How to Make Money Drawing Online 2025: 42 Sites

Did You Know You Can Make Money from Drawing?

Yes, it’s true. In this day and age, if you have a skill or talent in drawing or design, you can earn money from your artistic creations.

If you’re not doing anything right now, take a look around where you’re sitting. You might spot some papers, notebooks, pens, or pencils. Pick them up and start drawing; one of these could lead to your first earnings.

There are numerous websites and platforms where you can offer your drawings in exchange for money. All you need to do is put in some extra effort to find jobs and potential clients.

Online, you can discover many opportunities to make money from drawing or whatever artistic skills you excel in. It doesn’t matter what you draw—be it cartoons, portraits, abstract art, or anything else—there’s always someone out there willing to pay for your work.

I know several freelancers who draw or design and make a living from their craft. At first, they didn’t know where to start, but they learned how to do it step by step.

If you have a talent for drawing and want to start earning online or make extra income alongside your main job, then this article is for you.

42 Websites to make money from drawing

1. Etsy

Etsy is an excellent platform for selling your drawings, prints, and more (it’s originally an e-commerce platform, and according to the latest statistics, more than 490 million visitors browse the site monthly). Here, you’ll need to create a shop and authenticate your work to gain followers and sell your art.

You can check out seller communities on the site, known as Etsy Teams. This will give you an idea of what’s in demand and help you connect with other sellers on the platform.

On this website, you can sell handmade products, tangible items like prints and stationery (such as stickers), and even digital products.

However, there’s one thing to keep in mind with Etsy: you’ll need to handle shipping your items to customers, responding to their inquiries, and addressing their concerns.

* You can work with an intermediary site like Printful or Printify, which offer dozens of products to place your designs on and then list them on Etsy. Once you make a sale, the order is automatically passed to that intermediary site (e.g., Printful or Printify). They handle printing the design on the product and shipping it to the buyer.

* First, you need to make sure that Etsy allows this to avoid having your shop suspended.

2. DeviantArt

DeviantArt is a very popular website where (according to the latest information from SimilarWeb) more than 99 million visitors browse it monthly. This platform allows you to submit artwork for money. You can join the site and post your drawings for free. It is a kind of social networking platform for drawing artists.

One of the best aspects of this website is that you can choose the option to sell your artwork. You can sell everything from actual physical prints to digital creations, among other options.

Even if the pay is somewhat low, you’ll have the chance to connect with other artists. Your drawings will gain exposure and give you more confidence to share your work.

3. Fiverr

Fiverr is one of the most popular platforms that gives creators the opportunity to showcase their services and earn income. For those looking to profit from drawing and design skills, you can easily create an account on Fiverr and set up a “Gig” to professionally present the services you offer. You can showcase services like logo design, digital illustrations, cartoon characters, cover designs, or even unique artistic creations like hand-drawn sketches turned into digital designs.

The main advantage of Fiverr is the ability to set your prices based on service levels. For example, you can offer a basic service at a lower price to attract new clients while providing additional services at higher prices, such as adding more details or delivering the work in higher quality. This system allows you to diversify your offerings and increase your earnings over time. Moreover, the more positive reviews and clients you have, the higher your chances of attracting more clients.

4. Upwork

Upwork is one of the largest freelancing platforms, offering artists and designers the chance to monetize their skills and turn them into a sustainable source of income. To start earning from drawing and design on Upwork, you first need to create a professional profile that highlights your expertise. Make sure to present yourself in a way that reflects your experience, including samples of your previous work in your portfolio.

Whether you specialize in logo design, illustrations, animations, or even hand-drawn artwork, Upwork gives you the opportunity to showcase these skills to a wide audience of clients.

Proposals you submit to clients for available projects are the most crucial factor in attracting them to work with you. When writing your proposal, clearly explain how you can meet the client’s needs and provide tailored solutions for their project.

A major advantage of Upwork is the vast variety of available projects. You can find short-term tasks, such as creating a single illustration, or long-term collaborations, like working with a company to design their visual materials. Once you build a good reputation through positive reviews, you can secure higher-paying projects. You can also set your rates based on the complexity of the project or your expertise in the field.

Related: How to Make Money on Upwork.

5. Freelancer

Freelancer is one of the leading freelancing platforms, offering artists and designers the chance to turn their skills into a steady income stream. To start earning from drawing and design on Freelancer, you need to create a professional account that includes comprehensive information about your skills and experience. Be sure to include a portfolio showcasing your artistic abilities, such as logo design, illustrations, cartoon characters, or any type of drawing that appeals to clients. Detailed and well-crafted profiles increase your chances of being discovered by clients seeking creative designers.

Freelancer offers a wide range of projects suitable for all skill levels, from simple tasks like designing a business card to large projects like creating a complete visual identity for companies. You can browse these projects and submit competitive bids to clients. When submitting a bid, ensure it reflects your understanding of the project requirements and how you can offer a unique solution that meets the client’s needs. Using professional language and clearly outlining your work plan leaves a positive impression.

An additional feature of Freelancer is the design contests, where clients post their project ideas, and designers submit their work. The client selects a winner based on the submitted designs. These contests provide an excellent opportunity to showcase your talent and attract potential clients, even if you don’t win, as clients can view your profile and contact you for future projects.

6. Up With Paper

Up With Paper allows you to submit your artwork in exchange for money. You can create artistic submissions for greeting cards and earn from your work. You can contact them via email.

Up With Paper is the original pop-up greeting card company. Here, you can submit your portfolio for consideration. You can create illustrations for all seasons and occasions.

You can visit the Up With Paper website to learn more about their artwork and design guidelines. If your artistic skills are strong, this platform can offer you valuable opportunities (low visitor numbers).

7. Caspari

Caspari does not provide specific guidelines. You can submit your art for money, and they will review whether your artwork aligns with their products.

Before submitting your work, I recommend visiting Caspari’s website. This will help you understand the type of artwork they might accept and increase your chances of success.

However, Caspari only accepts illustrations, as they do not reproduce photographs (the site has a low number of visitors).

8. NobleWorks Cards

NobleWorks is another greeting card company where you can submit your work. They will review it to determine if it can be used for their greeting card designs.

They typically look for funny and unique card designs. If you have a good sense of humor and can translate it into illustrations, NobleWorks provides one of the best platforms for artists to earn money by creating cartoons.

To learn more about working with them, visit the NobleWorks website and get in touch with their team.

9. Saatchi Art

Saatchi Art is a prominent online art gallery. It features over a million artworks from more than 94,000 artists and receives 1.5 million visits each month, making it one of the best sites to sell art if you’re looking for high traffic.

10. Reddit

Reddit is a well-known and popular platform that has been around for a long time. You can use it to interact with other artists and potential clients from around the world.

There are many subreddits where artists can regularly share their work and receive commissions from others. You can use these forums to promote yourself, attract clients, and find potential jobs.

Although not all opportunities are paid, you can still earn money for commissions on Reddit.

However, I’m not entirely sure how this platform can be effectively utilized to earn income from art, despite its impressive monthly visitor count exceeding 3 billion.

Related: Best Ways to Make Money on Reddit.

11. Instagram

Who doesn’t know Instagram? It is one of the most popular and widely used social media platforms, which you can leverage to showcase your artwork.

Earning money from your drawings may take some time, but with the right target audience, you can find opportunities on Instagram. Post your work consistently and engage with your followers.

You can also set up an online store and promote it through your Instagram account or advertise your work on one of the platforms mentioned in this article. Share your contact information so potential clients can reach out to purchase your work.

Although it may take time, Instagram is user-friendly and remains one of the most widely used platforms in the world.

Related: 10 Best Ways to Make Money on Instagram.

12. Amber Lotus Publishing

This site allows artists to submit their artwork electronically. You will receive payment once your work is approved and published. The best time to submit your artwork here is between April and July.

Although you can submit your work at any time of the year, the response time might be longer.

Your artwork should be based on a specific theme and should be cohesive. Furthermore, your work must fit within their product line.

Visit Amber Lotus Publishing to learn more about what they expect from talented artists like you. (This site has a low number of visitors).

13. Great Arrow Graphics

Great Arrow Graphics is always open to new talents and their designs for greeting cards. Simply follow the submission guidelines and deadlines available on their website.

Doing so will increase your chances of acceptance and help you get paid for your illustrations. You can create designs for various occasions and events such as graduations, Christmas, holidays, anniversaries, friendships, birthdays, and more.

Visit Great Arrow Graphics for more information and to submit your work (this site has a low number of visitors).

14. Crown Point Graphics

According to the information available on Crown Point Graphics‘ official website, they purchase or license new artwork.

As of now, they are looking for a variety of art styles, including watercolor, humorous, folkloric, and more. You can find more about their preferences on their website.

You can create designs for different occasions such as Christmas and holidays.

They prefer submissions in JPG or PDF format but are also willing to work with other formats.

Crown Point Graphics will review and approve your artwork submissions for their cards. Check their website for more details. (Low visitor count).

15. Palm Press

You can create new artwork and also explore traditional designs.
They offer different categories through which you can submit your work. You can visit Palm Press’s official website to learn more about the categories they offer and how to submit your original artwork. (Low visitor count).

16. Photo and designs selling platforms

Another way to earn money through art is by selling your work as “vectors.” These are primarily computer-generated illustrations that include logo creation, images, print designs, and more.

There is a significant demand for graphic design in areas like brochures and websites. You can create unique vector illustrations and sell them online to generate income.

The best part is that unless you offer exclusive rights to your design, you can sell the same design repeatedly.

There are several tools, such as Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw, that can help you create the artwork you desire.

You can sell vectors, graphics, illustrations and drawings on various websites like:

• Freepik
• Shutterstock
• Adobe Stock
• 123RF
• Alamy
• Vecteezy
• Envato Market
• iStock
• Creative Fabrica
• And many others.

On these platforms, you can find numerous buyers and potentially earn up to $500 per month or more. Additionally, you can sell photographs, illustrations, and other artwork on these platforms. As mentioned earlier, a single design can generate multiple sales, and your earnings will come from people downloading your work.

The great thing about these platforms is that you can upload a design or photo today and continue earning revenue from it for years (as these websites attract a large and active audience).

17. Print on Demand Websites

Print on demand platforms allow you to upload your artwork, illustrations, or designs to various products offered by these websites, such as art prints, posters, clothing, and more.

All you need to do is create an account and store on one or more print on demand websites (most of them are free to join). Then, upload your designs or illustrations to the platform, apply them to products, and publish them on the website.

Print on demand (POD) is one of the most popular ways to earn passive income online. Once you upload your designs, buyers who like them can purchase the products, and you earn a profit margin set by you or determined by the platform.

Earnings vary depending on the product (with your design) being purchased and the number of sales you generate.

When a customer orders a product, the platform handles printing, shipping, and delivery. Your role is limited to creating and uploading designs.

The advantage here is that a single design can generate multiple sales (one design can sell repeatedly).

Some popular print-on-demand platforms include:

• Redbubble
• Teepublic
• Society6
• Merch by Amazon
• Zazzle
• Fine Art America
• Spreadshirt
• Threadless
• Design By Humans
• Spoonflower
• iCanvas
• And more…

18. E-commerce platforms

You can also leverage your drawing talent and step into the world of e-commerce. You can showcase your artwork and creativity by placing them on prints, stickers, or other products and selling them on e-commerce platforms such as Etsy (previously mentioned), Amazon (through Merch by Amazon or KDP), or through intermediaries like Printful, or by using other methods.

19. Other sites

It doesn’t stop there; there are many other platforms like: ArtStation, Artfinder, 1stdibs, ArtPal, Singulart, Amazon Art, Displate, and more.

How Much Money Can You Earn from Drawing?

If drawing is your passion and you only do it to satisfy yourself, it won’t generate any income.

You need to put your art out there, just like many others, to start earning money from it. The more people your art reaches, the more money you can make from your drawings.

It’s not an easy journey (especially at the beginning). Early on, you’ll face challenges such as a lack of consistent work, irregular income, limited information, and other obstacles. However, as you start building a name and portfolio for yourself, you’ll notice an increase in your income.

It’s always exciting when you can make money doing something you love. In fact, some illustrators and designers earn over $3,000 per month.

If you work for regular clients or employers, you’ll receive a stable, periodic income. This provides you with a reliable financial source as an employee.

You can also take on part-time work on the side, using your talent to generate additional income.

Which Platforms Do I Recommend?

Among the previously mentioned platforms, I recommend the following as reliable options with a good to very large audience: Etsy, Print on demand websites, Amazon, Instagram, Upwork, Freelancer, Fiverr, The platforms mentioned in the “Photo and Vector Selling” section.

As for the other platforms, I’m not entirely sure about their reliability since I haven’t personally used them. They require further research before trying them.

Conclusion:

Earning money through drawing is entirely possible, especially in this era of digital marketing. If you understand what your potential clients want, things can become much easier.

Focus on developing your skills and making the most of the available opportunities, all from the comfort of your home. To monetize your art, invest in tools such as drawing tablets, software, computers, and more.

Most importantly, dedicate time and remain patient in this field of work. You’ll need to showcase your work to clients through the right platforms and websites.

The platforms mentioned above are excellent starting points for exploring opportunities and testing your skills.

Undoubtedly, some of the available options may take time to bring real value to your talent. However, they can provide a solid platform to start with.

In the long run, your chances of success will grow with persistence and patience.

Related: 20 Ways to Make Money Online For Beginners.

For the mentioned platforms (42 Websites):

• Section 16: mentions nine platforms.
• Section 17: lists eleven platforms.
• Section 19: includes seven websites.

Good luck!