Aurora

Art Advisor

At Cohart, we know your Profile is part portfolio, part storefront, and part branding tool—so we build it to allow you to share a full, rich picture of your artist practice through artwork listings, past sales, social moments, behind-the-scenes video, and collector testimonials. This is not a ‘how to photograph your artwork’ guide because while valuable to know, those guides only cover how to make one of the 5 image types you need. One of the 5 below isn’t even a photograph!

In your artwork listings how you present your artwork is arguably the most important element of your profile, as strong imagery, descriptions, and details stand between you and your next sale. Our business is helping artists find collectors, and we’ve put together this guide to give you clarity and confidence in creating your artwork listings. 

Many artists don’t know what collectors are thinking, but we talk to them constantly through our Advisory service. We know what they are looking for in an artist listing. For collectors, shopping for artwork online is very different from experiencing it in person, and your artwork listings on Cohart have been optimized with this in mind. 

The content that you share of your artwork & process is essential in conveying the quality of your work, and catching the eye of your next collector (take a look later at the [Uploading Guide in our Resource Center](https://cohart.notion.site/Uploading-Artworks-d2de77e8b4b44f42a7d9eae6d8148d6c)). 

### 5 Critical Images to Present & Sell Your Art in This Exact Order:

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### **1. The Hero Shot** 

#### This is the one every artist starts with, you have some version of this now. Typically, this is a head-on shot of your artwork that fills the entire image frame and has nothing else in the background. When you research how to photograph art, it's for this image. It's used for every art jury & competition there is.

This will be the first image people see, so this image must make the artwork [look impactful](https://www.cohart.com/artworks/8213) and [professional](https://www.cohart.com/artworks/5549). The absolute key to this image is lighting, so learn the [technique](https://www.aapgh.org/blog/photography-tips) if you don’t already create great well lit images. If your processing images in something like Photoshop, remember to set your color profile to sRGB to ensure colors do not change when images are graded for the web. Any modern camera, or quality phone can create a high-resolution image, but remember lighting is what creates a quality image. 

**Do**: Frame or no frame? Optionally you can take the opportunity to include some personal branding here showing a neutral frame, but keep your art the focus.

**Don’t**: Include any distractions (shadows, people, plants obstructing the art, etc.) or low-res images. Don’t forget to set your white balance, and don’t shoot in dark or yellow light.

### **2. The Home Interior Shot** 
#### A [true-to-scale mockup](https://www.cohart.com/artworks/5959) of your artwork on a wall in a home. You need to create this image, but don’t actually need to photograph it. In fact it's often best if you don’t.

Offering an [interior shot](https://www.cohart.com/artworks/9453) of your work can give collectors a great sense of scale and appearance and help them picture the work in their space more easily.

**Do**: Make it easy on yourself and use an app with an [aspirational interior](https://www.cohart.com/artworks/9496). We love using apps like Smartist or Canvy for easy-to-use mockups. 

**Don’t**: Take a photo with bad lighting, shadows, or with the artwork hanging in a messy space. People are used to this type of image for ecommerce products looking perfect, so don’t stress that isn’t your home, use a home background a collector will aspire to. 	

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### **3. The Detail Shot** 
#### This is a [close-up image](https://www.cohart.com/artworks/9481) of your work that clearly shows the [texture and/or fine details](https://www.cohart.com/artworks/8390) of the piece. Show images of your work from the side to give viewers an idea of how the art will look from various angles. 

Images showing [the brushstrokes](https://www.cohart.com/artworks/6376) and [carefully crafted details](https://www.cohart.com/u/vakseen/videos/1802) you’ve spent hours perfecting give collectors a sense of the labor that went into creating the piece. Collectors will take notice of the craftsmanship and [technique](https://www.cohart.com/artworks/4260) involved.

**Do**: Ensure the colors and lighting are consistent throughout each detail shot.

**Don’t**: Provide blurry or hard-to-make-out images that will only worsen the buying experience for the collector.  

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### **4. The Back Of The Artwork** 
#### for Signature & Frame

Show a clear image of the back of the work, making sure to include: The frame, any [hanging hardware](https://www.cohart.com/u/gerry/videos/1975), [artist signature](https://www.cohart.com/artworks/6258), and [title](https://www.cohart.com/artworks/5756), if signed al reverso, etc.

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### **5. Link Up A Video** 
#### Bonus Tip: use a video to show your process. This is your chance to breathe life into buying art online. 


This is an important final step that can bring your work to life. 

**Do**: Link one of your [social moments](https://www.cohart.com/artworks/6482) or [BTS footage](https://www.cohart.com/u/hannahbenassi/videos/2497) of the creation process to help tell the story of the work. Check out our tips for creating great artwork content posts [here](https://cohart.notion.site/Connect-Share-Moments-fdc2f702d4e6481e828026f1333def8e).

**Don’t**: Use footage with distracting watermarks or unrelated content. 

When adding images to your artwork listings, consider your own online shopping experiences. When purchasing clothing or furniture online, you want to see the product from as many angles and with as many details as possible. Since you’re unable to physically touch the item, your decision is based solely on the information provided by the seller and the sense of quality you’re able to ascertain from what you see online.

Remember to showcase all the details that make your work interesting and one-of-a-kind. By giving collectors as much information as possible, you’re also giving them the chance to purchase your art with the utmost confidence. 

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Want to know the 5 types of content critical for online art sales? We have the data on the 5 documentation images that are key to your success.

Branding for Artists: The 5 Images You Need to Present Your Artwork for Online Sales

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