12 Artist Success Stories [2024]
The artist is an individual who practices the skill, expression, and application of a craft; a person engaged in any art.
In this list, you'll find real-world artist success stories and very profitable examples of starting a artist that makes money.
1. Art Lovers Australia ($1.92M/year)
Nancy and Jarrod, both with backgrounds in the arts industry, recognized the obstacles that artists faced in gaining visibility. They decided to start Art Lovers Australia, an online gallery, to showcase the talent of Australian artists and make buying art easy for art enthusiasts. Through collaborations with designers and TV shows, their audience has grown, and they now have almost 1000 artists on their platform, with monthly sales averaging $160K.
How much money it makes: $1.92M/year
How much did it cost to start: $100K
How many people on the team: 4
Art Lovers Australia grew from 50 to almost 1000 artists and increased their monthly sales to an average of $160K by collaborating with designers and TV shows, building an audience on social media before launching, prioritizing advertising and marketing, and creating partnerships.
2. Astrography ($1.08M/year)
Artur Kurasinski and Adam Jesionkiewicz co-created Astrography, a company that prints and sells fine arts related to space. Adam, an experienced astrophotographer, decided to print his own pictures and found that people were willing to pay for them. With a zero marketing budget, they managed to print $160K worth of fine art in 12 months and have since become a profitable business.
How much money it makes: $1.08M/year
How many people on the team: 4
Astrography is a small family business offering high-quality, limited edition fine art prints related to space; in the first 12 months of operation, they managed to print the fine art for $160k, largely thanks to social media without any loans or investors.
3. Dropcloth Samplers ($180K/year)
Rebecca taught embroidery and introductory textiles classes in Chicago when she started making samplers. Fabric shops started reaching out to inquire about purchasing the designs to sell and she realized the business potential.
How much money it makes: $180K/year
How many people on the team: 0
Rebecca Ringquist turned a side project of hand-drawn embroidery samplers into a full-time job, grossing over $15K a month with her business Dropcloth Samplers, which she launched accidentally after selling a few samplers at an end of session craft sale that prominent bloggers bought and posted about.
4. Mapply ($180K/year)
Scott Wood, co-founder of Mapply, came up with the idea for his map print business after seeing the success of a similar brand called Mapiful. With a background in digital marketing and a love for travel and art, Scott saw an opportunity to create personalized and colorful map prints. By starting with offline validation and gradually expanding his product offerings, Scott has grown Mapply from a few hundred pounds in sales to over £30k ($40k) in prints per month, with plans to expand further in the future.
How much money it makes: $180K/year
How much did it cost to start: $200
How many people on the team: 0
UK-based co-founder grows map print company Mapply from a few hundred pounds a month in sales to over £30k ($40k~) in prints per month, without much marketing, and expands to brick-and-mortar stores while focusing on continuous product expansion.
5. Just Artisan ($120K/year)
Just Artisan, a handmade-only marketplace founded by Marcello De Lio, has seen impressive growth since its launch in 2020. With $15,000 in sales during December 2020 and a strong customer base, the platform is on track for continued growth in 2021. De Lio's personal experience selling handmade goods and observing the frustrations of artists competing against drop shippers and facing rising fees inspired him to create a platform that supports artists and provides them with a true handmade marketplace.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $25K
How many people on the team: 2
Just Artisan is a handmade-only marketplace that has achieved over $15,000 in sales during December and is on track to expand with 400 vendors and 2,000 products since launching fully in June 2020.
6. Suzann K Fine Art ($76.8K/year)
Suzann Kaltbaum, a fine art photographer, started her business as a passion project in travel photography. Through experimentation and honing her skills, she developed a unique blended technique that resonated with her clients. Her art, printed on mixed metals, highlights the pictures and has generated a lucrative business, winning awards and being featured in various venues. Suzann emphasizes the importance of seizing opportunities and believing in oneself.
How much money it makes: $76.8K/year
How much did it cost to start: $6.5K
How many people on the team: 0
Discover how Suzann Kaltbaum turned her passion for fine art photography into a lucrative business, generating $5k per month, through her unique blend of digital techniques and printing on mixed metals, and her focus on showcasing her art in person rather than through advertising.
7. Innerglow Art ($51.6K/year)
Painting had helped Sarah channel her emotions of getting rejected from grad schools in a positive way, as she had been the "artsy" girl in college as well. It started as a hobby but within a few months, her friends and family encouraged her to sell her art. Seeing the demand on her store, she started Innerglow Art.
How much money it makes: $51.6K/year
How many people on the team: 0
Innerglow Art is a successful custom abstract painting business that incorporates scripture and personable connection with buyers to produce beautiful and unique artwork.
8. Sarah Paints Pets ($42K/year)
Sarah Miller, the founder of sarahpaintspets, came up with the idea for her business in college when she painted her boyfriend's cat as a gift. After receiving positive feedback and selling over 100 paintings for Christmas presents, she realized there was a demand for her custom watercolor pet portraits. Since then, she has been able to increase her prices and attract customers through her personalized approach and social media presence.
How much money it makes: $42K/year
How many people on the team: 1
Sarah Miller started a small business, sarahpaintspets, where she creates custom watercolor pet portraits for animal lovers across the US and Canada, which has lead to an average income per painting of $150 and receives word-of-mouth referrals as the biggest source of income.
9. URSULA BARTON ($36K/year)
Ursula Barton, an artist, came up with the idea for her business after a spill of expensive ink onto watercolor paper led her to embrace a process of unpredictable art creation. After gaining positive reactions to her work at a cafe, she realized she had something special and started reproducing her paintings as greeting cards, postcards, and prints, eventually expanding her product line and opening a retail shop called Jailbreak.
How much money it makes: $36K/year
How many people on the team: 1
This case study showcases how artist Ursula Barton built two successful small businesses, one featuring her artwork on paper goods and the other being a retail shop showcasing art and handmade goods from a variety of makers, both of which have seen great success in sales and community support.
10. Brush Tokes ($30K/year)
After realizing she needed a real hobby, Kelly rediscovered her love for art and decided to sell her creations. Partnering with Natasha, they came up with the idea for Brush Tokes, a 420-friendly art class that combines their shared interests in art and cannabis. Since launching in January 2018, they have sold out classes and experienced steady growth, with monthly income reaching up to $2,500.
How much money it makes: $30K/year
How many people on the team: 1
Brush Tokes is a 420-friendly art business that combines the enjoyment of cannabis with artistic expression, offering various services including painting, plant, and art classes, and generates up to $2,500 per month through its word-of-mouth business.
11. Art Splash Academy of Fine Arts ($24K/year)
Meenakshi, a former IT professional, was inspired by her grandfather's mentorship in Indian music and her passion for dance and vocals. She wanted to start her own business in the education field and provide a platform for talented musicians. After overcoming challenges like floods and power fluctuations, she successfully launched Art Splash Academy of Fine Arts, training students in various forms of art and music.
How much money it makes: $24K/year
How much did it cost to start: $9K
How many people on the team: 12
Former IT professional Meenakshi started Art Splash Academy of Fine Arts, offering Keyboard, Guitar, Violin, Rock & Pop vocals, Indian Music, Carnatic vocals, Bharatnatyam, Certified Jazz, Arts, Yoga, and Tabla courses for all ages with an investment of $9,000, and now manages it successfully with 80% of customers enrolling in online classes during COVID-19.
12. Justin Erickson Art ($10.5K/year)
Justin Erickson, an independent artist based in Vancouver, came up with the idea for his business after attending local events and showcasing his artwork. He realized that he could turn his passion into a career and started developing his brand, taking professional product photos and designing collateral for clients. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Justin has been consistently earning between $500-$1,500 a month through his art.
How much money it makes: $10.5K/year
How much did it cost to start: $7.03K
How many people on the team: 1
Independent artist Justin Erickson earns between $500-$1500 a month and offers advice on developing a career as an independent artist and graphic designer, from building a brand through printmaking, launching a business, attracting and retaining customers, and learning from other resources.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
