Top 5 most affordable online art resources

A good piece of art can elevate even the most generic of furniture and make your space look as interesting as you are. A generic piece of art can really be decorating suicide. It’s serious, people.

After you read this post and check out these sites you really have no excuse for buying generic art. Forget about the ‘art section’ of the big box store, skip all the wannabe high-art at the Tuesday Morning. Sure, it can be cheap but it also looks cheap and can dumb down your whole space instantly. There are so many amazing artists out there that are making their work affordable, and we need to support them. 30 years ago it would have been so much harder for an artist to make a living as an artist, but thanks to these companies below many artists can now pay their bills. And paying the bills shouldn’t be a luxury.

So here are the five best online affordable art resources that i’ve found and that i use often. These web-sites are killing it and making my job so much easier.

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The pros: Jen Bekman has curated a huge selection of really amazing photos, illustrations, drawing, collages and prints of paintings. They have options of sizing starting at 8×10 for $20 and ranging up to 30×40 for $2400. Most prints have limited editions so you know they won’t be ubiqutious and you can feel confident you won’t get sick of seeing it everywhere. Plus artists make a decent cut from them.

The cons: a 16×20 print is $200 which is a lot for a unframed print so make sure that you love it and that its not too trendy. In general i choose prints of photos or illustrations not abstract paintings. A print of a painting looks obviously less authentic than a print of a photo which can look like an original photo.

1. 11×14, $60 unframed, $185 framed.

2. 11×14 $60 unframed $185 framed.

3. 11×14 $60, $185 framed.

4. 11×14 $60 unframed, $185 framed

2. I love this site VERY much.

The pros: They have art, sculptures, objects, fashion and accessories. They push their artists to be more creative and do videos about their artwork. They have a huge variety, it is VERY affordable, and they introduce me to new artists all the time. Lots of inexpensive HUGE weird photographs that can ground a whole wall.

The cons: None really. As far as i can tell framing isn’t an option, but that isn’t that big of a con to me at all – i like to frame my own to make it either custom or inexpensive.

1. ‘Michael Cera and Jesse Eisenberg, i thought they were the same guy for 2 years.’ Yes, thats what the drawing is called. 18×24″ for $20

2. 8×10 $22

3. i love to stare at this abstract illustration.

4. This is large scale 36×48 for $40. AMAZING deal.

The pros: This company is artist run so i’m assuming they are getting a good cut of the profits which is awesome. They have pretty edgy weird art and a wide selection. They have the same model as 20×200 with limited editions of 8×10 ($20), 11×14 ($50), 16×20 ($200). They also have original pieces as an option, which i love.

The cons: None really, except framing isn’t an option.

1. Raina Kirn,

2. Eric Warner,

3. Carolin Loebbert,

4. Lauren Bahr,

The pros: SOOOO much variety and very ‘guy’ friendly. Anyone can basically sell their art on this site and every piece can be turned into an iphone case, totes, t-shirts, etc. I’m collecting art for a ‘best guy friendly art’ post coming up and this site has the best. Brian loved so many pieces.

The cons: such a big variety that you do end up having to work through some that aren’t so awesome. And no, i don’t always want a piece of art of mine that i love to end up on my neighbors iphone case.

1. Steven Womack, 26×22 $30 (comes in different sizes and prices)

2. Kevin Russ, 8×8 $15

3. Kevin Russ, 17×17 $23

4. Terry Fan, 17×22 $30 (comes in different sizes and prices as)

The pros: They have some great typography (like the smile below that i’ve bought for a client and myself). It’s affordable and they are limited editions. Often the numbered edition is written in pencil in the lower right corner which is a nice touch and makes it feel more luxurious.

The cons: Some of the pieces can get cheesy and overly sentimental. You have to be careful with inspirational quotes, make sure its a phrase that you really like.