-
Artist Storytelling: People buy your art for the story
BE A STORYTELLER When it comes to creating art, the visual effect is only half the battle. You must also craft the story behind your work. Think about it: How many times has someone asked you, “What does your art mean?” How many speculate about why Mona Lisa is smiling? People love to know the why, who, where of your…
-
Proven tactics to make more time for art right now
THE TIME IS NOW It always seems like there’s not enough time for art. Life gets in the way. School, work and family take up so much of our time, no matter how great our desire to create more, accomplish more, BE more. The truth is, you can’t keep doing the same things and wait for the free time to…
-
How to Make an Art Portfolio
YOUR BEST ART IN ONE PLACE Most successful artists have a place where all of their best creations are showcased. If you’d like to be able to easily refer other to look at your work, it’s important to know how to make an art portfolio before you begin. MAKE IT ONLINE AND HARDCOPY Depending on which audience you’re showing your…
-
Overwhelmed with Art Commissions? Try these 5 Strategies
GET FREELANCE FREEDOM For many freelance illustrators, juggling commissions and clients can be a burden. But if you’re feeling overwhelmed by your workload, there’s a strategy to getting the type and amount of commission work you want. 1. TIME ESTIMATES When you have more clients than you can handle, you might start delivering artwork late. This not only makes the…
-
Productivity is about creating instead of consuming content
BE A CREATOR NOT A CONSUMER Today I’m sharing a tip that has helped my art career immensely. Once I changed my perspective on my own art and productivity my whole course of action changed. Here it is: Create before you consume. All successful full-time artists act as creators, not consumers. They draw, draw, draw, and only peek at what…
-
Be Yourself and Be Confident Enough to Share Your Art
BE YOURSELF As an artist or illustrator, it can be scary to show your true personality through your artwork. You may be afraid that others will judge you or that you may offend someone. But being authentic to yourself and your art gets easier over time and it can bring some real benefits to your life and your business. BE…
-
What to bring to an art show: a vendor’s supply guide
ARTIST VENDING Getting into an event as a craft vendor is an important achievement. You learn so much about yourself and how people will receive your artwork. But if you’ve never sold as a vendor before, what materials do you bring to set up? Here’s everything you need to know when preparing for an art show. YOUR ART The…
-
Build a DIY art studio without paying for space
STUDIO TIME As an artist, you begin to need your own space. Your giant jar of paintbrushes, extra canvasses and countless paints, pencils, and programs start to pile up and suddenly the “do it wherever I can fit it” approach doesn’t cut it anymore. This calls for your own art studio. And it can be easy to build your own…
-
Pricing your art: 9 things to consider (that most forget)
PRICE WITH CONFIDENCE To make money, you have to price your art. This is a high-pressure decision for many artists because it means placing numerical value on our most prized creations. But pricing your art doesn’t have to be nerve-wrecking and don’t worry — you can and should change it later anyway. There are a few main factors to consider…
-
How to brand yourself as an artist people will remember
BE MEMORABLE I preach about making a brand for yourself a lot because I think it’s so important for kicking off your career. But many artists question how useful it is or ask how you even go about “branding” yourself. (Hint: no hot metal is required for this one.) Every company has a brand, and if you want to elevate…
