/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

[Artist Alley Thread No.8365917]

>resources
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1l-9tZn_PaqsZWkb5SB_aqwh7uvURyoLgdsQiuz_Ty08/edit#gid=0

>Taobao/Alibaba services
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14zGSegr0b-429wZq5_xdMbE9hpLcXg8fqqe0OxnU2Yo/edit#gid=0

Topics of discussion:

How has the con season been for everyone so far
Is anyone working on anything
How can we improve the community
New thread: Consistent picture, or mix it up?

Let's have a good thread and not get deleted this time, guys.

[Anonymous No.8365941]

> Is anyone working on anything
Yeah, and I'm having second doubts about it. It'll be my first AA so I'm not feeling very confident about myself.

> New thread: Consistent picture, or mix it up?
Consistent picture makes it easier to find, but I don't mind a different one if it's obviously an AA image.

[Anonymous No.8365943]

>>8365941
> second doubts
Whoops, I meant second thoughts or doubts. My brain is fried like the eggs I had this morning.

[Anonymous No.8365974]

>>8365917
Why did the last thread get deleted?

[Pixel !liV7ZvK9aE No.8365982]

>>8365974
It didn't? OP might be referring to an old thread I guess, cause the last one is still autosaging in the catalog.

[Anonymous No.8366015]

>>8365982
There was a new one made that got pruned this morning, so I made this one

[Anonymous No.8366042]

>>8365974
drama, targeting one person etc

[Anonymous No.8366055]

>>8365974
Bait regarding a certain someone.

I know it's /cgl/ but these threads are actually useful. Don't turn it into like the rest of the drama mongering threads on here.

[Anonymous No.8366056]

>>8366042
I liked it better here before the j drama bullshit

[Tim No.8366129]

>>8365917
Someone wanted the name to this artist in a previous thread, and I was able to get their card at Fanime. They go by qt-milk! She said she would also be at AX

[Anonymous No.8366175]

I posted my question in the auto saging thread. So I was wondering how people go about copyright issues? Not for ME, since I'm clearly making characters that don't belong to me, but for keeping me safe? So I'm not the one that gets in trouble? How does that whole "selling for profit" thing work when it comes to fan art? Is it the whole "It's too small" for the big wigs to really notice/care?

[Anonymous No.8366179]

>>8366175
jesus christ, those cookies are fucking unreal

[Anonymous No.8366239]

>>8366179

Ha, I'm so glad you like looking at them. If only you could taste them...Rarity is a lemon and white peach liqueur butter cookie. She tastes like friendship.

[Tim No.8366241]

>>8365917
>How has the con season been for everyone so far
Just Fanime so far. It went ok. Low costs are nice, but it seemed like people just weren't buying as much this year. Got Indy Pop Con coming up, which I'm a little excited for! It's only a second year con, but their website is super promising.

Markiplier is one of the guests. Should I draw something for that or nah....?
>Is anyone working on anything
I'm going to rent out a tiny bit of my friend's table at AX to test out a line of lolita stuff. Mostly small postcard prints on really nice paper, maybe some necklaces/other jewelry. All of it of lolis being shitlords because I have an awful sense of humor and think that juxtaposition is funny.

>New thread: Consistent picture, or mix it up?
Maybe focus on cool new booths, do artists features or something? It's nice to give some attention to especially clever or creative setups.

[Anonymous No.8366259]

>>8366175
>>8366239
you have a lot more problems to look into than copyrights. many cons have tons of rules about bringing outside food into the center to even give away, let alone sell. you could actually get cons in a lot of trouble if you do so make sure to ask very explicitly about the cookies and characters.

[Tim No.8366270]

>>8366259
I think in the last thread, the poster was thinking about making a photobook/cookbook to sell instead of selling the actual cookies. They're referring to that

[Anonymous No.8366286]

>>8365917
>Is anyone working on anything?
I'm working on a mini print atm. I know everyone is doing SU these days, but I draw the stuff I like, and I like SU, so hey...whatever man.
I'm going to have about 10 different standard size prints, so I want to do at least 5 different mini prints. I'm kind of at a loss on what to do for the other 4 minis though. It's hard coming up with compositions that wouldn't just be better as a fullsize print.

[CookieAnon No.8366292]

>>8366259
>>8366270

That is correct. We have ruled out that there are just too many, well, rules agaisnt selling food at cons. Due to con rules, hotel vendor laws, health code junk, ect, ect. But what I have been hearing that people would enjoy A- photobook/cookbook. B- Calenders, C- Really nice HD prints. That's cool. So I'm going to start messing with lots of ideas. I'm think about making a 50 page book? Something nice and long and coffee table cute like. But then I had the thought of, "wait. I'm going to have a book full of copyrighted characters from every reach of almost every fandom." So I wanted to see how you people go about that, since you all have experience with selling fanart.

[Anonymous No.8366293]

>>8366175
For the nerdy cookie book? If it's not too many copies you're making I suppose you can consider it like a fan zine/doujin which people make all the time with no trouble. It's not like they'll straight up sue your ass without sending a simple C&D first. Also, I hope you have enough cash or do pre-orders to cover the cost of all that full-color printing.

[Anonymous No.8366296]

>>8366292
Not sure if anyone's suggest this yet but have you considered opening an Etsy shop and taking custom orders? Or are they too fragile to be mailed?

[Anonymous No.8366309]

>>8366292
Oh man I think prints of photos of artfully arranged fandom cookies would be so cute and probably sell well!

[CookieAnon No.8366329]

>>8366293
>>8366296

Well I'm glad I'm talking to you guys about it. The thought of how much it would cost for a full color book was not something that crossed my mind.

And the Etsy thing, yes I have tried that before and it was a reaaaaally big hassle. For starters, when I got orders, I was just over whelmed with the amount of orders and the amount of time I was given. And yes, mailing the cookies pretty much destroyed them. That made me sad because my costumers would receive broken cookies. And this is after packing the HELL out of them. Bubblewraped, vacuum sealed, tied with twine, ect. Not matter how much "Fragile" stickers you put on a box or how much extra you pay for the insurance, the mail will still beat the shit out of your package. This is coming from a person who literally just finished telling the mailman teller at the window that I have a paper-thin-like-cookie in the box I just handed you, and they TOSSED it into the outgoing bin. They cringed when they realized what they did a second later and I was like...really? Really? I have no idea how the big companies do it. There's gotta be a secrete to it. Unless it's black magic.

[Anonymous No.8366336]

>>8366175
Make sure you hire a good photographer (food photography is a specialty skill, although cookies are relatively easy to shoot)

[Tim No.8366337]

>>8366329
You could always order an intricate cookie from a bigger company and see how they package them!

[CookieAnon No.8366344]

>>8366309
Right? I'm starting to feel like a 80 year old women that needs to buy tea cups and glitter in order to take a nice photo. Lol?

>>8366336
Also this. I take my pics on my crappy iphone and I by no means a photographer.

>>8366337
....I don't know why I didn't think of that. Im going to guess that they make their cookies thicker and they wouldn't have super slim shapes. (Like >>8366329, that sucker is going to snap the second I pick it up from the bottom, I already know that. But it just looks better and for photo sakes, it's not a big deal.)

[Anonymous No.8366352]

>>8366329

I like how you post the before pics. It makes it more exciting to guess what it's going to be. Uhhh....a flamingo? In a trench coat. Am I right? Do I get the cookie if I guessed it right?

[Anonymous No.8366355]

>>8366344
Do what I've had amazon do when I order glass bottles of things. Cut slits into cardboard end pieces so that they hold a piece of cardboard in the middle of the box. Attach your cookies to that piece. No matter how much your box gets thrown around, nothing should ever touch the cookie.

[Anonymous No.8366367]

>>8366344
If you absolutely can't have cookies, then I would make your main seller prints. Do some groups like pokemon starters all photographed together, the ponies from MLP, etc. Then do singles like single ponies, pikachu, puppycat, gems from SU, etc. I would try to stick to simple designs for now.

Also printing a glossy brochure with your website and images would be nice, maybe more than a zine. So would promotions like buy like five prints, get 10% off an order online.

You could even do more specialized things like buy this print, get 10% off a cookie of that character.

[Anonymous No.8366395]

>>8366352

Close! Guess again.

>>8366355
<----- I would have never thought of that. Omg.

>>8366367

Hmmmm, that's a really good idea too. Need to hook up with someone with a 3D printer so I can give out cookie cutters with purchases too.

[Anonymous No.8366406]

>>8366329
Is it a Kaiba cookie. It looks like it would be Kaiba.

[Anonymous No.8366435]

>>8366329
What type of icing are you using? Could you use a thicken type that gets harder? Everytime I make themed cookies for the holidays I use royal type and I swear to god that shit is like concrete it's almost impossible to eat.

[Anonymous No.8366436]

>>8366406
Nah, coat's too short to be Kaiba Boy. My guess it's something from Gurren Lagann.

[Anonymous No.8366437]

>>8366329
It looks like it's either Kaiba or a Subway Master from Pokemon.

[CookieAnon No.8366530]

>>8366435
Cooking Tip! When making Royal icing, you want to put in three egg whites into the mix. Then it's just a matter of adding powdered sugar or water into the mix and seeing how you feel about the flow. I make huge batches of different colors and then bust out like 20 little bowls and label them as "Thinner" "Filler" "Outlining" "Detailing" , ect. My other tip is to use a veeeeeery fine powdered sugar vs anything else. That way it stays smooth and soft!

>>8366437
Goooood eye. You know, for someone who says they don't like Pokemon (cause I don't. I missed that boat in the 5th grade and was way into Sailor Moon and DBZ) I really like ghost Pokemon and the Subway Maters. Those two things exclusivity, oddly enough... Go figure.

[Anonymous No.8366559]

>>8366329
Oh man that's definitely a Subway Master. Hype.

[Anonymous No.8366567]

>>8366530
CookieAnon do you have a tumblr or facebook where you post your work? I would love to follow/friend you. Apologies if this has been answered and I missed it!

[Anonymous No.8366592]

>>8366329
I'm gonna be a Nobori for AX!! I'm excited to see this finished!! Cause you know, you never see the Subway Twins in any cool fanart or merchandise.

[Anonymous No.8366597]

>>8366530
How do you make the general shape of the cookie?

[Anonymous No.8366656]

>how to shoot up in success like omocat and get cool collaborations like this

halp

[Tim No.8366669]

>>8366656
git gud

[Anonymous No.8366694]

>>8366656
Pander to tumblr with shitty yaoi/bl fanart and art gifs, then start doing your own stuff once you've collected enough weebs to throw money at you.

[Anonymous No.8366700]

>>8366669
Omocat's a hack though.

>>8366656
Anon, draw a lot. Draw cute, simple things. Post regularly. Tag thoroughly. You don't need to be amazing but get a simple style and post b/w work with random pops of color and occasionally throw a bandage and a bloody nose on your anime characters.

[Anonymous No.8366737]

>>8366239
>Rarity is a lemon and white peach liqueur butter cookie.

Whaaaat. That sounds amazing. You need to make one of those Mixology posters, like they do with the cocktails that are themed, like those Avengers themed drinks. But with all MLP cast with their own personal flavors. That would be a cool poster.

>>8366286
I like it! If you need 4 more, why not make all close ups of the other SU cast? I've noticed people like to buy collection of prints no a days, rather than just one. Maybe so that their rooms don't look so random? More adult? But nice job, looks really clean and pretty.

>>8366592
DUDE! I'm going as Kudari!! I'll keep my out for you.

>>8366656
How to collab? Just ask. Be like, yo, I wanna make cool stuff with you. You would be amazed how many people would jump at being ask.

[Anonymous No.8366744]

>>8366737
I would, but I think it would be better to have some more variety at my table, haha. I already have a fullsize SU print so someone might want to buy the Lion mini along with it, and I think that's enough. I only have time to do 4 more mini prints max, so I'd rather have them all be from different series.

[Anonymous No.8366768]

>>8366669
>>8366700
Git gud... at marketing yourself.

[Anonymous No.8366780]

>>8366768
Hahah definitely more accurate. From what I've heard Omo's also completely full of herself and talks about how she's too good for people. So also, be a total asshole with basic bitch art. Then you're set, anon!

[Anonymous No.8366786]

>>8366780
>From what I've heard Omo's also completely full of herself and talks about how she's too good for people

I really hope thats not true

[Anonymous No.8366790]

>>8366786
Really? Not the other anon but the first time I saw her website profile/bio I thought it was outrageously narcissistic.

[Anonymous No.8366827]

>>8366786
Unfortunately I'm buddies with people who have gone to school with her and known her and it does seem to be true. Talking herself up aside her senior wall project at art school (which is something you are supposed to use to show off your skills to your fullest and it's kind of a tribute to all your teachers) was just some of her shirts from her store hung up on the wall. Everyone else went all out and I heard people were insulted by her complete lack of effort.

[Anonymous No.8366857]

>>8366656
Start doing clothes. Omocat found a decent manufacturer really early on. The only reason I found her appealing years ago is she did weeby designs for clothing that didn't look like garbage and that's what a lot of nerds my age wanted.

Most artists put their stuff up on Society6 and other sites that will just center the image and that's fine, but it looks like every other graphic tee.

I would throw money at so many talented young artists if they did clothes. Sarlisart, for example? I REALLY want a sweater from her.

[Anonymous No.8366864]

>>8366857
>Sarlisart
oh yeah her stuff is cute, kinda gives me a milkbbi vibe

[Anonymous No.8366887]

>>8366864
I think that's part of why I like it. A somehow more colorful milkbbi. Speaking of, I wish I was fast enough to get the milkbbi sweaters I actually like

[Anonymous No.8368499]

>>8366567
Hmmm now that you mention in, I might as well start up a Facebook page right? Better than a tumblr? Why not? Might as well try to gain some followers and traction. Good idea!

>>8366597
I cut them myself and it takes just a steady hand and good eyeballing skills.

>>8366737
That's also an awesome idea.

[Anonymous No.8368768]

Sorry if this is a silly question, but would it be weird to participate in AANI if I’ve never actually done AA, just sell anime fanart and shit online? I would love to do cons eventually but there aren't really any local to me so I have no immediate plans.

[CookieAnon No.8369110]

Uh, you guys have to help me come up with a catchy name for the Facebook page. Any ideas? Cookie...Crumbles? ...No, that's dumb.

[Anonymous No.8369115]

>tfw use schools button machine to make 13 2.25" buttons for ~$3

I feel awesome about this so if this isn't actually cheap for buttons tell me so I can stop

[Anonymous No.8369156]

>>8369110
Cookie Cuties
Biscuit Buddies
Baking Buddies
Cutie Crumblers
Cartoon Kitchen

Just throwing spaghetti at the wall here

[Tim No.8369214]

>>8368768
Not at all. If you can find a legitimate reason to join, go for it. I don't think they'd hold that against you.

[Anonymous No.8369222]

>>8366329
>Not matter how much "Fragile" stickers you put on a box
Shipping people literally do not give a shit. I've known people who worked for UPS and they just want to get their job done and feel its the responsibility of the shipper to make sure their items are packed so they don't get damaged.

I know it sounds weird, but I've heard that if you write things like "chemicals" or another word to make it sound like there's some hazard in the box, they're more likely to be careful. Just make sure when you take it to be shipped, the people at the desk know that its not actually anything dangerous in the box.

[Anonymous No.8369228]

>>8369115
For that size, seems pretty good. I personally dislike huge buttons but I don't know about other attendees. Profit from that should be great if you sell them for $2 each though!

[Anonymous No.8369259]

Didn't get an answer in the last thread.
Has anyone tried to sell custom made MH dolls?
Also would it really work in an AA setting to sell 3-5 of them along with other normal AA stuff.

[Anonymous No.8369340]

>>8369259
>Has anyone tried to sell custom made MH dolls?
Yeah, I see it all the time at the conventions I go to, BUT these are 1) larger conventions and 2) conventions with sizeable BJD/doll groups in the area that often have programming sections dedicated to them. Now, this doesn't mean that you have no chance of selling the dolls otherwise, just that it might take a little longer than say, your stock being out by Saturday morning.

>Also would it really work in an AA setting to sell 3-5 of them along with other normal AA stuff.
Yeah! That's a good amount to bring. I used to bring two, but that ended up with them being sold a couple of hours after I put the dolls on display and customers bummed that they didn't even get to walk by my table before the dolls sold (had a portfolio for custom commissions, too). Now I just bring four along and keep two out Friday and put the other two out on Saturday.

[CookieAnon No.8369890]

>>8369156
Oh cartoon kitchen sounds awesome. Cookie kitchen too. Very catchy! Thanks!

[Anonymous No.8369892]

>>8368499
Tumblr can be easier to get attention, since you'll have a shit ton of people reblogging them just because they like em. I recc getting both.

[Anonymous No.8369898]

Hi cookie anon. Fellow baker here with some hints. I know you can't sell at cons, but I wanted to warn about selling elsewhere and also let you know some valuable info.

>if you want to sell food you need to have a license, even online
>if you don't you're subject to fines
however
>in many areas you can get licensed by having a health inspector come to your home and approve you for production, in most cases you only need a dishwasher for this
>you still however need a verified list of ingredients and most areas require a specific ratio of wet-to-dry to assure they won't spoil quickly

It's a difficult but not impossible task and definitely worth looking into.

[Anonymous No.8369900]

Question. Is it generally looked down upon/not allowed to sell self made things that aren't drawings, plushies, and accessories in the AA?

I can't draw very well and I'm still new at sewing.
But I do very much enjoy writing and narrating/voice acting, and was thinking of making some drama CDs and a few LN I've written.

[Anonymous No.8369902]

>>8369900
Won't sell well I'd imagine.

[Anonymous No.8369904]

can cookie anon give it a fucking rest, sure it's art but it's not AA art and i don't think people would really buy photos of cute cookies, especially if they can't eat them.

as someone who works in AAs I can tell you that a lot of things you think would sell, don't and people tend to try to buy on impulse.

i also think that people are going to be more bummed out that no one can actually buy the cookies.


in any case you're really honestly shitting these threads up and while your stuff is good it's not relevant. make a thread for handmade crafts or something because at this point it seems like you're using these threads as an outlet for praise and it's really annoying.

[Anonymous No.8369907]

>>8369902
>>8369900
It depends on the fandom really, why not split a table with a friend to see how things go.

I sell deco-sweets and those always make a killing, I don't draw either, but there's a market for them so they sell.

[Anonymous No.8369912]

>>8369904
I kind of agree here, honestly, about pretty much everything. The cookies are great but are they really relevant anymore? Sage for offtopic.

[Anonymous No.8369934]

>>8369912
>>8369904
Eh, either way, cookie anon we'll help you out on facebook and stuff if you want.

[Anonymous No.8369962]

So how much should be my limit when it comes in spending for packing? I want cute packing for my keychains and I was aiming for something like this:

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z10.1-c.w4004-10717552485.44.Bw4K91&id=43755317832

[Anonymous No.8369975]

>>8369904
I agree, man you were cool at first but now you're just posting for praise and having us spoonfeed you advice and help. It's really disappointing.

[Anonymous No.8369999]

>>8369340
Thanks for your input.

[Anonymous No.8370005]

>>8369999
Nice quads

[Digit No.8370148]

>>8369962
Really depends... I think for packaging charms I spend about 35 total. But that's for 1000 custom backings, 1000 cellobags so it goes a long way. The product looks better, so it's worth it in the long run.

You can probably just buy those cello bags of aliexpress and get some cute cardstock, design business cards to look like backing, or print your own and you should be good to go.

[Anonymous No.8370149]

>>8369900
>>8369907
I don't think it would be looked down upon. I would agree with maybe splitting a table if you want to give it a shot, just have a couple copies of everything and see how it goes. I could see some people being intrigued by it, the same type who buy original comics and the like, and you wouldn't have much (any?) competition.

[Anonymous No.8370163]

>>8369962
you can get cute bags on aliexpress in small lots with free shipping. is that link per piece? I usually never spend more than like a few cents each.

[Anonymous No.8370588]

Is washi tape anon still around or did we all just give up on a good washi tape source?

[Tim No.8370610]

>>8369900
I feel like these would ask if you had a lot of online traction and an established fanbase first. As an impulse sell, it'd be tough, and it's not like they're things that can be easily consumed at the con too (except in the case of short writings, which might be good impulse buys but not profitable)

[Anonymous No.8370633]

>>8370588
not original washi tape anon, but i went around writing severalmanufactorers about it. sadly, for custom tape most of them have a MOQ of 500 + 100$ fees for each design (probably for making the template, as I understoof it.)
I am still kind ahoping to find at least someone where a group order would be worth it, but so far no luck.

[Anonymous No.8370653]

>>8366656
Wait Omocat did a collab with Pokemon? Í'm so fucking salty especially since I was already pissed at the kickstarter for her stupid game.

I know it's marketing and pandering and I can't blame her for doing that but I'm still salty as fuck.

[Anonymous No.8370801]

>>8370653
I don't keep up on her once I found out she is into shota, but what game.

[Anonymous No.8370818]

>>8370801
Won't somebody please think of the fictional anime children?!

[Anonymous No.8370832]

>>8370818
Bruh I dont give a fuck what they fap too, but I don't think it should be linked with one's business.

[Anonymous No.8370835]

>>8370801
Anon the word shota is overused don't worry about it so much.

Also I'm taking about the kickstarter for her game OMORI which is some cheap shit made in fucking rpg-maker. For some reason she wanted money because she hired people to help her, which wouldn't be a sin if I didn't believe she could muster up the money from her sales in edgy anime sweaters.
It got a stupid amount of money for being an rpg-game with a premise of 'MYSTERIOUS BOY"

Marketing wise it probably worked out better to do a kickstarter thanks to all the extra publication it brought, but I'm still bitter about it.

[Anonymous No.8370850]

>>8370835
>the kickstarter for her game OMORI which is some cheap shit made in fucking rpg-maker.
Shiiiiiiiit that's exactly what it is

[Anonymous No.8370863]

>>8370850
Not to mention all that "inspiration" from Mother and Yume Nikki and shit

[Anonymous No.8370864]

>>8370850
>>8370863
Yeah from what little actual information on the game she posted it's very vague and tries to be an japanese indie game but with a ridiculous budget for an RPG maker game

[CookieAnon No.8370875]

>>8369898
Awesome advice! Thank you.

>>8369904
>>8369912
>>8369975
Eesh, sorry. I was just posting for shits and giggles since I didn't think anyone would mind. But I'll stop now and post when I have something "official" and a tumblr/facebook up and running.

Thanks for everyone's advice. I'm very happy I was spoonfed this info cause I had no idea. I really appreciate it. And with that, I'm outta here.Ciao. Happy baking.

[Anonymous No.8371133]

>>8370588
>>8370633

washi tape anon here

I tried many suppliers and like the other anon said they all had disappointing answers.

innopack absolutely refuses to respond. You really have to dog them and they constantly forget the previous correspondence/drop off the planet. It's frustrating. I just want to make some damn tapes.

[CookieAnon No.8371398]

>>8370875

Ok, I lied, NOW I'll go away. But I made a tumblr-

cartooncookiekitchen

ok, bye bye.

[Anonymous No.8371415]

>>8370801
IIRC she's not really into shota but used the word on a shirt when fandom was using "shota" to refer to kid versions of male characters without realizing that "shota" by itself had sexual connotations. Then someone on tumblr blew it up calling her a paedophile and what not.

Hadn't heard about her game, though. Huh.

[Anonymous No.8371447]

>>8371398
>cartooncookiekitchen
Added.
Best of luck.

[Tim No.8371623]

Any jewelry makers lurk these threads?

I've been wanting to make necklaces and stuff using cabochons and findings and I'm thinking about venturing into it at AX. What have been your experiences selling jewelry, especially necklaces/pendants?

They're going to be lolita-themed, mostly on the classic side but with a couple of sweet designs. My idea is to draw the designs for the pendants and then put them together, hopefully using colors/combos that'd work for an actual coord.

[Anonymous No.8371631]

Can someone give me a hand? I'm about to tear my hair out over this.
I'm using Photoshop so I can convert this to CMYK (I didn't work in CMYK from the start because I work in SAI, my pressure sensitivity doesn't work in PS and the program is hell on my CPU).
The left image is when I have my Proof Setup set to Working CMYK so I can preview it or whatever. The right image is after I actually convert it to CMYK. A ton of detail is lost and the black isn't black enough. I know that the reason for the loss of detail and ugly grey edges is because CMYK doesn't have enough of a color range to properly represent those subtle shifts in color between the purple and the black, but I have NO idea how to get around this problem. It looks like this no matter what colors I choose because CMYK fuckin suuucks and I'm an idiot.
Does anyone know how I can retain the detail in CMYK? I've spent hours trying to figure this out. My last resort is to just go full black & white, but B/W prints don't sell as well as colored prints.

[Anonymous No.8371641]

>>8371631
Just leave it. The after looks better.

[Anonymous No.8371655]

>>8371641
Uh, ok then. But this has happened on a worse scale with other prints in the past, so...I'd still like to know if there's a way around it.

[Anonymous No.8371829]

>>8371631
the after one looks better so i wouldn't worry about it

[Anonymous No.8371834]

>>8371623
right now i am experimenting with making jewelry, but i have not sold it anywhere yet. i'll be bringing it to a craft fair in September, so i hope someone has an answer!

[Anonymous No.8371835]

>>8370148
i love you digit

[Anonymous No.8371839]

>>8366857
i am designing a bunch of clothes and prints right now, but my problem is i haven't found a good manufacturer. does anyone know any at all? i have money to start this up so i'm not really worried about that, what i'm after is quality.

[Anonymous No.8371915]

>>8371839
I make my own tights and screen print shirts myself. The initial overhead is more expensive but quality control is there. Also I assume your selling at conventions, so our main audiences are different but this is my advice:

The best advice I can offer is go through a lot of printers and use the same design and ask if they can do a sample for printing. Even check local screen printers as well if you live/near a major city. I did a quick search in my area and there are 10 custom screen printers so it is a good idea. With your designs you have to remember that each color is a layer so you don't want to have to many colors on it, if you're going in the screen printing route.

[Anonymous No.8371925]

>>8371915
the layer thing i am conscious of already. do screen printing places usually do tights? are your tights slightly sheer, or more like leggings? i was planning on doing exactly what you said, going to all my local printers and asking them to do a mockup.

[Anonymous No.8371956]

>>8371925
Whoops I meant leggings. But most screenprint places usually just do shirts. But it is more than possible to screen print your own leggings if you want a simple design, if you want something complex and oranate like Grimoire tights your best off looking for a printer.

[Anonymous No.8371977]

>>8371956
do you know any printers

[Anonymous No.8372279]

>>8371631
The issue is so minor i wasn't even sure what you were talking about. Additionally i can't replicate your problem, i copy pasted your image to PS and converted it all to CYMK and it looks exactly the same?

[Anonymous No.8372294]

>>8371977
Diff anon, but Digital Artwear is pretty good. I've been using them for a few years for custom tights. They do leggings too. They would be good for anything with multiple colors, gradients, etc. Sometimes the seams can be a bit off, so be aware of that in your designs.

[Anonymous No.8372298]

General question to those who sell prints at AAs:

How many different prints/copies of each print do you make for a large con? How do they sell?

Just curious to know because I might be sharing a table for one and never done this before

[Anonymous No.8372317]

>>8369222
I wouldn't digest doing this, liquids and chemicals are particularly prohibited from being shipped USPS. Likely will get your package flagged and unshipped.

[Anonymous No.8372355]

>>8371631
Pure black in cmyk is c60 m40 y40 k100. You can just use the magic wand to roughly select your black lineart and do a fill.

[Tim No.8372374]

>>8372298
Popular prints, between 25-40. I'll usually sell about half

Less popular prints, 15-20. I'll sell a few.

I did a handful of originals for the one year I did otakon. I don't restock them, but I still end up selling one per con our something like that.

Been selling for a couple years so I have a fair number of designs. I think off the top off my head, like 25-30 different prints?

[Anonymous No.8372559]

>>8371829
>>8372279
>>8372355
Alright, thanks guys. I'll just leave it as it is.

[Anonymous No.8373185]

What's better, storenvy, tictail, other?

[Anonymous No.8373280]

>>8373185
I use ecwid. You can attach your store to a tumblr blog, which is pretty cool.

[Anonymous No.8375644]

>>8371415
>>8370864
It looks like a bunch of backers are angry because the game was supposedly dated to be out two months ago and it's hardly been updated, which can be a reportable offense on kickstarter.

[Anonymous No.8375726]

>>8375644
And I bet not a signal fan has reported that shit.

[Anonymous No.8376016]

anyone has any sources on how to make lazer cut wood charms?

[Anonymous No.8376067]

>>8376016
I know both ink it and zap will do them... Just about any print shop with a laser cutter can do them too (look for print shops that do larger stuff like vehicle wraparounds or large vinyl signs. Shops that have flatbed printers and vinyl cutters are generally more likely to have laser cutters)

[Anonymous No.8376090]

>>8375644
I'm going to assume this is because she possibly can't live up to the expectations of all those backers that gave all that money with a game made in rpg maker that has less premise then Yume Nikki

[Anonymous No.8376197]

>>8371623
Hey there! I started making pendants last year. I do alright, I make a profit and I am slowly getting better and seeing bigger returns. Mine are all sculpey type clay, sometimes with different objects that I sculpt around.

You should do alright, especially with a built in audience and an already enjoyed product like you are planning.

Make sure you have a display where things are easy to see, with some at eye level. Things are tiny, so make sure they have the opportunity to be seen and appreciated. Your display is half the battle.

Invest in a good pair of pliers too. Pliers are your friend.

[Anonymous No.8376204]

>>8371623
I make deco sweets jewelry. both realistic and fancy(?) (i have this metallic resin set to make it look really shiny) and I make a killing with both. I sell them as charms that I will add to a necklace, keychain or phone charm. I also have my price list as a cute menu and so my table gets lots of compliments and is super fun.

[Anonymous No.8376340]

how do you guys decorate your tables? are there any places online or irl you go to to buy decorations? what do you decorate with?

[Anonymous No.8376577]

>>8376197
>>8376204
Neattt. Thanks for the input! I ran some numbers by my roomie and was feeling a little unsure, but I think if I scale back a little and build on some ideas I have, I should do okay. I think my first calculations were a bit ambitious haha.

>>8376340
We get a bunch of stuff from Daiso. If you have one around you, you can get a lot of cute little knick knacks to use to decorate your table. If not, you can always get clever with craft store stuff

[Anonymous No.8376773]

Do any of you guys do commissions at cons? How much do you charge? I'm trying to figure out new prices because my table partner and I have been somewhat underselling ourselves.

[Anonymous No.8376801]

>>8376773
Not an artist but if someone is charging like $20-$25 for just a black and white marker commission it makes me more incline to turn them down unless they are really good or try an online one. The most I pay is $15 for one character for black and white and around $20-$25 for color or more.

[Anonymous No.8376805]

>>8376801
>online one
Like digital art? I didn't think the general public thought those as more 'valuable' than traditional originals.

[Anonymous No.8376937]

>>8376773

Depends on how fast your work and the quality of your work. The latter can be harder to gauge on your own, but it's important to not sell yourself short. Of course, if you price too high, you'll turn people off. It sounds like you've done this a few times, but I can't offer much without more information.
I've seen sketches go anywhere from $5 to $20, and those with lower prices and unique style tend to have longer queues. For a single character image, the price tends to jump up another $15 on average each tier going to inks then colors of some sort.


Other things to consider are:

-Material cost (tools used, paper quality, whether or not you offer a sheet protector)

-Character complexity (guy in a volleyball uniform vs. winged dragonkin with a bass guitar, three piece suit, and his own flower business. Bust vs waist-up vs full body. I've seen artists charge more for complex characters or scenes, but this can be a bit tricky and can turn some people off, so it's up to you.)

-IMAGE SIZE (people will be willing to pay a little more for the same drawing if you use 9x12in paper instead of 5.5x8.5in. I personally passed up on a guy who had ran out of his larger paper but didn't wanna lower his price.)

-Time taken (US minimum wage is $7.25/hr. The faster you are able to put out quality work, the better. It's more fair to you for your time, and you can in turn offer lower prices. Try doing some test runs before your next con, maybe? Get together with some friends, order a pizza, and tell them not to bother you too much while you work! I repeat: it's important to not sell yourself short.)

1/2

[Anonymous No.8376945]

>>8376773
>>8376937

-Rush order (Sometimes a potential buyer can't come to each day of the con, or would like to have their drawing for an event. One artist at Momocon this past weekend squeezed me in a sketch within like 90 minutes because I wanted to get an autograph from that character's VA in a couple hours. She didn't charge me any more, but looking back I feel horrible for not tipping her. She was so nice!)

I've offered commissions myself though different websites, but I have my first table next year. I'm in the same boat.

I think that's all I got. Best of luck to you, anon.

[Anonymous No.8376950]

I want to commission a self-portrait.
Good idea or bad.

[Anonymous No.8376952]

>>8376801
Erm...You should keep in mind that you're getting an original, dude. 20-25 bucks is cheap for an original B/W drawing by a decent artist.

[Anonymous No.8376957]

>>8376937
>>8376945
>>8376801
Thank you so much! I'll keep all that in mind for the next con
>>8376950
That's not a bad idea at all!

[Anonymous No.8377022]

>>8376950
Not bad at all! I love doing those commissions. Go ahead and tell the artist if there are parts about your face that you're uncomfortable about so they can either tone it down or not include it according to your request.

>>8376773
I do flat rates except for special circumstances. $10 for a pencil sketch, $20 for inked, $25 for ink with colors.

I can pop out pencil sketches like there's no tomorrow. The inked commissions are overpriced and only $5 less than colored so it will seem like a better deal to go ahead and get the colored version. I have only ever taken two ink only commissions out of who knows how many. All of the pieces are on thick 5x7 and finished within an hour or so since it's just bust up.

[Anonymous No.8377028]

I have a con coming up this month and it's probably one of the biggest I'll be tabling at so far, with about 50k attendees last year. The biggest cons I've attended previously have had about only around 10k.
How much change should I be prepared to bring for myself (and probably others who will be short on change)?

[Tim No.8377065]

>>8376773
Depends on my mood, sometimes the person's' request. I have "baseline" prices (usually like $15 for a bust sketch, $20-$25 for something inked/colored, more for fullbody, multiplied for couples) but I'll usually give them a quote ahead of time. I don't really set standards, since commissions are more something I do for fun than anything else.

I've gotten everything from $5 commissions (the dickbutt guys) to $100 commissions (3 character, fullbody, colored)

[Anonymous No.8377126]

>>8372294
just saw this, thank you!

[Anonymous No.8377157]

I have a kinda dark print almost done. Is it tacky to put little signs around your art with the series or characters name or whatever? It's just big very eye-catching from afar because of dark purples everywhere and maybe a lil cut-out that says AKUMA HOMURA $15 stuck around it would make up for my poor planning.

[Anonymous No.8377159]

>>8377157
*not, not big. wtf sage

[Anonymous No.8377259]

Anyone try a full batch of the maple wood charm from inkit labs before?
I got a few in my sample packs and i'm not sure if it was just a bad batch or what but after some every day use and hard loving they all broke

[Tim No.8379231]

>>8377259
Ooh... yeah I did my 1D charms using their maple wood. I had one on my phone for a day but when I dropped the phone, the charm ended up breaking as well. I figured it was because the design didn't have a lot of structural integrity, which was my fault

[Anonymous No.8379243]

>>8377259
imo, their wood charms are best used on jewelry that isn't going to be tossed around as harshly as a phone charm would be.

[Anonymous No.8379507]

babump

[Anonymous No.8380878]

>>8379507

[Anonymous No.8382751]

Does AnimeNext not give a map, and just assign you a table when you check in or something?

[Anonymous No.8382761]

>>8382751
they usually send out a map, but they're late about it.

[Anonymous No.8383025]

>AA dream
>last minute changes: tables arranged tightly in a separate building from the rest of the con
>originally tables would've been part of the main building of the con
>all the artists advertised that there tables were at the main building
>people got lost
>some artists got fed up and left without their stuff
>con tries to accommodate some artists at the main building
>they taped up prints onto one wall, and stood or sat on the floor by their artwork to sell
>no tables or chairs
>being a plushie maker, I ask if I have to tape up my stuff on the wall
>"Yes you have to, to be fair with others. But there is this small table you can use."
>table resembles a TV tray table with extra bars
>managed to make it work, plushies carefully arranged, hung t-shirts on the side (reality: I don't sell t-shirts), using a fuzzy pink tablecloth that came with it
>looking across, our original table area was taken up by this group promoting a new anime idol thing with a lot of standee props and posters
>check phone for facebook
>lots of feed about artists being mad at the con
It's been a long while since I had an AA dream. Juggling work, moving and AA is no fun.

[Anonymous No.8383943]

Ha, it looks like she finished it

[Anonymous No.8384078]

>>8383943
Goodness, so cringey, so good. I wouldn't buy it but I appreciate the idea, would make a good joke gift.

[Anonymous No.8384544]

Could I ask everyone what you currently think or know are the popular/well-known series (including games, TV series, etc.)? I haven't been in the artist alley for years and I feel like a lot of my interests are outdated. I'd like to know what's booming right now so I can try and get into it before more conventions pass by

It would also help if anyone just told me their favorite anime or whatevers.

[Tim No.8384715]

>>8383943
Needs more dorito dust like fucking everywhere

Last thread had a good idea if making them bookmarks. I'd buy so many bookmarks of this

[Anonymous No.8384738]

>>8384544
Do your own homework

[Anonymous No.8384925]

>>8383943
No Guy Fawkes mask, disappoint.

[Anonymous No.8385321]

>>8384738
Well googling can only do so much. The top ranked anime on crunchyroll and the 'top ten' lists on kotaku can only tell me so much. What most people love online might be different from the people who attend conventions, which is why I thought I'd ask in case anyone who's already been at a con this year can put in their two cents.

But I guess that's too much to ask?

[Anonymous No.8385342]

I got into cross stitching recently. I've been making sprites. It's a lot of fun and I'd like to think of some way to use it in the artist alley. Like what kind of things would sell? I was thinking framed wall art would be cool. Also tried making a keychain with one, but I wasn't super happy with how it turned out.

[Anonymous No.8385382]

>>8385321
yes

[Anonymous No.8385399]

>>8385382
Ok. My mistake, sorry.

[Anonymous No.8385720]

>>8385321

I dont think its too much to ask anon, this question comes up a ton in AANI. For some reason a lot of angry/snarky people hang out in these threads as well as drawthreads, so sometimes you have to take anons opinions with a grain of salt.

From what I can tell Steven Universe seems to be really popular as well as other cartoons like Bee and Puppy cat and Over the Garden Wall. Anime wise I think Tokyo Ghoul is still really hot since I see a butt ton of people cosplaying them at cons but besides that I can't really say what else since I dont watch much anime. I do remember last year Attack on Titan and Free were really popular. I think Digimon may be coming back since the new anime for it is supposed to be airing sometime.

[Anonymous No.8385727]

>>8385321
Always make something Miku/Vocaloid related. You can thank me later.

[Anonymous No.8385728]

>>8385720

Personal opinion time, I prefer to draw fandoms I like and even more obscure ones. I feel like if I'm the only table that has a certain character I have better odds with a fan buying my work, instead of competing with the dozen artists that all have a Steven Universe print or something. Some of my most popular button designs are very obscure old characters, so you can be surprised with what sells.

[Anonymous No.8385746]

>>8366395
Shapeways 3d print stuff for you it wouldn't be ridiculous in price for something that small. You'd only need an extrude up an illustrator path for a cookie cutter too! Cnc milling machine or lazer cutter might work instead of a 3d printer.

[Anonymous No.8385856]

>>8385720
Thanks for the response and input. I don't normally go on 4chan so the community is new to me.
This helps me out tons. I noticed a lot of cartoons being popular in artist alley recently so I'll start with Steven Universe and the rest.

>>8385727
I was going to make something related to miku, so this is good news to me. :^) Thanks.

>>8385728
I understand and I was going to go through with drawing more of the things I'm familiar with. I just thought it couldn't hurt to try and get into some of the more relevant things. I'll try to stick with what I know, thanks for the response.

[Anonymous No.8386212]

>>8385342
I've said it before on here but unless you do original sprites, cross stitching is the same as perler beads but much more laborious and pricey. It isn't worth it imo. It'd be a cute thing to have but I don't think people will pay a profitable price for them.

[Anonymous No.8386277]

>>8385342
If you can make ones that are more than just single sprites, like add messages to it or add details like flowers/decoration, I think that'd make it more appealing. Make them funny, cute, something that someone would wanna display in their home.

[Anonymous No.8386554]

>>8384715
http://smashpansy.storenvy.com/products/13437573-euphoric-gentlesir-bookmark

[Anonymous No.8386921]

What is the best way to market your "business".
My boyfriend and I draw together and we're trying to reach a wider audience.
We were thinking of hitting up cons with business cards and stuff.

Any suggestions to promote your art in other ways? it can be online too.

[Anonymous No.8387181]

does anyone know who does the amazing pokemon stationary? i haven't gone around to AA in the last year but i know she was at fanime 2013 and her business cards were stickers.

[Anonymous No.8387554]

>>8386921
Art streams? I see a few of those on twitch

[Anonymous No.8387562]

>>8386554
>discretely

[Anonymous No.8388124]

I've seen so many artists with many different choices in fan art. How do you guys know what to draw? Is it about what's popular? Is there a site that says what's popular now?

[Tim No.8388479]

>>8388124
draw what you want

the funny thing about conventions is that it's where a lot of people convene, or gather, and a direct consequence of that is that a lot of people with a lot of interests, many which are similar, will meet up. Some people even buy stuff of the things that they like.

Shocking, I know.

[Anonymous No.8388513]

>>8388124
Draw what you like. If you're familiar with and like popular things, go ahead and draw them. But honestly some of the quickest sales I've made are when I've drawn more obscure things that I just happen to personally like. When people see something they love that they don't see often, they're more likely to snatch it up than someone who can get something from a fandom they like at any one of twelve booths.

[Anonymous No.8390005]

has anyone had luck with washitape yet?

[Anonymous No.8390051]

Posting some cute packing ideas I found yesterday on Booth

[Anonymous No.8390054]

>>8390051

[Anonymous No.8390056]

>>8390054

[Anonymous No.8390946]

After looking at the post on AANI about what not to do at cons I've been considering getting a card reader.
However, I've only really lost like a couple of sales due to only accepting cash at a con... Should I get a card reader anyway? Do you guys use card readers? How easy are they to work with?

[Anonymous No.8391507]

>>8390054
>bows and undies
That's so crafty!

[Anonymous No.8391581]

>>8366827
Senior wall project? I went to art school too, and for the senior show, you hung up the thesis that you worked on for the year. It was less of a homage to your teachers and more of showcasing the individual projects you did during the school year. Also everyone spents days designing their wallspace and picking out frames and stuff. You were required to hand in a blueprint of what your space would look like, it was crazy organized.

[Anonymous No.8391600]

>>8371133
Kind of a dumb question but would it be possible for you washi tape anons to make it yourself? I used to make whole rolls of it at school, but I also had access to large scale printers. some paper adhesive that you'd just stick to the back of a whole sheet, and then cut into strips with a papercutter. I mean you wouldn't be able to mass produce it, but doing like 50 rolls would be easy enough? Like I said stupid question, I'm sorry.

[Anonymous No.8391808]

>>8391600
Not so stupid if you consider there are a bunch of korean and japanese brands that do this. As a button, picture related is some swimmer "tape" as you describe. I think is hella cute if it comes with a die cut shape.

[Anonymous No.8391891]

>>8371133
Found this other supplier, may I ask if you tried with this one?
http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Offer-Printing-Design-adhesive-tape-Printing_60243687835.html
I can recognize that sushi tape...

[Corky-Lunn !CorkyloMxc No.8392507]

>>8390946
>Should I get a card reader anyway?

Square offers theirs for free (if you're willing to wait to get it shipped to you, if not I think Staples sells Square for $10)
It honestly never hurts to have one. I'm surprised how many people ask if I take cards when I'm in the AA.
I made an extra $250 at my last con while having the option for credit cards.


>How easy are they to work with?
I can only attest for the Square Reader, but it's pretty easy.
If you don't have internet access on your phone it'll save the information to charge later once you do. Money usually appears in your bank account on the Mon-Tues after the con. My only issue is that the swiping part is annoying sometimes if people's cards are even *slightly* scratched.

[Anonymous No.8392512]

http://derpygurl.tumblr.com/post/121104481939/25-reasons-why-you-dont-make-any-money-at-comic

[Anonymous No.8392588]

>>8392512
personally I think this is completely pretentious and there's very little information in that which is actually useful. The majority of the useful knowledge is also pretty common sense.

[Anonymous No.8392600]

do any of you know where to get shrink film or shrinky dink paper for cheap, and also big enough? i bought some refills, but they're tiny as fuck and only six-five pages.

[Anonymous No.8392630]

>>8392512
>you should probably change your url. d*rp is an ableist slur

[Anonymous No.8392829]

>>8392512
>Hating on Cosplayers - They are your indoor street team! Make friends, compliment them, take pics with them in front of your table and put them up on twitter and IG during the show and ask them to pass out your flyers and postcards. (Just don’t get weird or creepy)

>and ask them to pass out your flyers and postcards.

Yeah, just ask random cosplayers to advertise for you for free! "I love your cosplay, so do some unpaid work for me!!"

[Anonymous No.8393108]

>>8392829
Does anyone actually hate on cosplayers? Where are half of these issues coming from? What kind of cons is she going to where she actually has to address this kind of shit

[Anonymous No.8396208]

How many business cards do people usually bring?

[Anonymous No.8396528]

>>8380878
Can you post more photos of this girl? please.

Is for science, of course.

[Anonymous No.8396586]

>>8396208
500-800 for a bigger con, i also slip cards into print sleeves for all customers.

[Anonymous No.8398006]

Hey seagulls, I ran into a problem while organizing a zine.
There's this girl in our group who submitted a very small illustration as a spread, 72dpi instead of 300 dpi, which is what I require.
I printed a proof and it looks like shit.
What should I do in this case? Mention this issue on zine preorder link? Don't mention it and run into risk of people bitching about the quality issue? Remove her submission?
Telling her to redo is kind of out of option rn because I will submit the zine file to print next Monday.

[Anonymous No.8398017]

>>8398006
Maybe she can provide another illustration(Black and white? Or screentone? But give her a deadline that won't mess your schedule, like Saturday night or sort) Other option is to present it with other illustrations but smaller. But! If it really looks bad in comparison of the other stuff that will be printed, better remove it.

[Anonymous No.8398027]

>>8398006
Did you make the file size requirements clear to everyone involved? If so, it's her own fault and she can't blame you for doing whatever you have to. Are you sure she didn't accidentally send you the wrong version? If not, can you print her submission smaller somewhere?

I wouldn't print it as-is, whether you mention it or not. People will either think you made a mistake or it's just a low quality product, plus I doubt she wants to see her image looking like shit compared to all the others either.

[Anonymous No.8398033]

>>8398027
>>8398017

I did, i even put a submission doc for everyone to read in the dropbox. It was her own fault for not being able to follow instructions since she had never done prints before.

Ok, I'll take you guys' advice. I do feel bad because it was a really nice drawing and I could have told her to resubmit 2 weeks earlier, but I just got the proof printed recently... I thought it wouldn't look that bad on print, but it did.

[Anonymous No.8398045]

Hmm, last night I sketched out a girl with thick twintails holding sunflowers. If I colored her hair teal, would it be wrong to not label her as Miku and include her as part of the "original art" requirement at cons?

She isn't wearing any specific outfit, just a plain white dress, but she has Miku hair which puts her in the middle between original and fan art.

>"but if they want a print of Miku and they think its Miku but it isn't, why wouldn't they just buy it anyways?"
Idk maybe I'm in the minority but if I see art of what I think is a character I like, then find out it isn't, I won't buy it.

[Anonymous No.8398066]

>>8398045
Do you want it to be Miku? If not, make her eye color different? Maybe her bangs too. Either way though, if it's genuinely not supposed to be her, it wouldn't be "wrong", Miku's hairstyle isn't hers only even if a lot of people will associate it with her.

I dunno, this is kind of a weird question, I can't tell if you're trying to get around fanart restrictions or not, either make it fanart or don't haha.

[Tim No.8398468]

>>8398045
It wouldn't be wrong, but be prepared to argue with staff about it, depending on the con (otakon, for example, will probably scream in your face and demand you take it down blah blah blah because they're fucking nazis).

For customers, it'd probably be better to just say it's x character if they're interested in it and if you want to sell it. I have a print similar to that- originally it was supposed to be Thor, but the pose, expression, and style makes it look like Val Halen from Dexter's Lab, which I don't mind (since he's a parody of Thor anyway). It doesn't make a difference for sales- people who like it, buy it, people who don't, don't.

Very few people buy things specifically because they're original , though, I'd that factors into your decision, though

[Anonymous No.8398819]

Are there other artists that add more stuff to their acrylic charms like pic related?

[Anonymous No.8398874]

>>8392512
Some stuff is helpful I guess but she's pretty much a bullet point short of saying you should lick the customer's boots. It comes across as really entitled.

[Anonymous No.8398978]

>>8398819
For some reason it comes off as "Chinese bootleg", like how you see ripped unofficial art on keychains and stuff like that at the flea market and cheap mall kiosks.

[Anonymous No.8399001]

>>8398978
Oh no, I didn't see it until you said that, but now I know exactly what you mean. I had a Death Note one with fake pearls hanging off and shit.

A lot of people seem to just attach a little bell or bead though, I think that's a nice touch.

[Anonymous No.8399042]

>>8399001
I was thinking about possibly ordering charms from Vograce and the document says you have to communicate with them through a proxy...has anyone had any trouble doing this?
Plus I've heard rumors that people tend to get alibaba/taobao sellers reselling their designs after they have charms made. Does this happen often?

I'm still relatively new to AA and want to know what I might be getting into.

[Anonymous No.8399046]

>>8398819
Thanks for this. I've been trying to figure out how those things are made for the longest time, acrylic didn't come to mind. They're often relatively cheap but all I'm seeing online says that stuff like that is laser cut acrylic. Doesn't sound cheap at all. There's something I'm missing.

[Anonymous No.8399053]

I was thinking about possibly ordering charms from Vograce and the document says you have to communicate with them through a proxy...has anyone had any trouble doing this?
Plus I've heard rumors that people tend to get alibaba/taobao sellers reselling their designs after they have charms made. Does this happen often?

I'm still relatively new to AA and want to know what I might be getting into.

[Anonymous No.8399474]

>>8399053
you can contact vograce directly on alibaba. the agent's english can be a little broken at times but communication is alright. Ask them to use alipay, since it's an escrow service. Use any major credit/debit card. they also do paypal

[Anonymous No.8399515]

>>8398819
I normally like a little thing or two added to charms, but this one feels ab it too much. Maybe it would have looked nice if it wasn't an acrylic charm but a wood charm with no colouring. That way you could pass it off as something that looks like it came out of a brand x anime collab. Like Qpot and shit.

[Anonymous No.8399785]

>>8399046
Check the resources doc in the OP anon, there are sources for acrylic charms at varying price points. They've become very popular lately.

[Anonymous No.8399813]

On my phone and at a con rn. This old lady across from me drew one pony body one time and made two dozen prints of it.

[Anonymous No.8399912]

>>8398978
>>8399001
Oh shit I didn't know about that. I was really looking forward to adding some stuff to my charms like that or similar to my picture because it looks cute. I guess I will put two or three tiny beads and that's all

>>8399515
Yeah, I was thinking printed acrylic doesn't look that good with that kind of stuff so I was wondering how people do it...Now I know.

[Anonymous No.8400049]

>>8399912
huh I didn't know there was a stigma against these? I've always been jealous of yosb's charms and the decoration she has for them, how they match colors any everything. I personally love them, i'm just waaaay too lazy/stingy to decorate my own

[Anonymous No.8400146]

>>8399813
are they selling

[Anonymous No.8400156]

>>8399912
>>8400049

I don't think it's a stigma, personally I like a little bell or charm but you need to make sure it fits. Pic related is a good example of adding something that improves the charm, but not in a way that makes it tacky.

[Anonymous No.8400261]

Where do you guys get custom shirts done? (preferably places that aren't strictly bulk)

[Anonymous No.8400489]

>>8399912
Do what feels right and looks good to you.
Or maybe sell some with extras on them and some without.

I personally love that kinda stuff.

[Anonymous No.8400499]

>>8398819
I love these actually. They just seem actually cute rather than just using those cheap phone strap things you see everywhere

[Anonymous No.8400581]

>>8399912
Sorry anon, I didn't mean to discourage you, I actually like the idea and I don't think most people would see it that way. Even the one in that picture looks better, imo. If you do something fairly simple and use decent quality materials I think it would be fine.

[Anonymous No.8400951]

>>8400261
i work at a place that does shitrs so i can order one offs, doesnt seem worth the investment otherwise. with having multiple sizes and all

[Anonymous No.8400963]

>>8400499
...they're dust plugs, those are completely different things. i can't actually use dust plugs since my phone is waterproof and has a silicone plug cover.

[Sie !67mUpLaAoQ No.8401775]

How's Anext for those of you that are here? I've seen a few cgl artists, so I hope you're having a good time. It's been pretty good for me so far!

[Anonymous No.8402003]

Doe anyone have any suggestions for better marketing your self to get into AA's?

Me and my business partner do deco den style jewelry and phone cases. We have been trying to beef up our Etsy and tumblr but still have been wait listed on everything. Its a bit disheartening.

Example added

[Anonymous No.8402013]

>>8402003
Oh wow. That looks pretty cute.
It's harder selling things online. I've only made 10 sales on Storenvy over the span of 1 year. You'll just have to be patient and try promoting in any form you can. Hashtags are your best friend when it comes to exposure. I've seen people do well by being active on instagram.

[Anonymous No.8402040]

>>8402013
Thanks! I really appreciate that.

Yeah, it has been really hard. Etsy is such a fickle monster on what is popular and what isn't.

Instagram is a great idea and a popular tool to get your name out there. I just never know what hashtags are the most popular lol. I'm really clueless when it comes to that sort of thing.

[Anonymous No.8402080]

>>8402040
When you search for hashtags it will show you the number of posts that use that hashtag. The higher the number the more active that hashtag is.
For this >>8402003 I would use related hashtags such as: Esty, mermaid, nautical, jewelry, stars, ooak (one of a kind), ooakjewelry, sea, shells
Be sure to put in the link of your product as well. Probably putting the price will help entice Instagram customers.
You kind of just have to use as many tags as you can think of that you think people frequently posted in or search. Look at what other users are using as tags. Follow, like and comment as much as you can too. Being active on Instagram helps a lot.

[Anonymous No.8402164]

hey guys, just wondering if anyone else is having problems either with their name not being on the AX AA roster, or having problems contacting AX in general?
i've sent two emails in the last few days and haven't gotten any sort of reply.

[Anonymous No.8402189]

>>8399785
Oh, thank you! I didn't know cause I usually don't read these threads.

[Anonymous No.8402207]

>>8402189
Upon looking, I wasn't asking to find a company that would print it out for me. I'll keep looking online and then take it to /diy/ because I want to actually craft objects.

I tried my hand at polymer clay but it didn't come out well.

[Anonymous No.8402222]

>>8402080
Thanks so much! I try doing kawaii, handmade, jewelry hashtags but that makes sense. Thanks for that! I think I will work on that today since I have a cat series that would be perfect for Lolita!

They're so cute

[Anonymous No.8402340]

There has been a lot of...bad...on AANI today.

[Anonymous No.8402348]

>>8402003
You've had some great advice already, but I just thought I might add... if this is a sales photo, you might want to find a nicer background? It looks like a dirty old pilled fleece blanket (and I think I see a hair..?), which is not very professional is all. The necklace itself looks super cute, but it's all about presentation a lot of the time!

[Anonymous No.8402418]

>>8391600
Do you think you could explain this process a little more? I've seen scrapbookers print on deli paper and use the Xyron sticker makers, but I'd rather be able to get longer rolls of stuff.

[Anonymous No.8402422]

>>8402348
Thanks for the advise. I totally agree now looking through the photos. I wasn't sure what to do since we had limited time to take stock photos but that's no excuse to not find something nice.

Also, it makes it hard to see the jewelry clearly and that is no good. Now I can notice that there might be dog hair on it since I do own animals.

Thanks for the compliment!

[Anonymous No.8402510]

So kiiinda related to >>8402003 anon's question:
Would jewellery pre-orders work, provided your reputation is solid and enough people want to buy your stuff? It'd be much easier than sussing how many of which item to make, but on the other hand it'd be a lot of responsibility and some impatient people do have a tendency to not read the deadlines and get fussy, which would make for a lot of unpleasant experiences.

Also, I've kinda been asking around for what kind of jewellery people would like to see, so I'm open for suggestions and I'd like some concrit. Would you buy stuff like this? Does it belong in an AA if it's not anime/vidya related?

Sorry for the posed photos, they just happen to be the most detailed. And sorry if this doesn't belong here.

[Anonymous No.8402827]

>>8402003
Along with getting a simpler backdrop for your photos, I would suggest arranging better lighting (it looks darker at the bottom, where the main point of the piece is) as well as aligning the necklace so it's smooth and symmetrical in the frame. The product looks good, but some little adjustments can show it off better and make everything look more professional.

>>8402207
Some people use shrink plastic to make their own similar charms. It's up to you whether or not you like the idea of them, though, because they tend to have a distinctive handmade look (not necessarily a bad thing) and be more fragile.

>>8402510
I'm honestly not sure if it would do well in AA - I don't have enough experience to say - but it looks beautiful and the photos are very well done. I especially like the upper left pair. Maybe you could do fandom themed ones for those who like subtle references? I would buy something like that.

[Anonymous No.8402835]

>>8400963
I know they are different, I'm saying they look better than most of the phone charms I see. People often buy these cheap phone straps and put their acrylic charm on it and its just... ugly and boring.

[Anonymous No.8402838]

How much time should I leave for getting my stuff made/printed and sent? A month? Two months?

[Pixel !liV7ZvK9aE No.8403107]

>>8402838
Are you talking just prints? Or are you trying to get them made into other things, like charms and stuff?
If it's just prints, the most popular suggestions on here, Catprint, has the slowest and cheapeast turnover rate at 7 business days. If you can find local printers, that can be even less, only a day or so. But definitely nowhere near two months.

[Anonymous No.8403124]

>>8403107
We're a group, so I'm trying to figure out when everyone should have their designs done by. Would it take longer if it's for things like charms and buttons?

[Anonymous No.8403149]

>>8402510
Those look beautiful anon! That style of jewelry would look awesome with mori or otome.

[Pixel !liV7ZvK9aE No.8403192]

>>8403124
You'd have to look at what company you want to outsource it to. But it'd be safe to say that charms do take longer than prints. Buttons may or may not.

[Anonymous No.8403200]

>>8403192
Okay, thanks! I was just looking for a general idea since I feel like I'm over/understressing over my productivity versus my ultimate deadline.

[Anonymous No.8405569]

What's the worst-selling item/print/design/whatever that you've made?

[Anonymous No.8405697]

For the ones who sent their charms to Taobao. How they know where should they cut? They only accept png/jpeg and I'm assuming you trace a black border or something?

[Digit No.8406038]

>>8405697
I've sent PSDs with no problem. I just have them layered like this.

正面- Front
背面- Back
切割轮廓- Cutline

I don't know if my filenames are accurate. I just used google translate, then google images to "see" if the word makes sense. (Cutline shows a bunch of plotters so I know that's right.)

[Digit No.8406041]

>>8405697
Also I never had to flip designs like others have me do. They tend to do it for me.

[Anonymous No.8407470]

Ended up finding about con too late
Sign up for waiting list, pay for spot
Still not heard back from con about anything
Con in too days, convinced I'm not going
I'm going to get a refund right?

[Anonymous No.8407474]

>>8406038

Do you get worried if they sell your designs there behind your back?

[Anonymous No.8407540]

>>8406038
>>8406041

Thank you Digit! I hope they do smaller sizes than 4 cm.

>>8407474
Well, tbh you get that risk anywhere when you post your art on internet.

[Anonymous No.8407639]

What the fuck.

http://00lyeric.tumblr.com/post/121661767274/my-experience-at-the-saskatoon-blitz-2015

http://www.saskblitz.com/?p=371

[Anonymous No.8407641]

hi, I'm an artist who has pretty much stopped drawing anything substantial for several years now. lately I have been trying to rediscover my style and passion for drawing after having been discouraged for quite a long time, and this is an example of the direction I've seem to have fallen into. I love the contrast of cute solid characters against refined detailed people. Ideally I would like to create maybe a small side business of creating artwork that people would like posters of, or t-shirts or something.... based on this example, what kind of material goods do people like to see this kind of stuff on? i'm sorry for being so... vague? I'm totally lost right now.

[Anonymous No.8407669]

>>8406038
where can i buy your stuff?

[Anonymous No.8407673]

>>8407641
>http://www.saskblitz.com/?p=371
drawing girls dressed in immaculate lolita outfits would probably work for you

[Anonymous No.8407677]

>>8402510
Do you have an Etsy, anon?

[Anonymous No.8407683]

>>8407641
Reminds me of Audrey Kawasaki, but it's so inconsistent in itself that the general appeal is not there. Unless this is unfinished. If so, please show us something that's complete. Based on this alone I can only see myself buying it as a print or a canvas bag.

[Tim No.8407689]

>>8407639
>"We in no way intended any harm, threats, or to speak ill of any party. We recognize the conversation lacks professionalism and is very inappropriate."
>"Fuck this bitch right on the pussy"
>"nope arse no lube broom handle"
>"fuck her with a rusty metal toilet bowl cleaner"

Hahahhaa oh my god holy shit
Fucking incredible

[Anonymous No.8407693]

>>8407689
Tim do you have a tumblr or any other art page? I always see you post so I'm just curious to see your art too.

[Anonymous No.8407700]

>>8407683
it's a super unfinished drawing! I'll come back when I've finished it lol. I really appreciate the honesty.

This was something that I did finish a month or so ago that I'm not really proud of. I've been really inspired by vintage shoujo manga covers these past few years and this was kind of an experiment on how I could put the elements I liked together. It's pretty boring and I don't like how over the top anime it looks though. I want to tone that part down a lot.

[Tim No.8407706]

>>8407693
Yep! T1mco at tumblr. Hit up the art tag directly if you wanna see art stuff- I tend to throw everything onto this tumblr haha.

[Anonymous No.8407744]

>>8407700
Oh that looks nice! But yeah, going more towards a toned down version of your style right now is a good decision, I think. I can see myself being drawn to it, with the right colors and all. Can't wait to see you in AA, anon! Good luck.

[Anonymous No.8407778]

>>8407700
>>8407744
i don't think it needs to be toned down. it's different from the usual stuff.

[Anonymous No.8407793]

>>8407700
I love your style and would buy a print now if you had a store/AA.

[Anonymous No.8407804]

>>8407778
>it's different from the usual stuff
Have you not noticed the whole subgenre of painted portraits of small bodied. big eyed "don't say anime" girls. It's nothing new.

[Anonymous No.8407849]

>>8407778
>>8407793

thanks you guys, I do have a society6 where I just have that one image available as a poster lol. http://society6.com/kivva91

>>8407804
i do completely agree with you! I'm hoping through persistence I might develop some personal element that makes me a bit more unique and identifiable

[Anonymous No.8407886]

>>8407804
it has touches that make it different from other people's, just like most artists

[Anonymous No.8407903]

>>8383025
>last minute changes: tables arranged tightly in a separate building from the rest of the con
>originally tables would've been part of the main building of the con
>all the artists advertised that there tables were at the main building
>people got lost
This sounds like what happened at Fanime 2013

[Digit No.8407942]

>>8407700
I would love to have prints of your work. Or even an artbook. This is gorgeous

[kivva91 No.8408026]

>>8407942
oh wow thank you a lot, i'm quite flattered! I posted my society6 a few posts up. as I'm looking to figure out what's working for my artwork and what isn't, would you mind letting me know if there's anything particular that you like about it?

this next piece i am incorporating a lot more fine detail. i like swirls

[Anonymous No.8408119]

>>8398006
Zine anon again. Just opened up preorders two days ago and so far only 4 sales...
I'm aiming to have 30 copies sold online and have my friend help selling some at AX.
This is pretty much my first time setting up a zine so it's really nerve wrecking...

What are other better ways to promote your product?

[Anonymous No.8408281]

>>8407639
pretty much everything in this post screams "THIS CON IS UNPROFESSIONAL!!!"
They didn't even know when the AA was closing? What the fuck?

[Anonymous No.8408582]

how do you order from alibaba? i want to order some acrylic charms from vograce and even have the account set up, but when i clicked on start the order i was instantly confused.

[Anonymous No.8409727]

Are there any cute sleeves that I can put my prints into? Or just a cheap stack of regular Clear sleeves in bulk packs of like... 100?

[Anonymous No.8409756]

>>8407700
I like a lot about this apart from the toddler face proportions so I wouldn't buy it for that reason. Someone else probably would. What your general process for the linework?

[Anonymous No.8409795]

>>8409727
The links in the master post have INSANE shipping to Australia. There must be a different option. $60 shipping? Whaaaa

[Anonymous No.8410023]

>>8408119
Tumblr. Have every artist that participated push the zine to their fanbase too. Should have at least included one or two decently well known artists in there. What's the subject of your zine? Find a related subreddit or blogs and advertise there. Cmon, should have had this planned out before getting all your copies made.

[Anonymous No.8410067]

>>8408119
Basically what this >>8410023 anon said.

Learn to market. Post it on tumblr, reddit, wherever you can. Make sure there's at least one artist with a decent following. I've only participated in one zine and even if it was specific subject wise, having several well known artists within the fandom participate helped a lot.

Invite artists.Especially ones that draw for that specific series already. Don't seem pushy or arrogant but just a simple
"hey would you mind joining our zine, it's based of x series and we would love to have you join us! If you are interested, here are a few details, and if you do accept, then you will be compensated for your work. Thanks for reading!"

Making the message pushy would have it include things like 'wow i love ur art please join it's so amazing <333" and basically just don't sound like Deviantart-tier people that note artists for free art.

Also, if the profits are for charity, do mention that when inviting artists. Some will join because they want to support a charity and draw something they like at the same time.

[Anonymous No.8410617]

>>8410023
>>8410067
I actually did invite some artists who have an established fanbase in the subject (Tokyo Ghoul). I even asked them to submit previews of their illustrations and have them linked to the zine's preorders. Their own entries do get some notes (400-1.2k), but it didn't really help to boost the zine's general stats.

I did the tumblr thing and all that. This is the third day now of preorder and the zine post reached 200 notes.

I look around tumblr and notice many of the zine things get around 200-800 notes on average, so note wise we aren't that off I guess?

Subreddit sounds like a good idea and I'll make sure to check it out.

I'm really insecure that this poor launch must be with the way I set up the layout...

[Anonymous No.8410634]

>>8410617
Or people who reblog don't have money.

[Anonymous No.8410646]

>>8410634
I (sadly) hope this is the case. At this point I really feel like I let down the artists who collaborated with this project and that my inexperience has lots to do with it...

[Anonymous No.8410655]

>>8410617
is it Solstice? You might just be in a bit of a smaller niche market and need to work extra hard to promote it; a lot of people like TG for the grit.

Also the previews on the blog (not the composite, the cropped previews) are a bit unfinished looking because of the layout blowing everything up really big, so that may be putting people off. Are you showcasing it to its fullest potential?

[Anonymous No.8410668]

>>8410655
Holy crap I freaked out a little bit.
Yeah it is. I haven't thought about the layout issue but i'll definitively fix the layout issue.
>Are you showcasing it to its fullest potential?
This is what I'm really scared of, that there is something missing I haven't done right that's causing this issue.
Thank you for everything so far ;v;

[Anonymous No.8410681]

>>8408119
It's Solstice isn't it? That's a hard sale against the Memoria zine. It seems only 2-3 artists in your zine are decent. The previews on the cover show off only how wonky some of the art is...

[Anonymous No.8410708]

>>8410681
>The previews on the cover show off only how wonky some of the art is...
Yikes, that hits home hard. I'm glad to get this feedback right now though if it means I'd have to rework on the previews...
>Memoria zine
Thanks for mentioning it, I just checked their storenvy entry and it's beautifully colourful.

[Anonymous No.8410774]

>>8410681
>>8410655
Speaking of Memoria, I just found out one of the participants in the zine is actually friend with Memoria's organizer...
I'm shocked by how fast you both guessed which thing I was referring to. The AA niche, especially the zine making niche seems to be awfully small.

I'm very happy to be able to converse with you both though. Do you mind exchanging correspondances?

finger crossing it's no one on my group fuck

[Anonymous No.8410801]

People with online stores. Have you ever actually recovered packages the post office lost?

[Anonymous No.8411016]

Would we be able to make back the expenses with art like pic related? Also, do you guys have any tips for first-time artists? Like what you wish you knew when you first started doing AAing?

[Anonymous No.8411023]

>>8410801
Nope. Only happened once to me though. It was a package heading to Singapore. Couldn't do much about it and the cost wasn't that high, so I just resent the item and covered the shipping for the customer. Lost money, but the customer has come back for more orders, so that was nice. Luckily hasn't happened again for any other international package.

[Anonymous No.8411523]

>>8410774
I'm just pretty good with searching, I knew of neither before looking into it.

[Anonymous No.8411708]

>>8410617
There are a lot of tokyo ghoul fanzines already and frankly i don't think the art in your zine is going to match up. In addition to memoria already mentioned, look at black egg and 彼岸花.

When i look at your zine's tumblr this is one of the first images I see at this exact resolution . I do not want this.

[Anonymous No.8411719]

>>8411016
Ive seen worse in AA.

[Anonymous No.8411728]

>>8411016
Unfortunately I don't think this would sell particularly well. With where you're at now, smaller/cuter "chibi" kind of things might work better than attempts at portraiture. It ain't bad, but I don't see it selling.

Might wanna take your work over to /ic/ to get some good critiques. The guys over there can be assholes sometimes but they'll be a lot more helpful than tumblr or deviantart ever could be. They won't sugarcoat things.

[Anonymous No.8411734]

More on zines in general, am I the only one really happy seeing them happen? I've always been jealous seen mostly Korean artists dump out one anthology after another with great art, yet you wouldn't see a lot of art books in the west.

I feel like Zines are the nice in-between option, you have the same content as an art book, but in a smaller more affordable format.

>>8411728
Tbh I'd just say follow the links in the sticky and the links in the anime/cartoon art thread.

[Anonymous No.8411770]

>>8411708
Thank you for all of your feedback! It -is- the layout, and the more I look at the zine samples you guys pulled out for me, the more I feel like the preview page really isn't doing the submissions justice. I'll definitively rework on that!

And I changed that specific submission as well. It worked for the dash but not for the theme itself.

Anyways, sorry for derailing the thread.

>>8411734
I've personally always want to see more western artists producing doujinshis but there don't seem to be as many compared to artbooks, for instance.
Is it because of a lack of adequate platform to host it?

[Anonymous No.8411785]

>>8411770
I think so. In my country there was/is a surprising amount of 'doujin circles' attempting to make actual doujin. Except that it was usually original material. And not that well drawn but still sold at least.

Basically I think the issue is art quality (making good lines and screentoning is different then making illustrations) and I think a lot of them are lost on what to do for a story.
I'm going to be honest and say I never know what to write when it comes to doujin so it's hard for me to try. The fact that I can't read Japanese ones makes it harder because I feel like I raise my story standards too much based on the art, when it's probably not /that/ great.

[Anonymous No.8411895]

>>8411016
Sorry, I don't think you're quite good enough to sell in the AA yet. You might be able to make it with cute/chibi things like that one person said but I'd just suggest you take a couple more years to hone your skills before giving AA a try.

[Anonymous No.8411978]

>>8411719
>>8411728
>>8411895
Thank you for the honest input! We already have the table paid so we can't back out at this point, but it's good to know in which direction we should go to better make back the costs. Thanks!

[Anonymous No.8412503]

>>8411978
Best of luck I hope you can break even or something. If anything let this be a lesson on what you can do better.

[Anonymous No.8412618]

>>8411016

Your best piece of this bunch is the Haikyuu piece. If you can make prints with a minimum of that quality you might still get some sales. I'd stay away from flat color or cel shading unless you can drastically improve your linework, proportions, and compositions.

Top right wouldn't be that bad if you wanted to try and shade it nicely and give it a good, interesting background. I can see that with your Ghoul piece you're trying to have interesting compositions but it just looks very unfinished and juvenile.

Bottom line, keep up the quality of the Haikyuu piece and do that across the board. What size con is it?

[Anonymous No.8412640]

>>8412503
Thank you! You're right: even if it ends up being a total failure, I will still get something out of it.

>>8412618
Thanks for the detailed advice, it's super helpful! I agree, I think that the HQ piece is the strongest of the bunch. I'll try to improve the background on upper right. For the Ghoul piece, do you have any advice on how to make it look more finished?

It's about a 20k attendance con.

[Anonymous No.8412749]

>>8411770
I think the main issue is printing costs, we don't really have good cheap printing options for.. a lot of things. Not to mention western fan culture is very profit oriented meanwhile most doujinka if they're lucky barely break even.There's a good blog post breaking doujin costs down but I lost it, if anyone else has it please share!

I think another thing is that it's because we don't really have much of a comic scene in general. Sure we have some indie stuff and superheroes, but compared to France or Japan, it's really not much. A lot anime artists over here give up on their ~mangaka dream~ early and so never learn to really write a comic, western style or otherwise. Even if you're drawing capeshit trying to be a comic artist over here is extremely unlikely. So instead they turn to the more viable path of being a regular illustrator instead - which leads us to artbooks rather than fancomics.

[Anonymous No.8412757]

>>8412640

With 20k attendance you're going to be fighting an uphill battle. All these anons are suggesting chibis, but def get some concrit on them too.

Right now the Ghoul piece is just a weird mix of styles, none of them done quite well. You have a painterly sky, a cel shaded Kaneki, and flat color flowers. Personally, shade this one just like you shaded the HQ piece. The flowers will be a bitch, but you should have one REALLY good piece in the bunch, at least, and it will stand out. Even if the rest of them don't look as nice, people will potentially interpret it as you're getting BETTER.

There are also composition problems. He's slightly off center in a piece where he really should be either VERY off center or centered. I personally would center him. Don't be afraid to use white, too. Since you've got kind of a fisheye lens effect drawn in, consider having it all fade to white, or not go to the edges of the page. Consider playing up the really dream-like elements of that scene and different "framing" options that might be more abstract or irregular.

Also, don't be afraid to play with color. In your HQ print I can see where you're starting to get the idea that shading doesn't have to just be black on top of a color. Look at the skin on Tobio. Pick whether you want the piece to have a warm or cool feel, and that will dictate some of your color choices. Try using a dark purple to shade red, for example, or a reddish brown on top of a brown. It brings some dimension to the colors and can really bring a whole piece together. People may be more willing to forgive polished drawing skills if you can demonstrate good colors.

What other series or characters do you plan to draw?

[Digit No.8413214]

http://1040809396.taobao.com/?spm=2013.1.1000126.2.lhUJgm

[Digit No.8413216]

>>8413214
They also do folders as well...

(feel like Taobao dumping, sorry.)

[Anonymous No.8413318]

>>8413214
I just feel conflicted about this stuff; I want to get stuff made on taobao but I don't want to see my artwork being sold on other items 2 months later.

[Anonymous No.8413505]

Do any of you use Daiso stuff (clay, resin, packaging) for your products? How is the quality? Is there anyone on the west coast willing to do a shopping service because I live in the east coast and I don't want to buy that shit in bulk.

[Digit No.8413621]

>>8413318
Yeah that's the hard part is whether it's worth it or not. To be fair though a lot of people don't have problems using sites like arts.cow that are also in China? The problem I see more is people stealing artwork that's online and taking them to these companies to get printed, rather than the actual company straight up stealing it. (Though it's very possible that could happen)

Double edge sword indeed. This is why I mainly stick to sending off older designs or simple fanart. I've had good luck with the places I use so I'm knocking on wood.

[Anonymous No.8413735]

>>8413505
I've never used their clay or resin stuff so I can't speak of their quality, but packaging things like giftbags, boxes, tissues, seems pretty nice and decent. And I think they have clear window stuff for flatter items to package?

Personally I use the small cute cookie cutters for my needle felting, the wire cube walls that varies in sizes (depending on the connectors you use they are sorta loose unfortunately), and bought packs of metal keychain bits when I don't have time to order from eBay. Daiso is dangerous..

[Anonymous No.8415950]

>>8413214
>http://1040809396.taobao.com/?spm=2013.1.1000126.2.lhUJgm
i really want standees like this, too bad i don't know how to order off taobao~

[Anonymous No.8416238]

>>8415950
vograce does them too, so you dont have to use taobao, you can just go to alibaba

[Anonymous No.8416276]

PMX please, post your info
i want to buy a table already

[Anonymous No.8416846]

>>8416238
different anon but i just spent an hour trying to find a place that did them (went all through vograce) and i am at a total loss, please help