The growing popularity of artwork and the burgeoning market has encouraged the establishment of online art galleries by artists and gallery owners. There are more than 20,000 websites floating around selling art at the click of mouse.

Just log in and type in the name of the artist and/or price range, scroll the pages for a quick and easy access to artists around the world, consult anyone, and decide the next step, all while sitting at a table and without pestering art dealers. Online art galleries are exclusive web pages for a connoisseur or buyer to browse through and select particular works of art. It can be an online catalogue, a portfolio, a web art show, or a private art society. Along with pictures, one can find news, ratings, listings, and daily or weekly updates.

Equally easy is setting up an online art gallery"especially when compared with renting or leasing concrete spaces. Artists or gallery owners can create web pages through a subscription to site providers. Once registration is confirmed, enter a name for the section to place and maintain a web gallery. The next step is to select a design template for general outline, colors, text, and background for personal navigational convenience. This allows freedom to create and delete names and colors or to order pages to suit a particular online presentation. The advantage of an online art gallery is that owner can add text, images, links, categories, genres, dimensions, prices, artists, comments, and forthcoming projects to cater to a varied clientele in different states and countries.

For the first-time buyer or an art lover, an online gallery might seem an impersonal way to purchase artwork. But in reality, it appears a logical way, considering the time and money saved on scouting works of known and unknown artists. Whatever the advantages, there is nothing that can compete with the original viewing of a new painting or a walk in the gallery taking in the smell of paint smell and amiable settings.