If I was...

Depending the kind of art that you create, the look of your site will look different.
Maybe the set up and organization of the page would be very similar to other kind of artists but the imagery will speak itself. I did create some examples on my personal facebook to explain this fact easier:

If I was a illustrator:
(who I hope I will be one day) I would use as a profile picture one of my illustrations, finished and looking nice, but also I would use some other illustration on top, in this case I used one in which you can see  a finished image but still with papers behind, like if I didn't finish it yet, just to show clearly that are my drawings, and kinda "how I make them" sensation, even if is something you can't see on the pic.

If I was a tattoo artist:
Maybe the imagery I have used here isn't the best but just to make an idea... the profile picture would be an own tattoo design (preferably with color) and on top I used a picture of an old couple completely covered on tattoos, maybe I could use a large own design as well, the point is make sure this imagery is directly related with tattoo, so once you see this profile you don't have a doubt about you're checking a tattoo artist!!

If I was a photographer:
Clarifying the fact of being a photographer I upload a picture of myself with my camera, (wich is very clear about the sent message of: I do take photos), but also I used a large nice picture of some crazy buildings of my city, giving an example of "my work" (actually this picture was taken by my sister).
But with this two images together isn't easy to connect "the girl who take photos" and the nice landscape as taken by her, like an example of her job.

If I was an street artist:
I would never ever put my face on my profile!!!!
But instead use examples of my work: as a profile picture I used a stencil painting, something cool and easy to fit in a small space as the profile pic, probably something that the artist himself use to draw, like cheo's bee (this is just a nice graff I've found around Bedminster).
And then on top I would use a big piece ( I just used the pic of my 1st trial with sprays), maybe a big lettering piece with the name on it...

The point (again) I want to bring up is: It doesn't matter the kind of art you create or the platform you are using to promote it, the important point of it is the imagery you  are using in, how you are showing to the rest of the people what are you doing, so this imagery meant to be directly related with you and your work (pictures of your works, yourself working...), so no one will have the doubt of what they found when they clic on your page.

The final idea I had at the end of this work is that:


-official websites, proffesional ones, in any way of art have a very simmilar set up, all very easy and clean, ovbiously matching with the idea of sell and promote the work. This pages are alsdo made to literally sell, giving you always the chance to contact the artist or get some of their works.


-I also found many people who don't use their own sites, but help themselves with social platforms, wich, even if they aren't that proffesional and nicely organized, are very popular, making easy to the viewer to find those artist while they are for example checking their stuff on facebook or instagram...
But isn't helpful as websites to buy, wich, at the end,mean to be the intention.

diferent kinds of art

I'm going to speak about how, depending of the type of art which is being produced, the website will reflect this.


The first website is from a graffiti artist called 45rpm.

The first thing I though just opening his website is that is a professional artist, just because this site looks as clean an well organized as many other I already saw from famous painters. I honestly expected to find something maybe more fancy or messy, but I was impressed how easy and nicely organized it is.
 
When you clic on this website you find a very clean page, which leaves clear the way of the artist (graffiti),
http://www.thebearded45.co.uk/
with his logo, a little easy menu on left hand side and a photography of a spray (obviously related with hip hop culture).
On the menu we can find design where the artist uploaded drawings made on skates, caps...
Then photos where you can find some of his photography.
Then in sketch a day we can find all his handmade drawings, which you can find already framed in some shops in Bristol.
In walls you can find photographs of his graffiti.
He also has a link to his canvases, fanzines and products and how to contact him.
All in a white clean background with a side scrolling layout for the pictures uploaded.

Another example is Banksy http://banksy.co.uk/menu.asp,

bold, simple and straight website, just as the one shown before.

http://www.cheo.co.uk/ This is another kind of graff site, from Cheo,  which is very fancy with a red background and golden frames. Is very obvious he is a graffiti artist, to see the images or videos is used vertical scrolling, keeping always on top his tag, big and framed.

Here we have the Benjamin Béchet's site. Photography from France.

 http://bechet.site.picturetank.com/fr/site/photoGroup/m2519-portraits.html/


First thing I could notice is the black background, which, even if I believe this is a professional site, seems a bit disturbing to me. Second but not less important thing I did notice is that this site is just in french, (just the main menu is written in English, which is not very helpful if you don't know french).
In home we find a scrolling layout going down the page, showing his series of photographs,  but on top of all this we find the main menu, with the name of the artist written on the left corner.
When the arrow is on one of the options of the menu (home/series/reportages/corporate/publications/multimedia/contact&terms) is opened a little menu underneath showing what is contained inside, and giving you the choice to clic in anyone of them.
Every option which contains imagery also gives you 2 options:
 intro, in wich the artist introduce you to his work, and slideshow, in which is showed the imagery.
Also you can find a contact sheet with the details about every shot.
 I found this site a bit complicated, but with a good amount of information. I personally didn't like this website, just because is a little dark and complicated.

This is from Nikos Vasilakis, a greek photographer, http://nikosalpha.com/featured.

He is obviously a professional one, with a clean and nice site, with a portfolio which let you choose between all his folders.
Just sell himself straight. All written in english.

http://www.mustafasoydan.com/
 This is the site of a fashion illustrator from Turkey.
He has a very clean site, with a flat white background, his logo on the left corner and a little menu on the right hand side ( work/client/about/contact).
when you open his page, straight, you find all his illustrations, and clicking on anyone of them you open the illustration and you can check them on detail.
Then you can check for what branches he works in 'client', not a lot of information is in about or contact, just the enough to know where he is based and a mail to contact him.
Easy and clean, very professional, this page is made for branches to check his work and contact him easily and fast.

This is from the illustrator Paula Bonet, who make mostly prints and book illustration.
 Her site is similar to the one before, but with different and more content.

Then are a lot more of artist who just use platforms to promote and sell their works.
http://leonidafremov.deviantart.com/gallery/ this is an example of a famous artist with out their own website .


In general I found a lot of organization in this websites, in general they bring you easy to the point, as they want to sell and promote their work.
Apart from the fact every one shows something different ( graffiti artists with big tags, photographers with lady on the main menu or an example of the own style on the illustration one) I havent found a massive difference between them, as all of them have the same purpose with in their sites. 

about my own use of platforms

https://www.facebook.com/nu.ria.167

My personal social page.
Shows a little bit of myself, the profile picture sows me with my camera ( letting the viewer know that I like photography, maybe that I'm kind of an "artistic person"), but I also have a picture of me and my group of friends back at home, (showing something about my life) something that I wouldn't upload in a professional page.
It is true that I share sometimes pictures of my drawings or texts, but no every thing or every time, and just because I also like to share things with my people.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/themushroomrules/

My old old flickr! I had already forgotten about that!
Even if I'm not the best I love photography! Years ago I used to shoot at everyone all the time! I specially like portraits; I had so many so I opened this account to store them (I'm such a mess) and share them.
I don't know why I'm not doing this anymore... :(

Was easy to organize my stuff and also find other nice photographers.


http://kozmicbollocks.blogspot.co.uk/?view=flipcard

Blogspot.
Sometimes I write short poems.
This is the platform I use to upload and share them with the world.
I used one of the templates that blog offers you, a very colorful one. It doesn't make it look professional at all, very childish, like me, thinking about it... But I have to say my blog is something very personal and just a hobby, I don't try to sell anything so I don't really mind how it looks,
I just love crazy pictures and bright colours around my deepest feelings!

http://instagram.com/beastie.nu

This is my new one, instagram!
I though it was just a selfie-site, but I found so many nice tattoo stuff and now I love it! I upload here pictures of my drawings mostly.
Probably isn't the best place to do it, but it seems easy, as I use it with the phone, and because honestly I am not sure in what to do with all my artwork. so I just chose a app and start to share it in this way...

about different platforms VI

BLOG.

Everyone probably read or write something in a blog sometime.
Blog is just a kind of journal on-line where we can share texts, images, media objects and data arranged chronologically viewed trough HTML.
Today we have blogs talking about everything we can imagine. People talk about themselves, buy and sell, share information...

Here we have the blog of the painter Kent Williams, http://kentwilliams.blogspot.co.uk/, where we can find his own explanations abouthis work and exhibitions in a chronological order. It also contains on left hand side a menu with the opcions to access to a sketchbook (http://painthouse.wordpress.com/) his fb page, his website, twitter, different galleries (http://www.mkgallery.com/ http://evokecontemporary.com/) and a store; just underneath we find the actual blog menu with the dates of his posts so you can choose on what year/month to read.
Made up in a completely clean way, the blog looks all white with just his signature as a title, the already mentioned menus on the left side and in the centre just the posts. Anything looking fancy except the photographies of his work, where  our focus is ment to be when we visit this page.
 Even if the blog looks quite clean and organized, and gives the artist a good chance to show off, explain himself and give information about, isn't the main place to ''sell yourself''. here is the difference: http://www.kentwilliams.com/
http://www.kentwilliams.com/wwwkentwilliamscom/how-human-of-you

In his website, which has a *****unfinished*****

about different platformsV

FACEBOOK TIME!!!

Seems like the whole world loves facebook, that specially young people can't live without it!
That's why I though in have a look of all the different uses we all give to this very popular platform.

 Obviously, fb is used mostly to keep contact with people that u knows (or even if you don't), share pictures, videos, events and silly stuff...
But after our profiles and selfies is something else... fortunately.

 Here is an example of a promotion of a non famous band and a famous painter. Doesn't matter how popular you are, everyone can create his own promotion page through fb:

 https://www.facebook.com/bestontheroad.official

-    https://www.facebook.com/guydenning

 Looking basically as any other fb profile, the first difference I've found is that we can't add it as friend, just like it, as underneath the name is written : music/ musical band// Artist.
 But it works basically like a normal profile, with a timeline underneath of name and picture.
with the same options of check the information available about them, their pictures, videos, things that they liked...
no much to say about something that we all know so well.
this kind of pages aren't professional at all. Aren't the most confusing thing either, but I guess is because our whole society is really into facebook, so even a five years old could use it easily, as I already said, no because is more or less easy to use, but because we all are too associated and use to its form.
Anyway this gives a point to every artist to use a facebook page to promote theirselves: everyone use it, everyone has a page, nearly everyone use it as usual... Wich makes a lot of times this promoting pages easier to access  than maybe the actual websites, even when this pages aren't very well organizated or with a lack of information about!

The other good point to use this source is that the artist can actually see (specially talking about amateur artists) all the people who follow them.


And here we have, in comparison, the actual website of Guy Denning!
http://www.guydenning.org/

As is obvious, this is a professional website. In pale colors (the focus should to be just on his work, no on the actual web), and with a very simple organization, the first thing we find once we go in is a drawing of the artists, example of his work, with his web adress on top, and a tiny and simple menu on the left hand side: paintings/drawings/writing/press &links/ about & contact. This gives you the chance to easily check out all his work, which is showed all in small pictures , where you can choose to click on them to see then bigger.
It also gives the chance to read news about his or his exhibitions, and also a way to contact on facebook and twitter and the galleries working with him.

Here is the big difference, maybe in fb or twitter you feel more or less free to "contact" the artist, send a comment or like his stuff, but if you want to check out properly his work or information about it or his exhibitions will be always more useful to use the official website, which is made just with this purpose, to "sell" and promote in a professional way his own work. 

about different platforms IV

Talking about instagram:


I have to confess I am an "addict" since I've tried this platform!
I just found it very useful finding tattoo artists, something in what I am personally interested in.
There is a link to check it out: http://instagram.com/guendouglas

As we all know, instagram isn't really the place "to sell" and isn't the most useful place to find other kind of artists. We all know the "silly" use we all give to this kind of platforms (instagram, facebook, tumblr...) and just the gods know how many selfies and pictures of food and fools we can find in... That's why I felt surprised in a very good way when I've seen how easy is as well to find in this source tattoo artists like the one I've just posted.

Instagram isn't the best organizated blog ever, is basically a timeline with all the pics posted in the order that people actually updated them, without different folders or anything similar. 
But with all, is amazing how easy is to find the many tattoo artists it contains! Because once you found the fist artist you follow, the application recommend you similar pages, making you know more and more artists in a endless chain, which made me stop to see instagram just as another place for silly pics, for realize how useful is once you find the first artist in it!!

  http://www.guendouglas.com/

 And here we have the actual website of the same artist I just showed.
Very simple website, flat white backgrounds, no fancy at all, which make very easy to find whatever you're looking for on her web.

As we can see, is a kind of very "straight" page.
The first thing that appear once u open it is "home" with the information about where about she is moving, plans for work (tattoo on-the-roar, walks-in, conventions...)
We also find a tiny, but simple and easy menu on the left hand side, divide in two: Guen Douglas, wich contains information about the artist herself, her tours, blogs and links, and the portfolio with tattoos and art.


I think is a bit plain but very nice website, easy and very clear, which for some people (like me) who can get really lost on-line sometimes, is a very good point.
 But I also have to say, being honest that I would never found her website without check first in instagram!!

about different platforms III

Tumblr by the hand of Audrey Kawasaki

tumblr is a microblogging platform, which service allows users to post multimedia and other content to a short-form blog. 

Dashboard – The dashboard is the primary tool for the typical Tumblr user. It is a live feed of recent posts from blogs that they follow.Through the dashboard, users are able to comment, reblog, and like posts from other blogs that appear on their dashboard. The dashboard allows the user to upload text posts, images, video, quotes, or links to their blog with a click of a button displayed at the top of the dashboard. Users are also able to connect their blogs to their Twitter and Facebook accounts, so whenever they make a post, it will also be sent as a tweet and a status update. 

Queue – Users are able to set up a schedule to delay posts that they make. They can spread their posts over several hours or even days. 

Tags – For each post a user creates, they are able to help their audience find posts about certain topics by adding tags. If someone were to upload a picture to their blog and wanted their viewers to find pictures, they would add the tag #picture, and their viewers could use that word to search up posts with the tag #picture. 

HTML editing – Tumblr allows users to edit their blog's theme HTML coding to control the appearance of their blog. Users are also able to use a custom domain name for their blog.

This is the tumblr page of A.K. which is used just to share content that she found and liked:
 http://audkawa.tumblr.com/

And here her actual web page:
http://www.audrey-kawasaki.com/

Checking both of the sites is made clear that tumblr doesn't seem the best page to show off your work, whatever is your field. in comparison with the platforms we have seen already and the professional webpages of the artists.
In this concrete one ( Kawasaki's one) we find a simple, easy organizated, and beautifully done page, with a wood background, giving a clue about the kind of work the artist does, as she paint usually in wood panels, letting see many times the patterns of the wood, and giving with them a sweet, natural, melancholic tone. In this same way she used wood, as a reference of herself or her work, on her website.

about different platforms II

try Deviantart with Daniela Uhlig


Picture by Daniela Uhlig

Deviantart is a platform wich give the chance to the artists in a lot of different fields, to show, share and discuss their own and each other works.
This one is a commercial site, where you have the option of buy things.

http://danielauhlig.deviantart.com/
Here we have the deviantart page of Daniela Uhlig, a digital artist.

First thing appears is her profile, where you can find her latest posts,  information about her, her favorites from other artists, and comments.
on the top of the page, are some tabs,  where you can find the gallery (which is also divide in featured/all/scrap), prints, favorites and journal.
Obviously this website is made for sharing and discussing because you have the chance to comment everything, and also the person, on the profile. They also made easy the way to find another artists.
But I've just found this platform a little confusing!!  Not the most professional site and in a very ugly green which made it dense at my eyes...

In comparison here we have the official website of the same artist:

http://www.du-artwork.de/
As we can see, this site looks much more professional and clean.
White backgrounds and structural simplicity  give us this sensation.
In a very easy way, the works are divide in 3 galleries.
Also is very easy to find her links and ways to contact her.

about different platforms I

flickr, deviantart, tumblr, blogger, instagram...
Discover flickr through Reshad Kamal.

Flickr is a website that allows you store, sort, search, and share your photos online. The free version of Flickr allows you to upload up to 20MB of photos each month.
In addition to being a place to host your images, Flickr is also a community site. All images uploaded to Flickr that have not been marked as private can be
searched using the tags (labels) associated with them. You can also search for and join groups to view photos from other users that match your interests.

Flickr has a section for photos that have been shared with a Creative Commons license. This is a type of license that allows teachers to use images found on Flickr in classroom projects as long as they cite the person who took the picture (the conditions of use will vary depending on the type of Creative Common license).

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/arzobohemian/

There we can see an example, a street photographer using this platform, in which we have 3 choices, photostream, which is a mix of some of the pictures, like a show off; albums, where he organized the content of his site, and favorites, where we can see another photographers' works that the one we were searching for liked.



And here his actual website  http://www.reshadkamal.com/blog/category/photo-gallery/ ,

 a professional one, as we can notice in the simplicity of it and the lack of colors, using just a white background and black and very normal typography.
Then the focus has to go straight to his works.
At left hand side we find a menu with his name on top. Albums of his printings; and last but no less important an "about", different platforms where to search him and, of course how to contact him and buy his stuff.


Definitely , Flickr looks as a good place to store, share and show off your best shots, but doesn't look the most professional site, as looks a little messy, distracting you all the time, and also it has no way to contact the photographer (e-mail adress), just leaving comments on the pictures posted.