"Artists Beware"

Hey guys,

This is more of an artist question rather than a beware.

I read recently that the sales for books IRL are down because of e-Books and I find that completely understandable.

However, I have had my own 'how-to-draw- book project planned for a while and have my own concerns about it. My original customer base that I'll aim for is furry/anime artists and convention artists but I want to cover more than just drawing...

Would you be interested in a HTD book/series if it included additional information like

• Selling/Marketing your Artwork and Expanding your customer base (Selling online, printing services vs. printing at home, how to price your work, etc)
• Convention Tips and Tricks (Typical convention AA, setup and selling techniques, etc)
• DIY Art Products you can make (buttons, charms, jewelry, etc)
• General Species Study Chapters (Differences in species, reference study techniques, a 'scientific' approach at mythological creatures, etc)

I'll likely plan on selling the books as e-books, books on CD and have a few physical copies printed through Lulu or something.

I'd have a few lessons published online for free and then have most of the material for sale.
What sorts of other art-related info could people want?
And would you even be interested in this sort of thing?

x-posted to fulltimefurs

I'm not an artist, but I do make needlepoint/cross stitch things. A lot of what I make, I keep for my own decoration, but last winter I started working on a huge tapestry project for my boyfriend. Obviously, I'm not going to do anything with this tapestry except frame it and give it to him, but I've been thinking that if I make it again at a later date, I'd like to sell it to make a little money off my hobby.

So my question is: Can I legally do this?

The chart I'm using to make this tapestry isn't mine, it's produced by a company called Leisure Arts. I've already looked around their website to see if there's anything about what I can and can't do with their products and didn't find anything (except for one section that says I can't download their free patterns, then turn around and sell them.) Can anybody help me out? It'd be greatly appreciated.

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3/12/10 12H32 EST UPDATE: Starfinder has contacted me saying that she will send it out by the end of the week (I'm guessing that means next week) because she's currently tied of up with finals. So, it looks like this situation is on it's way to being resolved. At least I hope so!

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Just thought I'd post something else about Starfinder. I just found this community an hour ago; boy I wish I had seen it long before then.

Basically, she owes me a print, and the hard copy of two small bust sketches (one was free, as a deal for buying a print, so I'm not going to complain about that). This is back in January. My last communication with her last in June, six months after payment. Note that this isn't even original art - it's a print. The bust sketch that I paid for she actually DID draw, she just had to send it to me. My last communication with her in June was as follows:


Hey there,

I was wondering if you ever got a chance to ship these out? I know you're extremely busy and have a lot going on, but it's been quite some time - according to my PayPal, I paid for the print on Janurary 19th, and the airplane sketch on Feb 28th. I'm just curious as to what happened to them.

Cheers,

Gizagiza

Her response:

Hey,

Still have everything, just going through some tough issues right now with my bank. I'm currently overdrawn due to their dishonest way of processing checks and other payments and they keep hitting me with fees to keep me in the negative. :/ For now I'm struggling with them and with my own commissions to get in the positive as I have no money to do anything, like buy gas for my car, pay my bills, etc, let alone shipping too. :/ Sorry for the delays, things have not been good with me since the foreclosure and it's sort of a daily struggle to make ends meet. I'm hoping to get in the positive and ship everyone's stuff out ASAP though.

I'm reluctant to message her again because I always get a guilt trip... and whats annoying is she has the wonderful tenancy to delete a majority of her journal entries. She's very difficult to track.

EDITED to add:

Screenshot:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_XQQ2cjdjCL4/TPgUcpO8ObI/AAAAAAAAABA/LzANF5BfspI/starfinderscreen1.PNG

 Nothing definite as of yet- but looking for thoughts an opinions.

There's a potential chance I may be hired as a colorist for a webcomic (of which I've seen, read and have an idea for the target audience and such of which I'm comfortable with). The comic itself is being done by the sole creator (writer, artist, etc.) for the time being. No words or negotiations have been exchanged just yet- and I don't know which style of coloring of mine that they're interested in.

They're also in a different country altogether- however they're still gathering their own ideas and information and such before any firm or final contracts or anything.

A) What kind of questions should I prepare of for myself to ask?

B) I haven't the slightest idea of how to price myself per page. What should I keep in mind when coming up with said price?

( If you need examples of my coloring for a better idea, click here >>> blazetbw.deviantart.com/gallery/ )

Just in time for the holidays! I'm sure there will be lots of people commissioning artwork for gifts or just to celebrate the season. Let's give them some recommendations for artists who would make these gifts fantastic. Conversely, I'm sure artists are pretty busy with requests, and it will be nice to know which commissioners are so great to work with that it'll put a smile on their face.

If you've had a great commission experience, either as an artist or a customer, please comment here and spread the word. It doesn't have to be a full-on story, though you're welcome to type one! All we need are a few lines on why this person was so great to work with. You can also recommend companies, such as printers or fursuit-making teams.

There are plenty of reasons to post someone here: perhaps they went above and beyond the call of duty to fix a problem, or were so prompt with communication and payment it was like having them right next to you, or were very professional and courteous every time you contacted them.

To help keep things organized, please follow this simple form:
Subject line: Name of person/company you recommend
1. Name of the person/company you recommend.
2. Link to their website or art page.
3. Approximate time period of when you did business with them.
4. Details (Here's where you tell us why they are so awesome! What made the transaction go so well? Perhaps link to the art or suit you bought/sold if you feel like sharing. Please mark NSFW if the subject matter is adult!!)

If you have multiple people to recommend, please put them in separate comments so everyone has their own spotlight.

Since kayla_la, oceandezignz, and puppetmaker40 joined us almost a year ago, our community has continued to get busier and busier. I take that as an indication that we as a community our doing our job well! We are becoming better known as a place to warn of unprofessional behavior, to ask for and receive excellent advice, and to get recommendations for some wonderful artists and customers.

Thus, due to this increased traffic, I'd like to welcome hamburger as an additional moderator here on artists_beware! Though tempting, there will be no devouring the new mod! Don't make us put it in the community rules!!

And please continue to spread the word about artists_beware; the more people who know about the community, the better it functions!


Proxy posts:

We moderators have decided to cease approving posts by proxy. What that means is, if your friend had a bad experience with an artist or commissioner, but doesn't have a LiveJournal account, you cannot make a post 'for them'. We will make rare exceptions on a case-by-case basis, but only with proof of the transaction.

LiveJournal accounts are free, and membership in Artists_Beware is no longer moderated. Requiring the involved party to make the post will enable/encourage them to interact directly with people commenting in the post, and make them responsible for the post's content.