Why it was created

Artistsdirectory is a unique independent free to join website that's been created by and for UK Visual Artists because of something fundamental that was missing from the internet as a means of showcasing and promoting direct visual awareness of our work to a wider audience: A fuss free and totally user friendly one central source 'visual directory' uniquely designed for and to attract the internet audience that matters from a visual artists perspectve.

It gives the public and lovers of art, gallerists, dealers, interior/exterior designers, advertising and media art directors art buyers and publishers the opportunity to effortlessly view and become aware of the work of new and established UK visual artists in all major artforms directly from the home page, and even allows them to easily find and view the work of those that specialise in specific categories of medium and/or subject matter of particular artforms.

As well as being a superb visual directory, it has also been designed to become a future archive, and for this reason also includes a 'search artist by signature' feature for finding visual artists through however an artform is signed if legible. (See also benefits below.)

FREE REGISTRATION

Free registration on the directory with no subscription fees includes your log into at any time content management system and viewable 'introductory strip-profile listing' and main 'gallery/profile page', (see below.) Plus there are no fees if you are commissioned or sell work through being contacted via the directory.

(Being free, future funding is designed to come from optional 'extra gallery pages' (see below) and arts related adlinks on the home page which will in turn be used to assist costs of future enhancements and increasing publicity/awareness of the directory on all registered visual artists behalf.)

To register, all you have to do via the artist registration page is enter your name, email address, create a password of your choice and then click the continue button which takes you to a confirmation of registration and first time login page.

CREATING YOUR VIEWABLE DETAILS

Once registered, you can then log in at any time to your ' personal home page'  which is the hub of your bespoke user friendly content management system that gives you total control in easily uploading images of your work and creating managing and updating viewable details via your 'account steps' that include:-

'Registered personal details'. Your details as entered on the registration page.

'Artform categories'. In relation to the individual 'artform' listings and 'search art/artist by category' on the home page, you can choose and be listed in up to 3 'artforms' and also choose relevant medium and subject matter that you specialise in. (The categories you will be able to choose from are the same as the current listings as viewable via the 'search art/artist by category' button on the home page.)

'Image library'. For fast uploading and storing of your images, adding comprehensive picture details, being able to delete images to upoad new ones, and placing/arranging and rearranging images at any time to wherever you wish them showing among your viewable details. (Images need to be in .jpg file format and not exceed 4 MB (4096 KB) individual file size.)

'Strip-profile'. (See graphic below.) Plus optional 'search artist by signature' details. (See also benefits below.)

'Gallery/profile page'. (See graphic below.)

'Extra gallery pages'. These are optional and can be individually aquired at any time when logged in for a nominal fee of only £9 each to assist funding mentioned above. They are available for artists that don't have personal websites in giving them the opportunity to show as much work as they wish via the directory/internet at a fraction of the cost, and also for any artists that would like to show more work than included in registration, continuously add new work over time, or even include everything they ever create as an archive. (See also graphic below.)

BENEFITS OF BEING ON THE DIRECTORY

The internet is a fantastic medium for visual artists to use in promoting more awareness of their work and the majority of us have a personal website with that in mind, but apart from those already aware of our name, who else gets to view it among the thousands of individual visual artists websites that are listed out there? How do you promote more direct awareness of your work and personal website via the internet?

As a means of doing this, there are of course existing gallery, society, artform specific, regional and other arts related websites that many of us are already listed on, but from the point of view of the internet audience that matters when viewing the majority of these websites, they are generally offered limited viewable choice or initially confronted with time consuming lists of artists names to go through with no visual clue as to the kind of work they do beforehand.

Artistsdirectory has been uniquely designed with this in mind. It gives them multiple viewable choices and via easily browsing the 'introductory strip-profile listings' they immediately get to view three large thumbnail examples of visual artists work prior to viewing and finding out more on their main 'gallery/profile page' that also includes a direct link to their personal website.

If you don't have a personal website, your main 'gallery/profile page' and any 'extra gallery pages' will be like having your own personal website within the directory, and you can even mention your work showing on 'artistsdirectory.co.uk' for any self promotional material. Also, the address that shows in your browser when viewing your 'gallery/profile page' is a 'link' that can be used as a portfolio to send to people.

Via the 'search art/artist by category' feature, when someone wishes to find and view the work of visual artists that specialise in a specific category of medium and/or subject matter of an artform that you specialise in yourself and that relates to work you have showing on the directory, you will appear in their search results in either the form of your 'introductory strip-profile listing', or if you are unique to their search criteria, straight to your main 'gallery/profile page'.

As mentioned, the directory has also been designed to become a future archive with the idea being that your 'introductory strip-profile listing', main 'gallery/profile page' and any 'extra gallery pages' will always be viewable, and if at anytime someone was to see find or purchase any of your work somewhere and wanted to find out more about you the artist that created it to possibly even view that same work with more information about it, more of your work/profile etc, they will have the choice of doing so not just by your name, but if you sign your work, even through however you sign your work if legible via the 'search artist by signature' feature, whether you sign your work in your full name, initial/s and surname, single name, surname, initials or monogram.

For example, through simply entering the characters included in however you sign your work into the 'search artist by signature' field, search results will show them your 'strip-profile' listing along with your 3rd image automatically temporarily replaced with a close up typical example image of how you sign your work as cross reference in making sure they've found the right person, and also just in case you're not the only visual artist registered at the time that signs their work using the same name or initials etc. (This is an optional feature included in free registration, and if required, adding details on how you sign your work and an example image is something that can be done at any when logged in.)

To join the directory via quick one step free registration, please see the 'artist registration' page via the button below or on the home page, or if you would like any further information beforehand, please feel free to contact us at any time via the 'contact artisdirectory' button also on the home page.

Artistsdirectory.co.uk