Credit goes to Christine Guzman, Carla Vanzulli, Mateo, Joseph, and myself.

• SGAL Gallery Script (Website)
• SGAL Gallery Templates (Samples)

It’s called SGAL, and it appears to be a pretty amazing, free gallery script.

I’ll be adding it to my How to Build a Portfolio Website tutorial soon.

Info:

It looks like a great alternative to Gallery Menalto for those that don’t need as many features, but are rather seeking a script that is slick looking and easy-to-use, which I know happens to be case for many if not most artists.

The script doesn’t require a MySQL database, and is an “include-able” script that can be integrated into any kind of website. Plus, it comes with a number of ready-made template designs for those of you who are less web savvy.

This is definitely one of the best script solutions I’ve seen for gallery websites, and I really encourage all my artist friends to give it a try.

[Logo Set Trademarked by TheFluffyShrimp Studios]

For my logo set, I had this idea to create a spoof off of the Twitter usernames by merging the @ symbol with a shrimp.

New Website Features:

Things you can do while browsing around my site…

1. Sign up in the Members Area, and leave comments on artwork and blog posts. You can upload your own avatar.

2. Join my newsletter to be notified of art, media, or web-related news and information.

3. Affiliate with my website to promote your webpages. I will affiliate with private websites, DeviantArt pages, social networking sites, etc. You may add more than one webpage to my list of affiliates.

4. Leave me a message or chat with others using the shoutbox!

5. Change the color of the site through the Color Scheme selector located on the right-hand side of the front page. Whenever you next visit the website, it will appear as the same color scheme you chose last.

6. Vote in my polls. (To vote in the polls, please rotate through the polls on the right-hand side of the front page by refreshing the site.)

7. Keep track of my work through RSS feeds or any of my social networking accounts, including DeviantArt, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, LiveJournal, Blogger, etc. by simply clicking any of the buttons in the top menu bar (see above).

8. Bookmark or share any page of my website through email or any social networking site you are a member of by using the “Share/Save” option button listed at the bottom of every page (see below for instance).

…And more to come in the future.

If you are interested in adding any of these features to your website, all resources I’ve used are credited and can be found listed in the Affiliates section.

I hope you enjoy browsing my portfolio and blog posts.

If you are having trouble downloading the files automatically, you may have to hover over the links, right-click, and select “Download.”

1. Business Cards:

Designing Business Cards

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2. Cover Letters:

Writing Cover Letters

The Best Use of Cover Letters

Cover Letters for Jobs

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3. Artist Statements, Mission Statements, and Manifestos:

About Mission and Artist Statements

How to Write an Artist Statement

Write Your Artist Statement

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4. Commission Contracts:

GAG Commission Contracts and Information

Commission Contracts by deviantART

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5. Printed Portfolios:

Preparing a Portfolio

Portfolio Cases and Sets

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6. Resumes and Curriculum Vitae:

Writing an Artist’s Resume

Resume Dos and Dont’s

How to Write a Curriculum Vitae (for Art Teachers)

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7. Finding a Job:

How to Find Your First Job

Researching Employers

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8. Networking Resources:

Art Galleries and Events

Please visit his gallery to order his gorgeous prints.

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1. When did you first become interested in drawing and what subjects did you draw?

I started drawing really young, around 7. I liked chips characters a lot, especially Chester the Cheeta from Cheetos. I wanted to be like him and drew him constantly. I then pursued drawing other things with persuasion from mother.

2. Did you plan to be an artist when you were young?

When I was young, I knew I could either draw or make music. However, I figured I could only make consistent income creating art.

3. What subjects and themes do you enjoy drawing most?

I discovered comics when I was young, and comic artists like Jay Scott Campbell greatly influenced me. I love pinup art, and I tend to draw women most.

4. What are your favorite tools to use? What is your process?

I use pretty much every type of medium for drawing. I typically start with watercolor, and then move on to Prismacolor colored pencil. I then tint the piece with oil paint to create flesh tones. The paint is water-based, so it adheres to the colored pencils. Lastly, I use Copic or Prismacolor marker for outlines.

5. What art fields do you most enjoy working for?

Honestly, I most want to be a fine artist and create gallery or “wall” art. However, people see my work as more comic-like, so I tend to do a lot of work in that field as well.

6. Did you attend art school or are you self taught?

I attended 16th Street Middle School, an art school in Florida. I then attended the Magnet Program in visual arts at Gibbs High. Lastly, I received my degree from Ringling College of Art and Design.

7. What do you feel you have learned most from school and what do you feel you have learned most on your own?

School is more about networking, although some kids go to learn the basics of how to draw. I already knew how to draw pretty well, but school was helpful in teaching me how to find work through social exchanges and searching for other artists. School also made me more aware of the art world. Working life taught me how to save money, which made me realize how important networking is to finding jobs.

8. What was your first art-related job or internship?

For my first art job I was contacted by a high profile music client through a guy I met at a convention. The assignment was to create images for the rock band. It was actually a horrible experience. I was still very green, and I excitedly signed their contracts without much thought. They took six designs from me and never paid me for any of them. The contract said they owned everything. The story serves a warning to new artists: When you first get out of school, many companies and clients will try to screw you. Always review a contract before agreeing to any deal. For instance, if someone tells you “they are going to make a certain number of t-shirts and you will get a certain percentage of all sales” be wary of it.

9. Do you work solely independently or do you also work for certain studios?

Everything I do is freelance, although I do have a comic rep and an art dealer. My comic rep gets me comic jobs. I will accept jobs to do t-shirts, ads, anything.

10. How do you come across work? Where do most these jobs come from? Is the workflow steady?

It’s a snowball effect. The more work you do, the more people see your work, and the more people request to hire you. Just keep getting published.

11. What are your aspirations for your art career in the future? What would you like to accomplish?

I want what likely every artist wants and that is the freedom to create my art exactly how I envision it. I hate art directors who tell you to alter your artwork in accordance with their own judgment. I want to have creative control over my own work. Creating fine art would provide that for me.

12. What expectations do you think artists should have for their careers?

It depends on the art you want to do. There are artist that might view me as being snooty, because I won’t do certain jobs unless I get paid well. In contrast, a lot of illustrators will often take any job for little pay, because that’s what they are accustomed to. Likewise, fine artists have their own unique standards and attributes. Overall, you should do anything you want to do, don’t do anything that makes you unhappy. This is just what I go by.

13. Who are some artists who have influenced your work?

I’m attracted to artists and art styles from the 60s. My biggest influence is Robert Mcginnis. He did the illustrations for all the James Bond comics. I’m also inspired by the work of Andy Virgil and Coby Whitmore.

14. If you were to pitch your art style to a client, what would you say about it?

If I were to pitch my work somewhere, I’d likely pitch it to an editorial magazine like Playboy. I’d probably say my work is comic-like, sexy, fun, realistic, and edgy.

15. What thoughts do you have starting a piece? Any initial problems or decisions you have to work through?

The whole thing is a problem. From start to finish there are things to overcome. I never have anything set. I’ll start with a thumbnail and by the time it’s done it will look totally different. That is one struggle I have to overcome when working with clients, because they want to rely on my thumbnail process to get a clear idea of what I’m going to do. It can be stressful.

16. Do you continuously work on one piece until it’s finished or do you alternate between works?

If I can’t finish a piece quickly, it will take me months. Typically the drawing will take days, and then transferring it and painting it takes about one day. I try to get it done as fast as I can, or I will begin to lose the drive to finish it.

17. What kinds of deadlines do you have to finish each job? Do you set your own deadlines or do your clients provide you with deadlines?

The clients set the deadlines. I’m not bad with deadlines, but I can procrastinate before getting something done. Normally for comic projects they give me a month in advance, but it often takes me three weeks to get started. Of course deadlines vary from job to job. I recently did a comic cover, and they only gave me a few days to complete the piece.
But I got it done and it might be my favorite cover thus far. You absolutely must get work done by your deadlines or no one will hire you, no matter how skilled you are.

18. How do you get paid for each piece you do?

You have to send a big guy that breaks legs. The economy isn’t doing well right now, so it’s increasingly difficult to get paid. You almost need to have a rep to avoid clients taking advantage of you. Be wary of verbal or written “agreements,” since many of these will screw you. If you take complaints to court, the costs may be higher than your payment for the job. Publishers know this and may use it to their advantage when making agreements with you. They can usually count on you not taking expensive legal action if things go awry. Try to receive your half of your payment first. Some clients won’t deal with you if you do this, so you have to weigh your options. Larger comic companies are examples of companies that won’t give payments for jobs ahead of time, but they are creditable establishments. They don’t want to pay a no-name artist up front, because they pay well and have a reputation to uphold. However, not all companies are as dependable. A smaller company I know hasn’t paid many artists they commissioned work from, including myself. At the very least, they will publish your art. On this note, the promotional value of a job is something to consider as well. If a job pays very little but the image will be published it might not be a bad idea to accept this job, but don’t keep accepting jobs like this after you’re published.

19. What do you enjoy most about your job? What do you find most difficult?

The most difficult part of my job is doing my job. The work feels so casual, because I have no boss. I just wake up and go to my home studio and get working. It sounds easy, but you have to be self-motivated for this kind of work. At the same time, the freedom you have on the job is fun. I get to work on my own schedule and do what I love.

1. Customize Your Meta Tags
2. Submit Your URL to Search Engines
3. Install Marketing Scripts
4. Advertise Locally
5. Provide Press Releases
6. Join Competitions, Conventions, and Trade Organizations
7. Directly Contact and Provide Gifts for Customers
8. Form Cross-Promotional Alliances
9. Regularly Offer Personalized Specials and Seasonal Discounts
10. Organize Special Events for Interest Groups
11. Display Your Work From Multiple Sources
12. Promote Yourself Through Publicity Art
13. Thank Your Supporters
14. Ask for Helpers
15. Be Active Online

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1. Customize Your Meta Tags

It is vital to customize keywords and site descriptions for your portfolio website using “meta tags.”

• Information on Meta Tags

Select keywords and descriptions most relevant to your site content, because search engines – like Google, Yahoo, and MSN – will be using this information to help curious web surfers locate your webpage. For instance, if an artist prefers “fantasy,” “anime,” or “gothic” themes for her work, she may use these keywords to explain her site.

Carefully choosing descriptive information most pertinent to the portfolio’s content guarantees more promising page visits by individuals more likely to share an interest in the artist’s themes.

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2. Submit Your URL to Search Engines

URL submission forms are used to submit web addresses to search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN. Some web hosts will provide their customers with tools that automatically send their site information to a multitude of search engines simultaneously. Once submitted, web surfers may locate your website through keywords run through the search engines.

You may also directly submit a URL to any search engine of your choice. For instance, if you wish to submit the URL of your website to Google, simply visit Google.com and run a search for “submit url to Google.” You should find a webpage by Google.com in the search results that will allow you to submit your URL to their search engine for free. This same process can be used to submit a URL to any other search engine, such as Yahoo and MSN.

The more regularly URLs are submitted to search engines, the higher up on the list of returns for keywords these member pages are placed. The daily limit on the number of times a particular URL can be directly submitted to a search engine is generally five. Following this amount, the search engine may begin to misread the submissions as spam and ignore the URL completely.

Note that after initially submitting your URL to a search engine, it can take about 5-7 days for your website to appear in search results.

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3. Install Marketing Scripts

Once you have your private website up and running, browse the internet for “free marketing scripts” using a search engine like Google or Yahoo. Scripts are programs that you can download from the web and install on your website to perform a particular useful function. They are generally free to download and install, although some high-end scripts may be available for a one-time fee. Some websites, like Bravenet.com, will provide free and easy-to-use scripts for the less internet savvy, but in return will place ads on every page where one of their scripts is present.

Some essential marketing scripts you can find on the internet include the following:

• Newsletter Scripts – Newsletters make it easy for you to keep in close contact with your supporters through regular emails containing information about your work and updates to your portfolio.

• Affiliates Systems and Fanlisting Scripts – An affiliates system encourages similar websites to link to your webpage by requiring you to link back to theirs in return. This both directs relevant visitors to your website, and also increases your website’s visibility in search engines like Google and Yahoo.

• Tell-a-Friend Scripts – These invitation forms let your supporters email their friends with links to content on your website, such as blog posts, images, and shop items. Tell-a-Friend invitations may also be used as eCards, linking numerous individuals to your images.

• Blog and Journal Scripts – Blogs allow you to regularly inform your supporters of important events, such as your gallery showings, convention attendances, and portfolio updates. Intriguing content can also encourage return visits to your website.

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4. Advertise Locally

It is essential to locally promote your brand. Local commissions are often the most convenient for both artist and client, providing a greater chance of client returns. You can begin introducing yourself to potential customers by placing marketing materials – such as business cards, flyers, posters, and pamphlets – around local campuses, businesses, and any other location your target market may frequent.

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5. Provide Press Releases

Press releases provide an inexpensive method for gathering public interest in your portfolio. Offer interviews or submit articles about your work, projects, and events to publications like local and school newspapers, business and media arts magazines, websites and blogs, and local and school radio shows.

Rather than directly promote yourself, offer business advice, media tutorials, or information regarding events or organizations you are involved with. Publications will be more inclined to print stories that are particularly interesting or helpful to their readers, so consider what topics might appeal to their consumers before submitting an offer for an interview or an article. This is an effective method for attaching your name to issues the publication’s readers find meaningful.

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6. Join Competitions, Conventions, and Trade Organizations

Marketing amongst industry representatives is equally as important as marketing directly to clients. Industry connections may lead to new business opportunities and new commissions. Join as many galleries, festivals, expos, trade organizations, competitions, tradeshows, and conventions as you are able. Here you may hand out business cards and other promotional items, network with industry representatives, submit work for judging and receive awards, or invest in booths to promote your work.

If you are interested in commercial work, local business conventions provide a convenient way to meet prospective clients. In some cases, the fees and travel costs for attending such events may be written off as business expenses or be eligible for tax rebates.

Contact your local Chamber of Commerce for information on events held in your area, and use Internet queries to locate the most prominent events held worldwide.

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7. Directly Contact and Provide Gifts for Customers

Accompany display ads with emails, faxes, mailings, and phone calls to local businesses, trade organizations, industry professionals, and other potential clients. Contact your city’s Chamber of Commerce to retrieve a business registry that includes mailing addresses and other contact information. Rather than merely sending advertisements, make an effort to include gifts or special offers for your prospective clients. Some excellent examples include Starbucks Cards or coupons for free consultations. These help make your advertisements more personal and more likely to be remembered.

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8. Form Cross-Promotional Alliances

When making contact with industry professionals or business representatives, remember to suggest cross-promotional deals. For example, if you are planning to send either potential or loyal clients gifts with your mailings, and you have decided café vouchers are most appropriate, contact local café owners and explain that you are interested in sending your clients gift cards for their products. Suggest a pact in which marketing materials for your services are displayed in the café in return for directing your clients there. Many businesses enjoy this type of free publicity.

Likewise, when networking with other industry professionals, politely suggest an arrangement in which they direct clients to you in the event of an overflow of commissions provided you do the same for them. Cross-promotional alliances such as these help guarantee a continuous stream of new cliental.

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9. Regularly Offer Personalized Specials and Seasonal Discounts

Maintain year-round interest in your products and services by regularly offering specials and discounts to your clients. Take advantage of the economic boom during holiday seasons, for instance, by promoting accompanying bargains. For artists interested in corporate commissions this strategy may be particularly appealing since many businesses are eagerly seeking advertising media, such as new ads, packaging, or jingles, during this time.

During the slow season, offer discounts for your products and services to stimulate sales.

Personalized offers also provide an effective way to maintain close relationships with loyal clients. A photographer, for instance, might offer special deals to her customers during their wedding anniversaries and birthdays to both capitalize on these events and remind her clients she personally appreciates their business.

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10. Organize Special Events for Interest Groups

Hosting special events, from luncheons to media showcases and competitions, provides an effective strategy for closely networking with industry representatives and local business owners. These occasions also provide a justification for obtaining promotional interviews or appealing for press coverage from local media outlets like newspapers, magazines, and radio shows.

Catering, space, and entertainment for events may be provided by local businesses and artists seeking an opportunity to promote their products and services to other companies and industry representatives, and hence may be obtained at a discount or without charge. For example, if you choose to hold a BBQ for local studios, offer restaurants in your area the opportunity to provide food for the event as a means of promoting their menu to surrounding companies. Likewise, local hotels, community centers, parks, and other event-hosting locations may enjoy the opportunity to promote their facilities to nearby businesses.

Contact your city’s Chamber of Commerce to request help with organizing special events and for help with recruiting local industries and organizations.

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11. Display Your Work From Multiple Sources

Upload your media to several online communities to strengthen public attention for your portfolio. In addition to increasing your number of followers, using multiple websites to display your media increases your chances of being seen by potential clients and employers.

An art enthusiast may not as frequently check a private website for updates as he does his account with a social networking site. Therefore, if he is directed to an illustrator’s Myspace, Facebook, FAN, and DeviantArt account from her private website, he will be more regularly notified of updates to her portfolio and blog. Upon being informed of these updates through a community site, he may then view the artist’s private webpage to learn more about her recent activities.

Some sites to consider for cross-linking include the following:

• MySpace
• The Free Artists Network (FAN)
• SheezyArt
• DeviantArt
• YouTube
• Newgrounds
• DipDive
• Wordpress.com
• Blogspot
• Live Journal
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Monster.com

In addition to online networks, there are various other art-based sources you can submit media to. Numerous community and art scene magazines, ezines, blogs, trade journals, school periodicals, web forums, trade organizations, and websites accept media submissions from independent and student artists. These offer an excellent method of promoting your media and services to art supporters, potential clients, and employers.

To pinpoint local sources for submitting media, run a web search and contact your Chamber of Commerce. Local sources 1) Provide more targeted marketing for artists looking to attract clients and employers in their area, and 2) Increase artists’ odds for having their media submissions accepted for publication and display.

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12. Promote Yourself Through Publicity Art

One solution for independent and student artists struggling to escape obscurity on the web is to become involved in producing publicity art like gift art, promo art, and fan art.

Publicity art provides artists with a “bait and hook” with which to reel in public interest for their skills and for their private portfolio. There are two general methods of advocating your talents through publicity art. In one strategy, you can begin your marketing campaign by exclusively creating publicity art. Then once a fan base has been drawn in, cease your promotional efforts to focus all attention on developing your private portfolio. This method allows you to carry a heightened fan base over to your independent work in one dramatic transition. In an alternative strategy, you can create publicity art concurrent to developing a private portfolio. This method allows a more gradual but constant flow of new supporters directed to your independent work.

Gift art is any work of media specially made for and given to an admired artist to celebrate him and his portfolio. It can also serve as a complimentary method of cross promoting between two artists. The subject of gift art typically reflects the life or work of the artist to whom the artwork is being given. As a result, the display of gift art advertises the receiving artist, directing previously unaware viewers to his portfolio. In return, this artist will often times thank the gifting artist by showcasing the piece on his FAN page. Not only does this reinforce public support for the receiving artist, but it also directs his fans to the portfolio of the artist who donated the gift.

When researching artists to create gift art for, you can document their success with supporters by viewing their number of webpage visits and newsletter subscribers from their FAN member pages. Producing gift art for more popular artists betters your chances of reaching a broader range of fans.

Promo art is any work of media devoted to a distinguished cause or event, like the fight against world hunger or an animal rights convention. One of the most renowned examples of promo art is Shepard Fairey’s “Hope” print depicting Senator Barack Obama for the 2008 U.S. Presidential Campaign. This piece not only contributed support to the campaign, but it also allowed the popularity of the campaign to increase public interest in the artist. This system makes promo art another excellent method of cross marketing, in this instance between an artist and a cause or event rather than between two artists.

Fan art is any work of media devoted to the subject of another media franchise, typically a well-known television show, movie, book, comic, video game, or band. While some artists are skeptical of fan art, considering it to be subpar, in reality it serves as an excellent practice and promotional form of art.

For inexperienced artists, fan art can be used to demonstrate to employers how your skills would appear when applied to commercial tasks. Additionally, some clients can look to fan art as evidence of an artist’s ability to adapt to a wide range of models and subjects, making these artists more suitable for freelance commissions.

In the modern internet era more artists are finding they can gain international recognition through the production of fan art. A prominent fan artist who demonstrates this is illustrator “Bleedman” of SNAFU Comics. Bleedman got his start as an illustrator with fan-made web comics depicting well-known animated characters from contemporary pop culture, including the PowerPuff Girls, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, and Dexter’s Laboratory. He developed an extensive following from these web comics, and once he ceased developing fan art in favor of personal work, he was able to carry that popularity with him. Had Bleedman not started his artistic career with fan art, it is uncertain if there would have been as much public awareness – which developed into overwhelming support – for the private portfolio he later developed.

While artists are generally unable to receive any significant income from fan art due to concerns over copyright infringements, it none-the-less provides an excellent avenue to exercise their own artistic styles. Fan art allowed Bleedman to practice developing comics in his unique visual style, referencing subjects from various animated series. Once his techniques were well developed, he was able to apply these matured skills to his original comic series, Sugar Bits.

Fan art also serves as an excellent method of cross promoting, in this instance between an artist and a franchise. For example, if an artist were to create fan-made media parodying Harry Potter, he may call attention to the series from those of his viewers who were not drawn to Harry Potter previously. In return, those who are already supporters of Harry Potter will likely be attracted to the artist’s work and will thereby be more inclined to view his private portfolio than they otherwise might have been.

When creating publicity art an artist must take care to ensure that this media in some way correlates to her private work. This results in cross promotions that are more relevant between the campaigning artist and the admired artist, cause, or franchise to which media is being dedicated. For instance, if an illustrator typically produces paintings depicting fantasy themes, it would be most beneficial to her to dedicate publicity art to relatable subjects. She might devote gift art to other fantasy-inspired artists, provide pop art for fantasy-based causes, events, or organizations, and develop fan art for fantasy-themed television shows, books, comics, and movies. This increases both the likelihood that the viewers whom her publicity art attracts will share an interest in the content of her private portfolio, and that the subjects she is dedicating publicity art to will intrigue her fans.

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13. Thank Your Supporters

When dealing with social networking websites, such as MySpace, FAN, or DeviantART, leave a courteous “thank you” message in the comments section of the member page of each individual who joins your newsletter or collects one of your works. This not only shows your fans that you personally appreciate their support, but can also call the attention of additional viewers to your portfolio.

When expressing thanks, avoid spamming or being inappropriate. Do not repeat yourself, type in all capital letters, use excessive exclamations or emoticons, post images, or make self-promotional statements. Any remarks that come across as desperate for attention or disrespectful to your supporters can have the undesired effect of turning people away from your work.

A simple “thank you for joining my newsletter” will suffice.

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14. Ask for Helpers

Juggling all the tasks required to run the marketing network behind your portfolio website can become tiresome. If the work becomes overwhelming, don’t be afraid to ask for help from trusted friends or family members. For example, you can recruit friends to lend you a hand in distributing promotional materials at conventions and businesses once a year.

You can also pay for assistance with regular tasks. For instance, if you promote your portfolio through multiple social networking websites, like Myspace, FAN, and DeviantArt, you can offer an allowance to a niece or nephew for aiding you in managing these accounts. This can be especially helpful for simple but time-consuming tasks, like when leaving messages on profile pages thanking your supporters from community websites.

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15. Be Active Online

Investing the effort in showcasing your portfolio on networking websites, such as FAN, YouTube, and MySpace, will result in little returns unless you make yourself visible within each online community by being at least somewhat active.

Remaining dormant after joining a web community is parallel to attending a networking convention and then not speaking with anyone. Potential supporters won’t visit your webpage unless they know where to find it. To make the public aware of your portfolio, you need to introduce yourself to members of the web community and offer up useful information to maintain their interest.

Here are some activities you may get involved in to regularly promote yourself through online networks:

• Leave Comments on Other Artists’ Media and Webpages

• Frequent Chatrooms and Web Forums

• Become a Member of Numerous Online Clubs or Movements

• Organize New Online Clubs or Movements

• Offer Your Assistance to Existing Online Clubs or Movements

• Present Individuals with the Opportunity to Interview You

• Create Helpful Tutorials for Other Artists

• Provide Tips or Weekly Advice to Other Artists

• Pass on News That May Be of Interest to Other Artists

• Conduct Interviews with Professional Artists

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The information above is taken with permission from ~thefluffyshrimp and the Free Artists Network (FAN). Our website is currently in construction with our grand opening estimated for May, 2010. Therefore, many of the references to FAN made in this tutorial can be ignored for the time being.

If after reading this tutorial you are still interested in additional marketing techniques, you may research the following:

• Podcasts

• RSS Feeds

• Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Step 1: Find and Purchase a Domain Name
Step 2: Find and Purchase a Web Host
Step 3: Find and Download a FTP Client
Step 4: Find and Download a Website Template
A) Wordpress (If using Wordpress, you can skip Steps 1-3)
B) Gallery Menalto
C) Template Monster
Dynamic Flash Templates vs. Regular Flash Templates
Tips For Selecting a Template
Other Website Scripts
Conclusion

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Step 1)

Find and purchase a domain name.

I suggest using GoDaddy.com.

You can do a search for a domain name on their website to see if it’s already been taken by someone else.

When choosing a domain name, make certain it is simple and easy to remember. Avoid using non-letters — especially numbers — if you can.

(For example, try to avoid domain names like gr8t4art.com, my-website.com, or my.website.com. Instead, try to use greatforart.com and mywebsite.com.)

Use a reliable domain name provider, like GoDaddy, since you want to make certain the company stays around. If the company fails, you could potentially lose your domain name.

Most domain names cost around $8.00 to $10.00 per year.

If you have trouble purchasing a domain name online, you can call GoDaddy at (480) 505-8877

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Step 2)

Find and purchase a web host.

For a good and cheap web host, I recommend 3ix.com.

Their $1 per month hosting plan should provide you with everything you need to host your website.

(If you are confused, a domain name provider is the site where you get the NAME of your website — like mywebsite.com — and a web host is the site where you PUT your website — where you upload your files and art, etc.)

If you have trouble purchasing a hosting package, you can call 3ix at (866) 999-4349

Ask for their $1 per month hosting plan, and tell them you would like to direct your domain name from GoDaddy (or wherever you have purchased your domain name from) to their hosting plan. 3ix should then give you some numbers (like a code). After you get these numbers, call GoDaddy (or wherever you have purchased your domain name from) and tell them the same thing. They will ask for the numbers 3ix gave you and will use them to connect your domain name to your web host.

(In other words, you will have to ask both your web host and domain name provider to “connect your domain name to your web host so that viewers will see your site upon visiting the domain name.” It’s not as difficult as it might seem, and you will only have to do this once. Afterwards, your domain name and web host will be forever connected unless you request a change.)

Unlike with domain names, you can take more risks and use a cheaper web host. If a host company fails, as long as you have your website “backed up” or saved (which I recommend you do whenever you update your website), your website will be fine.

If you aren’t as concerned with saving money as you are with keeping things easy on yourself, you can purchase BOTH your domain name and your web hosting plan from GoDaddy. This way you won’t have to have the domain name directed to your web host (and GoDaddy has excellent customer service for those who are less experienced with computers).

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Step 3)

Find and Download a FTP Client/Manager (Software)

An FTP Client (or FTP Manager) is just a program you download to your computer that will upload files (and images/art) to your website.

For Macintosh users, I recommend Cyberduck. You can download it for free.

For Windows users, you can use a search engine to find a number of “free FTP Clients.” FileZilla is such a FTP Client. You can download it for free.

After you have downloaded your FTP Client, contact your web host (3ix, if you have used them) and ask them for help with using your FTP Client. They will be able to walk you through the steps to setting up your FTP Client to upload files to your website.

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Step 4)

Find and Download a Website Layout/Template

Now this is the fun part. You can now search for a design for your website.

There are three main websites I recommend for this:

A) Wordpress
B) Gallery Menalto
C) Template Monster

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A) Wordpress

Info and Comparisons:
+ Can Purchase Domain Name and Host from Same Site (GoDaddy/3ix Not Needed)
+ Does Not Require Installation (No FTP Client Needed)
+ Easy to Add Content To (Backend Included)
+ Fewer Options for Customized Appearance

If you are not very fluent with the internet or with editing webpages, or you are looking for a simple, professional looking website without much effort, the popular free blog script, Wordpress, now offers a method of displaying your gallery.

Sign up for Wordpress.com

Here is an example of a website using Wordpress.com.

Although I haven’t personally used Wordpress.com to build a gallery website before, Lea tells me that you can pay them $15 per year for your own domain name and for hosting with them. Since their templates are already hosted, you wouldn’t need an FTP Client either. This allows you to skip Steps 1 – 3.

To create a gallery on your Wordpress.com website, Lea tells me that you have to select to “Put This Image in a Gallery.” If you don’t specify that you want the image in your gallery, then it will upload somewhere else on your website.

The only catch with Wordpress.com is that the templates aren’t extremely customizable. In other words, while you can edit the text, colors, and the images, you can’t go about changing whatever you want on your site.

Notice: With a Wordpress.com template you may not be able to add your own scripts, like an online store, a newsletter, or a forum/chatroom without your own web host (like 3ix/GoDaddy) as mentioned above. You can do this if you have a Wordpress.org template as described under “Other Scripts” below, but since Wordpress.com forces you to host with their site, you may not be able to add as many scripts as you like. However, if you need to sell your work from your Wordpress.com account, you can sign up for a Zazzle. Just link your viewers to your Zazzle page for sales.

This means you can’t remove the ability for people to comment on your art, and you can’t really move site portions — like your header and menu bar for example — wherever you want on the site. These things have to stay WHERE they are on the website, but you can change how they LOOK.

However, if you aren’t very comfortable with editing scripts and want something done quickly, you probably won’t care to customize the look of your website that much anyway.

Overall, I really recommend Wordpress.com for creating a gallery site. The design is clean, professional, and customizable enough to be great for artists.
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B) Gallery Menalto

Info and Comparisons:
+ Cannot Purchase Domain Name and Host from Same Site (GoDaddy/3ix Needed)
+ Requires Installation (FTP Client Needed)
+ Easy to Add Content To (Backend Included)
+ More Options for Customized Appearance

If you are a little more comfortable with installing programs or if customization of your website’s appearance is really important to you, then I suggest downloading a free site template from Gallery Menalto.

Gallery Mentalto comes with a backend that allows you to easily edit, customize, and add content to your page much in the same way you would to deviantArt.com or MySpace.com page.

However, you would have to be comfortable enough with a computer to be able to install the template on your website using an FTP Client (which Gallery Menalto’s website explains how to do).

(Quick Download Link)

You can see samples of websites that use Gallery Menalto here.

Gallery Menalto is an amazing “Gallery Script.” A gallery script it is a functioning gallery website template ready to download and then upload to your website. It comes with about 10 ready-to-use designs and is easy to customize and update.

After downloading Gallery Menalto to your desktop, you will upload the folder containing Gallery Menalto to your website using the FTP Client.

You can request help with uploading and installing Gallery Menalto by using the Gallery Menalto Forum and by contacting your web host (3ix, if you have used them).

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C) Template Monster

Info and Comparisons:
+ Cannot Purchase Domain Name and Host from Same Site (GoDaddy/3ix Needed)
+ Requires Installation (FTP Client Needed)
+ Regular Flash Templates – Difficult to Add Content To / Pay Each Time to Add Content To (Backend Not Included)
+ Dynamic Flash Templates – Easy to Add Content To / Pay Once for Initial Customization, Adding Content Thereafter is Free (Backend Included)
+ Highest Options for Customized Appearance

If you are a little more fluent with using the internet or Flash, and/or are looking for a truly professional design for your website, then I suggest downloading a site template from Template Monster.

Template Monster provides gorgeous and impressive site designs. Unlike Gallery Menalto, they are not free, but generally only cost you anywhere from $60-$200, which is amazingly inexpensive for a fully designed website (which normally cost anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000).

To search for art-based website designs, first visit the Template Monster website. Under “Category” select “Arts & Photography, ArtWorks, and Personal pages.” Then click “Apply.” Then click “Search.”

(Quick link to view Art & Photography templates)

(Quick link to view ArtWorks templates)

(Quick link to view Personal Page templates)

This will show you ONLY website designs for artists.

The way Template Monster offers such amazing website designs for such a good price is that the templates are not exclusively owned by you. This means that other people can purchase the same design. However, the most people in the world who have ever downloaded the same template is around 10 and even this is a high number (you can see how many people have purchased the template before you on the site). Therefore, the chances of someone running into the same design while browsing the web is slim to none. Once you download the template, the template is yours to keep. In other words, once you buy it, even if Template Monster shuts down, that design will remain yours. They can’t take it away.

Overall, I think Template Monster is a great deal for amazing designs. If you want to make serious customizations, you can pay Template Monster to customize your website design for you. Usually this is pretty inexpensive for website customization (running from around a one-time fee of $500 and under last time I checked).

You can see examples and pricing for template customizations here.

This is a great option for people who are more concerned with avoiding hassle than with saving money, since Template Monster will essentially do all your customizations for you (for a reasonable fee).

The only catch with Template Monster is that if you ever wanted to update your website in the future, unless you know how to add images in Flash, you may have to pay Template Monster to do the updates for you (which should be much less than their initial customization fee, but will still involve a fee none-the-less).

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Dynamic Flash Templates vs. Regular Flash Templates

Usually templates that cost from around $60-$80 will need more customization and may be more difficult to update later. However, there are certain templates that Template Monster has for sale that are easier to customize and update, and you won’t have to pay them any fees. These templates are called Dynamic Flash Photo Galleries.

To browse the “dynamic flash photo galleries” that Template Monster offers, first visit the Template Monster website. Then under “Products” select “Web Templates > Dynamic Flash Photo Galleries.” Click “Apply.” Then click “Search.”

(Quick link to view all Dynamic Flash Photo Galleries)

This will show you ONLY website designs that are easy for artists to edit on their own.

Unlike regular Flash templates, Dynamic Flash templates come with a “back end,” which is a section of the website that allows you to upload art and make changes to the site from the website itself. Regular Flash templates require you to make all changes to the website using the Flash program instead (which may be more difficult for you).

Dynamic Flash templates are more expensive than regular Flash templates, and usually cost around $220. However, they save you a lot of money and hassle in the long run, because you won’t have to pay Template Monster to help you edit your website in Flash every time you have to make updates (assuming you don’t know how to use Flash on your own). You may have to only pay Template Monster once for overall site customizations, but then with Dynamic Flash templates you can usually make all updates thereafter on your own. So you wouldn’t have to pay Template Monster any fees ever again.

For questions about templates, how the templates work, self-customizations or customization fees, self-updates or update fees, the differences between Flash templates and Dynamic Flash templates, and how to upload and install templates to your website you can contact Template Monster here.

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Things to note when selecting a template from Template Monster:

- Stay away from templates that are too heavily animated. These can load slowly and be annoying for your viewers (which might include potential employers and clients).

- Stay away from templates that are too complicated to navigate. These can also become annoying for your viewers (which again might include potential employers and clients).

- Stay away from templates that are too heavily stylized/colored. Selecting a template that is, say cartoony or bright pink, may match your style of artwork now, but if you ever decide to change your style of artwork in the future, you would have to completely redesign your website from scratch. Secondly, you don’t want a website design that overshadows your illustrations. Thirdly, keep in mind that while you might like the design of a heavily stylized website, your potential viewers, clients, and employers may not have the same tastes.

So overall it is best to stick with something simple and classy.

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Other Website Scripts

If you are looking for other website scripts to add to your portfolio, such as a blog/journal to post news, a store or auction system to sell your art, a newsletter system to maintain connections with and inform fans, or a forum or chatroom for your fans, you can find a number of website scripts online. Simply visit Google.com and run a search for “website scripts.” Some scripts are free and some charge a one-time fee for download.

(Usually the website from which you download the script will offer you support in the event you need help with installing or customizing the script. If you can’t find the help you are looking for, try using this script help forum.)

Some of my personal recommendations:

Public Online Store Accounts –> [link]

-You can link your portfolio website to your Zazzle account. All you have to do with a Zazzle account is upload your art, and people can buy products from prints to t-shirts with your images on them. Zazzle makes the prints and products and mails them to customers on your behalf. In return, they get a small portion of your sales.

- Zazzle is very easy to use if you want to avoid installing scripts or the hassle of creating your own prints and mailing out purchases. Zazzle pages don’t come with any customization options — your Zazzle page will look like the rest of the Zazzle website. Also, your Zazzle page won’t be hosted on your private website — the web address with be different than your private site, but you can link people to the Zazzle page for sales. It is much like an eBay page in these ways.

Private Online Store Scripts –> [link] and [link] and [link] and [link]

- This is a great option if you want your own private store hosted on your website. You can also customize your store to match the look of the rest of your website. With a private store, you will receive 100% of all profits from your sales — no one will take a commission from you. However, you will have to create your own prints and products to sell on the site, and you will be in charge of mailing everything out.
You will also have to install and edit the script to get it up and running.

- Great for selling duplicated items, like prints, videos, photos, cds, t-shirts, etc.

- Template Monster offers ready-made designs for all these online store scripts. This is a great way to get a professional looking online store to sell your artwork. Since all these scripts come with “back ends,” you would be able to make basic changes to and update the site on your own, without commissioning Template Monster for help. You can view all available templates here.

Auction Store Scripts –> [link] and [link]

- Works much like the Private Online Store Scripts.

- Great for selling individual items like paintings or sculptures.

Journal / Blog Script –> [link]

- Unlike with Wordpress.com, Wordpress.org allows you to download a blog and upload it to your own website on a different host, like GoDaddy/3ix. Wordpress.com only allows you to host your website with them. Wordpress.org is excellent to use if you are adding a blog to a different kind of gallery, like one from Gallery Menalto or Template Monster. Wordpress.com only allows you to use Wordpress as the main website.

- Wordpress.org websites are more customizable and come with a larger range of templates, although you will have to know how to install them / edit them yourself. Wordpress.com comes with less template options, but is easier to install. You can use Google.com to search for free templates/designs for your Wordpress.org script

Newsletter / Mailing List Scripts –> [link] and [link] and [link]

- Offers a great way to send important information and news to your viewers who don’t regularly visit your website.

Forum Script –> [link]

- You can use Google.com to search for free templates/designs for your PHPBB script.

Chatroom Script –> [link] and [link]
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And that concludes the tutorial!

Some final things to note:

- To avoid becoming overwhelmed when starting your own online portfolio website, start with one step at a time. Remember it can take weeks to completely finish a portfolio website the way you like it, so don’t feel you have to rush.

- Don’t forget to request aid with these steps by contacting your domain name provider, your web host, your template/design provider, or your script provider for help. Many of these websites either have phone numbers, live chats, email help, or support forums to get you through the process.

Good luck!

I, Krisha Moeller (thefluffyshrimp), permit the following uses of all works of art I have solely created provided that the conditions of my Terms of Use are fulfilled.

For information on Free Fandom and to understand why I support it, please read the current study here.

I. Fan-Made Merchandise

Supporters may sample and reference my artwork for the creation and sale of unique products. Such items might include keychains, t-shirts, dolls, and doujinshi.

Terms of Use

1) Fan-made products may not be close duplications or “bootlegs” of the original media or official merchandise. For instance, if I sell t-shirts displaying a particular image of mine, you may not sell t-shirts with the same print. As an alternative, you must either A) Use a different image than I do or B) Alter the image in a way that makes it clearly unique from the official merchandise. You may view my available products from my deviantART website.

2) The items must be openly declared fan-made, either on the products or at the location of purchase.

3) Either the title of the original series/artwork, my name, or the URL to my website must be included with the items.

II. Fan-Made Media

Supporters may reference my artwork for fan-made, non-profit media. Such works might include fanfiction, fanart, and fan videos.

Terms of Use

1) The media must be openly declared fan-made.

2) Either the title of the original series/artwork, my name, or the URL to my website must be included with the media.

III. Media Displays

Supporters may display my artwork through the following methods:

· Websites, such as Wikipedia, deviantART, Sheezyart, YouTube, Myspace, Photobucket, ImageShack, and private websites.

· Decoration and Street Displays

· Promotional Materials

Terms of Use

1) The media must be openly declared unoriginal.

2) Either the title of the original series/artwork, my name, or the URL to my website must be included with the displays.

VI. Terms of Use

So long as my guidelines are followed, you do not need to request permission or pay me to use my artwork.

If you do not adhere to my guidelines when using my artwork in the sale of fan-made products, in creating fan-made media, and in other displays then your rights to do so will not be protected.

V. Breaking Provisions

In the event you use my artwork in a way that ignores my Terms of Use, you will be given fair warning to either A) Revise your presentation of the media to coincide with my Terms of Use, or B) Terminate your use of my artwork altogether.

If these warnings are ignored and you continue to use my artwork outside the conditions offered by my Free Fandom Statement, then legal action may be taken.

Thank you for both supporting my work and my Terms of Use.

– Krisha Moeller

(May 4, 2009)

(An example of a completed Free Fandom statement may be found here.)

Free Fandom Statement

I, John Doe (username of website if applicable), permit the following uses of these named works of media / all works of media I have solely created provided that the conditions of my Terms of Use are fulfilled.

For information on Free Fandom and to understand why I support it, please read the current study here (link).

(Edit the Free Fandom privileges listed below to suit your tastes. If a particular section does not work for you, you may exclude it from your Free Fandom Statement.)

I. Fan-Made Merchandise

Supporters may sample and reference my media for the creation and sale of unique products. Such items might include keychains, t-shirts, dolls, and bags.

Terms of Use

1) Fan-made products may not be close duplications or “bootlegs” of the original media or official merchandise. For instance, if I sell t-shirts displaying a particular image of mine, you may not sell t-shirts with the same print. As an alternative, you must either A) Use a different image than I do or B) Alter the image in a way that makes it clearly unique from the official merchandise. You may view my available products from my private website.

2) The items must be openly declared fan-made, either on the products or at the location of purchase.

3) The title of the original series/artwork/song, my name, and/or the URL to my website – or another location to purchase official merchandise – must be included with the items.

II. Fan-Made Media

Supporters may reference my media for fan-made, non-profit media. Such works might include fanfiction, fanart, and fan videos.

Terms of Use

1) The media must be openly declared fan-made.

2) The title of the original series/artwork/song, my name, and/or the URL to my website – or another location to purchase official merchandise – must be included with the media.

III. Media Displays

Supporters may display my media through the following methods:

· Websites, such as Wikipedia, deviantART, Sheezyart, YouTube, Myspace, Photobucket, ImageShack, and private websites.

· Decoration and Street Displays

· Promotional Materials

Terms of Use

1) The media must be openly declared unoriginal.

2) The title of the original series/artwork/song, my name, and/or the URL to my website – or another location to purchase official merchandise – must be included with the displays.

VI. Terms of Use

So long as my guidelines are followed, you do not need to request permission or pay me to use my media.

If you do not adhere to my guidelines when using my media in the sale of fan-made products, in creating fan-made media, and in other displays then your rights to do so will not be protected.

V. Breaking Provisions

In the event you use my media in a way that ignores my Terms of Use, you will be given fair warning to either A) Revise your presentation of the media to coincide with my Terms of Use, or B) Terminate your use of my media altogether.

If these warnings are ignored and you continue to use my media outside the conditions offered by my Free Fandom Statement, then legal action may be taken.

Thank you for both supporting my work and my Terms of Use. Include any other comments for your supporters here.

– John Doe

(Date 00/00/0000)

FAN encourages members to practice a promotional strategy known as “Free Fandom.” Under this policy, an artist encourages his fans to create and make profit from unofficial swag and media that evoke his works. These freedoms are extended to supporters provided they give proper credit to and direct viewers to the original artist.

While Creative Commons is a fixed policy generally used for “stock art,” a Free Fandom policy is a broad, tailored contract an artist develops for his supporters, and conditions hence vary artist to artist. Free Fandom serves as a calculated marketing campaign that either replaces or supplements a marketing campaign typically conducted by a lone artist or his sponsor.

I. Sales Provisions

An independent fantasy writer supporting a Free Fandom policy would allow her fans to create swag, like key chains, t-shirts, and dolls, depicting her characters and then sell these items at conventions and stores around the world.

The privilege for these supporters to profit from unofficial merchandise is granted on three conditions:

1) The items may not be unaltered duplications or “bootlegs” of the original media or official merchandise.

2) The items must be declared fan-made.

3) The title of the original series/media, the original artist’s name, and/or the URL to the artist’s website – or another location to purchase official merchandise – must be included with the items.

The artist would also encourage fan-created media such as fanart, fanfiction, and music videos that reference her works in accordance with these same provisions.

If an artist adopts a Free Fandom policy and provided that the above conditions are met, fans would not be required to contact her for individual permission to create and profit from unofficial swag and media.

Unless an artist openly declares support for Free Fandom, fans must assume that traditional copyrights apply and must make individual requests to the artist for permission to use her work.

1) Prohibiting Bootlegs of Official Media and Merchandise

In accordance with this provision, fans cannot duplicate official media and products.

a. Media Example

Fans of a photographer who supports Free Fandom may not sell unaltered duplications of his photographs. This would infringe on official merchandise protection. They could, however, freely incorporate his images in original forms of media – like paintings and collages – and sell them, provided they give the original artist open credit for the integrated photographs.

b. Product Example

If a painter supporting Free Fandom sells t-shirts and handbags exhibiting images of her paintings from her website, then others may not sell t-shirts and handbags using these same images. This would infringe on official merchandise protection. They could, however, freely sell her images on original items like key chains and postcards provided that A) the artist does not sell these products, and B) they give her open credit for the integrated images.

These terms of Free Fandom prevent bootlegging and interference with official sales.

2) Declaring Fan-Made Items

In accordance with any Free Fandom policy the privilege to integrate an artist’s work into unique media or unofficial merchandise is conditional to the works being publicly declared “fan-made” when applicable. This dramatically reduces any chance for confusion regarding the origin of the incorporated media on behalf of passing viewers.

3) Crediting the Original Artist

a. Financial and Marketing Benefits

While free fandom permits fans to make some small profit from inspired swag and certain forms of media, it also shifts the burden of financial risks that typically accompany marketing endeavors to these fans. An artist without a sponsor would otherwise foot the bill for producing swag and for the effort in distributing it to the public, accepting all financial losses if the endeavor fails. For instance, the independent fantasy writer in the previous example allows her fans to sell fan-made swag at conventions. In the event these items do not sell and the marketing campaign fails, the fans and not the artist lose the investment in the production of the swag. Alternatively, were the items to sell well and the marketing campaign to thrive, the fans are rewarded for their deeds with some profit, while the artist receives exposure from the successful promotion. This publicity typically results in an increase in sales of the artist’s official merchandise and commissions. Free fandom hence allows artists to market themselves internationally while avoiding common expenses and potential losses.

Outsourcing this type of marketing to fans also allows for a much more far-reaching advertising campaign than an individual artist could conduct alone. Fans commonly introduce new fans to their favorite artists through word-of-mouth. Free fandom amplifies this system by allowing word-of-mouth endorsements to be accompanied by fan-made media and products that, in some instances, profit the fans that are promoting the artists. Consequently, this strategy not only generates word-of-mouth promotions that are more interesting and memorable to new fans, but it also provides monetary incentive for current fans to begin promoting their favorite artists if they have yet to do so. This brings about a supplementary amount of new fans directed to the original artists for official merchandise and commissions than typically results from traditional word-of-mouth marketing. These artists hence obtain additional fans and revenue they would otherwise not have had.

Although certain artists remain skeptical of free fandom, the policy is little different from a traditional marketing system in which a portion of proceeds is given to a sponsor in return for a more expansive and influential advertising campaign than the artist could conduct alone. In the case of free fandom, rather than designating his marketing campaign to a sponsor, the artist simply designates his marketing campaign to his fans.

b. Creative Control Maintained by Artists

Notable differences in the control artists maintain over their work divide fan-based marketing and sponsor-based marketing. Fan-based marketing offers artists greater authority over their artistic visions, their income, and their work schedule. In contrast, some sponsors may withhold a certain level of creative control from their artists in order to produce media that better reflects their company image or that they believe will be better received by the public. In addition, sponsors may govern their artists’ work schedules and percentages of profit.

For example, a gallery that decides to sponsor an artist may censor or refuse to display certain pieces from the artist if they feel the works will be particularly offensive to their patrons. Likewise, if the gallery is sponsoring an artist who is popular for a specific style of art and this artist later decides to entirely reinvent his artistic style into that which may not be as alluring to potential visitors, the gallery may insist he maintain the more admired style or threaten to drop him from sponsorship. In addition, the gallery may devise work deadlines for the artist and will strip a portion of sale profits in return for handling marketing and display efforts.

For these reasons, free fandom is particularly convenient for independent artists and small studios seeking an extensive, effective, and cost efficient method of advertising, yet are not wanting to or are unable to surrender a portion of artistic control to a sponsor.

c. Competition for Sponsorships

Although free fandom provides competitive advantages for independent artists, the policy may also be used to benefit those seeking sponsorships. As a marketing strategy, free fandom can be used to considerably increase an artist’s fanbase. Should the artist choose to apply for a sponsor later in his career, a larger fanbase will not only better his chances for adoption, but will also strengthen his position to bargain for greater creative control and percentage of profit. For instance, if an independent comic artist decides to pitch his story to a publisher, he will offer a more convincing presentation if he can provide evidence of a worthy amount of preexisting public appeal for his ideas. Sponsors tend to give greater consideration to artists who have fanbases already developed. This indicates that works from these artists are more likely to attract sizeable followings, and thereby are more likely to profit their sponsors. Sponsors view unknown artists as carrying greater investment risks. Therefore, the larger an artist’s fanbase, the more alluring he will be for sponsors to back, allowing the artist to be more compelling when negotiating contracts to favor his terms. For example, if the publisher refuses the independent comic artist’s conditions on creative ownership and portion of proceeds, he may suggest he take his series and extensive fanbase to another sponsor.

II. Display Provisions

In addition to sanctioning fan-made media, advocates of free fandom may permit supporters to display their work from any location on condition that the original artists receive proper credit. At the artist’s discretion, such sources can include anywhere from street displays to websites like Wikipedia and DeviantArt.

a. Art Display Functioning as a Promotional Gift

Freely offering the public a product of value is a common marketing strategy employed by both retailers and artists seeking exposure. Not only can this strategy be used to increase pubic awareness for an artist, but it can also be used to increase the monetary value of the artist’s work. For instance, one of illustrator Shepard Fairey’s most recognized pieces is his “Hope” print depicting Senator Barack Obama for the United States 2008 Presidential Campaign. Fairey allowed the public to widely distribute the piece without charge, permitting supporters to print it out for display, create products from it, and sell it. While some believe this was detrimental to Fairey’s self-interest, the strategy ultimately intensified national attention for Fairey and his works. This popularity in turn amplified demand for his artwork and his commissions. Had Fairey jealously guarded his images and prohibited their use on the web, the public would not be as conscious of the piece’s existence. Were Fairey to then sell the original print, the lack of public awareness would likely result in the piece selling for comparatively little profit. In contrast, the image is currently highly recognized by the world in due part to Fairey’s willingness to permit its free use. Were he to then sell the original print, the piece would likely sell for an outstandingly larger profit. This illustrates how the willingness of some artists to excessively control the display and use of their images – particularly on the web – can often times be detrimental rather than beneficial to their public exposure and financial success.

b. Effect on Product Value

Some may be baffled as to why the value of original media may not only maintain, but increase with time despite “knockoffs” being readily available for purchase. When a media franchise develops a significant following, whether due to Free Fandom or courtesy of another promotional campaign, the significance of official merchandise typically multiplies regardless of concurrent fan-made and even bootleg production.

For instance, individuals world over have perpetrated many successful attempts at designing and selling fan-made Star Wars merchandise. Yet despite the easy access to unofficial Star Wars products, the official merchandise – particularly early official merchandise – still sells exceptionally well owing to the franchise’s outstanding reputation. This illustrates a defining characteristic of artwork: Unlike most products, such as food or appliances, the value of a work of art is determined by its social importance and generally not by the practical need the product fulfills. On these grounds, the worth of official media will generally remain elevated over unofficial merchandise, even when these items may serve the same function.

In addition, the significance of artwork often intensifies relative to the extent of public awareness. This justifies the increased value of the original Barack Obama “Hope” print, as mentioned in the earlier example, either despite or due to Shepard Fairey’s willingness to freely permit its duplication and use on the web. The monetary value of artwork is determined by social status, which is driven by the level of widespread recognition. Widespread recognition is in turn driven by promotional efforts. As a promotional campaign used to expand public awareness, Free Fandom can hence be relied on to increase the value of official media.

For certain forms of web-based media, such as web comics and online games, artists frequently receive the majority of their income from the sale of ad space. The value of ad space is proportionate to the regular number of visitors an artist’s webpage receives. For these artists, Free Fandom’s ability to reel in a large viewing crowd may be particularly beneficial.

Lastly, it is worthy to note that the rate at which unofficial merchandise is sold is typically more indicative of the increasing popularity of the official merchandise line and not a hint of its failure. As public approval of a media franchise deepens, the sale of both the official and unofficial products concurrently swell and diversify to meet the public’s progressively extensive variety of desires.

c. Tracking Official Sales Figures

Often times a great concern artists have with allowing others to display their media, both on the web and on location, is that each case may represent a lost sale. However, this perception can be misleading. In this circumstance individuals typically showcase the media solely for the reason that it is freely permitted, and would likely have avoided using the artwork otherwise. In addition, those viewing the media from a source other than the original artist’s website are frequently not yet supporters, and are only then being introduced to the artist. As a result, the use of the artwork would not actually indicate a lost sale, but rather serves as an avenue for acquiring additional publicity for the artist than would otherwise have been obtained.

Naturally, the functionality of this system is reliant on those showcasing the work complying with the guidelines of Free Fandom by crediting the original artist and directing viewers to his website. Given these provisions, allowing others to display the artwork constitutes the difference between no sale combined with no promotion and no sale combined with a promotion that results in redirected sales, much like an advertisement. Therefore, the artist choosing the latter method ultimately receives more sales than the artist that is more restrictive with the terms of use for his works.

Addressing Theft Concerns

Fears that Free Fandom encourages individuals to use an artist’s work without limitations are largely misplaced. In the event someone completely ignores the conditions of an artist’s Free Fandom policy by not crediting her or by not labeling his products as being fan-made, then this person is equally likely to have ignored the conditions of more limiting copyright regulations. Incidentally, an artist may only “shoot himself in the foot” by rejecting Free Fandom out of concern that his supporters might not abide by his provisions. In refusing Free Fandom, an artist only restricts those who loyally obey his instructions and as such are those who would have assisted him in promoting his media. Snubbing Free Fandom results in little to no reduction of those individuals who do not respect an artist’s terms of use in the first place, such as bootleggers and art thieves.

Conclusion

Free fandom is an optional policy and artists may customize its provisions to suite their objectives. It may be rejected entirely in favor of traditional copyright regulations.