It is a common misconception that pursuing a creative field can never get you a stable job and that you will have a hard time making money with art skills.
“There is no scope in arts”
“What are you going to do with an arts degree?”
If you are an artist or studying to be an artist then it is common to have heard these and similar phrases from people around you. You aren’t alone.
The truth is that real artists don’t starve. Art is an extremely vast and exciting field with a variety of routes to pursue.
Allow me to walk you through a few methods through which you can make money with art skills. These methods can be used by both beginners and professionals who wish to make a few bucks without breaking a sweat. You are probably already aware of some of these methods; some you might even be practicing but I hope that you walk away learning something new about how to make money with art skills.
Sell Your Art Online
How do artists make money? That’s a no brainer, by selling their art of course! The most effective way to make money with art skills is through the digital medium. An artist can sell their art digitally in more than one way. Some of these methods offered by the digital medium will help you make a passive income through only one art piece. Interested? Let’s start.
The first method that comes to mind is selling art by yourself. As easy as it sounds, it is quite hard if you have never done it before. It is always advisable to gain some extra experience before you delve into handling things by yourself.
Selling prints on websites is the easiest way to get started. Most artists that illustrate or paint can make use of the digital medium by selling prints of their artwork. This method is also cost-friendly from a consumer point of view. Buying an original irreplaceable art piece is costly as the artist has only one piece to sell and the laws of supply and demand are at work. Buying a print, on the other hand, is not as costly and relatively affordable.
Print on Demand
There are numerous websites that allow you to make money with art skills. Selling online prints but the most popular of them all is RedBubble. You can upload your artwork on RedBubble and people can buy the printed form of that artwork.
So where does the money come in? Well, RedBubble offers a base price for each available print and the artist decides the markup price. The markup price is what the artist gets each time their print makes a sale. The website handles all the boring and technical stuff like managing orders and shipping. The artist just gets to enjoy their time and create art. What else could you ask for !? Of course, sharing the price sounds rough but trust me it’s worth it!
When you are just starting out all of the technical stuff that goes into managing a startup can literally suck the life out of you. The process can wear you out quicker than you think. You might catch yourself thinking, “this isn’t what I signed up for”. This is why such sites can help you focus on honing your craft instead of worrying about the business. Below are a few other websites similar to RedBubble. Be sure to understand the rules and regulations of each one beforehand Society6.com, InPrint.com, Printful.com
Stock Art
You can make money with art skills by selling stock art. By far the easiest method I’d say. Stock art is professionally photographed pictures of landmarks, sceneries, objects or people used for commercial purposes. These images can be sold online and each time someone buys your image, you get money straight into your pocket.
It is not only photographers that can use this method to make some coin but Graphic designers too. Graphic designers can sell images, artwork, vector designs and more. Although the profit is slow, it is better than nothing. Most stock artists sell their art on a variety of different websites. The most popular websites are iStockphoto, Shutterstock, and pixabay. Posting your artwork on these websites is like making an investment. It is only going to make you money. It will hardly ever cost you anything.
A stock artist does not have to deal with questions regarding their art or any of the bargaining sessions. The artist can upload his or her photography, illustrations, vector art and logo designs on these websites and become carefree from that point onwards. You can make money with art skills by selling stock art.
Commissioned Artwork
Artists can make money with art skills and make commissioned artwork. Commissioned artwork is art made on a request. The artist will create the requested art piece for their client. The client can be a private individual or organization. Most artists can sell their art by taking commissions through their website. Creating your own website is possibly the best step you can take in your career as an artist. This allows you to tell the world that your art is unique and branded. Branded art is on a whole other level as compared to the other art available.
Making a website business work is requires extreme levels of patience. Business might be slow in the beginning but once you are all set up, the business will be booming in no time. Most artists who don’t own a website of their own make money with their art skills through taking commissions by e-mail and social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. In 2019, the number of Instagram based artists are growing and most consumers also prefer their dealings this way.
Offering freelance services
Freelancing is a great method to make money with art skills. Freelance gigs can allow you to make some instant coin in no time. Freelancing artists sell commissioned art on request as well. These freelancing sites are filled with a skilled professional in design and art. You can find almost every skill available for sale here.
Numerous design tutors, strategists, and marketers offer their services here. It’s a great way to kick off your business without a personal website. Freelancing sites like Upwork and Fiverr are amazing to gain a presence in the community. This is why when you get around to making your own website and business you will already have recognition among clients.
Selling Digital Art Products
If you would like a more art oriented platform to sell your art then CreativeMarket might be right up your alley. This website has every type of theme, templates, and fonts you can imagine. The artist gets seventy percent of the total profit made from their art. Sweet deal, if you ask me!
Creative Market is the consumer’s first choice to go to if they need all things creative. Creative Market has a remarkable market momentum and is one of the most preferred websites for artists and art consumers alike. Amazon, eBay, and Etsy are other great options for you to explore as well. Making money with art skills was never this easy before. the digital medium has opened a lot of opportunities.
Teach an Online Course
Not everyone is meant for selling art the traditional way and if you feel that teaching is your calling, you may want to consider teaching online classes as a way to make money with art skills. Most people who find teaching in-person nerve-wracking opt for this. Many beginner artists seek out knowledgeable teachers in the art community. Even if they are not a beginner, even professionals need to polish up their skills from time to time.
Most mature artists seek out a secure way to make with their art skills while at the same time enjoy their job. Creating online courses on websites can help you make money with art skills. These courses are a one-time investment for both the artist and the consumer. Since these courses are digital the consumer saves some money on travel and tuition. On top of this, the consumer can learn and be productive in the comfort of their own homes. Digital courses can cater to more people, in turn, bringing in more customers.
There are platforms to help you get started on your mentoring journey. Schoolism.com, Skillshare.com, Udemy, Teachable and, Academy of Mine are some great websites to name a few.
Start a Blog and Become an affiliate
Blogging! Yes, blogging is one of the best ways to make money with art skills. Blogging is a great method to accumulate an audience and build a following. This is all good but…how does one make money from this? There are more than one ways to make money through blogging. Since having a blog means you have a dedicated audience, your sales are bound to increase as the years go by. If you become a favorite of many then let the “word of the mouth” do the trick. If people like you they will talk about you on social media and try to help you out by giving you shoutouts.
Affiliate marketing is becoming popular nowadays as well. Hmm? you don’t know what that is? It is basically where you sell other people’s products on your blog which has an increased following, and they give you some share from the sales you help them make. There are places you can go wrong with affiliate marketing.
It is wise to do your proper research regarding the product you are promoting. Most influencers get in trouble for promoting scams without realizing. Affiliate marketing makes you make money with art skills reputation and you barely have to do anything. Your audience and good reputation do all the work for you.
Hold a workshop
Following up on the teaching niche we have educational workshops. If you are one of those people who enjoy teaching in-person, then this is for you. Some people think that online courses are better than workshops, but hear me out. Some teachers perform well when they get in-person feedback and engagement from their students. Some beginner artists also feel like workshops are more effective than online courses for them. So the sentiment of online courses being better than workshops is eliminated here as there is an equally large audience for both.
Hosting a workshop is a great method to make money with art skills. Most calligraphers and hand letterers are popular with hosting workshops. You can offer a workshop for any skill you have mastered. There is bound to be an audience out there for you. If done correctly, workshops can earn you a lot of profit. Making money with art skills gets easier once you know your way around how the system works.
Final thoughts on How to make money with art skills
It is getting harder to keep up with the economic climate of our world in this day and age. Most people are striving to achieve stability in their respective fields. Most generations right now, specifically the millennials and the X generation, are trying to find stability in fields they truly enjoy. Many people think that in order to achieve financial stability one must kill their ambition of doing something they enjoy. This sentiment is evolving slightly as even the consumers are becoming non-conformists and support those who are of the same views.
Keep in mind that the world is your oyster and people are willing to spend on things that provide value to them. If there is something you can share to the world, then what are you waiting for. DO IT! If there are any more ideas for how to make money with art skills then drop them down in the comments below. Help others out.
