Can an artist freelance?

Question

Freelance

I have a friend who is in his 40s. In his youth, he studied as an artist, then worked in his specialty (not for long), but his life turned out so that he had to change his profession, but he retained his skills and talent. He is also very far from IT (computers, technologies, and programs, but I will help him, for my part, to gradually enter this world).

While reading Habr, I often came across articles about freelancing and I had the idea that freelancing for my friend would be an ideal opportunity to do my own thing.

Questions:
1. Is there any freelancing for artists at all? (I am far from the topic of drawing, design, etc.)
2. Does it make sense to do this at all in our case? (I'm just afraid that this idea may be a utopia, in our case)
3. Where to start? He has a computer, as I understand it, he also needs a graphics tablet or something else?
4. Does he need to study some kind of program? (If necessary, preferably some simple one, because he won’t pull out Photoshop right away)
5. What are the freelance exchanges for artists?

In general, we need a plan where and how he (we) should move.

Answer 1

I can answer from the client side. A designer/artist is always needed. We have a small shop. The store constantly needs leaflets, invitations, banners, business cards, discount cards. Through free-lance.ru, they found a freelancer girl in their city. First, she drew a banner for the site for us - we liked it. The man thought before work, suggested a thing that we had not thought about. Then another, then a leaflet, then an entrance group, pick up fonts. In total, for two months we paid her about 15 thousand rubles. If she has at least 5-6 such customers, then she can live well. This is for the first question.
2. You decide. It is necessary to assess the risks: the ability to work with people (a freelancer is like a hairdresser), the ability to think like a customer, the ability to “sell” oneself, to look from the outside. If your friend can do it, then why not try it?
3 and 4. Photoshop and Illustrator are needed and the ability to use this good. Frankly, the programs are not easy, but without them, nowhere.
5. Any exchange has a subsection for artists/illustrators/designers.

Answer 2

1. Is there any freelance for artists at all? (I am far from the topic of drawing, design, etc.)
Yes.
2. Is there any point in doing this at all in our case? I'm just afraid that this idea may be a utopia, in our case.
If the artist is good, then there is a point. If skill is not enough, then it makes sense to learn and fill your hand.
3. Where to start? He has a computer, as I understand it, he also needs a graphics tablet or something else?
A graphics tablet will not be superfluous. But you have to get used to working with him. For starters, Wacom Bamboos will do. And then it will be possible to look towards more expensive models. You can draw on paper without a tablet, then scan and trace in photoshop / illustrator.
4. Does he need to study any program? (If necessary, then preferably some kind of simple one, because it won’t pull photoshop right away)

For professional work, depending on the chosen direction, you need knowledge of adobe photoshop / adobe illustrator / corel. In addition to all the other advantages (generally accepted file formats, support for brushes for tablets, etc.), the fact is that customers operate with terms that are simply not found in simple programs. And the performer may simply not understand what needs to be done, and how to do it at all. It will also be very useful to learn English.
GIMP/Inkscape will work too, but first of all they are a bit simpler than photoshop/illustrator. Second, it narrows down your choice of customers. Since GIMP/Inkscape does not always correctly write psd/ai files and does not always correctly read files sent by the client in such formats.
5. What freelance exchanges are there for artists?
From abroad:
www.freelancer.com/
www.odesk.com/
Russian ones, too, I believe, can be found by simply searching on google. Usually any freelance exchange has a section for artists/designers.
In my opinion, one of the essential sources of clients will be a promoted portfolio site with examples of work and information about the artist (on deviantart.com for example). And the clients themselves will come to you after some time.
Good luck.

Answer 3

So, illustrators are always needed, no doubt about it. Book covers, illustrations, layout/design, animation and more. The main thing is to stand up and believe in yourself. If you have talent, then everything else will follow with time and effort.
There is such a wonderful program Corel Painter Essentials (or its full version Corel Painter), which often comes with digitizers (a special pen + tablet, for example, wacom, yes, I advise you to spend money, otherwise paper, pencil, scanner and long hours of processing) and with which I advise you to start. The network has Russian video tutorials on it, you can figure it out, although everything seems to be simple.
As for labor exchanges, first you need to master the drawing process (from an idea to the final file), collect a portfolio, it would be nice to learn English, and only then look for customers. Better yet, find a “fighting” friend for him on social networks from whom you can learn.

Answer 4

1. Yes, there is.
2. Depends on the areas of graphics that he owns, and the general level of professionalism. A professional artist can earn more than a professional programmer.
3. It all depends on the directions. Either a scanner, or a tablet, or nothing at all but a computer.
4. Gimp or Inkscape is more convenient for drawing, Photoshop for photo editing.
5. DA (http://www.deviantart.com/) is not exactly an exchange, but you can find customers there. At least you need to start by creating a gallery (portfolio) on this resource.
Artists are about the same as programmers. Much also depends on the direction and professionalism in this direction.

Answer 5

just let him see the graphics and design tasks on freelance sites (http://habrahabr.ru/post/153091/)

Answer 6

In this case, I will say as a customer, although by profession a designer is not the point.
We often need a high-quality vector author's drawing. What is usually required:
1) Knowledge of Illustrator, vector drawing skills.
2) Ability to work both in CMYK and with Pantone colors. For example, make a drawing in two panotons. Believe it or not, this turns out to be an unsolvable problem for many! I sit and repaint for hours.
3) Ability to work without semitones. Knowledgeable people will understand what I mean. We take a color and make a drawing with only 100% paint, for example, with Reflex. Make volume without halftones. Motion. It's possible.
4) Sense of proportions. A drawing, as a rule, fits somewhere - be it a box, a leaflet, a flyer, a business card, an A0 poster, and so on. Oddly enough, some people with an artistic background have had difficulties (I drew a masterpiece, but how you fit it into your design is not my problem).
5) Adequate attitude to the customer, the ability to listen to him and understand what exactly is required. The ability to read TK, and not create something of your own in the corner. Ability to adequately perceive possible changes. Sometimes redraw something.
6) Diligence and accuracy in terms.
7) Knowledge of Illustrator, Photoshop, the ability to receive and send mail, put it on FTP if necessary. Oddly enough, most freelancers at the word FTP fell into a stupor. The ability to compress the layout in JPEG, save as PDF, which (oddly enough! sometimes causes difficulties).
Somehow like this. I see that development should go in this direction.

Answer 7

Freelancing for artists happens offline. I don't see the point in trying to do it online.

Answer 8

I would advise you to try it, you risk nothing here. In any case, the acquired experience is a useful thing.

Answer 9

You can draw covers/posters for musicians. You can design logos for companies and websites. You can do a lot of things as a freelance artist. Even portraits can be made like this (live copies can be sent by mail / transport companies).
However, there is such a moment that the presence of a portfolio is extremely necessary.

Answer 10

or you can just draw pictures on canvas and sell them via the Internet (send to the customer by mail). There are sites like aukro, where, as far as I know, you can put your work up for sale…

Answer 11

Of course, an artist can be a freelancer! Any creative work can be done commercially!

Answer 12

Maybe he should start painting the walls? Customers can be found online locally.

Answer 13

I think anyone can freelance. just need customers

Answer 14

All their lives, since Soviet times, artists have been mainly engaged in freelancing.
For rarely does anyone need a full-time artist.
But individual artworks - many people need them. That's what freelance artists are hired for. Keeping them permanently employed is costly for most.