5 Helpful Things You Can Do Right Now To Get Your Artwork Noticed

5 Helpful Things You Can Do Right Now To Get Your Artwork Noticed

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A Beginner-Friendly Guide To Getting Exposure For Your Artwork

The choice to become a full-time artist can be a very daunting decision, especially as a beginner. Figuring out your main medium, forming a schedule, and deciding how you’re going to source a regular income are not easy feats. Being an artist is a career that requires you to take risks and make important last-minute choices which can turn your life upside down in an instant; it’s exhilarating. Carving your own path and seeing your growth as an artist are just two of the reasons a career in art is so fulfilling, but it can be difficult to get exposure or recognition when you begin.

How Do I Become Recognised As An Artist?

Being recognised as an artist can be as simple as popping the position onto your CV, but one can also say that being an artist is less about identifying with the title and more about your commitment to your craft. Most of us can say we made art, it’s a key part of our primary and secondary education, but how many of us truly sustain the curiosity about making art?

Many creatives feel like they should not call themselves artists, that what they consider to be art doesn’t fit the overall theme of the art world we are presented with. Being an artist and having an ongoing practice is more than enough to title yourself, but having a passion and nurturing your skills is also a part of it. Proving yourself to be an established being recognised as an artist is less about having your artwork noticed and more about choosing when and how you’re going to put yourself out there; you have to develop your skills, presence, and craft.

5 Tips For Getting your Artwork Noticed

1. Find your Style and Nurture your Skills

As a beginner or artist returning from a creative block, it can be very difficult to find your focus. The world of art is vast and desires a constantly creative mind, which is why no matter your medium experimentation is a great way forward. Experimental practice doesn’t have to be large, it can be outside of your comfort zone or a different tangent of your current practice.

Your main goal in this time should be to develop your practice, so don’t pressure yourself to make something outstanding or never before seen. This is a time to look for inspiration outside of your regular setting, so the result of your experimentation doesn’t feel the same as what you did before. We should also add that experimentation isn’t going to replace your practice, don’t fix what’s not broken. Experimentation is a stepping stone and a work in progress, so if it doesn’t spark your interest that’s okay. It’s about building techniques and trying something new. It also might not be what you want at the moment, but make sure to hold onto your experiments – as they can be a great thing to have done for your career down the line.

That being said, this is also a good time to start building a portfolio. The result of furthering your practice is making more art. For those of you with a home studio this could just be a lot of clutter in your workspace, so having a dedicated space for your new art is a great way to keep things clear.

2. Create An Online Presence

There are many ways to get your artwork noticed, however, none of them are possible if you don’t put your artwork out there. One of the best ways to do that is by creating a space for yourself online. Not everyone is tech-savvy, so we recommend two ways of doing this; social media and websites.

You may have seen your favourite artists posting on social media – specifically on Instagram and TikTok. While many still associate Instagram with influencers and food pictures, Instagram has been a trusted home for artists for years. As it’s grown in popularity it has become a safe place for people to share their art. A lot of the concerns artists had for Instagram have transferred over to TikTok. Promoting your work on TikTok is something many artists find risky, the knowledge that your artwork and style have the potential to go viral are enough to draw many artists in, but on the other side of the coin is the knowledge that someone could steal and take credit for your art and ideas.

Social media gives you the ability to publish your work with ease; quickly posting your works in progress, sharing your daily practice on your story, or showing off finished pieces is a great way to build traction. When you start, be sure to connect with friends and family, use tags to push your work out and engage with other creatives. Slowly but surely, you’ll work your way into algorithms with your page growing successfully.

An additional online presence that we suggest for artists is a website. Having an artist’s website is essential and in some cases even more important than having a social media page. Websites are sometimes a better and more professional way to store, date, and update your work. Many artists have digital portfolios, showcasing their work over the years and different stages of their development. Working with websites it’s not the easiest thing for beginners, so be sure to reach out and avoid making as many mistakes as you can. If you choose to have a website and social media accounts check to see if they’re interconnected and link to each other so that people can find the most about you online.

3. Be Consistent and Start Selling

Once you have a social media account it’s important to be consistent with your posts. People want to be able to see what you’re doing and know if you’re active. It’s common to be overwhelmed when posting; some find that posting every other day is best, others a daily set of stories, it depends on your choice of social media.

Consistency is important in art, but even more in today’s media climate. We have started to develop shorter attention spans, and due to this, trends flood and become obsolete with very little turnover time. An important tip is to stay true to yourself and not build your career around today’s fads – your art will build an audience out of its originality.

When you eventually build that audience, you may find that they want a piece of your work. This would be the most ideal time to start selling your work or opening yourself up to commissions. There are many ways to sell your artwork. It should be no surprise that selling on Instagram is one of the more popular forms – but there are quite a few ways you can go about it.

For beginners we recommend commissions. They are a superb way of finding loyal clients, building a name for yourself and furthering your reputation. With a better idea of what you’re selling and how things should be priced, the custom art pieces you agree to make shouldn’t stray too far from what you’re already making. As part of your practice, they are definitely something to look into when your brand and niche are properly developed.

But there are more ways of selling your work online. You can earn passive income through E-commerce sites like Redbubble or Society6. Using online marketplaces like Etsy can be great for selling 3D pieces and larger works. There’s also the idea of making your own art prints. Luckily, Dark Yellow dot has a bountiful selection of guides for selling your own work

4. Network and support fellow artists

One of the first things many of us are taught in art schools is that the community you surround yourself with is more important than anything else you could learn. Networking is key in the art world, not just for getting your artwork noticed, but for furthering your confidence and career.

Networking is something that many dislike as it can feel forced and be rather awkward. However, there are a lot of areas in person and online where meeting other artists is easy and slightly less nerve-racking. Places like art schools, art classes, and art fairs are all good ways of meeting other artists in person. It can be hard to introduce yourself, but a good way of starting a conversation is to ask someone about their art or compliment it. From there conversation can flow, but asking questions, listening, and seeing if a person is interested are all essential. If the conversation doesn’t flow, a good place to go is to ask the person to see any more of their art or ask for their social media.

Another way of networking online is by introducing yourself to online artist communities. Take Dark Yellow Dot’s art club, for example, our community is built up of artists from different backgrounds with unique levels of experience. Some of us have a formal art education, others have not – but we have all found solace and understanding through art and this blossoming community. By becoming a member, you are given access to a wide range of experiences and opportunities for and with other artists such as workshops, art nights, and art talks – where you are able to network and share your art with creative friends and like-minded individuals.

5. Don’t give up

One of the things many artists don’t talk about is how hard it is to keep going once things get started. Being an artist has its highs and lows like any career; networking can be hard, as a lot of artists like to be the gatekeeper of resources. Choosing to sell your artwork can be gut-wrenching, as people may not be that interested in your niche. You may even make it and find yourself with imposter syndrome. At any point in your career, your feelings may change, or you might find yourself struggling – especially when social media is showing you how happy and successful others can be. But pushing through is worth it, when you taste success through your work for the first time there’s no going back.

The Takeaway

As a beginner, the idea of getting your artwork noticed seems daunting, because it can be. But once you get started you find that these tips just assimilate into your everyday tasks. Overall, there are a few things you should remember when it comes to being an artist; the most important being that success is not instantaneous. Going viral or being noticed does not always equate to success, and although your work is being noticed the way it stays out there is through your hard work and consistency.

WHAT TIPS HELPED YOU TO GET YOUR ART NOTICED? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.

Don’t forget you can always share your art with us! Become the next Artist of The Month or tag us on Instagram @darkyellowdot.

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