Art Blog - Calligraphy: A Scribe's Notes

It's easy to get overlooked among the millions of other artists and their work on the Internet. Search Engines like Google work with words, not pictures, so describing your work accurately will give you an edge.

1. Describe your work as though there were no picture with it: If someone is searching for a "horizontal oil painting+yellow roses+vase and your description is "a recent painting of my garden" then the search engines have nothing to match.

Example: Ellen Sullivan Farley described her gorgeous painting of lilies this way: "These are beautiful Casablanca Lilies that I grow in my garden. I love the gestural lines in these flowers and the interesting negative shapes generated between them."

Here is a more Search Engine friendly version with keywords pointed out in italic: Original oil painting of three white lilies with red stamen, set against a background of bright green foliage and dark green shadows. Softly lit blossoms are close up and detailed filling the image area. 3" gilded wood frame, ready to hang. (then add) "These are beautiful Casablanca Lilies that I grow in my garden. I love the gestural lines in these flowers and the interesting negative shapes generated between them." (You don't need to put keywords in italic on your site.)

2. Describe colors: Especially if the work is abstract. Be specific about whether colors are bold, soft, muted or bright and the overall palette. Mention if it is night or day, a season or any other mood indicators.

3. Specify materials as much as possible: canvas, paper, board, oil, watercolor, ceramic, digital, found objects, metal, stone. These are also commonly used search terms.

4. Specify the format: Vertical, horizontal, free standing, 3D, wearable etc.

5. Describe the subject: If the title is Summer Day, it is even more important to specify and describe the main subject. The more information you provide using key words about any piece will not only get it found faster but will engage the buyer to stay longer in your studio.

The categories and subject choices in your edit menu on ArtId are widely used search terms designed to aid in the search, not to pigeon hole your work, so choose something as close as possible. However if there is a category or subject missing, let us know so we can add it to the list.

COMMENTS

 

1

  Dr. Michael Durst ( homepage )

09/01/2010 * 11:07:51

Thanks Mary, these are useful tips and you have provided a succinct, well-written guide.

 

2

  Dee Callahan ( homepage )

09/01/2010 * 04:45:24

Mary,

Thank you for sharing this info. I like to write a bit about each of the photos I take, because it not only helps me to remember; but it sometimes allows others to go on that trip with me.
(via both picture and words.)

It's also great blogging practice!

 

3

  Mary Lawler ( homepage )

08/31/2010 * 09:39:59

Janice,
You don't have to put the keywords in italic, I just did that to identify them as keywords. You should continue to put commas between but putting them in italic won't make a difference.

 

4

  Audrey nicholson ( homepage )

08/31/2010 * 07:57:29

Good job! even though a picture my be worth a thousand words it's only worth it if it is seen.

 

5

  Janeice Silberman ( homepage )

08/30/2010 * 17:05:08

Good thoughts here Mary. And a few ideas that I will be mindful of in the future.
The keywords in italic was a new one for me. Some websites ask for commas between keywords and keyword phrases....but italics I have never considered.

Thanks.

Janeice

 

6

  Carol Griffin ( homepage )

02/05/2010 * 15:45:15

Great information, very helpful!

 

7

  Terry Krysak ( homepage )

01/08/2009 * 16:35:35

This is great information, and something that to this point I have overlooked entirely.
I will go back and rewrite my posts, and keep this in the forefront for the future.
Thanks very much.

 

8

  Ellen Farley ( homepage )

06/13/2008 * 11:15:15

Hi, Mary,
I think I will cut and paste how you described my painting and see how it goes. I will report back so you can see how much better it works. Thanks.

 

9

  Mary ( homepage )

05/19/2008 * 15:05:09

Zander,
You don't have to put the keywords in italic, I just did that to identify them as keywords.

 

10

  Caroline Henry ( homepage )

05/13/2008 * 19:43:35

Thank you for this. Those of us who are learning to use the internet as a sales medium need all the reminders we can get to keep in mind the importance of the search engine and its peculiar logic. It is a special writing skill that both engages the reader and signals the searcher.

 

11

  Zander Lassen ( homepage )

05/10/2008 * 11:19:04

HI Mary- thank you for your recent blog. I like the tip about putting words in italics to work better with search engines- Zander

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