One Drawing In Several Stages Makes Marketing Sense

These days you have to be a bit smarter than I think I am capable of at times.  Eventually I get it, but it takes a while.  You may already know this, but I thought I would share my experience just in case there is someone out there as behind the times in technology as I am.

I discovered that if I stop at strategic spots while drawing that I can actually get more than one illustration to market.

Here's an example.  I started this drawing in pencil, then out lined it in black and continued with the black until I felt I had reached a point that this could actually be a finished black and white drawing.

I scanned the drawing and cleaned it up.  I then took it over to my store on Zazzle and created a product and of course added some words.  So I actually have more than one idea to use here already. I have a poster with my chosen words I placed on the illustration in the Zazzle program and I have a coffee cup with different words that can be customized by the customer.

In the second stage I added just a bit of color and found I had yet another marketable illustration.  So I scanned, cleaned and left it for later to use in much the same way I used the black and white rendering.

Continuing on with the illustration I finished it with several other colors, then scanned, cleaned and begin trying to use my brain to come up with several other ideas.

So from one drawing I had three marketable illustrations that I could place on products in my store to sell.  On top of that I have the original that I can sell after I finish up the center with whatever I decide to do.  I can actually put someone's name in it and give this one away if I like because it is already making money as three distinct illustrations.

But still, I'd just rather be drawing and painting.

And be sure to check out this great site for selling your drawing, it's called Sellfy.  Here's my store, Southern Sky Studio.  Open up your own store for free.

If you are interested you can take a look at some of the products I was able to create.  One product has all three stages of the illustration.  I also took the illustration and added some graphic touches for even more diversity.

This one was my favorite though.

Tattered But Not Shattered 16" x 12", Poster by Southernskyreverie

Tattered Heart Color Me Tote Budget Tote Bag by Southernskyreverie

Tattered Heart Customized Drawstring Backpack by Southernskyreverie

Empty Heart Color Me Greeting Card by reverierhapsodies
Make custom notecards at zazzle.com

Coloring Book Inspiration -- The Business of Art

I received some adult coloring books for Christmas.  I wondered if I could do what was suggested to me, that was, relax and just color.

Well, I couldn't do that.  I was inspired somewhat by the idea of drawing my own therapeutic art, so three days later I have...............

Butterflies

And it took a few hours to scan, upload and put the drawing on products in my store.

Hearts and Flowers

I put these drawings on some products that people could color themselves.

Flowers

I just couldn't resist putting a touch of color in it myself.

Needless to say the de-stressing exercise someone thoughtfully gave to me turned into many hours of inspiration.  Although I didn't color a page in any of the books.  I was definitely inspired to draw.

Take a look at the products I was able to put the drawings on that others could actually color for themselves because they are made of cotton or canvas.

Color Me Stuff
by Teresa owner: Southern Sky Studio

And then I thought if I could get inspired just by looking at the drawings in the adult coloring book, then someone else might just feel the therapeutic effects too.  So I put the drawings on other products where they would have to remain just black and white.  If you'd like to see them, click below.

Art Therapy Designs
by Teresa owner: Southern Sky Studio


Here is a really neat greeting card idea.  Take a look at these below.  You could make some of these yourself to give to a friend.  A gift and card all in one.

Just For Friends Cards
by Teresa owner: Southern Sky Studio

Now, if I could just figure out how to make an adult coloring book of my own.  Think I'll work on that next.  Let's face it, you know if you want to make anything of yourself you have to constantly be thinking of ways to do it.  If artists want to make money, making art (before we die) we have to get the work out there. Sometimes the business side of art can eat up more hours in the day than making the actual art.

I just keep telling myself, keep on plugging, keep on drawing, painting, learning and someday it will happen.  Besides I'm enjoying trying.

Please share my posts and my work.  Thanks

An Artist New Year's Resolution -- Staying Focused

There seems to be a lack of consistency in my work.

Acrylic on barn wood

Acrylic on cardstock with original verse

Colored Pencil

I'll do something serious that takes hours and every stroke can be critical.

Then I'll get some crazy idea to make my own canvas out of paint sticks.  Paint a picture and put a lace stencil around it.

Acrylic on a paint sticks, a frame made of stretcher strips and a doily stencil

Another "bright idea", I'll paint on barn wood!  Sounds like fun?  I turned it into something serious.

Acrylic on barn wood

Well, then I thought I'd try to lighten up on the barn wood and have some real fun.

Acrylic on barn wood

Out of no where I decide to sew on screen wire, whhhhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyyyy!

Sewing on screen wire with yarn

After that came the idea of building my own crate with paint sticks.

Crate made with paint sticks

And where ever did this come from?  I decided to do a bit of weaving!  With paint sticks!  Well, I couldn't actually weave them, but believe me I tried.

Woven organizer with paint sticks

Which then gave me the idea of weaving with paper rope..............

Woven wall hanging with paper rope and stretcher strip bar frame

And then I wanted to weave a pot, and so I wove one out of paper and then one out of a t-shirt.

vase woven from an old t-shirt

I painted on lace.............

Lace on stretched canvas

Suddenly I decided that I'd like to paint on canvas again and add something real to the painting, so.....

Acrylic on canvas with real butterflies glued to the canvas

Next, okay, let's do a bit of illustration on pages from the Bible.

Colored pencil and pastel on printout from Exodus

Let's throw in a bit of Christmas crafting, again, whyyyyyyyyyyyy?

Angel made from t-shirt, wood ball and old sheer curtain

Oooh, time to paint again!  But this time, for some reason I decided to play with black and white.....

I went serious.                                                                                                

Pencil on bristol board

Then I played around a bit...........

Pale pink paint sticks
black, gray, white acrylic

This made me think of art therapy, so I had to try my hand at that too!

 

Oh and let's not forget painting and sewing screen wire on canvas.............

And making a pair of flip flops from foam and woven t-shirt scraps.....

I decided to put my art work on products, so I opened up a Zazzle store for my fine art.

Then another for my fun art, with quotes and poetry.  

And then another for greeting cards.  

Then I threw another one in for spiritual things and of course I had to have a store for the children's art I love to do. 

 Here's one of those............

Acrylic and water color pencil on bristol board


Oh and lest I forget, I also have a store for the kitchen.  I love designing the kitchen products with my art too!

So here is my artsy resolution, ready, here goes..............

This year, 2016, I'm going to try to be more focused, try to stick to one or two things and work on perfecting those areas.  I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!

Wish me luck.

Starting off 2015 Western Style

I procrastinated several days before starting this one.  It was lined up to be the next painting I worked on, but I was waiting on the new year so it would be the first of 2015.  Then when the first day of the year rolled in, I seemed to have found yet another reason not to start the painting.

When you deal with a lack of confidence the way I do, procrastination is either your best friend or your enemy.  Which ever way you choose to look at it I suppose.  In a way I think it’s manipulation of yourself.  Putting off your goals, your fears and ultimately your success.

Instead of looking at each piece as a learning experience in technique and subject matter, I’m going to look at it as an exercise in building self confidence.  How do I do that?  Beats me, but it’s worth a try.

Part of being successful at anything is making mistakes and learning from them.  Finding the error of your ways and correcting them.  I can see several things that need to be corrected in this piece along with getting it closer to completion.

So as I labored with my lack of confidence and poor planning, hours into the painting I had this…….





So the picture was cut completely in half by land and sky.  Not a good idea.  When I got to looking at all the area I was going to have to fill up with blades of grass, I got really tired.  That’s when I knew I should stop for the day.  “I’ll tackle that after a good nights sleep”. (More procrastination?  Or maybe finally a bit of wisdom.)  Only this would have never happened if I’d planned a bit better.





One million blades of grass later, a few weeds here and there, a few touch ups, oh and also some after thought embellishments I finally had a finished piece.





This painting was most definitely a labor of love.  Love of the process of art and the beauty of God’s creation, the desire to please the customer and to grow as an artist.

Not sure if this has boosted my self confidence though.

Art: It’s a Business too!

 

 

                                             My business card

                                                 

It’s kind of hard to believe that in the time I could have gotten an entire painting done or at least a good start on one all I did was design and lay out a business card, letterhead and write an artist statement.  Oh, I guess I should mention that I was also able to print them out, which was not an easy chore in itself.

I did not grow up with computers, but I think they are quite wonderful for those of us who are on the creative side, to be able to do things for ourselves.  If it wasn’t for computers and in home printers, well I would have had to take everything somewhere and possibly not have it for several days.  Even though it took me all day, I did finally accomplish the tasks.

I needed the letter head for the artist statement that I will have to have when I show my art.  I needed the business cards to hand out to possible customers and to those who buy art from me.  I have needed those for sometime, but I was too busy actually painting pictures to do any of the business side of this business of art.

Sometimes we do get too busy doing all the things we think we should be doing and only involve ourselves with the most enjoyable parts.  But God says in Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

So we are to place just as much importance on the tedious, small, mundane things and care for them as much as we do the larger, seemingly more important things.  That’s hard to do sometimes.

It seems to take just as much of our time to do those less enjoyable, tedious, important things that just don’t seem to add up so fast, that just don’t seem to make as much of a show and give that sense of accomplishment as it does those things that seem more important. 

But for one days work, I’ve got business cards that I can print out whenever I need them, they are saved on my computer; I’ve got a pretty decent artist statement that I can print and use whenever I need it.  And it’s done, and I am so glad.  Strangely, I AM experiencing a sense of accomplishment now that I think about it.

And here is my artist statement that goes with each one of my paintings that will be displayed:

 

I have lived in and moved away from Tennessee several times, but I always seem to come back to the inspiration of the rolling hills, blooming flowers and wildlife of this heavenly area of the world.

Art is my avenue to fight negativity. I thoroughly enjoy nature and the beauty God has given us through His creation. Trying to duplicate that beauty is a challenge I love to lose myself in. Painting on canvas brings much pleasure, but I find that painting on wood brings a more satisfying experience and finished piece. Old wood just seems to tell stories to me as I paint. If I could use old barn wood or fencing to paint on for the rest of my life, I’d be one happy artist.

During the years of single parenting, I managed to illustrate a children’s book, (“Scamper Squirrel Goes to Camp”), paint several portraits in pastel and was commissioned for pieces by individuals according to their specifications. I have also painted baptistery murals, and designed T-shirts as well as logos. All this was, at the time, just to help make ends meet. At present I am freely painting what I love and the beauty I see, hoping that it is beautiful to others as well.

I have learned to work in pastel, watercolor, pencil, acrylics, oils and colored pencil. I enjoy painting flowers and trees, landscapes, rustic subjects, wildlife, butterfly’s, still life, encouraging and happy pictures for children and the drama of the sky. I call it “art from the heart”.

Please visit my art page at www.facebook.com/southernskyartstudio where I regularly post my work. Or visit me on my blog at www.southernskyartstudio.blogspot.com to read about the inspiration behind each painting or illustration I complete. I hope you enjoy my art.

ARTIST: Teresa Haynes Johnson

TITLE OF PAINTING OR ILLUSTRATION_________________________________________________

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SIZE_________________ MEDIA____________________ ____________________ _________________

PRICE ____________

 

There is my days work all on this page.  Hope you enjoyed it!