10 ways to earn money as an artist

Mar 16, 2022

Making money from your passion can be done. Like all good things in life, making income as an artist takes the right approach, and lots of work.

Based on our experience as well as speaking to a variety of creators We compiled our list of the most successful ways to earn money as an artist.

 10 of the most efficient ways to earn money an artist

  1.   Teach Online Courses
  2.   Offer Tutorials and Mini-courses
  3.   Video Consulting and Teaching
  4.   Video-making of the art-making process
  5.   Create with a Youtube channel
  6.   Selling Original Pieces
  7.   Sell NFTs
  8.   Sale Art Prints
  9.   Sell Digital Artwork in Stock
  10.   Working on commissions

BONUS: Where to market your artwork


There's a myriad options to earn money as an artist, and it is possible to earn more than one source of revenue. If you're a part-time artist or self-employed permanent artist there are many options to earn money from your artwork.

 Learn online classes

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Source: Jennifer Gast online courses

It's difficult to begin an online course the first day however, you can begin by signing up to some of them to see how the courses are planned and then use an established platform with classes online to help you get started. We with us at CreativeMindClass we are keen about teaching online courses through an entirely independent platform. You can be at the of the wheel.

 Offer tutorials and small-courses

If you've already established your credibility with a community of readers through your blog or other social media channels you can start with offering tutorials or mini courses explaining how to make the art that comes in a variety of formats, including video webcasts, PDFs, or even webinars.

 Teaching and video consulting

If you've got the knowledge, it's possible to help others who are aspiring artists pursue their ambitions. You can make paid video consultations and teach via Zoom or Facetime. Many people prefer taking an online course or webinar from their homes, particularly those who don't have many opportunities in the area they live in to go to a class.

 Create videos about 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 drawing, simply switch on the camera and record your creation-making process. Looking for a great online course idea? It is possible to combine illustrations by combining someone's photographs or an entertaining illustration of your family. Your clients can not only enjoy the artwork, but also learn how the artwork was created.

 Make an Youtube channel

If selling an online course does not make you smile, however you are a fan of entertaining, teaching, and taking part in a live camera show, setting up an YouTube channel might be the right choice. Remember that you'll probably not earn a great deal at first, however, content that is of high quality that addresses a problem or entertains, will attract more viewers, and also earn you more money in the long run.

 Offer Original Pieces of Art for sale

You can sell your original creations. It is possible to sell your work or sculptures, as well as other jewelry items or ornaments in your online store or website.

It's much better to start by establishing an online marketplace for art that has thousands of customers and millions of users rather than waiting for buyers to find your web portfolio which is virtually unvisited.

Certain platforms give you an opportunity to get your work featured as an opportunity for marketing.

 Sell NFTs

Do you have an aptitude with digital artwork? Perhaps you'd like to master how to market work created by NFT. A lot of collectors and artists are taking advantage of this form of a 'digital art collective' , and are earning cool cash. It's the hot thing right in the moment and while the potential of NFTs' future isn't certain, any new way of making money based on blockchain is definitely something that you should not overlook.

 Sell Art Prints

There are numerous marketplaces online that offer artists the chance to market their artwork using printing-on-demand. Additionally, some help artists by highlighting the artists' work on their social media platforms.

 SELL Digital Artwork for Stock

In your capacity as a graphic artist photographer, illustrator, and videographer are able to use your work on websites that stock images to generate income from your craft of producing.

 Work on Commissions

Receive direct orders from individuals or companies to create unique designs with scratch.

Client work doesn't need to be monotonous. If you are an artist or illustrator in the role of an illustrator, you may be paid for street art or interior or outdoor mural painting and design. Additionally, you could team up with other creatives like musicians, and make for example illustrations to be used on the Spotify music cover.

 Where to Promote your art?

Okay. so we discussed selling what we have, now and the next question is how to offer it.

 Start your Creative Blog

The creation of the blog you prefer is one of the best marketing strategies to draw clients today.

It was probably the most successful decision I've made throughout my professional life. You earn trust and authority through the promotion of your business. How to accomplish this is to communicate to your intended audience and give the information they're seeking. If you're interested in graphic design photography, social media, or even arts, you'll be able to determine a blog niche that's suitable for you.

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

 Create and design an eBook

If you're blogging and writing then this is the next step to follow once you've gained a reputation. It's simpler to market and sell your ebook to people with an interest in your subject You can feel confident in your expertise.

 Learning and Mentoring

A lot of artists and creatives have shared their experience by instructing, coaching, or mentoring via video calls or on websites for teaching. It is unlikely that you are going to start out coaching, but when you're engaged in blogging or teaching it's an option for the next step.

 Works for online Marketplaces or Galleries

The experience you gain will be invaluable by working behind-the-scenes, which involves providing services like curating, selling or marketing artwork.

In addition to making money, you also explore possibilities that you might not have been capable of.

It's a step that you should take if aspiring to get deeper into the art world and not only sell your work.

 work for blogs and magazines

The art of writing, photographing, or conducting art on blogs and the press is a fascinating opportunity to earn money as an artist, but also as also to establish strong relationships and get your name before more potential clients.

If you're having trouble to create the blog or website that you're looking for, we're here to tell that it's not nearly quite as hard as you'd think. What you must do is be a regular user (that is, commenting on blog posts and joining groups online).

A lot of bloggers and webmasters prefer to recruit from their own readers.

 Promote via Social Media

It is possible to earn money as an artist using Instagram and other social media or creating blogs of your own. Whatever channel you choose to promote and present your work on, keep in mind that social media is only one of the methods for marketing and networking, and you do not want to be 100% dependent on it.

Facebook, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are among the top platforms for artists, however it is your responsibility to select the most suitable option for you.

Social media marketing can be a constant job but it's a worthwhile one provided you're willing to invest the time.

 Get ready for a long , long run

It's not a lie about the fact that the way to success doesn't come quick or straightforward. It's a long-term commitment to hard work persistence, perseverance and a strategic approach to make income as an artist however, more and more artists achieve success in earning a livelihood out of this.

Once you start considering your art as a business rather than only a pastime, you will have greater odds of becoming one the fortunate ones!

It is possible to create a long-term income source by being an artist CreativeMindClass.