10 Art Portfolio Examples to Inspire You
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Are you good at creating beautiful art, and drawing people in with your prints and paints – but not so good at promoting yourself?
We get it. The good news, though? With a website builder such as Squarespace, Wix, or GoDaddy and a portfolio website template, it’s easier than ever to design and build an art portfolio website you can be proud of. Which leads us to our next question – where do you even begin?
We’ve pulled together our top 10 art portfolio examples to get you started. The websites we’ve chosen all have their own unique visual styles; a design language that reflects the personalities and paintbrushes of each artist in a way we love.
So read on, explore, and – most importantly – get inspired!
What Is an Art Portfolio Website?
As an artist, an art portfolio website is your home online.
It contains images of – and, if you’re selling it, links to buy – your artwork. An art portfolio website allows people to learn more about your style, your medium, and which types of art inspire and motivate you.
But an art portfolio website is so much more than a collection of your artwork to date. It’s a place to attract new appreciators of your art, sell prints, and even invite the attention of agencies and individuals looking to invest in your work.
Basically, every artist needs one!
What Should an Art Portfolio Website Include?
Creating an art portfolio is an art, not a science – so there’s no strict formula as to how to create yours, or what to include. After all, your portfolio website should be as diverse and unique as the art it’s showcasing!
However, there are some key components we recommend, including:
- Photo galleries to show off images of your work. Ideally, there should be a border of white space separating each: to differentiate them from each other, and help them catch the eye.
- An “About” section. This part of the website is all about you – about the person holding the paintbrush; the individual behind the ink. It’s your chance to talk about who you are, why you got into art, which type of art most inspires you, and what other passions and drivers propel your art career onward.
- A Contact page. This should feature your name, phone number, and email address. If people like your artwork, you want them to be able to get in touch with you to learn more, or make a purchase.
Find Out More:
- Wondering How to Make an Online Portfolio? Our handy guide has some great tips!
- Want to sell art online? We take a look at the bestselling styles of art
- Check out these Portfolio Templates, they’re a great place to get started.
- Discover the Best Website Builders for Artists in our helpful guide.
10 Art Portfolio Examples to Inspire You
Ready to ignite your inspiration – and learn from some of the best art portfolio examples on the internet?
Let’s explore our top 10 art portfolio websites to get you started.
1. Jessie Maxwell Bearden
The artwork of Jessie Maxwell Bearden – which is based, in her words, on “unorthodox materials influenced by pop culture” – is showcased beautifully in one of the finest art portfolio examples online.
Straight off the bat, Jessie’s homepage treats you to a full-width, full-length image of a colorful, creative face. While the text – her name, writ large – is anchored, scrolling up and down lets you view all parts of the vivid, vibrant image in the background.
And for an extra touch of uniqueness? That face winks at you as you read!
Jessie’s site comes with an About page, a gallery of her selected works, and links to her clients and social media. Her shop isn’t quite set up yet, but Jessie’s found a workaround – with a lead capture form allowing potential customers to make a direct enquiry, instead.
2. Charlie Hawks
Now based in Melbourne, Australia, Wyoming-born Charlie Hawks is known for his creative, visually distinctive takes on everyday life – a theme his website reflects perfectly.
Filled with white space and a large, clean font type, Charlie’s minimalist website is happy to take a back seat – content to let his sepia-tinged, nostalgia-soaked artwork do the talking.
Charlie’s website contains links to the commissions he’s done, as well as his extensive work in editorials and journals. The simplistic style of his About page does its job without reinventing the wheel, while a link to his Instagram page encourages his site’s browsers to follow him on social media.
3. Becca Macdonald
Based in England’s West Yorkshire, Becca Macdonald creates conceptual jewelry – painting with silver to create a range of tailored, highly unique artisan products.
Her jewelry exudes elegance and sophistication – and her art portfolio website does, too. It contains information about Becca’s jewelry-making workshops, galleries displaying her collections, as well as a shop and contact page.
In particular, we love her About page. It showcases Becca’s face in the shape of one of her inimitable styles of jewelry, plus information about what she creates, where she creates it, and – most vitally – why she does it.
Becca’s art portfolio website is also dynamic in its design and detail. After a moment or two of inactivity, a pop-up appears – encouraging the user to join Becca’s mailing list for exclusive offers and new product information.
4. Emma Block
UK-based writer Emma Block showcases her work with a large, bold masthead that matches the calligraphy and pencil-stroke style of her art. On top of a gallery grid to demonstrate her work, Emma’s site comes complete with an About section, as well as an online store and a set of helpful FAQs.
Where Emma really ups the ante, though, is with an on-site blog. Titled “The creative life of an illustrator in London,” these articles – which range from Emma’s travels in Norway and Spain to guides to balancing motherhood and creativity – allow the reader to get to know Emma. (Not just her artwork!)
5. Rina Maimon
One look at the homepage of Israeli-born painter Rina Maimon’s art portfolio website, and you know you’re in for a visual treat. Colorful, interactive (each square in the grid changes when you hover the cursor over it), and unforgettably distinct, Rina’s website is the right mix of playful and professional.
Aside from how easy this art portfolio website is on the eyes, it’s also packed full of excellent copywriting. Take Rina’s Contact page, for instance. She keeps the copy light and conversational – rather than pompous or overly formal – to cultivate a relatable, down-to-earth tone. And connect with her site’s users on a human level.
6. Nick Sheehy
Whether or not you have the stomach for Australian-born, London-based artist Nick Sheehy’s delightfully macabre brand of art, it’s hard not to love his portfolio website.
Long, portrait-style images populate the homepage gallery, while a simple, accessible menu to the left clearly signposts where you can go next.
Nick’s website features everything you’d expect from a top-class art portfolio. It comes complete with a shop, and a News section for publicizing his latest exhibitions. There’s even a separate subdomain dedicated to selling some (admittedly, extremely cool) merchandise!
7. Ania Hobson
For an art portfolio website example with a deliciously simple flavor, look no further than Ania Hobson. Eschewing an About section for a stripped-back Contact page and CV, Ania’s website opts for cleanliness over clutter.
A popular presence in the media, Ania’s Press section lists, in a grid format that’s easy to navigate and take in, her appearances across various websites and publications. It’s a crucial way of providing social proof – and building trust with her audience of potential customers.
8. Darren Hughes
Australian artist and animal enthusiast Darren Hughes doesn’t just have a flair for capturing nature – he’s got an eye for a good art portfolio website, too.
Darren showcases his art with the help of an expansive gallery, and dedicates other portions of the site to his prints, his commissions, and an About section that’s all about… him!
Refreshingly, this About page doesn’t simply gloss over Darren’s passions or proclivities, but embraces and explains them – he dives deep into his lifelong fascination with animals, and his desire to capture their subjective experience through the lens of a camera.
Darren’s art portfolio website also makes it easy for lovers of his work to browse, choose, and purchase his artwork online.
9. Larissa Marantz
In terms of size and scope, few art portfolio website examples can match that of California-based creative Larissa Marantz.
With over 40 pages of information about her artwork, illustrations, and training courses – plus a store, where you can get your hands on all of it – Larissa’s website is a valuable source of inspiration for aspiring artists.
Complementing its wide range of impressive contents is the site’s design. Sleek and simple – while never being simplistic – Larissa’s art portfolio is a breeze to navigate. And an absolute joy to behold.
10. Ricky Leung
Toronto-based illustrator Ricky Leung’s art portfolio is another example of the website matching the artwork. Channeling “the subtle moments of everyday life while visually carrying a bit of naivety”, Ricky’s website’s homepage harnesses an abundance of white space – allowing his sweet, special designs room to flourish.
Ricky keeps things similarly simple with his About page. Featuring only a picture of him and only a handful of paragraphs of copy, the page’s pared-back design keeps things seamlessly Spartan. We love it!
Summary
Feeling inspired? We hope so. But the above 10 art portfolio examples are only a smattering of the canon of creative, clever art websites that exist across the internet.
And – with a bit of research, the right mentality, and an epiphany or two – there’s no reason your art portfolio can’t join them.
So good luck, and get creating. But most of all? Enjoy the journey!
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