I started Aviate Press back in 2015 as a side hustle with little business experience and no formal art training. But after years of on-the-job learning and lessons from other illustrators who were already pros, I started to gain more knowledge and expertise myself.
As a professional illustrator and small business owner, it's taken many years to build up the right tools to help me run my business efficiently.
Here are my top 5 tools for running my small product based art business.
Canvas Lamp for Recording Videos
If you are an up-and-coming illustrator or product based business, you're probably already making lots of content for social media. When reels started gaining popularity, I invested in this Canvas Lamp to help document my art process. I use it for 90% of my reels now and it doubles as a lamp, which is great for late night work sessions!
iPad Pro + Pencil for All My Illustration Needs
I design 99% of my products using my iPad - specifically ProCreate. It's changed the game in terms of ease-of-use and quickness. I no longer have to scan in my illustrations and spend hours editing them in Photoshop. I've had the same iPad Pro since 2017, which is crazy! If you are just getting started as an Illustrator, I suggest buying a used one because they aren't cheap, but man are they worth the investment.
Shop our illustrated birthday cards here
Lightbox for Final Drafts of Traditional Art
Although most of my work is made digitally, I still like to play with traditional media because it keeps my creative spark going. I just bought this Lightbox and have been learning how to use it to help bring my illustrations to their final draft. This one is inexpensive and easy to use.
HP Inkjet Printer for Quick Printing
If you are starting to sell things online and are filling orders yourself, you'll need a printer to get the job done. This one has lasted 5+ years and is super easy to use! It only prints black and white, which works great for labels and packing slips.
Niimbot Label Maker to Organize Inventory
I love this label maker! I use it to organize inventory, printing the SKU number and product title. If you haven't yet started adding SKUs to your inventory, i highly recommend starting! Here's a helpful video to get started.
Have more questions about running a small biz? Comment below or email me at ava@aviatepress.com.