If you currently love to paint and be creative at home but you’re trying to turn it into a part-time or full-time job, there’s no better time than now to start pursuing your dream career. The question is, where do you begin?

Art is a tough industry and it’s highly competitive. No matter how great your painting skills are, you can often struggle to get your name out there because there are so many other aspiring artists with the same goal.

There is no right or wrong way to gain traction as an artist. A lot of time, it comes down to a combination of perseverance and luck. You could paint a random picture for fun, and this exact piece of art could catapult you into stardom and success.

Whether you’re after stardom or you just want to turn art into a money-making side hustle, we’ve got some top tips to help you out. Following these tips will help you to gain an audience and get people interested in your artwork.

Practice and Be Open to Learning New Things

Even if you’re not planning to become the next Picasso or Van Gogh, it’s important to constantly work on your skills. Every time you pick up the paintbrush, you are enhancing the existing skills that you’ve developed and improving your artistic abilities.

Painting is something that involves constant learning. Whether you’re trying a new brush stroke technique or you’re experimenting with different materials, there is always something new and interesting to discover.

Watch videos online, go to art classes, or ask professionals for advice to master your painting skills and become the best artist that you can be.

Store Your Paintings Properly

When you’re working with oils or acrylic paints, it’s important to store your artwork correctly. The correct storage for paintings varies depending on the exact materials that you have used. However, there are some general safety tips that apply to every piece of painted artwork.

Here are some key things that you must do to protect your paintings:

Keep them out of direct sunlight

Keep them away from moisture-prone areas in your home

Avoid wiping them with wet cloths

Don’t use cleaning products or solvents to clean them

Wash your hands before handling your paintings

Use Social Media to Promote Yourself

Nowadays, social media is almost essential if you want to grow an audience as an artist. You can use platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to maximize your reach and get more eyes on your artwork.

Focus on posting intriguing, high-quality content that will capture your target audience’s eyes. Consider using multiple formats, including static images and videos for different platforms.

Use your social media channels almost like a billboard. It’s your personal advertisement to display your talents to the world.

Create a Website Dedicated to Your Artwork

Alongside social media, you should also have a website to showcase your masterpieces. Hire a website developer or create your own site using a website like WordPress or Wix to build an artist website.

Make sure your site looks professional and interesting. You want to hook your viewers and keep them on your page for as long as possible. The longer your audience is on your site, the more likely they are to engage with you and enquire about your artwork.

You should also use SEO techniques to maximize your website’s search-ability on the Google search engine. Use keywords and key phrases through your website content so your artwork comes up when they make a search online.

Network

When you’re trying to gain a name for yourself in the art work and potentially start selling your artwork, networking is your best friend. Networking means interacting with other people in the industry to make connections.

The more people you know, the easier it will be to grow your audience. You can collaborate with other artists to share ideas and promote each other’s work. 

Attend local and national networking events, where you will have ample opportunities to speak with professionals in the field and share contact details. You can also attend digital events that provide the same opportunities.

Networking is important to grow your customer base to sell your work and gain a new stream of income if this is your goal. It provides you with the chance to build new relationships with industry professionals that you would not otherwise have pursued.