How To Sell Digital Art Online

There are at the very least one million ways to earn money online (trust us, we counted).

For those who’re trying to start a web based business – and make some money in the method – there’s no higher place to begin than your personal skills, hobbies, and passions. If you may have a talent for art, that may be your probability to begin a web based empire – or at the very least make a couple of extra bucks.

Many individuals sell digital art on the net, but because there are such a lot of ways to achieve this, it could possibly be an intimidating space for a beginner. But fear not! Our guide below covers all the things it is advisable to learn about the way to sell digital art online. All it is advisable to do is what you do best: create art.

Let’s start!

What Kinds Of Digital Art Can You Sell?

Irrespective of what style of digital art you create, you may probably sell it online. Some common and popular digital art styles which might be present in online marketplaces and e-commerce sites include:

• 2D artwork, like photography, illustrations, digital paintings, vector art, pixel art, and concept art for video games and films. This could even be physical art that gets scanned or recreated in digital form.
• 3D artwork, which might include computer graphics, mixed media, and architectural models, and more.
• Animation, which may be utilized in video production, presentations, and even in interactive media like video games.
• Branding kits, which might include logos, fonts, website designs, and other graphic design assets businesses use to construct their brands online.
• Design templates, If you may have a knack for design, selling templates for web sites, presentations, business cards, social media posts, and other uses may be quite profitable.
• Fonts and typography, which may be used for branding or website design.
• NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, which have emerged as a preferred way for artists to sell their digital art. This could include any style of digital art, but it surely’s commonly used for unique or limited-edition pieces.
• VR and AR art, like social media filters, immersive experiences, or digital objects.

Can You Make A Profit Selling Digital Art Online?

Yes! Online art sales were estimated to generate $13.6 billion in 2021, up from $7.9 billion in 2020. Increasingly more persons are buying art online, so it’s definitely possible to make a profit selling digital art – and lots of people do! But it could possibly take significant effort, skill, marketing acumen, and infrequently, just a little little bit of luck.

Below are some suggestions and methods you need to use to maximise your profits.

• Develop your skills – Because the old saying goes, practice makes perfect! To sell your art, it must be top quality. Meaning spending time practicing your craft and developing your unique style, which is able to make it easier to stand out and create a following.
• Know your market – Various kinds of art sell higher on different platforms. Research to know what sorts of art are popular in your chosen marketplace (more on that further down).
• Market and promote your art – Just uploading your art and hoping buyers will find it just isn’t enough. Use social media, email newsletters, and other marketing strategies to advertise your work. It’s also a very good idea to construct a robust brand and consistent portfolio. Having a cohesive feel and appear to your work could make you more recognizable and skilled to potential buyers.
• Diversify your income – As we’ll explore in additional detail below, there are tons of how to sell digital art. Don’t limit yourself, otherwise you risk limiting your profits! Consider selling various kinds of products, corresponding to art prints, t-shirts, or digital downloads, and offering services like custom commissions or tutorials. You can too sell your work on multiple platforms to achieve a wider audience.
• Take excellent care of your customers – While you provide top-tier customer support and treat your customers well, they’re more more likely to develop into repeat customers and refer others to you. Respond quickly to questions from potential buyers, work hard to resolve issues, and deliver high-quality products on time.
• Make the most of recent technologies – For instance, NFTs can allow artists to sell their work for higher prices than traditional digital prints. Nevertheless, consider that trends in technology may be volatile and speculative–NFTs are already on their way out, based on some experts.

How Do I Know If My Art Will Sell?

Well, you don’t. To be perfectly honest, the art market may be unpredictable and subjective. But you may up the percentages by practicing as much as possible to make high-quality artworks, having a singular style that sets you aside from other artists, and selling your art in many various forms that appeal to different audiences. Marketing can even make it easier to find the best audiences to like and appreciate your work.

What sells often isn’t just the artwork itself however the story and personality behind it. Constructing a robust personal brand and connecting along with your audience can play a big role in your business success. At all times proceed learning, experimenting, and refining your craft, and don’t be discouraged by initial slow sales–it could possibly take time to seek out your market and hit your stride.

How Much Should I Charge?

Pricing your digital art is usually a tricky process, and there are numerous variables to contemplate. Listed here are some aspects that may influence how much you must charge:

• Time spent – Consider the time you spent creating the artwork. What could be an affordable hourly rate to your work? This is usually a helpful start line.
• Your skill level – Artists with a high level of skill or years of experience can generally charge more for his or her work.
• Costs – If there are any costs involved in creating the artwork, corresponding to software subscriptions or hardware, these must be factored into the worth.
• Market rates – Research what other artists with similar styles and experience levels are charging for comparable work. This could provide you with an idea of what customers may be willing to pay.

Safety Suggestions For Selling Digital Artworks Online

There are some potential dangers related to selling digital art (or every other product) online. Some important risks to look at out for are scams, theft, and privacy concerns. Listed here are some suggestions to guard yourself.

To guard yourself from scams:

• Concentrate on common scams, corresponding to chargebacks or buyers asking to make use of unusual payment methods. If something seems suspicious, it’s best to err on the side of caution.
• Use a secure, trusted payment platform to handle transactions. This protects each you and your customers.
• Clearly state your terms of service in your website or platform. This could include your policies on refunds, exchanges, and private use policies (i.e., what the customer is allowed to do along with your art).
• Keep records of all of your sales and interactions with customers. This may be useful in case of disputes or for tax purposes.

To guard yourself from theft:

• Watermark all of your original art. A watermark can discourage people from stealing your images since it makes it harder for them for use without permission. It doesn’t must be large or obtrusive, simply enough to guard your work.
• Use mockups or low-resolution images as previews. When displaying your work online, lower-resolution images are suitable for viewing but not for printing. This may further deter theft.
• Include a copyright notice in your website and on the image itself if possible. This reminds folks that your work is protected by law.
• At all times keep backups of your original files. In case your website or the platform you sell on were ever to crash or be hacked, you wouldn’t lose your original work.

To guard your privacy and private data:

• Be cautious about how much personal information you share online. Never give out more information than obligatory.

5 Ways To Sell Digital Art Online

Digital artists have many ways they’ll sell their art online, though in some cases, they could be limited by exactly what style of art they create. Below, you’ll find a number of the commonest ways creators sell their digital art – but know that this isn’t a comprehensive list, and there are lots of other ways to sell, especially if you may have a specific area of interest style of art that appeals to a selected community.

1. Set Up An Online Store

Establishing a web based store may be labor-intensive and time-consuming, but it surely’s still an amazing alternative, especially for artists who’ve digital products to sell as downloadables, like digital art prints.

There are some ways you may save effort and time in organising a web based store – for instance, as an alternative of making your website from scratch, you need to use an internet site builder like Wix or WordPress, then install an e-commerce plugin like WooCommerce to begin selling your art.

Or you may save much more time by organising a page on an existing online marketplace, like Shopify or Etsy. You’ll be able to even do a mixture of those to achieve a wider audience – you may construct your website and still have an Etsy shop to capture potential buyers searching Etsy for products like yours.

Selling digital art through a web based store may be a very good option for artists who’ve a big body of labor they wish to sell, in addition to those that want to achieve a worldwide audience. It’s also a very good option for artists preferring to create work at their very own pace.

Pros and Cons of Selling Digital Art in an Online Store
Pros	Cons
Scalability – Unlike physical products, digital art may be sold an infinite variety of times with none additional production cost. Flexibility – You’ll be able to work on your personal schedule and from anywhere on the earth. Lower costs – There’s no need for physical space for storing, shipping, or materials. Global reach – Your online store can reach customers from all over the world.	Competition – The web marketplace for digital art may be very competitive. It could be hard to face out and attract customers. Marketing – You’re answerable for promoting your store and products. This may be time-consuming and should require skills outside of your artistic expertise. Customer support – You’ll have to handle customer inquiries, complaints, and refunds. Digital theft – There’s a risk of individuals stealing and reproducing your digital art.

2. Offer Commissions

Offering commissions means you create custom artwork for clients based on their specific requests. Here’s how the method works:

1. You employ your website, social media, and other channels to let people know you’re open for commissions.
2. When someone is fascinated by commissioning you, they’ll contact you to debate what they need. You’ll need to debate details just like the subject, style, size, timeline, and price.
3. When you’ve agreed on the fundamentals, you may formalize the agreement. This could include a contract outlining the terms of the commission, including payment terms, timelines, what happens if the client isn’t satisfied, etc.
4. After the terms are set, you may start working on the commission. You’ll be able to provide progress updates to the client, and so they will probably want to request changes or revisions.
5. Once the artwork is accomplished and the client is satisfied, you deliver the ultimate digital files.

Taking commissions may be a very good option for artists who enjoy working on custom projects and interacting directly with clients. It could even be a very good option for artists specializing in a selected style of art that’s in demand for custom work, corresponding to portraits, branding, or concept art for video games and movies.

Pros and Cons of Selling Digital Art by Offering Commissions
Pros	Cons
Higher prices – Custom artwork can often herald higher prices than pre-made pieces. Customer relationships – Working directly with clients can result in long-term relationships and repeat business. Variety – Each commission is a singular project, which might keep your work interesting and difficult.	Time – Commissions often require more time than pre-made pieces. You’ve gotten to spend time communicating with the client and coping with possible revisions. Client expectations – Clients often have specific expectations, and it could possibly sometimes be difficult to fulfill them. Inconsistent income – Income will depend on the demand to your work.

3. Sell Your Art As NFTs

NFTs burst onto the digital art scene in 2014 but rose in popularity in 2020 and 2021 after a couple of high-profile (and high-value) NFT sales. Selling your art as NFTs involves creating unique tokens on a blockchain that represent ownership of a selected piece of digital art. You’ll create your art, similar to you already do, but then, it must be “minted,” meaning you create a brand new token on the blockchain that represents your art. This often involves uploading your artwork to an NFT marketplace, adding metadata in regards to the artwork (like its name, description, and your name because the artist), and paying a fee in cryptocurrency.

You’ll be able to then list your NFT on the market, selling it at a hard and fast price or auction style, where it goes to the very best bidder. When someone buys your NFT, the token that represents your artwork is transferred to their digital wallet. This transaction is recorded on the blockchain, providing a everlasting record of the sale.

Selling art as NFTs may be a very good option for digital artists fascinated by exploring recent technology and who wish to sell their work in a marketplace that enables for unique ownership. It’s also attractive to artists who create work that may profit from being tied to a blockchain, corresponding to digital art that’s interactive or that changes over time.

Pros and Cons of Selling Digital Art as NFTs
Pros	Cons
Provenance and ownership – The blockchain provides a transparent record of ownership and provenance for every bit of art, which may be attractive to buyers. Potential for prime prices – Some NFTs have sold for terribly high prices, although that is the exception fairly than the rule. Secondary sales – Many NFT contracts include a feature that enables the unique artist to receive a percentage of any future sales of the NFT. This implies you could possibly proceed to take advantage of your art if it increases in value.	Costs – Minting an NFT may be expensive, because it often involves paying a fee in cryptocurrency. These fees may be volatile and high. Environmental impact – The strategy of minting NFTs and maintaining the blockchain requires numerous computational power, which has a big environmental impact. Market volatility – The marketplace for NFTs is comparatively recent and still quite volatile. Prices can fluctuate dramatically, and it’s possible that the present interest is short-lived and so they’ll fade in popularity. Technical complexity – Creating and selling NFTs requires a basic understanding of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency, which is usually a barrier for some artists.

4. Sell Canvas Prints And Decor

Selling digital art as physical products corresponding to canvas prints, wall art, posters, cards, stickers, and other decor items involves turning your digital creations into tangible items that folks can placed on display.

You’ll have to partner with a printing company to show your digital art into physical products. You’ll be able to decide to work with a neighborhood printer or use a web based service. Some online services, like Society6 or Redbubble, also handle sales and shipping for you. Then, it is advisable to upload your art, select the products you ought to offer, set your prices, and write product descriptions.

Selling digital art as physical products may be a very good option for artists who want to achieve a wider audience. While some persons are comfortable buying digital art, many others prefer to have a physical item they’ll display. It’s also a very good option for artists who create work that lends itself well to being displayed on physical products, corresponding to illustrations, typography, or graphic designs.

Pros and Cons of Selling Digital Art as Physical Prints
Pros	Cons
Wide appeal – Physical products can appeal to a wider audience than digital art alone. Higher price points – Physical products often sell for higher prices than digital downloads. Passive income – For those who use a print-on-demand service that handles sales and shipping, this is usually a relatively passive income source when you’ve set it up.	Printing costs – There are costs related to printing your art, which might eat into your profits. Quality control – For those who’re using a third-party printing service, you will have less control over the ultimate quality of the product. Shipping and handling – For those who’re handling sales yourself, you’ll must cope with packing, shipping costs, and issues like damages or returns.

5. Sell Merchandise

Selling digital art as merchandise means turning your digital creations into products like T-shirts, mugs, stickers, phone cases, notebooks, planners, and more. For this, many artists use Print-On-Demand services (POD) like Redbubble, Society6, or Printify. These platforms handle the printing and shipping of products, making the method more accessible and manageable.

To start, you simply need to decide on the products you’ll wish to offer, and the choices are mainly limitless – anything that may display a printable version of your art could conceivably work. Then you definitely can arrange your store and begin selling!

Artists who have already got a following may find selling merchandise particularly profitable since fans are sometimes wanting to support their favorite creators. Artists whose work translates well onto merchandise (think daring, striking designs or trendy themes) may achieve success with this approach.

Pros and Cons of Selling Digital Art as Merchandise
Pros	Cons
Wide appeal – Many individuals prefer to purchase tangible products fairly than purely digital artworks. Brand awareness – Branded merchandise can assist spread the word about your art and construct your brand’s visibility. Fan engagement – Fans often appreciate the chance to support their favorite artists by purchasing merchandise.	Quality control – For those who’re using a third-party service, you will have limited control over the standard of the ultimate product. Inventory management – If not using a print-on-demand service, you’ll need to administer inventory, which takes numerous time and labor. Potential for lower profit margins – Third-party services take a cut of your sales, and the associated fee of manufacturing each item can eat into your profits.

How To Sell Digital Art Online: A Step-By-Step Guide

So that you’re able to turn your artistic passion into an art business? The ideas you’ve learned on this guide will make it easier to with the subsequent steps: Establishing yourself online and selling some art!

1. Make Your Art!

First things first, let your creativity flow! Whether it’s digital paintings, vector art, or 3D models, create something you’re enthusiastic about and others would like to see on their digital or physical partitions.

2. Prepare Your Digital Files

Done with creating? Fabulous! Now it’s time to ensure that your art is prepared for the web marketplace.

For digital downloads, save your artwork in a high-resolution, universally accepted format like JPEG or PNG. For those who’re selling prints or merch, ensure your work is high enough resolution to look sharp and vibrant when printed. Also, consider creating appealing previews or thumbnails of your work to make it as eye-catching as possible to anyone browsing your site.

3. Select A Selling Platform

We’ve already covered numerous platforms on this guide. You’ll be able to select only one, or you need to use several without delay – all of it just will depend on how much effort and time you ought to put into selling your art and the sorts of people you ought to reach. Remember, if you ought to reach a big audience, using multiple platforms is the approach to go.

Whether you construct your personal website, create a page or storefront in a web based art market, create NFTs, or turn your art into merchandise, this step will take a while – there’s comparing different platforms, deciding how hands-on (or off) you ought to be, and whether your small business model supports passive income through POD services, or custom commissions where you’re involved at every step.

4. Upload Your Art

This step is like hanging your art in a virtual gallery. Ensure every bit is presented in its best light with high-quality images and thumbnails. Write engaging and clear descriptions, and consider adding fun details – you may speak about your inspiration, process, or the story behind the piece. Don’t forget to cost your work! Consider your time, effort, and the going rate for similar works when setting prices.

5. Market Yourself

Lastly, you’re not only selling your art – you’re selling a story, YOUR story. So, unleash your inner influencer and tell people about you and your work.

Use social media platforms, start a blog or a newsletter, collaborate with other artists, or participate in online communities. Show behind-the-scenes of your work, share your successes (and your flops – everyone loves an artist who’s real!), and have interaction along with your followers.

In case your art is area of interest or appeals to a specific audience, go where that audience tends to “hang around” online, like certain web sites or communities. You might also want to speculate in search engine marketing (search engine optimisation) to your website or storefront, which is able to help people find you on serps when searching for specific search terms related to your art.

Final Thoughts

Deciding the way to sell your digital art online is form of just like the act of making art itself – there are infinite paths you may take and no real approach to know which is best. But the information on this guide should help provide you with some clarity on the very best ways to show your passion right into a money-making endeavor. Good luck!