The notion of the starving artist struggling to make a living is still in the head of many people. And even some individuals who are passionate about creating art shy away from following their calling because they believe it is not possible to make money with art.
How hard is it to make a living as an artist? Well, when you look around, you will find many successful artists who are doing what they love and are able to maintain a high-quality living standard through their creative work.
It happens all the time. However, it doesn’t happen overnight and it doesn’t happen through a single stream of income only. To make a living as an artist, it is important to have multiple sources of revenue.
Generally speaking, there are two big realms for artists to showcase and sell their art: the virtual world and the real world, so to speak. The possibilities of generating an income offline always depend on where you are located. If you live in a big city, there are likely a handful of art galleries, street shows, and other venues you can go to.
However, for artists who live in smaller towns or more rural areas, it is harder to find an active art community in their proximity.
That’s why I focus on the possibilities of earning an income as an artist online in this post. Every artist can access them, regardless of where they are in the world!
This post will be pretty lengthy because it includes multiple options of how artists can make a living with their art. I will also be including additional resources that you can use to enhance your learning. You can move forward to the sections that interest you the most by using the table of contents below.
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So here are 10 ways to make a living as an artist that every creative can use:
How do most artists make a living?
The way artists make a living largely depends on the type of artwork they create and in what ways they feel comfortable marketing their art. Even though you might think that you are not a marketer but a creator, it is important that you learn to promote your work – because otherwise you will simply not get your artwork seen!
Are you worried about your creative future with all the machine-made imagery swallowing up the market?
At the end of the day, it comes down to your personal, physical and emotional capabilities which ways you choose to support yourself as an artist. What works for one artist doesn’t necessarily work for another.
Passion and talent are oftentimes not enough to carve out a successful art career. You’ll need to possess certain characteristics that make a ‘real’ artist. This includes the ability of dealing with rejection, having the courage to take risks, and preserving the drive to independently run your own art business.
Each artist should try to find their own best way to make a living with their art, while still having enough time and energy to work on new projects, stay in good health and cultivate a positive mindset!
Is being an artist a stressful job?
Catering to a number of income streams might sound stressful at the beginning, but – believe me – it can be a lot of fun! I never thought of myself as a writer, but when I started this block I discovered that I actually enjoy writing and helping other artists a lot!
Usually, it’s difficult for artists to make enough money just from artwork sales, because the demand is rather unpredictable. That’s why it’s wise to still have some more aces up your sleeve. Over time, you will see what works for you and what doesn’t.
One thing that generally holds true is that artists who create a brand around their name are more successful in the long run. The ‘branded artist’ doesn’t necessarily create better work, but their art is more distinctive. And distinctiveness drives sales.
If people can associate an artist’s name with a unique art style, they are more likely to develop an interest in that artist and buy their work.
How to make a living as an artist?
Now let’s come to some hands-on tips on how to make a living as an artist! Below I suggest 10 ways to make money with your art online that every creative can use. Pick one or two options to start with and then gradually open up more income streams.
Start with what you like best or what you think is the easiest thing for you to do at this point in time. Some options that will eventually allow you to generate a good income with your art require a learning curve, such as building a website or setting up your online store.
Take your time and be patient. If you don’t see results straight away, don’t be disheartened. Building a business around your art takes time. Just stick to it, keep creating art and rely on your artistic passion to move you onward and upward!
10 Ways to make a living as an artist
1. Sell prints of your art
The most common way that artists make money with their art is by selling prints. There is quite a large demographic interested in buying art prints, and creating high-quality prints of your work is easy and affordable these days.
There’s a range of printing options you can choose from. For example, you can sell prints on photographic paper with a matte or glossy finish that are great as home décor.
I recommend offering prints in different sizes and prices, so everyone can get a print of your art and you have optimal chances of making sales! To find out what is particularly in demand, have a look at the best size for art prints that sells the most.
Fortunately, there’s no need to buy expensive printing equipment to produce your prints at home. You don’t need to worry about inventory and storage either.
Instead, you can pick one of the online printing services for artists that print your work, package and drop-ship it to the client. You, as the artist, just have to make sure to save your work in a file format adequate for printing.
Two of the best drop-shipping services for art prints are Printful and Printify. Both companies offer international shipping and have no minimum order requirements.
Best for Art Prints
A more exclusive option that produces pricier prints is giclée printing. Giclee prints are the highest quality prints available in the market. That’s why they are so popular among art collectors and gallery owners.
The difference between a Giclee and a regular print is basically the method of production and the materials used. Giclee printing is done with pigment-based inkjet printers on archival media, which can be either photographic paper or canvas.
Great online printing services specializing in Giclée prints are Giclee Today, The Stackhouse, and the Prints Giclee Shop.
Best for Giclée Printing
2. Sell virtual files of your art
Apart from selling prints, you can also sell virtual files of your work. This is one of the easiest ways to sell your art because it requires the least involvement on your side and has the potential to earn you a passive income for many years.
The only thing you need to do is save your art as a high-resolution image, upload it to an online selling platform (Etsy, Sellfy, Shopify, or your own artist website), and then everything pretty much goes its way without you having to look after every sale! (These are the best places to sell digital downloads.)
You remain the sole holder of the copyright to your work and you decide for what purposes the buyer may use the file. For example, you can allow your image to be used for commercial purposes or for personal purposes only.
The best way to let the buyer know what they can do with the image is by defining the usage conditions in a digital image license agreement. You can find a complete overview of the image license types here.
The most common licenses are royalty free licenses. You can download a sample agreement in the Freebie Library and easily adapt to your personal needs!
- Grab your FREE Royalty-Free License Agreement Template
3. Sell your art on print-on-demand products
PoD products are another way that a great percentage of artists use successfully to make money with their art. How does print-on-demand work?
Well, it’s actually super-easy and allows you to sell your art on a wide range of products. Print-on-demand services offer numerous items you can choose from. This does not just include fine art and canvas prints, but also t-shirts, mugs, cards, tote bags, phone cases, and many more.
All you need to do is upload your artwork, select the products you want to sell it on and create a sample mockup of the product that you can use for promotion. Once a customer places an order, the PoD company takes care of production, packaging, and delivery. You don’t need to do anything in the process!
Many PoD providers let you set your own prices and determine your own profit margin. Popular print-on-demand platforms for artists are Sellfy, Society6, RedBubble, and Fine Art America.
Best PoD for Artists
4. Open an Etsy store
Etsy is the biggest online marketplace for original art, self-made items, and other designs. You can sell anything from physical prints, digital downloads, digital printables, and even art commissions.
Related: [TOP 25] Best Selling Digital Art On Etsy
The best way to get started on Etsy is probably with digital downloads. The costs for selling downloadable files are very low and Etsy handles the delivery of the virtual files for you. When a customer purchases a digital product, Etsy will immediately email them the download link.
When you sell physical products on Etsy, you will have to take care of packaging and shipping the product to the buyer. But you can also link a drop-shipping service like Printful to your Etsy shop; the drop-shipper will then handle everything for you.
The good thing is that there is a huge pre-existing customer base on Etsy, so you don’t necessarily need to have a large following of your own to make sales on Etsy. Plus, Etsy will even provide you with free marketing tools to help you get the word out about your offerings!
Best Art Marketplace
5. Sell your art on Instagram
Instagram is the No. 1 social media network for artists and art lovers. The image-driven nature of the platform is ideal for visual creatives to showcase their work.
Sites like Instagram make it possible to take your art business in your own hands. You don’t need to wait for a big-name critic, gallery, or curator to get the word out about your talent. Instead, you can directly connect with the people who love your work and are interested in purchasing a piece.
Instagram is all about followers and engagement. The more engaged followers you have, the higher the demand for your art. To successfully market and sell your art on IG, follow these basic tips (you can learn more in the DOs & DON’Ts for posting art on Instagram):
- Post high-quality images of your work
- Build a recognizable brand around your art
- Use relevant hashtags (keywords that correspond to the type of art your make)
- Write captivating captions (→ 101 creative quotes to caption an artwork)
- Write an attractive bio including a link to your shop
- Most importantly, post on a regular basis (several times per week)
Posting multiple times each week can be time-consuming – consuming exactly the time that you could better use to create more art. Luckily, there are scheduling tools that do the posting for you. Planoly is one of the most popular Instagram planners that is absolutely safe to use and affordable. To learn more, check out the full Planoly Review.
Best Instagram Planner
6. Do art commissions
Art commissions are not only a great way to grow your fan base and build your portfolio, but also to support you in making a living as an artist! A commission is an artwork that you specifically create for one person or brand.
Because they are personalized, commissions can give artists a good monetary return. How much you can charge for art commissions depends on the particular project, how long it takes to complete, and the required level of skill.
Once you’ve finished the work, you can also ask your client for a review or testimonial that you can then display on your website.
If you’re new to this type of creative work, it can be daunting to get started. You should have been creating art for long enough to possess the necessary experience and confidence in your artistic abilities.
Some of the best places to offer art commissions are Etsy, DeviantArt, and Behance.
Don't know where to get started selling digital art commissions?
7. Teach an art course
Have you ever thought about sharing your knowledge with up-and-coming artists? You can help newcomers hone their skills and learn from your experience, while helping yourself to make a living as an artist! (ᴖᴥᴖ)
Teaching online courses is a fantastic option for reaching a wider audience. Plus, it’s one of the best ways to generate a passive income for a long period of time. You’ll only have to prepare the course materials and record the course once, and then it can bring you an income for several months and even years.
You can even upload your art course to different teaching platforms (make sure to price it equally) and enjoy double the income!
Here are some general ideas of what you could teach:
- How to use a specific editing software
- How to work in a certain art style
- How to apply a particular artistic technique
- How to find new inspiration to create art
- How to promote & sell art
Some of the best teaching platforms are Skillshare, Teachable, and Udemy.
Best Teaching Platform
8. Create your own artist website
Are you one of those artists who still believe that they don’t need their own website? Then it’s about time to change that! Here are 10 reasons why you should make a website for your art – rather sooner than later. (ᴖ‿ᴖ)
One of the benefits of having your own website is that you can completely customize it to your liking. You can choose your favorite colors, layout, logo, portfolio presentation, and so on. Social media and art sharing sites only let you present your work within very limited boundaries.
Your own artist website gives you the greatest freedom possible to do your own thing! Plus, it is the most effective way to get your art out there seen, market it, grow your audience, and sell products and services.
If you don’t have any coding experience, you might find it intimidating to start building your artist website. But the good news is that there are lots of easy-to-use website builders that allow you to create a website in no time. And you don’t need to be a techy person to do so!
The best website builders for artists to create an online portfolio are Squarespace, Wix, and Weebly.
The best website builders for artists to launch a web store are Squarespace Commerce, Wix eCommerce, and Shopify.
Best Website Builder for Artists
Another option to create a website for your art is WordPress. WordPress is a completely free content management system (CMS). It’s extremely versatile and gives you full control over the design and functionality of your site. However, it comes with a steeper learning curve than the above website builders.
Nevertheless, if you are willing to invest some time and effort, you’ll be rewarded with the best website functionality and customizability available in the market!
By the way, I’ve built this website with WordPress using the OceanWP theme and the Elementor page builder, and I’ve hosted it on Hostinger!
Do you find it daunting to build your artist website with WordPress?
9. Get into affiliate marketing
Many artists don’t think of affiliate marketing when thinking about how to make money. But affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to make a living as an artist!
What exactly is affiliate marketing? Generally speaking, it’s a form of a partnership with a company that pays you for promoting their products or services. In other words, you recommend art products you like and you receive a remuneration from the company when your readers make a purchase through a link on your site.
Your audience is happy that they’ve found something useful to them, the company is happy to make a sale, and you are happy because you’ll get a commission for your recommendation. It’s a win-win for everyone!
Still worried about how to make a living as an artist? Believe it or not, there’s a lot of money in the arts affiliate marketing industry!
In fact, affiliate marketing for art and craft supplies is a lucrative side hustle. The art market in the US alone has been steadily increasing from US$12.2 billion in 2018 to US$15.1 billion in 2021. Globally, the art industry is still expected to grow at an annual rate of 8.1% to US$62.51 billion by 2027.
Some good sites for affiliate marketing for artists include:
- Adobe is one of the best-known software producers for the digital art industry. Photoshop is the unrivaled all-round editing app that is used by professionals and hobbyists around the world. Lightroom follows closely behind. Adobe offers affiliate partnerships for photo and video editing software as well as stock photos.
- RedBubble is a popular online marketplace for print-on-demand products. You can buy prints, apparel, living accessories, stationery, phone cases, home décor, and much more.
- Creative Market is one of the most popular sites for all types of downloadable digital art. They offer a large selection of graphics, photos, templates, fonts, 3D models, and even WordPress themes.
- Cubebrush is the first online marketplace for computer-generated (CG) art. Artists, illustrators, and game developers can find everything their heart desires, from 3D models, 2D game assets, tools, applications, to stock photos and sounds.
10. Start an art blog
Last but not least, my final tip for you to make a living as an artist is to start a blog. Once you got your website up on Squarespace, Wix or WordPress, it seems like the next logical step to get into blogging.
Especially a blog post has the potential to go viral and attract thousands of visitors within a short period of time. When you write about something that is of value to your readers, they will share it on Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and other channels. In return, you have a manifold higher chance to get eyeballs on your work and make some sales!
Related: 15 Must-Know Tips For Artists On How To Use Pinterest
Now, at first, you might think, “I’m an artist and not a writer. There’s a reason why I chose to express myself through visuals and not through words.” I understand. I used to think the same way. However, if you don’t resent writing altogether, it is worthwhile giving it a shot.
Blogging is not only a great way to relate with your audience of art lovers and fellow artists. It can also be a rewarding experience because you get to help beginning artists learn new skills and share tips and advice with other creators. Of course, your blog is also the place to market your affiliates!
Here are some ideas you can write about in your art blog:
- Tips and tutorials on how to master a creative skill
- Reviews of new art supplies, digital art hardware and software
- Opinion articles about new art trends and movements
- Posts providing insights into your creative process, including WiP shots and timelapse videos
- Interviews with other artists
- Promotion of affiliate products, paid ads, etc.
Don’t know how to get started with your art blog? Thankfully, there are lots of good online courses available that show you how to set up a successful art blog. One of the best ones is the Beginner’s Guide to Creative Blogging by Anne Butera on Skillshare.
Best Course to Learn Blogging
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