6 Best Places to Sell ORIGINAL Art Online Today

Kevin Hayler: Professional Wildlife artist, author, and traveler.

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It’s easy to find websites that will sell your art prints or put your art onto mugs and t-shirts, but what if you only want to sell original work?  You need to know the best online platforms to reach a global audience. In this post, I reveal the 6 best places to sell original art online. 

First, let’s go over the pros and cons.

Disclaimer: When you buy something via my affiliate links I earn from qualifying purchases and sometimes earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. I am an Amazon Associate among others. I only recommend trusted sites.

Pros and Cons of Selling Original Art Online

We all know that the best place to sell your art is from your own website or from your own online store. You get to keep all of the profits, plus you get to add your buyer (fan) to your mailing list.

That’s great in theory, but it’s difficult to get your website found.

One solution is to use an online marketplace, with a built-in audience. There are plenty to choose from, Artpal, Etsy, and Fine Art America are 3 examples, but they are crowded and highly competitive spaces and your art can get lost in the volume of listings

Check out these posts for more info:

• Do Artists Need a Website? Yes – 11 Best Reasons Why
• Is Selling on Etsy Worth it? Pros and Cons in 2023
• How to Sell Art Prints on Etsy: Mega Selling Guide

These marketplaces attract customers looking for affordable home decor, nothing wrong with that, but perhaps it makes more sense to join a more selective online art gallery and seek more affluent art buyers. 

Selling your original artwork through an online gallery comes with its own set of pros and cons.

The Advantages of Selling Original Art Online:

• Exposure to a global audience: Online galleries open your work to potential customers around the world, providing you with a broader market.
• Round-the-clock operation: Unlike physical galleries, online platforms operate 24/7, allowing art buyers to purchase at their own convenience.
• No physical space constraints: Online galleries can showcase a larger portfolio of your work, unrestricted by physical space.
• Lower commission fees: Online galleries usually ask for lower commissions than traditional physical galleries.

The Disadvantages of Selling Original Art Online:

• Impersonal: The tactile experience of viewing and feeling the art firsthand is lost in the digital platform, which might deter some traditional art collectors.
• Competitive marketplace: You are competing globally and the online art marketplace can be a highly competitive place. Standing out may require effective marketing strategies and a compelling online presence.
• Fees: Many online galleries charge membership or submission fees, which need to be factored into your pricing.
• Shipping Issues: Handling shipping, especially internationally, can be complicated and costly. Damage during transit is a risk that needs to be considered

Now you have a clearer idea about the realities of selling your original art online, let’s take a closer look at the bigger players.

These are related articles:

• 19 Ways to Make Money as an Artist Online and Off (2023)
• 25 Platforms for Artists to Sell Their Art Online and Make Money
• How Artists Make Passive Income: 9 Side Hustle Ideas (2023)
• Is Selling Art Online Worth It? Can You Make Money?

The following platforms are in no order of preference.

Saatchi Art – A Great All-Rounder For Beginners

Introduction: Saatchi Art is one of the best-known online galleries with unbeatable brand recognition. It provides an open non-selective space for independent artists to display their original artwork and connect with art lovers around the world.

Founded in 2006, this platform has become a major player in the online art marketplace.

What type of art is accepted?: Saatchi Art accepts most types of artwork, making it an appealing platform for artists working with every type of medium.

As well as selling original works this platform permits all types of prints, including digital and open-editions. It does not allow AI art or digital downloads.

The website’s features and benefits: One key benefit of Saatchi Art is its global audience reach. The platform’s site is easy to navigate, and it offers artists their own profile page, allowing them to tell their stories and connect with potential buyers on a deeper personal level.

Saatchi Art provides opportunities for artists to participate in curated collections, thereby increasing their visibility.

Ease of Use: Saatchi Art’s user-friendly interface makes it straightforward for artists to upload their work, with a step-by-step guide on listing artworks. The platform also offers an app, making it possible to manage your portfolio on the go. 

Fees and Commissions: Joining and uploading your artwork to Saatchi Art is free, the platform charges a 40% commission on all sales, which is competitive in the online art market. Saatchi calculates the shipping fees automatically when you enter your details.

They add this price to your listing so the customer sees the final price they will pay. The artist must pay for packaging and this should be accounted for in your pricing.

Submission Policy: Saatchi Art requires artists to submit high-resolution images of their work, along with accurate descriptions and pricing. All submissions go through an approval process

The submission process is straightforward:

1. Register: Fill in your name, email, and password to create your account
2. Verify your account: Under the Studio tab click on “Account” in the top menu and fill in your details, seller type, address, and VAT details for the EU and UK.
3. Add your ID: Upload your government ID, which can be your driver’s license or passport.
4. Submit: It takes about 24 hours to verify your submission and you will be informed by email.

When you receive your confirmation you can upload your artwork, up to 5 images per listing, and you should use them. 

The requirements for submitting art to Saatchi Art:

1. Image format: Your image must be a JPEG file in RGB color format
2. Image size: Minimum size is 1200 pixels x 1500 pixels.
3. Image file size: 50MB or less

You will be asked to fill in all the details, the title, description, creation date, price, size, etc 

Reputation: Saatchi Art has a strong reputation within the art community. It is widely recognized as a reputable platform, making it a good option for artists seeking to establish their online presence and sell their work to a wider audience as easily as possible.

Saatchi is rated 4.4 out of 5 on Trustpilot which is very good. Importantly, Saatchi Art replies to comments and reaches out to dissatisfied customers. A very good sign.

Artist Support: The platform provides robust customer service, offering artists support in pricing their work, professional packaging advice for shipping, and handling returns. This support makes it easier for artists to focus on creating their best work.

Saatchi Art offers a fair, transparent, and easy way to sell your art online. They provide powerful tools and a professional team to help you. New artists will appreciate Saatchi Art

Are you uncertain about all this? Read this post: Is Your Art Good Enough to Sell? You Need to Know This…

UGallery – A Curated Online Gallery

Introduction: UGallery, founded in 2006, UGallery is a curated online gallery that represents a select group of emerging and mid-career artists, making it a hub for art collectors looking for unique and high-quality works.

What type of art is accepted?: UGallery accepts a variety of art 2 and 3-dimensional art forms with the exception of photography, digital art, AI-generated art, and video art. 

The website’s features and benefits: One of UGallery’s main features is its commitment to a curated experience. Each piece of art is hand-selected by a team of curators, ensuring the high quality of the artwork displayed.

This selective process adds value for both artists and buyers by enhancing the reputation of the online art gallery and ensuring a high standard for its customers.

Ease of Use: UGallery’s website is designed for simplicity and convenience, the interface is reasonably easy, allowing artists to upload their work and manage their online portfolios without much effort.

Additionally, each artist has a dedicated profile page, giving potential buyers insights into their creative process and story.

Fees and Commissions: UGallery charges a hefty 50% commission rate, equal to terrestrial galleries. While this may be higher than some other platforms, it’s worth noting that the gallery takes care of shipping, returns, and customer service.

There is a non-refundable $5 application fee payable via Paypal.

Submission Policy: Artists are required to submit a portfolio of their work for the curatorial team to review. If accepted, artists are expected to maintain a high level of professionalism, keeping their portfolio updated with their latest work and ensuring it meets UGallery’s quality standards.

An approved applicant must agree to give UGallery exclusive rights to sell their work.

Here are the steps to join and submit your art to UGallery:

1. Go to the UGallery website at https://www.ugallery.com/.
2. Click on “Apply” at the top of the page.
3. Complete the online application, which is a simple, four-step process that takes about 10-15 minutes1.
4. Provide your contact information, artistic background, and 10 digital images of your artwork. 
5. Submit your application through the online form2.
6. Wait for UGallery to review your application. They will contact you if they are interested in exhibiting your artwork3.
7. If accepted, work with UGallery on marketing, sales, and fulfillment3.
8. Your artwork will be shipped directly to customers who purchase it, ready to hang4

The requirements for submitting art to UGallery:

• Provide the year each work was made and the dimensions
• The digital images must be less than 1 MB each (File type not stated. Pre-suppose JPG)
• Have an artist statement prepared
• Complete the application in one sitting – times out after 1 hour and resets.

Reputation: With its rigorous curatorial process, UGallery holds a solid reputation in the online art marketplace. It is recognized as a trusted source of quality art, making it a good option for artists seeking to gain wider recognition. It does not appear on Trustpilot.

Artist Support: UGallery offers excellent support to its artists, including marketing and PR efforts. UGallery handles all customer interactions and takes care of shipping logistics.

Artplode – A Simple Platform for a Fee

Introduction: Artplode is an online art gallery that was launched in 2014. The site works with artists, galleries, dealers, and collectors. Instead of taking a commission when an artwork is sold. Artplode asks for a flat listing fee for each piece submitted.

What types of artwork are accepted: Artplode accepts original art, paintings, sculptures, as well as photographs, prints, and digital artworks

The website’s features and benefits: Artplode allows artists to retain full control over their listings, pricing their wall art as they see fit. Artplode provides a platform for galleries, dealers, collectors, and artists to list their artwork for sale alongside famous artists.

Ease of Use: Artplode is easy to use. The website’s design is clean and professional, The website is user-friendly and allows buyers and sellers to deal directly with each other.

Buyers can browse high-quality artworks for sale by artists, galleries, dealers, and collectors in more than 40 countries.

Fees and Commissions: Artplode charges a one-off fee of $60 per listing, valid until the listing is removed. Artplode does not charge any commission to sellers. Sellers keep 100% of the price they receive from the buyer of their artwork.

Submission Policy:  Register by filling out the form and paying your fees. There is no curation process. Artists are required to provide high-quality images of their work along with accurate descriptions for their listings.

Requirements: Artplode does not state any image sizes, dimensions, or file types on its platform. 

Reputation: Artplode has been in business since 2014 so they must be doing something right. They do not cite any big names or reviews on its site, besides a carousel of customer reviews. They do not appear on Trustpilot. 

Artist Support: Artplode offers a contact form for enquires, beyond that, I cannot find support information. I assume that dedicated support is less relevant because Artplode acts as a paid platform only and doesn’t concern itself with transactions and shipping between buyers and sellers.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to sell your art on Artplode:

1. Take Quality Photos of Your Artwork: Include photos of your work with and without a frame, take a photo of the back, a close-up photo of the signature, and any print edition number. Include a shot of paperwork that confirms the authenticity.
2. Describe Your Artwork: Provide as much detailed information about the artwork as possible. Include a title, date, medium, and size and any background story about your work. 
3. Set Your Price: If you don’t know how to price your art, you can use the services of Artplode Assistant for a fee
4. Upload Your Listing: After uploading your listing, you have the option to be included in the featured listing section for a fee.
5. Promote Your Artwork: Share your listing on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn to reach a potentially unlimited audience of art lovers.
6. Respond to Enquiries from Buyers: When you receive a message from a potential buyer, respond quickly, answering any questions they might have and offering your telephone number for further contact. Do not ship artwork until payment has been made.

Artplode is a reasonable choice if you have no desire to set up and maintain your own website. It helps if you have an existing audience, otherwise, you must do all the selling and marketing yourself.

It’s a curious site because the listings all seem to start at $1000, regardless of the quality and that includes prints. 

Singulart – An Exclusive Online Gallery

Introduction: Singulart is a relatively new online art gallery dedicated to promoting professional artists by providing them with a professional platform to showcase their work to a global audience.

Founded in 2017, it has rapidly established itself as a key player in the online art business, making it a great place for artists to sell their original artwork.

What type of art is accepted?: Singulart accepts a wide range of artwork, including paintings, photography, sculptures, drawings, limited edition, and hand-painted prints.

The website’s features and benefits: One of Singulart’s standout features is its curated collections, which offer exposure opportunities for artists. Additionally, the platform takes care of all logistics once a sale is made, including taxes and insurance. Singulart offers a framing service.

Ease of Use: Singulart’s website is intuitive and user-friendly, offering artists an easy process to set up their profiles and list their artworks. The platform also offers a mobile application for convenience and accessibility on the go.

Fees and Commissions: Singulart operates on a commission basis from 30% – 50% of the selling price. The exact percentage is discussed upon the artist’s acceptance into the gallery. 

Submission Policy and Requirements: Artists are required to submit a portfolio for review by Singulart’s curators. The platform seeks high-quality, original work from successful artists, and each submission is subject to an evaluation process to ensure it aligns with the gallery’s standards.

This is the submission process as described on the Singulart website

You must fill in a form. It’s supposed to take 7 minutes. You will be asked many questions about your art and career. It’s more like a job interview. Include your website, telephone number, and social media presence. Have your resume ready with all your previous experience in the art world and have your cv to hand to upload.

You must have information about your medium, price range, how many sales you make, and examples of your art. It takes about 1 month to reply although when I researched this article they were not accepting new sellers at the time.

These are the image requirements:

• Singulart requires high-resolution images when building an online portfolio, with a minimum size of 1500 pixels by 1500 pixels2.
• For photographs and print editions, an established artist generally has an edition size of about 10 
• Multiple images taken from different angles are advised.
• The customer must be supplied with a certificate of authenticity

Reputation: In its relatively short lifespan, Singulart has garnered a strong reputation in the online art world, particularly for its high-quality curated collections and exceptional artist support. Excellent ratings on Trustpilot and featured in major press publications.

Artist Support: Singulart provides comprehensive support to its artists, including professional advice on pricing and a dedicated customer service team. 

Zatista – For Original Art and Limited Prints

Introduction: Zatista is a curated online art gallery that represents emerging and established artists from over 20 countries. Zatista is a premium online marketplace for mostly original artwork,

Launched in 2009, Zatista has been recognized as one of the best places to buy and sell art online, providing a platform for a wide array of styles and mediums.

What type of art is accepted?: Zatista accepts various forms of art, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, and limited edition photographs (max edition of 100). Zatista also accepts hand-pulled (made one at a time) print editions of up to 100 prints.

It provides a platform for both established and emerging artists to display their work and reach a larger audience.

The website’s features and benefits: Zatista’s carefully curated collections allow artists to showcase their work among high-quality pieces. The platform also offers a Certificate of Authenticity with each purchase and a free art advisory service.

The platform insists on free returns within 14 days, with trackable and insured delivery. The artist must pay for and arrange to ship using specified carriers.

Ease of Use: The Zatista platform is user-friendly, with a clean and intuitive interface. Artists can easily upload images of their work, set their prices, and manage their profiles. Buyers can browse by artist, medium, style, or price range.

Fees and Commissions: Zatista operates on a commission basis, with the platform taking 45% of each sale. This commission includes handling all aspects of the transaction, including customer service, marketing, and secure payment processing.

Submission Policy and Requirements: Artists interested in listing on Zatista must apply and have their work reviewed by a panel of art experts. The platform emphasizes quality and originality, ensuring each piece listed aligns with its high standards.

How to submit your artwork to Zatista:

• Complete your online application and provide your artist biography and statement
• Create your profile
• List a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 works for review
• Request approval by submitting your work
• Art submissions are reviewed quarterly.

These are the image requirements:

• The image must be high-quality between 1 MB and 10 MB to be accepted by Zatista
• The image file types must be in JPG or PNG format
• Very high-resolution files will be resized by Zatista

Reputation: Over the years, Zatista has earned a strong reputation in the online art world. It is recognized for its commitment to quality, professionalism, and its supportive role in fostering artists’ careers. Zatista has outstanding reviews on Trustpilot.

Artist Support: Zatista offers robust support for artists, including a dedicated customer service team and extensive online resources.

Artfinder – An Ethical Online Gallery

Introduction:  that aims to make art accessible, affordable, and a viable career for artists. It was launched in 2011 to challenge the industry and offer a fair and sustainable marketplace for artists.

At the time of research, the platform has over 7000 artists and claims to have an audience of over 450,000, although without explaining how they arrive at that figure.

Artfinder has a sustainable and ethical trading policy.

What types of artwork are accepted: Artfinder embraces a wide variety of art forms, including, original paintings, drawings, sculptures, collages, illustrations, and traditional forms of hand-pulled printing.  

Artfinder allows fine art photography, conventional art prints, and digital art prints in limited editions of not more than 150 prints.

The website’s features and benefits: Artfinder is a curated site with an application process to maintain the overall standard of the work. They offer tips to optimize your listings and help with marketing.

They run promotions, offer guidelines, and run surveys to help artists with art sales. Artfinder also provides performance stats and insights. 

Ease of Use: The platform’s interface is user-friendly, making it easy for artists to set up profiles, upload artwork, and communicate with potential buyers. The website also offers a mobile app for added convenience.

Fees and Commissions: Artfinder operates on a tiered commission system

• Free plan: 42% commission on sales with up to 30 listings permitted, plus 5 listings with limited edition prints.
• Standard Plan: 35% commission on sales with a $5 monthly subscription, unlimited listings, plus up to 10 works available as limited edition prints
• Professional Plan: 35% commission on sales, with a $10 monthly subscription, unlimited listings, and no limit on limited edition print offerings.

Submission Policy and Requirements: Artists wishing to sell on Artfinder must go through an application process. 

To join Artfinder, artists must follow these steps:

1. Fill out the application form, which includes sections on personal information, returns, and artwork.
2. Submit 4-6 files for approval with links to your website and social media where your art is for sale.
3. Submit and wait 8 – 10 weeks for Artfinder to review the submission and approve the application. 

These are the requirements:

1. Image files have to be in jpg or png format, and the minimum required resolution is 1200px on the shortest side. 
2. Provide proof of ID

Reputation: Artfinder has built a strong reputation in the online art community for its high-quality artwork and commitment to supporting artists. The platform’s customer reviews and artist testimonials reflect this reputation. The ratings on Trustpilot are very good indeed at 4.9 out of 5. 

Artist Support: Artfinder provides artists with comprehensive support, including detailed insights into their performance and sales, marketing tips, and a dedicated customer service team.

This support helps artists navigate the online art platform, grow their businesses, and connect with art lovers worldwide.

Be honest, has this list of online galleries inspired you, or put you off? Selling your original art is no easy task whatever way you look at it. Selling your own work online is difficult. Your art must stand out in the crowd and how do you do that with a thumbnail on a screen?

I realized many years ago, when I first dipped my toe into the water, that selling art online is very different from selling art in person. What looks great in real-life can disappear entirely on a listing.

I was mostly selling prints of my work at the time and some of my bestsellers tanked online. That was a lesson learned.

It is almost impossible to convey the impact size has, on a screen. Not only that, detail and nuance are lost and online attention spans are tiny. There are too many competing visuals that the scrolling eye is quickly overwhelmed.

These posts will help you:

• What Kind of Art Sells Best? The Popular Subjects Revealed
• What Size Art Sells Best? Prints and Frame Sizes
• Pricing Art For Beginners: Originals, Art Prints, and Formulas

People scan a screen and wait until something pops out. Often that doesn’t happen and they leave disappointed.

I’m not suggesting for one moment that you shouldn’t show your art this way, I’m only pointing out that selling art online has its limitations and it’s only another sales channel.

Don’t expect too much and you won’t be disappointed. It’s a good idea to spread your bets and show your art elsewhere, preferably in person.

Never underestimate the power of selling in person. You see, people don’t just buy the art, they ‘buy’ the artist. It’s the relationship and connection with the artist, that clinches the deal.

People buy non-essentials for emotional reasons, not practical or logical, those are secondary considerations. If you can make an emotional connection with your customer you are home and dry.

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This is how I made a living for over 20 years. You can too, simply copy what I did – No hidden secrets

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• How to Make Money With Digital Art: 10 Ways to Profit

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