There’s a common stereotype that making good money as an artist is nearly impossible.
At least not while you’re alive.
That might have been true in the days of Vincent Van Gogh and Johannes Vermeer.
But definitely not the case in today’s vibrant digital age when building a solid follower (and customer!) base is more than realistic.
So if you’re a creative person, we say—congratulations! You can turn your talent into a lucrative occupation that brings you both fame and money.
Start by considering these 8 active and passive income ideas for artists.1. Selling art on Instagram
Instagram has become the No. 1 social media platform for artists and art lovers. That’s great news for beginning creatives because you don’t need to climb the social ladder and wait for big-name critics to call the shots. Instead, you can connect with buyers across the globe willing to pay for your work.
It all comes down to how many engaged followers you have—the more popular your Instagram account, the higher the demand for your art. So if you feel like you could gather more followers, start there.
We’ve already covered the technical side of using Instagram for boosting sales in 9 simple tips. When selling art on Instagram, follow these additional tips:Post high-quality imagesWhen photographing your artwork, choose a clean background and natural lightStick to your unified style or brand—find a certain filter, hashtag, language, etc. that represents you and your artWrite creative captions that tell a storyUse relevant hashtags (that correspond to keywords representing your art)Write an attractive bio (it’s the only place where followers can click on a link)Post on a regular basis (at least twice per week)
Important! Whenever someone sends you a message showing interest in your work, redirect them to your sales page or Sellfy store.
Christian Maté Grab is a filmmaker, photographer, and traveler who sells Lightroom Presets and LUTs. He promotes his Selly store in his Instagram profile bio. Image Source
ProsBy selling on Instagram, you’re shooting two birds with one stone—you showcase and promote your work while guiding the buyers into your sales funnel.
ConsYou probably won’t receive significant income right away, especially if your follower base is still not large.2. Teaching art online or face-to-face
If you are the proactive and extrovert type of artist, finding students shouldn’t be a problem. But first, you have to establish which type of teaching will be more suitable for you.Teaching face-to-face
If you take a closer look, you’ll probably find that your neighborhood offers opportunities for making some money with art. Even better if you have an attractive niche like astrophotography, calligraphy or street photography.
Some ideas on how you can contribute to the social life of your community while gaining experience and earning money:Offer painting (or whatever your specialty is) classes or one-day workshops to adults, kids or high-schoolers in your local community centerOrganize an exhibition alone or invite other artists to participateOffer short, interactive art workshops for corporate events and partiesOrganize “plain air” painting workshops in natureTeaching online
Teaching online courses can be a better option for reaching a wider audience. However, tutoring several people at the same time will be much more difficult online than face-to-face.
Another option is to turn your teaching into a form of passive income. You’ll have to prepare the material once, and it can bring you income even for several months or years.
Some ways how you can become an online art tutor:Sell courses on platforms like Udemy and SkillshareSell guides and tutorials on your own website or Sellfy page (these can take any form – video tutorials, ebooks, step-by-step guides with images, etc.)Create your own YouTube channel to give weekly lessons on different techniques (we’ve already explained that selling tutorials on YouTube is easy as soon as you learn the basic principles of this process)
For example, James Gurney has combined the last two teaching options by giving drawing and painting lessons to over 79,000 people on his YouTube channel and selling more extensive tutorials on his Sellfy page.
James Gurney doesn’t just teach painting per se. He has chosen a specialty that differentiates him from the competition—painting dinosaurs.
ProsA great way of earning money doing what you already know – and love.An exciting process that will also include a lot of learning for yourself.
ConsA simple guide is not going to cost substantial amounts – especially if the competition is fierce. To make it more valuable, make your guide very detailed or specialized.Creating a course can be complicated and time-consuming, so arm yourself with patience.3. Selling vector designs on Sellfy
If you have a knack for graphic design, there’s a whole new spectrum of active and passive income types you can make use of.
Selling vector designs might be one of the best ways for you to make money as an artist while realizing your creative potential.
On Sellfy, you can sell all kinds of artworks, from illustrations, logo designs, icon packs, character designs, along with various other types of graphics and templates. Your opportunities aren’t limited to visual arts—you can also sell music online, offer ebooks, knitting patterns, etc.
The best part? Putting a product on sale takes no more than 5 minutes.
ProsAn effortless and quick way to make your digital artwork available for sale.By offering different designs and uploading new products regularly, you can generate a steady passive income stream.
ConsPutting your digital products on sale won’t be enough. You’ll still have to market them to boost sales. Luckily, the Sellfy platform offers marketing tools that help with this: email marketing, upsell, discounts, etc.4. Applying for grants and competitions
Many international programs, local communities or non-profit organizations offer grants for artists. The aim of these is either to support young artists, promote culture or address a particular problem. Other times local institutions need actual pieces of art to decorate new buildings or give a nice touch to an event.
How to apply to these programs?
Try a simple online search like “grants for artists” or “artist contests”. To narrow the search down, you can add your specific country, state or city. You will probably find at least several contests or programs that you are eligible to enter and win cash or other prizes, and the chance to show your work.
Also, be sure to follow the news on social media and your artistic or professional circles, like the university, artist association or NGO.
ProsSome grants and prizes can be substantial and thus give you a chance to invest in new materials, skills, etc.One of the best ways to gain exposure and recognition for your work, as the participants and winners will be mentioned in the official publications and media, seen by exhibition visitors, etc.
ConsNot a constant and reliable means of income, as the grants and contests are not regular (and you won’t always win).5. Earning passive income by selling wall art
Painters, illustrators, designers, graphic artists and even sculptors can earn money by selling high-quality prints or copies of their work.
There are two ways how you can turn your art into high-quality posters:Digitize your artwork with the help of professional photography or scanningUse Adobe Illustrator or another graphic design program to create posters in a printable format
Some ideas on how to sell wall art:Sell digital copies on Sellfy leaving the printing side to the customerUse one of many print-on-demand websites that will print and ship the posters for youOffer your art to your social media followers or set up an online shop on FacebookSet up a shop on Etsy, one of the biggest international platforms for selling art and handicraftsSell photos from your portfolio website
ProsThis type of gig makes your art available to fans who may not be able to pay for an original piece, allowing you to diversify your target audience.A convenient form of passive income that can bring you earnings for an unlimited time.
ConsSmall earnings per piece mean that you’ll have to sell many to earn a fair amount.6. Selling other merchandise with your art