Website for artists: sell originals, prints, and commissions
Your site is both a gallery and a shop. Let the work lead, then make it simple to buy an original, order a print, or start a commission.
Short answer
An artist's website needs a gallery of your work, originals and prints for sale with sizes and materials, a clear commission process with deposit and timeline, and a first-person artist statement. Collectors buy the artist, not just the piece.
What to put on it
- A gallery of your work
- An online shop
- A services list with prices
- Answers to common questions
- A blog or journal
- Events and markets
What earns trust
- Artist statement and bio in first person: training, influences, why this medium
- Process/studio photos proving the work is theirs
- Materials specifics: archival inks, museum-grade paper, certificate of authenticity with originals
- A clear commission process: steps, timeline, deposit, revision policy
How to show prices
Originals priced per piece by size and medium, marked sold when they go. Prints flat by size and edition. Commissions get a 'from' price, a deposit, and a timeline.
Questions your customers will ask
Answer these on your site, in plain text. They are what people type into Google and ask ChatGPT before they buy or book.
- How do commissions work? (deposit, timeline, revisions, approval)
- Are prints signed, and what paper/inks are used?
- How is artwork packed and shipped; do you ship internationally?
- Who owns the rights; can I reproduce a commissioned piece?
- How should I care for or frame the artwork?
Mistakes to skip
- No sold pieces shown. Sold work proves demand; mark it sold instead of deleting it.
- Vague prints. Say paper, inks, size, and whether they're signed or editioned.
- No commission process, so every inquiry starts from scratch.
Build yours from one sentence
Describe your business and Fraya drafts the whole site, with these sections, your prices, and checkout through your own Stripe. You approve everything before it goes live. Free to start, no card.
Straight answers.
What should a website for artists include?
A gallery of your work, An online shop, A services list with prices, Answers to common questions, A blog or journal, Events and markets. Trust comes from: Artist statement and bio in first person: training, influences, why this medium; Process/studio photos proving the work is theirs.
How should artists show prices on their website?
Originals priced per piece by size and medium, marked sold when they go. Prints flat by size and edition. Commissions get a 'from' price, a deposit, and a timeline.
What are the most common website mistakes for artists?
No sold pieces shown. Sold work proves demand; mark it sold instead of deleting it. Vague prints. Say paper, inks, size, and whether they're signed or editioned. No commission process, so every inquiry starts from scratch.