Fanart is a great way to express your passion for a subject, whether it’s a famous person, a fictional character, or even a fantasy character. If you’ve been creating fanart purely for fun, you’ll be thrilled to learn that you may now get paid for your work. There are several ways that you can make money from fanart commissions, such as by drawing fanart that people want.
However, there are potential legal ramifications to selling fanart, so proceed with caution.
Artists have a wealth of options when it comes to building their own brand or collaborating with other brands. As a result, you’ll be able to keep doing what you love while still being acknowledged for your originality. As your work becomes more well-known, your portfolio will gain the traction it needs to be noticed in the field of your choice.
If a major client or studio takes note of your fanart, you may be able to secure fanart commissions as a result. As a bonus, you’ll feel validated in the knowledge that your artistic endeavours are worthwhile.
Furthermore, this disproves the idea that fan art is somehow less valuable than art from other genres, such as literature or film. A fanart commission for posters for a future promotion campaign would be fun if you have superhero photos to work with. You’ll look back on all those hours spent in your studio with a new perspective.
If you’re interested in how some artists have made a career out of fanart, keep reading for some of the tactics they’ve employed to great effect.
Sell Art On Instagram
As a social media platform for art enthusiasts and artists, Instagram has achieved enormous popularity. As a starting artist, this is great news because you don’t need to be a household name before you can start connecting with buyers. Art enthusiasts and purchasers from around the world can find you on Instagram, and they’re ready to pay for high-quality work.
There is, however, a snag. For your Instagram account to be successful, you’ll need a large following of active users.
Increased demand for your work will come from a larger fan base. Encourage your loved ones and coworkers to become fans of your page and spread the word about your artwork by inviting them to follow and share it with their own networks.
In the meantime, you can work on upgrading your account by following the following guidelines:
- Ensure that the photographs you use are of the highest possible resolution.
- When taking pictures of the artwork, use white or light backdrops with lots of natural light.
- Don’t be afraid to stick to a style or brand that best reflects your personality.
- Posts with descriptive captions are more likely to be shared.
- Use keywords that are pertinent to the topic at hand.
- Create a compelling biography.
- Aim for at least two posts every week.
Send them to your website, online store, or sales page when you receive a message indicating a desire to learn more about your work. Getting fanart commissions is a cinch now that you’ve reached this point.
Become a Netflix Fanartist!
Let yourself be inspired by a TV show or movie character and continue to create fan art. You may not know who sees it, but it could open up a whole new world of possibilities for you in the future. Many examples of relatively obscure artists have been commissioned for promotional graphics based on their work that they’ve released on the Internet.
Bannon Rudis, for example, was commissioned by Netflix to design a special piece of promotional art for the streaming service. Stranger Things fan art he has shared on Twitter. The network called one of the show’s actors after he shared this and asked him to create art for the upcoming season.
Interestingly, the artwork was widely praised about a year after it was first shown. After one of the show’s stars shared it, it quickly spread and appeared on a few more sites. They reached out to the artist who was chosen to develop an image for a single episode as part of a marketing effort on Instagram by Netflix’s partners.
This is only one of many examples of upcoming artists who have been commissioned by a major corporation to create art. It is essential that any fan art you upload on social media represents your skill and aptitude.
As a more proactive strategy, you can share your fanart with the networks that run these series or characters you portray. Fanart commissions from Netflix can help you get a jump start on your art career.
Come up with Eye-Catching Comic Book Covers
The many elements of art and colour used to produce comic book covers are meant to provide a strong first impression. Compositional skills are essential if a comic book artist hopes to create a visually appealing cover. The artist’s use of colour, line, shape, space, and texture must result in a harmonious composition as well as an eye-catching image.
Comic book covers that stand out from the crowd are essential for professional success. Covers often tell stories or give an insight into the plots of books. As a fan artist for comic books and their covers, you’ll have unlimited opportunities if you’re skilled at it.
Fellipe Martins is one of several artists that have found success in this sector because of the high quality of their work. His illustration was completed in a short period of time. On Tumblr, he paid homage to Marceline from Adventure Time. It was uploaded on social media a day later by the show’s creator, Pendleton Ward.
Following his breakthrough, Martins reached out to Boom! Studios, the firm in charge of all licenced comics for Cartoon Network, including both Adventure Time and The Animated Series. They spotted his portfolio and requested him to illustrate several Adventure Time comic book covers. Covers for Regular Show and subsequently Steven Universe followed in this vein. He went on to write and create his own comic book story later in life.
Fan art based on comic book characters is a terrific source of commissions, so keep up the good work.
Create Disney Posters Inspired by Fan Art
When you post fanart online, it’s amazing to watch it expand as more and more people discover it.
Claire Hummel, a well-known artist, has a fascinating success story using Disney fanart. In 2011, she started uploading her Disney princess posters online. Because of her attention to historical realism, her fanart stood out.
Belle in a 1770s gold ball gown was the first poster Claire Hummel uploaded on Tumblr, DeviantArt, and other social media platforms. The feedback was so positive that she decided to turn it into a full-fledged series of princess-themed wall art. She had nearly 10 princesses drawn by the end of the year, each from a different era.
Irrational Games Studio contacted her a few months later and offered her a job designing characters for one of their projects. Her historical princess posters were also mentioned as a source of inspiration for BioShock Infinite’s characters. It was a no-brainer for Claire to take on the freelance work.
While this is one method, it is important to remember that not many artists follow a similar path. Showing your work in group gallery displays may lead to inquiries and projects from potential clients who see your fanart. Taking part in a group show in a well-known pop-culture gallery is a great way to get your work noticed.
It’s possible that you’ll have to wait months between projects. If you’re good at what you do, you’ll eventually make it large.
Your Fanart Needs Substance
Because of its potential to capture viewers’ attention, quality fanart will rise to the top. It’s important that your fan art stands out because of your own distinct artistic flair. Employers don’t want to see additional work that looks like what their employees have already created. To add depth to your work, look for a unique quality that others don’t possess.
While Claire Hummel’s story revolved around princesses, the costumes she designed and the in-depth study she conducted into historical fashion rules set her apart. Despite this, she still possessed a resume and portfolio to back up her claim to be a professional artist in addition to the poster series.
Fellipe Martin’s fan art was excellent, but it was his impressive portfolio that got him hired at Adventure Time Comic. In spite of the fact that his fan art helped him rise to the top, he couldn’t have done it without his portfolio. It would have been a viral photograph if he had done fan art.
Take advantage of social media
If your portfolio is impressive, it should be noticed. Do it in a way that attracts the attention of a large number of individuals. Here are a few pointers:
- Using popular hashtags, post a picture of one of your artworks.
- Don’t do anything that isn’t trending in the top 10.
- Bring your enthusiasm to your work by drawing the things that excite you.
- Make certain that the artwork you’re sharing is of a high standard.
Summary
As a result, fan art has evolved as a genre in its own right in recent decades. This is due to the fact that there are a number of talented artists out there that continue to come up with new and interesting ways to express themselves through fanart. The studios are looking for new twists as a result of this, as well. Make sure to keep coming up with new strategies to acquire fanart commissions as fanart grows in popularity.
The last thing to do is obtain permission to sell fanart before you are sued if your business is selling more and more of it than you expected.
