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How Do Digital Artists Make Money?
As indulging as the creative world of an artist may sound, making a living out of it really takes out the last bit of sweat. For any artist for that matter, in order to arrange for the minimum bit of decent living, the set-up procedure is a tedious one let alone competition in the open market.
Digital artists, on the other hand, have a lead in the game as the internet is increasingly becoming the centre stage for them to showcase their work. To make a living as an artist, there are various steps that could lead to a successful future in the realm of the creative world in general.
Why is it a good idea to become a freelance artist?
Freelancing subjugates to all fields of work and the creative discipline of art and artistry is no exception. Generally speaking, making a career based on art installations, selling works or media exposure to different opportunities may be difficult and hard to achieve given the fierce competition, especially for beginners. Freelancing is a great way to reach out to potential clients and collaborators which paves the way to circumstantial success and income doing what they do.
For the novice lot, questions may arise inquiring about ways to make money as an artist, which is completely justifiable on every level. Talent and hard work pay off in the end of course, but let me break it to you — the tricks of the trade has its way of deciding your worth in the industry as a whole. So for all those artists who want to freelance their work, let us explore the different ways and possibilities that could potentially lead to career growth and substantial income.
Freelance Websites
One of the best ways to connect with clients and collaborators, such websites provide ample exposure not only for the artist but for the buyers as well. By slowly expanding the network, one can land good job deals and possibilities through such websites.
The advantage is that social media platforms could be put to use in landing some great deals which in turn will make the artist gradually form a brand of their own. The old question of how to make money as an artist can now be put to rest through freelance websites like peopleperhour.com, upwork.com, hireanillustrator.com, guru.com among many others.
Selling Prints
In this world of digitalization, selling prints on the online platform has never been easier. Now, suppose an artist wants to sell their artwork but the dilemma and burden of shipping and delivery make them opt out of the very possibility. But worry no more. There are websites that dedicate themselves to every post-sale responsibility and the artist can only concentrate on delivering the best of their talent without worrying about subsidiary involvements.
Online Courses
This can be beneficial in two opposite ways where an artist can teach and impart wisdom to other budding artists through online courses which not only helps in circulating the good name but also helps the artist to practice and retain different methods of creative exposure through teaching.
The other way is to take online classes from various artists and collaborators from across the world which will help in the growth and knowledge build-up of an artist.
Donations
Donations may apparently seem like a downsizing idea when it comes to income but the payoffs are really worth it. Good donations help you expand your creative implementation without having to think about the financial investment.
But of course, to reach such a height, the artist must have good sources across the industry where potential customers and clients can reach out to him for personalized work. Websites like Patreon, Kickstarter and gumroad could break the deal for newbies.
Licensing
Over the course of time as artworks and content get higher, licensing them is the best way to earn out of unused work samples. Building a portfolio or a catalogue and getting them licensed will build a great earning opportunity every time an artist’s work is used or adapted by other agencies.
The struggling years of artists now have many solutions to reach out to that will produce substantial income and exposure. As digitalization expands more and more, the platform of creative independence is much more accessible for digital artists.
How do artists make money is no longer a matter of assumption as there are thousands of ways to put a justifiable worth on an art piece. These opportunities are just waiting for you to put into use and to build a career in making beautiful art. So just go out into the parallel world of freelancing and explore the opportunities like never before!
How to Develop Your Own Artistic Style
Every artist has something unique. This personality is often reflected in their artistic style. How long will it take to acquire an artistic style? Does my art work look like someone else’s style? There is no need to copy another artistic style.
It will not really produce any fantastic result. Though, to develop a career in this field, you need a mentor or a trainer to guide you through. It is of pretty great advantage if you can develop your unique artistic style. Nobody can be like you.
Depending on the type of illustrations you can draw, using the right tools that fit your art style can determine the outcome of your art. Beautiful, dynamic lines are created with a delicate motion that a mouse isn’t capable of transferring. You can’t use a lighter or stronger pressure with this tool—you can either click (draw) or not click (not draw). The traditional pencil will let you draw a better line than even the most expensive mouse. To draw on your computer as you would on paper, you need a special tool—a graphics tablet.
To sum it up, you’ll need a tablet and some software to begin digital art. Expensive, advanced tools you see most professionals use are not necessarily better, just more convenient. You can get a bigger workspace, a screen under your stylus, more pressure sensitivity levels (that you won’t even notice), various bells and whistles, but in the end, 95% of the artwork is still produced with your drawing skill. Do some research and explore tips on successfully becoming a digital artist.
Working with Colours
If it’s your first time experimenting with colours, there are plenty of guides that you can follow available online. There’s one fact that you need to keep in mind all the time when picking colours. Colours aren’t real, in a sense that they are produced by our brain as an interpretation of certain signals. Because of this, we can recognize the colour of an object even when the light conditions change.
