Throughout the centuries of the professional art trade, aspiring artists have taken their work to the owners of exhibition spaces and art shops in the hope that it would be accepted. This has changed in the 21st century when modern technology and an internet connection have made the process much easier for both sides. Nowadays you don't need to take your paintings and go for a trip around town, just spend a couple of hours digitizing your works and compiling a CV. The tradition has become obsolete: if you show up at a gallery without making an appointment, chances are they won't even look at your paintings. So don't waste your time, build a strong portfolio and send an introduction letter instead.
#1: High-quality images of your artwork
Why spend hours, days, and weeks creating something incredible if the shot doesn't convey it? Avoid blurry, poorly lit, or poorly cropped photos. And be sure to watch out for any distracting shadows, camera flashes, or backgrounds. Make sure your camera settings convey the real colors of your work and, if necessary, make color corrections to your images.
Respect your work and your career - make an effort to produce quality images yourself or contact professional photographers.
#2: Quality over quantity
You are only as good as the work you exhibit. At least, that's what those viewing your portfolio will think. Remember that its purpose is to showcase your skills as an artist, your strengths, your range, and your experience in the art world. That's why it's important to exhibit the work that you think is best and that will help showcase your strength
The devil is in the details. By including details such as the title of the piece, dimensions, materials, technique, price, date, and history of creation, you show that you're professional with your work - and it also gives you an edge when presenting your portfolio to clients. Let's face it: no gallery director, curator, or collector would chase an artist for information. Art collectors need these details, so why make it difficult for them to find them?
#3: Keep it up to date
What if a potential buyer or gallerist asks you about your latest work and you have nothing to show for it? No purchase is guaranteed. So your motto should be - "always ready!
Often it seems that opportunities just don't appear. But is this really the case, or are we simply not ready? Sooner or later, opportunities will present themselves, so by carefully updating your portfolio with the latest and greatest works, you can take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself.
#4: Make it user friendly
When it comes to designing your portfolio and showing your work, clarity and professionalism should come first. No distracting backgrounds. No crazy fonts for large chunks of text. Everything should be easy: easy to read, easy to navigate, and easy to understand what kind of artist you are.
And while you may go crazy with the design elements, remember that the star of the show should be your work.
#5 Ensure that your portfolio has your personal touch
Don't forget to tell your story and motivation. After all, art is much more than just painting on canvas. Every work has a story: the source of inspiration, the journey to create it, the energy put into each stroke, the message you want to convey, and so much more.
The same goes for you as an artist! You have a passion, motivation, personality, upbringing, education, experience, and issues that you care about and that have influenced your work. Telling that story will also help sell it. Share it in your online portfolio and you will create an emotional connection with people who will care about the story going forward.