Approaching a commercial gallery can feel like standing outside a closed door with your best work tucked under your arm. The good news is that most gallerists are actively looking for new artists — they simply need to be convinced quickly and professionally. This guide walks you through the practical steps, from shaping your portfolio to sending an email that gets a reply.

Understand What a Commercial Gallery Actually Wants

Before you send anything, it helps to know the business you are approaching. A commercial gallery exists to sell work, and it typically takes a commission of between 40 and 50 per cent plus VAT on any sale. That means they are not just assessing whether your work is good — they are asking whether they can sell it consistently, to the collectors and clients they already have.

Most galleries are looking for a coherent, recognisable body of work rather than a handful of unrelated pieces. They want an artist who can sustain a practice over several years, deliver work for a solo show on time and communicate clearly. They may already have a full roster and a long waiting list, so timing and persistence matter as much as talent.

• A clear visual identity: work that feels like yours from across the room.
• Consistency: a body of work made in the last two to three years.
• Professionalism: reliable communication and realistic deadlines.
• Sellable scale and price: work that fits their existing market.

Prepare a Portfolio That Does the Work for You

Your portfolio is often the only chance you get, so treat it as a finished product. Aim for 12 to 20 images of recent work, all photographed to the same standard. Poor lighting and cluttered backgrounds will undo excellent painting, so invest in photographing everything properly on a neutral wall or against a plain backdrop.

• Save images as high-quality JPEGs, roughly 1500 to 2000 pixels on the long edge, in sRGB colour.
• Label every file clearly, for example YourName_TitleOfWork_2025.jpg.
• Include a simple list with title, year, medium, dimensions in centimetres and price or "price on application".
• Keep the whole document as a single PDF under 10MB, or a clean, well-organised folder.

Alongside the images, add a one-page CV listing exhibitions, residencies, awards and education, plus a short artist statement of 100 to 150 words. Write it in plain language and describe what you make, how you make it and why it matters. Avoid art-speak; clarity reads as confidence.

Research Before You Send Anything

Sending the same email to fifty galleries rarely works. A targeted approach to eight or ten well-chosen spaces will serve you far better. Visit galleries in person, attend private views and pay attention to what happens in the room.

• Look at their artist roster. Is your work in conversation with theirs without being a carbon copy?
• Check their price points. If their work sells for £300 and yours starts at £3,000, you are probably in the wrong place.
• Find the right person — usually a director or a named curator rather than a generic inbox.
• Read their submission policy. Many state exactly how and when they prefer to be approached.

Make a note of one or two specific things that genuinely drew you to each gallery. This will make your email feel considered rather than copied and pasted.

Writing the Introductory Email

Keep it short. Gallerists are busy and will decide within seconds whether to keep reading. A subject line such as "Artist submission — [Your Name], painting" is clear and easy to file.

In the body, aim for 150 to 200 words. Introduce yourself in a sentence, explain briefly what you make, and say why you are contacting this particular gallery. Mention that a PDF portfolio is attached and list your website and social handle. Attach four to six images or a single PDF, and never send files that will clog an inbox.

• Send from a professional email address with your name, not a nickname.
• Reference something specific about their programme.
• Include a line about availability — for example, whether you are working towards a show.
• Sign off with your name, location and contact details.

If you have not heard back after two to three weeks, one polite follow-up is entirely reasonable. Then leave it. Silence is rarely personal; it usually means the answer is "not now".

What Happens Next — and How to Handle It

If a gallery invites you in, treat it as a conversation rather than an audition. Take physical work or a tablet loaded with high-resolution images. Be ready to talk about your prices, how you frame and ship, whether work is editioned, and how long a new series takes you to complete.

Ask sensible questions too: their commission structure, payment terms, how they promote exhibitions, and what they expect from artists around openings and art fairs. A gallery that welcomes those questions is usually a good sign.

Whatever the outcome, keep records of who you contacted and when, and revisit galleries after twelve to eighteen months with new work. Relationships in the art world build slowly, and the person who says no today may well say yes once they have watched your practice develop.