Evaluation

To promote myself digitally, I created three very different websites. Firstly, I created a portfolio website which is running on Cargo. I am using this as a professional space where I can host my best work and where I can direct people when I am looking for commissions etc. I chose to create my cargo website in a similar style to the ones I had researched, using a plain white background to complement the images but with extra hand-drawn elements to keep it individual and stylistically similar to my artwork. I also took into account the usability of other artists’ portfolio sites: the navigation was simple and easy, the layout enabled visitors to have a glimpse of different works with the ability to then enlarge the image and find out more. I have changed my Cargo site recently so that it fits in with the self promotional material I have created, leaving potential clients with no doubt as to whose site they have arrived at and what kind of illustrator I am. I plan to keep my portfolio site up to date as I create more work and use it in my future practice and hopefully upgrade to create my own URL as I become more established.

My second site is in the form of a blog. I use Tumblr to share not only my finished artwork but also some of my sketches and thought processes behind the work I produce. I have found that Tumblr is a more personal platform for promoting artwork and I am really enjoying the social aspect of it too. Following other artists on Tumblr keeps me up to date with what they are making, keeping me constantly inspired to create more illustrations! Although the aesthetic is different to that of my Cargo website, I think that the artwork and colour palettes help to identify my Tumblr page as Mine. I wanted to keep my blog looking different to my portfolio site anyway so that when people visit one they can see what I make and when they follow the link to my blog they can see why I make it, which I think is important for potential clients/employers to discover.

My third site is a ‘page’ I have made on Facebook. This is less formal again but I have found it very useful. It is really easy to use and relatively easy to get your work circulated. ‘Sharing’ and ‘Liking’ enables a broader audience, allowing friends of friends to see and share artwork. I have been selective with the work on Facebook, even though it is not as formal a platform as Cargo, I still think that potential clients can see this and it is important for them to see me as a professional. The only thing with Facebook is that, at the moment, you cannot personalise it much, so aesthetically it may not fit in with my other digital sites but I think that the images on there, and the banner, makes sure that people recognise the page and I think there is a cohesion between all three sites which reflects me as a person and my illustrations.