Empty Easel: Practical Art Business and Technique Advice for Independent Artists

Empty Easel is one of the longest-running and most practically oriented art blogs on the internet, publishing continuously since 2006 with a focus on helping independent artists build sustainable creative careers. Founded by Dan Duhrkoop, the blog covers painting techniques, art business advice, selling art online and offline, art marketing, and the practical realities of making a living as an independent artist. The combination of technical content and business guidance makes it distinctive among art blogs, which tend to focus on one or the other rather than addressing both dimensions of an artist's professional life.

The blog's practical orientation reflects a conviction that technical skill and business knowledge are both necessary for a sustainable artistic career, and that artists who develop only one without the other are likely to struggle. An artist who makes exceptional work but does not know how to price it, present it, or find buyers for it will have difficulty sustaining their practice financially. An artist who understands the business of art but whose work is not technically strong will struggle to build the reputation that makes sustained sales possible. Empty Easel addresses both dimensions, providing guidance that is relevant to artists at every stage of their careers.

Art Business Content

The art business content is the most distinctive aspect of Empty Easel and the area where it provides the most unique value. The blog covers topics including how to price your artwork, how to approach galleries, how to sell art online, how to build an email list, how to use social media effectively for art marketing, how to write an artist statement, and dozens of other practical business topics that are essential for independent artists but rarely covered in depth by art education resources.

Pricing artwork is one of the most common challenges that independent artists face, and Empty Easel has published multiple articles on different approaches to pricing, the factors that should influence pricing decisions, and the common mistakes that artists make when pricing their work. The guidance is practical and specific, grounded in the actual realities of the art market rather than abstract principles.

Selling art online is covered extensively, with articles on different online selling platforms, how to photograph artwork effectively, how to write compelling product descriptions, how to handle shipping and packaging, and how to build an online presence that attracts buyers. This content is particularly valuable for artists who are transitioning from selling primarily through galleries or local markets to building an online sales presence.

Art marketing covers the full range of strategies that independent artists use to build awareness of their work and attract buyers, including social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, and traditional marketing approaches. The marketing content is practical and realistic, acknowledging the time and effort that effective marketing requires and providing guidance on how to prioritise marketing activities for maximum impact.

Painting Technique Content

The painting technique content covers a wide range of media and subjects, with articles on oil painting, watercolour, acrylic, pastel, and other media written by guest contributors who are professional artists with genuine expertise in the techniques they describe. The technique articles are practical and specific, focusing on the actual decisions and approaches that produce good results rather than theoretical frameworks.

Colour mixing is covered in multiple articles addressing the specific challenges of mixing accurate colours in different media, the properties of specific pigments, and the strategies that professional painters use to achieve consistent, predictable colour results. This content is valuable for artists at all levels who want to develop more confident and intentional colour choices.

Composition is addressed in articles covering the fundamental principles of compositional design, how to evaluate and improve the composition of a painting in progress, and the specific compositional approaches used in different genres including landscape, portrait, and still life. The composition content is grounded in the actual practice of professional painters rather than abstract design theory.

Artist Profiles and Inspiration

The artist profile content features working artists across a range of media and styles, providing insight into their working methods, materials, and approaches to building a creative career. These profiles are valuable both for the technical knowledge they share and for the models of professional practice they provide.

The profiles cover artists at different career stages, from emerging artists who are just beginning to build their professional presence to established artists with long exhibition histories and successful independent careers. This range of career stages makes the profiles relevant to artists at different points in their own development, providing models that are appropriate to their current situation rather than aspirational examples that feel out of reach.

The Newsletter

Empty Easel's newsletter is one of the most practical and consistently useful art business newsletters available, providing regular updates on new content, practical tips for independent artists, and occasional exclusive content not available on the blog. For artists who want to stay current with the blog's output and receive regular practical guidance on building their art business, the newsletter is a valuable subscription.

The newsletter reflects the same practical, business-focused orientation as the blog, providing actionable guidance rather than general inspiration. Artists who subscribe to the newsletter consistently report that it provides ideas and strategies they can implement immediately, rather than the vague encouragement that characterises many art newsletters.

The Archive

The archive of Empty Easel, spanning nearly two decades and thousands of articles, is one of the most comprehensive free resources available for independent artists who want to understand the business of art. The archive covers an extraordinary range of topics, from specific technical questions to broad questions about how to build a sustainable creative career, and the quality of the content is consistently practical and grounded throughout.

Artists who spend time exploring the archive consistently discover articles that are directly relevant to challenges they are currently facing, regardless of their level of experience. The depth and breadth of the archive reflects nearly two decades of sustained engagement with the practical challenges of independent artistic practice, and the accumulated guidance it contains is genuinely valuable for artists at every career stage.

The Bottom Line

Empty Easel is one of the most practically valuable art blogs available for independent artists, combining painting technique content with business guidance that addresses the full range of challenges that artists face in building sustainable creative careers. For artists who want to develop both their technical skills and their business knowledge, and who appreciate practical, specific guidance over abstract inspiration, Empty Easel is an essential resource that rewards sustained engagement with its extensive archive.