Vanity Tools for Social Media Hounds

Recently discovered more vanity tools to help business people measure or monitor their brand. My favorite is addictomatic.com because they have a cute robot mascot.

Here is a list of tools to measure your  brand visibility:

http://www.howsociable.com/  grades you on several social media services (Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, YouTube)

http://tweetstats.com Colorful graphs track your (or friends) usage and conversation on Twitter.

 http://twitaholic.com/  Ranks Twitter users according to their followers.

 http://www.kurrently.com  shows you who all is sharing a keyword

http://compete.com/ Fun tool that compares traffic to specific urls. Could be very handy if you are trying to decide between selling on different platforms such as Etsy, Ebay, or Amazon.

http://socialmention.com/ One of my faves, measures strength, passion, sentiment and reach.

So why should you even care?

 Well, branding is important, and beyond that who has not googled their name to see if they come up in the engines? These are just tools that measure your web visibility across different platforms using a wide variety of metrics.  It is important however to not to place too much importance on these measurements & tools.You can be way too obsessive about this stuff and before you know it you have wasted an entire morning searching yourself, and on that note I am signing off for the weekend. Going to go cut glass and make mosaics.

Finding Artist Resources 101

Going to try very hard to get back to posting artist tips, links and resources on the weekends. I was in the habit of doing that a year or so back and I want to try to return to it.


This article is for other artists that may be new to sourcing. What is "sourcing" and who is good at it? Sourcing is that unique ability that some artists have to find new materials to paint on or with, new service providers and new partners that will create unique products with their artwork on it.  Wikipedia states that: "In business, the term sourcing refers to a number of procurement practices, aimed at finding, evaluating and engaging suppliers of goods and services."

Maybe you are an Etsy seller and you have noticed that some people package their handmade jewelry in pretty silver metal tins, you think "wow what a great idea".  You could message one of these sellers and ask them, "hey where do you get your tins, I want to package my work that competes with yours in the exact same packaging you are using, but hey don't worry, my label will be green and look totally different".  Or you could do what that seller did and spend an hour or more looking on-line for "metal tins", "commercial packaging", "gift boxes" and who knows you may even find a cooler tin than they are using or even better pricing. Sourcing takes a lot of time and it takes patience, and in my opinion it is a much better route to take than sending random e-mails to other artists that have never even met you.  The people that are good at sourcing are those folks that are always coming up with new products to add to their gift lines, new packaging ideas and new ways to do things.  I feel like I am pretty good at finding what I need at good prices and I very rarely ask other artists for help in this area.   When I do hit a brick wall in my search efforts I know I just need to try and think in a new way.

Here is my list of tips for sourcing:
#1 Try a wide variety of search terms for the product or service you are looking for. Then try an even wider variety of search terms.
#2 Be specific about materials and sizes. In the example above in searching for "metal tins", try using the deminsions that you know these tins to be available at.
#3 Use the word "wholesale".
#4 Think about what other type of industries may use the item you need. If you are searching for metal tins, you might try food service, food storage, candy packaging, candle companies and so on.
#5 Spend time on google, but don't forget about the other search engines, and don't forget about offline resources. Offline resources include trade publications and trade shows, and the yellow pages if you can find one.
#6 If you use Twitter you can always send a random shout out to the people that you are connected to and ask if anyone has any good ideas about where you can find what you are looking for ...  this is far better than putting one individual on the spot that may not be comfortable sharing their vendor list.  Some people are very protective of their sources and rightfully so, still others are more than eager to share. Twitter is a great place to ask for help without stepping on toes.

The Follow Through:
Ok so let's say you have bookmarked half a dozen places that all have pretty similar pricing on metal tins. Now what? Well look for a 1-800 number and see which of these companies offers phone support.   I will spend a few cents more on an item if the website is well designed or if it offers me a toll-free number where I can connect with a real human. When placing your first order for a new supply with a new company be sure and order at the minimum or even ask if you can purchase a sample, many wholesale resources will sell samples.

Ok so those are my tips for finding what you need. I would love to hear from other artists on any sourcing research tips they may have to share so please feel free to leave a comment.

Ears Matter ... in pet portraiture

"Mac" from Australia ( see all proofs)
© rebecca collins / artpaw.com

A lot of pet portrait artists will tell you that the eyes are all important because they contain the soul of an animal. This is very true and yet it is important to remember that while the eyes may hold the soul ... the ears often contain the joy. The only thing that expresses more about mood and attitude than a wagging tail is the way a pup's ears are showing. I love perky ears and when I do not have them in an original photograph I will try to create them. Scroll down and check out the original image below and you will see that Mac's ear to our right was a little flat. Many digital service providers that offer pet portrait services have a routine of erasing the background and then slamming on the filters, never pausing to really see the image in front of them. Even traditional painters can fall into a trap of interpreting the original photograph way too literally, not pausing to ask themselves what could be better here, what is distracting and what could be better? In Mac's case I found he had too much collar flap and not enough ear. I don't mean to pick on other artists, in fact sometimes I fail to catch these sort of things too, in a pet portrait project I did last week Lady's ear to our right was folded a little strange and I am going to go back in and fix that.  Anyway ... the point of today's post : "Ears Matter,"  and never allow yourself to be limited by the original photograph of your subject.  A landscape artist painting a lovely lake would not hesitate to throw in a sailboat even if he has to create it from scratch based on his own knowledge of what a boat looks like.

© rebecca collins/ artpaw.com

How Did I Make  A New Ear?

I borrowed our ear to the left by selecting it and making a duplicate layer with just the ear. I flipped it horizontally so it was facing the right way, cloned over a dark freckle and then used the warp tool to change the shape slightly. That last step of warping the new ear is very important, nobody is perfectly symmetrical and depending on angle and the tilt of the head the ears will be different sizes naturally. Just slapping on an identical ear would not have looked very natural, it had to be reshaped and fine tuned.

Commenting With Style

We just passed the Tennessee River. I am blogging from the car today. Fun Times!

Recently a lot of business blogs are telling people to get out there and comment on other blogs to encourage others to visit your own blog or site. Some people do this well and some people do it in a hurried "drive by" fashion. I tend to comment in a variety of ways, and in reality my goal in leaving a comment is never just a desire to get traffic. When I am visiting a new blog for the first time I try to leave a comment that refers back to something about the artwork or subject within the post. When I visit one of my regular artist pals that I see a few times a week, I admit I will occasionally leave a quick little: "great art", " "good job", or " well done". In these cases I really just want to say hi, and let my friends know I am reading them this week. So a comment can function in a variety of ways. It can be an introduction, a hello, and yes it can even be constructive criticism. A comment should never be an advertisement. Most people know this instinctively and I have to say that very few artists have ever left a comment on my blog saying "hey I do pet portraits too, go check them out at www.mygreatsite.com". When I do get a spammy comment it is generally from a non-art site that is pet related.

So just how do you get traffic by leaving a comment without actually saying "please go to: www.mygreatsite.com". Well for those of you that have never left a blog comment, what you need to know is that most blog writers set their commenting preferences to allow commenters to include a web link. I personally think that the appropriate web link to use in that field is a web link to the commenter's own blog and not a web link to a website that offers goods or services. If the commenter does not have a blog then a link to a portfolio or business site is perfectly acceptable. When you type in that web link it usually will read as the name you type in the "name field" (see image below). Your name will show up blue and be clickable and it will take readers to your blog. I usually just type in my first name "Rebecca" in the name field. I am going to change that starting today. The other day I was reading a blog post about Lauren Nassef's stolen artwork and I saw a comment by someone I know a little via the web, Claudine Hellmuth. I don't know her real well but I know her work and I know her name very well. When I saw her full name I got a visual image of her terrific work and I knew she was not Claudine Smith. If you see the screen shot below you will see 3 comments left by 3 different artists. Diane does mixed media art, Melissa is another doggy artist and Manon does a lot of art journaling. Oh, and Emmitt is a cute teenage Puggie. Melissa & Manon are both giving me more than just a first name, they would not need to ... I know them well. By giving more than just a first name they are also giving all my readers a little more info as to who they are. They are making their profile link more interesting, and therefor more clickable.

So to sum it up I will post some Dos and Don'ts on commenting. This is not law, and opinions will vary widely on "commenting with style". In fact please leave a comment and add your own favorite dos and don'ts.

DO:
Do try to leave a thoughtful comment when visiting a new blog for the first time.
Do leave a link to your own blog in the link field on the submission form.
Do use your full name (if you are comfortable with that).
Do remember that in addition to possible blog traffic you may also be building reciprocal relationships that will benefit you in many ways.

Don't:
Don't leave an http://weblink within the actual "body of your comment" . That is not necessary and could be seen as spammy. The blogger will give you the chance to add a link in a special field if they choose to. This rule can often be broken among friends when sharing additional resources and info that is on topic.
Don't paste the same 4 word sentence into half a dozen posts on the same blog.
Don't just be a "drive by" commenter, find some blogs you really enjoy and visit them often ... comment a lot and comment well!

Later I will talk about how to find those cool art blogs you are going to love and want to comment on.

About Artist Vlogs and Videos

My You Tube Channel

Several months ago I started creating slideshow portfolios of my artwork and set them to music. At the time I thought wow this is fun, but I will never be one of those ego-centric vloggers that sits in front of the webcam telling everyone what I had for lunch. Well, never say never. This last month I have sort of tiptoed into the vlogging realm as well. I am constantly facing new challenges as I sort through the various learning curves involved with the technology. My readers have been very supportive and patient as I upload these things. My first vlog was so low in sound I am sure 80% of you guys could not even hear it.

Today I offer a list on what I am discovering on my journey.

Top 6 Challenges in creating an artist Vlog:
#1 Finding some content: Figuring out something of value and interest to talk about. Recently I decided interviewing other people makes the journey more fun.
#2 Finding your tools: Buying and learning all the various software tools you need.
#3 Finding the cuts: Trying to figure out artistic ways to edit a video without looking horribly trite and inexperienced.
#4 Finding time: The time involved is huge at first.
#5 Finding a style: Video editing can be regarded as an art form in itself and once you get the basics down (which I have not done yet), you have to think about what sort of style or aesthetic feeling your want your videos to have.
#6 Finding an Audience: With the amount of time and effort you put into making a video you sort of want someone to see it. You can only bug your family & friends to a certain degree and then at some point you have to address the issue of how to get your videos seen.

The Pros & Cons to Selling Art On Etsy

Above are my most recent Etsy purchases.
I adore them both.
(Left) "Oliver, a Yeti Sasquatch" by Kraken Mosaics
( Right) " Summer Laundry" by Wild Plum Mosaics

I love Etsy! It is the best place on the web for buying handmade gifts and I often manage to buy gifts for ME. I have not been working Etsy very hard as a seller lately so I am really not the most experienced person to be offering advice. I do hope some of my fellow artist pals will take a moment to offer up their opinions on Etsy by leaving a comment here.

PROS:
• Very easy to use interface
• Goodlooking web design.
• This is a handmade community so your art will not be listed along side car tires, perfume and gucci handbags.
• Great supportive community. Great place to network and support other artists.
• Very low listing fees.
• Young vibe, lots of talent.

Cons:
• Often feels like artists selling to other artists so prices tend to be on the lower side. This is great for buying, but you may find your bigger pieces and pricier work slow to move.
Ok that is it on Cons.

For Etsy tips and advice visit Timothy Adam's Blog.

A few shops worth a peek:

My Art Paw Shop
Timothy Adams Design
Abby Creek Studios
PugNotes
Dream Dogs Art
Weller Wishes
Erika Jones
Kraken Mosaics
Wild Plum Mosaics

I know I must have left a few of my pals out so if you don't see your name feel free to invite us to your shop by leaving a comment. If you do see your shop name please share the Etsy love and leave a comment with your own insights into Etsy.

Oh one more quick "PRO" on Etsy ... cool widget tools. The thumbnails below are from my favorites list:

The Pros & Cons to Selling Art On Ebay

Several years ago I decided to open an ebay account to sell reproduction dog and cat prints at auction. My thinking on this was not that I would get rich selling low-end prints to pet lovers, but instead that I could use ebay as an advertising venue. I saw it as a way to get my artwork out into the world and reach hundreds of web savvy shoppers and devoted animal lovers. If I look at the adventure in those terms I would say it has been successful and I have just about broken even in the money I have spent. In light of yesterday's discovery of copyright infringement on one of my artworks at ebay I thought I would post what I have learned from my years of selling art at ebay.

Pros:
• Great place to spread your branding.
• Easy to use interface.
• Easy to connect with really kind and wonderful pet lovers and art collectors that may not find you any other way.
• When you are actively selling on Ebay you get to see what is out there and when you have a devoted following they will let you know when they see someone selling your work illegally.
Cons:
• You expose your artwork to people that can easily purchase your artwork, scan and resell. Often these digital rip off printers are located in other countries and can be hard to track.
• You will receive tons of e-mail questions from buyers, no matter how specific your terms are spelled out. Things like: "can I get this in a smaller size", " can you do a custom work of my Lab for $10", "do you have any prints of 3 legged Norwegian Chihuahuas", " can I get this print with a different colored background" , "can I use your art in my child's school newsletter" .... and the list goes on and on. If you have the time to respond and respond "thoughtfully" to these sort of questions you can turn maybe 1 in 100 of these requests into an actual life-long client.
• Ebay raises their selling fees every year making it harder and harder to make a profit.
• Lots of competition in the animal art niche.
• Ebay is like a big garage sale and if your goal as an artist includes breaking into elite and high profile national art galleries you may be watering down and cheapening your brand by selling at auction.
• Then there is the question of if you are watering down the uniqueness of commissioned artwork by adding client work into gift & print lines. That is always a nagging issue commercial pet artists deal with. Many of my clients enjoy seeing their art in our gift lines, but I may not be hearing from the ones that don't.

I would have to add that you have to work very very hard to break even when selling at ebay and yet many independent artists do very well and manage to work out a system that allows them to to turn a profit. I have made very little money on the items I have sold at ebay and yet I would have to say that overall I think the effect on branding for me has been a plus. I can not recommend ebay to artists nor would I say that it is not worth a try.

Will I keep my ebay shop open? I am really not sure at this point. The fraud listings have been quickly removed by the seller after my partner informed them of the infringement. The story goes that they were a part of a large purchase the seller made and they were unaware of the infringement. I suppose we will have to give them the benefit of the doubt, however we will be checking their auctions weekly now.

Resources & additional reading links:
Ebay's veRO program
NPR story: Online Art Fraud Nets Growing Number of Victims
Great Post On Wet Canvas: Being successful on ebay...year long study

Friday Dog Vlog / My Studio

Today ... A tour of the Art Paw digital studio:


Ok so this last month you guys heard me going on about an on-line class I took on organization. The class was structured in such a way that you really had to do some work, and put some thought into the subject yourself. In other words there was no lesson plan that said "do A,B and C and then boom you will be totally organized".
I learned 3 very important things:
#1 Be kind to yourself and remember, almost everyone feels overwhelmed by paper work at some point.
#2 The key to success is to just stick with a system ... it does not matter what your method is just stick with it.
#3 I am really much more organized than I thought I was.

Saturday Creative Resource

One year I tried posting nothing but educational or creative info, links and resources on Saturdays. I have tried to get back into that a little bit this year. With that said if any of you work in Photoshop or any creative software application you need to check out Shellie Hall's " Get Creative " YouTube Channel. This energetic red head posts weekly tips and resource links. I have embedded one of her videos below for you to sample. You will find her quite comfortable in front of the camera and fun to watch.



By the way, if you have not tried setting up a Youtube account, it is very easy and fun. You can bookmark your favorite videos and even subscribe to channels so you know when your favorite people have added new videos. Shellie's was the first channel I subscribed to.

Oh and check out creativepro.com. That is the site that directed me to these terrific videos.

Pet Portrait Technique Photoshop

Today's post is a digital tip for my fellow artists and all those photoshop addicts out there.
In reviewing the two images above you might assume that I started out working with the image on the right, creating a tame and traditional pup with natural coloring. The reality is that the image on the right was totally created from the artwork on the left. All of the paint strokes and smudges were slowly added in bold living color with the wacom tablet. Then when all was said and done, I took the original untouched photographic layer that was buried way beneath all of my other work layers and placed it on top of the work, then I went into layer effects and told it to be a color layer and boom, all of my pretty color highlighting was gone, but none of the groovy paint texture disappeared. It is a quick and easy way to tone down color. I happen to like a lot of color though so I am going to post a larger detail of Eddy below.

Pet Portrait artists can find more process & tips on my blog by clicking here and scrolling down the page.

Art Advice

The web is a different place today than it was 10 years ago when I decided to start my business Art Paw. Back then I cruised the web in search of someone that had a similar business model to my own so I could learn from them. At that time there were maybe less than 25 pet portrait sites that I admired and all of them were offering oils or acrylic, the digital art media explosion had just not happened yet. Doing a quick google for digital art today I found 38,800,000 results. Back in 1998 I felt as though every aspect of my business had to be made up on the fly as I went along.

Today the web is not only abundant with fantastic digital artists it is also abundant with business art advice. Today I am going to post some great resource links for aspiring or experienced artists that are wanting to broaden their reach and enhance their marketing skills.
Links for Inspiration:
artadvice.com
artbizblog.com
accidentalcreative.com
artbusinessnews.com

Listening For Inspiration / Podcasts

Last year I was in the habit if sharing tips and resource links for other artists on Saturdays. I am going to try to get back into that habit again. Last Thursday my post was about inspiration and I asked you guys what inspires you. Lately I have been finding inspiration in listening to podcasts from the creative community.

Here are a few links to some great audio stuff:
http://www.accidentalcreative.com/podcasts/
http://www.creativexpert.com/
http://www.talkingportraits.com/
http://photoshoponline.tv/
The Prepared Mind
http://www.theillustrativedesigner.com/

In Praise of Photoshop Filters

The paint tube was invented in 1841

Photoshop 1.0 was released in 1990

The other day I stumbled on to a dog art site that offered both digital and acrylic dog portraits. The thing that struck me as odd is that the site claimed to use "no Photoshop filters". I found this odd as both their acrylic and their digital work looked very filter oriented. Let me also say that the work was not half bad at all. The perplexing issue was why this artist felt the need to disavow any use of Photoshop filters. If the site's claim is true then this digital artist is missing out on some of Photoshop's strongest tools.

Here at Art Paw we use Photoshop filters in all of our works, even the most heavily painted piece is going to have some filter somewhere beneath the smudgy wacom paint layers. We do like to say that we do not rely on filters alone to achieve our results, and so we too may be guilty of down-playing the importance of filters. A digital artist that is good with filters and has learned the art of combining several filters, and adjusting their opacity to achieve spectacular results should not be ashamed of their knowledge, or feel that it is somehow inferior to traditional painting. I am blessed to have a number of traditional artist friends and associates that seem to respect my work, and digital art in general. I do realize though that there will always be "purists" that feel that Photoshop and digital art is in some way cheating. I would have to pause and ask a painter that considers themselves a purist if they are indeed mixing and grinding their pigments to create their own paints? I am sure that when commercial paints in little shiny metal tubes came onto the market place there were probably some old hold-outs that swore up and down that "true artists" will always mix their own pigments the old fashion way. I see the computer in much the same way as commercial "tubed" paint. It is a tool, just one more tool for an artist to explore.

5 More Tips For Pet Portrait Artists

Last week I posted a top 5 tips list for pet portrait artists and quickly realized how incomplete it was and so I decided to ask a couple of my fellow artists to share their ideas.
In the order they were received here are 5 more great tips for pet portrait artists...

From Kathy Weller

#1 " More information is better than not enough.

The last thing you want before starting to work is to realize that you are missing information - - be it the proper spelling of the pet's name, the name of the type of tree or flower that will be integrated into the portrait, the photo of your kitty subject's special collar that needs to appear around her neck. The more info you have up front the better, even if you don't think you will use all of it. Because down the road, you might have an opportunity to add something extra and unexpected into the portrait, and that seemingly minute, superfluous detail stored in your your client kitty file might just prove to be the icing on the proverbial pet portrait cake."

#2 "Treat each customer like gold.

"Word-of-mouth and referrals are HUGE in this business. Besides the fact that you are so happy and thrilled that that this person is paying you for your hard work and unique talents, she will be sure to tell all of her pet-parent friends about her experience with you, be it positive or negative. Think about what great cocktail-party conversation starter her pet portrait experience would be!� Keep that in mind during the tough times.�"
Kathy Weller is a portrait artist and accomplished illustrator. Last year she worked on a sweet and lovely portrait of my girl Pixel.

From Linda O'Neill

#3 "Take great care in packing and shipping your artwork...it shows how much care and effort you put into your business."

#4 " Gladly offer to do some minor revisions once you present the final 
painting to a client. There might be some eye color, coat color,
background details that they would like changed...and it usually means
capturing that extra essence of their dog that means the world to them."

#5 "In addition to that...include something extra when you ship out a painting to a client. Even if it's just a greeting card, it makes them feel unique and special and that you took the trouble to do it. Going that extra mile is what's it's about."


Linda O'Neill is one of my first pet portrait pals and she is a gifted painter. A few years ago she beautifully memorialized my boy Atticus.

The artwork in the screen-shots above are copyrighted by the respective artists.

Working with clients / 5 Tips for the pet portrait artist

Over the past 9 years I have learned a lot about working with my clients and I offer up a few tips here for other artists. Every artist has to develop their own business model and their own strategy for working well with their patrons. I hope something here may help someone, or stir new ideas.

#1 Remember that the client is always right.
I learned this little jewel in retail and it still serves me well. Yes, you as an artist are the one with an art degree, and maybe you are the one with years of experience behind you. That may all be true and nice and dandy. The thing is, as soon as you agree to do portrait commissions you have hopped straight from the elitist world of "fine art" and you are now in the murky waters of "commercial art". I am not saying that the two art worlds do not overlap and intertwine. The thing to keep in mind is that as a portrait artist your own personal tastes and preferences may on occasion have to take a backseat to that of your clients. You are creating artwork that must fit their lifestyle, their interior design aesthetic, and sometimes their budget. With that said you still have the ability to guide your clients and work with them in making good design decisions. Some of my pet portrait clients have never worked directly with an artist before and so they are often quite open to my creative input. By also being open to their ideas I make the entire process more fun for them and allow their own creativity to come into play.

#2 Listen well
Communication is everything. I find that simple e-mails are great to get started on a project and yet once a portrait goes into design revisions I really need to have a personal phone call with my clients so I know that I am getting to the heart of what is not yet working. Too often I skim through reading e-mails and I can miss an important item that someone may have mentioned and I often can misinterpret what has been written in an e-mail.

#3 To proof or not to proof?
Most clients love a proof, or in the case of Art Paw they love seeing a set of proofs. If you choose to send a client a proof you must be ready to do some tweaking on request. That is too often the nature of proofing. I know of one artist on-line working in traditional media that provides a proof and the client can either choose to accept it or ask for a refund. If the artwork is rejected it goes up for auction and other dog lovers can bid on it. She then donates a portion of the proceeds to charity. I actually think this is a brilliant way to work, and if I were to ever start working in oils I may adopt this approach myself.

#4 Project Reports
This goes back to communication and this is an area I am always trying to improve on myself. If you have a busy studio and you are juggling well over a dozen clients a month you will find that sending out project reports once a week will keep folks in the loop and let them know that you have not forgotten about their commission. I have even seen some artists use their blogs for this and that seems to work well for them.

#5 Ask your clients to help you
OK the project has been delivered and they are thrilled ... now ask your clients to tell their pet loving pals about you. They probably will anyway, but I do make a point of asking folks to spread the word about Art Paw.

5 Tips for Commissioning a Pet Portrait

Here are my top 5 Tips For commissioning a Pet Portrait

#1 Remember that in most cases you do not pay an artist by the hour.
Faster does not equal better.

What this means to you is that while it might seem super cool to place a rush on your project or beg and plead to have the artist create you portrait in a day or an hour (Uncle Benny's birthday is next week), when it comes to custom artwork faster is not always better. Plan your project ahead of time and allow your artist the time they need to create a masterpiece for you. This does not mean that desired delivery dates should not be discussed as most artists are usually willing to try to hit target dates on request. Here at Art Paw we do our very best to never miss a deadline, and I know several other talented artists that provide the same level of service to their clients.

#2 A question of decor, will it match the sofa?

Most artists are more than happy to work with a little color direction on your part. I am always tickled when folks send paint chips, however a simple shot of the room where the artwork will be placed can really clue me in on tastes and style. The best way to give your artist some creative elbow room is to just suggest either a "warm" palette (reds & oranges) or a "cool" palette (blues & greens).

#3 A good photograph makes all the difference ...shoot, shoot and shoot again

In the old days film and processing cost money, today the majority of my clients have digital cameras which should allow them to take a hundred or more shots if that is what it takes to get one great shot. My biggest tip on shooting digital is set that camera at your highest quality setting. High resolution files are the best. Also get up close to your pet, they should fill the frame.


#4 Choosing an artist

When I started my business back in 1998 there were very few artists on the web offering their talents. Today it seems like 100 more new names appear on-line each day. The best way to find an artist on-line is to just google around and look at portfolios. Find someone working in a style you like, and then check out their working terms. Do they offer a money back guarantee or proofing. Here at Art Paw we do both and yet I will be the first to admit that there are tons of great artists that do neither. If an artist does not offer you safety net terms and yet you love their style, I suggest you check out their length of time on-line, or customer testimonials. Do they have a professional looking site with their own domain name? If for any reason you are not comfortable dealing with someone via the web try to find an artist in your own city that you can meet with in person.


#5 Order your holiday gift giving pet portraits in the summer

Pet portraits have grown in popularity over the years and every portrait artist I know is totally swamped from November to Christmas Eve. Most artists have strict deadlines that they adhere to during the holidays. Order early and get your favorite artist's best unhurried work.

Next week I will post my top 5 tips for artists on managing their commissions.

Creating Contrast for Phoebe

This week I will print & finalize a few portraits including Phoebe. I loved the sweet expression on this pup's face. The original photo was pretty good. The main thing I needed to do was bump up the contrast and paint in some missing detail. One thing I always try to create with each piece are really deep dark blacks in the black areas. The more contrast a piece has the better. See the two details below to see what a little contrast can do.

Photoshop Tip: For those of you that dabble in Photoshop I will share one of my favorite tips for tweaking contrast. A lot of people will go right to the "Adjust Contrast" filter and slide the little slider until it looks good. That is one way to tweak the contrast however to get your blacks as deep as you may want them you will often blow out your whites too much. A better solution is to choose "selective color" and choose just your blacks and then bump them till they look right. Of course curves would be another good option.

More Tips For Pet Portrait Artists

Today I offer up a few tips for other portrait artists ... please leave a comment and share your own insights if you have time.

#1 Build those relationships!
I am working on this one myself. We have all heard this before and it is true... "word of mouth" advertising is the best kind. I have tried to maintain lists and do mailings and I find this is not my strong suit, however I am working on it.

#2 Keep your sanity ... do artwork for yourself too!
I love doing commissions and yet I find that being able to play with my own "non-directed" artwork keeps me very happy and more than willing to jump through creative hoops for my clients as needed. When you have a lot of freedom in your personal work you tend to be more open to advice and direction in your commercial endeavors.

#3 Go to an art museum or gallery at least once a month
When we were younger it was easy to find ourselves at gallery openings several times a month, after all if the art was bad you still had the free wine and cheese. As we get busier and older we often forget about all the great art that is just down the block. Artists need visual stimulation, and while the web is amazing, there is something special about seeing art in the real world.

#4 Experiment
Try something new every week. Work in media that you are not good at, paint a subject you have never painted, take a class. Do something to push yourself out of your comfort zone, because the "comfort zone" in our commercial work is our biggest enemy.

#5 Teach, share, and lead.
If you have been doing your own thing for awhile, you must have some of your own special techniques, and ideas for success. You can regard every little thing you do as "secret sauce" and guard your knowledge carefully or you can share and earn the rewards that come from being a leader. In business it is often hard to feel safe sharing, but when you can connect with other artists that also have a lot to give you find that it gets easier and easier to take off the armor.

The Liquify Tool In Photoshop

Sometimes our clients send us great photos that may have very minor quality issues that we address in Photoshop. I feel that the most important feature on a pet is their eyes. Sometimes a little too much sun or flash photography can cause an animal's eyes to squint in an uneven manner. Miss Auburn had one wide open eye and one that was slightly smaller. My favorite tool for opening up eyes is called the liquify tool. It is found under the filter menu. The images below show the difference this tool can make.

Original eye on right is a little squinty

Below image after using the liquify tool
Image below shows final eyes with white dot highlights added.
Final Golden Retriever dog portrait below

Cafe Press and Custom Gifts

Today's resource link is for any artist or ordinary pet lover wanting to create unique custom gift items with their pet's image on it. Most of you have probably heard of Cafe Press, but if you have not you need to check out their printing services. They do all of the printing on our gift items such as mugs, t-shirts, greeting cards, journals, clocks, pillows, magnets, and much more. When our clients order custom artwork we create a gift-shop page for them to shop from, and Cafe Press handles all printing, shipping and order taking for us. It is a pretty cool system, and with a money back guarantee I know they will handle all my clients well.

I have turned a few artists on to Cafe Press over the years. Actually I have referred over 60 artists to Cafe Press in the past 5 years. Check out these two shops from a couple of my pals and by some cards today, as they are on sale 25% off until tomorrow only. The floral artist is Sheila Finkelstein, and the Japanese dog art is from an old client and girlfriend in Japan.




Through Cafe Press we have created a huge giftshop (over 5000 items) with every breed of dog & cat that you can imagine. We donate 10 % of our giftshop sales to local rescue groups. Check out our snowflake cards and stock up while they are on sale. Sale ends tomorrow.