The Black Trance
Artists love black. Love, love, love it. It has class. It engages. It draws you in.
Black is classy. It fairly screams “high end.” It dominates and holds our attention. Let’s face it: black has power.
And for years and years and years it has been the color of choice to lay the crown jewels on, as the backdrop for a brochure, in framing… the list goes on.
But let me tell you the one place where everything black does, and stands for, works completely against you.
And against your…art.
On your website or blog
I know. It’s so hard to realize that the Old Order has given way to a New Virtual Reality. In fact, it’s so hard that a good many of us haven’t caught on to the differences that decide our online fate.
And the traditional sacredness of black is positively trance inducing.
So here’s the question I’d like you to ask yourself:
What is the most important thing on my website or blog?
A. My domain name
B. A picture of me working on my art
C. My art
D. My artist statement
E. The background color
Of course, each of these is important in it’s own way. But without “C,” none of the rest matters, right?
Which brings us to the First Law
Nothing should upstage your art. That’s the first law of an artist’s website or blog.
Your art is center stage, first and last. Nothing should detract, draw attention away from, or usurp your viewer’s focus on your art. Period.
If black is engaging, dominant, holds our attention and draws us in, doesn’t it go without saying that a black background trumps your art?
It seems so simple, so logical. But whenever you tread on sacred ground that is also visually emotional, “simple” and “logical” hardly register.
“But my art looks so good against a black background,” you might wail.
Now, I ask you…have you ever been in a gallery with black walls?
And anyway, what do you want people to think is “classy”: your website background or your art?
You can’t have both.
The Second Law
Unlike gallery walls, a website needs words to deepen your viewer’s connection to you and your art (hard to shake hands and make eye contact on a web page).
You also need words to a) keep your visitor on your website and b) moving in the direction of taking action to sign up for something (newsletter, a free offer, a short article, etc.) so you can follow up and stay in touch.
But how can you read words on a black background. Ah… yes… thundering in, stage left: the White Font!
Which brings me to the Second Law: Do not make anything hard for your visitor!
And nothing, but nothing is harder than reading white words on a black background.
Nothing. (Except, maybe, slow loading images.)
In small doses, say a tag line or a headline, you can get away with white on black. It might even be classy. (Heck, I even do it here…just look up.)
But once you start piling up sentences, never mind paragraphs, you are asking the human eye to do an inhuman task. It hurts…so, naturally, people don’t read, or don’t read much. Or don’t read enough.
Me, I just click off as fast as I can. Your art doesn’t stand a chance.
I have a theory
Why would something, like black, work so well on printed paper, but not on a computer monitor?
I suspect it’s biology. The human eye was never designed for the static light of a computer monitor.
Our eyes are designed to adjust to incremental, discrete changes in light from the minute we open our eyes in the morning until we close them at night.
Plunk down in front of the static, unchanging light of a monitor screen, then stare at it for minutes, if not hours, and you are suddenly holding your eyes hostage.
It’s a hostile environment, and anything you do that even subtly increases the hostility shortens the life span of a single visitor staying on your website long enough to engage and enjoy the creative work you so lovingly and passionately share.
Give up black and you will gain an audience.
Written by Ariane Goodwin
Posted under Information, Marketing Your Art, The Business of Art
Tags: artist blogs, artist statements, artist websites, artists, black, domain name, fine art, gallery walls, smARTIST Career Blog, the human eye, white fonts
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400 days ago,
Moira Brown said:
Whew! Thanks for saying it, Ariane, and saying it so well. My eyes ache at the thought of all the white-on-black sites I’ve plowed through… and we’re in a business that’s supposed to encourage sensitive LOOKING.
In my experience black’s an affirmation: “The world’s a difficult (horrific?) place and I’m am Engaging it.” Therefore, it’s absorptive of and magnetic to all kinds of craziness.
400 days ago,
Kristin Summerlin said:
Thank you, thank you! I’m someone who will spend quite a bit of time reading what people have written about their art… but not if it hurts my eyes. I know that if *I* click away from a page — not because it doesn’t interest me, but because I just can’t read it — other, less patient people aren’t going to spend even that long.
Moira’s right, and I’m a bit tired of black in general anyway. It has become a stereotype. I’m drawn far more to jewel tones right now.
400 days ago,
susie gregory said:
arianne -my website is languishing because it needs LOTS of work and updating. i’ve never blogged and would like to start posting paintings – possibly to try the “painting a day” project. – how would you suggest i start breaking in to this? thanks – susie
400 days ago,
Brett LaGue said:
Thanks so much for bringing this issue to everyone’s attention. Black has continued to remain the dominant color while reworking and trying to improve my own Web site, http://www.brett-art.com. Now looking at the site with a fresh perspective, the black does feel like a distraction and something that should change.
400 days ago,
MaryC said:
Amen! This is a very informative blog. So happy I found it.
400 days ago,
susie gregory said:
can anybody help me with the question i have? i can’t find a way to contact ariane – how do i start blogging and posting paintings? – my website is languishing (sgregoryart.com) – anybody out there? thanks – susie
400 days ago,
Lynne Oakes said:
I have sent this posting around to several artists I know this morning. I am not in complete agreement with this….except for one’s art website. I think an art blog with black in the background works fine, but it is a more informal thing and therefore I think works.
399 days ago,
Lorraine Khachatourians said:
Back in the dark ages when I was learning about web pages and html etc, one of the major learning points was to avoid white font on black background. Anyone who has any visual disability can’t deal with it at all, so for any page that has information on it, black on white is the best. Any other colour combination can be difficult for people to read (think colour blindness). People can then increase the font size via their browser and still be able to read. You can always put design elements around your text areas, but they should really be clean and clear. Also, music should be avoided as it only really works for high speed cable access, which not everyone has. It can be really annoying too, and trying to find the ‘off’ button is often frustrating when you are being blasted by someone else’s taste in music. The old ‘KISS’ principle really works best IMHO.
399 days ago,
Sandy Sober said:
I completely agree with not annoying the viewer. A while back, I wanted to print a page to hand to someone at a face-to-face meeting so that she’d remember to look at it later. The site had white text on a black background. Aargh! Not wanting to use up all of my printer ink, I had to spend more time than I wanted to get something that would be printable. It would have been much better to have something that was more user friendly.
398 days ago,
Miriam said:
I think you must be right, because the other day I happened to change from black to white (before I even read this!) and I’ve noticed a complete upswing in comments! Hmmm…little did I realize why exactly, but it sure makes sense!
398 days ago,
Ariane said:
Whoa! Look what a couple of days away will bring. Thanks, all, for such a great contribution.
Susie, I’m here…just not 24/7 :-)
And, I’m not exactly sure how I can help. It sounds like you need a guide to help you develop your blog.
My private client practice is currently full, but I am looking at creating some group coaching classes and blogs would be on that list. I suggest you use the contact form on this blog and send me a direct request that way.
And Lynne, as you can see from the responses here, especially a blog, which is heavier on words, should NEVER EVER be white font on black background. It’s just too darn hard to read…and why would you ask that of your visitors? What’s the point of making anything hard for them?
395 days ago,
Lynne Oakes said:
I have been polling my subscribers and others about this and so far it has been in favor of the black background I have on one of my several blogs. (by a clear majority)
I think this being thought of as an absolute is not good. I think there are very few absolutes in art….there are guidelines and preferred ways of doing things and going about things.
Except for one’s website with art on it and not using black, I remain unconvinced regarding my blog. Also, I do not have tons of text in my blog postings and I like how the art looks.
Of course, along with my remark here about absolutes, I may opt to change it in the future!
390 days ago,
Ed Roach said:
Lynne,
This is a design issue that goes back well before the web. Friendly, easy to read graphics are typically a pale back ground with dark text. The font that is easiest to read is a serif font. These are fonts that have little feet on them, like times roman. It is easier on the eye. When used together, it reduces eye fatigue.
I also like the look of the black backround, white text – BUT if you want your readers to not get tired, stay away from it. The text used in this blog and mine and countless more is sans-serif. Oddly the ‘I’s’ have serifs.
It is really just good form to reduce eye strain. If you must do it, then limit it to pull quotes or display text. There have been studies done decades ago on eye strain and graphic design.
Great discussion here at Smartist.
388 days ago,
Linda Flake said:
Just this week I checked out ESSQart.com to consider placing my art on this self-representing srtists website. But after a bit of time researching many pages, I found myself feeling weary and somewhat depressed and agitated. I was very aware of the black background to all the pages on the site and it really made me feel like i did not want to look at any of it anymore. It was a completely intuitive reaction and now i find think blog on the exact same issue. Because I have been photographing the few pictures of my work myself that i use here and there, i have rested them on a black piece of wool fabric so the flash is absorbed. It has not been my choice, but it is all I have had available to affordable and aesthically work with so far. Foermy product that have color it helps make it pop, but I would prefer a lighter grey and know this is the more professional preference. I will switch as soon as I am able, but I would never make an all balck background for my text and other graphics. Thank you for affirming what my intuition was telling me.
375 days ago,
Nicolette Tallmadge said:
Thanks for this…as a web designer, this is one thing that I’m constantly telling people to stay *away* from. If they put up a fuss, I’ll point out to them that there is a reason why books, magazines, and newspapers don’t generally have this color scheme.
246 days ago,
Lindy Gruger Hanson said:
I agree! I used to have black as a background on my Website and then I kept seeing how nice and fresh other sites seemed with their white backgrounds. So I changed mine to white and I do love it that way. It feels more uplifting.
246 days ago,
Lori Landis said:
Thanks Ariane, I made that mistake myself when I started my site 8 yrs ago. Finally someone, thank goodness told me it is to hard on the eyes. I use black in my title but that is it.
244 days ago,
Ariane Goodwin, Ed.D. said:
This is an ongoing drum roll for me, which is why I tweeted this post again. I simply cringe when I see the dominant power of black stealing the show from art that holds so much of the artist’s soul.
Thanks everyone, for making this such a lively discussion!