By Kaleigh Moore Could 23, 2023
Many people love artwork. We love amassing it, viewing it, even shopping for it. Comply with the numbers, and also you’ll see that artwork hasn’t gone wherever; it’s only a bit extra digital than it was.
Perhaps “a bit” is an understatement.
Digital artwork gross sales have skyrocketed in recognition since 2020. On-line artwork gross sales have been hovering slightly below $5 billion earlier than the pandemic. Then they skyrocketed to $7.8 billion the following 12 months and over $13 billion final 12 months.
An even bigger digital artwork market means extra alternatives for digital sellers. However that also leaves a problem for aspiring artists.
Now, they’ll must be taught the brand new skillset of digitization. What are the conditions to constructing a following on-line, and which platforms must you use to assist construct your viewers?
Promoting digital artwork on platforms
Platform choice begins with a easy query: what do you wish to promote? What’s your chief medium?
Pc graphics? Crypto artwork? Digital work? Bodily artwork you digitize?
In case your medium is digital images, your platform might be totally different than if you choose combined media. That’s why you shouldn’t choose a platform till you understand what it’s you wish to promote.
When you do, you may flick through the preferred artwork platforms on-line:
- Bēhance is a prime artwork platform for each discovering and sharing inventive paintings. Design, images, and videographers all name it residence. It’s nice for artists who monetize, because it doubles as a platform for promoting tutorials and customised artwork providers.
- Artwork Station additionally contains a sturdy market of visible paintings, in addition to a store for getting and promoting prints. It tendencies towards popular culture paintings like video games, motion pictures, and different media.
- Dribbble is available in on the skilled aspect of issues. For those who fancy your self an expert inventive designer or branding knowledgeable, it may be a terrific place to place your portfolio.
- Deviant Artwork options the most important on-line paintings gallery of all. It doubles as a portfolio and a spot to purchase or promote digital paintings.
In fact, you may as well use platforms like Etsy, Design Cuts, and Pink Bubble to promote your designs in different varieties, like bodily merchandise.
An important subject right here is discovering the platform that matches your pursuits. That’s the place you’re going to satisfy your viewers.
Need to take advantage of the platform you select? Listed below are some ideas for getting began:
- Construct up a robust portfolio. It’s possible you’ll even must do work without spending a dime. However many artwork lovers will browse these platforms on the lookout for artists with robust portfolios. You could know your potential, however your viewers gained’t see it except you may reveal it in a tangible portfolio.
- Purchase your personal area. For those who plan on making promoting digital artwork a long-term factor, you’ll want your personal viewers. You’ll be able to in the end use platforms like DeviantArt to construct consideration—however a website as the house of your private model.
When you’ve explored a bit and constructed up a reputation for your self, you may as well contemplate constructing your personal monetized group.
Platforms like Patreon or Purchase Me A Espresso are helpful for artists who need a “patron”-like expertise. You’ll be able to create personalized artwork giveaways and different exclusives to encourage this viewers to offer you the regular revenue it’s good to regularly reinvest in your work.
When you’ve planted your flag, the following step is easy.
You want folks to have a look at it.
Easy as it’s, executing this a part of the “promoting digital artwork” blueprint can take some time. As an example, chances are you’ll work in your artwork for years earlier than you discover it gaining any type of traction.
However as you develop as an artist, there are some things you are able to do to advertise your work and earn a residing on-line. Let’s take a look at a couple of of them:
- Promote NFTs, or digital artwork as NFTs. Non-fungible tokens have been a serious a part of what skyrocketed digital as much as new heights in 2020 and 2021. Individuals like these as a result of NFTs are like shopping for paintings together with its “receipt,” making them unique house owners. You’ll be able to promote your paintings by creating NFTs that draw consideration to all the things else you’re doing on-line.
- Providing commissions. Lots of the digital platforms above, like Dribbble, are nice for each planting a flag and creating your portfolio. As you supply customized commissions to purchasers, you may create paintings that ultimately builds word-of-mouth for what you do. Within the meantime, you’re onerous at work—however you’re additionally incomes revenue.
- DIY How-To movies. Ever watch a sped-up watercolor portray video on TikTok? Or observe somebody on Instagram since you noticed their behind-the-scenes story as they created a digital artwork piece? Then you understand the facility of “How-to” movies to draw extra eyeballs to your work.
- Social media communities. Some persons are wanting for artists such as you; you simply must know the place to seek out them. Determine social media communities (like r/Artwork on Reddit) the place folks need to see what you’ve put collectively. The important thing right here: all the time add worth, quite than ask for subscribers or followers.
It doesn’t damage to have your personal group, both.
Take the instance of BOMONSTER. BOMONSTER’S artwork makes use of a scratchboard, the place he takes an Xacto blade to a blackened board to scratch out the white highlights beneath.
It’s an ideal match for his chosen viewers: sizzling rod, truck, and bike followers.
BOMONSTER had digitized his paintings early on, however discovered that his chosen technique (PDF attachments in emails) was solely touchdown him in his prospects’ spam folders.
As a substitute, he used AWeber to create sign-up varieties and seize his prospects’ e mail addresses for his e-newsletter.
And he isn’t afraid to “pitch” himself, both. For those who’re engaged on your first 100 subscribers, you might have to do the identical. BOMONSTER’s AWeber type highlights the sorts of emails he sends, together with a bit on “What makes my artwork totally different.”
There, he affords visible examples so people who find themselves get a preview of the artwork. Whether or not he knew it or not, he was following most of the steps you simply learn—constructing a portfolio and a following over time.
He’s upfront (sure, he is attempting to promote you artwork), however seamless in the case of making gross sales. He makes use of AWeber’s options that may flip emails into miniature galleries so folks can browse the prints.
Promoting your paintings on-line
For those who don’t know the place to begin, choose one of many platforms and begin constructing your presence with the “borrowed” viewers that comes with it.
Over time, as you construct your portfolio, you can begin highlighting your paintings by yourself web site—which ought to embrace a touchdown web page with AWeber that permits you to promote your self, seize viewers consideration, and start constructing a supportive group.
