Make Art. Be Seen. Part 1: Why Every Artist Needs a Brand

H.M. Clark
Jun 10
4 min read

Brand. Branding. “On brand.”

These words get thrown around so much they start to lose meaning. "Branding" sounds like something corporate. Something fake. Something businesses do to sell you overpriced coffee and sneakers that fall apart after six months.

But let’s back up.

What do you think of when you hear the word brand? The word brand comes from something far more visceral than aesthetics.

> brand (v.) – c. 1400, "to impress or burn a mark upon with a hot iron, cauterize; stigmatize."

Branding was about burning ownership into something, whether that was livestock or criminals. It was permanent and undeniable, and it left no question about who it belonged to.

So when we talk about an artist’s brand, we’re not just talking about color palettes or font choices. We’re talking about something so distinct and so memorable that when people see it, they immediately know who made it.

And that is not a corporate trick. That is what every great artist in history has mastered.

Artists Already Have Brands, They Just Don’t Call It That

Recognize this face? There's a reason why.

If I say Salvador Dalí, what comes to mind? The melting clocks. The sharp mustache. The surrealist fever dream.

If I say Andy Warhol? Probably Campbell’s soup cans. Marilyn Monroe. Pop art, mass production, the idea that anything could be art.

Miyazaki? Soft, fluid landscapes. Moving trees. A world that breathes.

Dayton’s own Mike Elsass? Rusted steel. Layered paint. Color, texture, emotion.

Whether they intend to or not, their work is branded into our minds. Not because they had a perfect social media strategy, but because their art was so undeniably theirs that no one could mistake it for anyone else’s.

And that is what you need. Not a fake corporate identity, but a defined artistic identity that makes people recognize your work on sight.

The Hard Truth: If No One Remembers You, They Can’t Buy From You

Here’s the reality: There are too many distractions in the world for people to remember you if you don’t give them something to hold onto. There are thousands of talented artists out there. More than ever, but talent alone has never been enough. The artists who thrive, the ones who sell work, book commissions, and get gallery spots, aren’t always the “best” artists. They are the ones who understand that recognition is everything.

And recognition doesn’t come from blending in. Recognition comes from making sure your work is unmistakably yours, and that the messaging around it is clear and concise.

What Makes an Artist’s Brand?

Let’s be clear. This is not just about logos and slogans. (Though those things can absolutely be a part of it.) Your brand isn’t a font choice, not a business card, not even your choice of medium for your art. Those things are part of communicating your brand, absolutely, but they aren't the central piece.

So what is it then?

Your brand is the impression your work leaves on people.

It’s the gut feeling people get when they see your art. It’s what makes someone stop scrolling, pause at your booth, or remember you months later when they need a piece for their home.

So How Do You Make Your Work Unmistakable?

Not by forcing a brand. Not by trying to be something you’re not, but by recognizing what is already there and sharpening it.

1. Ask Yourself: What Is Already Present in Your Work?

What subjects or themes do you always come back to?
What materials do you love working with?
What emotions or messages do your pieces carry?

Every artist has patterns in their work, whether they realize it or not.

Some artists are obsessed with moody, overcast landscapes. Some of us lean into bold, chaotic strokes that radiate raw emotion. Some create small, intimate ink drawings that demand close attention.

Find your patterns. Own them.

2. Make Your Work Instantly Recognizable

Think about the artists who make you stop in your tracks. Why? Because you know their work when you see it. Your job is to make sure that your work couldn’t be mistaken for someone else’s.

That might mean:

A signature color palette that repeats across your pieces for a specific line of your art.
A technique that becomes uniquely yours.
A story you tell that only you can tell.

Wes Anderson doesn’t need a logo. His symmetry, pastel color grading, and framing choices are his brand. What’s yours?

3. Your Story Is Part of Your Brand, Too

People don’t just buy art, they buy a feeling, and sometimes they buy stories. In the end they buy the artist’s world, their process, their perspective. The reason people connect with Van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, and Banksy isn’t just their art. It’s the story behind it.

Your audience wants to know:

Why do you create what you create?
What moments in your life shaped your style?
How does your personality come through in your work?

If you don’t tell your story, someone else with more visibility will get the attention instead.

Branding Isn’t “Selling Out,” It’s Making Sure You’re Seen

There isn't anything fake about making your art memorable. You are not a corporation. But if you want people to care about your work, if you want them to remember you, you need to give them something to remember. It doesn’t mean changing who you are. It means leaning deeper into who you are and ensuring the world sees it.

You don’t need to build a brand today, but you can start to get clear on what makes your work unmistakably yours.