Punished Miku
Banned
Marry well, and be the stay at home dad who paints. You'll probably need to learn how to cook as well.
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How to Survive as an Artist?
- Thread starter Fug Slanderson
- Start date
QSD
Member
I would not consider myself an 'artist' but I do have a creative impulse that I need to express. My best advice is find a job that suits you (i.e. one that isn't super demanding or stressful to do day-to-day) to make money, and do your painting in your spare time. I work 4 days/week and am able to live pretty comfortably and still have enough time/energy to do creative stuff as well. I do have a university degree in psychology, which gives access to jobs that pay better than grunt work. So if you don't have an education or vocational training YMMV. It does pay to invest in education.
It also depends a bit on how you relate to making money with your art. Personally I find it takes the joy out of creating for me if I'm constantly assessing the commercial viability of my creative output, so I would rather have another steady stream of income. But people relate to those dynamics in very different ways.
EverydayBeast
ChatGPT 0.1
Marketable side show to get you through. I like art nice graphics in commercials.
RJMacready73
Banned
No examples?? Tsk
MaestroMike
Gold Member
Why do you need to rent a studio you can’t do art in your apartment???
kondorBonk
Member
Don't work upfront and don't stop working.
If you are working for a client, have a set price, ideally hourly if you are starting out. Keep them updated with a time line. Not everyone grasps the amount of man hours you put in and if not informed, they will feel cheated. Once you are more confident with established clients, you can start getting a feel on how to charge for "projects" instead which can help manage your own personal time.
Follow the money. If you are schooled or have had a long interest in visual art ,chances are you know the basics of the adobe suite or at least how to dive in with enough knowledge on how to troubleshoot to make continuous progress. There is a much larger pool of clients who will want digital or vector based graphics for their needs. You already have a knowledge of composition, color theory, and aesthetic cohesiveness which will take you a long way.
Eventually you'll hit some returning clients and that's who you'll want to keep happy. Ideally you'll begin to fall into some who specially like you're style or medium like illustrations for textbooks or magazine. If not, the number one goal is to make money. Keep learning new tools and don't get hung up on one medium or style. Learn to bring over the aspects you enjoy and continue to pursue it in your personal time.
For your one off pieces, if you are able to create a digital marketplace and build potential customers for your oil paintings via your portfolio or social media, sell numbered prints. If people enjoy your artwork they'll want a fair price. It's passive income with enough pieces available and if you find a buyer for the original, that's a nice big payday.
None of these happen overnight though. Get a routine job you know covers your living needs and slowly take that away.
If you are working for a client, have a set price, ideally hourly if you are starting out. Keep them updated with a time line. Not everyone grasps the amount of man hours you put in and if not informed, they will feel cheated. Once you are more confident with established clients, you can start getting a feel on how to charge for "projects" instead which can help manage your own personal time.
Follow the money. If you are schooled or have had a long interest in visual art ,chances are you know the basics of the adobe suite or at least how to dive in with enough knowledge on how to troubleshoot to make continuous progress. There is a much larger pool of clients who will want digital or vector based graphics for their needs. You already have a knowledge of composition, color theory, and aesthetic cohesiveness which will take you a long way.
Eventually you'll hit some returning clients and that's who you'll want to keep happy. Ideally you'll begin to fall into some who specially like you're style or medium like illustrations for textbooks or magazine. If not, the number one goal is to make money. Keep learning new tools and don't get hung up on one medium or style. Learn to bring over the aspects you enjoy and continue to pursue it in your personal time.
For your one off pieces, if you are able to create a digital marketplace and build potential customers for your oil paintings via your portfolio or social media, sell numbered prints. If people enjoy your artwork they'll want a fair price. It's passive income with enough pieces available and if you find a buyer for the original, that's a nice big payday.
None of these happen overnight though. Get a routine job you know covers your living needs and slowly take that away.
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Hari Seldon
Member
Definitely create a social media presence and start getting paid for commission pieces. My sister commissions portraits of her dogs and I’m sure many people do this for their kids and stuff. She just sends the artist pictures, it is all done online.
I have purchased numbered pieces for a particular artist that I like, but I am not sure how to go about buying these for other artists or even discovering new ones. I have definitely come across websites selling original works. You should research all of this.
Also maybe look into painting murals for companies or wealthy people. Seems like a good way to make money and it is free advertising if it is a corporate or public commission.
I have purchased numbered pieces for a particular artist that I like, but I am not sure how to go about buying these for other artists or even discovering new ones. I have definitely come across websites selling original works. You should research all of this.
Also maybe look into painting murals for companies or wealthy people. Seems like a good way to make money and it is free advertising if it is a corporate or public commission.
Mikado
Member
If you're any good at it - seriously, porn.
Buddy of mine is an animation instructor. Many years ago I went to his class's year-end showcase thing and one girl's illustration work stood as being far above the expected quality level.
She did not go into animation after that. You may know her by her internet name:
Sakimichan
(I've seen estimates that she pulls like 1M a year on her patreon which is more than the entire animation department at some places I've worked).
Buddy of mine is an animation instructor. Many years ago I went to his class's year-end showcase thing and one girl's illustration work stood as being far above the expected quality level.
She did not go into animation after that. You may know her by her internet name:
Sakimichan
(I've seen estimates that she pulls like 1M a year on her patreon which is more than the entire animation department at some places I've worked).
chromhound
Member
Selling your painting as NFT's , Make some Onlyfans Content
Zeroing
Banned
You need social media, aka TikTok or tumblr. You’ll get all sort of deals. Try looking for art galleries to showcase your work. 99% of the famous artists we know only became famous after they died. Yeah that sucks but if you get involved in art circles more chances you have to get sales!
L.A art scene is easier to penetrate and get recognition than on Europe!
L.A art scene is easier to penetrate and get recognition than on Europe!
StreetsofBeige
Gold Member
I'd reco be realistic with your dreams vs. reality and living. If t's not working out, cut the cord.
Nester99
Member
painting houses does not count
BadBurger
Many “Whelps”! Handle It!
I have a buddy from high school that is an artist, a painter as well (he also does digital art like Photoshop as well these days, but painting is what he focuses on). He takes jobs doing commercial artwork all the time to make ends meet and support his studio. Making signs, designing logos, he even helped design a local high school's football uniforms once.
It reminds me a lot of people who do only contract IT work. They have their core business, which may focus on very specific IT vocations, but take other smaller contracts for all manner of IT issues just to generate revenue.
It reminds me a lot of people who do only contract IT work. They have their core business, which may focus on very specific IT vocations, but take other smaller contracts for all manner of IT issues just to generate revenue.
Fbh
Member
-Get good at making nasty furry porn and other fucked up shit.
-Make an account in every site that has "rule34" in its name.
- Post your stuff there for free for a while so people know you
- Eventually open a Patreon with some exclusive stuff, high Res versions , polls for people to vote and what you should do next, etc.
-Offer comissions, the more fucked up the request the more expensive.
-Make an account in every site that has "rule34" in its name.
- Post your stuff there for free for a while so people know you
- Eventually open a Patreon with some exclusive stuff, high Res versions , polls for people to vote and what you should do next, etc.
-Offer comissions, the more fucked up the request the more expensive.
nush
Member
ThatStupidLion
Member
so as a fine artist i have no advice...
but coming from art school, having many artist/creative friends/ and being in the art/creative field for career you should be able to apply your skills to other creative fields & mediums. at least to cover some expenses....like you can build an illustration portfolio and begin networking with online/print publishers to do illustrations. or you can build a portfolio catering to other disciplines like landscapes or characters and reach out to design studios or vfx studios etc and work your way into the concept art/design field...or art direction...you can even look into doing murals on buildings etc. i know a bunch of people who earn a living doing murals on the outside and inside of buildings
lots of ways you cna broaden your skills to make you more appealing to job markets.
then on the side is where you pursue fine art as your hobby and passion. and keep working hard at it and networking. and eventually when you feel your fine art hobby can sustain you enough to live comfortably in the lifestyle you want/need....you can stop or slowly ween yourself off the other career path and focus more on the fine art one.
also, consider offering local classes, summer camps, and teaching to help pay bills.
but coming from art school, having many artist/creative friends/ and being in the art/creative field for career you should be able to apply your skills to other creative fields & mediums. at least to cover some expenses....like you can build an illustration portfolio and begin networking with online/print publishers to do illustrations. or you can build a portfolio catering to other disciplines like landscapes or characters and reach out to design studios or vfx studios etc and work your way into the concept art/design field...or art direction...you can even look into doing murals on buildings etc. i know a bunch of people who earn a living doing murals on the outside and inside of buildings
lots of ways you cna broaden your skills to make you more appealing to job markets.
then on the side is where you pursue fine art as your hobby and passion. and keep working hard at it and networking. and eventually when you feel your fine art hobby can sustain you enough to live comfortably in the lifestyle you want/need....you can stop or slowly ween yourself off the other career path and focus more on the fine art one.
also, consider offering local classes, summer camps, and teaching to help pay bills.
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Sakura
Member
I think you have to do art that is actually in demand. Try moving into digital art. You could learn Blender or something and sell those models that Vtubers and shit use. I hear people can make a lot of money off that.
Others have already mentioned, but open an account on something like fiverr. Offer work for a bit cheap at first just to build up your review score so people trust you, then you can charge a more adequate amount to make money on the side.
Get some social media presence. Instagram accounts for some artists have hundreds of thousands of followers, and all they really do is post their artwork. This could lead to you getting offers for work.
Or just open up a patreon and do porn. If your art is really good you can make thousands a month.
Basically, yeah, you need to branch out. Painting is cool and all, but it's not exactly known to make money. There are far more painters out there than there are people who need paintings, so unless you stand out amongst the rest, I don't think you'll get very far.
Art skills are very transferrable though. There might be a bit of a learning curve in using software if you switched to digital art, for example, but the fundamentals are all the same. If you are a good artist, put your skills to use somewhere that will actually make some money.
Others have already mentioned, but open an account on something like fiverr. Offer work for a bit cheap at first just to build up your review score so people trust you, then you can charge a more adequate amount to make money on the side.
Get some social media presence. Instagram accounts for some artists have hundreds of thousands of followers, and all they really do is post their artwork. This could lead to you getting offers for work.
Or just open up a patreon and do porn. If your art is really good you can make thousands a month.
Basically, yeah, you need to branch out. Painting is cool and all, but it's not exactly known to make money. There are far more painters out there than there are people who need paintings, so unless you stand out amongst the rest, I don't think you'll get very far.
Art skills are very transferrable though. There might be a bit of a learning curve in using software if you switched to digital art, for example, but the fundamentals are all the same. If you are a good artist, put your skills to use somewhere that will actually make some money.
Last edited:
NecrosaroIII
Ultimate DQ Fan
Use your art exhibits as a money laundering front