Painting for profit?

Shogun

I'm going to admit something that perhaps I could catch a lot of flak for around here.


I like watching The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross. I even like how Bob Ross paints.



I don't want to hear any moon shit about how what Bob Ross does is not art. Art shmart. The man can paint a large landscape in 30 damn minutes. I want to do that. I've heard his methods for painting can be learned in one sitting and that with little practice one can create very attractive works. I'm not looking to be the next Bob Ross, but I am interested in painting.

I have the opportunity to pick up a complete Bob Ross master paint set thing for a very, very low price. Normally $75-150 I can get it for much cheaper and it has never been used.

What I want to know is can I make money from this? Will people pay $75 for one of these landscapes? Is this a waste of my resources? This may be a thread for AC but I've lurked in there and so far all I've seen is a few good artists and a bunch of people with shit pouring out of their mouths.



tl:dr Will people buy Bob Ross-esque landscapes? Is it true his technique is as easy as people tell me it is? Am I crazy for even thinking about this?

TexiKen

If you have starving artists sales pop up near you (I see commercials for them all the time), go to one and look around and see what they're getting as well as the variety. They sell them for $20 a pop, so you might need to adjust what you could get for a picture to even consider getting some money off of it. Then you also have the cost of paint and canvas, etc...

If you want to paint, do it. Nothing wrong with it, everyone starts somewhere. But I do know I wouldn't pay $75 for a painted landscape unless it had something else to it, like Superman punching a meteor out of the sky or something.

capnrico

First, Bob Ross is awesome.

Second, I have heard of more than a few people that learned to paint by watching Bob Ross (one of them didn't even speak English) so I definitely think he works.

As a side note, my 5 year old daughter loves watching him.

EggyToast

To answer your large question, Bob Ross is fine. The criticisms I've heard are generally that he paints the same thing. However, even people who don't like the final work will admit that it's awesome that he's doing what he loves and he sells it as "painting should be fun, and it's not difficult to get something you enjoy."


To answer your tldr and title, no, most people don't buy original art, especially if it looks simple or basic. Especially in this economy. Painting is kind of a bad deal -- canvases are expensive, paints are expensive, and unless you're doing paint-overs of mediocre work, you end up with a lot of work sitting around.

I paint occasionally, for fun, and even though I get the occasional compliment on an abstract piece, I would be astonished if anyone ever paid me money for anything. I typically give stuff away as gifts if someone really likes a piece (rare ;D )

Zombiemambo

Trying to make money from art is really, really, really hard. I don't know what else to tell you except that if you plan to make a career out of it, you're likely to go days without eating.

NightDragon

People could pay $75, or even more for one of the paintings...it depends (on how good the painting is, how large the painting is, the subject matter, who's buying it, etc).

If you're considering doing it for a hobby, on the side, then sure! I'd say go for it. If you're thinking about making a living off of painting, that is extraordinarily difficult, and you'd probably have to study for years and years and years before even reaching an appropriate skill level. Even then, selling enough paintings to make a living is crazy-difficult.

If you want to sell Bob-esque paintings, I'd check to see what the market is like for them. Are paintings like this selling? Where? For how much? What's the subject matter?

Of course, in this economy, you might not get as many takers.

Also, be sure to factor product costs into your price, if you're selling.

Shogun

This is totally a hobby. I suppose if I was to somehow create a name for myself or open a gallery or something maybe I could paint for a living but I've never picked up a brush so I'm not about to drop out of college or switch my major to some art school.

saltiness

I'm really curious as to what a 'complete Bob Ross master paint set thing' is because if it's just a few tubes of cheap paint, some crappy brushes and a palette then you're better off just going to an art supply shop and buying it all individually.

Painting is a great hobby but it isn't going to make you real money unless you are exceptionally good with portraiture or have lottery-winning luck.

Scosglen

There is a lot of hyperbole about Bob Ross and amateur artists that I'm going to just carefully sidestep and get to the point.

If you want to paint landscapes, do it because you think you'll enjoy it. Doing it as a money making scheme is a horrible idea. Not because there is no money in painting, but but because, as it turns out, oil painting actually is really hard.

Bob Ross's show is entertaining to watch in part because he makes oil painting look so easy that anyone could do it. He uses some novel techniques and tools to get a lot of "bang for his buck" when applying paint, and also there's the simple fact that watching ANY professional artist work is going to make it seem easy since they'll be cranking that mother out like a champ.

As ND mentioned, how much your work could sell for is anyone's guess. It depends on where you live, how well you can market yourself, how successful the paintings actually turn out to be, and many other factors. I'm not an expert on art business but I would caution you that landscapes in oil are probably one of the most common subjects for dabbling-amateur painters the world over.

Shogun

saltiness wrote: »

I'm really curious as to what a 'complete Bob Ross master paint set thing' is because if it's just a few tubes of cheap paint, some crappy brushes and a palette then you're better off just going to an art supply shop and buying it all individually.

Painting is a great hobby but it isn't going to make you real money unless you are exceptionally good with portraiture or have lottery-winning luck.

http://www.amazon.com/Bob-Ross-Joy-Painting-Master/dp/B001LQXNJM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=office-products&qid=1233553370&sr=8-3

I also found out there is a Bob Ross-certified instructor near where I live. Not sure what it takes to become certified haha.

supabeast

You won’t make a profit selling hack landscape paintings. Because in China there are huge rooms full of dozens of painters with the technical skills of Da Vinci churning out oil paintings of every variety that sell for next to nothing on the side of the road, in malls, and at hotels.

Chalkbot

Yeah, I have a friend who sells his paintings for a living. The full size landscape style paintings don't move. In fact, he's discovered that he makes the most profit with small paintings. He generally makes about a dozen 3x5 canvas paintings. He can do them in an hour a piece and has no problem selling them for $20-30 at the Saturday market. For his larger paintings they generally have to be pretty original for people to pay any attention. I don't know how to describe them, but they are usually very interesting, combining realism with a bit of surrealism to get a very dream like image. I'm no art major obviously.

Shogun

Cool well it looks like this is going to be purely for fun then. Thanks again gents.

lorax2

Congrats on being excited about painting. It's great especially if you enjoy it and feel motivated. However, as many have commented, it's a tough way to make a living. I myself have sold a few, however, I am always surprised when that happens. I sold one painting of the Cotswolds in England - by accident. I was selling a rocking chair and the buyer said, "That painting on the wall - how much?" I know quite a few successful artists who sell paintings for thousands of dollars. In this economy, however, they supplement their incomes by teaching. Secret of success: To sell art you need a "story." You yourself need to be a "character" with an interesting bio. And you need to tell a story about each painting. For example, "That chicken represents my great aunt." You must join local art groups and enter many juried shows to establish a resumé. Good luck. PS. I like Bob Ross, too; he has inspired many people into overcoming inertia and entering into a rewarding activity.