Pick a Platform

You've made the artwork, now it's time to show it off!

Today I want to talk about the different ways to showcase your artwork. All of the options can be overwhelming so I want to break it down. And also tell you my favorite way, which has gotten many results for me and my students. (hint: it's number 3)

1. Website

You can make a page or a section on your website with your artwork on it. One of my favorite website platforms is Squarespace because it's easy to use.

Pros: A website makes you look professional!
Cons: This is common, so you may not stand out.

2. Printed Portfolio Book

A printed portfolio book is an excellent way of getting the attention of an art director. To make a printed portfolio, I would recommend using Adobe InDesign because it was made for page layouts, and you can drop many images into your layout without it getting bogged down. From there, you can export a PDF and send it to a print vendor to be printed into a book.

Pros: Not many people do it, so you'll stand out.
Cons: It costs money to print and mail, and you can't update it once it's out there.

3. Digital Portfolio Book

A digital portfolio in Adobe InDesign is my favorite! You can set up all the pages, then publish it online straight through InDesign. You don't need a website or another platform to put it on. It creates its own URL you can put in your pitch emails to art directors, and then they can flip through it online like a book. You can also take that same document and get it printed into a hard copy.

Pros: Easy to update, looks very professional, tells your story from page to page in an intentional and impactful way, and can also be sent to get printed if you want to go above and beyond to get someone's attention.

I know when I first set out to make a portfolio of my artwork, I was overwhelmed by all the different ways to do it, and wanted to figure out the best way to do it before I jumped in. I hope this has been helpful!

Want to pitch your artwork to your dream clients but feel overwhelmed?

Learn about the 5 surprising things that you can let go of to start pitching right away.

Plus get inspired by the Primed Portfolio Checklist!