052. Photography Tips: Chasing the Light

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I'm a hunter. A hunter of good light.
Over the years I've played with many artificial lighting techniques, including strobes, umbrellas/reflectors, and even timed flashes. 

They served me well in different scenarios, especially weddings, where the lighting is often unpredictable, and the party stretches late into the night (darkness).

However, nothing has ever quite captured my fancy like natural light. The power of the sun.
No batteries, no extra equipment. Just me, the camera, my clients, and the incredibly flattering natural light. For most photographers, the thrill of capturing a beautiful image is hard to top. And for me, doing that with pure natural light was the ultimate joy.

Dori & Philip's engagement sessions, 2015.

While artificial light has its uses, the beauty of natural light is hard to beat.
There's something exhilarating about chasing and finding the perfect light. 

For most photo shoots, I would tell my clients to be ready 3 hours before sunset. I'd pick them up, drive out to whichever location I had in mind, and we'd just have fun following the sun! We'd walk/hike/drive around, finding awesome backdrops and great angles to capture the sunlight. It was a very relaxed way of shooting, and I wasn't worried about lugging equipment around. The heaviest thing I brought were my lenses! My clients enjoyed the "freedom" of this style and in turn, they were more relaxed and natural in front of the camera.

Bridal Portrait Session, 2014

The "golden hour" is the best time, as the sun is low on the horizon, casting it's yellowish/orange rays. The golden hour takes place approximately 1-2 hours before sunset.
Noon is the worst time for outdoor photographs, because the sun is directly above us, creating harsh, unwanted shadows on faces, and the color of the light is much more "white" (not ideal for skin tones).

However, relying on nature has its downfalls. Weather, for one thing, is unpredictable.
I would often provide a backup date to my photo shoots, in case it was suddenly too cloudy or rainy. However, it was always worth it!
Being flexible meant we were able to capitalize on the best weather.

So, you're out there in the golden hour, your clients are looking great...now what?

Mountain wedding, 2013.

As the photographer, it's your job to know how to utilize the surroundings and angles (based on the sun's location) to capture the best photos. When women are involved, you better be aware of those shadows!
Women are famous for being extra critical of how they look. You'll want to avoid any angles that make them look "larger" as well as unflattering shadows under the eyes. 
It takes practice, but in time you'll get a feel for which angles work the best.

Engagement Session Portrait, 2013.

In order to really take advantage of the natural light, I always include a few stylized shots involving direct sun and sunspots! These often end up being our favorite images. Why? Because they tell a visual story, and are special. Set your client directly in front of the sun, so it's barely peaking around them. This creates a lens flare for dramatic effect.

The dreamy lighting allows the viewer to get lost in the FEELING of the image.

Wedding Portraits, 2015.

Alas, one can get so addicted to using natural light, that they almost develop an aversion to using any artificial light! (This totally happened to me for a brief time in my career, but I eventually got over it).

Without my handy flash, I never would have captured this image of the bride & groom leaving the reception, soluting the moon, which ended up being one of their favorites!

To recap, here are a few tips!

  • Know your location! Research and/or visually document when the golden hour is at it's prime in whichever location you want to shoot. This is called "scouting" your location. Go there a few times a week before the photoshoot to get an idea of when the light is low on the horizon.
  • Don't wait too long! I occassionally made the mistake of pushing a start time until only an hour before sunset. This is a mistake because if there are trees, or mountains, or tall buildings nearby, the sun might dip behind them waaayyyy before the scheduled sunset time! Don't miss out on light due to poor timing.
  • Try to avoid photographing your clients in direct sunlight - this usually just leads to lots of squinting, unflattering shadows, and sweat.
  • When positioning your clients relative to the sun, always start with the sun behind them, or slightly off to the side. If the sun is in front of them, again you may run into squinting and shadows. Once you get them in place, you can then have them turn a little bit to one side if the lighting is more flattering. 
  • Use natural "reflectors." Anything reflects light, except for extremely dark objects. You can use sidewalks, walls, even cars to bounce light onto your subjects. They can be really useful when you're trying to photograph someone who is back-lit (when they almost become a silhouette). Take a friend out for a test photo shoot and try illuminating them with natural reflectors. You'll quickly learn to look for these (or avoid them) during your photo shoots!
  • Watch the grass! I can't tell you how many times I have done a photo shoot, felt really excited about the results, gone home to my computer and realized all of their skin is tinted GREEN! Yikes! This is because the sun reflects the colors in your environment, and if your clients are sitting or standing near one large color source (like grass), that is a LOT of color being reflected! You can waste hours in post processing fixing the colors, or you can just avoid it in the first place!

051. Advice for Artists: Work Flow

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One of the hardest things about being a freelance artist is time management.
When you can set your own schedule, it's easy to procrastinate on some things and feel overwhelmed when a deadline approaches.

It's also easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of "background" work that goes into running your own business.

It's not just painting.

It's not just streaming.

It's conceptualizing interesting paintings, sketching, prepping canvas, keeping supply levels up, networking, social media, taking photos of work (or scanning), updating website and portfolios, answering emails, discussing projects with clients, packing and shipping sold artwork...
And that doesn't even include the time I'm streaming, all the admin that goes into streaming full time, collaborations, working on this Blog and keeping up with my Patreon!

So how the heck do you stay organized and on time in the midst of a to-do list the size of your arm?

Part of the fire that drives me comes from the fact that I've ALWAYS wanted to do this with my life. Now that I have this opportunity, I will do anything in my power to keep it going. 
That said, I still get burned out.
Having a balance of work & play is really important. For me, it's having at least one day a week where the majority of the day is spent out of my studio doing something fun - mainly hiking and painting outside.
Without that room to breathe, the work load can suffocate me and my creative fire goes out. When I'm overwhelmed, I'm in a terrible mindset for creative work. I learned the hard way that I NEED to have "time off." It's just part of my business.

Secondly, having a consistent work flow is paramount. Without it, chaos reigns. When chaos reigns, productivity, and therefore income, suffers.

My work flow looks something like this:

Commissions

  1. Receive commission request.
  2. Respond with pricing and ideas.
  3. Agree on pricing and idea, send invoice for 1/2 the total amount.
  4. Once payment is received, start painting.
  5. Once painting is complete, send preview photos to client. 
  6. Upon approval, send invoice for remaining amount due, plus shipping
  7. Take high-resolution image of painting for archive.
  8. Upon final payment, package and ship painting.
  9. Send tracking info to client.
  10. Close/archive email.

Sales (Paintings/drawings that I make for fun/personal projects)

  1. Paint.
  2. Take high resolution images of final piece.
  3. Upload to Etsy and publish the listing.
  4. "Advertise" on social media (not spamming, just once, and repeat a month later if it hasn't sold)
  5. If someone purchases it, package and ship immediately.

Patreon (two main events each month - the Paintalong, and shipping rewards)

  1. Choose a date for the next Paintalong.
  2. Advertise on social media once a week leading up to it.
  3. Do Paintalong live on stream.
  4. Collect photos of everyone's work (like herding cats).
  5. Make final collage of everyone's work.
  6. Edit and upload video for my Patreons
  7. Once a month - paint, package, and ship Patreon rewards (this usually takes 3 full days)

Streaming M/W/F/Su
Admin Days T/Th (get LOTS of work done!)

Since I stream full-time, most of my work is created during a stream. So part of my workflow is streaming itself. I make sure I am productive during a stream. I would love to just hang out and chat more with my viewers, but that would mean I wouldn't ever complete my work!

After each stream, I take a photo of what I've completed and share it on social media. 
Then the next morning when the sun is out and my studio is full of light, I take a high resolution photo of the finished work for my archives. I always use natural, ambient light when documenting my work.

I hope some of this helps! Your own work flow might be different, but the most important thing is consistency! 
If you have any tips or advice, feel free to share it in a comment below!

048. Updated Website Layout!

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I've been trying to make my portfolio navigation easier to use, and I ended up with this method:

Rather than having an individual gallery for every single subject (like Forests, Mountains, Seascapes, Etc), I decided I'd like to share my work based on when it was created. I enjoy the fact that a viewer can see the progression while scrolling through the galleries. 

I curated these galleries to represent the wide variety of subjects and mediums I work in. On any given day, I may be drawing, or painting with different mediums, and I feel like that is an important part of my process.

For now, I'm leaving some of the more specific themes as individual galleries (like Lord of the Rings and Digital Art). Down the road I may change it up.

047. Memory Lane: First Week in Colorado

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In 2007 I packed up and moved halfway across the country (from NY to Colorado).

The first week I was there, I hiked up to 11,000 ft.
At the time I was in really good shape, but even so, my lungs were about to explode!

Colorado, 2007, fresh off the plane.

As I looked around, I realized that I was meant to be in Colorado. Not because I was born there (moved away when I was almost 3), but because of the incredible energy the flows through the mountains. They call to me. They pull me.

Even though I now live in Scotland, and am trying to relocate here more permanently, Colorado has a very special place in my heart and I often miss it. I know I'll visit as often as possible.

Is there a place like that for you? Somewhere that pulls you?

046. Beginning Watercolor: Choosing Your Palette

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While I'm streaming, I get so many questions about what paints and colors I'm using, so I figured I would write a little about it.

Why do you choose one brand over another? What colors should you get?
What kind of containers do you need?
Brushes and paper are a whole other topic - so I'll discuss that another time!

Disclaimer: I'm not a trained expert in watercolor chemistry and I haven't tried every brand of paint out there. This is all based on my personal experience with watercolor. I am not sponsored by anyone, and I don't get paid to say any of this.

First, let me explain one very important thing:
The only difference between the wet tube paint and "dried" colors that you see above is that one is wet and one is dry. That's it.
Wet tube paint: immediately ready for use, just dip your brush in.
Dried paint in the half pans (those little white square holders): Needs a drop of water to "activate"/be used.

(If you're in a hurry and don't want to read my individual experience with certain sets/brands, skip to the bottom for the abridged version!)

1. Travel/Compact Sets

When I first started my adventures in watercolor, I had a very specific desire to be able to paint outside while I was hiking and camping. Therefore I knew I needed a portable palette. 

I knew nothing about brand or quality at the time so I randomly chose the Winsor & Newton Cotman Compact Set.
It cost about $20 at my local art store, and included 14 colors. 

It was the perfect intro into watercolors! I wasn't worried about which colors to buy, or if this was the "right set for beginners" - I just dove in!
Here are a few pieces I created with this first set (some were done outside, some were done in my studio):

However, after a month or so, I was noticing how difficult it was to get extremely saturated/deep colors out of this set. I also wanted to try some new colors.

Time for an upgrade!

I did a little searching, and I found this Sennelier La Petit Aquarelle 12 Half Pan Set for $20 that had fewer, but slightly different colors and room to add more.

At this time I was becoming completely obsessed with watercolors and I wanted to start a serious study routine. I bought this small Moleskin Watercolor Sketchbook (still my favorite!) and decided that every single day I would paint for at least one hour. 

Most days I ended up painting for 3-4 hours. I loved going to the Denver Botanic Gardens and doing plein air studies (painting outside).

This Sennelier set had new colors, and the paints themselves were much more saturated/deep. With just a touch of water, I got extremely rich colors!

Here are some things I painted with this set:

I quickly fell in love with Sennelier. 
I saw first hand what a difference the quality of the paints made. 
The W&N Cotman colors are considered "low" grade paints, good for entry-level/beginner painting. And that's exactly the experience I had. They were cheap and got me started.

Sennelier are considered "Artist" grade paints - high quality. And that's exactly the experience I had. I ended up buying another little Sennelier travel set that had a couple more color options. It was tiny and perfect!

By the way, Winsor & Newton also make Artist grade paints, and they are wonderful! I'll get to that later.

 

2. Custom Palette

So, I was having a blast with my travel sets, but I still wanted more. I was painting so frequently, both in and out of the studio, and starting to notice how limited I was with color. I noticed my limited color palette was leading me into painting a specific "look," and I wanted to have more freedom of choice. 
So I decided to take the plunge and buy some tube paints!

I went to my local art store with my business credit card and an open mind (not always the wisest decision). The people who worked there are extremely knowledgeable about the products, and are artists themselves who USE the products. They also have a little area where you can try things.

After about 2 hours of talking and experimenting, I ended up buying $300 worth of Sennelier and Daniel Smith tubes. 
The color choices were amazing... of course I wanted everything, but still had a budget. Both Sennelier and Daniel Smith are extremely high quality paints, and you can FEEL the difference when you use them.

Now, I have a large palette. A Melting Pot of brands!

I use an old pencil tin to hold my half pans. I glued mini magnets to the bottom of the pans so they stay in the pencil tin while I move around.
I also have a palette with a lid that allows me to keep paint wet for more than one session.
All of my colors are now Artist Grade, meaning high quality. The "flow" is smooth. There are no chunks or flakes. The colors are incredibly rich. 

3. Abridged Explanation

  • Half pans are little square containers that are used to pour liquid paint into. You can buy them at art stores or online, usually about $.80 each.
  • You can buy tube paint and let it dry in the half pans, or you can buy a palette with a lid that will keep your paint wet for longer.
  • There is no quality difference between liquid paint from a tube and when it's dry.
  • Low grade/entry level paint such as Cotman colors are OK for beginners while you get used to using watercolors. They are typically not as saturated/deep as Artist Grade, which are higher quality but more expensive.
  • My favorite brands in order of preference: Sennelier, Daniel Smith, Holbein, Winsor & Newton Professional (Artist Grade)
  • Colors: If you buy the travel/compact sets, your colors are chosen for you. This is perfectly fine and I did this for the first few months of my watercolor experience!
    If you're buying tube paints, here are my suggestions:
    • Earthy Tones: Olive Green, Serpentine Green, Raw Umber, Burnt Umber, Indigo, Cobalt Blue, Nickel Azo Yellow, Aureolin Yellow, Indian Red, Crimson, Imperial Purple, Neutral Tint, Lamp Black
    • Bright/Jubilant Tones: Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Orange Yellow,  Cerulean Blue, Pthalo Green Deep, Permanent Light Green, Red Violet

If you have experience with a brand or palette you love, please share it in the comments below! 

045. Positive Affirmations

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When is the last time you felt truly beautiful and loved?

A lot of times, we rely on others to make us feel those things. 
Outside influences - people, social media, news, etc. can send us on a roller coaster of emotions. 

Among all the chaos, we need to remember that we have control over how we feel about ourselves. It's not up to anyone else to tell us we are beautiful or smart or talented or brave. It needs to come from within.

"Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter." - Yoda

I truly believe in the power of my mind.

It may seem silly, but Positive Affirmations have been proven to work as part of a self improvement plan. The concept is to repeat the affirmations daily. You simply say them to yourself. Through repetition our mind is rewired. You may choose anything that helps you. Choose things that you struggle to believe about yourself. Here's a good place to start (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-carmen-harra/affirmations_b_3527028.html)

For example, each day I wake up and say:

"I wake up today with strength in my heart and clarity in my mind.
Today is a new day full of opportunity.
My potential is limitless.
I am beautiful and healthy.
I am overflowing with love.
I am courageous and I stand up for myself.
Happiness is a choice."

Every once in a while I will change my affirmations, depending on what I need.

Ever since I started doing these, I've been less anxious and more prone to peace. Not that it cures instantly, but I can feel it working. The power of our mind is incredible.

So take a moment to remind yourself that you are worthy of happiness, success, and love. Stoke the fire within, so that you may send it out and fill the world with those positive vibes.

044. Paintalong #8 Results!

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Every time I do another Paintalong, I go through such a rollercoaster of emotions!

I'm extremely nervous beforehand, mainly because I suffer from performance anxiety.
During, I'm incredibly focused and turn into a "teacher" - which I have no background in, but people tell me I'm good at it.
After, I'm super inspired, relieved, and feel a swell of pride when I see what my participants created!

Saturday's Paintalong, which was the 8th time, was no exception! This was one of the highest-attended sessions. More than 15 people participated, and 14 of those sent me their results.

I"M SUCH A PROUD MAMA!

I teach these watercolor tutorials live on my Twitch channel once a month. They are free and open to anyone! Most people who paint along are complete beginners.

These happen because of my Patreons! Each month we meet the milestone goal, we do the Paintalongs. I'm so thankful for the support, this is one way I give back.

If you'd like to watch any of the 8 watercolor tutorials, become a Patreon of $5 or higher and you'll get instant access!

Paintalong #1: Forest Light (warm colors) 

Paintalong #2: Seascape and Clouds

Paintalong #3: Mountain Lake 

Paintalong #4: Forest and Creek 

Paintalong #5: Seascape Sunset

Paintalong #6: Viewer Requests (4 paintings) 

Paintalong #7: Mountains and Clouds 

Paintalong #8: Forest Light (cool colors)

042. First Page Phobia

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If you're like me, you have a stack of beautiful notebooks and sketchbooks, piled up and ready to be filled with magical creations. Their pages are crisp, clean, bright oceans waiting to be sailed.

Maybe they've been piling up for a while now.
Like...years.

I have First Page Phobia.
It's the fear of "ruining" a sketchbook, therefore I don't make any marks. I open to the first page, my pencil hovering just above the paper, my mind whirling between ideas and "don't do that.. that's a waste of paper."

Why would I let a blank page have so much power over me? I KNOW the importance of practice, and sketching/drawing is a hugely important step in developing my skills (even for painting). 
I've had lots of time to think about it, and only recently came to this conclusion.

Ego.

I'm not talking about the popular manifestation of ego - "I'm the best!"
I'm talking about the textbook definition: "the part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious and is responsible for reality testing and a sense of personal identity"
In other words, it's our sense of self-esteem. Our idea of ourselves.

When you sit down to a blank page, and you have the thought "I don't want to mess up," - this is our ego stepping in. We must learn how to surrender to the fact that everything we create is not a masterpiece. Our egos say, "No! We only create beautiful things that people will like!"
This is false. We cannot ever expect to draw anything beautiful without practicing, messing up, experimenting, and trying.

Rather than let the fear of failure stop us, we need to remember the importance of mistakes.

Making mistakes leads to improvement. 
Children are not born with the ability to walk. They crawl before they stand up. They wobble before they walk. They walk before they run.
They fall. They get up again. And eventually, falling becomes rare.

Sketchbooks are our personal spaces. They are not meant to be shared, unless we invite the world to see (in this day that means posting photos online). 
YOU choose what the world sees. I personally wish more artists shared their messy sketchbooks, mistakes and all.
It would remove the veil of perfection and instant mastery that admirable artists tend to carry.

Ways to get over First Page Phobia

  1. Skip the first page. 
    I do this almost every time I start a sketchbook. The first page always seems to be the scariest, most sacred page. It is the gateway to the sketchbook. But rather than let that fear of failure stop me from making any marks - I simply skip the first page! This gets me started, and whenever I'm ready (if ever) I can go back and fill that first page.
  2. Have a private sketchbook, and a public sketchbook.
    If you are concerned with what people will think about your sketchbook, once again that's the ego stepping in. Rather than fight those feelings - embrace them. Have a completely private sketchbook where you can fuck up as much as you want, write notes, and make random marks. No one will ever see it. At the same time have a "public" sketchbook - one you don't mind sharing.
  3. Make your first drawing something you love - something you're good at. Rather than get stuck on what to draw, stick with what you know! If you're skilled at portraits, or creatures, or landscapes, or architecture, start with that! 

The key is to just get started. Once you get something down on that first page, the rest is so much easier!

Do you have any suggestions to help get over First Page Phobia? If so, feel free to message me or leave a comment below!

039. Shop Renovations

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Yesterday I launched my completely updated Etsy shop, full of new paintings, updating pricing, plus the option to add a frame!

I'm super excited about this update because it more accurately reflects the quality I offer my buyers. 
Hand-painted watercolors are beautiful in person, but it's hard to display with just a photo.

I do my best to show details by taking closeup shots but I really like the addition of the frame option.

Next project: offering limited edition, signed, giclee prints. I hope to figure that out in the next couple months!

036. How Do You Price Your Artwork?

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Today I'm going to dive into my method and thoughts on pricing artwork. I'm going to be brutally honest in this post. Please remember these are MY views based on my own experiences (7 years as a professional photographer, 2 years as a painter).

There isn't a magic formula that will work for everyone. But I'll explain what I went through to get to where I am now.

Fact: People want everything for nothing.

That's just the way it is. It's built into humans, probably going back to some survival mechanism. Now in a time of abundance, it still holds true. Can you blame us? It's awesome to get everything for nothing.

How many artists out there have had potential buyers ask why something was priced "so high," or request a discount or question your method of pricing a custom commission?

When it comes to your art, you can try to educate buyers, explaining that they aren't just paying for raw materials or time, but also your unique artistic vision.
Some might get it. Most of them will move on.

And that's OK, because the world is a big place. There are lots of other people. The last thing you want to do is undervalue yourself. That is a crash course for 1. being broke, 2. believing you are worth less.

Once in a while you run into people who truly understand the value of what you're doing, and are willing to pay what it's worth without question. When you do, you realize your true value as well. It's like their passion and understanding and desire to own a piece of your art is the equivalent of them holding up a mirror, and you see what they see. 

First, a little background (brief dive into my photography career, where I started). As I said, I learned the hard way.

Getting my clients to trust me and be comfortable in front of my camera was not always easy. As a photographer I was interested in capturing the genuine moments. I made sure that I was completely genuine around them, which helped. When they saw me geeking out about beautiful light, or fun angles, they'd loosen up and be natural. Eventually I built a portfolio of images that showed clients in their best, most natural light, and that drew more clients who wanted this experience. Their experience is worth just as much, if not more than the images. 

Photography is an INCREDIBLY competitive field. When I started out shooting weddings, it was right around the time that every photographer was starting to offer "unlimited hours" packages. This meant, the photographer would show up whatever time the client wanted on the wedding day, and leave whenever they wanted (usually after the send-off at the end of the night). Sometimes more than 15 hours (like showing up at 7am for "getting ready shots" and leaving at 2am after the party). This was accompanied by a fixed fee for the entire day.

As a new photographer trying to break into the industry, I went along with the trend and offered this option. I wanted to shoot at least one wedding to have something in my portfolio, so I advertised on Craigslist, Unlimited hours and photos for $200 (with the obvious caveat that it was my first wedding).

Guess how long it took to book a client?

1 day.

Yep, I was an idiot. I completely undervalued myself, because I honestly didn't know any better.
It was a wake up call the size of Mt. Everest. I shot for 9 hours, took over 2000 photos which took me 4 days to edit, plus the months and months of correspondence leading up to the wedding to go over itinerary and ideas. Other photographers offering a package like this charged minimum $1500.

I honestly didn't start charging what I was "worth" for another two years. I was hungry for experience and wanted to guarantee a busy shoot schedule so I could learn and grow. Plus I had a full time job so I wasn't desperate for money. Photography was my mistress on the side.

I experience countless clients who wanted as much possible from me for as little money as possible. Eventually, I had to put my foot down and stick to my guns when it came to pricing. 

Sure, I lost out on a LOT of business when I started charging more, but the business I gained was made of much better clients who truly appreciated my artistic vision. Less jobs didn't mean less money. It was less jobs, at a higher price, with healthier relationships and deeper bonds. This benefits everyone involved.

One of my weddings that was published in The Knot magazine and several other publications. This couple didn't question my pricing. They saw the value in what I provided, and as a result we both came out with an amazing experience and beautiful images.

You have to remember, there is ALWAYS going to be someone out there who undercuts you, no matter what business you're in, and especially in a creative field.
There is always someone more desperate, more cunning, more skilled, more naive, or any other number of things that lead them to charging less for the same product.

If you don't believe in your own value, how can you expect anyone else to? If you charge less, they will pay less.

If you charge more, they might pay more. And here's where it get's tricky.

Brutally honest moment #1: You have to take an honest look at your work and understand where it fits among your industry peers.

Sure, I wanted to charge $2000 right away for a wedding just like other photographers I looked up to, but until I had a few years of experience, my work was not worth $2000. That's a hard pill to swallow for some.

Painting

One of the first paintings I ever sold. To my aunt. 

When I started selling paintings, I still had my full-time job, so again, I wasn't desperate for money.

Brutally honest moment #2: If you are desperate for money, art is the wrong field.

Some artists make a TON of money. Those few, the 1% (or much less), are idols to a lot of us. They are living the dream!
And of course, we can all aspire for that level of success.

But most of us will make a humble living, perhaps barely break even, while pursuing the dream.
If that scares you, that's OK. It scares the crap out of me.

But if you read that, and still feel like you HAVE to create no matter what, that making money is secondary, then you may just find the type of success that truly matters.
True fulfillment.

And THAT is priceless.

While selling paintings involves a lot less client interaction than photography, I've realize that there's a ton of crossover between the two disciplines.
Also, my experience as a painter is unique to much of the established (traditional) art world, because it began online, while streaming on Twitch.tv

By painting while streaming on Twitch, my clientele was watching me create the work, yet surprisingly it didn't lead to them putting less value on it (like, I was afraid people would think, "oh that doesn't look that hard, why does it cost so much?"). In fact it was the opposite. Viewers saw me creating something from start to finish, and so they were part of the experience. Much like photography, that experience becomes part of us, and they want to take away a tangible item that expresses it = a piece of art.

A painting is more than it's materials. It's a piece of the artist. Something that was at one point trapped in imagination, came to life, and can now hang on a wall. How magical is that!?
All of the artwork I've purchased has come from a NEED to own it. It reached into me, grabbed my emotions, and shook me until I gave in. 

Pricing drawings and paintings seemed really arbitrary to me when I started out. I didn't go to school for business and I didn't talk to that many artists before selling my own work. At first, I under-priced everything. Again, since I had a full time job, I wasn't desperate for money. Painting and streaming was my new mistress on the side.

I started out by barely charging more than what the materials cost. However, after a while, I began to realize I wanted this to be a career, and I had to take it more seriously.

To my surprise, when I started increasing prices to reflect what I thought they were worth, my sales didn't drop. I was actually stunned the first time I sold anything for over $100.

I came up with a "formula" for pricing, that I still use to this day (except for special circumstances).
$Cost of materials + $Time ($50/hour) + $Shipping & handling
The cost per hour (time) is the variable. It includes prep, painting, and finishing.
You also may need to add sales tax. Consult your local laws.

I paint very fast. Like a fully rendered painting takes me a couple hours (or less). So charging a higher rate per hour is necessary to make it worth my time. 

But the number $50 per hour seems sort of arbitrary right? Not really. 
Look into any creative field at what the professionals charge (architects, graphic designers, etc) and $50 starts to look cheap.

DO NOT CHARGE LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE! As an artist, what you offer is worth far more than a latte. Ok that doesn't exactly translate well, but what I'm saying is, the skill and vision it takes to create a beautiful painting is more valuable than the skill it takes to make a latte at a local coffee shop where you get paid minimum wage (I served coffee before so I can say this without hesitation).

Another strategy that I've seen artists use is charging per square foot of a painting. Just break it down! I personally don't use this formula because size doesn't effect the difficulty of the contents and therefore how long it takes me to paint. 

As your work develops, so should your storefront. 

Think about it. Compare the two paintings below and tell me which level of quality you'd pay more for (regardless of size).

If you continue to offer your older art on your storefront (like Etsy) at the same prices, it better stack up in terms of quality to your new stuff. Otherwise you're sending mixed signals to your clients.

This requires a constant purge and being REALLY honest with yourself (ouch). 

Can you confidently say that every piece of art on your Etsy shop (or whatever you use) is up to your current standards? Is everything you're offering representing your vision?
I found that by painting so often, the pure volume of my work was leading to fast improvement, and I was running into the scenario that what I posted on Etsy a month ago fell far below the quality of what I posted today. Now, that's all fine and dandy if I lowered prices on the older stuff, OR if that older stuff is still really good. But that was rarely the case.

Brutally honest moment #3: Stop letting sentimental attachment cloud your vision of what something is worth.

I can't tell you how many times I painted something, had a proud little "breakthrough" (like finally painted a good cloud), so I listed it for top dollar. 9 times out of 10 it didn't sell until I lowered the price to what it was ACTUALLY worth. Be realistic. Sure, maybe it's the best you can do, but don't forget to compare to industry peers. Yea, ouch. 

Brutally honest moment #4: If you truly LOVE something, don't sell it.

There was a point that whenever I created a new "favorite" piece, I would tack on an extra $100-200 because the thought of selling it hurt my heart. I've sold several pieces that I wish I still owned, because of how meaningful they were to me. I regret selling them. I regret feeling like I NEEDED to sell them.
So if it meant so much to me, why did I even allow the chance for it to be "taken" away by listing it at an absurd price on my storefront?

I was driven by the unfounded idea that, if it sold for the higher price, I would be able to pay rent, and all is well. 

For fucks sake. There are other ways to pay the rent. Feeling the desperate need to sell everything you make is just going to lead to misery. I am learning slowly that there are some pieces that an artist creates that are meant to stay close. When you create one of those, you feel it in your heart of hearts. Trust your instinct and keep it. 

Sell prints of it instead. Sell postcards and bags and tshirts. But keep the original. Your future self will thank you!

Final brutal advice: If your work isn't selling, hit the "books."

By this I mean, get off your high horse, and back into the studio. I do this myself constantly. The ego is a powerful thing. Sadly it comes built-in for humans. 

Study.
Work.
Advertise differently. (this is going to be a whole other blog post)
Study more.
Improve.

They don't call it a hustle for nothing.

Just because you made something doesn't mean it's going to sell. I used to list every single thing I made on my Etsy shop, even studies. A lot of times it was because while I was painting it, people who were watching on my Twitch channel were raving about how much they loved it. Or I posted it on Instagram and people asked "where can I buy this?"
But once I listed it, it didn't sell.

One of the first Seascape paintings I made (7 months ago), people begged for me to add it to Etsy. It never sold.

Most recently sold piece.

So, either everyone was lying, or it wasn't worth what I was selling it for. So I had to be honest with myself.
It was a study, Sure it was cool to look at and kind of fun and expressive. But was it worth selling and shipping? Probably not. But in creating it, my skill improved, and you better believe the next time I paint a fully rendered landscape that involves elements from that study, it will be good. And THAT painting will sell.

Ok so, I hope at least some of this was helpful. It's all just been me rambling about my own experiences. We mainly just have to be honest with ourselves. Work hard. Enjoy what we do. I'm sure in another year I'll have a new outlook. I'm learning as I go!

What are your methods? Do you have a success or horror story to share or a solid formula that works for you? I'd really love to hear them. Please feel free to send me a message or post in the comments below!

031. Memory Lane: Japan, 2005.

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I decided that every once in a while I'm going to have a short post like this that showcases an image from my past, and a quote that it makes me think of. 

I'll call them Memory Lane days.

Let's go way back.

In 2005, I did a ceramic internship in Japan. It was located in the Nagano prefecture, in a tiny town called Yugashima. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and one of the most trying. Not a day goes by that I don't remember something about that summer.

My sensei told me "Don't make the clay into what you want. Let the clay show you what it wants to be."

That is still one of the most profound things anyone has told me, and I think about it a lot when I draw and paint these days.