5 BIG REASONS To START SMALL - For Artists Who Want Big Results!

The above painting is only 4 inches wide and 4 inches tall.
When I first started out, I started small. Primarily because I was starting from scratch and couldn't afford much in the way of supplies. But there was another reason: REACTION.

Here are 5 BIG REASONS TO START SMALL
1) VALIDATION : Back in the day on Ebay, you could get very quick validation for the direction you were going in. Instead of spending a week working on a piece, and then have no reaction, small paintings gave you a great litmus test.
Quick and easy paintings on different styles and subjects gave a road map to ideas of what will work and not work.
2) CASH FLOW : You can sell small paintings for not much money, so people are more willing to 'impulse' buy them. Selling something feels good. Having money feels good too. Even if you're not getting rich, counting on a certain amount of sales every week gives you the motivation to keep going and get bolder.
3) COST OF MATERIALS : Starting small is also inexpensive, so you don't have to invest a lot in materials. This also gives you the chance to 'sample' various mediums in the smaller sizes and see what works, what you like to work with and what products you like the most. Storing your materials and finished works is easy with small paintings, too!
4) SHIPPING : Shipping is very inexpensive for a small item. If you are offering FREE Shipping, this is a plus. It gives you more shipping options as well and makes the whole shipping experience much easier and more convenient. So much easier to pop a few stamps on an item than have to drag it through the FED EX Ground counter (shipping supplies for small items are cheap, too)
5) FAN BASE : Small paintings allow you to build a fan base easier. You can get through collectible series' faster, and painting small gives you the ability to present many ideas and looks to the public to give you more chances to catch their eye. Sure, someone discovered you when you did that quick series of small cat paintings, because they collect cats, but after contact with you and taking a serious look at what else you were offering, they might just end up with that higher priced larger painting hanging behind their couch, above the tiny cat portraits on the side table!