Besides the passion for art, what drives most people to become freelance 3D artists is the pay. So, how much money are you likely to make when you become a 3D artist? Is there any room for increasing your earnings?
In most cases, when starting a career, most people tend to care less about the material rewards that come along the way. Most of us are just chasing our passion. We want to make life worth living by simply doing what makes us happy most of the time.
The world of 3D illustration is complex and more challenging. Therefore, when you choose a career in this field, you want to ensure your clients reward you accordingly for time, effort, and creativity in every project you handle. Here are some tips to help you earn more as a freelance 3D artist.
1 – Start your projects
When you are out to make a living as a freelance 3D artist, you can start by having your projects. If you’re still trying to get your foot in the door as a freelance illustrator, you will feel like you don’t have the time for personal projects. Most artists want to spend every moment making a coin.
Having a personal project is a great way to build your portfolio, which can often result in some commissions. When you build a rich portfolio, it gets easy to land on a project whenever you send your resume to potential employers. You can negotiate for a higher rate when you have some projects to show how experienced you are to your next employer.
2 – Sell vector designs
You can earn more money as a 3D artist by selling your vector design online. This is one best approach to make some income as you generate some recurring revenue right in the comfort of your couch.
Start by joining marketplaces like Envato Elements, Creative Market, and GraphicRiver to sell your art to a large audience. You can sell all kinds of artwork on this platform, like character design logos, icon packs, mascots, templates and graphics.
You can also collaborate with illustration agencies who work with 3D illustrators.
3 – Sell prints and posters
You can also make more money as a 3D artist by selling unique posters and prints. You can sell a print version of your illustrations and drawings to your customers.
However, if you want to convert this into an income-generating hustle, you should first promote yourself and your brand online. Promote your work on all social platforms and attract the right audience to your brand.
Use platforms such as DeviantArt to promote your work and sell simultaneously. You can also opt for other platforms like Painful and Society6, which handle heavy work like printing your posters and shipping them to your customers. All you do is upload your 3D illustrations on the platform and earn some royalties for every sale.
4 – Design and sell handmade fonts
You can also earn from your hand-lettering skills by simply designing your fonts and selling them online. You will need some technical knowledge to create more compelling fonts, but this is more rewarding.
You can sell your fonts on online markets like MyFonts, Creative Market, and others and simply earn some royalties. Create and upload your fonts and leave the rest of the work to the platform.
Final Thoughts
There are many ways you can increase your earnings as a freelance 3D illustrator. You have to be more aggressive to develop the projects that build your portfolio. Come up with projects like fonts, pictures, illustrations, and drawings that you can sell on online platforms.
All you have to do is position yourself and your brand before the right audience to buy your products.
