Art Licensing 101: Your Guide to Earning with Art


So, you've poured your heart into creating amazing artwork. Now you're wondering how to profit from it. You're already selling your work through galleries and in traditional ways, but you've always dreamed of seeing your work on products, but don't want the hassle of producing the products yourself. If this sounds like you, artwork licensing may just be what you are looking for.

Art Licensing is like renting your art, allowing companies to use your images on products while you retain ownership. It's a fantastic source of passive income, but like every revenue stream, it also has challenges.

Understanding Art Licensing

While art licensing can be complicated, a simple explanation is that art licensing grants a business the right to use your art on their products. You keep the copyright and they pay you for its use.

This payment, detailed in the licensing contract, can be a flat fee or royalties. A licensing deal offers benefits while mitigating downsides for artists interested in licensing art.

Benefits of Art Licensing

Many licensing contracts allow you to license an art piece to other companies, allowing you to be paid multiple times from one piece. In addition, long-term licenses generate ongoing royalty payments, so you can potentially earn revenue from one piece of art for years in the future.

Licensing also builds your brand. Your name can be associated with your art, increasing recognition and opportunities. This allows you to grow your network and your social media following, contributing to more sales of your licensed work, as well as your original pieces.

Drawbacks of Artwork Licensing

We disscussed all the benefits of art licensing, so now lets discuss the risks and challenges. Much like every business opportunity, there's no financial success guarantee.

Licensed merchandise only earns royalties if it sells well, affecting your royalty rate or contract terms. These numbers may not match your upfront hopes. So if a licensed product doesn't sell due to challenges that you have no control over, this could mean that you earn little to no income off the license.

If you are working with a new company, or don't want the risk of royalty payments, a flat fee may make more sense. Royalty rates are often better for trusted, long-term partnerships. And flat fee licenses are better for products that only stay on the market for a short period of time, such as apparel. Home decor products often sell for years on end, making them more condusive to licensing royalties.

Starting with artwork licensing can feel overwhelming and speaking with a legal or licensing expert is critical, as is understanding pricing. But a strategic approach simplifies things.

Protecting Your Work

If you know you are going to license your artwork, and you are widely sharing your work on social media, you will want to consider copyrighting your art. This establishes legal ownership, protecting you in disputes. For artists, earning money and licensing art responsibly starts with this step, but if you plan on working with a licensing agent you can hold off on this step and see if they have a recommended best practice that they would like for you to follow.

Showcasing Your Art

Another important step is to create a style guide or lookbook showcasing pieces from your portfolio. Think themes: seasonal motifs, trending aesthetics, or specific art styles. Lookbooks are an important tool for artists who want to connect with buyers and communicate the vision that they have for their art licensing portfolio. Lookbooks are just one communication tool available to us. Our websites, social media accounts, and products are other communication tools we have to use.

Share your work at design fairs like those sponsored by Visual Artists Ireland , such as the Professional Artist Award.

Consider Visual Art Open , Visual Artists Ireland International Exhibition and Scholarship prize, or BluePrint in San Francisco. These platforms help artists showcase work and potentially license existing artwork to established partners.

Many artists start licensing artwork through print-on-demand (POD) platforms like Society6, Spoonflower and Minted.

Pricing Your Artwork Licensing

How do you price your art licenses? Artists commonly use two methods.

Contracts define pricing, locations (local or international), and other terms. Negotiating these licensing deals involves factors such as target demographics and building brand recognition.

Remember that contracts should be legally sound to help protect you, which can help make creating artwork more viable as a way to earn money and sell products.

Finding Licensing Support

Art licensing agents can be incredibly helpful for working with companies and marketing your work to new clients. Companies like Seminal help artists negotiate licensing contracts and your personal attorney may also be able to support you through the process, or at least connect you with someone who can.

I also recommend The Graphic Artists Guild Handbook of Pricing & Ethical Guidelines. There is only one chapter devoted to Surface Design, but I find the information invaluable and a great place to start. Sample art licensing contracts and templates are included in the book.

Conclusion

Art licensing offers artists and businesses exciting opportunities. It's a creative path to share your art without losing control.

Understand both the benefits and drawbacks before entering licensing agreements. Whether you are starting art licensing or looking for more licensing deals, be sure you consider an artist's guild. If you're making art and selling art, artwork licensing is an ideal avenue to reach a wider audience and increase earning potential.

Table Of Contents: