10 small website ideas for artists
An artist website does not need to hold everything you have ever made. These ten small ideas each do one job well, and each comes with a scene to match.
Artists often put off making a website because it feels like it has to be a complete archive. It does not. The most useful artist sites are small and focused: they show a few strong pieces, explain what you do and make the next step easy, whether that is buying a print, booking a commission or simply following along.
Here are ten ideas for small artist websites. Each one has a single job, and each is paired with a Mini Casa scene that suits it. You can mix two ideas on one site, but resist the urge to do all ten. If you want help choosing work to show, the guide to building a portfolio with few projects is a good companion.
1. A one-wall gallery
Best for: Painters and illustrators starting outFive pieces, hung like a single gallery wall, each with a title and one line of context.
Pick the five works you would hang if you only had one wall. Give each a title, the medium and a sentence about it. That is the whole site. It is easy to keep current, because you only ever swap pieces in and out. Odd Art Studio, a wonderfully imperfect home for creative people, makes a friendly frame. The portfolio feature shows how pieces are laid out.
2. A small print shop
Best for: Printmakers and illustrators who sell editionsYour available prints, each with a photo and a link to buy, plus when the next batch is coming.
If you sell prints, a small page that shows what is available right now can work better than a full shop. Show each print with a photo and a link to wherever you sell it, and add a note about the next release. Print Garden, a sawtooth-roof studio with a little print machine, is made for it.
3. A process diary
Best for: Sculptors and makers whose process is the storyShort posts showing work in progress: sketches, failures, stages and the finished piece.
People love seeing how things are made. A process diary is a series of short posts: the first sketch, the armature, the crack you had to fix, the finished piece. It gives collectors and fans a reason to come back. Small Sculpture, with a patient sculptor and a handmade vessel, suits slow, careful work.
4. A commissions page
Best for: Artists who take custom workWhat you take on, how the process works and how to ask, all on one page.
A commissions page saves endless repeated messages. Say what kinds of commission you accept, show two or three past examples, explain the steps from first message to delivery and add one contact route. Brush Foundry is a premium casita with a working brush and a paint tin. Premium casitas cannot be published yet, so start with a free studio scene and switch later if you like.
5. A zine or comic home
Best for: Zine makers and comic artistsA place for each issue of your zine or comic, with a cover, a summary and where to get it.
Zines and comics come in issues, which makes them perfect for a small site. Give each issue its own post with the cover, a short summary and where to read or buy it. Pin the newest. Paper Trail, a letterpress cottage with a book roof and letters to deliver, fits the handmade spirit of small press work.
6. A ceramics studio page
Best for: Potters and ceramicistsYour current pieces, firing schedule and where people can buy or visit.
Ceramic work sells best when people understand it is handmade and limited. Show your current pieces, mention when the next firing or sale is and link to your shop or open studio dates. Glaze Good, a bottle-shaped workshop with a quiet bowl and a kiln whisperer resident, carries the line "made slowly, used every day".
7. An exhibition page
Best for: Artists with an upcoming showA temporary page for a show: dates, venue, the works and a short statement.
When you have a show coming up, a small dedicated page helps people plan a visit. Include the dates, the venue with a map link, a few of the works and a short statement. After the show, keep it as a record and add photos from the opening. Shadow Stage, a little stage with a curtain keeper, makes room for imagination.
8. A teaching and workshop page
Best for: Artists who run classesWhat you teach, who it is for, when the next session runs and how to sign up.
If you teach, a page for your workshops can fill classes without constant posting. Describe each class in a few sentences, say who it suits, list the next dates and add a booking link. Photos of past students' work, shared with permission, help a lot. Woven Room, an open weaving studio with a loom listener, feels like a calm classroom.
9. An artist statement page
Best for: Artists applying for shows and residenciesA short, plain statement about what you make and why, with a few works that show it.
Galleries, residencies and curators often want to understand your practice quickly. A page with a short, plain statement and three works that illustrate it gives them exactly that. Write it the way you would explain your work to a curious friend. Margin Notes, a cottage under an open book, has room between the lines.
10. A sketchbook archive
Best for: Artists who draw every dayScans of sketchbook pages, loosely organized by month, for people who love raw work.
Some of the most loved artist sites are simply sketchbooks. Post a few scanned pages each month, with a date and maybe a line about what you were trying. It is low pressure and builds a lovely record over time. Memory Booth, looked after by a pocket archivist, is built for keeping the bits that feel like you.
Mixing two ideas
Many artists combine two of these on one page. A one-wall gallery with a commissions section underneath is a classic pairing. A process diary works beautifully alongside a small print shop, because people who watch a piece being made often want to own it. A sketchbook archive and an artist statement together make a quiet, thoughtful page for applications.
The rule of thumb: one main job and, at most, one supporting job. If a visitor cannot tell within a few seconds what the page is mainly for, split it or cut something. A second small site for the other job is often clearer than one crowded page, and each one is easier to keep current.
Making the most of a small artist site
Whichever idea you choose, three things help. First, describe every image with a short alt text, so the work reaches everyone. Second, keep the site current: a page that still lists last year's show feels abandoned. Third, give visitors one clear next step, whether that is buying, booking or following along.
You can use Casa DNA to adjust the supported details of any scene, such as its colors and atmosphere, so it complements your work rather than competing with it. More ideas are on the artists page and in the Creative collection.
Start from this casa
Print Garden
Print Garden is a sawtooth-roof studio with skylights, a courtyard and a place to make a mess, with a paint tin, a little print machine and a little manuscript.
Small Sculpture
Small Sculpture is a sawtooth-roof studio with skylights, a courtyard and a place to make a mess, with a studio sculpture, a handmade vessel and a fresh flower.
Questions people ask
What should an artist website include?
At minimum: a few strong works with titles and short descriptions, a sentence about what you make and one clear next step, such as a shop, commissions page or contact route. Add more only when it helps visitors.
How many artworks should I show on my website?
Fewer than you think. Five to ten strong pieces usually say more than a large archive. Choose work that represents what you want to be known for and update the selection as your practice changes.