If you are an artist who wants your work to pay you even when you are not at your desk, then affiliate sites that are already built can help. In simple terms, you can buy turnkey affiliate websites, add your personality and your art taste, and let them earn small commissions from products that match your audience. It is not magic money, and it still needs care, but it can grow into a quiet extra income that supports your creative life.
I will walk through what these sites are, how they work for artists, what is realistic, and where people usually get stuck. I will also share some ideas that come from my own clumsy experiments with passive income, including a sketch blog that made more from pencils than from my drawings.
What a pre built affiliate site actually is
Some people talk about passive income like it is a fairy tale. Especially in creative circles. You just “set it up once and forget it”. That is not really how this works.
A pre built affiliate site is usually:
- A finished WordPress site with a design already done
- Some starter content, like a few blog posts or product reviews
- Affiliate links already added or ready to be added
- Basic pages set up, such as Home, About, Contact, maybe a blog
You earn a commission when someone clicks your link and buys something from a partner store, like Amazon or an art supplies shop. The site does not sell anything directly. It recommends things.
That sounds simple. It is simple. It is just not instant money.
The website is your shop window, but search engines and real people still need a reason to walk past and stop.
If you are an artist, the good part is that you already live in a world full of tools, materials, habits, and stories. These are all things that can work very well on an affiliate site.
Why artists are in a good place for this
Artists are often told they are “not business people”. I do not really agree. If you decide to spend 20 hours on a painting instead of 5, you are already thinking in terms of value, time, and trade offs.
Affiliate sites are just another medium. Like switching from watercolor to digital tablets. Different tools, same brain.
Your taste is your advantage
There are thousands of generic affiliate sites that list “Top 10 watercolor sets” with nothing that feels human. This is where artists have an edge.
You can say things other people cannot say, such as:
- How a brush behaves on cold press versus hot press
- Which sketchbook lies flat on a crowded train
- What color palette helps when you are color blind or partially color blind
- How different tablet pens feel if someone draws for 6 hours a day
When you write about tools as someone who actually uses them, people notice. And they trust you more than some faceless product reviewer who tested nothing.
If the advice on your site is good enough that you would give it to a close friend for free, then it is strong enough to support an affiliate link.
You already have an audience, even if it is small
Many artists think they “do not have a following” because they only have 300 Instagram followers or a small email list. That is still an audience. It is often a more focused one.
An affiliate site gives them a clear place to go when they ask questions like:
- “What brushes do you use for portraits?”
- “What paper are you using in that time lapse?”
- “What camera did you film this tutorial with?”
Instead of replying to each message again and again, you can send them to a post on your site that has your review, examples, and links. It saves you time and can bring in commissions in the background.
How “ready” is a ready made site, really
Here is where a lot of people go wrong. They hear “ready made” and think “finished product”. That is not quite true.
A purchased site usually gives you:
- A technical setup that works out of the box
- A base design that looks presentable
- A structure that search engines can understand
- Some starting content so the site is not empty
But it will probably not give you:
- Your own voice in the content
- Stories from your studio
- Examples from your work and your students work
- Answers to questions your followers actually ask you
If you buy a pre built site and never touch the content, you will usually get a neat template that slowly fades into the background of the internet.
So if you want real passive income, you need a phase of active work first. Call it the “set up and shaping” phase. After that, the work can slow down a lot.
Where affiliate sites fit in an artist’s income mix
Most working artists I know have more than one income source. Not because they are greedy, but because one source is rarely stable.
Your mix might look like this:
- Original art sales
- Commissions
- Workshops or online classes
- Prints or merchandise
- Licensing or stock art
- Affiliate income
Affiliate income is one of the more flexible parts. It does not require inventory. It does not require shipping. It just needs your time and some patience at the beginning.
If you hope an affiliate site will replace a full time job in a few months, that is risky. If you see it as a slow, steady support that grows over a couple of years, it starts to make more sense.
Picking a niche that makes sense for your art
This part is often boring for creative people, but it matters. You need a clear topic for your site. Not “all art things”. That is too broad.
Some focused ideas:
- Watercolor supplies for beginners
- Urban sketching gear for travel
- Digital art tools for illustrators
- Oil painting materials for small studios
- Printmaking at home
- Craft tools for kids and parents who draw together
You can also go around a theme, such as “sustainable art supplies” or “budget art setups for students”.
Here is a simple table to compare a broad topic with a focused one.
| Type of site | Topic example | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broad | General art supplies | Many products to cover | Hard to stand out, harder to rank in search |
| Narrow | Urban sketching kits | Clear audience, easier to become a known voice | Fewer topics, needs deeper content |
| Narrow | Budget watercolor sets for beginners | Strong connection to specific questions | Product range may feel limited at first |
Many people choose a niche by chasing what “pays the most”. That can work, but it often leads to boring content, because they have no real interest. Artists are usually better off picking a niche they actually live in.
Types of affiliate sites that suit artists
Not every model fits everyone. Here are a few common types that tend to match creative work.
1. Resource hub for your own audience
This is a site that mainly supports people who already follow you on social media or through a newsletter.
Content ideas:
- Gear lists for your classes
- Step by step guides with tools listed
- “What I use” pages for painting, drawing, filming, editing
- Starter kits: “If you have 50 dollars, buy these 3 things first”
This type does not need huge search traffic. It needs to be clear, honest, and easy to send people to.
2. Review site around a focused medium
This is more classic. You review brushes, paints, tablets, papers, cameras, or other tools. The audience finds you mostly through search.
This works best if you are willing to:
- Test products properly
- Talk about flaws, not only good sides
- Show real photos or drawings created with the tools
- Update posts when new models appear
If you only copy the product description, people will feel it.
3. Tutorial site that uses affiliate links in the background
Here the focus is on teaching, not on product reviews. The affiliate part sits in the supporting role.
For example, a tutorial on “Painting loose florals in watercolor” can include:
- The exact brush you used
- The palette and color numbers
- The paper weight and brand
- The tripod for filming overhead
This kind of site can cross over with courses or Patreon. The “passive” income from affiliate links is side income on top of your teaching work.
Buying a site vs building one yourself
You do not have to buy a ready made site. You can build your own from scratch. It is cheaper in money, more expensive in time.
Here is a rough comparison.
| Option | Money cost | Time cost | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build your own | Low at first | High, you learn everything yourself | People who like tech and full control |
| Buy a simple pre built site | Medium | Lower, you skip setup tasks | Busy artists who want to focus on content |
| Buy an established earning site | High upfront | Medium, needs learning and updates | Those who have capital but less time |
I do not think one path is correct for everyone. Some artists enjoy tweaking WordPress themes and feel proud when they fix a plugin bug. Others get frustrated by this and just want a working site to write on.
If you hate tech, spending a bit more on a site that is already live can save a lot of stress. If you are curious about web stuff, building your own can be fun.
We should talk about the “passive” part honestly
The word “passive” is a bit misleading. At the start, nothing is passive. You need to do active work:
- Pick your niche
- Shape or edit the content
- Set up your affiliate accounts
- Make the site match your own brand
- Write new posts or rework the existing ones
After that first push, the work can slow down. Some content can bring in visitors and income for years with only minor edits.
Here is a rough timeline for a purchased site in the art niche. This is not a promise, just a pattern I have seen quite often.
| Time since purchase | Typical actions | What you might see |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | Branding, editing content, fixing obvious issues | Little traffic, maybe a few clicks from your social profiles |
| Months 2 to 4 | New content, sharing with your audience | Slow traffic growth, random small commissions |
| Months 5 to 12 | Steady posting, improving strong pages | Search traffic growing, income more regular but still modest |
| Year 2 and beyond | Updates, occasional new posts, testing new offers | More stable passive income, if you kept at it |
If someone says you can buy a site this week and quit your day job next month, I would be careful. It could happen in a rare case, but relying on that is risky.
Ideas for content that actually fits an artist
Many affiliate tutorials encourage long, keyword stuffed posts. That can work, but for an artist, you have more natural ways to share information.
Studio log posts
Write about your week in the studio. Not just feelings. Include details such as:
- Which sketchbook you finished and what you liked or did not like about it
- The paint brand that handled glazing well in a new piece
- Small tools that saved time, like a particular tape or masking fluid
Each tool that you truly use can have a link. You do not need to force it.
Project based guides
Instead of “Review of X brush”, you can have “Painting a forest scene using X brush”. People see the product in context, which often helps them decide.
For example:
- “How I build a gouache palette for travel” with links to each tube
- “Recording an art vlog with a budget camera” with settings and accessories
- “Creating printable coloring pages” with the scanner and paper used
Beginner kits and paths
Beginners are often lost. They do not know if they should buy a 24 color set or 6 good colors.
Guides such as “Start watercolor with under 40 dollars” can be very helpful. The same for digital art: “Starting digital art on a tight budget” is real, many teens or students look for that.
Where artists usually go wrong with these sites
I should be honest here. Many artists who try affiliate sites quit after a few months. The reasons are not always what they think.
Expecting fast money
Search engines are slow to trust new sites. If you have zero traffic after 2 months, that is normal, not a sign of failure.
If you plan for “no earnings for 6 months” and treat anything before that as a bonus, your stress level will be lower.
Copying generic content
Some people take the default text from the pre built site and leave it untouched. Or worse, they paste product descriptions from the store.
That might fill space, but it does not give a reason for readers to stay. They can read product specs anywhere.
Your advantage is your experience with art. If you remove that, you lose the whole point.
Ignoring design and images
Artists can have very strong visual taste. A bland theme with stock photos can feel wrong to your audience.
You do not need a fancy custom design, but at least:
- Use your own artwork for banners or section headers
- Add process photos to your articles
- Keep colors and fonts in a style that matches your art
This also helps your followers feel the site belongs to you, not to some random marketer.
Combining affiliate income with your other art projects
An affiliate site does not have to stand alone. It can tie into many parts of your practice.
With online courses
If you teach a watercolor course, you can have a page for the class materials on your site. Students use it as a checklist. You earn a bit when they buy supplies through your links.
This can also help students avoid confusion. They see pictures, links, and comments from you in one place, instead of reading a long list in an email.
With Patreon or membership sites
Your private community might get more detailed breakdowns of your tools, but your public site can still have helpful guides.
For example, you could share:
- A public post on “Basics of my ink drawing kit”
- A private video for patrons on “How I refill and maintain my pens”
Both refer to the same kit, and your affiliate links live on the public site.
With physical events and workshops
If you teach locally, you can give students a link to your supply page instead of printing long lists. It saves you time and paper, and they get direct links to each item.
Simple schedule that a working artist can keep
You probably do not want a second full time job as a blogger. So the question is: what is a realistic schedule for content?
Here is a gentle plan that many artists could manage.
| Frequency | Activity | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | Short post or update | Quick review of a sketching tool you used that week |
| Monthly | Larger guide or tutorial | “My current plein air kit and why it changed” |
| Quarterly | Site cleanup | Update old posts, check links, remove outdated products |
This is not a heavy load. If you are in a deadline crunch for a big project, you can skip a week. Consistency helps, but perfection is not required.
How to keep your integrity while using affiliate links
Many artists are a bit uneasy with the idea of selling things. That is understandable. You do not want to become a walking advertisement.
There are a few rules that help keep your voice clear.
- Only link to tools you would genuinely use without a commission
- Share flaws, not just positives
- Mention alternatives for different budgets
- Be open about the affiliate nature of the links
Strangely, being honest about the affiliate part often builds more trust, not less. Readers feel you are treating them as adults.
How much can an art affiliate site earn
This is the question everyone has, but the answer is messy.
Some sites barely pay their hosting cost. Others support a small but real part of an artists income, such as covering rent for the studio or all their art supplies.
Income depends on many things:
- How focused the niche is
- How much search traffic the site gets
- How strong your existing audience is
- Which affiliate programs you use
- How often visitors click and actually buy
Here is a simple way to think about it. These are not exact numbers, just rough levels that I have seen often.
| Monthly visitors | Rough commission range | Typical situation |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1,000 | 0 to 30 dollars | Very new site, just started |
| 1,000 to 5,000 | 20 to 200 dollars | Small but active audience, some search traffic |
| 5,000 to 20,000 | 100 to 800 dollars | Steady content, more established in search |
| 20,000 and above | 500 dollars and up | Strong search presence, or big social reach |
Again, these are just rough ideas. High priced items like tablets or cameras can bring in more per sale. Cheaper items like pens and paper bring less, but might sell more often.
A small personal example
I will share a simple story to ground this a bit.
A few years ago, a friend of mine who is an illustrator started a tiny blog where she posted her sketchbook pages from cafes. She wrote short notes about the pens, inks, and small palettes she carried.
She linked to those tools using affiliate links. The site was simple and looked almost like an extended journal. No big SEO plan, no perfect content calendar.
For the first 6 months, the blog earned almost nothing. Then some of her posts started to rank for very specific searches such as “waterproof fountain pen ink for sketching”. People found them, liked the real examples, and clicked through.
After about a year, the site was paying for all her drawing tools and some of her coffee. Not life changing, but quite nice. She still adds a new post roughly once a month. The income is not linear, but it is steady enough to feel real.
The value was not in a clever funnel. It was in honest notes and consistent small posts over time, written by someone who sketches almost every day.
Common questions from artists about these sites
Do I need to be good with tech to run one of these sites?
No, but you should be willing to learn a little. If you can upload images, write captions, and use basic menus in WordPress, you can manage. For complex tasks, you can hire help once or twice. It is similar to learning a new medium: awkward at first, then familiar.
Will having affiliate links make people trust me less?
If you hide them or push products you do not believe in, then yes, people will feel that. If you are open and only link to tools you stand behind, most readers do not mind. Many even appreciate having direct links so they do not need to hunt for items.
What if I try this for a year and it does not work?
Is it too late to start, since there are already so many blogs?
I do not think so. There are many general sites, yes. But there are not many sites from you, with your style, your hands, and your specific mix of interests. People do not only look for information. They look for someone whose taste they trust.
What is one small step I could take this week?
Here is a simple one. Write down a list of every tool you used in your last finished artwork. Then mark the ones that you would honestly recommend to a student or friend. That list is the seed of your first few posts. If you already have a site, turn it into a “Tools I actually use” page. If you do not have one yet, this list will help guide any site you buy or build, so it reflects your real practice instead of some abstract niche idea.