/ic/ - Artwork/Critique

>>3926928
>Things like selling t-shirts and cup designs
I make around $2,000/mo doing this - almost completely passively . Part of it is through sites like Redbubble, Threadless, Etsy etc., and part of it is through my own special connections and royalty agreements. This is not an easy thing to build up and it takes a long time & some luck to build up a list of home-run designs that sell well, but it is entirely possible to do.

>What about selling images for use in online articles, magazines, etc?
I also have done a lot of editorial work. The entry level pay is pretty mediocre, but it is very rewarding. Mid to higher tier publications can pay very, very well. It's extremely competitive (just like anything else art related), but again - entirely possible. Editorial work is very freelance oriented, and you'll need to brush up on your business skills to make it work. It's entirely possible to get into this with no experience - collect your best work into a portfolio and start emailing art directors. Shoot for smaller publications at first.

>Are there things like Getty Images where I can sell rights to images, for art, that yield much return?
If you're going to go the stock art route, I highly recommend creating well-researched stock illustration packs for niche subjects on sites like graphicriver / the envato market and sites like that.

>What are my options
Upwork is another alternative to easily find opportunities. The catch is that most of the jobs are absolutely terrible. However, good well-paid jobs from professional clients do exist on there (albeit rare), and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't worth it for those alone. If you've got good work, a versatile style, you live in the US and you're fluent in English, you can land the best jobs on Upwork no problem. I've often continued to work with the clients I've met off of Upwork and it's been great.

>>3835048
That's well said, and I agree a lot with your 2 posts. I always thought of social media as being more supplementary to your own direct, proactive means of self promotion.

I slightly disagree with you saying that social media is not a form of promotion, because communication in itself is a form of promotion. For example, I've connected with many art directors (especially in editorial) on Instagram, and they follow and regularly engage with my posts. When I reach out to them directly to pitch my illustration (usually via email), I know we'll have a good connection because I already know that I'm on their radar in a favorable way. I find this to be extremely advantageous.

I can (and have) successfully reach out to art/creative directors for freelance opportunities via a cold email (ie. they had no prior knowledge of my existence). Though you can use social media to supplement those efforts and solidify yourself as an established artist before you even make that initial contact.

There's a lot of artists here who I sort of want to follow since I think they're pretty good, but god damn. Finish your work.

Most of the blogs here are full of nothing but aimless studies, really loose / rough WIPs (that are never finished), or sloppy & quick sketches. Why are a lot of you completely incapable of seeing something through to completion? It's like you'll be drawing something, think "Wow, this piece is really going somewhere!" and then just quit and move onto something else. This is especially true for people who do digital paintings. Your work does not look intentionally loose and expressive or full of implied detail, it just looks sloppy and incomplete.

There's nothing wrong with sharing sketches, studies and WIP's, but it's incredibly jarring when that's all there is. The sad thing is that I know that if some of you were to just stick with your pieces for a little bit longer, you'd be able to see it through to completion, but no - you always just seem to give up.

>>3714707
never give up!*

>>2873136

Keep it up brah.