How To Sell Art Online And Make Money As An Artist In 2023

The Type Of Art To Sell Online And Make Money As An Artist

When starting your art business online, the first step is to decide what kind of art to sell. There are several options and mediums on how to make money selling art, so you need the right choice. 

Original Art

As an artist, you can choose to sell your original art pieces online. Custom-made artworks are highly-priced, but people love exclusivity, so it’s a profitable way of selling art online. However, if you are an emerging artist with little or no followers, you might have difficulty attracting the right demographic to your online store. But there are emerging creator tools to help you overcome it.  

Reproduction Prints

It’s a general knowledge that artists like to dedicate and channel their energy and time towards their work rather than selling it –this is where reproduction prints take over. 

Selling reproduction prints puts you in the place of a curator, and you’ll act as a middleman, selling other people’s art online and paying the artist a commission. The only downside to this market is that it is highly competitive. 

In addition to selling original art or reproduction prints, selling digital downloads is another way to make money as an artist.

How To Make Money As An Artist: Top Ways You Should Consider

Gone are the days when artists were limited to galleries and museums when it came to making money. With the advent of technology, artists can make money doing what they love. Here are how to make money as an artist in 2023:

Sell Art Prints

Selling art prints online is one of the top ways to make money selling art. Art prints have become quite popular over the past few years. They’re a high-quality reproduction of an artist's original illustration or painting. It can be mass reproduced into artworks, posters, wallpapers, or canvas prints.  The best thing you don’t need to run inventory or make any investment apart of starting you e-commerce store and connecting print on demand supplier, who will print and ship your art prints for your customers, like Helloprint Create & Sell.

Start A Print-On-Demand Art Brand

When it comes to how to sell art online and make money, print-on-demand is one of the most straightforward means. It’s the best option, especially if you want to create custom products with your art. Artists get to hand off from running the business aspect, while POD services like Helloprint Create and Sell handle the production and delivery to the customer. You can have your art printed on a wide range of print-on-demand products, like framed posters, wall stickers, canvases, tote bags, apparels, bedclothing. This is a great low investment option – plus, no need for inventory.

Sell Digital Stock Artwork

Here’s another lucrative option on how to make money as an artist. You can sell downloadable stock versions of your artwork online for companies or individuals who might love to use it for different purposes, and it’s an excellent way to make money with art.   

Work On Freelance Projects

Maybe some of these ways are not aligning with who you are, and you are still wondering how to make money as an artist online. Freelancing might be just what you need. There are a lot of brands, companies, and individuals looking for custom artworks that will distinguish/represent their brand; as an artist, you can collaborate with them on projects like that for some duration.

Teach Art Online

There are endless ways to make money from art, and teaching art courses online is one of them. People are constantly intrigued by art, so you can choose to share your knowledge with the world as an artist. It’s a passive means of income for an artist to earn money by sharing their skill with the world. 

Start Blogging

Blogging might not be the easiest means of making money as an artist, but it has vast potential. Setting a blog is great for artist who wants to drive traffic to their online artist store. But in case you might not want to sell your art pieces online, blogging about art can be as fulfilling too. Moreover, there are unlimited ways to make money from blogging. 

Available Business Models For Your Art Retail Business

The next segment on how to make money as an artist is selecting the business model that best suits you. The two main options are selling through an online store or a supplier. Let us break it down for you:

Selling With An Online Store

This is a suitable model for you if you are keen on managing every aspect of the business. Selling with an online store entails that you will handle your artwork’s production, packaging, and shipping. Selling through an online store gives you control over your branding and business strategy. 

Pros

• You have total control of your business and the type of art you sell.
• Personalized packaging 

Cons 

• The stress of handling the shipping will be on you 
• You will have to manage the inventory and budget of the business, which is way riskier.

Selling Through A Supplier

If you want to sell digital art online and make money without stress and low risk, you should consider selling through a supplier. In this business model, you will be working with a print-on-demand or dropshipping company to fulfill the pre-orders of your customers.  The sale will, however, be made on your online store while the supplier takes care of everything that comes after. 

Pros 

• You can have more freedom to focus on your craft and customers
• With the need for inventory eliminated, there is less risk
• The supplier handles shipping 
• You can experiment with formats and types of cutomised with your artwork products

Cons

• The cost of each item is higher compared to buying in bulk
• You have little or no control over your art products; it depends on the supplier’s specifications, so you need to choose carefully the supplier.
• Possible delays in shipping and expenses. 

How To Sell Art Online And Make Money: Best Platforms To Use

Deciding on the best platform to make money with your artwork can be overwhelming, so to help you make the best decision, we compiled the best platforms for you:

Building Your Own Website

Building your art website is like having your own gallery, only this time it’s online. This is the best option if you want total freedom to customize your store, including brand name, color scheme, information, etc. Unlike the other platforms, you are the sole competitor here, and only your work is on display. Website host like WordPress allows you to integrate your store with POD services.

Selling With Social Media

Social media is one of the most accessible platforms where you can market and sell your artwork. It’s best for people who have already set up their eCommerce store with social media. They can now advertise and draw the attention of potential customers to their website. 

Selling With Online Marketplaces

Making money with art through selling on marketplaces is one of the most cost-effective methods. It’s effortless to set up and has a low-entry barrier making it more competitive. It’s straightforward to set up your store on the marketplace, like Etsy. Just create an account, and you are in. However, there is little room for customization and high competition. 

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Selling On Ecommerce Platforms

The eCommerce platforms are a step further than marketplaces. An artist can set up their online store on this platform with no other parties involved —just the seller and the buyer. On eCommerce platforms, there is room for creativity and freedom. It is best for artists who have an audience that they can push to their store. 

Selling With Artist Store

Now, the artist store is the best on how to sell art online and make money. Artist Shops provides the best and easiest platform to sell your art in your own customized online store for free. With Artist's stores like Helloprint Create & Sell, you can sell your artwork without hassle. 

Start Making Money With Art Today With Helloprint Create & Sell

The whole process of how to make money selling art might seem like a long journey to you, but with Helloprint Create & Sell Artist Store, it is a smooth ride. Our Artist Store solution is designed to help all artists, creators, and makers monetize creativity and quickly launch online shops with no upfront costs, inventory, or risks. Hop on our train by signing up today, and start making cool cash from your artwork, ading you art to more than 100 quality products in our intuitive design editor. Once done we will take care of printing and shipping products to your customers, and with our 189 print hubs all over the world you can easily reach the global audience.

Conclusion

Now is the best time to start earning from sharing your art with the world. This guide has explained everything you need to know about how to make money in art, what to sell and how to sell it. Like earlier said, our Artist store is an easy-peasy platform to start with. Get in touch now.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Type Of Art Can I Sell Online And Make Money As An Artist?

There is no limit to the type of art you can sell online. You can sell original art or reproduction prints online, which are lucrative ways to make money as an artist.

How Can I Make Money As An Artist?

There are unlimited ways to make money as an artist, even if you choose not to sell your artwork online. You can make money teaching about arts, blogging, collaborating works, or freelancing.

Which Are The Best Platforms To Use For Selling My Art?

The best platforms for selling art include an Artist store, an eCommerce store, and marketplaces.

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