In a recent Facebook Live event, you had the chance to ask top art agent Lilla anything you wanted and you had a lot of questions! Over the next few months, we’ll be taking the opportunity to answer some of your burning questions in our weekly newsletters. We hope you find them useful!
Today’s big question: Lilla, how do I know which market is right for me? Which one should I be focusing on and trying to get work in?
We know what it’s like! You’re a creative person and you have so many things going on in your head: you love to paint, you love to draw, you love using a load of different media and drawing a load of different things. How do you know which ones to invest your time in? How do you know which markets to focus on or what to draw when your time is limited and precious? It can be so difficult to choose and stay focused.
Maybe you’ve gotten some work already in a few different areas, or maybe you’re someone who’s been doing art for a long time but not professionally. Maybe you’re already very successful and want to keep your career on the boil, or want to break into new markets or find fresh inspiration for your work. Whatever stage you’re at, the first thing you need to do is figure out which market you want to pursue.
Just some of the gorgeous products from Lilla’s artists. Which one makes your heart skip a beat?
Here’s Lilla’s advice: head out of the house, head to a shop and look at the products (in common with all our courses, you can also do this online in the comfort of your own home and even your pyjamas if you like, but going and actually looking at the physical things is fun too).
Take some time to look at everything and think about what calls to you: look at children’s books and magazine and book illustrations online or in print, look at fabric, look at cards and aprons and teacups, look at wall art and home décor. Look at everything, and take note of what thrills you: what makes you think, oh, I would LOVE to do that!
Then take a look at what kind of art you love to make:
- Do you like to draw people? You could look at children’s books or magazine illustrations.
- Do you like to make repeat patterns? Think about the bolt fabric and scrapbooking market and the paper markets.
- Do you like to draw a variety of decorative things? You have a whole host of options to consider, including bolt fabric, home décor, gift, paper, baby apparel, scrapbook and party paper, and wall décor.
Work by Pat Scheurich, who has signed a contract with Greenbox Art + Culture after taking MATS courses. She says: “I’m very excited about it, and it might not have happened without information given in Hot Markets for Your Art Part A.”
Lilla’s top tip: “It’s a great idea to pick one or two markets to get really good at, and as you start to promote that work, you’ll be amazed at how your career will snowball. There can be a huge amount of crossover between different markets. For example, my own artists that I represent at Lilla Rogers Studio get work in multiple markets because many of them have taken MATS classes, they’ve gotten really good at a couple of markets, and it just grows from there.”
More beautiful products from Lilla’s artists. Just for clarity, we’re not responsible for any money you end up spending after viewing these gorgeous things!
Lilla says: “Instead of splattering it around, really get to know a particular market. See what really speaks to you, what you’re excited about, and start with that. As an art agent, I would rather an artist have a handful of really strong pieces in one market that they can have in their portfolio and promote on social media, instead of a single great piece in each of half a dozen different markets. No one is going to hire someone who only has one piece in a market. It’s not enough, you need to have enough strong pieces to show the art director that you can produce consistently, especially in the editorial market where work is almost always commissioned. As an agent, I need to know: if I assign you work, can you deliver? Art directors don’t like surprises! Art directors and art agents both need to know that you’re capable of producing consistently high quality work, and a single piece isn’t going to show us that.”
We hope that you found that useful and interesting, and look forward to sharing more of Lilla’s wisdom in upcoming newsletters! Now, it’s time for you to head off to the shops …
Love
The MATS team xxx
P.S. A great way to start to explore some of the most exciting and lucrative markets for your art is Hot Markets for Your Art Part A and Part B, which are both self-paced courses you can start TODAY which will offer you in-depth insight into ten amazing markets, from children’s books and stationery to home décor and baby/children’s apparel. And if you still can’t choose, then take both Parts A & B and save 15% with our fab Top 10 Markets Bundle!