As digital innovation increasingly dominates the world, the art industry has experienced a transformative shift. Digital art, which was once regarded as a niche form, has now become a mainstream sensation, captivating art lovers with its limitless possibilities. If you're a digital artist as well looking to turn your creativity into a lucrative line of work, you're in the right place! Welcome to our comprehensive guide on where to sell digital art online. In this guide we will list down all the popular platforms where you can sell digital art, digital art commissions, expensive paintings and more.

The Digital Art Revolution

Before we dive into the exciting world of selling digital art, let's take a moment to appreciate the digital art revolution that has taken place. Traditional art has been captivating hearts for centuries, but digital art has brought something entirely new to the table. With cutting-edge tools and software, creators and artists are now empowered to create stunning visual art, intricate designs, and breathtaking animations that push the boundaries of imagination. Not to forget how it has become easier for artists to practice their talent without worrying about art supplies running out.

However, creating art is only the very first step. To truly make a difference with your talent, you need to explore the diverse online platforms and marketplaces that provide artists with the exposure, recognition, and income they deserve.

Popular Places to Sell Digital Art

ArtStation

ArtStation is one of the most popular platforms for digital artists, illustrators, concept designers and more. The audience on ArtStation is highly focused on digital art and design. You can build a powerful portfolio here that allows you to highlight your digital art in a visually captivating manner, which can help you score potential clients and collaborators. There’s also a job board where artists can find collaborations, freelance opportunities, and full-time positions in the digital art industry, which is truly amazing. You can also have a print store, where you can sell art prints and other products featuring your digital art. ArtStation is basically a haven for digital creators and a space where artists can not only showcase their work but also connect with a community that shares a passion for digital creativity.

‍Fine Art America

Fine Art America brings artists, photographers, and art enthusiasts together in an online space and bridges the gap between traditional and digital art. It caters to a variety of art mediums, including digital art, photography, paintings, and sculptures. Art enthusiasts with different tastes are attracted by this diversity. Fine Art America operates in a distinctive manner than other platforms as it has a print-on-demand model, allowing artists to offer their digital art as prints, canvases, home decor items, and more. This takes the hassle out of printing and shipping, leaving you more time to focus on creating. It also offers customization options to the audience. One big plus is that Fine Art America has partnered with print labs around the world, enabling efficient global shipping. 

Saatchi Art

Saatchi Art has become one of the most popular art galleries in the world because of its wide range of artwork, from different genres and media. It started out as a traditional art gallery, but now it's also into digital art. It gives digital artists exposure to a huge international audience of collectors, art enthusiasts and curators, which can help them make an impression around the world. Plus, as it keeps its curation standards high, you can be sure that the art you see on the platform is of the highest quality. Also, if you're part of the saatchi art community, it adds credibility to your portfolio. And the best part is that it offers an art advice service, which links potential buyers to art consultants who help them pick the right pieces. This can really help artists get their digital art in front of serious collectors.

Selling Graphics 

Dealjumbo

As the name suggests, a platform that allows you to sell your digital art by featuring them in discount bundles or deals! It’s a gold mine for graphic designers and art lovers, especially youngsters who crave for all sorts of weird and crazy designs to print on merchandise. You can sell fonts, graphics, mock-ups, photos and textures and much more. Their professional team boosts your sales like crazy by offering your work in attractive bundles to the audience. It’s like a salesperson selling your work 24/7. 

Freepik

This one’s my favorite, as you must know reading a lengthy article like this is boring. The brain needs some stimulation, and that’s where pictures and other forms of art come in. Freepik provides you with loads of illustrations, photos and vector images. It’s an image bank for people. As an artist you can upload your art by becoming a contributor on Freepik and start making some moolah.

Creative Market

A digital artist’s paradise you can say as this company helps you sell fonts, graphics, illustrations, mockups, icons, templates, web themes, stock photography, and other digital goods. Their website hosts millions of digital downloads for users, it also lets them set their own price for products as well as offers multiple options to promote their creatives via newsletters, best item sections, sale, and much more. The analytics and stats on the website are also very easy to understand and help keep track of your performance. It also allows you to connect your dribbble profile with it which makes it an even more attractive platform as dribbble is a source of inspiration for thousands of creators out there.

Envato Elements

Envato elements is another great platform for selling art online for beginners. This subscription based platform has a huge community of people from around the world. From graphic designs, themes, templates to audios and videos you can sell anything on envato elements. You get a 50% revenue share but the envato support team has got you covered with all the promotional marketing and technical stuff. You don’t need to worry about promoting your items or deal with customer support here!

Physical Products

Redbubble

Redbubble is an Australian brand, a global online marketplace where you can sell print on demand artworks. There are hundreds of categories, types and variations of artwork that helps users see your work placed on the craziest items. You can choose what item goes better with your uploads, set prices on your own and sell it online. Redbubble is big on sustainability which is why I love this platform as well. All items are manufactured after receiving order requests! Make money while being mindful of your planet! <3

Zazzle

Zazzle is known for its customization options which makes selling art online for beginners easier. You can apply your digital art to an extensive range of products, from apparel to home decor. Zazzle has a dedicated section called the "Design Marketplace," where artists can showcase their digital art designs and make them available for customization. This interactive and engaging feature can attract buyers looking for unique and tailor-made items. The ability to allow buyers to personalize your art can add an interactive and engaging aspect to your offerings.

Big Cartel

Another platform like shopify, for artists who crave complete control over their digital art sales, Big Cartel offers a personalized online store experience. You can set up your own storefront, customize it to align with your aesthetic, artistic style and branding, and list your digital art for sale. Also, Big Cartel offers tiered pricing plans, making it accessible to artists at various stages of their careers. Whether you're just starting or looking to scale up, there's a plan that fits your needs. Selling on this platform empowers you to maintain a direct connection with your buyers. This personal touch can lead to stronger relationships and a deeper understanding of your audience's preferences. One big plus is its mobile-friendliness, as 66% of people shop online on their smartphones according to Statista in 2022.

Etsy 

Etsy, the name arises when it comes to buying and selling handmade and unique items. While this platform was known for selling physical crafts from creators everywhere around the globe; now it also boasts a thriving market for digital art. With millions of visitors searching for distinctive creations, Etsy can be a perfect platform for you to showcase and sell your digital art pieces, be it digital downloads or expensive paintings. You can set up your account easily, but heads up to be absolutely sure about your store name and email address as it’s almost impossible to change it later.

Amazon

Of Course I was gonna put Amazon on the list  where we’re talking about how to sell digital art online. People wanna buy everything from Amazon nowadays. Heck, they would even order a baby online from Amazon if they could. Amazon is the world’s largest online retailer, so that makes it another great marketplace to sell digital art. Doesn’t matter if you sell handcrafted items, beautiful fine art, watercolor art, drawings or even photographs.

Shopify

If you’re someone who likes to exercise control and has to be their boss. You have to have your own little ecommerce store! And there’s no better way to do it than shopify! Easily build a beautiful, user-friendly website in no time and start selling your masterpieces without depending on third-party platforms. Especially if you’re asking the question ‘Where do I sell expensive paintings’, your own website is the best place to do that. Big plus, you don’t have to pay anyone no commissions! This estore comes with pre-made templates that fit almost every business, and marketing tools to promote your business which makes it easy for you to be in business. You can choose your plan ranging from $19/year to $299/year based on the features you want on your website, but the basic plan covers everything you need to get started.

NFTs

OpenSea

OpenSea is one of the largest and most well-known NFT marketplaces. OpenSea is high in demand for buyers and artists because Opensea is the biggest marketplace for NFTs to be sold at a fixed price or auction. Opensea supports a wide range of digital assets, including art, virtual real estate, domain names, collectibles, and more. For selling anything on OpenSea or similar platforms you would need to get your ethereum wallet or other payment gateway set up.

Foundation

Another great platform for selling NFTs in the form of digital art and photos. Foundation is very user-friendly and you’ll find many collectors over here as this platform is focused on digital art.  This platform aims to build a community around digital creators and their audiences, with an emphasis on artists' stories. Beginner or a well-known artist, both can succeed on this platform. You can check out featured drops (limited release of digital art) which are so beautifully organized on the website, it’s very easy to navigate and stands out because of the UX. The platform charges a 15% service fee from your earnings. 

KnownOrigin

As they like to say, discover, sell and collect NFT art. KnownOrigin is another NFT platform that primarily focuses on digital art. This marketplace also specializes in curating and promoting high-quality digital art, fostering a community around original artistic creations. One of the key features that sets KnownOrigin apart is its use of "Creator Contracts," which are designed to benefit both artists and collectors. As mentioned on their website they have streamlined the process of deploying and minting artwork on your own creator-owned contract, all through a simple to use, no-code solution that's available to every creator on their platform.

Sell Your Digital Art Online On Creator-Friendly Platforms

With the rise of the creator economy and subscription based businesses, a plethora of subscription based creator platforms has emerged that has helped millions of artists thrive in their careers,showcase their talent and earn the recognition they truly deserve. These platforms have also played their part in answering the question that haunts digital artists ‘Where to sell digital art online’.  When it comes to selling digital art, the process can be enriched by utilizing dedicated shop features and commission options provided by various creator-friendly platforms. Let's delve into some noteworthy platforms—Crowdfundly, Ko-Fi, Patreon, and Buy Me a Coffee—and explore how their unique offerings can empower you on your artistic journey.

Crowdfundly

Crowdfundly is a relatively new subscription based platform to sell digital art online that goes beyond conventional crowdfunding—it's a space where creators can not only raise funds but also establish a digital storefront. Their shop feature allows you to sell your digital art directly to your supporters while also offering the opportunity for backers to contribute to your creative endeavors. You can curate your digital art portfolio and present it to your audience while setting your own prices, offering exclusive deals to backers, and even bundle your digital art with other perks to entice your supporters. 

Beyond the shop feature, Crowdfundly also allows you to offer commissioned artwork as rewards. This means you can create personalized art pieces for supporters who pledge at certain tiers. 

Ko-Fi

Ko-Fi is another creator platform that has gained popularity by letting creators receive support from their fans through "coffees." While it might sound like a coffee-sharing platform, Ko-Fi's shop feature has evolved to accommodate digital artists looking to monetize their work. You can set up a shop where you can sell digital art prints, downloadable files, and even offer subscriptions to exclusive content. The shop feature seamlessly integrates with your Ko-Fi page, allowing your supporters to directly purchase your digital creations.

Patreon

Patreon as you must know has become a powerhouse for creators to connect with their fans and receive ongoing support. It's a subscription-based platform that allows your patrons to support you on a monthly basis. While not strictly a shop, Patreon's setup can effectively cater to selling digital art. While Patreon's primary model revolves around monthly subscriptions, you can utilize it to offer digital art as rewards for different subscription tiers. This rewards structure can serve as a way to effectively sell your digital art while building a community around your work.

Buy Me A Coffee

While Buy Me a Coffee is designed for creators who want to receive one-time support from their fans, it also offers a shop feature like other platforms that allows you to sell digital art and other creative products.

What’s the Best Suitable Platform for Me?

When it comes to choosing the best suitable platform for selling your digital art, consider your goals, audience, and the type of engagement you want to foster. Each platform has its own unique approach, whether it's through crowdfunding, subscription-based support, or one-time purchases. Your decision will depend on whether you want to build a community around your art, offer commissions, or provide a platform for your supporters to directly purchase your creations.

As you explore these creator-friendly platforms, envision how each one aligns with your artistic vision and the way you want to connect with your audience. Remember, the platform you choose should not only enable you to sell your digital art but also enhance the relationship between you and your patrons.