Throughout this article we have shared multiple resources, both here on The Abundant Artist and on the site Tara founded, that will help you get started. Its a difficult calculation, but higher shipping costs tend to dissuade potential customers. Prints and digital files typically sell for less money than originals, however, they do present artists with a good way of repeatedly making money with one piece of artwork. No matter what kind of artist you are, learning how to license your artworks is a valuable skill that will help you build your art-related income. 2.) If youre a painter or work with charcoal or other specialized materials, you could sell original artwork. Artists can become brand influencersbecause audiences engage more when they can relate to a person, image or narrative. Use Pound sterling instead. Thats technically a copyright violation, but pursuing that may be more trouble than its worth. The point of art that works well for licensing is to sell the product. Exclusive: Some licensees will demand exclusive use of an artwork, meaning you cannot license it to anybody else for the term of the agreement. For example, if the licensee believes that they can sell 2,500 units, and youre making $0.25 per unit sold, that gives you the potential to make $625 which is not a lot of money, however its a start. Quickly and easily purchase the exclusive artwork of your choice. There is no standard way to price a licensing agreement for your artwork and there are many ways that compensation can be distributed. 4. Also, a lot of products have a sticker on it (such as on the bottom of a cup) with the manufacturers name so that you can search the internet for their contact info to ask if they are accepting new artist submissions. Representations & Warranties: This is your promise to the licensee that the artwork is yours to license out and that it doesnt infringe on anybody elses intellectual property. In addition to being willing to create art along popular trends, fashions, and color schemes that are most likely to sell merchandise, you have to be willing to work with third parties, taking feedback and making changes that you may not feel are necessary. The artwork can be a logo, sketch, slogan, image, design or brand that another company has permission to use within a certain territory and duration. If you are creating your own licensing agreement, it is also worth having your agreement professionally reviewed before signing it. The artist retains ownership of the image and can continue to license it for other uses that don't conflict. Why would it make a difference whether youre well known or not when it comes to protecting your art from theft? Instead of flat out selling your art, you have the potential to maintain the rights to the original work of art and instead sell copies of your images on products. Files should preferably be under 5 MB and should not exceed 10 MB. Having an organized, password-protected file on Dropbox or GDrive both work. If youre using print-on-demand services, websites such as Society6 or Printful might satisfy your needs. Art licensing allows you to purchase a non-exclusive license to make and sell unlimited finished goods from the artwork/pattern of your choice. Look into other surface design trade shows. For nearly 30 years weve been making our customers jobs easier by being a full-service art and design partner. Then, okay, its beautiful, somebody wants it. For in-depth information on standard royalty rates, check out the post Royalty Rates- What is the Standard? LeaninTree: greeting cards. What in the world are you talking about? you ask, and they direct you to a slick looking boutique website selling cheap apparel and theres your art, unlicensed. The appeal of art licensing is that you can actually license the same piece of art for usage by multiple companies on different products, maximizing your earning potential. Bentley licenses the rights to reproduce selected images in both offset and digital printing technologies, on paper, canvas, and other newer substrates like aluminum or Plexiglas. Sometimes an advance payment is made to the artist in addition to the ongoing royalty percentage, at the start of an agreement, as a sign of good faith and expected sales. Posters. Scope: What does the license agreement cover? Graphic Design Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines, http://www.artlicensinginfo.com/interview-replays/, Enough has been written on the case already. Finding an agent to represent you isnt always easy, and you might face a lot of rejection before someone says yes. Depending on how youre building your art business, some elements on the contract are more important than other. She is a prolific painter, loves her morning coffee, and enjoys a daily swim or yoga class. This is a legal contract, so its important to understand what it contains. Do you absolutely have to hire a lawyer? Figure out if its worth pursuing a manufacturing company. The best way to communicate with companies that are looking for creative ideas is to start by visiting their website to see if they have a submitting form for sending in your artwork. You are approached by a company and offered a deal. Ouch. The Art of Creating Art Licensing Collections. Buy this online by visiting Art.com below. With a firm finger on the pulse of current trends, MHS not only offers value in the form of a continually refreshed catalogue of artwork from a variety of skilled artists, but also with proven experience and strategic guidance in implementing the artwork they select. If selling your own art takes off, you can start hosting other artists in your store as well. . SURTEX is the premier surface design and art licensing marketplace-where designers, retailers, and manufacturers source original art to create the next best-selling products. Our designs are available to license for over 50 products including stationery, giftware & homeware. Additionally, you can also make money selling other peoples artwork online if you build a network of artists and a website to sell their art. Art licensing basically means to "rent" your art to someone. Entertainment, sports, universities, cities, fashion and museums are areas that may license artwork. Giving you access to the top-selling designs and patterns for home decor products. So if people just really dont want to do the business side, like theyre super shy and youre super intimidated by it, or they just truly want to be in their pajamas painting all the time and not deal with all the others. 5. Most art licensing agreements will specify the following points as part of the agreement: It is worth having a qualified lawyer take a look at any licensing agreement you are asked to sign. Whilst there are no set rules on how to do licensing, but, there are things you can do to give yourself the best chance for success. Sometimes they will even put out open briefs . I am just getting started researching art licensing. How to Sell Art Online | Online Marketing for Artists. So what are those necessary collections of art? FIND. I mean Mary Engelbreit, Thomas Kinkade, Susan Winget, theyre all making very very big numbers, because theyre very well-known brands, are very established. So sometimes you license your art and you dont get that recognition. With over 150 artists, we have high resolution digital artwork files from some of the UK . It can take, I think nine months is the shortest amount of time between when I finish something and when it has shipped. Put the letter on your letterhead . Its our business to know whats trending. Attorney Fees: If you do find yourself in a legal dispute, this determines who will pay the legal fees. There is tremendous potential in the world of art licensing, but it requires a different way of approaching business than more traditional avenues of selling art such as selling originals and prints through galleries or directly to collectors. They are professional, easy to work with, and have many amazing artists. What many artists dont realize about the art licensing process is that it is not normally a simple procession from finished artwork to expensive licensing deal. 2. However, if you hope to sue the offending party for any kind of punitive award, you will need to take your copyright a step further by registering it with the US Copyright Office. If presenting a collection, create a cover page showing the designs as you envision them working together. At The Abundant Artist, we are passionate about teaching artists that it is entirely possible to make money from your art, even outside of the traditional gallery system. You can look at licensing artwork as a form of collaboration between what the market trends are, what the artist feels like creating and what the manufacture is willing to produce. As an artist, one of the best ways to make money is to license or assign your work. Cups. Follow along to learn how to sell art online and make money in 2023. 2023 Forbes Media LLC. Take your time before following up again. Art + Brand Licensing. The most important step is to follow up after submitting your art to a manufacturer. As a licensing agency, MHS represents artists, brands, patent, and trademark owners (licensors) looking to monetize their intellectual properties by licensing their assets to manufacturers of consumer products. To get the best possible experience please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to view this website. This is just an introduction to what can seem like a daunting and complicated world. If youre on Pinterest at all, you see chalkboard stuff everywhere. If you keep shipping costs down, you might get more sales, even if the product is priced to be more expensive. Our outstanding artists, in-house design team and helpful sales staff offer flexibility and service. Meet industry players, decision-makers and brands interested in licensing artwork. Find out why you may want to consider working with an art publisher or licensing agent like us. Tara calls it the cash flow cycle of licensing, and it requires a solid handle of managing your cash flow for your business. What is an artwork licensing agreement? Most importantly, Shawn values the creative process . Finally, to make sure you and your artwork are always protected from theft or . Congdon filed a lawsuit against Cody Foster & Co, and the art world exploded with op-eds. This is exactly how Lisa Congdon was alerted to copyright infringement of her art, and this happens much more often than you would think. For example, if youre selling on Amazon or Etsy, you could use ads to promote your listings. 7. Today, working from her home studio, she loves to experiment and see how she can push the limits to see what combination of tools and images she can use together to get a different outcome. Most of our pattern and illustration work is available for art licensing. Any other intended uses for the artwork (social media, online, marketing etc). For this purpose, there are likely to be some perfectly valid art series that are not a good fit for licensing: overly political pieces, multimedia or 3-dimensional art, sculpture, etc. If you are licensing an artwork to multiple different licensees at the same time, you would need a non-exclusive license agreement. Because of the nature of licensing, there is the potential for it to be extremely lucrative for a savvy and hard working artist who is not afraid to network. We love sharing the latest looks in home decor and art with you. Charles February 2, 2010 at 2:35 pm. Some people dont choose to do that, theyre not comfortable doing that. Use email marketing services such as MailChimp or Sendfox to manage your email list and send bulk emails. This would provide more variety for your customers and allow you to support other up-and-coming artists. Of his current licensing partners, many have maintained product lines using Greg's art for over 15 years. Thank you! A little different than in years past. Whats great about print on demand is that you have no overhead, so you dont need to invest in ordering a bunch of shirts or hoodies to sell. An artist licensing agreement is an accord where an artist gives a client permission to use their artwork by allowing them to acquire a license for promotional purposes to bolster a product or service. Weve worked together for 17 years, so [], We are proud to be a founding member of the Art Copyright Coalition. We've updated our prices to United States (US) dollar for your shopping convenience. The specific products your artwork will be used on. This is because sites like Etsy and Amazon have millions of site visitors every month. It depends on your needs. Heres what Tara has to say: Contracts are part of this business. Its a mutually beneficial collaboration between an artist and an separate entity, achieved through a written contract. Visiting the manufacturers website will to show that youve researched them and that youre familiar with their company and that you can follow their directions. Name and define each party involved in the deal. Perpetual License: A royalty payment is made once upfront, after which the licensee can use your artwork in perpetuity. Roam around your favorite stores and pick up the products. Additionally, people might want T-shirts or mugs or even notebooks with your art on them. There are various print-on-demand services such as Printful or Printify that can make this process fast and easy. These are by no means exhaustive lists. ", "I have been working with the MHS team for 8 years and have always found them to be professional, responsive, knowledgeable and very easy to work with. 5. It takes a while to make money from art licensing. Choose a company that is making sure that their products are in front of the consumers that youd like to reach as an artist. 1.) Under a flat-fee basis, ownership rights are typically turned over to the publisher. When I first started, I had a friend who used to do contract negotiation, and she helped me learn. Licensing is all about leasing your intellectual property or copyright entity in conjunction with products, services or promotions. An art licensing company, on the other hand, is a business that licenses artwork from artists and uses it on its own products. You might want to price these items higher because they are individually created. Trade shows and building in-person relationships are the most common ways to find companies that are interested in licensing artwork. To be able to join our team of talented artists we first need to see to see samples of your artwork. You can find e-commerce platforms for less than $30 per month. Your Business/Artist Instagram Page. Licensing artwork allows the customer to be able to have options for expressing their personality. T-shirts and other clothing. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations. Thank you for this well thought out article. If a company does not agree to minimum guarantees you can ask them what other performance clause you can add to the contract. You can work with a freelance artist by subscribing to one of Penji's plans and submitting your first request. ", "For over 8 years MHS has been a great source for Pavilion's licensing needs. Files (Max. Art licensing is not for everyone. Do you have a portfolio of 50-100 pieces of original work? Are you able to work to a tight deadline and make changes if needed? You need to be persistent and continually follow up. Ask yourself the following questions to see if you are ready: Preparation is key, if you want to be successful at licensing you need to be ready to move quickly and professionally. The caveat to a show like Surtex is that its in New York City. They often wont commit to you until they know theyre going to have decent placement. I advise artists to seek counsel from an attorney, especially if you think this licensing deal will greatlyeffect your business and livelihood. The royalty structure including any advanced payments. The cost to start an online store to sell art varies depending on the platform you choose and the features you need. However, remember the basics and you wont go too far wrong. As an artist, you own the copyright to the work you produce. And then its their job to make those connections for you, between your art and the manufacturers., Contracts vary wildly from company to company, and depending on the type of licensing deal. After the artwork is created, the manufacturing company will make sure they have a decent place to sell your work before they commit to you. And so thats how I have found some of my clients. If its a company Ive worked from we have a basic contract, well do an amendment where we add Okay, yeah, now youre licensing this art in addition to what youve already done in the past. So you always have to do the contract thing. BUY. Your Business/Artist Facebook Page. An advance against a typical 4%-6% royalty may run from $150 to $300. On top of that, you can also set up print on demand services so that orders are automatically printed and shipped every time you land a sale. How do I build relationships with the licensing industry? Artist and Illustrator Farida Zaman is a creator as bright and filled with creative energy as her art. By far my favorite way to find manufacturers is to go shopping. So if Paul Brents art is on their product, they license art. Our website is for trade manufacturers and publishers. So Ive been playing a little bit with the chalkboard trend with art that I like. With relationships forged over nearly three decades we are in unique position to help artists realize their full potential and reach international markets through a well proven strategy. If youve gotten this far and have decided that youre interested in collaborating with corporate clients and you have series of art that may be a good fit for licensing, the next step is to figure out how to get started. You must get used to handling rejection on a regular basis. What type of artwork is suitable for licensing? What does an artwork licensing agent do? Make sure that these details are clarified in your contract. Putting a price on your artwork is difficult, but its important and there are several factors to take into account. Our images are supplied in the following format: Input colour space: Adobe 1998 RGBFile Type: Tiff ( No Compression)Sharpening: Slight sharpeningThe images are colour corrected for contrast, cast and grey balance, and cleaned of dust and scratches when viewed at print size. The cash flow cycle requires planning ahead. From pretty [], Im writing with news of changeand continuity. Buying through these links helps to fund and maintain this valuable website and we appreciate your support. Youre like Oh, thats really pretty. A lot of products have the manufacturer on the bottom. Time: Some licenses carry an expiration date or clearly defined time period at which the license ends or can be renewed. Our site allows you to search over 100 categories for both fine art and contemporary images. As your licensing business grows you may find that its worth it to work networking opportunities like this into your budget. Make a plan as to how you want your licensing program to work, what types of companies you want to license with, where you want your art to be sold,where you don't . Cold calling random companies and aggressive sales pitches are only going to alienate potential licensees. With 700+ artists and 130,000 images in our archive, we . So theres other ways to go as well, there are a lot of agents in the industry. It really is that simple. Among the most well-known shows is Surtex, an annual trade show for the surface design industry. Whereas, a graphic artist might sell via Creative Market, Zazzle and Fiverr. We received several offers from inside and outside the industry, and . We pay a quarterly royalty of 10% on actual invoiced amount for which the art print is sold wholesale. Include clear, high-resolution images of your work and mock-ups demonstrating how your artwork looks on relevant products. Trade shows have been a regular part of the art licensing calendar for years. A seldom-discussed aspect of the art industry, and somewhat mysterious to many artists, is art licensing. Licensing artwork means paying an artist a fee for the commercial use of their artwork. From Santa to carol singers, robins to Christmas villages, weve got over 5000 Christmas designs! A Change in Ownership. Thanks for the article. 2. Tara recommends working to negotiate the highest possible rate for yourself. A note on working with agents: always seek legal advice before signing a contract and be sure of what your obligations and liabilities will be under any contract you sign. First, check out Tara Reeds article The Art of Creating Art Licensing Collections. All of these companies license art onto their own products, then sell those products in larger retail chains nationwide. Thats a really hard question to answer. They have a vastlibrary of suitable puzzle images and it is a pleasure to partner with them.". A contract should include how long (time) the contract should last, where the client is going to sell the products, the ability to audit the manufacturers books, what the products are and what artworks youre providing. Many platforms for selling your work as an independent artist online exist from Etsy and Zazzle to Creative Market and Instagram, not to mention directly through your own online store. WHAT IS ART LICENSING? The important thing to note is that while hiring a lawyer can be really advantageous for clarifying the legalese in large contracts for large accounts, hiring a lawyer may also cost you more than you ever make from the deal. Weve been working with Farida for quite a few years now and are always struck by her gorgeous use of color and ability to mix texture and tone into a gorgeous collection of art. Art that sells well on manufactured items is art that both manufacturers and customers can relate to, according to Tara Reed. All Rights Reserved. Her artistic career includes creating and producing top-selling home decor products as well as gift, wall art and tabletop. Folio Art. So this is the first question to ask yourself if you are interested in licensing your art: are you willing to collaborate with a third party on every piece of art you license? The appeal of art licensing is that you can actually license the same piece of art for usage by multiple companies on different products, maximizing your earning potential. Understandably, this is troubling for many artists who sell primarily through the internet and rely on collectors being able to see their work clearly online. Household items such as cups, sheets, towels: 3% to 8%. When you first meet Laura you are struck by her kindness and generosity of spirit. I have worked off of contracts that are one page long to twelve pages long You cant cry Im an artist, I cant understand it! Because its really important to your business to at least understand it, even if you dont take control over the whole thing. How you define time can affect how you chose to price your license (annual renewal fee or ongoing?). Art licensing agents: MHS Licensing & Consulting. You can offer companies the following incentive to continue using your artwork as they grow: If they spend over a couple thousand dollars reproducing your artwork, then you can ask for a lower royalty percentage of lets say 5 percent so that they can save money by investing in more products with your art on it, however if they only invest a few products with your art printed on it, then you can ask for a higher royalty of lets say 17% so that the deal is still worth your time. It helped me a lot. Blog, guides, courses, and coaching for artists. (More on this in other articles.) If its a small business and they only want to print your artwork once, on lets say on one canvas inside of an interior designers showroom, you can agree to a flat rate to license your artwork and ask for credit as the artist. Art licensing is a way for artists to earn money by allowing their artwork to be used for commercial purposes, such as on products like clothing, home decor, and stationery. I met her in her studio near San Diego a few months ago. However, this is becoming a less common practice for all but the most in-demand artists. things that will help your designs become apart of others everyday lives. If you want to do toys, create some with your work. Medical Cost Sharing and its two founders, Craig A. Reynolds and James L. McGinnis, are accused in federal court documents of using a fraction of $7.5 million in membership contributions to cover . You dont even have to make it your full-time gig: as Tara Reed mentioned, many artists license their art only part time as a supplemental income. Login to see our latest curated collections of art and designs for wall decor and licensing. We are really excited about this and I'd like to tell you why. Thank you so much your article. Some youll go to their website and itll say Artist Submissions. So thats awesome, because they tell you how they want to talk to you to begin with. To start youll need to decide exactly what to sell and how to sell it. "For nearly 20 years, MHS has been a very important licensing partner for us. One of the UK's leading artist agencies for licensing purposes, with over 10,000 artworks by 150 of the UK's leading artists and illustrators. Its important to be able to negotiate a contract. There is no one size fits all licensing deal, there are lots of ways to make licensing work for you. Dismiss. So its not an inexpensive thing, but I go to New York every May. Then they have to produce it, they have to sell it if its going into mom-and-pop stuff, or they have to ship it, whatever. Before joining the team, she was a Content Producer at Fit Small Business where she served as an editor and strategist covering small business marketing content. Demdaco: Gifts, fashion, and decor. You can maintain the right to license the same exact artwork to several companies at one time if its a non-exclusive agreement. Artwork licensing is when an artist signs a contract (also known as a licensing agreement) to allow another person or company to use their artwork for commercial purposes in exchange for a fee. They dont have the budget to do that. I set up my ten foot ten booth, and thats where I meet a lot of the people that I work with. This not only protects you and your intellectual property, but it is also what gives the licensee a commercial opportunity and therefore a reason to pay you. Then a contract will be drafted, the artwork is formatted digitally and produced, shipped, and sold. Your email address will not be published. Curated Collections Top-Selling Artists Trend-Forward Designs.