A freelance artist is any artist who does not work for a company but manages to make some amount of income from art that is sold prior to being made. In order to become a freelance artist, you must be talented enough to convince potential clients that your work is good enough for their uses and that your work ethic is strong enough to complete projects in a timely fashion. It is often difficult to get started in freelancing, so many people start out by contacting potential clients directly and applying for freelance jobs. When you develop enough prestige and a great reputation, clients will often request your work and income may rise to a steady paycheck.
In order to become a freelance artist, you must be able to create art of consistent quality. You must also be prepared to make artistic sacrifices in order to meet the demands of clients who may have a different idea about what makes art great. Many people who freelance work solely online in computer graphics, but some people may work with print media or even areas closer to fine art. Typically, it is much more difficult to deliver a physical product than it is to deliver a digital one, so online freelancing is more appealing.
Once you have established what type of art you will work with, you must get clients in order to become a freelance artist. This is somewhat complicated at first, as most potential clients choose to work with people who already have experience freelancing. In order to draw potential clients in, it is a good idea to make a portfolio and post it online. It is also sometimes advisable to offer services for lower rates than a client might normally expect as a new client discount.
To become a freelance artist, you must be willing to compromise. Working for a client is different than working to satisfy your own artistic vision, because the needs of the client must come first. Being professional is also important, as clients often have deadlines that must be met. Even if your art is amazing, you must make good business practices a primary concern if you wish to work as a freelancer.
Building a strong client base is essential for anyone who wants to become a freelance artist full time because looking for work is often time consuming and frustrating. Usually, a freelance artist wants to spend more time doing projects than looking for projects to do. Encouraging current satisfied clients to recommend your services to others is a great way to spread word of your business. Simply producing exceptional art is another great way to get free advertising.
