Stop putting your digital art watermark dead center on the image

I see so many artists on Instagram and ArtStation slapping their watermark right across the middle of their piece, completely ruining the composition. I used to do it too, thinking it was the only way to stop people from screenshotting. But a buddy who does commercial illustration pointed out that a centered watermark just screams "amateur" and actually makes your work look worse in portfolio reviews. He showed me how to place it in a corner near a shadow or texture so it's still visible but doesn't break the focal point. Tried it on my last five postings and got three piece requests from people who said the comp looked clean enough to license. Has anyone else found a spot that works well without killing the visual?

2 comments

2 Comments

grace_gonzalez4626d ago

Got three piece requests from people who said the comp looked clean enough to license. Look, I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but acting like moving a watermark to the corner is gonna land you a career is a stretch. I moved mine to the bottom right six months ago and got one "nice work" from a guy who turned out to be a bot. Most people scrolling Insta aren't staring at watermarks that hard anyway, they're looking at the overall picture for like two seconds before swiping. Maybe it matters more for portfolio sites but I'd bet half the folks complaining about centered watermarks just don't want to admit their art isn't that special yet.

the_derek26d ago

Man, @grace_gonzalez46 you nailed it. The whole watermark debate is so overblown. I moved mine to the corner a year ago and my inbox didn't magically fill up either. Got a couple of likes from what looked like real people but nothing that changed my life. The bots are real, they'll hit you with a "love this" and then ghost. I honestly think most people on social media are just swiping through photos at lightning speed, they don't even see the watermark half the time. The artists who say moving it is the secret to getting licensed are probably the same ones who just want something to blame instead of improving their actual work.