Commisioned art?

Ive been listening to people tell me that i waste all my talent and should paint and create art for a living. But i always argue that theres no real money ori nterest in that kind of art anymore.
What do u guys think?
Do you even know of anyone making money on their art?

For sure bro! Don't quit your job and start drawing or painting or whatever your medium is and expect to make it big. You'll lose ground fast and give up. You have to kind of treat it like a business that you are starting in your spare time. The more of your spare time you put in the faster your business grows. You must realize and remember; the art business is slow.

More to come hold on, phone is dumb.

You mentioned painting in your post so we'll use that. You need capital to start your business. You save money and start buying supplies, paint in your time off. Not sure what supplies you have on hand or how much/how well you paint, but supplies can always be upgraded and practice makes perfect.
Keep working, paying the bills.
Start planning some paintings, and when you have ones you like put nice and appropriate frames on them.
Build your inventory.
Just like a business you have used your starting to capital to purchase equipment and supplies and have now created an inventory.
How long it takes to create inventory is up to you, the artist.
So, we have supply. How do we create demand?

We need to find a market. Consumers to sell to.
We turn to the Almighty Marketing god, GOOGLE
Do research on any sort of craft fairs, art shows, small fairs, farmers markets, and what have you in your area. Many of these events and shows are done annually and dates can be found way in advance.
You need more capital for this, but hopefully you have continued to save in hope of your art career. Or a supportive and social circle is always handy too.
Rent booth space in a few of these shows. Use your capital for booth fees and transportation costs.
Most art fairs will showcase pretty much anything unless maybe too graphic. Use good professional judgment, don't take paintings of nude bloody women to the local farmers market.
But if your stuff isn't offensive book a few different thinks. Think outside the box.
Obviously the more closely related the event to your style the better you may fair but if next weekend there is a local bead and bracelette show make a few phone calls and introduce yourself as a local painter and inquire about renting a corner of a room that you have ten original paintings you would like to sell.
Most local art events will have websites advertising booth space with contact info.
Start selling these paintings in your city/community. Sell the originals for whatever you think they are worth. If you have the capital to invest a little more you can sell framed prints for like 20 bucks and maybe even smaller framed gloss prints done on a home computer for ten bucks.
Hopefully you sell a few here and there, put that money back into the business; more art supplies to create more inventory.
If you are professional about it and do your more market research as you progress you can find your niche, your market.
Keep painting.
Keep taking those weekends off from work to make the shows.
Keep selling.
Keep expanding.
If you are diligent you will get your name out there. It takes talent as well, let us not forget that. I have no doubt you have talent as the people around you would not encourage you if you didn't.
The more hands you get

Stupid phone hold on.

The more hands that take home your art, the more eyes that see your signature, the more money you have made.
There's always ways to sell online and to promote yourself online.
You've set up your business and with dedication and talent it can be successful.
Maybe you'll make enough to paint full time with no other job.
Maybe you have to keep your full time job but make an extra five thousand dollars twice a year when you've finally found those two art shows that cater to your style of art.
But maybe with that its enough to cut your regular job down to part time.
Any of these ways; at least you're painting and doing YOUR art!
Maybe you get noticed by some company and get asked to paint professionally, comic book covers, movie props, murals in upscale apartments, whatever.
Money can be made, small and large.
Learn a little economics, have an accountant.
Business.
Capital investment, equipment, inventory.
Good supply creates its own demand.
But the supply must be in the market otherwise it is only inventory and inventory sitting on shelves doesn't make money. Sales within the market make money.

I cheer you on bro! I am currently at the start of my own adventure in turning the hobby I love into a living. I love to write, and its basically the same exact general business model. Different supplies and inventory, different market. But business is business.

And if this was too much reading or not what you wanted, I apologize, it's not usually my style but I smoked herb for the first time in about a month and a half tonight. This thread just caught my eye and all baked I started writing and sorta spaced out. Its written on my crappy phone tho so it's taken a while and my thumbs hurt.

Good Luck t.toke!

Thats the irony.
I have no job to quit.
Im not allowed to work.
Used to do tattoos and drew comics in high school.
Now i have nothing but time on my hands and i have alot of people that i know would buy originals off of me.
Ive turned down a dozen commisioned jobs.

I just find the level of difficulty in getting focused and started but i appreciate your feedback.

Yea dude i totally feel you. I draw too.Used to draw alot! Got good with charcoals and conte and ive sold some in the past. Just havent drawn in the last few years, just doodle.

I drew multiple things each day.
I try to practice all the time but the amount of time and effort is different when u realize its for money.
Atleast its different for me.
I could have gone to an art school i applied to but didnt want to have someone else telling me how and what to draw or paint.
In hindsight it was the biggest mistake of my life.

But if have all that time on your hands...youre not allowed to work...so maybe disability or something,..do it all under the table for the 20 years, stack that skrilla then retire with a big ol wad of cash to florida with all the other old folk!

So are the commisioned ones youve been asked to do for tatoos or other arty thingz. Like a painting i would take the commision as long as it was u.derstood that tbe artist has creative spin or whatever.

Lol ya something like that.
I plan to build a big studio/workshop hopefully by next summer.
I build cars boats and well anything and everything else too but ive always regretted not focusing more on painting.
Something about the history and the techniques of the ol masters

Ya some people want me to design their tattoos and or do them other have asked for paintings of certain characters or people/pets

torontoke said:

Lol ya something like that.
I plan to build a big studio/workshop hopefully by next summer.
I build cars boats and well anything and everything else too but ive always regretted not focusing more on painting.
Something about the history and the techniques of the ol masters

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You should check out Beautiful Losers,( how obscure kids became millionaires overnight) and Degenerate Art, ( The story of Glassblowing on the West Coast) As an activist in Oregon t, I had already met some of the folks in Degenerate Art. I believe they are them on Net Flix. I'm an old fart, but I was inspired to take some classes. Oddly enough, I learned a lot from You Tube videos and studying/ trying to copy the Masters. " Just go with it" (Stacy Keech/ Up in Smoke)