This is the official Blog for the EBSQ Self-Representing Artists Community, where you'll find news, reviews, site announcements, and of course, a generous helping of art!
This week’s Friday Five is a collection of just a handful the amazing Youtube Channels to be had for artists.
1. New Masters Academy – Their Daily Life Drawing sessions are what I love most about this channel. Don’t have the time or means to sit in on a life drawing session? They have both nude and non-nude, timed sessions!
2. Will Terry – Looking for tips and advice on becoming a children’s book illustrator? Will Terry supplies this and much, much more.
3. ImagineFX – Digital Artists and Fantasy Artists will love the invaluable resources from one of the best magazines in the industry.
4. Blick Art Materials – Did you know Blick has been around since 1911? Their Youtube channel offers more than just product reviews. Take look!
5. Strathmore Artist Papers – There are a wealth of tutorials to be found in this channel, even entire workshops!
I’ll highlight more of my favorite channels next month. Do you have a go-to Youtube channel for art learning and inspiration?
1. Art Seen:Lunga pausa di silenzio (Long Silence) is a beautiful, dream-like watercolor by Alessandro Andreuccetti. The contrasting colors pulled me in!
2. Artist Guide: PACT published an excellent article this week by Armand Carbrera on copyright – Protecting Copyright.
Shading Light and Form – Basics is another great video from Proko. If you’re not already subscribed to his channel you’re missing out on some great drawing resources.
2. Head’s Up: Next month is the start of our annual Think Pink Exhibit at EBSQ. Artists submit artworks that are predominately Pink along with a fee for the exhibit. The fee goes into a donation pool for Breast Cancer education, support, and early detection. Read about last year’s exhibit and see the art – Think Pink 2013.
5. Exhibits: We are nearing the last week of September. Have you entered in one or both of our September Exhibits? Member’s Choice receives a monetary award!
Sketching with a Brush Pen is one of many great free tutorials on YouTube by Scott Robertson. I’ll be sharing more tutorials from other artists on YouTube every Tuesday.
1. This week’s featured Friday Five artist is one of my favorites at EBSQ. Gretchen Del Rio’s Spirit Bear stands out on the EBSQ front page this morning.
3. Words can inspire and words can kill your spirit. Surround yourself with positive people. – Need a pick-me-up? Read Will Terry’s blog post: Don’t Let Them Crap on your Art.
1. Vibrant colors and wet petals after a rain is what comes to mind when I look at Ulrike Martin’s latest watercolor painting, Abstract Flowers. It’s a beautiful time of year here in the Northern Hemisphere.
3. I Hate Marketing – Sound familiar? I’m sure I may have used that phrase once or twice. Jon Schindehette talks marketing, some simple tricks and lessons learned.
1. I know it’s not anywhere near Christmas yet, but I adore this Minced Pie painting by one of EBSQ’s newest artists, Jacqueline Gomez. Welcome to EBSQ, Jacqueline!
2. I snagged this from Wacom’s 90 Tips on Pinterest – How to breakout on Instagram. This is specifically for artists, illustrators, crafters, etc.
1. For the last few weeks I’ve been posting winter/holiday artwork in the Friday Five. Can you guess what Luda Angel’s painting, Ballerina, brought to mind this morning?
1. Snowy Field by Delilah Smith reminds me of the countryside here in rural Georgia, especially after the snow storm we had in 2010. Beautiful!
2. You’ve finished a painting just in time for a show, but you need to transport it safely while it dries–what do you do? Check out this great article: How to Make a Wet Painting Holder.
Day of the Dead New Year by EBSQ Artist Susan Brack
Ok, I admit it: this is a repost from last year. But the advice is just as timely. Get ready for 2013 with these 7 readiness tips.
Is your contact information up-to-date? Make sure we have your current private email address for lost password retrieval and public contact information for people who want to learn more about your art. We’ve often seen members post that they do commissions but don’t offer a contact method for potential buyers. If they can’t connect, you’ve lost a sale.
Are your website and blog addresses still correct? How about your eBay and Etsy IDs? Again, if we don’t have the right information, people aren’t going to be able to find you or your work at your preferred sales venues.
An addendum to the above: Have you linked to all of your current venues? And have you unlinked venues you no longer use? If you’re primarily selling at FineArtAmerica, but you only have a link to an abandoned eBay account, you’re squandering an opportunity to direct interested parties to work that’s currently available. We suggest you consider removing venues you aren’t actively using or maintaining. This includes placeholder websites and blogs that haven’t been updated in over a year.
When is the last time you took a serious look at your artist’s statement? Do you have a “Hi, I’m new,” message that you posted back in 2007 and simply forgot about? Or notes about your Spring cleaning sales from last year? Are you talking about your photography or sculpture when you’re now showing a portfolio full of abstract expressionism? Have you done any new shows or changed galleries? Don’t forget to add this new information to your CV.
Have your commission prices changed? If so, don’t forget to make these edits if you have pricing listed on your commissions page. Or maybe you don’t do commissioned work at all anymore–you can always turn off this feature by unchecking the “commissions available” box in your profile tools.
Are you showing your newest work? While we do have members that update their portfolio as soon as they have something new, others simply upload a handful of work when they join and forgeddaboutit, letting their portfolios collect cyber dust. When was the last time you added something new? Every time you add new art to your portfolio, that piece shows up on the front page of EBSQ, which in turn brings more people back to your portfolio. For best success, we strongly suggest you upload new work monthly, or even weekly. “Post and Pray” does not work.
There’s been much debate on the EBSQ Member Forums of late about the quality (or lack thereof) of many recent show entries. And the quality issue has next to nothing to do with the art itself.
Huh?
Let me explain:
1.) Does the piece meet the prospectus?
You’d be surprised how many members enter shows willy nilly. (Or maybe you wouldn’t be if you’re a regular EBSQ exhibit visitor.) Sometimes it’s a rookie mistake. Sometimes, people enter their work in the wrong show accidentally. Maybe they misread something in the prospectus, or latch onto the title of the show without bothering to read what it’s actually about. But other times, people enter something just because they can. The number one thing you need to ask yourself is:
Does your work logically belong in Show X?
If you’ve entered a piece of a happy cat in winter and the theme of the show is self-portraits, then no. Really, no. Just don’t do it. Unsure? Read the prospectus. Still unsure? Ask. Please.
Ok. So you’ve successfully mastered the number one rule of successful show entries. If you only do one step, this is the most important take away. But if you want to take yourself from appropriate to awesome, read on…
2) Did you include a statement that explains why you feel THIS particular piece belongs in THIS particular show?
Maybe you think your entry’s appropriateness is obvious. But we don’t live in your brain. Give us a little something about your piece as it pertains to the prospectus. This is all the more important if your piece is abstract or if your piece makes an unusual interpretation of the show guidelines. Pieces with relevant text are greatly preferred by members weighing in on this issue in the EBSQ Forums. I cannot overemphasize how important it is to include a quality artist statement. And the inclusion of text also makes your work easier to find both on our site and in search engines, so not including a piece-specific statement can actually be detrimental to your success on EBSQ. It’s food for thought!
3) This goes hand-in-hand with #2–Is your statement just a sales pitch?
We understand you want to sell your work. We agree that regular show participation is one of THE best ways to get your work seen on EBSQ, improving your chances of selling your work. But we’ve found that statements that are JUST a sales pitch are a big turn off. We recommend including a piece-specific statement, even if it’s short, before going into your pitch. This keeps regular show voters happy, and we’ve found this actually improves your odds of your work selling to that special someone who fell in love with your work in one of our shows. (Psst! This is also good advice for ALL of the work in your portfolio)
4) Is you piece presented in a professional manner?
Here’s where the more objective quality attributes come into play. Is your piece properly cropped? Is there glare? Is it in focus? It doesn’t matter if it’s the most brilliant portrait of Caesar ever painted and epitomizes everything about the prospectus, plus has a pitch-perfect artist statement included. If it’s not a quality jpeg, you’ve just shot yourself in the foot.
And finally:
5) Is your piece any good?
Well…the show voters will certainly weigh in, but in the end, only you can answer that one!
So–did we miss anything? What do YOU think makes an exhibit entry stand out from the crowd in a good (rather than a cringe-worthy) way?
First, let’s look at why we should even want to write anything about what we do. The main reason is to connect with the people who view your work. People like to feel connected. This is true in all aspects of society and it is a valuable tool when it comes to promoting ourselves and selling our art. When I was working in a gallery, I can not tell you how many times people came in and asked for information about an artist or a particular piece.
If you are thinking, “A connection…thanks for the general and not very helpful bit of information,” let me elaborate.
When someone sees a piece of art that they like, they often want to know about the person that created it. A general bio on file takes care of the basics but often people want to know more.
When someone is looking at a collection of marsh scenes and they know where the artist went to school, how long they have been painting, and what part of the country they are from, that’s good.
If you add that they are paintings of a local spot and the view is from the porch of friends that they were visiting, that’s better. Add that the artist visits these friends and this spot every year and obviously the view and the place have more meaning than “it’s pretty,” and that is even better.
It provides a background, a history. It can make the difference between a looker, a consider-er, and a buyer. People want to know the history of the people they meet and it is often the same with the art that they own.
Something else to consider is what are people looking at? If a piece of art is conceptual or abstract, they very well may not know. It may be obvious to you. It may be obvious to your best friend. It may not be obvious to everyone.
This doesn’t mean that they are unable to appreciate it, just that they may need a little guidance or a nudge in a particular direction. Not everyone thinks the way you do or sees things like you do but that doesn’t mean that they can’t go where you want them to go.
What you say about your work is particularly important if it is going to be viewed online. A computer monitor flattens and strips much from your work. Scale, depth, texture… all are diminished or removed. Then there are the differences in monitors. Colour, light, dark and contrast will all vary. The visual impact your work makes will be different online than in person. This makes communication with your audience even more important.
If your work is online, it is most likely because you want to be found. The more you say, the more likely you are to be found. You have to give search engines like Google something to crawl so when someone types something relevant to you and your work into the search box, your name will come up.
Another good thing about being able to express yourself with words relates to shows and exhibitions. EBSQ shows are not the only ones that require an artist’s statement. Being able to submit with confidence, not only your art, but what you have to say about yourself and your work can only work in your favor.
Now, for the hard part… how do you know what to say? How do you know how to say it? There are several angles of approach that may make things easier.
First, let’s talk about what to say about you and how to say it. Who are you? What do you do? How long have you done it? Why do you do it?These are the main points that you should address. How much or how little you say is up to you.
City Music by Patience
I would suggest that you go beyond, “I am an artist. I paint in oils. I have been doing it for 20 years. I do it because I like it.” Some feel that it is very important for them to communicate their feelings about art and their life in detail. Others do not and will just touch upon it. A few why’s and where’s will go a long way to fleshing out who you are, but to what depth you go depends on what feels comfortable and right to you
How you say what you say is also up to you. Some people write in a chatty manner. Some prefer to communicate in a more spare way. If you feel comfortable with words, you may write more than someone who does not. Regardless of what you say or how you say it, you are trying to tell a little bit about yourself to complete strangers. Make sure that it is a true reflection of who and what you are.
When you are dealing with the art itself, it can be hard to know what to say. It can be more difficult than describing a nebulous feeling. Just how do you get a handle on it?
One way to start is to describe what it is. If it’s horsehair pottery, tell us a little about that technique and why you are attracted to it. If it’s a painting, tell us if it it’s oil or acrylic and why you like to work in oils/acrylics. Is it a collage? Why do you like to assemble things?
You can also tell us about the piece. It’s a painting of a glass of water on a table did you chose this subject because you liked the way the light played on and became a part of the glass and the water? Maybe it’s a work all in reds. It could be that you were particularly attracted to reds that day and wanted to see what could be done working with that one colour.
Another approach is to describe the meaning of your work. Not everything is created with meaning in mind, but when it is, an explanation can clarify and expand the understanding of those who view it. Tell why you chose the elements that you did, why you put them together the way you did, what it all says and why you felt it was important to say it.
You can also describe how you feel about the piece or the feeling you were trying to capture. What did you set out to accomplish and did you accomplish it? Was what you ended up with where you started to go or did the creation process take you in another direction?
You can choose to elaborate on the subject. Who is that a portrait of and why did you paint, draw or otherwise depict them? Is there a reason that has to do with your subject that made you choose one medium over another?
If you are creating to a theme, how does your piece relate to that theme? What elements did you include specifically with a mind to communicate that relevance and, of course, why?
One more thing to consider is to tell a story about your art. This works well with pieces that are more whimsical and fun because the story becomes whimsical and fun. The big caution with this is not to say too much or go on too long. You don’t want people to think, “all right all ready,” but to take an interest in the piece specifically and your work in general.
Do be sure that what you write is spelled correctly and makes sense. Proof read it. Read it out loud to see how it flows. Ask others to read it. Make corrections. This is important as it will impact how people perceive you.
The things I have said are not hard and fast rules. (Except the proof reading bit) They are guidelines… a place to jump off from. The main thing is that you start to speak up. It is not immodest to speak of yourself and your art. It is beneficial. It is good marketing. It is an effective way to let others enjoy what you have created in a more in-depth and meaningful way.
This demonstration was originally presented by Wendy Lea Feldmann on 17 May 2010
Ken’s Green Man in Henna – Wendy L. Feldmann
Henna as Body Art – It’s Fun to Draw on Your Friends
I. Henna Through History
II. Henna Mixology
a. Acidic
b. Sugars
c. Oils / Terps
d. High Quality Henna
e. WendyMehndi’s Henna Recipe
III. Applying Henna
a. Body Art
b. Hair Dye
IV. Henna Safety
V. Henna Resources
I. Henna Through History
Henna has been found throughout history. The mummies of the ancient Pharaohs show traces of henna on their hair and nails. Henna is included in many ancient rituals and ceremonies: weddings, circumcisions, births, and other rites of passage and celebrations. Henna has enjoyed a resurgence as an art form in the west, thanks to prominent flashes of it among celebrities in the media.
Although henna has a rich past with many customs and traditions, it is also a contemporary art form. It’s fun and easy, and any wild mistakes will wear off in a couple of weeks, and you can start again. Henna can be used to “test-drive” an actual inked tattoo, or just as a temporary form of expression.
The plant, Lawsonia Inermis, is of the Myrtle family, and is found in arid areas including India, Pakistan, Yemen, Morocco, northern Africa, northern Australasia, and Egypt. It has traveled along the Silk Road, and spread all along the borders of the Black Sea.
II. Henna Mixology
There are as many many varieties of henna recipes. The secret to good henna application is having the right ingredients and the correct mix. It’s kind of like a science project.
Lemon Juice, essential oils, high quality henna, and sugar
Henna will stain keratin, a fibrous structural protein, found in hair, nails, hooves, horn, as well as skin and leather. Henna will also stain wood, wool, egg shells, silk, and turtle shell.
For body art, the ingredients are simple – something acidic, something sweet, and “terps”, which are essential oils with a high monoterpene alcohol content. This magic combination sets off the dye reaction, freeing the lawsone molecule from the henna leaf and allowing it to bind with keratin.
hosted by EBSQ Self-Representing Artists and Wendy L. Feldmann Monday, August 23rd at 9pm Eastern (6pm Pacific) EBSQ Chat Room
Ken’s Green Man in Henna – Wendy L. Feldmann
Come learn a little about the history of Henna arts, Henna Mixology (the secret is in the mixing!), and safe application of Henna, as well as how to avoid unsafe practices masquerading as “henna”.
“WendyMehndi” the Henna Faerie (of Waltzing Dog Studios) is a Henna Artist, Glitter Artist, and Face Painter (among many other artistic disciplines). Dressed outrageously, she can be found delightedly drawing unique freehand designs on people using natural henna, body paint, and glitter. When not decorating and enjoying people, Wendy works in fibre and other media. She lives in Orange County, North Carolina with her husband and children as well as their dogs and cats.
hosted by EBSQ Self-Representing Artists and Wendy L. Feldmann
Monday, August 23rd at 9pm Eastern (6pm Pacific) EBSQ Chat Room
Ken's Green Man in Henna - Wendy L. Feldmann
Come learn a little about the history of Henna arts, Henna Mixology (the secret is in the mixing!), and safe application of Henna, as well as how to avoid unsafe practices masquerading as “henna”.
“WendyMehndi” the Henna Faerie (of Waltzing Dog Studios) is a Henna Artist, Glitter Artist, and Face Painter (among many other artistic disciplines). Dressed outrageously, she can be found delightedly drawing unique freehand designs on people using natural henna, body paint, and glitter. When not decorating and enjoying people, Wendy works in fibre and other media. She lives in Orange County, North Carolina with her husband and children as well as their dogs and cats.
She will probably smack me when she sees this headline, but I did want to focus your attention on the following online event. EBSQ’s own Harlan will be teaching not one but TWO new online classes on oils via CraftEdu.com starting tomorrow. From their website:
Tomorrow we will offer 2 classes by Jeanne Harlan-Marriott. Her 3 part
Introduction to Oil Painting is a foundation class that will get you
started on your voyage to understanding the nature of the medium, the
tools and materials you should have and how oil paint works! Her 4 part
Trillium class will take you further as you complete your own painting.
Learn about light, color, shadow, composition and mixing your own
palette. These two classes are a must for anyone who has wanted to
paint like the Old Masters.
So, sign up between the hours of 12 Noon MT tomorrow and 12 Noon MT Thursday and take advantage of special
(25% reduced) introductory pricing.
So–if you’re hankering to bone up your oil skills, here’s your chance! For further inspiration, please be sure to visit Harlan’s portfolio at EBSQ. There’s a lot of pieces that look like photos. Don’t let the hyper-realism fool you; those are paintings, my friend!
This demonstration was originally presented by Amanda Makpeace on 17 May2010.
Good evening everyone. Thank you so much for attending Social Media, the Artist and Marketing. I’m going to start things off by defining the term social media. Most often when we hear the word social media the first sites that come to mind are Facebook and Twitter, but social media is any site that allows you to share information and interact with other people via the internet. Sharing and interacting—these are the two main aspects. Yes Facebook and Twitter apply, but so too do Blogs, YouTube, StumbleUpon, LinkedIn, Flickr, Digg and many more.
One of the best things you can do is explore social media sites. Chances are not all of them will work for you, nor do you have the time to utilize each and every one. The following link is a listing of the top 25 social media sites, along with marketing tips for each.
When I began using social media sites several years ago I tried dozens of different platforms, but now I only use a handful. Here are my tops sites for interaction:
Here are some of my recent experiences on Twitter:
Example 1: I love sci-fi/horror movies and books. I began reading Stephen King when I was 13 years old. This isn’t just something I’m interested in, it’s something I know. I follow many aspiring writers and published authors on twitter, and in turn quite a few follow me and they’ve also made purchases from my Etsy shop.
Example 2: Many of you know about my One Pebble Project? Well just last week bestselling author, Kat Richardson (who I follow and she follows me) caught wind of my tweet and went crazy sharing it with all of her friends. We bantered back and forth for a good 15 minutes. Okay yes, this was a lot of fun especially since she is one of my favorite authors, but it also spread my name and ultimately my art to the 1,117 people who follow her tweets.
Example 3: I entered a contest on a blog a few weeks ago and the blogger clicked on my profile to see who I was, and ultimately ended up at my Etsy shop. Within a matter of days she commissioned a painting!
Maybe I’m lucky, but I don’t think so. I think if you want to generate sales from social media marketing you have to interact with people and build relationships.
I’ve seen direct sales from Twitter, so I put most of my time and energy into using my tweets as a marketing tool. Twitter may not be that site for you. Maybe instead Facebook is where you generate the most interest or even YouTube. The key is to find which one works and put your energy into it, instead of spreading yourself to thin.
Here are some good and not so good practices. You can use these rules of thumb, in some form or another, on any social media site.
Good Practices
Give to Get – Successful social media marketing programs involve listening and participation. That participation centers around giving value before expecting anything in return.
Putting in the Time – Yes, social media marketing can be time-consuming, but if you choose the best times to participate you can plan and use your time wisely. There are also tools you can use so you aren’t spending all day on the computer.
You want to facilitate sales, not attempt to make sales directly. – This is probably the most important practice of all. People following you naturally become acquainted with what you do, and as you participate in the conversations and build interconnected followers sales can and do happen.
Think outside your product. – If you have interests outside your own art, and most of us do, share them! 1. You will gain new followers/friends who will then discover your art and 2. It makes you a “real” person who is interesting and not one-sided. Also, seek out people with those interests and follow them!
Bad Practices
Being fake, in any way. – This is self-explanatory. Nobody likes a fake.
Not listening.- If you aren’t listening you may miss opportunities to incorporate your product into a conversation, etc.
Being oblivious to formal & unwritten social rules – It’s good to do a certain amount of lurking to see what is socially accepted for a particular social media site.
Being pushy or overtly sales-y in messaging – If all you do is post links to your product people will ignore you.
Cautionary Practices
Be careful sharing your political and religious views. – Unless they pertain directly to your arts theme/subject. We’ve all seen the discussions that can turn ugly, this would be disastrous to your online image.
Be careful expressing anger or upset over an event/person. – This can work for you or against you. Last year I witnessed author, Alice Hoffman have a complete meltdown on twitter over a bad review. The backlash at her behavior forced her to leave Twitter, but not before her account was suspended.
Tools of the Trade for Twitter and Facebook
Twitterfeed – This site allows you to take any RSS feed and share it on Facebook and Twitter. I use it to share the images I “Stumble” but I could also use it to share new items I list on Etsy too.
Feedburner – You can also use Feedburner to share your latest blog posts on twitter, which means less time you spend on twitter! I like Feedburner for my blog because it has more customizable options.
TweetDeck – The newest version of TweetDeck allows you to simultaneously post to both Twitter and Facebook or separately. TweetDeck works on Windows, Mac and Linux, as well as iPhone and iPad and an Android application in the works.
TweetDeck also allows you to schedule tweets. This comes in handy if you have a busy day ahead of you but don’t want to leave your followers in silence.
Lastly, I want to say just a few things about blogging. You don’t hear much about blogs as a social media tool, but they do fall into this category. Blog posts can be shared across a myriad of social networking sites with the click of a button. But guess what, nobody is reading your blog because of your art. If you want to know why, this recent post on Gapingvoid.com explains it in an easy to understand way.
And I am going to leave it there. I hope you find the information in this presentation useful. – Amanda Makepeace
Art & News from EBSQ 