Tag Archives: how-to

How to Prepare for an Art Show

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You are an self-represented artist in the beginning stages of your career and you’ve booked an art show on your own, congratulations! Whether you have a solo show in a fine art gallery or are part of a collective exhibit in a skate shop, there are a few things you need to consider and prepare before, during, and after the big day. If you still have questions or concerns, be sure to double-check with the person that booked you.

Before

You will need to assemble a body of your artwork that will represent you in your absence and speak on your behalf. Think carefully about the pieces you choose to exhibit if you have limited space, and even if you don’t.

Consideration
Consider the type of venue you’ve been booked with because some pieces might be a better “fit” for the demographic frequenting it. If you win over the majority, chances are you will make more sales. If you’re to show in a quaint cafe where food and drink are served, consider leaving that one gory surrealist piece titled “Ode to Bloodshed.” If you’re booked in a Witch-themed gift store in Salem, MA, maybe skip the painting of adorable puppy Golden Retrievers piled on top of a bed of daisies out of this showing. Get the drift? 

Preparation of Placards
Once you’ve selected some pieces you will need to create placards for each. If the venue takes care of placards, just have this information ready to submit upon their request:

  •  ”Title of Work”
  • Artist’s name (that’s you!)
  • Medium
  • Date

Depending on any contractual agreements, the venue might handle commission and contact between you and patrons, so you may or may not need to include the following:

  • Price – Take note of our “How to Price Art” post if you need help pricing your work!
  • Contact information
  • Website

ArtVenue, for instance, handles show bookings, artist placards, sales transactions, and hosts artists profiles. Their placards include all-of-the-above information. If you are in charge of creating your own placards, Alyson B Stanfield’s article on exhibit labels is quite useful, so take a quick read before you whip some up.

Preparation of Pieces
Make sure your art is display-ready, whether you outsource the manual labor or take the task upon yourself. Brass must be polished, glass must be wiped, photos must be framed and paintings must be wired and ready to hang! If you are required to bring display or hanging materials, make sure you have them in your possession at least the day before. Some venues might not allow you to hammer nails in their walls, or they might have a hanging system already in place – double-check the situation, always. Cite our previous “How to Hang Artwork” article if you need additional help!

Preparation of Press
Extra, extra, read all about it! Get the word out there. Create an event page on Facebook, invite your friends. Notify people via email. If you have extra cash to spend, create postcards of your art with all the details of the show and distribute them the week of the show. There is nothing wrong with a little bit of self-promotion! If you have a few left over, bring them to the show and use them as business cards for people to remember you by. 

Depending on the venue, you might be required to submit an artist statement. If you haven’t written on already, refer to ArtVenue’s post on how to write an artist statement. 

During

A Helpful Hand
No man is an island, and in this case, it is good to bring a friend to lend a helping-hand when you install your artwork. It’s always useful having an extra pair of eyes making sure your paintings are level and evenly spaced. The artistic mind can be a scattered one, so bringing a more objective mind along can be a huge help.

Presence
If you are part of a one-day event, stick around so you can interact with everyone. Someone could have a question about you and your art. That one 10-second interaction could be the difference that turns a passer-by into a long-term fan who is genuinely interested in your artistic career and progression. The more you engage and show people you are serious and passionate about your art, the better reception and impact you will have in the art community.

If you’ve booked a showing at a place that hosts monthly installations, first of all, good for you! Secondly, check in every now and then. Make sure your stack of artist cards is full, or if the venue has any follow-ups for you.

After

Expect people to become your fans, fans you will want to keep! Make sure there is a way to gather their information, whether its a physical sign-up/mailing sheet or a submission page on your website. If they contact you, gather and organize their names and email addresses so you can keep them informed of all your artistic endeavors. If you haven’t considered starting your own newsletter, now is the time to! There are plenty of reasons to have an art newsletter, and that extra outreach to a fan could end up in an everlasting and reciprocal art relationship.

Start making plans for your next show! Seize any and every opportunity you can! The more time & effort you put into your career, the more pay-off you will receive in the end. And, as with any hesitation or question you might have about something, seek the help and advice of others. Good luck!


Happy showing and art’ing, friends!

 

 

How to Photograph Art

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I am an artist, more specifically a painter. It’s times like photographing my work and uploading those digital images to the internet that make me wish I knew a little more about cameras and computers. I don’t have access to those large scanners either, so I need to rely on my digital camera. I seem to run into these issues when I compare the unedited digital image to the original:

  • The digital image looks really dull, where did the vibrancy go?
  • The camera gave the image a yellow hue the original doesn’t have.
  • The medium I use has a semi-gloss finish, and the camera’s flash is visible in the digital image.
  • The image is blurry! What gives?
  • The digital version looks warped near the corners.

Here are some tips for photographing and editing your artwork a ‘lil better!

With Your Camera

Lighting

Before you take a photo of your artwork, consider the current lighting situation. Both natural and artificial light reflect color onto what we see, and while our eyes adjust to the color change the camera tends to pick up those subtle hues. Sunlight is blue, but it gets redder as the sun sets later in the day. Fluorescent light bulbs shine differently from LED, halogen, Parabolic Aluminized Reflector, CFL bulbs and so forth. Your camera most likely has ‘White Balance’ settings that automatically adjust to the different types of light sources.

  • When in doubt, take photos indoors – the sun is a nice source of light, but weather is always temperamental.
  • The brighter it is in the room, the better. If the room is too dark and you rely on your flash, the outer edges of the piece might be darker than the center of it. An even and bright distribution of light is key!
  • Be careful of casting shadows on your work!
  • Consider the type of art you are photographing. If it has a glossy surface or is behind a glass, the flash is going to reflect right off of it and show on the digital image. Those bright clamp lamps come in handy and if you’re going to be taking photos of your art, it might be good to invest a few! Here is how you should set everything up:

Camera 

  • Unless you have a record-setting steady hand, I would use a tripod. You don’t want a blurry photo muddling the intricate details (shading, brush strokes, freckles, etc…) of your work. Always read your camera’s manual for setting tips!
  • This might be stating the obvious, but center your camera over flat artwork as best as you can, or it is going to look distorted on screen.
  • If you have a multi-dimensional piece, like sculpture or pottery, snap multiple angles of it so viewers can get a general concept of its shape. Having a non-distracting plain backdrop (like a white wall) is the best way to showcase your piece.

With Your Computer

Color Correction

Remember the camera detects and picks up colors the eyes automatically adjust to, so the image might have a different color hue once you upload it on your computer. If you have Photoshop, or even a simple photo-editing program, play around with the color balance/levels of your image. Test the ‘Photo Filter’ settings. With each trial and error comes a lesson learn – you will be a Photoshop pro in no time!

Contrast

Sometimes the color black looks too dull on screen, in comparison to the real thing. If you increase the contrast level, you lose details, but the light and dark colors pop in contrast with each other, giving your artwork more vibrancy and depth on screen. Too much contrast, however, can turn your intricate work cartoonish.

Sharpness

Enhancing the sharpness or crispness of your work is always a good idea. When I uploaded photos of my artwork on Facebook, and even after editing them on Photoshop, I was faced with another technological obstacle. Facebook seemed to dull down the image ever so slightly, but every so noticeably. I got in the habit of over-enhancing photos knowing they would get dulled down – I supposed I was getting them “Facebook ready.”

Cropping

There is no need to see bits of the wall, slivers of the floor or whatever is behind your artwork during the time of photographing it.

In conclusion

Using different camera settings and modes, I snap several pictures of one painting before uploading them onto the computer. Like an eye-exam, once the photos are uploaded and viewable, I play a little game I call, “Which is clearer, A or B, B or C?” I then take the final photo into photoshop to color correct, crop, etc… I trust my eye and constantly compare the original to what is on screen. If I am not happy with the end result, I know I can always start over again.

If you don’t have Adobe Photoshop, here is straightfoward and simple site I found that will allow you to edit your photos as if you did!

http://www.picnik.com

I always turn to experts, tutorial videos and how-to articles. Here are some links I found resourceful.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Articles2/2810/87/index.php
http://www.dallasartsrevue.com/resources/How-to-Photo-Art.shtml

Happy art’ing and photographing, friends!

How to Write an Artist Statement

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If you are an artist serious about pursuing a career supported by the art you create and you haven’t written your artist statement, it is time, my artistic friend, to write one. An artist statement is a a crucial marketing tool and concise verbal representation of your own art- it’s important to understand the purpose of an artist statement and the best way to construct one.

“An artist statement is a necessary component of any professional artists’ portfolio or promotional packet.” – Alyson Stanfield

Keep It Simple, Silly:

Write your statement in first-person and with a language people can understand. Your art might be abstract, but your statement shouldn’t be. An artist statement should never sound pretentious or complicated. Painter Pamela Michelle Johnson has a fantastic body of work and 3-paragraph artist statement in which she says:

“The work questions a culture that equates fulfillment, pleasure and happiness with what we consume.”

This sentence sums up her artistic intentions quickly, and you don’t even need to draw another breathe to say it aloud.

Refrain from Comparing or Contrasting:

Avoid making comparative statements between your work and another artist’s – it’s tacky and presumptuous, and not everyone is going to agree with you. In fact, you might turn someone off to your work. The focus should be on your art. If you find yourself wandering away from your art and discussing irrelevant things, turn back, my friend! The focus is your art.

Show, Don’t Tell:

“Your artist statement is about facts, a basic introduction to your art; it’s not instructions on what to experience, what to think, how to feel, how to act, or where to stand…” - Alan Bamberger

Describe what your art strives to say, why you focus on a certain subject or medium, but never command a person how they should feel or experience your work. Johnson’s language is unthreatening and she never points a finger to anyone but herself and her own work:

“Through my work, I strive to invoke reflection on a culture focused on mass-consumption and mass-production, where the negative aspects of overindulgence are often forgotten or ignored.”

Take Breaks, Take Your Time:

Just as you take breaks from creating art, so should you when you’re creating your artist statement. You need moments to reflect and step away. Take your time, take a few breaths and take a few drafts to edit and perfect everything.

Get A Second Opinion:

Have a few family members, friends and/or professors to read your artist statement and give you input. They will tell you what they think needs to be explained, simplified or rewritten. And it never hurts to have a few extra pairs of eyes looking over your writing.

Here are some links I found friendly and informative for writing an artist statement:
http://artiststatement.com/
http://www.artbusiness.com/artstate.html
What other sites do you find useful resources?

Happy writing & art’ing, friends!