Instagram Art Portfolio
Promoting your Instagram art portfolio effectively involves a practical approach to design. Instagram is a perfect tool for showcasing your work, but it’s important to remember that gratification isn’t success. Focus on creating a portfolio that reflects your art style, rather than aiming for engagement. Concentrate on a clear, visually cohesive presentation of your art that resonates with your audience.
Let’s see that together with three examples:
↓
Instagram Art Portfolio Tips
How to make a good Portfolio on Instagram? The priority is for you to show finished artwork for most posts. You can keep the stories for the conversion to sales. If you make Reels, be sure to have the finished artwork as a featured image. Sometimes, integrate a photo of you. People don’t just buy the art they buy the artists. But most of your posts should showcase your latest creations.
Key Aspects for a Good Portfolio:
Optimized Post Proportions
Instagram favors vertical images, ideally 1080px by 1350px, as this size works best on mobile devices. If you’re using a carousel (multiple images in one post), remember the first image gets cropped to a square (1080x1080px) on your Home. And your Home is the Portfolio.
Strategic Use of Carousels
Carousels let you share multiple images in a single post. This is a great way to keep viewers engaged as they swipe through different stages of your artwork.
Plus, Instagram’s algorithm often favors posts with higher engagement, making carousels a smart choice.
Instagram Portfolio Examples
Using Instagram as a digital portfolio allows you to professionally present your work to a broader audience, including potential clients, galleries, and collaborators, without the pressure of social media dynamics.
Scott Donaldson @underwaterlad
Scott’s Instagram shows:
- his name,
- where he lives,
- the link to the online store,
- his Art,
- and that’s all: The artist posts when an artwork is finished.
This minimalism goes against Instagram tendencies but it works, and pretty well.
Art is not content
Remember, The goal here is to launch your art career, not become a content creator. There is a difference: We are using social media as a tool to get what we want recognition and financial stability. But you don’t have to use social media as everyone else does.
– Kesley Rodriguez
Making an Art Portfolio on Instagram
Making a portfolio isn’t just about displaying your work; it’s about creating a dialogue. To encourage those who view your art to think about it, and to interact with it in a meaningful way. This is more than getting likes or boring “I love it” messages; it’s an invitation to connect and open doors to real discussions. Remember, the Internet is like a table set for two. Social media hasn’t changed this fundamental truth.
Storytelling in Captions
This could include your inspiration, techniques used, or challenges faced during creation. A compelling story can spark curiosity and encourage viewers to comment or ask questions.
Interactive Questions
Ask your audience what emotions the piece evokes, which elements stand out to them, or how they interpret the art. This can lead to richer discussions in the comments section.
Collaborations with Other Artists or Followers: Collaborate with other artists or your followers on certain pieces and share the collaborative process. This can create a sense of belonging and investment in your work.
Educational Content
Occasionally post content that educates your audience about art – this could be about techniques, art history, or the meaning behind certain art styles or movements. Education can increase appreciation and lead to more meaningful interactions.
Instagram Portfolio Examples (2)
Callen Schaub
Using Instagram as a digital portfolio allows you to professionally present your work to a broader audience, including potential clients, galleries, and collaborators, without the pressure of social media dynamics.
Callen Schaub’s approach to leveraging criticism, particularly the ‘Fake Art’ movement, is an effective method of engaging with his audience on Instagram. It is a great example of interacting with your audience.
Embracing negativity
When faced with the term ‘Fake Art’ used against his work, Schaub didn’t shy away. Instead, he embraced and owned the label, transforming it into the ‘Fake Art Movement.’ This act of reclamation is powerful. It disarms critics by showing that their words don’t diminish his value as an artist, but rather provide a new lens through which to view his work.
Encouraging Participation
By responding to the critique ‘Anyone can do it’ with encouragement rather than defensiveness, Callen extends an open invitation to creativity. This inclusive approach demystifies the art-making process and engages a broader audience.
Utilizing Social Media Dynamics
Social media, especially platforms like Instagram, often amplify polarizing content. Controversy sparks conversation, and by positioning his work at the center of this dialogue, he ensures higher visibility and engagement.
Differentiating Himself
Unlike Damien Hirst, who uses similar techniques but comes from a prestigious background, Schaub lacks this ‘provenance.’ Yet, instead of seeing this as a drawback, he uses it as a unique selling point. His lack of traditional backing becomes a narrative of an underdog, challenging the norms of the art world. This narrative resonates with many who feel alienated by the elitism often associated with the art industry.
Beauty vs Art
“People who comment “You are so much more in your pictures” In what world is that a compliment? Listen I had nothing to do with this face other than slapping a little bit of makeup on every once in a while for a YouTube video. I put very little effort into this my art on the other hand I put a lot of effort into in fact I have dedicated years of my life to furthering my artistic talent and for somebody to tell me that my beauty is more impressive than my artwork frankly a slap in the face.”
– Broke Cormier “Artists on Instagram: Don’t Make This Mistake” (YouTube)
Instagram Portfolio Ideas
Your latest work should be the 1st image in your carousels. So the content below should be secondary to add depth to your art:
- Work-in-Progress Shots: Share the evolution of your artwork. Viewers often appreciate seeing the journey from a blank canvas to a finished piece.
- Close-up Details: Highlight fine details or textures in your art. These close-ups can reveal aspects that might be overlooked in a full view.
- Artistic Inspiration: Showcase what sparks your creativity. Whether it’s a scenic view, a piece of music, or another work of art, sharing your inspiration can deepen the viewer’s connection to your work.
- Behind-the-Scenes: Offer a peek into your creative space. Showing your studio or tools adds a personal touch that fans love.
- Time-lapse Reels: These are engaging and show hours of work in just seconds, giving a fascinating insight into your creative process.
- Sketches or Drafts: Displaying early concepts or drafts can illustrate how your ideas evolve into the final piece.
- Artistic Techniques: Educate your audience about the methods you use. Brief demonstrations or explanations of your techniques can be both informative and engaging.
Before and After Comparisons: Illustrate the transformation of your work. This could be from the initial sketch to the final piece. - Artist’s Commentary: Add a personal voice. Share your thoughts, the story behind your artwork, or your artistic journey.
- Collector’s Content: Show your art in real-world settings, like in buyers’ homes. This can also include showcasing fan art or interpretations.
- Exhibition Announcements: Use your platform to promote upcoming shows or events. An eye-catching image or flyer can effectively draw attention to these announcements.
- Personal photos: Remember, people don’t just buy art; they buy the artist. Including photos of yourself or snippets of your life can create a more personal connection with your audience.
Instagram Portfolio Example (3)
Giulia Peyrone
Giulia Peyrone’s Instagram account stands as an excellent example of achieving diversity while maintaining consistency, an essential attribute for an artist’s portfolio. Her art is hybrid; she paints on canvas but also uses these as patterns for her prints on fabric like silk scarves. This versatility in her artistic expression is quite a challenge.
Me vs My Art
However, there’s a noticeable imbalance in her postings. Giulia tends to share more personal photos than her artworks. While this strategy is getting higher engagement, it detracts from her primary objective of highlighting her art. Given that her art is the central focus, of course, it would be beneficial to showcase more of her creations.
Optimizing time
The challenge she faces is the time-intensive nature of her painting process, which conflicts with the Instagram algorithm’s preference for frequent posting. One solution lies in adapting her creative process. By focusing on smaller segments of her patterns or individual elements, Giulia could produce content more rapidly. This approach allows her to maintain a steady stream of artistic posts without compromising the quality or integrity of her work.
Carousels as depth
Additionally, leveraging Instagram’s carousel feature could offer a strategic advantage. By combining images of herself with her art, Giulia can enhance viewer engagement and ensure that her artwork remains the primary showcase on her profile.
In conclusion, Giulia successfully integrates various elements – her paintings, printed textiles, urban interventions, and snippets of her daily life – into a cohesive and stylistically homogeneous online portfolio. Despite the minor setback in content balance, her Instagram account remains a strong representation of artistic identity and versatility, exemplifying how an artist can maintain diversity with consistency in a digital portfolio.
To end the Article here is a small Q&A. Don’t hesitate to write in the comments to suggest more questions! :-)
Is Instagram good for portfolio?
Instagram is effective for art portfolios due to its visual focus and large audience, making it ideal for showcasing work. However, it’s important to navigate its algorithm and engagement-focused nature, which can sometimes overshadow the art itself. Balancing personal and artistic content is key.
Can Instagram be my Art portfolio?
Instagram can serve as part of your art portfolio, offering great exposure and a platform to showcase your work. However, it shouldn’t be your main portfolio. Relying solely on a third-party platform poses risks, such as sudden changes in policies. A personal website remains the best professional portfolio choice, granting full control and stability.
Greg Bot
Greg Bot is one of Very Private Gallery’s co-founders. Originally from France, he studied at Villa Arson, a pilot school for contemporary art. He got involved in setting up exhibitions and worked as a digital strategist for art fairs and galleries in countries like China, Australia, France, and Spain.