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Ways for an Artist to Make Money

by Ryan Lewis

Making money as an artist is not like making money as a doctor or an accountant. Artists must sell not only their artwork, but also their own personality and style. They must convince people that what they are offering is worth buying!

There is a great book called Multiple Streams of Income written by Robert G. Allen that talks about (quite simply) not puting all your eggs in one basket. He says that to be successful and independent, a person must be able to make money from multiple sources and continue those streams of income indefinitely. Now Mr. Allen was talking about business, real estate and other ventures; however, the concept still applies to artists.

Artists should always be looking for opportunities to show their work, use their talents and gain recognition. Below is a list of potential ways to make some additional money outside of your regular 8 to 5.

Selling caricatures - people always love to have a memory of a trip or a fun event. Set up a booth at the fair on the weekend (make sure to check on permits)
Traveling painter - take some time off and go on a road trip. If it's during a holiday season, create some pictures of the area and sell them to tourists
Portrait sketching - see caricatures
Henna Tatoos - if you're near a beach definitely!
Calligraphy - appeal to their fancy side. Do the caligraphy for weddings or fancy parties
A comic strip artist - develop a cartoon for your local paper. Who knows, it may go national!
Painting murals - approach your local town council and sell your services for a mural project
Portraits from photos - approach wealthy people, executives and political figures (or people with new babies)
Interior designing - once artistic, always artistic. Set your eyes on a new room for clients.
Custom-designing T-Shirts - make unique designs and sell them off as collectors items
Designing packages for businesses - approach businesses to design their logos, letter head or graphics
Store window displays - sell your artistic talents in beauty and design
Sketching stores - store owners love to have pictures and paintings of their shops over the years.
Sketching houses - people love to have professionally painted or drawn pictures of their homes or summer cottages. Approach resort towns and maybe even leave fliers in their doors
Sign painting - create unique signs or large advertisements for businesses
Promoting art shows - know the industry? Promote the shows and get known by galleries
Personalized greeting cards - start a small business and send your artwork everywhere
Art consultant - do businesses need some art? Help friends sell and you will be VERY popular
County Fairs - travel to fairs and other sales on the weekend selling your work
Art lease - Show businesses how leasing artwork is much cheaper for them (have a contract!)
Art exchange - trade your work with businesses as payment for services
Teaching art - isn't this one a little obvious?

If you can use one, two or a combination of a few of these, I hope you have great success in your career!

About The Author: Ryan Lewis, Artist and BComm graduate, is a member of ArtistLane.com and currently shows his artwork at the Gust Gallery in Waterton Lakes National Park. Ryan Lewis writes articles for ArtistLane pertaining to the business aspect of being an artist. You can view his work on this site or at his personal website RyanLewis.ca.
To contact Ryan Lewis, send a message via e-mail to Lewis@ArtistLane.com.