Becoming an artist is extremely accessible nowadays.

No longer is it gatekept by expensive materials and hours of practice. Today, with the help of digital tools, almost anyone can become a digital artist.

Simultaneously, the internet has made discovering artwork easier than ever. You can go online to find tons of digital illustrations, concept art, and even 3D renders.

Social media has had a huge part in this. People can share artwork they like with others in a single click.

But this ease of access has made one thing difficult. It has become hard to track down artists behind a piece. You may want to do such a thing because you want to support the artist, or maybe commission a new work.

If you are in such a position, then worry not. We have just the solution for you.

Start with a Reverse Image Search

One of the fastest ways to identify a digital artist is by performing a reverse image search. Instead of searching with words, you upload the image itself, allowing the search engine to find visually similar images or pages where the artwork has appeared.

Often, you will find that reverse image search reveals the following:

● Various social media posts that show the artist’s works
● Older artworks of an artist
● Other artists’ works that are in a similar style
● Higher quality versions of the same artwork that you searched for.
● Attributed artworks

So, you can see how you can discover the real artist behind a work by doing a reverse image search.

This method works especially well when the artwork has been published on multiple websites. Even if the version you have is cropped or compressed, the search may still uncover the original source.

How to Do A Reverse Image Search

To do a reverse image search, simply go online and use Google’s image search. But for more detailed and thorough results, you may want to use dedicated tools like image search by imagetotextconverter.net that check across multiple databases.

That way, you can find more results and improve your chances of finding the artist.

Look for Watermarks and Artist Signatures

Many digital artists include subtle signatures or watermarks in their work. These may appear:
● Along the bottom edge
● In one of the corners
● Hidden within the artwork itself
● As a stylized logo

You can read these to find out who the artist is. Even a simple search with the watermark/logo may yield impressive results.

However, keep in mind that reposted images are sometimes cropped to remove signatures, so this method isn't always successful on its own.

Search Portfolio Platforms

Professional digital artists often maintain dedicated portfolios where they showcase their work. They use that as a lead magnet to get more clients by showing off their expertise.

Common platforms used by digital artists are:

● ArtStation
● Behance
● DeviantArt
● Dribbble (for digital design and illustration)

If reverse image search reveals a username or partial artist name, you can use these platforms and hopefully find the original artist.

Check Social Media Posts

Many artists share their latest creations on social platforms before uploading them elsewhere. Commonly used social media include:

● Reddit
● Tumblr
● X
● Instagram

Many artists are active on those platforms.

To find an artist on social media, you can do things like:

● Searching using the artist's username
● Searching with keywords describing the artwork
● Relevant hashtags if you know about them.
● Character names or project titles

These typically yield good results and will either land you right on the real artist’s page or give you a clear direction where to look.

Look for Metadata (If Available)

Sometimes the original image file still contains the original metadata. Metadata contains information that can identify the creator. It includes:

● Creator name
● Copyright information
● Editing software
● Creation date

Although many websites remove metadata during uploads, images received directly from the artist or downloaded from portfolio sites may still contain useful information. So it’s worth checking out.

Check Community Forums

Art communities often recognize popular artists quickly. So, if you have exhausted all other methods and haven’t found the artist, posting on a community may net some good results.

Consider posting the artwork on the community. Make it clear you're trying to identify the creator. Someone may recognize the style or remember where the piece originated and let you know.

Make sure to avoid claiming ownership of the artwork or removing any visible credits before posting.

What To Do Once You Have Found The Artist

If you followed all those methods, then you have likely found the artist behind a piece of art by now. But how can you be sure that it is the right person?

Well, you can do some things to verify their identity.

Compare Artistic Styles

Experienced artists usually develop recognizable characteristics that appear across multiple works. So, check the artist’s other works and compare them to the piece of art that led you to check them out in the first place.

Pay attention to properties of the work, such as:

● Color palettes
● Brush techniques
● Character proportions
● Lighting style
● Environmental design
● Recurring themes

If the style matches consistently, then you have found the right person.

Beware of AI-Generated Search Results

Modern search engines increasingly surface AI-generated summaries and reposted content. While these can be helpful, they aren't always accurate about authorship.
Whenever possible, verify the artist through:

● Their official portfolio
● Verified social media profiles
● Original upload dates
● Direct links to their galleries

This way you can avoid misappropriating the artist’s work.

Respect Copyright and Attribution

Finding the artist is only the first step.

If you plan to

● share the artwork,
● use it in a project,
● or request permission for commercial purposes,

Then always credit the creator and follow their licensing terms.

Supporting artists by linking to their original pages, purchasing their work, or commissioning new pieces helps ensure they receive recognition for their creativity.

Final Thoughts

Tracking down the creator of a digital artwork is much easier today than it was a few years ago. A reverse image search is often the quickest starting point, but combining it with portfolio searches, social media research, metadata inspection, and style comparison greatly improves your chances of finding the original artist.

Even when an image has been reposted many times, a little investigative work can often lead you back to the person who created it, allowing you to appreciate—and properly credit—their work.