Creating Your Virtual Art Gallery

All you need to get your creative portfolio on the world wide web.

Creating an online portfolio as an artist doesn’t have to be difficult. Human beings are visual creatures; we love to be entertained and for those of us who aren’t artistically gifted, viewing a work of art is a distinct and profound pleasure. When we see something we like in a style that resonates with us we like to share, and that sharing is the key to getting your work and your name noticed by clients and fans.

Establishing an online portfolio is fairly easy:

1: Buy a domain name: these are available for as little as £2.50 a year!

2: Select an appropriate hosting package to suit your needs. Hosting is the functionality that lies behind your domain name. It includes physical space to store your artwork, a website on the hard drive of a server. The email associated with your domain name if you choose to use it and the bandwidth by which your clientele reaches your site.

3: Have someone create a gallery site for you, or if you can do it yourself using a Sitebuilder build a functional site that showcases your work. You can choose to include retail software on your site if you plan to ship prints or artwork directly, or you can use galleries such as http://www.saatchiart.com/ and http://www.artgallery.co.uk/

4: If you haven’t already, open an account on DeviantArt. This will allow you to upload samples and examples of your work; you’ll get constructive criticism from other members of the community and if you’re good you’ll get a following.

5: Don’t neglect social media. Open a Professional Page as an artist on Facebook to share your other sites and existing online portfolio, and of course to communicate with customers. Don’t forget to grab a Pinterest account. Remember that people share what they love and Pinterest exists entirely because of this reason. Pinterest can generate visibility for you very quickly.

6: Update your pages regularly. It doesn’t have to be your own art as long as you have permission to post art by other people; after all it takes a while to create something special, but you can share what you love and you can keep in contact with your clients. Regular posts, updates and news will keep people interested and also help to keep your rank in search engines high.

7: Don’t rush things and stay humble. Each and every artist has faith in their art – let your work speak for you. Promote it by placing it where it’s appreciated, share it with those who want it and remember never to take criticism and negative comments personally. Don’t forget, selling art counts as an income so make sure you keep records and accounts for when it all starts coming together.

Get started on your online art gallery with our website builder.