If you know us, you know we’re always singing the praises of using a self-hosted WordPress website for your online illustration portfolio.
WordPress is a free, powerful way to get your own website up and running that puts you in full control. Even if you’ve never built a website before.
That’s the core of your site. But we’d also like to introduce you to the Headway for WordPress theme (we love it so much that we’re affiliates so that’s an affiliate link).
Headway is kind of like the outfit your website wears. You use Headway to make your website look just the way you want it – from the layout to the colour scheme. Why do we love Headway so much?
Because Headway lets non-designers and non-developers – and even those of you who are a tad tech averse (yes, really!) – create a site that looks just like a pro has created it for you.
We know it can be a bit of a learning curve though, so that’s why we’re running this 2-day Portfolio Website Workshop for Illustrators…
What you will be getting up to…
The core of what you’re going to be doing, with a little help from your friends (that’s us) is this:
- Structuring and configuring your site - for maximum effect for your portfolio.
- Creating a portfolio page layout that make other illustrators weep. Ok, maybe not weep but at least a tad envious!
- Implementing your personal brand & design to your site - you’ll be customising the design of your site to match the personal brand for your illustration business.
Here’s how the 2 days break down:
Day 1: Today we’ll be making sure your site is structured and configured “just so”. We’ll be making sure you have WordPress configured for maximum effect and installing any additional plug-ins which will really power up your site. And of course, we’ll be formally introducing you to Headway 
Day 2: Today we’ll dive right in and learn how to create and build your portfolio page, as well as how to add and format any additional content to your other pages. We’ll show you how to apply your site colours and the design to your site, including how to style the fonts on your site.
You’ll be able to do most of the above without any prior or extensive knowledge of code and any code you do need, we’ll give you a swipe file so all you need to do is just copy & paste.
We promise (as long as you promise to follow our instructions closely and do your homework), that by the end of the 2 days, you’ll have built a portfolio website to be proud of with your own bare hands.
How does the course work…
This is a 2 day “hands on” group eCourse which will help you design and create a custom-designed website with your own fair hands in JUST TWO DAYS! When you register for the workshop, here’s what you’ll get:
A preparatory Video Tutorial - this will walk you through the initial steps of installing your own WordPress website. If required, we’ll also show you how to purchase hosting too.
A daily Video Tutorial - you’ll have access to a step-by-step video tutorial to show you the shortcuts, tips and tricks which will help you build your site in no time. We’ll be showing you how to construct a portfolio website that looks like this and walking you through the steps needed. You can access these tutoriasl whenever you want, in your own time but we recommend that you schedule a specific time each day to implement the advice so you get the most out of the Q&A sessions. The tutorials are usually 30-45 minutes long.
A daily live Q&A session – this is a hands-on support class. We’ll hold a live webinar which you are invited to attend and ask any questions you have about the day’s tasks. The Q&A sessions are scheduled for 60 minutes but we’ll extend them to ensure everyone’s questions are answered – you will not have to stay for the duration of the session, so feel free to jump on and off as you need.
There are a few things you’ll need to do before you start this course to get the most out of it. So you’ll need to come armed with the following:
- A hosting account - we recommend Bluehost.
- A headway licence (email us for a 25% discount when you sign up).
- Your WordPress website already installed on your domain.
- A basic design for your site that you’d like help to implement.
- A header graphic for your site.
- The graphics for your portfolio section - already created, optimised and ready to use.
- The text content – for your about page and other pages you’d like on the site.
If you’re stuck on any of these, give us a shout and we’ll point you in the right direction.
This is what you will end up with…
At the end of this 2-day course, you’ll have:
- A fully-functioning portfolio website, which can include a blog if you choose.
- A basic understanding of CSS and html.
- A solid set of skills to WordPress & Headway for any of your future web projects.
How Much Will Building Your Own Portfolio Website Cost?
Instead of forking out $1,000+ to a web developer to build the site of your dreams, we’ll help you do it yourself. Not only will you be building this site, you’ll be gaining the skills to do it for as many websites as you want to in the future – which is a pretty powerful and valuable skill-set to acquire, isn’t it?
The fee for this Workshop is £95. There are a limited number of spaces so please book early to avoid disappointment (if you can’t complete your payment, it’s because the workshop has already sold out).
- The Workshop starts on Monday, 7th November, 2011.
- The video tutorials will be sent out on Friday, 4th November, 2011.
- The Q&A Webinars will be held on 7th & 8th November at 4pm UK time / 11am NY time.
