I’ve been freelancing for a while, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. It’s rewarding and challenging, but there are definite challenges that come with freelancing too. The biggest challenge for me is time management. I have to juggle multiple projects and clients, which often leads to long hours at my desk. This can be draining both physically and mentally, but luckily, there are a few great apps available to help with this!
Table of Contents
best payment apps for art commissions
Skip to main content
ART AND DESIGN INSPIRATIONSearch
Sign in
News
How to
TRENDING
Graphic Design
Digital Art
Crafts
Adobe deals
UX course
Apple
Creative Bloq is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more
Home Features Art
5 apps that are shaking up the art market
By Ritik Dholakia published February 25, 2019
These apps are providing new ways to make art profitable.
It’s always been tough to make money from art. But for big-city artists and curators, the cost of real estate for galleries and studio space has made it even tougher to build a sustainable practice.
The growing popularity of art fairs has also had an effect, by creating destination experiences that might be great for bringing people in, but not necessarily for actually selling art.
But artists willing to embrace digital technology and take charge of their own destinies have never had it so good. Social media, online platforms, transactional ecommerce platforms and mobile apps have made it possible to reach global audiences, build personal brands, and sell art on more favourable terms than ever before. In this article, we take a look at the best drawing apps for iPad that are shaking things up for creatives.
Selling art online
The artist’s digital journey often starts on social media, with artists using tools like Instagram to promote work and build an audience. Now there are also digital platforms to monetise creativity, and a new breed of digital-first players are building unique connections between artists and collectors, creating markets that simply didn’t exist in the pre-digital age.
16 great places to sell your design work online
Alongside this is an explosion of new channels to reach art lovers, whether it’s using Snapchat to provide behind-the-scenes looks into the creative process, or engaging with storytellers on podcasts to help spread the word (check out this playlist of great art podcasts).
With the global online art market worth around $4.22 billion in 2017, up 12 per cent from the previous year, these new digital tools and platforms are already revolutionising the world of fine art for artists and art-lovers. Here are five apps and platforms that are leading that revolution, creating new ways to make fine art profitable.
- Artsy
Artsy art app
The art on sale on Artsy ranges from design items such as ceramics to sculpture to photography
Artsy has a vision to transform the art world through technology, and it’s executed on that vision from day one, delivering an online platform that connects art lovers to galleries and artists in a global community. Its library encompasses a dizzying breadth of art, from Old Masters to contemporary artists.
Under the hood, Artsy has built relationships with galleries and art fairs, combining their understanding of art markets with its deep technological expertise to provide gallerists and curators with tools and data to promote the artists they represent.
- Patreon
Patreon art apps
Get direct support for your work using Patreon
Patreon is rethinking how artists and creators can finance their work, by enabling direct funding appeals to patrons and supporters. A digital spin on an age-old model, the San Francisco-based platform gives emerging artists control over their careers, without them being beholden to the existing gatekeepers of the art world.
Patreon enables artists to garner financial support for their work directly from the people who love it the most. The platform enables both the discovery of new artists and support for established artists, while leveraging learnings from ecommerce and crowdfunding to help artists make direct appeals to support their creative efforts.
- Artfare
Artfare art apps
Artfare connects potential patrons to artists
Launched in February 2019, Artfare puts a new spin on the art fair model, using a mobile app, in-house curators and local pop-up shows and fairs to create connections between artists and collectors in local art scenes, starting with New York.
Artfare promotes vibrant local art scenes by bringing artists and collectors together through messaging, studio visits and sales of art works. Using Artfare’s listings, artists can promote works for sale on social platforms such as Instagram (where they’ve often built big followings). In addition they can monetise them through online sales using the Artfare app – it gives them more control and effectively tilts the economics of art-buying in their favour.
- Paddle 8
Paddle 8 art apps
Paddle 8 is a bit like eBay for art
Paddle 8 is a curated auction platform that enables a global community of buyers to discover and bid for art in real time. By digitally enabling the auction mechanic, it helps to promote artists’ work and drive sales, creating a global, digital spin on a market dynamic that was previously often limited to those with privilege and access.
- Uprise Art
Uprise Art art app
You can talk to one of Uprise Art’s personal art advisors if you’re not sure what you’re looking for
This one isn’t an app, but a platform. The team at Uprise Art are driven by a mission to enable a new generation of digitally savvy collectors to discover and buy art from emerging artists. Uprise Art is effectively a digital gallery, working online and via pop-ups, collaborations and booths at art fairs to showcase the work of a roster of talented artists.
By creating a digital-first gallery experience and constantly innovating the model – connecting with high-flying tech start-ups to provide art for their offices or working directly with interior designers – Uprise Art gives emerging artists new opportunities to have their work discovered and purchased.
Read more:
The 10 best drawing books
How to succeed as a designer-maker
The best online art classes
Ritik Dholakia
Ritik Dholakia is the founder and product Lead at Studio Rodrigo, an independent New York design studio which he started with Khoi Uong in 2012. The studio focuses on creating digital products and services, specialising in helping companies identify and evaluate new product opportunities, develop product strategies, and design and bringing new products and services to market. He has worked with companies including Comcast, Spotify and Pace Gallery.
TOPICS
ART
APPS
BUSINESS
CAREER
ART
RELATED ARTICLES
The best watercolour pencils in 2022The best watercolour pencils in 2022Can you spot the faces in these beautiful optical illusions?Can you spot the faces in these beautiful optical illusions?The best laminator in 2022The best laminator in 2022I went to an NFT art exhibition, and it was weirdI went to an NFT art exhibition, and it was weird
GET WEEKLY TIPS AND INSPIRATION
Sign up below to get the latest from Creative Bloq, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!
Your Email Address
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands
Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
RECOMMENDED
How to make and sell an NFT
The best drawing tablets in 2022: our pick of the best graphics tablets
MOST READ
MOST SHARED
What are the dots even doing?
1
I’ve been staring at this trippy optical illusion for hours
2
Dizzying horse optical illusion has the internet stumped
3
Not everyone can see this mind-bending 3D optical illusion
4
So, it looks like Madonna just gave birth to a tree?
5
People aren’t loving Instagram’s bright new app icon
DESIGN MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS
●
Design Magazine Subscriptions
Exclusive insight from the world’s leading creatives
From
£6.99
VIEW
Creative Bloq is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
About us
Terms and conditions
Privacy policy
Cookies policy
Advertise with us
Accessibility Statement
Careers
© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.
Conclusion
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Check out other publications to gain access to more digital resources if you are just starting out with Flux Resource.
Also contact us today to optimize your business(s)/Brand(s) for Search Engines