Creating African art that puts forward your message to the world is one of the greatest achievements of any artist. Your hours of hard work and perseverance have finally paid off and your masterpiece is complete...but now you have to sell it, and selling art can be highly difficult. This is especially true in today’s digital world, with people preferring to find products, services and content online. You can remedy this difficulty by selling your art online or by using apps to sell your paintings, drawings or even sculptures. Below are just some of the apps that you can use to sell your art.
Magnus is a simple, straightforward and ambitious app that allows buyers to learn the name of the artist, the title of an artwork, its dimensions and its price. The aim of Magnus is to catalogue the existence of every artwork that has been created, and make this information available to the public.
This is great news for up-and-coming artists, as the database also includes works on the primary market, meaning people who are new to buying art but want to start a collection. Someone might walk into a gallery and see something for sale for R20 000 and wonder why it so expensive, rather than costing R5000. If this same person can access the artist’s exhibition history using Magnus, then they will be able to see why the piece costs what it does. This will also allow buyers to see your journey as an artist, and you will garner potential collectors for your work.
Pixapp is a cross between Instagram and RedBubble (a website that allows you to print your art on a diverse range of products and sell them on their site or elsewhere). Artists and buyers can follow artists who they particularly like, as they would on Instagram, and buy any pieces of African art they fall in love with.
As an artist, you are able to upload your design onto various products sold by Pixapp, and you are able to keep 90 percent of all profits made by these sales. Pixapp takes care of everything for you, including production, shipping and customer services. It is a low-maintenance and cost-effective way to get your art out into the world, although it is more effective for painters, digital artists and those who enjoy sketching as their medium.
BBuzzArt is a fantastic platform for emerging artists and art enthusiasts alike. It is free to download and artists can upload paintings drawings and photographs of their work onto the platform for a global audience to see.
People can also add art that they find interesting and leave a comment or caption to describe it – you might find a photograph of your artwork posted by someone who found it intriguing! The interface is easy-to-use for both buyers and sellers, and it provides a social platform where you can interact with potential buyers, allowing them to get to know you as an artist and learn about your journey.
One could say that Wydr is like a dating app for art lovers and artists. It has the same ‘swipe right’ feature as apps such as Tinder, so when a potential buyer sees art they might like (such as your recently completed masterpiece) they can swipe right if they like it, or left if they don’t.
This app is marketed for a younger art-loving generation, which makes it perfect for emerging young artists who are looking for an audience. There are no curators to give their opinion on pieces and sway the buyer, they can decide what they like and, as an artist, you will receive feedback on which of your pieces are the most popular. You will see a community rating of all of your artworks and Wydr helps you take care of shipping, customer service and other important aspects of a purchase.
Saatchi Art is for the discerning art collector. It allows you to photograph, upload artwork for sale, and manage your online portfolio all within the app. You are also able to connect with like-minded artists and collectors, such as people who enjoy African art and everything it stands for.
Buyers can upload a photo to the app, where they will be shown collections that are similar to it or artists who create similar art. This is a great way for new artists to be discovered and gain exposure in the art world. Artists can connect with curators who might be looking to create a new exhibit and buyers can ask for advice on what to buy next to hang on their walls or place in their home. It is an app that can be used by anyone, from a casual buyer to an art investor.
If you want to make a dent in the art world, you have to stay up-to-date on all trends, especially the digital ones. Gone are the days of only using exhibitions or competitions to sell your art, you can now use an app such as Wydr, Magnus or Saatchi Art to sell your latest works to a global audience. You will need to be sure that you provide high-quality photographs of all paintings and sculptures. And, if you upload scans of your sketches they can be resized to fit any merchandise.
