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Different Art Business Ideas to Help Supplement Your Income
Do you have a creative mind and enjoy working on different projects? If you do, you already have the mindset of a successful creative entrepreneur.
Whether you enjoy painting, drawing, woodworking, photography, pottery, making jewelry, or even designing website logos, you have what it takes to build a thriving business centered around your creative skills.
Many artists are making a decent income by selling products and services online. The people who are making a living from their creativity are the ones who implement several art marketing ideas daily.
Some projects take much effort, while other strategies are on autopilot.
In this post, you will discover multiple business ideas related to art.
Go through the list to see which ideas will help you earn more money from your creativity this year.
17 Art Business Ideas
- Sell Prints
- Art Licensing
- Commissioned Work
- Greeting Cards
- Home Decor Painter
- Christmas Decorations
- Graphic Artist
- Website Designer
- Art Consultant
- Art Classes
- Video Art Tutorials
- eBooks
- Monetize Blog
- Monetize YouTube
- Use Other Mediums
- Design T-Shirts
- Airbrushing
Sell Art Prints
An easy way to generate extra income is by selling prints of your original paintings and drawings.
Many artists are still generating an income from a painting that sold years ago.
You have the option to sell a limited edition or open edition reproduction.
How to have prints made of your artwork:
- Local print shop
- Print-on-demand service
- Print at home
To read more visit How To Sell Prints Online And Make Money.
Art Licensing
Art Licensing is when you allow a company to print your art on the merchandise they sell.
When you go to a store and see art on t-shirts, mugs, calendars, or even prints, you are looking at art from an artist who licensed their artwork.
For more about licensing, read Licensing Artwork: Key Issues by smallbusiness.findlaw.com
Another way to earn income from a painting is to rent your artwork to local shops, restaurants, or even hospitals.
To read more visit Art Rental Services – Where To Rent Your Art.
Commissioned Work
An excellent way to start earning some extra income is by offering commissioned work.
Commissioned portraits and animals have always done well for artists.
Think outside of the box. You could do commissioned work of homes, special vacation places, or even cars. The choices are endless.
When a person commissions a project, you are guaranteed to earn money, unlike waiting for someone to purchase an original painting.
To learn more visit:
- Commission Artwork – Best Selling Strategies
- How To Write A Contract For Commissioned Artwork
Greeting Cards
People love to give and receive greeting cards.
There has been a decline in greeting cards starting in 2013; however, people enjoy giving unique greeting cards from their favorite artists.
You have the option of selling prints of your original artwork on greeting cards or creating original one-of-a-kind hand-painted greeting cards.
To read more visit, Printing Greeting Cards To Sell (Complete Guide).
Home Décor Painter
In the early 2000’s I did very well with custom hand-painted signs.
I offered over 200 sayings and over 50 color choices.
If you enjoy painting sayings on wood, you can earn some good money at local craft fairs and even on your artist’s website.
Some artists also supplement their income by painting on furniture or walls.
Christmas Decorations
There is work to be found as a graphic artist.
If you enjoy creating digital art, logos, web designs, or even social media templates, marketing yourself as a graphic designer can be a rewarding career for you.
Graphic Artist
There is work to be found as a graphic artist. You can find work for magazines, websites, or even videos. eBooks are becoming very popular. You could design eBook covers.
Website Designer
The best website designs have an artist’s touch.
Designing the layout and colors for big or small business websites can be a lucrative career.
To get started, try building a following on Fiverr.
New businesses are starting a website every day, looking for a website designer.
Art Consultant
Many people do not purchase art because they do not know what they are looking for or are afraid the painting will not go with their décor.
You could help people or local businesses invest in the perfect artwork for their decor style.
Art Classes
Many artists provide art classes or one-on-one tutorials.
If you enjoy teaching other artists how to paint or draw, providing online group classes or one-on-one sessions is a great way to earn extra income.
Video Art Tutorials
Videos are becoming more and more popular, thanks to YouTube.
Share snippets of you teaching how to paint or draw on YouTube and direct them to where you sell the full tutorial.
Platforms like Thinkific make it easy to create and sell online courses.
eBooks
It is easy now for anyone to write and sell ebooks online.
You can upload your ebook to Amazon or even sell them as a downloadable eBook from your website.
Monetize Blog
There are many ways you can monetize your blog. You can provide ads, banners, affiliate links, provide a service, or even sell products.
Your blog is a valuable space. Take advantage of all the opportunities you have right in front of you.
If you want ads on your site, I recommend Monumetrics.
Monumetrics has a group fo people who will work with you to earn the most money you can from ads. I know people making a full-time income with ads on their blog.
Monetize YouTube
More people are watching YouTube videos than television shows in America.
The number of videos uploaded in one day would take fifty years to watch. Videos are the new TV. Get on the wagon before you regret you didn’t.
YouTube allows you to monetize your videos.
You can generate some revenue by creating videos that will help you build brand awareness. That is a win-win situation.
Use Other Mediums
Maybe you can try to use different mediums to attract a more massive crowd.
Or even paint or draw a diverse subject you are not known for. Try something new and see if it works for you.
Design T-shirts
I have met a few people that have done very well designing T-shirts.
Today you can create and sell them on third-party websites.
Print-on-demand services like Printful allow you to upload t-shirt designs, and when a shirt is sold, they will fulfill the order and ship the product directly to the buyer.
There are no upfront costs to you, and you get to decide how much money you would like to earn for each sale.
Airbrushing
If you want to try something new, try airbrushing.
Airbrush artists always do well at craft fairs or local events.
Final Thoughts On Art Business Ideas
There are so many ways for you to generate income from doing something you love. If your passion is to paint original paintings, but you need some extra revenue while you are waiting for sales, think of different ways you can generate revenue. What can you create that people would love to have in their homes?
What do you do to supplement your income? Do you have any art business ideas you would like to share? I would love to add it to this list to help all the other artists.
More Art Business Ideas
Below are some more ways you can earn money from your creative side.
- Jewelry maker
- Wedding Photographer
- Portrait Photographer
- Mobile app designer
- Landscape designer
- Caricature artist
- Tattoo artist
- Cake or cupcake decorator
- Woodworking
- Quilting
- Calligrapher
- Illustrator