① Paintings with bright colors generally sell better than paintings with dark colors. ② Popular subjects include Madonnas and children, landscapes, flowers, still lifes, nudes, seascapes, abstraction and surrealism. ③ Subject matter matters: paintings featuring cows and chickens are supposedly less popular than paintings featuring bulls and roosters. ④ Paintings with recognizable objects are generally easier to sell than paintings with objects nobody can identify. However, if nobody can identify the object, simply give it a title that sounds important. ⑤ People like paintings that remind them of something they already know. A painting that reminds someone of their grandmother's kitchen may sell better than a painting that reminds someone of nothing. ⑥ If you paint a dog, make sure it looks like a dog. If it looks like a chair, call it Dog Sitting on a Chair. ⑦ The larger the painting, the more important it is to have a large wall available. Smaller paintings are easier to transport and can be placed almost anywhere, including bathrooms. ⑧ Paintings of sunsets are popular because everybody has seen a sunset. Paintings of sunrises are less popular because most people are still asleep when they happen. ⑨ If a painting is difficult to understand, explain that it is about the human condition. Most people will stop asking questions. ①⓪ A painting with a gold frame looks more expensive than a painting without a frame. A painting with a gold frame and a large price tag looks even more expensive. ①① Never underestimate the importance of the title. A painting called Untitled No. 7 may sell better than a painting called A Very Sad Afternoon in My Mother's Garden. ①② If somebody asks what your painting means, ask them what they think it means. If they give a good answer, agree with them. ①③ Paintings of beautiful women are popular. Paintings of beautiful men are also popular, although the buyer may have a different explanation for purchasing them. ①④ If you cannot decide which color to use, use blue. Blue reminds people of the sky, the sea and expensive hotels. ①⑤ Artists should visit galleries regularly to see what other artists are selling. If everybody is painting circles, it may be wise to start painting circles too. However, make yours slightly larger. ①⑥ Do not make a painting too personal. Buyers generally prefer to discover their own feelings in a painting rather than somebody else's problems. ①⑦ If a painting does not sell, change its title. If it still does not sell, change its price. If it still does not sell, tell people that it has already been sold. ①⑧ The best time to sell a painting is when somebody wants to buy it. The second-best time is when somebody thinks somebody else wants to buy it. ①⑨ Remember that a painting does not necessarily become better when it takes longer to make. But it may become more expensive. ②⓪ If you paint something ugly, call it beautiful. If you paint something beautiful, call it disturbing. Both descriptions may increase its value. ②① Artists should always be prepared to explain why their work is important. If they cannot explain it, they should explain why it cannot be explained. ②② Never forget that the buyer is always right, especially when the buyer is wrong but has already paid.