If you're new to buying art or are early on in your collecting journey, I know it can sometimes be intimidating and confusing when it comes to how to find artwork that suits your style and budget.

That's where I can help! I'm a curator and gallery owner who's been in the business for over ten years and I'm happy to share what I've learned with you.

Although it has become infinitely easier to access and purchase art with the emergence of online galleries and marketplaces, there are still several simple steps that you should follow in order to ensure that you find art you love that is also mindful of your finances. 

In time, as you become familiar with your style and taste in art, you'll find that it can be a fun and unique way to express your own design aesthetic and personality through the colors, textures, mediums, and more of the pieces you collect. So now, let's discuss tips on how to find affordable art online.

Original artwork by Erika Stearly

5 Ways To Find Affordable Art Online 

Determine Your Budget

Before you start searching for artwork online, it is essential to determine how much you are willing to spend. Setting a budget will help you filter out expensive pieces and galleries that only sell outside of your preferred price range, allowing you to focus on affordable artwork. 

One thing to keep in mind in terms of budget, however, is that many galleries, marketplaces and individual artists now offer payment plans. For example, here at PxP Contemporary, each artwork can be purchased with ShopPay to break up the payments into four installments or Art Money, an incredible service that allows our clients to pay off artworks priced at $1,000 or more over a ten-month period. 

Browse Online Marketplaces and Galleries

There are various online marketplaces and galleries, each offering different styles, mediums, and genres of art.

While Artsy, Saatchi Art, and Etsy can be great places to familiarize yourself with the general pricing of art and what type of work you might be looking for - there's one thing that makes them difficult to navigate as a new collector.

Any search inquiry you enter brings up thousands (or more) options. It's overwhelming for anyone let alone new collectors. Therefore, it's not necessarily conducive to actually finding a work you want to buy. 

Instead, I recommend looking at galleries. The reason why contemporary art galleries are common to buy artwork from is because they offer a more curated experience. They become specialists in certain mediums and/or genres and seek out the top artists in those niches to represent. So, you can be assured that when you buy from them, you're getting the best of the best. 

Here at PxP Contemporary, we primarily focus on contemporary painting, sculpture, collage and mixed media. In our navigation menu, you can even easily browse by medium (and you won't have to weed through thousands of artworks when you do)!

But we also offer...

Start With Prints 

One way to find affordable art online is by looking for art prints. Let's be clear though that we are talking about printed reproductions like a giclée and not etchings, lithographs, screenprints and the like.

Yes, the latter examples are also technically reproductions, but they are all handmade processes and are not the same as art prints that are made digitally. That's why you will more often than not see a price difference between the two categories of prints.

Now let's talk about the difference between open edition prints and limited edition art prints. Open edition means that the artist can make an unlimited amount of that image whereas limited editions will never have more than their original edition amount.

An advantage to buying open editions is that they are the most budget-friendly. Limited editions, however, are a great way to balance buying artwork that is still affordable compared to original pieces, while investing in something unique (i.e. the particular edition number you buy - 10/50, for example). 

When buying limited editions, some collectors seek to acquire the lowest edition number (1/25 versus 23/25). Although it is not the case for all artists, occasionally the lower edition numbers are valued higher than higher edition numbers. You can always ask the artist or gallery if that is the case in any artwork you are considering.

Limited edition print by Shawna Gilmore

Follow Artists On Social Media

Following artists on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest is another way to find affordable art online. Artists regularly post available artwork on social media and you can not only purchase pieces from them by reaching out to them, you can also learn more about their process and inspiration.

Hint: Join their email list to stay up-to-date with their latest works and upcoming exhibitions. You'll often get first dibs on new artwork releases and may even receive exclusive discounts or offers! This often holds true with galleries as well so if you'd like to become a PxP VIP, sign up here.

Read Art Blogs 

Art blogs will help you keep up with trends and news in the art market and will also introduce you to names of new artists. You'll also learn art-world terms and phrases that can assist you with your search for artwork to invest in. There is a wide array of blogs to check out (Artnet, Widewalls, Juxtapoz, & Booooooom are a few examples), but our partner business Create! Magazine is a leading one specifically for highlighting emerging contemporary artists. 

In conclusion, finding affordable art online isn't as hard as it may seem. Approach it strategically but also aiming to have fun and be inspired by what you find! With these insider tips, you can buy affordable artwork that you will enjoy for years to come.

Want to check out our collection of art you can afford to love? Browse by artist.