How to make money with art?

H

HowToBe

The Living Force
I'm wanting to start bringing in money so that I can contribute to the family. I know that selling art isn't necessarily a lucrative endeavor, and I don't know if I am a good enough artist for it, but I have plenty of art supplies sitting around unused, and I have some ability, from drawing a lot during school for a number of years, and doing other things. So I can draw, paint, do different kinds of computer art, and in high school I took a Graphics Design class and other art classes. For a long time I was interested in art, partly out of genuine creative desire, and partly as a way to cope with school. I haven't done as much art since graduating high school as I used to, for various reasons. So anyway, it's an ability that I have that I can put to practice immediately.

So, what would someone with experience/knowledge suggest?

Here is an online gallery with some drawings and digital stuff I've done in the last few years (click "Browse Gallery" on the left): _http://sylverone.deviantart.com/
 
Hi HowToBe,

I don't think there is any answer to that one because it depends on which way you'd like to go with this.

Selling your own art is always possible, even on DA because you're already on it or Etsy for example, it's easy to set everything up and you'll have to cross your finger for someone to buy your art over there.
But selling your art isn't something that will happen overnight even if you're the best artist out there, it can take a loooong time and does not mean that it will bring a lot of cash. You'll have to promote yourself a lot as well.

Maybe a more practical approach would be to offer art lessons in your local area ? Or doing portraits at local fair or something in that vein ? if that's something that you'd like to do of course.

In the meantime if you enjoy creating keep doing it just for the sake of it even if it does not sell or serve any purpose right away.
There is nothing that will kill creativity like the hope that it will generate some money, at least that's what it does for me :D

Hope this helps a little bit.
 
I had a look at your gallery. I really like your artwork, HowtoBe. I think my favorite is Spiritvine. Although many others also caught my eye. The electric plasma is awesome. (That would make a cool avatar.)

As for selling it - that would depend on how much you can invest to put it for sale, and what type of medium you're going to be using. You could make t-shirts, or framed prints, posters. I used to do art fair shows in college, so something like that takes money to make some. And then again, you may not even break even. People are fickle.

As for selling it digitally - I don't know much about that, but you always have that option too.

Don't know if this helps you much, but I just wanted to say nice artwork!
 
Hi HowToBe,
I just wanted to say I thought your work was fun and imaginative. I can tell you are enjoying what you are doing, so keep it up! Its part of who you are.
As far as making money, I've done craft fairs in the past. Where I live, I needed a tax ID number and a white tent (even for indoors :huh:). It was a good experience. You meet a lot of people and when someone actually wants to buy something you created, well there's no words for that. Another thing you could try is finding local shops to show your work on consignment, especially since the holiday season is coming.
Another thing to consider is offering lessons as Tigersoap suggested. With how the economy is, a lot of schools have cut their art programs. Parents are looking for private teachers. If you have a strong portfolio in various mediums to show and can come up with a sample curriculum for different age groups, then that might be something to try if that interests you.
Tigersoap said:
In the meantime if you enjoy creating keep doing it just for the sake of it even if it does not sell or serve any purpose right away.
There is nothing that will kill creativity like the hope that it will generate some money, at least that's what it does for me :D
Click to expand...
So true!
Take care!
 
I couldn't agree more with what Tigersoap said. If you really want to head in this direction, I would use the internet to market as many ways as you can to get your work to the widest possible audience.

Good luck.
 
Hello How-To-Be,

I'm a freelance artist and I'd like to offer you encouragement, even in these tough economic times. I have days that are very defeating, but I get up the next day and try twice as hard. There are few people making a living at it, but it's modest returns on a lot of effort. You have to really love it, otherwise you need a steady job. You need to do your research about viable places to sell art. Then you need to work on your craft to match the best you see out there. If you see some art blows you away it's because that artist gave 200% to the effort. This career is not for the half-hearted. Look at the art in www.behance.net and www.ffffound.com

Here are some insights that might help you:

1.) Find the balance between what you personally like to draw and what kind of art succeeds in the marketplace. You might be able to translate your personal art into, say, greeting cards, for instance. It may not be what you expected, but in a shrinking economy you have to think small, not big. Mohawk Paper has an enterprise called Felt & Wire which encourages self-promotion of paper works.

2.) There are some companies out there always looking for new niche markets. You need to give your work a critical eye and determine if companies and customers want to buy it. Edit down to only your best. I usually find that it's sometimes better to start with themes that are successful - even holidays and birthdays are a start - and make your own interpretations. That way you make things that are in line with what people want to buy.

3.) Big gallery art is a luxury.(the gallery where I had work closed.) Posters are becoming old hat though there are plenty of places that show them still.(just avoid the scams.) T-shirt design is a viable start. Everything these days is happening online, so find sources. A company www.therthere.com who make t-shirts for American cities found me through my online presence and then give me work, they have a set fee and then royalties if it hits big, and a portion of the proceeds go to local charities. I got two contracts for shirts. Not big bucks, but it was fun.
I give away my portion of shirts to get bigger work in both cities....

4.) Think of this as a market, so think about what people are willing to spend money on. Etsy and eBay are examples of that. Not that you have to draw big eyed kittens, but look into other people's work, really look at it. Then be original. People want things that make themselves happy. Moody, self-reflecting stuff just gets passed by.

5.) Network. It's a full time job hunting down sources and sometimes friends or even friendly strangers are willing to give some help.

So, good luck.
 
Hello HowToBe,

Thank you for sharing your creations with us! I think your pencil drawings are really nice and I'm drawn to your more recent ones a lot, perhaps because of the value contrast. The dark values and intense colors really make the pictures pop to me.

With regards to selling your work, I can imagine your stuff on things like magnets, key rings, buttons, etc. I think a button-maker would cost a couple hundred dollars and might be a good investment if you can find a place to sell them.

Also, you might want to check out Cafepress.com if you haven't yet. I used to sell my stuff on there and they take care of everything after you upload the images. They do keep most of the profits, but it makes selling easy, because you don't actually have to take care of the shipping, return policies, etc.

Clubflyers.com is also a place where you might want to look if you are interested in making smaller post-card sized images of your work. I think you would have to order at least 500 of the same image, but you could maybe make 5x7s and sell them for less than you would have to if you purchased prints of your art. If you decide to use Clubflyers.com just look around online first to see if they have any current coupon codes that could save you money when ordering.

Or you could also get a nice printer and print out your own images on photo paper. Maybe you could even order bulk frames and frame up the prints too. People I've encountered while selling my own art prints sometimes like having the option of having a frame and they are willing to pay extra.

Where I live sometimes there will be art walks and street shows where artists can purchase booths for the weekend. You might want to check out if these events will be going on in your area, or surrounding areas. I would recommend finding someone who is willing to help you out with setting up a booth, though, because you probably won't want to leave it unattended if you need to leave for a minute.

I think Tigersoap made a good remark about how making art to sell can sometimes kill peoples' creative energy. I've noticed this when others want me to make art for them and I can't make my own art. However, I think selling your own creations can be an exciting and fascinating experience. It could be fun to see how people read into your art in different ways and it might even make you rethink how you interpret it!

Hope this helps and happy creating. :)
 
Wow, there's a lot to think about in all of these responses! I must admit to being intimidated, and that is probably much of the reason I don't have a source of income yet. I have almost no experience with work, and I have confidence issues that relate to my childhood (difficulties in school have a lot to do with it, I think). There are several factors, maybe I should start a thread elsewhere about this.

As far as creativity goes, my creativity really wilted when I realized how much I had been using it just to get attention from people around me. Maybe because my grades were chaotic, I became very hungry for the compliments I could get with my art, but I also felt guilty for wanting/enjoying the compliments so much. At least that's how it seems as I think about it right now. It's a confused issue for me. I've always been someone with "too many interests". I think I've been afraid to some extent that if I pursue one interest, I'm sort of giving up my ability to pursue the others? When I was younger I was inspired by the "Renaissance man" concept and Leonardo da Vinci, because I felt kind of the same way, interested in science, art, engineering, nature, etc.

In numerology, my birth date reduces to a "5" for my "life path", which is described here: (_http://www.decoz.com/Numerology_LifePath_B5.htm) I try not to "believe" it, but it does describe me to an extent. Particularly this stands out:
You are multi-talented and possess a variety of diverse abilities. However, discipline and focus are the true keys to your success. Without these many of the tasks you begin will remain unfinished and you will fail to realize the true fruits of your abilities. [...] You may have been perceived as a wild child by adults and a source of concern by your family.
Click to expand...
I'm not necessarily a "wild child" in a typical sense, but I've never fit into the crowd very well, and I know that my mom and some others have and do worry about me because of my lack of motivation. I find it very difficult to complete tasks as in the back of my mind something else is always calling for my attention, it seems. Uncompleted projects and unfulfilled promises have been common results for me, so I really have virtually no confidence in my ability to stick to anything that requires "work". But I've played for nearly my whole life up to this point, and the work I did was almost always something I was made to do in some way. I don't know how to pursue something for myself that reaches beyond the walls of my house. Except groceries, I guess. :P

I don't know. I'm confused, and I guess I've strayed from the original topic. I'll think about everything that has been suggested.
 
HowToBe said:
I'm wanting to start bringing in money so that I can contribute to the family.
[...]
So, what would someone with experience/knowledge suggest?
Click to expand...

Lazy way: Go where the people are who already like what you're into.
Harder way: master the kind of art that has a larger market.

Re: the lazy way: I have a niece that visits forums related to her interests. On one occasion, she decided to buy some black T-shirts. Using hand-made cut-outs for templates and some bleach, she made some logo style t-shirts related to some popular airplane movie. On the forum, she included a link to an e-commerce enabled webpage and people started buying them from her.

Any reason you can't do something like that?

I had a look at your art also. There is a market for bloggers who need images for their content pages and if you can provide them cheaper than others, you would likely sell them. At least you would get free acknowledgement publicity from images you can provide. Could build a base of potential customers, I suppose.

Why should a creative artist limit him/herself to conventional venues? You gotta get noticed!
 
I just noticed your other thread (Lapse and Consequence). According to your Numerology-based self description, I'd say we have some tendencies in common. Don't be afraid of your "wild" side. That's just a description based on the point of view of the "non-wild" side.

Since you see to be having problems with disassociation right now, I'd recommend looking into this:

I have found Jon's descriptions of Mindfulness to be practically identical to what we do during self-observation. Just ignore any parts that don't interest you or conflict with current EE-related meditation practices.


Mindfulness Meditation (For Everyday Life) By Jon Kabat-Zinn
_http://www.andras-nagy.com/meditation/00.htm

Note: Jon Kabat-Zinn is the founder of Mindfulness based Stress Reduction. It was implemented and fine-tuned in medical contexts and clinical settings and has helped people identify and resolve a wide range of problems related to personal issues from erectile dysfunction to ADHD.

People can now be certified to teach this.

[quote author=Part1]
Only that day dawns to which we are awake.
(Henry David Thoreau, Walden)
[/quote]

Also thought you might like this:

[quote author=Part3]
All of us are apprenticed to the same teacher that the religious institutions originally worked with: reality.

Reality-insight says ... master the twenty-four hours. Do it well, without self-pity.

[...]

Changing the filter, wiping noses, going to meetings, picking up around the house, washing dishes, checking the dipstick—don't let yourself think these are distracting you from your more serious pursuits.

Such a round of chores is not a set of difficulties we hope to escape from so that we may do our "practice" which will put us on a "path" — it is our path.

Gary Snyder, The Practice Of The Wild
[/quote]
 
I agree that it takes a lot of time and effort. When I was a student, I thought I'd end up working at McDonalds because, you know, unless you have the contacts and the money an Art degree is pretty much useless, but now I'm starting to make a living out of it, and I love it. You have to love what you do but also you have to be very persistent. I tried it without "faith" (because I thought I would never make it) but kept trying anyway, and here I am. I don't make a ton of money, some months I earn more than my husband who has a regular job, sometimes I earn considerably less, but I really really enjoy this, so my advice would be "try it" and keep trying new materials and tools and techniques. Even if you don't get to accomplish your goals you'll be learning a lot in the process!
 
HowToBe said:
But I've played for nearly my whole life up to this point, and the work I did was almost always something I was made to do in some way. I don't know how to pursue something for myself that reaches beyond the walls of my house. Except groceries, I guess.
Click to expand...

Hi HowtoBe,

maybe the best for the moment would be to get a regular part-time job and start from there (if that's not what you already do, if so excuse me for stating the obvious ;) )

Fwiw.
 
Thanks for the encouragement and advice. Part of me was afraid I was going to get criticized; I guess it's fear of "showing weakness" or exposing myself. Maybe I've just spotted some trauma I didn't know I had.

Anyway, I'll look at the mindfulness meditation link tomorrow if I can, Bud.

Tigersoap; you may be right. I've half-heartedly half-tried to get a job, but haven't had much confidence in myself. All of those dang forms ask for a "job history".

My mom really wants me to go to college, and my grandparents have some money saved for me for that purpose, but I've been reluctant because I don't know what I want to do and I've been afraid of choosing a career that I won't enjoy. But I guess it ain't all about having fun, eh? I better get to bed for now. My dad just visited home for a few days, and that always disturbs my sleep cycles and everything.
 
Hmm, maybe an opportunity has shown up? My mom and I have always wanted to go to the local Arts Festival, but never knew when it was. Just saw a local ad on TV, and it's next week! The website says there is a judged art show (and sale) by our local art league. There is a fee for entry (For me, $20 per piece, maximum of 3 pieces).

The categories:
1. Representational - Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor
2. Non-representational/Abstract
3. 3-D Work & Sculpture
4. Photography
5. Drawing - Pastels, Colored Pencils, Pen & Ink, Graphite, and Charcoal
6. Mixed Media

Also, "The [Art League] receives a 10% commission for any entry sold during the event. All sales will be handled by the [Art League]. Work must remain on display during the entire exhibit."

Does this mean they set the prices?

Although it's not against the rules , would it be inappropriate if I asked for help from the network in choosing pieces to enter?

One can also set up a booth as "arts and crafts vendor", but this would cost more money than I have right now, and in addition to that cost I would have to pay to have t-shirts made, and would have to set things up within this week.
 
Hi HowToBe.

Well, looks like an exciting opportunity dropped right in your lap! If I can be of any help in an advisory capacity, I'd be willing to help as a positive but objective eye. We'd need to do it all here not offline, which would mean either you have a site where you post art - like Flickr - or you'd need to upload several and we could talk. If you don't think this is a good idea, that's fine too. Just like to see your enthusiasm bubbling.
 
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