Invest in Arts? 🎨

 

 How to Invest in Art? 🎨 

Art is booming! Indian art is the new avenue for investment! The headlines are screaming names of Indian masters and the amounts they are being sold for. Artist Tyeb Mehta’s ‘Mahishasura’ being auctioned for $1.5 million is still quoted in any article on the Indian art market. Suddenly people who wouldn’t know their Hussain’s from their Raza’s want to buy ‘Art’ and reap golden dividends on their ‘investments’. This brings us to the moot question that every new investor would like an answer to “How to invest in art?” 

                 

Know your art: When it comes to buying stocks you would undoubtedly study the market, go through past company records, see the financial health of the company. Investing in art requires the same amount of understanding and research, only in this case you will be focusing on the artist whose work you are planning to buy. Following are the points that you should cover in your research: 

• Go through his profile, it makes a difference if the artist has been to an art school or is self-taught. 
• Consider which galleries are promoting the artist, how many exhibitions has he shown his works in, who have been past buyers of his works, have his works been acquired by art museums or institutions? 
• Before zeroing in on a particular work, see the previous and current works of the artist. Ideally it is advisable to purchase work in the particular style associated with the artist. A one-off experimentalize work may appeal to you but would perhaps not be the best option when you seek appreciation on your investment. 
• For a artwork to have an appreciation value it must be ‘timeless’ which means it should be able to transcend currents fads and trends. For instance, the Indian art market a couple of years ago was flooded with images of the Buddha, with new buyers seeking the Buddha in line with the Feng Shui fad; these have little or no investment value. 
• Consider the provenance of the work, especially if the artist is well known. Insist on an authenticity certificate, signatures are very easy to forge and with the high prices that well-known artists command, fakes are a lucrative market. 
• Of course, it the job of gallerist to guide you before you make your purchase, but always bear in mind, that they too are interested in making a ‘sale’ so learn to read between the lines. 

Established or Upcoming Artist? This question can be easily answered by considering what returns you are seeking. If you are looking for short term gains then by all means buy an established artist, where you are likely to make an estimated 20% gain annually if you choose to resell your work. However, if you are able to have a lock in period of about 8 to 10 years for your investment, then upcoming artists are a more exciting option. For the reason that if the artist you are backing does become a sensation, then your small investment will truly escalate, besides you get the satisfaction of knowing that you have a good ‘eye’ for art and chose well. It is always advisable to balance your art portfolio with works by both established and emerging artists. Just as not all upcoming artists will be successful, similarly not all works by established artists are masterpieces and appreciate in value. 

Art for Art’s sake! Purchasing art cannot be just a business decision, because unlike stocks, here the ‘product’ that is the paintings should appeal to you on an emotional level as well. In fact, very often an artwork that manages to capture your imagination and wonder; is most likely going to appreciate in value as well. Again, unlike stocks, you are not going to get monetary dividends from your investment, but you can get hours of viewing pleasure from your artwork. Besides, you are likely to maintain a gestation period before re-selling the artwork, so you may as well purchase something you like – buy an artwork for its intrinsic value, the material returns will follow! 

                               

Art Funds: For those who wish to take advantage of the art boom, but would rather leave the purchase of artworks to the experts, there is the option of Art Funds! They function in a manner similar to the mutual funds and here their portfolio consists of works by artists which their experts recommend. Some art funds that cater to the Contemporary Indian art market are Copal Art, Edelweiss Securities, Crayon Capital and Osian’s Connoisseurs of Art. These funds are listed on the stock exchange and you monitor their performance. These funds will have a minimum investment requirement and lock in period as well. After deducting their managerial fees, they distribute the profits from the sale of the artworks to their investors. 

A word of caution though - Investing in Art Funds does not guarantee a return: evaluate an Art Fund carefully like you’d evaluate any other similar investment! 

The essential basic point to remember while investing in art is that it is not a very ‘liquid’ asset. There could be instances of artists you have purchased not appreciating in value, there could be a long gestation period. At the same time, ‘art’ is probably the only ‘collectible’ which has a reasonably structured and transparent market. Prominent galleries which deal with the top level artists can even offer you a buy-back guarantee on the artworks. Ride the boom of the Indian art market but play safe for when the levelling process sets in! 

Buy original paintings on Artzyme 

Fast Facts for investing in Art: 

• Buy a work that you feel a connection with  
• Research the artist 
• Check out the provenance and authenticity of the artwork 
• Buy work that is typical of an artist’s style 
• Be prepared for a gestation period on your investment 
• Purchase a mix of established and upcoming artists in your art portfolio 
• Art funds are an investment option for those not looking to physically own works 
• Take care of the artworks you have purchased, (read blog my blog on preserving arts), their value depends on how well maintained they are. 

How do I package a FRAMED painting for shipping? 🖼

Packing a FRAMED painting? 

Below is the guide to pack framed arts: 

Framed paintings 🖼 

What you’ll need - 

• Glassine paper or acid-free archival tissue paper 

• Plastic sheeting or poly wrap 

• Bubble wrap 

• Painters tape (if packing a glass frame) 

• Cardboard corner protectors 

• Packing tape 

• Foam board at least ½” thick 

• Shredded or wadded white paper 

• Very sturdy cardboard box if framed artwork is under 18”x24” 

• Custom wooden crate if framed artwork is larger than 18”x24” 

1 – Use a sturdy cardboard box or build a custom crate that will fit the framed painting plus approximately three (3) inches of space on all sides. (This extra space will accommodate the layers of bubble wrap to be added.) 

  

2 – If the frame has a protective glass or acrylic pane, remove it from the frame. If it does not, skip to step 4. Apply two pieces of painters tape diagonally across the glass/acrylic pane to form a large “X”. Should the glass break during shipment, the tape will help keep the broken pieces together. 

3 – Sandwich the glass/acrylic pane between two sheets of foam board approximately 2 inches larger than the glass on all sides. Firmly seal the foam board sandwich all around with packing tape, making sure that the glass/acrylic panel does not shift around within. 

4 – Wrap the painting in acid-free, archival tissue paper or glassine. Note that any material that will come into contact with the surface of the painted work should be archival quality. 

5 – To protect against moisture, wrap the artwork with plastic sheeting or poly wrap. 

6 – Add cardboard corner protectors to the corners of the wrapped work. You can buy corner protectors readymade, or you can construct them yourself. Several online resources offer instructions on how to make them. 

7 – Wrap the framed painting in three (3) layers of bubble wrap, using packing tape to secure it. 

If your framed painting is larger than 18”x24”, you’ll need to build a wooden crate and seal the work inside. 
If your framed painting is under 18”x24”, proceed to step below. 

8 – Sandwich the wrapped painting within two sheets of foam board and tape all the way around to secure it. 

9 – Place it inside a sturdy cardboard box. To minimize movement within the box, thoroughly fill any empty areas around the artwork with shredded paper. The more snug the fit, the less the potential for damage. Seal the box thoroughly with packing tape, reinforcing the corners. 

10 – Affix the shipping label to the package and put clear tape over the label so it doesn’t get removed during shipment. Using a felt tip pen, write “FRAGILE” in large capital letters on the package, or use readymade “FRAGILE” labels. 

The above packaging method should be followed, even if your aren't and artist. 

                                 🖼 🖼 🖼 🖼 🖼 

How do I pack artwork like sculpture in a crate for shipping? 🚚

 

To pack artwork in a crate for shipping.  

Use a custom crate for artworks such as sculpture, large flat artworks, paintings larger than 48"x48", and fragile items. 

What you’ll need: 

· Four (4) planks of plywood (¼ to ½ inch thick depending on size and fragility of the work) for the frame 

· Two (2) plywood sheets for the front and back panels 

· Drill 

· Saw 

· 1¼ inch wood screws 

· Wood glue 

· Foam board, ½” thick 

1  Measure your pre-wrapped artwork (wrapped according to the instructions given for your particular work), taking down the height, width, and depth of the wrapped piece. If you’re shipping a painting, use these measurements to calculate the dimensions of your plywood pieces for the frame of your crate. Keep in mind that you will add a ½” foam board lining to your crate, so accommodate for this. If you’re shipping a sculpture, make sure that the crate’s dimensions are approximately three (3) to four (4) inches larger on all sides than the sculpture itself. The extra space will be filled with bubble wrap and shredded paper. 

  

2  Cut four pieces of plywood according to the dimensions you took in step 1 in order to build a frame with an opening that can snugly fit your wrapped work. Remember to account for the thickness of the plywood when measuring length and height, and cut accordingly. The top piece of the frame should sit on and extend over the top edges of the side pieces, as it must be easily removable. This piece will act as the crate’s lid, to be unscrewed by the collector. 
3  Begin building the frame by assembling three (3) of the plywood strips together with screws and wood glue, leaving the top piece (i.e. lid) off for now. It will be screwed on after the artwork has been placed inside. 
4  Line the frame with strips of foam board, securing them on with tape or glue. If using glue to line the crate with foam board, wait for it to dry before finishing the packing process. 
5  Cut two sheets of plywood to the same dimensions of the assembled frame. These will be the front and back panels of your crate. 
6  Secure one sheet to the back of the frame using wood glue and screws. 
7  You will then complete the packaging process by placing your artwork inside and sealing the crate around it. Lay a piece of foam board (the same size as the frame) inside the open crate, and place your pre-wrapped artwork on top. There should be no room for movement inside. 
8  Cover your artwork with another layer of foam board. Place the other sheet of Masonite board on top of the frame, securing well with wood glue and screws. Do your best to ensure that the crate is air and moisture tight. 
9  Clearly indicate which panel is the removable lid by writing “UNSCREW THIS SIDE ONLY” so the collector knows which panel to remove. If needed, write any instructions (using a black felt tip pen) on the crate that will help the collector easily remove the lid. 
10  Affix the shipping label to the outside and put clear tape over the label so it doesn’t get removed during shipment. Clearly mark the crate or box as “FRAGILE.” 
TIP: For ease of transport, you can screw a cabinet handle to the top of the crate. The screws should be long enough so that the handle doesn’t come loose while someone is carrying the crate with sculptor or painting inside, but not so long that they protrude into the interior of the crate.  

                                                                 🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚 

                                                                                                           - Himjal 

Arts for Your Living Room 'Paintings'

 

Art Selection for Your Living Room 

"A work of Art works because it's true and because it's Real " - Yann Martel 

"Art enables us to find ourselves as well as lost at the same time " - Thomas Merton 

Art is the ultimate expression of an individual's personality, attitude and state of mind. The walls of his home are mirror image of the real Him/ Her. The moment someone enters the home, the wall art in the house reveals volumes about the house, the family, culture etc., therefore, one needs to be extremely diligent in selection of wall art. Below are some points to consider while selecting the same - 

   

 Contemporary Paintings 

• Select the most important and visible walls in your home. The art that you decide to bring into your house is important to you so give it room to shine by leaving some walls blank. It is not necessary to hang something on every wall. The mantle is a great place for a piece that you love as your eye is drawn to it and it is often one of the first areas noticed in a living room. 
• Mirror the size of the wall: If you have a long horizontal wall hang a long horizontal piece (or collection of pieces) on that wall. If you have a narrow vertical spot, place a piece that is narrow and vertical and that fills the space. By accentuating the height or length of the wall, you make the room feel larger. 
• Fill the wall - Don't be afraid to use the entire wall; many people think they can't handle a big piece of art when they can. 

   

• Color is important: Think about the feel of a color before placing it in your room. Light blues and greens are cool, serene colors that are well suited for a room meant for rest and relaxation such as a bedroom. It is nice to greet people in an entry space with warmer tones, welcoming them into the home. 
• Vary the texture of the pieces in your room. If you have a photograph behind glass above your favorite chair, you may want to choose a piece of art on canvas for above your sofa. Variety is good when you hang art in a room! 
• A frame can serve as a bridge between the artwork and the room. 
• When selecting a frame, it is important that it complement the furniture and architectural features of a room. Choose a frame to match the wood floors or if you have gold lamps in your living room, select a golf frame for the art. A frame can be particularly helpful when bringing modern art into a traditional home.                                                                                                                                        Abstracts 

                                                      

• Play with the lighting in the room: After placing the artwork, move your existing lighting around or think about adding new spots to illuminate the piece. A well-lit piece of art will draw visitors into your space. 
• Watch out for glare: When hanging art behind glass, stay away from walls directly across from windows as the light will create glare and the piece will be lost on the wall. Non-reflective museum glass is available at a higher price but worth it if glare is an issue.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Landscapes 

  

 

                              - Himjal  

How To Display Artworks | Paintings?

 

Art! It brings an element of vibrancy into your home or office. Choice of art often reflects your Aesthetics. 

Your choice of art often reflects your own personality, your tastes, your aspirations… little wonder then that not only the choice of art, but also its display requires a lot of thought. 

Articles For Paintings 

  

Placement: Where you place the painting depends on the subject and composition of the work and which room you determine would suit the mood of the painting best. However, that is not the only consideration; one even needs to consider which wall the painting is placed on. It is always advisable to place paintings on a wall that is a dividing wall within your home rather than on the perimeter. The simple reason is that the perimeter walls are more subject to temperature fluctuations and also the possibility of water seepage. These could result in fading of pigments, cracks forming in the canvas and increased yellowing of the varnish. If you would still need to display the painting on the perimeter wall then it would be prudent to place rubber or plastic behind the frame so that the work is not in direct contact with the wall. 
Displaying a painting above fireplace will expose it to extremes in temperature and soot and is a strict no, no. The same applies to having the painting above heating and air conditioning vents. Avoid areas of high humidity like the bathroom. The kitchen is another room which should not host artworks, the steam and fumes of cooking are bound to ruin the colors over time. 

Framing: The choice of frame can detract or enhance the painting. It is essential that the frame should compliment not just the painting but also the décor of the room where it is placed. Normally smaller paintings need to be displayed with a mount. If you have a large wall, a museum style framing would help cover a larger area. A dark frame is normally advised for smaller works which help to bring the artwork into focus. For larger canvas works, keeping them on the stretcher would suffice, but they need to be checked regularly for signs of moisture or dust. 
Visit Artzyme.com, India's fastest growing original Painting portal where you will find framed as well as unframed options. 

  

Lighting: It's a known fact that direct lighting can harm the paintings and cause the colours to fade. While the commonly used 'picture' lamps are popular, they cast a harsh glare which heats the painting unevenly. It is always best to have an indirect light source highlight the artworks, in the form of recessed lighting or spotlights in false ceilings. While using halogen lamps be aware that these emit a high level of ultraviolet light which damages artworks and hence should be installed with a UV filter. If the option is available, use tungsten lamps instead. 

You may select exclusive range of Paintings by Eminent as well as Emerging artist on different mediums (viz. Acrylic, Oil, Watercolor, Mixed media etc.) on Artzyme.com. Abstracts, Contemporary, Landscapes, Figurative, Traditional Paintings like Tanjore, Warli, Miniature etc. on Artzyme.com. 

                          

                                                                                     - Himjal (founder of Artzyme) 

Live a Living out of Passion

 

Do you want to follow your passion for arts? 

Jut follow and live your passion the way I did while starting Artzyme  

We believe that each one of us have an inborn talent, talent to sing, draw, paint, cook, write, and the list goes on. Some talents lay hidden with in us the entire life as we chose to ignore them or never get no opportunity, avenue to showcase or even explore the same. Some of us make it a conscious decision to make our talent our livelihood and some of us just a hobby. Then there comes those moments in our lives where we want to give up our existing jobs/ source of income to pursue our talents as we want to excel in our talent too. The question that arises in most of our minds is that do we actually run for our talents or is it the right time to pursue the same. 

Below are Some tips or points that will help one take a decision on the same: 

 

Ability:- The first and foremost decision to make is my skill, talent really worth or will I will be able to make a living out of it. In Order to succeed as an artist do you have that some level of artistic ability. 

That's not to say that you need to be a master painter with a fine art degree. In fact you don't really need any formal qualifications to make a living as an artist. But you do need enough skill to produce consistently high quality work, and to have the confidence in your own work to be able to sell it. 

If you don't feel like you're at that level yet, then you may need to get some more training. 

Today, there are many online courses, short term courses available in classical drawing and arts, to give your talent the finesse and professional touch that it requires to get you success. 

One important thing to note, is that just because you are still learning, that doesn't mean that you can't be earning at the same time. An artist never stops learning. You will never reach a point where you have nothing left to learn, so you don't need to wait until you are an 'expert' before you can make money from your art. 

Visit Artzyme for emerging artist. 

  

So if you have the spark in you to follow your passion, don't get down bogged down by what you don't have, just make that one leap, and path leads to your passion with little amount of hard work and sincere dedication. 

Age:- If someone was to ask me does age really matter to change one's profession and that too for a perusal for passion, I would say Yes if your heart so doing fine, and you have no ailments. As new venture that one starts comes with stress, time to dedicate, complete involvement, and a bigggg RISK... And for that you may want to start young, like in late 30's or early 40's.. As after this one may not be as agile to handle physical as well as mental stress. 

Finances:- How healthy is your bank balance ? Do you have enough bank balance to make it through without any income for the next one year? Is your project self funded? Or financed ? Do you have enough assets to cover up for your liabilities? These questions and many more need to be analyzed and answered before taking the Biggg Leap. One must have a consult a good financial analyst to making good conclusions and deductions and finally arrive at a decision. 

"Creativity isn't some rare gift to be enjoyed by lucky few...its part of human thinking behavior" - Tom and David Kelly of Creative Confidence. 

Information Technology (IT) and Arts - It's Pay Back Time!

Information Technology and Arts! 

Just today morning a friend of mine asked me as to what do I think about the evolution of IT in Arts (Paintings). I thought for a while on this interesting topic and here are my two cents, found them interesting… Therefore started writing. 

 

To me Information Technology is the birth child of the artistic side of the brains of a Software/ Hardware engineer. The entire IT domain thrives on the creative thinking of an engineer and support staff. Be it complex software to gaming Program, laser shows... just think about it would it ever involve if there was no creativity or element of art to it. There are many visual art, graphics, software that we use in our day to day lives without even realizing the creativity used behind them. IT would not have reached our houses if these artists did not perceive and then create end to end solutions. 

To me now it's just a pay back time of IT to the actual artists like painters, art creators, decorators who are artists by profession and have a formal education and skill in physical artistic creations. These creators have started to use technology to create better, through various visual arts software. Artists just think of an idea and use technology to give it a final outcome. Eg. a designer designing marriage invitation cards, thinks of the design he wants on the cards, the fonts he wants write up, the colour scheme, the layout and the entire pattern. He visualizes the same and uses technology to transform his thoughts in to physical form, and then uses the same technology to produce more copies of his production (hi-end printers). It has made life of a creator, developer so easy that he doesn't need to manually sit and try various permutations and combinations, just a few clicks on the keypad, and he gets exactly what he wants to create. 

Visit Artzyme. 

Artists are using IT to showcase their work, creation to the entire world through Paintings, where people virtually is it these artistic exhibitions, like the work of the artist, give their inputs through comments section and what more even buy them instantly through hi-end securitized payment gateways. It's so simple, no logistics , transportation involved until the last phase of shipment, which saves artists all his effort and time, and he is creating more while the exhibition is ON. All it required an Artists to do was click his work through high end digital camera and post his work online. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3075406/... 

Artists have come out of their nutshell of traditional way of selling only through retail shops, or through physical exhibitions. They are now moving one step ahead, like the entire world is moving, and have started selling their creations online, through various portals, like Artzyme, dedicated India's Fast growing Arts Marketplace. Again following a very simple process of clicking their work, pricing the same and listing it on the portal. Buyers window shop for their needs and if they like it they make advance payments and the seller just has to ship the products to buyers across the globe, giving him an open international market exposure. All he has to do is ship the products. What's more the payment reaches the artists sitting at home, saving him all the time and energy, and there by allowing him to focus on Creating More, and learning more, as today there is no dearth of avenues to showcase your talent. 

Technology has also enabled physically challenged artists like challenged with ability to see, disability of hands, create and bring out the hidden and unexplored talent in them. There are many software available today which helps a blind feel, recognize colors through touch of the button, and sensory motions, he exactly knows which colour to use and where and there by creates master pieces which leave many of us in a state if Aww... 

 And all this is possible by the new and better developments through the creative minds of our IT artists, who are working day in and day out to create what ART needs and uses. So to me Art Creates Art! 

- Himjal (Founder Artzyme - Creative Bazaar to enhance your Home/ Office with Paintings and Home Decor). 

Logistics Challenges in India with respect to Arts

 

Will Logistics be helpful in category of Arts? 

Arts site Artzyme banks on Logistics for frill-free deliveries.  

Logistics is the backbone of the economy, providing the efficient, cost effective flow of goods on which other commercial sectors depend. The logistics industry in India is evolving rapidly and it is the interplay of infrastructure, technology and new types of service providers that will define whether the industry is able to help its customers reduce their logistics costs and provide effective services. 

 

Despite weak economic sentiments, the logistics & warehousing industry continued to witness growth largely due to growth in retail, e-commerce and manufacturing sectors. The Global Logistics sector is expected to grow at around 10-15% in the period 2013-14. With this forward looking attitude and a promise of growth and improvements, the service oriented logistics industry is all set to expand beyond the horizons in the latter half of this decade, utilizing this fiscal year as its launch pad. Indian logistics market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.17% by 2020 driven by the growth in the manufacturing, retail, FMCG and e-commerce sectors (Artzyme.com, Flipkart, Amazon etc.). 

India spends around 14.4% of its GDP on logistics and transportation as compared to less than 8% spent by the other developing countries. 

3PL logistics market in India is expected to be worth US$ 301.89 billion by 2020. 

NOVONOUS estimates that the warehouse market in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10% whereas freight forwarding market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12% till 2020. 

This growth rate is based on the expectation that the new government will soon implement the GST regime and the logistics companies can optimize their operations to reduce cost and increase their margins. With the implementation of GST, the logistics companies, which are currently forced to set up many small warehouses across multiple cities can set up just a few, big warehouses region wise and can follow the hub-and-spoke model for freight movement from the warehouses to the different manufacturing plants, wholesale outlets, retail outlets and the various POS. This growth is also backed by the boom in the e-commerce sector  and expansionary policies of the FMCG firms. This has increased the service geography of the logistics firms but they also have to meet the demands of quick delivery and tight service level agreements. 

The Indian logistics industry spends around 14% of the GDP on different types of cost incurred in logistics operation. The amount of cost incurred is very high in comparison to the logistics cost incurred by different nations. The logistics firms are moving from a traditional setup to the integration of IT and technology to their operations to reduce the costs incurred as well as to meet the service demands. The industry as a whole has moved from being just service provider to the position where they provide end to end supply chain solutions to their customers. 

The Ten key logistics players in Indian market namely TNT Express, DHL, All Cargo Logistics Ltd., Agarwal Packers and Movers, GATI, DTDC, BlueDart, First Flight, FedEx and Globe Express services.

{Have you visited Bazaar for Original Arts?} 

Challenges:- 

Poor Infrastructure -
One of the major critical challenges faced by companies today is of insufficient integration of transport networks, information technology (IT), warehousing and distribution facilities. 

Trade Regulations - 
Regulations exist at a number of different tiers, imposed by national, regional and local authorities. Regulations often differ from city to city, hindering the creation of national networks. 

Trained Manpower - 
Trained Manpower in both the third party logistics sector and the manufacturing and retailing sectors is very weak at a practical level, i.e., IT, driving and warehouse as well as at a higher strategic level. 

Lack of Training Institutions - 
The disorganized nature of the logistics sector in India, its perception as a manpower-heavy industry and lack of adequate training institutions has led to a shortfall in skilled management and client service personnel. 

Information and Communications Technology - 
There are a lack of IT standards and poor systems integration and equipment.

Poor Warehousing and Storage -
Poor facilities and management are to blame for high levels of loss, damage and deterioration of stock, especially in the perishables sector. Part of the problem is insufficient specialist equipment, i.e. proper refrigerated storage and containers, but it is also partly down to lack of training. 

Lack of research and development (R&D) of the industry - 
Although both the practitioners and the academicians are increasingly aware of the importance of logistics and supply chain, however the field is still under penetrated as far as research is concerned. It is important to prioritize research and development so that various weaknesses in the industry could be identified and improved. 

Solutions to overcome challenges:-

Surely some serious thinking and action is happening around for the improvement of the Indian Logistics industry. Arts category should get help from logistics.

Below links state the same 

http://www.transreporter.com/index.php?Page=2

http://www.cargotalk.in/pdfs/Cargo%20Jan%2015.pdf  

                                                                                                   - Himjal (founder Artzyme)

Explore, Practice & Excel as a Self-Taught Artisan

 

Excel in Arts as self-taught artist. 

Lot of new artists, or those who are trying out their artistic skills, asks for guidance. Most of them say, that they don't have any education in art (an excuse for their poor quality of work), and feel, that it's a big hindrance in their progress. They generally want to know, how to improve their work. They are just ignorant how to go about it. I understand their plight, as I myself am a self-taught artist and painting for less than one and half years. From my own experience I can clearly understand what they are going through. 

Sometimes it is really difficult to answer their queries in short. These people are usually looking for instant formulas to jump up to a master's level. But there are no short cuts to be successful in art or to improve your quality of work with the twist of a magic wand. Sometimes the questions are really silly. But I appreciate that they ask. Asking, increases knowledge. 

To help, assist aspiring artists, here with this article, I'll try to tackle the issues of improving quality of your work and progress with every new piece of art you create and overcome short-comings of not having a degree in art. 

I always tell people to make more and more art. Practice… practice and practice. This is the only way to improve your skills. But along with making more and more art and practicing, you need to study as well. As you need to paint and create with a sense of direction. 

   

Have a proper plan for your work in your head before starting off on the canvas. Though the visual, style, technique or treatment might change as the work progresses, as the brain is very imaginative and keeps working, thinking and flashing new ideas and images in front of you, and you think it will look even better. Never mind. The end result may be better than the one you had thought. Your work must have right path and progression. Learning is necessary to improve your skills and avoid incorrect practices. It's important to keep a check and correct your mistakes in time, so that they do not become habits in long run. Without proper knowledge or guidance, you will keep on repeating the same mistakes. You cannot succeed by ignoring learning and just by picking up a brush and start painting. And it can be achieved too, even if you missed going to an art college and didn't earn a degree. 

We are fortunate to be born in this era of digital media, where a whole lot of study material is available on internet. Knowledge is scattered all around us. We should simply reach out and grasp it. Read books, blogs, articles, watch instructional videos and study works of other artists. We have a whole lot of great artists and master painters, who never went to art schools and or even started painting after the age of 70 and still succeeded. (Mind it they didn't have internet or even computers). The simple formula behind their success was learning, knowledge and proper direction. 

Artzyme

It is equally important to devote sufficient time to study various aspects of painting, besides just picking up the brush and colouring the paper or canvas. Explore various possibilities of different media, tools and techniques. Study works of great artists. Know the material available in the market and how best you can bring it to your advantage. Find out things that can add a different style or effect to enhance the looks of your works. 

Experiment how your drawing or painting effects can be enhanced by preparing, modifying or changing the surface you are working on. Possibly you can add some texture to the surface- soft or wild, depending on the subject and make your work look more appealing. This you can do with texture white, crumpled paper, using cement or anything you can think of. May be or simply scratch the surface of the paper with your nails or with some pointed objects. Change the way you use your paints by diluting, thickening, throwing, splashing, spraying, and blowing and/or by adding some other medium or material, adding it texture, making it grainy, luminous, dull etc. Understand your tool. Handle it in a different way to see, if you can achieve different effects. Look around your place, for things that can be helpful for you to paint or create some new effects. Drawing and painting is not limited to pencils, brushes or spatulas. Learn about uses of various mediums like fixative, varnishes, gels, etc. for preserving and making your work archival and their effects on the paints used. Give proper thought to the presentation part. Appropriate mounting and choice of right frame can enhance the beauty of your works. 

Exploring knowledge on History of Art, origins of various schools (styles) goes a long way in enhancing your art. A tall building can only be elevated on a strong foundation. 

   

Being a self-taught artist, you have the liberty to choose to paint in the style you wish to. But you must give a direction to your style. Don't let the monotony take over single minded subject or technique. Don't enter a comfort zone. Experiment till you develop your own unique style. Over time you will discover that you are really good at some particular medium, style, and tool or technique. The tools and the material obey your mind and hands. Regular practice and command over it will make you a brand in future. Just painting, probably you will be producing more work. But by painting and simultaneously exploring knowledge, you will be producing quality work. 

- Artzyme.com/blog 

How to Sell Arts Paintings Successfully? Part III (Final)

 In the earlier 2 parts of Blog - How to Sell Arts Successfully? Artist Sonjaye Maurya shared that the emerging artist should have not just a couple of paintings and initiate selling but should paint more paintings before planning to sell them. Another important fact to be considered is to Not paint to sell but paint with all the emotions and heart out. He also suggested the artist should not only tap various offline galleries and exhibitions but also online sites. Below are the 2 links to know have detailed info of earlier parts of Blog: 

1) How to Sell Arts Successfully? Part I & 2) How to Sell Arts Successfully? Part II 

Now the concluding part: 

 Once you have a portfolio with you, plan to promote it. Set out to get your Art Seen. It helps to set goals of where you want to be in a few years’ time. It is said that a piece of art is your own voice. Do take your own liberty to express yourself. But be little considerate too, in order to make a sale of your art. This means your work should have a mass appeal - a style, a subject liked by many. Your work must have a subject, a theme, to which, people can relate themselves easily to. If you are not selling, and funds are what is needed to continually produce and promote art, some changes may have to be made. Look for general trends in the art world, and find out what people are buying and writing about. 

Write regularly, about the artworks you are working on currently. Create an Art blog and start blogging about random thoughts, processes, and works in progress. Whether it is a certain concept, subject, or theme, an art buyer will appreciate the piece more if they can know what it means, and why you created it. Have some of this conveyed through your artwork title, but try to enlighten an art buyer with a summary of what inspired you, so that they can easily explain it to others who will ask questions. Have a website to sell your artworks. It’s the most promising tool for selling in today’s digital age. If you cannot make a website on your own, spend some amount to hire help to create it for you. 

Pricing your work entirely depends on what stage you are in your art career. Add value to your work. Good presentation, framing of reasonably good size enhances your artwork. Smaller is better. 

A lot of artist (including myself) want to make big painting, sometimes of a gigantic proportion. It’s a fantasy of every artist. But you have to think of practicality too. Maybe a big size painting allows you to give ease with big brush stroke to flow or your style of giving finer details comes through better. But small size paintings are affordable. They can be easily framed and hanged anywhere. Easy to transport or ship. High end art is only for an exclusive few. 

Look at the prices of other artists in your stage of artistic development. Visit art galleries or search for prices online. Explain your prices in practical language to anyone who asks, and never base it on emotions. For example, tell them your painting took certain amount of time to create along with cost of materials involved, instead of saying you price it higher because it has personal meaning. Unless they know you, they will not understand the significance of your personal attachment to the painting. If you can convey that the artwork has a certain tangible value related to the time spent, artistic skill success, cost of materials, etc., the art buyer is more likely to buy the artwork. 

 

When a person views an artwork, they often want to buy it because they see something in it that relates to them. They have an emotional reaction to the piece, which stirs them to want to buy it. There are a lot of things that contribute to the value of an artwork. How it is presented, where it is showcased, all helps to increase the perceived value. An artwork displayed in a gallery would certainly appear more valuable than one in a coffee shop. That is not to say you should not display in a coffee shop, especially if you are an emerging artist. It is effective for name recognition. 

 

  ⮜⎯⎯⎯⎯ Tanjore Paintings 

Look for what sells. If you are residing or operating from a particular area (and not in metro or cosmopolitan cities) which has a peculiar taste, culture adopt it in your art form. Say Tanjore in south India, or use of vibrant colors in central India. 

Folk, religious and mythological subjects in north India.  

Folk Paintings  ⎯⎯⎯⎯⮞    

 

Bestselling subjects in Indian scenario are landscapes, seascapes, beach scenes, harbor, animals, birds, flowers, abstract, semi-abstract, impressionistic landscapes, modern art. 

 

 

Happy Selling....!                                    

                                                                                 - www.Artzyme.com/blog

How to Sell Arts | Painting Successfully? Part II

 
Art of selling arts. 

Arts selling blog. 

*Continued from earlier article - How to sell arts successfully? 1 

Many new artists approach me after making their first painting giving details of pains they have taken and the time they have spent on creating it.... 
 
For art buyers to reflect on your paintings have an Artist Statement. It should include primary theme of your creations, your artistic goals and ambitions, why you love to paint, draw, sculpt etc. It should also include who your viewers or audience are, who is your art intended for, some artists and styles that have influenced you. 
 
Include Artist Statement with your portfolio. If someone wants to buy your artwork, wants to see some background of you as an artist, then you may present them with your Artist Statement. You may also post it online where you have an artist profile, or on your Facebook page. 
Don’t limit yourself by following other people styles; take it as an influencing factor and rather be your own self. You are unique in your own way. Your style is your voice and is timeless. It will not dissolve or ends like a trend. But will become your recognition. 
People buy what they see. Visual connection is the key element of desire. We need to get art on display. Galleries, art fairs and online portal (like Artzyme) can’t do it alone. People should be able to see your work not only in galleries, but public places, where captive audiences gather. 

Sell your arts 
 
Probably this may not work too. But taking steps is the only path to success. Don’t give up. You’ve dedicated years, money and countless hours into developing your skill. So if you’ve been knocked down, get up and keep moving forward. Why would you give up? Why put all that time, blood, sweat and tears to waste and just throw it all away? A common reason why artists fail is that they get caught up in other aspects of their lives put their artwork on hold and, eventually, the creativity starves and dies. People, who don’t give up, no matter what life throws at them, are more likely to make a name for them in whichever creative vocation they choose. Winner are not those who never fail, but those who never quit. Harder is the conflict, more glorious the triumph. 

                               

Start networking with other artists. Exchange ideas, knowledge and information and learn from them. Knowing people is more important than achieving a college degree. Whom you know is more important in art-world. 
 
There are more possibilities than ever for emerging artists to sell arts. Just browse online (Right price and place for art creations) and you will find hundreds of ways an artist can sell art. But, even though these opportunities are available, you need to explore strategies to use them and make your art visible and saleable. 
 

Make long term plans to sell your artworks. The most important is to have a good portfolio, with a variety of themes, techniques, and styles. Your portfolio must have large enough collection that portrays you as a serious and dedicated artist. 

                         To be Continued - Concluding part in coming week.... 

                                                                                       - www.Artzyme.com/blog

Earn Now 💰 - How To Make and Sell NFT Arts

 💰 How To Make and Sell NFT Arts ? 💰 

Down below, will take you step-by-step through the process of turning your beloved artwork into a newly-minted NFT that will outlive us all on the Ethereum Blockchain. We say Ethereum because, at least for the time being, Ethereum is the prime blockchain for selling and trading NFTs. 

Step 1: Create Some Art 

  

Source: SALE ON DIGITAL ARTS DONE ON MOBILE 'TANDAV' (artzyme.com)

The first thing you’ll have to do when setting out to sell some NFT art is, well, create some art of your own. This can be almost any form of media — GIFs, illustrations, videos, 3D models and the like. A short stroll through Rarible or Foundation will give you an idea of the general Inclinations in crypto Art. Currently, there seems to A preference for either very avant-garde, experimental abstract art or meme-heavy internet culture references. Not that that should necessarily inform your work, once you’ve settled on the kind of art you’d like to upload, you’re free to move on to the next step. 

Step 2: Set Up an Ethereum Wallet 

 

There are numerous wallets out there to choose from to serve as your public address and store your private key, but it is generally recommended to rely on a hardware wallet.

In case you are new to cryptocurrency, here’s a quick crash course on how crypto wallets work: They are essentially software or hardware that help you operate a public address on your cryptocurrency’s blockchain. This public address is what stores the cryptocurrency and is viewable by all, though its ownership is completely anonymous (unless you make it otherwise). Every public address has a private key that is used to deposit, withdraw, or send funds to and from the address. Think of it as a mailbox: everybody can see it, knows where it is, and can send mail to it. But only the person with the key to the mailbox can open it and retrieve what’s inside. 

There are two types of wallets: Hot Wallets which are connected to the Internet and provide greater convenience to the user at the expense of lesser security, and Cold Wallets which Store your information offline and are less convenient for frequent use but provide much greater security to the user. A popular example of a hot wallet is the commonly used MyEtherWallet, while the best examples of cold wallets are the hardware-based wallets from Trezor or Ledger that we mentioned above — and also pen and paper. Yes,good ol’ pen and paper can function as a cold wallet as well, though you’ll need to generate your own public addresses which can be a pain. 

Many recommend MyEtherWallet or Metamask for new users who are new to crypto and only looking to put their work up for sale, or any of the Trezor/Ledger hardware wallets for those interested in storying crypto in general (as well as those who have made a sale of significant value and would like to keep their earnings safe!). 

Note that Foundation only connects to Metamask.

Step 3: Buy Some Ether 

In the maelstrom of news and surging interest in NFTs, it may be news to you that putting an NFT up for sale will actually cost you some money. This is because of how the Ethereum blockchain works: Unlike Bitcoin, in which miners are rewarded with Bitcoin for contributing the computing power necessary to verify transactions and add their record to the blockchain, Ethereum miners are paid with a different currency on the blockchain known as gas.

Whenever you are looking to confirm a transaction and added to the blockchain, a transaction fee is paid (ostensibly to cover the gas and platform fee) — Ethereum miners are able to pick and choose what contracts they would like to expend the computer power on and thus the more gas you pay for your transaction, the faster your contract will be carried out and added to the blockchain. This includes uploading your NFT.

So you will want to buy some Ether in order to purchase the gas and pay the transaction fee. Transaction fees fluctuate pretty wildly, but are overall significantly lower than they were a month or two ago when Ether started its bull rush. 

BEST ONLINE ORIGINAL ARTS MARKETPLACE

Step 4: Choose a Marketplace 

   

Once you have your art, your wallet, and some Ether burning a hole in your pocket, you are ready to put your NFT to market. What do you want to do is head over to ethereum.org and take a look at their selection of DApps — short for decentralized apps. Rarible, Nifty Gateway an Foundation are some good starting points to get a handle on the Ethereum market and some eyeballs on your own NFT. Each one caters to a slightly different taste so make sure to check all three of them, as well as the many other market places, before settling on one. 

Foundation seems to be the best for digital painting, while Nifty Gateway caters most to 3D models and Rarible seems to be a chaotic mix of the aforementioned of Avant-Garde/Internet meme culture fusion. 

Related: Best Arts Marketplace website online

Step 5: Upload Your Arts 

  

While each platform will differ in where you click the actual button, they all start with connecting your crypto wallet. Each of the major sites will automatically create an account associated with your wallet and guide you through a relatively simple upload process in which you have to choose how many “copies” of your NFT you’d like to mint and what percentage you’d like your royalties to be whenever the item is resold.

This latter feature is an innovative leap forward for digital artists who, unlike their traditional counterparts, could never truly limit the supply of any one work once dispensed nor produce a true “original.” An NFT essentially comes with a blockchain-printed certificate of authenticity that proves its originality as the original work, making it possible for the original artist to get a cut of every subsequent trade/sale — a feature even traditional artists can’t feasibly reap the benefits of. Once you’ve chosen the work, set your copies, and royalty fee, you’re ready to move on to the final step.

Step 6: Pay the Transaction Fee 

  

With your NFT artwork locked and loaded, all you need to do is pull the trigger on the gas and you can sit back while your work is uploaded to the blockchain and becomes a unique entity on the network, immutable and invulnerable to any server collapse. The transaction fee will ensure that your NFT is mined by whichever Ethereum miner picks up the contract, pocketing your fee for their  trouble. 

After that, it should only be a matter of a couple minutes before your newly-minted NFT is up and on the market for just waiting to make the day of the keen-eyed patron who sees it first!

(Word of Caution – Pls check government and RBI policies regarding crypto currency if you’re based in India). 

                                                                                       - Himjal