Different ways to make money as an artist
There are several ways to make money as an artist and you can create more than one stream of income. Whether you’re a part-time artist or a full-time freelance artist, there are plenty of ways to make money from your art.Selling your artwork
You can sell your paintings, sculptures or decorative items and jewelry through your website or e-shop.
It’s however more wise to start on an established online art marketplace, with thousands of clients and millions of visitors, instead of waiting for buyers to discover your fresh website portfolio with almost zero traffic.
Some of those platforms offer you the chance to have your art featured, which is a great promotion.
2. Sell your prints
3. License your art for stock websites
As a graphic designer, illustrator, photographer or videographer you can license your artwork for stock websites as a way to make passive income for artists.
To know where to start, check out our list below for the top websites to sell your work on.
4. Private commissions
Be commissioned directly by individuals or companies to create creative work from scratch.
As a painter or illustrator, you can even get paid for street art and interior or exterior mural painting and design.
Teaching and consulting
If you already have experience, you can help other aspiring artists to follow their dreams. Many people nowadays prefer to follow an online class or a webinar from their home, especially those who don’t have many local opportunities to attend a course.
There are several ways to teach, educate and consult people online as a freelancer.
5. Teach an online class or start a workshop
It’s not so easy to set up your own webinar or online class from day 1, but you can start by subscribing to some of them to see how it’s organized, or use an already established platform that offers online courses, like Skillshare or How Now.
If you’ve already built an audience who trust you through blogging or social media channels, you can start selling them tutorials in various forms: pdfs, videos and webinars.
7. Create your own blog
Creating your own blog is one of the best marketing strategies to attract clients today.
For me, this was the most successful decision in my career. You build trust and gain authority while you’re promoting your work. The trick is to write for your target audience, offering them what they’re looking for. Whether that’s graphic design, social media, photography, or arts, you can find a blog niche for you.
A blog that gets a lot of traffic can become a profitable business (this requires hard work and dedication), through ads, affiliate links and sponsors.
8. Create and sell an eBook
If you’re into blogging, this is the next step you’ll probably take, after having built an audience. It’s much easier to promote and sell your eBook to people who are interested in your topic, trust you and consider you as an expert.
9. Coaching and mentoring
Many creatives and artists are sharing their experiences through coaching and mentoring. You probably won’t start your career online as a coach, but if you get seriously involved in blogging or teaching, this is also a potential next step.
10. Consulting and art direction
Being more visually educated and informed about arts and design trends, you can advise individuals and companies on their creative process and artistic projects.
11. Work for online marketplaces or galleries
You can get valuable experience with the behind-the-scenes work, offering services like curating, selling or promoting art.
Apart from earning money, you open yourself to opportunities you wouldn’t have otherwise.
This is a step you should take anyway if you’re dreaming of getting deeper into the art’s industry and not just selling your work.
12. Work for magazines and blogs
Writing articles, taking photos and doing art direction for the press and blogs is a fascinating way, not only to make money as an artist but also to make powerful connections and put your name in front of a broader audience.
Most bloggers and website owners are likely to hire from their own audience of readers.
My personal experience: Millo was one of the first blogs I subscribed to almost 5 years ago when I knew nothing about blogging — 2 years later, having launched my own blog and website, I started writing for them!
