Art Marketing Boot Camp™: Response to a Letter from a Portrait Artist

(This image is of Adam Miller painting Eric Rhoads portrait. This is NOT the artist who wrote the following letter.)

" Dear Mr. Rhoads,

I just read an email from you regarding those who advertise and those who don't. It was a good read. I know your words are true, and the two examples viable. I think one roadblock for many Invisables is "where do I come up with the money to invest when I am treading water as it is?"

I have been painting portraits for twenty years, and earned a decent living. However, I'm in the process of moving to non-portrait work, and as you said, no one knows me outside the portrait world. I know full well that advertising in Artist Advocate would be a very solid step in the right direction. No doubt about it. Maybe even the best first step to be taken. But, in this market, with portrait commissions slowing down immensely, I'm trying to put food on the table for my family, and I must wait to begin what I know is necessary." - Name withheld

This was my response:

Dear Portrait Artist,

Clearly you have to put food on the table first. The most important thing you can do otherwise is to ramp up your self promotion and exposure...even if its the stuff you can do on your own for free. Not everyone is in a position to advertise, but those who do clearly will gain an edge. I'm not interested in taking someone's last dollar or food off of the table. Artist Advocate is not for everyone.

I cannot advise you of whether or not moving away from portraiture is smart or not, but it seems that you need to pursue areas where your brand is strongest already. Building a new brand and new market takes time and money. So, get more aggressive in the areas you are already known and established. Someone has the money for portraits. You need to find them. These are tough times, which require you to do more personal selling and promoting. Yes, I said selling.

What about these ideas?

- Contact every person who has every had a portrait done by you... one at a time by phone. Ask if they were pleased. Is there a family member they would like to commission a portrait for as a holiday gift (the painting comes after the holiday). Wealthy people are still wealthy, just a little less so. A portrait is the one gift that gives forever. Its ideal for the person who has everything.

- Pick up the phone and call every major local business owner, bank president, college president, city councilman, dignitary, etc. and suggest the portrait for their business (or a wife portrait, or kids, or board members). They want to be remembered. Where in town do you find portraits hanging? Certainly they may need more.

- Stay top of mind with your previous commissions by emails of most recent portraits. Reseach indicates that people who bought from you once are the MOST likely to buy from you again. Of they did one portrait they may need an update, may want a family member, a lost loved one, kids, dogs, etc.

- Call the local paper and city magazine in your area. Press people are always looking for stories. Tell them that you thought they might like to know that people are changing their gifting patterns and that some of the prominant people in town have found the perfect gift for the person who has everything... a portrait. Find some local prominent citizen so you can use them as an example. Call local TV too who can shoot you painting this person. Press works.

- Here's an obtuse one. Create a brochure for funeral homes in the area and give the funeral home a commission on portraits of deceased loved ones as an incentive to make this available in the materials they hand out. I know this sounds crass but people want to remember loved ones and many people can afford to do this.

It is important to remember that not everyone is in your shoes. Not everyone is trying to figure out how to put money on the table. I know a fair amount of well off people and though many are cutting back I still see them spending money.

Whether you're a portrait artist or another artist we are all too close to our world. We assume people know about us, know who we are and what we are doing. They do not. Even when you tell them they don't remember. This is why the principal of frequent repetition is critical in promotion and advertising. Find excuses to get your message in front of people. Stay visible and do it as much as possible without crossing the line. Though most artists are a little uncomfortable calling attention to themselves... if you don't, who will?

PS: I'm a giant fan of portraiture. As you may or may not know I commission several portraits annually to appear with my publishers notes in my magazine Fine Art Connoisseur. I do this because I want to encourage others to commission portraits and because I want to bring visibility to classic techniques, which are important to keep alive. You can learn more on my portraiture blog.