ArtStation

          There has recently been a new website created that tailors for professional artists and promoting their work called ArtStation. It is currently in beta and thankfully I have managed to secure a beta position, with it releasing fully sometime this summer.

I've decided to build and host my website with them, and here's why:

The site has been built for and by creative professionals, of whom have had previous great success with creating websites for such companies such as Autodesk and Nvidia, and communities such as CGSociety. I understand and accept that the site could fall flat on its face, but considering the creators' earlier successes, and that large amount of attention it is gaining now, I think that it is a good place to set up my work.

When you sign up to ArtStation your are given your own website (here's mine: nathanknight.artstation.com) as well as a community page (www.artstation.com/artist/NathanKnight). Both are customisable, though the community page follows a common theme. The community page is where other artists can find you, it similar to a social network news feed, only you see just the artwork. The personal website you are given starts with the address containing '{name}.artstation.com' however they are currently working on producing a paid feature so what you can gain your own domain name and host your website with them, so eventually your website will have the address you want, and in my case 'aniknight.com' (if that name hasn't been taken by then).

If we look back to my first PPD module I wrote about wanting to start a blog or video blog for animation. ArtStation allows my blog to be tethered to my ArtStation website and community profile which means it will be easier to find and link in with one another for a chance at gaining a greater audience / more attention for possible head hunters to find me.

Most importantly about this new medium is that it doesn't just cater to concept artists and digital stills. They have built it to make sure that video is just as easily accessible with embedding for YouTube and Vimeo, and that when a person visits my site and community page the first thing they see if I wish it is my video showreel.

This video is 13 minutes long, but it explains ArtStation and the features it has for why I think it is the best place for me to have my website, instead of having a website that may be independent of a blog that is hosted somewhere else like blogger, which is independent to the other industry specific forums where I'd post my work to again attention:


ArtStation Beta 1 from Ballistiq on Vimeo.