Reaching new customers by monetizing my art

[@nitaboyles5765]

Thank you, Ellen. Wonderful to find out how you can sell the same piece of work over and over. You are a very pretty, talented and smart business women. You are doing a great job with your KZbin channel. Most of us artist don't have the ability to speak like you do in front of a camera. Find a reason to look to your left to let us see your pretty hair. Haha

[@sl2608]

Really appreciate this video, Ellen! Please keep us updated on how your new products are doing! I only ship prints of my photos and the photo greeting cards I make. I print, create and ship everything from home and like you i"m a one woman show. I completely relate to having not one more inch of available space to store any additional shipping/packing supplies! I am maxed out with just the basics: photo paper, inks, card stock, cello sleeves, backing boards . . . no more room! I ship all my fine art prints up to 13x19" FLAT so my supplies take up more space. But I don't like to send my prints rolled up in tubes, nor do I like to RECEIVE prints rolled in tubes. It's a nuisance to flatten them and I also think it devalues an art print. I think tubes are fine for posters, but not prints on fine art paper. I notice your camera hanging there in the background. Looks like a Canon! Which one is it? I'm a photographer and I love my Canon dslrs -- and my Canon printers. Thanks for sharing your experience, ideas, practical advice, and your beautiful spirit with us. You are kind and generous and that is so appreciated!

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

You are very welcome; thank you for your comment! I no longer have the camera in the background, unfortunately. There were too many details on it and I'm more of a point and click person -haha!! I'm searching for a more user-friendly camera that also takes great closeup photos; maybe too good to be true!

[@NatkaBondUA]

Thank you for useful information. Wish your business prosperity.❤

[@krissart3578]

Thank you for shedding more light on this,i think a lot of artists get put off the ldea due to market saturation,but there are millions of different tastes out there who might like your images on a phone case,cup e.t.c, it may help pay your bills.

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

Exactly!

[@soniafinch7922]

Fantastic to see your webinars again.xx

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

Sonia Finch thank you! ❣️

[@Patr212]

Many thanks for sharing this video, some excellent ideas.

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

Glad it was helpful!

[@laurieworth9732]

Thank you Ellen. Always amazes me the generosity of artists sharing their secrets. I appreciate you.

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

Laurie, thank you for that!

[@deborahbarbaccia1109]

Hi Ellen, I've shared your name with several of my new artist friends. You are so informative and forthcoming with information. I'm going to look into putting my artwork on tote bags and things.

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

Deborah, that is so very kind of you, thank you!

[@treeoflife-3]

Thank you Ellen! Very helpful information.

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

You are so welcome!

[@julienielsen3746]

Thank you. This sounds like something I should think about. I'm just thinking about starting to sell my paintings online. One question I have, if you could help me.I've done some still life paintings with old cameras. Do I need to get permission from the companies that made the cameras first? Something I need to know before selling my paintings.

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

Hi, Julie :) I honestly don't know the answer to your question. I would think that no, you wouldn't have to ask for permission, however, I can't say that with complete confidence.

[@julienielsen3746]

@@EllenBrennemanStudio Thank for going to the trouble of answering. I appreciate it.

[@tomk3420]

Thank you so much for your exceptional help!!!!!!!! You are a great soul!

[@gastonfranco6042]

Enjoying your videos very much.

[@johncollado1151]

Hi Ellen... great ideas and I'm glad you've expanded into them. What percentage do you wind up with after a sale? Definitely worth looking into, thanks for the info.

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

John Collado hi, John 😊 The beauty with the service I use is that I get to set my own pricing, and I can opt to incorporate shipping into my overall cost or have it added separately. Some products such as phone cases result in a higher return, while heavier and more awkward items like coffee mugs generate a lesser return.

[@UriyahYasharal]

Great suggestions! Very helpful, thanks.

[@СветланаКрылова-р5э]

Good idea! Good luck on your way!)))

[@ArtMusingsByKimber]

Thanks for sharing! Great ideas!

[@jonncotton]

Hi Ellen, me again. I have another question to ask you. When you outsource to get your digital prints made, I'm curious as to whether or not you have your prints made with an inkjet printer, or do you allow your prints to be made with a laser printer? I've heard that inkjet printers more accurately capture the 'true' colors you've created, whereas laser printers don't quite capture those same 'true' colors accurately enough.

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

jonn cotton hi, John 😊 I always prefer to use inkjet printers, myself. My paintings are so vivid, I am not satisfied with laser printers.

[@Sunandshine1234]

Hi Ellen , always so helpful with such detailed honest information , my mind is racing , thank you 😊

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

Thank you, Chris!

[@neskemese]

Thank you Ellen for the video! I would really apprecciate, if you would talk about, how the monetized artworks, items from the printing company are listed on Etsy. Does it make the printing company or you?

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

Good question! With the company I use (Printful.com) I create the items I want from their site. They connect to Etsy. When I receive a sale from Etsy for one of their items, the order is auctomatically pushed to Printful and they fill it. I receive an email from Printful when the item has been shipped and I go back to Etsy to close out the order and notify the customer.

[@sherriespencerstudios8984]

Great info! I am restarting my Etsy page and this was very helpful, Thanks!

[@StevenKephart]

You mentioned tote bags. I purchased a couple tote bags from Printful with my artwork and didn't like how it looked. A lot of detail was lost and it looked almost cartoonish. However I also ordered a mug and that turned out perfect. I used the same image I use for art prints. Did you like how Printify handled your tote print?

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

Hi, Steve. My Printful totes always come out looking well but I have to be sure my image fits their requirements; when I don't the image looks very pixelated. Also, because many of my images are a bit abstract, they lend themselves well to this kind of printing. You could also try Gooten for tote bags if you're not happy with Printful. I've started using them as well and highly recommend them :)

[@barbarasilvaart9916]

Thank you! This was very helpful! Do you use 2 dropshipping services? Or accounts I mean, like printful and also the other one you mention?

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

I use Finerworks.com for larger prints 😊

[@barbarasilvaart9916]

@@EllenBrennemanStudio THANK YOU!

[@jonncotton]

Hi Ellen, I love all your videos and am learning a lot from you. Your advice is very valuable to me as an aspiring artist. I have a few concerns I'd like you to please address if you would. First, is it possible you can somehow increase the volume on your video's? I have you turned up as loud as I can and it's often still not quite enough. Second, can you please address why you chose to do business as an LLC? Third, how is your experience with Etsy after they changed their shipment policies? I've seen a lot of unhappy artists video's about this topic in the last year. Thank you for your time and consideration. Keep up the good work. BTW, you are a beautiful human being!

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

jonn cotton I was advised by my accountant to become an LLC because of the tax breaks, and to protect my assets. I do have thoughts on the Etsy changes and hope to do a video on that soon 😊

[@dionysusapollo]

Where do you get the stickers made?

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

Saffron Willetts Stickermule 😊

[@seahorsecrazy]

Hi, Stickers are some of my best sellers, i design and make my own from my studio. Perpetual Birthday calendars Now working on digital downloads 😊

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

That is awesome! Thank you for your comment 😊

[@cynthiabarrow509]

Thank you.

[@mikaelakenn4975]

Hi Ellen, this video was super helpful! I was wondering if you have a video on how you connected your etsy shop to your website shop? I'm trying to start a shop on my site but it seems etsy might be the best way to go. It would be nice to show the shop on my own website though. Like yours. :) Thankyou!

[@MerwinARTist]

Great advice! 💖

[@user-bg5xq2cr1x]

Maam please tell us how to hang prints without frame and hang canvas boards specially

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

I don't know the answers to your questions, I'm sorry :(

[@tchaney3777]

Poster hanger (a simple bar you slide the paper into) and transparent fishing line if you want a clear look.

[@joelharrisstudio]

**Ellen, your link to your etsy store isn't working for me on my android phone. Not sure if its my phone, or a bad link.**

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

Joel, thank you so very much for bringing this to my attention - I believe it is now fixed! :)

[@joelharrisstudio]

@@EllenBrennemanStudio yes, it works now :)

[@user-bg5xq2cr1x]

Maam please tell me do printing shops also steal your artwork ? How to protect it from them ?

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

I have not had any issues with my print-on-demand service stealing my work, however, the only way to guarantee that your artwork will not be stolen is by not uploading images anywhere online.

[@tienettekoenart]

Hi Ellen, I love your work and you videos! Is it financially worth it to do KZbin videos for artists, Lets say after 4 years of committing to it,

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

Thank you for your kind words - and that is a GREAT question! I would love to create a video to share my thoughts on your question because it's difficult to give you a thoughtful answer in a short paragraph - but the short version of my answer: it depends on how much time you want to devote to it. If you want to focus your time between art and a single platform, it's doable, but if you're managing several accounts, marketing, promoting, and trying to create art it's a burden to make it financially viable. I'll make every attempt to work on this video soon to fully answer your question! :)

[@tkikparish4806]

I am highly addicted to your channel! Thank you for providing such helpful consistent content. 😊❤️ I have a question if I may. Do you feel an artist should stick to one medium to sell? And should they master it before promoting it? I have dabbled in so many different mediums and they all give a different finished result. I feel this may cause confusion to a buyer. If that makes any sense? What are your thoughts?

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

Thank you for your comment! I do think it's important to be cohesive if setting up an online shop, however, if I'm selling at an art fair, I tend to bring several types of work with me. I personally don't think there's anything wrong with achieving different finished results as long as I feel good about what it is that I've done. 😊

[@tkikparish4806]

Ellen Brenneman Studio Thank you so much for your prompt reply. I will keep that in mind! Much success to you in 2020!

[@addlecat1065]

Thanks for this great advice, Ellen! I've been wondering about copywriting. Is it necessary for artists to copywriter their images, is it a good idea, or is it unnecessary?

[@EllenBrennemanStudio]

Hello! I have never officially registered copyrights on my work, other than to add my own copyright onto my images. According to the law, a piece of work is automatically copyrighted once it is complete. I believe It would be easier for you to have a case against a person/company (and win) if you registered each work, however, it is costly to take these legal battles to court so you would ultimately have to determine how much time and effort you'd be willing to put into it. If you are interested in applying a simple copyright, I have a video that shows how to do it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJfWaqCDabNmq7c

[@KarenJoslin]

For photographs, if your work isn't registered with the Copyright office, the amount of money you can win in court is limited. If your work is registered, if someone even just removes your copyright notice from your work they can be liable for a $10,000 fine. (Whether you'd actually recover it from them is another question.) I'm not sure if this is exactly the same for other artworks. From what I've read, the biggest theft problems for artists are from Chinese companies ripping off designs (especially from Etsy) and changing them slightly, sometimes licensing them to large American retailers. China doesn't recognize foreign copyrights, so you would have to go after the American retailer, which would probably only make financial sense if your work was registered. Anyone who's afraid of this happening can also register their copyrights in China, though. I haven't done this myself, but I've heard it's pretty easy and an effective way to make thieves stop.

[@tchaney3777]

VARA was the law made in the US in the 90s that protects artwork mire thoroughly.

[@mathiswj1]

Thanks for the info Ellen. Also I saw a video by Rafi Perez (kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWa0iXiqopyZgqc) on copyright theft of artistic merchandise today FYI.