How to Create an About Me page that Makes Your Artist Website Shine

The About Me web site of an artist site manages to compress in one particular diabolical locale a lot of of an artist’s the very least favorite responsibilities: creating, boasting and net style and design.

Producing the great artist website can feel like an difficult job. Regardless of whether you want to build an e-commerce store or just develop an on the internet gallery for your operate, you know that a amazing website is key to your professional success. And among the the “must have” features for your web-site is a biography or “About Me” segment.

Soon after all, art fans do not just obtain a canvas or a hunk of clay. They buy a story — your tale. They want to understand the that means of your do the job, it is commitment. When they imagine their long run heirloom, they think about telling their grandchildren the story of the charming artist who produced it.

Your About Me web page genuinely is that critical.

Fortuitously, producing a powerful About Me site for your website doesn’t demand an military of writers or website designers. You can Diy your way to a one particular-of-a-kind About Me website page that tells your story, showcase your artistic eyesight and sells your get the job done.

For two many years, Artweb has been encouraging artists make magnificent, no strain internet websites on a finances. In that time, we’ve created 4 straightforward creating blocks to create the fantastic About Me web site: the portrait, the tagline, the bio and the resume.

Study on to study the specialist tips on how to create the best internet introduction to you and your do the job.

Show off

Producing your about me webpage is a opportunity to offer you.  Start with the basic principles.

Your about me web page ought to be succinct, and aimed at all degrees of an audience.  The ideal web pages are inclusive, exhibiting probable prospective buyers it is okay to just like the get the job done, with out owning to comprehend it.  If words and phrases never occur effortlessly, you can use your artist assertion as a commencing position.

For inspiration, check out our guideline to composing the perfect artist assertion.

The photograph

A photograph of the artist is a prospect to showcase your temperament.  This is not a passport, ID or driver’s license. So don’t just pull out a head and shoulders picture you have hanging all around and upload it.  It genuinely is really worth spending some time and potentially some funds on a shot that is eye-catching, considered-provoking and captures you as an artist.  That doesn’t necessarily mean glam. You really do not need to have hair and make-up.  Just like weddings, the greatest pics are often the candid ones.  

Luckily, the image you make has lots of lives over and above the About Me page of your web page. Repurpose it for social media posts, exhibition catalogues or publicity strategies. Come across out extra about how to endorse by yourself on How to Publicize Your Art – 7 unique tips.

Under are a few concepts from artists who utilized their web page shots to truly stand out.

A Self Portrait is worth a thousand text

If you are a portrait artist, consider working with a painted portrait of on your own. Opt for an image that conveys your likeness, but also features psychological complexity and a window into your inventive style. Depending on your aesthetic sensibility, stay clear of producing a portrait that exaggerates flaws or repels viewers. You are, after all, seeking to market art on your web site.

The Artist at Operate

If you are lucky more than enough to have a studio or share a co-op space, take photos of you at do the job.  First, curate the house.  Think about what you want prospective buyers to see.  If you have at any time held an open up studio, how did you present your space?  

Stacks of cardboard packing containers and rolls of bubble wrap may perhaps be important, but they won’t explain to your viewer nearly anything, besides no matter whether you are tidy. 

As an alternative, exhibit do the job in its numerous stages of creation. Make sure there is a lot to see at different eye amounts. Completed function on cabinets or partitions, operate in progress on tables and – most importantly – you. 

Going through the digital camera or posing at operate, either will do the job nicely.  Make positive there is very good lights and use a substantial-good quality camera that will capture all the element in sharp emphasis.  Find out a lot more about taking wonderful pics for your web site listed here.

If you never have a suited studio house, have a person photograph you up coming to your artwork.  

The impression of the artist at function creates immediate reliability. Moreover, it shows you’re passionate about your operate. As an extra bonus, if the operate pictured is also for sale, you can link immediately to your store.

Contemplate applying many shots.  Modern web site builders like Artweb supply carousel settings which let the viewer to flick as a result of numerous visuals, or gallery photographs that produce a picture montage. 

Crafting your About Me website page

It’s typical to encounter writer’s block when seeking to produce copy for your web site. Here’s a number of concerns to get your begun.

• What components and procedures do you use and why?
• Who and what are your influences? How have these afflicted your work?
• How have you and your work created around time?

Quotations and straplines

Starting with a quotation can get your visitor’s attention. Even a lot more so if you use a pull quotation design that sets it aside from the relaxation of the text.  The quotation should be yours and it really should be definitive.  Don’t be imprecise or uncertain. Steer clear of: I check out, I imagine, my purpose is to,  You should really be categorical, my perform is, I am, it is. If not, a purchaser could wait until you have got it correct prior to making a purchase.  You are conveying (not hoping to express) the essential features of what your do the job is about.

Some of the good artists have been exceedingly superior at summing up their get the job done in a soundbite. The excellent August Rodin did it in five phrases: “I invent absolutely nothing, I rediscover.” Now put individuals text from his function. Do they give a perception of what he makes?

This time in under 10 terms: “Coloration is my day-lengthy obsession, joy and torment,” claims the great landscape colorist Claude Monet. We go through that quotation and see the do the job, and we are not amazed at his torment. They are a perfect match.

Promote your self – publish a terrific biography

Your biography need to abide by a short introduction to your work. Just after all, this net website page is identified as “about me.” It’s your biography and you can decide on to incorporate regardless of what you want.  Do not move up a opportunity to boast!

Many artists battle with self-promotion. Understandably, you may well experience awkward listing achievements and successes.  However, we all know how critical it is to provide oneself, primarily when striving to provide your perform.  Target on the sections of your lifestyle that you are most very pleased of. For case in point, if you come to feel you’ve had a wonderful education and learning, elaborate on how it contributed to your artwork.  If you analyzed less than renowned artists, describe what they taught you.  The place you grew up, your influences, and exactly where you’ve lived can all add to a compelling biography.

Your biography is a likelihood to chat about YOU and not just your qualified achievements. As a guide you can incorporate:

• Training
• Noteworthy exhibitions
• Awards or shortlists  
• Artist’s collectives you could be portion of
• Potential exhibits and commissions
• Critiques (optimistic ones, of class)
• Inclusion in collections – non-public and general public
• Applicable personal history

If you are even now struggling, use our artist’s issue and answer template.

The artist’s resume

Your resume can act as an extension of your biography. It is an chance to record all of your achievements in element.  It’s part of your About Me webpage but will be more thorough. In all chance, your resume will be most appealing to persons on the lookout to make a commission or a gallery considering you for a show.  Believe about what they would want to know and what you need to have to share to encourage them!

If you experience a resume on major of your statement and biography would litter your About Me web page, you can generate a separate website page. Alternatively, you can consist of a url to a downloadable PDF. Possibly way, Artweb presents templates exclusively for artists, as perfectly as a drag-and-fall editor. Together, they allow you develop each kinds of web pages in minutes without getting to overthink formatting.

The four constructing blocks of a great artist’s resume

It does not have to get times to develop a resume that tells the story of your track record, motivations and achievements. Just consist of these four essential elements:

#1: Your Simple Facts

At the best of your resume, include who you are and wherever persons can find you:

• Your name
• Medium (e.g. painter, sculptor, mixed media artist)
• Spot of residene (condition, town or town)
• Calendar year and place of start (some artists incorporate these, but it’s optional)
• Your get hold of data (if you decide for a downloadable resume)

#2: Education

Include things like your training in day order, most current 1st. If you have pursued more or larger training, really do not include significant school unless it is pertinent to your work.

#3: Exhibitions and commissions

Within your About Me section, the meat of your resume will feature your exhibitions, commissions and awards.  These bona fides sign your achievements inside of the artworld. If you are just starting out, the list might be brief, but that is okay. Even if you’ve only shown your function at an open exhibition, graduate present or group art middle, you need to shout about it!

Checklist exhibitions by year.  Just about every listing should really give the name of the clearly show, its place (gallery name and city/state) and irrespective of whether it was a solo or group show.

More, really do not fail to remember to consist of other essential milestones:

• Specifics of residencies
• Awards received and any you have been nominated or shortlisted for
• Picked commissioned operate
• Collections that keep your work – the two community and private
• Listing of any function that has been posted in publications, or article content published about you, together with the connected pictures

#4: What the critics claimed

Last but not least, your resume or About Me portion can incorporate comment from critics and released reviews (the optimistic ones, of program). Take into account the effect of a 5 star evaluation on movie posters and Tripadvisor. Particular tips can enable push individuals into thinking your work is deserving of order or exhibition.  If your function has nevertheless to be reviewed, take into account applying anything from your college or university or college transcript.  If you are utilizing a quotation, ensure it is absolutely credited, get authorization if you can, and ensure it has whole context. 

Building a Standout About Me Web site Doesn’t Have to be Hard

If you adhere to these basic measures, you can Do-it-yourself your way to a experienced About Me webpage that captures your inventive vision and assists you promote your artwork.

And, if you are pondering how to establish your very individual artist’s internet site devoid of the pressure or expense, look at developing a totally free internet site with Artweb.