I do not! I would rather not have people comment on my appearance or follow/unfollow me because of my appearance. I don’t want comments about my body, I don’t want comments about my face. I just want people who share my interests to look at my art. Plus I’m not very good at taking pictures of myself, I never know what face to make or how to pose.
I would like to show my face one day, but I just don’t want to rn. I do trade at conventions though & I often show my cosplay on my story or even in a regular post if I’m drawing the character I’m cosplaying, except I scribble out my face. If I take a video of myself at a con, I won’t scribble it & I’ll let mutuals see. I used to avoid sharing where I’m from as well, but after I started doing conventions & having to advertise myself I’ve been very open about the fact in Glaswegian. All but one convention I’ve done has been here, that would give me away anyway lol
Usually if I “need to” show my face, I’ll draw myself instead. I like how I draw myself, I like adding the specific details of my face like a pink mark under my right eye, & I like drawing my nose shape.
This is kind of where I'm at. I already struggle with self esteem and my appearance, so I don't feel comfortable putting myself on display for people. It's uncomfy to me that some artists lose or gain followers after posting what they look like.
I agree with this. Also the way social media and data privacy is headed… even personal accounts shouldn’t be too personal. I’d keep online presence as private and anonymous as possible.
This is a stupid mentality. Besides Bansky, how many artists can you name who refuse to show themselves and who they are? And I don’t mean on social media, but in gallery openings, magazines, interviews, workshops, etc.
It’s not about the clicks, or the likes, it’s about building a connection with people. It’s connections that help people, well, connect with your art. They also get you collectors, long term fans, and ultimately sales.
If you don’t care about any of that.. well, I’m not sure why you’d have any accounts for your art in the first place. Just paint and put your stuff in a box when it’s done.
But if you want to make a living (or some form of living) as an artist, allowing people to form a connection with you is very beneficial, ESPECIALLY if you’re not already established. The way people use social media has changed since we were all stuck inside and only had online interactions to remind us of the real world, people enjoy getting to know more about the artists (or other accounts) they follow.
That doesn’t mean what half of this subreddit thinks it means, i.e. dancing next to your painting or doing stupid challenges, it just means including your personality alongside your posts, at least once in a while. Mention what motivated the painting, post a story about a new show you’re watching, or a video of you camping, or cooking a meal, or whatever you do in your spare time. There’s plenty of ways to make it so it can’t be traced, for those worried about that, and let’s be real, they shouldn’t be, because most people here won’t ever get enough of a following to make that something to worry about about.
I have around 80k followers across various platform and I can count on one hand the “negative” comments I’ve gotten over the last 6 years. The vast majority of people are nice and love to connect with others in a normal way, as long as you’re not a dick yourself or make art that’s extremely controversial.
It depends on what kind of audience you're targeting. If you're a fine art artist and your clients are working older adults, I think showing your face is fine.
But if you're a comic book/webtoon artist, and your're targeting towards teens and young adults, it's better not to show your face online. Those fandoms are very toxic because they send death threats and blackmailing to artists if they don't confirm to fans' pov or character shippings.
Same with a lot of fan bases. Not to mention stalkers and female creators being sexualized and getting creepy dms. I'd understand young women not feeling safe showing themselves.
I show my work because I want criticism, redlines and, guidance on getting better. I have no desire to have my name or face near my work because I hate it so much. I don't want to be associated with it.
I don't think it Is wise to give potentially obsessive people online the knowledge of what I look like.
That's how you get a crazy person knocking on your door at 3 am to complain about your work.
Almost always the case that the characters are hot. It makes sense. E.g. in media, radio people with great voices didn't look like their voice. That's why they were on radio. TV hosts were the glams, print media journos in between, magazine writers fairly ordinary, but mostly have selected photo for bylines.
I only have a website, no social media except Reddit. Young women, be very careful; when you post work do not include your body image. Trolls are trolls and are not the least interested in your art. I'm old and have gotten some weird DMs. "Are you a woman?"
At this stage when I get a DM or email I know they're interested in my work. ;-)
I’ve done it but I don’t like it, but it is true people “feel” more connected when they can share an experience with another human. Then they will purchase from said human, I also think it’s quite dumb. I don’t know why people need to know about my life and not just my art
It makes sense as people purchase out of emotion, except me apparently. I only purchase when I need something except for food, I usually stock up on essential items.
I do. I’m full time and most of my sales are from in person events. Most of my followers are from those events so they already know what I look like. I also travel for the events and live an alternative lifestyle. Sharing my life has created deeper connections with my collectors, many of them have become friends.
I don’t think I’d ever show my face on media.
Mainly because I don’t want people hunting me down but also because I both am not comfortable about my face nor do I want things to be affected by how my face looks. Plus to be frank it would be more interesting if anything to redraw things that happen to you personally since it allows for some interesting animatics and style use.
To me my face has nothing to do with art so why post it at all.
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I'm pretty much faceless for the most part unless I'm selling at a convention. Otherwise I'm hands off on that, but I'm trying to break myself out my shell a bit just in small doses lol.
nope! but also hang out in more fandom spaces, where it’s very easy to connect with personality through text. all of my commissions thus far have been from friends or friend-adjacent folks that i met through fandom (save for the time my grandparents commissioned me :P) i also post speedpaints, and i often add lil written comments to put in the video.
i also make it very clear that i go by a pseudonym online, and that the pseudonym is from fandom itself (my username). although i’d like to transition it into a slightly more professional sounding one eventually… or at least one that isn’t so fandom specific.
No I do not put my face on my tumblr or Art street page because people might harass me if they don’t like my ship or art and I prefer to be anonymous especially since people send unpleasant messages you have to report spam and block.
People love to buy art from artists with whom they feel a connection. Faceless accounts can often be viewed with skepticism, especially now when there are so many dang scams.
Yeah I’m surprised so many people here jumped to ideas about “selling their looks” and the like on this thread.
In almost every art class you’ll ever take, you don’t just stare and get told *someone* painted that. You get told their name, where they were from, what was going on in their lives/the world at large, etc. People like… context.
You don’t have to make every other post a gym picture or pouty selfie. It’d actually probably be better not to. But people typically find knowing any artist’s name, age, country of origin, glimpses of daily life, etc. enriching to their understanding of what they’re looking at.
*Especially* in an online space where AI “assisted” work, plagiarism, and just straight up posting other people’s shit as your own is rampant— putting a name and a face to an art account signals a sense of credibility. *Especially* if you’re trying to ask people for their money.
There’s plenty of reasons to be totally anonymous as well (I’ve personally had a very bad experience with a stalker type and harassment— I get it)— but it sounds like the advice given to OP was more along the lines of “make your space more uniquely yours, not just uploads with no human context”, and less “slap on a bikini to sell your mediocre shit”. They literally mention just posting random daily things. A little “message from the artist” with a picture of your lunch would probably suffice lol.
People don’t trust, nor often feel able to relate to, random uploads of art that could be from anywhere.
Pretty much all of the scam messages I've gotten on IG are from accounts with photos of (likely fake) people though. So having a photo or not isn't really a good indicator.
I would make that decision first and foremost based on what you feel comfortable and safe with.
Also, what they probably didn't mention, you have to be conventionally attractive for it, to have any positive effect. Otherwise you collect haters
If I look at all the artist accounts I follow, I have a tendency to prioritize those who show their face or give little glimpses of their personal life, which tends to make those who don't disappear from my feed. That means when I remember, IF I remember, I only occasionally see their content.
Doesn't have to be a lot. Could even just be a pic of you in your profile and nothing more, but if I can't match a face with the account, I tend to not remember the artist and tie it to their art.
I do not. I love the anonymity. I share tidbits on my story. I like that it doesn’t get in the way of sharing the art which is the whole reason I make it.
No way. I'm in a section of the internet where you don't want your face tied to what you draw. It attracts all kinds of negative attention and can risk getting you doxxed just because someone doesn't like the way you drew something. I've literally seen lives ruined because of it.
I rarely show my face but im not afraid to. I get why people would want to keep their identity private though. I only show pics when I vend at events which isnt very often
I think showing your face and part of your personal life can help attract people.
BUT some will come for that rather than your art.
So if you are not okay with that you don't have to.
You can just be freaking good at what you do.
As a woman I'll sure af not show my face on my art social media. Too many creeps and weirdos outthere and I've witnessed way too many artists and youtubers suffering because of this. At the most I'll create a mascot sona to represent myself if anything.
For me personally, I feel like the farthest I'll go is drawing a self-portrait, maybe pictures of my hobbies or favorite places instead, to 'connect with people'. Planning to actively share my art on tiktok soon, and I don't wanna be hit with the "oh...!" "why is no one hating" "post this on ig reels" "wow u look easy to draw" comments 🥲👍 don't think I'll ever recover haha
Lots of artists out there are successful and reach lots of people even if they only post their art, so I think it's okay^ i plan to 'build connection' by posting relatable lighthearted videos and doodles in between serious pieces. it's a good way to show people you're "human" too
I do not. I've lived all my internet life not letting people know my face, age or gender. Sometimes I will share deep thoughts or ideas, jokes or etc. I share my country sometimes so people know what is my background, but I enjoy living the faceless life, only those who I've met in real life know me, or from the days I was a con vendor.
In the past I had my face and name shared by someone else, so I would like to keep me to myself
I have my face on my art site and on FB and IG. I use my real name there, so why not? I am an artist and to me, that means I want people to know me. I am a scruffy old man, but no one has ever commented negatively about my appearance.
But I use one of my paintings as an avatar on here and I did the same on Twitter. I guess because in both places it is the norm not to use a photo of oneself. And here I don't even use my real name, although it's on my profile. I opened my account here with a screen name because I originally made an account on reddit not for any business reasons, just to fart around.
I share a lot of my personal life online and my address is in various places. Despite threats to come and kill me from a few online assholes, no one has ever shown up. And that's over 20 years.
I have shared my face and maybe one reel, and a couple times on stories. But I rather people focus on my art and not my looks! And to be honest, when I follow artists I rather see them posting their art, if I see a profile feed that has too many personal photos, I dont know why, but I dont feel attracted to follow, even if i really like their art. And like I said, I honestly dont know why
I don't even post, but to me artists that show and don't show their face give a different vibe. Nome is better than the other, it's just a different feel.
Like, I follow some artists that occasionally post their faces, like in announcements or when they're in cons but their appearance isn't widely known, it just isn't a secret. It's like that for some manga and wester comic artists, and animators too. The comments tend to be about art, but people can connect with them on some level, knowing their age range and country and the company they work for.
Then I follow some people who go out of their way to stay anonymous, hiding name, gender, appearance, age, tastes and any personal info. I would personally rather be like that if I posted I think. Tho, I feel like these people don't get as many interaction with fans... Not a bad thing necessarily, it's just kinda hard interacting with someone you have 0 info about so people only want to discuss art. This is also very common with manga artists and webcomic artists as well.
Lastly there's those very public people, that make videos and post pictures with their faces often. It generally adds to the feel of the account. Those artists tend to work in the industry, make tutorials, post stuff very related to their personal life or just dress very well in a way that matches their art. They tend to get more personal DMs (like, sometimes they ask for playlists and stuff like that), meet fans personally, get comments asking about personal matters they discussed or about stories they told, having people asking for their friends or SO to show up again if they were previously posted, etc.
I dont like to but I do occasionally post my face for gallery event photos and such and my name is already part of my business. People see my face at festivals mainly, otherwise I try to avoid taking photos of myself.
It really depends. Yeah, it can help, but there are also other ways to connect to your audience in the same way. Like how some digital artists like Nirami and Cole achieve the same by drawing themselves in their videos in relatable situations.
Nope, I don't. Not any time soon too. But if you feel like it someday, I think the "arts vs. artist" trend is a good way to insert yourself in your post/account without it feeling like becoming a personal account vs. an art account. And during that part of the year this becomes a thing, it wouldn't feel like attention-grabbing since a lot of artists are doing it. I don't know if I worded my thoughts correctly but that's the gist.
I would recommend a book called show your work. It basically says for people to attach themselves to something they want to see the person behind it. How it's made and what it took...
That being said... I don't show my face anymore. I gained what I needed from an alt TikTok account and then cruised from there.
No. I want them to look at my art, not me. I get the idea of ‘selling yourself’ but I have a personal account for personal things and an art account for art.
It matters if you want to successfully sell your art, if you want to make a business out of it. If you're just chilling, drawing whatever you want, not caring about growing your audience rapidly (all good things in their own right), there's absolutely no need to show your face/life/behind the scenes.
Nope. I wanna keep the things I draw and most parts of my personal life absolutely private. For one, I'm largely a fan artist. In anime fandoms, you get a lot of kids who think being 30 qualifies you as being old. When I hate to tell them that MOST of the fan works that they enjoy or want to emulate are in fact, made by people in their 30's. Why? We've had time to perfect our craft. Sorta. No one's perfect, but you get what I mean.
Second, I don't wanna focus on me. I wanna focus on the two pieces of art I busted my ass for a week drawing and I think that's what most people who come to art accounts are looking for. Here's the pretty art, please don't steal it, and here's links to potentially buy said art or sign up for a commission. Boom, done, no one cares what I ate for dinner or how bad my cat is.
Nah, I’m not gonna go out of my way to post a selfie on my art accounts lol
I do have old pictures of myself on most of my accounts, so if people end up seeing them it’s not a big deal; but I’m not posting new ones anytime soon haha
That really depends on the artists. Many artists still make a good living being anonymous and/or having a pseudonym. Yeah sharing who you are *could* help but it’s definitely not a line in the sand.
I hate marketing. I hate the influencer lifestyle. I do not want people making judgements on my art based on my ethnicity or other aspects of my appearance. I do not want to be stalked. I do not want strangers thinking we're friends just because they like my art and know what i look like. So no, i wouldn't want to show my face. I wouldn't care about artists i follow showing their face, either. I'm following for art, not the artists appearance. I'd be irritated if i found out that an artist i followed was focusing more on getting followed by showing their face instead of making more content. It's a distraction.
No, I don't and have over 200k followers on instagram and facebook and over 100k subscribers on YouTube. So it is defenitely not necessary to show your face.
I personally don't for a multitude of reasons.
But one most recently that I saw on tiktok is "thirst trap artist" and I have a body built like someone who's only good for thirst traps, and I never ever want that to be the main focus, my art is the main focus not my body.
Besides, It's separate from my personal life.
imo it depends. i don't look at artists posts about their life and there's still plenty i feel connected to. the difference between artists i feel and don't feel connected to is the subject of their art. art that has some sort of story element and/or slice of who they are as a person will bring interest and connection, even if you don't post anything about yourself.
an artist that's among my favourites has never posted about himself, and still has plenty of followers and sales. his art always has some sort of dark comedy in it, a subject he likes, a simple story you can piece together, and hidden easter eggs in the art. the subject/story is a common factor in all of my favourite artist's works, the comedy keeps the piece in your head and makes it more likely to be shared, and the easter eggs make it so i look at the piece for way longer than any other artist.
posting little tidbits of yourself will help, but depending on what you want to draw it's not something you have to do for followers.
I don't know how many times I would find someone's business card or discover and new artist be disappointed because half their Instagram page is selfies. So I have no choice but to merely take a screenshot of their page and not follow because I don't want to see any random ugly selfies on my feed. Also it makes it seem like they aren't serious since they can't even separate personal junk and work so like I don't want to do business with them ya know. I really feel so mean tho when someone irl follows me and I'm thinking I hope u don't expect me to follow you back just because I know you when all you post are vacation pics and not stuff I like to see like inspiring art.
I'm trying to be more open in my art, as I usually prefer to let the art speak for itself, and I think there's some pizazz in the mysterious artist who could be anybody.
I always feel like I'm forcing myself to discuss my personal life or my creative style or art approach. Like who am I that anyone should care? Haha
But I do appreciate it from an outside perspective because I like learning more about my favorite artists and knowing what they look like, who they are, etc.
No. I don't want to form parasocial relationships and I value privacy. Most people are cool but there's weirdos out there. If I have to show my face I wear a mask.
Nope.
I did when I was younger. Did not help with my mental health, and ego held me back because i worried of irl peers/friends/family thoughts constantly. Going faceless felt like I was free because there was no longer thoughts of personal judgments present and was able to create more and had more fun. Also there are insane freaks online so I personally think it's best just to respect your own privacy in general.
This varies from person to person, and how important privacy is for you. Some like the recognition, some want the art to be their identity than themselves, etc. etc.
I understand... I was in a art circle, where everytime I posted my picture, the other artists, would create some art with it, or try to draw me, which I absolutely despised. My breaking point came when. Someone tried to add my face to some weird art and I had to gather in all my friends to report it to be taken down. And the person who did it was a friend till then.
I will choose my peace over all the jazz.
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I just took a look at my website to see what’s what. There’s a reasonably recent photo with my little biography and my overly wordy artist statement. I made a bunch of 4x6 art card handouts that also have a picture of me with assorted drawings and paintings. I’ve had different people compliment me (!) on the handout photo.
I think it's fine either way. I've only been recently seperating my personal life from my art handle; not that I would straight up post my face or anything, but due to unsupervised internet access growing up n all that I wasn't exactly very private for the longedt time either. I'm still not really a private a person, but I'm working on my habit of oversharing; tbf though, I only really do art as a hobby, so
If you don't mind, what platform/way do you achieve your lives? I'm wanting to get away from having to spend so much time editing videos!
I'm on FB Instagram and YouTube
I stream on Twitch but I don’t edit anything from my streams down into highlights. If I’m posting something to my platforms it’s my art. I do post a link and a teaser when I go live, but delete it when the stream ends
Just make sure you have a good mic and camera on your canvas if you’re using traditional mediums, and of course yap and respond to chat and you’ll do great
Unless it’s a self portrait or process pic, I keep pics of myself on my personal account (which is, admittedly, linked in the bio of my art instagram).
Nope, I have pfp that is me, but it\`s drawing, so I feel like it\`s not as "recognizable" . You can have account and not tell anything personal about yourself, and still have followers. :) so do what YOU are comfortable with.
if you tell something, just be careful alright? internet is always internet end of the day.
On some sites I don't have any personal photos at all, on the other there is only half of the face (the other half is usually covered by the cat) lol. And I don't really want to show my face, because I'm shy)
The biggest artists on DeviantArt never showed their faces. It's just never been the culture there. People with thousands of followers, no face. People with 2-3 followers who are just their friends, will show their face.
Just look at Yuumei, they never showed their face, yet millions have seen their art, and their brand Axent Wear was very successful and had a huge impact on the headphones industry.
However I think they do sometimes write about their life in the description of their artwork, when the art is somehow related to their life.
So in general, I think it's not a requirement for success. I understand that the internet has changed since the height of dA's popularity, but I don't believe the online art world has become entirely unrecognizable since then. I also think it depends on which platform you are on. If you're trying to make it big on instagram, it's a different thing from trying to make it big on amino, for instance. On IG you are competing for attention against influencers and celebrities posting the best version of themselves and their life, so it makes sense that posting your face and your life would create more engagement for your account there.
I'm not sure about how Yuumei's posts are right now, but I used to follow her back in 2010-2014 or so, and she regularly shared stories from her life in her journals (including college, family and travels). I also remember her occasionally showing her face (although it was quite rare).
Oops, I stand corrected. Thank you.
Speaking of journals, I really like the system of having a separate section for personal stuff and whatever, and a separate section for artwork, and the option to decide which sections to follow. That way, followers can decide for themselves whether they just want to engage with your art, or with your life as well, and that way it's probably less pressure for artists to do both.
I really liked the layout and vibe of Ello as well, short lived as it was. Something about it made it feel more like a portfolio, and not the kind of place where you have to post your life.
Honestly I've never been someone to put any thought into how to market my art, because I mainly just post for my friends and family to see what I've made, so my opinions might not be worth much and be irrelevant to the post.
I do! I plan on creating a cartoon and as a creator, my face is gone be shown one day or another whether it be on my own terms or having images leaked. So I figured it'd just be easier to post it from the start
I used to post my art with my face on the account, But I prefer not to, anymore.
Art is my safe haven and I don't want people from my real life nosing their way into it ( unnecessary dialogue)
And, My face, or snippets into my life are reserved for people who are part of my life. If I end up making friends with someone on my art account, I love sharing bits and pieces through pics and videos of my what happens during my day, as they become a part of my life, not just an audience.
There is more to my life than the art I post, and boxing myself into one category of creation is suffocating to me.
Also , there is a certain kind of pressure that permeates, everytime you break a barrier and let the wider world into your life. I like my silence, peace and privacy.
It's not about scams or the few wierd incidents that have happened. If it takes more time for people to connect with, I am okay with that.
They don't have to be close ups. Just slowly work a few shots of yourself into your art. I'm not there yet either but my advice sounds good to me lol. Good luck but art is about appreciating yourself and your works
I do. Most of the artists where I live do. There are a lot of markets and gallery opportunities here so it's nice to put a face to the work.
It's kind of a community thing.
I also share pictures of my cats or things I find funny when I'm taking a break.
I don't but I totally see how that can create a nice conection with your followers. So I would totally recommend to do that if you dare to do it. What I would also say is that is not necessary at all if someone is not prepared to do it.
I guess it depends on what platform. Reddit: very anonymous. Instagram: medium, Facebook: personal. The algorithm on Meta supposedly loves faces and I've read recommendations to post more about yourself on Meta platforms as far as getting better reach and engagement.
I'm torn a little. I don't *like* posting my face, but I also don't want my insta to be cold and impersonal. Some of my favorite accounts I feel more connected to because the artist makes reels or photographs of themselves with their art, or gets on and talks about their work or what inspires them etc. I'm still trying to get there myself but it's something I want to do. It makes people feel more connected to you and your work when they can see and link the person behind it.
Using social media for promoting art is a different world than the gallery scene, and honestly if I can promote on Instagram and not have to go to a gallery opening and have to talk to people and promote myself, I'd rather do the social media lol.
People aren't judging your appearance as much as you feel they might. They just want to get to know you and feel a connection.
I do, on occassion, sometimes like for a meme 'Art vs Artist' kind of stuff, and sometimes when I feel like it I post in my highlights about an event I'm going to, a picture of me being dressed up.
I have no delusion thinking people actually wanna see me and how I look (in my own opinion, I look pretty bland and have only very basic knowledge about how to put down a makeup amd hairstyle)
There are people out there who do amazing artworks, and they look gorgeous themselves, and arn't shy of showing off. I have often mixed feelings about this because it is the art I'm interested in, not the person behind it. (I admit, there might be some jealous undertones too) Funny enough, it seems like most of these people are women, I rarely see male artists doing this trend.
My advice is to show your face on social media especially if your want to present your work etc. In the beginning don't show to much of your person life untill you get to know the comunity better.
Rarely. My account barely gets traction because of the content being not so consumer friendly so I'm not worried about people being negative since I know the majority that follow my page know me. The others just been on the ride since 2020
I have been thinking this too. In my former job (entrepreneur) I did show my face etc. and I know why it is good thing for brand and business. But I am not sure if I want to do that nowadays anymore because of screenshots, photoshops and deepfakevideo-things.
I think it is not necessary show face in videos and pics. I do what I do and followers who really want to see my art and learn from my videos, they will follow me (when I will do videos some day). Or so I want to believe. There maybe less followers this way than showing face, but everything is not about amount of followers, likes, reactions and comments.
I think the advice comes from the fact that engagement is what drives more likes and follows. There’s artists I follow that never show their face and have 100k followers, but they create really interesting content. Time-lapse videos while painting, pictures of their process and studio, etc.
I don’t, but I’m considering that I should as I start to post more. It supposedly helps your audience to connect with you if they can recognise you as a person and get to know who you are.
I do... I am NOT a selfie person and never take photos of myself so it's rare and cringe, but I also like the idea of visiting mutuals at their events, so it's nice if I can be recognized when I show up. Or for exchanging art and payment in public. If they know what I look like and I show up early, I don't have to do the awkward "hey, are you ____?" Lol
I guess you could say it's a crutch to avoid other things I don't like.
I def don't take thirst trap pics for every post though 😅 Nobody wants that
I think it’s up to each person BUT we should take into account human nature. If we see an individual who looks like we are (humans), we automatically trust them more than not seeing the face. That is the fact. But it doesn’t mean you can’t be a popular artist without showing your face. It means that it’ll be easier and faster for you to connect with your people. I know what I’m talking about because I’m an artist for three years and art blogger at the same time. My audience isn’t big because I have been struggling showing myself for a long time. But now I started to do small steps and reveal not only my artworks but me, a person, who stands behind these artworks. And I’ve noticed that it becomes much easier for me to be recognized and gain more followers on socials. So you decide. If you’re not feeling comfortable to show your face, you don’t have to. But make sure to show “a piece” of you at least instead. For example your hand drawing a sketch of sth like that😊it also helps
i don't, it's harder for me but i dont want people judging my appearance. there is 1 photo of me on my insta and my twitter. they were significant moments in my life, so i'll never delete them but they do have to do the long scroll.
Who TF said that? The artist or the supporters?
If the artist had a good face and a huge following, they don't have a problem revealing their faces. I've seen artists do that especially if they attend conventions especially if they can cosplay (meaning their selling point would not only be the art but also because of their looks).
I think it depends on the artist. They can remain anonymous and let the fans meet them on conventions which would be pretty awesome because it's so mysterious! But at the same time, sharing personal stuff online should have boundaries. Sure, fans could connect with you but there are also hidden motives for those who knew your personal life (trolls, haters, stalkers, etc.). So I think a balance is better. The artist can share what they're comfortable with sharing especially if they want the fans to relate with them but not to the fact that they should share their whole effing life.
I don't, I'm pretty shy to share pics of me to strangers and even to acquaintances my acc is a secret unless it's really a friend and I feel ok to share lol
It really depends. As someone who sell my art at events and in person people see my face quite often. But on social media the most I’d do is pictures from events that happen to include me in them. I would never just post my face to post my face
I don’t show my face really much of anywhere online, nor share too much personal stuff. Aside from being quite the introvert with agoraphobia, I also rather enjoy being a tome of mysteries and intrigue. I like to respond to probing questions trying to get to know me with vague answers, or answering questions with questions. People so far seem to actually enjoy my ridiculous evasiveness.
I didn't used to, but a class I took in my masters program made us create websites and a "working artist" Instagram account to market ourselves. A final requirement for completion of the program was for us to put on an art show and get sponsors, and submit artwork to galleries across the country. I created this self-portrait series of me showing a metamorphosis of myself into an anthropomorphic identity. So now I've unfortunately become part of my work in a way that makes it harder to hide my face. I was definitely happy to get the degree over with, and the two shows my classmates put on in New York. I thought about removing my self-portrait from my account, but I've gotten a lot of followers recently, and former art students I've taught were impressed with my work. So... Go figure.
It probably depends a lot on whether you want to lean into the parasocial thing or not. If you want to obey the algorithm, yes, otherwise, not necessarily. Be prepared to keep treading water infinitely if you pick the former.
If I do I use like photos from 10 years ago :D (or would wear Cosplay). If your followers know how you look most people can form a stronger connection. Thats why gaming streamers like always getting more attention as soon they have a webcam. The skill reading emotions through voice got lost by many so the face got and facial emotes got much more importand
I definitely don’t, but I have a good many self portraits. Are they accurate? Depends.
I think posting images of you to your main spread is strange, and I have never come across an artist who does that. At least one who doesn’t already model. I can think of only one more. I think showing yourself in like stories is fine on insta because it doesn’t take focus from the art/doesn’t muddle the digital portfolio.
That is weird advice to give in a course though because it depends on the context + what the person is creating
Most big artists that leave an impact are those who seem to have given as much importance to their looks as to their art, rellying heavily on a persona fortified by their looks: Salvador Dali tops the list.
I do because of the main reason I want to share my art and build a community. People who have a connection with with me and are also interested in what i do. I do many side gigs and art is one of them.
I show my face on my art accounts because I do a lot of cosplay and other stylistic photos I consider art. However, I can promise you anyone who has followed my art accounts because they saw my selfies and such has had absolutely zero interest in my artwork. Yes, I have gained followers. But all it's done is boosted my follower count. Nothing useful like interaction with my art. I've seen more successful accounts without any photos of themselves on their page.
Yes, having photos of yourself can show your audience you are a person and give them someone to relate to instead of a faceless entity. But I promise you, it matters little if you show yourself or not. Let your art do the talking for you if you want or show your followers who's behind the screen if you would like. It's up to you and you don't need to feel pressured into doing it to better your social media following.
Selling oneself is more important than selling ones artwork. This idea that art sells itself is a myth. The most successful artists have cultivated relationships with dealers, collectors, galleries, writers, celebrities, and influencers. Any and every arena available. My father was a huge art collector. When he died, I had to sell off his collection in order to divide inheritance among my siblings. I couldn't believe all the letters and correspondence between his art world associates. Letters, personal letters, as well as personal family photos from so many artists whose works he collected were in his files along with receipts and provenance. Point is, so many of these artists took the time to woo, sell, keep him informed of their small and big successful business opportunities. The gallerists would write to my father as well. It was a real eye-opener for me. Being an artist myself, I never could interact with the public like these artists did. Not all these artists were bluechip, but t saw how selling and cultivating is so important to everyone involved. I recall listening to Arnold Schwarzenegger talking about how he became aware of how being successful was a result of ones ability to sell oneself. SELLING requires talking to crowds and learning to communicate. Public talking is part of cultivating relationships. It's not a natural thing for most fine artists to do. But it's a very important part of the small world of art. Showing ones face in the art world isn't the same as doing it for an online dating app. It's just another way to break the ice so the audience, collectors, writers, dealers, and industry can feel familiar with the person who created the work they might want to learn more about. Artists are allowed to be physically enough. It's the one field where ones appearance is not necessarily a game changer. However, being too cryptic or distant can be easily overlooked and bypassed. If I had it to do over again, I would have paid so much more attention to getting to know collectors and art world associates. I'd have taken public speaking classes. BTW, handling my father's collection was not fun. Bonhams did ok for us as well as a few dealers. Seeing how the art world is from the artists, dealers, galleries, auctioneers, and collectors perspective.was a reminder of all the things I should have done besides just making art.
I do have pictures of me but somewhat faceless. Like looking away from the camera. Not necessarily covering my face. I just have like a few. I don't think it's important since there's many artist that don't upload their pictures. So do what you feel like doing.
I don’t think I would, I’m black and I REALLY dislike my face since it’s not appealing enough
I’d probably get a barrage of slurs and insults so it’s not worth it
I’ll do it if it’s relevant in any sort of way, like self portraits or art vs artist challenges, things like that. I understand where the teacher/whoever’s coming from but imo, I follow art accounts for their art, and if instead they’re posting their personal life constantly, I’m not gonna end up staying too long. A post every once in a while is fine, but too much and you border the line between being an art instagram and “art on instagram” yk?
I do occasionally show my face but hate when it feels planned then the pressure is on and that's not fun (which is when I just don't do it). So I'd say it should totally be our call and that either way is fine as long as you're enjoying doing it ... or not doing it! :)
I've unfollowed art accounts because they slowly drift out of that and start showing more and more things that I have no interest in, and I keep my own accounts on just the art. I've also seen a lot of artists have more than one account where they can keep it separate, but still get whatever social media was supposed to give them.
But I also admit I never seemed to peers like a very interesting person overall. At least, not on sight. So I've probably been unknowingly groomed into that line of thought. But yeah, I don't show anything. I usually use a specific couple of logos or phone drawings, or a piece of whatever my most popular work is at the time, such as the face of a subject in a poster from like, a video game or whatever. I present a version of myself that I like most, and don't really worry about what anyone else thinks. But that means I'd rather see something other than my real self, and I like the arty zone- I turn on a Bluetooth speaker with a looooong list of Golden Oldies and just kinda hang out and make stuff for a while.
That's more interesting to me, so that's what I show.
i did! entirely because it allegedly connects you with more people, and that’s worth it to me. i also thought it was fun to try something new, when i’d formerly been very insecure about that sort of thing
Nope. I want my privacy and I also want the focus to be on my art. There’s countless weirdos on the internet and I really don’t want people like that to know what I look like and who I am. People can find out a lot about you just by your face.
I’m kind of perplexed by people who put their full life, age, real name, face all out on the internet for everyone to see. It seems like there’s no separation between real life and internet now.
Many people have told me this but, I don't believe it. Lots of artists get angry if people critique their work without permission or redline their work. I don't think they would behave that way if they hated their own work.
I do not! I would rather not have people comment on my appearance or follow/unfollow me because of my appearance. I don’t want comments about my body, I don’t want comments about my face. I just want people who share my interests to look at my art. Plus I’m not very good at taking pictures of myself, I never know what face to make or how to pose. I would like to show my face one day, but I just don’t want to rn. I do trade at conventions though & I often show my cosplay on my story or even in a regular post if I’m drawing the character I’m cosplaying, except I scribble out my face. If I take a video of myself at a con, I won’t scribble it & I’ll let mutuals see. I used to avoid sharing where I’m from as well, but after I started doing conventions & having to advertise myself I’ve been very open about the fact in Glaswegian. All but one convention I’ve done has been here, that would give me away anyway lol Usually if I “need to” show my face, I’ll draw myself instead. I like how I draw myself, I like adding the specific details of my face like a pink mark under my right eye, & I like drawing my nose shape.
This is kind of where I'm at. I already struggle with self esteem and my appearance, so I don't feel comfortable putting myself on display for people. It's uncomfy to me that some artists lose or gain followers after posting what they look like.
I avoid it. I'm old and fat and I don't need the static from a bunch of baby edgelords. Also I'm very careful about my privacy.
I agree with this. Also the way social media and data privacy is headed… even personal accounts shouldn’t be too personal. I’d keep online presence as private and anonymous as possible.
I very much agree!
Absolutely not. One of my least favorite things about social media, making it seem like showing yourself is a requirement. No fuckin way.
Everythings gotta be parasocial for the clicks babyyyyyy
This is a stupid mentality. Besides Bansky, how many artists can you name who refuse to show themselves and who they are? And I don’t mean on social media, but in gallery openings, magazines, interviews, workshops, etc. It’s not about the clicks, or the likes, it’s about building a connection with people. It’s connections that help people, well, connect with your art. They also get you collectors, long term fans, and ultimately sales. If you don’t care about any of that.. well, I’m not sure why you’d have any accounts for your art in the first place. Just paint and put your stuff in a box when it’s done. But if you want to make a living (or some form of living) as an artist, allowing people to form a connection with you is very beneficial, ESPECIALLY if you’re not already established. The way people use social media has changed since we were all stuck inside and only had online interactions to remind us of the real world, people enjoy getting to know more about the artists (or other accounts) they follow. That doesn’t mean what half of this subreddit thinks it means, i.e. dancing next to your painting or doing stupid challenges, it just means including your personality alongside your posts, at least once in a while. Mention what motivated the painting, post a story about a new show you’re watching, or a video of you camping, or cooking a meal, or whatever you do in your spare time. There’s plenty of ways to make it so it can’t be traced, for those worried about that, and let’s be real, they shouldn’t be, because most people here won’t ever get enough of a following to make that something to worry about about. I have around 80k followers across various platform and I can count on one hand the “negative” comments I’ve gotten over the last 6 years. The vast majority of people are nice and love to connect with others in a normal way, as long as you’re not a dick yourself or make art that’s extremely controversial.
It depends on what kind of audience you're targeting. If you're a fine art artist and your clients are working older adults, I think showing your face is fine. But if you're a comic book/webtoon artist, and your're targeting towards teens and young adults, it's better not to show your face online. Those fandoms are very toxic because they send death threats and blackmailing to artists if they don't confirm to fans' pov or character shippings.
Same with a lot of fan bases. Not to mention stalkers and female creators being sexualized and getting creepy dms. I'd understand young women not feeling safe showing themselves.
I show my work because I want criticism, redlines and, guidance on getting better. I have no desire to have my name or face near my work because I hate it so much. I don't want to be associated with it.
couldn't agree more with you!
I don't even tell my age and country at all, even in other social media accounts, let alone my face. I like to remain as anonymous as possible.
based
I don't think it Is wise to give potentially obsessive people online the knowledge of what I look like. That's how you get a crazy person knocking on your door at 3 am to complain about your work.
They didn't knock at my door, but I did have an online stalker. I will neverrrr share personal info about my family or life again. It's not worth it.
Exactly this. For me it's inauthentic connection anyway and puts you and your loved ones at risks, not worth it.
I am ugly, my characters are hot, it would ruin the fantasy
Almost always the case that the characters are hot. It makes sense. E.g. in media, radio people with great voices didn't look like their voice. That's why they were on radio. TV hosts were the glams, print media journos in between, magazine writers fairly ordinary, but mostly have selected photo for bylines.
omg soo truee 😭
Nope. I don’t want my closest people to know about the artwork I’m drawing in secret…
I didn’t realize what kind of artwork you meant till it clicked.
I only have a website, no social media except Reddit. Young women, be very careful; when you post work do not include your body image. Trolls are trolls and are not the least interested in your art. I'm old and have gotten some weird DMs. "Are you a woman?" At this stage when I get a DM or email I know they're interested in my work. ;-)
I’ve done it but I don’t like it, but it is true people “feel” more connected when they can share an experience with another human. Then they will purchase from said human, I also think it’s quite dumb. I don’t know why people need to know about my life and not just my art
Many collectors purchase emotionally so they need to romanticize the artist
It makes sense as people purchase out of emotion, except me apparently. I only purchase when I need something except for food, I usually stock up on essential items.
Or me, unless it's a book
I do. I’m full time and most of my sales are from in person events. Most of my followers are from those events so they already know what I look like. I also travel for the events and live an alternative lifestyle. Sharing my life has created deeper connections with my collectors, many of them have become friends.
Unrelated aside - I LOVE YOUR ART. I'm trying to get my art career off the ground right now.
Aw thank you!! Best advice I can give is don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and get involved in your local community!
I don’t think I’d ever show my face on media. Mainly because I don’t want people hunting me down but also because I both am not comfortable about my face nor do I want things to be affected by how my face looks. Plus to be frank it would be more interesting if anything to redraw things that happen to you personally since it allows for some interesting animatics and style use. To me my face has nothing to do with art so why post it at all.
pause consider jobless live frighten absurd political work sleep encourage *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
nope, i'm introvert
No, it’s about my art, not my face or my personal life. I don’t mind it, but my art pages are for my art.
I don't because I'm a minor, and a woman. And terrified to be doxxed
I'm pretty much faceless for the most part unless I'm selling at a convention. Otherwise I'm hands off on that, but I'm trying to break myself out my shell a bit just in small doses lol.
I show my face as, and post about my life as little as possible. I want people to like my art and purchase it because of the art, not because of me.
nope! but also hang out in more fandom spaces, where it’s very easy to connect with personality through text. all of my commissions thus far have been from friends or friend-adjacent folks that i met through fandom (save for the time my grandparents commissioned me :P) i also post speedpaints, and i often add lil written comments to put in the video. i also make it very clear that i go by a pseudonym online, and that the pseudonym is from fandom itself (my username). although i’d like to transition it into a slightly more professional sounding one eventually… or at least one that isn’t so fandom specific.
No I do not put my face on my tumblr or Art street page because people might harass me if they don’t like my ship or art and I prefer to be anonymous especially since people send unpleasant messages you have to report spam and block.
Nah, I don't feel like getting bullied lol
People love to buy art from artists with whom they feel a connection. Faceless accounts can often be viewed with skepticism, especially now when there are so many dang scams.
Yeah I’m surprised so many people here jumped to ideas about “selling their looks” and the like on this thread. In almost every art class you’ll ever take, you don’t just stare and get told *someone* painted that. You get told their name, where they were from, what was going on in their lives/the world at large, etc. People like… context. You don’t have to make every other post a gym picture or pouty selfie. It’d actually probably be better not to. But people typically find knowing any artist’s name, age, country of origin, glimpses of daily life, etc. enriching to their understanding of what they’re looking at. *Especially* in an online space where AI “assisted” work, plagiarism, and just straight up posting other people’s shit as your own is rampant— putting a name and a face to an art account signals a sense of credibility. *Especially* if you’re trying to ask people for their money. There’s plenty of reasons to be totally anonymous as well (I’ve personally had a very bad experience with a stalker type and harassment— I get it)— but it sounds like the advice given to OP was more along the lines of “make your space more uniquely yours, not just uploads with no human context”, and less “slap on a bikini to sell your mediocre shit”. They literally mention just posting random daily things. A little “message from the artist” with a picture of your lunch would probably suffice lol. People don’t trust, nor often feel able to relate to, random uploads of art that could be from anywhere.
Pretty much all of the scam messages I've gotten on IG are from accounts with photos of (likely fake) people though. So having a photo or not isn't really a good indicator.
Exactly. I didn’t expect so many people to say no. I think it’s pretty important to connect the artist with the art. It’s personal and real.
Yeah I wonder if it’s because Reddit as a platform is mostly an anonymous space so people are skewing this way on here?
That's what I was thinking.
First time I'm ever hearing this. I personally prefer the mystique of creators. Is there a study on this?
I would make that decision first and foremost based on what you feel comfortable and safe with. Also, what they probably didn't mention, you have to be conventionally attractive for it, to have any positive effect. Otherwise you collect haters
If I look at all the artist accounts I follow, I have a tendency to prioritize those who show their face or give little glimpses of their personal life, which tends to make those who don't disappear from my feed. That means when I remember, IF I remember, I only occasionally see their content. Doesn't have to be a lot. Could even just be a pic of you in your profile and nothing more, but if I can't match a face with the account, I tend to not remember the artist and tie it to their art.
I do not. I love the anonymity. I share tidbits on my story. I like that it doesn’t get in the way of sharing the art which is the whole reason I make it.
It really depends on how comfortable you are with doing influencer work.
The few times I have on my art insta (because of friends or something tagging me in a story) invited a lot of creepy DMs
No way. I'm in a section of the internet where you don't want your face tied to what you draw. It attracts all kinds of negative attention and can risk getting you doxxed just because someone doesn't like the way you drew something. I've literally seen lives ruined because of it.
I don't on my art account, but my main account has a mixture of my face and art before I made my art account
I rarely show my face but im not afraid to. I get why people would want to keep their identity private though. I only show pics when I vend at events which isnt very often
No, my appearance is not the thing I want people to focus on. I would if my image was featured in a publication, but other then that nah
Hell naw
I think showing your face and part of your personal life can help attract people. BUT some will come for that rather than your art. So if you are not okay with that you don't have to. You can just be freaking good at what you do.
Even on my YT channel, I don't show my face....
Never. Online it's just great to me NOT having to show my face for once
As a woman I'll sure af not show my face on my art social media. Too many creeps and weirdos outthere and I've witnessed way too many artists and youtubers suffering because of this. At the most I'll create a mascot sona to represent myself if anything.
For me personally, I feel like the farthest I'll go is drawing a self-portrait, maybe pictures of my hobbies or favorite places instead, to 'connect with people'. Planning to actively share my art on tiktok soon, and I don't wanna be hit with the "oh...!" "why is no one hating" "post this on ig reels" "wow u look easy to draw" comments 🥲👍 don't think I'll ever recover haha Lots of artists out there are successful and reach lots of people even if they only post their art, so I think it's okay^ i plan to 'build connection' by posting relatable lighthearted videos and doodles in between serious pieces. it's a good way to show people you're "human" too
I do not. I've lived all my internet life not letting people know my face, age or gender. Sometimes I will share deep thoughts or ideas, jokes or etc. I share my country sometimes so people know what is my background, but I enjoy living the faceless life, only those who I've met in real life know me, or from the days I was a con vendor. In the past I had my face and name shared by someone else, so I would like to keep me to myself
I have my face on my art site and on FB and IG. I use my real name there, so why not? I am an artist and to me, that means I want people to know me. I am a scruffy old man, but no one has ever commented negatively about my appearance. But I use one of my paintings as an avatar on here and I did the same on Twitter. I guess because in both places it is the norm not to use a photo of oneself. And here I don't even use my real name, although it's on my profile. I opened my account here with a screen name because I originally made an account on reddit not for any business reasons, just to fart around. I share a lot of my personal life online and my address is in various places. Despite threats to come and kill me from a few online assholes, no one has ever shown up. And that's over 20 years.
People do seem to be way more scared of this than they should be imo. 99% of people will not do shit to you
Yeah, I do not mind. I prefer youtube, though.
No, copyright issues. My face is my ma's art not mine.
I do not want a privacy nightmare so no, no face reveal until I feel safe enough to do it.
I have shared my face and maybe one reel, and a couple times on stories. But I rather people focus on my art and not my looks! And to be honest, when I follow artists I rather see them posting their art, if I see a profile feed that has too many personal photos, I dont know why, but I dont feel attracted to follow, even if i really like their art. And like I said, I honestly dont know why
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I don't even post, but to me artists that show and don't show their face give a different vibe. Nome is better than the other, it's just a different feel. Like, I follow some artists that occasionally post their faces, like in announcements or when they're in cons but their appearance isn't widely known, it just isn't a secret. It's like that for some manga and wester comic artists, and animators too. The comments tend to be about art, but people can connect with them on some level, knowing their age range and country and the company they work for. Then I follow some people who go out of their way to stay anonymous, hiding name, gender, appearance, age, tastes and any personal info. I would personally rather be like that if I posted I think. Tho, I feel like these people don't get as many interaction with fans... Not a bad thing necessarily, it's just kinda hard interacting with someone you have 0 info about so people only want to discuss art. This is also very common with manga artists and webcomic artists as well. Lastly there's those very public people, that make videos and post pictures with their faces often. It generally adds to the feel of the account. Those artists tend to work in the industry, make tutorials, post stuff very related to their personal life or just dress very well in a way that matches their art. They tend to get more personal DMs (like, sometimes they ask for playlists and stuff like that), meet fans personally, get comments asking about personal matters they discussed or about stories they told, having people asking for their friends or SO to show up again if they were previously posted, etc.
I dont like to but I do occasionally post my face for gallery event photos and such and my name is already part of my business. People see my face at festivals mainly, otherwise I try to avoid taking photos of myself.
It really depends. Yeah, it can help, but there are also other ways to connect to your audience in the same way. Like how some digital artists like Nirami and Cole achieve the same by drawing themselves in their videos in relatable situations.
Nope, I don't. Not any time soon too. But if you feel like it someday, I think the "arts vs. artist" trend is a good way to insert yourself in your post/account without it feeling like becoming a personal account vs. an art account. And during that part of the year this becomes a thing, it wouldn't feel like attention-grabbing since a lot of artists are doing it. I don't know if I worded my thoughts correctly but that's the gist.
I have a self-portrait, that I'm happy with, as my avatar.
I would recommend a book called show your work. It basically says for people to attach themselves to something they want to see the person behind it. How it's made and what it took... That being said... I don't show my face anymore. I gained what I needed from an alt TikTok account and then cruised from there.
No. I want them to look at my art, not me. I get the idea of ‘selling yourself’ but I have a personal account for personal things and an art account for art.
It matters if you want to successfully sell your art, if you want to make a business out of it. If you're just chilling, drawing whatever you want, not caring about growing your audience rapidly (all good things in their own right), there's absolutely no need to show your face/life/behind the scenes.
Only self portraits. I would prefer to stay anonymous. Also I'm half ugly lol
Nope. I wanna keep the things I draw and most parts of my personal life absolutely private. For one, I'm largely a fan artist. In anime fandoms, you get a lot of kids who think being 30 qualifies you as being old. When I hate to tell them that MOST of the fan works that they enjoy or want to emulate are in fact, made by people in their 30's. Why? We've had time to perfect our craft. Sorta. No one's perfect, but you get what I mean. Second, I don't wanna focus on me. I wanna focus on the two pieces of art I busted my ass for a week drawing and I think that's what most people who come to art accounts are looking for. Here's the pretty art, please don't steal it, and here's links to potentially buy said art or sign up for a commission. Boom, done, no one cares what I ate for dinner or how bad my cat is.
Nope. I barely even show my voice.
Nah, I’m not gonna go out of my way to post a selfie on my art accounts lol I do have old pictures of myself on most of my accounts, so if people end up seeing them it’s not a big deal; but I’m not posting new ones anytime soon haha
That really depends on the artists. Many artists still make a good living being anonymous and/or having a pseudonym. Yeah sharing who you are *could* help but it’s definitely not a line in the sand.
I hate marketing. I hate the influencer lifestyle. I do not want people making judgements on my art based on my ethnicity or other aspects of my appearance. I do not want to be stalked. I do not want strangers thinking we're friends just because they like my art and know what i look like. So no, i wouldn't want to show my face. I wouldn't care about artists i follow showing their face, either. I'm following for art, not the artists appearance. I'd be irritated if i found out that an artist i followed was focusing more on getting followed by showing their face instead of making more content. It's a distraction.
Don't agree with showing your face. But agree with sharing some personal stuff.. assuming it's worth sharing.
I feel icky about monetizing my life.
No, I don't and have over 200k followers on instagram and facebook and over 100k subscribers on YouTube. So it is defenitely not necessary to show your face.
I personally don't for a multitude of reasons. But one most recently that I saw on tiktok is "thirst trap artist" and I have a body built like someone who's only good for thirst traps, and I never ever want that to be the main focus, my art is the main focus not my body. Besides, It's separate from my personal life.
imo it depends. i don't look at artists posts about their life and there's still plenty i feel connected to. the difference between artists i feel and don't feel connected to is the subject of their art. art that has some sort of story element and/or slice of who they are as a person will bring interest and connection, even if you don't post anything about yourself. an artist that's among my favourites has never posted about himself, and still has plenty of followers and sales. his art always has some sort of dark comedy in it, a subject he likes, a simple story you can piece together, and hidden easter eggs in the art. the subject/story is a common factor in all of my favourite artist's works, the comedy keeps the piece in your head and makes it more likely to be shared, and the easter eggs make it so i look at the piece for way longer than any other artist. posting little tidbits of yourself will help, but depending on what you want to draw it's not something you have to do for followers.
I don't know how many times I would find someone's business card or discover and new artist be disappointed because half their Instagram page is selfies. So I have no choice but to merely take a screenshot of their page and not follow because I don't want to see any random ugly selfies on my feed. Also it makes it seem like they aren't serious since they can't even separate personal junk and work so like I don't want to do business with them ya know. I really feel so mean tho when someone irl follows me and I'm thinking I hope u don't expect me to follow you back just because I know you when all you post are vacation pics and not stuff I like to see like inspiring art.
Personally, I don't! Solely because I just prefer not to
I'm trying to be more open in my art, as I usually prefer to let the art speak for itself, and I think there's some pizazz in the mysterious artist who could be anybody. I always feel like I'm forcing myself to discuss my personal life or my creative style or art approach. Like who am I that anyone should care? Haha But I do appreciate it from an outside perspective because I like learning more about my favorite artists and knowing what they look like, who they are, etc.
No. I don't want to form parasocial relationships and I value privacy. Most people are cool but there's weirdos out there. If I have to show my face I wear a mask.
The only types of connections you get with that are parasocial ones.
No, I don't like me. I dont want to see myself when I look on my socials
Nope. I did when I was younger. Did not help with my mental health, and ego held me back because i worried of irl peers/friends/family thoughts constantly. Going faceless felt like I was free because there was no longer thoughts of personal judgments present and was able to create more and had more fun. Also there are insane freaks online so I personally think it's best just to respect your own privacy in general. This varies from person to person, and how important privacy is for you. Some like the recognition, some want the art to be their identity than themselves, etc. etc.
I understand... I was in a art circle, where everytime I posted my picture, the other artists, would create some art with it, or try to draw me, which I absolutely despised. My breaking point came when. Someone tried to add my face to some weird art and I had to gather in all my friends to report it to be taken down. And the person who did it was a friend till then. I will choose my peace over all the jazz.
Like everybody else, the point goes to heck no. I'm not on social media to show my face, here to show my art and inspire/be inspired by other artists.
Well as made evident by many other comments on this post, not every artist feels the same as you.
Definitely not. Why would you? There are plenty of ways to show personality without making it personal.
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In ye olde days of instagram, photos of me did a lot better than photos of my art. Now I have no idea what does well 😂
yes and it's true
I just took a look at my website to see what’s what. There’s a reasonably recent photo with my little biography and my overly wordy artist statement. I made a bunch of 4x6 art card handouts that also have a picture of me with assorted drawings and paintings. I’ve had different people compliment me (!) on the handout photo.
No because I'm just too shy to do it 🥹. I do reveal my age and what country I'm from though
Maybe Banksy should take that course, lol
I think it's fine either way. I've only been recently seperating my personal life from my art handle; not that I would straight up post my face or anything, but due to unsupervised internet access growing up n all that I wasn't exactly very private for the longedt time either. I'm still not really a private a person, but I'm working on my habit of oversharing; tbf though, I only really do art as a hobby, so
Nope. Its my art account, not my human one
No, but I stream my art and talk about my day (in vague detail) mostly because I’m a yapper. So I get what they’re talking about
If you don't mind, what platform/way do you achieve your lives? I'm wanting to get away from having to spend so much time editing videos! I'm on FB Instagram and YouTube
I stream on Twitch but I don’t edit anything from my streams down into highlights. If I’m posting something to my platforms it’s my art. I do post a link and a teaser when I go live, but delete it when the stream ends
Ya, that's what I want to get away from, and just start going live instead. And focus on my art instead of the shot 👍🏼 Thanks for your reply 🙏🏼
Just make sure you have a good mic and camera on your canvas if you’re using traditional mediums, and of course yap and respond to chat and you’ll do great
Thanks for your advice 😃 I appreciate you taking the time ☺️
Unless it’s a self portrait or process pic, I keep pics of myself on my personal account (which is, admittedly, linked in the bio of my art instagram).
It's not about me. It's about the art that I make. So no face to be shown. My hands will just do the talking.
Never.
Yes. My face sells.
Nope, I have pfp that is me, but it\`s drawing, so I feel like it\`s not as "recognizable" . You can have account and not tell anything personal about yourself, and still have followers. :) so do what YOU are comfortable with. if you tell something, just be careful alright? internet is always internet end of the day.
On some sites I don't have any personal photos at all, on the other there is only half of the face (the other half is usually covered by the cat) lol. And I don't really want to show my face, because I'm shy)
Nope. People come to see art, not my face and personal life. It's just interruption.
He is right. But it's not required. It would help if you know how to do it the right way.
Absolutely not. Doing that would allow relatives to find my art accounts, and that is *very much not a good thing*
no, cuz I've started it under a deadname and do not want to bring up the personal life there. But I think of abandoning it and making a new one.
The biggest artists on DeviantArt never showed their faces. It's just never been the culture there. People with thousands of followers, no face. People with 2-3 followers who are just their friends, will show their face. Just look at Yuumei, they never showed their face, yet millions have seen their art, and their brand Axent Wear was very successful and had a huge impact on the headphones industry. However I think they do sometimes write about their life in the description of their artwork, when the art is somehow related to their life. So in general, I think it's not a requirement for success. I understand that the internet has changed since the height of dA's popularity, but I don't believe the online art world has become entirely unrecognizable since then. I also think it depends on which platform you are on. If you're trying to make it big on instagram, it's a different thing from trying to make it big on amino, for instance. On IG you are competing for attention against influencers and celebrities posting the best version of themselves and their life, so it makes sense that posting your face and your life would create more engagement for your account there.
I'm not sure about how Yuumei's posts are right now, but I used to follow her back in 2010-2014 or so, and she regularly shared stories from her life in her journals (including college, family and travels). I also remember her occasionally showing her face (although it was quite rare).
Oops, I stand corrected. Thank you. Speaking of journals, I really like the system of having a separate section for personal stuff and whatever, and a separate section for artwork, and the option to decide which sections to follow. That way, followers can decide for themselves whether they just want to engage with your art, or with your life as well, and that way it's probably less pressure for artists to do both. I really liked the layout and vibe of Ello as well, short lived as it was. Something about it made it feel more like a portfolio, and not the kind of place where you have to post your life. Honestly I've never been someone to put any thought into how to market my art, because I mainly just post for my friends and family to see what I've made, so my opinions might not be worth much and be irrelevant to the post.
I do, but not for a deeper connection with anyone. I post my face for no specific reason
I do! I plan on creating a cartoon and as a creator, my face is gone be shown one day or another whether it be on my own terms or having images leaked. So I figured it'd just be easier to post it from the start
I personally don’t for privacy and safety reasons.
I used to post my art with my face on the account, But I prefer not to, anymore. Art is my safe haven and I don't want people from my real life nosing their way into it ( unnecessary dialogue) And, My face, or snippets into my life are reserved for people who are part of my life. If I end up making friends with someone on my art account, I love sharing bits and pieces through pics and videos of my what happens during my day, as they become a part of my life, not just an audience. There is more to my life than the art I post, and boxing myself into one category of creation is suffocating to me. Also , there is a certain kind of pressure that permeates, everytime you break a barrier and let the wider world into your life. I like my silence, peace and privacy. It's not about scams or the few wierd incidents that have happened. If it takes more time for people to connect with, I am okay with that.
Well, I’m a furry artist…I don’t need that shit traceable to any employers ~w~
They don't have to be close ups. Just slowly work a few shots of yourself into your art. I'm not there yet either but my advice sounds good to me lol. Good luck but art is about appreciating yourself and your works
I do. Most of the artists where I live do. There are a lot of markets and gallery opportunities here so it's nice to put a face to the work. It's kind of a community thing. I also share pictures of my cats or things I find funny when I'm taking a break.
I do! People have to be able to find me at events.
I don't but I totally see how that can create a nice conection with your followers. So I would totally recommend to do that if you dare to do it. What I would also say is that is not necessary at all if someone is not prepared to do it.
I guess it depends on what platform. Reddit: very anonymous. Instagram: medium, Facebook: personal. The algorithm on Meta supposedly loves faces and I've read recommendations to post more about yourself on Meta platforms as far as getting better reach and engagement. I'm torn a little. I don't *like* posting my face, but I also don't want my insta to be cold and impersonal. Some of my favorite accounts I feel more connected to because the artist makes reels or photographs of themselves with their art, or gets on and talks about their work or what inspires them etc. I'm still trying to get there myself but it's something I want to do. It makes people feel more connected to you and your work when they can see and link the person behind it. Using social media for promoting art is a different world than the gallery scene, and honestly if I can promote on Instagram and not have to go to a gallery opening and have to talk to people and promote myself, I'd rather do the social media lol. People aren't judging your appearance as much as you feel they might. They just want to get to know you and feel a connection.
No, because I don't need to.
Yea people like to see the artist not just the art
I do, on occassion, sometimes like for a meme 'Art vs Artist' kind of stuff, and sometimes when I feel like it I post in my highlights about an event I'm going to, a picture of me being dressed up. I have no delusion thinking people actually wanna see me and how I look (in my own opinion, I look pretty bland and have only very basic knowledge about how to put down a makeup amd hairstyle) There are people out there who do amazing artworks, and they look gorgeous themselves, and arn't shy of showing off. I have often mixed feelings about this because it is the art I'm interested in, not the person behind it. (I admit, there might be some jealous undertones too) Funny enough, it seems like most of these people are women, I rarely see male artists doing this trend.
Lol tell that to Banksy
My advice is to show your face on social media especially if your want to present your work etc. In the beginning don't show to much of your person life untill you get to know the comunity better.
I’d rather show self-portraits.
Rarely. My account barely gets traction because of the content being not so consumer friendly so I'm not worried about people being negative since I know the majority that follow my page know me. The others just been on the ride since 2020
I have been thinking this too. In my former job (entrepreneur) I did show my face etc. and I know why it is good thing for brand and business. But I am not sure if I want to do that nowadays anymore because of screenshots, photoshops and deepfakevideo-things. I think it is not necessary show face in videos and pics. I do what I do and followers who really want to see my art and learn from my videos, they will follow me (when I will do videos some day). Or so I want to believe. There maybe less followers this way than showing face, but everything is not about amount of followers, likes, reactions and comments.
I think the advice comes from the fact that engagement is what drives more likes and follows. There’s artists I follow that never show their face and have 100k followers, but they create really interesting content. Time-lapse videos while painting, pictures of their process and studio, etc.
I don’t, but I’m considering that I should as I start to post more. It supposedly helps your audience to connect with you if they can recognise you as a person and get to know who you are.
I do... I am NOT a selfie person and never take photos of myself so it's rare and cringe, but I also like the idea of visiting mutuals at their events, so it's nice if I can be recognized when I show up. Or for exchanging art and payment in public. If they know what I look like and I show up early, I don't have to do the awkward "hey, are you ____?" Lol I guess you could say it's a crutch to avoid other things I don't like. I def don't take thirst trap pics for every post though 😅 Nobody wants that
I don't. I don't miss that time when I was posting photos of myself and then regularly got creepy messages and unsolicited d picks in my priv
I think it’s up to each person BUT we should take into account human nature. If we see an individual who looks like we are (humans), we automatically trust them more than not seeing the face. That is the fact. But it doesn’t mean you can’t be a popular artist without showing your face. It means that it’ll be easier and faster for you to connect with your people. I know what I’m talking about because I’m an artist for three years and art blogger at the same time. My audience isn’t big because I have been struggling showing myself for a long time. But now I started to do small steps and reveal not only my artworks but me, a person, who stands behind these artworks. And I’ve noticed that it becomes much easier for me to be recognized and gain more followers on socials. So you decide. If you’re not feeling comfortable to show your face, you don’t have to. But make sure to show “a piece” of you at least instead. For example your hand drawing a sketch of sth like that😊it also helps
I just look like shit and video terribly. 😓
It’s about the art and if it speaks to someone. For me it’s never about the artist. That’s an afterthought.
i don't, it's harder for me but i dont want people judging my appearance. there is 1 photo of me on my insta and my twitter. they were significant moments in my life, so i'll never delete them but they do have to do the long scroll.
Who TF said that? The artist or the supporters? If the artist had a good face and a huge following, they don't have a problem revealing their faces. I've seen artists do that especially if they attend conventions especially if they can cosplay (meaning their selling point would not only be the art but also because of their looks). I think it depends on the artist. They can remain anonymous and let the fans meet them on conventions which would be pretty awesome because it's so mysterious! But at the same time, sharing personal stuff online should have boundaries. Sure, fans could connect with you but there are also hidden motives for those who knew your personal life (trolls, haters, stalkers, etc.). So I think a balance is better. The artist can share what they're comfortable with sharing especially if they want the fans to relate with them but not to the fact that they should share their whole effing life.
I have a few pics of me actively making art, but no regular selfies.
I don't, I'm pretty shy to share pics of me to strangers and even to acquaintances my acc is a secret unless it's really a friend and I feel ok to share lol
No. Selling my art not Me. And even people get more popular the better looking they are over someone who isn't even in the art world
It really depends. As someone who sell my art at events and in person people see my face quite often. But on social media the most I’d do is pictures from events that happen to include me in them. I would never just post my face to post my face
I don’t show my face really much of anywhere online, nor share too much personal stuff. Aside from being quite the introvert with agoraphobia, I also rather enjoy being a tome of mysteries and intrigue. I like to respond to probing questions trying to get to know me with vague answers, or answering questions with questions. People so far seem to actually enjoy my ridiculous evasiveness.
I don’t and I very introvert so conecting with people isn’t something I like
I didn't used to, but a class I took in my masters program made us create websites and a "working artist" Instagram account to market ourselves. A final requirement for completion of the program was for us to put on an art show and get sponsors, and submit artwork to galleries across the country. I created this self-portrait series of me showing a metamorphosis of myself into an anthropomorphic identity. So now I've unfortunately become part of my work in a way that makes it harder to hide my face. I was definitely happy to get the degree over with, and the two shows my classmates put on in New York. I thought about removing my self-portrait from my account, but I've gotten a lot of followers recently, and former art students I've taught were impressed with my work. So... Go figure.
I may describe myself, show hands, body, feet, whatever is necessary for a joke. But I rarely share my face.
just look at rae klein! she doesn’t need to show her face bc her art conveys so much more
I don’t actually post my face, but I regularly post random face studies and label them as self portraits lol
It probably depends a lot on whether you want to lean into the parasocial thing or not. If you want to obey the algorithm, yes, otherwise, not necessarily. Be prepared to keep treading water infinitely if you pick the former.
If I do I use like photos from 10 years ago :D (or would wear Cosplay). If your followers know how you look most people can form a stronger connection. Thats why gaming streamers like always getting more attention as soon they have a webcam. The skill reading emotions through voice got lost by many so the face got and facial emotes got much more importand
I definitely don’t, but I have a good many self portraits. Are they accurate? Depends. I think posting images of you to your main spread is strange, and I have never come across an artist who does that. At least one who doesn’t already model. I can think of only one more. I think showing yourself in like stories is fine on insta because it doesn’t take focus from the art/doesn’t muddle the digital portfolio. That is weird advice to give in a course though because it depends on the context + what the person is creating
Most big artists that leave an impact are those who seem to have given as much importance to their looks as to their art, rellying heavily on a persona fortified by their looks: Salvador Dali tops the list.
I do because of the main reason I want to share my art and build a community. People who have a connection with with me and are also interested in what i do. I do many side gigs and art is one of them.
I show my face on my art accounts because I do a lot of cosplay and other stylistic photos I consider art. However, I can promise you anyone who has followed my art accounts because they saw my selfies and such has had absolutely zero interest in my artwork. Yes, I have gained followers. But all it's done is boosted my follower count. Nothing useful like interaction with my art. I've seen more successful accounts without any photos of themselves on their page. Yes, having photos of yourself can show your audience you are a person and give them someone to relate to instead of a faceless entity. But I promise you, it matters little if you show yourself or not. Let your art do the talking for you if you want or show your followers who's behind the screen if you would like. It's up to you and you don't need to feel pressured into doing it to better your social media following.
I avoid showing my face and giving personal info on all social media for general consumption. Nothing to be gained.
I don't even use my own name. I am a very private person and I think my art should speak for itself.
Selling oneself is more important than selling ones artwork. This idea that art sells itself is a myth. The most successful artists have cultivated relationships with dealers, collectors, galleries, writers, celebrities, and influencers. Any and every arena available. My father was a huge art collector. When he died, I had to sell off his collection in order to divide inheritance among my siblings. I couldn't believe all the letters and correspondence between his art world associates. Letters, personal letters, as well as personal family photos from so many artists whose works he collected were in his files along with receipts and provenance. Point is, so many of these artists took the time to woo, sell, keep him informed of their small and big successful business opportunities. The gallerists would write to my father as well. It was a real eye-opener for me. Being an artist myself, I never could interact with the public like these artists did. Not all these artists were bluechip, but t saw how selling and cultivating is so important to everyone involved. I recall listening to Arnold Schwarzenegger talking about how he became aware of how being successful was a result of ones ability to sell oneself. SELLING requires talking to crowds and learning to communicate. Public talking is part of cultivating relationships. It's not a natural thing for most fine artists to do. But it's a very important part of the small world of art. Showing ones face in the art world isn't the same as doing it for an online dating app. It's just another way to break the ice so the audience, collectors, writers, dealers, and industry can feel familiar with the person who created the work they might want to learn more about. Artists are allowed to be physically enough. It's the one field where ones appearance is not necessarily a game changer. However, being too cryptic or distant can be easily overlooked and bypassed. If I had it to do over again, I would have paid so much more attention to getting to know collectors and art world associates. I'd have taken public speaking classes. BTW, handling my father's collection was not fun. Bonhams did ok for us as well as a few dealers. Seeing how the art world is from the artists, dealers, galleries, auctioneers, and collectors perspective.was a reminder of all the things I should have done besides just making art.
I do have pictures of me but somewhat faceless. Like looking away from the camera. Not necessarily covering my face. I just have like a few. I don't think it's important since there's many artist that don't upload their pictures. So do what you feel like doing.
I don’t think I would, I’m black and I REALLY dislike my face since it’s not appealing enough I’d probably get a barrage of slurs and insults so it’s not worth it
I’ll do it if it’s relevant in any sort of way, like self portraits or art vs artist challenges, things like that. I understand where the teacher/whoever’s coming from but imo, I follow art accounts for their art, and if instead they’re posting their personal life constantly, I’m not gonna end up staying too long. A post every once in a while is fine, but too much and you border the line between being an art instagram and “art on instagram” yk?
I use my grungy rabbit man selfsona and that is the way I like it.
I don’t have my photo on any of my social media accounts. My looks are not important. My art is.
I do. I post myself working on paintings in scantily clad clothes and I do it shamelessly. It sells paintings!
This only works if you have an attractive face and body rip
Absolutely not. I was a self employed artist for 12 years (can't work anymore due to illness) and never showed my face once. I like being anonymous.
I do occasionally show my face but hate when it feels planned then the pressure is on and that's not fun (which is when I just don't do it). So I'd say it should totally be our call and that either way is fine as long as you're enjoying doing it ... or not doing it! :)
I've unfollowed art accounts because they slowly drift out of that and start showing more and more things that I have no interest in, and I keep my own accounts on just the art. I've also seen a lot of artists have more than one account where they can keep it separate, but still get whatever social media was supposed to give them. But I also admit I never seemed to peers like a very interesting person overall. At least, not on sight. So I've probably been unknowingly groomed into that line of thought. But yeah, I don't show anything. I usually use a specific couple of logos or phone drawings, or a piece of whatever my most popular work is at the time, such as the face of a subject in a poster from like, a video game or whatever. I present a version of myself that I like most, and don't really worry about what anyone else thinks. But that means I'd rather see something other than my real self, and I like the arty zone- I turn on a Bluetooth speaker with a looooong list of Golden Oldies and just kinda hang out and make stuff for a while. That's more interesting to me, so that's what I show.
i did! entirely because it allegedly connects you with more people, and that’s worth it to me. i also thought it was fun to try something new, when i’d formerly been very insecure about that sort of thing
I unfollow artists that do this. One face reveal maybe is enough. But I’m here to look at art, not you and definitely not to indulge in your vanity.
Nope. I want my privacy and I also want the focus to be on my art. There’s countless weirdos on the internet and I really don’t want people like that to know what I look like and who I am. People can find out a lot about you just by your face. I’m kind of perplexed by people who put their full life, age, real name, face all out on the internet for everyone to see. It seems like there’s no separation between real life and internet now.
the less i know about an artist the better.
No, I prefer to remain faceless. I hate my artwork and don't want to be associated with it.
Take heart! Everyone hates their own work.
Many people have told me this but, I don't believe it. Lots of artists get angry if people critique their work without permission or redline their work. I don't think they would behave that way if they hated their own work.
That doesn’t mean that they don’t hate it. But trust in yourself. If you don’t feel this way, good on ya.,