The TRUTH About Being A Professional Freelance Artist
We hit 10k subscribers, and what better way to celebrate than make a video that could very well end my art career!
Wait, what?!
Let's talk about the real nitty-gritty of being a full-time, professional freelance artist in 2025. We'll talk money (annual income, comparing year-over-year over the course of 5 years, etc), shifting expectations, the demand of the job, benefits, successes, and failures. Buckle up, this one's gonna be a doozy.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - INTRO
2:26 - WHY AM I MAKING THIS VIDEO?
3:32 - INCOME SOURCES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
7:41 - THE EARNINGS
10:15 - 5 YEAR CAREER RETROSPECTIVE
12:11 - WORK-LIFE BALANCE
14:08 - THE FREELANCER DILEMMA
15:46 - SUCCESSES (AND FAILURES)
21:57 - THE AI DISCUSSION
29:25 - PRO TIPS TO AVOID AI IMAGES
33:02 - BENEFITS OF GOING PART-TIME?
34:40 - WHAT'S NEXT?
36:00 - ADVICE FOR PRO ARTISTS
37:20 - ADVICE FOR ART SCHOOL STUDENTS
39:41 - ADVICE FOR ART HOBBYISTS
43:35 - OUTRO
LINKS -
Discord: / discord
Courses: http://www.wesgardner.art/courses
Brushes: http://www.wesgardner.art/shop
ArtStation: http://www.artstation.com/wesgardner
Gary Gygax's "The Hermit" - https://trolllord.com/product/worlds-...
Warhammer 40K: Imperium Maledictum - https://cubicle7games.com/our-games/w...
--------------
🖌️ - FREE BRUSH PACK - https://www.wesgardner.art/shop/p/wes...
🎨 - FULL ART COURSES - https://www.wesgardner.art/courses
🖼️ - BRUSH PACKS AND ASSETS - https://www.wesgardner.art/shop
ArtStation Store - https://www.artstation.com/wesgardner...
Gumroad Store - https://wesgardner.gumroad.com/
---------------
SOCIALS
Main Site and Portfolio - http://www.wesgardner.art
Gumroad - http://www.gumroad.com/wesgardner
ArtStation - http://www.artstation.com/wesgardner
Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/artofwesgard...
X (formerly Twitter) - https://x.com/ArtOfWesGardner
Instagram - / artofwesgardner
Cara - https://cara.app/artofwesgardner
-------
Buy Rebelle: https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-10129...
Buy CLIP Studio Paint: https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-10129...
----------------------------
Q: What is the program you use for organizing and sorting your references?
A: I use PureRef, which is totally free to use and a godsend when working, no matter what digital art program you prefer! http://www.pureref.com