3 Popular Art Subjects That Sell

By Nicole Tinkham

Are you struggling to sell even your absolute best pieces of artwork?? We’ve written so many blogs on the subject (Like How To Price Your Artwork To Sell) because it’s one of the most common struggles we hear among artists. One thing that you may be curious about is “what does sell?” That’s our topic in this blog but honestly, we’ve had mixed feelings about writing it. Sure, we could tell you the subjects in art that tend to sell but how will this impact who you are as an artist? Will it change your own personal style? Or will it help form new creative ideas? Since these things could help your business, we decided to share. Of course you don’t have to incorporate these ideas into your work. You should always strive to be yourself! But take them into consideration and let us know your thoughts on whether or not an artist should implement them. Read on for 3 popular art subjects that sell.

1.    Landscapes

We see a ton of absolutely brilliant landscape/seascape paintings here in Bradenton, Florida. We also get to see beautiful northern landscapes as well from the snow birds that flock down to visit us so we really have the best of both worlds! Local scenery of a street, shops, or towns tend to be popular too as the buyer is most likely to purchase the painting after recognizing the location. It brings back memories and that’s something really special to capture in your painting.

2.    Pets (in particular, dogs)

We think pets are a common theme in artwork because people can connect with their furry friends on a deep and personal level. Detail and personality of the pet can shine through in a painting and make the work really fun. If you love painting furry creatures, consider getting into custom pet portraits!

3.    Abstracts

Here’s one that’s really not for everyone (artist and viewer alike) but a talented artist can have much success with abstract art when marketing to the right audience. Keep this in mind – not everyone appreciates abstract art. Many people see the talent and emotion behind it but not everyone does. This is why you must get in with the right people for it. Once you hit the right crowd of abstract lovers, you’ll be golden.

Should you paint based on which subjects sell?

After talking about the different art subjects that typically sell, the big question now is “will you follow the trends?” To be honest, there never really is a correct answer when it comes to art and we’ll tell you why. Everyone has a different motive. Some people will purchase a painting from you to match their couch and others will find a deep connection with your artwork. You just never know.

You also have to be true to yourself. Just because landscapes, dogs and abstracts may not be your cup of tea you can always give it a try anyway and see what happens. You may end up falling in love with the subject and selling it right away! But in the end, it’s important to go with what you enjoy doing.

In our opinion, what will sell is something you’re passionate about. The more passion you have for that subject, the better the piece will turn out and the more likely it is to sell.

With that being said, we’d love to know your opinions! Please leave a comment below and let us know whether or not you think an artist should follow what typically sells or just do their own thing.

3 Quick Tips For Mixing Summer Colors For Your Next Painting

By Nicole Tinkham

When we think summer, we think COLOR with beautiful blues in the sky and water and bright greens in the foliage. It really is an incredible time of year (minus the bugs and hot sun) for a landscape painting. If you’re planning to get out there and do some plein air painting or even if you’re painting from a photo, your colors must be on point to really make the work pop and get that summer feel. To do this, you’ll have to get really good at mixing summer colors. Here are 3 quick tips for doing so.

1.    Define your blue

As you’re probably aware, not all blues are the same! There are cool blues, warm blues, blue-greens, dark blues, light blues, and many more. In a summer painting you have the blue of a clear sky on a nice day, the blue of the ocean, and the blue of pool water. You must first figure out what type blue you need.

For sky: You may want to use a mix of warm blue near the horizon and a little cool blue further away from the horizon.

For ocean: Use a cool blue and a little cool yellow for deeper water and then add in more yellow for shallow water. Make sure you have a smooth transition from deep to shallow in your painting. Using a mix of the same colors, create waves and details. You may even consider taking some of your sky color to create a slight reflection.

2.    Locate your greens

As with your blues, your greens will also vary. When it comes to summer foliage, you have to take into consideration the placement in your painting. For example, something closer to the viewer will not be the same shade as something further away. This will create depth in the painting.

Distant green: Use cool greens with elements of blue for shadows and greenery in the distance.

Close green: Mix in warm greens throughout the greenery to prevent the painting from looking flat. Mix in some yellows or oranges for variety.

For BRIGHT beautiful summer greenery, keep the colors you are mixing close to each other on the color wheel. The further apart they are, the duller and grayer the color will be.

3.    Color inspiration

Of course blues and greens aren’t the only summer colors you’ll see this time of year. Think watermelon red, sunny yellow and brightly colored umbrellas as well. For inspiration, take a ton of summer photos throughout the season. It doesn’t have to be a subject you want to paint. Just try to capture the colors of summer you love. Pinterest also has a ton of ideas for this.

Now it’s time to play! Have fun recreating those colors in your painting. It may take some experimenting to get it just right but don’t become frustrated, this is a learning experience.

Make summer a time to have fun with your art. There are so many brilliant colors that pop up this time of year, so make the most of them. Explore and try new things! You can head to the beach or the park for an artsy day. Enjoy the great outdoors and capture the beautiful scenery. If you want to experiment with colors more, take a bunch of photos and head to the studio to mix your paint. As you get used to mixing the perfect summer colors, it gets much easier to do.  Keep it up artists, and be sure to show us what you’re working on this summer! Head over to our Facebook page and share with us what you’re creating 🙂

6 Quick Photoshop Tips For The Non-Digital Artist

By Nicole Tinkham

Have you tried to explore the possibilities of Photoshop only to give up after 10 minutes over how complicated it seemed? We hear you artists! Photoshop is an absolutely incredible program if you know what you’re doing. But for the newbie, the numerous tools can be overwhelming. If you’re an artist who just wants to adjust a few reference photos or simply get your feet wet in the program, this blog is for you! We’ll go over everything from sizing to saving in this super basic Photoshop crash course. Read on for 6 quick Photoshop tips for the non-digital artist.

1.    Adjust the angle

Adjusting the angle of the image is rather simple but you may want to use the ruler tool (in the left hand tool bar under the eye dropper icon – Click and hold the icon for other options to come up and make your selection) to draw a straight line to compare. When you draw your straight line with the ruler tool, you can hold the “Shift” key while you click & drag to create a totally straight line. See the screenshot below for how to make your angle adjustments.

2.    Sizing

See image below on how to open up the resizing options. When you go to resize your image, a helpful tool is the “Constraint” symbol which will keep the image in proportion.

3.    Enhancing the color

To play around with the color of your image, you want to go to “Image” at the top of your screen and then hover over “Adjustments”. There are many options here (we briefly describe them below) so the best way to discover what they do is just to play around with them. Have fun with this and don’t panic if you don’t like something. You can always go to “Edit” and “Undo” to take a step back if you don’t like it.

Brightness/Contrast: Adjusts the tonal range
Levels: Adjusts the shadows, mid-tones, and highlights to correct an image
Curves: Allows you to adjust the tonal range in more detail
Exposure: Allows you to adjust the shadows, mid-tones, and highlights
Vibrance: Adjust saturation of all the colors or selective colors
Hue/Saturation: Allows you to play with the saturation on a particular color
Color Balance: Bring out specific colors in the image
Black & White: Turns the image grayscale
Photo Filter: Applies different color filters like “Warming Filter” and “Cooling Filter”
Channel Mixer: Tints the image
Color Lookup: Different styles added to your image which are already created for you
Invert: A negative of the photo
Posterize: Produces a poster-like look
Threshhold: Creates a black and white version of your image
Gradient Map: Creates different gradient fills for the image
Selective color: Allows you to select a color and then change it
Shadows/Highlights: Easily adjusts shadows and highlights

4.    Sharpness

If your photo doesn’t look perfect when you get it into Photoshop, don’t worry. You can always sharpen it for more detail and crispness. See screenshot below for how to do it!

5.    Adding text

If you want to add a title or quote to your image, you simply click the “T” icon on the sidebar and your type options (font, color, alignment, etc.) will be along the top bar. Draw out a text box and begin typing. Then you can format that text however you like.

6.    Saving files

When it comes to saving your file, you have many format options. You can find these in the drop down menu “Save As Type” when you go to save. Below we’ve listed some of the most commonly used formats and what to use them for.

PSD: Photoshop format, the default format that you can open back up and edit in Photoshop
EPS: Encapsulated PostScript, rasterized image that can be transferred between applications
JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group, compressed file used to display photos in HTML docs
PDF: Portable Document Format, A cross-platform format that preserves font and page layout.
PNG: Portable Network Graphics, Used for web graphics

We know this is a lot to take in all at once but take your time to explore Photoshop. There are so many creative things you can do with it. If you ever get stuck, there are a ton of resources out there that you can reference. You can also reach out to us (leave a comment below) and we’ll do our best to answer your Photoshop questions or at least point you in the right direction. Now over to you! We can’t wait to see what you end up creating with this incredible tool.

Blending Stumps Vs Tortillons And Other Tools To Blend Like A Pro

By Nicole Tinkham

Whether you draw or are a makeup artist, you know that blending is essential. For drawing, you have many blending tool options from tortillons to stumps and many others. The right tools can make a huge difference in your artwork and when it comes to blending, you definitely have to think about your supplies of choice. Every artist is different and prefers a different tool. In this blog we’ll talk about the difference between a blending stump and tortillons and more tools to help you blend like a pro.
Blending Stumps

What they are: A solid “stick” made out of soft paper with a point at each end. These can be sharpened with sandpaper and also cleaned with a kneaded eraser which is super convenient! Since these are available in a variety of sizes, they’re great for many different projects.

Tortillons

What they are: Tightly rolled paper with a point on one end ideal for blending small areas. We recommend using it at an angle to keep that nice pointed tip in tact.

Tip: Have many of these in use at once. Once dark graphite gets on these, you won’t want to use it in a lighter area. Tortillons are inexpensive enough that you can be using several for different shades in your piece at once.

The difference

Tortillons can be a little more difficult to use since that aren’t made with the same soft paper that of blending stumps. This makes it difficult to keep a consistent tone. However, tortillons are perfect for precision! Our suggestion: Have both!

What you can achieve with BOTH options

1.    Blending: Push graphite around the page to blend tones together.

2.    Shading: Pick up graphite with your tool of choice (use scrap paper to scribble on and then rub your blending tool over the graphite to pick it up). Now you can apply that graphite to your drawing and layer it on depending on how dark you need it to be.

3.    Light values: A clean blending tool is key for blending light values!

4.    Dark values: When working on a dark area, it’s typical for tiny specs of the white paper to shine through. Using a blending tool can cover up those areas.

Other tools

Chamois: Not for detailed work but this cloth is perfect for a soft blend when using charcoal and pastels.

Makeup brush: We’ve heard from one of our artist friends that makeup brushes are excellent for blending!

Q-tip: Use for larger areas, not precise spots.

Paper towel: Fold in a triangle so you get some nice points on the ends.

Facial tissue: Wrap it around your finger to prevent the oils from your finger to get smudges on your artwork.

Cotton swab

Don’t use..

Your fingers! The oils from your finger can make the graphite impossible to erase.

If you aren’t already blending, you need to be! It can definitely transform your artwork if you do it right. Play around with it first though as it takes some practice. There’s no right or wrong answer here either. Try a few different blending tools out and see which one you like best. Every artist is different so we can’t really recommend blending stumps over tortillons or anything else.

Let us know, what’s your favorite tool to blend with and why? Please leave a comment below!

5 Ways Waking Up Earlier Will Change Your Life

By Nicole Tinkham

I hear the excuses all the time. You’re simply not a morning person and I get that. Guess what? Most of us aren’t. Even the ones who are morning people now most likely weren’t always that way. I know I wasn’t until I discovered the major benefits to waking up early and getting things done. Now there’s no way I could ever go back to sleeping in. I understand that it’s not for everyone but I want you to give it a try for 30 days just to see how you like it. Trust me when I say it will be totally worth it. You may be wondering “but why??”. I have the answer to that! Read on for 5 ways waking up earlier will change your life.

1.    It helps you be more productive

First of all, rising early can add HOURS onto your day in which you can get so much done. Aside from that, getting an early start and focusing on yourself gets your mind right so you’re ready to take on the day. I find this to be true in my personal life. During the week I wake up early and I’m able to get more done than on the weekends when I sleep in a little. Even waking up an hour later on Sundays will put me in a lazy mood and it’s difficult to get going.

One thing I want to mention before we move on is once you get into the early morning habit, do it every single day even on the weekends. This is something I recently changed in my routine and it helps when Monday morning rolls around and you’re already used to the early morning alarm.

2.    It’s better for your health

Of course this all depends on how you spend your morning time but I’ve found that as people begin to wake up earlier they also start making healthier choices. This allows more time to get in some exercise and a nice breakfast. Another thing I recommend is drinking a glass of water as soon as you wake up. It will help you feel refreshed. If all of these habits are too much to change at once, just start with the habit of waking up earlier and you can always work on your healthy habits later on.

3.    It relieves your stress

There are two ways waking up early can relieve your stress. First of all, you won’t be rushing around running late for whatever it is you have to wake up for. Secondly, many people practice meditation, prayer, yoga, reflecting or journaling in their morning hours which also helps reduce stress. I really enjoy reading my book with a nice cup of coffee before getting ready for the day.

4.    It helps you get in touch with yourself

When you practice the things mentioned in point #3 (journaling, reflecting, etc.) you’re working on yourself. You’re discovering who you are and what you want to do with your life. Why are these things great to do first thing in the morning? Because most other people are still sleeping and everything seems to be super quiet and peaceful so you can really focus and get in touch with yourself.

5.    It helps you sleep better at night

Think you can’t possibly wake up any earlier simply because you’ll be too tired throughout the day? Think again! Waking up earlier has actually helped me sleep better. It regulates my sleep pattern so I naturally wake up at the same time every morning without feeling groggy. Read more about the shocking dangers of hitting snooze

I’ll admit, waking up an hour or even a half hour earlier is a drastic change. That’s why I always recommend baby steps. Wake up just 10 minutes early and do something that you truly enjoy. Once you’re comfortable with that, increase the time. Every little bit makes a difference!

I’ve talked a lot about why you should wake up early and how doing so can change your life in so many ways. By now you’re probably wondering how to become a morning person. Here are some quick tips.

•    Wake up just a little earlier at a time and work your way up
•    Focus on yourself and things you enjoy doing in the morning
•    Drink a full glass of water when you wake up
•    Brush your teeth right when waking up
•    Jump in the shower first thing
•    Enjoy some morning exercise
•    Place your alarm clock at the other side of the room and don’t hit snooze!
•    Eliminate screen time before bed to help you fall asleep quicker
•    Stick it out for 30 days to get into a routine of doing it

Many people I hear from, artists in particular, say they just work better at night. I completely understand that and agree that you should get the important tasks done when you’re most alert and creative. However, I was also like that and I’ve seen an incredible change when I started waking up earlier to get things done. It feels good to start the day with a clear mind and vision of what you want to accomplish for the day. You don’t have to become a morning person forever but I want you to consider these 5 ways waking up earlier can change your life and take on the 30 day challenge. Can you wake up just a little earlier every day for a month? Comment below if you plan to give it a try and let us know how it goes!

Not Everyone Will Understand Your Artwork And Here’s Why

By Nicole Tinkham

Art is subjective. As an artist, you may have the ability to appreciate all types of artwork regardless of whether or not it’s your style. You understand the skills necessary to create and you’ve been through the various struggles of an artist. You just get it. But not everyone does and it’s important to understand why. If you’ve ever gotten your feelings hurt because someone decided not to buy your artwork or have said negative things about your artwork or about you as an artist, this is a must read. The more we understand the negative Nancy’s in life, the better we can accept them for who they are and move on. Here’s why not everyone will understand your artwork and why.

People are all different for a reason

Life would be so boring if we all liked the same things and acted the same way. We are all so different and that’s a good thing! Since we are different, of course we’ll all have different tastes when it comes to artwork. You yourself choose to like certain things over others and that’s totally natural.

There will be some things you just don’t understand in life. Like how someone could jump out of a perfectly good airplane and go skydiving. To other people who love the adventure, it’s their dream to do these things. Same thing goes with art. Some people may be blind to the beauty of abstract art. We’re all into different things and you have got to understand and accept that.

It may seem like the ideal situation would be for us all to agree on everything. That way there would be less judgment, arguments, and hurt feelings. But think about this, what would life be like with absolutely no conflict? Sometimes it’s that little bit of drama that keeps us going. It’s the “prove them wrong” mentality that keeps us pushing to reach our goals. It’s the negative critiques that make us improve our skills and grow as artists.

Before you get all down on yourself remember that we all have different tastes and just because one person doesn’t like your work, the negativity is not being said against you as a person. So what if they’re not a fan? Not everyone is a fan of bubble gum pink walls in their home either but are you going to hate someone else for having it? No way! Do your best to not take negative comments personally, even though this is probably one of the most difficult things you’ll ever do.

So how do you brush off the “my 5 year old could throw some paint on a canvas like that” comments? You focus on all the people who do appreciate your work. Now that you realize some people just simply won’t like it, you also know that there are people out there who do love it! Pay more attention to those people and less on the negative ones. Do not let them stop you from being amazing. Just move onto the next person.

One last important thing we need to mention. No matter what anyone else has to say about your artwork, never ever say anything negative back to them. Let them have their opinion, respect their point of view and show them love anyway. You know that you’re an incredible artist and people love your work. So why let one person who doesn’t like your art ruin all of that effort? Keep being the amazing person you are and never let anyone get you down.

Not everyone will understand and appreciate your artwork and that’s ok. We are all different people and have our different opinions. Would you agree with this? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below and let us know how you handle negativity towards your art.

3 Ways To Make Money With Your Art Blog

By Nicole Tinkham

Your blog does not just have to be a diary for yourself. It can be but if you are a professional artist blogging about what you do and different art tips and techniques, you can very well make money from your blog! And really, it’s not all that difficult to do either. Of course you want great content so keep on creating that for your readers. But there are a few extra things you could do as well to really get your blog going. In this post, we’ll walk you through 3 ways to actually make some extra money with your art blog. Remember, your time is valuable (we know the time and effort that goes into blogging!) so why not allow yourself to earn a little extra money while doing it?

1.    Sell on your blog

The first and most obvious answer to earning money through your art blog is to sell your work on it! You can set up a shopping cart (most likely linked to your PayPal account) or hire someone to set it up for you.

In addition to your artwork, you can also sell your knowledge. We’re talking PDFs, ebooks, guides, video series, CDs, audio and any other way to get your message out there. You can share your top tips and techniques for watercolor painting or a guide on how to keep your art room organized. Become and expert in that area and share your knowledge to help others.

You may be wondering first off how to do all of this and secondly, where you’ll find people to sell to. We honestly aren’t techies here so we recommend doing a little research, finding a friend to help you, or hiring someone to do the online work for you with getting everything set up. We’re just providing the inspiration so a professional can help you further with the production side of things.

When it comes to finding the right people to sell to, just keep providing incredible content! Talk to your readers and understand what they want. Cater to them and they’ll keep coming back to your blog, gain trust with you, and eventually buy from you.

You can also drive more traffic to your blog through guest blogging. Reach out to other bloggers in your niche, figure out how you can help them with your unique content, and ask to write a post for them.

2.    Affiliate marketing

Don’t worry, this sounded totally foreign to us at first too until we did a little research and found out how easy it really is. Amazon has an affiliate program where you can promote products (related to your niche) and earn a commission on sales through the link. You don’t have to worry about selling and shipping the items yourself as the affiliate company takes care of that part. All you have to do is share their link on your blog.

It’s basically like telling a friend about the art brushes you have fallen in love with and then that friend goes out and buys them based on your recommendation. Only with affiliate marketing, you make some money off that sale too.

Now we do want to warn you to think about what your readers want! If the link has nothing to do with what your blog is all about (like car parts on your art blog) you will lose your readers. If you have way too many ads on your blog, you’ll turn off your readers. Be sure to try the product out first and only use the affiliate link if you truly believe in the product.

If you’re interested in affiliate marketing, you will have to sign up with an affiliate program. You won’t start earning money just by adding random links in your post. Here’s a great resource to help you get started with affiliate marketing.

3.    Write product reviews

Have you ever dreamed of playing around with different art supplies and getting paid for it? Go ahead and write reviews for other companies. Reach out to different art manufacturers, be interested in any new products they’re offering, and ask to write up a review on it. You’ll probably at least get some free supplies out of it 🙂

We’ve seen this done for food and travel bloggers so we’re sure artists can have so much with it as well. Product reviews are basically a win-win for both you and the company you’re working with. You’re providing valuable content for both audiences.

Also, people LOVE looking up reviews on Google. This means your blog will pop up more often in the search engine results, driving even more traffic to your blog.

We’ll be honest, it’s not always easy reaching out to these companies to write a review for them though. Make sure you do your research first. Read their blog and become familiar with the company. When contacting these companies (start with email), be completely honest about your site traffic and subscribers. They can easily do their homework and find out the truth so don’t even try lying about it. Once you do get a review to write, stay in contact with them through the whole process and keep them informed.

If you’re serious about writing reviews, check out this helpful article that goes into more detail.

If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed at this point, you’re not alone. We’ve mentioned briefly 3 different ways to make money with your art blog and each thing on this list takes time and effort. You’ll notice that your blog audience will increase slowly (ours did anyway) but once you get the momentum going your blog will keep growing as long as you’re consistent with it. Same thing goes with earning money through your blog. Don’t become discouraged for not making thousands of dollars overnight. Be patient and keep providing incredible content to your audience. You will get there!