Getting Better at GIMP

Alright, well...I wasn't able to take pictures of the better set of 'Animal Magnetism', but I got quite a few of the Shih Tzu.

This is only the finished product.  If you want the progression, go look on my fanpage.

I've been meaning to work on my logo more and I've been watching tutorials of GIMP on youtube, which is much better than reading it for me.  I can figure it out eventually if I read the instructions, but I don't necessarily understand all of the words that are in the help articles.  Having someone click and show me the menus works much more for my poor visual head.

So here's my quasi-pathetic attempt!

I freehanded the moon, and you can tell.  But it's not bad.  In fact, I think it's quite good for never having done anything on photoshop or a similar program.  Yeah, I sorta played with layers before on an old drawing of mine, but this is the first actual GRAPHIC I worked out.  I think it's a good start for a business card.  I should beef up the 'Night Mare Studio:606' in the bottom, or perhaps move it to the top left corner, then put my contact information and websites.

I need to buy my domain.  I haven't a bloody clue how to, or even how to nicely code a page.  I can do bare bones stuff, but it'll look like the early 90's.  o.o  There's a scary thought.

 

I'm Back! Back in the painting groove!

I've got two projects thiiiiiiiiiiiis close to completion and ready to be shipped/given to their owners.  And I just procured another commission, albiet a small one.  Nothing wrong with that.  I showed a lady I work with at the restaurant three of the magnets I've made so far for one job and she asked if they could be customizable.  "Of course!" I said, "Totally customizable!  I paint each one, so I can put anything you want on them."  She looked at me out of the corner of her eye and asked, "Can you do cats?"

"Love to."

So she's going to email me a picture of her two cats and I'm going to do a portrait of each.  ^__^  I love doing business.  I have a couple of canvases that need some paint-loving.  I mean large canvas, not the 2"x2" canvasboards I've been doing.  I think I'll try my hand a painting a dragon.  Blame Skyrim. 

Small ramble:  Last week, I had a really crummy day, so I took over five forts and razed Windhelm to the ground while commanding my dragon to barf flames all over my adversaries.  Very cathartic.

Ramble over, lol. 

I think the other one will be either fireflies or a horse.  Haven't decided yet.  Also, I think this set of 'Animal Magnetism' is better executed than the one that went up for auction.  Practice makes perfect, eh?  Plus I've got newer brushes better suited for fine line work. 

Business plan update:  I ran a contest on my fan page to get some idea as to what to price pieces at.  Didn't garner as much interest as I'd hoped, but some feed back is always better than none.  I really need to carve out some personal computer time and do more work on figuring out GIMP, work on my logo, work on KayTee Krafts' logo, and get in touch with my author friend.  Sort of have a secret project going on that I'm excited about...

I'll post pictures of the magnet set and the Shih Tzu portrait when I'm done with them, as well as the two cat magnets when I get those.  Ta Ta For Now!

Small Break

I'm hyper!  Fair warning.....

So with the mid-week holiday comes a mid-week day off from the day job(s), which is very welcome.  I decided to hang up my artist cap *GASP* for a couple of days and actually do something besides hole up in my 'pseudo-studio'.  That's what I call my work space in my home, my pseudo-studio.

It's a cozy little room with improper lighting, no space to spread out, 2 book shelves, the computer desk and chair, my drawing table and chair, and whatever art supplies I deem neccessary to have spread out all over the floor.  But it's mine, MINE, I tell you, and I'm grateful to have a spot where I can leave my mess exactly the way I want it so I can go right back into making a bigger mess, which I call my "art projects", lol.

Ok, so "art projects" shouldn't be in quotes, since they aren't hypothetical.  They do exist.  o.o  And their natural habitat?  My pseudo-studio! 

Right. Weird rantings aside, I put my projects aside for the past few days but I still was creating, lol.  I just helped my friend's personal project instead.  Her cousin is having a bridal shower and since everything on the registry is several hundred dollars that my friend doesn't have laying around, she made her a nifty, personalized, monogramed wall hanging that looks AWESOME.  I'm talking wooden cut out letters, cloth, ribbons, super-cool stickers, the whole nine yards!  Oh yeah, and PAINT.  Lots and lots of PAINT!  And hot glue.

(I did have about 5 chocolate chip cookies before I sat down to write this....that might have something to do with the hyper mood...)

I wish I had taken a picture of the final project.  Admittedly I just supplied some of the ideas, the paint, paint brushes, and sealant, but still: I helped!  I like helping.  I helped her realize her vision and possibly expanded it. 

Probably tomorrow I'll be back in the groove and start to work on my shih tzu portrait and remake my 'Animal Magnetism' collection for another customer.  That's right.  ^__^  Paying customer, hehe.  I really need to work on my business cards...

Research, research, research...

Makes me feel like I'm back in school again, but with less time to do it, lol.  I've got another collection of magnets up in my Etsy store and I'm feeling pretty good about it.  I've got my entry form for the Tri-State Art Guild that I'm going to send in on Monday (another goal checked off my list!  YAY).  And I've got a commission for a set of five magnets.  I'm excited.  I'm also rearranging my home studio to make it a little easier for me to work.  What would be best is overhead lighting, bigger windows, ventilation, and storage.  Oh, and more space....  One can dream, right? 

I hope I can maintain this fervor for kick-starting my 'art business'.  I probably shouldn't put it in quotes since I am serious about wanting to sell my art and be successful at it.  I have been reading lots of articles about how to go about it.  It seems daunting and scary, but I can do it.  I'll need help, but I can do it.  My head is kind of spinning with all that has to be done: get pieces professionally appraised, find a gallery, get to know said gallery, propose business deal with gallery if pieces fit the 'feel' of said gallery...get shows.  Find collectors.  Try to get known.  I found that there is a gallery in Newburgh, IN (a town next to Evansville) that actually sells James Gurney!!  O.O  He's the "Dinotopia" guy!!  I have two of his books on my shelf right now that I still read because they are beautiful.  Better yet, that means that the gallery sells 'fantastical' art...my kind of art...must pay a visit to that gallery soon. 

I'll post more later.  Even if nobody reads this, at least it will help me keep my thoughts straight.

Wanna be a Cow Girl, Baby

My best horse friend here in Indiana has a daughter that is also a June bug baby and her poor horse underwent surgery recently.  It was an unsure thing if Bucky would live through the whole ordeal, but she came out of it fine.  So I drew Val and Bucky rounding a barrel for Val's birthday!  Here it is:

I am excited, because I don't usually use different colors than what actually is there in the picture or in front of me.  I've been trying to break out of my comfort zone and want to eventually dabble in abstract, but we'll have to see how that goes.  Abstract = scary to my incredibly literal mind.  If I'm working from my imagination, that's a different story.

Updates on where I am in my goals:  I have a better understanding of GIMP now, and am playing with a few images just to familiarize myself with it, but I should honestly put more work into it.  I need to smooth my logo out and get the business cards and stamp made. 

I think I've improved my woefully awful photograph ability slightly.  Check out Daphne: African Godess to see what I mean: 

Better, I hope.  Plus I discovered that my camera has a *GASP*  Macro setting!!  When did that magically happen?  lol.

I've also been trying to research how to market myself besides just vomitting out work on Facebook and hoping it will garner some interest.  Some interesting things I've never thought about were brought to my attention and rightfully so.  I should get my work appraised by a professional dealer.  I should join a guild to get exposure.  I should start trying to find juried shows and competitions to get my name out there.  And before I ask someone for help, I should figure out what I actually want them to help me with. 

Makes sense.  You can't become a successful actor without an agent, so how can you even possibly conceive 'making it on your own' as an artist if you have no experience with the trade you're trying to break into?  I had 2 professors at my university appraise an 8x10 inch colored pencil drawing for $220.  But since I'm not a known and sought after artist, I don't think I can command that price.  Not yet. 

I think my July goals will be to join the local art guild, find a gallery/art dealer and pay for their opinion (if not be able to have them sell pieces for me), and work on improving my Etsy store.  The only merchandise in it so far are those magnets.  Kinda sad and scrawny looking right now, BUT.  There is something in there!!  Gotta start somewhere, right?

Now, Live on Etsy! My hand-painted magnets are for sale!

Night Mare Studio:606 is live on Etsy!   Go check it out!  Better pictures and more merchandise to come later....;)

Goals and Assessment

So it's been quite a while.  I'm feeling more secure in life at the moment, which is always good.  I've come up with a quick and easy idea to sell merchandise in my Etsy store.  Ready?  Magnets.  Handpainted magnets.  Hopefully they'll take off a bit.  I just have to keep reminding myself that I want to be able to support myself through sales of art pieces when I get discouraged.  I think I can do this.

It helps that one of my closest and oldest friends is starting to sell her homemade jewelry.  I convinced her to get an Etsy store, too.  So now we have a support network of two!  Yeah!  Gotta start somewhere, right?  My start is magnets.  Hers is beads.  *raises a glass*  KayTee Krafts, I hope you do well.  Wish the Night Mare luck as well.  She'll need it, lol.

I think it would be easiest to break down this whole process into monthly goals.  This month, put pictures of merchandise in store.  Learn how to take better photographs.  Learn how to use GIMP to edit said pictures, logo, and banner for the store.  Design personalized stamp for paper goods.  Design and order business cards.  Start keeping up with this blog....*angel face*

Take a deep breath, and here we go.  This experiment is now officially underway.