Surviving as an artist is hardly easy even in a good economy, and at times like these I’m sure there are a number of you out there having a hard time of it. You’re not alone. In fact, there are probably more “starving artists” these days than ever before, which of course means more competition in the market. The good news is, there are also more ways for an artist to make money today than there ever have been before. I’m here to share a few suggestions & ideas that have helped me to survive over the last few rough years. Keep in mind, this is by no means a comprehensive guide & I’ll likely be updating it regularly with more information & ideas.

Patience 11x14 Collage Print by Kenneth Rougeau

First and foremost, don’t quit your day job! I know it sucks and you’ve heard it a thousand times, but if you have a steady paycheck BELIEVE ME it doesn’t suck anywhere near as much as not having one and constantly wondering where your next meal is. Making a living as an artist is GREAT, when it works… But there are good times and there are bad, and they don’t come in equal proportions. I foolishly didn’t follow this advice & have had an even harder time of things ever since, having to come up with alternate ways to pay the bills when the artwork itself isn’t making money, which is often. You can’t count on steady sales & you have to have some sort of a backup plan to keep yourself alive if things get slow. So… Keep the crappy day job if you’ve got it and work on your art obsessively in whatever spare time you can scrape together. I know, it’s not an ideal situation, but it beats starving on the streets.

Now, for those of you who’ve already made the mistake I have & are currently trying to scrape together whatever you can with your art, I do have some advice that I hope will be helpful. First of all, if you’re selling original pieces, specifically paintings, photography, collages, and other such “hangable” artwork, you’d do well to consider selling prints as well. There are online companies galore who can assist you with creating giclee prints, canvas prints & poster prints of your art. I started making small open-edition prints (from ACEOs to 11x17s) at my local Kinko’s on their color laser printer. Check out the market and see what other artists are getting for their prints and price yours accordingly. You can sell prints at all sorts of places online including Artfire.com & Etsy.com.

Dandy Lions 11x14 Fantasy Art Print by Kenneth Rougeau

DO NOT UNDERVALUE YOUR ARTWORK. I’m not saying that you should overcharge, but show the world that you’re serious & they’ll take you seriously. Charge too little, and people will likely just think less of your work – not to mention that undercutting the existing market hurts not only you, but your fellow artists as well. Think about it, if you undercut the existing market and set a new low price, then someone else comes in and undercuts that price… you have to undercut your own prices again to compete, and then so do they… and so do you… and so do they… and suddenly you’re both just giving it away. It doesn’t do anyone any good in the long run.

Alright, so you’re selling originals &/or prints now. Great! But you’re still not making money hand over fist? Well, sorry, I can’t help you there… But here are some other ideas to keep you in at least eating money.

Diversify & expand into other markets. If you’re already selling prints, consider resizing your images for use on postcards or perhaps as ACEO art trading cards. Small format art is increasingly popular today, doesn’t cost much to produce, and tends to be pretty profitable. You might also consider greeting cards if your art is suited to such things. On the larger scale, poster companies are also always looking for interesting new imagery to sell & many of them accept submissions via email.

A Mad Tea Party by Kenneth Rougeau

Another good source of potential income is from the niche market of altered art jewelry designers who are always on the lookout for new imagery to use on charm bracelets, cameos, magnets, pin-back buttons, pendants & other small wearable/usable items. You might be able to scale or crop your artwork down to be suitable for use on a number of items here! The sizes & shapes required vary quite widely, so again be sure to check the market & see what’s needed.

Depending on your interests & artistic style, you might also consider examining current home decor trends & try designing specifically for that enormous market. If you’re more concerned with selling the artwork you’ve already created, consider other merchandise that might suit your images. Would your art look good on a T-shirt? Coffee mug? Mouse pad? Places like Cafepress.com & Zazzle.com carry tons of different items that you can put your designs onto & sell. While the money isn’t necessarily great (I make about $35 a month from Cafepress merchandise without really trying), every little bit helps & the more you diversify the better off you’re likely to be.

Consider licensing your images to companies for use on products & advertising. Many of these companies are more interested in “brands” so if you have a theme to your artwork & can package it properly for these firms, you’ll certainly have an edge. There are several online sites where you can sign up for potential licensing agreements from interested companies.

Another great way to license your artwork is to network with artists in other genres, such as authors and musicians. Both need cover imagery for their own works & fellow indies are usually more than understanding when it comes to arranging licensing terms. Social networks are a great place to start, so go make some new friends on MySpace or FaceBook.

Alright, so you’ve got all that going on & you still need more. I totally super-size with you. It takes a lot of money to keep afloat in the world today. I assume you’ve tried getting your foot in the door at your local galleries, right? While some gallery owners are wonderful, a lot of them are just pretentious snobs more interested in return-on-investment than in the art or artists in their studios. They’re certainly worth your while to look into, but don’t hold your breath & don’t let it get you down if the curator turns you away with barely a glance

Offer Me Solutions by Kenneth Rougeau

If the galleries are a dead end, you might see if the local coffee shops (and frequently even pubs) might be interested in letting you decorate their walls. Some will want a commission, but many are happy just to help a local artist & have some free art on the walls for their clientele to enjoy (and hopefully buy). I find that checking the Artists section of CraigsList can yield tons of “calls for art” here locally.

Look into local art events & other community activities in your area. Here in Portland, Oregon there are a few “art walks” a month during the Spring-to-Fall season (when the weather isn’t horrid), as well as a wide variety of weekend markets, collectibles sales, and more. I hit any affordable venue I can find where there may be decent foot traffic. I’ve even done incredibly well setting up tables of framed prints at garage sales & flea markets. Unexpected venues like this are great because there isn’t as much competition from fellow artists, and it’s a “break from the norm” for the casual shopper to find your amazing artwork among the average, everyday junk that tends to clutter these types of sales.

Depending on where you live & what’s in your area, you might also try looking into the possibilities of selling your art on commission at some of the locally owned stores. While you will likely have to share the profits with the establishment, you also have someone else showing off your artwork & leaving you free to promote elsewhere.

If legal, see if some of your area businesses will allow you to setup a temporary art show outside of their stores on the sidewalk or even in the parking lot. Remember, anywhere there’s good foot traffic is a good place to potentially sell your artwork.

Who Stole The Tarts by Kenneth Rougeau

My final suggestion for this post is to consider the art supplies market. What sorts of items do you readily have access to that other artists might pay for? If you have a collection of vintage photographs, antique greeting cards, postcards, old ephemera, or something of the sort, then you’ve got supplies that other artists would love to get their hands on. You can sell not only the originals, but can scan these items into your computer for digital use again & again as well. This is just one example. If you know where to find small pieces of rusty bolts and nuts, you’ve got art supplies. Is there a thrift store in your area? Go see what you can get on the cheap that someone else might pay more for. Old clock parts (gears and such) are especially profitable now that Steampunk artwork has become so prevalent. It’s the same game as ever, played a different way – buy low, sell high. Just check your market, get to know your competition, your potential clients, and see what you can do. I started selling stock from my image collection as a sideline when my art wasn’t doing well, and that gave birth to PaperStreet Supplies which is still growing by leaps and bounds… and it all started with a handful of old vintage Victorian photographs!

I’m certain there are hundreds of other things I’m not mentioning here, but I hope at least a few of these pointers are useful to some of you. If you’ve any thoughts on ways to keep from being a “starving” artist in today’s market, I’d love to discuss them & add them to this list. Oh, and go check out Keri Smith‘s free downloadable 5-part “Artist’s Survival Kit“!

Thanks for reading & best of luck in all that you do,
- Kenneth Rougeau

Metamorphosis 11x14 Collage Print by Kenneth Rougeau

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