Websites and Online Portfolios
-
@NessIllustration Thank you! Its encouraging that other working artists think I have the skill to do it. I admit that confidence in my skill level is at least part of the issue for me. I feel extra behind because my art education didn't go beyond high school till I found Will Terry's Youtube and SVS.
But, the bigger issue is more of a practical thing. I just don't have time to commit to paid art work right now. I have done a few sales events... fundraisers and some craft fairs, but its always such a big interruption to our family that it isn't a realistic option for me to be doing it consistently yet. My family is encouraging and supportive, but I co-own my husband's construction business and I do a large part of the admin things. And, we have 5 kids. No one does very well when I lock myself away in my office, so I kinda just make time here and there when I can. Its much more than it has been since my youngest started school and that's encouraging. But, I feel like I cant take work, because it would pretty much be committing to a client that my family wont need me, and that's the minute they'd all get hit with a stomach flu, or something ridiculous. I'm trying to keep at it as much as possible so that when I have the time, I wont have forgotten how to hold a pencil. I'm not wasting the waiting if I can help it. And I know that the time with my kids is precious. But, I also agree that diving into a job would probably be an incredible learning opportunity.
-
@NessIllustration your art is beautiful by the way! Congratulations on your book. It’s adorable!
️ -
@Pamela-Fraley Wow 5 kids and a company, I'm surprised you have time to draw at all! You're doing amazing, girl
Things will work out for your art eventually, I know it. You will have your day!As for art school, I feel like this is such a big part of the confidence issue. A lot of self-taught artists feel that somehow they missed some big art secret by not going to art school, that they are missing crucial training and therefore aren't good enough... When you've gone to art school you know, there is no big secret and self-taught artist can know just as much as diploma holding artists. Sometimes in college I used to think "that's it? There's not... more to this?" Nope, it's knowledge you can get anywhere these days (online classes, books, etc) combined with lots of practice. But if I hadn't been to college (and also was hired by a studio afterwards) I don't know that I'd have the confidence to pursue freelance illustration as I am today. Confidence is a really tricky thing!
-
@Pamela-Fraley Aww thank you, that means so much!
-
@Geoffrey-Gordon and fellow artists,
Do you know any trusted source/tutorials which have a detailed guideline for how to optimize images for SEO (including how to properly name the image, and wirte alt-text and keywords for each image). There is a lot pops up with a google search, but I have no way of varify which source to trust.
I am re-organizing my website right now, and thought I might do a clean up, especially with the image names.
-
@Geoffrey-Gordon Did you ever make any progress on doing a tutorial/class on this? I am looking into a website at the moment and I would love to take such a class!
-
Today, for illustrators,...I think we can get away without one.
-
"Dreamweaver? Nobody uses this any more."
I haven't heard that name in a long time, Haha. I remember trying to use Dreamweaver way back in college. Website development wasn't really my thing.
-
@jsnzart In my opinion though, I think it's still vital to have one. It shows your client that you are invested in this job that you're willing to pay a few bucks to get yourself out there. Of course, there are social media platforms but a personal portfolio website just says professional.
-
@LauraA said in Websites and Online Portfolios:
@Geoffrey-Gordon Did you ever make any progress on doing a tutorial/class on this? I am looking into a website at the moment and I would love to take such a class!
Honestly, I have been so swamped, I have not had a chance since the pandemic hit.....
-
@Geoffrey-Gordon can you please teach us how to properly name our pieces.
please?Portfolio: nyrrylcadiz.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nyrryl_cadiz/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbJCF1Im8ZO7hpGWTKOJMuA -
@Nyrryl-Cadiz said in Websites and Online Portfolios:
@Geoffrey-Gordon can you please teach us how to properly name our pieces.
please?Sent you a private message
-
@Geoffrey-Gordon Send a public message, please! I want to know too!
-
@LauraA Sent you a private message
-
@Geoffrey-Gordon I also would like to learn how to name our pieces. Can you send it to me please?
-
@carlianne I’m with you... tough decision... in my case, it’s not so much spelling... I just feel my name is not very appealing or memorable: Silvia Lopez-Cepero! I wonder if I should come up with an artist name...
Silvia Lopez-Cepero
https://www.instagram.com/silvia.lopez.cepero/ -
@silvialcg Are you kidding me? That sounds like a great name to me!
-
@Geoffrey-Gordon I tried to name all of my files according to you advice a while back, but I feel like when I upload my photos to my Adobe portfolio site, it gets rid of the names, because when I download them back off of the site, the names are then a bunch of numbers/letters. I can't seem to see the names of my photos anywhere once they are uploaded. Am I missing something here?
Website: www.tessawrathall.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/tessawrathall_art/
-
@silvialcg I was going to say the same thing as Tessa! You have a great name - very fluid sounding - will look good on book covers too
-
@TessaW I feel your frustration, this is why I don't like platforms that are not your own because they play by their own rules. The rules that benefit them and not you. Mostly their interest in getting their monthly payment out of you. This is why you should bever invest in a platform that you cannot own. Ant web service that requires a monthly service fee tied to their platforms like Wix, or square space or adobe portfolio is going to serve their own interests and will have limitations on what you can and cannot do. This is why I am putting together a free course for everyone here to show them a better way. It's in development and it's going to take a little time but here is what we are going to cover...
