Okay, so this isn't REALLY a "hatching" picture--I do have a few ideas, but I really need to hatch a plan for making a little extra money. Having the kid in college is stretching the budget beyond all reason.
I tried selling cards today at the Holiday Farmer's Market, and though lots of people looked at them and said how much they liked them, hardly anyone bought them. Maybe I was asking too much , or maybe it just wasn't the right thing for this event. Who knows. I really like them, though.
I made the sketch for this drawing a couple weeks ago, and started rendering it in ball point pen yesterday afternoon, and finished yesterday evening at a friend's house with a bunch of other people playing music. When they asked why I wasn't playing , I had to say that it was because I was so much enjoying seeing if I could make this drawing work out...
Hmm, what about commissions for portraits? One can get caught in a trap of thinking if one offers very modest things for sale, one will make money by not asking very much. But sometimes it makes more sense to sell something further up the food chain. People also tend to go for the cute with greeting cards, rather than artist merit in particular.
ReplyDeleteAlas....I'm not into cute. I think I'll just keep doing what I'm doing, and if anyone wants it, that's fine, and if not, then my friends will get some awfully nice cards with letters in them in the mail. I do understand your point, for sure. I didn't make them in order to sell them; I just thought that maybe, since I make them anyway, that I could perhaps make a little something, and I guess I did. What I sold certainly covered the expense of printing them and buying the paper and envelopes, which is worth it (my children's sceince book which I illustrated never made enough royalties to even copver the cost of the watercolor paper and shipping all the drawings to the publisher).
ReplyDeleteI like this a lot and the chicken pox one below, too!!!
ReplyDeleteI love seeing other people's cards, but I almost never buy any becasue I make my own cards.
People tell me I should seell them but to make it worth my while, I would have to charge more than anyone would be willing to pay--so I give them as gifts only.
(I also give them away free online sometimes.)
I wish you luck in your endeavors, I liek your work!
I just went to the DIA to see the WPA prints and sort of wish the government would pay us to do art! LOL!
Wonderful drawing, firstly!
ReplyDeleteI don't do 'cute' either. I stay far away from it. I have an Etsy shop and sell mostly cards and I do very well. Most of my images are from my Illustration Friday entries! I'll never get rich off of this venue but I like the idea of someone enjoying my images and mailing them out as a hand-written greeting. I buy tons of cards from other artists because I refuse to be limited to sending my own. It's also an addiction ;)
Good luck, and be true to yourself.
awesome composition and beautiful line work!
ReplyDeleteThis is remarkable work here - loving this series! Yes, I know it's hard - try not to get discouraged and keep plugging away. Have you thought of exhibiting at some local galleries, or even teaching some drawing classes?
ReplyDeleteexcellent drawing. making money from art is certainly a difficult thing, I wish you luck. It appears you've got me hooked on trying accordion pictures as well
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a music picture to me, very sinuous, I like how the player is offset to the right and the lines become the dominant force in the picture, suggesting his melody and happiness...
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