Overview
A good artwork description helps visitors connect with your work and gives collectors the context they need. It also improves how your artwork appears in search engine results. You don't need to be a writer. A few honest sentences about the work go a long way.
What to Include
A strong description typically covers one or more of these:
- Subject or concept: What is the work about? What were you exploring or responding to?
- Process or medium: How was it made? What materials, techniques, or tools did you use?
- Context: When and where was it created? Is it part of a series?
- Size and presence: How does the scale affect the experience of viewing it?
- What you want the viewer to feel or notice: Offer an entry point without over-explaining.
You don't need to answer all of these. Two or three sentences that feel true to the work are more effective than a long description that says little.
What to Avoid
- Describing the work only in technical terms ("acrylic on linen, 60 x 80 cm"): that information belongs in the medium and dimensions fields, not the description
- Over-explaining or telling the viewer what to think
- Vague phrases like "this work explores the human condition"
- Artist-statement language that could apply to any work: descriptions are specific to each artwork
Where Descriptions Appear
Artwork descriptions appear on the individual artwork page and are included in the page metadata that search engines read. Well-written descriptions help your work surface when people search for art in your style, medium, or subject matter.
How To Add or Edit a Description
- Go to Artwork in your dashboard
- Click on the artwork you want to update
- Find the Description field
- Write or paste your description
- Click Save
Tips
- Write in first person: "I painted this during..." feels more personal than "The artist painted this during..."
- Short is fine. Even a single sentence is better than a blank field.
- Review your descriptions periodically: how you talk about your work changes over time.
- Use the description to complement the image, not repeat what's already visible.