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3 reasons you still don’t have a creative voice
BE HEARD Finding your creative voice. Adding your touch. Building a visual brand. Having an art style. Whatever you want to call it, you know what it means to look at an artist’s work and they just have it. The thing that makes the painting look like their painting. If you’ve been struggling to get to that point with your own artwork, there could be a few reasons why. Here’s the top three. 1. Not developing observational skills Observing the world around you is a skill. It’s a skill that will advance your art style by leaps and bounds because it will help you see your art more clearly. The…
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Art style and what it can do for your creative business
I talk a lot about art style because I think it’s the most important thing for an artist who wants to sell their art. Creating my art style meant honing in on qualities I loved in my paintings, and when I perfected my style, I fell in love with art all over again. What is an art style? Your style is made of choices you make consistently in your artwork. Line and shape, color palette, subject matter, composition, and texture all play a role. If you paint with thick outlines consistently in your work, that’s part of your style. If you never use the color gray, that’s part of your…
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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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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 illustrations — so tell them. Not only does crafting a story for your art open up a whole new door for your creativity, but it opens the door for others to connect with you. Not everyone can read between the brushstrokes the way you can — you have to spell…
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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…
