While digital art has been around since the ‘60s, the use of new media technologies and NFTs have become increasingly popular among artists, curators and collectors in the web3 era. If you’re an artist who knows how to make NFTs, you can create an online portfolio website to showcase your digital work and build a community among potential buyers and fans.
In this article, we’ll cover how to make a website that showcases your digital art portfolio and NFTs, and explore 10 examples from artists that are worth learning from.
10 digital art portfolio examples
Your art is the star of the show, but a digital art portfolio should also focus on good web design. The following are examples of simple and accessible ways to display your digital creations—from illustrations and video to NFTs—while providing a browsing experience for visitors that will keep them engaged with your art.
01. Beeple
Mike Winkleman, AKA Beeple, is an American digital designer widely known for his first NFT release, which sold for $69 million at Christies. While his website’s homepage seems relatively pared down (it features the navigation menu above a brief bio), it includes special touches to engage his visitors. For example, as readers scan each section, animated hover effects trigger a preview of the artist’s work. His website also features a pro gallery to view his ongoing collection of surrealistic and vibrant Everydays, plus a link to his NFT portal for interested collectors to learn (and see) more.
02. Nedavius
The digital art portfolio of New York-based Nedavius gives visitors a taste of his unique 3D style, injecting personality into his site via custom vector art. For example, “The Process” page brings visitors into an animated workspace that visually outlines his projects behind the scenes. His footer menu ties it all together with nostalgic hand-drawn typography that includes links to his NFT portfolios, as well as Discord and Foundation accounts. You can read a full interview with Nedavius about his 3D art and his process.
03. Yehuda Devir
Yehuda and Maya Devir created the viral web-series-turned-comic-book, One of Those Days, in 2016. Their website showcases their widely adored books, individual prints, and online exclusives, such as YouTooz Dolls and their recent NFT collection, XOXO. The social bar links to their active YouTube channel and other social media channels, ensuring fellow artists and collectors can easily stay up-to-date with the Devirs’ artistic evolution.
04. Bearville
The Bearville NFT landing page kick-starts the hype around their 9,600 hand-drawn NFTs. Equipped with an About section, FAQs and an infographic roadmap, the carefully selected content about future NFT drops sets expectations for potential collectors.
05. Mirage
Visitors to Mirage’s NFT website can learn all about their Cactus Genesis collection and predicted timeline for minting. But once they become more interested in owning one of the hundreds of algorithmically illustrated cacti as an NFT, they’ll need to realize their purchase on the Oasis marketplace. Fortunately, their NFT grants advanced access to Mirage’s community and future drops.
06. Happy Little Hairdos
Happy Little Hairdos’s clever parody project has evolved from an illustrated coffee book into a collection of 10,000 NFTs. Their all-encompassing digital art portfolio and NFT website features custom images, videos and written content that tell the story of the project and sheds light on J.J. Weinberg’s artistic process. It also strategically uses a “fro’d-map” to outline the project’s progress and build community around anticipated minting dates, merchandise drops and scheduled events.
07. StoneyTigersClub
This simple NFT website provides visitors with everything they need to join the StoneyTigersClub. Imagery is important, but NFT websites don’t always need a gallery since many visitors will jump to your marketplace profile for the full view. StonyTigersClub gives visitors a taste of their style with previews of the NFT artworks, plus legacy images throughout their roadmap.
08. Crypto Carrot Patch
The Crypto Carrot Patch uses their one-page website to foster a supportive and active community of like-minded creatives who want to give back to the planet. They describe the individual creators behind the NFTs and talk more about the project’s long-term goals, mission and process, including their plans to donate 5% of their NFT collection royalties to Rainforest Foundation US.
09. Cardano Forms
Cardano Form dedicates their extensive digital art portfolio to promoting their latest NFT drops, such as the “Soukan Series.” Cardano’s well-designed FAQ page provides visitors with clear-cut answers to common queries such as, “What is an NFT?” plus more information about their own brand and metaverse projects.
10. Goal World
Goal World’s cohesive, colorful site provides visitors details about the soccer fandom’s “kick-to-earn” project as well as an inventory and a clear-cut roadmap. The NFT collective also uses .io as a top-level domain to give their site some authority and to align it with other web3 websites like OpenSea.io.
How to make a digital art portfolio to showcase your NFTs
Whether it’s an NFT website outlining your projects, a landing page or a digital art portfolio, keep the following tips in mind to ensure your site will be a great resource for potential buyers and fans, regardless of which type of website you go with.
Include an About page
Expand on your work by including a dedicated About page that outlines your professional experience, interests, specialties and bio.
Start with a portfolio template
If you’re a multimedia artist interested in diving into the NFT marketplace, start with a professionally designed portfolio template to ensure your website has all the foundational elements and relevant integrations you need. Then, you can customize your site from header to footer.
Add a pro gallery
If the main purpose of your website is to act as a digital art portfolio, make sure you include a pro gallery that will allow you to showcase your creations. From still images to videos, your portfolio should give visitors an overview of your work. Be sure to include your most recent projects and those you’re the most proud of. Don’t forget to include details like the creation date and medium to provide interested users with more context.
Give visitors a roadmap
When building a community around NFT collections online, roadmaps are an essential strategic tool. From minting dates to the creation of merchandise or events—an NFT roadmap outlines the full scope of a project’s intent and projected progress. Most importantly, it sets the expectations for audiences who want to stay informed about release dates.
Connect to an NFT marketplace
NFT artists and collectives should not forget to link their marketplace pages once they're ready. Visitors to Mirage’s NFT website, for example, will learn all about the collections and predicted timeline for minting through their digital portfolio. But once they become more interested in owning an NFT, they’ll need to connect to the market, using blockchain technologies such as digital wallets, crypto wallets and cryptocurrencies to realize their purchase.