Making Money From Art - Identify your Products!

When you begin to think about making money from art, the most important thing you can do is to plan for a number of different opportunities, rather than relying on making your fortune from your paintings or sculptures alone.

It's true that some artists can achieve this, but these are few and far between. For most of us, we need to be a bit more business savvy. This means in business speak; 'spreading risk' or 'diversifying your offer', and in plain English; 'getting money from a variety of sources'.

No business can be profitable if it only sells one type of product. If you plan on making money from art then you need to think in these ways no matter how uncomfortable it might seem at first. After all, we all need to earn enough to live.





By identifying a number of different ways to get money from your artistic talents, you will stand a much better chance of avoiding the pitfalls of the irregular and unknowable patterns of selling artworks directly.

Below I have listed a number of ways to generate income from art. Remember for most it will be a difficult journey and income will take time to start trickling in, but with organisation and determination you can give yourself the best springboard to make money from your art!

Artist Income Opportunities

1. Merchandise

Can your paintings or artworks become designs for T-Shirts, mugs or bags? Organisations like Zazzle, Cafepress, Imagekind and Redbubble can make products from your images and you don't have to pay for the outlay - the profit might be relatively small, but it's all profit! if you feel like doing your own research, then there are plenty of companies that will print onto T-Shirts and mugs. You will have to pay up front for these but, if the design sells well, then your profit margin could be much higher.


Could your artwork adorn these mugs??


2. Posters, prints, cards

Could your artwork be sold as a poster, print or greetings card? Cards can be printed from your own printer to start with (although print quality varies enormously depending on your printer), but it's a great way to begin with very little outlay.

These can be sold at craft fairs and fetes or in independent gift shops. They will also help to raise awareness of your art practice - especially if you include your website address on the back!


3. Scaling up?

Make bespoke fine art jewellery? Could some pieces be recreated many times and produced on a bigger scale? It's not appropriate for everything, but it might be an option for some pieces. Be careful when using this approach however as you don't want to demean or discredit your high-end unique offerings. Make sure the customer is aware of the difference.


4. E-books

Perhaps you have an in-depth knowledge of a particular art skill or practice... Are you are an expert with oil paints? Or perhaps you make large scale sculptures - are you an expert art welder? Is your forte making beautiful artworks from recycled materials? Any of these specific skills could be put into an e-book guide and sold on your website.


5. Freelance design

Use your keen eye for aesthetics to design logos, flyers, or even websites for small businesses in your area.


6. Grants

Relying on grants is not an ideal way to add to your income, but for some ambitious or special projects it can make the concept a reality. If it is linked to a prestigious organisation it can also raise your profile. You will normally be expected to show how your project benefits the wider community if public money is to be invested.


7. Workshops/ tutorials

Becoming a guest tutor or getting onto a list of 'pool' tutors for a range of local art colleges can bring in some useful extra income. Running classes or workshops for local art groups is another good way to add to your income. Do you have a specialist area of art knowledge e.g. a particular period or style of art? Local community groups might like to learn more; why not offer your services as a guest speaker for local societies?

A few more tips...

8. Put in long hours

You will probably need to put in 40 hours of work each week at a minimum (across your diversified package of art activities) to get a realistic income.

9. Work as a part-time employee elsewhere

You will probably find that, at least in the early days (and most likely for much of your art career), you will need to supplement your art practice with being an employee somewhere else. It's up to you if you choose something thay pays more but isn't art-related, or something that could pay less, but adds value to your art practice in some way.

10. Invest in extra skills

Many people who earn money in the arts have a design background. If you can gain additional qualifications or attend a course to provide this extra string to your bow then it can add to your fine art practice to help keep those bills at bay.

To sum up...

Making money from art isn't easy, and it's not for the faint-hearted, but it can be done if you are organised and determined. If you put in the time, reduce risk, and increase opportunities to make income, then you can generate a reasonable income as an artist.

This guide to making money from art is part of a wider approach to business for artists. Have a look at the Starting a Business page for more tips!