Photo by Steve Johnson from Pexels.

Just like stock photography, there’s a time and a place for stock art. Though some may consider the very thought to be cheating, stock art can offer an extremely handy and versatile option for when commissioning an original piece simply isn’t possible.

Stock illustrations can serve a variety of creative needs, and are an excellent choice for a last-minute visual flourish when your project needs a little boost.

One of the most alluring elements of stock art is its versatility. Illustrations can often be quite ambiguous (in a good way) and so can lend themselves to many different interpretations. This means that you can incorporate stock art into more original designs without them looking cliché and overused.

So, with that said, here are 14 sites where you can find a huge variety of stock art. Enjoy!

Adobe Stock

A staple choice when it comes to photography or illustrations, Adobe Stock offers an ample choice of high quality options – great for all users.

YouWorkForThem

With nearly 300,000 stock art graphics to choose from, YouWorkForThem is another fantastic source, especially for designers. Because, in their own words, “we were founded by designers, and are run by designers, for designers”.

IKON

Another solid source for stock art. IKON features a host of options, including line art, photo illustrations, and vector images.

Getty Images

Though Getty Images is perhaps better known for its photography selection, it also offers a vast selection of illustrations covering an impressive variety of subjects. With contemporary and easy-to-find illustrations, it’s hard to go wrong with Getty Images.

iStock

iStock is essentially a smaller version of Getty Images. It’s cheaper, but that of course means that there’s less on offer. Still though, in the grand scheme of stock art it’s still an incredibly valuable resource.

Image Zoo

Image Zoo is a great place to find stock art of a more traditional style. It’s high-quality and illustration-heavy, and may be the perfect place if you’re trying to find something a little less contemporary.

Stock Illustrations

If you’re looking for stock illustrations, look no further than Stock Illustrations. Featuring a wonderfully contemporary selection of images, you can be sure to find whatever you’re looking for with this service.

Flickr

Easy to use and full of top-quality images, Flickr is a fantastic choice for anyone looking for a simple solution to their stock art needs.

Shutterstock

Another well-known resource, Shutterstock offers a very nice selection of stock art alongside its photography library. Easy to use and excellent quality, this one’s a failsafe choice.

Old Book Illustrations

A fantastic off-beat choice, Old Book Illustrations (as you might guess from the title) offers images scanned from old public domain books. So if you’re looking for something a little different with a vintage twist, be sure to check this database out.

Solid Stock Art

This one delivers exactly what you’d expect from the title. The site layout is very simple, and searching for your desired artwork is as easy as punching your keyword into the search bar.

The British Library

With over one million images available in its selection, The British Library has provided a vast and generous collection of stock art, ranging from vintage advertisements and comics to botanical drawings and maps.

Folio Planet

Featuring 32,000 stock illustrations, Folio Planet is certain to satisfy most search criteria. It’s a simplistically laid-out site and very easy to navigate. Great for last-minute searches. 1

Laughing-Stock

Featuring work from over 150 top-quality artists, Laughing Stock is no joke when it comes to the calibre of the products they offer. It’s a really fantastic source of work that can give your project the “wow” factor.

From illustration to photography

If you’d like to see some similar options for photography, then check out our list of 20 great websites for stock photography.