How to Choose Artwork for Interior Decorating

10/11/2019

How to Choose Art for Interior Decorating Tips

What benefits does buying original art have over buying prints or reproductions? How do you go about finding an original art piece to bring into your home? What are the main things to have in mind when selecting a painting? How does one care for original wall art?

If you're a visual/creative person like I am, you're probably well aware of how your surroundings can affect your mood and even your daily productivity levels. At the same time, it's likely important to you that your home (being an extension of yourself) is able to transmit your personality and individuality.

You probably like to live your days in an inspired state of mind and simultaneously enjoy bringing inspiration to others with your distinct style and ideas.

You know that your home is a big piece of your life. It's your place of relaxation, where you entertain loved ones, and where you make important memories.

It may even be your place of work (high-five!) or the space where you bring up your family and keep them protected.

Because of all of these reasons, it's important to make our space our own.

Many of us can fall into thinking that collecting original fine art is only for people who have lots of money to spend. However, with the Internet, it's easier than ever to find amazing decorative artwork at all price points. We're also able to connect with galleries and artists directly!

We can easily start our own art collections composed of a mix of pieces that speak to us and transmit who we are to the world.

We can find affordable art prints that we can hang up nearly immediately, as well as original paintings that no one else has and will last for generations to come.

Lots of people are ready to invest in an original piece but feel it's easier to decorate with cheaper, mass-produced art, or are overwhelmed because they don't have experience visiting galleries or simple are too shy to build relationships with artists directly.

In today's guest post, Madeline Dudziak, who writes for macfineart.com, is going to share some valuable tips on decorating with original fine art, as well as information that will help demystify the art-buying process.

Let's get into her article!

How to Choose Art for Interior Decorating
(5 Valuable Tips)

Once you’ve had a chance to settle into your home, you may begin to tire of the box store’s mass produced “Live, Laugh, Love” decor and may be longing for some proper art. It can be so hard to choose though, and there are so many options when it comes to finding the right art pieces for a room, that it can get a bit overwhelming.

When you’re first setting out down the road of fine art, you may feel out of place scoping out galleries to find a painting that speaks to you or that will suit a room in a way that will both let your personality shine and showcase the piece simultaneously.

If you’re struggling to figure out how to choose the right painting for your space, the next five tips will make the process easier!

1. Be Inspired

The first rule of thumb when selecting an artwork is to not stress about the decision. Unless you have a strict timeline, it’s unrealistic to think you'll just walk into a gallery, immediately find something you love, and hang it on your wall that evening.

There are many things to consider when looking to decorate and taking them all into consideration is important.

For example:
What emotion do you want your art to evoke?
Are you leaning towards a specific art style?
Is there are color palette you are trying to work within?
What feel/style do the furniture and other elements in the room already have?

Starting an art collection is easier than ever. You can seek new artists in local art events and social media, as well as browsing galleries both in person and online until you come across pieces that speak to you.

Follow these artists and galleries so that you can stay up-to-date with new work being shared.

If you're reading this article, chances are you're a visual, creative being. You're probably already aware that your surroundings can have a strong impact on how you think and feel.

Being surrounded by art that speaks to you is incredibly inspiring and can improve your own creativity. Paintings can be expressive of your personality and feeling, but they can also prompt you to work harder and feel better in your day-to-day life.

While art can be considered an investment, if you start buying paintings just to make money in the future, you’re rather missing the point and the opportunity to cultivate a higher appreciation for art.

Sometimes art can be used as a social status but don’t let keeping up with Jones’ stop you from buying pieces that you adore. While you hope your guests will feel similarly inspired by your home’s artistic style, ultimately you want to surround yourself with art that speaks to you.

Your home is an extension of yourself and should represent who you are.

Click on image to visit original source at Unsplash.com.

2. Seek Unique

While it can be practical (and cheap) to buy mass-produced art reproductions, there's nothing like being the sole owner of an original art piece that can be handed down for generations to come.

Nothing compares to the feeling of owning an original painting that an artist spent hours upon hours creating and has a piece of them in it. Not to mention, you'll be hard-pressed to find a reproduction that can outlast a well-made painting.

This said, you certainly don’t want to spend your time, effort and money on a piece that was sold to you as an original and really isn't. This is why it's important to visit reputable art galleries or go straight to an artist.

Whether you hope to become a collector or you just want to have one great piece of art in your home, buying original paintings from artists you love is easier than ever before.

The Internet gives us the ability to personally reach out to galleries and artists all around the world with whom you can establish connections and build relationships with over time.

3. Size Matters

Acquiring smaller pieces or quality reproductions may be a great way to start your collection and developing a relationship with an artist or gallery, but it's important to acknowledge that they have a tendency to get lost in a room.

You don’t want your art to look like a tiny island in a sea of a wall, light fixtures and book shelves. Most likely, if you're going to invest in an original artwork, you want it to be a focal point in your room. So go ahead and look at larger pieces! Showcase your favorite art and bring a new life to your space.

Of course, there are areas and rooms in any home that can accommodate smaller paintings, too. Think of entryways, bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, etc.

A good rule of thumb is you want your wall art to cover ⅔-¾ of your wall. Measure the height and width of your wall and multiply those numbers by .57. That will give you the smallest dimensions you should be looking for.

If that is much too large for you, you can always opt to create a gallery wall or group art together to cover the necessary space. Some artists even have groupings of paintings that are sold as a set, so keep an eye out for art like that, especially if you have a lot of space to fill.

Click on image to visit original source at Unsplash.com.

4. Hanging Your Art Properly

Don’t just eyeball it and pound a nail. If you’re going to put in the time and effort to buy an amazing art piece that you love, make sure you're giving it the respect it deserves and hang it up properly.

While certainly a room’s architectural design (wall height/width, location of windows, etc.) may dictate where the frame should rest, you will want to carefully consider what wall and specific location the piece should be installed in.

Consider the furniture and accessories you already have in the room. Does it make sense to leave them where they are, or will the room work better as a whole if things are moved around now that you have an important focal point in your decor?

Another huge element to consider is lighting!

I highly recommend installing the art piece on a wall that receives little to no direct sunlight. Sun rays can drain a picture of its vibrant color, which is the last thing you want. If you have a room with a lot of windows and sunlight that needs art, make sure to frame it using specialized UV acrylic plexiglass which will protect the paint from fading.

While there are exceptions to any rule, you should aim for your artwork’s center to be at eye level or 57 to 60 inches from the floor.

The next formula will help guide you through this process:

First, divide the height of the frame in two. Take the resulting number and subtract the distance from the top of the frame to the hanging hardware the frame has. Add this number to 57, 58, 59 or 60. Take your sum, measure upwards from floor level to that many inches on the wall, and mount your hardware there. This should give you the proper place for hanging art at eye level.

5. Tender Care

Aside from direct sunlight, another factor that can affect the painting is humidity. Make sure you choose a room and area with low humidity and no direct contact with water. Excessive moisture can damage a painting over time.

If your art requires cleaning, simply dust it with a feather duster and leave it alone. Never use water or cleaning products, and inform yourself on cleaning instructions when you buy the piece. The gallery or artist will be happy to provide tips and recommendations.

If at any point you notice that the art is becoming damaged, immediately reach out to the gallery or artist for suggestions. If you're unable to do so, another option is reaching out to a restoration expert. Cover your art with cardboard and bubble wrap for transporting to avoid further damage.

Click on image to visit original source at Unsplash.com.

Conclusion

Artistic expression and individuality are beautiful, powerful things. We're all unique and deserve to have inspiring spaces to live in that reflect who we are to our guests.

Don't hesitate reaching out to galleries or artists today and, just ask! I assure you, they'll be incredibly happy to help you, and you'll never regret starting this relationship.

Allow yourself the chance to fall in love with art and to truly appreciate the pieces you bring into your home. Anyone can become an art collector! The magic starts with only one piece.

I'd like to send out a huge thank you to Madeline for so generously providing all of this helpful information for us.

Visit macfineart.com to find amazing fine art and read more helpful art-related posts such as one titled How Color Is Used in the World of Art and Why Local Artists Are So Important (and How You Can Support Your Local Art Community).

Also, follow them on social media to find out news and when new resources are released:
Twitter : https://twitter.com/mac_fine_art
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MACArtGalleries/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv3Q8KUNmtB6Er9p97vLAVw

Thanks so much for reading!

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7 Useful Tips to Market and Promote Your Art

9/11/2019

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If you create amazing art and share it on social media, sales will start rolling in, right? What does it really take to start getting your work and name out there as a professional artist? What marketing tactics work for artists in today's world?

As I have shared in past blog posts and YouTube videos, being a full-time artist and making regular art sales involves way more than shutting ourselves in our studios, consistently producing work and blindingly sharing on social media.

Studio time is absolutely essential, don't get me wrong.

However, so is creating meaningful connections, as well as making time to learn about business strategies, marketing and sales. At least this is the case for all of us who want to get to a point at which we're making a livable income from our work/artistic skills.

As artists, we are creative entrepreneurs.

It's imperative to make peace with the fact that we're business owners and that we're selling products and/or services.

Meaningful, unique, impactful products that we should be proud to share with those around us!

No matter how skilled we are or how amazing our work is, sustainable success implies learning about business, staying on top of boring and tedious tasks we may not want to do (such as accounting and taxes) and creating connections with other artists/art businesses/art lovers. All this has to be done while consistently producing new work and getting our message out there in a way that is professional and coherent.

This may not be something us introverts want to hear, but we need to be able to talk about our art, too. Repeat customers or collectors buy our work because they establish a connection with us, the creator of the piece, not only because the artwork is nice to look at. And we want repeat customers!

There's a lot to learn, for sure. And it can certainly be overwhelming, as well as frustrating, when we're putting in so much work and not getting the traction we're hoping for.

Learning from other artists who are farther along in their journeys, as well as from creative business experts has been a huge factor in me being able to grow both my artistic skills and my online presence, which has led to exciting opportunities and sales. And though I have a long way to go still, I'm very thankful that we have access to others who so generously share their advice with us.

Today we have an article contributed by Erica Martin, who creates educational content for ArtworkAbode and has 10 years of experience in creative writing, Graphic Design and the online world. She'll be sharing seven key things that artists should make sure to start and/or continue working on throughout their careers that will help ensure greater, sustained success.

Without further ado, let's get into her article!

7 Useful Tips to Market and Promote Your Art

Unfortunately, there are a lot of artists out there that want to make an income from their work, yet don't know enough about business, or show any interest in learning about it.

Oftentimes, they associate negative emotions like shame or fear when it comes to business and selling, and refuse to see them as areas that can be creatively fulfilling and can grow alongside their artistic skills.

Marketing and sales are instrumental in an artist's career and success over time, and the sooner one is able to embrace them, the sooner the success will come.

I've met artists that don't even know how to price their work! Some have no idea how to earn a profit from their paintings and end up losing money on sales. Others drive away potential buyers by overpricing their work.

In Erika's blog post titled Essential Tips on Taking Art Commissions, she explains two common methods used by artists when pricing their work, as well as many other important points that will help you keep healthy relationships with clients.

Here are seven key things to start doing to market your art and begin gaining the experience/connections you need to grow your brand and make sales more consistently.

**1. Get in Touch with Galleries, Businesses or Event Organizers that Could Provide a Space for You to Physically Share your Art**

In the art world, it’s essential to create meaningful relationships and network on a regular basis. Not only with other artists, but also with people you could work with or could offer valuable opportunities to show your work in the future.

As tempting as it may be to spend all our time sharing on social media and online communities, nothing will replace connections we create in person, especially when we're just starting to get our work known and gaining expertise.

It’s important to approach gallery owners or venues that can provide a space to display your work, as well as establish strong communication with possible collectors who have already bought from you or have expressed interest in your work.

We cannot just connect with other artists and expect to make sales this way.

Visit as many art shows or related events as you can, whether you're displaying your own art or not. Have updated marketing materials such as business cards prepared at all times.

The more events you visit, the more people you will meet, and the more likely opportunities will come your way. It's as simple as that.

If the idea of networking makes your skin crawl, try to look at it as opportunities to meet like-minded creatives or art-lovers. Do your best to stay open and always approach every new person thinking how to can provide value to him/her, as opposed to what he/she can do for you.

Be on the constant lookout for art-related events, opportunities to participate in art shows/markets, and even competitions or juried shows (if that's your thing).

Charity events, non-profits, restaurants and small businesses can also provide great opportunities to start getting your work out there.

There are also artist associations or clubs where you can meet a lot of peers. Through participating in such groups, you can learn important business tips that have worked from others, as you simultaneously grow your artistic skills and stay motivated.

Artwork Before Housework Artist T Shirt on Etsy

Tote Bag for Artists and Crafters on Etsy

Visit the Artist Merch Studio shop on Etsy!

2. Build a Strong Social Media Presence as a Professional Working Artist

Now-a-days, having a strong social media presence is basically essential for all kinds of businesses.

If artists don't have a professional-looking website that is updated frequently and aren't consistently sharing their work/message (in a professional manner) on social media, they are missing out on opportunities to create connections and make sales.

You can’t just close yourself in your room and think that your art will magically find its way to other people!

Luckily, social media is available for everyone. Even those who don't like the idea of investing in advertising. All social media platforms give you the option to build your profile or professional page where you can share your work and engage your target audience.

What’s even better is the fact that most social media platforms come with some basic analytics you can use for free. These tools can help you learn about who is interested in your work and help you define your target audience better, which is very important.

Experiment and do research to learn about what works on each social media channel because they are all quite different. I'd recommend to explore a few different ones that you feel called towards, and then limit yourself to a couple that you feel work best for your particular situation.

Become an expert at those and stay consistent so that you can grow your communities. You'll need an audience in order to start selling your work.

Make sure that your online participation shows you in a professional light and that you are including links or contact information everywhere. People need to know what you offer and how to contact you at all times. Follow best practices when you're creating your profiles and pages.

With ever-changing algorithms that share our posts to our followers less and less, it's even more important to make sharing quality content a priority, as well as staying up-to-date with changes.

Finally, remember that social media is meant to be "social". You want to engage with people who ask you questions and show interest in your work. It's all about building those relationships, and not only about constantly sharing or selling. You never want to appear spammy!

3. Strengthen Your Art Portfolio and Make it Available for Others

All artists need to have a strong, updated portfolio where possible customers/clients can find their work easily.

It's important that your portfolio shows your art style and includes the kind(s) of pieces you're personally interested in working on. Remember, that it's important to commission yourself.

Always be working on personal projects that excite you and make your style shine, even when you aren't having others commission you.

Carefully curate the work you include in your portfolio. As you continue progressing in your career, weed out the projects that no longer serve you or make you shine in your best light.

Make sure to include information like size, title, medium and, if the piece is available for purchase, state the price.

Write an Artist Statement describing/contextualizing your work and your story. Why do you feel compelled to create art and what sets you apart from other artists?

4. Build Your Art Blog

Building a blog (or YouTube channel) is one of the best things artists can do now-a-days in terms of online marketing, as these help you build a community around your work and your brand.

Not to mention a blog is, by definition, updated with new material frequently. This means it's one of the best ways to build a strong SEO online. I will not be getting into SEO in this post, but do know that it's an essential component behind making a website rank in Google.

Websites that aren't regularly "fed" with more content, don't have a chance of ranking when they have competition from bloggers who regularly create new content.

For any artist looking to set up an online store, knowing about SEO and keywords is key as well!

An artist's website should include a portfolio and a blog through which he/she can share the 'behind-the-scenes'. Through sharing special insights into their life and creative process, artists are able to establish deeper connections with their audience.

Let people into your process! Allow them to see the work that goes into creating your pieces and what fuels your projects.

Whenever you have new posts on your blog, you can share them on your social media channels of choice and continue feeding useful, inspiring information to your audience.

Slowly but surely, you'll build a community and create deeper connections.

5. Write a Creative Business Plan

Believe it or not, artists also need to have business plans. Don't get scared, though! They don't have to be overly complicated or extensive!

A business plan is a document which outlines all your goals, resources and actions you need to take to achieve set objectives over time.

As Erika shared in her blog post Time Management for Artists: My Secrets for Staying Consistently Productive, it’s not enough to have a vision – you need to build a smart plan and stick to it over time.

A business plan reminds you of what’s important and helps you stay on course. Some of the questions your business plan should give answers to are:

What are your short term and long term goals?
Who is your target audience?
What do you need to sell your art?
How many new pieces can you make every month?
How will you be sharing/promoting your work each week?

6. Regularly Revise Your Business Plan

As a creative business owner, you're going to be wearing many hats. You're also most-likely going to be plagued with new ideas (shiny objects) that pop up as you continue learning about all the moving parts in your business and try to take advantage of opportunities that pop up.

It's easy to get off-track and loose sight of your objectives.

It's important to review your business plan every so often to make sure you stay on course and continue making steady progress towards your goals. It's okay if you're going slow due to life responsibilities, just keep your artistic objectives in mind and keep taking small steps in the right direction.

A year from now, you'll be happy you pushed on!

Make sure to add both short-term and long-term goals to your business plan and make sure to assess whether you are achieving those goals. If not, revise and adjust.

Things don’t always go as planned, and there's nothing wrong with adjusting your strategy.

You're going to discover things that work and things that don't as you continue taking those steps, which means you're going to eventually have to make changes to your plan.

You'll discover factors you hadn't initially considered that are impacting your work towards your goals. Things you'll have to include into new versions of your document and continue working to improve along the way.

This is completely normal! A business is a living, breathing organism after all!

It's important to stay flexible. You may even find that new, exciting doors open up for you that take into into a path you hadn't even considered before!

7. Never Stop Networking with Art Lovers, Businesses and Other Artists

As we mentioned earlier, creating connections is essential and people need to know about what you do.

Start shouting what you do from the rooftops and growing that web of people around you that you could possibly work with, learn from or even support.

You'll go far if you make sure to come from an honest, inspired and helpful place.

Try setting a personal goal to attend art-related events once or twice a month, or whatever works for you're own situation. Stick with it over time and it'll do wonders!

Reach out to other artists online and join artist communities that will help keep you inspired and consistent.

Just remember to grow that web through both local and online actions.

Once you're able to establish a good network of people and others have gotten to know you as a reputable, hard-working artist, your work will start promoting itself.

Of course, this takes time and persistence over time, so don't get discouraged!

As with any entrepreneurial venture, it's important to stay persistent and to keep going, even when some opportunities don't pan out.

It takes time to build a name, but remember that everyone started at zero.

I hope this post was helpful!

Thanks so much to Erica Martin for so generously sharing all of this useful information with us. For more inspiring articles from Artwork Abode, visit their blog here.

Thank you for reading and I wish you much progress and enjoyment in your art journey!

Become a Patreon community member to get access to:

-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Weekly sketchbook prompts to help you stay consistent and progressing your art skills
-Direct feedback from me
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Live Q&A sessions
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Tips to Keep a Well-Organized Art Studio

Time Management for Artists: My Secrets for Staying Consistently Productive

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Should You Sell Your Art on Etsy? + 5 Vital Tips If You Decide to Go for It

6/21/2019

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Should I Sell My Art on Etsy + Essential Tips

Is Etsy a good online marketplace to start selling your art? What are the essential things to know about as a newbie just starting out on this popular platform? Selling art online is as easy as just uploading your work and waiting for the sale, right?

As an artist just starting to make the transition from selling my paintings locally to selling online, I know how confusing and overwhelming it can be to try to make sense of all the information available to us about selling art via the Internet. Even picking a platform to start on can seem like an impossible task.

What if we start on one and it turns out to be a huge waste of money, time and effort?

And there's so much to wrap our heads around, even beyond selecting a platform or marketplace.

We need to learn about online marketing, which is a monster topic in itself that consists (among many other things) of creating a personal brand, building up an audience, learning what works on different social media channels and selecting the one(s) that works best for us, as well as consistently sharing our work/message with the world.

We need to learn about taxes and accounting because, make no mistake, as artists we are creative entrepreneurs. If we want to get to a point at which we're creating a consistent income from our work, we need to start seeing what we're doing as a business and not be afraid of stepping into our entrepreneurial shoes.

As business owners, we must be willing to consistently step out of our comfort zones, accept that we need to pivot or try something new when things are not working, and not be afraid to invest in different parts of our businesses. For some of us, this may even include looking for specialized courses and/or coaching.

Finally, and most importantly, we need to consistently work on our mental and physical well-being because our brands/businesses are an extension of ourselves.

The more time I spend working on building up my own business (which consists of many things aside from selling art online), the more I find this to be true.

It takes a lot of mental strength and deep-rooted determination to stay persistent with learning and implementing. To show up everyday, even when things aren't growing as fast as you'd like them to. To keep believing in oneself and consistently providing value, even when negativity is thrown your way.

I find caring for our mental and physical health is even more important as artists because, not only is what we do so personal, but most of us are working on both our art and all of the aforementioned things alone. We don't have assistants or a team to share our worries (or even wins) with.

I share the specific things I do on a weekly basis to stay happy and productive as an artist in my blog post/YouTube video titled 5 Essential Self-Care Tips for Artists and Creatives.

Because of all this, I'm incredibly thankful that we have the opportunity now-a-days to connect with other creatives around the world and learn from people who are willing to share their experiences/knowledge.

Today, we have writer and seamstress Annabelle Carter Short, who's had her own handmade business for many years, sharing a lot of useful information about selling on Etsy with us.

Let's get into her article!

The Pros and Cons of Selling on Etsy + 5 Key Tips

by Annabelle Carter Short

Click on the photo to visit www.pexels.com

Many independent artists struggle to start selling their work. Not because they're not inspiring or creative, but because they lack an understanding on how to actually sell their art. If you're looking to make money off your art, consider trying Etsy marketplace for a start.

According to Etsy 2018 numbers, the platform has approximately 35.8 million active users, 1.98 million sellers, and over 50 million products listed for sale. With sellers all around the world, Etsy is a marketplace that is well-known for facilitating sales of arts and handmade products.

But, what are the advantages and disadvantages of selling your art through Etsy? And, is it right for you?

Advantages

• It is convenient and has a more accessible set up than building your own website or physical shop.

• Through the years, Etsy has worked hard on its branding. It is already trusted and respected by customers looking for handmade goods. This is a huge help for starting businesses that haven't yet built up an audience or fanbase.

• Etsy has a blog, forums and a lot of resources for users on everything from product photography, customer care, packaging, taxes, branding your shop and much more.

• This platform has a targeted customer base. The audience here is not looking for mass products, and not necessarily for the cheapest ones either. Uniqueness (and quality) is what will sell.

• You can open up your shop for free in a matter of minutes and the fees taken by Etsy when a seller uploads a new product, as well as what it takes when a sale gets made, are very low compared to other selling platforms (like Amazon and eBay) or setting up your own e-commerce website.

• When you get a sale, the money is transferred to you immediately, as opposed to other markets like eBay.

Disadvantages

• Etsy has frequent updates and you will need to always keep learning and adapting to change.

• Competition is fierce (especially for certain niches like jewelry, hair accessories, printables, etc.) and you cannot rely on the platform's search field to be your one and only traffic source. This means that you have to be very hands-on about sharing your work and growing an audience that you can promote it to.

• Though Etsy's fees are a lot lower than other marketplaces like eBay and Amazon, you will have to take them into account, as well as your shipping costs, when you are setting your prices.

• Having a shop on Etsy, means you have your shop on someone else's property. According to their Terms of Service, they can choose to suspend or close your store at any point in time if they feel you aren't playing by their rules. This means, you have to take time reading these documents carefully.

*Verdict

If you're looking to start selling your art online, Etsy is a great option. Through this experience, you'll be able to gain knowledge on the basics you need to succeed online like pricing, customer service, shipping, taxes, and marketing products effectively.

A lot of handmade businesses start on Etsy and move on to creating their own website/e-commerce store after gaining such experience and traction. Many of them keep selling on Etsy even after setting up their own independent shops, because they know the unique opportunities this presence can bring them.

To start on the right foot, you'll need to put some effort into understanding the platform, and how to maximize your business potential. As mentioned above, the competition is high, but that doesn’t mean there is no space for you. You just need to learn how to make people notice your shop.

Here are five essential tips for you.

1. Build your brand

To run a successful Etsy shop, you'll need to work on your branding. Branding is much more that just a logo.

Create and build a brand based on your target market and your unique offer. Besides the aesthetic aspects such your logo, color palette and the look and feel of your photos, you should also study which kinds of words and ideas you'll be using to communicate and connect with your audience.

What messaging can you use to transmit your mission and values? What sets you apart from your competitors?

Good branding is what will make people remember your business.

With your brand in mind, set up your shop for success by creating a cover photo, adding your bio, and even creating a welcoming video for your customers. Make sure to also include polices and not leave any fields blank.

2. Make your product stand out

Do your research and understand your market and competitors. Understand what is trendy, but don’t fall into the trap of doing what everyone is doing.

Differentiate your work by understanding what makes you unique. Maybe you use an interesting combination of art mediums, have a special process or an unusual source of inspiration.

Find what differentiates your products and place them in front of the right niche.

Think of ways in which you can share your process and thoughts with your potential customers so that they can connect with you and understand the hard work that goes behind the creation of your art.

Remember that you are just as important as the art you create and, most of the time, people will buy art because they connect with its creator.

3. Visuals are everything

When people are shopping online, they cannot reach out and touch a product, which is why high-quality images that show the product clearly and in different perspectives is essential.

You'll need to invest time in producing high-quality photos to display your work. Having a good camera and lighting is essential. If you're taking pictures of paintings, don’t forget to also use a tripod, since it will help to maintain stability, alignment, and focus.

Erika offers some great tips on taking quality photos in this blog post.

When creating visuals to upload, think of whether your artwork should be scanned or photographed. Smaller illustrations or even paintings that don't have texture can be scanned, while larger/textured paintings should be photographed.

Also, creating mock ups of your paintings or illustrations showing what they would look like hanging on a wall can really help a customer visualize what it would look like hanging in their home. If you don't have an area to set this up at home, you can buy mock up generator files through www.creativemarket.com that will help your work shine to its full potential.

Finally, consider looking into photo-editing softwares that will help you with color correction, as you always want your visuals to represent the product as truthfully as possible.

*Interested in starting on Etsy?
Open your shop and start uploading for free by claiming 40 FREE listings here!

Click on photo to visit www.pexels.com.

4. Be found

Like with any search engine, you should make time to learn about SEO and use keywords that will help you get found. Strong keywords will help your products show up in the shopper’s queries listing.

Make sure you're using them in your title, description and filling up all available tags. Brainstorm these keywords first, try to make similar searches and check results.

Title –Be specific and detailed in your title and use words that shoppers are actually typing into the search field (oftentimes these are very different from words we would use). Focus on using the strongest keywords here and stick to the 140 characters limit.

Description – Describe everything you can about your product. Think about possible questions shoppers would have and reply to them into this section. Don’t forget to mention your artwork size, medium, supplies used, care instructions, and any other relevant information.

Tags – Tags are a word or combination of words used to describe your product briefly. You can add up to 13 tags per item listing (use all of them!). Etsy suggests a few keywords to your tags, which you shouldn’t ignore! They are based on the audience’s searches to related products and are extremely useful. Without these tags, chances are your work will be hidden from potential customers.

If you need some extra help into deciding which keywords are best, you could try EtsyRank and/or Marmalead.

5. Get noticed

Every time you publish a new product, it will be displayed on the top of its category for some time. Use this in your favor and don’t upload all your products at once. Choose the best time, when most of your target audience will probably be scrolling on Etsy, and upload your products then.

Another way to get noticed is by driving traffic to your store through social media. Make good use of Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and so on. Learn about what works best with each platform and select the ones that are right for you. These tools are the best solution to create awareness and engage with your potential customers.

Remember, social media is all about engagement, not only posting. Use them to create connections with potential customers and stay away from only promoting work you want to sell. Reply to questions, ask your own, and always think of what your possible clients would like to see.

Finally, start to learn about paid promotion to amplify your reach. Think of investing a small amount in targeted campaigns via Facebook and Etsy's own promoted listings and testing out different strategies.

Final Thoughts

Etsy might not be the perfect platform, but it's probably the easiest for beginners. You will have to learn about technicalities and selling strategies, but this is applicable to any other e-commerce platform.

Put some effort into understanding the algorithms, using keywords appropriately, having great photos, managing finances, and driving traffic through your social media. When you feel more confident, you could even open your own website and sell your products directly.

Annabelle Carter Short is a freelance writer and seamstress of more than 7 years. She’s passionate about selling on Etsy and starting a handmade business. In her free time, she likes to make DIY projects with her two kids. Annabelle also works with few organizations to provide the best resources for raising and educating a special needs child.

Follow Annabelle on Facebook here.

I'd like to send out a huge thanks to Annabelle for sharing her expert advice with us.

And I want to encourage you, fellow artist, to make time to establish your own artistic goals. Set a plan for yourself and get to it. Do whatever research you feel you need to do, but don't allow yourself to get stuck or overwhelmed with contradicting or confusing advice.

Take action and implement what you learn because otherwise, you'll never really know if that path will work for your specific situation.

Inform yourself, make a decision based on your gut feeling, and get to it.

As one of my business coaches always says:
"Clarity comes through engagement, not thought."

And even if a platform doesn't turn out to be the best for your own goals, you'll have learned a whole ton from taking action.

Finally, if you're passionate about your art and it's your dream to one day make a living from selling, step one is to get your skills up to a level at which you're able to offer original, quality work with confidence.

Helping aspiring artists progress their skills and find their voice is one of my passions, and I'm here to help in a variety of ways.

Become a member of the Becoming Artists community on Patreon to gain immediate access to content on Art Fundamentals, exclusive drawing and painting tutorials that I don't share anywhere else, as well as live classes and Q&A's in which I answer all your questions.

I'd love to help you out!

Become a Patreon community member to get access to:

-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Weekly sketchbook prompts to help you stay consistent and progressing your art skills
-Direct feedback from me
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!

*Click below to learn more!

Drawing and watercolor painting tutorials on Patreon

Time Management for Artists Tips and Goal Setting Worksheets

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Artists Around the World: Interview with Haydn Symons

3/15/2019

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*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)

Welcome back fellow artists and art lovers!

I’m unbelievably excited to be sharing another segment of my Artists from Around the World interview series!

This is one of the many exciting projects I’ve been working on behind the curtain, and I hope these interviews inspire aspiring artists out there to keep pursuing their passions, as well as help get amazing artwork in front of people looking to buy from or hire amazing creatives.

One of the things I love about being active in the online world, is that it enables me to connect with other art lovers and passionate creatives around the world. In the short amount time I’ve been working on this site,my YouTube channel, and sharing my work on social media, I’ve been able to get to know amazingly talented people that I would have otherwise never met.

Haydn Symons is one of the people I've had the fortune of getting to know.

He's an incredibly talented illustrator and designer based in the U.K. that has not only developed a unique and appealing art style, but has been able to gain experience working with world-wide clients in a variety of fields. Haydn designs logos and branding work for clients, as well as editorial and book cover illustrations.

Something I admire about Haydn is that he's constantly pushing himself to explore new subjects and techniques, and that his style and personality is palpable in everything he does.

A few months ago, he wrote an incredibly helpful blog post for us titled 3 Tips to Combine Watercolor and Gouache Like a Pro, in which he shares the similarities and differences between these two painting mediums, as well as useful tips to help us combine them effectively.

Haydn was very kind to answer a few questions I sent over and will be sharing with us how his artistic journey started, how he arrived at his art style, insights into what it's like to make a living as an artist, and much more.

So grab a cup of coffee, tea or your beverage of choice, and join me for this interview! :)

Interview with Illustrator/Designer Haydn Symons

Editorial illustration by Haydn Symons. Click on image to check out more of his work!

1. What made you want to become an artist/illustrator?

I’ve been interested in art and design for a long time and have been drawing since I was around three years old. I’ve always loved to create new drawings and paintings, as well as learn about art. I studied Art and Design at Secondary School, took an Illustration course at college, and finally studied Illustration at Falmouth University, which I absolutely loved.

Illustration covers a lot of industries, from publishing, advertising to editorial, which makes it such a exciting discipline!

Throughout the years I've developed my craft and style, and have learned what it takes to become a successful freelance illustrator. I'm very passionate about the field and am 100% committed to what I do. I believe this dedication is what has allowed me to evolve my skill to what it is today.

2. You have a very distinguishable art style! Can you tell us a bit about how you arrived at it?

I started developing my illustration style during my years at Falmouth University. Throughout this time, I experimented with different mediums and materials, and pushed the boundaries of what I could produce.

My style is a mixture of traditional and contemporary elements. I consider it to be eye-catching and friendly. The artistic mediums I use most are gouache and watercolor, but I love constantly challenging myself with new techniques.

After finishing a new piece, I scan it into Adobe Photoshop in order to tidy it up a bit and do any necessary editing.

My illustration style has changed a lot from graduating back in 2013, and has evolved through a lot of practice, into what it is today.

Sketch by Haydn Symons. Click on image to check out more of his work!

3. What would you consider to be the most challenging aspect about being a working artist?

The most difficult part about being an artist is the unsteady income. It can really fluctuate from month to month and those bills need to get paid. This makes people hesitant about becoming freelance illustrators, designers or fine artists.

It can be scary and stressful when you don’t get commissions or money coming in. However, it’s an amazing feeling when you're asked to work on a new project and get paid for doing what you love. Being creative and using your artistic talent is extremely rewarding and there's nothing like being able to make a living by doing what you're most passionate about.

I've found it's incredibly important to know about marketing, sales, networking and business in general, to become successful as an artist.

4. What are your main sources of inspiration?

My sources of inspiration change from day-to-day. I’m inspired by the things around me - everything from landscapes and portraits, to news articles and popular culture.

I’m also very inspired by fine artists like David Hockney, who has become well-known figure in the art world. I really admire his use of color. I also love more traditional artists like Caravaggio, Canaletto, Rembrandt and Edward Hopper. Alongside them, I’m also inspired by well-known illustrators like Oliver Jeffers, Mr. Bingo and Sam Webber.

Lastly, I gain a lot of inspiration from reading and writing on a daily basis. I feel these practices really impact my work positively.

Abraham Ford illustration by Haydn Symons. Click on image to check out more of his work!

5. What are your must-have art supplies?

Paint

My go-to art supplies include gouache and watercolor. As I shared here at Erika's blog, I really enjoy combining both painting mediums. The paint sets I'm currently using are both by Winsor and Newton.

I usually like painting the background/base of my illustrations using watercolors, and using gouache for elements in the middleground/foreground.

Winsor & Newton Gouache Set: Assorted Colors (10 pack) $53.99

Winsor & Newton Cotman Water Color Pocket Set of 24 Half Pans $26.00

Paper

I highly recommend using thick, strong watercolor paper if you’re using water-soluble painting mediums. Having to deal with buckling during the painting process is very frustrating and so is damaging our paper! I really enjoy using Seawhite Heavy Watercolor Paper in 350gsm.

Seawhite Heavy Watercolour Paper 350gsm - 10 Sheet Pack A3 (11.7x16.5)

Paintbrushes

Lately, I've been using a set of paintbrushes by HeartyBay that I acquired through Amazon. It's affordable and perfect for use with both watercolor and gouache.

Paintbrush Set by HeartyBay (20 pcs) Nylon Hair Brushes for Acrylic Oil Watercolor Painting

Software applications that I use on a daily basis which are very common in the creative industry include Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign to Adobe Illustrator. These are paramount for any creative.

6. Do you have any tips on how to stay motivated/productive as an artist?

To stay motivated you need to commit to creating the work that you love producing. Set goals for yourself based on your passions, and actually see them through.

Read Erika's blog post titled Time Management for Artists: My Secrets for Staying Consistently Productive to learn how to define life goals and set objectives to ensure you're progressing towards them every week.

As an artist, you'll discover the specific subjects and styles you like creating, whether they are portraits, landscapes, abstract paintings, etc. If you continue focusing on getting better at what you want to be producing, and sharing your work with the world, people will start knowing you for that kind of work. But you have to stay consistent!

It's normal to have to do work to pay the bills that we're not necessarily passionate about doing, especially when we're starting out, but it's essential to keep making time for self-initiated projects that light us up.

Whenever I'm struggling or feeling unmotivated, I always think back to my why.

Why am I a freelancer?
Why am I an artist?
What will I gain (professionally and personally) if I keep pushing towards my dreams, and what will I have to give up if I stop?

Taj Mahal illustration by Haydn Symons. Click on image to check out more of his work!

7. Do you have any projects you'd like to make happen in the near future?

I traveled a lot last year and am super pumped about creating a series of illustrated maps, soon! I visited some amazing places that I really want to document in my own way. My illustrations will help me remember those amazing moments, and will be awesome additions to my portfolio.

It's so important to include the kind of work you actually want to be doing in your portfolio, whether these projects are ones you're actually getting paid for, or self-initiated ones!

I’m currently working on a couple of illustrations for magazines, and would love to do more of this kind of work in the near future, along with publishing and advertising projects.

Aside from this, it's very important for me to keep developing my illustration and artistic style, and just keep producing and creating new things consistently.

8. If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring artists, what would it be?

My one piece of advice for aspiring artists is to not give up. Even if you keep receiving knock back after knock back, keep going. Learn from your mistakes, get better, and improve.

If you’re constantly creating, improving and putting yourself out there, nothing will stop you.

Keep going and never give up on your dreams!

New York Map illustration by Haydn Symons. Click on image to check out more of his work!

9. Lastly, could you share where we can find more of your work and news from you?

You can find my portfolio and personal blog over at www.haydnsymons.com.

You can also find me on social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haydnsymons/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/haydnsym
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haydnsymonsillustration

A huge thanks to Haydn, for taking time to answer my questions, sharing his experience with us and, most importantly, for inspiring us to pursue our passions.

Hope you enjoyed this interview and make sure to follow Haydn's work. I personally can't wait to see what he'll be producing in the future!

Cheers!

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3 Tips to Combine Watercolor and Gouache Like a Pro

1/3/2019

4 Comments

*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)

Confused as to what the similarities and differences are between watercolor and gouache? What are the main things to have in mind when combining these two painting mediums in one same piece in order to achieve the best outcome?

It's no secret that watercolor and gouache can work amazingly well together. This said, it can be difficult to get the most out of their combination if we're unaware of the differences between them, as well as how we can combine their distinctive characteristics to create balanced pieces that allow both of them to shine simultaneously.

Learning tips and tricks from experienced artists can definitely open up our horizons to make our ideas come to life more successfully, and this is why I've asked the amazingly talented Haydn Symons to write a post for us!

In today’s blog post, U.K.-based artist Haydn Symons helps us understand the similarities and differences between watercolor and gouache, and why they are so compatible. He'll also be sharing some of his expert tips that will help us successfully integrate both mediums into one great-looking piece.

Haydn is a skilled freelance illustrator and designer with a vast experience working with watercolor and gouache. Throughout the years, he has developed a very striking art style and currently works with clients worldwide within the editorial, publishing and advertising spaces.

Though watercolor and gouache are his favorite painting mediums, Haydn is a multi-passionate artist that constantly explores different drawing and painting techniques, which is something I really believe in myself.

Without any further ado, let’s get into Haydn’s blog post!

Make sure to visit his website to check out more of his amazing work and follow him on social media. Links will be provided at the end.

3 Tips to Create Amazing Artwork Combining Watercolor and Gouache

Combining watercolor and gouache can be a hard nut to crack, especially if you’re new to either of these painting mediums or to the world of art. In this post, I'll be sharing the main similarities and differences between them, as well as why they are perfect for each other. I'll also be providing three pro tips to keep in mind when using both of these painting mediums in one same piece.

If you want to level up your use of gouache and watercolor, look no further than this blog post!

Similarities and Differences Between Watercolor and Gouache

The main similarity between watercolor and gouache is that they are both water-soluble. Both of these painting mediums can be reactivated with water once they've dried. On the other hand, when we work with acrylics or oils, we can certainly lay down subsequent layers of paint to add to or further enhance the look of previous layers, but it will be impossible to modify the layers in and of themselves once they've dried.

In terms of differences, watercolor is transparent, while gouache is opaque. Most of the time (depending on the thickness of the paint layer), when watercolor is placed on paper, we're able to see the underlying paper through the paint. Conversely, when gouache is placed on paper, its thickness and opaqueness covers up the surface fully unless it's been heavily diluted with water.

Check out Erika's Watercolor vs. Gouache blog post to see examples of the same subject painted with both mediums.

Same pear painted with both watercolor and gouache. Illustrations by Erika Lancaster.

Many famous artists have used gouache to produce ground-breaking work, from Edward Hopper and Henri Matisse to Paul Klee. Famous watercolor artists include J. M. W. Turner, John Singer Sargent to Vincent Van Gogh, just to name a few.

Matisse’s famous paper cut outs were created using gouache!

I love painting all kinds of subjects (portraits, landscapes, etc.) integrating both of these mediums, as they mesh together so well. I’ve become quite addicted to combining them!

Check out this book cover illustration of mine, as an example.

Combine These Two Painting Mediums Effectively By Doing the Following

Even though watercolor and gouache can work very well together, to create balanced and visually striking artworks, it's essential to have in mind a few things that will ensure we're playing to each of their strengths. We want the two mediums to complement and enhance the other harmoniously, and develop a sense of contrast that will create visual interest.

Tip 1. Use watercolor first and gouache second

As previously explained, gouache is the opaque sister of watercolor. Because gouache will easily cover up watercolor, but not the other way around, it's essential to plan out which areas to paint in with each medium. Gouache is the most dominant of the two and you want to make sure that it doesn't overtake the areas painted with watercolor.

Watercolor is delicate and provides a transparent glow, while gouache is punchy and solid. By giving thought to how you'll combine them, you'll allow each to shine in its own way and create a more interesting, balanced piece.

Give thought to how you can complement them, depending on the subject you'll be painting.

It’s a good idea to start your painting with a watercolor base, which is particularly helpful if you've created a preliminary sketch underneath as you'll still be able to see it through the watercolor layer(s).

Another idea is to use watercolor to create a warm or cool underpainting for your gouache to build upon. You can also create a background using watercolors that will then be added to with gouache. Finally, you can start with a wash of watercolor to simply break up the dreaded white space.

St. Basil Cathedral. Illustration by Haydn Symons. Click on image to check out more of his work!

Tip 2. Create depth by using a higher color saturation and level of detail in the foreground

The characteristics of these painting mediums can be combined to create an amazing sense of depth in a piece!

If you’re painting a landscape, for example, you can create depth by painting the sky using watercolor and your foreground elements in gouache. Because gouache is thicker and more opaque than watercolor, it will add a bold, sharp punch to closer elements, creating the illusion of these being closer to the viewer.

Because elements further away from us are usually blurry and less saturated in color, adding further details to our foreground elements using gouache can really enhance the sense of depth in a piece.

Walter White. Illustration by Haydn Symons. Click on image to check out more of his work!

Tip 3. Use thick watercolor paper or canvas

Because you’ll be using water throughout the painting process, working on thick watercolor paper or watercolor canvas is essential. Using thin, non-suitable paper will make the painting process difficult, as it will warp easily.

I enjoy using Seawhite’s Watercolor Paper in 350 gsm to create my illustrations, whether that be for commissioned work or personal work. Whether you choose to go for this brand or others, I highly recommend using paper that is at least 300 gsm in thickness.

Another alternative is painting directly onto watercolor canvas, as this paper is already pre-stretched and will not result in warping and buckling.

Singapore Map. Illustration by Haydn Symons. Click on image to check out more of his work!

*Bonus Tip: Use plenty of water when creating watercolor paint mixtures, but leave gouache mixtures thick and undiluted

One of the major errors that I have come across when combining these two mediums is making them fight against each other by adding too much water to both.

To ensure we're creating a balanced outcome (and to make the painting process go much smoothly), use plenty of water within the watercolor mixtures and only a bit in the gouache mixtures. This will allow the two mediums' contrasting characteristics of translucency vs. opaqueness to really stand out and contrast with each other, creating a ton of visual interest.

Finally, make sure to have fun!

I hope you've enjoyed this blog post to help you create stunning artworks combining watercolor and gouache, and encourage you to give it a go!

Remember to have fun! When creating art we can get bogged down with advice and technicalities, and loose the whole essence of what makes art so enjoyable.

Keep practicing and you'll be onto a winner!

Cheers!

How have you tried combining these two painting mediums yourself? Are there any tips you’d like to share?

Haydn and I would love to hear from you in the comments section below. :)

A huge thanks to Haydn, for being so generous and sharing all of this useful information with us! He’s definitely inspired me to combine these two painting mediums more in my own work!

To find out more about more about Haydn and his work, visit his website/portfolio at www.haydnsymons.com

Also, follow Haydn on social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haydnsymons/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/haydnsym
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haydnsymonsillustration

Become a Patreon community member to get access to:

-Real-time drawing/painting tutorials with full walkthrough commentary
-Downloadable outline drawings, reference pictures and supply lists
-Direct feedback from me
-Downloadable workbook titled How to Discover Your Artistic Voice
-Instant access to a growing vault of original reference pictures that you can use for your own art
-Special thanks in YouTube videos and opportunities to get your work shared
-Participation in polls to decide new blog post and YouTube video topics
-Live classes and Monthly Creative Assignments
+ much more!

*Click below to learn more!