Should You Sell Art on SaatchiArt.com?
I'm not your Dad, but I have some thoughts that might help you decide.
What’s New in the Shop
I’ve been putting many of my recent works over on Saatchi Art, and though I’m making them faster than I can post (more on that in a moment), you can peruse to your hearts content.
This week’s update will be a short one because sometimes when life comes at you, it comes with heat.
On April 1st, we took back the keys on our furnished rental ADU (additional dwelling unit). The goal this time is to turn it into an AirBnB rental, but when we walked in and assessed the effort needed, it was a bit more than we expected.
Cutting to the chase, I’ve been absent because I’ve been moving furniture, buying new furniture, making upgrades, talking with contractors, managing the garden around the unit, and more. Some art got made, but no writing got done. I’m writing this thirty minutes before it needs to go out.
I would like to say next week will be better, but I’m not sure it will. It’s not that I didn’t have time to write, but my brain has been rewired for manual labor and the creative and inquisitive part is in sleep mode. I’ll try to reboot it next week, fingers crossed.
Is Saatchi Art Good?
Last week I spoke about Latchet, a platform with a new take on how to sell your art and handmade goods.
A reader asked if I could do the same about my Saatchi experience, which I told them I’m not sure I have enough info to talk about yet, because I’m taking Saatchi much more seriously than I would Latchet, and I don’t want to do too much shooting from the hip about my experience.
However, I have sold a few works there over the years and I have learned a bit about best practices about selling on Saatchi from several notable artists on the platform, and if you’re thinking about selling there, these are the things I’m working on the most right now.
Nail the Basics First
Before you even think about uploading your first piece, get the foundation right. Use a name people will actually remember (no mysterious usernames that look like a Wi-Fi password).
Put up a photo that makes you look like someone worth buying from — well-lit, in focus, and preferably not cropped from a group shot at your cousin’s wedding.
Then, write a bio that actually sounds like you. Tell people what you make, why you make it, and the flavor of your work, but skip the overblown art-speak.
Set Up Your Shop Like a Pro
Think of your Saatchi page like your own little gallery. That means your artwork photos need to be consistent — bright, clear, and without the “I shot this on my kitchen counter at midnight” vibe.
Include detail shots if the texture is a big part of the work. Fill in all the details for each piece — size, medium, year, and materials — because buyers actually use that info to filter searches.
And when it comes to pricing, don’t just throw numbers at the wall. Factor in Saatchi’s commission, your shipping costs, and what similar artists are selling for.
Upload with Intent, Not Just Volume
More isn’t better if it’s all over the place. Start with 8–12 pieces that actually look like they belong in the same family. They don’t have to match perfectly, but someone scrolling your page should instantly get a sense of your style.
Stick to a few consistent size and price ranges so buyers don’t feel like they’re wandering through a yard sale.
Optimize for Discovery
Titles matter. “Abstract Mixed Media Collage” is more searchable than “Untitled #4” — and you can still get creative without killing your SEO. Keep descriptions short, but give people something to connect with.
Talk about the inspiration or the process in a way that feels personal. And don’t phone in the style, subject, and medium categories — those are how you end up in the right searches.
Present Like a Gallery, Not a Garage Sale
If a piece doesn’t represent where you are now as an artist, hide it. A tight, cohesive page will always beat a random mix of experiments.
Keep your presentation consistent — similar framing or clear info about whether it’s unframed — and use lifestyle mockups sparingly. The goal is to help someone imagine your work in their space without it feeling like a furniture catalog.
Build Momentum Early
Saatchi loves fresh uploads. Instead of dumping everything at once, pace yourself — one to three pieces at a time will keep you popping up in “New This Week.” Share your profile link on your social media, newsletter, and anywhere else your audience hangs out.
And YES, interact with other artists. A thoughtful comment or a “favorite” can go a long way in getting eyeballs on your own work.
Keep the Back End in Order
Before you sell anything, double-check your shipping settings so you’re not surprised by a bill that wipes out your profit. Keep your inventory list updated and mark work as sold immediately. And pay attention to which listings get the most views or messages. That’s free market research telling you what to make more of.
Bottom line, Saatchi can work for you, but only if you treat it like a living, breathing part of your art business. Set it up right, keep it looking sharp, and show up often enough that buyers remember your name.
The platform does a lot of the heavy lifting, but it’s your job to make sure they’ve actually got something worth lifting.
If this is your first time here, subscribe to get more of this straight to your inbox. It’s free, and you may actually look forward to checking your email for once.
On pricing I would add that I think it's important for an artist's pricing to be consistent across wherever they sell. Different platforms take different commissions of course, but I think it's much easier for artists if they can figure out a pricing structure that they can stick to wherever they choose to list their work, factoring in a worst case scenario of say 50% commission.
Thanks for this Dave! Where I am never sure with services like this is whether they are places real people go to purchase art. So it’s good to hear you have had sales this way.
In looking at a bunch of different artists’ work I was surprised by the pricing in many cases since I never think of the internet or an app as where someone goes to spend $1k+ on artwork.
I’m still curious but I think any of my work might be too low a price point to make sense.