Deviantart as a career jumping board for digital artists - success stories, tips, inspiration and risks

DeviantART is a huge online platform for publishing digital art, opening up career paths and marketing opportunities for countless creatives from all over the world.

What is DeviantART and how does the platform work?

DeviantArt is an online community for art lovers and creatives . Originally launched in 2000, the website has attracted millions of members to date.

Digital artists in particular can publish their works here, exchange ideas with other artists, and gather comments from the public.

DeviantART's offices are located in the sunny Californian metropolis of Los Angeles. The platform's name originated from the idea of ​​showcasing unique artworks that defy conventional wisdom.

Inspired by the English term "deviant" , the name DeviantART was created.

Originally, artists added their own style and modified existing designs using computer tools.

DeviantArt has evolved into a virtual environment that encompasses various art forms. From traditional paintings and digital images created graphics tablet concept art , game design animation, photography, elaborate 3D designs, and AI-based artwork, you'll find everything your creative heart desires.

DeviantART now offers tools for creating tutorials and provides its members with opportunities for networking and exchanging ideas.

Digital artists can use DeviantART to refine their talents, showcase their work, and perhaps find entirely new employment opportunities .

Here you can find inspiration and meet like-minded people. You should definitely visit this site, whether you are a digital artist or aspire to be one!

Business model and fee structure

You can get started for free . Most users begin by creating their own gallery, adding works by other artists to their favorites, and interacting with the community.

DeviantART also offers two subscription models for more ambitious members, divided into Plus memberships. This allows you to get more out of your artistic side.

The core upgrade

This subscription gives you access to 20 GB of storage space and allows you to customize your profile to your liking. Your artwork is securely protected.

If you want to sell your designs and images on DeviantArt, the fee is 12% of the revenue. As a Core member, you can also create up to 50 images via DreamUp and design 3 variations each time.

The Core+ subscription

This account grants its users a generous 50 GB of storage space, and by using the image generator, up to 100 unique works of art can be created, supported by the latest artificial intelligence technology.

The Pro upgrade

Pro users benefit from a reduced platform fee of only 5% for each artwork sold. Additionally, you can offer your own premium gallery and downloads for up to $10,000.

With DreamUp you have the option to generate up to 200 images, each with 4 variations.

The Pro+ subscription

By purchasing this subscription, artists secure a preferred status where only 2.5% of their earnings go to DeviantArt. In return, they can create up to 300 AI-generated artworks thanks to DreamUp.

Advantages and disadvantages

The online service acts in a certain way as a social media platform, but without the crucial components such as the development of a social media strategy and its evaluation.

Individual support is not provided. Instead, artists can find inspiration and use their own gallery to build a fan base.

Whether DeviantArt is the right choice for every artist depends on their individual needs and requirements. To give you a better overview of the service, we've briefly summarized the platform's advantages and disadvantages:

Success stories of artists who became famous through DeviantART

Do you want to be a successful digital artist? Then you should definitely read the DeviantArt success stories for artists.

DeviantArt features many examples of artists who have gained recognition for their work and now pursue fulfilling careers in digital art.

Robh Ruppel , for example, an American illustrator and concept artist who can be found on DeviantArt, now works for major companies such as Disney and DreamWorks .

South Korean illustrator Loish , who was originally known for her paintings on DeviantArt, now enjoys a large fan base.

These stories will show how successful one can be as a digital artist if one works hard, constantly develops their skills, and exhibits their work on websites like DeviantArt.

Let these success stories inspire you and start your own career as a digital artist.

However, following developments in recent years on DeviantArt, it has become more difficult to gain enough attention on the platform.

Tips for your success on DeviantART

Find communities (groups) and become part of them

DeviantArt is a virtual environment that brings together artists and art lovers from all over the world. The beauty of it is that each of the various artists present possesses unique skills and a unique style.

Joining communities is a fantastic way to network if you want to meet like-minded people.

Discovering communities is easy. Simply visit the community website and use the search box to find communities that match your interests. Once you've found an interesting community, take some time to check if it's helpful and active.

Simply click the "Join this community" to join a community. Being part of a community means you should regularly showcase your own work, leave comments, and participate in discussions.

The more active you are, the more likely it is that others will see you and your work.

How to build your own community and market yourself

On DeviantArt, success depends on building a strong community and marketing yourself. These tips might be helpful:

First, you should regularly publish excellent work and actively communicate with other musicians. Comment on and share your work to draw attention to yourself and establish yourself as a member of the community.

To make your artwork accessible to a wider audience, you can also create your own groups or join existing ones. Involve your fans in your creative endeavors by using DeviantArt's tools such as polls or journals.

Even if you're marketing yourself, you should maximize your profile and create a strong brand identity. Make sure your bio is compelling and use a consistent design for your banner and profile picture.

To reach more people, you can also publish your work on other platforms such as Instagram, TikTok or Pinterest, using targeted hashtags.

The 2024 DeviantART Guide to more favorites, visitors, comments, and popularity

Since the DeviantART Eclipse update, many users are unsure how to make their artwork visible. This video tutorial will show you how to maximize your reach on the platform today with practical tips and knowledge gained and tested by YouTuber The Art Mentor through DeviantART submissions.

This tutorial contains three basic steps to make your content more widely known through this online service and to increase your influence on this platform.

As a long-time user of DA, The Art Mentor very familiar with its mechanisms.

What types of artwork are particularly successful on DeviantART?

If you're looking for inspiration as a digital artist, DeviantArt is the perfect place to do so.

Here you will find a variety of artworks that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but have also been successful with other users.

Digital illustrations , photo manipulations , and 3D models are particularly popular Abstract artworks and fan art are also

How can you make money with DeviantART? An overview

As a digital artist, you can turn your talent into cash here.

The platform offers various ways to earn money with your artwork .

One option is to sell prints or other physical products through the DeviantArt Shop .

Another option is commissions from clients who are willing to pay for your work.

Another lucrative option is participating in competitions and winning awards .

DeviantART offers a range of opportunities to help monetize your skills and establish yourself as a digital artist.

Sale of digital content (art, videos)

On DeviantART, digital artists and video creators can sell their work to earn money.

All you need to do is create your own shop on DeviantArt and upload your films or artwork. Once everything is ready, you can sell your product to suitable buyers.

To sell digital content on DeviantArt, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, think about how much you want to charge for your work. The price calculator in the DeviantArt Store can help with this.

Next, you need to set up a payment system so customers can pay for your services. The site accepts payments via Stripe and PayPal.

It also needs to be determined how the buyer will receive the content. You can send them a download link or upload the files directly to their account.

Once you have completed these tasks, you can promote and sell your digital works on DeviantART.

Sale of original artworks

Another option is to set up a shop on your own domain and sell your work there. You can also participate in competitions with cash prizes or join clubs to market your original artwork.

To do this, you need to set up an online shop on your own website before you can sell your own artwork directly on DeviantART.

Simply click on the "My Shop" in your dashboard.

You can design your shop with the selected products and set the prices for each individual item. Interested people can view your artwork and buy it directly from you once everything is set up.

You can also choose to join clubs that support the sale of your artwork. To do this, visit the groups section and search for suitable keywords such as "artist," "sale," or "marketplace" to find relevant groups.

Once you have joined a group, you can post links to your artwork in the group forums and interact with other members about selling your work.

Have you ever considered participating in art competitions ? There are often reasonable financial prizes for the winners.

Most companies in the gaming or media industry hold such competitions and virtual meetups to find new talent and hire them for their projects. So definitely give it a try if you want to showcase your skills and perhaps be discovered by potential employers.

The Importance of Feedback and Criticism on DeviantART

Feedback from other users is crucial for the success of any digital artist who wants to make it big on DeviantArt.

Even though it can be difficult to take a step back and look at your work objectively, feedback from other members can help you identify shortcomings and provide approaches for improvement.

You should ensure that comments are helpful and constructive, as not all remarks are worth considering. Nevertheless, you can improve the quality of your work and thus your job prospects by taking relevant advice to heart.

It is equally important that you do not get discouraged; instead, view feedback as an opportunity to develop further and improve your skills.

Use the comment section to your advantage; DeviantART is the virtual home of a fantastic community of artists who encourage and inspire each other.

The benefits of DeviantART as a portfolio platform for aspiring digital artists

If you are an aspiring digital artist, it can be difficult to present your work to a wider audience.

The platform offers a wealth of features to achieve this goal, allowing you to showcase your artwork and receive feedback from other artists and fans.

Many successful digital artists started their careers on DeviantArt and still use the platform today as an important part of their marketing strategy , even if it no longer retains much of its former glory.

Critical voices: What are the limits and risks of using DeviantART as a career springboard?

Of course, there are also critical voices when it comes to using DeviantART as a career springboard. We don't want to withhold these from you.

The power of the DeviantArt online community is undeniable. With so many artists sharing so much information, the website is a great place to showcase your work and improve as an artist.

But there are just as many ways to get lost in the platform's vast array of features. Some fear that the platform is too cluttered and makes it difficult to stand out from the crowd .

Others point to the risk that users may publish works on the platform without permission or even with false information, thus committing copyright infringements

DreamUp – DeviantART and the AI ​​Controversy

At the end of 2022, DeviantART decided to venture into the minefield of AI image generation and launch DreamUp The Verge reported ).

It is part of a larger attempt by the platform to give human artists more control over the hybrid creation of digital art, but it has also caused sufficient confusion – and anger among some users, who have voiced their frustration (see Trustpilot and Reddit) .

What are the community protests about?

DreamUp is based on Stable Diffusion , the open-source image generation engine from Stability AI. Anyone can sign up on DeviantART and receive five prompts for free. The website's Core subscription plans allow users to purchase between 50 and 300 prompts per month, plus additional prompts for a fee.

Unlike other generators, DreamUp has a unique feature: it detects when you try to imitate another artist's style. And if the artist objects, it's supposed to stop the user. However, instead of addressing the root cause, it hasn't proven very effective in practice as a safeguard against copyright.

Because of its stable diffusion roots, DreamUp learned how to generate images by analyzing hundreds of millions of images scraped from websites like DeviantArt and collected in LAION databases without the artists' permission. You can see the irony, which some DeviantArt members rightly find problematic.

The online service operators made attempts to reassure artists who might be upset that their work is being used to train AI image generators .

Following an outcry from its community, the website offered a special "noai" flag that artists could use to disable the use of third-party image data in their image settings. (Whether third-party image scrapers will respect this flag remains to be seen.)

Furthermore, artists have been given the option to opt out of having their images trained with DreamUp in the future, but each artist must first fill out a form that requires human review. This policy has led to significant resistance among DeviantArt members, some of whom have threatened to delete all their work and deactivate their accounts.

As a result of this protest, DeviantART announced an update to its AI dataset policy, which now states that, in response to community feedback, all images hosted by DeviantART are “automatically marked as NOT authorized for use in AI datasets”

At the moment, this appears to only include the automatic opt-out of third-party AI datasets marked with the "noai" flag—a policy that dataset scrapers must voluntarily accept to be effective. Artists who wish to opt their work out of being included in DeviantArt's own AI training for DreamUp must still fill out a form ( arsTECHNICA ).

The following video from Studio DELO examines the devastating impact of AI, fraudsters, and poor management on DeviantArt. It delves into the platform's history and decline, showing how AI-generated images and bots flooded the site, undermining artists' rights and incomes.

However, despite these controversies, it should not be forgotten that DeviantART offers a promising platform for digital artists to present themselves and be inspired by others.

With a good dose of dedication and the right strategy, it's certainly possible to be successful and advance your career. Ultimately, it's up to each individual how they use this virtual platform and what opportunities they seize from it.

DeviantArt 2025 – Is it still worthwhile for digital artists?

As we have seen, poor decisions were made by the operators, and the community had to endure challenging years. Even though Eclipse was an attempt at rectification, the AI ​​initiative in 2022 has again presented new challenges for digital artists on the platform.

Is it still worth investing time and energy in a presence on the platform? We think so, even though the obstacles have increased.

Looking Similarweb , DeviantArt is still ranked 250th among the world's most visited websites, with almost 100 million page views last month. In the relevant category, DeviantArt is even in first place, thus maintaining its status as the market leader.

Where do the users of DeviantArt come from?

Access figures compared to the competition

Conclusion

Ultimately, DeviantArt remains a great space for aspiring digital artists. The inspiring stories and success stories demonstrate that with dedication and effort, one can gain a foothold in the digital art scene.

If you want to become a digital artist yourself, use DeviantArt to showcase your work and get feedback from other artists.

Post frequently and participate in competitions to improve your skills and promote yourself.

You should also acquire knowledge in portfolio sharing across multiple platforms and in online marketing.

One day, with the right attitude, a good dose of perseverance, and a love for digital art, you too can write a success story on DeviantART!

Frequently asked questions and discussions about DeviantART

What happened to DeviantArt? What is DeviantArt Eclipse? And why is it facing so much criticism?

DeviantART was once the central platform for artists of all categories, but over the years the audience has migrated to other websites such as Behance and ArtStation.

With Eclipse, DeviantART attempted to return to its roots in 2019 while simultaneously integrating modern elements from competing sites. This culminated in fierce resistance from former veterans who viewed these changes with skepticism and perceived DeviantART as no longer professional.

At the same time, the community felt nostalgic for the old platform and did not want to make any further adjustments to trends, but rather preserve the "classic website" .

However, this analysis is somewhat influenced by subjective accounts of experiences and may not capture all aspects of the situation.

Why did many artists leave DeviantArt?

Analyzing Reddit discussions like “DeviantArt doesn't seem as near as popular as it used to be,” one quickly comes to the conclusion that the once loyal and active community expresses much regret about how much DeviantArt has changed in the last ten years.

In its heyday, the community spent an enormous amount of time on the platform, but now signs of decline are emerging. Despite the best efforts of some core users to upload new artwork and actively participate in clubs, these efforts received little attention – many clubs are apparently inactive and engagement has drastically decreased.

The platform was flooded with problems such as massive amounts of unfiltered content and spam of AI-generated images , making it difficult to find genuine art.

The platform's operators' complete disinterest in user feedback led to many artists losing visibility; once-celebrated works now receive little to no recognition. This development saddens many former DeviantArt fans, as DeviantArt was once a huge, vibrant creative community.

On which alternative platforms can digital artists sell their work?

Besides DeviantArt, you can also upload your art to other websites designed for selling digital files to reach more people.

Instagram or TikTok offer great opportunities . Here you can present your projects, build a fan base, and communicate directly with potential buyers.

Websites like Etsy , Creative Market , and Behance facilitate the sale of digital art. These websites are primarily used by people who are looking for genuine artwork and want to support artists.

Etsy has established itself as a popular place for handcrafted and digital products, while Creative Market focuses on high-quality design resources. Additionally Behance to showcase your portfolio and connect directly with potential clients.

Of particular note is pixiv.net , one of the world's largest art communities where you can publish illustrations, manga , and novels. Community members organize projects, participate in official competitions, and much more. Even though direct sales aren't yet possible, pixiv.net to generate significant reach for your art and thus test or increase its market value.

Websites like RedBubble , Society6 , or ArtStation are interesting for artists interested in print-on-demand as a source of income. On these websites, you can have patterns, motifs, and designs printed on various products, such as wall art, posters, or T-shirts.

Prefer to sell digital artwork through stock photo websites? Then services like Shutterstock a good starting point. These websites are a proven approach for selling licensed photographs, illustrations, and graphics.

Last but not least, you should also consider setting up your own online store. Platforms like Shopify , WooCommerce , or Wix allow you to create a professional sales page and gain complete control over your artwork and its marketing. Having your own store also enables you to build long-term relationships with your customers.