10 ways to earn money as an artist

Aug 7, 2022

Turning your passion into money can be done. Like all good things in life, earning the money you want to make as an artist demands a strategic approach and lots of work.

Based on our experiences and talking to many creators and artists, we have put together a list of the most efficient ways of making money as an artist.

 10 the most effective methods to earn money as an artist

  1.   Teach Online Courses
  2.   Provide Tutorials and Mini-courses
  3.   Video Consulting and Teaching
  4.   Video-making of the Art-making Process
  5.   Create with a Youtube channel
  6.   Sell your Original Pieces
  7.   Sell NFTs
  8.   Buy Art Prints
  9.   Sell Digital Artwork
  10.   Work on commissions

Bonus: Where to advertise your work


There are a variety of ways to earn income as an artist and you could have more than one source of revenue. If you're part-time or an artist who is self-employed for a long time, there are many ways to earn money from your artwork.

 Learn online classes

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Source: Jennifer Gast online courses

It's not simple to launch your own online class on the very first day, but you could start by signing up to several of them and see how the courses are planned as well as using an established website that offers online courses to get ideas. Naturally, we at CreativeMindClass are big about teaching online courses through an independent platform where you are sitting behind the steering wheel.

 Provide tutorials and small-courses

If you've established an audience who trusts you through your blog or social media sites, you may start with offering short tutorials or courses showing how you make your artwork that come in different forms including videos or PDFs as well as webinars.

 Teaching and video consulting

If you've had knowledge, it's possible to help other artists who wish to follow their goals. You could offer video consultations and teach via Zoom or even Facetime. Many people prefer taking an online course or webinar from their homes and are particularly interested in those who don't have many opportunities in their local area to go to an educational course.

 Make videos of the art-making process

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Source: Riccardo Russomanno art-making process

If you are an illustrator making fun personal projects, the next time you're in the studio, turn the camera on and capture the process of creating your work. Looking for a great online course suggestion? Illustration can be combined by combining someone's photographs or a fun illustration of their family. Customers will not only enjoy the artwork, but also see how it was made.

 Make a Youtube channel

If the thought of selling online courses doesn't bring you joy, even though you love instructing, entertaining and taking part in a live camera show, creating your own YouTube channel may be the best option. Remember that you'll probably not earn a great deal at first, however, content that is of high quality that addresses problems or delights is likely to attract more people and will also make you cash over time.

 Offer Original Pieces of Art for sale

You may sell your own original creations. You can offer your artwork or sculptures as other jewelry items or ornaments on your online store or on your website.

It's much better to start by establishing an online art marketplace with thousands of clients and millions of visitors instead of waiting for potential buyers to come across your brand web portfolio which does not have any visitors at all.

Certain platforms give you the opportunity to have your art work included in an opportunity for marketing.

 Sell NFTs

Do you have an aptitude in digital art? You might be interested to master the best ways to market your NFT artwork. Numerous collectors and artists are taking advantage of this type of digital art collective' , and are earning cool cash. The trend is hot right now and although the future of NFTs isn't certain, any new way to earn money is based on blockchain is definitely something you must not ignore.

 Sell Art Prints

There are plenty of marketplaces online that offer artists the chance to market their artwork using printing-on-demand. Furthermore, some help artists by highlighting them on their Social media platforms.

 Sell Digital Artwork for Stock

As a graphic artist, photographer, illustrator as well as a videographer may make use of your work on sites which stock photos to earn cash from the art of making.

 Work on Commissions

You can be directly asked by people or corporations to design and create original designs with scratch.

Client work doesn't need to be dull. As an illustrator or painter in the role of an illustrator, you could even be paid for street art , interior or outdoor mural design and painting. Also, you can pair up with other creatives like musicians to create, for instance illustrations for the Spotify music cover.

 How to promote your work?

Okay. We've talked about selling what we have, now and the next question is how to market it.

 Create your own Creative Blog

The development of a blog of your preference is one of the best ways to market your business to get clients today.

It was the most effective choice I've ever made during my professional journey. You earn trust and authority when you promote your work. How to accomplish this is to address the people you want to reach and provide the information they're seeking. If it's photography of graphic design as well as social media, or even arts, you'll be able to find a niche for your blog that's suitable for you.

A website that gets a lot of visitors could become an effective business (this requires effort and dedication) by way of advertisements or affiliate links, as well as advertisers and sponsors.

 Make and Design an eBook

If you're blogging and writing this is the next step to follow once you've established a following. It's simpler to market and promote your book to people with an interest in your subject You can be confident and trust your expertise.

 Education and Mentoring

A lot of artists and creatives have shared their stories of coaching, teaching, and coaching via video conferences as well as on the internet-based teaching platforms. It is unlikely that you will begin your career coaching, but when you're involved in writing or teaching, it's an option for the next stage.

 Work for online Marketplaces or Galleries

It is important to gain experience by working behind-the-scenes, which involves providing services like curating, selling, or marketing artwork.

Apart from earning profits, you open your mind to possibilities that you might not have been able to.

This is a decision you must take if you're aspiring to get deeper into the world of art rather than just selling your artwork.

 Works for magazines and blogs

Writing, photographing and creating art for blogs or the press is a fascinating opportunity to earn some money as an artist but as an opportunity to make connections and make your name known to more people.

If you're having trouble to set up the blog or site that you're keen on, we're here to assure you that it'sn't quite as hard as you'd think. The only thing you have to be is a consistent reader (that means, you have to comment on their blog posts or joining online groups).

A lot of bloggers and webmasters prefer to seek out readers.

 Promote the use of social Media

It is possible to earn money as an artist using Instagram and other social media as well as creating the blog of your choice. No matter which channel you use to present your work on, keep in mind that social media is only one method of advertising and networking. You don't want to be 100 100% completely dependent upon it.

Facebook, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are among the most well-known platforms used by artists. However, it's up to you to choose the best option for you.

Marketing on social media is an all-time occupation However, it's worth it as long as you're willing to put in the effort.

 Be ready for a long , long run

It's not a lie that the road to success doesn't come quick or easy. It's a long-term commitment to hard work, patience, and the right approach for making some money from being an artist however, more and more artists are able to make a decent living out of this.

When you begin to think of your craft as a potential business rather than just a fun hobby and you'll have better chance of becoming one of the fortunate ones!

You can build a sustainable income source through your work as an artist CreativeMindClass.

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