How to become a freelance illustrator and how to make money as one

Making money from digital art can be tricky. Art has no intrinsic value, which means that it can’t be sold for a high price as with rare books or antiques.

In addition, the online art market is highly saturated, which makes it difficult for artists to stand out and sell their work. Fortunately, there are many different ways to monetize your digital art without sacrificing your integrity or compromising your artistic vision. If you have a talent for creating images or video and enjoy creating art, you might want to monetize these skills and make them your full-time job. There are many ways you can do this effectively while also staying true to who you are as an artist. This blog post will help you learn about the different ways you can monetize your digital art so that you can make money with it in the long term.

Research your audience

The first step in making money with your digital art is to learn about your audience. You want to understand who is buying your work, what they are using it for, and how much they are willing to pay. This will help you figure out where and how to sell your work so that you can make the most money possible. To start researching your audience, you can look at the art that is already making money online. Find out where it’s being sold and study what kinds of images are most popular. Are they illustrations, photos, or something else? What kinds of topics do they focus on? Are they funny, serious, or something else entirely? This will help you figure out what kinds of images you should create to appeal to your target audience. You should also research the prices that other artists in your niche are charging for their work. This will help you know how much to charge for your own images as well.


Try digital art platforms

One of the best ways to make money with your digital art is to start using an online art platform. Digital art platforms help artists share their work online and make money from it through advertising and other monetization models. These platforms are also great for connecting with your audience and building a community of engaged followers who appreciate your work. Artists use online art platforms to sell prints, clothing, merchandise, and more. Some platforms also allow you to sell your work for stock photography and commercial use. This is a great way to monetize your art and make money from it, especially if you have a niche or specialty that others want to use.


Create a portfolio and find freelance work

Once you have a portfolio of images that you are proud of, you should start searching for freelance work. This will help you make money from your digital art as you build a client base and get your name out there. You can find freelance work online by signing up with websites like Upwork or finding an online freelancer community in your niche. You should also create portfolios for each type of digital art you produce. For example, if you specialize in creating digital art with Photoshop, you should create a portfolio that features all of your best work. You can then share this portfolio on social media or with clients and potential clients to show off your skills and build your name as an artist.


Find companies that value digital art

Some companies value digital art as highly as they do physical art. These companies buy digital art to use as logos, website designs, and other promotional materials. They might also use it as marketing collateral or give it as gifts to their employees and partners. You can find companies that value digital art by Googling “companies that buy digital art” or “companies that buy logo design”. Once you find these companies, you can contact them and offer to sell them your digital art. You can also offer to create their logo or other design materials for them. This can be a great way to make money from your digital art without having to sell prints of it or use it for commercial use.


Become an Illustration Apprentice

If you are a skilled digital artist with a creative and/or marketing focus, you might want to consider looking into becoming an illustration apprentice. This is a small business opportunity that allows you to make money from your digital art while also building your skills and network. Becoming an illustration apprentice is a path that is open to all skill levels. You don’t have to have years of experience as a professional artist to become an apprentice. However, you do need the right skills. You must have a passion for creativity, an understanding of marketing, and the ability to create high-quality digital art. If you have these skills, you can become an apprentice and make money from your digital art while learning new skills.


Earn commission as an Ad Artist

Another way to make money with your digital art is to become an ad artist. Ad artists create art that is used to promote products and services online. Companies will pay ad artists to create their ads and then pay the artists again whenever their ads generate sales. Becoming an ad artist is a great way to make money from your digital art without having to create a lot of new images. This is especially useful if you create art with a niche or specialty and don’t want to create new ads for every product that uses your images. To become an ad artist, you will need to build a portfolio of images that you can use for advertising. You can also create a portfolio of ads that other companies have used and can offer to sell your own ads.


Conclusion

Making money with your digital art can be rewarding but challenging. To make it work, you need to find ways to monetize your art that doesn’t take away from your artistic vision. This can be difficult, but there are many ways to do it. You can also use your digital art to build your skills and network. This will help you make money in the long term and ensure that you can continue to create art that is true to who you are as an artist.