How Do Artist's Make Money?

An artist makes money by either taking a career that involves art or they sell their artwork.

Galleries

http://www.cod.edu/course/Information/MRKT2220F5/MRKT2220_p.htm

Commercial galleries typically sell artists' works at a commission and the typical commission that galleries take is somewhere between 40% and 50% of the sale of the work, determined by a contract. Whether you submit your work for sale by consignment or enter into an ongoing relationship with a gallery,everything should all be written down in a contract.
Nonprofit galleries typically show work that is young, edgier, and cutting edge. Depending on the gallery, they will take a commission – usually not more than 30%. Nonprofit galleries typically do not “represent” artists or enter into contractual relationships with them.There is no contract with this transaction and is generally easier to deal with.

Studio Commissions

Many artist sell their work out of their studio by arranged visits or open studios arranged with other artists. If you are represented by a gallery, that agreement may extend to “studio sales” or all sales of your work. If you do not have a formal relationship with a gallery, you obviously retain 100% of the sale.

Online

More artists are selling their work online. Any commission from an online website would be determined by the terms of use contract that you agreed to. Different sites charge a different percentage of a commission. Anywhere between 1-5% is normal; 10% is on the high end. Some websites are designed especially for this where they get a percentage of the profit, such as Deviantart and Etsy.

Atkinson, Valerie. "How Do Artists Make Money?" Artschools.com. Art Bistro. Web. 8 May 2012. <http://www.artschools.com/articles/how-do-artists-make-money.html>.