You have a vision for your art business. You just don’t have the money. Sound familiar? Sometimes the project or supplies that could take your art business to the next level seem completely out of reach.
That’s why some artists are turning to Kickstarter, the world's largest funding platform for creative projects. Whether you need extra funds to finish a painting, create an art book, buy supplies, or print giclees, raising money online could help you achieve your dream.
To show how it works, we found five artists who successfully used Kickstarter to jumpstart their art businesses and highlighted the key elements of their fundraising pages that you could try, too. Check it out:
1. Rob Burden
Artist Rob Burden took to Kickstarter to help him achieve his dream—creating two massive Star Wars oil paintings at a staggering ten by fourteen feet. And, it definitely worked. Burden was able to raise $34,023 from his $24,000 goal, enough to create a third painting.
Burden’s success seems to be partially connected to his well-done Kickstarter page. On it, he included great detail about why he makes these paintings, numerous pictures of his previous work showcasing his impressive skill, and updates about his progress.
Finally, he included an explanation of the gifts donors will receive for pledging to his campaign—a fun feature on Kickstarter. These rewards included everything from a Star Wars-themed postcard print for a $10 pledge, to a personal consultation and original painting by Burden for $8,000.
Takeaway tip: Fill your page with detailed narrative to help build an emotional connection between you, your fans, and your art.
Rob Burden standing with his painting “The Holy Batman.”
2. Antonio Masi
Artist Antonio Masi, president of the American Watercolor Society, wanted to create a unique set of limited edition prints of the nine major New York bridges. These high-quality giclee prints are incredibly accurate, but expensive to produce, so he reached out to the Kickstarter community to fund this project for his art business.
His rewards included postcards, hand-signed prints, lunch with the artist, and even one-on-one studio time. But, the most impressive part of his page was the work itself. With fans being able to see the quality of art they would receive, Antonio came in way over his goal, getting $23,454 when he had initially asked for $15,000.
Takeaway tip: Have high-quality examples of your artwork to show you’re serious about your craft. Use the images of your art you already have organized on Artwork Archive.
Antonio Masi’s watercolor of the Brooklyn Bridge titled “Sunset.”
3. Mike Hernandez
Mike Hernandez works as a production designer at Dreamworks Animation during the day, but spends his free time painting en plein air. So to begin the next chapter of his art career, Mike joined Kickstarter in hopes of creating his first art book. The premise of his campaign was that 14 of his favorite plein air pieces would be printed and hand-bound by Cottonwood Arts.
Besides listing rewards on his page, Hernandez clearly explained where the money would be allocated: materials, printing, and manufacturing of the art books. This proved to be a successful tactic, as he raised $21,322 of his $18,000 goal with 375 backers.
Takeaway tip: Explain exactly how the money will be used to ease your backers’ minds.
A plein air painting by Mike Hernandez.
4. Jessica Howard Ceramics
Keep in mind that your art business endeavor on Kickstarter doesn’t have to be monumental. Take a look at Jessica Howard. After moving to New York, she was in great need of a kiln to keep her ceramic business afloat.
Her goal was $4,500, but reached over $5,000 with the support of her backers. Jessica was able to buy her kiln, and was even recognized as a 2014 finalist of the Martha Stewart American Made competition in the “crafts” category.
Takeaway tip: Your goal can be anything that will help your art business, big or small.
A nautical themed pottery mural by Jessica Howard.
5. Shane Pierce
An artist for over twenty years, Shane Pierce wanted to turn his collection of conceptual, character-driven paintings into a limited-run art book called “NOMADS.” Turns out, Kickstarter was the place to do it. With only $5,073 as his goal, Shane blew by this figure, raising $19,037 for his project.
Shane offered some enticing rewards for donors with 24 different funding levels: copies of the art book, exclusive prints, postcards, bookmarks, original art, and even commissioned paintings for his fans. One smart method was to have many levels compounded so that lower level prizes were still included in the higher donation packages. This encouraged people to donate even more to get the better rewards.
Takeaway tip: Exciting rewards for each pledge will help convince backers to go for it.
“NOMADS” book cover by Shane Pierce.
What’s the bottom line?
Kickstarter is a wonderful way to crowdsource the funds for your next big project, or get your business off the ground. When setting up your fundraising page, just remember to share your story, include details about your project, display great images of your artwork, offer exciting rewards for your supporters, and use Artwork Archive to stay organized. It just might help your art business dreams come true.
Want more help with crowdfunding? Check out these 9 essential elements of a crowdfunding page every artist should be using.
