Top Digital Art and Design Marketplaces for Selling Your Work

Top Digital Art and Design Marketplaces for Selling Your Work

Introduction

Digital marketplaces expand sales reach for creators by connecting with art buyers worldwide. But with a crowded field of platforms, how do you select the best channels for your niche?

This guide examines leading marketplaces for selling digital art and design work online. We’ll explore:

• Major artist portfolio platforms
• Print-on-demand product sites
• 3D model and asset stores
• Stock image and content libraries
• Auction marketplaces
• Graphic design service platforms
• Evaluating platform fit factors
• Comparing revenue models and rates
• Promoting work effectively on marketplaces

Read on to discover top channels matching your media, audience, and monetization preferences. Let’s dive in!

Top Artist Portfolio and Social Platforms

These profile hubs enable showcasing complete creative collections.

Behance

Adobe’s thriving creative community to exhibit and discover talent across artistic mediums.

DeviantArt

One of the largest online artist networks to share and sell traditional and digital artworks.

ArtStation

Leading platform for showcasing production-quality game art, 3D assets and illustrations.

Dribbble

Popular community for designers to gain exposure by posting their best graphic design and web artwork.

Cargo

A Shopify-based platform where artists can quickly build full profile stores with monetization options.

NewGrounds

Long-running creative community focused on animated artwork and Flash content.

Leading Print-on-Demand Product Sites

POD platforms handle production logistics for creators selling art-based physical products.

Redbubble

Global POD marketplace enabling vloggers to sell art printed on t-shirts, phone cases, wall art and more.

Society6

POD site with expansive product selection from wall decor to home goods featuring independent artists.

Etsy

In addition to handcrafted work, Etsy allows artists to sell printable art and digital downloads

Fine Art America

Focused specifically on fine art prints, photos and originals from indie artists.

Zazzle

Highly customizable apparel, cards, gifts and more printed with user designs and art.

Teespring

Specializing in apparel, Teespring allows selling t-shirts featuring original artwork and graphics.

Top 3D Model and Asset Marketplaces

Leading channels for 3D creators to market digital asset packs, environments, templates and more.

Turbosquid

Largest paid 3D model marketplace with 1.5 million art assets covering diverse categories.

CGTrader

Supplier of 3D printing models, AR/VR assets, video game characters, textures and more.

Sketchfab

Platform for showcasing and selling 3D, AR and VR artwork embedded in shareable viewers.

Blender Market

Digital assets for sale created using Blender software like 3D characters, materials and short films.

Unity Asset Store

2D and 3D art assets, plugins, editor tools and more for game creation in Unity engine.

Unreal Marketplace

Massive assortment of environments, animations, materials and code for enhancing Unreal Engine projects.

Top Stock Image and Media Sites

These libraries pay for artwork based on licenses and downloads by subscribers.

Adobe Stock

Media marketplace integrated into Creative Cloud tools with 60 million photos, vectors, videos and templates.

Shutterstock

Leading subscription site for stock photos, videos, illustrations and music with high global reach.

Getty Images

Established premium brand offering stock photos and rights-cleared musical works.

iStock

Diverse library spanning imagery, video, audio tracks and more starting under $5 per item.

Pond5

Specializing in stock video footage in 4K, Pond5 carries unique contemporary clips.

Storyblocks

Substantial stock media catalog with affordable monthly plans for unlimited downloads.

Leading Auction Marketplaces

Top art auction houses enable broad visibility and premium sales for exceptional works.

Sotheby’s

World famous fine art auctioneer arranging exclusive sales of important historical and contemporary works.

Christie’s

Rival to Sotheby’s known for record-breaking fine art auction sales and marquee estate collections.

Artsy

Prominent online auction platform and database profiling galleries, exhibitors and auctioneers.

Artnet

Influential online auctions division and news publication focused on Modern and Contemporary fine art.

LiveAuctioneers

Leading live and timed online auctions marketplace across decorative arts, jewelry and collectibles.

Saatchi Art

Hybrid gallery and auction site for emerging artists augmented with an online artist profile community.

Top Graphic Design Service Platforms

These freelancer sites connect designers with incoming client projects and gigs.

99designs

Popular contest-based crowdsourcing site for graphic design tasks like logos, branding, and packaging.

Fiverr

Gig platform with extensive creative and digital freelancing services starting at just $5 per job.

Upwork

General freelance job board with extensive creative project postings for branding, art, video, web, and more.

Freelancer

Wide-ranging global freelance platform with millions of employers posting hourly creative jobs.

PeoplePerHour

UK-based freelancing site with graphic design dominating job categories.

Behance Jobs

Adobe’s design-centric job board pairing clients with specialized creatives.

Evaluating Platform Fit

When selecting marketplaces, consider factors like:

• Which mediums you create in that platforms support
• Target buyer demographics and preferences
• Geographic scope matching yours and your art
• Content moderation protecting brand safety
• Customizable profile capabilities
• Built-in social and community features
• Pricing models aligning to your monetization goals
• Credibility of platforms in your niche and region
• Volume of competing artwork and saturation
• Opportunities for special exposure spots and featuring

Comparing Revenue Models and Rates

Platform monetization models vary. Compare structures like:

• Set pricing for originals and physical prints
• Dollar or percentage commissions on sales
• Usage and royalty-based licensing fees
• Stock photo subscription splits based on downloads
• Auction bids directly competing for works
• Contest awards and prizes
• Gig and hourly freelancing fees

Review current median rates across platforms to align with market conditions. Rates too low undervalue work while pricing higher risks going unsold.

Promoting Your Portfolio and Works

Once selected, actively showcase your content to stand out among competition.

• Curate only your very best pieces matching platform style
• Optimize titles and descriptions for search visibility
• Interlink portfolio pages across your social networks
• Share new additions consistently on social media
• Engage with platform communities through commenting
• Promote specialty features and exposure opportunities
• Run small paid ads driving profile views for conversions
• Send email newsletters to collector lists announcing new pieces

With active promotion and participation, passive platform visibility transforms into engaged collectors.

Conclusion

Today’s wide selection of marketplaces provides options tailored to every creative style, medium, and audience. Remember:

• Portfolio platforms enable showcasing complete artistic collections
• POD sites simplify selling physical products featuring artwork
• 3D marketplaces cater to CG, gaming and VR asset creators
• Stock media libraries provide passive income at scale
• Auction marketplaces connect exceptional works with collectors
• Freelance platforms supply incoming creative gigs and clients
• Evaluate factors like audience fit, content policies and rates when selecting
• Promote new pieces consistently through owned and platform channels

Online marketplaces make finding your niche buyers easier than ever. Select channels aligned to your vision and start showcasing your best work!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What are the top artist portfolio and social platforms for selling digital art and design work?
Some of the top artist portfolio and social platforms include Behance, DeviantArt, ArtStation, Dribbble, Cargo, and NewGrounds. These platforms allow creators to showcase their complete creative collections to a wide audience.

2. What are the leading print-on-demand product sites for selling art-based physical products?
Leading print-on-demand product sites include Redbubble, Society6, Etsy, Fine Art America, Zazzle, and Teespring. These platforms handle production logistics for creators, allowing them to sell art printed on various products like t-shirts, phone cases, wall art, and more.

3. Which are the top 3D model and asset marketplaces for marketing digital asset packs, environments, templates, and more?
Top 3D model and asset marketplaces include Turbosquid, CGTrader, Sketchfab, Blender Market, Unity Asset Store, and Unreal Marketplace. These platforms cater to 3D creators and offer a wide range of digital assets for various purposes.

4. What are the leading stock image and media sites for selling artwork based on licenses and downloads by subscribers?
Leading stock image and media sites include Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, Getty Images, iStock, Pond5, and Storyblocks. These platforms pay creators for their artwork based on licenses and downloads by subscribers.

5. Which are the top auction marketplaces for selling exceptional works of art?
Top auction marketplaces include Sotheby’s, Christie’s, Artsy, Artnet, LiveAuctioneers, and Saatchi Art. These platforms enable broad visibility and premium sales for exceptional works through online auctions.

6. What are the top graphic design service platforms for connecting designers with incoming client projects and gigs?
Top graphic design service platforms include 99designs, Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer, PeoplePerHour, and Behance Jobs. These platforms connect designers with incoming client projects and gigs, offering a wide range of creative and digital freelancing services.

7. How do I evaluate platform fit when selecting marketplaces for my artwork?
When selecting marketplaces, consider factors like the mediums you create in that platforms support, target buyer demographics and preferences, geographic scope matching yours and your art, content moderation protecting brand safety, customizable profile capabilities, built-in social and community features, pricing models aligning to your monetization goals, credibility of platforms in your niche and region, volume of competing artwork and saturation, and opportunities for special exposure spots and featuring.

8. What revenue models and rates should I consider when comparing different marketplaces?
Revenue models and rates vary across platforms and include set pricing for originals and physical prints, dollar or percentage commissions on sales, usage and royalty-based licensing fees, stock photo subscription splits based on downloads, auction bids directly competing for works, contest awards and prizes, and gig and hourly freelancing fees. Review current median rates across platforms to align with market conditions, ensuring rates neither undervalue work nor risk going unsold.

9. How can I effectively promote my portfolio and works on these marketplaces?
To effectively promote your portfolio and works on these marketplaces, curate only your very best pieces matching platform style, optimize titles and descriptions for search visibility, interlink portfolio pages across your social networks, share new additions consistently on social media, engage with platform communities through commenting, promote specialty features and exposure opportunities, run small paid ads driving profile views for conversions, and send email newsletters to collector lists announcing new pieces.