Sadly, not all art was created equal. And fair or not, alas that is the way of the world. Not only does the quality of the art your produce matter, but so does the size.
In fact, the size of your artwork can massively impact how quickly it sells.
Therefore, it’s a pretty important aspect to learn about and get right. As artists, we are all aware that we put our blood, sweat, and tears into the things that we create.
The last thing any artist wants to see is their hard work sitting collecting dust because it is either too small or too large for customers to want to purchase it and display it in their homes.
Art buyers are essentially all Goldilocks, casting away anything that might be too fragile or dainty, or large and awkward. You need to find the sizing that is just right.
So, in this article, we’ll go over exactly what just right is so that you can be sure that your prints are flying off the shelves quicker than you can produce them!
What Size Art Is Just Right?
Okay, so the main thing that you have to remember can be a bitter pill to swallow, but it is this; customers see value in the size of the work.
More often than not they aren’t really paying attention to the painstaking hours of work, skill level, and passion poured into your piece.
This is pretty frustrating but it’s something that you just come to accept over time.
You’ll find that you’ll get lots of comments around this area. This would look perfect over my fireplace… if it was just a bit bigger. I’d have this in my office, for sure, but it’s too small.
So how do you find print sizes that will actually have people saying I’ll buy it?
You have to try and find some middle ground. Many artists want to opt for big and bold sizes knowing that they can bring in the big bucks once they’re sold.
But there’s only one problem. Recently peoples living spaces are becoming smaller. Fewer individuals actually have the space to hang these sized designs and even those that do don’t tend to be buying.
Therefore, it can seem to make more sense to make smaller pieces and sell more of them. You’ll also tend to find you can sell multiple cohesive smaller pieces easier than you will one larger one.
Plus they’re a lot cheaper to frame.
So Large Or Small Pieces?
We’ll take a closer look at the pros and cons of both smaller and larger pieces and their frame sizes.
Large Artwork Sizes
Artwork of a larger scale that is fairly popular is as follows:
- 8×12 inches – 12×16 inch frame
- 9×12 inches – 12×16 inch frame
- 10×12 inches – 16×20 inch frame
- 11×14 inches – 16×20 inch frame
- 12×16 inches – 16×20 inch frame
Canvas styles:
- 12×16 inches
- 18×24 inches
- 20×24 inches
- 24×36 inches
- 30×40 inches
- 36×48 inches
Large Piece Pros
- High Impact – Large pieces of artwork will always be more eye-catching and create more of an impact than smaller options.
This is especially the case if you’re selling your art physically. Larger pieces will draw more attention as they are seen as more of a showstopper.
- Higher Profit – Typically you can expect to yield a higher profit margin from the larger pieces that you sell.
There is certainly a premium to be made from larger pieces and it means that you don’t need to sell as much to gain a large income.
- Less Stock – This can be really handy if you’re selling physically as you won’t need to transport anywhere near as much artwork if you are providing larger prints.
Large Piece Cons
- Higher Framing Costs – Simply put, the larger the artwork, the more money you can expect to pay to frame them.
- Higher Printing Costs – The same goes for printing. The bigger the image, the more it’s going to cost you to print it.
- Difficult To Transport – Whether that’s to galleries or market stalls, these larger images are not easy to transport. Frames can break, and glass smash. This can cause additional costs.
- Difficult To Store – Where will your artwork stay when it is not being showcased? Larger pieces of art are going to take up a lot more space and this can cause storage issues.
- Difficult To Sell – While you’ll find that larger pieces can draw many people in, you’ll find that they are a much more considered purchase.
Small Artwork Sizes
Artwork of a smaller scale that is fairly popular is as follows:
- 6×4 inches – 6×8/7×5/10×8 inch frame
- 3×5 inches – 7×5/10×8 inch frame
- 7×5 inches – 10×8/10×12 inch frame
- 8×8 inches – 10×10 inch frame
- 6×8 inches – 10×12 inch frame
- 10×8 inches – 10×12/11×14 inch frame
Small Piece Pros
- Cheap To Frame – Smaller images are typically a lot easier to frame and a lot cheaper to frame too.
- Easier To Sell – You’ll find that customers will be more inclined to purchase smaller and generally cheaper artwork.
- Easy To Store/Ship – Finding storage for smaller pieces of art is a lot easier than that of those larger images as they require much less space.
- Cheaper To Print – As you are printing smaller pieces, it will require less money to do so.
Small Piece Cons
- Lower Profit – You’ll find that most customers won’t typically spend larger amounts of money on smaller artworks, and so you won’t yield quite the same profit margins that you do with larger pieces.
- Requires Higher Turnover – Considering that there is less profit in smaller prints, you’ll need to ensure that you are selling more of your smaller pieces to ensure that you are still making money from the work you produce.
- Less Impact – Smaller pieces don’t tend to have the same initial wow factor as larger pieces that draw in customers.
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Final Thoughts – So Which Is Better?
Not to totally sit on the fence, but the answer will really depend from artist to artist.
Some prefer to sell less work less often and yield a larger profit from those showstopping pieces when they do, while others prefer to produce lots of smaller pieces and try to produce a higher turnover.
Then, of course, there is always the option to have just one or two larger pieces of artwork that you use to draw in customers and then promote more of those smaller pieces that tend to sell more easily.
It’s all about what works best for you and your art.
From this article, hopefully you’ll be able to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of larger pieces and smaller pieces and see which size will be more beneficial to you and your particular print style.
Whichever option you do decide will work best for you, I wish you the best of luck in all your endeavors.
I am certain that customers will see the beauty and value, along with the hard work and dedication that is evident in your work.
