Art That Sells: Top Themes, Subjects, and Mediums for Best-Selling Art

Popular Art Genres, Themes, Subjects, and Mediums

What are the most popular themes and subjects of art that sells? Which mediums and genres of art sell best? Are smaller paintings more sellable than larger ones? And should these questions be important to an artist?

Most serious artists would probably not prioritize the monetization of their art, thinking their efforts should primarily reveal the "truth" about themselves or their subjects. However, to many artists who would like to make a little cash, it is of considerable interest. If your first priority is to sell the art you make, it's a smart idea to look at buying trends before you pick up your brush.

I am not saying that anyone should paint a subject simply to sell it, but of course, it does happen. For example, an artist in a heavily touristed area may find that they can easily sell paintings of local scenes. These sales will help pay their bills whilst, on the side, they can paint in their own style and choose subjects that are more personal.

Are there certain colours that sell best? It has long been said that the use of the colour red helps sell a painting. There is a famous story of the English painter J. M. W. Turner, who added a splodge of red to a painting that was already hung for an exhibition at the Royal Society. Did he think it would make the painting more commercially successful, or was it just a dramatic "finishing touch"?

In this article, we'll explore the popular subjects and themes for art that sells, including sales in the world of fine art prints.

Best-Selling Painting Themes

1. Traditional landscapes
2. Local views
3. Modern or semi-abstract landscapes
4. Abstracts
5. Dogs
6. Figure studies (excluding nudes)
7. Seascapes, harbours, and beach scenes
8. Wildlife
9. Impressionistic landscapes
10. Nudes

This data was taken from a survey published in Art Business Today. If your favourite subject happens to be the most popular, you're sitting pretty. But realistically, if you paint really good nudes, you will have more success concentrating on your strengths than you would painting mediocre landscapes.

The list has many notable and surprising omissions. For example, why are dogs popular, but not cats or horses? In my art group, there are two ladies who take commissions for animal portraits, and they seem to do more cats than dogs, but of course, my experience is anecdotal.

As I said, you shouldn't only worry about selling: You should also paint what you are happy painting. Still, a working artist may find it worthwhile to do a few commercial paintings to keep the wolf from the door.

The 4 Major Groups of Art That Sell

1. Landscape Paintings
2. Abstract Paintings
3. Paintings of Dogs and Other Wildlife
4. Figures and Nudes

1. Landscape Paintings

Many people think that landscape painting is the most quintessential kind of art. After all, the landscape is universal: Everyone understands and appreciates a long view, so it's an easy choice for a buyer. People love to look at a beautiful vista, and in that sense, buying a landscape is like buying a spectacular view. Not only that, but a landscape might work in any type of house or setting.

Whether it's a seascape, cityscape, or moonscape; glacial, jungle, or mountaintop; intimate, aerial, or panoramic, a landscape is a natural, appealing choice for most art buyers.

Which Types of Landscapes Sell Best?

• Many artists tap into their local art scene simply by depicting the local scenery. Local scenes definitely appeal to buyers, for personal, historic, and nostalgic reasons. Local views, landmarks, events, or histories that are distinct and unique to a particular place sell well.
• Seascapes, harbours, and beach scenes sell particularly well, probably because of their association with holidays, vacations, and relaxation. Many who have beach homes choose to decorate those walls with beachy art, and many buy seascapes to remember their vacations.
• Modern or semi-abstract landscapes seem to sell particularly well. These days, the trend in décor is towards the minimal and modern, so it makes sense that tastes in art would follow suit. Impressionistic landscapes also have a wide appeal.

2. Abstract Paintings

Like it or not, many people buy art to match their décor. This might explain, at least in part, why abstract paintings sell so well. Because if you put an abstract painting on a wall, it might "read" simply as a colour, texture, or shape, this style appeals widely to those who want to create a unified "look" in their home decoration.

Also, since abstraction usually has a nonrepresentational or symbolic approach, the viewer is free to interpret and ascribe meaning, and this freedom is another reason why abstract paintings sell.

3. Paintings of Dogs and Other Wildlife

People seem to love paintings of dogs almost as much as they love their dogs. I imagine that focusing on a popular breed of dog might be a very smart way of tapping into that canine's fan club. A dog is most often depicted in a domestic setting, looking directly at the viewer in intimate regard.

Wildlife and other animals, on the other hand, are usually shown in larger, wilder settings, from afar and in profile. So, a painting of a dog most often evokes feelings of intimacy and friendship, while paintings of wildlife suggest untamed, undomesticated nature.

4. Figures and Nudes

There is a frisson of connection when a viewer looks at a painting of another person. Portraits or studies, abstract or impressionistic, people will always enjoy looking at other people. Although the trend is shifting towards clothed rather than unclothed figures, there is still (and probably always will be) a market for nudes.

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What Medium of Art Sells Best?

The Art Business Today survey also researched what the best-selling media were. Not surprisingly, prints sell more than original paintings, as they are cheaper.

Price is a major consideration for many people. And, of course, many prints are sold as decorative items, to be changed with the colour scheme.

7 Mediums of Art That Sell

1. Limited-edition offset-litho prints
2. Limited-edition giclée prints
3. Open-edition offset-litho prints
4. Oil and acrylic paintings
5. Watercolours
6. Artists' original prints (e.g., etchings and engravings)
7. Open-edition giclée prints

I must admit to being unsure what relevance this list has, except that it confirms the fact that limited-edition prints sell better than open-edition prints, where more copies can always be produced. Art buyers are attracted by the idea of a controlled supply.

It is a little deflating for me, as I would count pastels and watercolour as my main media. Should this change, I ask myself? I do wonder which media are favoured by buyers who collect as an investment. Or is this a silly question in this day and age?

What Sells Better: Original Art or Prints?

• Prints usually sell better than original works, because they are less expensive.
• Limited-edition prints are the most popular. When the artists put a limit on how many prints they will make (100, for example) and number each print (x/100, for example), this attracts buyers who want to feel like they're getting the best of both worlds: something that is somewhat original but less expensive than an original, still "small-batch," and not entirely mass-produced.

What Size Painting Sells the Best?

Most artists say that they sell more small paintings. The general consensus is that working on smaller canvases is a commercially savvy tact to take since smaller pieces are generally priced lower than larger ones, and so not only will they appeal to buyers for monetary reasons, but also because they take up less room on a wall, can be placed in smaller areas, and make less of a visual impact (and therefore require less of an aesthetic commitment) than large-scale works.

However, the gains of selling more smaller paintings might be equal to the gains of selling fewer larger paintings. In other words, an artist only has to sell one large painting for $1,000 to make the same amount as if they sold 10 smaller paintings for $100 each, so take this into consideration when choosing your scale.

Many commercially successful artists straddle the line by painting in a variety of sizes to appeal to a wider audience.

Do Small Paintings Sell Better Than Large Ones?

In general, it's easier to sell a smaller work for the reasons explained above. A lower-priced and smaller painting might appeal more to an impulse buyer or someone who's a bit intimidated and hesitant to commit to a larger work.

But since smaller paintings are also generally priced lower, working on a smaller scale is not necessarily more lucrative in the end. Some artists who work on a smaller scale intentionally create paintings that are related thematically or stylistically to one another, since this encourages customers to buy more than one and arrange groups of paintings instead of stand-alones.

Another ancillary benefit of working on a smaller scale is that the paintings will take up less storage space if they don't sell right away.

Should I Always Charge More for a Larger Painting?

In general, since they cost more in materials and might take more time, most artists ask more for larger pieces. But sometimes, size doesn't count the most. The time, skill, and talent that goes into any painting should also play a part in its pricing.

Some savvy artists wait to gauge a painting's effect on the audience before they give it a price tag. If viewers react very strongly to a certain piece, perhaps that should affect its price more than simply the size of its canvas.

Where Do People Buy Art?

Brick-and-mortar galleries used to be the gatekeepers of the art world: If you couldn't get into a gallery, you couldn't really sell. But today, with the internet and so many other more casual venues, galleries no longer have the same influence.

Not only that, but most galleries now conduct a large percentage of their sales online or via mobile apps. Etsy, DeviantArt, and Zazzle are just a few of the sites that facilitate sales for artists and help cut out the middleman.

What Colour Paintings Sell Best?

There have been no reputable studies conducted on this subject, but there are some interesting random anecdotes:

• Brett Gorvy (co-head of contemporary art at Christie’s International) said that red was the most desirable and sought-after colour in art, followed by white, blue, yellow, green, and black.
• Due to a recent upsurge of art buyers in the Asian markets, experts at Sotheby’s agreed and added that paintings that feature the colour red would enjoy an uptick in attention and estimation for this reason.
• On the other hand, other experts claim that red's reign is coming to an end, and predict that blue will be the art world's next favourite colour.

I would take this discussion with a grain of salt. What do you think?

My Latest Sales

I am pleased to announce that in a recent exhibition with my art group, I managed to achieve another sale. I sell less in this way than on eBay, but the difference in achievable price makes the number of sales immaterial. In other words, I can generally charge more for my work when it's displayed in an actual, physical space than I can when I simply show it online.

I recently sold two pastel paintings: the landscape is on a very rough paper (hence the texture), and the abstract is on card. I create a texture in my pastel paintings by building up the painting in layers so that early layers show through in the finished piece.

A Little About Me

Luckily (I suppose), my favourite subject is landscape painting, which I love. I have painted other genres, but landscapes, especially semi-abstract landscapes, are what keeps me painting.

I did join a group some years back to develop my portraiture and figure painting, but it never really grabbed me, so I have stuck with landscapes.

I have sold art via eBay in the past but decided to pull off this site because the auction system did not give me the return I wanted. I could sell but at give-away prices. I prefer to actually give my art away than to be in that situation.

I am trying Zazzle at the moment, a print-on-demand site that allows me to make money by selling products with my images on them.

What Should I Paint Today?

We have looked at themes, size, colour, and media that sell well. These ideas are interesting, but do they really matter?

As with any endeavour, success can depend on many factors. For instance, in the case of a painting, is it being marketed to the right person/people?

How to Take Marketing and Context Into Consideration

• If in a gallery, does it fit in with the likes and needs of the patrons of the establishment?
• Private buyers, commercial buyers, and interior decorators and designers will all have different requirements and views about the type of art they are looking for.
• The disposable income or budgets of the buyers will affect how they look at the prices and, hence, the commercial viability of a painting.

We must be clear about who is buying what. Consider this analysis:

• Museums and private collectors will be quite a small market for higher-priced artwork.
• Commercial concerns use art to decorate offices and public areas. This is a medium-sized market.
• A home market, which tends to purchase low-priced copies of originals, is the largest market for art.

Maybe we should aim for the high-priced/collectors' market, but realistically, it may prove more profitable to consider selling copies (maybe a limited edition) or trying to increase income from an artwork by publishing the art in various formats, such as greeting cards.

Print on demand (POD) websites such as Zazzle are a useful tool here. If an artist is to make enough money to live from their art, they must treat it like a business. Volume is one aspect of any business which must be addressed.

A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his mind is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist.

— St. Thomas Aquinas

What Sells Art

Art is about communicating with the viewer in order to inspire moods, thoughts, or feelings. However, we artists often forget that art that sells often recreates something from the viewer's past or triggers some memory.

This may be a landscape that triggers memories of a great holiday, for example. I can personally attest that this was the reason for many of my sales. Some paintings I sold were of actual places, and others simply evoked memories of a place. Some were made up from my own head, simply composed to create a great image, but they reminded the buyers of a place they knew.

Abstracts, however, are often bought for their colour to match with a room's décor. I remember my first abstract sale. I was told that its colours were exactly what the buyer was looking for. Hardly what I expected, but I still spent the money for that sale. I did not have these particular requirements in mind when I painted it, but that does not counter the reason for the sale.

So the advice is still the same: Paint what you want to and enjoy it.

Something to Remember When Painting

Whatever you are painting, do it as well as you can in the genre and style that you choose. Paint what inspires you!

Paint it for yourself, and put your heart into the work. Simply by doing this, you will find that a better artwork will result.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Comments

Adrienne Adler on August 28, 2020:

Enjoyed reading your article! I found it to be a good review of my experiences in selling art as a previous owner of galleries, a publisher of limited editions and exhibitor in trade shows. Plus, the current market of online sales.

agile on August 23, 2020:

Hi Sir,

Greetings.

How are you doing? I liked the contents and ideas on your website. Most importantly the quote which gives the meaning of being an artist in a nutshell "A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his mind is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist"— St. Thomas Aquinas.

Thank you very much

Caroline on August 21, 2020:

Thanks for this, it's been really interesting.

But I've tried most things you suggest but still haven't sold anything in the past five years. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. It could just be advertising I just don't know. I'm with Saatchi art and have a fb page and an Instagram pag

Chris caplanis on August 02, 2020:

See my oil on painting for sale on my Instagram page #workingmen32

amanda ravencroft on July 04, 2020:

I found ths really helpful thank you for taking the time

Kristina on July 03, 2020:

Nicely done article. Lots of little nuggets to take home.

jenny banks on May 23, 2020:

Thank you fir this article. Ive always used pencil anx have done the odd sketch picture in the past. Not a lover of watercolours. Then since lock down, ive had the chance to have a play with acrylics and have painted 3 paintings arnt too bad :))...love acrylics! Then a friend gave me some paints snd an easel! I am so lucky...But what to paint!? I will be referring back to this post for help...so thank you so much. Jenny b

t Blakeney on May 22, 2020:

I would love to be able to sell my artwork, I have given numerous paintings away and have auctioned off for charity. I try to sell but do not get any bites. Yet I have people telling me to sell and asking for paintings. I have a site of my work on Facebook its called a one-time painting.

Nadeem Sibtain on May 14, 2020:

Very interesting and inspiring article, congratulations with a lot of thanks

Goodluck on April 28, 2020:

Your article helped me more than I imagined!. But I had a question by the end of your aricle.

And my question is do abstract paintings sell alot?

Mbs on April 03, 2020:

Nadine try eBay. I listed some sculptures on both Etsy and eBay and thought I’d get more traffic on Etsy because it’s artsy, but I got about 5 views on Etsy and about 70 views on eBay and the traffic came much more quickly.

Skye on March 31, 2020:

What about online work?

Gayle on March 11, 2020:

This is a beautiful well written article, I would like to thank you for taking the time to write this article. I find it so helpful and will definitely take things into consideration. There are alot of things I am still a bit not sure about like pricing, or where my artwork will be seen the best. However this article is helpful with what I need to work on atm.

Shareen on March 01, 2020:

I would love to know how to market my work it seems the clientele is very limited in my area. Is it worth an artist while to spend the money for a storefront online? How does an artist do this? Thank you

Nadine on January 15, 2020:

my answers to the questions were really similar to most artists out there and I think I belong to the majority group. I want to sell more paintings and my genre is favored by buyers. My only problem is that I don't know how to show my art to the world, like what should I do? I tried Facebook but people are not interested. Instagram, Twitter, etc, I still have to gain a lot of followers for a lot of people to see my work. I want to find something that shows my work to a lot of people without having to wait in gaining more followers. What should I do?

Ingrid Holborn on December 04, 2019:

I am just about to attempt selling my art online and this article has been really useful. Thank you so much!

biswa ranjan Patra on November 09, 2019:

BR Patera

Jim Lawrence on August 05, 2019:

Very informative article. I was in a local art fair this last weekend and sold just one painting. You have given me some ideas.

Thanks.

Deanna Davis on August 02, 2019:

Thank you so muçh

Leshia Russell on July 31, 2019:

I have just started painting have sold but one piece but most of mine are on see things on wood but but would love to do canvas but just see a blank any suggestions?

TroyB813 on July 02, 2019:

This was insightful. I am an spiring artist who sells only a few works per year and always by commission.

Right now i use pencils charcoal penvils , colored pemcils, matkers, watercolor bricks. I hope to be able to make a living doing something I love so this article has helped

Anuradha Chakrabortty on June 26, 2019:

Very practical guidance

Bk on May 31, 2019:

Looking to sell 2 dali prints.signed and # and 1 nieman signed #.where should i start?

Matt Dowling on May 23, 2019:

Just the information that I needed to read as I try and build a base of 'sellable' work. Thank you so much for researching and posting this article. Great stuff.

Jim Rowe on May 18, 2019:

Excellent overview

Jo Ann Wright on October 26, 2018:

Thank you for interesting view. I am a retired Art teacher with time and no need to make money but my paintings accumulate and I'd like to move them on. Fortunately I mostly paint landscape too, au plain air and from photos of favorite spots. Good discussion.

Omneya on July 08, 2018:

Great article...thank you....Best regards.

Ali Josh on March 15, 2018:

Thank you very much for sharing this article. I found it very useful and easy to understand.

I do traditional Persian paintings (Miniatures). They are small and very detailed. I have tried to find a market for my paintings in the UK but not any success till today!

Lucille Femine on November 20, 2017:

Good question and I answered it for myself just last night as I viewed one of my favorite artists on Instagram. I realized the best way to sell your art is to paint with purely your own passion and emotion. For myself, those are the paintings I sold best. Of course, I do want to sell and I get dishearted when I don't for long periods of time but, still, I decided it's best to stick to passion.

SG on November 04, 2017:

I'm curious about that "Top 10" list - is this really the top 10? Out of how many categories? It almost looks like they divided all possible subjects into 10 categories and ranked them.

So, for example, are nudes really a great subject (if the list of all subjects is much longer), or about the worst (if this is all or most of it)?

Karl John images on October 31, 2017:

Thanks for the education

Richard (rich-art) on October 19, 2017:

Thanks for the advise

Sindhu on August 23, 2017:

Very good advice

Diana Grant from United Kingdom on August 16, 2017:

Very useful advice to retain for the future.

I've sold a couple of things on Etsy and Zazzle, but am thinking of just using my own website. I've been going to portait painting classes recently and have surprised myself by doing a few portraits where people actually recognize the subject of the painting. That's a start! But mostly I just paint birthday cards for nearest and dearest.

joycelinleahy@gmail.com on June 29, 2017:

I have tried Dazzle - no luck!

Lisa Cummings on April 11, 2017:

do u varnish your paintings?

Robin on April 02, 2017:

Hi,

Wondered if there was a 'size' that sold better than others?

Dipak Kumar Ghosh on March 24, 2017:

John,

Greetings! Incredible! Sharing of your belief, experiences and works are amazing.

Loved your note of expression: "paint what you want to and enjoy it". You'll sure be the guiding force for many. Regards.

Gloria Harrelson on March 21, 2017:

Thanks...I needed that

Ioana Mello on February 20, 2017:

What a well put and informational article, thank you for making the time to share all this with us. I love the quote from St. Thomas Acquinas, and all the little interesting suggestions.

Best of everything to you, John!

StevieHutch on January 14, 2017:

Loved the quote from St Thomas Acquinas, and I did not know about Turner and the red splodge. Was it the Fighting Temeraire painting by any chance. The dark red buoy always looked like an afterthought to me, and abit out of place compared to the serene beauty of the rest of the painting.

Kirstin Wolf on October 14, 2016:

Thank you so much for taking the time to share this information!

zahid akhtar on September 19, 2016:

thanks, a great info for artists,specially for a new one

Kyle on August 13, 2016:

Awesome thanks it helps with a lot ......good infor bru

Vishwanath Bhat on August 02, 2016:

Very nicely explained. Thanks

ArtbyFemine on June 23, 2016:

Very good article. I agree with many points. Art is communication. And the aspect of memory of places is very true. I did a painting of 911 which was hugely liked and responded to emotionally, yet I didn't think it was my best technically.

I would like to make a living at it but when I get too much into that, it creates anxiety and too much time and work - especially running my business.

I keep it simple and treasure those aesthetic highs where I can sit and create. The scene must appeal to me emotionally first or it will never succeed. Thank you.

Joanne on June 20, 2016:

I like your comments John, I paint what I like, and the technique that I like. I think it is a matter of luck, that the person is there at a moment , when they say I love this one. We are never going to please everyone. That's why they say" Art is in the eyes of the beholder"

Last yrs Labor Day Show through my artleague, no sales. I blamed it on the stock market going down 2 days before, last thing to buy is art, when people start getting scared. The yr before, sold 3 paintings. Wonder what will happen this yr.

I think you are right, you have to paint what you love. Hope someone out there will love it too.

La on April 24, 2016:

Cool

Susie Lehto from Minnesota on February 22, 2015:

This is an interesting article, John.

I love the soft feel of your pastels.

Dreamer at heart from Northern California on September 26, 2014:

Thanks, Your article is full of great suggestions. I appreciate the comments you shared too. It is one of the best articles I have read about selling art.

John Dyhouse (author) from UK on September 24, 2014:

Thanks for the comment, Abstract does seem to sell well, especially as prints. My experience at my art group's exhibtions is that most of our "clientele" tend to go for Landscapes, especially if the place depicted holds memories for them.

As to your question, if you make a living by making art, unless you are very lucky you paint to sell I guess. Once your name becomes known there is an oportunity to branch out and paint that which inspires you.

Masha Bagrova on September 21, 2014: