How to make money as an artist: 10 Ways to try

Many artists leave art school or years of independent practice wondering whether making art can ever pay the bills. It can – but not through a single channel. Today's professional artists earn money by selling prints, teaching online classes, licensing designs, running online stores, and building multiple income streams that keep generating revenue between commissions. 

This guide covers ten ways to make money as an artist, whether you work in fine arts, graphic design, digital art, or any discipline in between.

10 Ways to make money as an artist

1. Sell original art and art prints

Selling original art and art prints remains one of the most direct ways to earn money from your work. The traditional route runs through art galleries, art fairs, and local markets. Online platforms like Etsy, Saatchi Art, and Artfinder extend that reach to a global audience without requiring gallery representation.

Limited-edition art prints give buyers an accessible entry point while generating recurring revenue from a single piece of work. With a print-on-demand partner like Printful, you can upload your artwork, choose from a range of wall art products, and list them online. When an order comes in, Printful prints, packages, and ships directly to your customer.

How to start:

• Photograph or scan your artwork at a minimum of 300 DPI for print-quality output.

• Set up an Etsy shop or Shopify store and connect it to Printful.

• List products with keyword-optimized titles and descriptions to attract buyers searching for wall art and art prints.

Tip: Sell the same design as both an original and a limited-edition print series. The original commands a premium; the prints generate passive income from a single piece of physical art, without requiring you to constantly produce new work.

Valuable reads: How to sell art online and make money as an artist, and How to start an Etsy shop as a beginner

2. Sell custom products with your art design

Want to see your art on t-shirts, mugs, greeting cards, or phone cases – without stocking a single unit of inventory? That’s Print on Demand (POD).  

Platforms like Printful let you upload your designs, choose from a wide product range (think wall art, hoodies, tote bags, and more), and sell through your own website or marketplaces like Etsy and Amazon.

How it works:

1. Sign up with a POD platform like Printful.

2. Choose products from the Catalog, including apparel, accessories, wall art, and more.

3. Upload your designs and generate product mockups.

4. Connect your online store (Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, or others).

5. Printful fulfills every order automatically.

This business model requires zero upfront production costs and no inventory overhead, so you can focus on making art while the operational side runs itself.

Tip: Start with three to five core products that suit your art style – fine art prints, tote bags, and phone cases for an illustrator, for example – before expanding the catalog. Testing a focused range first shows which products actually sell before you invest time building out the rest.

Valuable read: How to start a print-on-demand business

3. Teach art

Teaching converts your art skills into a consistent income while building an audience at the same time. Options include group workshops, private lessons, structured art classes, or live Zoom sessions. Many artists run in-person workshops through local art centers or community spaces, then scale with courses on  Skillshare, Teachable, or Udemy to reach students globally.

As both an artist and a teacher, you occupy a credible position – students pay for your specific experience and perspective. For many working artists, teaching fills the income gap during slower sales periods without requiring a day job outside the art world.

How to start:

• Define your niche based on where your expertise meets student demand: watercolor, digital illustration, pottery, life drawing, or any other discipline you practice consistently.

• Outline a curriculum before building content. AI tools can help draft a session structure, but your own experience is what makes it credible.

• Price by platform norms: Skillshare pays per minute watched, while Teachable and Udemy let you set your own course price.

Tip: Record a free short tutorial and publish it on YouTube or Instagram before launching a paid course. Free content builds trust and drives enrollment by letting potential students assess your teaching style before committing to a purchase.

4. License your art

Art licensing means permitting companies to use your designs on their products – stationery, home decor, apparel, and digital products – in exchange for a royalty on each sale. You retain ownership of the original work and earn money as an artist without fulfilling a single order yourself.

How it works:

1. Create a portfolio of your best, most versatile designs.

2. Research brands that fit your style.

3. Pitch your work directly, or join agencies like Art Licensing International or Wild Apple.

4. Negotiate terms (royalties are usually a percentage of each sale).

Licensing generates passive income from art you've already created. One design licensed to a mid-sized home decor brand can appear on thousands of products without any additional work on your part. It also puts your own art in front of audiences far beyond your existing following.

Tip: Create a licensing-specific portfolio page separate from your general portfolio. Include mockups showing how your designs look on products, which lowers the evaluation barrier for buyers assessing your work for their range.

5. Create an online presence

With so many other artists competing for attention, a strong online presence is your megaphone. 

An online presence functions as both a portfolio and a sales channel, and for a full-time artist, it forms a core part of the business model.

Where to build:

• Start an art blog documenting your process, techniques, or perspectives on art history. Blog content ranks in search and drives long-term organic traffic to your own website.

• Launch a YouTube channel with tutorials, studio tours, or speed-paint videos. YouTube is the second-largest search engine globally and drives sustained discovery for online art.

• Maintain a presence on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. Each platform indexes visual content differently and reaches distinct buyer segments.

How to grow it:

• Commit to one or two platforms rather than spreading yourself thin across five. Consistency on fewer channels outperforms sporadic posting on many.

• Mix finished pieces, works-in-progress, and brief process explanations. Process content typically outperforms product-only posts for engagement.

• Collaborate with other artists through joint lives, challenge series, or cross-promotions to access each other's audiences.

• Link all content back to your store so followers can buy without friction.

Tip: Build an email list from day one. Social media platforms change algorithms; your mailing list stays yours. Offer a free printable, wallpaper pack, or mini tutorial as an opt-in incentive to grow it faster.

Valuable read: How to make a profitable YouTube channel

6. Sell digital products

Selling digital products means buyers can purchase and download instantly. 

You don’t have to ship, package, or manage inventory. This channel offers strong passive income potential in the digital space for artists who love creating and want to earn money without managing business logistics.  

Products include stock illustrations, digital wallpapers, printable coloring pages, Procreate brush sets, Photoshop actions, planner templates, and reference packs.

How to sell digital products:

• Select a product that matches your existing work. A surface pattern designer suits stock illustration packs; a digital painter suits Procreate brushes.

• Prepare high-resolution files with clear documentation on usage rights.

• List on Creative Market, Gumroad, or your Etsy shop. Each platform attracts different buyer profiles: Creative Market skews toward professional designers, Gumroad toward direct-to-audience creators, and Etsy toward hobbyists and crafters.

• Release seasonal or themed bundles to maintain shop momentum throughout the year.

Tip: Bundle related products. A pack of 20 seamless patterns sells at a higher price point than one pattern listed 20 times. Bundles improve average order value and reduce per-item pricing pressure from competing sellers in the same online marketplaces. 

7. Enter art contests and apply for grants

Art contests offer prize money, exhibition opportunities, and visibility among curators, collectors, and gallery directors who judge or follow these events. 

National and international competitions, including the Luxembourg Art Prize, BP Portrait Award, and World Illustration Awards, welcome submissions from professional artists at all career stages. Many include online exhibitions that put your work in front of a global audience in the art world without requiring you to attend in person.

Beyond prestige, contest wins and shortlist placements carry real commercial weight. Art magazine features, licensing inquiries, and gallery representation often follow strong competition results.

Where to find opportunities:

• ArtDeadline.com and CallForEntries.com list open calls by discipline and deadline.

• Instagram hashtags like #artcontest and #opencall surface emerging opportunities.

• Art fairs and residency programs often run parallel competition tracks.

Applying for grants: Organizations like the Pollock-Krasner Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts provide financial support to artists working on specific projects.

Applications typically require a portfolio, project proposal, and artist statement. Grant panels assess fit with their mission as much as artistic quality, so tailor every submission accordingly. 

Tip: Always read the guidelines carefully and tailor your application to the contest or grant’s mission. Winning (or even being shortlisted) can open doors to exhibitions, press coverage, and collaborations. 

8. Write and publish art-related content

If you love creating and talking about art, writing is a powerful way to grow your influence and income. Write and self-publish art books on your techniques, create a blog with tutorials, or dive into art history topics that fascinate you.

Writing positions you as an authority in your discipline and generates income through multiple channels: ad revenue on an art blog, royalties from art books, speaking invitations, and consulting work from clients who discovered you through published content.

Writing about art history, technique, or the business of art reaches audiences that visual content alone misses – collectors, interior designers, and other artists looking to learn.

Where to publish:

• Build your own blog on WordPress or Squarespace to retain control over traffic and monetization.

• Pitch articles to established blogging platforms like Medium, Colossal, or My Modern Met to reach existing audiences in the art world.

• Self-publish art books through Amazon KDP or Blurb. Both use Print on Demand for physical copies, so each book prints only when someone orders it.

Tip: Repurpose systematically. A detailed blog post on color theory becomes a YouTube video, an Instagram carousel, and a chapter excerpt for a future art book. One piece of research fuels multiple formats and maximizes the return on your time. 

9. Collaborate with other artists

Collaborations extend your reach into audiences that would otherwise take months to build independently. Co-created limited edition print series, joint exhibitions, and co-branded merchandise with artists whose work complements yours can generate significant visibility and more revenue than either artist would earn from the same effort alone.

Working alongside other artists also sharpens your own art practice. Many professional artists cite collaborations as the source of their most commercially successful work, precisely because the creative tension between two styles produces something neither would make solo.

Where to find collaborators:

• Local art collectives and co-working studio spaces.

• Instagram direct outreach to artists with similar styles or overlapping audiences.

• Art fairs and residency programs, where you meet working artists in a focused context.

How to structure collaborations:

Before launching a joint project, agree in writing on creative direction, production timelines, revenue splits, and exit terms. Clear agreements from the start prevent friction down the line.

Tip: Start small. A limited edition print run of 50 to 100 units is lower-risk than a full product line. Treat the first collaboration as a test of creative and operational compatibility before committing to something larger. 

10. Work online as a freelance creative

Freelance work gives independent artists access to a global client base: graphic design for brands, editorial illustration for art magazines, concept art for games and animation studios, and pattern design for textile companies. Online platforms have removed the geographic limits that once defined which art jobs were accessible to a given artist.

Many artists use freelance income to fund their own art practice, treating client work as a stable revenue base that makes creating art on their own terms financially viable – without returning to a day job outside the creative field.

Where to find clients:

• Upwork and Fiverr for project-based freelance work across industries.

• Behance and Dribbble for creative portfolio visibility and direct client inquiries.

• Direct outreach to brands and publications whose visual identity aligns with your style.

Tip: Tailor your portfolio to the type of work you want, not every piece you've ever made. A client seeking editorial illustration doesn't need to scroll through abstract paintings. A focused, curated portfolio signals that you understand professional standards in their specific category and operate in a professional manner. 

Tips for making money with art

Turn your creativity into a business model

Moving from hobbyist to full-time artist requires understanding your target audience. That means who buys your work, at what price point, and through which channel. 

That clarity drives every other decision, from which products to list to which online platforms to invest time in. Many artists skip this step and later wonder why their output doesn't generate consistent income.

How to get there:

• Run surveys using Google Forms or Typeform. Ask about preferred art styles, price ranges, and product types.

• Use platform analytics (Instagram Insights, Pinterest Analytics, Google Analytics) to identify your actual audience by age, location, and interest.

• Study other artists in your niche. Read their Etsy reviews, analyze their bestsellers, and note what buyers specifically praise.

• Research similar artists' pricing on Etsy, Saatchi Art, and Society6 before setting your own. Factor in art supplies costs, time, and your intended positioning: premium, mid-range, or entry-level. 
  
  

Create a professional foundation

How you present yourself matters to art buyers, gallery directors, and licensing contacts evaluating your work. A polished, organized approach signals that you operate as a professional artist. For a successful creative, presentation and output quality carry equal weight.

Here’s how:

• Build a clean portfolio using Canva, Adobe, or a site builder like Squarespace. Include high-quality images, dimensions, prices, and short descriptions for each piece.

• Invest in quality art supplies from trusted brands (Winsor & Newton, Faber-Castell, Blick), so your work maintains a consistent standard.

• Refine your art skills by joining workshops at local art centers or taking online classes on platforms like Skillshare or Coursera.

• Keep up your art practice with a set weekly schedule. Even a daily 30-minute sketch session keeps you sharp.

Pro tip: Always have a short, professional bio and artist statement ready to send to galleries, media, or collaborators – it speeds up opportunities. 

Build multiple income streams

Relying on a single revenue source creates fragility. One algorithm change, one slow season, or one platform policy shift can eliminate it. Multiple income streams reduce that risk and, combined, can generate financial freedom that a single art job rarely provides on its own.

A practical approach:

• Select three to four streams that reinforce each other. For example: sell prints on Etsy, teach an online class on Teachable, and run a POD store selling your art on custom products.

• Cross-promote across channels. Reference your Skillshare course in your Etsy shop description. Link your POD products in your YouTube video descriptions. Route all traffic toward an email list.

• Track each stream's revenue monthly in Google Sheets or Airtable. This shows which channels generate the most return per hour of effort and which to cut or scale.

Example: A watercolor artist could sell original pieces and limited edition prints through an online store, license designs to a stationery brand for royalty income, and run a beginner online course. Each stream supports the others without requiring the same time investment every month.

How to make money selling art? Partner with Printful

Print on Demand is the fastest way to turn designs into products without touching a single shipping box. Costs stay variable and scale with your sales, so you pay per order rather than upfront. 

With Printful, you get in-house printing, a catalog covering apparel, accessories, wall art, posters, pet products, and more, plus 24/7 support – everything an independent artist needs to run a professional online store.

How to get started:

1. Create a free account – setup is free, with a pay-per-order model and no monthly subscription.

2. Upload your artwork to the Design Maker and refine until it’s perfect.

3. Integrate your store (Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, you name it) and list your products online.

When a customer orders, Printful handles printing, packing, and shipping. This setup can serve as a supplemental income stream or scale into a full-time income, depending on how much you invest in marketing and product development.

Sign up today 

Final thoughts

The art world offers more ways to earn money as an artist than at any previous point, and most of them don't require gallery representation, a fine arts degree, or giving up your day job to start. 

Whether you sell prints through a POD store, teach online classes, license your designs, or build an art blog that compounds traffic over time, the underlying logic is the same: create good art, present it professionally, and build multiple income streams so no single channel controls your financial stability. 

Sign up for Printful, put your designs on products, and start selling to a global audience today.