Amber Gittins Artist Blog

Where to Buy Art Online Guide

Where to Buy Art Online Guide

For most of us it can initially seem quite daunting to buy art online. In todays world though it is the easiest and most common way of purchasing a gorgeous original painting for your home. Plus you don't have to be limited by the art galleries in your area, you are literally open to a world full of options to get that perfect piece.

Shipping artworks worldwide is common practice for artists and couriers are quite quick in their deliveries. Plus artwork is fully insured whilst in transit so that is extra security for the art buyer.
 
With my own artworks I have a few different online galleries that the customer can choose to purchase my artworks from.
The first place any artist would want their buyer to purchase artworks online from is their own website/gallery. This enables the artist to make the most profit from the purchase. If they are a full time artist , like myself, and have no other income and do rely on art sales to live off, then we do really appreciate when people buy direct from our own websites.
 
What a lot of first time buyers don't realise is that there is hidden commission fees that the artist must pay their galleries and stockists when a sale has occurred. These fees can be normally anywhere from 30%-50% that the artist will loose in that sale. Then when you work out the materials, shipping costs etc the artist isn't left with much at all.
Don't get me wrong I love and appreciate the sales from my galleries and stockists, any sale makes for a happy dance in my world. Galleries and stockists can also have a far wider reach for people to see my art, with larger advertising campaigns, exhibitions, foot traffic etc and that is well worth the commission fees. Plus I do understand some art buyers feel more comfortable buying from a large online gallery that has built up years and years of positive feedback and sales. When a buyer is spending thousands on a piece of art they may want that security from a larger gallery. I get it!
I am lucky enough to be involved with a few different large online art galleries around the world and I will give you a quick rundown of each below.

SHOP : BLUETHUMB ART GALLERY

Bluethumb Art Gallery is Australia’s largest online art gallery connecting over 20,000 Australian artists with art buyers. Such an awesome gallery to be a part of! I have been onboard with them since 2017 and they are such a pleasure to work with. Plus they offer a return policy, free shipping Australia Wide and will do international shipping. They also offer framing options within Australia for your chosen artwork, so when it arrives on your doorstep all you have to do do is pop it up on your wall and smile at it happily!


Australia's second largest online art gallery is Art Lovers Australia. The founders Nancy and Jarrod came together to build a platform that would promote a more accessible and inclusive art community. Their online store featuring artists from all over Australia and also have a blog that can help buyers with some of the questions they may have. Some of their partners that they collaborate with are The Block, Selling Houses Australia, Home Design Magazine and Grand Designs Australia. The offer a 7 day guarantee on art purchases and free deliveries within Australia.

SHOP : SAATCHI ART GALLERY

Saatchi Art is a huge global art gallery that supports over 94,000 artists from all around the world. With such a large range of artworks to choose from (over 1.4 million), weekly curations, supporting emerging and professional artists globally. They also offer a 7 day money back guarantee. They are very proficient and knowledgeable and really do look after both their artists and art buyers. Their mission is to 'help you discover and buy from the best emerging artists from around the world'.

There are many other online galleries around the world that I haven't listed today. I am only going to talk about the ones that I know and like and trust. Just be sure to do your own research and if possible have some discussions with the particular gallery. Usually this is a good indicator and you can get a feel for who they are and how they operate through chatting to them.

I appreciate and adore all of my online art galleries for taking me under their wing and helping give me a wider audience for my beautiful original artwork. For the buyer I think it comes down to personal preference on which gallery they may choose to buy from. Always go with your gut feeling and the one that you feel the most comfortable with.

Also, if you ever have any questions, be sure to ask - all the galleries I am with are very friendly and responsive x.

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