23 Ways to Monetize Digital Art

Did you try art NFTs in your attempt to figure out how to monetize digital art? 

But did the whole experience leave you confused? Then, there are simpler ways apart from selling digital art as NFT.

It works when you are not confident about how to make money as an artist online.

Find out about them by reading below.

23 Ways To Know How To Monetize Digital Art

1. Sell Digital Art Prints

If you create physical art. Then, you can create their digital version to sell as well.

The best part is that this technique works on almost all art forms.

2. Sell Physical Art + Upsell

You need to understand the art of upselling to perform this task. It involves selling the physical art form + 1. Adding a few more dollars to the physical art and clubbing a digital version can do wonders.

3. Print-On-Demand 

Print-On-Demand involves converting digital art to a physical form. There are several companies like Redbubble and Zazzle that you can use.

You can create mockups of your art on everyday objects of utility. Then, people buy those products which then get shipped by the POD companies.

With the POD option, there are innumerable options to sell digital art. Think in terms of bottles, mobile sleeves, backpacks, t-shirts, tote bags, etc.

4. Collaborate With Brands/Companies 

As a creative maker, you can work for companies. Various organizations need artists to visualize their product designs. Awesomemaps employs artists to create products designed with maps as a theme. You can work with organizations like these to monetize digital art creations.

5. Offer Services On Freelancing Websites

Most artists know how to monetize digital art by freelancing. You can offer your services to other artists and organizations. Or you can offer it on freelancing websites like Fiverr and Upwork.

Getting a foothold on freelancing websites takes effort. You should emphasize building strong connections with clients. That way you will establish a stable foundation. 

6. Start Your Website  

This piece of advice can never go wrong. Irrespective of the niche of your art, a website is a must.

A self-hosted website facilitates monetizing by working as a platform for opportunities. Display ads and selling art as an affiliate are some of the monetization methods. Though there is always the option to sell your original artwork on the website. 

7. Start A Youtube Channel

Displaying your art through videos on YouTube is a great way to garner an audience. The more you post, the more you get to connect. 

In all likelihood, your audience will engage with your videos and end up buying your artwork. Furthermore, the monetization opportunities from YouTube will add to your bottom line.

8. Sell Stickers

The demand for stickers never ebbs. They are popular with planners, organizers, and journals. The best part is that they sell well in digital form as well.

If you have a flair for illustrations and shapes. Then, try selling digital stickers or stickers. One can download stickers and print them. 

Stickers are a wonderful addition to a stationery business. I also sell them in my digital shop.

9. Sell Coloring Books

Coloring is popular for all age groups. So, you can create them for kids as well as adults. I buy coloring book pages in a digital pdf format to download and use. 

Several artists sell digital coloring books on Etsy.

10. Offer Illustrations As A Service

Even if you know nothing about how to monetize digital art, you can draw for others.

Many columnists and writers require drawings and illustrations for their content.

As an artist, you can offer your services to them.

11. Offer Printable Designing Services 

I got no education in design. Hence, I struggle in creating printables. But still, I manage to sell printables in my digital shop. 

If I knew some graphic designers, I would have taken their services. 

Like me, there must be many digital entrepreneurs requiring printable designing services. So, as an artist, you can offer digital printable designing services.

12. Write A Book 

Art is a skill that only a few can possess. Hence, you can introduce your design process to others through a book.

It could be a self-help book that can teach art and design. Artists like Austin Kleon have done the same with success.

Amazon Kindle is a great platform to sell self-published books. Others are Kobo, Lullu, and Smashwords are some probable alternatives.

13. Sell Design Courses  

If you cannot write a book to teach art. Then, creating videos to teach is another option.

Platforms like Skillshare and Udemy are popular for learning almost any topic.

You can also use course platforms like Teachable and Thinkific.

14. Tattoo 

The tattoo is popular as a tangible art done on bodies. But you can sell it in a digital form by creating temporary tattoo designs.

On can download and print temporary tattoos on sticky paper.  They are a great digital product to create and sell.

15. Designing E-Invites

Digital invitations are a norm in this fast-paced technology era. Celebrations like marriage, birthdays, and official events require digital invitations. 

You can design unique invitation letters or poster content for events. 

16. Stock Photography 

It goes without saying that digital pictures are a huge business. Almost every business buys stock imagery.

Hence, the photography business of selling photos online is a great idea. Considering the competition in this business, sticking to a niche will help.

17. Workshops

I am sure you know how to monetize digital art by conducting workshops.  

Till you gain experience in selling art online, you can take online art workshops. Workshops happen online as well as offline.

18. Comics

Creating comic books and cartoon strips is a great way to put your illustrator skills to use. 

The comics could be both digital and physical. You could weave a story around an interesting character for comic strips.

Artist Nathan W Pyle can be a role model for digital comic artists. His webcomic series Strange Planet is a global rage.  

19. Cartoon Clips

Much like comics, cartoons, and animated clips have an audience. You can cater to them by providing entertaining cartoon series. 

Simon’s Cat is a great way to learn how to monetize digital art. The series has expanded to a digital shop with branded merchandise.

20. Design Consultancy

Offering creative knowledge to organizations is one of the ways to make money. You can offer your design expertise through Zoom calls. 

Apps like Acuity can help you with online appointments.

21. Crowdfunding

Indiegogo, GoFundMe, and Kickstarter help innovations find money and support.

You can use them as per the art project that you are working on.

Solutions offering utility and a universal appeal do well on these crowdfunding platforms.

22. Design Contests

Design Contest is a website that helps connect designers with anyone having a need for a design.

As the name suggests, artists compete in a contest to bag the project. There is tremendous scope to get work through this platform. 

There are other options like 99Designs and DesignCrowd.

23. Printables

I saved the best one for the last. This is the monetization method that works best for me. 

Printables sell as Amazon digital products. Or you can sell them on your website. You can even sell them as digital downloads on Etsy. 

Most of the printables are in PDF format. Hence, they work as downloads that one can print and use forever. 

Conclusion

If you keep asking yourself how do I sell my digital art? Then, this is the article you should keep coming back to.

It enlists some of the most places where to sell digital products.

You can try as many as you can to figure out how to monetize digital art.

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