Int Marketing Artist

by skydragon89

Posted: 13 years ago 12 replies

INTERNET MARKETING

Hi Guys

I've been struggling between two different directions for my internet career

I love drawing, I'm good and passionate about it, and I know a bit of a photoshop, and I would like to continue improving myself in it, so I can make a living out of it, If it is good financially.

My goal is to make $ 50k in 1 year so I can buy myself an appartment and finally have my own piece of real estate to live in.

What I lack is business insight of how I can (if it's possible) to make big money somehow of my art.

The bug question:

1) What could I do to increase my income, keeping drawing in photoshop as my main activity, and then keeping increasing it?

2) What are the ways I can make passive income of my art online, and What are the necessary skills (beside photoshop) I should learn to make it profitable (or should I learn them at all, or I can just outsource them)

I am learning and applying SEO right now, but It feels like It's not my thing, and I was to use it, it would be only for promoting my future art website or something else related to my art.

3) Can you make big money selling/promoting art ( I have all the time and I am willing to do it as it is my passion )

Ive been doing things I don't really like because I had these limiting thoughts that you can't make big money out of art, Artists are poor, etc.

So please enlighten me, open my mind to new possibilities that I can't see,
please make my day! =)

What I need now is a plan, of how I should spend my time and the things I should learn (by priority)

What I had in mind:
-> Selling drawing courses (for later, as I still need to improve my drawing)
-> Print on demand (T-shirts, mugs, etc...? )
-> Something like Istockphoto, where you preview the drawing in low quality, pay and recieve it in high quality.
-> Sell my skills to a good customer

Basically, most of my work-time I want to spend drawing and improving my skills, to be able to make 50k in 1 year

I await your suggestions...

#artist #int #marketing #photoshop

skydragon89 13 years ago

So, anyone?

Please guys, I really need your help!
- Thanks
- 1 reply
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- Ceri 13 years ago
  
  You could do logos and banners for other people, or website design?
  
  Can you show some examples of your work?
  
  Thanks
  
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NETDAWG

13 years ago

I'm a web designer and I truly appreciate graphic designers - having an artistic mind truly is a gift (of which I'm a bit lacking).

Here's a a broad answer that will help answer questions #1, 2, and 3..

Specialize in a certain area. It will be hard to compete with istockphoto.com, dreamstime.com, and freedigitialphotos.net - but specializing gives you an advantage as all those shops focus on a broad selection of photos and art.

You already have something of value - a skill that's in demand, now you just need to attach the right idea and business model around it. It seems like you're moving in the right direction.

So if you don't mind me asking - what do you specialize in: eBooks covers, banners, illustrations, logos...?

[ 1 ] Thanks
2 replies

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skydragon89

13 years ago

Thank you guys, you are of a great help.

I am working now as a freelance translator, but I don't really like it, I just happen to know 4 languages very well.
Also I learn SEO for my future business/businesses (but I don't see myself working in seo for someone else)
Let me make it clear - drawing/art is my lie passion, it's what I would do if I had enough money to forget about it.

The big question for me is should I focus on learning how to draw well in photoshop and become a pro, while working as a freelancer (and then outsource website making, seo and all possible internet marketing techniques)
OR
Should I focus more on learning internet marketing skills like SEO and then move more to art?

Thanks
2 replies

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Istvan Horvath

13 years ago

Originally Posted by skydragon89

The big question for me is should I focus on learning how to draw well in photoshop and become a pro, while working as a freelancer (and then outsource website making, seo and all possible internet marketing techniques)
OR
Should I focus more on learning internet marketing skills like SEO and then move more to art?

It's easy to get the answer...

I don't know you, so I assume you are a really talented artist/graphic artist. The keyword here being - talented. As we all know, talent is a gift. You cannot learn it. You can learn the trade (the technical skills) but that is not equal to talent. If you are just a tradesman... then it doesn't matter.

SEO is a monotonous task series that anybody can learn. Even I could if I wasn't lazy

Thanks

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NETDAWG

13 years ago

Originally Posted by skydragon89

Your venture will be most successful if you stay focused on what you do best, but if you cant afford virtual assistants to help with SEO and internet marketing, then I'd learn enough to get you by to begin with. But you should outsource those as soon as possible, so that you get put you skills in the most productive areas.

Don Schenk posted some great ideas - I would follow his advice. I think many of the people on these forums are potential customers of yours (me being one) so I'd start networking - after all it is free!

Thanks

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skydragon89 13 years ago

Also guys, could you give me some top trusted freelance sites?
I am working now at a russian website that doesn't really pay well...
- Thanks
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Viramara 13 years ago

Hi,

You can try sites like freelancer.com, elance.com, guru.com. They're willing to pay $200-$1200 for a web design!

But the bidding is competitive. Make sure you provide a sample as your future clients will likely to choose you from your samples. (And read a guide in Six Figure Freelancing. No, not my product but it's helpful for freelancers newbie)

Others than freelancing sites you can advertise yourself on Warriors For Hire.

Good luck!
- Thanks
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Don Schenk 13 years ago

First you need to figure out what you like to do, then determine who buys that type of art, then find a way to reach those people.

It becomes a business making and selling a product (art).

Who buys art?
Web designers and internet marketers buy header and banner art
Attorneys involved in litigation buy illustrative art for use in court cases
Advertising agencies purchase illustrative art for their clients' advertising
The general population buys note cards and reproductions of paintings for their homes
The wealthy buy collectable art from well known artists both to decorate home and office and as collectable items that will grow in value.

What type of art do you create?

Susie Anderson is an artist from Hawaii who sells her oil originals in a gallery in Honolulu. Her husband is an accountant who quit his job years ago to be Susie's business manager. He also does the giclee printing and note card printing of her art, and the framing which they sell through her website: Susie Y. Anderson - Fine Paintings (I am not an affiliate)

She started out working as an illustrative artist for litigation lawyers. That brought in the money until she had developed her fine art business.

I guess they have done well. In addition to living in Honolulu, she and her husband also have a beautiful home in Park City, UT. That is where we became friends with them. She is now doing western USA art too.

Figure out what you want to do, become an expert at it, get it to a buying audience.

:-Don
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skydragon89 13 years ago

Yes guys, thank you

But I don't think you understand the essence of my question

What I mean is -

How do I make my art work for me, like when you create an e-book, you make the sales page, drive traffic (get affiliates, eventually) and then you don't work on your website anymore, or on your product, the money just pours in automatically.

What I want is this kind of model, and not having to work again and again.
To create an autopilot income from my art - that's what i mean.
And then to make new art and increase my income with each new painting/drawing/etc.

Or when I make a mailing list and everybody who already bought something will recieve an update on my art and possibly buy again...

Something like that.

Drive targeted traffic with customers "willing to buy" to my website where there are drawings/something else and an opt-in box.

What I specialize in is fantasy art (characters, monsters, alien landscapes, anything that goes outside the box)

And yes, I am good at it, but I still need to learn much photoshop to transfer it to digital format.

That's why I am asking. Is it a good enough niche, the way I put it (to have autopilot income from my art) that can constantly increase my income,
And should I invest my time in it (learning pgotoshop)
Or should I keep learning internet marketing and market more profitable products in more profitable niches?

I really have a goal to make my first million in at most 5 years from now. So is art profitable enough to do the thing, or should I focus more on internet marketing and keep art more like as a hobby (as it supposedly sells worse, or it's just my limiting thought)
- Thanks
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skydragon89 13 years ago

Any more opinions? =)
- Thanks
- 1 reply
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- Bill Farnham 13 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by skydragon89
  
  Any more opinions? =)
  
  Coupla thoughts...
  
  First, if you are going to master a drawing program Adobe Illustrator will be a far better choice than PS. The reason is it creates vector graphics that are far more versatile for things like logos and print ads. If you want to play around with a free AI type of program before you buy AI you can download Inkscape and play around with it. This will allow you to see the difference between working in a raster based program (PS) verus a vector based program (AI).
  
  Second, the 'art, graphics, drawing' niches on the internet are huge compared to the IM world that this forum is dedicated to. Don't limit yourself to the tiny audience here (or IM in general) for graphics.
  
  Third, listen to any advice Don Schenk gives you. If you knew his background this piece of advice is a no-brainer.
  
  ~Bill
  
  Thanks
  
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Int Marketing Artist

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