Recommended sites

For your summer enjoyment, I thought I would start by sharing some online sites that I have participated in for several years. These are friendly places to: learn more about art and technique participate in online art projects for fun and learning participate in online social painting receive fresh inspiration and ideas encourage other artists get started selling online without too much investment network with other artists who are selling online

www.wetcanvas.com
- Now owned by The Artists Magazine people, this is the largest and most informative artist website and it’s absolutely FREE. If you’ve never visited, it’s worth a look. There are many different forums to participate in broken down by mediums, different forms of expression and learning opportunities. Also, it includes a huge photo reference library with images contributed by members and they’re copyright free.

www.EBSQArt.com
- Being part of EBSQ was the quickest way for me to get my art online before I created my website and I get more exposure here. It is ranked high in search engines so if someone searches for your name online and you belong, chances are, they will find you on EBSQ. They feature member’s art every day, have monthly art shows with monetary awards and forums to learn and socialize in. They also have other handy tools like html code help, links to your blog, website or online selling venues (like Ebay and Etsy). Also, you can create very professional looking Certificates of Authenticity that patrons of your art can then register on line. This web site does charge a small monthly fee to belong.

www.Etsy.com
This is a site devoted to handmade items ranging from original art to crocheted hats to handmade books. Each member gets their own store and it only costs .20 to list one item for 4 months and a small charge when an item sells. The downside is that it’s a little tricky to wade through all the different things and you really have to help buyers find you. You can pay extra to have your work featured on the home page. There is also an interesting area where people make requests for specific things and artist can bid on the commission. I haven’t taken the time to really research all the opportunities but it’s a thriving marketplace.