FanBase works as a Patreon for artists and illustrators: fans join a monthly tier for process videos, sketches and full resolution files, buy brush packs and tutorials as pay per view, and tip you on any post. You set up to three tiers between $4.99 and $49.99 and keep 80 percent of every payment.
Commissions are slow to schedule and print sales are seasonal. A membership turns the people who already love your work into steady monthly support, and gives you room to make the pieces you want to make.
What artists sell on FanBase
Art fans want to see how the work happens and to own a piece of it. Each post can be public, members only, locked to a tier, or pay per view.
- Process videos. Time lapses and narrated real time sessions from sketch to final.
- Work in progress. Thumbnails, rough sketches and color tests before anything goes public.
- High resolution files. Wallpapers, printable files and layered source files for top tiers.
- Brush packs and assets. Your custom brushes, textures and palettes, sold once.
- Tutorials. Step by step lessons on anatomy, lighting, perspective or your style.
- Sketch requests. A fan sends an idea by message, you reply with a paid message that holds a quick sketch.
- Studio life. Sketchbook flips, tool reviews and the story behind each piece.
Studio, membership tiers
ArtSketchbook
$4.99
per month
Studio
$12.00
per month
Patron
$35.00
per month
Tier ideas for artists
| Tier | Example price | What fans get |
|---|---|---|
| Sketchbook | $5 per month | Work in progress, sketchbook flips and early looks at finished pieces |
| Studio | $12 per month | Everything in Sketchbook, plus process videos and monthly high resolution wallpapers |
| Patron | $30 per month | Everything in Studio, plus layered source files, every brush pack and a monthly sketch request |
Bundles of 3, 6 or 12 months suit fans who want to support a long project like a comic or an art book.
A worked earnings example
These are hypothetical numbers to show the 80 percent split. They are not results from a real artist.
| Income source | Example activity | Fans pay | You keep (80 percent) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sketchbook tier | 160 members at $5 | $800 | $640 |
| Studio tier | 55 members at $12 | $660 | $528 |
| Patron tier | 12 members at $30 | $360 | $288 |
| Pay per view | 45 sales of a brush pack at $8 | $360 | $288 |
| Tips | Month total | $90 | $72 |
| Total | $2,230 | $1,816 |
Say 227 people pay you each month. A pack or tutorial adds extra income every time you release one. Try your own figures with the calculator on the FanBase homepage, and see each cost on the fees page.
How FanBase compares for artists
At the time of writing (October 2026), Patreon charges new creators 10 percent plus payment processing and centers on memberships. FanBase charges 20 percent all in and adds single sales, paid messages and tips on one page. Our Patreon alternative guide and the list of sites like Patreon go through the details.
| Feature | FanBase |
|---|---|
| Monthly tiers | Up to 3, $4.99 to $49.99 |
| Sell a pack or tutorial once | Pay per view |
| Sketch requests | Paid messages with locked images |
| Tips | On profile and on posts |
| Rights | You own your work |
| Fan list | CSV export any time |
| Payouts | Weekly, bank or crypto |
Protecting your work
Your art stays yours. FanBase only gets a license to host it and show it to the fans you choose. If someone reposts your work elsewhere on FanBase, use the report button or send a notice through our DMCA page. Every creator is identity verified before the first payout, which makes it harder for anyone to pose as you. Read more on the verification page.
Getting your first art members
- Show the process publicly once. A short time lapse makes people curious about the full session.
- Promise a rhythm. "New process video every two weeks" is a clear reason to join.
- Release a pack. A pay per view brush pack lets new fans try you without a monthly commitment.
- Say thank you in art. A small sketch for top tier members means more than any badge.
- Link it everywhere. Portfolio, social bios, print shop and convention table.
Paid weekly
Payments clear 7 days after each one is made. Once you have $50 cleared, you can withdraw, and payouts go out weekly to a bank account or crypto wallet.
Start your art page
Joining is free. Choose a handle, upload a cover piece and avatar, write a short bio, set your tiers and post your first work in progress. Fans pay by card or crypto, can cancel any time and keep access until the end of the paid period. You keep 80 percent.