As an art consultant selling 1000s of artworks to hotels,healthcare and corporate clients, I wish for artists to take your course. Elli, you really have invaluable information that is so inline with what I am looking for when I am curating. Uplifting, slightly abstracted, positive color, excellent skill, and a body of work . That is what I buy. Thank you for stepping out honestly. Many artist will stick their noses up. But, the secret is, listen to what you profess, AND do a different , avant garde line for galleries. It is called "silo" approach. Great job Elli, and thank you for sharing your knowledge. I have purchased Milan art. You get it.
Hi, as an upcoming artist. I’d love some feedback. I primarily work in black and white with charcoal or graphite. Do you curate any of this style? Or have suggestions for what you do see of this style selling. I really appreciate this video and its insights! I also appreciate you stating your own affiliations and experience in this space. However I do want to work within a style important to me and the beauty I see in the world. I would not want to simply create art for the masses that fits the videos guidelines to simply sell. I would love to incorporate these lessons to highlight my style. That said I’m still developing and finding my own style so any advice or guidance would be appreciated and find its way to influence work.
I left art school in 1969. We had absolutely no training on how to market yourself to be a successful artist. I wish your mastery class was available back then, I probably would have had a great career. At 73 I'm starting to paint again and want to do it right this time. Thanks so much for this video!
It’s never too late to start again Tom! We believe that you can have a massively successful career even starting at 73. There are actually a lot of students who begin in their 60s, 70s and even 80s! If you’d like to learn more about how the Mastery Program will help you start your career and our process you can check it out here: masteryprogram.com
Always good to get new ideas on what is selling, but really are you creating for what sells or what you need to paint? But Tom- I hear what you say.. and haha... I am here listening too. Good luck from a fellow 69 grad.
I feel you, Tom. This year, I found out that I had a congenital aortic valve prob and had open heart surgery. Now, at 52, I'm trying a do-over with an art career I left unresolved. Hang in there Tom, never too late as long as you have today. Regardless of their art institute program, I appreciate the generosity and relevance of the content shared in this video.
When I wanted to go to art school my mom said; "you can't make a living out of making clay pots". Almost 40 years ago I started to paint painting that would sell. I could hardly keep up with the demand. I found myself thinking more about what people wanted than what I wanted to paint/create and it got really stress full. I packed my stuff up and stopped painting. Some year later when I got my son, I started doing digital painting but that also ended the same way; I was to focused on what would sell. When my son moved away from home I started to paint again and this time I do not (by choice) sell my paintings. I have now been painting again for 12 years and love and enjoy it more than I have ever done. It is now mixed media collage
The minute I think about what sells is the minute my joy goes out of it and it becomes no longer art or expression for me. And I not only lose that sense of joy or expression I also look at it and think that took so long and a factory in China could have and does. Make thousands of similar stuff for dirt cheap. It's soul destroying, in my opinion. But ever has it been. The people painting Kings portraits never got to express anything. I'd rather be a cleaner than spend 10 hours making a painting that barely makes 100 dollars. 10 dollars and hour for my time and nothing for materials. No id rsther clean for 10 bucks and hour or sell fries and enjoy making ym own weird art for myself and if aomone else likes it great. Art college is all about selling and to me it is soul destroying.
@serendipidus8482 That is the problem with the entertainment industry. Everything must be dumbed down to pander and sell to the mainstream public. The old masters didn’t care about that. Look at Giger, Dali, Bacon, Picasso etc. they all did their own weird thing and stood out, but to be the next big name is not easy
@@urbanchili as an artist who does sell but who hates marketing, I'd value any content you can point me to for doing what you did. you must have had an instinct for it
She is not just educating artists on what sells, but rather what appeals to people in a fundamental and functional way. In other words, she explains why most people are attracted to a certain image or color combination but not others. Thank you very much for that!
meh...sort of "most people" I'd have to say I disagree with 90% of art definitions generally, anyways. Orange doesn't make me hungry, etc. Tapping into something deeper than marketing is probably more what "collectors" look for. Making coordinating pieces is helpful for decorators. By all means, if you as a creator are happy and comfortable with this model of marketing driven art-do it! WC Fields wasn't poor! Ain't nothing wrong with that, either. Just isn't for me-or any of my friends.
@lizzyshengshengzhou depends, I would take her advice on a more abstract level. It is good to adapt to the clients and curators you encounter and learn and adjust based on real world feedback. There is no secret style or color that sells better and when everyone makes it, it becomes obsolete and cheap, but it is great advice to inform on what the market is and what types of currents sell as well. Depending on the place you live and the culture and set of clients, there can still be differences in what particularly sells.
This is so wild. I just woke up and randomly clicked on this recommended video. I knew John Milan in maybe 1986-87 when I lived in Jacksonville, Florida and then he came and briefly stayed with me after I moved to Miami Beach when he was doing something there, maybe selling art or making posters for music shows with my housemate James Stetler. I just asked Kristy Rowan what his last name was last year because I couldn’t remember and he had popped into my mind. He was ALWAYS drawing, he never stopped. Pictures just flowed out of him. I had a crazy t-shirt he drew on that I wore until if fell apart. It was in the style of those ones you showed but much more accomplished. All the rave kids back in the day loved it too. He was the sweetest person ever as well, a truly gentle soul. It’s amazing to see how successful you’ve all become. Tell him Joni Spigler says hello.
I don’t understand some comments here criticizing what she’s trying to educate us about her experience, exposure and learnings. It’s her personal experience and work. Can you actually invalidate it? I’m learning and grateful for it because aside from I love arts I really want to create arts that SELLS.
It's not good advice for non snobbish folks however, it's not bad advice for snobbish folks who want a stamp of approval from an "expert" . Just know your audience and how much money you can squeeze and or scam out of them. by the way Bob Ross would not approve of her message or video there are only happy little trees and plus she most likely dismiss most of Norman Rockwell's art as being too candy or tacky for high society, I highly doubt she would ever recommend Maxfield Parrish Daybreak because it's been over done and in too many houses, Standing out and being better than others is her under tone of her message about art you should have your home. Makes a true artist want to puke.
I think the part of "her experiences, exposure and learnings" is a cop out here. You move away from personal experience when you say certain things "won't sell". I can definitely invalidate those things because she made a strong direct statement. It's also a dangerous statement because it invalidates cultural art, political art and a few other fields that are actually very important.
I plain disagreed with some of her comparisons. The arguments made sense but my gut was saying fuck no the other is better what you talking about. My gut judges art not words. She makes my gut go brrrrr no.
There are people that do art for the love of creating. And there are people that create to SELL. The only creatives get REALLY angry when they hear only certain types of art sell consistently
This advice gives me the exact same vibe as home make-over shows, where the renovations of the house have to be as generic and consensual as possible in order to appeal to the largest possible pool of buyers. I don't want to live in an "open-floor concept" with neutral-coloured walls and contemporary flair. This video is great, but we have to keep in mind that it is not about making _good_ art, rather it is about churning out a marketable commercial product. I understand that in order to make a living, any professional artist has to compromise at least part of their integrity. Somehow, after watching this, I feel like more of a "real" artist for being an authentic amateur, than I would if I ever sold a piece that was created to appeal to the market. In a way, I have the luxury to paint only for myself, as a hobby and thus 100% as a form of unbridled personal expression. I'll paint whichever "side of my pain" I damn please, thank you! I want to make actual art, not decorations for the condo of a yuppy couple or a dentist waiting room. It must be disheartening to become a full-time artist, only to realise you are beholden to market forces! Again, still a very informative video, and some of the advice does lead to genuinely better art - but it needs to be watched critically.
Are you even someone with talent, or do you fall under the category of I can hold a paintbrush so I'm an artist and you must buy my work because I say I'm an artist. @@HomeFromFarAway
Wow. I was not insulted by the original poster. Learning is important. Milan is there to help those that want the help. Is not about determining who is the "real" artist.
She’s just trying to show you all how to thrive financially, and what people want. I Think it’s very generous. Also just what people want to look at, what is relatable, and what works in their homes. I’m saying a big Thank You! If your not worried about putting food on your table you’re creativity can fly!
I also went to SCAD and then transferred! And I agree - art school basically taught me that I could become an art professor and not actually make a living selling work! We have a similar story! I’ve been licensing my work for 15 years as a surface design artist and I’m glad to have found these amazing refreshers to keep me going! (I so wish I had the skill to teach like you do! I’ve been following for years, and had no idea you had a UA-cam channel until today! ❤)
So true, unless you're in Yale's art program, where 99% of NYC galleries and Museums draw from, the colleges prepare you for a teaching career (likely with the institution giving you your credentials).
I’ve had a lot of success with the way these topics are being taught on their channel. I absolutely hate teaching, but I need a refresher every now and then about the right way to market art in this modern world. Highly recommend this channel!
I watched this on the TV and had to come on my phone to leave a comment, and that was to say THANK YOU!!!! I had a scene of a lot of the things you were saying but to hear it in black and white to confirm a floating notion in my head was freshing more than needed. It was spiritual but not woowoo, practical but not soul destroying, and again hearing it simply put, people want to see the resolve is something I've been saying for a long time but not as on the noise. I've been advised to lean more into the grotesque trend but have always believed that art is more about the transformative powers of the artist and to return to beauty, but think that has always been too flowery for the powers that be's pallet. So thank you, was well worth the random click on an unknown channel to me 🥰
Dear ArtSocial. In the final analysis, it comes down to "taste". As in, there's no accounting for peoples' taste. Respectfully, there are many in the comments who do not agree with your idea of what is good and what is preferable. Everyone is different. That people are different is not just OK, it makes the world a much more interesting, varied, a richer place to live and thrive.
@@mai_8j888 Agreed. But I also agree with what @patriciaperlman3073 said. This is a video on how to _sell_ your art-- more specifically, how to make a decent living doing it. It's for those who want to create art that appeals to a wide audience, rather than what appeals to the unique individual who falls in love with the one-off piece for his or her own personal reasons.
You're exactly right Patricia. I think the misconception here is that she's saying some art is objectively bad or objectively ugly. Of course there will be some people who disagree with Elli's subjective opinion. We're all humans. But with Elli's vast experience in selling art in both the collectible (fine art) and decorative (decor art) markets, what she teaches here, is what she has learned.@@patriciaperlman3073
I'm a year late, but just wanted to say thank you so much for this video. Ive been off and on a hobby artist since highschool, but I've never believed I could be anything more. I love the craft with everything I have. I follow so many artists and gush over their skill and beauty everytime I see them. It never felt obtainable to me. I thought it would take me decades to learn to draw or paint at a level that would interest someone else other than myself, so I never tried. Now at 28 I watch this video and when you show me that anyone, including me, could find their way and be a professional, I can't stop the tears. Bless you, Elli. I will chase those dreams once again.
Thank you. I have learned more from your video about the some of the characteristics of a good painting than from any other source. I have started painting and drawing again later in life after a long period of depression after I lost my late husband. I have regained my passion. Like many others, I was told by an art teacher many many years ago "not to give up my day job" and that my art would never amount to anything. He didn't like that I didn't paint and draw the subjects that he wanted nor did he like the way that I painted them. I was only 15 when I was told that so sadly, I listened to him. Some of those teachers have no idea how much damage they can do and negatively affect a young person's life..... Thanks again for inspiring content.
Graduated mny years ago from fine arts.Evrythng she said i agree with all deep in my hearth.Years passed and the life path she told exactly the sameThanks and lots of love to this beautiful lady.💙💙💙💙🙏
I've seen this video show up a few times and I just skipped over it. I've been doing this for a while and I was thinking, "ok, here's just another person trying to tap into some of the problems artists face and not really have anything promising to say." Well, I was wrong. This is a very informative video that hits on some major points that are very beneficial to know and understand. I've been to art college as well. I'd have to agree that they don't really teach you this stuff. Thank you for posting this video. Some of the suggestions that you mention, I have implemented and have been very successful. Although I've been successful in my art, these are some of the specifics that can really take you to the next level. Thank you for your advice. I will be implementing many of the suggestions that you have pointed out. Happy painting. 😃
Watching this has made me realise that the art I create is aimed at museums and galleries, or at least, the kind of people who choose their furniture and decor so that it doesn’t distract from the art on their walls. In addition, people say that there is a kind of dark moodiness to much of my work.
i agree 100% my art is really dark and since ive been trying to sell art is hard to find the market for it. stay you colin and keep your art dark. deadman art studio is my art studio. check it out
I am with you there. I stopped watching the video, when she said: "We don't want to paint war" or paint pain. I thought of the long lines of people in front of the Reina Sofia, waiting under the sun to be able to get a glance of the Guernica of Picasso.
@@mariewoodbridge251But the same people who Gaze in awe at Guernica won't have a copy of it on their living room wall but go for a painting of a flower vase. EVERY artist paints for an audience. Decide WHO you want to paint for. Not hard.
I have been watching your videos for a few days and I have already learned so much - I have made about every single mistake in the book and thanks to you I am now setting up my materials, studio and myself up for success - finally. Knowledge is power. This information is Gold.
Informative video. You helped me realize that I don't sell my art because I can't accept parameters in creativity. Being a commercial artist is not for everyone.
I don't try very hard to sell my art because I prefer to paint/draw/sculpt/write than spending any time trying to figure out what and how to sell anything. I have had exhibitions and it was fun, but my goodness it takes up sooooooooooooooo much time! I must admit, however, that when a perfect stranger comes along and is willing to give that much money for something you made from a piece of canvas, squirts of paint and a whole lot of thinking, finding, deciding, changing, improving, and time, it does feel good! An artist doesn't have to be commercial to sell art, they just have to accept that they're not going to sell as much art as an artist who is intent on selling what they make and who tailors their work to some extent in order to sell it.
It's for everyone...but not everyone has the humility and capacity to look at their body of work or even, see if we have one, our language of creativity of it matches with the world and be compassionate but straight with our judgment towards us and others/the world, read into what is the current of the world for art at any given moment, why and that it doesn't have anything to do with us as artist, have the capacity to separate our talent of whether it's being valued or not and why.....or that and also don't have the actual interest and that second one it's ok, the first one of course would be problematic, not everyone can do that.
Not everyone has the time or drive to appreciate fine art. Therefore, your advise is absolutely on point. As a fine artist myself, I know fine art is not for everyone, but decorating a room is.
Exactly and there is a personal aspect to it. People don’t buy just anything for their walls. They buy what touches them, and makes them want to be in that space. And that’s a special connection and way to spread our own vision to others. What I’m reading here is a bunch of selfishness. Self absorbtion. The human experience is about connection and relationships. It’s about what makes your heart skip a beat and that image you’ll never forget.
I don’t understand all the haters. You have expertise in making art that sells and are generously sharing. You’re not saying anyone has to do their art this way. You’re not saying uplifting art is better than art showing pain. You’re talking about what sells in a particular market and somehow that’s making lots of people big mad. I appreciate you sharing so much rightfully gained expertise here. Thank you! P.s. I have seen ONE hotel that had artwork that goes against what you’re recommending. Just one, in a whole lot of years.
Nothing wrong with decorative art. As a cabinet maker and a painter I appreciate good craftsmanship. Sometimes we can even come close to creating real art.
Great points of color and subject matter composition here. But as just starting in the market for selling my art, I am finding that there's as many different reasons people buy as there are stars in the sky. It is open for anything, every style and price. There's big money in big market and big cost to break into. In order to sell in those markets you have to pay 50% or more of your sell to the promoter, andthen theres your overhead. I'm finding most promotional offers are so overpriced, no way to clear a profit! Go figure who's making the money.😏
I don t see excellence here. That s what the difference is. If craftmanship is at mindblowing level it is automatically art. This is just average curtain design.
@@rayerscarpensael2300 As craftsman I tend to agree, but I just visited the art museum at my state capital. Contemporary art seems to hold that idea in contempt. I can sympathize. I've demolished too many wonderfully crafted kitchens and replaced with fashionable prefabs to place much social value on craftsmanship. Just the other day I was looking at a hand carved trunk that sold for $50.00. It was professional quality work. $50.00 is just what it would cost for me to have the lumber delivered to do that job.
For those of you who say you prefer the opposite of the ones that she said sells, I’m pretty sure she’s talking about what art sells the most. She’s not saying that everyone will like the one on the left. She is saying that the one on the left sells more often. If you prefer dark or garish, so be it. Create pieces that are the opposite of what she has found sells the best.
You gave an excellent informative lesson about marketing one’s artwork, especially the part about making yourself a “brand.” I was a Commercial and Advertising artist for a good number of years. Two examples of successful fine artists who completely understood this, were Andy Warhol and Keith Haring. Both of them accidentally became “the up and coming trending artist”, but because they both were TRAINED as Commercial Artists (Carnegie Mellon Univ. and Kutztown Univ. of Pennsylvania), they absolutely knew how to market their brand (themselves) to take advantage of the notoriety of their initial successes.
van Gogh is considered 1 of the greats yet died in poverty, David Hockney is one of the living greats and worth a fortune who was also told he would never make it but at 86 is still producing art on a grand scale. Art is subjective and in the right setting will sell, it's all down the right people seeing your work it only takes 1 in the right circles and things can take off. I admire any artist who has picked up a brush and gone with it. Any adivce / help esp free is worth it's weight in gold. Thanks for this video it's given me a lot to think about.
The true heart of Art is wonderful to see.. That spirit. Unyielding. A torrent of rebellion against the grain of all things this world demands you to be. I can see you !!! For you are me!!
@@alexandrapatricio2727 Yes I'm an artist I paint and draw for pleasure have been drawing since I was a kid., and no I don't sell my art I give it to friends and family always have probably always will . I don't consider myself good enough to sell my paintings, but I do get enjoyment from it.
I was saying that it seems wrong to have to compromise our work to a pre- imposed standard And if i wanted to paint a road leading nowhere? Art is everything but a recipe to be followed by all. This is why i commented that these rules should not be followed by artists.@@stephensenior3589
Thank you for wll your advice, everything you said made sense to me. They say you shouldn't have regrets but i do whereas i should have gone to Art college.....ive always loved art and at 16 was deciding what to do....get a job or go to art college, i didn't go and i so regret that. I work full time in an office, i craft alot and sell a little but i always have this burning passion inside that needs to go on a canvas! It's hard to describe but needs to happen. Dimitra's art is amazing by the way, love her style.
We totally understand, but it’s never too late to start! And you don’t need a degree from art college, especially if you want to sell your art. You really should check out The Mastery Program. It’ll help you pursue your passion for art and turn it into a profitable business while creating art that you’ve always had inside you, but with the utmost excellence. Here’s a link to learn about the process: masteryprogram.com
It is not the world that tells me I am not good enough. It is the inner voice that is telling me - you are not enough passionate,i dont have enough commitment in every day painting, not good enough in expressing my self, or just not confused what am i going to paint today, etc. Hope your program helps me find my voice. Thank you for sharing so passionately all the information and useful tips. Dimitra is amazing, so as the other artist you showed up in the end.
@@LittleTaiChiMermaidpeople buy art for their homes that does speak to them or touch them personally. It may be the subject matter, composition, or color. But it’s something they picked out. They liked it. With this statement you’re completely nullifying having an audience to share with all together.
I beg to differ about three or four. You can put four items in the painting IF you place them correctly. I agree with a lot of what you say. Thank you for this helpful information. Congratulations to you and your family.❤
Art’s in the eye of the beholder. Everyone perceives paintings in their own way and should be allowed to do so. There’s no right or wrong where taste is concerned.
Since the overflow of quotes in tumblr, there is a whole generation that repeats constantly those quotes like credos. This "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is one of them. But not everything is relative, not at all, and definitely there is good art and terrible art, despite there is a massive amount of people without taste that love terrible art. Actually, although your intention was saying that art is not a mercantile product (and I agree that videos like this one are horrible in that sense), the relativism you preach is precisely one of the main tools of capitalism to reduce art into a mere product. I mean, relativism is good for market, because that way you can sell all types of art, good and horrible, since you'll always find people who like it and buy it. That's one of the reasons nowadays art is so terrible, because the market is encouraging the making of a massive amount of terrible art because there is a massive amount of people who like and buy terrible art. So, you see where all that "Art or Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" has taken art to.
This is true , yet artistic expression is a language of sorts and when we tell a story or speak , the listener or the audience has a better more informative experience, leading to a greater understanding, when using refined , descriptive language. There’s a way. An art to expressing oneself and be effective. And this is the same with painting. And this takes time, experience, work , learning, experimenting, failing, succeeding and eventually finding your balance. You know when someone is talking and you just know they know what they are talking about and you give them respect and appreciate this lesson… kinda like this one …. Lots of people talk and say stuff but some they catch your ear. A painting is not different. The experience, the refinement, it just resonates through between the lines. Good art that sells is like that. Anyone can talk and say whatever and it’s not that profound. But when it is , you know it is. It stands out from the rest. Tribulation,experience and passion definitely drives refinement. In a person spiritually and in art. Art is the expression of life and consciousness, of perception and awareness. That of oneself, the world around them and their experience. If consciousness is a spectrum on which one can vibrate lower or on higher levels, Meaning it can be an increased experience or a decreased experience of being conscious and aware, then so would be its manifestations, your manifestations, including ones Art. In other words, we are attracted to things that elevate us , make us feel smarter and sophisticated. Hence art work that is will sell more easily. Is I’m pretty sure she meant. But all expressions are valid , that is true . Just not everyone wants to see or hear it. That’s the difference
We just bought a home with all of our savings, but once we’re stacked back up, I’m signing up for the masterclass! And if you make a competent artist out of me, I will sing your praises everywhere lol… I make collages, cut and paste, and I have SO MANY IDEAS that involve me needing to know how to draw and paint. For now, I appreciate the free content you post on UA-cam. Bless you. ❤
That is so exciting, congratulations on buying your new home!!! We can’t wait for you to take the Mastery Program. In the meantime you should come to our next free workshop this upcoming week on Thursday here: masteryprogram.com/how-to-create-an-abstract-landscape-step-by-step
I have to keep reminding myself that this is about art that SELLS and enables artists to have a career… I’ve always been interested in darker painters like Goya. I think it’s cathartic and gives you an emotional response when you look at his work but I totally understand why someone wouldn’t want one of his pieces in a dental office or in their living room front and center haha! Thank you so much for sharing this information.
You are sooooo inspirational. You actually make me believe I could do this. I have a degree in art and have been told everything you have. I am certainly interested. I have wasted so much time not making art and have settled on jobs just to pay the bills. Now I wonder if I'm too old to begin this endeavor. Fear is such a beast. Thank you again!!
Feel the fear and do it anyway. I got waylayed by the money demon over the years but I will be signing up for next November and next yr about the same time I turn 70...no excuses.
You don't have to make money from your work. I've been drawing and painting for 50 years, since I was 3. I have a collection of 15 pieces that I will leave to my children and my descendents will enjoy them. Buy some art supplies, look for inspiration and that will get you a started.
Well you make it sound all good and everything and I've been a steady artist since my twenties I am now 64, my art has sold in different places around the world but maybe once or twice a year I've got nobody on my UA-cam channel checking my stuff out I've been posting there for over 5 years I have a small clientele that goes to a local gallery and vice from me but as far as my work taking off I've even published book, and I'm lucky if I can make $3,000 a year that's it I sell my stuff cheap because the galleries always double whatever I bring in, I'm almost ready to throw in the towel it's been years I have been struggling with this but I can't stop I have to do art, I also have top mixed media at the community college, all I ever needed was a decent art wrapping somebody that believed in me
I really appreciate sharing your story to other artists. Huge respect and more success to you and your family! I'm from my school age and started earning from making portraits, commissioned artworks. After Masters in Fine Arts, I started taking part in group and solo exhibitions. The galleries took commission and didn't sell a single piece. I left that road and made my own art gallery and academy. The academy was successfull within one year however my husband got job in Africa we both shifted to Benin. I didn't have any opportunities here also the people can't afford art, so I decided to find online platforms to present my artworks. I enjoy digital artworks but I miss traditional painting but I'm doing digital paintings, portraits and teaching drawing and painting online. I enjoyed each phase of my life however I really wanted to paint the on spot (outdoor landscapes), whatever I love to paint and enjoy and then sell my artworks. I'm grateful that I was never free my whole life. I'm blessed that there were always art commissions to do since I started working and was never free, however I wish is to paint for myself now and not for people.
Color has been my greatest struggle. I've taken theory, understand it intellectually, but when faced with a pallet I can't seem to get it right. I know what I like when I see certain combinations and "steal colors" from other artists sometimes just so I don't have to struggle and make the wrong choice. This video was the first that made practical sense.
Do it in photoshop to get better ... Lay out your colours on a colour picker and set your canvers to make everything black and white make your painting and turn your colour back on when your finshed This helped me massively as it made me understand i was focusing on the wrong aspects
...it's simple , go out into nature and see its colour combos at any location. Spend a day there and take photos of the same object-subject on the hour til the light runs out.
Thank you so very much for this amazingly informative video! All what you say, makes so much sense but to have it explained in such a cohesive way and also why some art works and others are less successful gives greater clarity. I've been creative since the age of 4 and my passion has never waned but for quite a number of years, I concentrated on craft. I know my identity with craft but now at 67 have decided I want to go back to creating art and learning new skills. I know my craft identity will carry through into my art, so I know it's is a plus and of great benefit but your advice is invaluable in helping me to realise and to put it all into practice. I remember too, having a career advisor tell me at school, without any idea of my capability, that I would never make it in the art world because you had to have exceptional talent. This lead me to studying subjects of which had no interest for me, so inevitably my time was and has been wasted. I often see the question of, 'What advice would you give your younger self?' Mine would be, to follow your own path and not the path others wish you to follow. Thanks again!
Thank you for the wonderful and very educational workshop. It's just awesome! I'd like to say one thing: "You are talented and you did have a talent!". But, your talent is for color, and painting and therefore, not as obvious as of those whose primary talent is for drawing and illustration. I could see your talent in the earliest pieces you showed online and I know that I'm right. I am much like you when it comes to talent. I wasn't ever chosen by any teacher to represent the school or even the class. That's because we cannot fit into the school's frame. While I worked as a substitute teacher, I never let any child put themselves into a school frame. I could see true happiness on their faces when they could do something out of their expectations only through my guidance to open themselves. It's the school, not us. It's possible but not needed. You have always been talented. Sorry to burst your bubble and thank you for being there for us!
I've been doing figurative paintings all my life in rich colors. Lived in Miami for 30 years and my work was always rejected. "You have to have a history of exhibitions and awards". They mostly said.
Great video, even though I dare to differ in a lot of your examples. To my eye many of your negative examples are calmer and more pleasing than your positive ones. I am more of a digital artist, working with color grading in Photoshop and other programs. I also have a photo studio and manipulate light quite a bit. The variability of people's taste for art is enormous and if your art fits into the mainstream you are likely to be more successful than others. Taste is obviously in the eye of the beholder and rules are there to be broken, in photography as well as in other art forms.
As a former art consultant for 20 years, who sold thousands of images painted by other artists, I can tell you that the vast majority of buyers preferred impressionistic landscapes. Next in line were gardens and abstracts. Photography was low on the list.
Totally bogus. The big time "capitalists" buy art for investing. Someone who paints to please everyone will never succeed in the big leagues. This tutorial is basically directed at the mediocre merchant selling for volume not for significant profit.
She is being pretty specific that this is geared more toward interior design and most people do not generally decorate with graphic styles. There were a few examples where I agree with you that I personally liked the "negative" one more but the style of work that I believe you are eluding to is more successful in the digital market or for product design, which is a VERY different thing and lends itself better to transitioning into various products or looks great digitally vs print.
Yeah, but there are visual languages more prevalent than others and that is going to be even more strong in specific contexts and in this video she is giving the visual language that reads into this sphere...so even tho I liked many of the bad examples or both of them, I gave her the reason cause it's talking about a context not whether there's art that is right or wrong or debating if taste is fixed or in the eye of the beholder.
Excellent video!! I am an aspiring photographer. I was once told that if I want to be a great photographer I should follow a great painter. After watching your video I understand what that means. I appreciate the lessons from you video and will apply them in my photography.
I have a very dear friend who is a gifted artist, but has never consistently made money from her work. I have a feeling you may provide the golden key, thank you! Shared with joy!
Thank you very much for sharing this amazing art education video to all passionate and determined to become a real and professional artist. I am Nick Rodis speed artist and contemporary art maker here in the Philippines happy to see you all guys and enjoy our art journey to the fullest with great purpose to all mankind.
Elli you are a star in many ways! I would have liked to be a part of your Milan Art Institute, but that will be in another life (I'm 80). Your information and desire to help others is so right on. Thank you for being and giving of yourself.
Thank you so much for this talk. And I can't point one thing that I like more than the other in your video. I am an artist and I look at everything from that perspective. Love your hair, love the background and you look like a painting in this setting. Just love the vibe. and off course the whole talk is great value for me.
Please listen to the beginning and note that Presenter is catering to the "Decorative Market" for the most part and has experience there. Made some really nice points and thank you so much for this information, this has a lot of food for thought.
At 19:00 you directly contradict the explanatory text: "Elli has developed a system to create artwork that's authentic to the artist's voice but will still be desirable to art collectors." What if a person authentic voice is subdued, quiet, moody, and sometimes harshly real? Lucian Freud for instance. Who was immensely successful. What you are effectively saying is: in order to find a certain kind (monetary) of artistic success, you must adopt a formulaic approach that is most pleasing to the collector and not your authentic voice.
I guess if you already know what art collectos want then the only thing you could get out of this would be help finding a way to incorporate your artistic voice into art that wanted by art collectors and therefore sellable
Collectors don't want the same thing as people looking for decor items. The decor market is much bigger, especially with corporate offices. Nothing wrong with decor being gentle or "uplifting" - we don't really want Guernica over the dining table or over the bed.
Thankyou Elli 🙏 I think we are guided to find information/our tribe and one of these ways are videos that randomly pop up on UA-cam. I am in England, I have a degree in landscape design. I went on a small art business course and built a Shopify website that I have suspended. I can feel that you are super-authentic and you present so well. I will decide on what to do next......I am subscribed at least to art social 🙏🖌💜
I like your input and advice......that being said....it is the true passion being exposed by a master artist to shock the on looker ! The quality of the art to capture the eye of spectator passing by inlays the art. There are many categories that fall into play.... examples, (1) high tech art... A plack with a wolf's head mounted on it with a name plate saying " Werewolf , warning do not touch ! " When someone does touch it it moves and snarls trying to bite. A holographic etched in plastic illuminated , even an infinity mirror has esthetic value. (2) The power of extreme realism is a favorite of artists throughout centuries. Even realism blended with undefined shades of color can command attention. (3) Light or lighting is a secret ingredient to good art pushing it beyond the boundaries of expectation. If you have art on a wall with lamps placed here and there will never compare to the dramatic effect of doing away with lamps and bouncing light off the artwork giving a special atmosphere and power of the art. These are just a few examples.....but always the passion and drama of the art is always the key to success. Your college art of the motorcycle is good and captivating because of the realism captured. Art should stand out and catch the eye of the onlooker. Because of the economy most art is bought by restaurants and night clubs seeking a spectacular environment to draw in customers for the experience and visit. All I've said applies to such places as well ones private escape and home.
Thank you for creating this video and sharing your decades of experience with us. Wow!! I found this really very helpful as I am contemplating creating and trying to sell some artwork. I would pay money to learn these things and you're freely giving us this knowledge. My only suggestion in the future would be to limit the number of times you say uumm or aahh, as it was just a little distracting to me to the main points you were making, which are so so good. I hope that's helpful to you.. You seem like a person who wants to do everything better and are definitely geared towards excellence. I love the way you went through each topic and explained exactly what you meant. You have informed and inspired me which is the mark of an excellent instructor. I believe you do this not just for money, but because you love it and want to help others do the same. Thank you again, blessings!!
I saw a story of a man in Africa doing portraits of people grom his city or town. The amazing thing to me was he was using melted plastic bags.....like the kind you might get at the grocery store or conviniat store. I was freaking blown away. Of course someone saw this and he started doing shows here in the states.
You never discussed "price point". Which I assumed was: how to price your work. If it takes, let's say, 30 hours from sketch prep to wiring to hang and you are selling it for less than 300 dollars - as a beginning artist - then you might as well be working a minimum wage job. You'll make more money. This is without factoring in materials, supplies, proper lighting to work by, 'advertising , time spent on sales sites, contacting galleries (if that's what you are interested in) creating websites, maintaining a web presence. Creating well-made art is time-consuming. Now double that time for the sales and marketing aspects. Which bumps the painting up to 600.00 Unless you are willing to work for less than minimum wage. If you hope to then be represented by a brick and mortar gallery, they will take 50% of the sale. Which means if you need 600.00 out of it to break even, you'll have to sell it for 1200.00. And galleries don't like to be undersold by the artists they represent. So you can't advertise the art while it's in their store, nor can you charge your take of 600.00 on your website or sales site. These are the kinds of things real instructors in real schools will discuss with their students, contrary to the suggestion that instructors who live in "ivory towers" have very little of value to impart. And upside, we aren't shilling hopes and dreams that end up costing you a lot of money along with the irritation of having your email address harvested and sold to a third party.
I was pretty turned off by some of this video in particular when she talked about her daughter selling art. I couldn't help but feel like the only reason her daughter was selling art at such a young age is because she has privilege and parents who are well connected in the art world. I want to see art from people who don't have privilege. Her daughter's art looks generic. Everyone is doing that kind of art.
This was an hour long free workshop. Do you think she had time here to get into every aspect of the business? This was a FREE chunk of her time giving you some valuable information. How about thank you.
You are spot on with your comment! At $17/hr X 40 hrs = $680 every single week at a minimum wage job. To paint a picture, it would take many more hours and do all the work, marketing, dealing with obnoxious gallery owners, pounding the pavement, setting up art shows, dealing with egos etc etc etc.! If the work does not sell, you are out all your time, effort and money including what you shell out for a decent frame! Your comment was right on target and i'm glad you were truthful!!
I am still learning but when I started, even before I knew what value was, I set a high price on my work dealing in wildlife oils. Now I finally am building a studio at my home. No matter what happens, I feel I am a success.
Thank you for all your information. This video and all you said is so well thought out and practical and encouraging for even someone at my age of 63. Maybe I can get to the point of selling something. I am working towards it and putting time into it. You are such an encouragement to everyone. Thanks!!
Even though I’m not a painter, it was good to get your views on colour, theme and excellence. I saw that in the context of mosaics and decor tiles that I make. Thanks for sharing your knowledge in this video.
God gives the art talents to each artist. Each have their own style and unique gifts in art. And there is a buyer for each master peice, I believe, its for the artist to do what they need to do to be successful in their art career, myself included. Thank you for your sharing.
Yeh currently working as a scientist/ engineer and do art on the weekend. I'd love to do art full time, but if I have to cater to the market and paint what others want, it would really reduce the pleasure I get from art.
On your ‘open ended’, I much prefer the scene on the right with the detail, it’s so much more intriging and interesting. The left one is boring, just a horse, you look once and there’s nothing left to look at and discover.
Im about 24 minutes in and im getting do not paint the painting like they have on the denver airport wall 😂😂😂 Im sorry couldn't resist lol I am so happy i finally found someone to help me ( well all of us that found you) ! I look forward to learning more from you. Thank you for all you are shareing with us❤️❤️❤️
Incredible lesson. I took the time to memorize this lesson ! color theme and excellence … thank you so much everybody always talking about values and composition. I just added to my tool box !
The point is to enjoy the practice of a creative expression , the consideration of whether anyone likes it or even less so wants to give you money for it is essentially irrelevant.
I came here with very high hopes and really considered buying the course but I just see too many red flags. As someone that sells art (though admittedly with less years of experience than the presenter) some of this content is great and a lot of it is dangerously inaccurate. There are literally popular paintings here being presented and “bad art” that “will not sell”. She admits on a couple of occasions “you see this everywhere“. Doesn’t that mean it’s purchased often? She’s also being very vague in the fact that she’s talking about 2 different art markets. There is a huge difference between creating home decor and collectible art. In one you’re hoping to sell a large quantity and in the other you’re aiming for a larger price. Some rules apply to both markets but to tell people that one is “bad art” or “won’t sell” or is “where the market is headed” is misleading to say the least.
Totally agree. Thomas Kinkade sold happy, uplifting "art" by the truckload to people who just want to decorate a room. An art collector doesn't give a damn if it matches the new sofa.
You see this everywhere referred to seeing imagery painted by many different artists in other words not distinctly unique. She mentioned discussing the commercial market, or collectors, so everything she said was correct. I was a corporate art consultant for 20 years in so calif. Transitional landscapes were no 1 most popular. Figurative art was definitely residential. She was not talking about collectors, however her daughters originals were more collector pieces due to price points. My hesitation is more that the art she said student sold well were all figurative symbolic style, and she showed no one being successful who was abstract nor landscape nor seascape nor floral they were similar to her daughters. That is not a good sign to me.
Totally agree! If you want to follow an artist that has been building a community of artists that started on UA-cam and has blossomed in to an artist community online through their own website. Check out Rafi was here UA-cam channel, and he talks about these kind of artist “courses” or whatever this lady is doing, and to be wary of them, and to be careful. I have been following him for years, and I am a member of his community that he calls rogue, artist community. And it is flipping amazing! For so many reasons.
I am from India and i have never seen such Arts. I love colors so much and this video totally changed my view on paintings, I am not good in paintings but when i sit and paint after finishing it gives a kind of different feel which i cannot explain, I just registered and added myself in waiting list. Thanks a lot for detailed explanation❣.
This is advice for those that want to sell a lot of “decorators” pieces (this term doesn’t make it any lesser than a Van Gogh), this clearly works as they have sold 10000 works of art. You can do this and still create your own work. I’m going to see where I can take this. It’s good advice. You shouldn’t feel like your artist soul is weakened, this is about making art a business. There is some great advice in this
In a few hundred years from now this video will be shown at a conference called "Being an artist in the dark ages." People will shake their heads, take a deep breath and feeling relieved, knowing that these days are over... ✨
This is not about being an 'Artiste', shuddering at the sound of their own inspiration. It's about commercial art and what sells and why. There is value in understanding what she is teaching. You wouldn't use all of the advice, but at least some of it will prove useful and enable any artist to improve their work.
You will ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS HACK! I Learned this trick from another artist on you tube and it WORKS. It's AMAZING. For old gunky or even cheap paint. Go figure the simple things in life sometimes work the best. Try corn mixing in CORN STARCH into your paint. A little goes a long way but again, it works. You'll thank me for it by sharing with others...
Wow...a lot to take in...and very informative...I appreciate the explanations as I intuitively knew things but did not have words to describe what was wrong/right or what worked/didn't work, etc...I think it will take me awhile to pick up this language and way of explaining things...as opposed to just "knowing" that something would work/not work, sell/not sell...Absolutely fascinating...You guys are awesome...Thank you so much...
The content you have provided in this video alone has given me exactly what I have been trying to find out for 2 Decades now. I am So grateful to you for doing this for others. God bless you and yours* OR Best Wishes! THANK YOU.
I never considered using a "color story"... I've just gone into each piece with an idea of the colors i want to use. I think for my next painting it makes sense to do a rainbow palette with neutrals? Ill explore this. Thanks for the food for thought!
What a wealth of information you have generously shared! I don't agree with absolutely everything, especially about the stylization points but if a person were to learn the foundation you teach then they could choose to go their own direction. Dimitra's work is wonderful. Thank you.
I appreciate your great information. I actually prefer some of the artwork that you mentioned as wrong. I think it's according to what pleases you; not because there's a standard you must follow. I realize that your teaching is what would appeal to the public for sale; I'm looking at what pleases me.
I agree, there were several examples where I preferred the "wrong" art over the "correct" art. Everyone has different tastes and I think there's really no right or wrong in art. If I'm going to create, I'm going to create things that I like and I'm sure there will be others out there who like them too.
She is talking about the masses and she was correct on everything. You then are more quirky in your taste. I was 20 years an art consultant and everything she said was on point. There are always a few exceptions.
This is all great information and totally on point to sell. Detractors must already be rich and famous artists to dismiss this, and I get it, because if you have fame you can throw out the rules because the buyer isn't buying the work, they are buying a piece of the artist' s celebrity.
Funny how art teachers & professors tell you you can't make a living from art but they managed it. I'm actually very glad I didn't go to art college. I thought about and decided I'd be better off if I just painted as often as i could and experimented with different materials. It was the best thing I did. I produced quite a bit of rubbish and also some gems. I read a lot and went to art galleries, exhibitions. I'm still learning because i don't know it all and feel i can always learn something new
They don't say that. She's intentionally misrepresenting art school to market her content. I went to the same art school a couple of years before her and not one of my painting instructors ever said that.
I've seen this video show up a few times and I just skipped over it. I've been doing this for a while and I was thinking, "ok, here's just another person trying to tap into some of the problems artists face and not really have anything promising to say." Well, I was wrong. This is a very informative video that hits on some major points that are very beneficial to know and understand. I've been to art college as well. I'd have to agree that they don't really teach you this stuff. Thank you for posting this video. Some of the suggestions that you mention, I have implemented and have been very successful. Although I've been successful in my art, these are some of the specifics that can really take you to the next level. Thank you for your advice. I will be implementing many of the suggestions that you have pointed out. Happy painting.
Great advice! I have an artist friend who is inspired by Francis Bacon and is producing a unique but kind of creepy type of painting. Although this artist is very good they have not yet found a path to sell these paintings. I've read that creepy art is a genuine thing now but I wonder about how viable this genre is. It does seem to me that this is making it more difficult to really get a career started that sells paintings.
Thank you Elli. Im back. I forgot how bad i want to get in the Mastery program. I know this video is a year old, but just listened to the whole thing. I always learn so much listening to all you Milan's. I will one day take this course. I need to. I know how much i will learn. Thank-you again for sharing all of your knowledge.
I want to be an artist so bad it consumes my thoughts. I love painting. I started in oils, never been to art school. Suck at painting, but still love doing it. I love this channel and everything you guys are about. I hope to be able to do the program one day.
You don't suck at it. You're gonna find your style that is uniquely you and when you, just do a boat load of it and keep gunning the boat til you reach some unknown destination; from which you will discover your genesis.
Just don't give up...the desire to paint is half the battle. It will come💜take pictures of your artwork...you will see an improvement each year. Been painting 30+ yrs and good therapy.
Try doing small paintings using the number of free tutorials on UA-cam. Will give you an immediate sense of achievement. Then you'll becoming more confident and also know how to make best use of a paid class.
I take photos and put them on canvas. I watched this entire video and learned so much. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and inspiring me to want to learn to paint.
It is so very sad that "art by the yard that matches the color of the sofa and carpet in your living room" sells better than your "true" art. Your true passions are amazing!
That’s an elitist snobbish point of view held, generally, by people who think art has to have a deep secretive meaning or it isn’t art. Hogwash. They are the same people whose art doesn’t sell at all.
In this case, one should be prepared to tailor one's work/art into commercial objects. Losing true inner gut creativity. At least for the time one's into business art. It's not for everyone. Or if enough time, one can split up things. Make commercial art, and then one's own true art. But, often the lattest gets pushed back or lost, because commercial art hinders creativity. One needs to make choices.
I am blown away at your content! Of all the art content communities online for coaches I see your company as the standard. I am so excited to work with you
The UA-cam Gremlins seemed to have put this video on my feed. How did they know? I am self-taught in almost everything I do and have done. Like leather crafting/tooling. I fell in love with watercolors purely by accident trying to dye leather with them (That really didn't turn out too well, LOL). At any rate, I watched your entire video and I was glad I did. I turn 65 next month and I figured painting and leather could continue to be great hobbies. However, I never really considered the possibility of learning how to sell either with any consistency. Then your video comes along and unlocks another door in my mind, Thank you so much. I do have an artistic "mind" I just haven't figured out how to unleash more of it until now, Thank you again. I like the at your own pace aspect since I do work. I really like the thought of being able to sell a few here and there as well. I really do think I will give this a try. At the minimum do the pre-class regardless since I am figuring that that will be in basically the same style as the paid course will be done. And to finish off (Yes, finally), What you said about art schools, especially universities. They are all taught wrong as I have always suspected. Why? Well, there is the old saying that Professors "Teach" because they CAN'T do! So true in almost every subject besides maybe Math and Science (which has become totally politically compromised IMHO). Anyhow, I really appreciate this video and all of the information. Thank you guys so much and God bless you all. Rusty, Glendale AZ.
As an art consultant selling 1000s of artworks to hotels,healthcare and corporate clients, I wish for artists to take your course. Elli, you really have invaluable information that is so inline with what I am looking for when I am curating. Uplifting, slightly abstracted, positive color, excellent skill, and a body of work . That is what I buy. Thank you for stepping out honestly. Many artist will stick their noses up. But, the secret is, listen to what you profess, AND do a different , avant garde line for galleries. It is called "silo" approach. Great job Elli, and thank you for sharing your knowledge. I have purchased Milan art. You get it.
Hi, as an upcoming artist. I’d love some feedback. I primarily work in black and white with charcoal or graphite. Do you curate any of this style? Or have suggestions for what you do see of this style selling. I really appreciate this video and its insights! I also appreciate you stating your own affiliations and experience in this space. However I do want to work within a style important to me and the beauty I see in the world. I would not want to simply create art for the masses that fits the videos guidelines to simply sell. I would love to incorporate these lessons to highlight my style. That said I’m still developing and finding my own style so any advice or guidance would be appreciated and find its way to influence work.
Hello. Another artist. How could I get noticed by art consultants or buyers?
How much is her art program?
Bitter
I thought it was about creating art the general public wants to buy? Why is a collector that much more emphasized? I’m asking as a beginner artist.
I left art school in 1969. We had absolutely no training on how to market yourself to be a successful artist. I wish your mastery class was available back then, I probably would have had a great career. At 73 I'm starting to paint again and want to do it right this time. Thanks so much for this video!
It’s never too late to start again Tom! We believe that you can have a massively successful career even starting at 73. There are actually a lot of students who begin in their 60s, 70s and even 80s! If you’d like to learn more about how the Mastery Program will help you start your career and our process you can check it out here: masteryprogram.com
Always good to get new ideas on what is selling, but really are you creating for what sells or what you need to paint? But Tom- I hear what you say.. and haha... I am here listening too. Good luck from a fellow 69 grad.
@@milanartstudioswhere is the waitlist?
I feel you, Tom. This year, I found out that I had a congenital aortic valve prob and had open heart surgery. Now, at 52, I'm trying a do-over with an art career I left unresolved. Hang in there Tom, never too late as long as you have today. Regardless of their art institute program, I appreciate the generosity and relevance of the content shared in this video.
Born in 1969, so I loved art from that day
When I wanted to go to art school my mom said; "you can't make a living out of making clay pots". Almost 40 years ago I started to paint painting that would sell. I could hardly keep up with the demand. I found myself thinking more about what people wanted than what I wanted to paint/create and it got really stress full. I packed my stuff up and stopped painting. Some year later when I got my son, I started doing digital painting but that also ended the same way; I was to focused on what would sell. When my son moved away from home I started to paint again and this time I do not (by choice) sell my paintings. I have now been painting again for 12 years and love and enjoy it more than I have ever done. It is now mixed media collage
The minute I think about what sells is the minute my joy goes out of it and it becomes no longer art or expression for me. And I not only lose that sense of joy or expression I also look at it and think that took so long and a factory in China could have and does. Make thousands of similar stuff for dirt cheap. It's soul destroying, in my opinion. But ever has it been. The people painting Kings portraits never got to express anything. I'd rather be a cleaner than spend 10 hours making a painting that barely makes 100 dollars. 10 dollars and hour for my time and nothing for materials. No id rsther clean for 10 bucks and hour or sell fries and enjoy making ym own weird art for myself and if aomone else likes it great. Art college is all about selling and to me it is soul destroying.
@serendipidus8482 That is the problem with the entertainment industry. Everything must be dumbed down to pander and sell to the mainstream public. The old masters didn’t care about that. Look at Giger, Dali, Bacon, Picasso etc. they all did their own weird thing and stood out, but to be the next big name is not easy
@@urbanchili as an artist who does sell but who hates marketing, I'd value any content you can point me to for doing what you did. you must have had an instinct for it
She is not just educating artists on what sells, but rather what appeals to people in a fundamental and functional way. In other words, she explains why most people are attracted to a certain image or color combination but not others. Thank you very much for that!
meh...sort of "most people"
I'd have to say I disagree with 90% of art definitions generally, anyways.
Orange doesn't make me hungry, etc.
Tapping into something deeper than marketing is probably more what "collectors" look for.
Making coordinating pieces is helpful for decorators.
By all means, if you as a creator are happy and comfortable with this model of marketing driven art-do it! WC Fields wasn't poor! Ain't nothing wrong with that, either. Just isn't for me-or any of my friends.
@lizzyshengshengzhou depends, I would take her advice on a more abstract level. It is good to adapt to the clients and curators you encounter and learn and adjust based on real world feedback. There is no secret style or color that sells better and when everyone makes it, it becomes obsolete and cheap, but it is great advice to inform on what the market is and what types of currents sell as well. Depending on the place you live and the culture and set of clients, there can still be differences in what particularly sells.
This is so wild. I just woke up and randomly clicked on this recommended video. I knew John Milan in maybe 1986-87 when I lived in Jacksonville, Florida and then he came and briefly stayed with me after I moved to Miami Beach when he was doing something there, maybe selling art or making posters for music shows with my housemate James Stetler. I just asked Kristy Rowan what his last name was last year because I couldn’t remember and he had popped into my mind. He was ALWAYS drawing, he never stopped. Pictures just flowed out of him. I had a crazy t-shirt he drew on that I wore until if fell apart. It was in the style of those ones you showed but much more accomplished. All the rave kids back in the day loved it too. He was the sweetest person ever as well, a truly gentle soul. It’s amazing to see how successful you’ve all become. Tell him Joni Spigler says hello.
That is so cool! I'm glad you commented.😊
I don’t understand some comments here criticizing what she’s trying to educate us about her experience, exposure and learnings. It’s her personal experience and work. Can you actually invalidate it?
I’m learning and grateful for it because aside from I love arts I really want to create arts that SELLS.
It's not good advice for non snobbish folks however, it's not bad advice for snobbish folks who want a stamp of approval from an "expert" . Just know your audience and how much money you can squeeze and or scam out of them. by the way Bob Ross would not approve of her message or video there are only happy little trees and plus she most likely dismiss most of Norman Rockwell's art as being too candy or tacky for high society, I highly doubt she would ever recommend Maxfield Parrish Daybreak because it's been over done and in too many houses, Standing out and being better than others is her under tone of her message about art you should have your home. Makes a true artist want to puke.
I think the part of "her experiences, exposure and learnings" is a cop out here. You move away from personal experience when you say certain things "won't sell". I can definitely invalidate those things because she made a strong direct statement. It's also a dangerous statement because it invalidates cultural art, political art and a few other fields that are actually very important.
I plain disagreed with some of her comparisons. The arguments made sense but my gut was saying fuck no the other is better what you talking about. My gut judges art not words. She makes my gut go brrrrr no.
There are people that do art for the love of creating. And there are people that create to SELL. The only creatives get REALLY angry when they hear only certain types of art sell consistently
Because you’re not an artist
This advice gives me the exact same vibe as home make-over shows, where the renovations of the house have to be as generic and consensual as possible in order to appeal to the largest possible pool of buyers. I don't want to live in an "open-floor concept" with neutral-coloured walls and contemporary flair.
This video is great, but we have to keep in mind that it is not about making _good_ art, rather it is about churning out a marketable commercial product. I understand that in order to make a living, any professional artist has to compromise at least part of their integrity. Somehow, after watching this, I feel like more of a "real" artist for being an authentic amateur, than I would if I ever sold a piece that was created to appeal to the market. In a way, I have the luxury to paint only for myself, as a hobby and thus 100% as a form of unbridled personal expression. I'll paint whichever "side of my pain" I damn please, thank you! I want to make actual art, not decorations for the condo of a yuppy couple or a dentist waiting room. It must be disheartening to become a full-time artist, only to realise you are beholden to market forces!
Again, still a very informative video, and some of the advice does lead to genuinely better art - but it needs to be watched critically.
thank you for your condescention and hubris from the comfort of a normal income. now please move out of the way so actual artists can buy food
Are you even someone with talent, or do you fall under the category of I can hold a paintbrush so I'm an artist and you must buy my work because I say I'm an artist. @@HomeFromFarAway
Wow. I was not insulted by the original poster. Learning is important. Milan is there to help those that want the help. Is not about determining who is the "real" artist.
You are absolutely true.
You do you, Boo. No one’s making you do anything.
She’s just trying to show you all how to thrive financially, and what people want. I Think it’s very generous. Also just what people want to look at, what is relatable, and what works in their homes. I’m saying a big Thank You! If your not worried about putting food on your table you’re creativity can fly!
I also went to SCAD and then transferred! And I agree - art school basically taught me that I could become an art professor and not actually make a living selling work! We have a similar story! I’ve been licensing my work for 15 years as a surface design artist and I’m glad to have found these amazing refreshers to keep me going! (I so wish I had the skill to teach like you do! I’ve been following for years, and had no idea you had a UA-cam channel until today! ❤)
So true, unless you're in Yale's art program, where 99% of NYC galleries and Museums draw from, the colleges prepare you for a teaching career (likely with the institution giving you your credentials).
I’ve had a lot of success with the way these topics are being taught on their channel. I absolutely hate teaching, but I need a refresher every now and then about the right way to market art in this modern world. Highly recommend this channel!
Do what you need to do,if you want to teach......good luck
I watched this on the TV and had to come on my phone to leave a comment, and that was to say THANK YOU!!!! I had a scene of a lot of the things you were saying but to hear it in black and white to confirm a floating notion in my head was freshing more than needed. It was spiritual but not woowoo, practical but not soul destroying, and again hearing it simply put, people want to see the resolve is something I've been saying for a long time but not as on the noise. I've been advised to lean more into the grotesque trend but have always believed that art is more about the transformative powers of the artist and to return to beauty, but think that has always been too flowery for the powers that be's pallet. So thank you, was well worth the random click on an unknown channel to me 🥰
Learn more about our one-year art program that is designed to take anyone at any level in art and turn them into a professional: bit.ly/3SGPuzI
Dear ArtSocial. In the final analysis, it comes down to "taste". As in, there's no accounting for peoples' taste. Respectfully, there are many in the comments who do not agree with your idea of what is good and what is preferable. Everyone is different. That people are different is not just OK, it makes the world a much more interesting, varied, a richer place to live and thrive.
It seems to me she is not discussing tastes as much as she is presenting an exemplar of what sells; what is marketable.
@@mai_8j888 Agreed. But I also agree with what @patriciaperlman3073 said. This is a video on how to _sell_ your art-- more specifically, how to make a decent living doing it. It's for those who want to create art that appeals to a wide audience, rather than what appeals to the unique individual who falls in love with the one-off piece for his or her own personal reasons.
You're exactly right Patricia. I think the misconception here is that she's saying some art is objectively bad or objectively ugly. Of course there will be some people who disagree with Elli's subjective opinion. We're all humans. But with Elli's vast experience in selling art in both the collectible (fine art) and decorative (decor art) markets, what she teaches here, is what she has learned.@@patriciaperlman3073
I'm a year late, but just wanted to say thank you so much for this video. Ive been off and on a hobby artist since highschool, but I've never believed I could be anything more. I love the craft with everything I have. I follow so many artists and gush over their skill and beauty everytime I see them. It never felt obtainable to me. I thought it would take me decades to learn to draw or paint at a level that would interest someone else other than myself, so I never tried. Now at 28 I watch this video and when you show me that anyone, including me, could find their way and be a professional, I can't stop the tears. Bless you, Elli. I will chase those dreams once again.
Thank you. I have learned more from your video about the some of the characteristics of a good painting than from any other source. I have started painting and drawing again later in life after a long period of depression after I lost my late husband. I have regained my passion. Like many others, I was told by an art teacher many many years ago "not to give up my day job" and that my art would never amount to anything. He didn't like that I didn't paint and draw the subjects that he wanted nor did he like the way that I painted them. I was only 15 when I was told that so sadly, I listened to him. Some of those teachers have no idea how much damage they can do and negatively affect a young person's life..... Thanks again for inspiring content.
Graduated mny years ago from fine arts.Evrythng she said i agree with all deep in my hearth.Years passed and the life path she told exactly the sameThanks and lots of love to this beautiful lady.💙💙💙💙🙏
I've seen this video show up a few times and I just skipped over it. I've been doing this for a while and I was thinking, "ok, here's just another person trying to tap into some of the problems artists face and not really have anything promising to say." Well, I was wrong. This is a very informative video that hits on some major points that are very beneficial to know and understand. I've been to art college as well. I'd have to agree that they don't really teach you this stuff. Thank you for posting this video. Some of the suggestions that you mention, I have implemented and have been very successful. Although I've been successful in my art, these are some of the specifics that can really take you to the next level. Thank you for your advice. I will be implementing many of the suggestions that you have pointed out. Happy painting. 😃
Watching this has made me realise that the art I create is aimed at museums and galleries, or at least, the kind of people who choose their furniture and decor so that it doesn’t distract from the art on their walls. In addition, people say that there is a kind of dark moodiness to much of my work.
i agree 100% my art is really dark and since ive been trying to sell art is hard to find the market for it. stay you colin and keep your art dark. deadman art studio is my art studio. check it out
Thought provoking work is not as popular as decorative work. Nothing wrong with that, just price it higher for the more discerning clients.
I am with you there. I stopped watching the video, when she said: "We don't want to paint war" or paint pain. I thought of the long lines of people in front of the Reina Sofia, waiting under the sun to be able to get a glance of the Guernica of Picasso.
@@mariewoodbridge251But the same people who Gaze in awe at Guernica won't have a copy of it on their living room wall but go for a painting of a flower vase.
EVERY artist paints for an audience. Decide WHO you want to paint for. Not hard.
@@mariewoodbridge251yet you reigned to hang around long enough to leave a comment. 😊
I have been watching your videos for a few days and I have already learned so much - I have made about every single mistake in the book and thanks to you I am now setting up my materials, studio and myself up for success - finally. Knowledge is power. This information is Gold.
Informative video. You helped me realize that I don't sell my art because I can't accept parameters in creativity. Being a commercial artist is not for everyone.
Masterbation is fine, if it makes you happy.
I don't try very hard to sell my art because I prefer to paint/draw/sculpt/write than spending any time trying to figure out what and how to sell anything. I have had exhibitions and it was fun, but my goodness it takes up sooooooooooooooo much time! I must admit, however, that when a perfect stranger comes along and is willing to give that much money for something you made from a piece of canvas, squirts of paint and a whole lot of thinking, finding, deciding, changing, improving, and time, it does feel good! An artist doesn't have to be commercial to sell art, they just have to accept that they're not going to sell as much art as an artist who is intent on selling what they make and who tailors their work to some extent in order to sell it.
It's for everyone...but not everyone has the humility and capacity to look at their body of work or even, see if we have one, our language of creativity of it matches with the world and be compassionate but straight with our judgment towards us and others/the world, read into what is the current of the world for art at any given moment, why and that it doesn't have anything to do with us as artist, have the capacity to separate our talent of whether it's being valued or not and why.....or that and also don't have the actual interest and that second one it's ok, the first one of course would be problematic, not everyone can do that.
@@elartistaenelsuenolucidofantastic word salad
@@true_plays_games I don't think is that difficult to follow, but like I said, not everyone gets it and acknowledge as important, maybe read it again
Not everyone has the time or drive to appreciate fine art.
Therefore, your advise is absolutely on point.
As a fine artist myself, I know fine art is not for everyone, but decorating a room is.
Exactly and there is a personal aspect to it. People don’t buy just anything for their walls. They buy what touches them, and makes them want to be in that space. And that’s a special connection and way to spread our own vision to others. What I’m reading here is a bunch of selfishness. Self absorbtion. The human experience is about connection and relationships. It’s about what makes your heart skip a beat and that image you’ll never forget.
This is the IKEA
I don’t understand all the haters. You have expertise in making art that sells and are generously sharing. You’re not saying anyone has to do their art this way. You’re not saying uplifting art is better than art showing pain. You’re talking about what sells in a particular market and somehow that’s making lots of people big mad. I appreciate you sharing so much rightfully gained expertise here. Thank you! P.s. I have seen ONE hotel that had artwork that goes against what you’re recommending. Just one, in a whole lot of years.
Nothing wrong with decorative art. As a cabinet maker and a painter I appreciate good craftsmanship. Sometimes we can even come close to creating real art.
Great points of color and subject matter composition here. But as just starting in the market for selling my art, I am finding that there's as many different reasons people buy as there are stars in the sky. It is open for anything, every style and price.
There's big money in big market and big cost to break into. In order to sell in those markets you have to pay 50% or more of your sell to the promoter, andthen theres your overhead. I'm finding most promotional offers are so overpriced, no way to clear a profit! Go figure who's making the money.😏
I don t see excellence here. That s what the difference is. If craftmanship is at mindblowing level it is automatically art. This is just average curtain design.
@@rayerscarpensael2300 As craftsman I tend to agree, but I just visited the art museum at my state capital. Contemporary art seems to hold that idea in contempt. I can sympathize. I've demolished too many wonderfully crafted kitchens and replaced with fashionable prefabs to place much social value on craftsmanship. Just the other day I was looking at a hand carved trunk that sold for $50.00. It was professional quality work. $50.00 is just what it would cost for me to have the lumber delivered to do that job.
For those of you who say you prefer the opposite of the ones that she said sells, I’m pretty sure she’s talking about what art sells the most. She’s not saying that everyone will like the one on the left. She is saying that the one on the left sells more often. If you prefer dark or garish, so be it. Create pieces that are the opposite of what she has found sells the best.
I'm glad someone clarified because I did like a lot of the ones she said wouldn't sell as well. Those vibrant rainbow ones were amazing.
You gave an excellent informative lesson about marketing one’s artwork, especially the part about making yourself a “brand.” I was a Commercial and Advertising artist for a good number of years. Two examples of successful fine artists who completely understood this, were Andy Warhol and Keith Haring. Both of them accidentally became “the up and coming trending artist”, but because they both were TRAINED as Commercial Artists (Carnegie Mellon Univ. and Kutztown Univ. of Pennsylvania), they absolutely knew how to market their brand (themselves) to take advantage of the notoriety of their initial successes.
van Gogh is considered 1 of the greats yet died in poverty, David Hockney is one of the living greats and worth a fortune who was also told he would never make it but at 86 is still producing art on a grand scale. Art is subjective and in the right setting will sell, it's all down the right people seeing your work it only takes 1 in the right circles and things can take off. I admire any artist who has picked up a brush and gone with it. Any adivce / help esp free is worth it's weight in gold. Thanks for this video it's given me a lot to think about.
The true heart of Art is wonderful to see.. That spirit. Unyielding. A torrent of rebellion against the grain of all things this world demands you to be. I can see you !!! For you are me!!
Van Gogh only sold 1 painting during his lifetime... definitely one of my favorites tho..
These advices are NOT to be followed if you really are an artist.
@@alexandrapatricio2727 Yes I'm an artist I paint and draw for pleasure have been drawing since I was a kid., and no I don't sell my art I give it to friends and family always have probably always will . I don't consider myself good enough to sell my paintings, but I do get enjoyment from it.
I was saying that it seems wrong to have to compromise our work to a pre- imposed standard And if i wanted to paint a road leading nowhere? Art is everything but a recipe to be followed by all. This is why i commented that these rules should not be followed by artists.@@stephensenior3589
Thank you for wll your advice, everything you said made sense to me. They say you shouldn't have regrets but i do whereas i should have gone to Art college.....ive always loved art and at 16 was deciding what to do....get a job or go to art college, i didn't go and i so regret that. I work full time in an office, i craft alot and sell a little but i always have this burning passion inside that needs to go on a canvas! It's hard to describe but needs to happen. Dimitra's art is amazing by the way, love her style.
We totally understand, but it’s never too late to start! And you don’t need a degree from art college, especially if you want to sell your art. You really should check out The Mastery Program. It’ll help you pursue your passion for art and turn it into a profitable business while creating art that you’ve always had inside you, but with the utmost excellence. Here’s a link to learn about the process: masteryprogram.com
@@milanartstudios777
I completely relate to you. Not alone. There’s always Hope!
@@milanartstudios😮
I did go to art school, it didn’t lead to much😢success. Got lost 😂
It is not the world that tells me I am not good enough. It is the inner voice that is telling me - you are not enough passionate,i dont have enough commitment in every day painting, not good enough in expressing my self, or just not confused what am i going to paint today, etc. Hope your program helps me find my voice.
Thank you for sharing so passionately all the information and useful tips. Dimitra is amazing, so as the other artist you showed up in the end.
There is commercial/business art, and residential art.
And then there's collector art.
This is how I view it.
This is for people who want to paint paintings for over a couch painting, with out any humanity or soul involved.
Don't forget investor art, which lives in free ports and bank vaults
@@LittleTaiChiMermaidpeople buy art for their homes that does speak to them or touch them personally. It may be the subject matter, composition, or color. But it’s something they picked out. They liked it. With this statement you’re completely nullifying having an audience to share with all together.
There is a mighty divide between real art and commercial illustrators.
This is the IKEA of art.
I’m a professional restorer and I’ve signed up. I’ve always wanted to improve my drawing and painting skills. This is perfect, thank you.
I beg to differ about three or four. You can put four items in the painting IF you place them correctly. I agree with a lot of what you say. Thank you for this helpful information. Congratulations to you and your family.❤
In most cases, odd numbers work best.
Art’s in the eye of the beholder. Everyone perceives paintings in their own way and should be allowed to do so. There’s no right or wrong where taste is concerned.
Think you didn't get the message at all...
Since the overflow of quotes in tumblr, there is a whole generation that repeats constantly those quotes like credos. This "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is one of them. But not everything is relative, not at all, and definitely there is good art and terrible art, despite there is a massive amount of people without taste that love terrible art. Actually, although your intention was saying that art is not a mercantile product (and I agree that videos like this one are horrible in that sense), the relativism you preach is precisely one of the main tools of capitalism to reduce art into a mere product. I mean, relativism is good for market, because that way you can sell all types of art, good and horrible, since you'll always find people who like it and buy it. That's one of the reasons nowadays art is so terrible, because the market is encouraging the making of a massive amount of terrible art because there is a massive amount of people who like and buy terrible art. So, you see where all that "Art or Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" has taken art to.
This is true , yet artistic expression is a language of sorts and when we tell a story or speak , the listener or the audience has a better more informative experience, leading to a greater understanding, when using refined , descriptive language.
There’s a way.
An art to expressing oneself and be effective.
And this is the same with painting.
And this takes time, experience, work , learning, experimenting, failing, succeeding and eventually finding your balance.
You know when someone is talking and you just know they know what they are talking about and you give them respect and appreciate this lesson… kinda like this one ….
Lots of people talk and say stuff but some they catch your ear.
A painting is not different.
The experience, the refinement, it just resonates through between the lines.
Good art that sells is like that.
Anyone can talk and say whatever and it’s not that profound.
But when it is , you know it is.
It stands out from the rest.
Tribulation,experience and passion definitely drives refinement.
In a person spiritually and in art.
Art is the expression of life and consciousness, of perception and awareness.
That of oneself, the world around them and their experience.
If consciousness is a spectrum on which one can vibrate lower or on higher levels,
Meaning it can be an increased experience or a decreased experience of being conscious and aware, then so would be its manifestations, your manifestations, including ones Art.
In other words, we are attracted to things that elevate us , make us feel smarter and sophisticated.
Hence art work that is will sell more easily.
Is I’m pretty sure she meant.
But all expressions are valid , that is true .
Just not everyone wants to see or hear it.
That’s the difference
Based on the work ive sold this is definitely true😅
@@elartistaenelsuenolucidoGive us the Cliff notes Rembrandt😅
We just bought a home with all of our savings, but once we’re stacked back up, I’m signing up for the masterclass! And if you make a competent artist out of me, I will sing your praises everywhere lol… I make collages, cut and paste, and I have SO MANY IDEAS that involve me needing to know how to draw and paint. For now, I appreciate the free content you post on UA-cam. Bless you. ❤
That is so exciting, congratulations on buying your new home!!! We can’t wait for you to take the Mastery Program. In the meantime you should come to our next free workshop this upcoming week on Thursday here: masteryprogram.com/how-to-create-an-abstract-landscape-step-by-step
I have to keep reminding myself that this is about art that SELLS and enables artists to have a career… I’ve always been interested in darker painters like Goya. I think it’s cathartic and gives you an emotional response when you look at his work but I totally understand why someone wouldn’t want one of his pieces in a dental office or in their living room front and center haha! Thank you so much for sharing this information.
You are sooooo inspirational. You actually make me believe I could do this. I have a degree in art and have been told everything you have. I am certainly interested. I have wasted so much time not making art and have settled on jobs just to pay the bills. Now I wonder if I'm too old to begin this endeavor. Fear is such a beast. Thank you again!!
Your never too old, we are eternal ✨ I think you should believe in yourself and magic will happen 🙂
You can do it at anytime, dear listen your inner voice!
Feel the fear and do it anyway. I got waylayed by the money demon over the years but I will be signing up for next November and next yr about the same time I turn 70...no excuses.
You don't have to make money from your work. I've been drawing and painting for 50 years, since I was 3. I have a collection of 15 pieces that I will leave to my children and my descendents will enjoy them. Buy some art supplies, look for inspiration and that will get you a started.
I'm in re-entry. You are not alone.
Well you make it sound all good and everything and I've been a steady artist since my twenties I am now 64, my art has sold in different places around the world but maybe once or twice a year I've got nobody on my UA-cam channel checking my stuff out I've been posting there for over 5 years I have a small clientele that goes to a local gallery and vice from me but as far as my work taking off I've even published book, and I'm lucky if I can make $3,000 a year that's it I sell my stuff cheap because the galleries always double whatever I bring in, I'm almost ready to throw in the towel it's been years I have been struggling with this but I can't stop I have to do art, I also have top mixed media at the community college, all I ever needed was a decent art wrapping somebody that believed in me
I really appreciate sharing your story to other artists. Huge respect and more success to you and your family!
I'm from my school age and started earning from making portraits, commissioned artworks.
After Masters in Fine Arts, I started taking part in group and solo exhibitions. The galleries took commission and didn't sell a single piece. I left that road and made my own art gallery and academy.
The academy was successfull within one year however my husband got job in Africa we both shifted to Benin. I didn't have any opportunities here also the people can't afford art, so I decided to find online platforms to present my artworks. I enjoy digital artworks but I miss traditional painting but I'm doing digital paintings, portraits and teaching drawing and painting online. I enjoyed each phase of my life however I really wanted to paint the on spot (outdoor landscapes), whatever I love to paint and enjoy and then sell my artworks.
I'm grateful that I was never free my whole life. I'm blessed that there were always art commissions to do since I started working and was never free, however I wish is to paint for myself now and not for people.
Color has been my greatest struggle. I've taken theory, understand it intellectually, but when faced with a pallet I can't seem to get it right. I know what I like when I see certain combinations and "steal colors" from other artists sometimes just so I don't have to struggle and make the wrong choice. This video was the first that made practical sense.
Do it in photoshop to get better ... Lay out your colours on a colour picker and set your canvers to make everything black and white make your painting and turn your colour back on when your finshed
This helped me massively as it made me understand i was focusing on the wrong aspects
...it's simple , go out into nature and see its colour combos at any location. Spend a day there and take photos of the same object-subject on the hour til the light runs out.
Thank you so very much for this amazingly informative video!
All what you say, makes so much sense but to have it explained in such a cohesive way and also why some art works and others are less successful gives greater clarity.
I've been creative since the age of 4 and my passion has never waned but for quite a number of years, I concentrated on craft. I know my identity with craft but now at 67 have decided I want to go back to creating art and learning new skills.
I know my craft identity will carry through into my art, so I know it's is a plus and of great benefit but your advice is invaluable in helping me to realise and to put it all into practice.
I remember too, having a career advisor tell me at school, without any idea of my capability, that I would never make it in the art world because you had to have exceptional talent.
This lead me to studying subjects of which had no interest for me, so inevitably my time was and has been wasted.
I often see the question of, 'What advice would you give your younger self?' Mine would be, to follow your own path and not the path others wish you to follow.
Thanks again!
I'm absolutely captivated by your video, which serves as a profound reminder of the transformative power of art. Your message resonates deeply
Thank you for the wonderful and very educational workshop. It's just awesome! I'd like to say one thing: "You are talented and you did have a talent!". But, your talent is for color, and painting and therefore, not as obvious as of those whose primary talent is for drawing and illustration. I could see your talent in the earliest pieces you showed online and I know that I'm right.
I am much like you when it comes to talent. I wasn't ever chosen by any teacher to represent the school or even the class. That's because we cannot fit into the school's frame.
While I worked as a substitute teacher, I never let any child put themselves into a school frame. I could see true happiness on their faces when they could do something out of their expectations only through my guidance to open themselves. It's the school, not us. It's possible but not needed.
You have always been talented. Sorry to burst your bubble and thank you for being there for us!
I've been doing figurative paintings all my life in rich colors. Lived in Miami for 30 years and my work was always rejected. "You have to have a history of exhibitions and awards". They mostly said.
Figurative is never as popular as landscapes, for instance.
@@MissDarlingArts half of what I do is landscapes.
Great video, even though I dare to differ in a lot of your examples. To my eye many of your negative examples are calmer and more pleasing than your positive ones. I am more of a digital artist, working with color grading in Photoshop and other programs. I also have a photo studio and manipulate light quite a bit. The variability of people's taste for art is enormous and if your art fits into the mainstream you are likely to be more successful than others. Taste is obviously in the eye of the beholder and rules are there to be broken, in photography as well as in other art forms.
If you shine a capitalist's eye on it, you might consider the buyer, not the painter and especially not your own view.
As a former art consultant for 20 years, who sold thousands of images painted by other artists, I can tell you that the vast majority of buyers preferred impressionistic landscapes. Next in line were gardens and abstracts. Photography was low on the list.
Totally bogus. The big time "capitalists" buy art for investing. Someone who paints to please everyone will never succeed in the big leagues. This tutorial is basically directed at the mediocre merchant selling for volume not for significant profit.
She is being pretty specific that this is geared more toward interior design and most people do not generally decorate with graphic styles. There were a few examples where I agree with you that I personally liked the "negative" one more but the style of work that I believe you are eluding to is more successful in the digital market or for product design, which is a VERY different thing and lends itself better to transitioning into various products or looks great digitally vs print.
Yeah, but there are visual languages more prevalent than others and that is going to be even more strong in specific contexts and in this video she is giving the visual language that reads into this sphere...so even tho I liked many of the bad examples or both of them, I gave her the reason cause it's talking about a context not whether there's art that is right or wrong or debating if taste is fixed or in the eye of the beholder.
Excellent video!! I am an aspiring photographer. I was once told that if I want to be a great photographer I should follow a great painter. After watching your video I understand what that means. I appreciate the lessons from you video and will apply them in my photography.
I have a very dear friend who is a gifted artist, but has never consistently made money from her work. I have a feeling you may provide the golden key, thank you! Shared with joy!
Thank you very much for sharing this amazing art education video to all passionate and determined to become a real and professional artist. I am Nick Rodis speed artist and contemporary art maker here in the Philippines happy to see you all guys and enjoy our art journey to the fullest with great purpose to all mankind.
Elli you are a star in many ways! I would have liked to be a part of your Milan Art Institute, but that will be in another life (I'm 80). Your information and desire to help others is so right on. Thank you for being and giving of yourself.
@viktoriapeterson489. Never forget Grandma Moses, you are never to old to fill you basket of dreams.
Thank you so much for this talk. And I can't point one thing that I like more than the other in your video. I am an artist and I look at everything from that perspective. Love your hair, love the background and you look like a painting in this setting. Just love the vibe. and off course the whole talk is great value for me.
Please listen to the beginning and note that Presenter is catering to the "Decorative Market" for the most part and has experience there. Made some really nice points and thank you so much for this information, this has a lot of food for thought.
My art is unique it sells all over the world. I have recently gone back to painting souls and they are selling very well.
😅
At 19:00 you directly contradict the explanatory text: "Elli has developed a system to create artwork that's authentic to the artist's voice but will still be desirable to art collectors."
What if a person authentic voice is subdued, quiet, moody, and sometimes harshly real? Lucian Freud for instance. Who was immensely successful.
What you are effectively saying is: in order to find a certain kind (monetary) of artistic success, you must adopt a formulaic approach that is most pleasing to the collector and not your authentic voice.
Oh gees, nothing ever sells unless it is pleasing to the buyer.
@@MissDarlingArts Where did I imply that was not the case? Read my OP again, and try thinking about it this time.
I guess if you already know what art collectos want then the only thing you could get out of this would be help finding a way to incorporate your artistic voice into art that wanted by art collectors and therefore sellable
Collectors don't want the same thing as people looking for decor items. The decor market is much bigger, especially with corporate offices. Nothing wrong with decor being gentle or "uplifting" - we don't really want Guernica over the dining table or over the bed.
A different Freud, but Sigmund Freud is a famous, well loved, fellow Jewish person.
Thankyou Elli 🙏 I think we are guided to find information/our tribe and one of these ways are videos that randomly pop up on UA-cam. I am in England, I have a degree in landscape design. I went on a small art business course and built a Shopify website that I have suspended. I can feel that you are super-authentic and you present so well. I will decide on what to do next......I am subscribed at least to art social 🙏🖌💜
I like your input and advice......that being said....it is the true passion being exposed by a master artist to shock the on looker ! The quality of the art to capture the eye of spectator passing by inlays the art. There are many categories that fall into play.... examples, (1) high tech art... A plack with a wolf's head mounted on it with a name plate saying " Werewolf , warning do not touch ! " When someone does touch it it moves and snarls trying to bite. A holographic etched in plastic illuminated , even an infinity mirror has esthetic value. (2) The power of extreme realism is a favorite of artists throughout centuries. Even realism blended with undefined shades of color can command attention. (3) Light or lighting is a secret ingredient to good art pushing it beyond the boundaries of expectation. If you have art on a wall with lamps placed here and there will never compare to the dramatic effect of doing away with lamps and bouncing light off the artwork giving a special atmosphere and power of the art. These are just a few examples.....but always the passion and drama of the art is always the key to success. Your college art of the motorcycle is good and captivating because of the realism captured. Art should stand out and catch the eye of the onlooker. Because of the economy most art is bought by restaurants and night clubs seeking a spectacular environment to draw in customers for the experience and visit. All I've said applies to such places as well ones private escape and home.
Thank you for creating this video and sharing your decades of experience with us. Wow!! I found this really very helpful as I am contemplating creating and trying to sell some artwork. I would pay money to learn these things and you're freely giving us this knowledge. My only suggestion in the future would be to limit the number of times you say uumm or aahh, as it was just a little distracting to me to the main points you were making, which are so so good. I hope that's helpful to you.. You seem like a person who wants to do everything better and are definitely geared towards excellence. I love the way you went through each topic and explained exactly what you meant. You have informed and inspired me which is the mark of an excellent instructor. I believe you do this not just for money, but because you love it and want to help others do the same. Thank you again, blessings!!
I love that all 4 of your children turned out to be artists!!!
Yes it is mass production! And if there were 6 or 8 kids , all would be art workers too.
😊 thank you for sharing your experiences and encouraging all artists. You definitely have a gift.
I saw a story of a man in Africa doing portraits of people grom his city or town. The amazing thing to me was he was using melted plastic bags.....like the kind you might get at the grocery store or conviniat store. I was freaking blown away. Of course someone saw this and he started doing shows here in the states.
Where can I find out more about this artist?
You never discussed "price point". Which I assumed was: how to price your work. If it takes, let's say, 30 hours from sketch prep to wiring to hang and you are selling it for less than 300 dollars - as a beginning artist - then you might as well be working a minimum wage job. You'll make more money.
This is without factoring in materials, supplies, proper lighting to work by, 'advertising , time spent on sales sites, contacting galleries (if that's what you are interested in) creating websites, maintaining a web presence. Creating well-made art is time-consuming. Now double that time for the sales and marketing aspects. Which bumps the painting up to 600.00 Unless you are willing to work for less than minimum wage.
If you hope to then be represented by a brick and mortar gallery, they will take 50% of the sale. Which means if you need 600.00 out of it to break even, you'll have to sell it for 1200.00.
And galleries don't like to be undersold by the artists they represent. So you can't advertise the art while it's in their store, nor can you charge your take of 600.00 on your website or sales site.
These are the kinds of things real instructors in real schools will discuss with their students, contrary to the suggestion that instructors who live in "ivory towers" have very little of value to impart. And upside, we aren't shilling hopes and dreams that end up costing you a lot of money along with the irritation of having your email address harvested and sold to a third party.
I was pretty turned off by some of this video in particular when she talked about her daughter selling art. I couldn't help but feel like the only reason her daughter was selling art at such a young age is because she has privilege and parents who are well connected in the art world. I want to see art from people who don't have privilege. Her daughter's art looks generic. Everyone is doing that kind of art.
@@gigiartstudiowithartistvir3919not totally generic, and shes developing.
@@gigiartstudiowithartistvir3919 I love her daughter's art and it's very beautiful. I would buy it
This was an hour long free workshop. Do you think she had time here to get into every aspect of the business? This was a FREE chunk of her time giving you some valuable information. How about thank you.
You are spot on with your comment! At $17/hr X 40 hrs = $680 every single week at a minimum wage job. To paint a picture, it would take many more hours and do all the work, marketing, dealing with obnoxious gallery owners, pounding the pavement, setting up art shows, dealing with egos etc etc etc.! If the work does not sell, you are out all your time, effort and money including what you shell out for a decent frame! Your comment was right on target and i'm glad you were truthful!!
I am still learning but when I started, even before I knew what value was, I set a high price on my work dealing in wildlife oils. Now I finally am building a studio at my home. No matter what happens, I feel I am a success.
Thank you for all your information. This video and all you said is so well thought out and practical and encouraging for even someone at my age of 63. Maybe I can get to the point of selling something. I am working towards it and putting time into it. You are such an encouragement to everyone. Thanks!!
You have proven that there are buyers in every market. It’s a blessing you could earn a living doing what you and your customers love.
Even though I’m not a painter, it was good to get your views on colour, theme and excellence. I saw that in the context of mosaics and decor tiles that I make. Thanks for sharing your knowledge in this video.
I think I learned more about art and painting with this video than I have in 2 years I was in art school.
Thank you for everything you`ve said about this subject. Art is communication and we need to excel at reaching people. I learned a lot.
God gives the art talents to each artist. Each have their own style and unique gifts in art. And there is a buyer for each master peice, I believe, its for the artist to do what they need to do to be successful in their art career, myself included. Thank you for your sharing.
I have been doing art for 40+ years and it has been a struggle but if I had to follow your art advice I would completely stop today !
That’s why you have struggled and always will.
WATCH "The curse of creativety". Just do it.
Yep.
Yeh currently working as a scientist/ engineer and do art on the weekend.
I'd love to do art full time, but if I have to cater to the market and paint what others want, it would really reduce the pleasure I get from art.
On your ‘open ended’, I much prefer the scene on the right with the detail, it’s so much more intriging and interesting. The left one is boring, just a horse, you look once and there’s nothing left to look at and discover.
Im about 24 minutes in and im getting do not paint the painting like they have on the denver airport wall 😂😂😂
Im sorry couldn't resist lol
I am so happy i finally found someone to help me ( well all of us that found you) !
I look forward to learning more from you. Thank you for all you are shareing with us❤️❤️❤️
Finally a useful art video. There are so many videos that aren't helpful to get to the next level. Thanks!
Incredible lesson. I took the time to memorize this lesson ! color theme and excellence … thank you so much everybody always talking about values and composition. I just added to my tool box !
The point is to enjoy the practice of a creative expression , the consideration of whether anyone likes it or even less so wants to give you money for it is essentially irrelevant.
I came here with very high hopes and really considered buying the course but I just see too many red flags. As someone that sells art (though admittedly with less years of experience than the presenter) some of this content is great and a lot of it is dangerously inaccurate. There are literally popular paintings here being presented and “bad art” that “will not sell”.
She admits on a couple of occasions “you see this everywhere“. Doesn’t that mean it’s purchased often?
She’s also being very vague in the fact that she’s talking about 2 different art markets. There is a huge difference between creating home decor and collectible art. In one you’re hoping to sell a large quantity and in the other you’re aiming for a larger price. Some rules apply to both markets but to tell people that one is “bad art” or “won’t sell” or is “where the market is headed” is misleading to say the least.
Totally agree. Thomas Kinkade sold happy, uplifting "art" by the truckload to people who just want to decorate a room. An art collector doesn't give a damn if it matches the new sofa.
You see this everywhere referred to seeing imagery painted by many different artists in other words not distinctly unique. She mentioned discussing the commercial market, or collectors, so everything she said was correct. I was a corporate art consultant for 20 years in so calif. Transitional landscapes were no 1 most popular. Figurative art was definitely residential. She was not talking about collectors, however her daughters originals were more collector pieces due to price points. My hesitation is more that the art she said student sold well were all figurative symbolic style, and she showed no one being successful who was abstract nor landscape nor seascape nor floral they were similar to her daughters. That is not a good sign to me.
Totally agree! If you want to follow an artist that has been building a community of artists that started on UA-cam and has blossomed in to an artist community online through their own website. Check out Rafi was here UA-cam channel, and he talks about these kind of artist “courses” or whatever this lady is doing, and to be wary of them, and to be careful.
I have been following him for years, and I am a member of his community that he calls rogue, artist community. And it is flipping amazing! For so many reasons.
Interesting!
@@MissDarlingArts, I found this to be a sales pitch for the daughter.
I am from India and i have never seen such Arts. I love colors so much and this video totally changed my view on paintings, I am not good in paintings but when i sit and paint after finishing it gives a kind of different feel which i cannot explain, I just registered and added myself in waiting list. Thanks a lot for detailed explanation❣.
Million’s are not enough to buy this info. 🙏
This is advice for those that want to sell a lot of “decorators” pieces (this term doesn’t make it any lesser than a Van Gogh), this clearly works as they have sold 10000 works of art. You can do this and still create your own work. I’m going to see where I can take this. It’s good advice. You shouldn’t feel like your artist soul is weakened, this is about making art a business. There is some great advice in this
This is the most,t if not only, ACTUALLY informative and helpful art career-related video online. I've watched them all.
In a few hundred years from now this video will be shown at a conference called "Being an artist in the dark ages." People will shake their heads, take a deep breath and feeling relieved, knowing that these days are over... ✨
This is not about being an 'Artiste', shuddering at the sound of their own inspiration. It's about commercial art and what sells and why. There is value in understanding what she is teaching. You wouldn't use all of the advice, but at least some of it will prove useful and enable any artist to improve their work.
You will ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS HACK! I Learned this trick from another artist on you tube and it WORKS. It's AMAZING. For old gunky or even cheap paint. Go figure the simple things in life sometimes work the best. Try corn mixing in CORN STARCH into your paint. A little goes a long way but again, it works. You'll thank me for it by sharing with others...
Wow...a lot to take in...and very informative...I appreciate the explanations as I intuitively knew things but did not have words to describe what was wrong/right or what worked/didn't work, etc...I think it will take me awhile to pick up this language and way of explaining things...as opposed to just "knowing" that something would work/not work, sell/not sell...Absolutely fascinating...You guys are awesome...Thank you so much...
The content you have provided in this video alone has given me exactly what I have been trying to find out for 2 Decades now.
I am So grateful to you for doing this for others.
God bless you and yours*
OR
Best Wishes!
THANK YOU.
I never considered using a "color story"... I've just gone into each piece with an idea of the colors i want to use. I think for my next painting it makes sense to do a rainbow palette with neutrals? Ill explore this. Thanks for the food for thought!
What a wealth of information you have generously shared! I don't agree with absolutely everything, especially about the stylization points but if a person were to learn the foundation you teach then they could choose to go their own direction. Dimitra's work is wonderful. Thank you.
OK... I get it! It's an infomercial!
No and yes...get it?
Even if I wasn’t here for the course, I would still be watching and listening for the really awesome positive vibe 🌱
I appreciate your great information. I actually prefer some of the artwork that you mentioned as wrong. I think it's according to what pleases you; not because there's a standard you must follow. I realize that your teaching is what would appeal to the public for sale; I'm looking at what pleases me.
I agree, there were several examples where I preferred the "wrong" art over the "correct" art. Everyone has different tastes and I think there's really no right or wrong in art. If I'm going to create, I'm going to create things that I like and I'm sure there will be others out there who like them too.
She is talking about the masses and she was correct on everything. You then are more quirky in your taste. I was 20 years an art consultant and everything she said was on point. There are always a few exceptions.
Wrong
This is all great information and totally on point to sell. Detractors must already be rich and famous artists to dismiss this, and I get it, because if you have fame you can throw out the rules because the buyer isn't buying the work, they are buying a piece of the artist' s celebrity.
So generous of you to share your knowledge, thank you ❤
*Wealth of information* ℹ️
In Art scene, Nothing remain constant, however you talk through your experience and I 💯 agreed with it.
Funny how art teachers & professors tell you you can't make a living from art but they managed it. I'm actually very glad I didn't go to art college. I thought about and decided I'd be better off if I just painted as often as i could and experimented with different materials. It was the best thing I did. I produced quite a bit of rubbish and also some gems. I read a lot and went to art galleries, exhibitions. I'm still learning because i don't know it all and feel i can always learn something new
They don't say that. She's intentionally misrepresenting art school to market her content. I went to the same art school a couple of years before her and not one of my painting instructors ever said that.
I've seen this video show up a few times and I just skipped over it. I've been doing this for a while and I was thinking, "ok, here's just another person trying to tap into some of the problems artists face and not really have anything promising to say." Well, I was wrong. This is a very informative video that hits on some major points that are very beneficial to know and understand. I've been to art college as well. I'd have to agree that they don't really teach you this stuff. Thank you for posting this video. Some of the suggestions that you mention, I have implemented and have been very successful. Although I've been successful in my art, these are some of the specifics that can really take you to the next level. Thank you for your advice. I will be implementing many of the suggestions that you have pointed out. Happy painting.
I love dark, gothic, dark whimsical art. Tim Burton style is extremely famous for a reason, there's a market for darker design
Yes, it’s just way smaller, that’s all.
The real money in art (for the majority) is in teaching, which is why this video exists.
Great advice! I have an artist friend who is inspired by Francis Bacon and is producing a unique but kind of creepy type of painting. Although this artist is very good they have not yet found a path to sell these paintings. I've read that creepy art is a genuine thing now but I wonder about how viable this genre is. It does seem to me that this is making it more difficult to really get a career started that sells paintings.
It’s about finding an audience
I like a little spooky but not grotesque, dark or creepy
Not everyone paints for the purpose of selling it... some people just like to paint what they like to paint.... for themselves.
@@SeanMahoneyfitnessandart That's very true. My friend that I mentioned is hoping to start selling paintings but so far no sales have occurred.
Thank you Elli. Im back. I forgot how bad i want to get in the Mastery program. I know this video is a year old, but just listened to the whole thing. I always learn so much listening to all you Milan's. I will one day take this course. I need to. I know how much i will learn. Thank-you again for sharing all of your knowledge.
I liked all the "bad ones"
I want to be an artist so bad it consumes my thoughts. I love painting. I started in oils, never been to art school. Suck at painting, but still love doing it. I love this channel and everything you guys are about. I hope to be able to do the program one day.
You don't suck at it. You're gonna find your style that is uniquely you and when you, just do a boat load of it and keep gunning the boat til you reach some unknown destination; from which you will discover your genesis.
Just don't give up...the desire to paint is half the battle. It will come💜take pictures of your artwork...you will see an improvement each year. Been painting 30+ yrs and good therapy.
Try doing small paintings using the number of free tutorials on UA-cam. Will give you an immediate sense of achievement. Then you'll becoming more confident and also know how to make best use of a paid class.
Thank you so much for all of the encouragement!
This is beutifull.
I love your Art.
BLESS
I take photos and put them on canvas. I watched this entire video and learned so much. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and inspiring me to want to learn to paint.
It is so very sad that "art by the yard that matches the color of the sofa and carpet in your living room" sells better than your "true" art. Your true passions are amazing!
agreed. Art is dead.
That’s an elitist snobbish point of view held, generally, by people who think art has to have a deep secretive meaning or it isn’t art. Hogwash. They are the same people whose art doesn’t sell at all.
@@MissDarlingArts Sales, of anything, are nothing to do with talent or deep meaning. It's about capitalism.
Art does not have to match the sofa. It's when you look at it and it captures your mind.
@@patrhea6482 that's what we're saying pat, do keep up 😅
In this case, one should be prepared to tailor one's work/art into commercial objects. Losing true inner gut creativity. At least for the time one's into business art.
It's not for everyone.
Or if enough time, one can split up things. Make commercial art, and then one's own true art. But, often the lattest gets pushed back or lost, because commercial art hinders creativity. One needs to make choices.
I am blown away at your content! Of all the art content communities online for coaches I see your company as the standard. I am so excited to work with you
The UA-cam Gremlins seemed to have put this video on my feed. How did they know?
I am self-taught in almost everything I do and have done. Like leather crafting/tooling. I fell in love with watercolors purely by accident trying to dye leather with them (That really didn't turn out too well, LOL). At any rate, I watched your entire video and I was glad I did. I turn 65 next month and I figured painting and leather could continue to be great hobbies. However, I never really considered the possibility of learning how to sell either with any consistency. Then your video comes along and unlocks another door in my mind, Thank you so much.
I do have an artistic "mind" I just haven't figured out how to unleash more of it until now, Thank you again. I like the at your own pace aspect since I do work. I really like the thought of being able to sell a few here and there as well. I really do think I will give this a try. At the minimum do the pre-class regardless since I am figuring that that will be in basically the same style as the paid course will be done.
And to finish off (Yes, finally), What you said about art schools, especially universities. They are all taught wrong as I have always suspected. Why? Well, there is the old saying that Professors "Teach" because they CAN'T do! So true in almost every subject besides maybe Math and Science (which has become totally politically compromised IMHO).
Anyhow, I really appreciate this video and all of the information. Thank you guys so much and God bless you all.
Rusty, Glendale AZ.