Tips for Artists to Increase Internet Exposure

Just because you are a visual artist doesn't mean there isn't merit in learning audio, video or photographic techniques to increase your appeal on the internet. Audio clips for your own website can allow you to sell the idea behind your art in a personal way. Likewise, with so many aspirational artists and people interested in art techniques out there, presenting video clips of you at work or describing a difficult technique can prove very popular, particularly on sites like youtube. You will also need to make sure your work is shown in its best light, and it is useful to find your way around a photo-editing package to ensure your art looks as good on the internet as it does in the flesh.

Nothing puts people off an artist more than poor presentation so you have to be meticulous in making sure it is always displayed at its best.

Facebook is a prime example of a social networking site perfect for showcasing your artwork. With an easy to use photo upload system and plenty of gallery space, you can soon have an online presence up and running. You can use an individual account to catch up with friends and clients and let them know when you've completed new artwork or have an exhibition starting. You can also set up a business account for free allowing people to admire your art to subscribe to a news feed of your activities and browse your collection (e.g. espiritoart's facebook account). If you have your own website, make sure you link to your facebook account so people can keep in the loop with any news you have.

I can't stress the last point enough, only by regularly updating, networking and contributing will you generate interest in your artwork.

There are many free to use websites for artists to display their portfolios. Many have millions of visitors each day and you can have a share of those visitors. For volume alone, deviantArt is a particular hit, with the potential for many thousands of visitors over a short period (e.g. espiritoart's deviant account). Another popular profile site is Fine Art America, which attracts many visitors from both sides of the Atlantic eager to discover new artists (e.g. espiritoart's fine art america account). Both sites and many more have systems where you can upload high quality photos so customers can purchase prints directly from the website. They take a cut of the payment but handle production, delivery and payment, leaving you to concentrate on creating. Remember to upload work regularly, contribute to the forum sections of the sites and enter contests to get your name out in the online community.

While it may seem a good idea to visit forums populated by artists just for conversation, they serve a purpose for boosting an artist's online presence too. Most will allow you to post a web link in your signature, which curious people can follow to discover more about your work (this could be for your own site, facebook or art profiling sites). Forums such as artforums.co.uk have many members who may well look at your work and recommend to others, but are browsed by a huge number of non-artists who arrive at the site to discover more about art, techniques and see what is new in the art world. With artists generating lots of arty 'keywords' on their discussions, search engines throw up these sites high in their listings drawing in people interested in art in their thousands.

People always want to decorate their walls, but might not always have the money to pay for an original, especially if your art costs a lot of money (whatever value they get for that investment!). Giclée printing on canvas represents a way of reproducing your work to a very high standard, while keeping the cost to the buyer at a level more likely to give you a sale in these difficult economic times. Canvas printing from espiritoart is inexpensive and of exceptional quality, delivered to you wrapped in cellophane - making it perfect for sending to customers or accompanying the originals in your exhibition. We offer preferential rates for artists reproducing their own work and are happy to guide you on every aspect of the canvas printing process from scanning to shipping (enquire about great canvas art offers by contacting us).