How to get your art noticed online

Use art community sites like Instagram or Artstation to get your art noticed and find your fans! We'll give you tips to keep in mind for getting your art seen.

Ever dreamt of quitting your desk job and swapping it for an art job？

The internet has made it easier than ever before for you to build your own fanbase or client base for your art!

Use art community sites like Instagram or Artstation to get your art noticed and find your fans! We’ll give you tips to keep in mind for getting your art seen, whatever your end goal may be

Art sharing sites and social media are places where you can post and publish your artwork online for free. In order to build a following you need to first show people your art!. Taking that first step is important because once you get yourself out there on a community site, you can communicate with other artists or with fans. With the help of fans and fellow artists, you can then aim to become a professional artist by getting your work noticed by people in the industry, such as comic producers or game art scouts.

Which social media are most popular for art?

Since most people who visit art community websites are interested in illustrations and comics, being on the right platform for your goal will be key.
Below are some of the major platforms out there for posting your art and getting noticed.

Cara: Great for pros and hobbyists alike

Cara is a social media and portfolio-sharing platform for artists and art enthusiasts.

It has different features for aspiring creators and also for casual art enjoyers. Share your work with an online portfolio and keep up with other artists with timelines, feeds, and bookmarks. There are even job boards to connect you directly to potential employers.

https://cara.app/explore

ArtStation: Professional community portfolio site
ArtStation is an art community for illustrators, concept artists, and animators. You can build a portfolio on the site, including your software proficiency and past work experience, and easily sort your artwork by art categories including 2D or 3D art. ArtStation leans toward professional artists, with a job board, marketplace, and an optional paid profile.
https://www.artstation.com/

Instagram: Great for hobbyists and getting the attention of new fans
Although not tailored for the art community, a lot of artists post their work on Instagram. With more than 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram is a good place to try to build a large base of engaged fans. However, it can be hard to stand out as a new account, so frequent posting is a must.
https://www.instagram.com/

Behance: The Adobe powered portfolio art sharing site
Behance is a user-friendly portfolio site with all genres of art, with features for organizing and sharing your artwork. You can get views by using tags and categories for your art and create a clean portfolio with artwork arranged into separate galleries.
https://www.behance.net/

pixiv: The leading Japanese art community site
Pixiv is the most popular art community in Japan, with millions of monthly users. It’s popular with manga-style artists, including professional manga artists and illustrators. Pixiv offers the chance to grow your following and connect with professionals in the industry, especially if you draw in an anime/manga style and are hoping to do work in Japan in the future
https://www.pixiv.net/

Reddit: Get critiques and techniques from other artists

Reddit is a general online forum and not the first place you may think to share your art, but many subreddits are dedicated to all genres of drawing with people who may be willing to leave you some constructive criticism. It might be good to look around in a subreddit that you are curious about before posting to see if it fits with the type of community you are looking for.

Example of a large subreddit centered around art:

https://www.reddit.com/r/DigitalArt/

DeviantArt: A major art community site
DeviantArt is one of the most well-known and popular art communities, with users from all over the world. It has a strong community focus, with blog features, detailed profiles, and advanced commenting tools to communicate with other artists. You can see a diverse range of art styles, techniques, and tools.
https://www.deviantart.com/

Xfolio: A new Japan-based portfolio art site

Xfolio is not just a portfolio site but also a marketplace for creators to sell their work digitally and build a fan community. Artists can also easily update their fans on their creative activities for a more immersive fan and creator experience.

https://xfolio.jp/

Think about where you are in your art journey and what type of people you want to reach. It might be good to try a combination to compare different art communities, and then slowly focus on those that feel best for you.

What Are the Merits of Getting Noticed?

In most art communities, people can leave likes, rate artwork, or write comments.

In general, the more likes and the more followers you have, the more people you can showcase your work to because it will get picked up by the algorithm of the site. You can also share advice and opinions with other artists to improve your skills.

Having your art get noticed will raise your motivation to make even more art!

Other industry professionals, such as producers and editors, can get a positive impression of you from social media. Having a lot of followers can lead to work such as commissions, books, games, animation, and so on.

Even if you’re not interested in commercial work, being noticed could motivate you to draw more.

Five Tips for Getting Noticed

So how can you get noticed in an art community site? We will introduce you to five crucial tips.

1. Support your fellow artists and comment
If you discredit other artists’ work or criticize them, it usually will just spread negativity and will make people feel bad, including those who simply read the comment. This could stop them from looking at your drawings.

Even if you think your criticism is right, the artist on the receiving side may not be happy about it. If you want to give advice, make sure to think about how you would feel if you received the same comment. Choose your words wisely and never be overly harsh.

It’s also important to find other artists’ strengths and praise them. Look at the works of other artists and support them with positive comments and likes.

No one feels offended by words of appreciation. These artists may even return the favor by looking at your artwork and supporting you with likes or comments. You should also show your respect to artists that you admire. Doing so may increase your chances of getting advice from them, such as things to improve and habits to fix. Overall positivity can make people feel more positive about both you and your art.

2. Post as consistently as you can

What’s the best time to post your art to get it noticed? The answer is as soon as you can.

Thousands of pieces of art are shared daily on art social community sites. Consistently posting your art is usually the most effective way to keep up with this flow of art. This will also let you slowly gain followers and positive comments.

Good habits to keep in mind to get your art noticed

No artist becomes famous through a single piece of work. Only by posting regularly and steadily can you gain supportive followers and likes.

3. Don’t give up and draw what you love
Many people will have different opinions on your work. Some people may like it, and others will criticize it. Some criticisms may be entirely off the mark, and some people may even leave unkind comments. This is something every creator goes through, and artists aren’t an exception.

These kinds of people may deter you from drawing, but that shouldn’t be a reason to give up. If you give up then your art will definitely not reach the people who would appreciate it.

As you post, you’ll find fans who love and support your artwork. Ignore unkind remarks, and take compliments to heart. Try to keep a positive mental attitude and also keep in mind that the value of your creations shouldn’t be solely judged by the opinions of others

You can also raise your motivation by trying your hand at interpreting other work but in your own style or by drawing original characters of your friends or followers.

4. Take part in the community

The art community is full of people who want to express themselves. Embrace this and join your new followers and friends in improving your art alongside others. Take note of different drawing tips and the processes of people you admire. Take part in challenges and go outside your comfort zone.

No man is an island! Your art will grow in variety and quality the more you practice and learn from others in the community.

5. Finish each piece of work

Finishing art is the most important step of growing your fanbase

Sometimes you will see unfinished artwork and quick doodles on art communities.

A rough-looking style is fine, but posting only unfinished work will make your account look very amateur.Popular artists’ rough styles are carefully thought-out and are complete in their own way because they have the experience of finishing and polishing their art.

You never know who might look at your work. It might even be seen by someone who is scouting for talent or recruiting for an art-related job. If you only post unfinished artwork, you might get overlooked. Make sure to post completed artworks that showcase your skills.

Having a mindset of completing all the art you create, rather than only posting the things you draw in the moment, can help you push yourself and improve your art skills. Each completed piece will be an important part of your online art portfolio, too!

Respect Your Online Community

These five tips all have one message in common – respect your community!

Being an artist can be lonely at times. However, don’t forget that you are connected with many people through the creation and sharing of art. Being kind and respectful to the art community will build you a good reputation and help you get noticed, because everyone will notice someone who is not only motivated but reaches out to and lifts up other artists.

The most important lesson in getting popular on social media with your art is consideration for your art community and audience