Not only can artists live off their work, but the Internet can actually be a lifeline for them in today's increasingly competitive marketplace. The blog RamGon looks into opportunities for painters in social media and, more importantly, into how the medium can help artists to publicize and market their work. 

Social Media and Painting, image from RamGon, used with permission.

In an interview with RamGon, the artist known as Goloviarte — Gregorio Lopez Vicente —  explains the risks and benefits that social media offers today's artists:

Para la publicación en esos canales, a grandes rasgos, ¿qué estrategia de publicación de contenidos sigues? ¿qué herramientas y criterios usas para llevar a cabo determinadas acciones?

Roughly speaking, in order to publish in these channels, what content publishing strategy to you follow? What tools and criteria do you use to complete specific tasks?

El único criterio que sigo es ser visto, por tanto, participo en todas aquellas redes sociales en momentos en los que veo que la gente esta participando más, como puede ser un evento, o un post con muchos comentarios en facebook, etc. Los hashtags en Twitter son muy importantes para tener visibilidad, y en cuanto a herramientas no uso ninguna, lo hago todo controlando manualmente todo desde el navegador.

The only criterion I follow is to be seen, so I take part in all those social networks in which I see people getting more involved, like when there is a particular event or a post that has lots of comments on Facebook, etc. Hashtags on Twitter are very important for visibility, but as for tools I don't use any—I do everything manually from the browser.

Here are a few examples of how Goloviarte takes advantage of social networking to market his work:

¿Quieres un mural en tu hotel ? ¿en tu oficina ? Habla conmigo #arte pic.twitter.com/7GZkv5Y6U9

— goloviarte (@goloviarte) March 7, 2015

How about a mural for your hotel? or office? Talk to me

Mis cuadros a disposición de todos mis seguidores en mi web http://t.co/kaC52HBNnvpic.twitter.com/3ftScx7XDU

— goloviarte (@goloviarte) diciembre 31, 2014

Mi paintings are available to all my followers

You can follow the artist at RamGon and Goloviarte on Twitter.