Knola
All 25 niches

Digital product ideas for artists, illustrators and designers

People already ask which brushes you use, how you got that texture and what you charge. These turn your process into things they can buy, from five free Procreate brushes to a picture book course and a live group critique.

Start here

Make these four, in this order

The free one brings people in. The next three are what they buy as they come to trust you: a small first purchase, your main product, then your time or a membership.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4

Ready for step 1?

All 15 art & design ideas

Open any idea to see who buys it and how to make it. Star the ones you like.

  • Free downloadStep 1

    Free Procreate Brush Sampler: 5 Brushes

    Five of your most-used brushes, so people can try your textures before they buy the full set.

    • A pencil, an ink, a gouache, a grain and a blender
    • A test canvas showing each brush
    • Install steps for iPad
    • Plain terms for personal and commercial use
    FreeMake it in a weekend
  • Free download

    Line Confidence Warm-Up Sheets

    Sheets of lines, curves and ellipses for a ten-minute warm-up before you draw.

    • 12 sheets that get harder as you go
    • Printable PDF and Procreate canvas versions
    • A short video on drawing from the shoulder
    • A 30-day check-off chart
    FreeMake it in a weekend
  • DownloadStep 2

    Gouache Texture Brushes for Procreate: 40 Brushes

    Forty brushes that paint and blend like real gouache, made from scans of real paint.

    • 40 brushes: flats, rounds, dry brush and splatter
    • 10 paper textures
    • 6 matching palettes as swatch files
    • Commercial use terms in plain words
    $15–29Make it in a week
  • Download

    Figure Drawing Reference Pack: 300 Poses

    300 photos of clothed models in action poses, shot from several angles, ready for timed sketching.

    • 300 high-resolution pose photos
    • Slideshow folders for 30-second to 5-minute sketches
    • Close-ups of hands and feet
    • Signed releases, so you can post what you draw
    $15–25Make it in a month
  • Download

    Small Business Brand Kit Templates for Canva

    A one-page brand guide, social posts and business cards that a small business can edit itself.

    • A one-page brand guide template
    • 30 social post templates
    • Business card and email signature layouts
    • A video on swapping in your own fonts and palette
    $29–49Make it in a week
  • Download

    100 Sketchbook Prompt Cards

    A printable deck of prompts for the days you sit down to draw and can’t think what.

    • 100 prompt cards in five themes
    • Blank cards to add your own
    • A dice table for mixing two prompts
    • Print-at-home and phone versions
    $9–15Make it in a weekend
  • Download

    Commission Price Calculator and Quote Kit

    Price commissions by size, detail and use, so you quote the same way every time instead of guessing.

    • A calculator for personal and commercial pieces
    • Extra charges for rush jobs and more revisions
    • A quote and terms template to send
    • A commissions info sheet for your profile
    $12–19Make it in a weekend
  • Challenge

    30-Day Draw Hands Challenge

    One short hand drawing lesson a day for a month, until hands stop being the part you hide.

    • A video lesson each morning, under 10 minutes
    • Reference photos for every day
    • A before-and-after page each week
    • Common mistakes shown and fixed
    $15–25Make it in a week
  • CourseStep 3

    Procreate for Beginners: Your First Finished Piece

    Learn Procreate from the first tap to a finished illustration you are happy to share, in four weeks.

    • Four modules: tools, layers, painting, export
    • Brushes and a canvas to follow along with
    • One illustration built across the whole course
    • Export settings for print and social
    $67–97Make it in a week
  • Course

    Picture Book Illustration: From Manuscript to Dummy

    Plan characters, pages and spreads for a picture book and make a dummy to send to publishers.

    • Character design and turnarounds
    • Thumbnailing a 32-page book
    • Leaving room for text and planning page turns
    • Making and sending a dummy book
    • Example dummies with notes
    $197–297Make it in a month
  • Course

    Freelance Logo Design: From Brief to Final Files

    Run a logo project from brief to handover: questions, sketches, revisions and file exports.

    • A client brief and questionnaire to copy
    • Sketching and presenting three directions
    • Handling revisions without endless rounds
    • Exporting every file type a client needs
    $147–197Make it in a month
  • Live workshop

    Live Group Critique with Paintovers

    Submit three pieces and get honest, kind feedback live, with one clear thing to fix on each.

    • Two hours live, up to 10 artists
    • Three pieces each, shown on screen
    • Notes on composition, values and finish
    • A paintover of one piece, sent afterwards
    $25–45Make it in a weekend
  • Live workshop

    Live Draw-Along: Paint a Botanical in Gouache

    Paint a full botanical piece alongside the artist in two hours, step by step.

    • A 2-hour live session
    • The reference photo and a sketch to trace
    • A materials list a week before, paper or iPad
    • The recording to follow again at your own pace
    $19–35Make it in a weekend
  • Coaching

    Portfolio Mentoring for Illustrators: 3 Months

    Monthly calls and paintovers to build a portfolio aimed at the clients you want.

    • Three 60-minute video calls
    • Paintovers and written notes on new pieces
    • A portfolio plan for the clients you want
    • Help with rates, pitches and emails to art directors
    $600–1,500Make it in a week
  • MembershipStep 4

    The Monthly Brush and Lesson Club

    A new brush set, a recorded lesson using it and a live draw-along every month.

    • A new brush set on the first of the month
    • A recorded lesson using the new brushes
    • A monthly live draw-along
    • Brush sets stay yours, even if you leave
    $9–15 a monthMake it in a week

How to pick your first one

Questions

What digital product should an artist sell first?
Something you already made for your own work, like a brush set, warm-up sheets or a reference pack. It takes a weekend or a week to tidy up, sells for $9 to $29, and shows you whether your buyers want tools or teaching.
How should I license the brushes and templates I sell?
Write short terms on the sales page and inside the download: buyers can use the brushes in personal and client work, but can’t share or resell the brush files themselves. Most buyers only want to know whether they can use them commercially, so answer that in the first line.
What is a digital product?
Something people pay for and get online, with nothing to post: a guide, template or spreadsheet they download, a course they watch, a live workshop or coaching call, or a membership they pay for each month.
Which digital products sell best?
The ones that solve one clear problem for people who already follow you. Small downloads are the easiest to make and sell first; courses, coaching and memberships earn more from each buyer once people trust you.
How much should I charge?
The prices here are typical starting ranges. Look at what similar products in your niche cost, start in the range, and raise the price as reviews come in. Charge more for live time and for products that save buyers money or time.
Do I need a big audience to sell a digital product?
No. A few hundred people who trust you can buy a $20 download or fill a small group. Start with a free download to grow an email list, then sell to the people on it.
Can I use these ideas?
Yes, all of them, free. Change the names, the contents and the prices to fit what you know and who you help. Copy the list, print it or save it as a PDF.
Can I sell these on Knola?
Free downloads that grow your email list, downloads, bundles, courses, challenges and memberships can all be made and sold on Knola today, and it’s free to start. Live workshops and coaching run on Knola Live, which is opening to schools now.

Ideas for nearby niches

Picked one? Make it this week.

Knola has the free download, the course and the membership on this page, with checkout and emails built in. Live workshops and coaching are opening to schools now.

Start free with Knola