Breaking into the Art World: How to start making a living as an artist [Paperback]

Brian Marshall White (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1589397622 | ISBN-13: 978-1589397620 | Publication Date: July 21, 2005

Have you ever wanted to be a full-time artist and make a living at it? Have you ever wanted to know how to get started selling your art? Then this book is for you! "Breaking into the Art World" is filled with practical information on "how to get started making a living as an artist." The author, Marshall White, lives in Kona, Hawaii and works as a full-time artist. His paintings and prints of Hawaii are wonderfully detailed and popular with local art buyers and tourists who visit the island. At this writing, his works of art are displayed in various galleries in Hawaii and in Thailand and are collected by people from all over the world. This book is the first of his writings to be published and was written to help other artists who often ask him, "Do you make a living with your art how did you make the jump to being a full-time artist?" It has been written for people who, like himself when he began, have no clue what to do to get started marketing and selling their art.

Product Details

• Paperback: 148 pages
• Publisher: Virtualbookworm.com Publishing (July 21, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589397622
• ISBN-13: 978-1589397620
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #724,262 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars end the gallery wait, February 26, 2007

By 

Stephanie Goodell "starwildflowr" (Kailua-Kona, HI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Breaking into the Art World: How to start making a living as an artist (Paperback)

Alot of other artist how-to books give you cover to cover advice on how to write up an artist's statement and compile a portfolio for gallery submission, suggesting such things as go make a name for yourself in another country before trying to get into US galleries... win a grant... win a contest...- BEFORE submitting your portfolio.
This book is the most effective artist's guide out there for learning how to EARN AN INCOME, gallery or no gallery. Obviously all artists want gallery representation cuz that means they get to paint and forget about the pressure of promoting themselves... but anyone who has tried to get into a gallery without having been in one before will discover the catch22 that no gallery wants someone who is unknown...
What I love about Brian's approach is that in bypassing the gallery, as he himself experienced, he got galleries to come to him!
TOO COOL!
He gets into guide-for-dummies detail, offers all the phone numbers of his personal suppliers (very helpful especially since I live his town!)
and stimulates one to think off the page, meaning I got so many more ideas from his suggestions that aren't even in the book... it's just that kind of book- it gets you motivated and thinking creatively AND realistically (something we artists can have trouble with).
I wanna go thru the phone book and take this guy out to lunch- he's my new hero!

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Do yourself a favor...make a small investment and buy this book!, March 16, 2006

By 

Robert Britton "Artist" (lancaster, ny United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Breaking into the Art World: How to start making a living as an artist (Paperback)

As an artist who wants to be a SELLING artist, I read White's book. Simply put, I found that it was an excellent source of ideas on how to not only begin the process of selling your work, but also the pragmatic aspects as well.

As an artist, I paint not to express any soulful meaning, but to make paintings that answer the question: Would I want it hanging on a wall in my house?

So after a few years of painting, my confidence has grown and I believe my art is sellable. but how do you get started selling it?

White's book is a densely packed little tome of ideas that stem from his experiences in starting off his career as an artist earning a living at it. The book has gems of ideas on how to get started selling, and how to handle the pragmatic issues of displaying, printing, advertising, packaging your works.

For example: I loved chapter 5 because it included a simple apporach to be a Street Artist that many of us artists can surely do. He tells you how to identify a good location to paint to draw attention of passer's by and how it can help you increase the market's awareness of you and your art. (he also mentions how this approach can benefit local businesses because you become the ADVERTISEMENT that helps pull people into the stores/restaraunts that you are standing in front of...a nice win/win situation).

White also instructs you on how to to limited edition prints, pricing, care and packaging, etc.

If you are an artist who desires to 'come out of the closet' but doesn't know how, make the little investment here (it costs less than a couple of lattes!). Mr. White really does want to help those artists like me who have the desires to earn a sustainable living by creating and selling our works. He wants to share his knowledge with you so that you can experience the joy of earning a living as an artist.

42 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars NOT AT ALL A BOOK TO ENTER THE REAL ART WORLD, July 21, 2008

By 

S. morisse "Art Lover" (NYC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Breaking into the Art World: How to start making a living as an artist (Paperback)

This is not at all a book that will give you hints or help you to Break into the Real Art World ( I am talking: real galleries and the Real Art world out there: The Contemporary art world). This is only a book to help you sell your stuff in the streets which is what you should avoid at all costs if you want to break into the real thing. Not a helpful book at all. Its about selling Epson prints for $30 in the streets. Great if it is what you want to do but not great if you have a bit more ambition than that. Some people are fine with it, great art does not sell in the streets. Sorry, but its true.