New year, new thread! Old one has been dead for a while >>8754521
>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
>Artist Spreadsheet
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ESQ-1h4IRUivbGNaxJFxXyDU1lSv26xTmMdH0sDX7sU/edit?usp=sharing
I've been waiting for someone to make it! All the registrations are probably my favorite part of the new year. I'd post tables, but that folder is on a drive I left at home.
>Voluntarily go on the wait list (was accepted) for Momocon's 2015 alley since I was finishing school around the time of the con.
>Am currently on the wait list for 2016 because they forgot about me until after registration.
Oops.
I really like this girl's setup, it's clean and makes her art stand out.
Europeans, how do you price your acrylic charms? 8-10 dollars seems to be the US standard, but it seems like they're a way bigger thing over there so they might be able to ask more. I want to keep my prices nice and round but 5 euros seems way low.
(I'm getting double sided clears from vograce, for reference)
>>8793079
Maybe a bit of a stupid question, but how did the shipping go from Vograce to europe for you? I've been wanting to get charms made for quite a while now.
Also I decided to not go to an upcoming con in my country to table, and rather start working on starting up an online store for merchandise.
The main reason being that I didn't have enough time to prepare since the organization is slow as fuck and I've never tabled before, and that it's a small con and I'm afraid I'll over-invest into it and I already don't have too many funds.
Momo-con put me on their wait list for an artist alley table :/
I've been put on a wait list, and later accepted before, so i guess there is a chance.
I hope I can at least get accepted to AWA.
>>8793156
I'm ordering them this week, I'll report back here once I have them. Crossing my fingers for no customs.
This might be a dumb question that doesn't have much to do with AA (except ordering stuff from overseas), so forgive me, but how exactly does customs work? I've never been hit by it (knock on wood) but do you just get your package with some kind of fee attached to it? And how do you pay it? I live at school too so I'm wondering how the mailing center handles it (it'd be nice if they paid for it lmao hA)
>>8793266
Depends on where you live.
I always wanted to be in an Artist Alley at one of the local cons in my state. But I never have the money and when I do, it's too late to sign up.
I know, poor excuses, but I can't help it.
I recently got 100+ charms from Vograce last week if anyone would like me to do a quick review. I'm super happy with the service and Coco managed to get me everything within two weeks from doing a price quote, sending designs, seeing samples, and then getting the package. I was a little nervous because it was my first time ordering but I am extremely pleased!
>>8793898
Yes please! May I ask which size you chose and how much they were?
I got a question, is there a place to print posters like these ones?
What is something you use for storage or display you can't live without?
I really lucked out with amazon cards and I'm hoping to use it to beef up my table. I'm really hoping for something good to store and transport packaged acrylic charms.
>>8793992
Sure, no problem! Excuse the crappy kitchen pic, it was what I had on my phone before I packed the charms up for cons and online store orders.
So I reached out to Coco for a price quote for about 150 on the Dec. 15th. I got 2” non-transparent double acrylic board charms with single sided printing, and she gave me a final quote of $0.52/charm in USD by Dec. 16th. She responds very quickly if you catch her during work hours, so my final quote was delayed because I was out with friends and didn’t respond until she was already out.
I sent her 10 different files via email and she got me a sample picture of the charms at the end of the night on Dec. 17th. I was happy with how they came out! They provide strap accessories if you’re interested, so I got keychains with a key ring for mine and then I chose SF shipping because I heard on previous AA threads here they’re the least likely to get messed with/go through customs! Coco gave me a final price quote of about $108 and that sum comes from the price per charm, the shipping ($24.26 USD) and paypal fees (~$5). I paid for the charms on Dec. 18th and I got a tracking number on Dec. 21st. I actually got my charms on Dec. 28th so it was just about the two-week mark!! (cont.)
>>8794180
My package came and all the charms looked super great. They separate your designs into bags and mark the quantities of each and if you have any extras of a design. I think out of 10 designs, 7 or 8 has 1-3 extras which was super rad. Each of the charms were in their own little plastic bag and most if not all of them have a protective seal on both sides of the charm (some only have the seal on the side with the design if you do a one-sided charm I’m assuming). The colors were practically spot on to my CMYK files and felt sturdy!! I haven’t done a stress test yet because I forgot to order one for that and I’m giving my extras to my friends.
All in all I’m supeeeer pleased. I like that the charms come with protective layers because I noticed on some of my Zap charms that don’t have the any protective sheet have scratches and scuffs and I’m super anal about that hahaha. If anything a few charms had small scratches, a small dent inside the acrylic, or a random dot but those weird charms were super rare and the scratches aren’t noticeable. I just like selling really neat products so I’m gonna use these for displays/trading with friends. I’m also super happy colors are vibrant since I see horror stories with AP or other charm vendors. I’m gonna be ordering some double-sided, non-transparent charms very soon and I’m really excited to do business with them!!
Here's a pic of one of my charms I attached to a phone strap. I found and added the other little acrylic accessories myself!!
with application results coming in. Is anyone else peeved at how unorganized so many AA heads are with (not) replying to emails and notifying people who don't get in. you'd hear your friends being accepted and weeks of stress later finally receiving an email about you getting wait listed/declined. Shouldn't they just email everything at once?
also, to everyone who's bummed about not getting into Momocon. Don't worry about it, it was so bad last year. Many artists didn't break even and just left early.
>>8794180
oh those are so cute
>>8794180
Not anything related to charm buying but these charms are really cute! Great job on them.
>>8794192
I didn't sell last year, but there was an entire row of tables that was basically blocked to foot traffic for hours at a time due to the autograph lines being right across the aisle. But was the whole thing really -that- bad? Yikes. I was hoping it could be my first.
>>8794215
no, it's not DashCon bad. I just don't think people need to be that bummed out about it, many artists were wandering around because there's nothing happening. It might be better this year because it was experiencing growing pains, but who knows.
>>8794180
just curious, what is SF shipping? And how is Coco's english?
Also, I don't know these characters at all but they're all so colorful and adorable!
>>8794182
>dancing all night
Holy shit tell me you have kanji and naoto and please leave contract if you do so I can buy all of them
>>8794192
A lot of aa's are volunteer run so aa heads aren't held to a very high standard. I'm making the move to more comic conventions because they tend to be more organized and professional about things. Worth the extra money, imo
>>8794537
I've been messaging with her for the last little while, because i keep having questions and keep wanting info on other things, and her english is actually pretty good. Not perfect, but not broken either
Would it be seen as scary or untrustworthy to be next to an extra friendly table neighbor?
When I table here I always have extra food, snacks, and drinks, extra supplies and a first aid kit free to use for any of my neighbors and being like this is part of my culture. I want to try tabling in the mainland though and am unsure if this would be acceptable, or seen as odd?
>>8794746
It's awesome, bless you, be wary of anyone who is an asshole back to you if you offer- they're either crazy or a snake.
>>8794537
Her English is pretty good. Sometimes with the way she responded it made me worry whether or not she understood me (I was being super picky and anal about some dumb stuff) but almost all of the time she gets it. She's patient too so if there are any miscommunications it gets figured out pretty easily, because she usually asks to clarify things.
>>8794180
Those look amazing!! The colors are so vibrant!
Are the backs white? Debating whether I should get double or single sided for my next batch...
>>8794537
Thank you so much! And I thing SF shipping stands for San Franciso International airport shipping? I could be wrong but the other option she offered me was UPS and it was a few dollars more expensive!
>>8794545
No problem! I sent a price quote inquiry for 3" in double sided so if I hear back soon I'll be sure to share it with the thread. I'm estimating somewhere near $1 since its a large charm as well. I also agree with the other anons that Coco's english is good enough to communicate easily and get great results!
>>8794623
Haha thank you Tim!! I do have a Kanji/Naoto charm I'm working on along with the rest of the group + Kanamin Kitchen. If youre selling at AX I'll have them around and we can trade if you have any Kanji acrylic stands left!
>>8794791
Ahhh, thanks so much! The backs are white! I'm also thinking for my next charm order I'll do double sided and have my artist handle on the back or some cute pattern to match with the front...
>>8794180
Those are adorable! I'm also thinking of making charms and I'm glad Vograce/Coco are a great resource since I heard a lot of horror stories with Zap.
Do you mind posting again if you find any problems with the durability? I've had two charms break on me so far..
>>8794746
naw, I do the same. I'm amazed how many times I've had to hand out band-aids, and I hope it becomes the norm for artists.
>>8794829
>SF shipping
Pretty sure it's SFExpress aka a Shenzhen based courier service. Kind of like a cross between airmail and EMS, I think.
>>8793266
You have to pay to get your package. Some countries have really, really terrible markups- Euro anons sometimes pay nearly half the price of the item just to get it. It's insane, and it's coupled with handling fees, which drives the price up even more.
>>8794537
SF shipping means that the package is handled by SF Express until it hits your country. It's like the Chinese version of FedEx, and they're the least likely to lose/damage your shit as far as the Chinese companies go.
>>8794775
>>8795066
Oh man that is good to hear! Thank you. Some of the artists that come down here from the mainland have been so unfriendly, but others so sweet. I was getting a lot of mixed signals on if this would fly up there. It never costs too much more to bring extra things of what I'm already bringing myself so it's not a big deal either way.
>>8794746
Nope, not at all. The first aid kit is a really good idea and I used to bring one of those big $15 coffee boxes in from Dunkin Donuts to my AA table just to get friendly with my neighbors. I'd rather have a super helpful and friendly neighbor than spend an awkward weekend beside someone who doesn't even talk or make an effort to say hi.
I finally got a button maker of my own! What weight and type of paper should I be printing my designs on for use in that thing?
I keep imagining too thin would tear and too thick would... do something bad, too.
>>8794180
thank you so much for the review, i am planning on using vograce and I really appreciate you going through the steps you took! I might be being blind or stupid, but is there a special way you have to prepare your files for vograce?
>>8795088
I keep seeing artists use cork board for their buttons, but if you pin a button to it, doesn't it bend it out of shape too much for selling? Do you just keep it there for display purpose?
Question for the Vograce anons, how did you contact her? I sent her a message on alibaba and I haven't gotten a response, and it's been two weeks..
>>8795198
Depends on the button maker I think. Thinner paper is easier to work with because of the mylar layer, but I've seen semigloss photo paper go through a tecre and it does tend to look better if it doesn't fuck up.
Don't think there's anything that's too thin since the mylar adds extra thickness no matter what you use.
>>8795225
>>8795266
No problem, I hope it helps people when they try ordering with Vograce!
And yea you're right - they prefer CMYK! I just worked on my charms and then I made a copy file where I merged all the layers onto one and had a transparent bg! I also included my own outline and ring hole but I hear Vograce does that for you if you don't do that yourself! I also just sent them via email attachments and as .psd files! I know some people use file sharing hosting sites but I hear GoogleDrive and Dropbox is unreachable by them!
>>8795299
Huh really? how odd - I got a response from her the same night I asked for a quote back in November for another project... She might be out for holiday because I still haven't heard from her about the price quote I made the other night... I contacted her through alibaba the first time and then the rest of our communication was via email. I also haven't seen her on Skype since before the Christmas holiday!
>>8795260
Display only, and I don't only use it for buttons. I hang charms and things on them sometimes, if I'm sharing a table and don't have much space. I keep my stuff in containers under the table and only have display pieces or really big pieces on the table, just in case.
Has anyone found a supplier for prism/holographic die cut/kiss cut stickers yet?
It seems like holo/prism printing has spread out beyond jimi but I still haven't seen it being used for stickers (with the exception of people that have access to local suppliers).
>>8795380
how do you hang your charms? pushpins?
>>8794829
Yeessss yessssss.
I won't be at AX, but I'll be at a couple NorCal cons between then-- AOD next month then Silicon Valley Comic Con in March-ish, and hopefully Fanime. If you see me at any of them, flag me down! I'll save one for you!
Do you have a tumblr or website I can follow (or do I already follow you?)
>>8795554
I got some pushpins from daiso and use them to hang the charms from. Here's the display I had for the buttons too.
>>8795568
Ah, I'm hoping to get into Fanime too, but I'm not too optimistic since it was my first time applying lmao
I have tumblr but I don't use it too much... I use twitter a lot more/to talk to aa friends so I can just link that or I can give a link to my store, whatever you prefer!!
>>8795602
Fingers crossed! I'm also pretty active on twitter, so that would be perfect!
>>8795198
If you're getting them done professionally, something like 20 lb or w/e is fine. I think thin paper+laser printing yields the best look. If you're printing at home, same deal on the paper, but the actual printing might be a little fuzzy just because of the nature of inkjet and because buttons are usually small so even minor details are pretty visible (unless you have a color laser printer)
>>8795299
Just heard back from Coco tonight, she's been on vacation and is coming back to work tomorrow. Try contacting her again tomorrow!
How do you gulls feel about printing prints on glossy photo paper? I recently bought a print and it was printed on a photo paper, probably printed from some place like walgreens, and it looked nice. I had a notion that peeps prefer matte prints though. Do you prefer matte or glossy?
Newbie here. I've been gathering resources and information for a couple of years now, but have yet to even apply to an artist alley.
Is anxiety over your first con as a seller natural? How do you overcome it? Having to talk to all sorts of people all day seems exhausting, and I'm so not confident in my work that I don't even have a website.
How was your first time, /cgl/?
>>8796060
>Is anxiety over your first con as a seller natural? How do you overcome it? How was your first time, /cgl/?
When I first started selling I was always super uneasy around new people. But when you have fandom merch it helps that a potential customer can talk to you about x or y series that you have a print of.
Once that happened to me at my first con (I had some KH merch so customers would talk with me a lot about the games) it seemed to calm me down quite a bit. I also had a trusted friend as a table buddy who had experience with AAs which helped too.
Acrylic charm prices seem to vary greatly and now I'm unsure how I should price my charms. Does $8 for 1.5", $10 for 2", and $10~12 for 3" sound about right?
>>8796060
I know what you mean. I'm a total newbie too. I'll be tabling for the first time (and I'll be selling by myself!) in april and I'm so nervous. I won't have that many merch and talking to strangers all day sounds scary. Hope you do fine anon!
>>8796060
Yes, I would say it's natural. I wasn't particularly nervous, but my friend was. I'm the kind of person who doesn't like getting on stage, but I have a lot of stage experience since my parents put me in a lot of piano concerts. I process that kind of nervousness well.
> how do you overcome it
Having someone with you helps a lot. Try not to dwell on how nervous you are and keep your hands busy; then you'll realize that the day went by and nothing bad happened.
Otherwise, time and experience.
>>8796060
first time me and a friend got a table together, we took turns watching over the table. She let someone she didn't even know behind the table, and they stole around $60.
So that was great.
I've done plenty of conventions since then and never had any problems after that. The only way you won't be nervous is after you do it a few times. You probably won't even be doing that much talking. It is really only super busy for the first 4 hours the AA is open, so its not like it will be non-stop interaction all day.
>>8796060
My first time I was a cocky little shit.
I had gone to the local con before to scope out the competition to see how I would fare and didn't feel especially threatened, so when I got a table, I was feeling pretty confident. That all dissipated pretty quickly when I saw other people making sales while I didn't hahahahaa. Then my mom came to visit to support and fiddled with my display a little. Suddenly people started buying my shit.
I made like $20 in profit, but that's kind of exciting when you're in high school. Took it as a learning experience and did better from then on out.
A little anxiety is definitely natural, as usually there's no "guarantee" that you'll actually make money, but the more you do it, the better you can gauge crowds and figure out what people will almost always buy. You get over the anxiety with experience, mostly. At-con, it's important to stay focused on the positives. For example, one con you might not make a lot, but maybe you'll meet cool people or find a new artist buddy. Focus on that rather than the negatives and it gets easier to power through poor sales and learn/grow from the experience.
>>8796060
My first convention didn't really count as far as I'm concerned, because it was 50+ people at a dying University event. The anime club was on its last leg, they had fucked up royally with the vendors and had none that year because of an issue with paperwork/ the school's policies, my friend and I shared a table and were teenagers with shitty handmade hats and plushies. I was more nervous about my 5th-6th convention because by then we finally went to one that wasn't local and only like $20 for a table. Threw down a couple hundred to go to our first "real" convention, ended up learning so much and making a few thousand. As soon as the convention started and we had to mingle with customers and had made a few sales the nervousness melted away. Honestly, even if you're anxious it will be great once you get going. If you don't sell a lot don't get discouraged. Always introduce yourself to your neighbors right away so you know if they're friendly or not. Bring snacks (most places don't allow outside food but I always smuggle in a tote bag with the rest of my merchandise and once the event gets started no one actually cares if you have a bag of cheetohs or whatever.) bring lots of water, wear comfy clothes, smile but try not to be overbearing to customers, and just relax man.
>>8796017
I prefer matte myself but that's my art snobbery. Nearly every other person I've met has preferred glossy.
>>8796017
I prefer matte for prints with a more serious/regal/dark subject matter, it makes them look cooler. Other than that I have no preference.
>>8796060
>sophomore in high school
>upperclassmen invite me to help at their table
>they wind up bailing to wander around the convention
>get stuck at their table and wind up selling more than them
>chatted with the guy sitting next to our table that was a very experienced convention/commission artist
It's really not that scary, especially because you're in a place where everyone has the same interests. I didn't make a lot of money but I was able to learn about selling (and to find better roommates/people willing to work).
>>8797046
I prefer matte too. Most customers like glossy though just as you say.
>>8792947
I have a handful of questions. I did alleys back in college, but it's been a long time... finally going to quit my 9-to-5 to live the artist/writer life. It's been a while though, so yeah.
>Anyone tried selling 3d printing stuff? Success? I'm getting an etcher/laser cutter in a few months and know people have success with making jewelry and other stuff to sell with that. Unsure on the printer though.
>How many of you have done this hardcore, as in, taking a plane to go multiple states away to sell? Do you make enough profit for it to be worthwhile?
>Success with selling non-anime stuff?... I bought a Wes Anderson fanzine from one girl's table a couple of years ago and have been musing bringing a lot of not-typical fandom and whatnot to sell. Honestly, I've not had much interest in recent anime so I'd probably suck at pandering to young fangirl types anyhow.
>Commissions? Worth it or not? I used to do them and prints, nothing else. Seems like lots of people offer commissions now, so no idea if you even get enough customers to bother.
>>8796060
My first time selling at an Artist Alley was at a tiny convention where the AA room was so small there were only about maybe 10 artists or so.
I actually had no knowledge of what I was doing and just went because my other friends were artists and were doing it too. I had no prints prepared, so I just put up examples of my work and did commissions that were totally underpriced. (Think $5-$10) It was still pretty fun though.
I somehow made a $60 profit and to this day I'm not even sure how.
I don't even think I started selling prints until my 3rd time doing AA.
You've been gathering information for such a long time that I think you'd do fine. Perhaps just setting up a tumblr or an instagram where you can put up your work can help with feedback?
How are artists judged for AA's? I've sent in my first application for an AA but I'm a little afraid of not getting in. Do they base their decisions solely on the skill of an artist? The con I've applied for is a small con and I know that there are a handful of really good artists applying that are sure to get in if it is based on skill level.
>>8797182
Wondering the same thing. Of course skills should matter, but if artists are judged solely on skills, it's kind of not fair to artists that are just starting out. Maybe I feel this way because I'm mediocre haha. How do less experienced people get into jury based AA?
>>8797182
it honestly depends on the con
some cons judge mostly on skill
but most cons are so random. There are amazing artists that get rejected from Katsucon while shitty ones get in.
Hey /cgl/ what's the name of that display stand that people use that's from the floor with those tripod legs? I'm trying to find out where they sell them nearby?
>>8797280
Photography/Backdrop stand...?
>>8793898
Is there possibly faster shipping with Vograce? I would love to try and get some before Otkon (although I'm pretty sure that's impossible at this point)
>>8797285
yeah that looks about right. Thanks anon.
Are art contests that claim all rights to all entries worth it? I was tempted to enter the yaoicon contest but thought against it after reading that they will claim all rights. Well, maybe it's just the ARTWORK and not the actual characters depicted in the artwork, but I'm not sure. Are contests like these even worth your time?
>>8797321
Try contacting Vograce ASAP with your files and see what they can do. When I spoke to Coco today and sent her files, she said delivery time to the US would be 4-7 days with SF shipping. They're in the office at the moment so good luck with contacting them!
PS to anyone who plans on making Vograce orders anytime soon, they are taking a long holiday from the office from Jan. 30th to Feb. 17th for a Spring festival. I would suggest getting orders in if you have any upcoming cons!
>>8796060
I was lucky that at my first con I was with friends that had done artist alley for a few years before, so I kind of knew what to expect. I shared a table with a much more popular artist and only had a few things to sell (plus I was pretty new to digital art), so I was still really nervous. But I ended up having a lot of fun since I met a lot of people who had the same interests.
Don't get discouraged right off the bat, with more experience at cons you start to figure out what works and what doesn't for you.
>>8797078
With non-anime stuff, there's a lot of artists that solely draw art for western fandoms and video games. I've had no problem selling stuff that wasn't anime, though it does depend on what the thing is. For commissions it depends, I don't personally do them since I don't like how my work turns out when I'm rushing to finish, so I stick to doing them online only.
>>8797078
>How many of you have done this hardcore, as in, taking a plane to go multiple states away to sell? Do you make enough profit for it to be worthwhile?
Every time I've flown out of state, I've made my costs back and then some. Furthest I've flown and invested in a con was probably Otakon a couple years back. I think flight was like 800 and I had like 400ish more in other costs and made all of it back+2kish? I'd say it's worth it. Otakon not so much because it's a corrupt shithole of an AA, but most other larger out-of-state cons I've been to have been profitable.
>Success with selling non-anime stuff?... I bought a Wes Anderson fanzine from one girl's table a couple of years ago and have been musing bringing a lot of not-typical fandom and whatnot to sell. Honestly, I've not had much interest in recent anime so I'd probably suck at pandering to young fangirl types anyhow.
I do way better with Western fandoms than I do with anime. Most of my stuff is like Marvel/DC capeshit and recent shows/movies that I'm into. I think comics especially are on the upswing because of all the movies.
>Commissions? Worth it or not? I used to do them and prints, nothing else. Seems like lots of people offer commissions now, so no idea if you even get enough customers to bother.
Depends on how bored I am, how desperate for money, and if I feel like drawing. Just make sure you're charging a fair amount. I feel like you shouldn't spend more than an hour on a single commission at-con, and if you are, you better get paid reasonably for that hour (i.e $10 for a fullbody color is bullshit, don't do it when you can make that same amount slinging caffeine at a starbucks)
Any mostly print artists with possibly buttons/charms/keychain as well willing to post their figures they make per con? I just started and I want to know if what I'm making is the average or if I should try harder? I've done four cons so far I want to sign up for more cons but I might need to hold off and work on more products. I'd ask around but I do understand not everyone likes to share this information, i just want about an average. The thing is I think I definitely overstocked the first con I did and now I'm stuck with so much old merch but I know what sells and doesn't now so I want to replace it with new merch but I don't know if I'm even doing good enough to do that yet.
Is SAI able to save images in CMYK color format, or will I have to run the image through Photoshop before I send it off for printing?
>>8797864
You'll have to run it through Photoshop; Sai only works in RGB.
>>8797844
I do mostly prints (posters and postcards) and charms/keychains. I average around $2000~$2500 at cons like ALA & Sac. Smaller cons are probably a little bit less $1500-ish? At bigger cons like WonderCon and AX I do $4500~$5000
>>8797391
>>8797426
Thanks!! Yeah, I'm into doing comic stuff, which I know sells well at cons that aren't mostly focused on anime, like DC. My shtick is literature and humanities related stuff... Similar to Kate Beaton I guess. Seems like the general crowd at an anime con is too young for that though.
>>8797993
Thank you so much for answering I've only done smaller cons and average about the same 1500 so knowing this information gives me a good boost, thank you!
Anyone here has TOS Spock or Kirk stuff? I'm doing an itabag and I'm looking or cute stuff to buy.
just got some vograces!! shipping was even fast to australia :o i did a stress test, and i managed to snap one (with force) and separate the two pieces of acrylic, the paper inside is actually a vinyl sticker! also submerged in water for a few hours with barely any visible damage! their double sided clears can be scratched like zaps, but are much nicer in general and dont have that damn white line (ill take a nicer photo some other time lmao)
>>8798608
oh forgot to mention, theres actually a white layer between the two pictures like extra white, so thats nice
>>8795554
Yep, pushpins. I prefer displaying them like this, actually, I just got another cork board that I'm going to cover with black paper to make them stand out more. If it looks like shit, well, it's easy to remove.
Thinking of getting standees to stand by them instead of plain price stickers.
Is it worth bringing stuff from less popular animes to cons or should I stick to selling it online? I'm getting designs ready for a charm order and I'm on the fence about making more than two or three charms for the less popular ones, so it's not like they'd take up much space, but I don't know if it'd be worth rearranging my display for something that might not sell at all.
It's nothing super old or unpopular, just stuff that's not particularly in at the moment.
>>8799002
It's your call, really. Merchandise from a less popular series will probably have a smaller volume demand compared to something currently in season.
On the other hand, you'll really stand out to fans of the series in question. It's possible to sell on that alone. For example, I really wanted to get a Cromartie Highschool sticker set some artist had last year, but they had sold out before Friday evening!
>>8797078
I have access to a 3D printer, but it doesn't really seem fiscally practical to produce merch with it. I think it'd be good as a starting point; print out one object then use it to create a mold to mass produce for cheaper.
>How many of you have done this hardcore, as in, taking a plane to go multiple states away to sell? Do you make enough profit for it to be worthwhile?
I've made back profit at all my out of state cons, because all of the best opportunities lie out of state for me. It's definitely something you shouldnt do unless you're secure in your instate sales, though.
>Success with selling non-anime stuff?
I personally dont, but I know a lot of people who do that turn up a good profit. These things tend to have a fan base overlap with weebs though, like League and general vidya, mainstream fantasy and superhero movies, whatevers big on tumblr atm, etc.
>Commissions? Worth it or not?
I take small sketches only so I have something to do other than stare at passerbys. It barely makes up any of my profit, but it's a good way to seem preoccupied but not so busy that people feel uncomfortable approaching you. There's definitely a huge amount of attendees wanting commissions, though.
For Vograce, is it only worth it if you have a huge order? I wanted to make a small batch to see how it'll turn out and since I'm not selling soon - just doing it for gifts for friends.
>>8799057
They don't have an MOQ and each piece is pretty cheap, shipping might be quite high though depending on where you are and how much you ordered. It's worth doing a couple of each, or making more designs, if the shipping's on the high side.
It'll probably be about the same price/cheaper than getting charms from Etsy or Storenvy after shipping, and if you need to pad out your order you could ask for samples of double white or epoxy or something. I'd say it's worth it, but if you want to make like 3 charms you should really pad out your order.
My first con is coming up quick. I feel confident in my products and ablity to sell. Im just so lost about money, like till stuff and card readers.
Can anyone offer advice? Anyone have a favourite card reader system? Can you pass down card fees to customers?
Also, around how much should I keep in my till?
How does everyone handle payments?
>>8799075
Would you say it would be worth it for about 25?
>>8799075
Thanks for the info! Thinking of asking for samples first then since I really don't want to deal with extra copies, especially since it's for a lesser known idol fandom.
Sometimes I get a little sad that I can't order a huge shipment of charms or other merch because I'll probably never get rid of them.
>>8798608
Anon, I'm from Australia too and I've been wanting to get charms made, but worried that Vograce was going to be crazy expensive.
How many charms did you get done, and what was the shipping like?
>>8799193
hello! the shipping was pretty reasonable actually! i think it was 16 USD for about 50 charms? which ended up about 70 cents each USD! it came really fast too.
>>8799203
oh opps misworded that the charms themselves were 70 cents, not the divided shipping
>>8799089
Idk if it'll be super helpful, or if you've already thought of this, but record your sales. It's helpful for keeping inventory, figuring out sales patterns, and counting money. I'm absolute rubbish at doing it, but a lot of my friends are fucking awesome at it and it helps them stay organized and on top of business. A system like this works well-
>Steven Universe Print 15 15 10 15
Where 15 is a purchase of a print at full price (if you're selling prints for $15 each) and 10 is a purchase of this print in a bundle or sale (in this case, buy 2 $15 prints, get 1 free, making each print worth $10 in this particular bundle)
So in this case, you've sold 3 SU prints at full price, and 1 at a discounted price. You can also do it symbolically
>Steven Universe Print x x o x
Where the X's are full-priced prints, O is discounted, etc.
>card reader
I've only ever used Square and it's never fucked me over. Yes, you can pass down card fees to customers. Most customers expect or at least don't have a problem with a $1 surcharge per purchase. It rarely goes over that.
>till
Depends on the con. I'd say $100-$150 in change for smaller cons, and about $300 for larger ones
>payments
What do you mean by this?
Any good places that do reasonably-priced A3 prints? My local printer where I used to get all of them done closed down, and I'm in Australia so most places charge an arm and a leg.
Also, on the topic of prints, what do people use to store their prints in at cons? I used to have them in an A3 file with plastic slips until the volume I sold increased heaps. Any ideas like shelves or something?
>>8799282
fellow aussie, officeworks do a3 prints for around 2 bucks, but the bleed lines are huge so they need to be guillotined off
>>8799282
THIS THIS THIS THIS
I have a ton of prints and I broke my file so I stuck them in a cardboard box with dividers and it made my life at the con HELL. If anybody has ideas on storing prints for easy access, please let me know!
One of my friends recommended I just roll up prints ready to go with stickers on them to recognise each one, but that'd be so space-consuming and damage them!
>>8799287
i managed to buy an a3 folio bag thing like in the pic pretty cheap, its got little dividers like a filing box with name tabs so you can see what print is in which pocket! they lay flat, and its easy to carry
What GSM do y'all use for your posters?
Anyone do stickers? Want to share how you do them?
The way I've been doing them is a bit tedious and takes a load of time and the other option is to get expensive kiss cut sheets from printing places. Though I don't mind labor or prices all too much, what bugs me most is that I want stickers with a layer on it that doesn't cause it to scratch off or be water damaged so easily.
Any advice? Maybe I'm using the wrong paper.
dumb question and I know the name Vograce is in the title, but is this actually Vograce before I start contacting them about samples?
http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/2015-Custom-Acrylic-Key-Chain-Vograce_60191983103.html
>>8799378
Yes, it is.
Has anyone tried getting memo pads from alibaba? They seem cheap but since shipping is probably expensive do to weight, do you think it's better to get them made from places like art cow?
>>8799050
>I have access to a 3D printer, but it doesn't really seem fiscally practical to produce merch with it. I think it'd be good as a starting point; print out one object then use it to create a mold to mass produce for cheaper.
Meh. See, the one thing I really sucked at in art school was making decent molds. I wanted to make figures,.. but I'm better just making the originals with armature wire and paperclay than doing it completely modeled on the computer. Hmm I may hold off then. I figured for something tiny the expense to make something with a 3D printer would be cheap.
Thanks.
anyone have any experience with traditional printmaking ? i have done linocuts personally for a while although i've never made fandom stuff. i can't do 2-colour ones for shit yet though.
>>8799795
I've done some screen printing while I was in school, but now I don't have access to a work area otherwise I'd try my hand at printing some stuff for cons.
I know it's kinda off topic, but does anyone else feel kinda sad when they see artist friends say "I'm trying to loose the anime in my style" or "I've grown out of anime style" etc etc?
I don't know, I just feel like I'm the only person left that's deliberately trying to look even more anime (so to say, you get what I mean) and it's a bit disheartening to see so many people talk about it like it's a bad thing.
Even worse when in their attempts to not look too anime, their style just turns into this messy mixture of western comic and anime style.
>>8799839
I don't think it's a bad thing anon. Sure there are some horrendous aspects to the weeb community (like those that think Naruto is real life and don't have good hygiene, etc.) and I personally have grown out of watching anime. I watch like an animated movie or two and series a year. That being said, I don't think it's bad to like anime. There are bad fandoms everywhere and as long as you're not a cringefest autismo about liking anime and make a decent profit off selling prints and merch, what's the harm?
I feel like the anime art style is also something respectable. There's a certain balance to it that's difficult to achieve and can rarely be copied by non-Japanese people. (Inb4 Nippon gr8est, I mean you can clearly tell if a Japanese person drew something versus a non-Jap.) Like what you say about trying to deviate from it ends up as a "messy mixture."
So yeah it can kind of suck 'cause you still may be into it and a lot of people seem like they're trying to make it a thing of the past bit so what? If they wanna "get over" anime, let them. You enjoy what you wanna enjoy and you can always find new friends in fandoms who share your interests. And that's coming from someone who has lost a lot of interest in anime in general. (Sorry for the wall of text.)
>>8799839
It's always a good idea to draw in various styles and be flexible. For personal projects, I don't like to draw anime too much, there's maybe a smidge of anime influence still left in my work. But I can switch over to anime because it sells at anime cons or go western style for comic shows.
>>8799854
>Inb4 Nippon gr8est, I mean you can clearly tell if a Japanese person drew something versus a non-Jap
>tfw this is what I'm trying to achieve
Is that a weird goal?
And I get what you mean, it's just sad to sometimes see it treated like it's a childish style that you should grow out of, even if you're just a hobbyist.
>>8799866
I'm kind of curious to see you're work, there's not many people who can switch between a solid anime and cartoon style. I don't mean this in a "I don't believe you" way, it actually sounds really great!
>>8799839
I understand what you mean by the kind of art style that screams 'desperately trying not to be too anime'. Basically, the generic tumblr style.
I still love anime style art, especially when done by artists that are very skilled. I think the anime style gets a bad rap because that's how everyone drew when they were just starting out and knowing nothing about art, leading to comically dorito-shaped heads and huge overwrought eyes without any skill to it.
>pic related to the well done anime side
>>8799952
Yeah, that's exactly what I mean, that awkward style where they scream how they don't draw anime anymore when still obviously having those traits in their art.
Pic related would also be a good example of a good 'anime' style
>>8797368
all rights means they own the image, not the character.
but I won't do it, because this means they COULD print posters, make merchandise with your art. they could even re-sell your image to another company without compensating you anything because they OWN your image.
doesn't mean they will tho. but just the idea of it is a turn off.
I honestly feel like conventions just do all rights or work for hire because they have no idea how to make a proper contract that benefits BOTH parties and just go for the thing that makes their own life easier.
>>8799839
Honestly, what really irks me is all the kids drawing in Steven Universe style. It just annoys me for some reason, probably because a lot of them have this condescending "oh I've grown out of anime" attitude.
>>8799839
When I went to art school, all of my teachers started the year by saying NO ANIME, which within a year actually turned into NO TUMBLR ART since the classes were flooded with noodle arms and tumblr noses. It was funny because all the kids with anime influence seemed to improve leeps and bounds by their senior year over the tumblr art kids, I'm not sure why exactly.
Everyone was essentially forced to go away from their anime influence, and there was this year where everyone's art was so boring. By senior year though a lot of kids were like "fuck it" and had obvious anime influence but it came out in different ways.
>>8799995
>which within a year actually turned into NO TUMBLR ART since the classes were flooded with noodle arms and tumblr noses
My sides.
I've heard some stories of a friend who told me her school was so into the whole 'anime is evil" thing that her good drawing in anime style was bashed, while her shitty 5 minute cartoon doodle was praised, purely because of the style.
>>8800067
if you read the whole post you'd notice that was an example of good anime style. tumblr style is kinda like westernised chibi with slightly less oversized heads and red oval noses
>>8799952
The image >>8800067 is a pic of well done anime art. Tumblr art is more like pic related. Basically anything that tries to be as diversified but their attempts to avoid pretty sameface turns into ugly sameface. Tumblr nose is usually referring to big red noses that you see in a lot of anime styles. There's also that one Love Live image that likes to get posted; maybe another anon has it.
>>8800078
>Tumblr nose is usually referring to big red noses that you see in a lot of anime styles.
Sorry, I mean in a lot of Tumblr styles.
>>8799319
What kind of sticker paper are you using? My friends and I use LD products' glossy sticker paper, and it doesn't scratch off too easily or get faded by a little bit of water. If you just want a quick solution to your current paper problems, putting a layer of transparent contact paper makes it really hardy. I bought a roll from Target for less than $10, and it comes with quite a lot.
>>8799839
The last part makes me worry about my art a little since I feel like I'm stuck somewhere in between, and I'm not sure which direction to go. It's a weird limbo.
>>8799995
Haha, I feel like this happened when I was in school as well. I know a lot of my classmates had some anime influence in their lives and I feel like it's definitely impacted their post-school art a lot. It's almost kind of refreshing to see amongst all the noodle arms.
>>8800078
that drawing is cute, though. outfit is shit and banner is eeehhh but the style isn't eyebleedingly offensive. i've seen far worse.
the big red nose thing is popular in a lot of art, disney is doing it a lot recently, just check out the concept art for wreck it ralph.
a lot of the stuff people call 'tumblr style' is just popular and contemporary art trends but badly done because it is largely a community of amateurs. /ic/ fails to understand this and whines about 'hipster styles' every ten minutes or so
>>8799995
'be inspired by more dead artists than live ones' is solid advice for anyone
>>8800147
about pic related, it's an anime thing. Undertale and SU are more heavily influenced by anime than anything. I mean it's a super tumblr drawing thing now but this exaggerated expression predates tumblr by a longshot.
I feel like there are better examples than pic related in Dragon Ball but google image search is not helping me out here.
>>8800067
Generic 'trying-so-hard-not-to-be-anime' tumblr art style courtesy of the supernatural fanart tag.
>>8799839
Eh my art style has evolved out of anime mostly. Honestly I had influences back in school, but I always had my own weird take on it. My real talent is in realism, so I think I just resist that less now.
Do what makes you happy, yo.
>>8799995
Oh man. I'm probably older than most of you guys. Went to college pre-tumblr. I got so much shit for anime style and wanting to illustrate in general. In short, going to university for an art degree sucks... the scope of what qualifies as "Art" is limited. I could only pull off illustration if it was part of a graphic design. My art is barely anime influenced too.
>>8799995
It's weird because before I started college I heard people going through the same thing: not allowed to draw anime. Now, as a college student myself, I never hear anyone tell others to stop drawing anime but just draw as an individual. Teachers and students alike are seeing so many ripoffs and copies on tumblr that they don't care what style you draw as long as you develop it on your own rather than trying to become what everyone else is. I'm glad though because anime doesn't get nearly as much credit as it should.
>>8800082
I've been using label paper which is probably why. I'll look up the LD sticker paper. Does it print well with black? Can it be kiss cut?
As for the contact paper, do you just apply it directly on top? I'm seeing the sheets but I can't seem to find rolls of it by googling.
>>8799854
>I feel like the anime art style is also something respectable. There's a certain balance to it that's difficult to achieve and can rarely be copied by non-Japanese people.
Definitely agree. It's really easy to tell if the drawing was done by someone of Asian descent or European descent. I usually prefer any series' Asian fandom more than the Western fandom because they produce a lot more art of better quality and there's also less shitty drama within the fan community.
>>8800067
If anyone has that horrible Love Live picture we all hate on hand, that would be a fine example of tumblr art.
>>8800358
>It's really easy to tell if the drawing was done by someone of Asian descent or European descent.
Because I"m trying to achieve that sense that my art can't be distinguished from your average japanese artist, I've really been trying to pin point exactly what gives off that vibe and what doesn't.
Yet even then it's pretty difficult, I can see it's made by a japanese (though I'm getting good at figuring out if an artist is Korean too) but I can't say exactly WHY.
do anyone of you know where i can print out full sheets of stickers online (not cut) ?
does anyone know how to take nice photos of clay charms for online stores?? ive tried but since they arent flat on the back or anything (people shaped)they tend to roll around a bit an look unflattering? and if anyone knows how to advertise online stores well, im not really sure how to go about that either :o
>>8800373
i always use a lightbox and tape them down in a cute 'pose' with a bit of masking tape. as for advertising, i'm lost myself, but i do know that taking your audience into consideration is important
So I've lurked in a few AA threads, but I still want to ask what kind of advice you'd give a newbie?
So far I've been at a few conventions, I checked out other artists and stuff, but I'm still unsure. So far I am a completly unknown artist. I wanna work on more internet presence, but still I'm not famous or well known. I also don't really know any of the artists even though I wish I had friends who are into art. But I don't want to spaghetti all over them at a busy con, or come off as need/creepy stalker
>tfw no art friends...
I think I can kinda talk to people and have smalltalk/not sperge out completly, but first I'd have to get customers interested. How do you achieve a "personal" AA table, style (not talking about art style) products etc? Any tips on that?
>basically how 2 find your niche, etc
Also how fucked am I if my digital art skills are terrible? I plan to work on that but since I'm not very fond of digital art I don't want to pour in more energy than I need to. Is traditional media fucked and should I just into PS/SAI, or are basic skills with digital art enough?
Also ANY kind of advice is welcome, I'll continue lurking the thread and try not to be too obnoxious.
>>8800345
My major is some awkward mix of Digital Media/Animation/Print, which is under the scope of Engineering at my university, and anime is HUGE in it for some damn reason. Even the professors watch it and talk about it. But to be fair, nothing in the degree teaches you how to draw or design (it mostly focuses on marketing, industry, and the process to create a final product), so if 85% of the students can't draw for shit because they symbol draw anime, it's not their problem.
>>8800384
>no artsy friends
>no internet presence
>garbage at digital art
A-are you me, anon?
>>8800384
all the questions you have is just based on your inexperience. honestly if you want friends at cons, you need to go to more, print trade and just say hi. Finding your niche is something you will learn the more cons you do.
if your skill is good. it doesn't matter what medium you use, digital or traditional because it will show through. good art is good art. it's a pet peeve of mine whenever some people have a preference to one or feel like the two is different. ti's just using different tools.
from the sounds of it, you just haven't gotten used to photoshop, just keep on practising or make sure your traditional pieces when scanned in retains it's quality. and since you don't like doing digital art just don't do it, there's no point in doing something you don't like
>>8800396
I'm not, but I'm glad I'm not the only one with these problems! We can be artless friends together if you want, A-anon
>>8800400
>if your skill is good. it doesn't matter what medium you use, digital or traditional because it will show through. good art is good art. it's a pet peeve of mine whenever some people have a preference to one or feel like the two is different. ti's just using different tools.
Thank you for your honest opinion! I've often heard that traditional art might be shit for prints, or how digital art is soooo much better because x, so I got the impression that there might be a tendency to prefer digital art. I still wanna learn some basic stuff, but I know I'll never be amazing at digital art, so I'll focus on traditional art.
I plan to go to more conventions this year, and I'm planning to do an art tumblr so that I have a portfolio and some potential followers. I really want to focus on getting an online presence this year, going to cons and improving my art skills, and maaayyyybe I'll try to apply for a small con AA in 2017.
Anything I should look out for on cons especially? Next time I'll try to get more pics of set ups and buy more prints. I also thought about getting more commissions, just to see how other artists handle these, what they charge, and maybe get the chance to talk to someone.
>>8800427
Every time I look at this I can find something new to hate about it
>>8800427
I don't even know this series but I still feel offended by this.
>>8800427
I can never decide which one in particular makes me the most enraged. They're all so awful. It hurts because if they were original characters I would probably like them just fine.
>>8800370
I think it's really based on influences growing up and the aesthetics you're introduced to early on. I can't quite explain, it's just one of those things that's just... A thing, you know? I guess the best way I can think of at the moment is the difference between Asian "cute" and Westernized "cute". Asian "cute" is summed up of things like rilakkuma, hello kitty, neko atsume. Westernized "cute" is summed up of things like shopkins, my little pony, and beanie boos. Hell, just take a look and compare the attractions/souvenirs/foods of America's Disney parks and Tokyo Disney. The aesthetics are just plain different because the audience grew up to find said aesthetic more appealing and charming.
There's really no use in trying too hard to draw more like someone of Asian descent. More than likely you'll just have that "tumblr" style everyone is talking about. Just draw how you normally do and you'll improve and grow your own way.
>>8800427
>Hanayo's legs
That's not how anatomy works.
>>8800427
This is honestly the worst thing I've ever seen. People to try to over-diversify give me the biggest migraine.
I can't stop looking. It makes me so mad.
>>8800427
I hate this more and more every time I see it. It's super ugly.
>>8800421
I'm assuming people say that because traditional art doesn't print well if not scanned and corrected right?
I do a mix of both traditional and digital and I always filter and clean my traditional pieces so it's ready for print. I've noticed that many people don't do that with their traditional pieces and it looks dirty/messy.
sorry, but i'm not going to spoon feed you which cons to go to ( if that's what you meant?) but everything you've mentioned you should just do it. get a art tumblr right now and start updating. stop waiting, open your commissions up. and look for local cons to apply to right now.
>>8800427
where is this originally from?
>>8800495
Love Live. It's right there in the thread.
>>8800493
>I'm assuming people say that because traditional art doesn't print well if not scanned and corrected right?
>I do a mix of both traditional and digital and I always filter and clean my traditional pieces so it's ready for print. I've noticed that many people don't do that with their traditional pieces and it looks dirty/messy.
Thanks anon! I've been fine with a scanner and I usually try to edit my pics so they look good on screen. If I ever do prints I would do a few test runs for the best print editing method.
>sorry, but i'm not going to spoon feed you which cons to go to ( if that's what you meant?)
No need to do that (we are probabyl not rom the same country anyway, Eurofag here)!
>but everything you've mentioned you should just do it. get a art tumblr right now and start updating. stop waiting, open your commissions up. and look for local cons to apply to right now.
I'll do so! I actually already have a side blog but I was too lazy to set up a theme and stuff. But I shall do it now. If you mind, do you have any tips on how to get exposure on tumblr? Besides drawing for popular fandoms I have no idea.
>>8800524
Like any other social media, you just need to tag properly. Post at high traffic times. Submit to blogs who will promote your shit. If you follow people or like a lot of their works, they will probably take a look at your stuff and reblog it if they like it.
>>8800469
The thing for me is though, I hate the western feel my art has. All I want to achieve is to get rid of that.
>>8800508
No, I meant the artist
>>8800549
Oh. It was mentioned in one of the previous threads.
>tomatomagica@tumblr
>>8800524
Sorry, I can't help you with tumblr :(, I honestly have no idea. I only have a few k followers and desu, it makes no difference with sales. My friend who have no online presence makes more then all my friends who have millions+ views on deviantart. I'm sure if you keep at it consistently, make great work and show off a great personality you will eventually get the following you desire :).
>>8800554
Sorry I don't follow but thanks!
Oh , she's actually a really good artist wtf
>>8800574
>Oh , she's actually a really good artist wtf
Are we looking at the same artist? All she does is genereric tumblr art, and not even good one. Most content is just a character from a popular fandom in an uninspired pose, no background, nothing interesting. I've seen far better even from generic tumblr artists.
Sage for OT
>>8799795
Yeah, though I'd never do it for a con considering material and labor cost. You also have to realize that 99% of the people at a convention won't know the difference between an actual silkscreen/linocut/etc. and a digital print, nor will they give a fuck.
Hell, most people can't fucking tell the difference between weight of paper shit's printed on.
>>8800532
Well you could try, no one is stopping you. It just sounds like a wasted attempt. These non-western artists are just doing what feels natural to them. Doing it out of force is always obvious.
I don't really know what you want me to do. Make a folder of your favorite anime art and just study why you like it so much. Figure it out and apply it to your own art. No promises on the results.
>>8799879
Nah, not at all. I also didn't mean to imply that anything not anime-style is horrible in my last post. I think there are plenty of people/artists that find their own, non-anime style that's really cute/good/works in their own unique way. Sorry if I came off salty lol.
>it's just sad to sometimes see it treated like it's a childish style
I think that's why a lot of people past their twenties are trying to move away from anime because they associate it with their weeb, younger past. But nah man, sure some people can see it and associate with Naruto and be like "that's so immature/weebish" and yeah Naruto is overrated and stupid but the art's pretty well-balanced and nice. If you're working towards an "anime" style aesthetic, I say fucking go for it and good on you for trying. It's not easy, especially with pressure from others you may be facing on how it's "childish" but some people can't separate the talent it takes to achieve the anime style from the retarded fandoms and stereotypes that stem from the "anime culture." So pretty much what I'm trying to say is if you like and wanna keep getting better at it, more power to ya mate.
>>8800358
Ayy, I know what you mean. And it's not to say Western artists don't produce good stuff, it's just that I personally prefer Asian/Eastern styles more. Pic related, it's Chinese and sure the faces/anatomy can be a bit wonky sometimes, but the artists' humor is 10/10.
Again, sorry for the essay lol.
>>8799089
square is great, my friends love paypal for larger business stuff
I don't pass down card fees to customers becuase its 3% but some people do and add a dollar surcharge to milk more money outta people but whatever.
keep 40 of change in your till at the beginning, mostly in 5s and ones. everyone on friday pays with 20s and god DAMN
>>8800358
It prints fine with black for me, but many of my friends had an issue with the black ink coming off for some reason. I've used this paper with three different printers, Canon and Brother, and never had any problems with it. Maybe I'm just lucky? I don't believe you can use it for kiss cutting (I just cut out each sticker by hand), but I don't have a machine for that so I don't know for sure.
As for contact paper, I just peel it off, stick it onto the sticker paper, and remove any bubbles. There's a lot of different kinds of contact paper, and you want to make sure that the kind you get REALLY sticks to the sticker paper. Mine is actually shelf liner from the kitchen department of Target, but it's transparent, not too thick, sticks like hell, and pretty cheap.
how do people feel about original art?
if someone has a decent level of skill, would you say it's viable to sell more original than fan art?
Also, what kinds of original work have you seen in AA before?
sorry if dumb question, I've never tabled before, and was just curious about the idea
>>8800848
generally, original art will not sell more than fanart. it's the way of the beast, unfortunately.
I sell fanart alongside original art, and generally people will buy stuff that fits their own personal aesthetic (ie: I sell a bunch of deer and everyones gay for deer right now, or skeletons are big with others, or sushi and stuff like that).
For original art I'd definitely keep that stuff on like stickers and bookmarks when you're starting, because the fanart will be what draws people towards your table, but people with higher standards will be drawn to look at your table and be more likely to buy something that isn't fandom specific.
Just don't sell your ocs unless you want to live in a box (unless you sell comics)
>>8800848
I like original art of monster girls, I would buy stuff like that that was original & I see a lot of people doing that at least online.
I think if you appeal to a certain aesthetic it will sell like appealing to a certain fandom. But I would definitely find out what people actually like before putting a lot of resources into selling original stuff. Meh fandom stuff will still sell but there's not a chance in selling meh originals.
>>8800848
I did a bunch of original art with cute animals and so far my original posters have been one of the most popular items at my table these past few cons. They just as much as the popular fanart posters I have and more than the less popular/obscure fanart posters.
Like other anons have said having a certain theme or aesthetic, it'd be best.
>>8800457
>It hurts because if they were original characters I would probably like them just fine.
Fucking this. Is your OC a genderqueer polyamorous asexual aromantic black Muslim-Bhuddist autistic womyn with at least three disabilities? OK. Just don't shoehorn all your escapist victim fantasies into a series about goddamn idols whose looks and ability to function under stress are important to the story.
I swear, you can almost taste the desperation in the art tag sometimes.
>>8800607
Compared to the shitfest posted above, her bland stuff is a million times better. I think anon is just confused by the sudden overdose of SJW in the Love Live piece.
>>8800649
Could it be the colour palette and softer lines? I've noticed that a lot of Western anime art uses very strong, bright colours, and usually harsher lines, like a reverse JJBA. It might be useful if you copied generic cutesy art from something like a notepad to see if the end result looks more like what you want, figure out what you did differently, and redraw some pieces you weren't happy with to see if it makes a difference.
>>8800345
This. My animation professors all told us the same thing. "Don't draw anime. Animation studios HATE anime and they won't hire you if you draw it!" This was while stuff like "Totally Spies!" and "Teen Titans" was airing, but they had mostly worked for Nickelodeon or doing animation for network websites. Back then, I tried to push myself to draw more like the Scott Pilgrim guy. It wasn't very good or distinct, but my professors loved it.
Nowadays, I just kind of go with what I like. It's still sort of in that weird "Well, Yeah, this is anime, but it's kinda weird anime" area, but it's a lot better than when I was forcing myself to draw more like Western TV stuff.
>>8800848
I sell some original art alongside my fanart, and surprisingly it's gotten the same if not more attention than my fanart. I draw a lot of monsters so I guess it attracts people who like creepy stuff.
From what I've seen it's mostly cute stuff on buttons or stickers. Some trends I've seen lately are corgis, cats, and sushi. There was an artist that did really nice drawings of food.
>>8800809
Awesome, thanks for your help! I'll look more into the paper you recommended and if that doesn't work out with kiss cuts I'll find that shelf liner.
>>8800427
EVERY. THREAD.
>>8800889
Not necessarily, I don't think. Plenty of Asian artists use bright, strong color palettes and plenty also use harsh lines. Pigeon666 uses color really boldly and vividly but their art still maintains that non-westernized style.
It doesn't stop at just anime. I've seen Steven Universe fanart done by Asian artists and though they draw in a more cartoon style, it's still obviously drawn by an Asian person.
>>8800991
I just can't figure out exactly why it's so obvious it's drawn by Asians
>>8801016
The minimalism?
>>8800881
>>8800457
God yeah. People who make these types of try-hard diverse "versions" of anime characters just don't seem to... Understand the original appeal? The Love Live girls are appealing and charming because of their moe girl personalities and styles. They're generic moe fanservice girls who's purpose is to just be that: moe fanservice girls. I'm not complaining, that's just what they are and Tumblr fanartists don't accept that. They can't accept that this media isn't actually a social step forward and it's just another media that appeals to the masses of sweaty nerds.They're not meant to be some social statement on the diversity and flexibility of idol girls.
Keeping it artist alley related: What are some new products people have been experimenting with? I've been meaning to try out eye masks but unsure if it's really worth it for the price and hassle.
>>8801043
I do think that's a rather big component, they just draw what they find appealing rather then trying to stand out by making their art more diverse or unique and THAT's why it stands out.
>>8801043
Ugh, seriously. If you want the Love Live girls to be black, just draw them as slim, fit black girls who can sing and dance. Because they're idols. That's what the point of idols is.
As for new products, I've been contemplating hats and headdresses, but I don't know if it would be worth selling them at an AA. I'll probably sell a few online though, they take quite a bit of time to make and it'd be easier to make them MTOs instead of lugging a bunch around. I'm still fiddling about with proportions and materials, but it's pretty good fun.
>>8801085
Yeah. Instead of making interesting fanart they make the characters "more interesting" to their liking. AKA making the character something entirely different from who they originally are.
>>8801100
Yup. Idols are so specific in Japanese culture. They behave and look a certain way to fit idol standards. Like, okay, if you want them tanner or a little chubbier sure, but changing them so much to fit your own ideals just takes away that 'idol'-ness from them. Have they never seen the seiyuu who do the performances? That's what idols are.
Oh cool, headdresses. Would you make them as original creations or for a series? I've rarely seen any hats done in the AA except the anime trash ones.
>>8799995
When I applied for my current college, one of my previous profs from my previous college explained to me why exactly anime is not taken seriously as an art form, and while I was at my first college I understood this because there was a girl in my program who was one of the people who make people not want to take anime art seriously.
He told me: "Anime style art isn't taken so seriously and is really usually frowned upon because they can never tell what's copied or not. There are a lot of people out there who take screenshots from anime and just copy that directly and call it their own when really that's just plagarism. There are so many people who apply to colleges with portfolios that include this kind of "anime art" that it's just gotten to the point where it left a bitter taste in the art world. Now though, it seems that anime is starting to pick up in popular culture it's a lot more accepted but a lot of schools don't want it in their portfolios because they want to see what else the artist can do since so many applicants in illustration based programs can do anime art."
My portfolio for my current school, I was told not to include anime art but once I actually started at the school, they really didn't care. My program coordinator who told me "no anime in portfolios" was actually one of my profs and our final in that class was to replicate the Mona Lisa in an art style of an established living artist. I went for Takashi Murakami's anime style to see what would happen and she fucking loved my art piece.
So it's not really a matter of them not exactly liking it, it's more like they don't want people to submit copy work because that so often happens.
Also sorry for the long post haha.
I don't want to make my post longer, else I'd go on with the story of how a girl in my program managed to copy the design and name of a character from an anime and played him off as her own.
>>8800384
I actually own a couple of prints from artists who do their drawings traditionally and then enlarge them when they scan so they can print them larger to sell. Why not do that?
>>8800427
Rin's belly button looks like a vagina, and everyone else's look like cuts
All this talk of displays, but what's the best way to store your non-display merch at your table? What's the best way to keep your 20+ prints ready to go, and how do you organize those dozens of buttons?
>>8800427
This image just baffles me. Nozomi clearly isn't fat in the series, and IIRC, Nico is one of the paler characters. If it wasn't for the hair styles, I wouldn't recognize some of them.
>>8801552
>What's the best way to keep your 20+ prints ready to go
There are so many ways to do it, but I prefer an art portfolio (the black thin ones that come with shoulder straps). I don't have a lot of prints so that works for me, and then I place a sticky note on the first of every design with a description of the print so it's quick to pick out.
>and how do you organize those dozens of buttons?
see pic. I got something similar from Dollarama here in Canada that has removable walls inside so if I have more of a certain series I can change the inner layout. And then I just place small labels on the outside with the series/character names
>>8801552
I keep buttons and the printed circles in boxes with dividers, you can get them at most craft stores. For prints I keep them in a flat box and just use a post it note to mark where different designs are.
>>8799207
Sorry. I was kind of rambling when I asked "payments".
Good to know about square, it seems to be the most commonly used. How do you (or anyone else) feel about the PayPal reader? I looked into it and like the inventory feature.
When I said "handing payments" I guess I was rambling about the whole subject in general. Sorry if I was a little unclear.
Regarding till money DESU those were numbers I was kind of guessing since I work in retail. Wanted feedback just incase. Thank you again anon!
>>8800607
Sure, but she's a hell of a lot better than that one pic would lead you to believe. Pic related, I'd go so far as to call it cute.
Would the hassle of carrying around and watching over your button maker be worth being able to sell a custom/make your own button kind of thing? The novelty sounds nice, but the drawing in a one or two inch diameter surface sounds like hell.
>>8801793
If I didn't know it was Love Live, I'd think it was just some white girl in cosplay lolita. Her Rin is not cute.
Also attached, more examples of Tumblr style art. Again, if I didn't know it was Love Live I wouldn't know who these characters were.
>>8801812
I've purchased make-your-own buttons before and I loved them. You got to draw your own face on Blanca from Animal Crossing and then they punched it for you. I thought it was pretty cool.
>>8801793
This looks like shit though. It's like Penny Arcade trying to be animu.
On the whole subject of style and anime between western and asian artists, even in this sketch you can clearly see it was done by someone in Asia (Korean in this case, not Japanese).
I feel like it's because they just try to draw what is pretty rather then always focusing on what technically works (as in anatomy and such) which is not to say that most of these artists still have way better anatomy then your average tumblr artist.
Comparing it to this >>8801793 even if that's not really trying to be anime, you can see how their drawing uses way more rounded shapes, something you don't see the same way in art by Asians.
Sorry for all the rambling, I just think it's interesting how even if it's the same style you can still tell what region the artists live in.
>>8801812
I've done custom buttons before, it's actually not too bad to draw (I have a 1.25" maker) as long as you stick to something simple. I've done goofy ones too that are just black and white and pretty fun to draw. Just make sure you charge a good amount of you're doing them alongside regular commissions.
Tbh pandering seem to be the only way to make money anymore from my personal experience.
Steven Universe is what sold last year at my cons. Undertale and OPM are most likely what are gonna sell this year.
I dont think im gonna do one this year.
>>8802095
Speaking art/drawing wise btw
>>8802095
i do okay with minimal fanart for sale
>>8802107
I sold decently but the chick next to me was selling little chibi Steven Universe characters like every 10 minutes for like $20.
>>8802095
you can't undertale
>>8802095
Undertale fans will rip your shit apart if you try selling anything based off that. The creator isn't okay with it and it's like homestuck, you'll get dirty looks and lectures I'm sure.
>>8802095
>>8802156
lol speaking of which, did anyone ever find out who that one scumbag artist selling undertale at sacanime was? Saw some attendees toting around the print for a good portion of the con. I heard that the artist was chewed out by staff but the artist was pretty stubborn about it. Anyone who went to sacanime this past weekend know the full story?
>>8802175
Was it large prints of straight-on face headshots?
>>8802149
>>8802156
Ah,didn't know this.
Well I guess its just OPM and SU again. Im sure SU art will sell again since this censorship thing.
>>8802175
Someone was selling undertale at a con a month or two ago and I didnt see any drama there. It was like Lolita Sans and full on scenes of battles though, not just straight up drawing characters like >>8802184 is asking
>>8802028
I think westerners focus too much on coloring/shading and I don't know exactly how to say this but I kind of want to call it "shape blocking." Like you know how every how-to-draw book advises making figures with basic shapes like cylinders and circles? It's like most of them draw a bunch of lumps and then draw the character over them. I know a lot of cartoons have shape-based characters also but it makes their drawings lack the decent structure most other artists have in comparison.
>>8802291
No I get what you mean, they focus too much on shapes and often seem to pay less attention on what looks nice vs what is more technically correct.
Also you see way less Asian artist using muddy shading while even with some otherwise great Western artist who still have this weird grey and muddy shading..
I made a chart using love live fanart since that seems to be where it started. Sorry, but I lost some sources for the drawings on the right.
The drawings on the left are simply more appealing and cute in a way the drawings on the right cannot compare. The right is so bland and lacks charm the way the drawings on the left do. The artists' sensibilities are very clear and obvious when shown side by side. There is a huge gap that is just not reachable by the artists shown on the right.
It's really interesting that you can tell. I can't say completely why either, just that it looks nice when Asian people draw anime.
>>8802342
unrelated but who the fuck makes a thank you drawing post for such an abysmally low amount of followers. What kind of milestone is 60+ ???
>>8802358
it probably took years...
>>8802342
way to cherrypick, anon. There absolutely western artists who draw fan art that gives off that ~azn mystique~. It's a matter of talent, not where you fucking live.
>>8802367
Go on, show us some examples then. Oh and make sure they aren't Asian but living in a different country.
>>8802358
maybe they're just appreciative of what they have and aren't a melancholic piece of shit like you lol
>>8802368
>make sure they aren't asian but living in a different country
anon, you need to tone down your autism
>>8802342
I dunno. I think there's such a thing as east Asian aesthetic, but I don't buy that a certain ethnicity will draw a certain way. Pic related, three works by three different people. One of them is non Asian while the other two are. Can you really say for sure which ones are Asian just from the kind of style they lean towards?
>>8802394
Self bias, but I definitely think it's more a matter of where you were raised than what ethnicity you are. I'm asian and I definitely think I draw like a westerner, no matter how much I try to emulate asian styles.
>>8802394
Bottom is drawn by non-asian. Am I right? lol
>>8802404
No way, check the kanji on their unifroms
>>8802342
I won't argue that there are certain artistic qualities and stylistic choices that a person who identifies as Asian, might be more exposed to (watching more anime as a kid, for example). However, I don't see any reason why a non-Asian couldn't match these qualities/stylistic choices if they had the skill and similar influences. Art is a learned skill, you know.
Also, comparing more professional, well-established artists (who do art for a living) with amateur/hobbyist artists (with barely 60 followers) isn't very indicative of what type of art appeals.
>>8802358
Im gonna make a drawing for getting my 47th twitter follower today
>>8802342
>huge gap that is not reachable by western artists
lol nice try
pic related are all non-asian artists
skill and style =/= ethnicity specific
>>8800493
This. As someone who works primarily traditionally, people who say it does not make good prints probably does not know what they are doing.
>>8802410
>Art is a learned skill
This is key.
I think one reason why it seems like more Asian artists draw "better" than Western artist isn't inherently their ethnicity but their training. At least in Korea, lots of art schools and art training schools have a very heavy emphasis on draftsmanship, fluidity, composition, anatomy, and just general artistic discipline. As a result, your average Korean who's gone to a cram school for art or art school is probably very competent at general drawing, drafting, etc. and has a skill set that translates pretty easily into pretty anime drawings. I imagine it's the same for a bunch of other Asian countries.
Compare that to your average Western artist and your "average" Western art school. In general, there's more of an emphasis on expression and creativity than there is on discipline or any "hard skills" that help tremendously when creating an appealing drawing.
But, again, these are just very rough generalizations. When you get more specific and start looking at very specific types of training programs, you get variations in style. For example, someone who's done a program like Concept Design Academy in SoCal or gone to an atelier art program will probably come out with excellent painting, lighting, and compositional skills- less "anime" shit, but probably way better at concept art, illustrations, backgrounds, etc. They'll also be leagues better than an artist who just went to a place like Institute of the Arts or even more general art schools like SCAD/SVA/Academy of Art/etc and went for a more general degree like illustration or comicking.
>>8800427
Isn't this the cleaned up version? Like, they had armpit hair and leg hair I feel, and some anon tried to make it better.
>>8801016
I've noticed it is a weird blend of anatomy and line quality. I can just tell because asian artists have this slightly off way of drawing anatomy where I can tell they primarily learned from manga and those tutorials that float around pixiv. Western artists tend to be more diverse in inspiration since it's pushed to draw from life and DON'T DRAW ANIME! The digital brushes westerners prefer are different (stumpy pencil, for example) than the smoother brushes asians prefer. Like that other anon said, you can just tell what influences an artist grew up with from their art. Asian art is going to look more distinctly anime because that is what they grew up around, and aren't actively pushed to not draw it like westerners are.
>>8801266
Now you HAVE to tell the story of anime plagerism girl.
I had a character design class where a girl would have a different OC everyweek that was always a direct rip off of different anime or game characters. My friends and I would see who could figure out which character it was first and point it out during critique.
>>8802342
asian fetishists are gross
>>8802532
demitasse and inma are asian you stupid fuck.
way to be ignorantly be racist while trying to disprove racism
>>8802679
>way to be ignorantly be racist while trying to disprove racism
>>8802679
Is Inma Asian? Her DA says she's from Spain and she has a photo up, but it doesn't say anything about her ethnicity.
>>8802342
lol anon one of your "non-asian artists" is asian. Which makes me wonder where you count asians who live in the west.
So uh...
How many cons are you planning on going to this year? Will you be selling at them, as well?
I won't be leaving the Atlanta area, myself. AWA AA registration is usually in March, but there's no info on this year so far.
>>8802580
>>8802813
Oh my god she's done stuff like this on multiple occasions. The instance I'm talking about right now, it was Mephisto from Blue Exorcist. We had an assignment where we had to design a super hero or a super villain, and it's not like this prof wouldn't allow anime art because I submitted a magical girl and got a 95 on it. It was a matter of how much detail we put into the story with concept to go along with it. So this one her, I'll call her C. C drew a hero and a villain. Pretty sure her "hero" was a girl who could time travel and her design was a copy from some dress up game she played online. Her villain, as I mentioned earlier was pretty much Mephisto. Same EXACT design, but she just changed his colours. She even kept his exact name. A lot of people in my class, specifically the people in my friend group, could tell who it was. One friend actually also pointed out that a little demon creature thing she drew was a digimon. It was embarrassing to watch. To top it off, she COULD NOT take criticism at all. She would have temper tantrums because people tried to give her constructive criticism or inform her of her plagarism. She's stormed out of the classroom in the middle of other people's presentations too before because she'd be trying to rush to finish one of her art projects and it wouldn't be going well for her.
There was no way she seriously wanted to be an artist, it was obvious she was in the program for weeby reasons, like wanting to be a manga artist to go and make are in great Nippon~ We kind felt bad for her because she was not cut out to be an artist at all.
>>8803234
Oh yeah forgot to mention, a lot of her art was of Vocaloids too, and pretty sure they were all based off of using bases and designs from dress up games if they weren't plagiarized characters and designs.
>>8803193
>How many cons are you planning on going to this year?
I try to go to all of the cons I can in the area, there are maybe like 8 or 9
>Will you be selling at them, as well?
I may only sell at like half of them this year since I'm just getting started and want to stay away from the bigger cons (more expensive + more people)
>>8803193
I'm probably going to 4 this year, one of which has already passed. Might add on another if I think I can handle it. And yup, I sell at every con I go to!
Where do you guys go to find table partners or people selling their artist alley tables? I really want to try Anime Matsuri this year because it's local for me and I figured with all the drama some people might be selling their tables but maybe not.
>>8802549
>I think one reason why it seems like more Asian artists draw "better" than Western artist isn't inherently their ethnicity but their training.
anon, you don't see shit and mediocre art by asians because you don't live in asia. you're the weeb equivilent of the 'born in the wrong era' guy whining about how literally everyone in the past was better at art while cradling a book of rembrandt etchings.
I have a question about using the actual titles of shows/mangas to advertise your merch at cons (putting up signs saying something like "OPM stickers!"). I'm kind of confused becuase I heard that Funimation doesn't allow artists to use logos of their licensed shows, but is it just logos or are titles off limits as well?
>>8803193
Going to 8, maybe 9 cons this year! Two of them being out of state so I'm pretty excited about that.
I usually sell at most of the cons I attend, but if I don't get into fanime I still plan on attending just to experience a norcal con.
>>8803390
Both. They don't care about copyright, they want to protect their trademark.
Also, do what other anons have suggested and just put up "single punch man" or something.
Is it weird if you table by yourself at your first con? My first con is coming up pretty soon and I'll be tabling by myself with a friend as a helper. Would it seem too idk arrogant for a beginner to do this?
>>8803401
Holy crap, I did not know that. Is it just Funimation that does this? Also, are online storefronts ok?
>>8803390
Logos, titles, and character names are off limits with Funimation.
>>8803404
I don't think it's weird at all! If you're confident I say go for it and have fun!
>>8803404
I did a solo table since my very first alley... I just don't have artist friends. My one other artist friend needs a full table to accommodate all her stuff to sell and I'm the same way.
