Complete Inktober, earn money
Inktober is the annual 30-day art challenge that everyone looks forward to – when every news feed becomes adorned with mind-boggling artwork. This platform gives artists the unique opportunity to not only get recognised but also gain commissions from their artwork. The talented Sayeef Mahmud popularly known as “Inksmith” on social media, and Rafiuzzaman Rhythom who runs the ever popular page “Rhythom” shares their input on how you should approach monetisation.
Get recognised:
Sayeef says, "Focusing on what you have to offer to which audience is very important, because then you can find your own crowd who genuinely likes your style. This will give you more artistic freedom, unlike doing commissioned portraits that you can't really put your own flavour into." You have to keep coming up with new projects so that people have a variety of artworks they can scroll through and be interested in. Drawing and posting your artwork every day on social media will definitely help promote your work, as the algorithm encourages daily posts. Rhythom adds, "Apart from Inktober, pick any month to show off and experiment with your skills. It doesn't have to be 31 days per se; you can pick small projects like 10 days of watercolour, or 20 days of caricature drawing. This series process helps an artist to upgrade their skills and creates an audience."
Go with the trend:
Following a popular trend helps a great deal and saves an artist the trouble of ripping hair out if they can't find inspiration. If your audience has something to relate to, they are more engaged to your page and look forward to what you're coming up with next. "I completed the Inktober series drawing fan arts from Game of thrones and it helped me gain an audience, thanks to the show's popularity," says Rhythom.
Use different platforms:
"Once you master your own style, you should open a portfolio in Artstation, as you will get professional work from all over the world there," advises Sayeef. Apart from that you can also try out sites such as DeviantArt, Conceptart.org, Behance, and CGSociety. These sites will help you create portfolios and interact with others in the profession who will provide constructive criticism. Don't forget to regularly post on Facebook and Instagram as well.
Merchandise:
Create some bling showcasing your artwork. You can collaborate with different t-shirt and stationary pages online and feature your items at different exhibitions, such as Made in Bangladesh's seasonal meet-ups. If you're planning to go solo and sell from your own page, find a reliable source that makes t-shirts, mugs, and art prints. Nilkhet has tonnes of shops that provide these services. Art prints of Sayeef's Inktober drawings were a big hit at this year's Milkshake Collective exhibit (pictured left).
Get connected, take inspiration:
Sayeef says, "When you are friends with other artists you are talking about art half the time, that makes your brain constantly think of new ideas. You can get information on different tools and techniques that you've wanted to experiment with from this community. You have a better chance in getting a shot at exhibiting your work in collaboration with other artists than doing solo exhibitions. You grow faster and better when you grow with others." AKANTIS, Cartoon People, and The Milkshake Collective are great communities to collaborate with.
Narifa Raidah is an HSC candidate from Viqarunnisa Noon College.