Art Merchandising with Love

Art Merchandise 101: What is it?

As artists, we're mostly all familiar with designing our works with the thought of it one day being displayed in print or poster format. So what can we do if we have bigger and brighter dreams for our works than them simply being limited to a plastic frame hanging above a desk? Art merchandising - turning designs into products other than prints - can be the next step for the artist looking to expand their design horizons and make some money at the same time. Creating pieces for products other than prints can be artistically challenging as well as personally profitable; many deviants have found monetary gain as well as artistic achievement through doing so. Thanks to a plethora of platforms including DeviantArt, getting started in turning your personal works into cool products can be relatively easy and straightforward. Regardless of whether you're a professional artist, an up-and-comer looking for some extra cash, or a hobbyist creator who wants to see if their passion could evolve into a career, turning your art into merchandise is a potential road most anyone can step foot on!

Designing for Art Merchandise vs. Prints

Creating pieces for the purpose of being wall art can vary greatly from designing pieces meant for different mediums, ie: apparel. All art is subject to some sway of trend and promotion, but products like apparel and accessories are especially affected. Wall art displayed in the home can be an intensely personal choice and thus be unaffected by trends or changing times. Most wall art is changed infrequently and chosen with a high degree of discernment. T-shirts, device cases, and accessories, however, are heavily swayed by popular culture, current events, and trends as these products - unlike wall art - are commonly shown to the rest of the world as we go about our day. People always want to seem hip, current, and on the edge of what's cool; when designing for art merchandise, this is extremely important to keep in mind.

It can be frustrating to be bound by trend to a degree when designing, but there is plenty of room to break the rules and go against the grain! Don't be afraid to create designs that are out-of-the-box or not totally on trend. Who knows? You might start a new trend all by yourself! Just be aware that designing things in the opposite direction of where current trends are probably won't make you successful very quickly. Keep at it, though: there is always a niche to be filled!

Quality Over Quantity in Your Portfolio

The one thing to keep in mind when looking to sell your works as your own merchandise is that if you don't love it, don't sell it. It can be tempting and all too easy to churn out a mediocre design that you're not that proud of just to slap it on a t-shirt to expand your store's collection and maybe make some sales. No matter how easy it might be, make sure your art's integrity and your standards as an artist are met before you put something out there to sell. Without being mindful of this, you're likely to cease enjoying the creative process and find yourself highly disappointed with the works you've put out.

One of the greatest feelings when selling merchandise comes from the knowledge that a total stranger loved your design enough to buy it for themselves. Whether they bought a sticker for $1.00, or a huge stretched canvas print for $100.00, the fact that someone else out there appreciated your work enough to bring it home is an incredibly flattering and motivating thought. If the pieces you're putting out there are ones that you can admit you're not really that proud of? That feeling of gratitude and accomplishment upon the purchase is diminished greatly. Over time, it continues to lose value and you might start questioning yourself as an artist overall. When in doubt, ask yourself this: would you buy your own finished product? If the answer is no, it's probably not something you'll be satisfied with having in your portfolio down the road...so don't do it!

Merchandise vs. Personal Art and How to Bridge Them

A helpful tactic for making sure you still enjoy your artistic process while designing for merchandise is maintaining the creation of personal art outside of pieces you intend to merchandize. Once you've had a taste of success, it can be hard to justify making pieces entirely for fun and not for profit. Thus, keeping up art for personal pleasure will become paramount as you go. If a piece you create just for fun shows potential for merchandising? Great! But allow yourself to make works completely for your own joy without monetary gain being the goal. The love for your art should always come first. The pride in your pieces should be what drives you to share them with the world, not the monetary compensation you might receive from it. Successful merchandise artists still have passion for their craft; those who lose sight of that passion and only focus on the money are usually the ones that give up. Whether you are making minimal money from your works or earning a hefty sum each month, remember to keep love first and money after to keep your artistic talents alive and your personal satisfaction high.

Art Merchandising: How can I start into it?

With so many unique ways to further art as a career, it can be overwhelming for the up-and-coming artist to decide what is best for them and their style. Whether you're a traditional artist, an illustrator, digital painter, or something else, there are platforms and resources available to get yourself started into the merchandise world. If you know your way around Photoshop, you can start designing for a plethora of products out of your works: from t-shirts to tote bags, to shower curtains, to duvet covers, to rugs, to clocks, to mugs, and so much more. Expand your artistic talents and try designing for something completely different than what you're used to - you might find yourself achieving things in your art you never thought of before!



If you're looking for some resources on how to start into designing art for merchandise and where you can sell it, here are some good places to start. Whether you want to design for apparel, homewares, accessories, or other products, here are some links to help get you started!



If you're in need of some resources on how to perfect your designs or see what they'll look like in their finished form, check out these links for mockups, tutorials, what's popular, brainstorming ideas, and more.

• 500+ Free Mockup Template PSDs
• 10 Design Tips for Designing an Awesome T-shirt
• The Ultimate Round-Up of T-shirt Design Tutorials
• Popular Throw Pillows on Etsy

Good Luck and Enjoy the Ride!

Designing art merchandise isn't for everyone. If you find yourself lacking enthusiasm to create a graphic tee, a funky throw pillow, or a fashionable device case, take a break from the race and head back to your artistic roots. Make something for yourself. Don't hurt your love for art with the lust for money. Have fun creating designs and feeling those warm fuzzies when someone buys something with your work on it! Get your excitement from the thought of people walking down the street wearing your works, not how much money the sales make you. Your passion might take you far, but you'll never know unless you try. Good luck to everyone who decides to try making their art into merchandise and keep up the great work to those currently producing awesome art products we all enjoy!