Just wondering if anyone is in the same situation as me and how they’ve handled things! I (f25) am disabled and have been on SSI since I turned 18. I have not really been able to work much in this time, but recently have been able to get paid for some sculpting work that I’ve done at home, which has been awesome! But I’m nervous about how to balance a bit of sculpting money with my SSI. How do I establish myself legally for taxes, and are there different requirements for reporting? I’ll be calling my local SoS soon to get more details and direction, but what should I be doing to set up for success? Both with SSI and just financial set up in general? Hoping to register as a sole proprietorship soon

Can anyone provide some recommendations for a nice quality tent? Feel free to throw out suggestions on the low and high end!

Thank you in advance! ✨

Edit: canopy tent for shows

Kind of a rant. I have been in the art scene where I live for a while, and I’ve had a bunch of shows, been featured in shows, had articles written about me and still I feel like I’m standing right outside of the door.

I want my art in galleries, to have solo exhibitions and projects that collaborate into huge collections. But how? Everyone seems to keep to themselves these days and I find myself not being given the courtesy of an email back from galleries. I am also constantly applying to fellowships, I haven’t gotten into one yet.

I wish I could hire a manager to tell me what to paint and help me apply to projects that fit.

realistic, how much can you make with nsfw arts?

i see artists making 10k montly in plataforms like only fans, pixiv, fansly, etc... how hard it is to get to this level?

I have to make a choice, what is yours and why?

How does it work??? I've been searching through stuff and I read that if I make under $500 in a year from digital art, I don't need to pay taxes on it (unless I misunderstood it?? from the CRA website). I also know that you are required to pay HST/GST taxes if you make over 30k per year I think? or four quarters? unsure.

My main question is that I don't get what % to pay taxes if I make a profit between $500-$30000. I don't currently, but I want to figure this stuff out before I try to branch out more.

Sorry if anything is hard to follow, please let me know if I need to clarify anything.

Hello all ! I’m an acrylic artist who is wanting to also start doing oils. I have been selling my pieces through my site and an international gallery for the last few months, and with acrylic don’t have to worry about the drying time before shipping.

Does anyone have any insight on how one would ship oils and when you know it’s safe to do so drying wise? Is there any risk of combustion for a not fully dried oil painting in a shipping box (international can sit in customs for a long time) ?

I’m using gamblin paints and plan to use gamvar once they’re touch dry +.

Thanks !

Anybody use BigCartel for their website to sell their art? If so, what are the pros and cons?

I heard someone on youtube talk about art licensing, but I have a couple of questions about it.

1. Can someone explain what it actually is? I have my own Etsy shop & as my shop grows, why would I want other companies to have my art on their products? What if I decide to create the same thing to put in my shop? People would not come to me directly bc it is already out there.
2. Will these companies own my art?
3. Do I need an LLC?
4. How would I go about this if I decided to do it?
5. What is the overall point of art licensing?

Any resource links would be great as well!

i've been thinking about starting to make NSFW art since, well, you know, i need some money, and it's a type of content i've been curious about for some time now.

however, i'm not sure if that's something that could hurt my career as an artist in the future, i'm currently studying animation and i have the goal of making a living out of my art, and working for some big production company or franchise (like doing animation/illustration work for disney for example).

i fear that if they find out my NSFW art i could get rejected, since i don't think they would like someone with a NSFW background working in a product meant for all ages, even if i agreed to remove my name from the credits. even if i could work only in products made for adult audiences, that would still reduce a lot of my job opportunities, and independent work is not a very stable source of money.

i'm aware that rebecca sugar did NSFW art before working on adventure time & steven universe but she never "dedicated formally" to doing that type of content, and it wasn't until years after her own show premiered that people discovered those drawings, so her case doesn't really relax me

do you have any opinions or ideas about this? i've thought of using a different username and payment account/method of my SFW account to make it harder to track those drawings to me, but i don't wanna have to "hide" my artwork, so i would do that only if i feel like i have no other choice

any help is appreciated

I am currently building a brand for myself and have linked my shopify website to Printful to sell prints of my work.

I wondered if people had advice on things to prepare for when I launch? I have a business bank account, socials, etc. but I’m conscious of scammers, the changes in the Eu regs to sell art etc.

Can anyone offer some words of wisdom?

Is printful any good for decent quality art prints?

Met with my clients over many months, had good connections, etc, seemed serious about having me on and already was sent the materials needed, met with venues, etc.

The contract I drafted ended up being 5 pages and included a lot of liability leeway for me because the project involves intellectual property as well as advising permanent installations in multiple venues whose representatives are not the ones signing the contract.

One response asking me if it was okay to extend our negotiations deadline so that he could talk it over with venues and draft Qs, and I said it was no problem.. No further response within our agreed upon timeframe after I sent it- worried I overwhelmed them and they went cold turkey.

I am thinking of sending a short and sweet acknowledgment that the extensive contract could be overwhelming, reminding the client of my flexibility /that the contract can be edited to best suit all parties, and offering my continued interest and best wishes.

How would you all go about sending a followup email? Is this the strategy you would take or would you choose a different tactic? What did you do when you were in this situation?

Trying not to undermine my professionalism while acknowledging that the contract doesn’t have to be as intense as it is written now (honestly pretty fine with a much less formal agreement because I really want the job). Any advice is really appreciated.

Hello! I recently had someone reach out to me asking if I could design a wedding anniversary invitation. This is my first time anybody has reached out to me for something art related, so I want to know what the standard rate is for these sorts of things.

I have a friend who took over a consignment store which I would think could be cool to participate in. However.. I just want people's feedback on some thoughts that have popped up. A) We're across the state from each other and I'm not sure how much of an issue this may present. Like is the merchant who is apart of the consignment typically present at some point? B) Tbh I kinda feel like an AH reaching out to him to ask about it because there's been a few times he's tried to get me to come out to past art events, which I mainly didn't venture out to because I developed a medical condition that well now I can't drive myself 6+ hours and it's been complex traveling to that side of the state for like funds and work availability (between myself and my bf)...plus the fact that I didn't really have an art business established at the time/more hobby C) ... I'm not sure what good consignment store stuff looks like 😅

Hello, everyone!

My cousin and I are trying to start selling our artwork both online and at anime conventions and we have a few questions if anyone can answer.

1. Are there any forms we have to file in order to do this? Things like tax forms or things like that. It is hard finding information about the financial and tax side of things.

2. Should we start an official business like an LLC?

3. Is there any business or person we could talk to learn more about the taxes and forms that we may need to fill out? Like an accountant or something?

Those are our questions for now. If they seem a little obvious or something, it’s cause we are just starting out and we’re just really nervous about the financial/tax part of things because we really want to make sure we do everything the correct and legal way 😂 any advice is helpful! We are planning on selling in Florida and maybe Georgia if that is relevant.

I've been asked to design a book cover for a novella, client is asking for mock ups to be reviewed in a meeting. What will they be expecting formatwise? Am I OK to rock up with my sketchbook?

Dear artists,

First of all, sorry for the assumption in the title. I am primarily interested in the experiences and opinions of those of you who do not engage in online art sales, but others are, of course, free to express their views.

I am trying to understand how current online markets fails to address the needs of some of the artists. If you have a view to share, I would greatly appreciate to learn from it!

(Edit: What if cost wasn't a concern?)

Was it worth it? I'm 30, and I've never really been sure of what I wanted to do. I've tried odd jobs, the military, many more odd jobs, and I'm currently in a small retail chain. I like my coworkers, and the job isn't terrible, but I just feel like I'm not doing anything with my life. Art is the only thing I've really been able to commit to, but I have always felt like art school isn't necessary. Since talking to someone whose partner has gone, and they thought it was totally worth it for making connections and getting to try different mediums. I am in a position where I would not necessarily have to work while in school, so I'm starting to see it as a possible opportunity to finally really focus on my art, but I'm also worried about the possibility of it not taking me anywhere and being stuck in retail again. I'm sure this is a popular topic, but I'd love to hear from some people who have been through art school. I'm really curious to know what you think after having gone through it.

Update: I appreciate everyone's input so far. I wanted to add that I'm not concerned about the degree. I'm looking at it more as an opportunity to focus on art without being exhausted from my 9-5 job, since I have a GI bill I can use. But, I don't want to feel like I wasted it if art school is really a waste.

Hey!! So… I’m fresh graduate and I’ve done some freelancing and had a couple of internships (nothing for major companies). I’m currently in a volunteer position, and do not get me wrong, I have fun in what I do and I truly like the people I work with.

The thing is I wanna start making money from my work you know?? I’ve tried posting on socials and here on Reddit that I’m open for freelancing, created a page on Fiverr and my LinkedIn, Portfolio and Resume are all up to date when I apply for a job! But it seems like impossible to find opportunities!

Can anyone help me out here? I need some advice on anything that can help me self-promoting my work and make my are visible out there!

This megathread is dedicated to "how much should I charge?" type questions. Any posts of this nature outside of this thread will be removed. Please provide enough information for others to help you. here are some examples of what you could provide:

​

A link to at least 1 example piece of work or a commissions sheet.

Product type: (eg. Commission)

Target audience: (eg. Young people who like fantasy art)

Where you are based: (eg. USA)

Where you intend to sell: (eg. Conventions in USA and online)

How long it takes you to make: (eg: 10 hours)

Cost of sales: (eg. £20 on paint per painting)

Is this a one off piece, something you will make multiple copies of, or something a client will make multiple copies of: (eg. The client is turning it into a t-shirt and they will print 50.)

Everyone else can then reply to your top level comment with their advice or estimates for pricing.

​

If you post a top level comment, please try to leave feedback on somebody else’s to help them as well. It's okay if you aren't 100% certain, any information you give is helpful.

This post was requested to be a part of the sub. If you have ideas for improvements that you would like to be made to the subreddit feel free to message the mods.

Hey all! Just coming in here to see what response I get on some fan art I would like to sell as products in my online store. I am a huge fan of helluva boss and other shows in a similar vain, so I would love to be able to sell and share that love with others. What are some good things to keep in mind? Am I able to create products in a similar style to the shows I’m following? Any advice is appreciated! 🥰🥰

I live in New Zealand, which is about as expensive as it gets for shipping to anywhere. Is there print-on-demand service that would also stock and deliver my product (a card deck with individual artwork etc.) to my customers in the North America? A commercial establishment rather than a marketplace like Redbubble ideally.

Haii, i am a digital artist and i'm looking for some feedback or tips since i attained an interest im boothing as of late. 🙏🙏I have some preparations thought out, but I'm still unsure whether i'm taking the right steps or if there's a better way to do things ><

I'm mostly looking at conventions since they seem more suited to the type of products i would be offering (fan merchendise) and from what i've seen, their tables are mostly about 120x60cm or 2x4ft and the price of tables are $250-500? For the set up i have a bit less than $100 worth of displaying supplies in mind (still lf cheaper alternatives + duciding layout).

Products I am planning to make available, i included the number of designs and qty of each design i would have in stock.

2 tote bag designs (5 ea.)
12 keychain designs (6 ea.)
5 button pin designs (10 ea.)
16 sticker designs (10 ea.)
6 photocard designs (10 ea.)

Does it seem like too much? And I'm still thinking of what merch designs to make. So far i have some vocaloid keychain ideas. I was thinking whether i could make merch of anime (such as Anya or Kanna) but doesn't anime all have copyright? How do artists sell anime merch, especially at an anime convention?? And i know maybe even if it isn't allowed, artists do it anyway and get away with it, but i'd like to know how i could legally get permission to do so? Considering my low stocks, maybe it isn't worth it now, but maybe in the future?

Production cost will be about 550 and at my price point, i would get 1300 if everything i have sells.

I am not interested in an online store at this point of time (no space in my house to keep all that -v-) and I am only interested in local events!

Any advice is appreciated 🙏 i'm also really worried that none of my merch would sell and i would lose 1k upfront 😭😭😭 , and I decided i should have biz cards, not sure what should go on them? Does my current design draft look ok? https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/897301123092873268/1323126282942283776/20241229_181702.png?ex=677360e0&is=67720f60&hm=2e18988aefcfed55a87621b3dda2d2f6819b2c5363600554e7bc509c1e31d1ec&

I want to see what it's like as a boother and if the experience is good i want to do it again! Not as a main source of income/career though.

Thank uu if u leave any help!!

Hello all!

I'm a poster designer/graphic artist, looking to branch out in to selling some of my work online - and am currently exploring options for various platforms to share/sell my work.

One of the issues I've seen on a lot of print on demand services (society6, redbubble etc) is the sheer volume of content, and the inability to get visibility via algorithms, etc. I've recently become aware of sites that operate by curating a smaller list of artists via applications, which (from what I can see from social media follower statistics, anyway) appear to be having a lot more traction...? The sites I've been able to identify so far are:

Drool Art
The Poster Club
Paper Collective
PSTR Studio

I was curious if anyone here had any experience, or insights with sites like these - other similar sites they may be able to recommend, levels of sales, percentages per sale etc?

Thanks!

Hello,

I have access to a number of foreign artists. I'm not talking etsy grade stuff or college kids. These are fairly well established and respected painters and impressionists in their countries. I'd like to either buy some of their pieces and try to distribute it in the US and I'm struggling to think how I'd approach this.

Perhaps this sounds naive but shouldn't surprise you given that I'm posting this question on reddit, but I don't have a network of ready buyers. Ideally, the way I'd envision this working would be to rent some space from an art gallery and have them display the pieces. I don't know if this is a common operating model for these types of places and if so how would I go about finding them, other than cold calls?

If this is a practical path, I wonder what the minimum number of pieces I'd need to make this viable? Could I, in the limit, rent space to display one piece? Or would I need to rent an entire wall, room, etc.?

Are there alternative paths that rely on commission?

Thank you.

Hi everyone! Other than Zapplication and googling "art shows near me", I was just curious how you go about finding shows you like to exhibit in?

So this month I held my first solo show, at a local bonsai studio where I've been volunteering on fridays for the last year. It's a really nice space and I displayed a few bonsai trees alongside the paintings. The target audience would be the owner's bonsai contacts, because if they like and have money to spend on bonsai then they would probably also be interested in other art forms, like my paintings which are fairly traditional in style and subject matter.

With it not being a very central location, nor one that is at any other time associated with anything other than bonsai, I never expected many outside visitors, but not even any bonsai people came. I did some advertising myself with printed flyers, handing them out in a bunch of stores where I live, one town over, but I relied mostly on the owner's efforts bringing it to the attention of his contacts. In the end I think he could have done more, sent the flyer to more contacts, colleagues and clients, but I don't want to blame him either because as a business he also didn't want to send unsolicited advertising to clients who hadn't consented, so in the end it just went out to a handful of clients and contacts, and 100 or so people who take courses from him.

The show was held over 4 friday evenings, this was the best option logistically, as at any other time the space needs to be used for work, but of course this probably limited visibility. During one week there was occasion to leave the paintings up so we did, but the rest of the time I took everything down after the friday evening.

So in the future the most obvious improvements I think would be the location and better advertising, but with galleries the way they are these days (always only wanting money up front and offering nothing but a spot on the wall in return), what other locations can I look at? I've also noticed that especially in my country every gallery or art space is more geared towards modern, or abstract art, so I'm wondering if there's even a place/market for traditional art in my country. As for advertising what could I do better? I'm always hesitant relying fully on someone else to do the promoting for me like in this case, but I don't personally have any online reach, putting flyers up in public places is illegal, and going by every single store in town seems terribly inefficient, especially if the store's target audience is different from mine and any flyers left on counters get buried within a week anyway.

Any other points of improvement you can think of? I'm considering going to the nearest big(ger) city and seeing if I can find any art cafes or such that would be willing to hang one or two paintings for me, but any other advice in case I ever want to organize another solo show type of event?

I’m new to selling my art online and I anticipate scams and solicitations from both legit and non legitimate businesses. However, I feel like the only engagement on most social media platforms I get are from these. I’m curious, is this something you experience regularly? Is there any advice to avoiding it or this is just part of the reality of online?

As a graphic designer, I thought I had my first real work and it went great for the month of November until I realize I was robbed and scammed by December and ever since I've been trying to advertisement myself- it feels like I'm just the perfect candidate to be scammed, and no one really wants my art even after I explain what, my pricing and even why I'm doing it now.

Is there a way to actually improve or make people actually want to get my art work, or is this just something I have to accept that no one really wants my work and just stop. because I had clients before but ever since this one scam, I've still drawn and advertise on my bluesky and tumbler, but it feels like no one wants it because I was stupid enough to be scam and need help- not be successful and doing it casual if that makes sense?

Hello to my fellow canadians out there! Is there anyone here who has experience renting a space at Makers (any branch)? Can you share your experience? Is it worth it. Thanks!