Ever since technology has allowed us to create art on our computers, digital art has evolved immensely over the past few decades. Today, there are millions of digital artists around the world who are making stunning pieces with the technology available to us, creating a huge impact on visual arts and media design in the process.
And like other forms of art like traditional drawings and photography, digital art can be monetized, whether it’s to make a living or get some extra cash on the side. If you want to earn money from your digital art, here are some ideas that can help get you started:
Website art
A thriving trend in the web design industry today is the use of digital art on website homepages to make them more unique, aesthetically-pleasing, and attractive to web visitors. Try tapping into this market by offering website art services to small businesses and bloggers to start with.
Prints
While digital art mostly stays in the virtual world, you can also make prints and sell them on your website or page. You can even make your prints extra special by getting picture framing services to frame them before shipping them to your customers.
Tattoo designs
People want to see what their tattoo will look like before it even gets on their skin. Digital art makes it easier both for the artist to create and make changes to the design quickly and more efficiently, as opposed to sketching it on paper. Moreover, digital designs can also be edited on the client’s body to help them visualize what it will look like after it’s tattooed on their skin.
Art commissions
Offering commissions is a popular way for digital artists to make an income from their work. To start your own commission project, post your portfolio and prices on social media pages or art websites. People who want custom artwork drawn with your skill and in your style will contact you when they want a project done.
Art commissions are typically priced depending on the complexity of the project. You can opt for either flat rates or per-hour rates, whichever you think will benefit you–and the client–the most.
Books and e-books
A great way to make money and share your artwork with the world is to take up jobs from authors or publishers needing custom art for their books. Getting your work published may also open up more opportunities for you when other book creators see your art.
Online courses or tutorials
If you have a lot of experience and skills under your belt, why not share it with others? Offer online courses or paid tutorials with other people who want to learn digital art. With online courses, you will only need to create the course once and enjoy passive income for succeeding years. With paid tutorials, you can teach a class or an individual student in real-time using a virtual classroom platform.
As you can see, there are many ways you can make money as a digital artist, and the examples highlighted above are just the beginning of a long list. As long as you are passionate about your art and don’t mind putting in hard work, you can generate passive income or make digital art your main source of income for years to come.
