How to build an artist website: the pages you need, how to present your portfolio, selling originals and prints, commissions, free options and costs, and how to build one with a template or AI website builder.
Short answer (September 2026): a strong artist website puts your best work first, organised into clear series, with large, accurate images. Add an About page with your statement and CV, a simple way to buy or enquire about each piece, a commissions page if you take them, and an email signup so collectors hear about new work. Your own domain and a clean, quiet design matter more than effects.
Put your work online this week. Publish up to 3 template sites free (no AI on the free plan), or describe your practice in one prompt and let the AI builder draft the site on Starter at $20 a month. Create your account, or start from this design: Vera Lens, Studio Ink, or see the illustrator website builder.
Galleries, curators, collectors and commissioning clients will almost always look you up online. An artist website is where they see your work the way you intend it, without a feed algorithm or marketplace clutter. Here is how to build one that looks professional and actually leads to sales.
| Page | What to include | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Home | One strong image or a small selection, your name, discipline, a link to work | Let the art lead; keep text minimal |
| Work or Portfolio | Series pages with title, medium, size, year, availability | Group by series, not by date uploaded |
| About | Artist statement, short bio, CV, portrait or studio photo | Write in plain language |
| Shop or Available Work | Originals and prints with prices, or "enquire" buttons | Show shipping and framing details |
| Commissions | Process, timeline, starting prices, enquiry form | Examples of past commissions help |
| News or Exhibitions | Upcoming and past shows, press | Remove outdated "upcoming" items |
| Contact and Newsletter | Email, form, studio location if relevant, signup | Promise what subscribers get |
| Option | How it works | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Enquire to buy | Button opens a form; you reply with price, shipping and payment link | Originals, higher prices, building relationships |
| Direct checkout | Price shown, buyer pays online | Prints, small works, fixed editions |
| Print on demand | A printing service fulfils prints when ordered | Artists who do not want to handle stock |
| Commissions | Enquiry form, deposit, milestones | Portraits, murals, custom pieces |
Whichever you choose, state shipping costs or regions, framing options, returns policy and how long delivery takes. Uncertainty stops purchases.
Keep it to roughly 100 to 200 words for the website. Say what you make, how you make it and why, in everyday language. Avoid stacking abstract terms. Read it aloud; if it sounds unlike how you talk about your work in the studio, rewrite it.
| Option | Typical cost | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan on a website builder | $0 | Limits on features or branding; check each plan |
| Paid builder plan | Roughly $10 to $40 a month | Custom domain, more features |
| Domain name | Roughly $10 to $20 a year | Your name, portable |
| Designer-built site | Roughly $1,000 to $5,000 | Bespoke, but you still need to update it |
*Typical 2026 ranges, not quotes.*
On We.Inc, the free plan lets you publish up to three template sites with no AI. If you want the AI builder to draft your site from a description, that starts on Starter at $20 a month with 250 credits.
From a template: choose a portfolio design with large image layouts, replace the sample images with your work, add your details and publish.
With the AI builder: describe your practice, for example "a website for a ceramic artist in Portland who makes wood-fired tableware, sells small batches online twice a year and takes restaurant commissions." The builder drafts every page, and you add your photographs and edit the words.
Then check each page on your phone, test your contact form and share the link.
A site that still lists an exhibition from two years ago as "upcoming" tells collectors you may have stopped working. Build a light routine:
Many sales start as a question. Reply quickly, include clear images of the piece, the price, shipping or collection options and how payment works. For commissions, put the process in writing: what the client provides, sketches or approvals, deposit, timeline, what happens if they change their mind, and final delivery. A clear process protects both of you and makes you look established, even if you are just starting to sell.
Your art deserves better than a crowded feed. Create your account and start from this design: Vera Lens, Nora Kessler Studio or Studio Ink, or see what the art gallery website builder sets up.
We.Inc is an AI-powered website builder you can resell under your own brand. Launch a branded client dashboard, bill on Stripe Connect, and deliver AI-generated websites in minutes. White-label plans are custom priced, with no per-site fees.