Are you trying to find different ways an artist can supplement their income?
Would you like to generate extra income while waiting for your original art to sell?
We have some great news we are going to share with you.
There are multiple creative ways to make money besides art sales alone.
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Different Ways An Artist Can Supplement Their Income
Trying to make a living as an artist can be a risky career if you only rely on the sales of your original artwork.
First, you would have to create enough art to support your salary, and second, you will need to sell every piece you created in a timely fashion.
The good news is that artists can supplement their income in many ways.
All you have to do is set up several different income streams that relate to your artistic skills, and you can have income rolling in while you are waiting for your original art to sell.
Below are numerous different ways you can earn extra money as an artist.
Artist Website
The first tip I would like to talk about might sound obvious, but it is important to mention.
If you plan to start an art business, you will want to strongly consider building a website.
Your artist website will be your online gallery and portfolio, where people can view and purchase all of your artwork.
Many artists and other online business build their websites using WordPress.
According to Matt Mansfield, 60.4 percent of all the current online websites built using site builders were built using WordPress.
WordPress is a powerful software that allows you to easily build a professional website in just a few minutes.
If you can build a Facebook business page, you can build a WordPress website.
Benefits of WordPress:
- User friendly
- Manage your website from any computer
- No HTML or FTP software required
- SEO optimized
- You have total control of the look and feel of your site
- 100% customizable design
- A blog and e-commerce solution all in one
- Your website can grow as your business grows
- Social media share buttons
Your artist website will allow you to promote all the different products and services your art business offers. You can also brand your site so you can easily separate yourself from other artists selling art online.
For example, my website was built to help artists like you build a successful online art business while promoting and selling my artwork.
How To Launch An Artist WordPress Site With BlueHost
Launching an artist’s WordPress site has never been easier.
First, visit BlueHost and pick which plan works best for your goals.
Pick a domain name for your artist’s website.
Related Post: How to Choose a Perfect Artist Domain Name
The next step is to fill out your account information and confirm what package you would like to enroll in.
The next step is to fill out your billing information and create a password for your account.
Once you have completed that, it will be time to pick a theme for your new artist website.
Congratulations, you are a new owner of an online website where you will be able to sell your artwork.
Build your online website easily with BlueHost.
We use premium StudioPress Themes for my site. Thousands of free and premium themes are available, and each will provide different functions.
We strongly suggest using a premium theme over a free theme for security purposes, and you will be able to brand your theme precisely the way you envision.
WordPress Tutorials
- How To Add WooCommerce WordPress Categories
- How To Install WooCommerce On A WordPress Artist Website
- Why Artist Websites Should Be Built On WordPress
- Social Warfare Review – The Ultimate Social Sharing WordPress Plugin
- WordPress Categories And Tags
- WordPress SEO Plugins
- WordPress Visibility Settings
- WordPress Themes
- How To Manage Plugins In WordPress
- How To Manage Menue In WordPress
- How To Manage Widgets On WordPress
- How To Insert Links On WordPress Blog Posts
- How To Manage Comments On WordPress
- How To Embed YouTube Videos On WordPress
- How To Upload And Install Media On WordPress
- How To Create A WordPress Category
- WordPress Discussion Setting
- WordPress Page Options
- WordPress Post Options
- WordPress Permalink Settings
- WordPress Writing Settings
- How To Install Social Warfare On WordPress Art Blogs
- WordPress Reading Settings
- WordPress General Settings
- WordPress Dashboard Basics
- What Do I Do After Installing WordPress
- How To Optimize And Hide Pinterest Images In A WordPress Post
- Best Email Opt-in Plugins For Artist WordPress Websites
- How To Install A Favicon In WordPress Art Blogs
- How To Add Links In WordPress Artist Blogs
- How To Protect Your Art Images On WordPress
- 2 Ways To Embed YouTube Videos On WordPress
- What Are WordPress Plugins And How To Install Them
- How To Revise Posts In WordPress
- How To Display Categories In WordPress
- How To Add Categories In WordPress
- Post vs Page WordPress Art Blog What Artists Need To Know
- How To Schedule Posts In WordPress
- How To Insert Images In WordPress
- How To Write A Blog Post In WordPress
- How To Install Premium Themes To WordPress
- How To Configure WordPress Settings
- How To Change Permalinks In WordPress
- Installing WordPress Step By Step
- How To Add RSS Feed To A WordPress Blog
Related Resource:
WordPress SEO Basics
Earn Money Blogging
Your blog posts will be the fuel that drives a tremendous amount of traffic to your website.
Your blog posts aim to drive potential buyers to your website so they will see your artwork and make a purchase.
Did you know you can earn a lot of money by placing ads on your blog posts?
You see it all the time. Most blog posts you read have ads on them, and the person who owns the blog posts is earning money just by you seeing them or clicking on the ads.
You might have heard of Google ads, but I want to tell you of a better solution.
We started using Monumetric to monetize our website and could not be happier.
Monumetric has a team of people who work with you and maximize your earnings with ad placements.
Monetizing your blog posts with Monumetric is a great way to earn some extra money.
Third-Party Platforms
Third-Party platforms offer another way for artists to sell art online instead of building and owning a website.
The difference between using WordPress or a Third-Party Platform:
- Many Third-Party sites have a monthly fee.
- WordPress is free software. (WordPress does require you to purchase a domain name and hosting)
- Third-Party platforms have limited themes and features.
- There are thousands of themes and plugins created for WordPress, making it easy for you to customize the functions and look of the site.
- You will own your WordPress artist website and have total control of the content published on your site and the look of your site.
- Third-Party sites have specific rules you will have to follow, or you will increase the chance of having your membership canceled.
- WordPress makes it easy for you to create a unique brand that will separate you from the other artists selling art online.
- You are limited to what you can do on a third-party platform.
Related Resource:
Create an Artist Brand Workbook
Art Blog Hosted vs Self-Hosted Site
Below Are some examples of Third-Party Websites:
eBay – eBay is an auction site where people can bid on your art or have the option to do a “Buy Now.”
Amazon – Amazon now allows artists to sell their original art.
Etsy – Etsy was created for artists to sell original artwork and crafts. Now Etsy is allowing prints of artwork to be listed for sale.
Visit 15 Places to Sell Art Online and Make Money for more platforms you can sell your original art online.
Shopify – Shopify allows you to build an eCommerce site.
Commission Work
An artist’s website is not only for selling original artwork online. If you have built a WordPress artist website, you will have more options than you could have ever thought possible, and offering commission work is just the beginning.
Commission work is when a buyer hires an artist to create something unique for them.
The customer will tell the artist what they are looking for and provide reference photos for the artist to work with.
Many people commission artists for portraits, pet portraits, or even places they have visited.
The benefit of offering commissioned work is that you are guaranteed to earn money from the piece you are creating.
Some original art can stay in storage for years but commissioned work is sold once the paint dries.
We know some artists who find it difficult and stressful to work with clients during a project.
You will have to decide if commission work is something you will enjoy doing.
Art Licensing
Art licensing is when you sell the rights to your artwork to companies, and they provide your work on merchandise. Before you start licensing your art, do your homework and learn everything there is to know.
Print On Demand Sites
Print-on-demand sites provide an easy way to sell prints of your artwork and merchandise with your art on it, such as shirts, mugs, etc.
Offering prints of your original artwork will allow you to continue making money from art you have already sold.
Popular Print On Demand Sites:
If you are interested in selling prints of your work and do not want the hassle of shipping and keeping an inventory on hand, above are just a few print-on-demand sites available for artists.
The commission you will receive will depend on what site you work with.
Take a look at all of them to see what the best fit is for your art business.
If you have a website or are selling your art on Etsy, we recommend using Printful.
Related Post:
How To Sell Art Prints On Etsy With Printful
It is important to know that you will have to market your products if you want any chance of making money from POD services.
Related Posts:
POD Websites How To Increase Art Sales
Teach Art Classes
Another great way for you to earn some extra income is by teaching art classes.
You can teach group classes, one-on-one classes, or online tutorials.
Some artists who built a large online following earn extra income from YouTube ads.
Write an eBook
Writing an eBook is an alternative way for you to teach your artistic skills.
It is easy to self-publish eBooks on Amazon, or if you have a WordPress website, you can sell them as digital downloads.
Related Post:
How To Install WooCommerce On A WordPress Artist Website
How To Make Money As An Artist
As you can see, there are many ways you can earn money from your artistic skills. All you have to do is think outside of the box.
Below are some more options you have:
- Join affiliate programs for art supplies, frames, etc.
- Online art courses
- Become a virtual assistant for Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram marketing
- Create templates for Tatoo artists
- Host art shows
- Photography
- Photograph artists artwork
- Build websites
- Design logos
- Write and sell articles
- Sell stock design
- Graphic Designer
The above is just a shortlist of how you can supplement your income.
Conclusion:
How Do Artists Make Money?
Successful artists have a clear vision of what they want to achieve, and every art marketing strategy they design compliments their goals.
Artists who fail are the ones who do not know what they are working for, and they throw things against the wall, hoping they will stick.
The art world has changed over the past 10-15 years.
Visual artists can now promote their work on a blog posts, share their art on social media, and create multiple revenue streams.
Think about all of the possibilities you have as an artist.
You can sell your art at craft fairs and to people worldwide with your artist website.
The possibilities are endless.
Related Posts:
What You Need to Know to Start an Online Art Website
How To Make Money With Art Skills
9 Different Ways Artists Can Diversify Their Income Streams
How You Can Make Money Being an Artist
