16 of the best Squarespace templates for artists, painters, and creative types

An early favorite among artists and photographers looking to build a quick website, Classon has a single-background landing page that you can use to display one of your best pieces. Features such as “All Prints” and “Process” are specifically tailored for artists while the header of the page allows you to feature your name without taking eyes away from your main work. This is not a portfolio template with a particularly large number of functions and, perhaps for that reason, it is frequently selected when new artists want to get a website up and running quickly. Simply plug in your work through the drag-and-drop features and play around with rearranging them later.

Envisioned for online stores and other forms of e-commerce, Alameda is the template for any visual artist looking to sell work. Even rectangular icons allow you to lay out different paintings (or whatnot) you have for sale while the text underneath leaves room for titles, descriptions, and prices. Those who click on them are taken to another page with a larger image, more information, and the “Cart” function.

The header leaves room for other pages (“Lookbook” can be used to display a portfolio while the usual “About” and “Contact” features give you a space to describe yourself). While the unique features make Alameda an obvious choice for any creative entrepreneurs who sells artwork online, a simple template option may be better if displaying work is your primary goal.

Designed specifically for freelancers, Ready is one of the best Squarespace templates for artists looking for a clean and simple look to display their work. The white background becomes an elegant backdrop against a single large image of your choosing while a CTA button allows you to add a scheduling function that will be perfect for those offering everything from art on demand to drawing lessons for children. This template also allows you to include many different pages — a button in the left-hand corner opens onto links to both standard pages like About Us and the more interesting News + Notes and Testimonials.

Released in the faraway year of 2012, Wells is a Squarespace old-timer that is often chosen by artists and photographers of all kinds. The right-aligned mosaic alone gives the whole thing a feel of old-school photography but the running stream is particularly useful as it provides a way to display a range of work without overwhelming the visitor.

Along with the usual biography and contact information, you can also divide the site by the type of work that you do or, if you work across multiple media, have pages for anything from drawings to photographs. The overall web design is landing-page heavy and fairly basic but, if you have a strong body of work, this template can make it look professional without much effort.

Nolan, a dark-background Squarespace template that lets you scroll through several full-width image galleries, will work for artists and companies with a more high-end clientele. Underneath the initial image gallery, you will be able to add client logos in between several other case studies thanks to how flexible this portfolio template is. Contact information and services can be seen in both the header and at the bottom of the slider but the projects you choose for the galleries need to speak for themselves as, unlike some of the other Squarespace templates on this list, there is no opportunity to display a larger portfolio. As a result, Nolan may be a better fit for the visual artist who is already somewhat known in their industry.

This Squarespace template is made to look like one large scrolling résumé, a format that has in recent years become popular with many in the art community. Unlike the typical links to one’s biography and contact information you’d expect to find in the header, Otto unravels into a long string of text and photos, with room for a large image or two if you wish. Along with the basics of what you do and why people should know your work, you can include anything from case studies and past clients to a string of photographs or drawings.

This type of format will work particularly well for artists who sell their services (for example, graphic designers, creative entrepreneurs or portrait creators) but those looking to show off larger bodies of work may find the scrolling function too limiting — more than a few images will make it drag out and crowd out one’s biography and contact information.

The Pazari template is a great choice for those whose work spans several categories: for example, city, fashion, and lifestyle photographers. The landing page scrolls through a number of rectangular images that, when clicked on, open onto galleries where you can give site visitors more of your work. The white background and large image format are a great way to show off your art in a larger format but, with such a simple design (the background is white while the only other features are Work and Contact in the header) you really need to have a strong body of work to make it look nice. The rectangular icons will also work better for vertical, rather than horizontal, pieces. If you're that kind of artist, this is a good way of showcasing your portfolio in a simplistic fashion using a practical template.

Kester fits the needs of artists who do not fall neatly into parameters such as “painter” or “singer.” While some premium Squarespace templates focus on one narrow field, this one offers a lot of flexibility. A single-color background features square image icons that, when clicked upon, expand for a better view and more information. One of the added features is a shop format, which lets visitors place orders for one’s prints or designs.

The e-commerce format works particularly well for a visual artist who makes graphic prints, hand-lettering, t-shirts, or other forms of on-order designs. Those who work for themselves and see their work through the lens of creative inspiration may find the simple design too push-button even for a website builder template.

A good fit for both artists and photographers, the Gates template stands out with a grid that you can use to display up to 20 images. The whitespace-free grid means that the work you select cannot be too busy but the overall look provides a modern and stylish alternative to some of the more spread-out mosaics selected for displaying a portfolio. It's perfect if you have a large image to highlight amongst your portfolio. 

If you also show off your work on social media, you’ll be happy to see icons for Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook in the right-hand corner as well as the chance to link to your contact information. Still, the template’s main feature is the grid. In order to make it look good, be prepared to play around with the arrangement of different types of work — some colors or styles may not necessarily go together. This is a template option that can take a little work to get just right, but it's an ideal Squarespace template for those who prefer to be more hands-on with their web design.

With so much focus on visual artists, many can forget that musicians also need a Squarespace website. The Paloma template fits such needs perfectly with a built-in player on the landing page and the ability to add podcasts. The Episodes feature allows you to take site visitors to your songs or episodes of a podcast while the Blog page can be used for anything from the simple (announcing concert dates) to the advanced (incorporating videos of performances or adding progress reports) depending on your level of web prowess. This is a useful premium Squarespace template for the budding podcast creator.

Ideally suited for promoting creative entrepreneurs looking to have a simple online presence, Kearny has a single-photo landing page and a single button linking to an email. It's easily one of the best Squarespace templates for artists who are only starting out in a certain sphere but want to have an online presence. The template functions, essentially, as an online business card with a photo and a “Contact Me” icon linking to an email.

The limited format works well for small-time creative entrepreneurs like the art teacher offering at-home classes or the studio launching in a couple of months. This type of site would need to be given individually to those who already know a little bit about you; the lack of an “About Me” page will not be particularly helpful for those who happen to come across you on the web.

Designed to be the best Squarespace template for a photographer, Quincy is perfectly pivoted for wedding photographers and other types of visual artist, thanks to its focus on large images. It also offers room for social media icons like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest so viewers can check out your work from all kinds of places. It's a little simplistic but it's ideal as a showcase of your portfolio, easily giving others easy options to contact you such as via the contact form or via social media. For creative entrepreneurs who want to get their name out there online, Quincy is a good option that doesn't take too long to get the template set up just right.

Flatiron is a portfolio template that showcases the visual artist medium well while still offering some e-commerce elements for anyone looking to sell their wares to potential clients. The focus is on a series of images in a grid layout with the website builder tools ensuring it's simple to set up. There's no social media set up here but a contact form and about page ensures clients can still find you. For a photographer or visual artist keen to make an impression, Flatiron offers just the right amount of customization options.

Designed with multiple projects and portfolios in mind, Novo focuses on your images utilizing a black and white theme by default, so that focus is never taken from your work. Displaying the best 6 portfolio images at first, clicking each image offers more insight into the work, ensuring your your visual artistry is understood in no time. 

It's well suited for photographers and artists, as well as any other creatives advertising their wares, although there's no e-commerce element. Instead, you're directing potential clients to your Squarespace account under the assumption they already know about you.

If all you want to do is sell your work to potential clients, the Brine template offers a lot of flexibility here. Focused on providing a clean marketplace, it may not showcase your work quite as well as a dedicated portfolio, but it's ideal for making a sale or two.

It's still possible to place a large image wherever you need it, as well as highlight some of your work but this is less of a portfolio website and more one that keeps things simple for anyone with a small product lineup. If you're already well established as a visual artist, Brine gets straight to the point.

Ortiz offers creatives the opportunity to put themselves and their work front and center, with blocks to showcase their images, business philosophy, services, testimonials, and more. Appointment integration lets clients book time with you with ease, while the social icons and email list signup in the footer allow you to grow your following. The gallery-style layout of Ortiz is perfect for showcasing your work in a visual format and allows plenty of space between the different page elements to let the eye rest and appreciate the content.