Kevin Hayler: Professional Wildlife artist, author, and traveler.
Artists are not confined to selling original artwork only, there are side hustles you can use to maximize your income. They may not always earn much individually, but it all adds up. Indeed, some artists make a good living. This is how artists make passive income.
Art licensing is a classic passive income stream. Affiliate links, print-on-demand products, art courses, and digital downloads are alternative forms of passive income. All require work up-front to reap the rewards later.
This post will teach you how to create passive income streams from your artwork. Let’s dive right in.
Disclaimer: When you buy something via my affiliate links I earn from qualifying purchases and sometimes earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. I am an Amazon Associate among others. I only recommend trusted sites.
What is Passive Income for Artists?
The idea behind passive income is that you work hard at the beginning to set things up and reap the rewards later. Your investment continues to pay you back over time without much effort on your part.
It’s like getting paid for doing nothing.
Is Passive Income a Myth?
So is it really possible to get something for nothing? Well, most people who make a steady income from selling their artwork passively are WORKAHOLICS!
Have you ever read ‘The 4-Hour Workweek’ by Tim Ferris? It’s inspiring but think about it for a moment; what is passive about writing and marketing that book? I wrote a book and it’s insanely hard work.
In the real world, ‘passive’ income is not passive at all, it involves a lot of work initially, for no guaranteed return, and you’ll have to promote and market your product.
Think of passive income as a way of scaling your efforts to get a better return on your time and you’ll see things in perspective.
Ideally, your aim is to work hard and get everything set up so you can switch over to maintenance mode.
It’s not work-free.
1. Sell Print-on-Demand Products
Print-on-demand websites are becoming increasingly popular with artists as a way of making extra passive income.
The advantages are clear. Not only does POD eliminate the print costs for artists, but it also eliminates the need for a large initial investment.
It saves you time, money, and stress and allows you to get started on your art business straight away, even before you have a website.
The profit margins are small, but the rewards can be substantial. It all depends on how much time and effort you are willing to commit to the process from the outset.
It’s like all things with a passive income, it involves more work than the name implies.
What is a Print-on-Demand Service?
Print-on-Demand (POD) is a way to sell your art or designs on a third-party product. The POD company does all the printing, packaging, and dispatching. In return, the artist receives a small percentage of the profits.
There are two types of POD sites, online marketplaces and drop shipping services.
A POD Marketplace is a site that allows you to add your images to a company’s range of products and display them on their platform. Typically the company will keep the customer’s details and pay a small percentage to the creator after the sale.
Some POD services also provide marketing assistance with social media.
Earning a substantial income is not impossible, but it’s unlikely. Most designers that make a good income are prolific and submit hundreds of designs. It’s far from passive.
Most artists use these platforms as a modest side hustle and an extra income stream.
A drop shipping service is similar, but YOU retain the customer’s email addresses, and subsequently, keep more control of the business.
You must do all your own marketing and that can include integrating their online platforms with your online store, and white labeling the goods as your own products.
Examples of popular POD products include:
- Wall art
- Tote bags
- T-shirts
- Hoodies
- Phone cases
- Jigsaw puzzles
- Mugs
- Stickers
- Canvas prints
- Hats
And there are many more. Think fabric, stationery, and home decor.
I’ve bought some great courses on Domestika, I always try them first. I’ve listed my favorites on my Course page
I wrote this related post: Is Domestika Worth It? The Pros and Cons for Artists and Designers
What are the Advantages of POD?
One of the key benefits of using a POD service is the ability to offer a huge range of products without the need to buy and store stock, and manage inventory.
Since print-on-demand companies use digital printing, they can produce and ship your products to customers on your behalf, as soon as they are ordered.
POD allows artists to eliminate the time and costs of printing;
Print-on-demand services offer expanded distribution and the opportunity for artists who don’t live in large cities, or sell in galleries, to reach a wider audience.
What Are The Disadvantages of POD?
The main disadvantage of POD is your profit margins. They’re reduced because the third party takes the lion’s share of the sale price.
There’s also the problem of quality control, some POD companies are better than others.
In general, if the products are very cheap, they have probably cut corners or outsourced their printing to another company.
Most, but not all, POD companies aren’t going to offer you much help in terms of marketing.
It’s not an easy way to generate a high income.
For an artist, it’s generally more profitable to print and sell their own work and keep all the profits, but that’s not passive.
Some print-on-demand services include:
Check these out:
- Is Print on Demand Worth it? The Pros and Cons of a POD Business
- Is Redbubble Worth it? Pros and Cons For Artists
- Is Printful Worth it? Print on Demand Review (2023)
- How to Sell Art on Society6 in 2023: Is it Still Worth it?
2. Make an Online Art Course and Art Tutorials
Teaching art online is now a viable option for artists who want to make a living. Everyone turns to instructional videos these days and the demand is high.
Pre-recorded art classes are a 24/7 business model and one of the best ways to generate passive income.
How to Start an Online Art Tutorial
Art tutorials are a form of passive income when they’re delivered as pre-recorded art classes and demonstrations. Tutorial videos are usually relatively short and concise.
Typically the lessons include slideshows and written instructions and step-by-step instructions for how to complete an art project. Students watch these classes at their own pace.
Once recorded, the videos are available as downloads after purchase. They can be sold via your own website, dedicated teaching platforms, or 3rd party sites such as Etsy.
This is a great way of earning money passively where production quality, presentation, and teaching skills are the key to success.
Teaching Art on YouTube
Perhaps most people think of YouTube as the go-to place to find tutorials on how to do almost anything, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t join them.
YouTube is the 2nd biggest search engine in the world and it’s far easier to rank your content on YouTube than it is on Google.
You can make YouTube videos and link to them from your website, and send traffic back to your website for years to come.
People think that YouTube is only about ad revenue, but it’s much more than that.
Kelsey Rodriguez is crushing it on YouTube. She has over 200,000 followers!
There are two ways to approach making YouTube videos. You can make an individual video to accompany a blog post, or start a Youtube channel, and post regularly.
Having a successful channel will bring in the most income, but it’s not very passive. You will have to post a new video once a week to build a following.
Making videos to boost your blog and winning first place on Google will also attract many viewers without having to build a YouTube following.
Teaching Online Art Courses
There are many teaching sites, some dedicated exclusively to art, and they offer more comprehensive options than a typical YouTube tutorial.
There are 3rd party platforms that host your courses for you. Some are marketplaces and others host your videos and you can market them yourself.
These are three popular platforms:
- Teachable
- SkillShare
- Udemy
They are either free to use, or offer free trials, so you can test your ideas before committing to anything fully.
They all have their pros and cons so let’s take a quick look:
Teachable allows you to do everything from their hosting platform and you don’t need your own website if you haven’t got one. If you have, you’re not bound to their site, you can integrate Teachable with your website.
They guide you through everything, from setting up your profile to creating and uploading content. They have guides and tutorials to help you with every aspect of making your site, marketing, and selling your courses.
This is a platform, not a marketplace, so you get to keep your students to yourself.
You can try them out with a free trial. The basic plan is affordable. Check it out for yourself, currently, it’s $29/mo (2022). They take a 5% transaction fee for handling the payments on the lowest tier.
Skillshare
Skillshare is aimed at creatives and entrepreneurs and sells courses from experts on a subscription model.
The buyer joins up on a monthly or yearly plan and the artist/teacher is paid when someone watches their content. The artist receives a payment for every minute watched and the lessons are capped at no more than 1 hour in length.
It is important to get good reviews and plenty of followers for a reasonable income.
The more courses you have the more you will make. They also have an
These are my thoughts: Udemy vs. Skillshare: How Do They Compare for Creatives?
Udemy
Udemy on the other hand is free to join and customers can choose the course they want to pay for. Udemy offers courses on every subject and art is one of them.
Typical art-related examples include ‘Introduction to Drawing Basics’, ‘Perspective Drawing’, and ‘Painting Landscapes in Watercolor’ that kind of thing.
To make money an artist must charge their students a fee to take the course and Udemy takes a slice. This price can be decided by the artist but with 130,000 courses available, a premium course is not likely to compete.
Most courses sell for $20 or below. You have to sell a lot of courses to earn anything.
If a course sells organically on their site the split is 50/50. If an affiliate site sells your course, you get 25%. If you market your own course you keep 97%.
It all sounds reasonable if you sell a lot of courses. Not so great if you think your course is worth a premium.
If you’re interested in creating art tutorials or teaching with them, the best way to start is to research the different types of art tutorials that are out there and the way they’re structured.
Read this post for more: Is Udemy Worth it? Pros and Cons For Artists and Designers
3. Sell Physical Art Prints and Originals With Online Galleries
The internet promised to put an end to artists relying on gallery owners for sales, but many artists now rely on third-party platforms instead. To put it bluntly, unless you have your own website, you are not in control.
Artist platforms come and go, and they change over time. They care less about you as they grow in size! Large platforms are only concerned with their own profits. One algorithm, rule, or policy change can kill your trade. Be aware of the risks and spread your bets.
You’ll be fine if you have an open mind, are willing to adapt, and have realistic expectations.
I have used sites for passive income and I got what I deserved, a trickle of sales. To get the most out of these online galleries you must market yourself and that’s not passive at all.
With that in mind, these are some of the notable platforms but there are many more:
For more help check these posts out:
- 6 Best Places to Sell ORIGINAL Art Online in 2023
- 25 Platforms for Artists to Sell Their Art Online and Make Money
4. License Your Art: Real Passive Income
Art licensing is an agreement between you, as the artist, and a company for the rights to use your work of art on a commercial product.
You agree on a fee to use your art on a type of product, and for an agreed period of time, before they need to renew their license.
Your art or design will typically be used on certain types of clothing, home decor, or stationery items. Any product that needs an image to help drive sales.
If you need some help with licensing and what it’s all about, this is a popular course by Alison Cole on Domestika
A company will often have an agreement with you for a number of lines in their range and your license agreement would allow them to use your art on each line for a specific time, price, and country.
Licensing agreements are legal documents and many artists choose to offer their work via licensing agents who take care of the legal aspects for them. The agents take their cut but they do all the paperwork and deal with any disputes or non-payments. Another passive way to do business.
For more info read this post: How to License Your Art: Best Guide For Beginners
5. Create a Website With a Gallery
You can’t have a credible art business these days without a website. You must have one. If the whole thing intimidates you, don’t worry, it’s much easier than you think.
If you are selling your art you might as well sell from your own platform right? No fees and the customer is all yours. You can market your site and build a mailing list.
If nothing else it is an extension of your offline business and a way for customers to find you.
I’ll convince you to have your own website here: Do Artists Need a Website? Yes – 11 Best Reasons Why
I highly recommend that you own your site and not rely on a 3rd party platform. You need to retain full control.
The days when you had to know coding are long over. WordPress can be installed with a couple of clicks and now even has its own website builder. It doesn’t take long to get the hang of it.
All a beginner needs:
- A Domain Name – About $10 per year, try Namecheap
- Shared Web Hosting – About $3 per month for the first year.
- A Fast Theme – Free, try Kadence Theme
- Some Plugins – Mostly free including Woocommerce
My host is Greengeeks. I got a 3-year plan at first and when that offer expired my tariff went to $10 per month. You can get slightly cheaper deals but Greengeerks gives super-fast support, plus they are carbon-neutral, so for me, it was a no-brainer. I’m very happy with them.
Setting up your site is time-consuming but there are so many Youtube tutorials it’s very easy to get started. I simply followed along with Ferdy Korpershoek. His tutorials are insanely detailed. I set up my Woocommerce store that way.
He shows you how to set up your store/gallery including how to sell digital products.
If that is not really for you and you don’t mind paying a subscription try these e-commerce platforms:
A Quick Word About Blogging
It is wise to write about your art and connect with your target audience (fans), that said blogging is anything but passive.
And here’s a word of warning, you can’t rely on Google traffic.
I found out the hard way. You can jump through all the hoops, search keywords, write better articles, play by the rules, and still end up at the bottom of the pile after one update.
I know, because it happened to me.
Please do not copy my path and waste too much time trying to please Google with a niche art site. Write for your audience, collect emails, and seek traffic from multiple sources.
6. Add Affiliate Marketing Links To Your Website
If you are serious about making money you must monetize your website. Apart from selling your art and digital downloads, you should be adding affiliate links to earn some extra income.
You don’t have to sell your own products exclusively, you can refer traffic to other sites and get a commission. You can make a list of your favorite art supplies and promote them.
Think outside the box, what can you recommend?
- Web Hosting
- Gadgets
- Art Supplies
- Email Providers
- Website Builders
- Online Courses
- E-commerce Platforms
It costs nothing to join, your reader pays no surcharge, indeed they often get discounts, and you get a commission. No one loses.
To gain affiliate commissions it’s better to start a blog:
- 45 Affiliate Programs for Artists: Mega Guide (2023)
- This Is How Art Blogs Make Money
- Should Artists Have a Blog? Art Blogging Pros and Cons
You really should have a website to take full advantage of affiliate marketing but you can post them on social media indirectly. The major social media platforms do everything they can to persuade visitors to stay on-site. Even Pinterest is going that way.
Your permitted links are more effective pointing to a dedicated webpage where you can promote your affiliate links.
YouTube and TikTok are two platforms where adding direct affiliate links can seriously improve your income.
7. Sell Digital Books
Writing an ebook is a great way to promote yourself, make some cash, and gain authority in a subject. If you have a talent, use it to generate income.
E-books are most often written as a PDF which is then converted into an ebook format and sold as a download.
You can also opt for your e-book to be in HTML or Microsoft Word formats. Different platforms have different file requirements The main ones being PDF, Kindle (.mobi), and ePub.
You can use ebooks as your ticket to earning passive income as an artist. If you have an area of expertise someone will be happy to pay for it.
And you don’t have to limit yourself to teaching art techniques either, you can broaden your horizons. Brainstorm a few ideas, how about ‘Selling Art for Introverts’, ‘How to Apply for Grants’, or ‘How to Design an Art Booth’? Think outside the box.
We are all looking for shortcuts to an outcome, and an ebook can be that shortcut for a modest price. If all you do is gather content found on the web and repackage it into one digestible book, you will be doing some folk a great service.
If your book saves someone time, it’s got value, and although Ebooks and guides cannot command the same prices as courses, they are far easier to sell.
If nothing else you can always use your ebook as a lead magnet to gain subscribers.
If you are a creative person with an idea for an ebook, then writing them is easier now than ever before thanks to self-publishing tools such as Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), or even Canva
That’s right I wrote my first E-book on Canva, it has all the tools and templates you need and it’s easy to use. If you are not signed up you should be, it’s too useful to ignore. Most features are free, but if you want everything there is a cheap monthly subscription that can be canceled anytime.
Canva Has released a new feature: Can You Draw on Canva? Is The New Draw App Any Good?
8. Rent Your Art
Renting your art to businesses can be a great way to help generate some extra passive income while at the same time gaining exposure and possible sales.. What’s even better is that you can do this on your own schedule, and if the client doesn’t like a piece of art, they don’t have to keep it!
What Are Some Benefits of Renting Your Art?
Most people will only ever buy one or two pieces from you, so renting is a great way to make some extra money while still having the opportunity to sell the art later.
It helps with exposure. Businesses will often have your art on their walls for weeks or months at a time and they might even show your pictures on their social media. This is an excellent opportunity that you shouldn’t pass up!
It also helps to generate some sales. If a client really falls in love with your art and wants to buy it, they can do so at any time.
What Types of Businesses Would Rent Your Art?
Renting art (art leasing) is tax-deductible, so why not milk it? Why should a business buy the art outright if they can get offset 20% of their payments? Instead of a large capital outlay, it’s a small monthly expenditure. And when the lease expires, you can offer to sell your art at a discount or get your art back.
It’s a win-win.
Hotels, restaurants, interior designers, and consultants all need artists. The corporate world needs art that reflects something of their business, and its values. Think about foyers, boardrooms, and head offices, they all need art on their walls.
These ideas will interest you: 19 Places to Sell Art: 3 Offline and 16 Etsy Alternatives
Renting your art gives you the opportunity to work with people, organizations, and companies you would never otherwise be able to reach.
What Do I Charge For My Art?
The price of your artwork will depend on its size, demand, and how long the client wants to rent it.
Looking at the RiseArt website, they are promoting their rental prices starting from £25 ($35) per month. That is obviously the cheapest deal they are offering to attract trade. The average rental is going to be higher.
It’s not unreasonable to rent your art for double that price. If you can find clients for 5 paintings at £50/mo that’s £3000/year passive income!
If you can get into the corporate world your fees are going to be higher.
How Do I Start Renting My Art?
The first thing you’ll need is an online presence. This can be a website, social media account, or blog. Once your platform is set up, start by identifying what type of business/individual could benefit from your work and then reach out to them.
Before giving someone permission to take your work for hire, you’ll want to make sure that the following is outlined:
- The length of time they have permission to use your art.
- What should happen if the item becomes damaged or destroyed. (Insurance is essential)
- If any changes are made beyond what was agreed on in advance by both parties and how those costs will be handled
- Exactly what price per piece of art is being charged and how you will be paid.
If that’s all a bit overwhelming you have a better option and much more passive,
Let someone else do all the hard work!
There are art rental businesses that do all the work for you.
Check out these names:
- Turning Art (US)
- Art for Film (US)
- Art force (US)
- Red Eight Gallery (UK)
- Rise Art (UK)
Renting your art is a smart and passive way to make money and an option that’s well worth exploring.
9. Sell Printable Art Downloads
You can sell your art as a downloadable file and have no outlay beyond a professional scan, and none at all if you are making digital art. It’s a very popular way of selling art and designs instantly.
One issue that irks me, is the lack of quality control, and that’s because the print is only as good, or bad, as the buyer’s printer. Does that bother you?
There are Etsy sellers making a killing with printables. Indeed, many artists now sell downloads instead of selling physical prints. It’s so much easier.
The major advantages are:
- Convenience.
- It is very passive once you set things up
- Popular images can sell in volume
Sadly, there are disadvantages:
- You can’t ask for much money for a digital download.
- The competition is fierce on 3rd party platforms like Etsy
- You lose control of your master files
Hey, I’m not an expert on Printables but Sandra Di certainly is, so perhaps you should watch this video.
These posts will help you:
- How to Sell Art Prints on Etsy: Mega Selling Guide
- Selling Digital Downloads on Etsy: Best Guide in 2023
- Where and How to Print Art Prints From Etsy (Downloads / Printables)
- Is Selling on Etsy Worth it? Pros and Cons in 2023
How Do I Know If My Art Will Sell?
You don’t, it’s a calculated guess at best. All you can do is take a risk and put your work out there for people to see.
Play to your strengths. if you excel in a particular style, medium, or subject, find out who sells that type of work and see how well they are doing.
All you can do is research the market and see what things are selling. If you can’t easily find work that’s similar to your own, it means one of two things. It’s either so unique that it’s the next big thing, or it doesn’t sell. It’s almost certainly the latter.
Above all, do what you love doing because if you just follow the money you’ll burn out.
These are related:
- Why Your Art Doesn’t Sell and How to Solve the Problem
- Is Your Art Good Enough to Sell? You Need to Know This…
Think about what you want from creating art. It’s got to be better than a day job right? Why else would you choose this way of making a living? It has as much to do with lifestyle as it does about making money.
Find your niche, develop your signature style, and offer a unique spin within your chosen field. That’s your brand. There is no point in trying to be something you’re not and doing something you don’t really enjoy.
Can You Make A Living With Passive Income?
It is possible to make a living if you dedicate enough time and stay focused on building the business.
Your passive income derives from the amount of artwork you have for sale on the market. You must pump out products at the beginning and your income will rise as you produce more work.
At some stage a year or two along the line your income may be sufficient to meet your needs. Only at that stage will you feel secure enough to ease back and relax.
Passive Income For Artists: Final Thoughts
I’ve read plenty of advice online and most articles underplay the work involved. You can’t just casually write a book, make a course, write a blog AND make art. They are all time-consuming and involve commitment and staying power.
They can work but only if you are prepared to take the long view.
Don’t get sucked into the passive income daydream and believe there’s any free money to be had, that’s all BS. The passive side only works AFTER you’ve put in all the hard work upfront.
Only you know if you are the type of person willing to sacrifice your free time now to potentially gain it back later. There are no certainties, but if you can make some extra money with a few profitable side-hustles, it might make all the difference to your income. It’s worth a try.
Start a project today and go for it.
If you like the way I draw and want to try things for yourself, this is my basic kit
Talking of which, you should definitely check out my guide if you are serious about selling your art!
If You Want to Sell Your Art
Check this out!
Psst…it’s only $12.99!
There are plenty more posts like this, have a look at these:
- How to Get Art Commissions: The Easy Way
- This is How to Price Art Prints: Practical Advice for Beginners
- How to Sell Your Drawings (All You Need to Know)
- Social Media For Artists: The Best 13 Platforms for Creatives
- What Are Limited Edition Prints? 12 Things You’ve Got to Know
- How to Draw Pet Portraits for Money and Start a Business
- How to Get Paid For Drawing: 18 Ways to Make Money
- Can You Copy Art and Sell a Painting of a Painting? I Found Out
Pin it For Later
Hi, I’m Kevin Hayler
I’ve been selling my wildlife art and traveling the world for over 20 years, and if that sounds too good to be true, I’ve done it all without social media, art school, or galleries!
I can show you how to do it. You’ll find a wealth of info on my site, about selling art, drawing tips, lifestyle, reviews, travel, my portfolio, and more. Enjoy