Don't Be a Target When You Sell Art Online

As much as we would like to believe otherwise, there are quite a few dishonest people out there posing as potential art buyers. This is especially distressing for new artists, because many want to be "discovered" and who wouldn't want to be exhibited somewhere prestigious or have their work snatched up by a wealthy client? Even experienced artists are having trouble with art buyer scams, so this article will include some tips for keeping yourself safe as you sell art online.

1) Be Cautious

Look for common traits often found in scammer conversation such as writer errors (punctuation mistakes, poor grammar/spelling, etc), a sense of urgency (buyer needs the item ASAP) in combination with an overseas contact/buyer/shipper/etc.

Get Drawing - Five Tips to Break Sketcher's Block

In my youth I used to draw and especially as a landscape architecture student I filled many sketchbooks. As the responsibilities mounted over the years in both my private and working life I steadily drew less, both for myself and on the job. Last year I had an urge to get back to drawing, however it took a few months between buying a sketchbook and using it. It's hard to describe the sense 'fear' or frustration associated with marking a piece of paper, even when in control of who else may see the results.

Often this hesitancy to get going is a sense of dissatisfaction with the results and frustration with technical abilities. One of the best ways is to take a class or join a life drawing group and draw for several hours a week. Like most other skills it's all about practice and of course, there are many technical aspects that can be learned faster through lessons than on your own. I didn't do that, but have managed to exceed my personal goal of doing a least three times a week over the last 9 months. Here are the five things that helped me overcome my self-imposed obstacles and have provided a great deal of satisfaction, self expression and fun.