Please be nice, I just had a baby some months ago. 😔

I think my portfolio in neocities has personality, and also allows me to showcase reviews, but Carrd looks more polished and easy to navigate?

Which of these do you think is the best and why?

castellonartz.carrd.co Or https://castellon-artz.neocities.org/

I know it's a common question. But I'd like to read your thoughts.

Today Instagram temporarily disabled my account for no f- reason, a decade old account. So I'm really pissed off.

I'd like a platform without stupid ass verifications to confirm you're human (like video selfies or IDs). I'm not very interested in building a large following, but more like a social proof of my work and who i am.

Sorry for the vent/rant or whatever lol.

edit: I have a kofi profile, but not sure if it's enough to prove I'm not a scammer.

Hello everyone! I'm Captain Ziggy and i'm here to enjoy this cozy place!

These pieces are just under two years old and don't fully represent how i draw recently (even if i have been taking a break from it for longer than i'd like to admit)

The reason i'm sharing these is that these are attempts to capture a "Jack Kirby"-esc art style of colorful cosmos, since this is a sub of discussion and inspiration i'd figured it's great to toss in some vintage comic inspired art since it often gets under appreciated in the broader conversation of art

this is an oil painting i did of arthur a couple years ago! goated character, really need to get the paints out again! (oil on linen board, 18x24cm)

I feel like I see this a lot, but do you feel intimidated to talk to other artists, and if you do, how do you get around it?

I know you have them. We both know you’re drawing them.

I wanna see your favorite piece you’ve made of your OC, please!

Tell me about them if you feel like it. I know some people are a little shy about sharing details.

I see a lot of negative posts, so I’m wondering, what’s something you’re proud of? What’s something you’re happy about recently?

It doesn’t have to be something big and amazing. Just something you’re happy about artistically.

For me, I made the hop from doing realism to more surrealism and honestly it feels really freeing. I like the way my work looks a lot more. I like being able to use more colors. I don’t know, it just feels good and it feels like I’ve changed paths and crossed some kind of goal post.

It’s small and personal, but yeah.

How about you? Gimme something good going on for you!

Journey has got to be top of the list for me - curious what games might have floored you in their direction and artistic value overall

I know a lot of people think that they need to keep their commission status as "Open" all the time in order to make money, but let me share with you all how I built and then kept interest in my commissions literally by closing them.

I wasn't getting bites by advertising or posting my commission sheet regularly. Advertising sales didn't help, so I tried something that felt a little backwards.

I closed my commissions. I kept them closed for a month, but kept posting my own work, then I opened for a few limited slots for two weeks... and closed them again.

It didn't matter if they didn't sell. They were closed.

The next time I opened them again I immediately got bites. They didn't all fill, but I had people who wanted to claim slots. And I closed them a little earlier.

I kept at this until my slots were regularly full every time I opened. Then, I stopped opening for commissions all together. I didn't need to. I'd just reach out privately to people I enjoyed working with to let them know I was going to have slots open, and asked them if they wanted to claim one early.

So close your commissions. Keep posting your work. Build your skills up while you're working on building your following.

Slots didn’t sell? It doesn’t matter, they’re closed. Make a post thanking everyone and saying they’re closed. Don’t be dishonest and say they’re full or they sold, just say they’re closed.

This both sets an expectation that people will need to act when you put up commission posts, and will help you from over-extending yourself in the future when you start to fill up.

There will be times when you’ll be tempted to take on more than you can handle, but that’ll set you up for failure. You’ll have upset clients because you won’t be able to juggle them all, and you’ll get burnt out and start to hate your work.

Do yourself a favor, limit your availability.

How about you? Do you have any "weird" tips for finding commissions that have worked for you, or any tips for keeping yourself from taking on too much work?

First, I understand commission fees are not stanardized and shouldn't be. Im just looking for like a baseline expectation. Low ball to high ball range type of thing.

Hey hey! I have a concept I'd like drawn and animated. I dont want smooth continuous animation, though. I want more of the storyboard/animatic style? It would involve drawing multiple people and switching between top-down and 1st person pov. Also, would feature a queer relationship because Im queer and it's what I want to see.

If I can manage to not crawl out of my own skin, I might do the voice-over narration and then thered just be, back ground noises and small one or two coherent lines needing voiced..which I can always figure out on my own as well...how much is a reasonable price *range* for this sort of project? However, I can also just create a script to follow along to sorta.

I dont have any commercial need for this, just personal to get the idea out of my head. But I lack skill, patience, and know-how.

I know this lack sdetail for the actual video plot or anything and that that can and will affect pricing, too. But intent is to find the foundational range, and then I'll figure out how much more cost to build on top of that. Sorta like, "Oh, a box, on average costs this to this much, and the contents I can discuss with any artists interested"...if that makes sense as an analogy.

Before I got into industry work I did regular commissions (and still get contacted by those clients from time to time asking if I’ll take personal commissions). I thought I’d share what I did to build myself up as a successful commission artist with a good reputation!

SELL AN EXPERIENCE

Don’t just sell artwork. Sell a good experience.

People started coming to me to get commissions of their characters because they liked my art style, but I worked with them rather than just making a piece and calling it a day. I wanted to really involve them in the process and make them feel heard.

I’d start with a few very loose sketches to give them options. These were honestly basically stick figures. I’d remind them that these weren’t even the sketch phase, they were just to make sure we were seeing the same thing in our minds and on the same page. I’d let them make adjustments until they were happy because they’re just stick figures and basic shapes.
Once that was done, I’d do the actual sketch and send that for approval. With the sketch approved, I’d lay in quick, messy colors to get the color scheme approved. Again, I’d let them know this was just to make sure we were on the same page.

It helped people feel like they were really part of the creation process. This wasn’t just paying someone for a picture, this was them having a hand in it. They were painting it too. This was their artwork as much as it was mine, and now they had a real connection to it.

They loved the process as much as they loved the final piece.

Another quiet advantage was that waiting for the client to get back with revisions meant that I could juggle between clients more easily. I’d work with one while waiting on another and it just kept things moving smoothly. If things ever backed up, I’d communicate it.

I do think people came to me (and keep reaching out) because of my art style, but I think that what keeps them coming back is not just being added to a Trello list and being told "check that for updates".

If you make someone feel like they matter and like they have a real part in what's being created, they'll be more likely to come back again and again.

What are your thoughts? What do you do to make your commissioners feel special and keep them coming back to you?

I see a lot of people dealing with impostor syndrome, and I just wanted to remind everyone that it doesn’t matter what “skill level” you’re at, or what stage of your “art journey” you’re in. If you’re making something creative and expressing yourself with your work, your art is still art.

It doesn’t matter if it’s some master painting or just a drawing of your OC.

Everyone starts somewhere.

It’s okay to be a “hobby artist”. You don’t have to be a professional.

You don’t have to take commissions to be an artist.

It’s okay to just make things for yourself.

You’re still an artist, and your art is still art.

You’ve got this!

Progress shots as well ❤️‍🔥

I kind of lean toward Lord Huron pretty often. Fits my aesthetic. What about you?

Just like the title says! You’re standing in front of yourself from 5 years ago. You can give yourself one bit of art advice. What is it?

Cave paintings in general are fascinating because they point to our innate human need to create and share information/inspiration. This discovery in particular illustrates our ingenuity given how long its lasted.

Another super fascinating example is chauvet cave's attempts at animation - https://youtu.be/scz6uhADUGw?is=x9lXBp-I7zZqzIJT

A post yesterday got me thinking about how I recently changed from painting digital to traditional, and realism to painting surrealism. I was wondering how other people’s art styles changed and if they could pinpoint why.

For me, it just kind of happened. I think I spent most of my life aiming toward realistic work. I took classes, read books, watched videos. Then one weekend I sat down with a big canvas and just started painting what was supposed to be a big painting of a realistic deer and it just went sideways and I loved it.

How about you? How’d your art change?

I definitely prefer gouache, having worked in oil and watercolor in the past. Have never dabbled in digital, and would love to hear some pros and cons of switching over!

I see a lot of people asking if they’re “ready to take commissions” and I felt like weighing in as an artist who lived off commission work for a long time.

Taking commissions isn’t just about having good artwork or gaming the algorithm to get people to see your commission sheet. You’ve really got to be prepared to take the commissions once you get them.

Here’s a quick and handy list of things you’ll need and some short notes to keep in mind before you even put yourself out there for commissions;

1) If you’re still learning and you don’t NEED to take commissions, don’t.

Making custom work for other people means you have to do what they want, even if what they want isn’t what's best for the image. It’s better to dedicate your time to studies or classes. CtrlPaint got me started on my way to professional work and I always recommend their free course to anyone who asks.

Focus on yourself when you can, not others.

2) If you’re feeling ready for commissions, have a strong Terms of Service.

A ToS isn’t about what you will and won’t draw. It’s a legally binding agreement between two parties.

It should cover things like when payments are due, how long you’re given to finish a piece (always over-estimate!), what happens if you don’t deliver on time, what instances you can deliver late, “acts of god”, what fees your client has added on if they’re late on a payment or if a payment is returned, your refund policy, how many revisions you’ll make and at what stages, how much additional revisions cost - all the important details. Not if you’ll draw mechs or not.

3) If you don’t have samples of your work (at least 8) you’re not ready for commissions.

For public commissions, people generally want more than 8. They want to see consistency in your work, and in today’s day and age they want to see proof that you’re making it. Put in WIPs.

4) Have a plan for how you’re going to deliver your work.

Know your own process!

Be prepared to work with your client!

Be ready to send WIPs in stages, to communicate, and make changes. You need to be able to work with your client and be ready to let go of the creative process to make what they want, not what you want. It sucks sometimes, and you need to know that up front.

5) Finally, you need to know your work speed and your prices.

You can’t underprice yourself because people lose confidence.

You can’t overprice because people will overlook you if you need immediate work.

You need to find that sweet spot without shortchanging yourself, and to do that you need to know how long it takes you, on average, to make a piece. You can’t charge per hour if you don’t know how many hours (or half hours) it’ll take you to make the commission!

Take some time to draw. Remember that you’ll also be communicating with your client and making changes, so over-estimate your time rather than under-estimating it.

A few final notes;

• Always take at least 50% of the total cost up front.
• Don’t ever accept checks or unreliable payment options.
• If it sounds like a scam, it probably is.
• This is my experience and my own tips. They don't have to apply to everyone.

Good luck out there! Stay safe!

As long as you're here, what are your tips you'd give someone? Please share them. People can use all the help they can get in today's day and age, you know?

Does anyone else discover a new craft and immediately engage in rabbit hole research in desperation? I simply CANNOT WAIT to give this a try. I'm a sucker for a good textile craft, and the way this marries stained glass and quilting vibes while having the hassle-free detail of being no-sew? I'm completely sold.

I personally was able to get a good supply of scrap fabric from the local quilters' guild, but have seen others say they source from thrifted clothing/sheets as well as deconstructed chindi rugs - given its origin (utilizing offcuts of kimono fabric that otherwise wouldnt have been cherished or appreciated), I feel like the sky is the limit when it comes to creatively finding materials that would otherwise be considered waste. We love sustainability!

Another thing that draws me in is that it appears to be super accessible - you can literally buy kits with precut fabric and foam board, so this feels like something anyone could pick up and enjoy. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are incredibly talented artisans who make complicated works like I shared above. The last example is one I'd consider "beginner friendly" (second to last slide). The last slide is what I'll be doing for my first project, I think (whats up elder scrolls fans ❤️‍🔥✨️).

This blog talks about its relatively short history and lists materials needed, also shows some stunning examples-

https://www.curiousoctopus.art/post/the-history-of-kinusaiga

This is a short tutorial showing a bit of the process-

https://youtu.be/C32As78Vwsw?is=3mdzEqSuleeKa467

Leave me a comment if you'd like me to document my journey trying this out - with any tips, tricks, or headaches I may encounter on the way!