Some artists spend more time on the road than they do in the studio. This is because they have developed a successful career as an art instructor. Teaching art classes can be a profitable and rewarding small business, especially when an artist isn't making enough money to live on by just selling his or her art.
Choosing an Art Technique to Teach
The first step is to decide what to teach. For example, a mixed media artist may create one class on how to make backgrounds. A fiber artist may opt to teach people how to make green grocery bags out of beautiful yarns. Usually, the artist focuses on just one class and adds others as the demand grows. However, several related classes can enable the artist to earn money on the same customers over and over again. For example, the mixed media artist could add a class on making mixed media dolls, a class on making artist trading cards and a class on making an heirloom wall piece to the available class list.
Creating Class Descriptions
Many times, artists forget that those acronyms and terms they now use all the time without a second thought used to be like a foreign language. A clear description of each class, including exactly what the student will be going home with is extremely important.
For example, an artist may be offering an ATC class. The description should be similar to this:
Make an ATC, or artist trading card. These little 2.5" x 3.5" pieces of art can be in any art medium, but this class will help you make a mixed media card. Supplies are included in the cost of the class and include:
- ATC base
- Color copy of copyright free spring related image
- Ephemera for background
In addition, there will be supplies in the art studio for students to use, including gel medium adhesive, markers, ink pads and rubber stamps.
Pricing Art Classes
Pricing art classes or artist workshops can be a challenge. Often, the art instructor underprices the session. Remember, the class includes time to create a project, kit assembly and instruction time. If the instructor is offering the use of studio materials that are not included in the kit, the class price should reflect this, as well. Often, classes that include a kit for students to put together include a materials fee.
However, the artist needs to remember that more than one student will be paying the fee for each class. Fees of anywhere from $5 to $20 per hour per student are common, with a material fee surcharge added to the final price.
Finding Students for Art Classes
People who are interested in art classes can be reached with an art studio blog, a customer mailing list, through other art studios and through local art associations. Libraries and schools may be interested in hiring art instructors to offer programs and classes. Of course, art conventions and week-long art workshops also are options.
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