How to Sell Drawings Online and Make Money (2024)

Would you like to learn how to sell drawings online and make money?

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase by clicking on an affiliate link, Nevue Fine Art Marketing may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate relationships include, but are not limited to, Bluehost, Tailwind, Skimlinks, SareASale and StudioPress. To learn more visit Affiliate Link Disclosure Policy

We have written a post,How To Sell Paintings Online, for artists who sell original artwork andprints online, which has helped many painters build a thriving online art business.

Even though the concept of selling paintings online and drawings online are very similar, we wanted to dedicate a post to graphite and colored pencil artists.

Selling pencil drawings can be challenging if you try to compete against an oil painting. However, suppose you market your art to the right people. In that case, you will find that selling your pencil drawings is possible.

Building a successful online art business takes time. There will be many different digital marketing strategies you will be implementing to grow your online art business. This post highlights what you need to know about selling drawings online to build a following faster.

Don’t expect to master everything in a couple of hours. There is a lot involved with promoting art online. Please bookmark this page to visit it when you are ready to go on to the following marketing strategy.

How to Sell Drawings Online and Make Money (1)

Complete Guide For Selling Drawings Online

Before you start selling your art online, you will want to become familiar with what is involved in an online marketing plan and decide what platform you will use for marketing your tangible items.

An art marketing plan is a strategy that builds brand awareness and explains to people what type of products and services you sell.

A successful marketing plan starts by understanding your target audience and developing strategies to get your art in front of them.

Selling your art online might seem intimidating, but you will soon realize that it is easier than you thought if you follow the below steps.

In this article, you will learn:

  • How to write business goals
  • Where to sell original work online
  • How to make a digital image of drawings so you can upload them to an online shop
  • How to price drawings
  • How to write art descriptions that sell
  • How to reduce business costs, so you increase your profit margin
  • Effective art marketing strategies that drive potential buyers to your website
  • Other ways you can make money selling drawings

How Much Do Drawing Artists Make

Before starting a business, you should know how much income your business can generate.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, all sketch artists fall under the broad category of fine artists. In 2017, salaried artists made an average salary of $49,160. (Source:The Art Career Project)

$50,000 is a decent salary, but more money is to be made. Successful artists have discovered that they can increase their income by adding different revenue streams related to their art business.

Other ways artists can earn an income:

  • Sell original work on awebsiteore-commerce platform
  • Sell art on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook
  • Selllimited edition and open edition prints
  • Offer a variety of print sizes
  • Sell prints on merchandise like mugs,apparel, greeting cards, and calendars
  • Sell art atlocal craft fairs
  • Createonline art courses
  • Write eBooks
  • Commission drawings
  • Monetize your art blog
  • Sell drawings at local gift shops

There are so many ways to supplement your income. The list above is a great way to get started, but there are many other options available to think about after you have built a solid foundation for your business.

Read How To Earn Passive Income For Artists for more information about different revenue streams.

Basic Online Art Marketing Plan

Learning how to sell products online is not difficult, but it does take planning and effort. Here are four things you will be focusing on.

  • Create beautiful art
  • Produce high-quality imagesof your finished artwork
  • Upload the pictures to youronline gallery
  • Drive trafficto your art listings

Creating beautiful art is something you already do. There is a learning curve for creating digital images of your drawings; we will cover that later in this post. Uploading images on your own website is as easy as sharing them on social media channels.

Most artists are challenged to develop strategies to drive potential customers to their online gallery. The online marketplace is booming, and there is more competition than ever before. You must develop ways to get your art in front of people interested in your drawing style. Once you do that, you will start to see your online art sales increase.

The main difference between selling drawings online and selling oil paintings online are:

  • Photographing paintings
  • Scanning drawings
  • Target audience
  • Art prices

The strategies we will cover in this post will work for all mediums used on drawing paper.

The mediums include graphite, pastels, colored pencils, ink, charcoal, and watercolors.

It is possible to make money from drawing. However, if you are drawing for cash, you are operating a business, and you will have to treat it like a business.

Many factors will determine how much you can earn from selling drawings.

  • Name recognition
  • Brand awareness
  • Little drawings earn less than larger drawings
  • How many income streams do you have
  • How much time and effort did you put into enhancing your drawing skills
  • How much effort did you put into learning about marketing online and offline
  • How much time do you devote to your marketing plan

How To Sell Drawings Online And Make Money

Eileen Kinsella wrote a great article on March 9, 2016, explaining the TEFAF 2016 Art Marketing Report and its relation to The Global Art Trade.

Ellen’s stated in her article:

“According to the TEFAF Art Market Report 2016, the global art market achieved total sales of $63.8 billion in 2015, falling seven percent year-on-year from its previous high of $68.2 billion in 2014.”

She went on to say:

“Interestingly, the US market saw continued growth while other leading regions saw a decline.”

You can read Ellen’s full article at What Does TEFAF 2016 Art Market Report Tell Us About the Global Art Trade?

Over the past ten years, there has been an incline in online sales, and because of that slope, more opportunities are arising for artists to sell products online.

The art world and art marketplaces are changing right before your eyes.

The online marketplace allows potential buyers to view, admire, and purchase art from artists worldwide.

You, as an artist, can focus on any niche that fuels your passion.

Promoting Art Online Overview:

  • Scan Art – to share drawings online
  • Online platform – a place where you purchase your best work
  • Artist Blog – to drive organic traffic to your website
  • Social Media – to build relationships with your fans
  • Email Marketing – to keep in touch with your fans and promote new products
  • POD Sites – sell prints of your drawings on sites like Fine Art America
  • Submit Your Art – places where you can showcase your art to a broader audience

Every strategy outlined below will help you to build a successful online art business. The important thing to remember is that it takes a great deal of work to build a following, and it will not happen overnight.

Write Busines Goals

Selling art is a business. The best way to grow your business is to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve.

Before developing a business strategy, start by writing your business goals.

The goals you write will be the blueprint of your marketing efforts and prevent you from derailing and wasting your time on strategies that do not work.

To start, write down your main objective.

Do you want to:

  • Draw for a living
  • Get paid to draw cartoons
  • Earn money by commissioning drawings of people or pets
  • Make money drawing part-time

Everyone will have different goals, so take the time to write down where you would like to be in the next ten years.

The next step is to take your long-term goals and write S.M.A.R.T. goals to guide you to the finish line.

The acronym for SMART goals is:

  • S – Specific
  • M – Measurable
  • A – Attainable
  • R – Relevant
  • T – Time

To learn how to write achievable goals, visit, How To Write Goals You Can Achieve Workbook.

How To Scan Pencil Art

Before you can start to sell your own art online, you will need to create a digital image.

After you have created a digital image, you will upload the digital image to a platform that will showcase your art and have a way for an art collector to purchase the original drawing or print the original work.

It is easier for pencil artists to create digital images than oil paintings or other handmade crafts.

All you will need is a high-quality scanner to scan your art. After you scan your drawing, you can save the image on your PC as a digital image.

We recommend using the Epson Perfection V600 Color Photo, Image, Film, Negative & Document Scanner – Corded if you want a scanner.

Epson Perfection V600 Color Photo, Image, Film, Negative & Document Scanner – Corded

Details:

  • 6400 x 9600 dpi for enlargement up to 17” x 22”
  • Scan slides
  • Removes the appearance of tears, creases, dust, and scratches
  • Scans in greyscale
  • Scans 9 x 11 paper

Scanning pencil drawings will produce the best results and capture all subtle value changes in a sketch. The digital image that the scan creates will be perfect for showcasing your drawings online and print on-demand products if you are interested in selling art prints.

Related post:

Best Art Scanners For Graphite Artists.

Editing Images

Edit your digital images before you upload your images to a print-on-demand service or social media. The scan will come close to the original, but you will want to crop the scan and adjust the colors if needed.

The two most popular software programs artists and photographers use are:

Adobe Photoshop CCis the world’s most powerful creative imaging app available. Adobe Photoshop has everything you need if you want to make professional images for your content marketing and social media marketing. There is a learning curve involved in using Adobe Photoshop, so you might consider taking a few tutorials to help you learn the software quicker.

Here are some online tutorials to get you started:

Learn Basics of Adobe Photoshop CC 2021 for Beginners

Adobe Photoshop CC: Your Beginner to Advanced Class

PicMonkeyis an online image editing site that allows you to edit images quickly.

They offer a free 7-day trial.

Memberships start at $7.99 per month.

PicMonkey is more user-friendly than Photoshop, so if you are only cropping and resizing your images, PicMonkey might be your best option.

How To Edit Image Size With PicMonkey

Go to PicMonkey.com

Note: These instructions are using the free PicMonkey membership.

Click Edit

How to Sell Drawings Online and Make Money (2)

Upload the drawing you scanned with your Epson Perfection V600.

How to Sell Drawings Online and Make Money (3)

Click Crop Link to crop your image.

How to Sell Drawings Online and Make Money (4)

Click and drag on the corners to the desired size. Click Apply.

How to Sell Drawings Online and Make Money (5)

Click Resize

How to Sell Drawings Online and Make Money (6)

Insert the image dimensions, then click Apply.

How to Sell Drawings Online and Make Money (7)

Resize an image in PicMonkey review:

  1. Go PicMonkey.com
  2. Click Edit and upload your scanned drawing.
  3. Crop the image by clicking on the Crop Link and dragging the corners to the desired Click Apply.
  4. Click on the Resize Link, add the desired dimensions, and click
  5. Save the image on your PC.

More Free Sites To Resize Photos Online

Optimizing and resizing images for your website or website builders is an essential step if you want to provide the best experience for art lovers who want to see your great work.

The size of a digital image will affect the load speed of a WordPress website.

Larger-sized images take longer to load, slowing down the site’s speed.

Google penalizes sites with slow site speed and ranks them lower in the search results. This means you will have a difficult time reaching a larger audience online.

The easiest way to lower the loading time of your website’s pages is to make your images smaller.

Reducing the image file size without losing the quality of your image is essential for selling art online. You put in the hard work of creating a beautiful pencil drawing. You want to ensure that the image people see on their PC or smartphone accurately represents the quality of your work.

Below is a list of more sites that offer free image resizing.

Experiment with them to see which one produces the best results for you.

How To Earn Money From Drawing

There are many ways you can get paid for drawing, and the first way is obvious. Sell your pencil art at local craft fairs and online, which I will cover soon.

More Ways To Get Paid For Drawing:

  • Sell prints
  • Sell digital downloads
  • Sell vector artwork
  • Offer commissions
  • Illustrations for books
  • Illustrations for business brochures and fliers
  • Logo designs
  • Tatoo templates
  • Art fairs
  • Create an online course
  • Sell prints at local retail stores

These are just a few ways pencil artists are earning an income.

How To Make Money For Sketches

Many people are searching for someone to sketch an idea they have, whether for business, home décor designs, or simple blueprints for personal projects.

Business people have so much on their plate that they often outsource specific jobs that would take up too much of their time, like sketching objects and subjects for a presentation, especially if they can not draw.

Providing freelance work for home designers or landscapers is another option for individual artists to earn extra income.

Think of different ways to generate money, like some of your local businesses might have some work for the holiday season.

Sketching portraits at local craft fairs or town events is always an excellent opportunity for sketch artists.

Think outside the box, and you will discover many ways a sketch artist can earn money.

Where To Sell Drawings Online

You will need an eCommerce website to reach a global audience and sell various products online.

Whether you want to build an online art gallery, a portfolio website, or use a platform like Etsy, it is essential to know what is available and your options.

Here are some of the best website builders artists use to make an online presence and reach a wider audience.

Sell Drawings On Etsy

The easiest way to start selling art online is by opening anEtsy Shop.

Etsy is an online marketplace created in 2005 for artists and crafters to sell original unique products that people can not find anywhere else.

If you are unfamiliar with building a website or just learning how to sell your drawings, Etsy might be your best option.

It is free to open an Etsy store, and the listing and selling fees are very reasonable.

Note:Click Hereto see the fees before opening an Etsy Shop.

To make it easy for you to start an Etsy Shop, we created a video tutorial on opening an Etsy Shop step by step and everything you will need to know about uploading your artwork,writing great descriptions,and the importance ofkeywords.

Etsy also allows you to supplement your income by selling prints or digital artwork.

To learn how easy it is to start, visitHow To Sell Prints On Etsy With Printful.

To learn how to sell digital products on Etsy, visit,Selling Digital Art On Etsy Complete Guide.

After you have your Etsy shop up and running, all you will have to do is drive art buyers to your listings. The good news is that Etsy has a large community that visits regularly.

Related Post – Where To Print Prints From Etsy

Sell Drawings On Third-Party Websites

Another option is to sell your art on Third-Party e-commerce websites.

What are third-party platforms?

A good example of third-party platforms is Etsy, eBay, and Amazon.

Platforms like these allow people to sell products on their platform for a fee.

There are many different e-commerce platforms for selling tangible and digital goods.

The fees and features are similar to most art-selling third-party websites, but the terms and conditions might vary.

We recommend that you take the time to research the terms and conditions and the fees associated with each platform before creating an account.

Here are some popular sites used by artists, graphic designers, and photographers:

  • Shopify– is an e-commerce platform that allows you to set up a storefront and sell products online or in person.

Related Post – Best Shopify Print-On-Demand Sites

  • ArtPal– is similar to Etsy and allows people to sell fine art, paintings, photography, crafts, sculptures, jewelry, etc. ArtPal offers a free online art gallery to showcase your artwork.
  • Artplode– allows artists, dealers, galleries, and collectors to list artwork for a one-time fee with no commission fees when the art is sold. The price of the art has to be $1,000 and up.
  • eBay– is an auction platform where people get to bid on products, including art.
  • Artstorefronts– is a relatively new artist website building space. It started as a print-on-demand site like Fine Art America but has become a full-service e-commerce platform.
  • Weebly– is a website-building platform that allows you to build a website for free. They also have premium options enabling you to purchase a unique domain name and add e-commerce tools for a monthly fee.
  • FASO– is a website-building platform. They have many different temples designed especially for artists to choose from, a newsletter, and a blog for a monthly fee.
  • UGallery– is a juried platform. You will have to fill out an application and be accepted before you can sell your artwork on UGallery.
  • Saatchi Artis an online art marketplace where artists can sell original artwork and reproduction giclee prints. Getting started on Saatchi Art is free, but they take a 35% commission on each sale.

Related Posts:

  • Should You Sell Art On Third-Party Websites?

If you sell art prints online but do not want to print your prints at home, a POD service might be something to consider.

A POD (print on demand) site is a service that allows you to sell prints of your artwork on fine art paper, canvas prints, metal prints, wood prints, and other varieties of merchandise like tote bags and home decor.

You have to upload an image of your artwork to their platform, and when a person purchases a print, the POD will fulfill the order and ship it directly to the buyer.

You will receive a commission for each sale. Every POD has different payouts and terms and conditions you want to become aware of before setting up an account.

Related Posts:

  • POD Websites How To Increase Art Sales
  • Print On Demand Sites For Artists – What You Should Know
  • How To Increase Your Income Stream Selling Wearable Art

Below are some popular POD sites used by artists selling prints of their art:

The sites listed above are just a few popular third-party sites available.

Take a few moments to review each site’s terms and conditions.

After researching, decide on the best platform to use for your artwork.

If you are interested in printing your art prints at home and selling them on Etsy, at local craft fairs, or on your website, you will need to invest in a high-quality printer.

Related Post –Best Printers For Art Prints

How to Sell Drawings Online With AWordPress Website

The last option we want to discuss is building your website with WordPress.

WordPress is the most popular website, CMS {Content Management System) used today.

Even large companies have built their website using WordPress.

Did you know that a third of the websites and blogs you visit are created with WordPress?

The most significant benefit you will have using WordPress is owning your site.

You will not have to pay monthly fees and completely control your site’s look and feel.

You will be building your business on land you own, not building on rented land.

You will also be able to adjust your artist website as your online art business grows.

What does this mean for you?

You will control your customer service, mailing list, price points, and marketing materials. It will be your own online store.

Note, that you will need a hosting service and adomain nameif you want to build a site using WordPress.

ReadHow to Install WordPressby HostGator to see how easy it is to have your WordPress site up in minutes.

HostGatoris a reputable CMS Hosting Service used by many professional bloggers.

BlueHostis another standard hosting service used by many bloggers.

We have switched hosting services toSiteGround.

Our website is now faster and costs less than the hosting service we used before we switched over to SiteGround.

As we mentioned earlier, site speed is an essential factor for PageRank.

PageRank is the ranking that Google gives your site and blog posts.

The higher your website ranks in Google’s search, the more traffic you will receive.

Watch this video to see how easy it is to launch a WordPress site with SiteGround.

After you have launched your WordPress site and selected a Theme, you will want to install WoCommerce.

A WordPress theme is a variety of templates that define the site’s display and appearance, allowing you to brand your online gallery the way you envision.

There are free and premium themes available.

I recommend using a premium theme because they are:

  • More secure
  • More designing options for branding
  • SEO optimized
  • Faster

We useStudeoPress Themesfor my WordPress websites.

After you have installed your WordPress theme, you will want to upload the free WooCommerce plugin.

The WooCommerce plugin allows you to directly sell your website’s tangible and digital downloads.

For more information about WooCommerce, visit:

  • How To Install WooCommerce On A WordPress Artist Website
  • How To Add And Manage Products In WooCommerce
  • How To Add WooCommerce WordPress Categories

To learn everything you need to know about WordPress, visitArt Business Resource, and scroll down to the WordPress section.

Now that you know what platform you will use to showcase your art, let’s talk about how to sell drawings for money.

Write Great Art Descriptions

After you have uploaded your artwork on the platform, you will showcase your drawings. You will want to take some time to write a description that will connect your potential buyer to your artwork.

Your landing page will be the last chance you will have to land a sale. Make it count.

A landing page should include:

  • A high-quality image of the product being sold.
  • The selling price.
  • Policies or a link to a policy page.
  • Shipping information.
  • A keyword-rich description of the product, including size material and the medium used to create the artwork.
  • A short story explains the art and what motivated you to create the piece.

To learn more about writing art descriptions visit, How To Write Art Descriptions That Will Sell Your Art

How to Sell Drawings Online and Make Money (8)

Pricing Your Art

How much do pencil drawings sell for?

Many variables will influence the price of graphite pencil drawings, and some of the variables include:

  • Size
  • Drawing surface
  • If the artist’s drawings are in demand
  • Name recognition
  • How long the artist has been selling art
  • Quality of the pencil drawings

Research what other artists are charging for similar drawings before setting a price for your pencil drawings.

Search graphite artists on:

Make a list of all the prices you find with similar styles and sizes.

Take an average of the prices, which will be a good starting point for your drawing prices.

Also, remember that name recognition plays an important role in art prices. You might want to start at the lower end of the spectrum until you begin to build a following. You can always increase your costs as your art starts to sell.

Art Pricing Resources:

  • Art Pricing Guide – How to Price Art to Sell Workbook
  • How to Price Art – Ultimate Art Pricing Guide

The next step is to create a price chart for reference.

What Should be included in the Price Chart:

  • Price based on the size of the art
  • Price based on the material used (for example, the price will go up if you offer a frame)
  • Price of commissioned work (calculate how long it will take to complete a project)
  • Price of prints (if you offer prints of your artwork)
  • Workshops (Based on travel time and time spent with students)
  • One on One class (Based on travel time, cost of materials, and time spent with students)

Documenting and organizing your pricing strategy will help you stay consistent with your prices, increasing your profit margin.

Now that we covered where to sell your drawings developing an art marketing plan is the next step.

If you are willing to take the time to learn how to market your artwork, you will be able to sell more art than you can create.

Remember that if you want to get paid for your drawings, you will have to work to promote your artwork.

Creating an online portfolio is the first step. Marketing is how to make money with art skills.

Below are some art marketing strategies to help you build a strong foundation for your online art business.

How To Find Potential Buyers

We useKeySearchto help find my competitors and potential buyers.

To find your competitors, log intoKeySearch, clickKeyword Research,and type in words that describe your drawings.

A list will appear on the left, displaying the top sites that sell drawings like yours.

Go through that list, find artists with a similar style, follow them on social media, and subscribe to their email list.

Keep an eye on who follows them on social media and what type of content they engage with.

Try to incorporate some of the same strategies but make them yours.

On the left of KeySearch, you will find a list of other related keywords people are using in Google search to discover art like yours.

These words should be included in your blog posts and social media posts.

How to Sell Drawings Online and Make Money (9)

Artist Blog

To land an online sale, you mustlet people know that you are an artistand direct them to where you have your art for sale.

Content marketing (Blogging) will be onedigital marketingstrategy you will want to start implementing today.

As Reported byInsiderView:

“Companies that do moderate blog posting between 1-2 times per month have 67% more sales opportunities than companies that do not blog.”

Consistently blogging will help you make an online presence, build brand authority, and drive traffic to your sales page.

Writing content that attracts your target audience is how you will get paid for drawing.

Do you want to know, “How to sell your drawings?”

After you have your drawing listed on your art website, you will need to spend many hours promoting and marketing your drawings.

You might get lucky and have your drawing sold the first day you post a picture of it on Facebook.

However, most online art sales do not work that way.

It might take thousands of people viewing your drawing before the right person sees it at the right time and makes a purchase.

For you to get a thousand eyes on your drawing, you will have to:

  • Consistently publish content that relates to your drawings and your art business
  • Consistently share images of your artwork on social media
  • Post your blog posts on social media
  • Engage with your social media following
  • Build your email list
  • send newsletters regularly

Blogging is a free way to get your name and drive traffic to your art listings from search engines and social media platforms.

You can not make money drawing if nobody knows you are an artist or has the artwork for sale.

Just think how many artists like you are trying to make money from drawing for a few minutes.

New artists are starting an Etsy shop or building an artist’s website daily.

The competition is fierce out there, and the artists who succeed are the ones who spend the time building name recognition and brand awareness online.

Companies that publish 16+ blog posts per month to their business blog get nearly 3.5x more organic traffic than those that publish 0-4 monthly (Resource:Hubspot)

On average, companies with blogs produce 67% more leads per month than those without (Source:DemandMetric)

Large and small companies learned long ago that content drives the internet, and if they want to be seen, they have to write content for their unique audiences.

Suppose you are interested in drawing for money. In that case, you will want to learn everything you can about developing a blogging strategy to drive your target audience to your artist’s website.

Related Post:6 Blogging Benefits Artists Shouldn’t Ignore

Keyword Research

As we have mentioned, thousands of artists like you are trying to make money from drawing online, and most of them are spending a decent amount of time blogging and marketing their art on social media.

You do not have to worry about the other artists because their target audience will never discover them.

The million-dollar question is, “If so many artists are writing about the same topic, how will people discover your post mixed with the thousands of other blog posts?

The artist websites generating significant traffic are on the first page of Google results.

What did the artists on page one of Google results get there?

Those artists spent time learning about SEO and keywords.

You need to do the same to rank your blog posts in the top 10 of Google’s results.

Creating a list of keywords tailored to your artist brand and your artistic style will help you be seen by thousands of people every month.

After writing some content for your art blog, the next step you will want to take is to promote it on your social media sites.

Social media sites have been a powerful marketing tool for businesses. Over the past few years, businesses have learned what works and what doesn’t work.

Take some time to learn about social media marketing.

The combination of content marketing and social media creates a powerful punch.

Here are some statistics I would like to share with you from WordStream’s post 40 Essential Social Media Marketing Statistics for 2017:

Courtesy of Statista

  • 22% of the world’s total population uses Facebook.
  • 2 million businesses use Facebook for advertising.
  • 93% of Pinterest users use the platform to make purchases.
  • More than 56% of online adults use more than one social media platform.

According to these statistics, Facebook might be a platform you will want to consider using. You will have the opportunity to reach over 20% of the world’s population. That is making a presence online.

Even though it is becoming harder for business pages to build a fanbase on Facebook, it is still a recommended platform for businesses to connect with their target audience.

Pinterest is another platform you might want to consider using.

If over 90% of the people who visit Pinterest go there to make a purchase, it might be in your best interest to build a presence on Pinterest.

Instagram has become popular among artists and might be a platform on which you will want to showcase your drawings.

It is more difficult to sell art on Instagram because they do not allow you to include links on individual posts. However, with some savvy Instagram marketing strategies, you can find that you might do very well on Instagram.

Use Tailwind for Pinterest and Tailwind for Instagram to build your following on Pinterest and Instagram.

Tailwind is a Pinterest and Instagram scheduling tool that will publish your posts at the optimum time with the best hashtags.

There is no perfect solution to choosing a social media platform.

It all depends on your niche, what you have to offer, where your target audience hangs out, and how well you can get your message across.

It is an excellent idea to start with the most popular sites to find out what will work best for you.

Try one platform at a time and become a marketing expert before moving to another social media platform.

For more information about the benefits of social media visit – 59 Social Media Statistics You Need To Know In 2020. Courtesy of Avasam.

Related Posts:

  • Top 10 Ways To Refine Your Social Media Presence In 2019
  • Social Media Marketing For Artists – How To Start
  • What Network Is Best For You
  • Social Media Tips For Artists

Where Artists Go Wrong With Social Media

We have seen this repeatedly, artists go on social media and post an item for sale.

All they are doing is creating an advertisem*nt.

People do not like to be sold to.

Social media is a platform people go to be social, not buy things.

Social media platforms can be a powerful tool if you use them correctly.

Impressive results can be made if you use social media to learn about your audience and build their trust.

You will not see instant results, but you will see both your following and sales increase over time.

Related Posts:

  • How to Create a Social Media Marketing Plan – Sell Art Online
  • How to Create a Social Media Calendar
  • 10 Social Media Marketing Tips Every Artist Must Know

Another common mistake I see artists make is using too many social media sites to promote their art.

The best way to be more productive is to choose one social media platform to focus on.

There are not enough hours in the day to build relationships on all platforms.

How can you spend time on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, Snap Chat, and LinkedIn every day and expect to have time to draw?

Pick the one or two sites your audience is on and start promoting your drawings.

Email Marketing

The next step you will want to take after creating content and developing a social media marketing strategy is to build your email list.

Your email list will be the most valuable asset your art business will have.

It will be the communication line to your valued customers, and best of all you own your list.

Even if Facebook or Google goes down (we are sure that will not happen, but people thought MySpace was here to stay), you still have a way to contact your audience.

Optimize your website to collect emails. Make it easy for people to sign up for your newsletters.

As reported by eMarketer:

“81% of online shoppers who receive emails based on previous shopping habits were at least somewhat likely to make a purchase as a result of target email.”

Strategical grouping your email list will increase the chance of you landing a sale.

QuickSprout stated:

“Email Subscribers are 3 times more likely to share your content via social media than visitors from other sources.”

It makes sense that your email list will be your biggest advocate. They gave you their private email address because they trust you and like what you have to offer.

Your email list will be the best part of your marketing plan. You have to provide them with content they are interested in and they will help you by sharing it with their friends.

Related Resource:

  • Ultimate Email Marketing Guide for Selling Art Online
  • 4 Email Opt-in Plugins for WordPress

How To Sell Drawings Online With Pinterest

Pinterest is another platform you want to consider using to build brand awareness.

Related Posts:

  • Create a Pinterest Business Account Step by Step
  • How to Create a Pinterest Profile for Your Art Business
  • Pinterest Board Tips That Will Attract Your Target Audience
  • What You Should Pin to Your Artist Pinterest Boards

You can easily see that a lot of work is involved with running an art business.

The most successful artists have learned how to manage their time.

Submit Your Art

Finally, here are some online art sites you can promote your drawings.

Look at each site and see if it will be a perfect fit for you.

The more places you can upload your art, the better your chance of being noticed.

Selling art online is all about being noticed. You must get yourself out there. People will not look for you if they do not know you exist.

Final Thoughts About How To Sell Drawings Online

If you want to learn how to sell drawings online, you need to learn how to build an online presence and build relationships with your audience.

Artists who sell digital art online or original drawings online spend weekly time learning about online marketing.

The successful artists you see all over the internet are the ones who master art marketing.

We covered a lot of material in this post, and you will not be able to get it all done in one night.

Make a check-off list and tackle one project at a time. Soon you will have a website where people will visit and purchase your drawings.

More Related Posts About Selling Art

10 Crafty Ideas To Sell On Etsy

What Type Of Art Is Selling Best On Etsy

How To Sell Art Prints Online (And Make Money)

How To Draw Realistic Eyes

What SHould I Draw

How to Sell Drawings Online and Make Money (10)

How to Sell Drawings Online and Make Money (2024)

FAQs

What is the most profitable art to sell online? ›

Sell Copies, Prints or Digital Files

Prints and digital files typically sell for less money than originals, however, they do present artists with a good way of repeatedly making money with one piece of artwork. Additionally, people might want T-shirts or mugs or even notebooks with your art on them.

How can I monetize my drawings? ›

How to Make Money Drawing
  1. Sell Your Drawings. The internet has revolutionized how artists can market themselves and make money drawing. ...
  2. Sell Your Art as an NFT. ...
  3. Create Logos and Branding Material. ...
  4. Teach In-person Classes. ...
  5. Create Online Drawing Courses. ...
  6. Illustrate for Books, Comics, and Cartoons. ...
  7. Affiliate Marketing.

What is the best platform to sell art online? ›

Top 13 Websites for Selling Art
  • eBay. eBay is one of the largest online marketplaces in the world and sells everything from electronics to cars and pre-owned items. ...
  • Etsy. Etsy is an aesthetic online store for arts, crafts, jewelry, decorations, and similar curio items. ...
  • Society6. ...
  • Artfinder. ...
  • Singulart. ...
  • Redbubble. ...
  • Amazon.

What kind of art sells best? ›

Art styles and subjects

The best-selling art subjects include: Traditional landscapes: Landscapes, such as beach scenes, rolling hills, and impressionistic landscapes, elicit a sense of peacefulness and calm, often evoking nostalgic memories in the viewer.

Where can I sell my drawings for money? ›

  • Etsy. You can't talk about sites to sell art online without mentioning Etsy. ...
  • Amazon. These days, people buy just about everything on Amazon—and that includes art. ...
  • Fine Art America. ...
  • Saatchi Art. ...
  • Shopify. ...
  • TurningArt. ...
  • Society6.
Dec 2, 2020

What art is in demand right now? ›

However, the most popular types currently include: Watercolor paintings. Landscape prints. Abstract landscapes.

What kind of art is popular right now? ›

So, what art styles are the trendiest now? Abstract, contemporary, and modern art styles are the most popular in interior design, and various media like sculptures, paintings, photographs, prints, and drawings are currently trendy.

Is selling art a good side hustle? ›

Creating and selling art as a side-hustle can be a great way to pursue your passion while also earning some extra income. In this challenging economy, many people are looking for new and improved ways to supplement their current income.

Can I make a living off of drawing? ›

You could find a drawing job that allows you to design logos, create visual concepts for brands, or even do bespoke artistic works. You can freelance and make extra money from your talent even if you already hold a nine-to-five.

How do I sell my art passive income? ›

Passive Income for Artists
  1. Sell instructional videos. ...
  2. Sell instructional ebooks. ...
  3. Create a coffee table book of your art. ...
  4. Sell print-on-demand merchandise with your art on it. ...
  5. Create a subscription service and take payments for previews of new work, WIP videos, wallpaper downloads, exclusive videos, etc.

Where can I sell my art for beginners? ›

The absolute best way to sell your own art online would be to create a personalized ecommerce website on a platform like Etsy or Shopify. Etsy is the ideal choice for creators and artists to promote and sell their crafts and art.

Can you make a living selling art online? ›

You can also make more money selling your art online than you would by selling it through traditional methods like galleries or art shows. And thanks to the internet, it's now easier than ever before. Although it is easier, nothing worth doing is ever effortless - there will be a few challenges along the way.

How can I sell my art without getting scammed? ›

The best way to avoid art scammers is to deal with buyers on a local level, people that you can meet in person. Art scammers will often contact you from another region or country far away. They will usually want you to ship the art that you are selling to them.

Can you make money by selling drawings? ›

You can sell drawings, paintings and fine art but you have to pay a seller's fee according to where and what you're selling when you make a sale. Shopify: You can sell your art on Shopify if you don't mind subscribing to their website hosting services.

Is selling digital art online profitable? ›

More and more people are buying art online, so it's definitely possible to make a profit selling digital art – and many people do! But it can take significant effort, skill, marketing acumen, and often, a little bit of luck. Below are some tips and strategies you can use to maximize your profits.

How much money can you make from drawing? ›

As of Apr 15, 2024, the average monthly pay for a Drawing Artist in the United States is $10,795 a month.

Can you make money posting art online? ›

Art can generate profit without being a tangible product. Digital files of artwork are traded by the second on online stock photo websites and ecommerce marketplaces like Etsy. Your artwork could become one of these digital products—whether that's a photo, sketch, or painting.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Allyn Kozey

Last Updated:

Views: 5931

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (43 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Allyn Kozey

Birthday: 1993-12-21

Address: Suite 454 40343 Larson Union, Port Melia, TX 16164

Phone: +2456904400762

Job: Investor Administrator

Hobby: Sketching, Puzzles, Pet, Mountaineering, Skydiving, Dowsing, Sports

Introduction: My name is Allyn Kozey, I am a outstanding, colorful, adventurous, encouraging, zealous, tender, helpful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.