Some Knowledge

Abstract art is a wide open field.  There are no rules when it comes to slapping paint on canvas in abstract and non-representational patterns.  The product could be anything from spattered paint to a solid gray coating over a large board.  You might paint interlocking cubes, swirls, lines, geometric patterns, or haphazard arrangements of identifiable objects juxtaposed in pleasant or unpleasant patterns.  It is up to the artist to decide how he wants his paintings to look.

To make money with abstract art you will have to sell your art.  In order to have art to sell, you will have to make some art.  Sure, you might spend years in art school studying the masters, but this will not add much to your credentials as an artist.  It is making art that makes you an artist.  In order to make art you will need materials and you will need a place to work.  Materials cost money.  Quality materials cost more than cheap materials, obviously.  If you want people to give you a lot of money for your work you should use quality materials.  You will also need tools like brushes and palette  knives, some kind of palette, an easel, a drop cloth, thinner to clean brushes, and time.  You can paint on stretched canvas, canvas boards, plywood panels, and though there is not a lot of watercolor abstract art, paper is also a possibility.  For my own work I use acrylic paints because they dry fast and clean up with water.  No fire hazards in my studio, and no fumes.  No waiting around for months for oils to dry either.  Acrylics have bright colors and they are not overly expensive.  I use canvas boards, because they are compact and easy to frame.

Set up your canvas on your easel, lay out some paint on your palette, and get a brush and paint something.  Take your time and do a good job.  Paint patterns that are bold and dramatic, or subtle and subdued, according to your judgment.   You are not attempting to represent anything.  If your patterns can be interpreted in some way, this is good, though not necessary.  The important thing is that you cover the entire canvas with paint so that it is a finished painting.  Try to keep your colors seperate so that they do not all run together into one drab coating, unless this is your purpose.  If you favor minimalism, by all means get a paint roller and paint your canvas one simple color.  What you paint is not as important as that you paint.  It is the act of painting that gives your work value, not the physical form of your work.  Seriously, all you are doing is applying a couple dollars worth of paint to a couple dollars worth of canvas.  Your cost for a painting is minimal.  It is your time and your vision as an artist that convinces people to buy your work.

Anybody can make abstract paintings.  The hard work is in selling these paintings and making money.  If you want to sell your paintings you will have to give them a professional appearance.  This means they will have to be framed.   Framing can be expensive.  In fact, the frame is the most expensive part of a painting.  Some modern art is sold unframed, but most galleries insist that any art they sell will be framed, at the cost of the artist, usually.  Framing is one of the expenses of doing business as an artist.  It takes money to make money.

You will need to build up your reputation as an artist to get a good price for your paintings.  Paintings by famous artists sell for thousands of dollars.  To build up your reputation, find and enter contests.  You might want to post photographs of your work on the Internet to generate interest.  Arrange for shows at local businesses or universities if this is at all possible.  The more people who see your work, the more of a market you will generate for your paintings.  You might want to write and distribute press releases for the local media when you do manage to arrange a show.  All this publicity will generate interest in your work and will help you when the time comes to approach a gallery.  Galleries sell art.  What galleries really sell is artists.  There is no shortage of art in the world.  There are a limited number of Picassos, so the price is high.  People pay a lot for Picassos because of the name.  There is no other reason.  If anyone else had painted like Picasso, they probably could not sell their work.  The appreciation of art is a subjective process.  It’s all about popularity and fashion.  You need to work on building a reputation as a serious artist.  Go to gatherings of artists.  Go to showings of artists.  Have some business cards printed up with listings of your website where people can see your work and pass these out wherever art is being discussed.  Once people recognize your work you will have no problems selling paintings.  Of course during all this publicity you will still be painting.  Hopefully you will also sell a few of your works so you will not have to store huge amounts of inventory.

It is possible to make money with abstract art.  The important thing to remember is that it is not really your paintings that you are selling, but your reputation as an artist.  Promote yourself and get involved in the world of art, and you can make a bit of money for simple, enjoyable work.