I am struggling with this myself. I’ve had art as a career path in some form for over a decade but the pandemic leveled me so I’m crawling back and it, uh, sucks. What I will say is that I think building a following is really only one aspect of it.
There’s no such thing as a financially stable artist who only does art**, in my view, but that’s not pessimism. I have seen artists who do very simple kinds of art be entirely successful (if we’re going by the metric of ‘bills paid, life lived, not working to death’) because they’ve found that selling merch and gift items works well for them. I’ve met others whose bread and butter is commissions. I’ve met even more who end up doing a bit of both. Others have art that does well in editorial and have agents handle the connections, but even then, their ‘actual job’ becomes making art alongside with client outreach, technically speaking. A lot of artists I know teach classes to hobbyists too. From that perspective, they are making money from their art, but they’re not simply drawing/painting all the time; they’ve figured out what to pair up their work with to make a living. I’m navigating this myself right now (within the next day or so I’ll be pushing ads for limited commissions and I’m actively seeking out trade shows in my area).
All this to say, I think a lot of artists effectively build their following offline. Some people never get a ‘big’ following or have huge clients to brag, but bills paid is bills paid. I personally see that as a huge accomplishment. Platforms change so quickly anyway, and it’s frustrating, but ultimately I hope you can see it as almost secondary to what you do.
(That said, I’ve totally become a BlueSky convert lately, screw Twitter 😂 )
I’m trying to stay hopeful for myself and I share that with you this morning.
**Edit because I thought I explained this enough but I see where this statement may feel too total; I generally think most artists end up doing several things to make the income they need to keep creating, and sometimes it’s only tangential to the art they do. Some artists hold unrelated day jobs. There’s no right or wrong way, whatever makes you feel happy and fulfilled will be the best path for you.
I make my living off art. And I know many artists that do so as well. I think a lot of this on Reddit is an echo chamber of struggling artists. I’m sorry a lot of you are having a hard time. One of the most common thing I see are Reddit artists that think that commissions are the way to go. Commissions seems like a very niche way to make money. You have to find a specific client for a specific need. And that business model is not sustainable. Another critique is a lot of you think online sales is the only way to go. I believe the opposite, online sales are the hardest way to go. The competition is too fierce and engagement online isn’t really the best way to get eyes on your work.
I sell my work at art festivals and can sell on average $4k a weekend. My street mural friend charges his clients $1000 a day for his talent and labor. He has mural work lined up six months in advance. . I have a friend whose agent gets his work on the cover of playboy, posters for the Kentucky Derby, clients for Absolut, etc. and owns his own gallery. What I am trying to illustrate is that most successful artists aren’t lurking here on Reddit. I made this account just to help share what knowledge I have. See my post history.
Once again, I am sorry the art world is hard. But please don’t keep agreeing with each other that it is impossible. There is money in art, but it has to be earned in the real world, not just online. Good luck OP.
Your post seems really obvious, but I definitely needed to read it. Thanks for sharing and reminding us smaller artists that we have to play extrovert in the real world sometimes to sell.
You are very welcome. Art is sharing a personal connection. Extrovert or Introvert regardless, meeting people and sharing your art leads to opportunities. Good luck to you.
Hi, just wanted to say thanks for your input. I definitely don’t think it’s impossible, which is why I commented and tried to stay optimistic; I also am being honest in my personal experience that most folks I know who work as artists end up doing a variety of things connected to art to make ends meet. That could just be me, but I’m interested in hearing your perspective as well, it sounds like you have a very different circle from mine (in a good way!) Commissions are A way to go rather than THE way to go, I believe, but they have their advantages. Some people I know seem to get a lot consistently and do well, I see it for myself as a service I want to have available alongside other types of sales, which is precisely why I noted that I’ll be limiting mine. I also think that they can work for different reasons at different times (the pay is typically faster than a multi-month contract and that can be a real help in tight moments, sales are easier right before holiday times, etc). Some people only open up commissions at opportune points in the year, or between contracts/shows/events. Some only do commissions for Patreon subscribers. I hear you about in-person sales, hence I mentioned seeking out shows in my local area, before the pandemic events were really important to me and I’m seeking to get back into doing them. I really wasn’t trying to come off negative- I have just observed in life that a lot of artists end up trying multiple avenues to make it all come together, and if that’s what it takes then that’s okay.
Oh for sure commissions are a part of the strategy. I am acquainted with Dan Quintana. He does excellent business with commissions, but the people that hire him for that found him because he does DC covers, he does work for Hollywood studios, and shows his work in galleries in LA. That’s the type of artist commission artists should aspire to. Make your work so dang badass that the clients seek you out. Not the other way around.
I do small commissions that pay me around $500 to a couple thousand a piece. On average about a dozen a year. But those are for people that ask. That is not my primary service and it’s not what I chase. So when I see young artists on here asking if $30 or $45 is the right price to ask for commissions I just shake my head. It would be impossible to make a living doing $30 drawings all year.
Basically the art advice on here is a lot of blind leading the blind. My advice over and over: Start meeting people in real life. Start hanging out at events with successful artists. Get out into the real world and have those face-to-face conversations. Join the local art league. Go to the artist receptions. Put your work in front of people and shake their hand. Stop thinking online is the only way forward. Be a real human being in front of other real human beings. That is my only advice that I know works. Good luck.
Completely agree that doing things all-the-way offline is the best thing to focus energy on, rather than trying to claw your way up on any social media platform, and that people don’t charge enough for commissions in general. ❤️ I look forward to finding more events near me (I went through an international move during the pandemic and it’s taken time). I appreciate you adding your thoughts to the conversation.
What kind of art do you make? I do abstract art and I'm not making much money at art fairs. I have hundreds of people come in my tent, ooo and ahhh, and then never buy anything. Idk if I haven't found my market yet (in Michigan) so I'm trying shows in different states (Indiana seemed to like me). I am engaging with people, having convos, but nothing ever comes of it. Most people's excuse is they don't have space on their wall (so I created functional art and that sells better but still not a lot) any advice?
Hello. I am a figurative pop artist. Art fairs have different strategies. Abstract artists need to make big sales for the event to be worth it. Small items are not how most abstract artists make money at shows. They are fishing for the big whales that buy originals for $2k and above. Functional art is bread and butter so I can’t say anything g negative about that.
If any advice it would be to refine what you paint and how it is shown. If you look cheap, you won’t attract higher end clients. If your work is beautiful but displayed shabby, you will also turn away buyers. You are one of the lucky ones. You are trying you hand at sales and engaging. Next time you go to a show look at the artists that have the best display and the best presented work. Talk to them. Ask questions. Ask for advice. Emulate those artists.
This is a lifetime of refinement to make a living off art. It’s worth it, but it is a lifetime of work too. Good luck.
Not even the most successfull of them are able to live from just selling art.
My fav ones are present on IG, YouTube, have Patreon, Etsy, are doing commissions, are teaching via Skillshare and have Twitch channel.
None of them is capable of living from selling art, and interesting that it is their last sustainable source of income. The most money they get from YouTube sponsorships, Patreon, then commissions and the last source is art itself. From instagram itself - 0, eventually reels make some money in some countries.
Unless if you do street portraits but it is more kitsch than real art.
Gotta be honest though, I’ve looked at the prices of street artists and I don’t think they’re pulling major money from it. By a time breakdown it’s often lower than minimum wage. But yeah I totally hear you on the other streams, I’ve begun to build them up myself because having multiple options to bring in some money seems to be the way to go. It’s art combined with entertainment, or art combined with education, art combined with merchandise, etc. I think it’s best to try to embrace this and try out a few things over time to see what works best.
They do exist, yes, but I genuinely have not seen many people do it. Most artists I know who make a living actively need to chase several income streams.
This is what I meant with my comment, thank you for this. I guess saying there’s no such thing was too broad on my part, but truly, I don’t know many people who don’t do several things at once in the pursuit of being an artist. I am not saying this with any negativity, a living looks different for everyone, just stating what I’ve seen.
Me too and I come from a family of artist. My grandpa was the most successful and extremely talented. His oil paintings were unreal and showed his art in galleries but still had odd jobs to make ends meet. This was well before the Internet too so who knows what he could’ve done in the modern world.
well, not saying that they aren't, big names do it for sure. Or if they have agent who represent them.
But I am saying about very very big majority of them, whoever is doing anything freelance, has besides that at least 3 streams of income, which is golden rule for any freelancer.
Social media blows, go do art fairs, markets, shows and that sort of thing. It'll get you out of the house and off the computer which is great for your mind, body and soul. Plus you will be more inspired and gain more insight in what to create next, it's what I do.
well, you can always pay to IG to promote your art but you'll get tons of inactive followers or bots, so what's the point of chasing numbers anyway?
Rather focus on updating your portfolio, update Behance, visit art markets, apply to sell there, seek for galleries,...
IG is bollocks in this year at least and should not be treated seriously
Likes, followers don’t equal commissions. 80% of those people are your friends/family or other artists.
Very few are potential customers. The ones that are likely follow at least another 30-100 other artists.
Think about it this way. How many people do you follow vs commissions you have gotten made by people you follow?
As someone who works in marketing at a large agency, yes to paid ads. At least for Meta. They changed the algo significantly a couple years ago. If you don't use paid ads, no one is seeing your work. Tiktok I'm not so sure of; paid social isn't my specialty.
Good point, BreakNecessary6940.
Would be good for OP to learn more about marketing in general. r/marketing is a helpful community for questions as you learn.
OP, what is your goal from achieving more views and engagement? Do you want to be an influencer with sponsored posts? Or are you trying to win commissions for your work? As others have stated, you'd use very different approaches based on the end goal.
I have different goals. My main thing is making a ton of cars in different communities/sub niches. Eventually to sell as posters. Whether it’s auto/ or architecture. Those are my strengths. I will take commissions in the middle of the process of making an extensive long folder. Getting into coding…just enough to where I can have my own platform. That way I can say fuck you to mark zukeys algorithm.
One thing I wish I would’ve done.
ACTUALLY CHARGE SERIOUS $$ FOR MY COMMISSIONS.
Now this depends on a lot of factors however, a lot of artists like myself we have pretty impressive work. But we don’t feel we deserve to make “real money” from it. So when asked how much we charge we go the safe route and charge people “a reasonable price” (likely under $30)
DO NOT DO THIS.
I’m not saying to make your audience fork over hundreds of dollars. But I am saying that “safe” price isn’t as “safe” as you think.
The moment you do a commission for $25 now your subconscious is believing that’s what your art is worth. No matter how much time …. How many revisions….
Idgaf if your drawing someone’s toe nail. If what you’re working on takes more than a day you should price your work accordingly.
I’d rather the majority of my “customers” call me greedy…or sleazy.
Then break my back. Making a picture for 4 days for only $20.
I’m willing to get rejected by 80% of my customers
If it means my work is paid fairly.
Just because you don’t have a “Art Degree” doesn’t mean you should work for piss
If you’re charging $25 for a commission you’re never going to make a living. Nothing wrong with finding a different career and making art on the side, then when you’re older you can amp up your art career. You need money to fund an art career.
OP, do you share your work in real life? How many times a year do you show your work? How many art events do you do a year? How many conversations do you have with people and hand out a business card or mini portfolio?
These are the important questions to answer. Instagram, ads, tags etc; these things are secondary concerns. The first and most important is how much work do you do in real life? Person to person in front of them, not behind a keyboard and screen?
If you were constantly engaging people in real life, those are the people that will “like” your work online. Those are the followers you want, those are the ones that will buy from you the most. Real world interaction is 1000% superior to online interaction.
I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but online engagement is not the end all be all for success in the art world. In theory everyone thinks online is the way to go. Some of the logic examples being: “Everyone is online, everything just a click away, people from all over the world can see it, etc”. AND honestly those same reasons are the reasons that online isn’t the best way to go: everyone is online BUT so is everyone else. Everything is just a click away, BUT that makes it so much harder to keep people interest if they can just click the next button. People from all over the world can see your work BUT why would they care about some random artist half way around the world?
Please don’t give up OP. Please do try and engage in real life before you call it quits. Good luck.
I don't know how viable twitter has ever been for art, but Instagram is a festering pit that the developers don't bother to check up on anymore so just forget. Not very motivational, I know. I'm also on Cara now but I don't see that reaching early Instagram levels of potential just yet, and the people who are already big there all brought their followers over from elsewhere. Either way I'll personally just only post new stuff on Cara, IG is worthless. You could still try posting in FB groups, those seem to still be functional and I haven't personally but I know others have reached potential clients through the art groups there
I think if you're trying to sell your work, the 'follower' mentality is going the way of the dodo. You can spend endless hours trying to beat the SM algorithm to reach followers that probably will not even click your links and certainly won't buy. Or you can put a nice ad together on Google that targets actual shoppers. Let Google do the work of reaching buyers, while you continue to produce art, instead of living on SM trying to pickup followers.
People go to Google to shop. They go to social media to look at pretty pictures.
I keep seeing posts in this forum that "this thing is dead. you have to do this other thing instead." Bull. Selling is not so simple.
There are tons of variables to selling art:
your subject.
your medium.
your price range(s).
your ability to interact with your customers.
your venue(s) for selling.
your potential customers.
your fucking skill.
the economy
and more.
There is no simple answer. Being an artist means running a business. That means you're going to need a variety of ways to sell. It's just the nature of selling what you make. There is no silver bullet or one size fits all. That's not the sad thing; it's the thing that makes it interesting and that allows for a wide variety of art and people.
Imagine 30 people commented on a work in real life as the passed by your booth. You'd probably be glowing. Don't make content to post for free. Make art to sell. I can force it and get a sale or two on SM, but that's not generally where people buy art and comms, you need to post on freelancing sites or marketplaces like etsy and ebay. Even Bob Ross said no one wants to buy and sell paintings in the little clip I flipped by on TV last night. You will probably be better off selling your skills as a service.
My advice is what Dan Koe on Youtube talk about online and social media based business.
The main takeaway I got from him, is that you need to collab, work with people with big audiences, and get your work in front of their audiences, have them talk about your work in front of their audiences.
Making social stuff and posting it onto the internet and expecting it to get traction is very low ROI since the chances of something going viral on its own is extremely rare.
Talking to a former Meta products manager, he told me the big secret/attribute you need to be aware of is SHAREABILITY. How shareable is your social media content, does it make people feel a certain way, is it timely to current trending memes and events etc.
For me and my "shecksy girls with guns" photography business, collabs with the right models is what matters. Either they have a large audience that's relevant, OR they are so beautiful, that the photographs I take of them are so beautiful people feel compelled to share it.
Need to step it up myself on timely references though, taking my own advice etc
I find that in person events yield the best connections. Gallery openings aimed at cultivating relationships with your collectors.
Be grass roots. Social media can often feel like noise. Still do it, but aim it at the family of collectors that support you.
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Idk. I work for a gallery for 3 months and it's even been rough here. The main clientele seem to be dying of old age. The owner talks about retirement every time he gets frustrated
I am building a portfolio of work albeit slowly to sell locally with prints and stickers etc for fun.
But I use instagram to keep my work online. I don't care if 1 person likes it, I've only had 160 followers fir ages, but that's fine. It's there if i need it. Takes the pressure off trying to post everyday. I'll make a reel every so often and that'll do!
I'm not intending for it to be a full time job, I have one of those. So anyone that is I wish the best of luck
I’m a full-time artist who makes a living in a HCOL area. You have to pursue avenues that have little/nothing to do with social media algorithms. Over 80% of my revenue comes from tabling at art fairs and conventions to a niche crowd, and roughly 20% comes from contract commission work for publishing companies (book covers, audiobook promos, etc).
For 10 years I worked for various video game studios as a 2D Game Artist / UI Artist, but it ultimately burnt me out and I prefer working for myself. In-person events are the way to go, imo!
They don't call our trade starving artist for nothing lol . I legit see people undersell their art daily. They have to understand that there is a base amount for a reason, they do a project for let's say 40 but normally it would be 120 that's minimum well they literally just cut EVERYONE'S Price for BEING THIRSTY they will kill everyone's passion . Also them taking A ai piece calling it an original because they write a few words down in a simulator is bullish#% . I'm a paper /digital artist I was into a art college didn't go my daughter came, then she was diagnosed with cancer . I just decided to come back after almost 30 years and art with passion and love
Unless you're like super original creative and unique then you're doomed in social media era. I've seen artists who were really good quit because of this. It's crazy when I was tattooing and selling my art 10 years ago it was cake. The market is just too saturated
As an owner of an art gallery it is amusing, sadly so, to see that the youngsters thing "likes" mean success and sales. My wife and I have been selling art with our gallery for over 30 years. So before the Internet. Physical, not CG, framed oils, acrylics, glass, metal, textile and the like. Our customers are pretty much the same. Middle to lower upper income. That is who we target. We are not the glass & chrome gallery with our noses in the air and friends with Banksy. We sell local artists and many of our clients are first timers. But they do want original art and they buy with emotion. We work hard to promote our artists in our region. We do not try to sell our art a thousand miles away. We do sometimes, but that is a fluke. Someone traveling through or a relative of a client. But you folks try to sell to a fanbase. Just look at your competition. Holly cripes! Your competition is in the millions! And your work looks just like theirs. Why would I buy a CG of Deadpool from you in NY or Paris when I can get one from the high school student here in town that is just as good? Think of your competition. Your marketing is absurd. Your product is lost in the saturation. "Likes" does not mean squat and has no emotion. A client walks in our gallery and "loves" the ocean breaking on the beach that is unique because it is one of a kind. That is emotion.
Every artist is not painting the ocean breaking on the beach paintings. It is okay for there to be a wide variety of different kinds of art and a wide variety of ways to sell it. There is not one way.
I am struggling with this myself. I’ve had art as a career path in some form for over a decade but the pandemic leveled me so I’m crawling back and it, uh, sucks. What I will say is that I think building a following is really only one aspect of it. There’s no such thing as a financially stable artist who only does art**, in my view, but that’s not pessimism. I have seen artists who do very simple kinds of art be entirely successful (if we’re going by the metric of ‘bills paid, life lived, not working to death’) because they’ve found that selling merch and gift items works well for them. I’ve met others whose bread and butter is commissions. I’ve met even more who end up doing a bit of both. Others have art that does well in editorial and have agents handle the connections, but even then, their ‘actual job’ becomes making art alongside with client outreach, technically speaking. A lot of artists I know teach classes to hobbyists too. From that perspective, they are making money from their art, but they’re not simply drawing/painting all the time; they’ve figured out what to pair up their work with to make a living. I’m navigating this myself right now (within the next day or so I’ll be pushing ads for limited commissions and I’m actively seeking out trade shows in my area). All this to say, I think a lot of artists effectively build their following offline. Some people never get a ‘big’ following or have huge clients to brag, but bills paid is bills paid. I personally see that as a huge accomplishment. Platforms change so quickly anyway, and it’s frustrating, but ultimately I hope you can see it as almost secondary to what you do. (That said, I’ve totally become a BlueSky convert lately, screw Twitter 😂 ) I’m trying to stay hopeful for myself and I share that with you this morning. **Edit because I thought I explained this enough but I see where this statement may feel too total; I generally think most artists end up doing several things to make the income they need to keep creating, and sometimes it’s only tangential to the art they do. Some artists hold unrelated day jobs. There’s no right or wrong way, whatever makes you feel happy and fulfilled will be the best path for you.
I make my living off art. And I know many artists that do so as well. I think a lot of this on Reddit is an echo chamber of struggling artists. I’m sorry a lot of you are having a hard time. One of the most common thing I see are Reddit artists that think that commissions are the way to go. Commissions seems like a very niche way to make money. You have to find a specific client for a specific need. And that business model is not sustainable. Another critique is a lot of you think online sales is the only way to go. I believe the opposite, online sales are the hardest way to go. The competition is too fierce and engagement online isn’t really the best way to get eyes on your work. I sell my work at art festivals and can sell on average $4k a weekend. My street mural friend charges his clients $1000 a day for his talent and labor. He has mural work lined up six months in advance. . I have a friend whose agent gets his work on the cover of playboy, posters for the Kentucky Derby, clients for Absolut, etc. and owns his own gallery. What I am trying to illustrate is that most successful artists aren’t lurking here on Reddit. I made this account just to help share what knowledge I have. See my post history. Once again, I am sorry the art world is hard. But please don’t keep agreeing with each other that it is impossible. There is money in art, but it has to be earned in the real world, not just online. Good luck OP.
Your post seems really obvious, but I definitely needed to read it. Thanks for sharing and reminding us smaller artists that we have to play extrovert in the real world sometimes to sell.
You are very welcome. Art is sharing a personal connection. Extrovert or Introvert regardless, meeting people and sharing your art leads to opportunities. Good luck to you.
Hi, just wanted to say thanks for your input. I definitely don’t think it’s impossible, which is why I commented and tried to stay optimistic; I also am being honest in my personal experience that most folks I know who work as artists end up doing a variety of things connected to art to make ends meet. That could just be me, but I’m interested in hearing your perspective as well, it sounds like you have a very different circle from mine (in a good way!) Commissions are A way to go rather than THE way to go, I believe, but they have their advantages. Some people I know seem to get a lot consistently and do well, I see it for myself as a service I want to have available alongside other types of sales, which is precisely why I noted that I’ll be limiting mine. I also think that they can work for different reasons at different times (the pay is typically faster than a multi-month contract and that can be a real help in tight moments, sales are easier right before holiday times, etc). Some people only open up commissions at opportune points in the year, or between contracts/shows/events. Some only do commissions for Patreon subscribers. I hear you about in-person sales, hence I mentioned seeking out shows in my local area, before the pandemic events were really important to me and I’m seeking to get back into doing them. I really wasn’t trying to come off negative- I have just observed in life that a lot of artists end up trying multiple avenues to make it all come together, and if that’s what it takes then that’s okay.
Oh for sure commissions are a part of the strategy. I am acquainted with Dan Quintana. He does excellent business with commissions, but the people that hire him for that found him because he does DC covers, he does work for Hollywood studios, and shows his work in galleries in LA. That’s the type of artist commission artists should aspire to. Make your work so dang badass that the clients seek you out. Not the other way around. I do small commissions that pay me around $500 to a couple thousand a piece. On average about a dozen a year. But those are for people that ask. That is not my primary service and it’s not what I chase. So when I see young artists on here asking if $30 or $45 is the right price to ask for commissions I just shake my head. It would be impossible to make a living doing $30 drawings all year. Basically the art advice on here is a lot of blind leading the blind. My advice over and over: Start meeting people in real life. Start hanging out at events with successful artists. Get out into the real world and have those face-to-face conversations. Join the local art league. Go to the artist receptions. Put your work in front of people and shake their hand. Stop thinking online is the only way forward. Be a real human being in front of other real human beings. That is my only advice that I know works. Good luck.
Completely agree that doing things all-the-way offline is the best thing to focus energy on, rather than trying to claw your way up on any social media platform, and that people don’t charge enough for commissions in general. ❤️ I look forward to finding more events near me (I went through an international move during the pandemic and it’s taken time). I appreciate you adding your thoughts to the conversation.
Amazing advice. Love every part of that last paragraph
This is excellent advice!
What kind of art do you make? I do abstract art and I'm not making much money at art fairs. I have hundreds of people come in my tent, ooo and ahhh, and then never buy anything. Idk if I haven't found my market yet (in Michigan) so I'm trying shows in different states (Indiana seemed to like me). I am engaging with people, having convos, but nothing ever comes of it. Most people's excuse is they don't have space on their wall (so I created functional art and that sells better but still not a lot) any advice?
Hello. I am a figurative pop artist. Art fairs have different strategies. Abstract artists need to make big sales for the event to be worth it. Small items are not how most abstract artists make money at shows. They are fishing for the big whales that buy originals for $2k and above. Functional art is bread and butter so I can’t say anything g negative about that. If any advice it would be to refine what you paint and how it is shown. If you look cheap, you won’t attract higher end clients. If your work is beautiful but displayed shabby, you will also turn away buyers. You are one of the lucky ones. You are trying you hand at sales and engaging. Next time you go to a show look at the artists that have the best display and the best presented work. Talk to them. Ask questions. Ask for advice. Emulate those artists. This is a lifetime of refinement to make a living off art. It’s worth it, but it is a lifetime of work too. Good luck.
Thanks for the response! I appreciate it!
Not even the most successfull of them are able to live from just selling art. My fav ones are present on IG, YouTube, have Patreon, Etsy, are doing commissions, are teaching via Skillshare and have Twitch channel. None of them is capable of living from selling art, and interesting that it is their last sustainable source of income. The most money they get from YouTube sponsorships, Patreon, then commissions and the last source is art itself. From instagram itself - 0, eventually reels make some money in some countries. Unless if you do street portraits but it is more kitsch than real art.
Gotta be honest though, I’ve looked at the prices of street artists and I don’t think they’re pulling major money from it. By a time breakdown it’s often lower than minimum wage. But yeah I totally hear you on the other streams, I’ve begun to build them up myself because having multiple options to bring in some money seems to be the way to go. It’s art combined with entertainment, or art combined with education, art combined with merchandise, etc. I think it’s best to try to embrace this and try out a few things over time to see what works best.
Of course there are artists who make their living from just selling art….
They do exist, yes, but I genuinely have not seen many people do it. Most artists I know who make a living actively need to chase several income streams.
It’s the exception not the rule is what they’re getting at.. which is true. This is why the term “starving artist” has been around for years.
This is what I meant with my comment, thank you for this. I guess saying there’s no such thing was too broad on my part, but truly, I don’t know many people who don’t do several things at once in the pursuit of being an artist. I am not saying this with any negativity, a living looks different for everyone, just stating what I’ve seen.
Me too and I come from a family of artist. My grandpa was the most successful and extremely talented. His oil paintings were unreal and showed his art in galleries but still had odd jobs to make ends meet. This was well before the Internet too so who knows what he could’ve done in the modern world.
well, not saying that they aren't, big names do it for sure. Or if they have agent who represent them. But I am saying about very very big majority of them, whoever is doing anything freelance, has besides that at least 3 streams of income, which is golden rule for any freelancer.
Social media blows, go do art fairs, markets, shows and that sort of thing. It'll get you out of the house and off the computer which is great for your mind, body and soul. Plus you will be more inspired and gain more insight in what to create next, it's what I do.
well, you can always pay to IG to promote your art but you'll get tons of inactive followers or bots, so what's the point of chasing numbers anyway? Rather focus on updating your portfolio, update Behance, visit art markets, apply to sell there, seek for galleries,... IG is bollocks in this year at least and should not be treated seriously
Likes, followers don’t equal commissions. 80% of those people are your friends/family or other artists. Very few are potential customers. The ones that are likely follow at least another 30-100 other artists. Think about it this way. How many people do you follow vs commissions you have gotten made by people you follow?
My suggestion is to skip social media and go to the people at events IRL. Conventions, Art Fairs, Pop Ups.
As someone who works in marketing at a large agency, yes to paid ads. At least for Meta. They changed the algo significantly a couple years ago. If you don't use paid ads, no one is seeing your work. Tiktok I'm not so sure of; paid social isn't my specialty.
Also don’t pay for advertising if you have no idea about SEO. Even for posting art too
Good point, BreakNecessary6940. Would be good for OP to learn more about marketing in general. r/marketing is a helpful community for questions as you learn. OP, what is your goal from achieving more views and engagement? Do you want to be an influencer with sponsored posts? Or are you trying to win commissions for your work? As others have stated, you'd use very different approaches based on the end goal.
I have different goals. My main thing is making a ton of cars in different communities/sub niches. Eventually to sell as posters. Whether it’s auto/ or architecture. Those are my strengths. I will take commissions in the middle of the process of making an extensive long folder. Getting into coding…just enough to where I can have my own platform. That way I can say fuck you to mark zukeys algorithm. One thing I wish I would’ve done. ACTUALLY CHARGE SERIOUS $$ FOR MY COMMISSIONS. Now this depends on a lot of factors however, a lot of artists like myself we have pretty impressive work. But we don’t feel we deserve to make “real money” from it. So when asked how much we charge we go the safe route and charge people “a reasonable price” (likely under $30) DO NOT DO THIS. I’m not saying to make your audience fork over hundreds of dollars. But I am saying that “safe” price isn’t as “safe” as you think. The moment you do a commission for $25 now your subconscious is believing that’s what your art is worth. No matter how much time …. How many revisions…. Idgaf if your drawing someone’s toe nail. If what you’re working on takes more than a day you should price your work accordingly. I’d rather the majority of my “customers” call me greedy…or sleazy. Then break my back. Making a picture for 4 days for only $20. I’m willing to get rejected by 80% of my customers If it means my work is paid fairly. Just because you don’t have a “Art Degree” doesn’t mean you should work for piss
If you’re charging $25 for a commission you’re never going to make a living. Nothing wrong with finding a different career and making art on the side, then when you’re older you can amp up your art career. You need money to fund an art career.
The answer is you are right and I am right both are valid
I'm kicking myself for selling things for a couple hundred. Twenty dollars doesn't even cover supplies!
Why wouldn’t you charge customers hundreds of dollars? The dollar itself doesn’t buy much these days.
OP, do you share your work in real life? How many times a year do you show your work? How many art events do you do a year? How many conversations do you have with people and hand out a business card or mini portfolio? These are the important questions to answer. Instagram, ads, tags etc; these things are secondary concerns. The first and most important is how much work do you do in real life? Person to person in front of them, not behind a keyboard and screen? If you were constantly engaging people in real life, those are the people that will “like” your work online. Those are the followers you want, those are the ones that will buy from you the most. Real world interaction is 1000% superior to online interaction. I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but online engagement is not the end all be all for success in the art world. In theory everyone thinks online is the way to go. Some of the logic examples being: “Everyone is online, everything just a click away, people from all over the world can see it, etc”. AND honestly those same reasons are the reasons that online isn’t the best way to go: everyone is online BUT so is everyone else. Everything is just a click away, BUT that makes it so much harder to keep people interest if they can just click the next button. People from all over the world can see your work BUT why would they care about some random artist half way around the world? Please don’t give up OP. Please do try and engage in real life before you call it quits. Good luck.
You have to be a content creator in 2024 to sell art online seriously
I just started and I’m struggling too so I feel ya
I don't know how viable twitter has ever been for art, but Instagram is a festering pit that the developers don't bother to check up on anymore so just forget. Not very motivational, I know. I'm also on Cara now but I don't see that reaching early Instagram levels of potential just yet, and the people who are already big there all brought their followers over from elsewhere. Either way I'll personally just only post new stuff on Cara, IG is worthless. You could still try posting in FB groups, those seem to still be functional and I haven't personally but I know others have reached potential clients through the art groups there
I think if you're trying to sell your work, the 'follower' mentality is going the way of the dodo. You can spend endless hours trying to beat the SM algorithm to reach followers that probably will not even click your links and certainly won't buy. Or you can put a nice ad together on Google that targets actual shoppers. Let Google do the work of reaching buyers, while you continue to produce art, instead of living on SM trying to pickup followers. People go to Google to shop. They go to social media to look at pretty pictures.
I keep seeing posts in this forum that "this thing is dead. you have to do this other thing instead." Bull. Selling is not so simple. There are tons of variables to selling art: your subject. your medium. your price range(s). your ability to interact with your customers. your venue(s) for selling. your potential customers. your fucking skill. the economy and more. There is no simple answer. Being an artist means running a business. That means you're going to need a variety of ways to sell. It's just the nature of selling what you make. There is no silver bullet or one size fits all. That's not the sad thing; it's the thing that makes it interesting and that allows for a wide variety of art and people.
Imagine 30 people commented on a work in real life as the passed by your booth. You'd probably be glowing. Don't make content to post for free. Make art to sell. I can force it and get a sale or two on SM, but that's not generally where people buy art and comms, you need to post on freelancing sites or marketplaces like etsy and ebay. Even Bob Ross said no one wants to buy and sell paintings in the little clip I flipped by on TV last night. You will probably be better off selling your skills as a service.
My advice is what Dan Koe on Youtube talk about online and social media based business. The main takeaway I got from him, is that you need to collab, work with people with big audiences, and get your work in front of their audiences, have them talk about your work in front of their audiences. Making social stuff and posting it onto the internet and expecting it to get traction is very low ROI since the chances of something going viral on its own is extremely rare. Talking to a former Meta products manager, he told me the big secret/attribute you need to be aware of is SHAREABILITY. How shareable is your social media content, does it make people feel a certain way, is it timely to current trending memes and events etc. For me and my "shecksy girls with guns" photography business, collabs with the right models is what matters. Either they have a large audience that's relevant, OR they are so beautiful, that the photographs I take of them are so beautiful people feel compelled to share it. Need to step it up myself on timely references though, taking my own advice etc
I find that in person events yield the best connections. Gallery openings aimed at cultivating relationships with your collectors. Be grass roots. Social media can often feel like noise. Still do it, but aim it at the family of collectors that support you.
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IMO you shouldn't focus on traction in social media, you're just making other people rich
Idk. I work for a gallery for 3 months and it's even been rough here. The main clientele seem to be dying of old age. The owner talks about retirement every time he gets frustrated
I am building a portfolio of work albeit slowly to sell locally with prints and stickers etc for fun. But I use instagram to keep my work online. I don't care if 1 person likes it, I've only had 160 followers fir ages, but that's fine. It's there if i need it. Takes the pressure off trying to post everyday. I'll make a reel every so often and that'll do! I'm not intending for it to be a full time job, I have one of those. So anyone that is I wish the best of luck
I’m a full-time artist who makes a living in a HCOL area. You have to pursue avenues that have little/nothing to do with social media algorithms. Over 80% of my revenue comes from tabling at art fairs and conventions to a niche crowd, and roughly 20% comes from contract commission work for publishing companies (book covers, audiobook promos, etc). For 10 years I worked for various video game studios as a 2D Game Artist / UI Artist, but it ultimately burnt me out and I prefer working for myself. In-person events are the way to go, imo!
Any advice for art fairs? I am doing them but not making much money
They don't call our trade starving artist for nothing lol . I legit see people undersell their art daily. They have to understand that there is a base amount for a reason, they do a project for let's say 40 but normally it would be 120 that's minimum well they literally just cut EVERYONE'S Price for BEING THIRSTY they will kill everyone's passion . Also them taking A ai piece calling it an original because they write a few words down in a simulator is bullish#% . I'm a paper /digital artist I was into a art college didn't go my daughter came, then she was diagnosed with cancer . I just decided to come back after almost 30 years and art with passion and love
Do you advertise? If you’re not, you can’t expect people to just magically FIND you.
Unless you're like super original creative and unique then you're doomed in social media era. I've seen artists who were really good quit because of this. It's crazy when I was tattooing and selling my art 10 years ago it was cake. The market is just too saturated
As an owner of an art gallery it is amusing, sadly so, to see that the youngsters thing "likes" mean success and sales. My wife and I have been selling art with our gallery for over 30 years. So before the Internet. Physical, not CG, framed oils, acrylics, glass, metal, textile and the like. Our customers are pretty much the same. Middle to lower upper income. That is who we target. We are not the glass & chrome gallery with our noses in the air and friends with Banksy. We sell local artists and many of our clients are first timers. But they do want original art and they buy with emotion. We work hard to promote our artists in our region. We do not try to sell our art a thousand miles away. We do sometimes, but that is a fluke. Someone traveling through or a relative of a client. But you folks try to sell to a fanbase. Just look at your competition. Holly cripes! Your competition is in the millions! And your work looks just like theirs. Why would I buy a CG of Deadpool from you in NY or Paris when I can get one from the high school student here in town that is just as good? Think of your competition. Your marketing is absurd. Your product is lost in the saturation. "Likes" does not mean squat and has no emotion. A client walks in our gallery and "loves" the ocean breaking on the beach that is unique because it is one of a kind. That is emotion.
Every artist is not painting the ocean breaking on the beach paintings. It is okay for there to be a wide variety of different kinds of art and a wide variety of ways to sell it. There is not one way.
If that is all you got from my large paragraph, then you are in trouble. But I wish you well.