Artist Alley: a podcast for amateur artists and commissioners

http://www.artframing.com/schools/index.htm

Updating with a new Theme

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 21:19:46 +0000

Please bear with us as the site goes through whirlwind of new changes.

8/9 9AM… o.O

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 01:32:55 +0000

This is gonna be totally friggin kickass

Artist Alley #29 - Super Orgy of ArtistAlley Info, part 3!

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 02:54:27 +0000

Welcome to our three-part (that’s 3!!!) series on General Artist Alley Information.

Lots of people go to cons. Some of those people are Artists who may want to sell things in the Artist Alleys. So, here’s a chance for those of you who don’t have much experience with this to get some tips!

Framework provided by [Kako] from Gaia Online. Her thread can be found here.
We have combined our knowledge with tips from veteran AA sellers who responded in Kako’s thread, so know that the advice we are giving comes from a collaboration. To see specific contributors, visit the thread; it’s linked above.

Part 1: Getting the Table
Part 2: Preparing to Sell (this week!!!)
Part 3: At the Con

Part C- At the Con:
1. How early should one arrive to be sure of reserving a good table?

• As early as possible.
• At least an hour ahead
• Read convention policy to know when you can check in and if you need to have your badge already
• Having time to set up before the Alley opens to the public is a plus

2. When setting up one’s table, what sort of layout would you suggest?

• Portfolio/binder so people can flip through
• Frame above the table to hang prints from
• Protector sleeves
• If you have adult material in your folder, it’s best to mark them
• Small easel on one end with a painting to catch the eye
• Crate of prints
• It’s all about catching the eye.
• I put my most widely accepted print in front.
• Small things in front and larger in back.
• Odd numbers work well for groupings… threes and fives… not twos and fours. People are more hesitant to ‘disrupt’ an even-looking display.
• Space to do commissions and/or eat
• Vertical displays

3. There are some pretty bratty congoers out there. How would you suggest dealing with assholes?

• Maybe ignore them?
• Play stern, but nice as well.
• Manners is another thing to consider, since it’s like a small business ^^
• Try not to light them on fire.
• Ignore them… ask them to leave. Tell them sorry that you can’t help them… alert security if you have to.
• I’d bet your neighboring artists will back you up too, you’re not alone.

4. Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. What issues should one be prepared for when running a table at the Artists alley?

• Prepare dollar bills and 5 dollar bills for changes.
• Bring a CD of your prints in case you sold out, you can always make more copy at nearby Kinko/Officemax.
• Watch your money and valuables. There had been cases of people have their valuable items stolen.
• Some people make too many prints and don’t get their money’s worth back from sold merchandise ^^;
• And always make sure you have a table buddy or that you trust the guy or gal next to you - you will need to go to the bathroom at an inopportune time, it’s just how it works.
• Snacks and drinks are a great idea since con food can be really expensive. Bring something salty, something sweet, something with protein. I also bring Gatorade because it has electrolytes.
• Squatters – again, don’t take their shit if they give you any. Politely ask them to leave, and if they don’t…

5. Anything else?

• Get to know the artists sitting next to you, you never know when they can lend you a helping hand. Not to mention it’s always nice to meet other artists.
• Take some business cards or something. You can go to an office store and print your own for like $10 or something - it’s a pretty easy way to look professional.
• Bring a camera ^^ I didn’t get around much since I spent most of my time at the table, and I wanted to get lots of pictures of cosplayers. As it turns out, your table is a great place to take pictures of people ^^ A lot of cosplayers will come by throughout the day~
• Many people have lock boxes. I suggest taking excess amounts (you don’t need a fistful of $20s) and hiding it in a secure place, so when making change they don’t see how much you have. When people ask how you’re doing give them a really general answer, don’t be like ‘OMG I’ve made over $100 already!’
Listen: MP3 or Subscribe to the RSS feed

Artist Alley # 28 - Matting and Framing

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 21:36:39 +0000

Mica’s utmost apologies for the week delay!

Hey everybody! Today we talk about matting and framing. But first, Nuri’s car trouble and Michelle might be teaching kids to write.

Our Comic: Seeing In Stereo

Mike’s Comic: UnderMoose!
Matting and Framing

Why do it?
• Makes art more durable
• More visually appealing
• Higher purchase value
• Ease of display

There are dedicated schools that teach framing! Links:

Do it yourself or pay someone?
• What are you framing?

o Posters, prints
o Original art
o Documents and certificates

• Price

o Are you trying to sell it and make money?
o How much are you selling it for?
o If for you, how much value is there in getting a high quality frame job?
o Frame cost should be comparable to art value

• How much time do you have?

o Time can be money; if you spend more timing framing your art than it would take to pay for the frame, don’t
o If you are Bill Gates, don’t frame your own pictures. If you are Bill Gates, why are you listening to our podcast? Donate plzkthx!!!
o Are you willing to spend the time to learn to do it well?
o Do you have access to the materials needed?

Terms and Jargon
• Not all of these things are in every frame job!

• Outer Frame: the thing that most people call a frame; the outside border of wood, metal, or plastic.
• Glaze: The glass, acrylic, or plastic clear sheet that goes in front of the art or document that protects
• Matte: An additional layer between the document or art and the glaze. Usually rectangular with a smaller rectangular cut out in the middle to display the work. Can be colored, patterned, and/or textured. Keeps picture separated from glaze to prevent condensation damage.
• Back Matte Board: a back matte that is sometimes added to protect the work from damage. Artwork may be hinged to it.
• Hinging: an acid-free method of attaching an object to a matte to allow it to expand and contract
• Backing Board: Helps fill up any additional space in the frame and protects the back of the work
• Rabbet: the space within the frame where the artwork and other filler is located
• Moisture Barrier: Goes between backing board and dust cover. Keeps moisture from getting to the art if the object is hanging on an outside wall: polyester film or polypro
• Dust Cover: Keeps dust out of the assembly. Covers absolute back of frame.
• Dry Mounting: BAD for valuable artwork. Heating piece to permanently adhere it to foam core board of cardboard backing.

What to look for in a Professional Framer:
• Ask about their procedures to make sure they are appropriate for your objects
• Listen to our podcast and do research to find out what procedures are appropriate

Procedures!

DO NOT:
• Dry Mount if art is valuable!
• Handle work excessively without gloves: skin oils
• Use any sort of fixative that is not acid free or designed for the specific material on which you use it.
• Laminate
• Glues
• Pressure-adhesive tape
• Store work in moist or dusty conditions, outside
• Hang in direct sunlight
• Hang above major heat sources

Matting:
• Many different methods and opportunities for creativity
• Make sure your matte goes well with your piece; it is important that it
• Quick Fix: to hang or display art functionally; not for sale!

o Michelle and Vicki talk about it, but mostly Michelle

• Pre-cut Mattes: Make sure it’s acid free

o Come to fit standard paper sizes; bring in your paper to make sure you chose the right size
o Often lack great selection in colors and patterns
o Easy, slightly more expensive than non-cut matte board
o Suitable for matting small numbers of things
o Good if you can’t cut in a straight line!

• Cutting your Own: Make sure it’s acid free!

o Buying large sheets (32×40) of matte board
o Pencil, Matte Board, Box Cutter, Straight edge
o $20-40 handheld matte cutter to hold your blade at a 45 degree angle to bevel the interior cut edges
o Great for people who make various sizes of work
o Good if you have irregular sizes to frame
o Can be cheaper if you have the time
o Many options for mattes and combinations

• Tutorial for cutting a matte
Framing:
• Usually get a pre-made frame
• It should compliment your ensemble
• Wood or metal for decent art
• Wood frames should be lined with barrier of some type to prevent chemicals in the wood from transferring to the matte
• Never use pressure-sensitive tape like scotch tape for things that need to be preserved
• Glaze should be either glass or acrylic sheets
• For best results work should be separated from glaze
• UV filtration in glazing

Listen: MP3 or Subscribe to the RSS feed

Artist Alley #27 - Super Orgy of ArtistAlley Info, part 2!

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 03:44:35 +0000

Mica bad for the late podcast D: <3

What’s up, guys?

Vicki had surgery…it was awesome, and she has a purple cast. Mica has a new job!
Otakon stuff, cars.
Welcome to our three-part (that’s 3!!!) series on General Artist Alley Information.

Part 1: Getting the Table
Part 2: Preparing to Sell (this week!!!)
Part 3: At the Con

Preparing to Sell

1. What sort of merchandise would you advise selling?
• Prints, mostly small and some large if you have some nice work
• Chibi art on stickers, bookmarks, magnets, etc
• Useable things like buttons, T-shirts, and more unique things like bags or sketchbooks
• Jewelry or small accessories like iron-ons
• Popular series fan art: be conscientious of the convention’s rules regarding such material
• Commissions if you are prepared to take the time to do them at the con. Have samples of the quality you can produce on demand.
• Unique cool things; duct tape creations, dolls, patchwork projects, anything involved with geeky stuff.
2. What sort of merchandise would you advise against selling?

• Overpriced or expensive items: under $20 sells much more easily
• Bootleg items are a big NO!
• Things not made by you
• Poorly constructed or fragile items; package items appropriately
• Check the weapons policy of the con
3. What sort of stuff sells best?
• Prints of fan art; recognizable characters and low prices
• GOOD original art that intrigues.
• Mixture of things
• Cute stuff sells really well, especially fanart
• Useable accessories like hats, pins, jewelry, etc.

4. Where would you suggest going to get things printed?
• Home printing: more control over print quality and color adjustments
• Local print shops: get prints at least 6 weeks in advance to take care of issues
• Here are a few online sites my friends and I use for merchandize:
o http://www.ezprints.com
o http://www.mpix.com
o http://www.cafepress.com
o http://www.bestcolorphoto.com/
o and http://www.deviantart.com ’s print service

5. If printing at home, what preparations should one make?

• Print a sample first to see how the color and brightness look.
• And print a few weeks before con, in case your printer breaks down or you ran out of ink/paper
• Try different print options and papers. If “normal” quality option have no visible difference from “best”, then don’t waste your ink by printing on “best”. If printing on matte paper is as good as on glossy, then print on matte cause it tends to save a lot more ink.
• Remember to have a nice spot to store stuff where dust and things won’t get to the art. Nothing worse than selling dusty marked up art.

6. How far in advance should one have one’s merchandise finished?

Between a month and a week in advance

7. Anything else?

• Take inventory of your items and keep logs of your costs
• Track how much you sell of each item so you can prepare for next con
• Research which printers are the best; we have had recommendations for Epson color inkjet.
• Early preparation and organization
• Inform people if you take commissions and outline your prices visibly; have order sheets for ease of commissioning
• You may want to have receipt books with you
• Make sure you have somewhere to keep your stuff other than the table.
• Have a transportation plan for your merchandise.

Listen: MP3 or Subscribe to the RSS feed

Artist Alley #26 - Design Class Projects

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 00:50:51 +0000

Vicki’s having surgery shortly before this is released! However, we record a little early, so through the magic of the internet Vicki is here to tell you all what is going on. She has a condition called “Flexible Flatfoot” which basically mean the Evil got into her feet.
Emails

No emails this week. Send us one: artist AT candycornstudios DOT com

Featured Artist

Bryant Holsenbeck
http://www.bryantholsenbeck.com/about.html
“Junk artist” – makes things out of old materials
Design Class Projects:

Black-and-White Collage
Letterform
Word Transformation
Trip to ArtSpace
Recycled Materials Collage
Bottle Cap Mandalas (more Mandalas)
Collaborative Painting
Handmade Books

Listen: MP3 or Subscribe to the RSS feed

Apologies, MySpace, Upcoming shows

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 00:39:06 +0000

Argh, moving has fried my brain! We have several shows recorded that just need some editting and some front bit recordy stuff, and I’m going to try to get some of that done this upcoming week. Michelle and I both started new jobs at the same time, and in addition I moved 3.5 hours away from her! Sadness…yes, but Charlotte isn’t so bad really. Just need to find the local hygienic geeks…

MySpace: Sorry to anyone whose friends request got denied on MySpace. I didn’t get on the site to approve them for awhile, and they expired. However, I am now actively maintaining it, so if you still want to add us then by all means do so.

And finally, since we’ve made you wait, a preview of upcoming show topics!

Design Class Projects
Super Orgy of Artist Alley Info, parts 2&3
Intro to Adobe Photoshop Tools
Clay to Wax: an overview of candle-making in molds (our successes and failures) parts 1,2,&3
Matting and Framing
Loads of interviews…If you’re at Dragon*con and you wanna do an interview, let me know!

Listen: MP3 or Subscribe to the RSS feed

Artist Alley #25 - Super Orgy of ArtistAlley Info, part 1!

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Thu, 10 May 2007 22:51:06 +0000

Oops…Nuri accidentally deleted this podcast, so we had to re-record it. Then the iRiver desided to reformat itself and without Vicki’s magical touch we couldn’t figure out how to make it work. So this podcast is a little late…sorry!
Exams are over for all of us, and Nuri is graduating! That means more time to work on projects like the podcast and the webcomic…it also means moving to Charlotte at the end of May, which will change the podcast format a lot.

Seeing in Stereo has gone live! The comic updates every Monday and has an awesome site designed by Nuri and coded by Vicki’s magicalness. No spell-check, I did not mean to write “grammaticalness.”

Welcome to our three-part (that’s 3!!!) series on General Artist Alley Information.

Part 1: Getting the Table (this week!!!)
Part 2: Preparing to Sell
Part 3: At the Con

Getting the Table

1. How many months in advance do conventions usually release tables, in your experience?

Varies a lot.
• Pre-reg at the con for next year
• 3-4 months before con
• a month out? o.O

First-com, first served.
Register before reserving a table, or at the same time.

Not always consistent from year to year – shit happens

2. How much does a table usually cost?

Depends on the size of the con.
Anime cons: $30-$40 full, more at Otakon
Non-anime cons: Wizard of the Coast, Comic Con, Dragon*con can go for 100 or more

3. How quickly are the tables reserved?

Very fast: Usually within a month.
Popular cons tend to get it booked up within two weeks.
Otakon sells out in 24 hours

4. What complications should one be prepared for?

• Always, ALWAYS read the ToS before you commit!
• Seller’s permits, tax affidavits
• Some cons starting a maximum # of prints of fanart allowed
• Minors will needs guardian to co-sign forms
• Lack of space: AA can be crunched, so assume you wont have much space behind the table
• Keep your reservation info together and bring it to the con!
• Find out the tax requirements before going to the con

Survival Guide to Writing Fantasy: Convention Survival Kit

5. Anything else?

Don’t be difficult to work with if you can, remember they got rules

The staff usually do their best – give them some time to work!

Since there is limited space: squatters who decide to take over your table. Don’t let them. You have a contract and paperwork on file with the convention and they probably don’t.

When an artist leaves (packing up their stuff) you can borrow their table. But LEAVE when asked and be gracious! You are borrowing something you didn’t pay for.

Don’t be crushed if you don’t do well your first or second year. Many artists are well established and people come to cons specifically with intent to seek them out. You have to give time for people to get to know you.

Business cards and a nice website

Treat your table as a fun venture and a chance to get to chat with people.

Also, some cons will just go better than others. Try to go to more than one con. The setup and feel of AA varies with each one.

Optional: What skill level would you suggest entering the AA at? If possible, please provide examples.

I’ve seen many different skill levels. Although it’s doubtful a beginner will get much business. To counter that… be cheap or make and sell cutesy things.

Listen: MP3 or Subscribe to the RSS feed

Artist Alley Special #5 - Distributing

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 01:25:44 +0000

My internet was out because of the windstorm yesterday, but we’re back!

This episode with have an interview with a distributor we met at StellarCon, Chris with Sci-Fi Genre.

Take it away, Chris!

Artist Alley # 24 - Preparing for Artist Alley at Animazement

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 00:10:25 +0000

Sorry it’s late guys! My fault.

Intro - We’ll be doing a series of podcasts on preparing for the Artist Alley at specific conventions, as well as a few on conventions in general. This time - Animazement!

Email - OMG emails <3 Thank you Rachel Ross!
No Featured Artist of the Week (Unless you count Animazement)

Preparing for Artist Alley at Animazement-

- Tables become available a year ahead of time and cost about $15 for half a table and $30 for a full table. The low price makes it a good first-convention for amateurs but try to look professional
- The ArtistAlley is in a hall way on the way to the dealers room, which increases traffic - 3,000 attendees
- The crowd is mostly teenagers and young adults coming to the dealers room and prepared to spend money, but they are still looking for “deals” and younger teenagers may have minimal funds because they likely do not have a job

- This means prints and small cute things go the best

- Also a lot of costumes; if you have a costume it will attract attention

- Most other artists have traditional, 2-D art with the exception of a few notable artists who are regulars of the con (wood burning, animal hats–> moved to the dealers room, purses, shirts, iron on patches etc.). Not a lot of webcomics
- ArtistAlley is open all night, although at night it can get cold! People do come by at night.
- Get someone to help watch your table, the last resort being the table next to you if you just need to visit the bathroom

- EAT and SLEEP. Also bring something to occupy yourself during slow periods.

- If you don’t have someone watching the table with you 24/7 then be ready to pack up for the night with little hassle. DO NOT leave your stuff at Artist Alley - it does not lock over night as it is a hallyway
- make displays ahead of time, especially vertical displays which are easier to see, and make them look professional!

-You cannot stick any thing to the walls. Instead, try bringing a larger self-supporting stand to attach displays to

- Are you doing in-con commissions? Be prepared with set prices or range of prices and examples that relate to what you can do in-con. Also offer to mail finished, higher-quality products to customers. A lot of people at this con seem to like quick sketches as long as the price is right.

http://www.gravyboy.com/
http://www.fanboyalmanac.com/
http://comicreview.thepodcastnetwork.com/
http://gravyboy.deviantart.com/

Artist Alley Special - GravyBoy Comic Artists!

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 04:20:12 +0000

This is our interview with the three GravyBoy comic artists Brian, Marty, and Danny with Jack Rabbit Studios that were generous enough to let us interview them at StellarCon. GravyBoy is a comic about a super hero that, through an error in spellcasting, ends up with the ability to fight with gravy instead of gravity. GravyBoy is now being re-leased in color, and you can check out a preview on their site (and post on their message board). Other projects of theirs that you should check out include a comic review podcast and a webcomic, Fanboy Almanac. We have several other interviews from StellarCon coming up in following podcasts. Have fun listening to the interview and don’t forget to check out their haunts!

Artist Alley #23 - Website Design

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 04:30:34 +0000

Intro -
Vicki gets a Wii for her Twilight Princess
We have an art contest for Convention Madness

Emails - None! :O Oh teh noes!

Interview - Mike Violette is a web and graphic designer with a lot of experience working for clients. AOL screen name: jerkwork Email: mikev@srcomgroup.com
Mainbit - Basic Web Design

- Decide theme/purpose
- Design front page
- Plan/Write content/pages
- Plan click-tree/site map
- What can you code?
- Use simple colors, few features
- Get a friend to check your site
- Is your layout intuitive?
- No Seizure Flash
- No/Few popups

+ Stories:
1) Vicki almost doesn’t get paid
2) Animazement cancels on Vicki

Artist Alley #22 - Basics of Drawing Animals

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 03:55:54 +0000

Intro: 1) ANNOUNCEMENT: moving to 2-wk schedule for the pod cast, that is, one every two weeks
2)Update on Card Game. Related Art Contest is Here. Not interested in Gaia but interested in the game? You can give us art to consider using for the card game

Rant Segment: Alley on Art Theft and whiners The ten minutes is worth it
Featured Artist of the Week: We have a what now? Shuvuuia is an excellent model artist for drawing animals because they have many different styles and many different animals, with good color contrast/detail balance to keep their subjects distinctive
Drawing Animals:

1)Form — Most animals share basic forms. For instance the back leg on a tiger is of a similar structure as the hind leg of an antelope, and for both, their ears are shaped generally like triangles. Learn basic shapes, such as a generic wing shape, and then modify for different animals.

2)Movement — joints have limited range of comfortable movement. Stock photos + real life observance are best for figuring these out

3)Textures — Techniques for common textures can also be used for many different animals: for fur, skin, feathers

4)Colors — What colors are possible with that species?

Artist Alley #21 - Protecting Your Work Online

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 04:08:52 +0000

What’s up with us?

Michelle - card game
Vicki - MAGfest: promoting Lights of Myndell. lightsofmyndell@gmail.com
Nuri - burning down the house
Email - Ally’s rant

NO FEATURED ARTIST XP

-Protecting Your Work Online -

Pre-emptive and Visual

Watermarking
Signature ON or IN the pic
Sign it AND include a tiny symbol somewhere that may not be obvious for identification
Low res copies online
Posting partial pics or pics with corners rolled up - Ruth Thompson
Website URL

Legal Protection

US Copyright laws: work is copyrighted once in tangible form: to get certificate, you must fill out form and pay $45
International copyright: NONE! Only a few international treaties
Berne Convention: international protection for art
Creative Commons: unofficial copyright system. Several different licenses to meet different goals. Website walks you through picking the one that’s right for you.
What Evidence do I need before I consider a lawsuit? (Actually, SEAL is “as little as $2 per 20 MB file!”)

Retro-active and Defensive

Contact person who is violating your rights and notify them of the situation; they may not know.
Ask them to comply with your wishes on the matter
If possible, contact website authorities, administrators, or moderators.
If it’s a private website and the owner refuses to honor your request, you may contact the webhosting system. You can find their webhost by going to whois.net and searching for the domain. EX. of domain with TOS prohibiting copyright violations: freepgs.com

Technology Laughs at Mica

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 03:50:30 +0000

So I was up late last night tuesday editing the forthcoming podcast, and it was with great delight that I saved the final version on my computer, looked over the show notes, and declared it ready. So why, you might wonder, has the podcast yet to grace the feed? Well instead of hearing that special “BAH-BAM uploaded!” like I expected, I heard a distinct “HAHAHA.” I mean I know it was late and all, but I swear I heard our website laugh at me.

Oh, I’m sure it was all in my head. It’s not like some dark force of irony is out to get me, right? That couldn’t be…right? I mean it’s not like the server saw my IP address, glanced at that sheet taped behind the counter that says “do not allow these users to post,” and then worked up an evil chuckle: ACCESS DENIED. Well, actually, I didn’t even get an error message. Oh, no, but I can feel the error message in the smarky way my browser sits there twiddling its little twirling uploady icon: “Oh yes Ma’am I’mma tryin!”. It’s not like the server could know that only I have the final copy of the podcast, and that I probably can’t get up with Nuri until Monday (or maybe tomorrow -_-;;)…right? T_T

The moral of the story is, “This script was not meant to be called directly” = …Private showing at my apartment? O_o?

Artist Alley Special #3 - Art Theft

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 03:16:53 +0000

This is our Christmas Present for you all! Yeah, it’s kinda late. We were both out of state for most of the break and we couldn’t put this one up until we put the previous episode up!

We thought that you would enjoy some amusing art theft stories! We enjoyed gathering and telling these, so if you guys have any more for us, or stories of any kind, go ahead and send them! We have a special “Radio-Drama” style story for you, as well as stories about music.

Artist Alley #20 - Making Prints

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 03:16:38 +0000

This Episode: Printers! and Mooky
Intro: We have Vicki with us today!
Feel the Magic — rub his tummy, rub rabbits
Twilight Princess
Yeah, we recorded this baby a month ago, so exams are long over. And Christmas is…coming? Actually, Michelle’s tree IS still up.

EMAILZORz. Send us art stories! artist@candycornstudios.com

Featured Artist of the Week: Mooky, of Dominic Deegan Oracle for Hire
City Limits

Printing:

1. ten little posters versus hugemongous printing runs
2. Website? or call
3. Product Options - do they print what you want?
4. Size of prints/posters - small enough, or lage enough?
5. Prices or price ranges
6. Local stores - investigate in person or call
7. Local businesses more willing to do smaller runs
8. Required resolution - 300ppi or better
9. Local businesses - come in to make direct copies, but ask for a preview!
10. Vectors - no resolution loss. Make sure local employees actually know how to use them
11. Minimum order - hopefully lower than 1,000!
12. Pricing Scale - Fixed price or Scaled? - budget + ability to sell + scale value = your choice order # The more you buy the more risk you undertake.
13. Print by order. Not sure how many will sell? Only print your item once some one has already ordered it. (ex. Deviant Art) Fixed prices are better for this.
Printing Places -

1. FedEx Kinkos - good for large amts or really small amts and last minute runs (during a convention) because there are a lot of Kinkos! Online print capability.
2. Poster Print Shop - Cool product options, incl. cloth banner, vinyl etc. Great variety sizes and material. No minimum
3. Small Business Printing - 1,000 min. order. :O
4. Paper Forest - reputable small business, we met through Queen of Dorks. Stickers, Magnets, bookmarks, business cards, posters. Min. order = 5. Big posters!

Artist Alley #19 - Updating Old Art

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 23:32:43 +0000

Intro:

Michelle sold a hat! Also, She finally received the earrings she has been wanting since Otakon.

Nuri entered a conbook cover art contest for Genericon in New York. The prize is two free passes for the con!She’s probably not going though…we won’t find out who wins until 10 days before the con and their website is still information-less. Kind of bad organizational skills, guys! Anywho, here’s the picture.

Here is the picture we critiqued last week: Mica’s internet was down so we couldn’t upload it. ;_;

Emails:

Samantha offers suggestions and a funny crit story.
Sam’s dA
GeekNights forums

Ally sent us a pic to crit.

Featured Artist:

Alex Bellofato
Ally’s dA

Icy Nora, the pic we crit today

Main Bit:

Updating art: to do or not to do?

Parasite ads: Killoggs Smack!

Making a new piece to address an old piece instead of updating the original

Don’t update or edit so much that you no longer produce new work! Step away and let it be at some point.

Ursula K. Leguin’s Tehanu
No Promo this week!
MP3 or Subscribe to the RSS feed

Artist Alley #18 - Hear a Productive Critique

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 04:42:15 +0000

Links and Images coming soon! Michelle’s internet is broken. ;_;
Intro

Michelle is crocheting a hat.

Exams are coming!

Anybody know how to filter comments on a WordPress blog?

Email

Ally sent us a picture to critique - next week!

Have you ever given a critique and had the artist go crazy, or gotten an insanely stupid critique?

Send us your stories!

artist@candycornstudios.com

Featured Artist

Michelle Ristuccia

aka Penden, Ketlin, Mica

Tends to draw animals or chibis.

Prefers drawing with Wacom tablet.

What programs? OpenCanvas!
Main Bit

Michelle’s intro asking for a critique.

Vicki’s written, formal critique which can be found here..

Nuri’s verbal, informal critique with drawover.

Both Nuri and Vicki’s critique, prepared separately, pointed out some of the same things.

For example: Their heads are weird, and the fountain was cool!

Nuri goes on a mini-rant about tree colors.

No Promo this week!
MP3 or Subscribe to the RSS feed

Thankgiving Break

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 14:38:10 +0000

In case you hadn’t noticed, there was no podcast put out this week. Michelle and I are taking a break for Thanksgiving and the end of school. Things should resume as usual next week, so keep an eye out for the next episode on Tuesday!

Also, we’re going to start a little project. Next week we will be critiquing one of our pieces of art to give an example of constructive and useful crits. If you would like to send us a piece to be critiqued, please email it to us! artist@candycornstudios.com

We are currently searching for short pieces by our listeners. If you have a rant, a how-to article, or an opinion on something that involves art, please send it to us! We can work with both text and audio; we will read text submissions, but we can also edit in an MP3 if you want to record yourself reading it.

Artist Alley #17 - Critiquing Art, Memai’s Rant

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 02:28:49 +0000

Today on ArtistAlley we talk about critiquing art, as well as taking it like a champ. Memai Shirosaki has some things to say, and we suggest some places to go for crits.
What’s new:

Scott Sigler, author of “Ancestor” and other podcast novels

Emails:

artist@candycornstudios.com
Patrick Meadows commented on the blog! His email address is updated in the shownotes, too.
What show topics would you like to hear about?

Featured Artist: Memai Shirosaki

Memai on Gaia
Memai on deviantART
Don’t call your art stupid!

Main Bit:

When Critiquing:
- No personal attacks!
- Say something nice first
- Follow with things that need work
- End with some suggestions for new elements that could improve the picture
When being Critiqued:
- Be prepared for a brutal picking apart of your art
- Don’t take it personally! Separate yourself from your work
- Perhaps set your piece aside before getting crits to help with emotional distance
- Respond to each critique
- Thank people who have given you valid critiques
- Announce if you are going to submit a revised copy of the work
Places to go for Critiques:
- deviantART
- artWanted
- GaiaOnline
- Post any you know as a comment, or send us an email, and we will add them! Eventually we may add this list as a permanent side bar item.
Don’t be an AssHat!!!

No Promo this week!

Artist Alley #16 - Basic Webcomic Basics, Interview with Aido and Brian

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 22:03:42 +0000

Today’s main bit is about webcomics, and our Otakon interview is of two webcomic artists. Stay tuned for basic practical advice about creating your own webcomic, as well as a “case study” of Nuri’s and my webcomic attempt.

What’s up with Us?
What’s up with us should be up with every one — it was the 5th of November recently! Did you burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes, or does my question make you scratch your head? OH EM GEE it was also Nuri’s birthday! Let’s all watch V for Vendetta in her name X^D!
Let’s Hear from You!
Today we answer two emails! A) Trinoc*con, B) Cool show idea! We’ll get on that!
Thanks for your emails!
Don’t forget to email us comments on our comic sketch! What do you think the final medium should be? How the heck do you write archive code?

Featured Artist(s) + Interview: Aido(Yuko) & Brian

Webcomic Practicum:

teamwork is le awesome. Webcomics require the integration of differing skills, such as writing and drawing, so being able to focus on one skill and divide the work increases your return AND your output.

plot and writing. Focus: drama v. jokes with punchlines. “Snapshot” writing v. novel writing.

visual focus: Personally, we like traditional 3 or 4 panel punchline-comics, and that’s the kind we’re doing! Ex. Azumanga Daioh

drawing characters, with emphasis on simplicity. Detail and size can get you in trouble!

writing & drawing process: what do you want to do and how long does it take? Do a few test runs!

final details: when do you have free time? When and how often should you publish? (How do you write archive code???)

See the process; some random comic sketches from Seeing in Stereo: Page 2, Page 4, Page 7

No Promo this week; show’s long enough as it is!

Artist Alley Special #2 - Interview

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 15:31:07 +0000

This is an interview of a fellow student, “shadowshyfter” or Erin Darling, who uses various media to depict her favorite fantasy subject, dragons. Shiney!

Erin’s dA: http://shadowdragon252.deviantart.com/

This was the result of a chance meeting because she was working on one of her pieces in the hallway. I asked her some questions about her choice of media and subject, and we talked about her attempt to put together a portfolio to get into her chosen college. Every one wish her good luck and go visit her deviant art page!

www.geekfuactiongrip.com

Artist Alley #15 - Nature in Art

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 04:19:58 +0000

Today’s main bit is about nature in art, particularly “Land Art” or “Earth Art“. Our featured artist is Shadsie from otakon, who paints on bone and uses other natural materials. We also have a guest, Ember, to talk about natural art and kids. Are you excited? I’m excited!

What’s with us?

-Michelle put our own advice to good use and made a bowl out of coke tabs

-Nuri works at the Renn Faire and tries not to spend all her extra monies :O

Featured Artist:

-Shadsie from Otakon! Go look at her deviantart page– Wow!
-Paints on bones she finds after boiling them (very clean)

-Once lived in Arizona and prefers the drier climate there

-Was interested in art from an early age

Nature in Art:

- some artists use only natural materials in their art, and this is called “Land Art” or “Earth Art”

- natural materials can feel more authentic, can be cheaper to use, and provide a unique challenge

- natural art goes well with childrens! (Thanks, Ember)

- related links for further information:

- Land Art Artists:

Richard Long
Christo Vladimirov Javacheff
Robert Smithson

Promo:
The promo this week is for Geek Fu Action Grip

Artist Alley #14 - Building a Portfolio

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 21:28:11 +0000

What’s with us?
Michelle’s map Commission
Nuri is a Dendrology TA

Featured Artist:
Kerry! And we have an interview!
Kerry’s email

Building a Portfolio:
You want to have several pieces in your portfolio. There are 5 basic focus piecesEach piece should exhibit your skill using one of the following:
1) Light
*hard, soft, blue, red, etc.

2) Multiple Bodies
*complicated interactions
*will take a lot of planning & practice

3) Extraordinary + Ordinary
*makes a statement
*blends colour palletes & techniques

4) Flight, Perspective, Action
*Adds interest
*Is very hard D:

5) Scale
*short people have no reason to live D:
*where’s MY beanstalk?

+ Variety in Genre
*makes you more marketable
*catches interest
*proves you have a good attitude

Promo:

We’re playing a promo after the show today! Check out Rym and Scott’s podcast, Geeknights, at www.frontrowcrew.com.

Artist Alley #13 - Functional Art

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 22:02:17 +0000

Personal Anecdote:

Our iRiver screwed us over. We recorded episode 13 last week, and it turned out to be a blank file. That’s why this is late. Sorry. ;_;

Emails:

Ally! - Ally’s sister’s website

Featured Artist:

Queen of Dorks
Queenie’s website
Queenie’s dA
Queen of Dork’s unique art:
- *clay pendants
- *phone charms & necklaces
- *stickers

Functional Art, especially Jewelry:

*examples: QoD, dice jewelry, chain mail
*dice jewelry pictures
*use found or unique objects (polymer clay)
*3D or flat art?
*audience — who will buy your jewelry?
* geek references: Coin Bird & Domo
*selling platform: cons, craft shows, websites, ebay, etc.

Correction + Update

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 19:56:05 +0000

Mica, here.

Update:
Show # 13 has been recorded and features Queen of Dorks, whom we interviewed at Otakon. Following podcasts, such as #14 which we might record today, will also feature interviews from Otakon and related topics.

Correction:
In the show #10 show notes we listed our featured artist as “http://www.goldseven.de” when it should have been http://www.goldseven.deviantart.com

We have gone back and fixed it now– sorry!

Artist Alley #12 - Trinocon and Patrick Meadows

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 00:39:02 +0000

all about trinoc*con

email — pose ganking
different body types
give credit

Interview with Trinic*con Guest of Honor: Patrick Medows!
– Patrick does every thing, including court room sketches! Focus on: advertising & fine art
– memorable images are important; so is persistance, networking (including self-promoting), and diversification
– started with religious images as models, then comics
– credits good art classes & examples from other artists
– favorite things to draw: women, people, animals any thing challenging
– taking commissions– patrick.meadows@hotmail.com
– published: dreamweaver studios of asheville north carolina (prints) comic book covers Avatar Press, Caliber Comics, London Knight

Pimping the podcast– Katherdante’s flyer YAY +soon, Luciole

Trinicon Run Down:
portfolio review panel — Patrick Medows & Bill Johns
Tips: 1)Piece with Light 2)Piece with many bodies 3)Piece that mixes the extraordinary & the ordinary

Powerpoint on David Drake
Live Drawing Workshop, Daniel Trout: lines v. shadows
Art Room: Sarah Clemmens & Janet Chui
Rich Sigfried: podcast
Davie Beauchamp
Cristiana Ellis (Nina Kimberly the Merciless on podiobooks.com)
Stewart Jafe

Jim Kelly’s reading - homosexuals & DNA
John Kessel– Jane Austen meets Frankenstein

Rich interviewed us! Podcast

Nuri interviewed more peoples

CON OVERz. Post Con depression?

Artist Alley Special #1 - Informal Otakon Coverage

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 17:12:07 +0000

This is our first Special…which basically means we wanted to get something up but didn’t have time to do a full episode, so we’re giving you coverage of some of the stuff we’ve been doing since the last episode.

Trinoc*con coverage in Episode #12, coming soon!

Otakon, Pensic, Delays

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 15:04:46 +0000

Michelle, here! Nuri and I both had a wonderful time at Otakon, and Nuri left Otakon for a two week SCA camping trip at Pensic (sp?).

There may be some delays while my cohost is gone, but when we come back we have four interviews from Otakon and other material for you. Nuri sold dice earings there and we both attended a podcast panel. I bought some things at Artist Alley…it was all good. <3 See you soon!

Artist Alley Podcast #11 - Me, Myself, and I

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 22:17:40 +0000

Artist Alley’s Podcast # 11 brings you the ramblings of Nuri, Mica (Michelle), and Vicki as they talk about themselves and their art projects. Featuring an email about pose ganking and a new, cornier ending sequence. (28:03)

Opening: Today our show is about US!
We have an email! (psst, look for another one in our next episode!)
- Rich Sigfrit
We’re all students.
- Nuri: Forest Management @ NC State
- Mica: Psychology BA @ NC State
- Vicki: Associate in Science @ Wake Tech
Sewing crafts
- Animazement - Mica went as Chiriko from FY, Vicki as Tsukasa from .hack//sign
- SCA - Medieval Renaissance Reinactment
- Costuming and Anime
Writing
- Michelle: poetry & prose & RPGing
- Nuri: prose & RPG — collab project in the works
- Vicki: Collabing on a DS light game and looking for artists
  - email vicki @ snowtiger at mindspring.com
- Does any one else remember RPG Maker?
Singing & Music
- Nuri’s singing group plug: Acappology 101
- That one rap song we like
  - Nuri: “Woman with the Tatooed Hands” by Atmosphere
  - Michelle: “No Regrets” by Aesop Rock
Going to Otakon!
Going to Otakon? Tell us!
- We’ll be interviewing artists!
Closing: Michelle thought that Great Expectations was agonizingly dull.
Nuri refers to our goal-setting podcast. Other helpful podcasts:
- I should be writing
- Survival Guide
- The Secrets
- Geek Nights (for DS Light stuff)

Update on Sound Quality

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 21:49:43 +0000

Nuri got an iRiver which does wonders for our sound quality (and our editing time!)! <3

Artist Alley #10 - 13 Pieces of Flair (part 2)

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 16:34:06 +0000

News and Anecdotes:

Michelle is moving!
Kat’s moving woes
Oh my GOD I need a compressor and a good pop filter. Sorry for all the pops!

Featured Artist:

http://www.goldseven.deviantart.com
Watercolor exellence and LotR!
Realistic style

Email!

artist@candycornstudios.com

13 Pieces of Flair (part 2)

Group Interaction: multiple characters in one picture and pre-planning, relative size
Contrast between Planes: not Airplanes, geometric planes! Background, foreground, and main object should contrast. Focus and hardness, thickness of lines, color combinations.
Background and Foreground Details: distance from viewer = relative size. Lighting and shadow to emphasize details.
Interacting with the Environment: where are the characters? In the environment, not just framed by it. Creases or depressions where they are standing/walking.
Lighting: level of contrast, mood, color scheme, direction of light source. Emphasis on objects: they reflect light. Negative lighting. Textured surfaces, water.

Artist Alley #9.5 - Interview with our Featured Artist, Silencieux

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 20:05:50 +0000

Too long to put into podcast number 10, this interview is about 15 minutes long. So we put it directly into the feed. Hope you enjoy our interview with Alexandria, also known as Silencieux on Gaia and blue-vanilla on deviantART.

Shownotes for Episode 9

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 15:54:54 +0000

News and Anecdotes:

Scanner fiasco

Featured Artist:

Silencieux (Alexandria): DevArt
Interview will be in a separate item in the feed for length.

Email!

email us at artist@candycornstudios.com

13 Pieces of Flair, part one:

Lines: which direction does your artwork flow? Also, pay attention to the thickness and continuity of your line art.
Action: creating dynamic poses, photo references, passive versus active action, possible versus exaggerated
Camera Angle: foreshortening, using movies as references, upshots (worm’s-eye view), downshot (bird’s-eye view), frame
Body Type: make your physical characteristics unique and personal. Ectomorphs, Endomorphs, Mesomorphs. Make attributes appropriate to the character’s frame.
Color: Monotone (single color tone) vs Panchromatic (all color tones), complimentary colors, color themes, contrast, true-to-life color.
Outfits: Again, appropriateness to character and occupation. What fabrics are you using? What time period are you working in? Do your research. Add details to your outfits to give them flair.
Props: part of the outfit, or something picked up? Emphasizing actions with props, realism and using references for props.
Use of Space: don’t waste it. What dominates your piece? Where does it go? Law of 3rds.

MySpace page

Artist Alley Promo

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 22:46:39 +0000

Finally got around to making a promo for our show. I guess since we’ve passed our 8th episode and we’re still recording more, we can start promoting ourselves, ne? So for those of you who want to hear it, or if you have your own podcast and you’d like to play it, here it is!

Promo

Thanks to Matt Shepherd and Katherdante for the help. ^^

Artist Alley #9 - 13 Pieces of Flair (part 1)

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 22:04:06 +0000

So, we’ll soon have a podcast explaining our incredibly long hiatus. However, in the mean time here’s the first half of our promised Flair episode, complete with featured artist Alexandria.

I’ll update the show notes when I find my paper show notes…they’re around here somewhere. ^^; In the meantime, I’ll be uploading a promo for the podcast soon. I’m playing with pop filters to try to eliminate the horrendous pops you’ll be hearing in this episode…I think there might be something wrong with my iMic, since everything I hook up to it has terrible signal/noise. But it’s all I have to work with for now…perhaps once Pennsic is over and I can devote money to something else, I’ll see about saving up for a Linux box to record the cast.
Oh yes, and I HATE Garageband. Stupid program, with the freezing and the quitting and the loosing 3 hours of work!

Kurzweil Educational Systems (reading program)
BW-inc’s Painter tutorial

Assurances for the listeners

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 16:50:59 +0000

I know we said “next week” in episode 8. However, between Animazement, my mom having surgery, and various other work and personal interruptions, we haven’t had a chance to edit episode 9. We HAVE recorded it, and we’re not podfading, I promise. We still have plenty more content for shows. I will do my best to get episode 9 up soon!

Artist Alley #8 - Illness and Arting

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 03:27:12 +0000

You may hear some slight static in this one (#8) but the interview is worth suffering through fog horns in the background if you had to! I promise there are no fog horns because we don’t own one.

So why is this interview so special? Why, because our interviewee is a special person, katherdante, touching on a subject that I personally like: Art & Illness. She is, of course, also our artist of the week and we have some links for those interested in learning more about her:

Catherine on Deviant Art

But first you’ll hear a little rant about the Real ID Act (1 | 2 | 3) in the US. We aren’t paranoid. The government really is out to get us.
Then an essay by our featured artist helps explain background for the interview and hits upon our main theme as Katherine describes how art helped her through her illness. After the essay Mica shares her own experiences with art through Mononucleosis.

Then, the interview! Enjoy!
Show references:

Artist Alley #7 - Art Theft

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 09:19:11 +0000

No links for today’s show. Go to show #6 or the Featured Artist page for info on our Featured Artist of the Week.

This was a nice, casual show where we talked about Michelle’s honeymoon and then launched into a rant about art theft. Vicki is a moderator on Gaia Online, so she explains the many different versions of artistic stealing (oxymoron?) that go on.

Oh! Didn’t mention this in the show, but we have a MySpace page now! It’s here: MySpace Page!

Artist Alley #6 - Light Sources and Goal Setting

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 17:27:24 +0000

We’re back! We had a bit of a hiatus while Michelle wrapped up wedding odds’n'ends and all three of us got over various illnesses. Two podcasts this week to make up for our slacking off. So enjoy the new sound quality and enjoy!

Light Source workshop soon to come under the How-To section.
Animazement Convention in Raleigh, NC
Anatomy for Fantasy Artists: has a good summary of things, including a page on lighting.
How to Draw and Paint Fairies: wonderful book for painting techniques, also has a page on lighting that mentions some different things from the above book.

Featured Artist: Annie Rodrigue

The promo this week (at the end of the podcast) is from I Should Be Writing by Mur Lafferty. If you want some creativity tips or motivation to work on a project, this is the podcast to listen to!

No podcast this week

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 11:34:10 +0000

Sorry guys, between the horrible throat infection from hell that keeps me from speaking in more than a whisper and Mica’s busy schedule, we haven’t been able to get a podcast cranked out. I promise there will be one as soon as my throat heals!

Artist Alley #5 - Mekania Interview

artist@candycornstudios.com (Nuri & Michelle) — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 20:26:37 +0000

This week on ArtistAlley Michelle is on her honeymoon, so Vicki and I took up the slack. Unfortunately, I then got sidetracked by Spring Break, so the show is uber-late. And, the sound quality is kinda so-so…but the interview sounds super!

First we talk about my most recent convention, Stellarcon, and Vicki pimps one of her cons, MAGFest. At Stellarcon, many people doodled on my jeans. Among them, Raven Mimura, Remy and Jax, and Daniel Trout. Then, I tell all of you to subscribe to the RSS feed if you haven’t done so, and explain how (sort of) if you don’t know that kind of thing. Go to Podcast Alley to learn about software for downloading podcasts.

Featured Artist of the week: Shilin

Mekania is our interview subject this week. We thought it would be neat to get an art collector’s perspective, especially from someone fairly young. She didn’t have a microphone, so I did the interview over AIM and Mek’s part is narrated by Kat Hale.