15 Best Side Hustles for Artists in the UK 2024
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If you are a talented artist or creative, there is high chance that you possess skills that can make a lot of money in 2024. Many artists start side hustles to diversify their income streams and use their talents to increase their monthly budgets.
Luckily, there are a number of side hustle opportunities for artists in the UK. Some of the best artist side hustles include selling a digital art course creating YouTube tutorials and becoming and illustrator.
After reviewing various side job options and understanding the experience of other artists who have been successful with their own side hustles, we discovered the 15 best side hustle ideas for artists in the UK.
1. Create and sell a digital course
Online courses are one of the most lucrative digital assets to create in 2024. Digital painting courses on Udemy sell for around £15.99 which means that you would only need to sell 10 courses each month to make an extra £150.
You could easily create your own online course for free using basic editing tools such as Canva. You could then sell your course through your own website or use a platform such as Udemy or Thinkific, which allow course creators to upload and sell their courses to an established customer base.
As an artist, you could create an educational course about anything from how to work with acrylic paints to creating digital art on an iPad.
Side hustle potential:
Selling online courses is one way to generate a stream of passive income. However, you won’t make sales overnight. You will need to invest in marketing to drive traffic to your course and it could take several weeks to make your first sale.
2. Start an art-themed faceless YouTube channel
Another way to generate passive income as an artist is to start a faceless YouTube channel with tutorials, tips and tricks or timelapse videos.
These channels are very popular amongst budding artists who are looking to improve their skills.
Faceless YouTube videos are fairly simple to create. As the name suggests, you do not need to show your identity or even speak, which makes this a great side hustle idea for introverts.
Once your videos start attracting traffic, you can monetize your channel with affiliate links or YouTube ads.
A good example of a successful artist’s YouTube channel is Katie Jobling who has 397,000 subscribers and mainly posts POV acrylic painting tutorials.
Side hustle potential:
Building a successful YouTube channel takes a lot of time and persistence. It is recommended that you post around 3 videos per week for at least 6 months before seeing any real success. Although this may seem like a lot of initial effort, the rewards can be very lucrative once your channel gains traction.
3. Illustration
Illustration is one of the most popular side hustles for artists. This side gig involves creating images to accompany written text.
Illustrators are typically hired by authors or publishers to create images that will complement their content. The most popular type of illustrators are children’s book illustrators who are paid to create images that tell stories.
Many accomplished illustrators work full-time and work with publishers on a contract basis. However, it is also possible to find freelance illustration gigs on platforms such as Fiverr.
We had a look at successful freelance illustrators and found that most sellers on Fiverr charge around £20 per illustration. This means that you would only need to create 10 illustrations to make an extra £200 per month.
Side hustle potential:
Freelance illustration is a good way to make side income as an artist in the UK. For this to become a full-time job, you will need to hold a degree in the art field and work for an employer.
4. Sell printable posters on Etsy
Etsy is an online marketplace that allows individual sellers to sell handmade products to a huge global customer base. As an artist, there are a many products that you could create and sell on Etsy with one of the most popular being printable posters.
Selling printables is an excellent way to generate passive income whilst establishing yourself as an artist.
Printable posters are sold as digital files which can then be printed off and used to decorate customer’s homes, offices and other spaces.
Take a look at existing Etsy listings for inspiration
Side hustle potential:
Printable posters are sold for between £3 and £20 on Etsy. Many of the sellers that we reviewed have over 1000 sales which means that it is very possible to make a good side income by selling printable posters in 2024.
To be successful, you will need to spend time creating high-quality designs that stand out from existing listings. You also need to focus on Etsy SEO to optimize your chances of appearing ins earch.
5. Print-on-demand
Print-on-demand is a trending side hustle that has been making it’s way around TikTok and other social media platforms. This free side hustle is a great opportunity for artists because it involves printing your own designs on t-shirts, tote bags, mugs, and other products.
Print on demand follows a simple business model. Sellers upload their designs onto products that are available through print-on-demand suppliers. Then, sellers connect the supplier to their online selling platform or store.
Every time that a customer makes a purchase, the order is printed an fulfilled by the supplier.
This means that sellers do not need to handle inventory or shipping.
Side hustle potential:
Print-on-demand is a low-cost way for talented designers to start their own online brand. However, the market is fairly saturated and you will need to invest in strong social media marketing to see success.
Pinterest is a great platform for promoting your products because you can link to your store directly from pins.
With the right marketing efforts, it is possible to make over $4000 per month with print on demand.
6. Sell hand-painted greeting cards on Etsy
Hand-painted cards are a popular alternative to store-bought cards for people who want to send something that has a personal touch.
As an artist, you could use your talents to design beautiful greeting cards and sell them on Etsy. This side hustle is particularly lucrative during the festive season making it a great Christmas side hustle idea to try!
You could sell cards individually or in packs to increase the amount that you charger per order.
Etsy hand-painted card listings range from £2.97 to £39.54.
7. Freelance logo design
If you’re an artist who is good at graphic design, you could make a good side income by designing logos for businesses.
The best place to sell your services is Fiverr which currently has almost 200,000 logo design services available. Although this proves that logo design is a popular side gig, it is suggested that the market is saturated.
Therefore, to be profitable you will need to build an impressive portfolio that stands out from other designers.
Side hustle potential:
Designing logos is one of the easiest side jobs for artists to start. However, the gig is fairly low paid compared to other artist side hustles and there are already a lot of people offering this service.
Although it is possible to make money, it will take a lot of patience and excellent design skills to be successful.
8. Sell custom clothing on Depop
If you’re looking for a creative way to use your artistic skills to make money, consider selling custom clothing and accessories on Depop.
Designers can use fabric paints, transfers and other materials to put their own designs onto clothing and sell them to customers who are looking for unique pieces to add to their wardrobes.
One of the most popular types of custom products to sell is sneakers. Artists use fabric paint to customize popular shoes with trending designs and sell them for a markup.
If this side hustle sounds appealing, take a look at existing Depop sellers for inspiration and an idea of how this side gig works.
9. Become a freelance photo/video editor
If you are good at making digital images look great, you could make a lucrative side income by editing photos and videos for other people.
Freelance editors make around £19,440 in the UK however, this can easily increase by working full-time or getting employed on a permanent basis.
Freelance photo editors use digital tools to improve the appearance of images and videos. Editors are usually hired by social media creators or brands who rely on visually appealing images to attract customers and followers.
The best way to become a freelance photo editor is to create a portfolio of images that you have enhanced and showcase these on your own website. You should also use social media to demonstrate your expertise and reach potential clients.
Side hustle potential:
Photo editing is an artist’s side hustle that has the potential to become a fulltime career. Many full-time editors start off working freelance jobs before applying to more permanent positions. Therefore, this is a great option for anyone who is looking to use their art skills in their career.
10. Sell custom portraits
If you’re looking for a side hustle that allows you to create exceptional artwork, you could consider selling custom portraits on Etsy.
Custom portraits make excellent gifts and have become a popular product to buy for loved ones. These portraits take a lot of time and skill to create which means that there is space in the market for talented artists.
On Etsy, portrait artists charge between £12 and £300 to create custom portraits.
For a less time-consuming side hustle, you could use digital tools to create modern portraits based off of photos.
11. Sell stained glass decorations
Stained glass decorations are fun and easy to create for artists who are looking to make extra money on the side.
These products are often bought as gifts of interior decorations and can be sold on platforms such as Etsy, Amazon or even eBay. Another good way to sell your own stained glass designs is to build your own Shopify store.
It is possible to buy glass paints and other resources on Amazon. Selling glass ornaments is a fairly low-cost side hustle for artists to start in 2024.
Side hustle potential:
Selling glass ornaments is a fun side hustle to start if you’re an artist or creative. However, this side hustle isn’t passive and the amount of money that you could make is directly related to the amount of time that you can spend making products.
12. Wedding invitation calligraphy
Calligraphy is an artistic style of handwriting that is often used for wedding invitations and other special written items.
As an artist, you could easily learn calligraphy and start offering services as a freelance calligrapher.
Due to the intricate nature of this writing style, it is possible to charge a fairly high rate for wedding invitation calligraphy.
Calligraphy gigs on Fiverr start at £9 and go up to £241 for wedding invitation calligraphers.
Side hustle potential:
Although it is possible to find clients on Fiverr, the best way to find jobs as a calligrapher is to reach out to potential customers on social media. Build a social media account that showcases your skills and attracts interested customers passively.
13. Become a UGC creator
One of the most well-paid side hustle ideas for artists in the UK is to become a UGC creator. This involves using your artistic talents to make promotional content on behalf of brands.
In the UK, the average UGC creator makes around £300 per post however, earnings of up to £6000 per month have been reported.
UGC is an easy side hustle to start. All you need is a camera (your phone will do) an some props of filming and photography. Many beginner creators use props from their own homes to make aesthetically pleasing content.
A good idea is to spend time analyzing trending content on social media to get an idea for what works. Then, build a portfolio of examples that you can use when applying for jobs.
Side hustle potential:
UGC is quickly becoming one of the most popular types of social media marketing. As a result, it is a very lucrative side hustle to start. By 2025, it is predicted that the UGC industry will be worth $18,644 million by 2028.
14. Start a niche website
Another lucrative way to make extra money as an artist is to start a niche website about art. You could publish guides, product reviews or your own tips and tricks to help other artists.
It may take a while for your website to build any traffic. However, when it does you can monetize through ads or affiliate links.
Building a website is a great way to become an authoritative voice in the art space which could open the doors to further opportunities such as digital products, a YouTube channel or even your own art podcast.
Side hustle potential:
Websites take a long time to build up (usually around 9 months) however, creating your own website can be a very profitable investment. There are multiple ways that you can monetize your content and once you do, the income will be largely passive.
15. Website design
If building your own niche website doesn’t appeal to you, you could try to become a freelance web designer instead.
Website designers use their creative skills to design beautiful websites on behalf of brands and companies.
This side hustle is better suited to digital artists who have some knowledge of what makes a good website.
The best way to find work is to look on freelance marketplaces such as Upwork or Fiverr. It is also possible to find open positions on LinkedIn.
How can artists make money on the side?
The best way for artists to make money on the side is to sell an online course, start a YouTube channel or to sell custom products on Etsy. After reviewing 15 different side hustles for artists, these options stood out as the best because they all have the potential to generate passive income.
Starting a side hustle is a great way to diversify your income as an artist in 2024. However, success comes from effort and persistence.
There is no guarantee that you will make money from any of the side hustles that have been discussed. During our research, we found that most side hustles take at least 3 months to start building momentum.
All of our articles are written to help our readers to learn about different side hustles, how they work and how to start earning money from them. Although we mention potential earnings, it is important to understand that there is no guarantee that you will make money from any of the side hustles that are mentioned on our site. Making money from a side hustle requires consistency and significant effort. While we aim to provide useful insight into each side hustle opportunity, it is down to you to follow the right steps towards making any profits.
About The Author
Ruby is the founder of The Rich Girl Guide and has been writing content around personal finance, side hustles and wellbeing for over 3 years. You can find some of Ruby’s published articles on The Motley Fool UK, Tradingplatforms.com and Buyshares.co.uk.