked how Forrest priced his art, Forrest told him 17 dollars a sq foot. Sloane was shocked and took over the pricing of his art for a year. Soon, there was a stockpile of art not selling because the prices were too high. His income dropped so much that he told Forrest to price it how he was before. It did not take long before the market set the higher price. I befriended Forrest Fenn six weeks before he passed in 2020, what a great man. The one thing all artists should know is FULL-COLOR ADS, your art must have a story to be a story, it is the story that sells.

[@prchkkizhe7]

I would agree about the necessity of a story. However, I would go further: not only should there be a story (no matter how vague) but that the story should inform us in some way about the human condition in our century. The work that I have seen of almost every KZbin artist no matter how skilled, tells us nothing about our contemporary world. And as for this fantasy world... bof!

[@stephenmorton8017]

Well now his story will be that he didn't sell a single painting in his first show. I had a sculpture instructor in community college and he had a public sculpture that was hauled away to the scrap yard by the city workers. That became his story. That's how I remember him.

[@paintingsofwaves_mikewoning]

Square foot or square inch??? $17/ft2 is ultra cheap unless maybe you are doing huge ass murals. I get that pricing art based on size makes a certain kind of sense. At the same time, ‘area’ does not seem to be a logical parameter (to me) because of the quadratic relationship… either your small work is dirt cheap, or you large work becomes crazy expensive.

[@unseriouspainter]

@@paintingsofwaves_mikewoning book is called Square Inch. Square foot wouldn't even cover the cost of the canvas.

[@paintingsofwaves_mikewoning]

@@unseriouspainter Yes, that makes sense.

[@eenkjet]

Pro artist here. This isn't a good show. Even if a retrospective, why 'retrospect' using pieces that aren't even viable? It's a charade. If a retrospective, it would start with the first successful series that "started it all out". We don't have an "it all" yet. The work isn't ready.

[@mundosanto]

You just said the magic work, “series” His work is way too inconsistent to appeal to an audience or to make his paintings collectible. It feels like shooting at different places to see what hits and that’s not appreciated among people who can afford to spend thousands of dollars in art.

[@DerBingle1]

The thing was to make the video. That dungeons & dragons crap is so played. Back in the 90s you used to see it in coffee house priced for $100 or so...and it never sold.

[@popesuavecitoxii2379]

Your comment should be at the top

[@valentineokoye2073]

Why are you so harsh? Did u assist him in anyway to organize his exhibition? "Pro Artist" you say... Well it's clear you are not an artist, I have gone through your profile. Next time try to be more constructive in your critique. The young man did his best and put his heart out, u can give pointers and not to kill his creative spirit.

[@eenkjet]

@@valentineokoye2073 I'm doing okay as an artist. I just sold a piece for $60k. I keep busy. Nothing was harsh about my comment. And I was constructive. We don't retrospect on a thing that hasn't happened.

[@popesuavecitoxii2379]

I'm not surprised at all, he went to Art Basel in Miami at least twice and failed to sell his work there too. I used to follow SLEW's channel but unsubscribed when he left Connecticut and moved to New York to become a clout chaser. He seems to idolize Proko, not for the art skill but for his monetary success. The difference between SLEW and Proko is that Proko spent years building up his skills and using his skills to help others. SLEW has not even come close. Nothing he creates is genuine because he doesn't care about art, only money. His work is empty and looks like generic stickers you can find at Claire's or some other kid's store. None of it is appealing because he has no true thoughts or feelings behind it. To make matters worse, he lives an a KZbin bubble and believes that his number of subscribers and likes is proof that he's great and floats his ego on it. The reason he failed isn't because his prices are too high, he failed because he's not an artist. He's a content creator. I'm surprised to hear a German like you being so avoidant instead of speaking directly to the truth of the matter.

[@dukedesouth]

It looked like a big prank for me, look at all this stuff and also Sunday guy...

[@handleOfThy]

This guy is not shitting on him so he can make some content out of the other dude's failure without hurting his feelings man

[@popesuavecitoxii2379]

​@@handleOfThyLMAO, yeah sure. That's why he posted a video about his friend's failures instead of simply emailing or calling him with advice. Get real.

[@adambanik]

Yep, the only problem is that he is not an artist. Not the prices.

[@lisasremnant]

🎯

[@angelomariano9494]

I am an artist in NY. From 2000 up to 2005 I sold several pieces for range between $5,000 and $10,000. They were large oil paintings, in an abstract expressionistic style, bought by corporations and hedge founders like Bill Ackman. After those years, (and after Lehman Bros on one side, and the internet art selling explosion on the other side) the NYC market changed a lot. Today, I will not be able to sell those kind of paintings for those kind of money.

[@XboxSpartan05]

The reason he didn’t sell is because he not a “Blue Chip” Artist. Art Agents, Gallerists, Critics, Auctioneers and collectors determine the art market, Incorrect ! The art market is determined by the big banking monopoly controlling the ArtPrice Research Agency and claims it uses a scientific formula to determined value, but constantly being manipulated buy big banks. Slew is considered a RED chip Artist “OUCH” please look up that term, I don’t have the heart to explain it… Slew “NEEDS” to get an ART AGENT so he can start racking up points on the ArtPrice Index. If you Mr. Mariano were selling at that point, maybe you were somewhere on that index at one point. I would definitely try to get a hold of an insider, and see what you need to do to level up… Artists go their whole careers not even knowing their a “RED CHIP”, or even knowing that’s bad. By the way, you didn’t hear this from me, SHISSSH🤫🤫🤫 1:53

[@WaverleyWanderer]

When you create art with the intention of selling it you need to ask yourself would you want this in on the wall in your house and would you be prepared to pay the asking price for it. The hours you would be willing to work to buy it might be less than the time it took you. If you are too poor to buy your own work may be it's too expensive.

[@AlpayEfe]

Very good point

[@mf--]

Seems like he needed to advertise to a wealthier market.

[@AFAskygoddess]

​@@mf--, he could advertise in the New York Times or Forbes magazine. That doesn't guarantee sales.

[@prchkkizhe7]

I have been a painter for over half a century. A quick painting takes me a year to paint. I have an unfinished painting that I started 15 years ago - I'll finish it eventually. I don't paint to sell. I paint for myself - these days, I paint pictures that I would absolutely loathe to sell...

[@zemrpereira]

I know he's your friend, but his works are not worth it.

[@DerBingle1]

The paintings are nothing. Second year art school. His thing is personality, videos on KZbin and cheap merch.

[@Ceddiez]

Price is definitely a factor that didn't let him sell anything. But I also believe his art needs a specific kind of buyer. His artwork is beautiful but I don't think just about anyone would like to have it. Even with the huge canvases, where there is a lot of empty space or just a solid color that makes it (in my personal opinion) less valuable. Other people might really love that type of art but there is a limit to how much people are willing to spend on art given the state of the economy worldwide (plus AI art and other influences like that).

[@IamMaiLan]

I think your right. and props for your appreciative, calm, and considerate criticism.

[@maloghurst2741]

Most people see ART as an investment. This being his first show people see purchasing the art as “getting in on the ground level”. Would have been better to get his art into circulation. So yes prices were too high. Feels like a missed opportunity. But also great to see the bright side and that overall the experience was a win.

[@Elminyo]

A painting must tell a story, both in the foreground and in the background, to successfully sell. SLEW has failed to sell even a single piece likely does so because the foreground is the only element of interest, while the background is a flat, monochromatic color. This indicates that the artist lacks a clear understanding of what to include in the background and has carelessly opted for a dull color. The overall presentation of SLEW`s exhibition resembles that of a student at a year-end conference rather than a professional artist. In fact, 99% of such artworks are virtually unsellable. No one is going to purchase canvases that look like "Elf Self-Portrait," "Self-Portrait as a Knight," "Self-Portrait in the Style of Rembrandt," or "Some Painting on a Bright Orange Background." SLEW has yet to develop a unique style or consistency. Painting merely for the sake of painting, displaying everything without discernment. Just because some artists gain popularity on KZbin does not make their work marketable. A sellable painting tells a story while remaining free of superfluous details. Additionally, it's important to consider the pricing strategy. Anyone who believes that at a first exhibition in an affluent city, everyone will readily spend $5,000 on a painting is gravely mistaken.

[@pintandoconmoctezuma]

Exactly 💯

[@violent_world]

Exactly. KZbinr Artists are pretty lame tbh. He should of done a raffle and give all the paintings away. 😅

[@purpleway1713]

My first thought was that his paintings were too "clean", that tend to replicate a digital feeling.... 15k for something that has feeling of a print... huh

[@stephenmorton8017]

The lack of any backgrounds is what made them seem unfinished.

[@dead_lantern_gamer]

Haha saw my comment on slew's while you were scrolling. I think he had a ton of older work, basically work that had been up in the studio for years, he totally could of cleared out that inventory if stuff was in the 100s. He also had a 2 day show, so i dont think there was enough promotion and time for people to see it. Super interesting those prices dont sell in NY. A months worth of rent there is probably around $3000. Also having a ton of friends, family, and students there, arent nessicarily your big buyers either. The vinyl wording, just print out shipping label paper and stick it to the wall, will save tons of money. Looks like he put on an ambitious show for sure, interesting to see how other artists put on a show. I hope he sold a lot of books, and made a lot of ad rev from the vid.

[@mchlup]

As an amateur artist/do it as a hobby, I agree with you. If the prices were bwween $500-2000, he would have sold a lot of those paintings.

[@mchlup]

Between* Also, most professionals sell their stuff as prints for less money and make a killing off of that.

[@na_haynes]

But then he would have to justify exhibiting at that particular location.

[@stargazer3284]

There's something lacking about the art in general, including passion and originality. Just random artworks in different styles. Nothing memorable that would make anyone recognize the artist by any of his work. Prices didn't help either.

[@DerBingle1]

It's mechanical and formalistic. Screams "art school." You see that sort of thing all over and priced in the hundreds, not thousands....and it doesn't sell anyway.

[@teresaboone3226]

Alpay, thank you for highlighting Slews work. I've followed both of you for year. Words of wisdom. Much respect ❤

[@dashinvaine]

I'm glad to find another artist who is not keen on varnishing. I thought I was alone in this opinion. Most online painters seem obsessed with pouring (literally pouring!) as much varnish onto their paintings as possible. (Some restorers over-do it too, in my opinion). It's like looking at the painting at the bottom of a pond, by the time some of them have finished. I only bother with varnish if I am deliberately going for the old master look, but generally I don't like shiny, reflective surfaces on paintings. Varnish also means you can't go back and rework paintings later on. As for Slew, I think you're right it was his prices. I'm not sure if he was selling work online prior to the show but that ought to have furnished him with some idea of what people would pay for his pictures. His mix of styles may have counted against him, too. It's nice to be able to express different facets of one's personality, but buyers and collectors may prefer artists to have a consistent and recognisable style.

[@wishlist011]

I was always in two minds. I loved what varnishing did to the colours of the work. Bringing back some of the feeling that was there when the paint was still wet. But the reflections were a huge problem unless it was both flat and perfectly lit.

[@hiddentidesgaming]

This is why I've been starting to use Matte Medium! It allows reworking for later if you wanna add more layers (sadly only possible for acrylics, it smears watercolors, and of course you don't put water based over oil based)

[@JaeElle]

There are several varnishes that are removable which is nice. I prefer a matte finish, maybe satin finish at most. Even using satin I know it will be a challenge to photograph

[@coilt]

his art is empty. you can get angry all you want, i'm not bashing him or his art. i'm stating the fact. his art is empty. you can still sell art that is empty, plenty of artist do. but they sell something esle, not JUST art that is empty. there is also some story, or myth, or qualia - whatever - is attached to it. his art is either him, or some pretentious graphic that means nothing to no one.

[@user-td2lg1fl6h]

His video of his process is more interesting. He a more successful entrepreneur in this area.

[@DerBingle1]

It's mechanical and formalistic. Screams "art school." You see that sort of thing all over and priced in the hundreds, not thousands....and it doesn't sell anyway. Probably makes money being a KZbinr though. Stick to that.

[@liia9736]

To add to your description of 'empty': there's also the issue that it has a very online/digital feeling to most of his art on the wall.

[@DerBingle1]

@@liia9736 It's mechanical. Comic book art. There no emotion or feeling in it. And that's what art is about: emotion.

[@sondarandolph2551]

I noticed that his collection of paintings lacked cohesion. He should have stayed with one style. The collection looks as though it’s from a group of various artists.

[@muse3223]

Can't believe he did this in one of the most expensive cities.

[@H2o3G2a]

unpopular opinion but 99.9% of artists on youtube and tiktok make art that simply isn't good enough for a painting, let alone a few thousand dollar one. It all looks like stickers, digital art, "minimal" and all aesthetic, no soul and mediocre skills in comparison to what a painting should be. The whole art is everything philosophy is an excuse for weak artists.

[@reference2592]

Yeah. Most of it looks like 2000s DeviantArt children's fantasy stuff. I wouldn't want a video game elf on my walll even if it was free. It's not even a "maybe". If he tried to give it to me for free, I'd firmly say no. People with money for high end art don't want this.

[@neilclarkwork]

You’ll never get back the amount of money to equal the time you put into making art. Most people just don’t see the value. They have no idea what goes into the process. Figuring out a price for your art that people will actually buy usually equates to making less than minimum wage. You have to see the process of making and the joy of creation as it’s own reward and any money you make as a bonus. That’s how you remain positive and happy as an artist.

[@sherribrown294]

This ❤

[@j.navarro9976]

Harsh but true.

[@aaroncollins826]

You see just one problem: Too-high pricing. I see that problem too, plus multiple others, including broadcasting the show’s failure due to lack of demand at these prices for Slew’s art via a worldwide platform (his initial damaging video now magnified by yours, only reinforcing the undesirability). Whereas you say that anything goes, that is not true in the serious contemporary art galleries, where one is hard-pressed to find what appears to be fantasy genre art-not the typical concerns of the contemporary art world where high prices are modulated by curatorial rigor. Slew’s DIY approach is not rewarded by the art market because he isn’t trying to appeal to that market’s beliefs, mores, and behaviors. Like many others, he seems to think the contemporary art market will reward what are essentially a commercial illustrator’s bag of tricks. Fantasy genre art is viewed as nerd art. And as fantasy art goes, this is pretty tame stuff. The posted story is a crutch that cannot save the absence of compelling narrative content in the work itself. Where you see an admirably wide range of his concerns, I and the market see an unfocused and overstuffed jumble of overpriced work in a venue of no particular prestige. He should have hung about half the number of paintings and from only one subject. He would have appeared more committed to a vision and therefore more credible, if not more palatable. Context matters.

[@stephenmorton8017]

Failure and blight get a lot of clicks. Maybe that's what he was going for.

[@aaroncollins826]

@ Plausible theory. One can’t assume that a stated objective is in fact the real intent. But a worldwide flop has a stench that’s hard to shake. I can’t imagine an artist finding momentary clicks better than real success.

[@ANIGIOLETTO]

Half of it is his pricing, the other half is who came to the exhibition. There's a difference between friends and family and collectors of art.

[@MagatsuNimura]

I think this hits the nail on the head. I'd say, tho, that more than a half/half situation, we are dealing with a 70/30, where the main reason is money (hell, one of them is 15k), and the other reason is the people who came. He said there were some students and followers of the channel, so they are probably closer to potential buyers, than their family and close friends, but the price tags were really high for some of those pieces. @ct5625 also had a great take on the reason behind the lack of sales.

[@stephenmorton8017]

I agree. He priced them out of reach.

[@arcbrush]

I'm sorry, but that art barely looks student level. He'll get better in time, but that's just isn't worth a sale for that kind of money.

[@waltmorton1190]

II don’t think pricing was the problem. I think the issue lies with what he was selling. Slew’s art is lowbrow pop surrealist work, a style/movement popularized by Juxtapoz magazine. While this style has enjoyed considerable popularity over the past 25 years, only a handful of artists from the lowbrow scene (e.g., Mark Ryden) have emerged as true art stars. Over this 25-year period, the style has become saturated with content. Even the once-edgy galleries that sold this work successfully in the past (e.g., Jonathan LeVine in NYC, Merry Karnowsky in LA) now find it more challenging to sell, as the style no longer feels fresh or new. Juxtapoz-style art has often been a poor value for collectors, as the scene is flooded with work of modest skill. The repetitive kitty-cat pop content has become predictable and redundant. Additionally, pop surrealism caters to a very specific hipster-urban taste, making it less appealing to the majority of fine art collectors, who rarely build entire collections around this style (though there are exceptions). It might seem harsh to say, but if Slew had showcased these pieces in 1991, they would have felt fresh, original, and even shocking. Today, however, after decades of pop surrealism, they come across as vanilla-safe and ordinary. That said, Slew is clearly a young artist with plenty of energy and enthusiasm. One hopes that, in time, he will discover a more personal and unique niche in terms of style and content.

[@korukiwiarts]

I believe pricing will be my biggest challenge. Some of my largest paintings take six months or more to complete, as I pour immense effort and soul into each piece. Like you, I’ve sometimes given my artwork away for next to nothing, but art is my true passion, and painting brings me immense joy. The exhibition was truly impressive, and I wish them the best for your next show and many more successes in the future!

[@LiobaBrueckner]

I honestly can't understand the negativity and pettiness in this comment section. Slew's paintings are beautiful, I loved the one with the hand holding a sword - it's an absolutely gorgeous piece of art! People are often just jealous and unhappy and use any chance they can to write something negative and judgemental.

[@PolarBear-rc4ks]

I disagree, and I don't see any negativity, only blunt honesty. As someone else wrote below, he's a better content creator than an artist.

[@robofurious]

Looks like that show was the reality check he needed

[@DJVARAO]

A self-promoted exhibition is a big issue. Good luck selling art outside the merchant and galleries circuits. One big issue in self-promoting is the lack of a curator. You can see very good paintings near amateur level ones. That sends the wrong message about the artist's work.

[@AlpayEfe]

One of my students organized an exhibition a couple months ago and sold half his paintings

[@realitycheck908]

For 5 usd

[@208amanda_martinez]

Thank you for all the inspiration!! I love your videos!

[@jamesbrown3239]

Idk, the guy seems nice but he also seems like his own worst enemy as a representative of his art. He set his own show up and that itself amazing. The sheer work and time as well as investment to do this is more than most people will understand or account for. Factor in the paintings and materials and the rental space as well as the helpers and yeah, it’s a big expense. But then look at the flip side, in NYC you have a large representation of collectors. I’m not sure understood the goal and point of the show. Was it for his ego? If so then maybe it halfway worked. But then not selling anything would seem a failure. Was it to broaden his market to people in NYC that might see his work and become collectors? Because that was a failure, unless it’s one of those approaches that showing his work enough times will eventually get someone to notice. But if you are going to put a show on in NYC you should know your audience, you should market accordingly and you should know your own work enough to know if it’s going to break through or just be seen as mediocre. He has technical ability, and I applaud his ability to see it through. That in itself is like 90 percent off the formula. But he clearly doesn’t understand the art market. People who really buy art do so for (3) reasons. 1) It sparks something in them. It has to capture something beyond a few moments of viewership that pushes them to make the decision to own it. 2) they see it as a appreciable investment. The art is nice enough to display but the artist is someone they feel they can. It only support but having on their wall is a bragging right. Art is only partially about the piece itself but really it’s about the pedigree and story of the artist themself. It’s reflective of them. They also want to know that if they drop a few $k on a piece of art that it will at least hold its value but hopefully appreciate a bit or possibly a lot. 3) presence and presentation. Artwork is something entirely different than anything else we consume / own / experience. The same work may change in how it’s perceived simple based on its moment in time, or by viewership and placement. But more importantly it may change in value by its context and where / who / why it’s being presented. A banana duct taped to a panel on the side of a road is worthless. But in a different setting it might fetch $100k. This artists work was lacking in each of these categories. What’s worse is that he effectively shoots himself in the foot with NYC collectors (imo) because he has now shown himself to be a) not sale worthy, b) his work has been presented in a way that makes it less appealing and c) it now sets a financial bar so low that people will expect less. Think about it. If his work didn’t sell at this event at this price why would anyone buy a piece for these prices going forward? Ok, not onto the last bit which is going to sound harsh but I don’t mean it to be. I enjoyed a few pieces, but they felt derivative and even then not of well chosen pieces. I loved the choices of color on the cyclops and the monotone choices. And I’m sure maybe those were maybe mid / early 2000’s pieces maybe? (Hopefully?) but they were not something that I think a colllector would appreciate nor purchase for anything beyond a few hundred (maybe $400 to $600). The bullhead and the sword / hand pieces were small and felt amateurish. Not bad for an artist but not something I’d be expected to purchase. Round is a hard shape to sell off the bat and a choice of shape that should be avoided unless you are a strong enough artist to make it by choice and it’s reflective and challenging to the viewer (thing the target logo lol). Neither piece felt compelling and a lot of the pieces felt simple in layout but also simplistic and safe in terms of theme and execution. None of these things will sell a piece of art, not on their own, unless the artist has a name recognition that will push it forward. Idk, I think he has some tools there but again, he’s his own worst enemy. Maybe he should take a few steps back, really look at his work and look at the works of people he really admires that are successful and see what they do and why and then, go change everything about his approach. He clearly has the motivation and his skills are enough that he can produce something that can reach people, but he should invest his time into better works and by all means stop with the current course and so something different. Lastly, as an artist you should always be thinking about doing something you love but also something that loves your collectors. You work should be worthy of being purchased at whatever cost and displayed. It should have enough depth and care that people 10, 15 , 30 years from now can look at it and enjoy it. If it’s not at that level then accept that about yourself and maybe keep a few pieces around to look at and grow from and paint over all the rest.

[@cloudsofsunset7323]

harsh, very harsh, but the last thing is so true. I heard this quote from Susan Somtag: "My body is not for me, is for others" My art comes from me, it's for others.

[@jamesbrown3239]

@ not trying to be harsh, but I am trying to speak truth so that it might help this artist but any artist as well. Let’s be completely honest and transparent here, I could simply walk away and say nothing. It’s always best to let someone else fail so that you can win. (Again that’s harsh but the truth). But, it’s unlikely that anyone will read or take my advice to heart, let alone apply it. The real best advice anyone could take that is entering the world of art as an “artist” is to ask yourself where you want to go and what your goals are and then sit down and really have someone honest tell you where your skill is at but more importantly if you have the real skills to make it. (And let’s be more clear here, being creative and having technical skill is maybe 30 percent of being successful). If I had to gauge this guy as an artist I would say he had enough technical skill to be 30 percent there. He obviously has some sort of following which should be helpful, but in the art world his following is likely not. It’s not enough to have people show up to an event and cheer you on but spend nothing. You can do that for free with cardboard art and you might even get some write ups and make a digital footprint for being eco sensitive or even original if executed in a clear way. When I see this guys show I see a lot of labor and tens years of work and it went splat. Now, what I would have done if I was him, was come in and vandalize the whole show, tossed it out and made it a bit of theater and invited everyone there to pick up good played sledge hammers and destroyed all of it. Maybe turned a few of the damaged pieces as “a summary of my first stage in art” and offered it up to gods of destruction”. (But the important part would have been to take some of the money invested and hired a marketer and tried to attract some of the gallery types to the event, if only to get a chance to destroy some mediocre art). That would show the artist to be self aware. To challenge the viewer to engage with the work in a unique way that they would never otherwise do so, and if anything hopefully be a unique experience that someone might walk away from and actually think of this guy for if they have a opening in their schedule later. (It wouldn’t hurt to hire a pr person if that type of event happened to try and get coverage into the right places and people). Anyways again, no one will read this let alone take notes so it’s mostly just musings into the void. I would like to jot his name down and see where he’s at in another ten years though.

[@cloudsofsunset7323]

@@jamesbrown3239 from your comment I learned two big things and for that I am so thankful. I wrote them down on my notebook. Just because it's harsh and I let you know, doesn't mean I don't appreciate it

[@Djoarhet001]

​@@jamesbrown3239 I very much like your take. The thing I was missing when seeing these brief glimpses of his exhibition was a story. Like the whole didn't really feel cohesive but a bit all over the place. Idk if it would have helped much but telling your story as an artist feels important. A very much believe that if you can truly tell your story, that people will pick up on that and the spark will happen. But I think for any artist, that's a challenge. To let go of expectations, restraints, convictions,... But also to show yourself, to make it yours. It's a brave thing to do. Picasso said it best: “It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.”

[@jamesbrown3239]

@ yes, a themed show helps guide people through, then again, there have been amazing shows without a theme. If it helps, I believe his theme was his collected works for 10 years. In this I am also opinionated. I don’t believe it helps at artist to show their growth to the public. If your work is strong enough to have a gallery pick it up and you’ve been in the gallery system of shows and doing your work that’s about maybe three to four shows at best. I don’t know that it merits a retrospective. Beyond that though I agree with your point. When I go to a “gallery” and I see a collective of works by various artists that are not part of a themed show (unless it’s a larger show or a museum of course) I tend to feel like it wasn’t curated responsibly or by someone with any taste. Which likely sounds bad, but it’s truthful. In nearly every instance the shows have looked amateurish and there was nothing that I would consider buying nor that looked better than something displayed at a Target / Walmart

[@lui1115]

exactly! regarding ur 99ppl commenting great things vs 1 person buying, remember in "the office" when pam was in her galery getting nice looks but no one was buying , she felt worthless, because even if ppl appreciated her art, they did not find worth in it. It wasn't until Michael Scott came in and told her he loved the painting so much he HAD to buy it , where she teared up upon finding someone who saw real value to her paintings.

[@laurawgarts]

I would say two factors affected his lack of sales. The subject matter is probably a bit of a distraction (not appreciated by everyone) for everyday art buyers and the price was just too high. He did a great job and I respect him as an artist.

[@jonahharpoon2]

I once put on a show of 30 pieces. Organised the room, date, transport, etc. Had a banging headache. Didn't sell one piece but hay ooh. Learning curve.

[@onixotto]

They are horrible. They look like color by numbers. Technic is poor. Lack of psychological nor emotional content. However these are not reasons not to sell any. People buy shit all the time. 🤔

[@artnonymuse]

Woah, I've been following you for many years, always thought your accent sounds familiar but couldn't quite place it. This is the first time I heard you mention Germany xD high five! And yes, SLEW is an incredible artist and youtuber and deserves respect and recognition for the insane amount of work, effort and dedication he pours into his creations.

[@wynngwynn]

Portraits don't really sell the highest in general unless the person knows the person etc. If you want an even tone but no shine they also make matte varnish. Just don't use too much.

[@SumerianArtist]

I completely agree with you, my friend. The price and subject matter, I might add. I’ve looked at most of the painting I could see, they’re well done and beautifully executed, the question is; is that enough?! My heart and support to the artist and I hope the next show will be a big sale success.

[@Makdaddy-q4y]

Right now in canada potatoes are $2.49 lbs. Chedddar Cheese $7.70lb. Cheap Steak $32.00 lb Small,picture of hand on hilt of sword from NY $4000.00 +$ 1500.00 shipping.

[@khicks72]

When I first watched Slew's video I thought the prices I saw were high, but he's in New York, so I thought that might be a reflection of that.

[@larryj1048]

For Slew, I admire that he has a ton of ambition. You need that to push through the tough spots where you wonder if being an artist is too big a dream. I attended a local art school around 1980, then after much struggle and many slow years built a career as a freelance illustrator and did that for 30+ years. I worked for many clients large and small, in many styles and techniques. Even today, now retired, my urge to create is strong and I continue to make paintings. The point I would make to Slew is it takes time to get good, let alone great. One of his obstacles is people comment on his channel that what he is doing is always great. Having positive reinforcement is great, but you can never lose that voice in your head that tells you that you can do better. A few other points are, having consistency in your work is important especially for a solo show. And work that looks like it's aimed at the skateboard set is rarely going to be lucrative, though there are exceptions. Also, straight realism is boring! The best way to progress in my opinion is to compare yourself to others, people who make the kind of work that feels most like you. And of course, if they are exhibiting in major galleries, that should tell you something. Look at a lot of art, experiment. Don't copy, but be a sponge. Try abstraction. It's liberating to not have a subject and need a model! I wish him luck on his art journey. He reminds me of me about 40 years ago.

[@grandmarquee]

I have literally given away all pieces but I'm by far a real artist, I am in the background still building up my studio and will probably start my own youtube channel when I get the balls. Took me 40 years to realize I think I like clay more than paint.

[@SMOENOVA]

If the customer does not want the gloss, I always love to put a matte finish on the artwork

[@jasonloader8149]

I arrived here by chance. Dont know the artist or this channel however I am a motion designer/3D artist by trade and have been working for 30 years. This is vacuous stuff - they're fairly competent representions of things - and that's it. They don't say anything, have no discernible style and reveal nothing of the creator. It's not art by any conventional standard. It's no surprise that he didn't sell a thing - he's not offering anything to the buyer. Art is more than paint on canvas but that's all he's presenting here.

[@VlPz9]

i remember watching this artist years ago and completely forgot about him:( thank you for find him again for me!!

[@zombierepublican]

Cost of living crisis. During times like these, luxuries like art often are first to take a hit

[@OtherworldNomad]

Really enjoyed your video and the positive input you gave!

[@ArtofClovis]

As an artist and business person i usually price my work like this. Free, dirt cheap then slowly raise by 50% after every 3 sales. because you can sell once for $5000 but if you cant sell consistently for that price then you outpriced yourself. Pricing is an art of matching market value(what your target audience are willing to pay for it) and what you want for it. you also have to balance demand. Supply and Demand = Price. (thats the simple formula. but i prefer just looking at demand and how many people are willing to pay at your current price.) most artists have a demand issue.

[@movestattoo4561]

I’m sorry but that’s a terrible way to price paintings. If you sell pretty much all your paintings every year you might raise the prices 5-10% in a year. 50% after every 3 sales means you charge tens of thousands for small paintings in a few years and that’s definitely not sustainable and will hit a wall quite fast.

[@ArtofClovis]

@ This will be long because it seems like I need to clarify a lot of the nuances of this idea of how to price if you focus on the other things I said in my comment you’ll notice i said but if you can’t sell consistently for that price then you outpriced yourself. I also mentioned the demand for your work at that price. And matching market value. I don’t JUST raise my prices every three sales. There is an art to it. But let me be specific. I started out selling my pencil sketches for $1 (where I come from that can get like 3 cans of Fanta) I was in school and was developing. After a few sales I would double my price because I also doubled my skill. (And the key is that I was under charging) so a year passed and I’m charging $100 (once again this was the average monthly salary of someone where I come from. So it was amazing money) at this point clients are abit harder to find and I’m getting some pricing objections. So i was hitting a point where the demand was okay and that price was also around my available market’s cap. So I kept my prices at that level. Until I could reach a market that gave me more demand offering a higher price. The main point of the strategy is to get feedback from the marketplace and not to just make up your prices. As you get less demand and your prices are reaching the level of other artists with similar works/quality. Be more careful about how you raise prices. But if you are also reinvesting in your personal brand , demand generating activities, improving your art, then your prices should be raising anyway. But once again the premise is that you start dirt cheap undervalued and raise up to the average, collecting data along the way Because, just because you can paint at a certain level doesn’t mean you can find clients ready to pay you at that level because of the nuances of Demand. Also using this pricing model I charge what good artists charge where I come from selling large oil paintings but I just sell digital art and I’m prebooked months ahead and they sell only once in a while. Because I changed my market and evolved my art too. To charge more you also have to ask, who should I be targeting, where should I be showing my work, how should I be presenting, what do I need to do for my work to be worth that price? If people can be $10 000 for a dot on a white canvas, from an emerging artist then why is there a wall if I want to charge $10 000 for a tiny well painted art piece? Most artists who sell for a lot didn’t increase their prices slowly, they exploded. But if someone blindly increases by 50% then yes you are right they will hit a wall fast. I hope I explained my viewpoint well enough for you to understand where I’m coming from

[@movestattoo4561]

@ that sounds more reasonable. But artists that are well established actually did all slowly raise their prices, at least the ones that I follow and know of. And even they don’t sell small paintings for tens of thousands. They sell for maybe a few thousand but that’s it and that’s pretty much the ceiling what people are willing to pay for smaller pieces. It’s a bit different with a lot of contemporary stuff that is non representational but almost none of those artists have any longevity and they fade as fast as they explode into the scene.

[@billjohns1306]

Varnishing, as you can see in the video, allows the full range of tone and colour to be seen. You'll only get away with not varnishing if your work has no requirement for depth (abstract work for eg). Unvarnished realism looks dull and flat. It has very little to do with protection and the sheen will generally soften in a short amount of time. In the world of high art, you won't do very well charging many thousands for your own work in your first show. Investors require a level of proof that you're worth the amount you're charging, dealers and gallery directors provide validation and have access to serious collectors, with money, that trust their opinion. If you're selling to your friends and family, keep it under a thousand dollars. You have to build credibility over time in the Art market, it isn't KZbin.

[@papaspaulding]

I think his style of art and skill level currently he is better suited to selling prints as I imagine most of his sales demographic is in that 'affordable art' range. The pricing at present is way off given the subject and quality. I dont mean that with any hate what so ever, he'll get there, he just isnt there as yet

[@cathyng8092]

I noticed in the Christie's Hong Kong that all you need is an art dealer. They got the list of buyers, and the buyer purchased based on the dealer's confidence that the item could be sold for a higher profit afterward.

[@Margo714P]

I completely agree about varnishing. So glad I have been lazy and not done it over the years. 😉

[@AlpayEfe]

Totally overrated 😄

[@lisafox4795]

@@AlpayEfe but there need sometimes to cover painting to hide something in it :)) What you suggest to do then?

[@hiddentidesgaming]

Only reason I've been doing it is sheerly cause I work in craft paints, so I just throw some diluted matte medium down to keep the paint from chipping and bring some life back to the colors. I prefer matte, the gloss does take away the look for me, easier to clean, harder to see it.

[@piafinch7537]

100% I agree with you. Slew’s prices were too expensive. I have been an artist for over 40 years and have always found it difficult to sell my art. Is my art good enough to sell, yes it is…. People just don’t like parting with money. If social media had been a thing when I first started, then things probably would have been different. I value your point of view, thank you.

[@FlickCODM]

His artwork, don't want to be offensive, is very polished. Which can be a good thing, but it's polished on such a level, where it basically lacks the strong personality which evokes feelings in people. If I was buying a piece, I want the piece to be evoking something within me, and make me wonder what the artist wanted to express. I just can't see it there, it's more like watching graphic pieces, my personal thoughts.

[@dexterity.by.nandini]

It is so difficult to admit let alone announce your “failures” , truly admirable :)

[@ericswires8534]

He’s on the right track however a cursory glance would indicate too much use of white to adjust his values. Colors are looking chalky and drab. If that’s what he’s going for then so be it, however keeping the colors true accross value changes will make a more visceral impact on the viewer.

[@Armandjoyskyler]

He’s very talented and I’ve learned so much from him. His latest painting for the show… I feel he was working harder at making a video than working on the painting.