Promoting art on social media - especially right at the beginning - is often stressful for artists.

Maybe you're worried about being judged, maybe you're not sure where to post your art, or maybe you're concerned you can't quite capture the beauty of your art with a snap of your camera. 

This blog will teach you how to capture a great picture of your artwork to post online. It also highlights some art sharing websites, and offers some tips on how to deal with the vulnerability hangover that comes with posting art on social media.  

Post Gorgeous Photos of Your Art on Social Media

Enjoy this Post? Like this Pin!

Choose Your Best Paintings to Showcase Online.

Some paintings turn out great and you're eager to share your success. Others are learning experiences that find their way into a pile like the one I have in my studio.

I add to this pile of not-quite-right paintings frequently, and followers online are none the wiser. The paintings I post on social media are curated - paintings I am proud of that represent my skills, my vision, and the direction I am going as an artist.  

In the same way, you get to choose what you put out into the world. If you're unsure whether you want to share a painting, sleep on it. Sometimes we need some distance from our work in order to see it clearly. I am often surprised by which paintings receive attention online and which fly under the radar. You never know which of your paintings will resonate with people. 

Long story short, make sure that the art you promote on social media is work you're proud of and is a good representation of who you are as an artist. 

How to Take High-Quality Images of Your Art.

Once you choose your best work and are ready to post online, how do you make sure that you capture the beauty of your painting in a photograph? The photo you take is the digital representation of your artwork, and it's important that you get it right. 

So let's talk about the 3 elements that have got to be right when we photograph our paintings:

Lighting

It's important that your painting is illuminated evenly by overhead lights when you take a photograph of it. You don't want a shadow over your work or for the light to hit your painting at an angle. Angled light has the tendency to emphasize the texture of your paper and lose some of the allure of your painting. 

In my studio, I have a lot of natural light, but I also light my easel with two overhead shop lights. These are equipped with temperature changeable daylight bulbs, and I have covered them with plastic to diffuse the light. This makes the light softer and spreads the light evenly across a larger space. 

This set up was relatively inexpensive, although the actual lights I bought are no longer available on Amazon. Comparable lights are available for under $50. 

If you can't afford any sort of upgrade, though, you likely don't need it. As long as you can find a spot to lay your artwork where it receives even lighting without shadows, you can capture a great photo to post online. 

Camera

I take pictures of my watercolor paintings with my phone, and it does the job perfectly. Whether you use a camera phone or a different kind of camera, there are some essential tips for a great photo:

• Take your picture directly above your painting. If you take the picture at an angle, it can really mess with the perspective of subjects in your painting. 
• When you take a picture on your phone, make sure the edges of your painting are parallel with the edges your screen. 
• After you take the picture, crop it so that there is no background.

Editing

When I edit photographs of my paintings, I make changes to the photo in the interest of making sure it accurately represents the painting.

So, for example, sometimes the contrast is off. So what I do is use the painting in front of me to guide the small adjustments that need to be made to the photo's contrast so that it represents the watercolor painting on my easel. 

This doesn't take any fancy software or photoshop skills. You can make these small tweaks within the photo app on your phone. 

Note -  These tips are geared toward taking pictures to post online - on a social media site, website, or to submit your painting to a show. If you're wanting to make prints of your paintings, your printer will have specific requirements you'll need to follow. 

How do I Photograph a Painting that is Curling at the Edges? 

Sometimes it happens that the edges of my watercolor are curling a bit and won't stay down for the photograph. This is my solution: I take a few very small pieces of tape and carefully tape the edges down. After I take the picture, then I will crop out any of the tape you might still see. 

Choose Your Background Wisely.

After you have taken a nice photo of your painting, you'll want to prepare it to be posted online:

• You can use the website Canvy to showcase your artwork, demonstrating what it might look like in real settings. If you're selling your artwork, this could be a great way to appeal to buyers. 
• You can upload your photo into a template on Canva with the correct dimensions to share on whichever art websites or social media site you would like to post your artwork. This is what I use. I keep things really simple by placing my artwork on a white background, which cuts out a lot of noise.
• You can also just go straight to the art sharing website of your choice and use their frames and add-ons to create the look you desire.

What Platform Should I Upload My Art to?

So let's talk about the sites where you might want to post your paintings!

You don't have to necessarily post your paintings on art websites, for artists specifically. Sites like DeviantArt or Behance might be marketed for artists, but they may not have the same allure and user-friendly tools as some of the major social media sites. 

In fact, social media sites can be just as conducive to sharing art, gaining a following, and selling your art. As you decide where you want to engage, you'll want to determine what your goal is in posting your art to social media, and which site best meets your needs. 

Here's a little diagram that can help you determine which site might be best for you to promote your art: 

Each of these sites host artists and help them reach an audience, but it is really difficult for any one person to be active on all platforms at once. If you're just starting, choose one and begin there. If your goal is growth, post consistently and be active on the site. If your goal is to connect with others, join some groups and follow some other artists! If your goal is simply to grow your comfort level with "putting yourself out there," just choose a site and post with the frequency you're comfortable with. 

Anticipate Vulnerability Hangover After Sharing Art on Social Media. 

Vulnerability hangover is a term coined by sociologist and self-help guru, Brené Brown. It's used to describe the overwhelm or "raw" feeling we have after sharing something particularly personal or exposing ourselves to potential judgement from others. It happens in life when we open up to others, but it also happens to artists when we share our work. 

Sometimes it can feel like "oversharing." Other times imposter syndrome will creep in and try to convince you that you have no right to share your artwork. You may experience low self-esteem, fear of rejection, or generalized anxiety. 

I am here to tell you, though, that it is admirable to share your creative work, and none of those negative messages should prevent you from doing so. The world needs more positivity, more creativity, and more people celebrating others' creative pursuits. And you might as well start by celebrating your own. 

Nevertheless, vulnerability hangover is a reality. Here are a few tips to prevent it and to cope with it:

1. Before posting your art, write down why you want to share it (you're proud of it, it's meaningful to you, you want it to become profitable) so you can remind yourself if you feel a rush of self-doubt after posting.  
2. Recognize and reflect on your emotions. Don't judge them, and know that they will pass.
3. Remind yourself that vulnerability is a strength that inspires others.
4. Identify a supportive loved one who you can process your feelings with.
5.  Consider sharing some of your feelings online too. You might be surprised who relates to you!

Related Blogs

Resilience and Vulnerability in Watercolor

Positive Mindset Shifts that Accelerate Your Learning

Use Reference Photos to Create Beautiful Watercolors