Which sells more? Watercolours or other mediums? (oils, acrylics etc) Let's find out.....

Hello Everyone 

Through my interactions with a few national and international art galleries, it was suggested other mediums such as acrylics and oils had higher sales than watercolours.

While I have not seen any sales data, my opinion in response to this, irrespective of the chosen medium, would suggest the likelihood of watercolours selling could depend on the gallery, the area, the market, the reputation of the artist, and what subject matter they paint. However, what light does research shed on this? 

Minglu et al. (2023) in their study investigated the impact of the current watercolour painting market situation in China.

https://doi.org/10.26668/businessreview/2023.v8i8.2992

A total of 495 respondents participated in the survey ( questionnaire ) comprised of 110 watercolour artist collectors, 220 watercolour paintings and 165 lectors and business intermediaries 165. This study was a cross-sectional study where the data collection period is from August to October 2021. 

There was a correlation between being a colour artist and collecting watercolour paintings.  

The study findings suggested  artists are more likely than non-artists to collect watercolour paintings, and business intermediaries play a crucial role in facilitating the sale of these paintings. 

This  study showed watercolour painting being a popular art form among both artists and collectors. Watercolour paintings have been a popular art form for centuries, and this study confirms that their popularity remains strong among both artists. 

Watercolour paintings are highly valued by business intermediaries, who recognize their potential as investments. In fact, many galleries and auction houses specialize in selling watercolours, and the market for these works continues to grow.

I think this is very inspiring news  and confirms that the watercolour medium is positively comparable to other mediums, both from a popularity and sales context. It also appears that watercolour paintings thrive in China.

While this study only focused on one market, China, I selected this study, because I have always been fascinated by the markets in China, and it is my dream to visit China one day.

I would be very interested to know whether you have been advised other mediums have a higher likelihood of sales compared with watercolours. I would also love to hear your success stories resulting from watercolour sales.