Illustration Tutorial: How to Launch Your Instagram Profile

Create an illustrator profile on Instagram that makes your work stand out and attract new clients, with a little help from the illustration agency Pencil

A social media profile has become the new cover letter for creatives across all fields, especially illustrators. It serves as an intuitive, free, and attractive way to present your portfolio of work. Instagram, being so easy to use and having such a wide reach, is among the best options you have available. It is a great way for people to discover your illustration work.

To help you make the most of your illustrator profile on Instagram, Sandra López–from the illustration agency Pencil (@Pencil)–shares some key tips to help you make wise decisions and reach as many people as possible. Discover Sandra’s tips in the following video:

One profile? Or a few?

The first question you might be asking yourself is whether to open one account… or a few. You have the choice of using one both for your work and your personal life, or you can separate the two completely so you can just show off your work, without mixing it with your personal interests.

What should I use as my profile picture?

You have various options you can use for your profile picture. If you have a professional logo, for example, you’ll surely want to use it as your image. However, if you don’t have one or you are very focused on illustration, perhaps you’d prefer to adapt one of your illustrations to be your profile picture. In this case, don’t forget that your image will be shown very small: choose something that represents you well, has well-defined lines and uses contrasting colors.

Another option is to choose a photo of you, or a midway point between the two would be to draw a caricature of yourself in your style.

Public or private account?

In other words, would you like your account to be available to everyone or for people to have to send you a request to be able to see your work? Usually, the answer is obvious: better that it’s public so that more people can enjoy your work without any obstacles.

Personal or business account?

If you have a business account, you will be able to access certain features that you don’t have access to with a personal account, such as insights. Remember, if you choose a business account, you need to select a job category (artist, art or author) and also add where you live and a link to your portfolio or web.

It’s also interesting for people if you give an example of a client you’ve worked for and include other useful information in your bio: events you’ll be participating in, promos that your followers can take advantage of… be personable and transparent, but remember you have a limited number of characters so you should use them well.

If you liked this editorial, remember that you can discover more key tips from Pencil about how to transform your Instagram account into a professional and artistic profile in their online course, Creating an Illustration Portfolio on Instagram.

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