Add extra value to your art work ~ part 2
When I’m selling artwork I like to put a little pack, or envelope, together containing information about the piece. It’s usually just a sheet or two paper placed safely in an envelope marked with the artwork title, and I attach this to the back of the painting with a note saying that it should be kept fixed to the piece throughout its life. This means that even if the art changes hands, all the information about it is kept with it, and then, sometime in the future, a new owner can find out everything they may need to know about the piece that is now in their possession. This not only increases the original value of the piece but also the resale value later on.
If you are a digital artist creating your work on computer, or a photographer or printmaker, then it’s a very good idea to number your work. If you limit the number of times you will create a copy of this particular piece, and then number them accordingly, you will have increased their value because they immediately become more scarce. Limited-edition works are always worth more than open edition works, and the smaller the edition size the more valuable they are thought to be. Obviously it’s important that you stick conscientiously to the number originally decided on for this addition, so that your buyers can be confident they have a genuine limited-edition piece.
If you are selling limited edition prints they will be worth more money if they are sold as giclée prints rather than normal ones. This is because giclée prints are made using very light fast and long-lasting pigments and special papers or canvasses, which make sure that they are of archival quality. This means that they should last for over a hundred years, or even as long as 200 years before begriming to fade. This light fastness and resulting long life obviously increases the value of your prints tremendously.
If your work has been exhibited, shown in a gallery, critiqued or published in a book, then this is information that will help to increase its value. Any work that has been in the public domain in one way or another is seen to have more intrinsic value than one that has stood behind a pile of others in the back of your studio, and hardly seen the light of day since it was finished. Of course we know that artwork doesn’t have to be exhibited in a gallery in order to make it valuable, but very often art buyers think that art which has been exhibited is naturally more important and therefore worth more money. So it’s worth getting all your best pieces into a gallery if possible, and when you sell them, making sure you tell potential buyers where they were exhibited and when.
It does matter where you choose to exhibit, though, as the surrounding environment effects the way people see and experience your art. Whether the gallery you choose is on or off line, its very important that it creates the right ambience for your work. If you think about what sort of gallery environment you would choose if you were building one for yourself, or the sort of place you would enjoy visiting if you were planning to buy art, then you have a good idea of what to look for when choosing a gallery to exhibit your art. Obviously commission charges and other conditions also count, but if the place looks wrong it won’t do your artwork any favours and won’t be taken seriously by your potential buyers either.
Finally, it can be helpful for your buyer to know how to look after your artwork once they’ve got it home. They may need to know things like: does it need to be kept in a moisture free atmosphere or can they hang it in the bathroom or kitchen, would it be better to be hung behind glass and how do they periodically remove dust.
None of these suggestions for adding value to your artwork take much time or expense, but together they may very well help you to sell your art for more money, so a little effort could bring real rewards.