If you have a talent for art, it might be that you want to take your love for this creative pursuit to the next level. By which we mean you might want to use your skills within any freelance career that will give you the opportunity to follow your passion and make money while doing so. Especially if you are suffering from professional burnout, changing your future to incorporate what you love is a very good idea.
A career in art won’t happen overnight, so as you explore your options, you need to plan, develop your skills, and find ways to attract clients. You should do this no matter what career you intend to go into, be it graphic design, book illustrating, or painting pictures to sell to others.
To kickstart your freelance art career, consider the following.
#1: Start With The Basics
At the very least, you need to do the following.
Purchase what you need
You won’t get very far if you don’t have the art supplies you need, so buy what you require from your local art shop or use an online store that specializes in quality art supplies. The Sydney Canvas Company is an excellent place to start for canvases, easels, and other materials, but look for similar in your region.
Create a studio space
You need somewhere to work, and it should preferably be somewhere where you can have space for all of your materials. If you have a spare room in your home, then great. If not, consider your shed or garage, or if it makes more sense to do so, rent studio space if any are available in your local area.
If you are going to work from home, check out these tips on setting up a studio on a budget.
#2: Develop Your Skills
You may be naturally talented, but you need to hone your skills if you want to make a successful career as a freelance artist. It might be that you need to improve your artistic drawing skills, for example, or you might need to practice your skills with a paintbrush.
Take a course
Look for any art courses that are happening in your area, or consider online art classes. Search for those that will give you the opportunity to practice the specific skillsets that are required for your particular niche.
Practice in your own time
Set aside time each day to practice your core competencies, and experiment with a variety of mediums, as you will then have more to offer prospective clients.
Learn more about your craft
Expose yourself to a variety of art in museums, art galleries, and art shows, and take inspiration from what you see. Speak to other artists and ask for advice, not only on how to progress your career, but how to perfect your style. And research successful artists, and find out what they did to get better in their craft, and how they progressed their careers.
#3: Make Yourself Known To Others
If nobody knows who you are, you aren’t going to attract many clients.
To make yourself known then, enter local art competitions, sell your work at craft shows, and speak to local gallery owners about having your own display. Create a website too, as this can be the online portfolio of your work, and market yourself and your website by using social media, popular art forums, and learning about SEO.
By making yourself and your art known to others, you will generate more interest in your work. There is plenty of advice online about finding new clients, including this art forum at Alignable.
These are just a few simple suggestions but commit to more research if you’re intending to start out as a freelance artist.
We wish you every success with your freelance art career!
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