Turn Your Art Into Cash: Easy Steps To Digitize And Sell!

In this video I'll share how I take my watercolor paintings and turn them into digital assets for SELLING online (and how you can, too!)
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00:00 Intro
00:13 What does it mean to digitize?
01:05 Recommended items you'll need
01:22 Step 1: Scan or photograph your work
01:31 How to scan
02:40 Photographing your work
03:02 Step 2: Save your file as a JPG
04:01 Step 3: Retouch your work
05:16 Cutting out an image
06:19 Step 4: Create products to sell
07:18 Resizing/cropping images
Please note, some of these links are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission at no cost to you. This allows me to continue creating helpful and entertaining free content! I only recommend products that I use and love.

[@LaurenJeanArt]

A tip I read for scanning and not getting the texture of the paper scanned in the image: Scan painting Turn painting 180° and scan again Now in photo editing software turn opacity of one scanned image to 50% and line up on top of the other scanned image. Since the light of the scanner goes one direction, doing this will cancel out the shadow of the texture in the cold press paper. It’s crazy how the texture will disappear as you do this! I hope that made sense!

[@julie3477]

You are THE BEST SUPPORTER for beginner water color painters!!!

[@EmilyOlsonArt]

🙌🙌🙌

[@annenglish2935]

I love all you do! I don't know why I'm watching this???!!! I know absolutely nothing about computers or any of the lingo you're using - yet I watched. It's like sitting in a Physics Class!!! Non comprendez! Maybe someday? With love from a California Gramma ❤

[@EmilyOlsonArt]

😂💕

[@stampinturtles]

I’ve been wanting to have some prints and stickers of my art to sell at craft shows. Thanks so much for sharing this. ❤❤❤❤

[@EmilyOlsonArt]

My pleasure!

[@ChantelleArts]

So many incredible tips ☺☺

[@pgakagi]

Doesn't saving a scanned or photographed painting as TIFF or PNG or RAW (when photographing) would be a better option? JPG is not loseless format as these mentioned above formats and you can lose some resolution and color information. TIFF, PNG and RAW give much more flexibility when you want for example, selectively saturate or desaturate certain colors or midtones and preserve all color information and resolution of the picture. Thanks for sharing how you digitize your art!

[@EmilyOlsonArt]

I’ve never had any issues with saving them as JPGs!

[@ehrenfickenscher8315]

@@EmilyOlsonArt JPGs are lower quality than TIFF, PNG or RAW, though. JPG is a compression format, it "generalizes" colors and edges to make the file smaller. Saving a JPG with "high quality" settings can result in perfectly fine images, as it minimizes the compression, but it's still there to some extent. You'll see it most when zooming in or enlarging the file. The other file types are "lossless", in that they save each and every pixel as unique values with zero "generalization"; it saves what it sees. Again, JPGs can be pretty good, but best practice is to at least start with a lossless format (i.e., have the initial, unedited file as PNG or other), so you at least have the pure imagine around.

[@sanctityjohnson289]

Thank you guys for your tips! Very useful information!

[@pgakagi]

@@EmilyOlsonArt What I mean is that raw formats like TIFF, NEF, RAW or even PNG are unaltered and uncompressed (except PNG which is loseless compression format) and that gives you no loss or alteration of colors or resolution and allows for more accurate and quality loss free editing of images.

[@scottyboy6269]

​@ehrenfickenscher8315 if you're doing smaller images it really won't matter. Scanner quality will make far more difference...eg brother scanner I have is awful vs my epsons, saving as jpg won't really affect it. Massive prints for sure RAW but I'd be going to a pro with a massive scanner then

[@-GGee-]

Wow! This was super duper helpful and so well done. You’re so generous and a great teacher.

[@EmilyOlsonArt]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sarahrez6453]

Yes, thank you so much Emily! Such helpful information. My goal this year is to print at least one piece of art! 😀

[@EmilyOlsonArt]

You can do it!

[@SharonNolfi]

Great and very helpful video!

[@rhondagarrett3976]

Thank you thank you, Emily! ❤

[@EmilyOlsonArt]

You’re most welcome!

[@lindaoconnor4122]

Fun tips! Thanks Emily!

[@EmilyOlsonArt]

You're so welcome!

[@theresaavery4670]

Thank you so much. I am just relearning the Photoshop part of all of this after some 10 years. Watching this has refreshed it somewhat. I guess it just takes actually doing it over and over to be comfortable with it again. Thanks for all your great tips.

[@EmilyOlsonArt]

You're very welcome!

[@marie1538]

Thank you, this is so helpful. You also have this positive attitude, that helps me and gives me courage to really start. I often think I should do this or that, but then I find so many reasons against it, that I stop. But when I watch you, I feel inspired. Thank you so much. For the past few days, I always repeated in my head the sentence you said in your tutorial about how to sell art: it needs courage and bravery. It’s my mantra now, take care….😊

[@EmilyOlsonArt]

You got this!

[@emilydstam]

So awesome! I’ve been wanting to do this. Thank you!

[@EmilyOlsonArt]

Go for it!

[@artonthecreek]

Thanks so much for your time & sharing these tips! Easy❤❤❤❤

[@EmilyOlsonArt]

You are so welcome!

[@babycakes1949]

What an awesome video! Thank you so much.

[@EmilyOlsonArt]

You are so welcome!

[@colleenmcchesney1482]

Oh thanks so much for sharing this wonderful information with us. I have been wanting to sell prints & other things but wasn’t sure where to even begin.

[@EmilyOlsonArt]

You are so welcome!

[@exploringwatercolors]

Please do a video showing how to make your own stickers with your art! Do you need specific sticker paper & printer for that?

[@EmilyOlsonArt]

I use online print companies to make them for me. I don’t even own a color printer! 😃

[@Ms1lonewolf]

Awesome thank you do much! Jk FLORIDA USA 🇺🇸.

[@KarenmitchellANI]

TIP: If you select the background, you can remove it so its transparent. If you save your photo as a RAW file, or PNG when taking the photo, should be good If you cut your image and can still paste it, but if you get distracted and end up cutting or copying something else, you'll lose it. That goes for copying as well tho.

[@madisonmurphy2076]

Thanks! I get stuck at the part to remove the watercolor paper texture from the background. I struggle to find good tutorials on that. Any links to videos that you would recommend to learn that specific step?

[@annagnedig4437]

Can you show how to draw an owl 😊

[@aleidadiaz2261]

Can you use procreate?

[@cathireese2860]

What photo editing program do you use? This is a fantastic idea.

[@EmilyOlsonArt]

Photoshop! 🙌

[@sujanithtottempudi2991]

Hi Emily...i saw your old video on easel...do you think these Tripod easels sturdy ? I feel they are wobbly and feel the traditional pochade box is more sturdy especially for oils. Please comment on tripod easels please

[@Lacroix999]

I would love a version of this on how to do this with an iPad instead of a computer. I have a laptop, but it’s suuuuuper slooooow and don’t want to invest in a new one when I use my iPad for everything. I’m not technically savvy any more and have gotten out of touch with all of this stuff. I do use Procreate over Photoshop, but I’m More about the art side of it not so much the technical side of it and have no idea why I need to save it as a jpeg or png etc I’m not sure if there’s a different way than to just snap photos and alter them in procreate and go from there and have that be ok to do it that way? Or if there’s an easier way?

[@rickpetersen47]

Do you have an ETSY page? I seem to be unable to find it if you do have one. Thanks

[@EmilyOlsonArt]

Yes! It’s called WatercolorLuvDesigns

[@barbararosin5501]

Hi Emily. Do you have a recommendation for a printer? Thanks Barb

[@EmilyOlsonArt]

I don’t actually own a color printer, lol! I use a b&w printer for documents, etc, but I don’t do any color prints at home.

[@barbararosin5501]

@@EmilyOlsonArt great! Now I know a scanner is more important than printer. Thank you. Btw. I watch and belong to mastery. I also watch another person paint. He moves sooooo quickly I have trouble following without stopping video. I get a little flustered having to do that. lol I love that you have that laid back easy going attitude with your instructional videos. I am hoping to join you on your next trip to another country for painting. Please know how much I love your art. Thanks for answering me. Barb.

[@RebekahLeaPhelps]

Emily, Do you know anything about a company called Art Storefront? is it worth the $$?

[@EmilyOlsonArt]

I haven’t heard of them!

[@RebeccaA-dn4nl]

Isn't this creating a NFT? I get approached by people who want to buy the NFT, but when I look into what is involved it sounds like a scam. Advice please?

[@EmilyOlsonArt]

Not the same! I would stay away from people offering to buy your art as an NFT. Definitely scammers.