How to lay out an online art portfolio
by Eve Greenwood
Landing page
Put at least one image on your landing page to grab the viewer's attention. Avoid your landing page being blank or text-only. The very first websites a viewer sees on your portfolio when the website loads are already giving them a sense of your style and taste, so make sure it's a good first impression!
In general, your landing page should immediately feature artwork from your portfolio. If you want a simple landing page, select one or two of your favourite pieces, and make it very clear where to click to see more.
Most importantly, do not send your portfolio out when your landing page says "coming soon"!
Artwork
Separate your portfolio into different pages with different types of art (comics, illustration, animation, etc) instead of personal work, commissions etc. If someone is looking for your illustrations, for example, they want to easily find them in one place and not have to go between multiple pages to see examples of one kind of art.
Put your favourite art right at the top, as this will be the very first and perhaps only impression the viewer will have of your work. Less impressive but still relevent pieces can go lower. You don't need to upload every drawing you've ever done to your portfolio; pick your best and favourite ones! Decide which pieces demonstrate different skills. If multiple pieces all show the same skill, consider removing some of them.
Feel free to tweak your portfolio per job, or set up specific pages for that job, so that you make sure there are plenty of pieces that show your work in the field you are applying for. A comic portfolio is no use for an illustration gig, as they're different art forms and different skills.
Contact
Include your email somewhere big and obvious. I highly recommend giving people the option to email you as well as, or instead of, having a contact form. This might be personal preference, but when I am contacting creators I do check who I've emailed in my sent folder. Contact forms may also fail or be set up incorrectly.
If using a template or pre-built site like Squarespace, Carrd, or Wix, make sure any social media buttons actually link to your social media.
Social media as your portfolio
It is absolutely vital that you are aware of the pitfalls of using social media as your only portfolio. Some social media, like Instagram, don't allow users who aren't logged in to click on posts or to scroll past a certain point on your profile page. This restricts people from seeing the full breadth of your work. Make sure at the very least that your page is visible to people who aren't logged in.
If you can't make separate pages to separate out your work, clearly indicate what tags the viewer has to click on to find specific kinds of art. It is highly recommended to have a clean and simple tag system for a professional portfolio. This is easier on sites like Tumblr, as Instagram's tag and search function is not ideal for this.
If your social media is also acting as your professional portfolio, don't also post non-art things. A potential commissioner is looking for examples of your work, not photos or memes.
Make sure your email address is somewhere clear in your bio, as not all commissioners will want to DM you or will even have an account on that social media.
Simple portfolio templates
If you aren't afraid to get your hands a little dirty with code, here are some simple, beginner-friendly templates:
- HTML Portfolio Template by h0neymice
- A super simple portfolio template by Kaylee Rowena
- Digicard Guide by krzchn
This article was written by Eve Greenwood, who gave permission for it to be posted here. Visit their website to learn more about their work.
