6 Art Licensing Links you Should Bookmark

Joan Beiringer's blog on art licensing is an important resource to know about if you want to learn more about selling your art to companies for royalties. This could be to greeting card companies, or any company that buys art to use for designing products (shower curtains, napkins, pictures, frames, table settings, paper plates, magnets, coaters, etc...)

Joan has a wealth of information she has acquired over the years from her own research and by doing trade shows and talking to people in the industry. This information is hard to find, especially if you are starting out. Joan has taken the time and effort to put it all together which is a great help to artists.


Here are some resources on her blog that you should check out:
1. Licensing Agents
This is a list of agents who represent artists and go to manufacturers to show your work. They normally take a percentage of your royalties, but they also know a lot of art buyers in the industry. Some artists work with agents and others represent themselves.

2. How to do Mockups
Today it is important to show your work on an actual product, when approaching a company. Joan explains several ways and shows examples of how to do mockups so your art will look professional.

3. How to Find Companies
Don't know what company would want your art? Research them and see what kind of art they already buy. It's a matter of doing your homework. Joan has a list of places to start.

4. Art Licensing Trade Shows
Ready for the big time? Want to go to a professional show and display your work? Here's some shows that feature artists that do licensing.

5. Forums
These are art licensing communities on the web where artists help each other learn the nuts and bolts of doing licensing.

6. Teachers & Consultants
In the beginning, it is critical to take a class or at least meet with a consultant who can look at your art and give you an overview of what direction they think you might explore. It will save you a lot of time later on, and prevent you from spending hours working on something that just isn't the kind of thing manufacturers are looking for.