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Reviewing your art: 3 tips to get clarity
LOOK BACK TO MOVE FORWARD Everyone critiques their own artwork — or at least they spend a lot of time criticizing it. Any rough review can be discouraging. Adding a pinch of strategy when reviewing your art will take it from negative self-talk to constructive ideas. Today I’m gonna give you three big tips for analyzing your work so you can move forward and progress instead of wallowing at your current level of artistry. It’s time to move forward. It’s time to make better art. 1. ASK BETTER QUESTIONS Your brain is like a computer. When you ask it a question, it will answer that specific question. When you ask,…
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Picking color schemes: psychology, strategy of color
COLOR IS POWERFUL Did you know that color can influence the way you taste your food? It can increase the effectiveness of placebos. Color schemes can make women look more or less attractive to men. It can draw your attention to danger and effect your emotion just by looking at certain hues. As artists, color is a powerful choice. Color can influence how people feel when they look at your work. Certain colors encourage different buying patterns in your customers. Consistent color can increase brand recognition. What colors are you using and how are they affecting your business? PSYCHOLOGY OF COLOR Whether or not you stick to a definitive color…
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Build a personal brand and make real connections
IN YOUR OWN IMAGE There’s something in your creative business that will bring you success in all the ways: more sales, a bigger following on social media, a more deeply committed audience, more opportunities in your local art community, etc. Are you ready to know what it is? A personal brand. Now it’s easy to talk about a visual brand. This is something I specialize in. Picking colors, fonts, textures, filters, and every aesthetic detail is fun and it’s easy for other people to see if you’re doing it well or not. A personal brand is similar, but it goes deeper — and the average passerby may not be able…
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A mood board is the secret to consistent artist branding
BUILD YOUR BRAND WITH BOARDS Mood boards are the perfect way to begin building your artistic business brand. You can keep them for reference when making decisions on the look, feel and message of your brand and truly personalize them. Before we get into how to use them, let’s talk about what it is, exactly. WHAT IS A MOOD BOARD? Sometimes called an “inspiration board” or “vision board,” it’s basically a collage of images, text, and whatever else that expresses a particular vibe or goal you’re striving for. Traditionally they were made with foam panels or cork boards and you could pin things to them manually. Anything from magazine clippings…
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Why You Need an Art Portfolio ASAP
CREATE SOMETHING YOU OWN If you don’t have a portfolio for your art yet because you think it’s not the most pressing issue, or you think you don’t need one, I’m here to convince you otherwise. Preparing a platform specifically to strut your stuff — whether online or hardcopy (preferably both) — can change your career for the better. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity, right? So you need to be prepared when opportunity knocks, and having a curated portfolio is the best way to get ready. Here are 4 strong reasons having a portfolio is a MUST for professional artists: 1. IT’S CONVENIENT It’s convenient for others and for…
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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 work to, you’ll need to make an art portfolio that fits the way they prefer to consume content. Not every gallery or cute downtown shop is run by a 20-something entrepreneur. Many businesses, galleries, and art-loving establishments are run by an older generation that values hardcopy visuals. The effort put…
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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 your own business, essentially you have to create your own theme, mood, style, and brand. The purpose is that you want people to be able to recognize your work immediately when they see it (assuming they’ve seen it before). You want people to know exactly what style to expect when…
