Category: Blog Posts

Sketch Diary: Angel of January Part 2

You all might remember my last sketch diary entry for this image? If not, go check it out for idea development and thumbnail sketches. Wow, has it really been nearly a YEAR since I’ve come back to this piece? Guess that burnout wave hit me harder than I thought! (More on that later, as it’s been on my mind a lot lately)

My favorite thumbnail sketch.

Next up, developing the final draft! With my favorite thumbnail sketch out of the many in mind, I shot some stock reference for myself with the idea of a veiled or draped figure stepping into sunlight to echo the themes of the emergence of Persephone (which is associated with the gemstone for January with its pomegranate seed-like clusters of garnets).

January is also named for Janus, the god of doorways and transitions, signaling the coming of the new season and new year.

This particular stock pose caught my eye most with the inquisitive angle of the head, the assymetrical sweep of the arms, and the idea of ‘stepping into the sunlight’ echoed in the pose.:

More poses at my stock gallery.
The first base sketch. The wings cover too much of the
stained glass window.

With that stock pose in mind, I did several rough sketches in Photoshop and finally arrived at a base figure, with all of my background elements on separate layers so I could tweak them individually.  This phase also involved doing a rough sketch of the stained glass window pane with its Snow Drop and Carnations motif with no attention paid to exact symmetry just yet, but rather scribbles filling out the main idea of the design and how it might integrate with the figure first.

However, I kept running into a problem with the wings.  They seemed either covered up too much of the lovely window, were too flat, or too cramped into the space I had in mind.

Too cramped and thin…
Much better flow that leads the viewer’s
eye through the figure!

With the main figure taken care of, I refined the window by copying, pasting, and flipping parts of the window as needed to create a more symmetrical shape.  I then transferred the sketch to illustration board, refining the details as I went along until I arrived at this:

Very light pencil sketch…
…which morphed into color pencil outline!

Memorial Day Sale + Studio Roast Continues!

Just a quickie post to tell you all about my weekend sale!  Get 25% off at my Angelic Shades gift shop on everything, regular AND sale price!  Slowly getting into this sale groove, as I always forget to run promotions.  So get in on this before I forget to run them again!

I’m also doing free shipping on all my items on my Etsy and Artfire shops!  Just enter the code FREESHIP when you check out.

In other news, the Studio Roast is still going strong!  The current auctions on eBay are over and everything that was on sale for round 1 is now only available via this list:

Feel free to make an offer on any of these images, if you fancy a haggle!  The next round of images will be up soon! There’re tons more where these came from to throw on the proverbial fire.

Hope you all have a good weekend!  I have a few announcements to make next time that I’m super excited about.  But next time! šŸ˜‰

My First Art Fair!

After a day of rest and a couple of Advil, I’m pleased to report I have survived my first art fair!  All in all, I did fairly well for a first timer. Made back my booth fee, got suggestions from the crowd on what they wanted to see, and learned the secret of good transportation of random stuff — plastic tuberware!

What did I learn from this experience? Read on!

Start Early!

2 weeks was not enough to make even half of the items by hand that I wanted to fill up my artisan display tables. I found myself painting into the wee hours and relying on a lot of older stock I had lying around just to make my booth look presentable. First lesson learned! Start early, DO NOT STRESS YOURSELF by procrastinating!  Know your display capacities. Practice your setup in advance.  Last thing you want is it to look empty and rushed.  Also, check your current stock! I had to reorder many prints last minute because I didn’t realize I was low till that moment. Doh!

Remember Your Traffic Flow

Probably the most important lesson I learned.  Day 1, I had a setup like this:
Heeey! Buy my stuff. Please? YOU KNOW YOU WANNA!

While this isn’t terrible, I think I did this because I’m so used to setting up at conventions where you put the table out front and people come up to you to talk.  This layout drives people right up to you, but what I noticed at the fair is most people will talk to you, but then not browse your wares, or they’re intimidated by your presence and just want to be left alone to shop.  I also had a technical issue where I couldn’t find the stiffeners for my walls, so I couldn’t line the sides of the booth with them, leaving it looking pretty empty on the left.

After walking around the fair a bit and getting some ideas from other artists (and fanagling walls with velcro), I ended up with a setup like this for Day 2:

Psst! Hay man. Need a kidney? Operating table in the back!

Much more open space and plenty of room for multiple browsers to go down the line of pretties!  Artist hidden away and only there if you need her to checkout or to ask questions.  More people came in this time round and didn’t have to peer over my head to come right up to the artwork.

Best Selling Items?

This was a huge surprise for me! I thought my crafts would do well, but I only sold a few things. Mainly I sold art cards and prints because people wanted small artwork to inspire them (but didn’t want to buy the more expensive larger pieces on the wall). I also sold a few books to people who saw my work elsewhere and liked that I offered personalized goodies for free if they bought it directly from me.  I didn’t sell a single mask.

I had a good many requests for hair brooches with chopsticks and lapel pins of the butterflies.  No doubt due to having a generally older crowd (with grandkids along) who were looking for things for their home or small gifts, of which matted/framed Fantasy art is generally not well suited for your average collector.

Next time I do an outdoor fair, I plan to carry more personal items (hair brooches and pins), more ornate masks framed in shadowboxes, and more accessible 2D art items (perhaps carved leather butterflies in framed ‘specimen’ arrangements?)  If people can see the use of an item for their home or their personal decor, I imagine they’d be more inclined to buy at these sorts of events!  I can save my fantasy art for more themed fests, like the Renaissance Faire or the cons I attend.  That’s at least one joy of being a multi-faceted artist!

Final Thoughts

I am sore and sleep-deprived far more than I ever was for a plain ol convention!  Art fairs are physically grueling work and not for those who can’t handle the hauling, unloading, and long hours.  It’s also a HUGE investment of time and money.

The fair season has only begun for me, however, so I’m not going to give up on it just yet! Being able to talk to fellow art lovers and curiosity seekers was quite enjoyable for me!  Even moreso when they would tell me they saw my work online or at the gallery next door.  Getting your face out there can be very gratifying and just as important as sales.  For my shy artist friends, however, this definitely may not be the thing for you!

If you’re a fan of my Facebook Fan Page, I’m having a sale on leftover hand-painted butterflies. Get ’em while they’re cheap because they’ll be going up on Etsy for a higher price after this week!

See one you like? Check out my sekrit sale!

Stay tuned for a post on what makes up an art fair display. Till then, I’m going to attend to the mess that is my trashed studio after an event. *cry!

Here there be Dragons!

One of the 1st dragons I
ever drew!

The Great Wyrm.  The Beast.  The Salamander.  There are so many names for this creature in every culture that one begins to wonder just what credence there is to the possibility of large reptilian treasure-hoarding beasts hiding in the dark places of the world?  Dragons have been on my mind with the recent news I’ve been accepted into the DragonCon art show once again this year. It’s a special year for DragonCon with its 25th year and I’ve decided I’d like to make a tribute piece involving a dragon!

Well and so…but I think the last time I drew a dragon was years ago!  People (and Elves) have always been my strong suit.  This has left me with a quandary. Just what kind of dragon do I want to do?  In visual memory, the first dragons I encountered were the mean, gruff, knight-devouring kind.  They were gruesome, terrifying green beasts with red eyes.  Then I met the bearded dragons of the east.  Kind and wise with human-like eyes.  They struck a chord with me with their link to intuition, power, and balance.

The first dragon I remember
seeing! From St. George & the Dragon
illu. by Trina Schart Hyman.

While I may not feel as connected to dragons as I do with other archetypal creatures (angels, elves, and fae folk), even I admit dragons are cool.  So why the fascination?  Is it their animal beauty and awesome power

For me, I like that ambiguity in the myth of the dragon, the thought there could be an all-powerful predator hiding in the farthest places just beyond the borders of the forests, the caves of mountains, and the deepest caverns of the oceans.  Dragons exist for every element, hot or cold, dark or light, good or evil.  The mystery of what exists in the unexplored spaces of our world compels and compels.

Or maybe I just have an unhealthy instinct to explore in places I shouldn’t! (Yup, I’m the first person to die in a horror movie.)

So share and share alike! What do you like about dragons? What are your favorites? Why do you love them?

Let the STUDIO ROAST Begin!

There comes a time in an artist’s career when they can no longer keep all of the old artwork they hoard over the years. Now is that time for me! The space has ran out in my basement, closet, and under the bed. Rather than throw away or burn this art, I figured I’d give you guys a chance to snag original art and prints for super cheap!

ALL of this original art will have starting bids of 99 cents!
(See my Ebay for a complete list of originals for sale!)

But that’s NOT ALL! I’m clearing out discontinued prints for only $1 over at my online gift shop. Get Mousepads for just $5! Everything must GO!

A sampling of the discontinued prints available for JUST A BUCK:

(See my shop for more offerings!)

BEST OF ALL! Buy any item from the Studio Roast section of my gift shop and you’ll get a FREE gift of a mini print! The choice of print will be a surprise.

I’ll be uploading more auctions on eBay as I unearth things from the depths of my room, so keep an eye out for further announcements and offerings!

In Defense of Pretty Pictures

So lately I’ve been seeing a lot of this particular statement:

“You draw pretty pictures all day. How hard can it be?  That’s not a real job.”

Let me tell you that this particular statement on its lonesome is a fast track to getting on an artist’s bad side for many reasons.  The first being it is a product of oversimplification.

Oversimplification – It is like saying that a football player just runs up and down a field.  A basketball player runs up and down a court.  Tennis players are just hitting a ball back and forth.  A writer is just making up pretty words in random order.  By making these statements, you are grossly simplifying the process of creation and action that goes with any of these respective professions.

Sure, the end product may be a pretty picture, but let me tell you, it takes a lot of effort to make a fully realized ‘pretty picture’ with a harmonious color scheme, an interesting composition, and an internal narrative!  An artist’s job is to solidify those random elements into something more than the combination of its parts.  If this were so easy, why aren’t you doing it?  Artists are constantly learning, improving, practicing, contemplating.  If they’re not, they stagnate.  Being a successful artist is an ongoing process, and it takes effort.

To say nothing of how long it takes to photograph, document, organize, categorize, and list our work in online shops.  I do all of this with me, myself, and I.  I am my own web designer, shop manager, photographer, publicist, and cheerleader.  Nobody else.

Secondly, what defines a real job?  Is it making a six figure salary?  Is it sitting in a cubicle pretending to be busy when your boss walks by?  Is it bossing around those beneath you so you can feel important?  To me, a real job does indeed involve making money, but I personally do not want fame, self-importance, or a six figure salary.  I want a salary that’s well enough to afford hot water, the internet, a decent place to live, food, and maybe a fun game or two every once and awhile.  It may not be the best job in the world, but doing it makes me happy and brings me a pittance of a paycheck. For me, that defines my ‘real job’.  I could go be a janitor and probably make more (with benefits) but I would probably be working as hard and less happy.  Every job has its own complications and positive aspects, no matter how easy or hard you think it is.  It’s all in how we balance our own personal expectations.

For now, this balance works for me and that is my prerogative.  We can’t forget, also, that there’s a chance that eventually I will be making six figures if I play my cards right and work hard, but that is not the most important thing in my set of life goals.  Most artists don’t go into art to make gobs of money, that’s for sure!

Now let’s get back to that ‘pretty picture’ statement again.  So yes, I draw angels, elves, and ‘pretty’ things.  Do they have any deep societal meaning?  Well, maybe not on the surface.  They generally aren’t making statements on hot topics and political issues, but is the aim of bringing enjoyment to those who like to look at pretty shiny things (or read fantasy books, or watch fantasy movies, or read fiction in general) really so cheap of a goal? Have we become so caught up in the haste of our society that we can’t stop to let our imaginations wander anymore?  Anything that distracts us from the goal of making money is a ‘waste of our time’?

The next time you feel like making this sort of statement either to an artist’s face or behind their backs, consider this – If being an Artist isn’t a real job, then where does every single bit of advertising, book cover, TV show, blockbuster movie, the music on the radio, and yes even the very Fonts we look at every day come from?  How can the world be surrounded by Art all the time and not appreciate the work that goes behind it?  It’s baffling to me.  Maybe we’re spoiled by the fact we see it every day and know little behind the process and hard work that goes into it?

I shudder to think what the world would be like if that Zombie Apocalypse happens and we are left without the ability to fill our world with these amazing things we take for granted.  It will be a dark world, indeed!

But who knows, maybe we’d have an appreciation for things then?  That would be something…

Angelic Shades Studio – Now Livestreaming!

After much hair pulling and teeth gnashing, I’ve finally got a channel up on Livestream! Catch live broadcasts while I paint, poke at leather, or maybe hold random live giveaways! I’ll try to remember to make a post here when I’m going live, but more often than not, I’ll be posting the announcement via my Twitter.

I did my very first broadcast today while I worked on a venetian mask! Recorded live here:

Watch live streaming video from angelicshades at livestream.com

I’ve also got all of my other tutorials, trailers, and things up at my channel so have a good poke around!

My Livestream Channel – http://www.livestream.com/angelicshades

Woo having a webcam has been fun so a far! Yay for learning new technology.:)

E-Marketing for Artists 101

(UPDATE! I gave this blog entry as a panel at this year’s DragonCon! 
Check out the recording of my panel and Powerpoint presentation on YouTube.)

This week I wanted to share an article I wrote for the new fantasy magazine, Dark Muse: Issue 2! You should go check out the mag for more useful articles on everything from creating knotwork to podcast interviews with other working artists.

I hope to make this e-marketing topic a series of blogs on the matter, as it’s one of my passions!

E-Marketing for Artists 101 

Have you been ignoring the hullaballoo of that loud, annoying place called the internet? Tsk! Nowadays, artists of every possible subject matter, style, and media can find a niche in the massive audience that is the world wide web, making it an invaluable tool for artists. This is especially useful for those of us who work in very niche genres!

In particular, social media (or social networks) are a great way to quickly update your fans and to connect with other artists. Connecting with other artists can be especially motivating when we find ourselves alone in the art cave craving human interaction! Here are a few of my favorite sites which I’ve noticed the best results and that have also shown a significant presence of participating artists. These descriptions are based on my personal interaction on these sites, meaning that things may work differently for you based on your own preferences!

One must also remember that the key to social networking is to be social. Spamming your work and then leaving without interacting with anyone else is a recipe for fail on just about any social networking site (unless you’re just already that popular!). Social networks are not to be confused with specific online communities dedicated to artists, as opposed to social networks whose general purpose is socialization between all types of people. A rundown of handy art communities will be covered in a future article!

Twitter – http://twitter.com

You have 140 characters a post to say something meaningful, this short length making posts quick and easy to digest. Twitter lets you Follow others so that you can instantly see their posts, allowing you to keep a finger on the pulse of other artists and communities without the total distraction of instant messaging.

I don’t have the guilt of leaving Twitter conversations as much as I do if I have a popup message from a friend on an instant messaging system, which makes Twitter a nice compromise for those of us who may want to chat with others without getting completely buried by instant message windows. The only danger of this is how easy it can be to become addicted to checking Tweets! But that’s something to do while we’re waiting for paint layers to dry, isn’t it? I’d like to think so!

There are also hash tags (words that are demarcated by a # symbol) you can include in your posts which allow others to search by that topic, which allows artists to find other artists by topic. For example, some of the more popular art-related tags are #fridaynightartdorks and #wip. Start your own hash tag trend, share interesting links, and keep in touch with others instantly!

I love this site for the way that it helps me interact person-to-person in conversation with others in my field. I feel like I know these people and have already met a few of them at cons based on the fact we’ve chatted on Twitter beforehand!

As an example of Twitter’s amazing powers, besides helping to lead revolutions in other countries, I remember a past convention where I had aboslutely no artists to help me out with a panel where I needed folks to paint for charity. I posted on Twitter for help and word circulated through this digital grapevine, until I had more than enough volunteers to help my panel succeed!

To add butter to your toast, Twitter allows you a profile to add a link to your website and talk about your interests. What you list on your profile and who you Follow also fuels Twitter’s intuitive Suggested Follows system, which will automatically suggest other artists for you to Follow based on who you are already Following and their interests.

All in all, it’s my favorite way to discover new artists and interact online! You can also link your Twitter and Facebook accounts to mirror your posts, which leaves you more time for creating work instead of yacking on the computer.

Read on at Tweetable Art: 10 Twitter Tips for Artists for more great info!
http://mashable.com/2009/02/23/twitter-artists/

Facebook – http://facebook.com

I know people tend to hiss when they think of the inanity of Facebook, but I have to admit it’s become a central driving force in my business! I have a fan page where my fans can keep in touch with me directly, upload fan photos, and keep up with my studio announcements of new products and the like. I can also upload videos and photo albums here, making it the next best thing for those of us who may not have the resources to host our own websites yet!

Facebook gets pretty high rankings in search engines and fan pages also do not require fans to login to see your info, as you would with a personal Facebook account. It’s a great place to start your marketing efforts that is fairly easy to manage on your own. If you cannot manage it on your own, there’s also the ability to add multiple admins to your fan page.

You can read more about the differences between a fan page, a group, and a personal account at my article on the matter:
http://blog.angelicshades.com/2010/10/facebook-profile-vs-fan-page-vs-group.html?spref=tw

Blogspot (aka. Blogger) – http://blogspot.com

This is a great free site which lets you start your own blog, or online journal, where people can easily follow you if they have a Google, Yahoo, or RSS Reader. I keep up with many artist friends this way as well as professional communities where I can stay informed of events going on in my industry. Most artists keep journals to share their works-in-progress, chat about their inspirations, and share advice.

Another great advantage of having your own blog is that if your website isn’t updated regularly with new work (because you’re a slower paced worker like me), the blog can be a way to have a consistent source of new material to keep people coming back to check on you. Don’t want people to forget you exist, do you?

There are many online blog formats, but I’ve personally found Blogger to be the easiest to maintain with a vast network of connections throughout the web. If you don’t like that blogspot name in your url, there’s also a function to replace it with your professional domain name.

Check out these useful blogs on Blogger:

http://artorder.blogspot.com – Ran by Jon Schindehette, an art director with Wizards of the Coast (the makers of Magic the Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons, to name a few). As an art director, Jon shares his opinions on what he looks for when hiring artists, what artists need to learn when they’re breaking into the business, amongst other nuggets of wisdom! This blog also features interviews with working artists with even more insight into the business. If that wasn’t enough to make you tune in, ArtOrder runs Challenges where you are given a hypothetical assignment, entries to be judged by various art directors. It’s a great way to get your foot in the door!

http://muddycolors.blogspot.com – Maintained by a few of the industry’s leading artists (Donato Giancola and Dan Dos Santos, to name a few!) This is the blog to watch for advice from the pros, glimpses into processes, and other useful bits of info! The cast of artists is shuffled up from time to time to make sure there’s always fresh blood and enthusiasm on this blog.

For more info on why blogging can help your career, check out this useful article on “Why Artists Should Blog” by artist, Kirsty Hall:
http://kirstyhall.co.uk/2007/08/22/why-artists-should-blog/

Angela’s Shameless Plugging
If you’re curious about how I’ve set myself up on these networks, check out my social media links!
Angela’s Facebook Fan Page – http://www.facebook.com/AngelicShadesStudio
Angela’s Blog on Blogspot – http://blog.angelicshades.com
In the years I’ve been building my art business, these particular sites have been the most helpful for me. Have you found other social networks that have proved invaluable as an artist or creative professional? Share your experiences with us in the comments section!

Upcoming – Book Signing & The Future of Angelic Visions?

Just a quick little post to remind you all I’ll be signing books and demonstrating art techniques this Saturday, from 2-4 pm at Barnes and Noble’s in Ashley Park!  Come get a free bookmark, chat about art, and have your book signed!

In other news, I think it’s safe to say that at least a few folks have been able to finish reading the book. I’d love to hear some feedback from you all!  If, say, I hope to do a proverbial sequel to Angelic Visions, I’d like to know what I should include!  What did you find useful?  What did you feel was missing?  What would you like to see more of?  Here are some topics I’ve been kicking around:

  • More on skin and lighting
  • Composition and visual impact
  • Using maquettes and references
  • More on armor, weapons, tattoos, halos
  • Showing action and intent
  • More on costume design
  • More fancy hair doos
  • More mixed media techniques
  • Developing personal style

Anything to add? I value the input from each and every one of you!  I could also use some ratings on my book’s listings on Goodreads and Amazon so they don’t look so sad and empty.  I appreciate you all taking a few moments to do this and also letting me know just how much you’ve enjoyed this experience.

Hope to see you this weekend!   I’ll have to share the product of any painting that happen at the demo when I get back.

Upcoming Appearances: Book Signing & MomoCon

A short entry today to remind folks I’ll be having my first book signing in an actual bookstore this weekend, Sat. the 12th at Books A Million in Peachtree City, GA! I’ll be passing out free bookmarks, chatting about art, and talking about art techniques, so drop on by! I’ll be signing copies of Angelic Visions bought in the store as well.

On Sunday, I’ll be dropping by MomoCon to see what all the hubbub is about and to meet friends from around the interwebs! I don’t have a table there this year, but if it seems like my kind of crowd, who knows what will happen next year? MomoCon is a free anime convention that takes place on the Georgia Tech campus here in Atlanta, for those who don’t know it.

In other news, I’ve resurrected my Etsy and Artfire shops with some pretty cool new items lately! Check ’em out:

And more at my shops on Etsy and Artfire!

Hope you all have a glorious weekend! In the meantime, I shall be working on new art, new masks, and prepping products for the first art fairs of the season!