If you are in design, then DeviantArt should sound familiar to you. Being the most prominent open art community on the internet, this site offers many opportunities to develop and promote any type of work linked to art and craft.
It allows its users to interact with different art communities, browse various forum topics, or write a journal, among other exciting features.
Today, I’m going to share similar sites like DeviantArt with you, where you can showcase design skills, increase the number of followers, and find some potential clients.
This is the list of sites like DeviantArt:
- Behance
- Dribbble
- CGSociety
- ArtStation
- Tumblr
The first two sites we will look at are oriented more to graphic design, and the first one is Behance.
Behance
It is a platform where you can display your designs or find outstanding inspiration for your projects. No matter your design skill level, this site fulfills the need of every creative person who would like to bring his passion to another level.
The platform has an active design community. Members post the latest design trends daily, which helps move the industry forward. Explore the works of others regularly and discover the newest directions that will broaden your design horizons. So be sure to join Behance; otherwise, you will be missing a lot.
To take full advantage of the site, upload your project with a detailed explanation about how and why you created something. If you’re new to the platform and don’t know how to make a professional presentation of your work, look at how other artists presented theirs and follow their blueprint.
Adobe bought Behance in December 2012, so if you have Creative Cloud, you can easily access your Behance Activity Feed and portfolio from there.
Bonus Tip:
The best way to gain exposure is by following designers from your field and commenting on their work. In that way, you will awaken their interest, and they might start following you back.
Some artists overlook the significance of filling in all the necessary information about them. Because it is the second thing next to your portfolio that people will be interested in. It is essential to make it professional-looking.
Dribbble
Dribbble is a popular website in the graphic design community. You can find works from the filed of web design, typography, illustration, branding, just to name a few.
The site is different from others in that you need to get an invitation if you want to post your designs on it. Being an invite-only platform usually weeds out all the non-professional posts, and you’re left with amazing content.
Every DeviantArt alternative has its own posting rules, and Dribbble is not an exception. Designers of any kind can post so-called “shots.” As long as you have basic Dribbble membership, you can upload only one shot per project, limiting some designers.
If you want to display multiple fullscreen projects, you must subscribe to premium membership. It costs $5/month; when you choose an annual plan otherwise, it runs for $12/month. Publishing multiple, full-screen projects is not the only benefit of being a premium member.
But, you can also sell your goods through the platform, get a discount for some designer tools, and have access to other exciting features. I dare to say that if you’re a beginner, don’t sign up for premium Dribbble membership right away since it’s intended for experienced freelance designers.
First and foremost, focus on posting your work regularly and building some following. Then if you’ll see that a basic membership limits your needs, go for a premium one.
If you’re searching for a designer job, look into the Job Board section of the site. Many companies on the list offer a remote work position so that you can work from the comfort of your home.
Dribbble is my go-to website when I’m searching for some design inspiration. The site offers a quick overview of the crème de la crème projects without any unnecessary design process presentation.
Next on our list are the platforms for digital artists.
CGSociety
It is a global platform where artists can showcase their 2D and 3D masterpieces. Furthermore, you can read the latest news from the digital design field, see the latest design trends, and find out about different types of technology all on one platform.
Compared to Behance and Dribbble, this site is heavily oriented towards digital art. You won’t see a logo or website design project here. So if you are a digital artist, this is the perfect platform you should sign up for and connect with a like-minded audience. The website is easy to use, so uploading and sharing your artwork is a piece of cake.
Besides browsing the news or finding inspiration for your next art project, you can also interact with the community forum. Being an active forum member is also a great way to build your reputation and authority.
ArtStation
As the name indicates, this is a website that has been created especially for artists. There are many parallels between ArtStation and CGSociety, and the main one is that both focus on 2D and 3D art. Therefore if your skills gravitate closer to digital art, this is a perfect platform to show your expertise, no matter if you’re a beginner or a professional artist.
Like other platforms on the list, it allows you to post your project, receive comments and enable work sharking through your favorite social channels with a click of a button.
ArtStation is all in one platform. Besides already mentioned features, you can also learn new things from the industry experts, sell your creations on the marketplace, or find your next job.
But wait, there is more! You can find the latest news, career advice, and inspiration under the Magazine subpage of the website, or you can read blog posts written by other artists.
Like Dribbble, ArtStation offers different types of accounts, and I can say that the “Basic” option works great for most artists. If you find it insufficient for your needs, you can upgrade to PLUS, which runs for $6.99/month, or PRO, which costs $9.95/month.
With both upgrades, you will gain unlimited access to ArtStation Learning so that you can learn from the industry leaders, which is a pretty neat feature. Besides that, you can write blog articles, upload 4k images, and have priority support, among other excellent benefits.
The PRO option also allows you advanced analytics that tracks visitors’ behavior. You can keep between 80% to 95% of your revenue when you sell something over the platform. Compared to the free and PRO account, you retain 70% of the income.
No matter the account subscription, you can search through work opportunities on the Job segment of the page.
The platform also enables you to participate in the Challenges, which is an excellent option because you can test your skills and see where they lay compared to others. Every challenge you take part in will raise your art knowledge. So if you want to be ahead of the pack as fast as possible, be sure to compete in as many as you can.
Now let’s check the two more general websites similar to DeviantArt in some aspects.
Tumblr
If you’re familiar with Tumblr, you know it’s not a niche-specific digital art/design website like others on this list. It is a more general blogging site where people share their ideas to get some traction.
Nevertheless, you can use it as a showcase of your artistic work, or you can browse among other creative communities and discover speechless art displayed in your feed.
The best part of the platform is its customization freedom that every user can take advantage of. You may customize your blog according to your needs and create your signature style outlook.
A messaging service also allows you to get in touch with others and exchange ideas.
However, Tumblr has some downsides, and the main one is that it is not meant to be your primary portfolio site. So if you’re a professional artist, you should consider other alternatives on the list. I recommend using Tumblr as an additional promoting website to extend your online presence.
A well-known website in all spheres of life. Pinterest is famous among many communities that have an aesthetic sense. So, like Tumblr is not meant to be used as your main portfolio page but predominantly to hunt for some design inspiration.
The main feature of Pinterest is the advanced algorithm that recommends the “Pins” based on your interest. Therefore, if you’re searching for an engraved style logo design, you can open an image that you like. You will find recommended pins with the same style underneath.
The Pins don’t come from only one source, but you can explore the pictures other people pinned from different sites all over the web. So, if you’re seeking some design inspiration for your project, Pinterest is the quickest way to find it.
Besides that, you can leverage Pinterest to grow your digital footprint. Pin your designs and let them circulate in the community and reach the people with the same interest.
Conclusion: Sites Like DeviantArt
These are some of the best sites like DeviantArt. By joining them, the probability of your career success rises. The key to making them work in your favor is to be as active on these platforms as you can be. So, share your work of art regularly.
Don’t worry if something is not perfect or if you’re a complete beginner. People value and respect every artist, showing how their artistic skills are growing with every new design.
Moreover, don’t forget to comment on other design/art projects and follow the people that inspire you the most. In that way, you will boost your career and be ahead of the game in no time.
