Studying the best way to earn a living as an artist is certainly achievable, but it surely consists of lots of onerous work and a long-term technique.
On this article, I’ll define precisely what I’ve realized about the best way to earn a living as an artist, the place to sell your artwork on-line, the best way to get new artwork shoppers, and much extra that will help you construct your income as an artist or inventive. I’ve labored as a inventive artist for years and I’ve tried to incorporate all my greatest recommendation and findings into one article and video right here.
12 Methods I’ve Tried to Make Money as an Artist
First, there are a number of methods to earn a living as an artist and you may create multiple stream of earnings. Whether or not you’re a part-time artist or a full-time freelance artist, there are many methods to earn a living out of your artwork. Listed below are just a few of the perfect methods I’ve seen artists earn a living from their artwork:
Promoting Your Artwork
The obvious solution to earn a living as an artist is to sell your paintings. There are just a few methods I’ve discovered you are able to do this. Listed below are just a few concepts to get your began:
1. Promote your unique items
You may sell your work, sculptures or ornamental gadgets and jewellery by way of your website or e-shop.
It’s nonetheless extra smart to start out on a longtime on-line artwork market, with hundreds of shoppers and hundreds of thousands of holiday makers, as an alternative of ready for patrons to find your recent website portfolio with nearly zero visitors.
A few of these platforms give you the possibility to have your artwork featured, which is a superb promotion.
2. Promote your prints
There are on-line marketplaces providing artists a spot to sell their artwork with print-on-demand.
3. License your artwork for inventory web sites
As a graphic designer, illustrator, photographer or videographer you may license your paintings for inventory web sites as a solution to make passive earnings for artists.
To know the place to start out, take a look at our record under for the highest web sites to sell your work on.
4. Non-public commissions
Be commissioned immediately by people or corporations to create inventive work from scratch.
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As a painter or illustrator, you may even get paid for avenue artwork and inside or exterior mural portray and design.
Instructing and consulting
If you have already got expertise, you may assist different aspiring artists to observe their desires. Many individuals these days favor to observe a web based class or a webinar from their house, particularly those that don’t have many native alternatives to attend a course.
There are a number of methods to show, educate and seek the advice of folks on-line as a freelancer.
5. Train a web based class or begin a workshop
It’s not really easy to arrange your personal webinar or on-line class from day 1, however you can begin by subscribing to a few of them to see the way it’s organized, or use an already established platform that gives on-line programs, like Skillshare or How Now.
6. Supply tutorials
In case you’ve already constructed an viewers who belief you thru running a blog or social media channels, you can begin promoting them tutorials in numerous kinds: pdfs, movies and webinars.
7. Create your personal weblog
Creating your personal weblog is among the greatest advertising and marketing methods to draw shoppers as we speak.
For me, this was essentially the most profitable choice in my profession. You construct belief and achieve authority whilst you’re selling your work. The trick is to jot down to your target market, providing them what they’re in search of. Whether or not that’s graphic design, social media, pictures, or arts, you’ll find a weblog area of interest for you.
A weblog that will get lots of visitors can turn out to be a worthwhile enterprise (this requires onerous work and dedication), by way of adverts, affiliate hyperlinks and sponsors.
8. Create and sell an eBook
In case you’re into running a blog, that is the following step you’ll most likely take, after having constructed an viewers. It’s a lot simpler to advertise and sell your eBook to people who find themselves concerned about your subject, belief you and think about you as an professional.
9. Teaching and mentoring
Many creatives and artists are sharing their experiences by way of teaching and mentoring. You most likely received’t begin your profession on-line as a coach, however when you get critically concerned in running a blog or educating, that is additionally a possible subsequent step.
10. Consulting and artwork route
Being extra visually educated and knowledgeable about arts and design traits, you may advise people and corporations on their inventive course of and creative tasks.
Working for the artwork business
11. Work for on-line marketplaces or galleries
You will get invaluable expertise with the behind-the-scenes work, providing providers like curating, promoting or selling artwork.
Aside from incomes cash, you open your self to alternatives you wouldn’t have in any other case.
This can be a step it’s best to take anyway when you’re dreaming of getting deeper into the artwork’s business and never simply promoting your work.
12. Work for magazines and blogs
Writing articles, taking photographs and doing artwork route for the press and blogs is an enchanting method, not solely to earn a living as an artist but additionally to make highly effective connections and put your title in entrance of a broader viewers.
In case you discover it extraordinarily tough to work for a weblog or one other website, I can guarantee you that it’s simpler than you assume. All you want is to be an energetic follower (meaning commenting on their posts or connecting by way of on-line teams).
Most bloggers and website homeowners are more likely to rent from their very own viewers of readers.
My private expertise: Millo was one of many first blogs I subscribed to nearly 5 years in the past once I knew nothing about running a blog — 2 years later, having launched my very own weblog and website, I began writing for them!
15 web sites to sell your artwork on-line as an artist
For these seeking to discover ways to earn a living as an artist, there are a number of on-line artwork marketplaces to sell your work on and alternative ways to do it — solely a small pattern is listed right here. I like to recommend you make your personal thorough analysis to see which is the perfect match for you.
These web sites and platforms will supply every thing it is advisable begin promoting as quickly as you add your items, charging a fee or an preliminary payment.
Painters, Illustrators, Sculptors, Photographers
1. Saatchi Artwork
With 12M+ month-to-month web page views, 1.1M+ Social Followers and 60,000 artists from around the globe, this is among the hottest on-line galleries, to sell your work, drawings, prints, images and sculptures. They deal with delivery, have a non-exclusive coverage and cost a 35% fee. It’s a wonderful website to sell your artwork on-line.
2. Artfinder
One other artwork market that gives 10,000 artists the possibility to achieve 500,000 subscribers around the globe. You may sell unique artwork together with portray, prints, images, and sculptures with a 30% fee.
3. UGALLERY
A curated on-line artwork gallery promoting one-of-a-kind works by the highest rising artists on the planet. They cost 50% fee.
4. Artplode
Artplode is a high-quality on-line artwork gallery the place sellers, artists, galleries and collectors purchase and sell artwork with no fee charged. Artplode prices a low, one-off flat payment of $60 to promote every paintings. The itemizing stays on the Artplode website till the vendor removes it. You may additionally elect to pay further to have your artwork included in a number of of their featured classes.
5. CODAworx
CODAworx is a world on-line group that showcases and celebrates design tasks that includes commissioned paintings in inside and architectural areas. If you’re a public artist, sculptor, painter, you’re employed with mild, sound or video, you may get found by architects, builders, designers, artwork consultants, and public directors.
Photographers, graphic designers and illustrators
6. Shutterstock
You most likely already comprehend it and even used their high-quality inventory photographs, vectors and movies. It’s not straightforward, nonetheless, to be accepted and have a totally energetic account.
7. Inventive Market
Inventive Market is a web based market for community-generated design property. You may sell graphics, WordPress themes, inventory pictures, and different digital items to be used by net creatives. Inventive Market has over a million customers and greater than 250,000 purchasable gadgets.
8. Zazzle
There are 3 methods to earn a living with Zazzle, as a designer, publishing your designs on merchandise, as a maker, promoting your merchandise and as an affiliate, selling your favourite merchandise. This provides you a number of choices to sell your artwork on-line and earn a living as an artist.
9. Society6
Utilizing Society6, you’ll not solely have the ability to remodel your paintings into posters & prints but additionally cellphone instances, stickers, t-shirts and no matter might be printed.
10. Printful
Printful prints and sends your customized print designs to your clients on merchandise comparable to t-shirts, posters, canvas, mugs and so on.
Palms and Crafts artists
11. Etsy
Etsy is a highly regarded e-commerce website centered on handmade or classic gadgets and provides. These things cowl a variety, together with artwork, pictures, clothes, jewellery, meals, bathtub and sweetness merchandise, quilts, knick-knacks, and toys. The location follows the custom of open craft gala’s, giving sellers private storefronts the place they record their items for a payment of US$0.20 per merchandise.
12. Artfire
ArtFire is one other on-line market for handmade merchandise, designed by artisans worldwide, with no itemizing or remaining value charges.
Photographers and videographers
13. Alamy
A spot to sell your inventory imagery, Alamy claims to be truthful, clear and simple to work with and also you get 50% of the sale. You’ll be a part of a group of over 60,000 contributors and 110,000 patrons.
14. Vimeo on Demand
You may sell your movies on Vimeo, the well-known high-quality video platform, for $20/month billed yearly or attempt it free for 30 days.
15. Amazon
You’ve gotten used Amazon to purchase one thing a minimum of as soon as in your life! You may sell absolutely anything there — you may print and sell your e-book, DVD, or no matter you may think about, the probabilities are infinite.
Regardless of by way of which channel you showcase and sell your work, social media is the right instrument for promotion and networking. Social media advertising and marketing could be a full-time job, but it surely’s definitely worth the effort when you put within the time.
Instagram, Pinterest, Fb, Twitter and YouTube are the most well-liked media for artists, but it surely’s as much as you to seek out essentially the most appropriate to your targets.
Take some time to get used to it and see how issues work earlier than you begin posting. Observe those that do it efficiently to study their secrets and techniques – a few of them supply free webinars and ebooks.
Just a few fundamental tricks to observe:
Put up solely high-quality pictures and attention-grabbing content material
Don’t join your title or model with low-quality pictures, movies and irrelevant posts only for the sake of being there. In case you don’t add value, educate or entertain your viewers, then you definately’re simply losing their, and your, time. Goal to have a cohesive feel and look to generate consciousness.
Put up typically and persistently to construct a following
Probably the most necessary guidelines in social media advertising and marketing. It takes greater than posting as soon as a month to construct a substantial following. Be in entrance of your followers’ eyes always, with beautiful photographs and compelling tales.
Generate visitors with paid adverts
It’s extraordinarily straightforward and inexpensive, even for a really low price range, to generate extra visitors and increase your posts with paid adverts on Fb and Instagram.
Hyperlink to your website, portfolio or weblog
Don’t rely solely on social media to showcase your artwork — you could have your personal foundation or e-shop. A self-hosted website or weblog is admittedly essential, the place you don’t depend upon Fb or Instagram adjustments on algorithms and even decay and disappearance (bear in mind MySpace?).
Your aim is to draw potential shoppers by way of social media to go to your website or weblog and study extra about you and your work, so all the time bear in mind to incorporate hyperlinks to your website or weblog. In any case — that’s the aim of posting!
Learn to run a enterprise as an artist
Be taught the fundamentals of working a enterprise as an artist
The explanation many inventive folks by no means grasp the best way to earn a living as an artist is as a result of they spend hundreds of hours, late nights, weekends honing their creative expertise. However they spend little or no time studying about what it takes to truly earn a living as an artist.
However because you’re right here studying our article on creating wealth as an artist, I’ll guess that you simply already knew that. However did you additionally know which you can sharpen what you are promoting expertise with websites like Udemy—the place there are actually dozens of enterprise courses (together with the one under) for extremely low costs.
For instance, there’s this course for $49. And this course is simply $19! And there are heaps extra. I imply, effectively value it to get a greater understanding of what it takes to earn a living as an artist.
Discover your speciality
It’s quite common for artists and creatives to have many expertise and abilities. You could be a passionate illustrator or painter who works as a graphic designer, or an architect who takes beautiful photographs.
You’ve gotten extra probabilities to efficiently discover ways to earn a living as an artist by promoting one thing you’re actually good at, or is way in demand.
As an example, you could discover out which you can make more cash educating others the secrets and techniques of Adobe Illustrator fairly than promoting your personal illustrations.
I’d by no means imagined that writing posts for my weblog would deliver 90% of my shoppers to my architectural studio!
You might have to start out with what pays the payments (like copying work, or curating artwork), even when that isn’t your true ardour and be open; typically surprising alternatives present us the correct path to creating wealth as an artist.
Select your area of interest or invent a brand new one
There aren’t any limits on the best way to earn a living on-line these days, however 1 factor is critical: you could discover those that intend to purchase what you supply. As a enterprise proprietor, it’s necessary to make selections primarily based on what the market needs.
There are 2 choices you may observe, every with its execs and cons, each requiring onerous work and persistence:
1. You sell one thing persons are shopping for already.
You already know prematurely that what you’ll supply is in demand. The drawback of an already established market is a large competitors, which requires a lot more durable work, beautiful high quality and lots of promotion.
2. You discover a very specialised area of interest otherwise you create one thing new and progressive.
In that case, it’s important to work more durable at first to draw shoppers, however when you lastly make it, you’ll stand out simply since there received’t be a lot competitors.
Providing one thing distinctive and progressive was my alternative and haven’t regretted it. I needed to work actually onerous, nonetheless, for nearly 3 years earlier than I began seeing outcomes, however there’s nonetheless zero competitors within the area of interest I “created”.
Develop your expertise
Whether or not you’re simply beginning out or you have already got lots of expertise in advantageous artwork, practising and honing your expertise always, exploring new strategies and testing new instruments is of nice significance.
Your expertise is ineffective when you don’t work persistently, experimenting and creating your personal model, whereas staying updated with new traits and benefiting from the most recent apps, software program and know-how.
It’s additionally essential to be productive and create a quantity of labor earlier than you begin promoting.
Community for shoppers
Each particular person you meet could be a potential purchaser or somebody who can refer you to others. Artwork is an attention-grabbing topic and many individuals could be excited to debate it with a painter, photographer or jewellery designer.
Seize the chance to speak about your work and ensure they’ll bear in mind you, by handing them what you are promoting playing cards or sending them your portfolio’s URL.
In case you assume that paper playing cards are outdated you’re improper, in actual fact, it’s a good way for artists to indicate a pattern of their work.
Be imaginative and progressive, utilizing postcards or photographs as an example, as an alternative of a traditional enterprise card. Utilizing your creativity is among the greatest methods on the best way to earn a living as an artist.
A profitable tip I used to promote my weblog, was to print some easy, however well-designed bookmarks with simply its url on them. I gave them as a small present to those that wished to go to my weblog – nearly everyone I met!
Social media are the right spots to advertise your work on-line and entice shoppers.
They’re additionally glorious locations for networking and connecting with professionals which can be concerned about artwork and are always in search of new abilities or recent content material, i.e. inside designers, architects, journalists and bloggers.
Adam Wright wrote a wonderful put up, protecting each attainable method to get shoppers shortly.
Decide your pricing
No matter method you select to earn a living as an artist, you’ll have to regulate your costs or charges a number of instances earlier than you’re lastly glad. This is applicable to freelancers on the whole — not simply artists.
Artists have a bonus in comparison with different professionals, by having the ability to see what their rivals are charging. You may simply get a transparent concept about your friends’ costs, simply by visiting websites the place their artwork is uncovered.
Nonetheless, the artwork market is far more difficult in comparison with different industries. The identical piece of artwork might be too costly or too low-cost, relying on the artist’s “value” and timing. (Poor Van Gogh was not such an excellent marketer as Picasso or Dali.)
This can be a secret in artwork advertising and marketing — most individuals purchase the artist and never the paintings.
In case you select to sell your photographs and illustrations to blogs and inventory markets, costs are extra fastened. You often begin low and the extra in demand your gadgets are, your charges go up.
Remaining recommendations on creating wealth as an artist
Listed below are only a few extra issues to remember as you’re employed onerous to earn a living out of your artwork.
Be distinctive or wonderful
Creating wonderful items of advantageous artwork isn’t all it takes to make actual cash as an artist. However it’s an excellent begin.
In case you do what everyone else does and also you don’t do it completely, there’s not a lot of an opportunity of getting observed.
Hold updated with new traits and know-how however don’t be a slave to them!
Supposing that you simply wish to stand out, it’s important to develop your personal model and this takes time and apply. However that is one thing it’s best to do anyway — honing your expertise and enhancing each single day is crucial to remain aggressive.
Develop the correct mindset
The place most creatives fail is dedication and persistence. They have a tendency to get simply disillusioned and stop their plans and desires, particularly in the event that they really feel rejected.
As a contract artist, you’re extra delicate and weak in criticism than different professionals, as a result of by way of your work you categorical your emotions and reveal your internal self.
Your paintings shall be uncovered and judged — you may’t keep away from it. Due to this fact, you could develop a thick pores and skin and have the ability to distinguish constructive suggestions from unfavorable and toxic criticism.
Don’t take issues too personally. The truth that someone doesn’t like your creations doesn’t essentially imply you’re a whole failure — maybe they don’t seem to be certified to understand artwork.
Alternatively, if no one appears to love your drawings or photographs, otherwise you hardly get observed, you’re most likely doing one thing improper, which have to be fastened.
Be disciplined, organized and conscious of your bills
There’s a widespread false impression: In case you create nice artwork, you may merely sit again and watch the cash roll in.
Operating your personal inventive enterprise is wonderful for the liberty it provides you.
You’ll have a tough time creating wealth as an artist. Nonetheless, in case you are not very organized, you’re dangerous at managing time and non-creative duties, terrible at funds and consumer communication isn’t your asset. (All widespread traits amongst artists!)
In case you lack self-discipline and dedication, not having a boss forcing you to satisfy deadlines can simply trigger you to slide into laziness and turn out to be unproductive.
If you begin studying the best way to earn a living as an artist, you may outsource time-consuming duties to focus in your inventive work, however in case you’re simply beginning out it’s important to put on many hats.
Enhance your branding and presentation
An image is value a thousand phrases and in your case, this quote is essential. Because you create one thing to be seen, you’re decided to get uncovered. You positively want a spot to current your artwork items.
In case you haven’t constructed your private website but (simply don’t wait too lengthy), you may showcase your work utilizing platforms like Behance, Deviantart or Dribble.
Publicity is step one of promotion — and all the time ensure you do it professionally! First impressions are essential, particularly within the artwork business — you wish to impress your guests, not solely along with your artwork itself however with an incredible presentation.
Branding is not only a couple of brand, it’s the way you make folks really feel about your artwork and the way they bear in mind you. Your portfolio have to be updated and have an honest and cohesive feel and look.
Use solely high-quality photographs or graphics, select the correct colour palette and typography, and use mock-ups of any type to current your artwork professionally. Take a look at websites like Canva that may provide help to create fast and customized graphics to your social.
Select your greatest, excellent items to incorporate in your portfolio website and never every thing you’ve ever created.
Retailers are utilizing this tactic efficiently with their store home windows.
Use your most compelling gadgets to draw shoppers — after they’re into your “store” you’ll have the possibility to indicate them a few of your “cheaper” items.
Join with fellow artists/teams
Having relationships with different artists is extraordinarily useful in some ways.
You may focus on and clear up issues, you may get an professional’s suggestions in your work, you may even accomplice or ship shoppers to one another.
In case you really feel remoted, social media teams are nice locations to attach with the creatives group, discover assist, study suggestions and have entry to helpful sources from different fellow freelance artists.
Your expertise alone isn’t sufficient to earn a living as an artist
Though it appears simpler than ever to go on the market and present your artwork items, it’s extraordinarily attainable to get misplaced within the crowded, hyper-competitive net.
You want onerous work, persistence and the correct technique to get found by potential shoppers, sell your paintings, and earn a living as an artist.
There are particular causes that only some folks ever discover ways to earn a living as an artist doing what they most like.
Even when you create masterpieces, they’ll most likely stay locked in your warehouse (or your onerous disk) when you don’t develop your advertising and marketing expertise in addition to your inventive mastery.
In case you’re questioning the best way to earn a living as an artist, right here’s a secret: you could cease pondering like a hobbyist and begin performing like a enterprise proprietor.
What follows subsequent is less complicated: you simply implement examined recipes and efficient methods which deliver outcomes.
Begin creating wealth as an artist
Though it might appear overwhelming following all these steps, don’t get disheartened. Many people who now run a web based enterprise felt the identical method at first — misplaced and confused within the chaotic net.
Subscribe to the perfect blogs in your area of interest (it’s straightforward to seek out them, their posts rank higher in Google searches) and begin following fellow artists you admire.
You’ll study quite a bit, not solely by implementing what they advise you to do however by being attentive to how they do it. Don’t simply have a look at their paintings and method — see how they market themselves.
Each platform has its execs and cons, select essentially the most appropriate so that you can arrange your website portfolio and sell your work.
I received’t deceive you, the trail to success isn’t straightforward and easy. It takes onerous work, persistence, perseverance, self-discipline and a wise technique to earn a living as an artist — only some will find yourself dwelling from it.
As quickly as you begin conceiving your artwork as a enterprise and never simply as a pleasurable hobby, you could have extra probabilities to be one in every of them!
Hold the dialog going…
Over 10,000 of us are having every day conversations over in our free Fb group and we would like to see you there. Be part of us!
Mania Mavridou is an Architect, Blogger and Business Coach, proprietor of DesignMania, the architectural studio the place design meets psychology to create areas for folks to stay and work in fortunately. She speaks, writes and teaches about inside design psychology, colour psychology and visible advertising and marketing. She launched 2 blogs, Design4Happiness, the first Greek weblog about inside design psychology and The Profitable Weblog, which helps creatives observe their desires and construct a profitable enterprise.
Learn extra from Mania.