Artist Resources

No gatekeeping here! Whether you are a brand new artist looking to dip your toes into making some merch, or a seasoned artist alley veteran looking for some fresh new ideas, we have compiled the most extensive list of resources we could think up to help you on your character goods journey.

Stickers +

DIY Stickers +

Printing Stickers at Home

Printers:

See below for infomation on the most popular brands and models if you are looking for a new printer.

Canon
- Popular Models: Pixma G3200 (MegaTank), Pixma TS9521C (Crafting Printer), Pixma Pro-200 (Photo Printer).
- Pros: Excellent photo quality, vibrant colors, good for glossy papers. Many models offer refillable MegaTank systems, significantly reducing ink costs compared to cartridges.
- Cons: Can be slower for large batches, some models use smaller ink cartridges.
Brother
- Popular Models: MFC-J4335DW (INKvestment Tank), MFC-J805DW (INKvestment Tank).
- Pros: Reliable for everyday printing, good text quality, many models feature INKvestment Tank system for lower ink costs.
- Cons: Photo quality might not match Canon or Epson, can be bulky.
Epson
- Popular Models: EcoTank ET-2800, EcoTank ET-4800, Expression Premium XP-7100.
- Pros: Renowned for their EcoTank (refillable ink tank) system, offering extremely low ink costs and high page yield. Great photo quality.
- Cons: Higher upfront cost for EcoTank models, print heads can clog if not used regularly.
HP
- Popular Models: Envy 6055e, OfficeJet Pro 9015e, Smart Tank 7301.
- Pros: Easy to use, fine for general purpose printing. Smart Tank series offers refillable ink.
- Cons: Beware of Instant Ink subscription! If you cancel, the printer may become unusable even with full ink cartridges, locking you out of your machine. Cartridge costs can be high without a subscription. We do not reccomend our members purchase any new HP printers if they are looking to buy a new printer due to this issue.

Tank Printers vs. Cartridges:

Tank printers (like Epson EcoTank, Canon MegaTank, Brother INKvestment Tank, HP Smart Tank) use large, refillable ink reservoirs instead of small cartridges. This significantly reduces the cost per print and environmental waste, making them a more economical choice for high-volume printing like stickers.

Sticker paper and Lamination:

Everyone has their own personal favourites for materials like sticker paper and lamination, but if you don't know where to start here are a few that have been reccomended by other artists.

Cutting Stickers

By Hand:

Pros: No machine needed, just scissors.
Cons: Time-consuming, can't make sticker sheets or kiss cuts, can lead to wrist injuries.

With Cutting Machines:

These machines use a small blade to cut sticker sheets and vinyl. Many machines can cut other materials as well. Take a look at the information below to find a machine that is right for you.

Cricut
- Sizes & Capabilities:
  - Cricut Joy: Smallest, cuts up to 4.5"
  - Cricut Explore Air 2/3 & Maker/3: Standard size, cuts up to 12" wide with a mat. Maker models can cut thicker materials (fabric, balsa wood) and use more tools. Explore 3 and Maker 3 can cut Smart Materials (vinyl rolls) up to 12 ft without a mat.
  - Cricut Venture: Large format, cuts up to 25" wide and up to 75 ft with Smart Materials (vinyl rolls).
- Materials: Cuts paper, cardstock and vinyl. Maker models can cut thicker materials like fabric or balsa wood.
- Pros: Widely available accessories and materials, often found in craft stores. User-friendly software for beginners. More affordable machines than other brands.
- Cons: Requires a paid subscription for full access to software, often has alignment issues.
- YouTube: How to make the cutest sticker sheets! | Procreate + Cricut
- YouTube: CRICUT VS SILHOUETTE ✿ which sticker machine is best for making stickers? full comparison video
- YouTube: My Experience with the Siser Juliet cutting machine after 1 month✨ Comparing it to a Cricut
- YouTube: ScanNCut vs Silhouette vs Cricut: Which Machine is Right for You?
Silhouette
- Sizes & Capabilities:
  - Silhouette Portrait: Small, cuts up to 8" wide.
  - Silhouette Cameo (4/5): Standard size, cuts up to 12" wide. Can cut vinyl rolls with a built-in roll feeder. Cameo 4 and 5 can cut thicker materials (up to 3mm for Cameo 4, 5mm for Cameo 5) with a kraft blade.
  - Silhouette Curio: Specialty machine, smaller cutting area but designed for embossing, stippling, and cutting thicker materials (up to 5mm).
- Materials: Cuts paper, cardstock, vinyl, heat transfer vinyl, fabric, thin chipboard, foam, and more.
- Pros: No mandatory subscription for basic features. More open-source software. Generally considered more precise for intricate cuts. Larger cutting area on some models. Auto-blade technology.
- Cons: Steeper learning curve for software, accessories can be harder to find in physical stores, known to be noisy little machines.
- YouTube: silhouette portrait 3 sticker tutorial and review 2023
- YouTube: How To Make Stickers and Sticker Sheets! ☆ Silhouette Cameo and Procreate ☆ In-Depth Tutorial DIY
- YouTube: CRICUT VS SILHOUETTE ✿ which sticker machine is best for making stickers? full comparison video
- YouTube: ScanNCut vs Silhouette vs Cricut: Which Machine is Right for You?
Brother ScanNCut DX
- Sizes & Capabilities:
  - Standard models cut up to 12" wide. Some models support larger with optional roll feeder for vinyl.
  - Unique built-in scanner to scan and cut designs directly (no computer needed for basic functions).
  - Can cut thicker materials up to 3mm (e.g., thin acrylic, balsa wood, foam) depending on the model.
- Materials: Cuts paper, fabric, felt, foam, vinyl, and a wider range of thicker materials.
- Pros: Built-in scanner. Auto-blade technology. Good for fabric and thicker materials. Relatively quiet. Stand-alone functionality with scanner no need to make separate cut files. Free desktop and mobile software available. Connect via WiFi or USB for transfering files.
- Cons: Higher price point. Less common for sticker making (more common for quilting) so less online resoruces, accessories can be hard to find in store and often have to be purchased directly from Brother.
- YouTube: Making Stickers with the Brother ScanNCut
- YouTube: How to make stickers at home with Brother Scan N Cut
- YouTube: ScanNCut vs Silhouette vs Cricut: Which Machine is Right for You?
Siser
- Sizes & Capabilities:
  - Siser Juliet: Cuts up to 12" wide.
  - Siser Romeo: Cuts up to 24" wide and can handle vinyl rolls.
- Materials: Primarily designed for vinyl, but can cut other materials like cardstock.
- Pros: Known for precision and speed, quiet operation, and user-friendly free software.
- Cons: Fewer community resources compared to Cricut/Silhouette.
- YouTube: How I make sticker sheets with Siser Juliet! 🎨
- YouTube: Learning To Make Stickers Using Siser Romeo Cutter
- YouTube: My Experience with the Siser Juliet cutting machine after 1 month✨ Comparing it to a Cricut

Manufacturing Stickers +

If you aren't into printing and cutting your own there are various different manufacturers available below.

Manufacturered in Canada:

Winnipeg Screen Printing: Printed locally in Winnipeg. Die cut and kiss cut available.
Staples: Staples Copy and Print has fast turn around and various locations for pickup across the city. Die cut sticker only.
Sticker Beaver: Printed in Alberta. Die cut and kiss cut available.

Manufacturered Elsewhere:

StickerApp: Die cut and kiss cut available as well as sticker sheets and packs.
Sticker Ninja: American company, artist owned. Die cut and kiss cut available as well as sticker sheets and bumper stickers.
Sticker Blitz: American company. Offers a variety of sizes of die cut stickers.
VistaPrint: Reliable and popular option for many types of paper products including die cut stickers.
Vograce: Manufactured in China, competitive pricing and deals. Variety of cuts and finishes available. Many other additional products are available for order.
Wooacry: Manufacted in China. Becoming popular due to their social media presence they offer kiss cut and die cut stickers with a variety of finishes.
Lolipopins / Kunshan Krell Cultural Development Co: Manufacted in China. Known for their pins, they also do other artist alley products. Higher minimum order than Wooacry/Vograce, they've joined social media as Lollipopins to more easily connect with potential artists. They offer die cut stickers, as well as pvc (puffy) stickers, and suncatcher window stickers.

Print on Demand:

These services not only deal with the printing, but also ship directly to the customer. Artist earn different percentages depending on the site, and may have to compete with other artists on their greater website. Makes selling online simple and accessible but does not provide product for in person events. Some services do not pay out until you earn a minimum amount. Some of these services have issues with art theft and copywrite strikes, proceed with caution.

INPRINT: Print on demand for art prints (including square stickers), curated by artists. Join by invitation or through an application process.
Society6: Print on demand for various products.
Printful: Print on demand for various products. Can easily integrate with Shopify and Etsy.
RedBubble: Well known and popular Print on Demand service, known for both ease of use and art theft.

Prints +

DIY Prints +

Printers:

See below for infomation on the most popular brands and models if you are looking for a new printer.

Canon
- Popular Models: Pixma G3200 (MegaTank), Pixma TS9521C (Crafting Printer), Pixma Pro-200 (Photo Printer).
- Pros: Excellent photo quality, vibrant colors, good for glossy papers. Many models offer refillable MegaTank systems, significantly reducing ink costs compared to cartridges.
- Cons: Can be slower for large batches, some models use smaller ink cartridges.
Brother
- Popular Models: MFC-J4335DW (INKvestment Tank), MFC-J805DW (INKvestment Tank).
- Pros: Reliable for everyday printing, good text quality, many models feature INKvestment Tank system for lower ink costs.
- Cons: Photo quality might not match Canon or Epson, can be bulky.
Epson
- Popular Models: EcoTank ET-2800, EcoTank ET-4800, Expression Premium XP-7100.
- Pros: Renowned for their EcoTank (refillable ink tank) system, offering extremely low ink costs and high page yield. Great photo quality.
- Cons: Higher upfront cost for EcoTank models, print heads can clog if not used regularly.
HP
- Popular Models: Envy 6055e, OfficeJet Pro 9015e, Smart Tank 7301.
- Pros: Easy to use, fine for general purpose printing. Smart Tank series offers refillable ink.
- Cons: Beware of Instant Ink subscription! If you cancel, the printer may become unusable even with full ink cartridges, locking you out of your machine. Cartridge costs can be high without a subscription. We do not reccomend our members purchase any new HP printers if they are looking to buy a new printer due to this issue.

Tank Printers vs. Cartridges:

Manufacturing Prints +

If you'd rather not deal with the hassle of printing or want larger format than a standard home printer check out these places.

Manufacturered in Canada:

The Print Shop Winnipeg: Local print shop, recommended by members. Variety of sizes and finishes available, also city wide delivery.
PhotoCentral: A Winnipeg based photography shop that offers a variety of options for printing. Also offers large format fine art prints on canvas or other fine art papers.
Winnipeg Print Shop: Manufactured here in Winnipeg. Variety of sizes and finishes available. Has same day delivery for some items.
Print Pro Winnipeg: Manufactured here in Winnipeg. Variety of sizes and finishes available.
Staples: Staples Copy and Print has fast turn around and various locations for pickup across the city. Variety of sizes and finishes available.

Manufacturered Elsewhere:

CatPrint: A printing company that offers a variety of sizes and finishes including foil and holographic. Has a good reputation in the art community for high quality prints.
VistaPrint: Reliable and popular option for many types of paper products. Variety of sizes available.
Vograce: Manufactured in China, competitive pricing and deals. Variety of sizes and finishes available including holographic. Many other additional products are available for order.
Wooacry: Manufacted in China. Becoming popular due to their social media presence they offer a variety of photocards, postcards and posters as well as lenticualr art boards.
Lolipopins / Kunshan Krell Cultural Development Co: Manufacted in China. Known for their pins, they also do other artist alley products. Higher minimum order than Wooacry/Vograce, they've joined social media as Lollipopins to more easily connect with potential artists. They offer small card prints including holographic and lenticular.

Print on Demand:

INPRINT: Print on demand for art prints, curated by artists. Join by invitation or through an application process.
Society6: Print on demand for various products.
Printful: Print on demand for various products. Can easily integrate with Shopify and Etsy.
RedBubble: Well known and popular Print on Demand service, known for both ease of use and art theft.

Stationary +

DIY Stationary +

For more information about printer options see Prints section above. Check out below for DIY tutorials for various products such as notepads and notebooks!

Manufacturing Stationary +

If you'd rather not deal with the hassle of printing and glueing your own notepads, or would like to order items like washi tape check out these options below.

Manufacturered in Canada:

Winnipeg Print Shop: Manufactured here in Winnipeg, will print notepads and bookmarks.
Print Pro Winnipeg: Manufactured here in Winnipeg. Will print bookmarks.
Staples: Staples Copy and Print has fast turn around and various locations for pickup across the city, will print notebooks and notepads.

Manufacturered Elsewhere:

MoMo Washi: Manufacted in China. Various finishes for Washi Tape, other tapes, memopads and sticky notes also available.
No Issue: Custom Washi Tape, with low minimums. Only one finish, various sizes.
Vograce: Manufactured in China, competitive pricing and deals. Various types of notebooks and memopads available. Various finishes for custom washi tapes. Other products available as well.
Lolipopins / Kunshan Krell Cultural Development Co: Manufacted in China. Known for their pins, they also do other artist alley products. Higher minimum order than Wooacry/Vograce, they've joined social media as Lollipopins to more easily connect with potential artists. They offer washi tape in a variety of finished and sizes, as well as notebooks and stickynotes.
Alibaba: Many other manufacturers can be found on Alibaba for a variety of things, we recommend that you research a manu fully before commiting to ordering to ensure quality and ethical sourcing of labour and materials.

Print on Demand:

Society6: Print on demand for various products.
Printful: Print on demand for various products. Can easily integrate with Shopify and Etsy.
RedBubble: Well known and popular Print on Demand service, known for both ease of use and art theft.

Pins & Badges +

DIY Pins & Badges +

Badges and pins are a staple at conventions. Badges are easy to make yourself with a badge maker and a printer, while pins, depending on the material can be a bit trickier. Here are some tutorials for various different methods.

Manufacturing Pins & Badges +

If you'd like to make enamel pins or do not wish to make your own badges check out the links below.

Manufacturered in Canada:

Six Cent Press: Six Cent Press is a Canadian company providing buttons, magnets and Tecre brand button making parts.

Manufacturered Elsewhere:

Lolipopins / Kunshan Krell Cultural Development Co: Manufacted in China. Known for their pins, they also do other artist alley products. Higher minimum order than Vograce, they've joined social media as Lollipopins to more easily connect with potential artists. They offer enamel pins, button badges and acrylic pins.
Wooacry: Manufacted in China. Becoming popular due to their social media presence they manufacture a variety of acrylic goods and also make badges of various size and shape.
Vograce: Manufactured in China, competitive pricing and deals. Offer custom enamel or acrylic pins, as well as various shaped badges. Many other additional products are available for order.
Alibaba: Many other manufacturers can be found on Alibaba for a variety of things, we recommend that you research a manu fully before commiting to ordering to ensure quality and ethical sourcing of labour and materials.

Keychains & Charms +

DIY Keychains and Charms +

See tutorials below for various methods of making keychains and charms, for plush keychains please see Plushies section.

Manufacturing Keychains and Charms +

If you'd like to get keychains manufactured, you can have them made in a variety of materials, the most popular being acrylic, but metal, other plastics, and wood are also popular. If you are looking for plush keychains please see the Plushies section.

Manufacturered in Canada:

Staples: Staples Copy and Print has fast turn around and various locations for pickup across the city, will print small square photo keychains only.

Manufacturered Elsewhere:

Wooacry: Manufacted in China. Becoming popular due to their social media presence they manufacture acrylic keychains in a variety of shapes and sizes (including shakers), as well as other acrylic goods.
Vograce: Manufactured in China, competitive pricing and deals. Known for their acrylic keychains, available in single side, double side and shaker. Various other materials and designs are available as well. Many other additional products are available for order.
Lolipopins / Kunshan Krell Cultural Development Co: Manufacted in China. Known for their pins, they also do other artist alley products. Higher minimum order than Wooacry/Vograce, they've joined social media as Lollipopins to more easily connect with potential artists. They offer various acrylic keychains including custom carabiners, metal enamel keychains, PVC rubber keychains, wood and embroidery.
Alibaba: Many other manufacturers can be found on Alibaba for a variety of things, we recommend that you research a manu fully before commiting to ordering to ensure quality and ethical sourcing of labour and materials.

Plushies +

DIY Plushies +

Making your own plushies is a rewarding but complex task. There are a few different ways to make them and various tools that can help you out.

Amigurumi

Amigurumi is the art of making dolls through crochet or knitting, more often crochet. You can find various patterns online. For more personalized plush you can learn to freehand or write your own patterns.

Ravelry: A social media site for fiber arts including knitting and crochet. You can find amigurumi patterns here from various makers.
Ribblr: A platform made to connect crafters and sell patterns. You can find amigurumi patterns here and follow your favourite makers.

Sewn Plush

Sewn plush can be made by machine or hand, most commonly made out of soft fabrics such as chenille or minky. Their details can be done through embroidery (hand or machine), applique, vinyl, sublimation or a combination of methods. See below for resources on finding patterns, making your own patterns, and using the various techniques to give your plush details.

BeeZeeArt: A plush pattern designer with easy to follow well created patterns.
Sew Desu Ne / Choly Knight: A plush pattern designer with tons of patterns (some FREE!) that range from absolute beginner to advanced. Site also has great guides for various plush making techniques including machine embroidery and applique.
MakeshiftWings: A plush pattern designer incredible tutorials on plush making including guides on sublimation.
YouTube: What is an ITH plush and how are they sewn?
YouTube: Plush Making 101: Working with Minky
YouTube: How to Embroider Character Faces on Cotton Doll 2023, Vol.1♪
YouTube: How to Make a Clay Mockup for Sewing Patterns
YouTube: How to make plushies using Blender and Plushify

Manufacturing Plushies +

Plushies, like all sewn items can be sewn in machine but the machine must be guided and operated by a human. This makes their manufacturing process expensive, not to mention the creation of a pattern, and the various samples to get it right. Manufacturing plush can be not only expensive but a time consuming project. See below for just a handful of the options available.

Manufacturered in Canada:

Mariko Hamade: Local artist, and SillyLilGuys.club founder is also a plush maker. Kiko will take commissions for custom ITH embroidery plush or plush keychains for simple designs of your lil guys up to 5 inches big. These can either be stitched out yourself if you own a machine, or Kiko can make them for you with a minimum of 3 piece, maximum of 30 per order. Please contact via email if interested.

YouTube: What is an ITH plush and how are they sewn?

Manufacturered Elsewhere:

Lolipopins / Kunshan Krell Cultural Development Co: Manufacted in China. Known for their pins, they also do other artist alley products. They offer various a variety of styles of plush keychain including coin purse, must be contacted for quote and sampling, minimum order 100 plush.
Plushies4U: A plush manufacturing company. Minimum order 100 plush. Must be contacted for quote and sampling
Makeship: This service not only deals with the creation, but also ship directly to the customer. To keep costs low and a consistancy to their brand most plush follow a similar pattern/shape. These plush need to hit a certain amount of orders before they will be created.
Alibaba: Many other manufacturers can be found on Alibaba for a variety of things, we recomend that you research a manu fully before commiting to ordering to ensure quality and ethical sourcing of labour and materials.

Trinkets & Figurines +

DIY Trinkets & Figurines +

There are many ways to create trinkets and figurines yourself. by using materials like plastic, polymer clay, resin, wood, air-dry clay, or 3D printing at home if you have access to a printer, you can bring your favourite characters to life. Some processes are more expensive and time consuming than others, but if you like their handcrafted nature or want to make a one off piece of your special lil guy check out the various methods others have tried below.

Manufacturing Trinkets & Figurines +

Manufactured figurines are made out of a variety material, most common are 3D prints and acrylic standees.

Manufacturered in Canada:

Alpha@Play: Winnipeg based 3D print on demand company.

Manufacturered Elsewhere:

Womp: A free 3D modeling browser based software that offers 3D printing in clear resin or white plastic.
Wooacry: Manufacted in China. Becoming popular due to their social media presence they manufacture a variety of acrylic goods.
Vograce: Manufactured in China, competitive pricing and deals. They offer both acrylic and wooden standees with various shapes and finishes. Many other additional products are available for order.
Lolipopins / Kunshan Krell Cultural Development Co: Manufacted in China. Known for their pins, they also do other artist alley products. Higher minimum order than Wooacry/Vograce, they've joined social media as Lollipopins to more easily connect with potential artists. They offer both acrylic and wooden standees.
Alibaba: Many other manufacturers can be found on Alibaba for a variety of things, we recomend that you research a manu fully before commiting to ordering to ensure quality and ethical sourcing of labour and materials.

Clothing & Accessories +

DIY Clothing & Accessories +

Creating your own clothing and accessories is easy if you have the right machines and materials. From sewing custom printed fabric to putting your designs on premade items, see below for some resources on how to make your own clothing and accessories with your own lil guys on them.

Custom Printed Fabric:

ArtFabricsr: A Canadian fabric printing company, offers a large variety of fabrics.
Spoonflower: A print on demand service that offers fabric, including minky.
Fabric on Demand: A print on demand service offering a variety of fashion and home good fabrics to print.
MakeshiftWings Sublimation Guide: Print your own fabrics at home with sublimation. An incredible guide on how to get started.

Easy Sewing Patterns:

Crochet and Knitting:

Block printing, screen printing, and vinyl:

Hand Embroidery & Cross-Stitch:

Machine Embroidery:

Manufacturing Clothing & Accessories +

There are many different manufacturers that can help you create custom clothing and accessories, including local screen printing shops, big box stores, direct to print companies and overseas suppliers who can use different techniques like screen print, vinyl and embroidery to bring your designs to life.

Manufacturered in Canada:

Winnipeg Screen Printing: Made locally in Winnipeg. Offers screen printing, embroidery and digital printing for clothing.
A brick shirt house: Made locally in Winnipeg. Offers screen printing and embroidery.
the t-shirt connection: Printed here in Winnipeg. Offers screen print on various tops.
Staples: Staples Copy and Print has fast turn around and various locations for pickup across the city, will print socks and pet bananas.

Manufacturered Elsewhere:

VistaPrint: Reliable and popular option for many types of paper products. Also offers clothing, bags and hats.
Vograce: Manufactured in China, competitive pricing and deals. Offers tshirts, various bags, lanyards and ID holders. Many other additional products are available for order.
Wooacry: Manufacted in China. Becoming popular due to their social media presence they offer printing on a variety of styles of bag.
Lolipopins / Kunshan Krell Cultural Development Co: Manufacted in China. Known for their pins, they also do other artist alley products. Higher minimum order than Wooacry/Vograce, they've join social media as Lollipopins to more easily connect with potential artists. They offer printed tshirts, embroidered hats, socks, various bags (including Ita), hair clips, and more.
URRYKID: Manufactured in China. They manufacture acetate hair accessories like clips and barrettes and combs.
Alibaba: Many other manufacturers can be found on Alibaba for a variety of things, we recomend that you research a manu fully before commiting to ordering to ensure quality and ethical sourcing of labour and materials.

Print on Demand:

Teezr: Print on demand for tshirts, created by artist for artists. Only accepts original work.
Society6: Print on demand for various products.
Printful: Print on demand for various products. Can easily integrate with Shopify and Etsy.
RedBubble: Well known and popular Print on Demand service, known for both ease of use and art theft.

Home Goods & Decor +

DIY Home Goods & Decor +

Creating handmade home goods and decor items, is similar to some of the options for clothing. Many of the techniques used are the same, including embroidery, screen print, block print and getting custom fabric printed. (See Clothing & Accessories section for more information) Additionally if you have access you can use sublimation, creat items with various fiber arts, or make decor from clay (See Trinkets & Figurine section for more info). See some ideas not covered in the other sections here.

Manufacturing Home Goods & Decor +

There are many different manufacturers that can help you create custom home goods, including local screen printing shops, big box stores, direct to print companies and overseas suppliers who can use different techniques to bring your designs to life.

Manufacturered in Canada:

PhotoCentral: A Winnipeg based photography shop that offers a variety of options for printing. They offer printing on mouse pads, puzzles and mugs.
Staples: Staples Copy and Print has fast turn around and various locations for pickup across the city, will print mousepads, coasters, blankets and mugs.

Manufacturered Elsewhere:

VistaPrint: Reliable and popular option for many types of paper products. Also prints mugs, coasters, mousepads and even puzzles.
Vograce: Manufactured in China, competitive pricing and deals. Offers mousepads, magnets, blankets and pillows. Many other additional products are available for order.
Wooacry: Manufacted in China. Becoming popular due to their social media presence they offer pillow cases, mousepads, magnets and blankets.
Specter Labs: Manufacted in USA, mousepads and deskpads.
Lolipopins / Kunshan Krell Cultural Development Co: Manufacted in China. Known for their pins, they also do other artist alley products. Higher minimum order than Wooacry/Vograce, they've joined social media as Lollipopins to more easily connect with potential artists. They offer blankets, mugs, phone grips, magnets, mousepads and deskpads.
Alibaba: Many other manufacturers can be found on Alibaba for a variety of things, we recomend that you research a manu fully before commiting to ordering to ensure quality and ethical sourcing of labour and materials.

Print on Demand:

Spoonflower: A print on demand service that offers various home goods as well as fabric.
Society6: Print on demand for various products.
Printful: Print on demand for various products. Can easily integrate with Shopify and Etsy.
RedBubble: Well known and popular Print on Demand service, known for both ease of use and art theft.

Packaging & Branding +

DIY Packaging & Branding +

Having a consistent brand and creating appealing packaging is important to not only sell your art prodcuts but to also create a recognizable following. If you like the DIY aesthtic and that fits your branding, or you're just getting started and don't wanna break the bank, here are some DIY ways you can make packaging and signage. See more ideas for market and artist alley displays in our "How to Sell In Person" section.

Manufacturing Packaging & Branding +

Having a consistent brand and creating appealing packaging is important to not only sell your art prodcuts but to also create a recognizable following. By outsourcing your packaging you can not only save time and energy but also create more consistant branding throughout the products you offer. Check out the places below for some options on printing both locally and internationally.

Manufacturered in Canada:

The Print Shop Winnipeg: Local print shop, recommended by members. Variety of signs and banners as well as marketing materials available, also offers city wide delivery.
Winnipeg Print Shop: Manufactured here in Winnipeg. Variety marketing materials available. Has same day delivery for some items.
Print Pro Winnipeg: Manufactured here in Winnipeg. Offers many options for marketing materials, also prints signs and displays.
Stewart Trophies & Engraving Ltd: Manufactured here in Winnipeg. Known for their engraving, they also offer custom flag signs and table covers.
Staples: Staples Copy and Print has fast turn around and various locations for pickup across the city. Offers all sorts of marketing materials including signs and banners.

Manufacturered Elsewhere:

VistaPrint: Reliable and popular option for many types of paper products. Signs, banners, posters, business cards, table top displays and table runners in addition to all sorts of custom packaging, including tissue paper .
No Issue: Offers all sorts of custom packaging, including tissue paper.

Digital Goods +

Digital Goods for the General Public +

One of the two main markets for digital goods as an artist is the general public. Many non-artistic individuals go online to seek artist made assets to help with their hobbies, personal projects, careers or businesses. These types of products can be anything from commissioned logos, to IOS icons. Here are a few types of digital goods you can market to the public and where the most common places to sell them.

Commissions:

See more detailed information in our "How to Sell Online section".

VGEN: An online marketplace for digital commission, popular for streaming assets like emotes and PNGtubers.

Ko-Fi: A donation and subsription platform for creators, can also be used to take payment for commissions.
Fiverr: A marketplace for freelance services, including graphic design and art. May be competing with Generative AI.

Premade Assets:

Many different people need premade art for a variety of reasons, from phone wallpapers to IOS icons, PNGtubers to game assets heres where people often sell them. Selling premade assets can create great passive income with very little effort past the initial creation. No hard guidlines you can sell anything on Etsy or Ko-fi, this is just what we've noticed is most popular. For more info on different eCommerce platforms see our section "How to Online".

Etsy: An online marketplace for all sorts of goods, not just handmade. Many find success selling print-at-home digital goods like classroom posters, digital colouring pages, invitations, and other family friendly items. A very large marketplace and costs fees to list, may be competing with Generative AI assets.

YouTube: How I Create My Coloring Books 🖍️ My Step-by-Step Creative Process

Ko-Fi: A donation and subsription platform for creators, can also be used to sell digital goods, popular on this platform are computer or phone icons and widgets as well as backgrounds.

YouTube: how i make a phone wallpaper + icons pack 🐥🔪 (with freebies)

itch.io: A website for hosting indie games and assets. Many find success selling premade art assets built for games here.

YouTube: How I Sell Pixel Art For Passive Income

Video Games:

Get good! Learn to code (or don't, there are no-code options) and make your own games! No better way to showcase your OCs! Sell on itch.io, or get real good and sell on Steam, IOS App Store and Google Play. Here are a few free game engines for different genres to get you started.

YouTube: How to Start Making Games with No Experience

Godot: A free and open-source game engine for both 2D and 3D games. Lots of online tutorials to help you get started, can make a wide variety of genres, only your ability to learn can limit you.

Ren'Py: Free Visual Novel engine with tones of free accessible tutorials. Used for popular games like Slay the Princess and Doki Doki Literature club your creativity and dreams are your limit, well I guess and your understanding of basic coding. But we promise it's a lot easier than it seems.

RPGMaker: There has been many iterations of RPGMaker available. Occasionally, different versions have become free on Steam for a period of time so keep a lookout. There is also a free trial available for the most recent version. You can use it to make good old classic RPGs, but you can also get more creative with it and it's got everything you need to get started.

YouTube: 5 Types of Games you can make with RPG Maker

Scratch: Want to learn the baby basics of coding and make a fun silly little browser game at the same time? Scratch can help you do that! Use TurboWarp to export to HTML so that you can host your games on your website or on sites like itch.io.

GDevelop: Browser based No-code engine that can be used to create both 2D and 3D games.

Adventure Game Studio: Want to make a game like The Secret of Monkey Island or another LucasArts kinda vibe? AGS makes this easy with all the built in tools you need.

YouTube: Adventure Game Studio Basics Tutorial, UPDATED! Using AGS 3.6!

Digital Goods for Other Artists +

Other artists and makers are also potential customers in regards to digital goods, think of procreate brushes, crochet/knitting/sewing patterns, and digitial files like .svgs for cutting machines or embroidery files. These are some platforms and ideas on what is popular on each, but note you can sell these digital goods anywhere, even your own website! To learn more how to sell online check out our "How to Sell Online" section.

Etsy: An online marketplace for all sorts of goods, not just handmade. Many makers find selling fiber arts patterns here to be profitable, many others sell .svg cutting files as well.

YouTube: Etsy Tips & Tricks ✨ 5 Figure Crochet Business Lessons Learned ✨

Ribblr: A platform made to connect crafters and sell patterns. You can sell your crochet patterns here.
Ko-Fi: A donation and subsription platform for creators, can also be used to sell digital goods, popular on this platform are embroidery files and procreate (or other art program) brushes.
Gumroad: An online selling platform. Art program brushes are a popular seller.

YouTube: MAKE & SELL Procreate Brushes ✨ EASY Step-by-Step Tutorial for Vines, Borders, & Stamps

Conventions & Markets +

Conventions and markets are some of the best ways to show off your work and sell products. This section is dedicated to helping you get into the events you want, have the setup you want and be as prepared as possible in order to succeed. At the bottom there will be a list for the most popular ones that you should check out, but also sign up for our club to get our Silly Lil Newsletter with all the best events to apply to every month and reminder when applications close.

Table Displays:

The humble table display, it is what attendees first see when they pass by your booth. It is important to not only make and impression that makes someone want to stop and look, but also make it easy for them to browse and for you to sell your goods. Tables most often come in 6 feet but occasionally there are some events that offer 8 feet, and events sometimes offer half tables, or the ability to share your table with another artist for a lower cost. See the links below for various inspiration to help you get a setup that works for you, as well as some products that may help.

Outdoor Markets:

Sometimes you have more than just a table, and for outdoor markets that is often the case. Sometimes they provide a tent or cover, but often you have to provide these things yourself. If you have to provide your own cover we reccomend getting a popup tent and weights as many outdoor venues do not allow stakes, and your tent must be weighed down! Additionally, you will want to make sure any paper products are secure as being outside means wind could be an issue. Below are some tips on making a full booth tent setup work for you! As well as a few products that might help.

Taking Payment:

This is the whole reason you're here! To get paid for you hard work. There are various ways to take payment, here are some options and some tips.

Cash:

Obviously you're going to be taking cash. We recommend either a money belt/crossbody bag strapped to your body or a locking cash box. We also recommend lots of change. Start your days with all your bills no bigger than a ten if possible, and have tons of fives, loonies and toonies. If possible try to price your stuff on the dollar amount or at smallest the 25 cent amount as nobody wants to be trying to count out strange change or rounding pennies at a busy event. Make sure to count your to pull profits aside and make change if needed every night for multiday events.

Credit & Debit:

Now n days many markets require you to take more than just cash as payment, this can be Credit or Debit or eTransfer which we will cover last. The most popular ways to take credit and debit are through a payment processer like Square or Stripe. There aren't many accessible, portable options for vending, but there are a few, see below.

Square: Free account, offers the ability to take debit or credit tap payments by NFC capable phones, credit swipe payments by free dongle, or chip payments with purchasable reader. Is basically the only accessible portable reader, easy to buy at any big box retailer like BestBuy or Staples.
Big Cartel (Premium): $15 or more per month, offers the ability to take payments in person by phone for inventory listed on your webstore through them. (Learn more about them as a eCommerce platfom in our "How to Sell Online" section.)
Stripe: Stripe offers tap to pay on NFC capable devices, unfortunately only available for iPhones right now in Canada, not android. Additionally, their square equivalent mobile reader is not available in Canada.
PayPal: Lets customers pay via scanning a QR on their phone and choosing their prefered card to pay online with it.

eTransfer:

Bank eTransfer is an available alternative to cash payment that many markets accept. It has no fees for the recipient (sometimes the sender has fees) but can be cumbersome for the customer to pay with having to login to bank, add new contacts, etc. Additionally, some markets actually do not allow this method of payment as the customer has no protections.

Interac eTransfer

Applying to Events & Markets:

Applying to events can be intensely stressful. Whether they are juried, lottery, or first-come they all have their own special way of making us sweat. Here are some explainations of what all those terms mean and some tips to help you navigate these types of applications.

Juried:

These are often the most common when it comes to art centralized events, including art shows, and are becoming more popular for artist alleys at conventions. Juried basically means that someone or a panel is looking through all the applications and judging them, and essentially picking what they think will be best for the event. Many things come into consideration, not only your artistry but also other aspects can come into play such as how many other artists who sell the same type of products applied, if there are other artists who cover similar niches, and what kind of audience an artist has. This type of application is the most time consuming for the event organizers but it helps ensure a balanced event with a variety of different products available for attendees. When applying to a juried event is is important to have a strong, accessible portfolio for the judges to review. You will want to include original work, the products you are looking to sell, as well as information about past events you have done if possible. Many events like to see prior table setups, if you haven't tabled at an event before, get a mock table setup and take a photo, or render a drawing. The more information the judges have to go off of the better chances you have. Check out our "How to Sell Online" section for more information on online portfolios and website building as well as social media platforms. Please remember, that if you get rejected or waitlisted from a juried event, it's not the end of the world and it isn't the organization saying you suck. Many of these events have a large amount of applicants and they need to balance the types of products or art available. If you get rejected or waitlisted, take a deep breath, give yourself credit for putting yourself out there, and try again next time! Know that some events do have an amount of spots dedicated to new artists, take a moment to research and check if they have a sepetate application process for these spots. Check out some videos below about some artist's experiences with juried events.

Lottery:

These types of events are most common when it's a very large event that doesn't want to or doesn't have the resources to dedicate to judging each individual applicant. Where as juried is less stress on the applicant and more on the organization, lottery is more stress on the applicant and less on the organization. The applicants are pulled from well a lottery to decide who is included in the event, these can be a complete lottery for all vendors or multiple lotteries depending on the type of vendor (ex one pool for artists, one pool for local businesses, etc.). Having an event with a lottery can cause issues with the balance of products available to the attendees but many events alleviate this problem by sorting the applications into pools or having separate applications for different types of vendors and holding separate lotteries for each set of allotted spots. Having an online portfolio is less important for these types of events as nobody is sitting down judging your work but it is still good practice to have one. Many events that run lotteries still do background checks on their vendors to check for anything inappropriate or against their rules, but some may not. Research the events you'd like to attend fully to make sure that selling at the event will be profitable and enjoyable for you.

First-come:

Finally, the last main type of application for events is first-come first-serve. It's what it says it is, first ones with their applications in get the spots. These are most common with smaller community, school, or church level events, such as your local Christmas craft show. These events often don't have the time or expertise to sit down and judge each individual application and may only just get enough applications to fill their hall. These events can sometimes be riddled with AI or MLMs if they organizers don't want to or didn't have the time to do background checks. When these kinds of events allow vendors like MLMs or Generative AI we reccommend our members to find other events that may be more profitable to them. We would like to note that sometimes there are first-come events that are amazing, for these though you may have to camp out at your PC with your finger on the button like you're buying TSwift tickets for a chance to get in!

Popular Events in Manitoba:

A non exhaustive list of some of the most popular events in Mantioba that either have vending opportunites, or celebrate art. Take a look at the various cool events this province has to offer and see if the event is right for you.

Conventions:

These are events that have dedicated artist spaces, and often celebrate artists. Some may be juried.

Ai-Kon: Winnipeg's three-day anime and Japanese culture convention held at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg every July.
Winnipeg ComicCon: Launched in 2019 to fill the hole left by the cancelation of C4, Winnipeg ComicCon takes place in October yearly at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg.
PraireCon: A weekend-long table top gaming convention held yearly in May at the Keystone Centre in Brandon.
Keycon: Manitoba’s Longest Running Mixed-Media Science Fiction Fantasy Convention. Held yearly on Victoria Day long weekend in May. It's current home has been the Hilton Winnipeg Airport Suites.
Game-itoba: Winnipeg’s, premiere tabletop games convention dedicated to all types of tabletop gaming. The convention runs three-days in January. They also host Mini-Toba a 1 day market.
Prairie Comics Festival: Prairie Comics Festival is a two-day yearly event in Winnipeg all about celebrating independent comics, zines, and the folks who create them!
Manitoba Fibre Festival: The Manitoba Fibre Festival, started in 2013 in Winnipeg, is a registered non-profit organization to bring together producers and crafts people to build up and support a growing fibre arts industry and community in Manitoba.
Kpop Con Winnipeg: A new one-day convention in Winnipeg to celebrate all things Kpop.
Winnipeg Doll Extravaganza: Winnipeg’s only collectible doll, toy, teddy bear, and dollhouse miniature Show and Sale. Held in April yearly at the Viscount Gort.
Shadows and Starlight: A Fantasy and LARP event in Eriksdale, Manitoba.

Markets and Events:

These are recurring events that offer many different types of small businesses to vend, some may be juried.

Winnipeg Punk Rock Flea Market: With a motto of Shop Local, Shop Weird, WPRFM is a two-day weekend event that runs every year providing local artists, businesses and vendors a chance to sell their goods.
Geeky Gardens: A new geeky market based in Winnipeg, MB with it's first event in 2025, and promises to return in 2026.
Artifact Alley: A new series of markets and events showcasing Art, Pokemon and other collectibles.
Taste of Asia: Manitoba's first and biggest outdoor Asian Festival.
Third + Bird: Third + Bird hosts a variety of curated markets, pop-ups, and partnership events.
LuckyGirl Pop Up: LuckyGirl Pop Up hosts a variety of market events, including their pop ups as well as Alleyways Market in the Exchange.
Meow Mania: A cat themed market featuring an adoption fair and cat-centric products, from toys and treats to grooming supplies and cat-themed merchandise.
Scattered Seeds: Scattered Seeds has been hosting craft markets since 1995 owned and operated by Manitobans.
The Ex: Hosted at the Red River Exhibition park it is an eleven-day long festival that has rides, food, preformers and a vendor market.
Manitoba Night Market & Festival: Various night markets located at Assiniboia Downs with food tricks, vendors and artisans.
PrideMART at Winnipeg Pride Festival: PrideMART is the business fair held during the annual Pride Winnipeg Festival at the Forks, to showcase LGBTQ+ owned businesses.
Pembina Valley Pride: Pembina Valley Pride takes place in the Ryall Park in Carman, MB they have an area dedicated to vendors.
TYNDALL COMMUNITY MARKET: A market created in collaboration with Tyndall Park Community Centre.
Riley Grae MINI MARKETS: A series of summer markets organized by Riley Grae that include music, food and vendors.

Other Vending Opportunites:

There are many other markets and events in Manitoba including but not limited to; various church, community centre and school markets, as well a holiday specific markets that pop up throughout the year. Additionally, some retail stores offer small markets within their shops (different from Consignment, see "Wholesale & Consignment" section for more details on that.).

Vendor & Craft Shows in Winnipeg Facebook Group: This group is a great way to find out about more local events.
Raven's End Books: A horror bookshop located in the downtown St. James area of Winnipeg. They sometimes offer market tables within their stores for local artists to vend at.

Art Shows:

Here are just a handful of other yearly art events to look out for.

Winnipeg Fine Art Fair: A juried event where local artists with diverse backgrounds and media have the opportunity to showcase their work and increase their visibility directly to the general public.
Queerious WPG: A yearly art show currated by James Turowski held at the Edge Gallery in Winnipeg showcasing Winnipeg’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

Wholesale & Consignment +

Getting your products into existing shops is one way to increase the sales of your goods. there are two main ways to do so, Wholesale and Consignment, you can learn more about these options below and locations in Manitoba that may offer these services.

Wholesale:

Wholesaling or distributing is the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers in bulk for discount. The items are then out of the artist or makers hands and up to the retailer to choose how to sell and price it to generate their own profits.

Bearface General Store: Located on Osborne in Winnipeg this shop is known for their local artisan goods, check their about page and contact them if you are willing to sell wholesale.
The Locals: Located in the Outlet Collection in Winnipeg, they offer both Wholesale and Conisignment options. With wholesale being order as needed at 50% retail value.

YouTube: Wholesale Tips

Consignment:

This is the process in which an artist gives permission to another party (in this case a store or gallery) to take care of their artwork/products while it awaits it's final buyer. In this case the artist retains full ownership but the shop/gallery holds onto it and helps secure a buyer for the duration of the agreement. The artist then pays the store or gallery a portion of the sale for facillitating it.

Maker Faire at The Forks: Similar to a market the Maker Faire at the forks charges a flat rate rental fee, but unlike a market it is manned by their own staff. In addition to the fee there is a 90/10 split on sale of goods (90% to the maker, 10% to The Forks).
The Locals: Located in the Outlet Collection in Winnipeg, they offer both wholesale and conisignment options. With 40% consignment rate.
Matter Manitoba: Matter Queer Space Manitoba Inc. (Matter) is a not-for-profit, volunteer-run, and donation-supported Two-Spirit, Queer, and Trans Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (2SQTBIPOC) -mandated art gallery, library, and queer community programming space located on Graham Ave in Winnipeg. They are currently taking applications to their giftshop to showcase 2SQTBIPOC artists and makers. The giftshop is to run on a Consignment system with sliding scale for percentage split.
Made Here MB: A hub for curated gifts. They craft corporate gift boxes with locally made goods and are located in the Richardson Centre Concourse in downtown Winnipeg. They offer 50% cosignment.
A Little Art Boutique: Located on Corydon Ave this shop sells contemporary art and creative gifts. Contact for more info.
The Edge Gallery: Located on Main Street The Edge Gallery holds various exhibitions and other events. If a a piece of yours is part of an exhibition, the gallery can help facilitate a sale. If your piece sells they take 25%. Other galleries in the city have similar agreements.

E-Commerce Platforms +

There are many different ways to sell your products online. Here is an non exhaustive list of the most popular used by artists.

Your Own Store:

If you want your own standalone store, with the ability to customize what you want these are your main most popular options.

Square Online:

Popular due to its ease of use, free basic account, and intergration with cheap in person payment processessing solutions.

Pros: Easy setup, free basic account with most features, integrates with Square POS, good for beginners.
Cons: Limited customization, transaction fees.

Shopify:

The most highly recomended eCommerce platform for small and big businesses. Offers the most robust set of tools for a fee.

Pros: Highly customizable, and scalable.
Cons: Costly monthly fees, can be complex for beginners.

Big Cartel:

A solid eCommerce choice with free plans available to try out before splurging.

Pros: Free plan available, simple interface, Platinum plan and up offers in person payments, No processing fees from them.
Cons: Limited features on free plan, take payments through Stripe or Paypal which have their own processing fees.

Online Marketplaces:

Online marketplaces, while sometimes seen as less professional, offer great benefits like consumer trust, built in audiences and the ability to be easily discovered, but with that comes compitition with other artists and makers. Additionally, they offer built in soloutions and easy tools for basically anything you could need.

Ko-fi:

A unique style of platform with the ability to take donations, have paid memberships and a store.

Pros: Great for creators, no listing fee, low transaction fees, unlimited listings, ability to offer freebies or $0+ items, supports donations and commissions and memberships (similar to Patreon), in addition to your shop.
Cons: Less traditional e-commerce features, smaller audience, less customization, no search tab so no discoverability, must have existing following to convert to followers on platform.

Etsy:

Originally a handmade marketplace, now all sorts of goods are sold.

Pros: Large built-in audience, very familiar to the public (basically the Amazon for art), easy to start.
Cons: High competition, listing fees, transaction fees, ad fees, lack of customization.

StoreEnvy:

A marketplace for anything basically.

Pros: Large, easy to start.
Cons: High competition, lack of customization, not as popular as Etsy for art, not as popular with the public as Etsy.

Print-On-Demand:

These solutions offer you the ability to sell products without having to make them, you upload your art and you're good to sell. Various platforms offer various different kinds of items that can be printed on demand, some like INPRINT sell one type of thing while others like RedBubble sell almost anything you can think up. These offer an easy solution to getting started but do not give an artist the ability to sell these same items in person. Additionally, some platforms can be infested with Generative AI or have issues with copywrite infringments, proceed with caution.

RedBubble:

Well known and popular Print on Demand service, known for both ease of use and art theft.

Pros: No listing fees, super easy to get started, large existing audience.
Cons: Minimum payout threshold, art theft, copywrite issues, and lots of Generative AI listings.

Society6:

A print on demand for various products for home and living.

Pros: Existing audience, more strict on art theft and copywrite.
Cons: Currently closed for new members as they transition to a new process, less known to the public.

Spoonflower:

A marketplace for textile goods, wallpaper and fabric.

Pros: Large and well known, be a part of other makers creations though fabric patterns.
Cons: High competition, lacks goods not for home decor.

INPRINT:

Print on demand for art prints (including square stickers), curated by artists.

Pros: Well known in the art community, trusted, artist created.
Cons: Only for art prints and square format stickers.

Teezr:

Print on demand for shirts, created by artist for artists.

Pros: Free to join, created by artists, for artists, only accepts original work, ability to take custom requests.
Cons: Only prints shirts, and does not accept fan art.

Digital Only:

These solutions are to sell digital goods only, please read notes for each for one for the details on what can be sold.

Patreon: Well known platform for creatives to sell memberships for exculsive perks, also now lets creators sell digital goods.
Gumroad: A marketplace for selling digital goods.
Ribblr: A platform for connecting makers that can be used for selling crochet and knitting patterns.
itch.io: A platform for selling games and game assets.

Social Media +

Using social media to promote and sell your art and products can be both a blessing and a curse. Choosing which platform you wish to sink your efforts into to build an audience is a hard task but here are some pros and cons about the various platforms as well as some resources for how to play the algorithmic game to your benefit.

Twitter (Rebranded as X):

Originally created as a microblogging platform for real time updates. It's a fast paced enviorment where trends come and go in a flash.

Pros: Established userbase, good for real-time updates.
Cons: Short shelf-life for posts, difficult to stand out, relies heavily on text, and you know... the whole Elon Musk thing, and the type of people that can attract.
AI policy: X's terms of service state that content posted on the platform may be used to train its machine learning and AI models, including their own. While X prohibits unauthorized scraping, it explicitly reserves the right to use user data for its own AI training.

Bluesky:

A newer, decentralized, microblogging platform for real time updates. It's the most popular Twitter-Like.

Pros: Decentralized and open-source, good for real-time updates, potential for more user control and less algorithmic manipulation, chronological feeds and options to make lists.
Cons: Still in early development, smaller user base compared to established platforms.
AI policy: While Bluesky itself states it is not using user content for AI training, its open API (Firehose API) allows third-parties to scrape public user data for AI training. Bluesky is exploring ways to let users communicate their consent preferences externally, but they cannot enforce these preferences outside their systems. Respecting these settings is up to external developers.

Instagram (& Threads):

Originally created as photo sharing platform, it now also focuses on short form video content and it's counterpart Threads leans towards being a Twitter-like.

Pros: Visual first platform makes it ideal for showcasing art, large established userbase.
Cons: Algorithm can be hard to work with, high saturation of content for users to wade through, not ideal for sharing external links.
AI policy: Meta uses public information from users over the age of 18 to train its AI tools. While users in some regions have the ability to opt out, the process can be confusing, and it doesn't always cover content posted by others that includes you or your work.
YouTube: How to quickly grow your Instagram art account

TikTok:

A short-form video platform with extreme popularity among younger demographics.

Pros: Visual first platform focusing on video, large established userbase, large art community and great potential for virality.
Cons: Less emphasis on following and more on the algorithmic for you feed, content creation can be time consuming for videos, difficult to convert viewers to fans, challenging to direct fans to external links.
AI policy: TikTok's Terms of Service prohibit unauthorized data scraping and the use of automated scripts to collect information. They employ various measures to deter scraping and protect user privacy. However, the general landscape of AI training often involves data scraped from public sources and the platfom itself is not immune from Generative AI content.
YouTube: HOW TO (ACTUALLY) GROW YOUR ART ACCOUNT ON TIKTOK

Youtube:

Youtube is less a social media platform than the others but is important to mention, as it is the dominant video-sharing platform online. It allows for long-form content and where tutorials, vlogs and video essays thrive.

Pros: Visual first platform focusing on video, large established userbase, large art community, many different formats of videos are popular, monetization options are possible.
Cons: Time consuming to create long-form videos, competition from lonf established creators.
AI policy: YouTube's Terms of Service prohibit content from unauthorized use, such as unauthorized downloads and scraping. Creators can choose to allow third-party companies building AI models to use their YouTube videos for AI model training, but this setting is turned off by default.
YouTube: How To Grow An Art Youtube Channel From 0 to 40k Subscribers

Tumblr:

A microblogging platform known for it's fandom communities.

Pros: Established userbase, strong community, reblogging feature is great for sharing, extreme longevity of posts.
Cons: Can be considered less professional, userbase has declined since it's peak, very specific niche fandoms find popularity here.
AI policy: Tumblr has implemented some measures to block AI bots from accessing its site and scraping user-generated content for training purposes.

Facebook:

Who uses Facebook anymore? I guess you might want to share with older family members.

Pros: Established userbase, Marketplace can be used to sell locally.
Cons: Aging userbase, High saturation of content for users to wade through including incredible amounts of Generative AI images.
AI policy: Meta uses public information from users over the age of 18 to train its AI tools. While users in some regions have the ability to opt out, the process can be confusing, and it doesn't always cover content posted by others that includes you or your work.

Online Portfolios & Websites +

Creating a website or online portfolio is a great step in your art journey. It makes market and convention applications that much easier, links all your socials and online presence in one easy place for fans to find, and can either intergrate an eCommerce platform or link to it.

Neocities:

Neocities is what SillyLilGuys.club is built on. If you reminisce about the good old days of the online world where everyone had a personal website, or long to go back and write your own HTML MySpace or Tumblr theme, Neocities got you.

Pros: Free, full control and freedom over how your website looks and acts, nostalgic aesthetic, offers free .neocities.org domain and web hosting, cheap membership fee availible for if you want a custom domain and more storage space, easy to add custom domain, Bluesky username intergration if using a Neocities domain, and a built in social media aspect where you can follow other websites for updates, and have your website discovered through tags.
Cons: Requires HTML/CSS knowledge, no built-in features, intimidating to non-coders.

YouTube: HTML FOR DUMMIES | NEOCITIES TUTORIAL

Squarespace:

Honestly, if you don't know what Squarespace is by now, I envy you.

Pros: Easy to use templates, all-in-one solution, no coding knowledge required.
Cons: Costly monthly fees, less flexibility than custom code.

Wix:

A code-free drag and drop website builder with a limited free plan.

Pros: Drag-and-drop editor, free plan available.
Cons: Can look less professional on free plan, site speed issues, monthly fee to use custom domain and to access more professional features and templates.

Carrd:

A simple free single page that can act as both a linktree as well as host a small amount of images.

Pros: Simple, one-page sites, free, easy to use.
Cons: Limited size, not suitable for large portfolios, cannot use custom domain.

Wordpress.org:

The most popular open-source publishing platform, 100% free to use with your own domain and web hosting. There are two versions of Wordpress .org and .com. See the differences.

Pros: Complete freedom, easy editing, and no cost to use.
Cons: Need to aquire your domain seperately, will need to aquire seperate web hosting.

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org

Wordpress.com:

A fully hosted web platform, with limited free plan. There are two versions of Wordpress .org and .com. See the differences.

Pros: Simple, easy to use, variety of plan options.
Cons: Free plan is limited, additional features will require monthly fee.

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org

ArtStation:

A portfolio building website, used by game and film industries.

Pros: Popular option for digital artists, discoverability, exposure to the game and film industries.
Cons: Not customizable, mainly for digital art, controversy regarding generative AI images, no custom domain, more similar to a social media platform as others can see your follower count on the main ArtStation website.

How to purchase a domain:

If you wish to use a custom domain some of these web services offer the ability to obtain one directly through their website builder, for others like Neocities or Wordpress.org you can use a domain name registar to get your desired .ca, .com, or even .gay

How to Sell Commissions Online +

There are various options when selling commissions online. Look below to see a quick overview of the pros and cons of various platforms.

Ko-fi:

A donation, subscription and sales platform for creatives. Popular with a variety of artists, easy to use and no listing fees.

Pros: Integrated shop/donations, low fees, easy setup for commissions.
Cons: Less in-depth commission management than dedicated platforms.

VGen:

A commission marketplace for artists. Popular for streaming assets like PNGtubers and Emotes.

Pros: Designed specifically for artists taking commissions, good management tools, easy for customers to navigate.
Cons: Newer platform, has niche userbase.

Fiverr:

A marketplace for freelance services. Popular with the general populace, but has many Generative AI freelancers.

Pros: Large userbase and marketplace, easy for customers to navigate.
Cons: Many creators already using it, restrictions on pricing, has Generative AI freelancers.

Direct Payment:

By invoicing and taking direct payments you lower your fees but in turn need to host your own portfolio and manually track. eTransfer payments are also an option but we do not reccomend without drafting up a true invoice to go with for accountability and tax purposes.

Pros: Direct control, widely accepted, flexible for custom orders, potentially lower fees.
Cons: Requires manual tracking, lacks the discovery of marketplace options, will need separate digital portfolio to show to potential clients.
PayPal Invoicing
Square Invoices