How To Sell Your Digital Art: The Key Steps To Success

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 once.

Possibly “a bit” is an understatement. 

Digital artwork gross sales have skyrocketed in recognition since 2020. On-line artwork gross sales had been hovering just below $5 billion earlier than the pandemic. Then they skyrocketed to $7.8 billion the following yr and over $13 billion final yr.

An even bigger digital artwork market means extra alternatives for digital sellers. However that also leaves a problem for aspiring artists.

Now, they’ll need to study 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 need 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 will probably be totally different than if you choose combined media. That’s why you shouldn’t decide a platform till you realize what it’s you need to promote.

When you do, you may flick thru the most well-liked artwork platforms on-line:

• Bēhance is a high artwork platform for each discovering and sharing inventive paintings. Design, images, and videographers all name it house. It’s nice for artists who monetize, because it doubles as a platform for promoting tutorials and customised artwork companies.
• Artwork Station additionally encompasses a strong market of visible paintings, in addition to a store for getting and promoting prints. It developments towards popular culture paintings like video games, motion pictures, and different media.
• Dribbble is available in on the skilled facet of issues. In case you fancy your self knowledgeable inventive designer or branding skilled, it may be an amazing place to place your portfolio.
• Deviant Artwork options the biggest on-line paintings gallery of all. It doubles as a portfolio and a spot to purchase or promote digital paintings.

In fact, it’s also possible to use platforms like Etsy, Design Cuts, and Crimson Bubble to promote your designs in different kinds, like bodily merchandise. 

Crucial situation right here is discovering the platform that matches your pursuits. That’s the place you’re going to satisfy your viewers.

Wish to benefit from the platform you select? Listed below are some ideas for getting began:

• Construct up a powerful portfolio. You could even need to do work free of charge. However many artwork lovers will browse these platforms on the lookout for artists with sturdy portfolios. You might know your potential, however your viewers gained’t see it until you may exhibit it in a tangible portfolio.
• Purchase your individual area. In case you plan on making promoting digital artwork a long-term factor, you’ll want your individual viewers. You’ll be able to finally use platforms like DeviantArt to construct consideration—however a site as the house of your private model.

When you’ve explored a bit and constructed up a reputation for your self, it’s also possible to take into account constructing your individual monetized neighborhood.

Platforms like Patreon or Purchase Me A Espresso are helpful for artists who desire a “patron”-like expertise. You’ll be able to create personalized artwork giveaways and different exclusives to encourage this viewers to give you the regular revenue it’s essential to regularly reinvest in your work.

When you’ve planted your flag, the following step is easy. 

You want individuals to take a look at it.

Easy as it’s, executing this a part of the “promoting digital artwork” blueprint can take some time. For example, it’s possible 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 dwelling on-line. Let’s have a look at a couple of of them:

• Promote NFTs, or digital artwork as NFTs. Non-fungible tokens had been a significant 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 homeowners. You’ll be able to promote your paintings by creating NFTs that draw consideration to every thing else you’re doing on-line.
• Providing commissions. Most of the digital platforms above, like Dribbble, are nice for each planting a flag and growing your portfolio. As you supply customized commissions to shoppers, you may create paintings that ultimately builds word-of-mouth for what you do. Within the meantime, you’re arduous at work—however you’re additionally incomes revenue.
• DIY How-To movies. Ever watch a sped-up watercolor portray video on TikTok? Or comply with somebody on Instagram since you noticed their behind-the-scenes story as they created a digital artwork piece? Then you realize the facility of “How-to” movies to draw extra eyeballs to your work.
• Social media communities. Some individuals are trying for artists such as you; you simply need to know the place to search out them. Determine social media communities (like r/Artwork on Reddit) the place individuals need to see what you’ve put collectively. The important thing right here: all the time add worth, relatively than ask for subscribers or followers.

It doesn’t harm to have your individual neighborhood, 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 motorbike followers. 

BOMONSTER had digitized his paintings early on, however discovered that his chosen methodology (PDF attachments in emails) was solely touchdown him in his clients’ spam folders.

As a substitute, he used AWeber to create sign-up kinds and seize his clients’ electronic mail addresses for his e-newsletter. 

And he isn’t afraid to “pitch” himself, both. In case you’re working in your first 100 subscribers, you could have to do the identical. BOMONSTER’s AWeber kind highlights the kinds of emails he sends, together with a piece 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 lots of the steps you simply learn—constructing a portfolio and a following over time. 

He’s upfront (sure, he is making an attempt 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 individuals can browse the prints.

Promoting your paintings on-line

In case you don’t know the place to start out, decide 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 embody a touchdown web page with AWeber that allows you to promote your self, seize viewers consideration, and start constructing a supportive neighborhood.