When I started drawing, my only source of income was through art commissions. I was constantly worried. How could I sustain myself and make money as an NSFW artist if it took me a few days just to finish an illustration?

Want to earn from your NSFW art? Here's 4 ways to do just that Click To Tweet

While making better art usually means more demand (and the opportunity to price higher), this isn’t a course on become a better artist. Instead, our goal is to become better business people so we can leverage what you have right now, instead of waiting for “my art to get better”. 

This is part 1 of the “Making Money as an NSFW Artist” Course.

Why build multiple sources of income?

As artists, we need to work smart with our main business offering: our art. Consider:

• What extra content can I make from a finished illustration?
• Is there any way to monetize my process?
• How can I grow client relationships so they come back after getting their artwork?

Aside from maximizing earnings from your artworks, you’ll also gain more security through multiple sources of income. What if your main social media platform shut down tomorrow? Would you be able to recover, or would you have to start from scratch?

If you’re interested in creating more security, or just want to earn more, here are several sources of income you can start building as an NSFW artist:

1) Art Commissions

When a client commissions you, they pay you to create art based on their needs.

However, before you become hireable, you’ll need to decide what kind of art you make, and who to market it to. Are you a hentai artist? Perhaps a furry artist? Maybe you do semi-realistic artworks like Dandon Fuga or Sciamano?

Regardless of what you draw, consider specializing in a niche and creating art for a smaller group with unique preferences. Because of how saturated the art market is (and NSFW especially), you want your works to be recognizable, which will generate client demand and trust.

Fulfilling a niche isn’t limited to genre. Consider popular hentai artists like ShindoL and Sakimi Chan. They’re known for their art styles as well. Wouldn’t you prefer to work with someone known for a specific style, rather than someone who can’t even pin theirs down?

I ‘brand’ myself as a hentai illustrator who draws original characters (OCs). Creating art for this niche influences my marketing and business decisions. I only create fanart once a month, and depend on client word-of-mouth to find work.

Once you’ve decided on what differentiates you as an NSFW artist, you can start looking for work and adjusting your commission prices as you improve.

The downside is that commissions can be time consuming. Even if you enjoy drawing for a niche, it can get tiring and uninspiring to create art for others. Some artists have even decided not to take commissions, like Gats. He’s a great example of how multiple sources of income create security, and even allow the luxury of choosing specific sources of income.

2) Crowdfunding and the Subscription Model

With the advent of sites like Kickstarter and Patreon, artists can build a large pool of income from the support of many individuals. They work by allowing fans to support you with any amount starting from $1.

The crowdfunding model is so powerful, it helped Studio FOW raise over 1.5 million euros for their game Subverse. That kind of fundraising would have been unthinkable a few years ago, when anything NSFW had limited options for growth.

If you’re looking for continuous support, subscription platforms like Patreon and Pixiv Fanbox allow your supporters to subscribe to certain tiers. In exchange for paying a certain amount monthly, fans receive perks and exclusive content that you decide on.

If you decide to start using such platforms, consider building a content strategy. How much time do you want to invest into your exclusive content? Do you prefer making detailed workflow posts, or just want to drop a .PSD file? Kidmo, one of the top NSFW artists on patreon, only has 1 tier, while Sakimi Chan has 6.

If you don’t want to start a Patreon yet, you might like Ko-fi, which allows fans to donate to you (for free!). Both have their pros and cons, which I discussed last month.

3) Selling Merch and Making Continuous Income

As you grow your audience, you can create physical and digital merchandise for fans to buy. Not only is it a great way for them to engage with your art,  but it can provide income for years to come.

Always make sure to check a platform’s policy on NSFW content!

Physical Merch

If you visit Comic-Con or anime conventions, you’d see artists selling merch like stickers, shirts, and art prints. You can do the same! Perhaps you have designs that would look good on a shirt, or you want to create stickers featuring OCs from your stories.

Reiq runs an online shop stocked with stickers, artbooks, and prints.

However, in his latest post he mentions how he’d often spend days fulfilling orders rather than drawing. If you aren’t keen on buying equipment and shipping things yourself, then Print-on-Demand sites might be for you.

Print-on-Demand (POD) Sites

POD sites like Printful and Redbubble allow you to focus on making designs, while they handle shipping and physical merch creation. This is a great way to build ‘passive’ income that doesn’t need much hands-on work, though you earn less because of POD fees.  

My choice for POD is Redbubble. There are a ton of products you can put your designs on, and the quality is good! You can also set your margins for earnings on products.

• 

• 

Digital Merch

You can also sell digital merchandise like tutorials, eBooks, and files. This is a great way to make truly passive income, but it takes time to create content worth buying.

Gats sells short comics on his Gumroad (which is NSFW friendly!), offering thumbnail views so that viewers can decide whether to buy.

Digital merch isn’t limited to art. You could also create online courses and teaching material, like what Aaron Blaise does.

If you have a Patreon platform where you post exclusives and behind-the-scenes, you could also offer those as downloadable content, for fans who might only want said resources. Here’s an example from Sakimi Chan’s Gumroad, which is filled with tutorials and digital content.

4) Streaming and Making Video Content

We spend a lot of time drawing. You can capitalize on that by streaming and engaging with fans during otherwise lonely hours.

Some platforms allow donations and subscriptions, so it’s another nifty way to make income. Here are some sites that allow NSFW art streaming:

• Picarto
• Piczel
• Pixiv Sketch

You could also post your speedpaints and video content to sites like YouTube for more passive income from ad revenue. NSFW artists have to work within YouTube’s SFW rules, though. For inspiration, you can check out MikeyMegaMega and Shadman.

I personally don’t enjoy streaming. Always remember that you don’t need to force yourself into a platform, just because it’s a potential source of income! It’s more effective to focus your energy creating what you enjoy.

---

While this isn’t an exhaustive list, it should give you an idea of how most NSFW artists make money. Regardless of which methods you choose, remember that your products don’t have to be limited to what others do. Experiment, find what works for you and your supporters!

Regardless of what you create, remember that your products don't have to be the same as others. Experiment, find what works for you! Click To Tweet

Ready to make money? Read on to find out how to set up your own PayPal account, and how to stay safe and keep your personal information private!

Thanks for reading, let me know what you think!