How To Make Money Out Of Art Part 2 - Strategy!

Hey everyone,

What everyone tells you is to go to an art school, make a portfolio, apply to jobs, and do some networking. That's basic, and it works to some degree, but when you hustle or come from rough places, you understand there's a difference between theory and practice. If you go and do what everyone is doing or supposed to do, you are basically following the crowd. This means competing with a million artists doing exactly the same thing, some of them cheaper and closer than you to the opportunity source. We need to go beyond.

That's why you can't teach how to make money. You can teach some theory about business, but making money is a matter of understanding what you're good at and using your creativity not just for art execution, but to put yourself in places where most people are too lazy to think about.

If you think your skills are not good enough, you don't have a college degree, or you are not connected, keep this in mind: Many artists making money are not the most skilled in the industry, but the ones that understand the client's needs.

Let's dive into this subject to build upon that mindset.

The 'Money Making' Strategy

This strategy consists of four steps: context, analysis, building, and positioning. At the end of this article, I'll tell you how I make money:

1. Context

A business, or work in simple terms, is 'solving problems for others'. What you can do, regardless of whether you are an artist or not, is to offer a service or a product. There are two types of clients: a Consumer or a Business. For example:

1. Artist Service/Product for Consumer: 

• Service: Art solutions from artist to consumer, like individual commissions (portrait, tattoo), entertainment (comics) or education of the consumer (teaching art).
• Product: Mostly physical art consumers buy from the artist often with no prior request. Paintings, sculptures, prints, clothing, etc, made by the artist.

2. Artist Service/Product for Business: 

• Service: Art solutions for business branding or project development. The product does not go straight from the artist to the consumer as there is a company in between, commonly known as industrial design. Branding or concept art.
• Product: Mostly marketing related art that goes from the artist to the business consumer, this can be illustration or any other branding related collaboration.

Why is this important to know? Understanding this context provides you with directions to explore, helping you identify whether you're more inclined to offer services or products to consumers or businesses. While some options may be more popular than others, it ultimately comes down to your location, your skills, and the demand for what you can offer. I can't direct you to choose a specific path, as each artist's journey and opportunities vary based on their unique circumstances.

In my case, before exploring concept art or digital illustration, being a tattoo artist and graphic design were the most 'profitable' options professionally, based on my limited circle of information. I chose graphic design and, after a while, shifted to illustration and so on. Keep in mind that it's totally fine not knowing which path to choose. What's important is that you try these basic options just to take that first step. The journey will show you the way if you pay attention.

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2. Analysis

Once you delve deeper into what solutions to offer potential clients, it's important to understand the function of your solution. This can be achieved by asking questions like:

Consumer

• What kind of topics do consumers hire artists for and why?
• What kinds of products do consumers buy from artists and why?
• What type of entertaining content do consumers consume from an artist and why?
• What educational goals do consumers have when learning from an artist and why?
• When do these transactions typically occur and why?
• Where do consumers purchase these products or services?
  

Business

• What kind of projects do businesses hire artists for and why?
• What products do consumers buy from a business that requires artistic direction and why?
• What type of entertaining content do consumers enjoy from a company and why?
• How do the portfolios of professionals working in these companies look and why?
  To delve more in how to aproach analysis in art for business or industrial design have a look to this article Concept Art Portfolio Direction

The goal of these questions is to understand the psychology of your consumers and clients: why they exchange their money for your art, when and where they do it, and how. The clearer this is to you, the stronger your connection with your consumers will be, and the better your strategy to reach them. If you're struggling to grasp this concept fully, examine your favorite artist or art-related product to understand what you enjoy and what you're willing to pay for. This might offer a reference point.

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3. Building

Your portfolio is your proof of capability, which is why analyzing and choosing a direction is key. It's more efficient to focus on a particular client/consumer problem, understand it, and create a set of solutions that facilitates the transaction.

Don't assume your client can imagine you solving their problems. Remember, you are the one with the visual skills, not them. So, ensure your portfolio reflects what your research indicates is often sought to solve that specific problem.

If there's a specific problem you want to solve for a client or consumer and can't find solid references to bootstrap your process, please DM me, and we can brainstorm. Asking the right questions is a skill; it takes time and curiosity, but there's always a way to make things better. I'm here to help.

If you're certain about what you want and already have a portfolio with poor results, send it to me, and let's discuss optimization. A smart way to improve is to seek feedback from other artists, but don't just ask, 'Can you give me feedback?' Put effort into articulating your thoughts. Provide context like:

• What is your goal?
• What feels off to you based on your goals?
• What kind of strategy can you try to achieve your goal?

You cannot have rich answers if you make poor questions. Poor questions do not mean "stupid questions"; we all ask stupid questions. 'Poor' means not putting effort into articulating your ideas. If you take this business seriously, time and thinking are necessary.

4. Positioning

This step is about marketing. By now, you should have a basic understanding of your client/consumer's needs or problems, a portfolio that addresses what they want or solves their problems in theory, and a rough idea of 'where' and 'how' these transactions happen. NOW, YOU NEED TO SELL.

Why is this point not just called 'selling'? Often, selling is associated with verbal communication skills, which indeed improve your chances but are not always essential. In my opinion, for a visual artist, where you show your capabilities is more important than how you speak.

Position your visual solutions (portfolio) right where your analysis tells you the opportunity is, not where other influencers or online articles like 'Top 10 Best Sites for Freelancers' tell you. Remember, following the crowd leads to more competition.

Try different strategies like:

Consumer

• Use platforms to share your art where your consumer's interests are appreciated. For example, if you paint dogs and want to get commissions for dog paintings, join dog groups on social media, share your work, and mention you're open for commissions. Appeal to emotions, as many purchases are made based on feeling rather than logic.
• For storytelling through art like comics or novels, remember these are often long-term projects requiring community building. Reach out to publishing houses for feedback or collaboration to reach your audience. Setting legal boundaries early on is crucial, as money can complicate relationships.
• If education is your focus, showcase your achievements and process. Often, offering something for free initially can attract paying students. If you're experienced but lack a large following, collaborate with organizations that already have the infrastructure to work with students. Ensure all agreements are in writing to prevent legal or financial issues.

Business

• Look for new products released by small studios in your area where art plays a role. If there are none, extend your search nationally or to neighboring countries. Companies often prefer to employ locals.
• Create fan art of an existing product or service, using portfolios from professionals in that company as a reference. Attend events or reach out to influencers who use that product or service for visibility.
• Contact not just the recruitment team but also those in charge of the art department. Ask for feedback humbly. If they see you as an asset, you might have a chance; if not, you'll still gain valuable feedback. Don't take non-responses personally; it's part of the hustle.

Positioning your art is largely about 'research'. Your creativity is key."

The big question

I don't like people who make money by selling books on how to make money, it makes no sense. So, if you're wondering how Ramon makes money, here's how:

• Artist Service for Consumer: Education. Helping artists achieve their goals.
• Artist Product for Consumer: I'm currently creating my own game. It's meant to entertain all kinds of consumers, not just artists.
• Artist Service/Product for Business: I work as a freelancer with a small team creating promotional illustrations and concept art.

Lately, I receive around six job offers monthly via email from small studios around the world (The Line, Wizz, Nexus Studios) and big studios (Riot, Tencent, Niantic, NetEase) to create 2D promotional illustrations or concept art exploration for animation or games. The rates they offer are around $60 per hour but vary based on the task requirements, and most of these commissions are freelance. I also receive commission requests from other platforms like Instagram and Artstation, but I often don't check those DMs.

Due to the limited time I have between Patreon, game development, and the studio gig, I reject all proposals. I'd probably make more money if I accepted them, but then I wouldn't have time for social media and Patreon art, which I consider very important for my long term goals, including building a great art and game community.

Conclusion

There is no standard formula that everyone can apply because then everyone would go to the same place, offering the same solutions. The point is to use this structure to build your own path and find solutions to earn that buck. The real trick isn't your art skills, your college degree, or your contacts, but your approach to thinking. One last tip:

• If you have a job, don’t quit it while you try these strategies. This way, you can guarantee an income while you shift into your new venture.
• If you don’t have a job yet, try the traditional approach, but if that doesn’t work, use these tricks to come up with unconventional ways. You can even question my strategy and adapt it based on your particular situation.

If you have more questions, just hit me up in the DMs, and I'll be happy to help you!

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Tomorrow, I'll be sharing the process video of this piece along with the files and insights. They will be available for Mastering Maestro tier and above. Feel free to upgrade if this tickles your fancy! ;)

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