How to make money as a digital artist- 11 Proven Ways to Make Money as a Digital Artist

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How to make money as a digital artist- 11 best ways to make money as a digital artist

Would you like to make money off of your digital artwork? This post will provide you with some straightforward methods that you can implement to generate income from your artwork.

As a digital artist, you might be looking for ways to monetize your work and make some extra money. 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that given that all of us look for opportunities to generate passive income based on our areas of expertise and passion.

Being an artist and making a living off of your work is not an easy task. 

The path that an artist must traverse in order to earn a living wage from his or her craft is a challenging one. The level of competition within the sector is extremely high.

On the other hand, digital artists now have a much simpler time spreading the word about their work thanks to the internet. 

There are a variety of approaches that one can take in order to achieve financial success with digital arts. 

These strategies will not only result in financial gain for you, but they will also establish you as an authority figure in your field.

In this article, we will talk about these different strategies.

1. Commissions work

Commissions! One of the most common and well-known methods of generating income is by soliciting commissions from customers. 

Clients can purchase “custom orders” from you in the form of commissions, which can include portraits, character designs, logos, promotional graphics, and the list goes on and on. 

It is not very effective because it takes time and constant communication with your clients, but it is a good way to earn some money if you don’t have anything to sell, especially if you are a professional (or not) being commissioned by a company or a large studio, etc.

The majority of artists and hobbyists prefer to work in this manner. 

It entails exhibiting your work on your portfolio site in addition to social media platforms or websites such as Artstation and Deviant art, along with your pricing options and contact information.

Customers who are interested in making a purchase will get in touch with you regarding commission work. 

This is a wonderful supplemental income opportunity. You have the choice of charging based on an hourly rate or a flat rate when selecting this option.

Stats:

According to the findings of the study included in TEFAF’s Annual Art Market Report,

  • The majority of sales are occurring in the middle-market area, which is between $1,000 and $50,000. (US)
  •  New orders on smartphones account for more than 20% of all art sales.
  • Over the course of the past year, sales of online art have risen from $2.75 billion to $3.63 billion.

( SOURCE)

2. Freelancing. Freelancing

Freelancing. Freelancing…. You could say that it involves doing everything that I have listed here, plus some additional things, or some fewer things. 

You could draw for regular people while working a part-time job that involves selling merchandise, you could try to get your artwork displayed in galleries, or you could work for a number of different companies under a contract (this is the professional stuff)… 

Alternatively, you could make going to conventions and selling your work there your full-time occupation by doing either of these things.

Fiverr : Find the ideal Freelance services for your business – use Fiverr to get your next gig.

Find the ideal freelance services for your business

Etsy: You can sell pretty much everything, and you can do so either on your own website or on a host website such as Etsy or Shopify.
The actual merchandise. You have the ability to transform your digital merchandising into physical products. Sell it, have it shipped, and make money. 

It is difficult to work unless you use websites such as redbubble or other similar sites that take care of the manufacturing, shipping, and handling of the products for you. Naturally, in exchange for a percentage of the profits you make.

be a Freelancer on FIVERR

Freelancing Stats:

  • In comparison to working for public companies, freelance artists and designers have a 52% greater chance of finding work at private companies.
  • There are currently over 9,421 people working in the capacity of freelance artists or designers in the United States.
  • Women make up 48.7% of all freelance artist-designers, while men make up 51.3% of the total(SOURCE)

Get your Freelancing gig with Fiverr- Join Fiverr Now as a Freelancer

Pro Tips:

How does one go about establishing themselves as a successful freelance Digital Artist

This information comes from both my own personal experience and that of other illustrators that I am familiar with.

1) Put in a lot of effort to develop your own unique style, also known as your craft. Your ability to stand out from the crowd is what will ultimately bring in the big bucks. Don’t do generic-looking work. 

For example, if a customer brings you an illustration and specifies that they want something else done in the same exact style. Demonstrate to them that… 

A better alternative that fits your personal style. If they are clever, they will try to take what is yours.

2) Don’t be obsessed with becoming famous, successful, or anything else like that. These kinds of objectives are counterproductive to the creative process and will actually reduce your chances of success. Pay attention to your job and how you make a living.

3) Do not perform any actions for no compensation. Check to see that you are being paid in cash or in kind. There are some people who will tell you that if you work on their project, it will help you get more exposure, which will lead to more work. It’s utter nonsense. They say that to all of their customers.

4) The only projects that you work on that don’t pay you should be personal projects that allow you to express your creativity to the fullest.

5) You are required to raise your prices on an annual basis (or bi-yearly). This is known as inflation. If an old customer of yours comes to you and asks for the old rates, you should politely refuse. In most cases, I put them in touch with former interns of mine.

6) Luck/Miracles do happen.. Be sure that you are not overly preoccupied or unable to broaden your perspective in order to recognize the “divine helping hand” when it presents itself.

3. Participate in Design Competitions.

There are a great number of websites where artists compete against one another. In most cases, the demands of the person holding the competition will determine the nature of the competition.

For illustration’s sake, let’s imagine that someone needs a logo for their business. Either he can get in touch with an artist to have work done on commision for him, or he can hire a specialist through sites like Upwork, Fiverr, or Freelancer.

You also have the choice of getting in touch with a design agency. 

At the end of the day, the individual will be provided with approximately five or six different variations of the logo that he desires. After that, he will decide on one of these alternatives.

But what if the individual wants to choose from one hundred, two hundred, or even five hundred different examples? 

Websites such as Design Crowd and Design Contest can be utilized at this point in the process. 

What is required of the person is that they detail their specifications, after which designers will present their concepts. 

The person can then choose the winning design from among the many different designs that have been submitted, and the person who does so will receive the money.

Since artists won’t be required to submit their portfolios, this is an excellent choice for those in the creative industry. In this particular instance, your work will be the one to speak for you.

The prizes for these competitions should ideally fall somewhere in the range of $1,600,  $2,200. It could also be more dependent on the company as well as the type of design that is being worked on.

Because you are directly competing with other users on these websites, the level of competition can be severe and challenging. This is one of the sites’ drawbacks.

4.Sell Digital Prints

It has never been simpler to sell prints online than it is in this age of digital technology. 

Assuming for the moment that an artist is interested in selling their work, the difficulties associated with shipping and delivery may dissuade them from doing so. 

Nevertheless, you shouldn’t be concerned about this any longer.

There are a number of websites that are dedicated to completing tasks similar to this one. 

When you’re an artist, all you have to do is focus on producing the highest quality work; you don’t have to stress about how to sell it to customers.

In addition to the fact that the websites have reasonable prices, users will also find that they are simple and uncomplicated to navigate. Zazzle, DeviantArt, Redbubble, Etsy.com, and InPrnt are among the sites that are included.

When it comes to generating an income from the sale of artworks online, it can be difficult to know where to begin for an artist who is just beginning their career in the art market. A new artist who wants to sell their work online must first establish which kind of art are marketable. After that, conduct research on the potential clients and customers in order to develop art that is tailored precisely to them.

Artmellows

5.Creative Market is the Place to Sell Your Artwork.

On the platform known as Creative Market, you are only able to sell digital works of art. You will be able to target potential customers for your work with the assistance of the platform.

On Creative Market, you can sell a wide variety of products. Clip art, WordPress themes, a stock photography business, as well as premade logos, templates, fonts, illustrations, branding kits, and lightroom presets are a few of the things that fall under this category.

The fact that Creative Market only deals in United States dollars is the primary drawback to using it. 

This may present a challenge for companies that do not have their business registered in the United States. Additionally, a 40% commission fee is added to each sale made through the platform.

Join Creative Market and get 20% off membership.. click here to access your discount

Turn your creative passion into a money-making opportunity

Join the world-class design marketplace that connects amazing creators like you with a community including millions of potential customers. Open a shop at Creative Market 

Creative Market Membership-Join now to save big on design assets

Creative Market membership  Get 20% off your membership

Resources:

Check out the Comprehensive List  of  Digital Resources needed to Start your Digital Art & Digital Sculpt Journey:

6.You can make money from stock image websites by selling your digital artwork and Images

Selling your digital artwork as stock images is one of the most straightforward ways to generate side income from your creative endeavours. 

This is a fantastic plan because it will prevent your artwork from gathering cobwebs on your computer and will instead put it to use earning money for you. 

After the sale of each piece of artwork, you will be entitled to a predetermined sum of money.

Therefore, if you have any artwork that you made in the past while practising, you can upload them to websites that sell stock images in order to benefit from your hard work.

In terms of financial gain, you probably shouldn’t count on them to provide you with enough money to support you full-time, but they are useful for supplementing the income you get from your primary source.

Also read: 

7.You can make money off of eCommerce websites by selling vector designs.

You can generate income from vector designs by using online shopping cart software like Sellfy, and Gumroad, etc provided that you are skilled in the art of graphic design.

You can sell a wide variety of digital artworks on this website, such as character designs, icon packs, illustrations, and logo designs, amongst other things. 

On this platform, you can also sell digital products such as ebooks, knitting patterns, and music.

8.Coach Art Enthusiastic Students

Coaching others on how to create digital art is another way for you to monetize your skills and get an income from them. 

There is a demand for people who can teach digital art, and it is anticipated that this demand will continue to expand. 

You may be able to apply for a position as an art instructor at a college if you have the necessary experience and qualifications.

The remuneration is contingent not just on the university or institution but also on the location. Additionally, you are able to organise your painting classes.

A career as a digital art coach offers a number of benefits not available to employees of traditional businesses. 

You, for example, will have a great deal of leeway to express your creative side. Since you have a set schedule, you do not need to be concerned about working extra hours. 

In addition to this, you will feel fulfilled in your work.

Here is the list of Online websites You can sell Online Courses

9. Create & Sell Digital products

Digital products are the easiest way to make money with digital art online. 

Examples of Digital Art Products:

  • Procreate Brushes
  • Nomad Sculpt Brushes
  • Adobe Photoshop Brushes
  • 3D Sculpt files for 3D printing

Selling digital art or Digital products online is usually the cornerstone to earning a passive income online, outside of print-on-demand services and direct marketing which does not usually apply to art-based products.

Digital artists can make anywhere from $100 to $80,000 or even more! It all comes down to how much the individual is willing to invest in the work and what the customers want.

10. Sell Your Digital Sculpts & Digital Art On Gumroad

If you are a digital Sculptor and Digital artist like me, You’d love to sell your Digital Sculpt files ( made with Nomad Sculpt or with ZBrush ) Online with  Gumroad.

I have sold some of My procreate Brushes via gumroad.

I have sold 50+ of My creations and 5000+ sales online using Gumroad.

Digital Sculpts for 3D Printing:

Digital model sculpting for 3D printing is becoming increasingly popular among artists because it offers a powerful way to create fully customizable 3D objects in a virtual environment. 

This has contributed to the rise in popularity of digital model sculpting for 3D printing.

In addition to being printed via 3D technology to create real-world items like sunglasses and keychains, three-dimensional models are employed in a wide variety of media, such as television and video games.

This article will teach you what 3D modeling for printing is, the tools you’ll need, and how you can get started creating your own 3D sculptures on your own.

Why Would You Want to Print a 3D Sculpture?

It takes years of effort and expertise to acquire the necessary sculpting talents. 3D printing can save time by allowing an artist to make a work of art from a computer using a 3D sculpture, drawing, or photograph.

Another significant advantage of 3D printing sculptures is the capacity to fix design errors, should they occur. For instance, if you 3D print a sculpture and uncover design defects, you can fix them on a computer and then re-print the sculpture.

Moreover, storing traditional sculpting materials can be challenging for an artist. 3D printers and the raw materials they need require minimum storage space.

What Software do 3D Sculptors Utilize?

Even for beginners, there are a variety of 3D modelling possibilities available. Below, you’ll find a variety of free and paid programmes from which to choose the one that best suits your needs:

If you are a novice or intermediate or a Pro 3D sculptor, Nomad Sculpt is an excellent place to begin. In addition, this software is optimised for iPads, allowing you to create on the go.

Zbrush: As one of the most widely used 3D sculpting tools in the industry, Zbrush enables the creation of incredibly realistic and intricate models.

Zbrush Core Mini: This free version of Zbrush has limited functionality, but is an excellent method for novices to become familiar with the programme.

Mudbox is a digital 3D sculpting and painting programme that enables you to build intricate characters, add finishing touches to your models, and create stunning surroundings. Mudbox provides a free trial so that you can experience it before purchasing.

Start selling on GumRoad

Resources:

Check out the Comprehensive List  of  Digital Resources needed to Start your Digital Art & Digital Sculpt Journey:

About the Author:

Manny Acharya is the co-founder of Artmellows. Your Goto place for Design, Digital Art, Digital sculpting, Photography, Tools & Gears Info, and Product Reviews. Manny is a Digital Artist, 3D Sculpt Designer, Ardent Photography, Drone flying Enthusiast & Tech Lover. He supercharges Digital Art & Design by crafting memorable 3d Sculpts & 2D Design & Art.

PS: Manny has created a Beginner Friedly ebook to Learn Nomad 3d Sculpt App. Know More about the eBook. Know more about Manny

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