Every artist is aware of furry art. It’s well-known that furry artists earn more than their peers in other freelance art genres.
Whenever I look up commission prices for furry art, I’m always struck by how expensive it is.
Prices range from full-body sketches to complete colored pieces, often costing double or more than typical commission rates.
This leads to the question: How much do furry artists earn annually? Can they make a living as furry artists, and is it worth considering as a career path?
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Earnings for furry artists can vary greatly. From as little as $6000 a year to $80000 a year, how much a furry artist earns is determined by how popular he is
- Skill correlates positively with furry art commission price
- Sometimes, popularity matters more than skill
What is Furry Art?
Furry art is a unique form of expression that features anthropomorphic animals or furry characters with human characteristics or behaviors.
The subjects typically bear animal traits and humanoid features, allowing for a wide range of creative exploration.
- Mediums Used on Furry Art: Usually Digital art, but traditional art in the form of pencil and ink exist
- Common Themes: Custom Characters, Personal Identifications (Fursonas)
- Purpose: Artistic Expression, Community Building, Hobby
Furry Artist Explained
The unique part of furry art fandom is that fans often have a strong connection to their creations, regularly inventing intricate backstories and diverse personalities for their characters.
These personas, or “fursonas”, are a form of artistic expression and a means of identity and community within the fandom.
Furry artists may work on commission, creating personalized pieces for others in the community or selling prints, merchandise, or original works in physical and online spaces.
Their earnings can be as varied as their art, with some artists making modest amounts, while successful creators might earn a substantial income.
The Reason Why Commisioned Furry Art is So Popular among Furries
Now, why is furry art so popular? Commissioned art is popular in the furry community because it offers a personalized way to express one’s fursona.
Many furries want their fursona to be expressed in a medium, including an art medium. And they will spend money if they can’t create their fursona themselves.
How Much Do Furry Artists Make?
Furry artists employ diverse methods to monetize their art, whether through freelancing platforms, social media, fandom sites, or conventions.
The income from these channels varies widely, and several factors can affect earnings from commission work.
An established furry artist can earn up to $80,000 a year.
But what about the furry artist that just started selling their commission?
Furry artists without popularity may only earn commission 3 to 4 times a month, around $500 a month or $6000 a year. Not a livable wage if you live in the USA.
Artists in regions with less prominent furry communities may find it more challenging to obtain commissions due to lower local demand.
Popularity and cultural penetration in different regions can dictate the potential income for artists within the furry community.
How Furry Artist earn money
Commission Work
Most furry artists’ income comes from commissioned artwork. They often promote their commission service on furry community websites like FurAffinity.
Besides the furry community, artists can rely on freelancing platforms like Etsy, Fiverr, or Upwork, where they showcase their art portfolios to attract potential clients.
While such sites can significantly enhance an artist’s visibility, they often take some of the earnings as commission fees, leading artists to adjust their pricing strategies to compensate for these charges.
Some furry artists use social media like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to promote their art commission services. They usually connect their Etsy page with their social media.
Patreon Page
Famous furry artists usually showcase their artwork on their Patreon page. This platform allows artists to showcase their work and receive subscription-based income from patrons. Patreon offers several benefits:
- Artists receive a steady stream of income based on their subscription tiers.
- Patreon allows artists to offer exclusive content to their subscribers, such as early access to new works, behind-the-scenes material, furry art tutorials, and special commissions.
- It provides a platform for deeper engagement with fans.
Live Streaming
Streaming has become a lucrative avenue for many furry artists. They showcase their process of creating furry art live on YouTube or Twitch.
It’s a social event and a way to humanize yourself to your audience, encouraging their financial support.
Streaming also offers a platform for sales and interacting with your fanbase.
The average cost of a furry art commission
The cost of a custom furry costume can vary widely based on complexity, sometimes priced at $30 to $60 per piece for simple sketch and up to $200 for complex full-body furry artwork.
The Recommended Commission Price
According to Soatok, furry artists living in the United States should charge at least $15, and $24 per hour for experienced artists. Setting a good hourly rate is important, especially if your art skills prove you are worth more.
This means their commission price depends on how long they create it.
A basic sketch can cost $40 to $60 because they only need 1 to 2 hours to create it, while full body art can take at least 5 hours. Some pieces can take several days to complete, So it’s not that simple to determine
According to my experience, the more popular a furry artist is, the more he charges for an art commission.
But Soatok is correct. An artist should charge a furry art commission of at least $24 per hour.
If you get a commission for furry art, first, you need to estimate how long it takes to create it and decide the price based on time spent. Of course, you can charge more because there is enough demand.
Tips:
Always promote your commission service if you have an Instagram, Twitter, or DeviantArt account with many followers. Tell your followers how much it costs on every art post if someone needs to commission a similar art piece.
Should You Become a Furry Artist?
Becoming a furry artist takes work; even though it looks like you only need to draw furry art, then the money will roll in.
While it’s commonly believed that making a living from commissions is unattainable, the main challenges are skill and marketing, with the former somewhat dependent on the latter.
Your work must justify your prices, often about finding the right audience.
To earn a living wage from commissions, you must work forty hours a week at minimum wage, requiring high prices and skill levels. With practice, this is achievable.
Next, marketing is crucial. The most straightforward marketing strategy is advertising on platforms like FurAffinity and Furry Subreddit. Although it costs money, it can drive traffic to your art.
Once you have a substantial fanbase, they will start promoting your work. Eventually, excessive advertising might lead to more demand than you can handle, but until then, it’s beneficial.
Is it common for Non-furries to create art for the furry community?
I know some non-fury artists draw commissioned furry arts because it’s where the money pouring in.
It’s understandable. Being an artist is not an easy job to do. Most artists are starving artists, but experienced and popular furry artists are usually the exception.
What Furry Artists Must Do to Become Successful
Finding a loyal client
Sometimes, a client will commission furry art multiple times. This is your target, and it’s not easy to find it. You need to consistently provide high-quality furry art and become known among the furry community.
After doing countless commissions and with luck, you will get referred to someone who loves commissioning furry art.
Because furry art is a global culture, you will find furries across the globe.
Keep Learning
Furry art is not that easy. You need to keep up with the furries’ trend and expand your skill sets to create good furry art.
Luckily, drawing is a learnable skill.
Ask for feedback from the furry community to help you improve and refine your furry art style.
Don’t be Disgusted
Look, to be honest, most furry art is not necessarily SFW.
You need to be prepared for what your client will ask. Remember, you can refuse the commission if you are uncomfortable doing them.
