Get Yourself Seen

***Pet*** · 01-29-2011, 05:52 PM

Within this thread, I want to just cover the basic things you should do to help get yourself, and your art, noticed by people.

Self advertising: Just starting out is hard, but you can advertise yourself, for fairly low cost, compared to throwing an ad in the local newspaper, or getting a billboard put up.

First, Craigslist, has sections for people looking for help, and quite often there are even opportunities for jobs related to graphic design. Usually those jobs are a one time thing, as part of a team, but it is a job in the field.

Sign up with world wide, and quite known art sites, I myself am signed up on deviantART, and there are many companies that search there. You might first think, that being on a website about art will only drown out yourself, but with all the search criteria you can do, basically any piece can be found, just remember to add TAGS for searches.

Getting a couple hundred business cards made up, throw one of your work on the back, and take it to places like clubs, and bars, if you want to make some advertisement posters, and had them out, leave them lying around. You can even do this at coffee shops, or local owned business', not the franchise giants.

Another thing you could do is, get some of your stuff put onto your car, with a web domain listed in very clear letters. This acts as a moving advertisement, and many people do it. You see auto repair shops doing that on loaner cars. You never know were someone is looking for some art talent, and that just might get it, though this will be a little more costly than business cards.

Online: Another place many people search for art is online, using search engines, such as google.

Get yourself a domain name, the simpler the better, for instance, mine is http://www.nathanenns.ca It is my first and last name, and being Canadian, I was able to use the .ca domain. Within Canada, a lot of people like to search for other Canadians for their help, and being abroad, it doesn't hurt either. So, .ca if your canadian, .com, if possible every were else. .net is okay, but those are the main ones to use.

Build yourself a portfolio with all of your art, and give it meta tags for search engines. List ALL of your art though them, as well as styles you do, and fields you are possible interested in, just to help searches find you better. On your gallery, make sure to name each artwork, and adding a little description doesn't hurt.

Type of art: Is your art the type that is wanted, or needed?

I am going to be a little blunt, but all these tags, with 3D abstracts scattered around and blended, aren't much needed in the real world. Look through magazines, billboards, newspapers at ads. Pay attention to store logos, and how they present themselves. Even gaming cases.

There is a wide variety of art needed out there, but is it unique enough to stand out, or will it blend in with the rest? I have been told that my art has a unique appeal, due to it being quite different from everything out there. That uniqueness, along with people actually liking it, is a good thing for me, it will stick in someones mind well.

Last bit I can think of to say, find your style, and what you love, and run with it. If you start to make money off of it, you are set. Turning what you love, into your job is great.

If anyone has anything to add, please do, this is just coming from 1 person.