GAILS TIPS ON WORKING WITH ACRYLICS
By the Practical Artist
http://www.thepracticalartist.com/the-practical-artists-blog.php
I have always painted in Acrylics. Although over the years, I have attempted to use other mediums but they were a poor fit. Oils stink, are messy and take way too long to dry for me. Watercolors are too unforgiving for a ‘seat of the pants’ painter like myself and I usually ended up with something resembling a kindergartener’s finger painting. I don’t have the patience for colored pencils or graphite pencil. When I attempted charcoal and pastels, I usually ended up looking as if I’d been playing in the coal bin. Sometimes it was a colorful coal bin, but still—But like Goldilocks beds, Acrylics and I fit just right. I really don’t understand why some artists seem to have so much trouble with them. Over the years, the most common complaint I have heard about working in Acrylics is "it dries too fast". No offense intended, but in my experience, this problem is caused by the artist's unfamiliarity with the properties of the medium. There is a little bit of a learning curve and I understand that it’s hard to change your work pattern to adapt to acrylics. If you really want to give them a try and are willing to change your work pattern a little, I think you might be happy with Acrylic paint.
Some
basic facts about Acrylics: 1--Drying times for Acrylics is actually comparable
to Watercolors. 2--Acrylics, like watercolors, dry by evaporation. 3--One of
the things that affect working with Acrylics has to do with the thickness of
the paint an artist applies. The thinner the application of paint, the faster Acrylics
will dry. QED. 4-- If the artist applied a thick layer of paint, even though
the paint may be dry to the touch on the surface, it may still be soft
underneath for several hours. 5--Acrylics will dry darker than when first
applied. 6—Mixing Acrylic paints ‘greys’ or darkens them. Acrylics straight out
of the tube are always brighter than any color you mix together. This isn't a
terrible thing; I consider the difference to be negligible. If it’s important
to you to retain that initial tube brightness, I suggest you use thin glazes
instead of mixing directly, allowing the color underneath to bleed through.
Acrylics master painter Jerome Grimmer uses a medium instead of water to
overcome this issue.
Unlike Oil paints, Acrylics won't wait days for you, but there are ways to slow down the drying time. The simplest way is to just refrigerate the painting. Yep, I said put it in the refrigerator for the night. Cold temperatures slow down the drying time of Acrylics. Of course, that probably isn't practicable for most artists. Unless you are painting miniatures, I doubt you will have room for a painting in your refrigerator! If you live where the daily temperature is between 40o and 50oF you could stick it out on your unheated porch overnight. However, your palette can be sealed and kept in the refrigerator and your paint will stay workable for several days
The next simplest way to slow down the drying time of Acrylics involves using water. I saw this technique demonstrated by TV artist Jerry Yarnell and it works great in the short run. Dip a large brush in your rinse water and brush it over the canvas until the canvas is thoroughly wet. You can smooth out any dripping runs with a damp brush. Using clean or dirty water is irrelevant; you are going to cover this up with paint in a few minutes anyway. This will keep the paint you apply workable longer. Remember a spray water bottle is your best friend when working with Acrylics (they still sell them in the laundry section of department stores--I just bought a new one). Periodically spray down your palette and the portions of your canvas you need to keep wet. If a drip occurs, blot it away with a paper towel.
There are also commercial mediums to slow down drying time. They work, but I personally didn't like them. My paint seemed sticky afterwards, and it was difficult to judge when I could start working over the top of the painting I had used them on. I admit that issue probably has more to do with my own painting techniques than how well the medium worked. You see, I sketch up the painting, paint over the drawing so I can place background shadows and highlights where I want them, and then redraw the foreground objects, people or animals. To do this the paint needs to be dry, and hard enough to stand up to the pressure of my pencil or charcoal. Thickly applied Acrylic paint is soft enough that a hard pressure will leave an imprint even if the work is completely dry, so the "slow-dry" mediums just didn't work for me
While it’s true that not every medium will suit everyone, I suggest if you really want to learn to work with Acrylic paint, you take one of Grimmer’s or Yarnell’s workshops. Yarnell also has video series about painting that can be purchased from his website. http://www.yarnellschool.com/
Jerome has a video on YouTube about working with Acrylics that is free to watch. Jerome Grimmer Mixes Acrylics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaW3Gz5UMks
As I stated earlier, I don’t recommend re-fitting ornate Plaster Of Paris frames. However, if it means the difference between repairing an existing frame you are already using and purchasing a new one there is a way to fix chipped or broken edges. First, I want you to notice that on most plaster frames such as this one shown in the photo, there is a repeating pattern on the corners and sides. To do this repair, you will need to make a clay mold of the unbroken 
matching side of the frame, fill it with plaster and use the new piece to repair the broken side.
What kind of clay should you use to make your mold?
The easiest clay to work with is made by Crayola and it air dries. Soft and pliable, Crayola Air-Dry (brand name) modeling clay allows the formation stable arts and crafts without the need for an oven or kiln. Smoother, finer, and less sticky than traditional clay, Air-Dry Clay softens easily with water and is a quick clean up. It’s ideal for traditional methods. It works just fine for this type of quick project and doesn’t require much more than your kitchen table and sink as a workspace. Most art supply houses carry it, or you can order it from http://www.dickblick.com/products/crayola-air-dry-clay/.
Working with Plaster of Paris
Plaster of Paris is a great material to use for basic sculptures and craft projects because it is easy to prepare and sets in a few minutes. Mixing Plaster of Paris is easy. The powder is very light and fine. to avoid getting the powder to the eyes and nose, wear a dust mask. Never mix Plaster of Paris with your bare hands.
Cover your work area with a plastic mat or with newspapers. Find a mixing container (preferably a disposable one) that will hold the size of the concoction you intend to make up.
The ideal ratio for the mixture is 2 parts Plaster of Paris to 1 part water.
Mixing Steps
Start with the water. Measure out the Plaster of Paris in another container. Break up any lumps of powder with a spoon.
Start adding the Plaster of Paris powder to the water in your mixing container by sprinkling or sifting the powder over the water. Do not add the powder in one clump; instead try to sprinkle the powder over as much area as you can.
Do not mix yet. Instead, tap the side of your mixing container with a spoon to disperse the powder into the water and remove any air bubbles.
Continue adding the Plaster of Paris, patting the sides of the container as you add the powder. Your cue to stop is when you notice that the powder has almost covering the surface and is no longer being as easily absorbed. Gently blend the Plaster of Paris mixture until it reaches a smooth consistency. Do not stir strongly or you may create air bubbles.
*If colored Plaster of Paris mixture is desired, add some poster paint once the mixture is free of lumps and has a smooth consistency. Continue mixing from side to side until the color is uniformly dispersed.
Allow the mixture to stand for a minute before pouring it into your mold. Don’t attempt to wash your left over residue down the drain! It will clog your pipes! Left over mixture should be allowed to harden and then thrown into the garbage can.
Using the Mold
Step 1: find the broken pattern on the side of the frame or corner. Using plaster carving tools try to make the broken edge as flat as possible.
Step 2: make a clay mold of the opposite unbroken side. You can find the instructions for making a simple clay mold on this site: http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-Clay-Mold/
Soften the clay and then push it onto the unbroken side of the frame. You should use a large enough piece of clay so that when you turn the mold over, it will fit squarely on a flat surface. If the clay has dried before you pour the plaster, it might be wise to take the precaution of spraying the inside of the mold with cooking spray. If you do this, take a small brush or Q-tip and smooth out any bubbles in the oil before pouring the plaster. Allow the plaster to set.
Step 3: Fill it with Plaster of Paris and let it set hard, peel off the mold and glue the replacement piece to the broken place. Since it is on the opposite side, you will probably need to reverse it in order for it to fit properly.
It will also be necessary to fit the new piece to the broken space by doing some scraping with plaster knives and probably some sanding once it is glued down to make the new piece fit smoothly with the frame. I then recommend re-painting or if you are using gold leaf covering the entire frame for better color matching.
REFURBISHING A USED FRAME
1/28/14
Refinishing Frames The first thing you are going to need is an outdoor workspace. Refinishing frames is messy, and the materials used need good ventilation. You may also want to invest in a folding table that can be put up when not in use.
MATERIALS NEEDED
To repair a wooden frame you will need, shop rags, a box knife, painters tape, small can of wood putty, a hammer, screwdriver, small woodscrews, finish nails, glue, wood stripper, paint or stain (probably both), sandpaper (both fine and coarse), a putty knife or plastic scraper, and sponges and brushes for applying the stripper, stain or paint and clear wood varnish. Gloves to protect your hands from the paint stripper and a mask for the fumes are also going to be needed. You may not use all of these; it depends on the type of repairs you are planning to do to the frame.
To repair a metal frame, you will need ), shop rags, sandpaper (both fine and coarse), metal primer, a mask to protect yourself from paint fumes, protective goggles, several cans of spray metal paint (matte finish) and can of clear metal varnish. Gloves to protect your hands from the paint are also going to be needed.
REPAIR & REFURBISHING
Metal Frame: begin by taking the glass or plexi out of the frame and setting it aside in a safe place. You will be re-using it so make sure you put it somewhere it won’t be damaged while you are working. Remove any backing or hanging system attached and examine the frame carefully. Sand out any rust spots using the coarse sandpaper and follow up by smoothing with the fine sandpaper. Depending on the deepness of the scratches you may elect to use either grade of sandpaper to smooth out any scratches. Wipe the frame to remove any excess dust left over from sanding. Lay the frame out flat and spray with primer using a side-to-side motion allow to dry and repeat until completely covered. Do NOT rush this process. Applying too many coats of paint too fast will cause it to run! Allow the primer to dry overnight and repeat process with the metal paint using the same technique on the 2nd day. The next day you may apply the clear varnish. On the fourth day you can replace the glass or plexi into frame and Wallah! You have a ready to use frame!
Wood Frame: begin by removing any canvas, hanging hardware and leftover backing paper from the frame. Do any repair work requiring nails or screws and then cover the linen mat with the painters tape, cutting off any excess tape in the corners with the box knife. Remove any sharp edges on the front of the frame by sanding them smooth. If you plan to re-stain the frame, follow the directions on the wood stripper for removing the varnish. This will cause the wood to swell a little bit. Let it dry overnight and then touch up with the sandpaper. Wipe the frame clean of any sanded residue, fill any cracks or holes with wood putty you have prepped by adding the stain to match the color (if you are going to paint over it, it isn’t necessary to prep the wood putty with color). Wipe off any excess stain and allow it to dry overnight (staining may also cause the wood to swell). The next day smooth over any raised edges left over from the stain before applying the coat of clear varnish. Allow the varnish to set overnight. If you have painted the frame you can skip this step, although the extra varnish coat will provide some protection, it will also tend to show scratches later. You are now ready to repair the mat.
The Linen Mat: remove the painters tape from the mat and apply new strips of tape to the newly varnished or painted frame. If there is a dark stain, you may want to apply a small mixture of household bleach to the stain before repainting it. Once the stain is gone, rinse off the bleach with a soft sponge and allow the linen to dry. If the mat is torn use a small amount of glue and press it down firmly, making sure there are no lumps of glue left.
To paint the linen mat I find that Acrylic paints work best. After selecting your color (I prefer either Unbleached Titanium or Parchment) Thin and extend acrylic paint with a textile medium or water. Many artists prefer to a water-soluble medium to produce a smoother finish to the final product. You want the paint to be thin but not runny. Using a small brush, lightly apply several coats of this mixture to the linen mat, allowing to dry between coats. Once you are satisfied with the color remove the painters tape from the wood part of the frame and you are ready to frame your art.
HOW TO CHOOSE A GOOD USED FRAME 12/1/13
Another way to frame inexpensively is by restoring used frames. Where can you find used frames? A good source for used frames is flea markets, second hand stores and yard sales.
Choosing A Good Used Frame is not as difficult as you may think. Take your tape measure with you because frames and framed art found here may or may not meet the usual size requirements of the standard canvas sizes sold in the art store. The frame probably won’t be in pristine condition eiher so you may have to do some refinishing. I recommend wood or metal frames because they are easiest to clean up and refurbish. Because of the difficulty of repairing the faux carvings, I prefer to stay away from the more ornate frames with raised plaster designs.
Metal Frames: A good used metal frame may have scratches, but it will be square (no warping) without bent edges. Depending on the size of the art you are planning to frame, it should probably be at least ¾” to 1” wide. Make sure the corners fit together well without any danger of coming apart. A little rust or scratches are okay as they can be sanded off and smoothed out. Check the sizing with your tape measure to be sure your art will fit. Metal frames are typically used to frame watercolors or pastels, which are done on paper, and while the art paper may be cut to fit the frame, pastels and watercolors are also usually presented with a mat. Unless you have a mat-cutter, you will be using pre-cut mats, which come in the same standard sizes as canvas so making sure the frame is a standard size will cut down on the amount of work you will need to do when you frame the art. The used mat may also be reusable depending on its condition but if it free from stains this is an easy fix. Scratches on the glass or plexi means it will have to be replaced, although if the glass is scratched very near the edge of the frame it might not be noticed.
Wood Frames: A used wooden frame may or may not come with a canvas painting or print. The good news here is that after you have checked to make sure you won’t be covering up a lost masterpiece, you will also have a blank canvas or board that you can use to paint your masterpiece! (Look for a separate blog on re-using canvas).
Non-fixable issues: Check the frame for warping. Warping can be caused by water damage or just simply damage done to the frame itself. While warping can be corrected it requires wood shop tools like vises and such. Probably not worth your trouble.
Chipped Corners or edges: Unless you are going to go for a distressed or really rustic look this can’t be fixed. It can be minimized with paint but it will still show up to the eyes.
Fixable Issues: check for loose corners. This is an easy fix, usually requiring some wood putty and finish nails. Scratches and stains are also fixable requiring stripping, re-sanding and either re-staining or painting of the wood part of the frame.
Linen Mat Issues On A Wood Frame: The most common flaw in a used wooden frame is the linen mat is stained or discolored. This is a pretty easy fix; just repaint it with off-white or parchment color. A tear in the mat may or may not be fixable, depending on the size of the damage. Usually a little glue and repainting the mat will suffice.
*For How-To procedures on refinishing old frames, please see the blog Refurbishing A Used Frame (part 3 of this series).
FRAMING ON A BUDGET 11/3/13
Framing fine art can enhance the overall appeal of a piece of artwork; unfortunately, if you don't frame your art wisely it can ultimately ruin the paintings appeal altogether. We all want our art to look its best, so artists inexperienced in the art of framing usually begin by using a commercial framer. A commercial framer will give you a nice, professional looking frame for your art. They will also give you sticker shock when quoting the price. Depending on the size of the frame wanted a commercial framer can charge anywhere from $200 to $600 for a simple frame for a painting. Keep in mind that the cost can go much higher if you want an elaborate, ornate frame for your art. Contrary to popular supposition, it is not cheaper using a metal frame (favored by watercolorists and pastel artists). A commercial framer must not only charge you for the materials, but also for the labor it takes to actually frame the painting.
The simplest way to avoid this type of sticker shock is to do your own framing.
Step One: finding an inexpensive frame that looks good. The local art store will have a variety of frames to select from so watch the sales magazines for Coupons from your local art store and use them. Depending on the size of the art you are framing, you may be able to find suitable frames from other sources also. Dollar and discount stores such as Walmart and Target typically have photo frames available in sizes that can be adapted to paintings. Words of warning here however; make sure that the frames you purchase from this source are made of wood and not plastic or acrylic. Plastic or acrylic frames can’t easily be adapted to the hanging systems required by most art shows and the saw-tooth or eyelet hangers that come with the frames probably won’t be accepted at a professional show. Another difficulty is sizing. Take your tape measure with you; some of the frames sold at these places are not the standard sizes used by artists. Frames that look to be 11 x 14 can turn out to be 10 x 13 or some other odd size that won’t fit canvas or canvas boards sold to painters.
Another good source is On-line catalogs or internet stores. Typically these sites will charge less than your local art store because you are circumventing the middleman’s markup. This is my favorite source when purchasing new frames because the cost is usually 30 to 50% less than that of my local retail store. Of course the shipping does add an extra fee which cuts down on the savings somewhat. I buy frames from these places in bulk once or twice a year because there is an additional discount if you buy at least 3 or 4 frames at the same time and if you sign up for the stores e-mail program you will be notified when they are having a sale. If you can’t afford the initial cost up front, you might consider buying in bulk and sharing the cost with other artists. Some good sources of Catalogs are to name only a few:
ASW (Art Supply Warehouse) http://www.aswexpress.com/,The Frame Place http://www.frameplace.com/xwoodfrm.htm, Frame USA http://www.frameusa.com/wood-frames
Another way to frame inexpensively is finding used frames and refurbishing them. Where can you find used frames? Well the two main sources I have found for used frames are second hand stores and yard sales. Again, take your tape measure with you because framed art found here may or may not meet the size requirements of standard canvas sizes sold in the art store. The frame probably won’t be in pristine condition so you may have to do some refurbishing and refinishing. Look for wooden or metal frames because they are easiest to clean up and refurbish. Part three of this series on inexpensive framing covers ways to refurbish a used frame.
TIPS FOR SHIPPING ORIGINAL PAINTINGS OR PHOTOGRAPHS
A Guide To Packing Art For Shipping
Congratulations! You sold some art from your web site! Now you have to figure out how to get it to your buyer. Unless you are hand delivering your work you will need to ship it to the buyer. In order to reach your buyer in a condition that does credit to you as an artist there is a real need to select both your shipping method and your packing container carefully. For packing you are going to need a lot of tape, foam core board, acid-free paper, acid-free plastic bags and foam peanuts. To pack paintings for photographs, first, wrap the art with acid-free paper and tape it together so it doesn’t move. What is acid free paper and why do you need it? Acid-free paper has a pH factor of seven or above. The pH scale is a standard for measuring the acidity or alkalinity of all kinds of products, including paper. Before 1860, paper was usually made of rag or cloth stock and high-end expensive stationary is still made this way. After 1860, paper mills began using ground up wood and mixing it with acids and bleach to save costs, all of which have a low pH factor and react with air and water to produce acidic composites. Why use acid free paper? The acidic compounds found in non-acid free paper can migrate to your art and cause decay and damage. In the short time it now takes to ship to your buyer acidic compounds probably won’t cause much damage; however, they may still leave a residue on your work that can cause it to deteriorate over time especially if your buyer doesn’t clean the work immediately after it arrives.
If the art is unframed canvas or sheet paper, you will need to make sure that it isn’t bent or folded by rough handling during shipping. In 2012, Popular Mechanics conducted an experiment to see how packages were handled by Fed-Ex, UPS and the Postal Service. According to their published results, the package was dropped around three times and flipped an average of seven times per trip. Putting “Fragile” or “This End Up” did NOT increase the care handling the package got; in fact messages like this seemed to make no difference at all. Not that most of these delivery people will be deliberately be careless, but then there was that internet video of one of them tossing a flat screen TV over a fence when he couldn’t open the gate… How do you avoid this happening to your expensive art? After wrapping your work in the acid-free paper mentioned above, add a tough, lightweight reinforcement to help prevent bending (extra thick cardboard or foam core works) on each side of the art. Then slip artwork in an acid-free plastic bag to help make it water resistant, and wrap the whole thing in bubble wrap and tape so it won’t move. Why do you need to use an acid-free bag when you are already using acid free paper? When the plastic bag touches your acid-free paper, acid migration can still occur. Acid migration is what happens when acid from one object touches another. Acid migration is particularly dangerous to photographs. Chances are the acid-free paper you bought can still be contaminated by non-acid free plastic because the paper doesn’t have a seal. The acid free bag will seal off the art from contamination by the rest of the packing materials and help prevent water damage. Next, make sure you fill the entire packing container with shipping peanuts or bubble wrap so there is no extra space.
Should You Ship Art With A Frame? Personally, I don’t ship framed art unless it is for a show; and I avoid shipping any art that is under glass, because if the package is damaged during shipping, the frame itself could survive unbroken yet your art could be ruined by broken glass sliding around and cutting or scratching it. If you must ship framed art, then protect the corners with edge guards and substitute plexi for glass. If the buyer wants glass, request that they take it to a framer in their area and get it changed. The other solution would be to ship to a local framer in the buyer’s area and arrange for the buyer to pick up the art after it has been framed.
Since the above study by Popular Mechanics didn’t find much difference in handling packages with the three most popular shipping companies, you need to decide to whether use them or employ a company that specializes in shipping art, which could be expensive. However, if you are willing to pay for it, the specialty company may even pack your art for you.
What About Shipping Insurance? Whatever shipping method you use, I recommend insuring your package and including shipping confirmation. I highly advocate you ensure your art for the full price in case you have to refund the money to the buyer if it doesn’t arrive intact. A high-value insurance cost does usually ensure that the shipping company will take more care of your work because they don’t want to pay damages.
Speaking for myself, I now include a note on my website that I don’t ship originals out of the U.S. due to the high costs.
Good Luck!
Gail
9/23/13
CHOOSING A GALLERY
Choosing a gallery is NOT a matter of taking the first offer you get from a gallery, or taking a recommendation from your Uncle’s cousin. It is also not about showing trust in humanity. Choosing a Gallery to represent art can be one of the most important decisions an artist can make. This decision will affect who sees the art, and consequently who buys it. An artist is an equal partner with the Gallery: The artist supplies the product sold and the Gallery in turn supplies the selling venue. Neither party can exist without the other. If an artist chooses poorly, it reflects on both the artist and on the art. Art is a business as well as a creative endeavor. If an artist is pursuing art as a career and not as a hobby, artists need to be aware of legal issues that can affect artists as well. Most artists benefit from showing their art at Commercial Galleries. Unfortunately, not all commercial galleries are created equal. Some are aboveboard and have excellent reputations and ethics. Others do not. Commercial art galleries derive their profit from sales of artwork, and thus take great care to select art and artists that they believe will sell and enhance their gallery's reputation. They spend time and money cultivating collectors. If the artwork sells, the gallery makes a profit and the artist is then paid. It is not unusual for a commercial art gallery to charge a 50% commission on sales. Before entering into partnership with a new gallery, the artist should do what any responsible person would do before entering into a contract: check it out with the local Better Business Bureau and Chamber of Commerce. Ask to speak to other artists who are under contract. Do they make sales? Does the gallery pay on time when a sale is made? Does the gallery make sales of an artist’s work and not tell artists about it? What about advertising and publicity, how much does the gallery does and who pays for it? Artists should also attend a few of their receptions or events and see who is attending. If it is mostly other artists under contract, very few sales will be made. A successful commercial gallery will be in a location where there is a high volume of foot traffic and visited by a lot of art fans is ideal. A location such as this may be pricey, but if an audience is already there and primed to visit the gallery with the intent to buy, less can be spent on advertising to drive buyers to see the work.
Surprisingly there are a number of on-line and nuts and bolts alternatives for choosing where you will show your art. The words “on-line art gallery” can mean different things, however; an online art gallery most likely will be a website to display and sell art. For example: 1) An on-line art gallery can be displaying art work from their current, future, or past exhibitions, and be set up to promote the exhibition rather than to sell the work via the website. 2) An artist presenting his/her own gallery, either on his own website and 3) Multi-Artist Sites or shared websites (ArtId, Fine Art America, Etsy, etc.), representing many artists working in different medias and genres. On a multi-artist site the artist either pays a monthly fee or agrees to a commission paid when the work is sold. These are usually non-exclusive and are a risk free opportunity for the artist to sell art worldwide. Search for them using "original art" or "online art gallery". The advantage of Online Galleries is that while the art buying public is growing, many people are still intimidated by walk-in commercial Art Galleries. If a potential buyer has access to a wide range of art viewed in the comfort and safety of their own home, they may relax and make a purchase. A lot of artists now have an online Gallery as well as a walk-in commercial Gallery which means that an artist can present a lot more art to a lot more people.
Beginning artists can be confused by Vanity Galleries because they are not the only gallery which charges a fee to the artist; a vanity gallery charges artists fees to exhibit their work and makes most of its money from the artists rather than from sales to the public. Some vanity galleries charge a lump sum to arrange an exhibition, while others ask artists to pay regular membership fees and then promise to organize an exhibition with a certain period. Occasionally a vanity gallery will appear to have a selection process because the number of artists on the membership roster cannot exceed the available time slots for shows. Vanity galleries have no incentive to sell art, as they have already been paid by the artist. They are not selective because they don't have to be. Most Professional critics and reviewers tend to avoid them.
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Cooperative galleries
(sometimes called artist-run initiatives), are galleries operated by groups of
artists who pool their resources to staff the gallery, pay for gallery space,
exhibits and publicity. Most cooperative galleries carefully jury their
members. Also, most, galleries of this type do require membership fees.
Sometimes members must share the overhead cost of operating the gallery.
8/27/12
DO YOU REALLY NEED A PROFESSIONAL TO SELL YOUR WORK?
I haven’t had a lot of luck using professional agents or web site sponsored promotions to help me sell my art. I am going to avoid mentioning either of the two sites I talk about in this blog by name because I am not really interested in slamming them. I used them only to illustrate the pitfalls of not really knowing much about marketing or how artists’ agents work, and especially not doing your research ahead of time. I freely admit to my ignorance in these matters when I first started attempting to sell my art; I’m not sure now that I really understand it either, but I hope my unsuccessful experiences will keep other beginning artists from making these mistakes.
When
I first started out, I was thrilled when a company based in AK called me to ask
if I wanted to be 
a part of their multi-artist web site. For $300, plus a
commission on anything sold, they would allow me lifetime privileges, 20 images
which I could change (for a fee) periodically. Don’t get me wrong, it is a good
site with nice features, but it runs over 1500 artists so it is easy to get
lost on it. Lesson 1: For the price I paid, I could have developed my
personal website and had money left over. My Personal website might not get as
much traffic, but it would have only my stuff so there was no
possibility of me getting lost in the shuffle.
I didn’t make many sales with them. After
about two years, this web site contacted me with another
“deal”; for $150,
they were going to run an ad in International Artist Magazine and did I want to
be a part of it? Well, of course I did. Disappointingly, the ad did not contain
a single photo of any artist’s work from their site, or any artist’s
names (even those of us who had paid
$150 for the privilege!), only the name of the web site and its contact
information appeared in the ad. Lesson 2: if you are going to pay for an
ad, make sure it advertises your art or website!
Just like clockwork, two years later, this same website called me with another “deal”. They were going to be a part of a decorator convention in Chicago. Their booth was going to feature a large projection screen to showcase some of their artists’ work; afterwards the participating artists would get a copy of the DVD used at the convention so they could copy it and market to their local decorator market. The cost this time was about $245. Well, of course, I couldn’t travel to Chicago, so I never saw the actual booth, but sadly the DVD was pretty similar to the magazine ad they had suckered me for two years ago; it had a lot of stuff about their website, but none of my paintings were on it. In fact, only about 4 or 5 paintings were present. Again, it was all about them. Apparently, the site didn’t want to take the chance that the artists’ local decorator market might contact the artist directly. Lesson 3: For the same price, I could have paid someone to make a power-point presentation with my stuff that I could have mailed to every Home and Business Decorator in Fresno County, which is where I live!
The 4th time the web site called with a “deal” I told the snake oil salesman “thanks, but no thanks”. However, I was still looking for a “professional” to help me market my art. In the back of Artists Magazine was an ad for art representatives. This one was really costly; for $3,000 (which I foolishly put on a credit card) they made me 1,500 colored brochures on cardstock which were sent out to their contacts at department stores, catalog companies, and book sellers (of course they didn’t share their contact names, so I couldn’t do follow-ups…). It wasn’t a bad looking brochure (I got about 50 of them for personal use). When I never heard from any of these companies, I did some research and found out that a 1% return from a directed mail campaign is considered excellent. 1%? In case you didn’t major in math that is 15 responses out of 1,500!. Ouch! The percentage does increase if you follow up the direct mail campaign with a phone contact. Lesson: 4 I could have made my own brochure and marketed it locally for a lot less money and I would have had the names of the people to whom it was sent so I could follow up with them.
Please understand that neither of these sites
lied to me. In fact, they told me the exact truth about what they were going to
do.
My error if you will, was in assuming there would be more to these promotional
items than there actually was. If I had insisted on seeing a copy of the first ad
or 
the DVD, or if I had asked Mr. Snake Oil how he planned to post twenty or
thirty photos of art on a single page ad before I shelled out money, I would
have realized my name and my art weren’t going to be seen in the ad. If I asked
for this information and they refused to give me that information or send me a
sample DVD that would have been a warning not to participate. The fiasco with
the brochures could have been avoided also if I had done my research ahead of
time and found out what was considered a good return on direct mail
advertising. The information was out there; it is on me that I didn’t do my
research carefully enough.
This doesn’t mean that these types of marketing should always be avoided. However, you must be able to use them to your advantage. As far as getting an agent, or the types of promotion I experienced, I can’t say that I would personally recommend either one. If you are going to use an agent, make sure that agent works on a commission or consignment and doesn’t charge you up front for promotional items. For myself, I now do my own local promoting and advertising. It’s true that I don’t have the clout to reach national markets, but on the other hand, I am on a pay-as-you-go basis with myself and I am not going into debt. I hope you can do the same
Good Luck
Gail
8/11/2013
CREATING AN ART CULTURE IN YOUR COMMUNITY
Do you live in a community that supports the arts? The sad fact is that art-wise, not all communities are created equal. In California for instance the Bay and Central Coastal areas are a lot more “arty” than the Central Valley. I live in one of these “art challenged” areas of California and for many years I listened to my fellow artists whine (yes, I said whine!) about needing to travel to the coast to find buyers for their work. It is true that there are very few galleries catering to local artists here in Fresno and Clovis. All the galleries here only show art by dead masters or don’t open their doors to local artists (Fresno Art Museum) or they are privately owned by one artist or by co-op groups of artists. These galleries do an excellent job of helping to create a local art culture, but most of them are full.
Since moving to the coast wasn’t an option (my husband’s pool service business is located in Fresno), I decided to become proactive about the situation. I decided I needed another option to show my art.
It
seemed to me that the chief issue was the general opinion apparently held by
the public 
that my community didn’t have prominent artists. This is simply not
true; while a Thomas Kincade or a Bev Doolittle doesn’t live here, Fresno,
Clovis and the surrounding cities in the Central Valley are home to national
and internationally known artists. We also have many very talented local
artists. The big secret is no one knows it. So how do we as artists raise the
social awareness of art in our communities? After some consideration, I
realized that the best way to raise art awareness was to put art out in places
where John and Mary Public would see it. We do have a monthly art event here
called Art Hop, where the public is encouraged to tour as many galleries, restaurants
and businesses who show art. This would be a wonderful opportunity to raise art
awareness if we could persuade our local schools to participate. Unfortunately,
the sad fact is that except for a small percentage of the population John and
Mary Pubic are too busy working non-stop or taking their children to sports
activities and have very little time to take in local galleries. They will however,
take their children to the library. If art is displayed in that library, it
gives parents and children the opportunity to recognize and see the local art
culture. Historically, libraries have always been centers of the arts and
culture for society. Artists who support this by displaying their art in the
library are doing a great service to the community. Even though artists might
not make many sales displaying art in the libraries, our contributions to the
art and culture of the area is immense. When we put our art in the library, we
not only remind the public what talented, creative artists live here, but how
much we care about the community as a whole. One of the things artists
contribute to our community as 8/11/2013is culture. By displaying our stuff in
the libraries, we bring art to life for the general public. Although it is not
directly about sales, one of the ways that we artists in Fresno and Clovis
convince the buying public how wonderful is our art and photography (and
indirectly to buy that art) is the development of a reputation for being a
center of art and culture. Sometimes we have to give before we can get.
TIPS FOR SHIPPING ORIGINAL PAINTINGS OR PHOTOGRAPHS
A Guide To Packing Art For Shipping
Congratulations!
You sold some art from your web site! Now you have to figure out how to get it
to your buyer. Unless you are hand delivering your work you will need to ship
it to the buyer. In order to reach your buyer in a condition that does credit
to you as an artist there is a real need to select both your shipping method
and your packing container carefully. For packing you are going to need a lot
of tape, foam core board, acid-free paper, acid-free plastic bags and foam
peanuts. To pack paintings for photographs, first, wrap the art with acid-free
paper and tape it together so it doesn’t move. What is acid free paper and why
do you need it? Acid-free paper has a pH
factor of seven or above. The pH scale is a standard for measuring the acidity
or alkalinity of all kinds of products, including paper. Before 1860, paper was usually made of rag or
cloth stock and hi
gh-end expensive stationary is still made this way. After
1860, paper mills began using ground up wood and mixing it with acids and
bleach to save costs, all of which have a low pH factor and react with air and
water to produce acidic composites. Why use acid free paper? The acidic
compounds found in non-acid free paper can migrate to your art and cause decay
and damage. In the short time it now takes to ship to your buyer acidic
compounds probably won’t cause much damage; however, they may still leave a
residue on your work that can cause it to deteriorate over time especially if your
buyer doesn’t clean the work immediately after it arrives.
If the art is
unframed canvas or sheet paper, you will need to make sure that it isn’t bent
or folded by rough handling during shipping.
In 2012, Popular Mechanics conducted an experiment to see how packages
were handled by Fed-Ex, UPS and the
Postal Service. According to their published results, the package was dropped
aro
und three times and flipped an average of seven times per trip. Putting
“Fragile” or “This End Up” did NOT increase the care handling the package got;
in fact messages like this seemed to make no difference at all. Not that most
of these delivery people will be deliberately be careless, but then there was that internet video of one of them
tossing a flat screen TV over a fence when he couldn’t open the gate… How do
you avoid this happening to your expensive art? After wrapping your work in the
acid-free paper mentioned above, add a tough, lightweight reinforcement to help
prevent bending (extra thick cardboard or foam core works) on each side of the
art. Then slip artwork in an 
acid-free plastic bag to help make it water
resistant, and wrap the whole thing in bubble wrap and tape so it won’t move. Why
do you need to use an acid-free bag when you are already using acid free paper?
When the plastic bag touches your acid-free paper, acid migration can still
occur. Acid migration is what happens when acid from one object touches
another. Acid migration is particularly dangerous to photographs. Chances are
the acid-free paper you bought can still be contaminated by non-acid free
plastic because the paper doesn’t have a seal. The acid free bag will seal off
the art from contamination by the rest of the packing materials and help
prevent water damage. Next, make sure you fill the entire packing container
with shipping peanuts or bubble wrap so there is no extra space.
Should You Ship Art With A Frame? Personally, I don’t ship framed art unless it is for a show; and I avoid shipping any art that is under glass, because if the package is damaged during shipping, the frame itself could survive unbroken yet your art could be ruined by broken glass sliding around and cutting or scratching it. If you must ship framed art, then protect the corners with edge guards and substitute plexi for glass. If the buyer wants glass, request that they take it to a framer in their area and get it changed. The other solution would be to ship to a local framer in the buyer’s area and arrange for the buyer to pick up the art after it has been framed.
Since the above study by Popular Mechanics didn’t find much difference in handling packages with the three most popular shipping companies, you need to decide to whether use them or employ a company that specializes in shipping art, which could be expensive. However, if you are willing to pay for it, the specialty company may even pack your art for you.
What About Shipping Insurance? Whatever shipping method you use, I recommend insuring your package and including shipping confirmation. I highly advocate you ensure your art for the full price in case you have to refund the money to the buyer if it doesn’t arrive intact. A high-value insurance cost does usually ensure that the shipping company will take more care of your work because they don’t want to pay damages.
Tracking The Package. If you are shipping inside the U.S. then you should always get shipping confirmation. Unfortunately, I did discover when I shipped a painting to a buyer in Canada that I could only track it as far as the border, so I don’t recommend paying extra for confirmation if you are shipping out of the U.S. According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection web site: https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/301/~/mail---tracking-lost-or-missing-packages, CBP doesn’t have the ability to track packages across the border. Occasionally a border station will hold a package for another government agency but we regular folks are just SOL. That painting I shipped across the border into Canada? The cost of shipping was almost as much as the buyer paid for it!
Speaking for myself, I now include a note on my website that I don’t ship originals out of the U.S. due to the high costs.
Good Luck!
Gail
TIPS ON PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR ART
Presentation is everything; especially on the internet where the only impression you can make is what is seen by the viewer. A poor presentation can make the difference between getting a sale or not and being accepted into an on-line show. For the judges to get an accurate idea of your art, the image you send must match the colors in the art and be sharp and clear. For many of us, taking a good photograph of our art is hard. Before sending off the photo of your art your art 1) make sure that the size of the photo agrees with the directions given by the prospectus, 2) make sure the image is sharp, clear and not distorted, 3) check the colors in the photo against the actual art to make sure they are correct. I am not a professional photographer, but I do manage to take credible photos of my work without paying a pro to do it for me. Even if you are only making a record of your work, you will want it to be as close to the original as possible. Here are a few tips that might help those of us who are “photo challenged”:
LIGHTING
Make sure you are taking the photo in an area that doesn’t cast shadows or cause glares on the
work. Personally, I prefer to take my photos outside on a clear day using indirect sunlight. I use the front of my garage and I do it between 11:00 am and 12:00 noon. I don’t use an elaborate set up; I have simply put a nail into the wood at the appropriate height for the camera and then I rest the painting’s stretcher bars on the nails. If you are using paper or canvas sheets, you can attach the sticky stuff teachers use to hang students artwork on the wall to the back of the art (after making sure your art is level).
Make sure the sun isn’t glaring on the work so there are no shinny surfaces to reflect back at the camera lens. If you are working with watercolor or pastel then take the photo before you frame it because glass will reflect back at the camera also. I also take the photo before I varnish acrylics to cut down on the glare caused by the varnish.
If your camera is set up to put a polarizing filter over the lens, it may be worth your while to buy one, especially if you work in Oil paints or other naturally shinny mediums. If your camera won’t take a filter, you can try the “poor man’s sub” and buy a pair of polarizing sun glasses and put them in front of your lens. The only real issue I see with this cheap fix is that the lens on the sunglasses may not be flat and so create a bubble effect on the photo.
DISTORTION
The art should be hung on a flat surface. If the final photo is wider at the bottom than the top or vice versa, your hanging surface may not be flat and you will need to take corrective action in your photo-editing program or find another surface.
Make sure that your camera is aimed squarely at the art. It helps to use a tripod; you can align the front two feet of the tripod squarely with the art so that you aren’t taking the photo at an angle that will cause one side of the art to be larger than the other. If necessary use a tape measure to make sure the feet are an equal distance from the art, and check to make sure the camera isn’t twisted on the tripod. A tripod also helps to prevent blurring is caused by your hand shaking. Most of us don’t think our hand moves when pushing the button, but it does.
Use a small hand level to ensure that the camera is not angled either down or up when taking the photo as this will also cause distortion. A laser pointer (your pets toy is adequate) laid alongside the lens when measuring will also help you to line up your lens on your art.
CAMERAS
You don’t need an expensive camera just to take photos of your art. Canon makes an excellent quality digital camera for under $300 and it is very user friendly. As a plus, the newer models also take video so you can use the video setting to record art shows and then upload to Facebook, U-tube and other social network sites.
However if you are planning to make large-size reproductions of your work then a good SLR camera should be on your list. SLR stands for single-lens reflex. This type of camera allows you take enormous photos, which translate well into prints as large as 48 x 60 without blurring.
CAMERA SETTINGS
When taking the initial (raw) photo of your work, be sure to set your camera to take fine or large files and take at least 3 exposures of each artwork.
.EDITING PHOTOS
The least expensive and easy to use photo-editing program is Adobe Photoshop Elements. It has tutorials and is fairly easy to learn. Before making any additional copies, check for any corrective actions that you need to take; you can then make additional copies at different resolutions.
Check first for distortions. Photoshop makes it fairly easy to correct the distortions caused by not having your camera lined up correctly with the artwork.
Next, check the contrast of the photo against the original if is dull then increase the contrast if necessary.
The next step is to check the actual color and correct if too much blue, green or red shows in the photo.
Your last step should be to crop the photo of your work so that only the work shows. I usually also crop a very tiny piece of the edges as well to keep the curve on the edge of my canvas from appearing as a distortion.
THREE TYPES OF IMAGES
A large resolution image (between 1 and 2 MB between 300 – 600 pixels per inch) to use if you decide to make prints of your work; usually between 38,000 and 60,000 pixels on a side.
A medium/low resolution image to put on your website (between 1 – 2 KB at 72 pixels/inch) will be large enough to allow the viewer to see the art. This size is usually too small to encourage attempts to pirate your image because it probably won’t make prints any larger than a 5 x 7 without blurring, but you can add digital watermarking with Elements or other watermarking programs.
A small image (between 200 and 125 pixels at the widest edge) for thumbnail images and record keeping; for those of you who prefer sizes, the widest edge should be no more than 1.5”.
You should keep photo log with both high- and low- resolution photos of your work separately from your desktop computer; the new flash drives are excellent for this. A working copy can be kept there, but be sure and back up your files each month onto a separate disc or jump drive. Be sure to keep the back-up copies of these items in a separate place and up-date your back-ups monthly. There are also some new cloud features that will enable you to automatically back-up your digital files (for a price). Once your records are lost due to computer crashes, natural disaster or any other reason they are gone. Good Luck!
Gail
Other Links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvR7fCQLQyI is a video tutorial you may also find helpful.
To Donate, Or Not To Donate…That Is The Question…
The phone rings, and some well-meaning fundraiser on the other end wants you to donate a work of art to their charity auction. Usually this goodhearted fundraiser will promise you a tax deduction, great exposure, enhanced publicity, and public exposure if you agree; sadly, most volunteer fundraisers don’t know what they are talking about as far as the actual benefits to you as an artist. Should you do it? This really depends on several things; how much do you support the cause itself? Are the benefits going to out-weigh the costs?
Well lets deal with the tax deduction benefit first. It’s not great. Generally speaking, you as the artist are allowed to deduct only the cost of creation (materials, etc.) unless you have had an appraisal done by a qualified art expert. This is no problem if you are a big name artist whose art is going to bring in thousands of dollars to the charity because the charity will usually have the art appraised by their expert, which you can then attach to your taxes. However, if you are donating to your child’s school, your church, local hospital, etc. chances are the charity is not going to pay for this appraisal because they can’t afford it. Sometimes the charity is worthwhile (in fact most of the time), but unless they follow my rules for donation, what they are really doing is training whoever comes to their event to devalue my art and disrespect me as an artist. This may sound really harsh but it has been proven to be true.
The next two items typically promoted by fundraisers are “Enhanced publicity and public exposure” sounds really good, but what exactly are they actually talking about? A line in the auction catalog and announcing your name when they bring up your art? Please. Remember that most of the fundraisers who do telephone contacts are volunteers with no actual experience in the field. In other words they really have no idea what they are talking about. Enhanced publicity should mean your name in the newspaper, on the radio or on the Charity's Facebook page with a link to your website. Public exposure should mean that instead of just pointing to your art and asking for bids, the auctioneer talks about you: what awards you’ve won, how good the art is, etc. to encourage the audience to bid higher. He or she should also mention your web site, and your brochures advertising you as an artist, which the charity should have had available when the bidders were doing the walk-through.
Predictably, at most of these charity events, they practically give away the art because the bidders are not art collectors, they are there to support the charity and looking for two things—something they can afford to bid on to satisfy their tax deduction and support the charity. A lot of them might even be comparing the price of your fine art to canvas prints they can get at a department store! Auctioning your art for much less than you normally sell for, no matter how worthy the charity, undermines the art market in general, and makes it seem as if the artist (you!) didn’t deserve the real selling price. Another negative side effect underselling can have is to encourage your regular collectors and potential buyers to wait for events like this to buy your art cheaper than they could if they purchased it directly from you.
The “public exposure” thing is
problematical; unless the auctioneer makes a really big deal about your art
business and how valuable your work is, everyone present is likely to still
think you have a nice hobby. I was once asked by my church to design a
poster/logo for a women’s retreat. When the event coordinators husband saw it
he remarked to her that it looked like a “real” artist had done it.
I find that no matter how good the art I donate to their event is, my circle of acquaintances in my church, my children’s school and my family almost all still believe that my art is a hobby, so I don’t donate unless the charity agrees to the following ground rules:
·
I
set a minimum price for original art. If it doesn’t sell, I get it back. This
is absolutely essential because unless you have an
appraisal from a respectable appraiser attached to the art; all that you can
take off on your taxes is the cost of material used to create the art. If you don't get your minimum price then you have lost money you can't deduct from your taxes.
· I also qualify the event by making sure there will be folks there who can actually afford to purchase the art (this means getting actual names of who will be attending or at least who was sent an invitation) and that the event will be well publicized; by this I mean actual ads on TV, Radio and news, hopefully with a mention of the art you are donating.
Once charities learned I stuck to these rules, I found that the requests dropped off dramatically. This doesn’t mean that I am wholly against art donations; I do donate my art to worthwhile charities, but I find that it usually pays better deduction wise to donate a good quality print than the original. Tax wise, you can deduct the entire printing cost, framing and matting which is a much better deal for tax purposes. I always sign prints that I donate, and make sure I tape information about myself, my website and the art to the back of the print.
Good Luck
Gail
The Practical Artist & Writer
My name is Gail Daley and I am a self-taught artist with a background in business; for many years, I worked at the IRS and when I retired, I took over the office management of my husband’s pool service company. After a few unsatisfactory (and expensive!) attempts at using professional promoters, I began doing my own promoting and marketing of both my art and for my husband, developing our own advertisements and brochures. I have created and published my own web site: www.gaildaleysfineart.com. I am president and newsletter editor of Clovis Art Guild in Clovis, California, of which I am also President.
As Director of Art-Tique, http://www.art-tique.org I publish a free on-line newsletter concerning local art events and I find places for local artists and writers to show and sell their work.