OT/General Making a living?

This is such a good question. I know this thread is old but i'm curious to see if anyone has an opinion on this now. I'm going to expand on this question a little bit by asking is it even possible to make a living of selling sculpts alone? Not just ball jointed dolls i'm asking about artwork in general?

 

IMO it depends on the skill and popularity of the artist, as well as the speed of the work. Looking at it from a business perspective I've spent a few years learning how to sculpt while working other jobs, and just now am starting to cast my first BJD. In all that time I've made nothing. But overall my sculpting hobby hasn't been financially painful, even including the costs of material wasted on experiments. Over the past 4-5 years I've only spent about $600. Time spent learning and not getting paid is another matter, but if we're strictly looking at money out of pocket, $600 isn't a huge investment to start your own business.

Still, like anything I think it would take a lot of time and dedication to turn this into a living. The market seems pretty capricious, and unless you're very well established as an artist, realistically there's no telling if you will sell enough artwork consistently to live off the profits. (obviously this also depends on your standard of living.) Expanding the question to include all artwork does change things though. There are certainly markets for other types of sculpture, and you could always take commissions.

 

preach it, sailor. *supports*

I've not sold anything sculpture related. But I've sold some drawings and prints, as well as some extra jewelry and tchotchkes. It's not a living by a long stretch. But it does help recoup some supply costs?

 

LMAO I was so sleepy when i wrote this that the question came out all wrong. I am currently an illustration major and was wondering if its possible to make a living of art in general not just sculptures and such.

@sailor; i understand that anything worth having takes a lot of time and dedication so i agree with that point however i feel its kinda sad that only popular artists can make a living off their work (this is assuming that this is what you meant by established). Is it even possile for an unknown artist to survive on their work these days?

@penguu; Hearing that you've sold drawings and prints makes me feel a hell of a lot better because thats similar to the kind of career i would like for myself eventually with hopefully teaching on the side.

I love dolls always have so it doesnt really matter if something doesnt matter if this hobby doesnt end up paying to support itself. I knew it would e expensive before i embarked on this journey lol so i have no one to blame but myself. I just thik its sad to think that years of college wont amount to anything.

 

Having a day job has pros and cons. On the one hand, it gives me money for living and supplies, and it takes the pressure off "having" to sell something, so I feel free to do what I want. On the other hand, it really cuts into my sculpting time!

 

@Alewife; lol my job is so very depressing lol i was holding on to the hope that i could graduate from colledge and find something in art seeing as how thats what i'm studying. Not so sure anymore. LOL i totally understand how you feel.

 

Oh, definitely artists of all sorts make a living from their work. I don't know how they do it, but they certainly do-- see them visiting my college all the time. I think most of them start off doing it as a second job, then work their way into having art as their primary. I hope I didn't discourage you from trying to pursue a life after graduation as an artist, because it's very much within your grasp. I'm only cynical about making a living purely off of BJDs, because it's such a limited market, and most people outside that tiny market are deeply reluctant to pay $500+ for a doll.

 

Not starting out no. Doing art for fun and doing it as a living is two different things and eventually it turns into work.

 

Poochbot, you're right, some jobs just suck the life right out of you. You could maybe find a job in a related field for now, or some kind of job that doesn't drive you crazy so you have some energy left at the end of the day. Everyone is different though. I was a freelance commercial artist for a while, but I didn't like the lack of a steady paycheck, so I went back into the workforce.

 

Well, I've only just started with the production of my doll, so I can't tell you if selling them is going to be (at least a bit) profitable, but I'm a screenwriter in the Netherlands. Let me tell you, in comparison to that, the dollmarket is as unlimited as it gets, ;p.

Although I'm able to make a living, writing isn't going to make me rich. Sometimes I get an assignment that will generate enough money for a few months, but at other times I need a job on the side to get by. It's an insecure way of living. I love it, although there are times when I'm thinking of quiting - like now, when I can't seem to get a job... ANY job. But there is this drive inside me that pushes me forward. Like this isn't a choice, it's something that I have to do and it forces me to continue. I think you need that type of dedication if you want to succeed.

People won't welcome an artist with open arms. There will be many times where you have to defend your choices, because some smartass (even those closest to you) thinks you are wasting your time and you should be doing something 'useful'. You will have to sell the idea that your work is worth paying for to people who do not want to spend money on something they can get somewhere else for free. It's hard work. It's discouraging. It's also the best damn job in the world. Dedication is the key.

Like Sailor said, it also comes down to your living standards. If you want to pursue this kind of career it's beneficial that you know how to live off of almost nothing.
I do think that it's possible to make a living of selling art, but you have to be very sure what you're going to sell and how you are going to present it to your potential customer. Your running a business, so you'll have to think as a businessman. You will also have to keep in mind that your profit won't be anything like any ordinary business. Know how much money you need each month, and you're a step closer to knowing how you'll need to run your business.

 

Lemme put it this way: Starving artists are usually Sub-Par artists. If you're good enough, success comes to you, but you have to hunt it down. Good Enough takes WORK. Possibly also a business degree.

 

I don't think Vincent van Gogh will agree with you there ;p. His entire life he sold 1 painting only, now they're worth millions. I've seen many great artists who have trouble getting by and some who are mediocre at best who make a decent living. It's not so much about having talent as it is about knowing how to sell your work. Many artists are terrible salesmen.

 

Its just a hobby and I don't think anyone should be quitting their day jobs unless they're actually looking to be the next Luts or Soom. Those are companies with huge stakes in getting things right, not someone making stuff at home. Its probably why small runs of art dolls are able to be more risky and wonderful (to our advantage). Even the bjd artists who make dolls that sell and catch on are people doing it along side work, usually illustration or graphics design.

 

@silk; I absolutely love your comments because i'm too stupid to quit and they made me feel like things arent quite as hopeless as i feel they are sometimes. My goal isnt to get filthy rich and i know i will have to keep my day job to suppliment my art career, i guess i just want illustration to be my main source of income since i took the time to study it.

@sailor; Thats what i originally thought so i picked up a back up career before studying Illustration. I've basically hit the "glass ceiling" with my current job and just want to move on.

@wyverngem; I feel like if you have to do it for a living it will turn into work anyway. But i love art so i'm cool with that.

@Alewife; OMG yes they sure do. I work for an agency and a majority of the time i get sent to sit with suicidal patients and listening to people talk about wanting to die for 12hrs straight is very depressing. I cant go in for more than 2 days a week (24hrs) because those 2 days are enough to make me depressed. LOL in other words it just isnt a good match for me. Then i work nights because im a full time student and thats all i can do at the moment. Every night i work, on the drive home when everyone else is starting their day i feel terrible because i feel like i'm missing out on life. There are no benefits, chances for a raise or promotions. I've been with my agency for a little over 2 years (been doing this job for 5 years) and i'm exactly where i was when i first started. I just feel like if i'm studying something in school i should be able to make a career out of it. I'm currently looking for something close to illustration lol anything but what i'm doing now really.

@Jphobia; Actually your comment made me feel a lot better. When i expanded the question to other forms of art i was really asking about illustration because i am an illustration major and at that moment i kinda felt like colledge was a waste of time if i wount be able to make a living as an illustrator.

 

Seconding this so very much. It really is about knowing who your market is and how to sell to them. And that goes for just about any business honestly. That's why large companies have whole departments dedicated to market research and demographics. Who's buying what, now and why.

 

Haha, definitely true. I see plenty of posers with marketing skill doing the same trick over and over again and making thousands and thousands of dollars, while others try to re-invent themselves every time, spend nearly every waking hours creating stuff and come up with great new images... And end up living on instant noodles.
I hope I can achieve a healthy mix of the two :P I'm trying to make a living with dolls and props. I'm still busy making my first casted doll, but up so far I've already learned one thing: When it comes to props, it's only worth your while if you can compete with China. That means making things that aren't interesting for cheap mass production. For instance, because they are too weird. Or hold too many different components/ materials.
So the strategy I have is making a few "mainstream" things like headphones, and next to that present some other stuff that I made, going from the weird to the downright bizarre... To give people ideas for commissioning. )

 

Ask twigling.
She designs and makes a commercial BJD.
She went through some sort of business course in her local area.
As a result, she qualified for some sort of financial aid, from somewhere?
I do not know the details.
The business courses I know about have you pretend to be the Owner of the business.
If you are the Owner of the business, how much can you count on Free Labor? (from anyone, including yourself - you work for free?)
Labor costs are usually the largest overhead for a small business (small business = 1 to 250 employees - last time I checked).
Payroll is usually the biggest headache for the Owner of a small business. Next headache is taxes.
If you are really serious about going into the business of manufacturing, marketing, distributing, and selling, Artist BJDs,
then you should probably take some sort of business course, like twigling did.
I have no idea what kind of business course you should take?
Ask twigling !!!

(^_^)

 

Van Gogh was ahead of his time and everyone thought his paintings were ugly. Of course now people see them how they really are; beautiful and amazingly executed.

Now to answer the question, can an artist live off of their work? Yes! Any artist can. You do not have to be well known to live off of your work. You just have to be able to engage in the public. Sign up for art shows, apply to show your work in galleries. The only way you're going to sell your work, sculpture or 2d work, is by putting it where people are going to see it. Popular artists were at one time just amateurs. But one huge way to get a following is by being out with people looking at your work, explaining how you make it and why you make it. The more work people see, the more work people will like and the more work that will be sold.

I work at my grandparents' glass blowing studio. They live off of their work. They're not famous but they have a little shop in a little town. With other people in the community, we are creating a river front arts district in the old downtown that has previously been a ghost town since the 70's. We ask that everyone who comes to the shop and enjoys it tell someone they know. We have a facebook page. Facebook is FREE advertising! We post pictures of our work and events we are doing to bring people to the shop. We do not sell online, only at our shop. There are 4 of us working there and although we do not bring regular checks home, we are able to live comfortably. We are able to have pets and feed them. But mainly the reason we do not bring home checks is because of how expensive it is to run glass blowing equipment. The money we make during the fall up to Christmas holds us over the slow winter months.

So again, what I suggest to be successful is to create create create and get out in the world, in the public and show off your work.

 

And 3rding hehe
You can add Edgar Allen Poe to that as well and I'm sure lots of others that I do not know of.

I built up a fair living wage in residual income myself by publishing derivable 3D clothing meshes on IMVU. Took me 2 years to build up the inventory for it, but business kept increasing till I got tired of it and quit publishing new things a few months ago.

It's a bit problem for me that I can't stick to a medium... I get tired of doing the same thing and other things pop up that I get excited about.