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Much in the way that the internet forever changed the music industry, social media–particularly Instagram–is changing the art community.
“Where artists once had to first get support of the art world elite…before reaching monied masses, today artists use Instagram as their own virtual art gallery, playing both dealer and curator while their fans become critics and collectors,” wrote Olivia Fleming in a Vogue article titled “Why the World’s Most Talked About Art Dealer is Instagram.
Instagram is quickly becoming a means for those same young inexperienced artists to sell and interact with potential buyers among their following without much hassle. It also offers a way for people to view an artists work as well as buy it.
It’s much less formal and allows followers to give immediate feedback to the artist–cutting out the middleman; the art dealers and curators. Young artists who are trying to develop their craft are able to grow and be influenced by the other artists in their feed.
This presents a much different alternative to studying “the masters” in an art history book or a museum–however those experiences should not be neglected. Similarly, the lack of not being able to get up close to a piece of art is a stand out negative.
You can’t really fully appraise a piece of art by staring at a six inch phone display. Nothing really beats the emotionally gratifying in-person experience.
This platform erases some of the smoke and mirrors revolving around the exclusivity of larger artists, making them much more accessible. In reversal, it allows celebrities to reach out to under-the-radar accounts.
Leonardo Dicaprio recently bought a painting via Instagram from Brooklyn artists Jean-Pierre Roy reportedly without having seen it in person. All sorts of artists now boast a retainer of celebrity clientele in a way that they might not have without the window to the wider world that the social media platform has created.
In the same vein, if artists are looking to get the rich and famous to notice them a quick way to boost your following is to create a piece for a celebrity. In turn, their following maybe supportive enough to show your account some love.
Instagram artist Marissa Asal talks about this in her interview (see page 7) and while it is a hit or miss method–some strike gold and others have to put in more work–it is generally a safe one. I recently had my own experience dealing with this kind of exposure–at least on a smaller scale.
At some point after being presumably shut out by a woman who was looking for an artist to help her with a personal graphic novel project, I decided to start using my account to build my profile. I pushed myself (and still continue to) to create new pieces in order to hopefully attract interest or freelance opportunities.
At the offset, I was creating things that sparked my interest, doing things that I wanted without the pressure of outside requests. However, after a good friend of mine asked that I draw her, another Instagram user requested the same thing.
When she posted it to her profile several of her friends also approached me and I obliged. My sister suggested that I do a caricature of a music artist that I liked and so after weeks of thinking it over I finally did. I felt a bit strange about after I posted it, sheepishly tagging him only once.
However, several more people, including my sister, took to trying to get him to take notice. To my surprise, shortly after a week had passed he posted it to both his Instagram and his Facebook.
Although, I still have no idea how to feel about this experience, it did provoke me into thinking about using this as an opportunity to make money for myself in the form of commissions. This was something that I hoped for but ultimately didn’t think I would ever have a demand for no matter how minimal.
Why or where did you first get the idea to use an Instagram account to market yourself and sell your work?
If I remember correctly, Kristina Webb aka @colour_me_creative was the first art account I came across. She had sooo many followers just for sharing her art. I didn’t know there even was such a large art community out there on Instagram. I figured I would make a page just for fun to see if I would get anywhere.
I first ended up making an account with my friend and we both shared our artworks not the same account. I later ended up going off on my own and making @The_Lovely_Drawing because I felt like I would be able to accomplish more. Now, I take art so seriously that this account is no longer just for fun, it’s now my future.
What advice could you give to other artists who may be looking to do the same.
If you’re looking to make an art page, it’s very important to stay persistent and give your followers what they want. Drawing celebrities is an easy way to get followers because their fans will follow you to support their idol. My account actually took off because of my portraits of Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus.
It’s also all about promoting. Try to get help from art sharing accounts like Nawden and ArtFido.
Has Instagram opened any particular doors for you or made it easier to showcase your work?
Instagram has opened sooo many doors for me. This is the highest point my life has yet been!
Revlon found me through Instagram and offered me some commissions (I unfortunately had to turn them down because the style they were looking for was too cartoony for me), I became friends with some huge inspirations in my life like Lorde & her lovely family, and I’ve gained so many amazing followers/supporters over the past year that are more than willing to buy my work!
It’s also really great keeping all of my drawings & work-in-progress pictures in one big timeline. I love seeing the drawings get better and better when you start from my first post and scroll to the top! It’s incredible seeing how much I’ve improved.
What are some cons about using Instagram. Is it at all exhausting or does the good outweigh the bad?
The amount of cons depends on the kind of artist you are. For me, there are very few cons. I can take criticism and actually appreciate hearing others opinions – it helps me improve. I also draw everyday so I’m able to keep my page up to date unlike some people.
Sometimes I do get backed up with school work and I get stressed about not posting for a few days lol. I guess the only big con is dealing with art thieves. I watermark all of my work but sometimes you’ll get some immature teenagers who crop it out and claim it as their own.
Zhana Johnson
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