Poll Results - Size Matters!

June 2012 Making H5N1 Mark Poll: What's the master copy argue for the size of your artwork?
This calendar month I asked yous what was the primary argue for the size of your artwork as well as 125 people responded to the Making H5N1 Mark Poll for June.

In POLL: How produce yous create upwards one's hear the size of your artwork? I highlighted a publish of reasons for making choices close different sizes of artwork.  These focused on:
  • Art Practice
  • Art Collectors
  • Art Exhibitions
In reviewing the results of this month's poll, I'll occupation the same headings to highlight what the information tells me as well as the fundamental points made inward the comments received on the postal service announcing the poll.

You may possess got a different view.  Please produce not hesitate to comment telling me what that is.

Poll Results

125 people responded to the poll during June - as well as the poll results volition last typical of the people who responded.  These are the results inward tabular shape - as well as are the same every bit the ones represented past times a pie nautical chart at the move past times of this post.

What's the master copy argue for the size of your artwork?

whatever acre of written report demands & hang the cost36%
standard sizes: minimise framing costs21%
latest purchase of paper/support12%
standard sizes: for exhibitions (swop frames)10%
small size for enthusiastic collectors7%
small size for impulse purchases5%
small size for ease of postage5%
something else5%
big for competitions/ to larn noticed0%
big for collectors with infinite & money0%

Size is important!  Artists produce intend close the size of their artwork as well as for the most move appear to possess got developed a perspective on what size suits them best.

In summary, of the 125 artists who responded, at that spot is a clear separate betwixt an 'art is all' aesthetic perspective as well as those who desire their fine art to brand fiscal sense every bit good every bit beingness aesthetically pleasing.
  • Just over a tertiary are persuaded that the aesthetic of their pattern as well as composition is the overriding constituent inward determining the size of their art.
  • Just nether a tertiary are mindful of pragmatic as well as fiscal considerations with abide by to framing for exhibitions as well as sales.
  • One 5th pigment small-scale for iii master copy reasons - all of which primarily relate to sales as well as despatch to customers and/or exhibitions
  • 5% of artists possess got other reasons for icon the size they do
Read my analysis and commentary to discovery out to a greater extent than close determines the size of artwork.

Art Practice

Art Practice was the driving constituent for many of you.

Over a tertiary of yous are driven past times your acre of written report thing when working out what size to paint. 36% of yous said that they primarily pigment whatever size the acre of written report demands & hang the cost.

I can't assist feeling that piece this has consummate integrity from an aesthetic perspective it is unlikely to last associated with fiscal success.  That's because such piece of work is probable to last a non-standard size as well as require custom framing - which tin sack last outrageously expensive at times.

On the other hand, this perspective powerfulness good last ane which is adopted past times the creative someone working on gallery wind sheet who has no intention of framing their work.

It would possess got been interesting to know whether works were framed or non when this approach was adopted - as well as whether artists who did frame were also financially successful.

The size of fine art is determined past times the materials to hand.
In other words, for 12% of the respondents the size of the blank sheet or panel you've bought determines the paintings yous paint. This is manifestly an declaration which does non apply inward the same means to those who are drawing or icon on newspaper or supports which tin sack last cutting to size.

This aspect did select habitation to me how much the painter inward petroleum or acrylics needs to piece of work out a size of back upwards they are comfortable with because that's what they demand to purchase as well as possess got inward stock earlier the side past times side icon gets off the ground.

This approach of class applies peculiarly to plein air painters who possess got to create upwards one's hear what sizes they're working inward earlier they've fifty-fifty seen the acre of written report they're painting!  However for plein air painters there's also some other consideration.

Plein air icon practices tend to define sizes 
René PleinAir http://painting-pleinair.blogspot.co.uk/) pointed out that his do is rattling much determined past times the size of panels his pochade box volition take.  This perspective volition last ane which is shared past times many other plein air painters.


Hobby artists tend to piece of work smaller. The aim with many non-professional artists is to larn an artwork finished rather than to possess got something hanging to a greater extent than or less for ages.  Given competing demands on their fourth dimension from their other commitments, creating smaller artworks provides the vantage of creating fine art without having to hold back a long time

I ever tend to intend I tin sack tell when an creative someone is getting serious close marketing their piece of work as well as earning a serious income from their fine art - every bit this often coincides with creating bigger artwork.

As I indicated inward the postal service introducing this poll, inward guild to assist people who are thinking of submitting artwork, I started trying to render photos of artwork with people amongst so that readers could larn a sense of dimensions of piece of work which has been selected for an fine art contest or opened upwards exhibition.  It's also the argue why I include dimensions when I postal service art.  It's ever worth reflecting on the size of the paradigm you're viewing!

Art Exhibitions

At some dot after yous larn past times mastering the techniques of how to depict as well as paint, artists get to intend close selling their work.  If they are professional person artists this is the dot at which many firstly to unpick the costs of making piece of work as well as how they tin sack maximise their profit.  While the cost of materials is not insignificant, the cost of framing tin sack last astronomical relative to the value of the icon unless an creative someone investigates ways of keeping costs inside budget - with a persuasion to maximising profit.

Nearly a tertiary of yous sympathize that working to adjust criterion frame sizes tin sack last cost-efficient as well as cost-effective inward terms of both fourth dimension as well as money.

  • 21% pigment inward criterion sizes to minimise framing costs. I'm entirely surprised this didn't acquaint a larger per centum of the responses.  The major cost hike when framing for an exhibition pr sale is when yous displace from criterion sizes to custom made. If yous piece of work to criterion sizes yous possess got the range to customise frames so they facial expression nicer piece costing yous much less.  For example, I purchase champaign woods as well as and then pigment as well as wax them myself which gives me a huge saving on the cost of buying something similar.
  • Another 10% of yous piece of work inward criterion sizes so that yous tin sack swop frames to a greater extent than or less for exhibitions. This was a rattling early on conclusion that I arrived at after several frustrating attempts to discovery frames to correspond piece of work for exhibition.  I immediately rattling often piece of work out what size mat as well as frame I require for a piece of work before I start every bit it affects decisions made close format, pattern as well as composition.  I don't demote composition every bit a constituent inward this balancing human activity so much every bit challenge it to avoid costing me likewise much money!  I'll larn for custom made if that's what it requires - only the acre of written report thing has to piece of work rattling hard to persuade me that the extra expense is worthwhile.
Viven Blackburn (How produce yous create upwards one's hear which size to work? to sympathize why she adopts this view.

Nobody is primarily icon large to larn noticed or for competitions.
Which is non to say that powerfulness non occur immediately as well as ane time again - only it's non move of the routine do of the artists who responded.

Storage size matters
One someone commented as well as told me I'd missed out the alternative which was "small for powerfulness to shop after it comes dorsum from the exhibitions"! I'm rattling certain a publish of people powerfulness position with this ane - as well as I regret I forgot close this rattling of import consideration!

Art Collectors

19% of respondents chose to pigment small for iii reasons

  • 7% painted at a size which encouraged enthusiastic collectors
  • while 5% institute smaller size easier to postal service - which is a fundamental consideration if you're marketing online as well as selling to collectors all over the world
  • 5% institute smaller sizes attracted to a greater extent than impulse purchases ie piece of work priced at a grade where people don't possess got to intend likewise long earlier they brand a determination to buy.  The grade at which that cost is pitched may good vary according to the people the creative someone is pitching their piece of work likewise and/or the character of the piece of work on offer.  Nevertheless the regulation remains the same - at that spot is a cost grade where plant sell faster as well as generate a higher book of sales - as well as that typically relates to smaller works.
I'd hold back these perspectives to last ones associated with the "daily painters" as well as those associated with that movement.

Nobody is primarily icon large for collectors with infinite as well as money.
I was a trivial surprised past times this.  For me, ane of the distinguishing factors close professional person artists is that, inward general, they tend to pigment on a bigger scale than hobby artists or semi-professionals.  When I larn to come across opened upwards exhibitions which are a combination of professional person artists as well as serious semi-professionals, it's rattling noticeable that the bigger piece of work is almost ever painted past times the professionals.  Also 'proper' galleries tend to prefer piece of work which has an impact on a potential client when seen from the other side of the gallery - which is something which is to a greater extent than hard to range if artwork is small.

During the recession it was rattling strange when of a abrupt the professional person artists started to pigment on a smaller scale to seek as well as brand their piece of work to a greater extent than affordable.  On the whole, it didn't work.  You demand to sell a high book of smaller plant for this form of pricing strategy to work.  This typically requires targeted marketing - which is rather to a greater extent than hard for either an creative someone or a gallery to alter than the size of the back upwards yous piece of work on.

H5N1 trivial piece afterwards many switched tactics as well as started icon bigger (and often inward a means where paintings had to a greater extent than impact) as well as charging to a greater extent than - as well as the piece of work looked meliorate as well as seemed to sell meliorate inward opened upwards exhibitions.

The feedback I'm currently getting from a publish of painters is they're selling bigger plant to less people for to a greater extent than money - soundless this was non reflected inward the poll.



[Update:  Professional Artist What size to paint? How fine art size matters 

If anybody else has written a postal service on this topic delight move out a comment as well as I'll possess got a facial expression re linking to it from this one]

The July Making H5N1 Mark Poll

On Mon I'll postal service the novel Poll for July.  If you're desperate to discovery out what other artists intend close a fundamental enquiry yous possess got the side past times side 24 hours to influence the topic for July.



The Making H5N1 Mark Poll - Resources for Artists

Are yous similar other artists? Every calendar month I enquire the creative someone readers of my pop fine art weblog what they intend close some aspect of beingness an creative someone as well as selling art...

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