Artist Alley: More spooky edition

I'm doing inktober, but I'm not really using it as a marketing opportunity or anything. I just love the excuse to play with brush pens for a month, and getting the chance to do some traditional art when all I ever do for work & AA is digital.

Do colored acrylic charms sell much worse than clear? I kind of dig Zap's frosted acrylics.

>>9207695
>full-time job
>not making time
>expecting to do a full blown illustration

weak sauce.

Anybody also having issues with LD sticker paper turning yellow? I bought a new pack in June and a lot of the papers from that pack are starting to yellow. Granted, I did leave them out in the open where there is direct sunlight. But they were turned over to the non-printing side.

The actual stickers don't seem to yellow (ink seems to prevent the yellow from spreading) but my stickers have a white background so I'm worried. The papers I have left sealed in the original plastic bag are fine and all the stickers I am currently selling (cut and stored in storage bags, away from sunlight) are fine so far. I haven't heard any complaints yet but I'm so worried. Because most people who buy stickers put them on laptops and notebooks where it gets a decent amount of sunlight. Should I stop selling my stickers although they seem fine for now? If someone complains after a few months, do I give them a full refund? Anybody with same problems? Are there any other good alternate sticker papers that are not too expensive?

>>9207847
When buying charms people's hierarchy when considering buying usually goes

1. Do I like the character?
2. Is the art good?
3. Is it double sided?
4. The material

>>9207695
Some people think having a full time job is an excuse, but full time jobs are really draining. You are also expected to and should do a good job at work the next day, so it's hard to find the motivation to stay up until 3am drawing when you come home around 8pm, take care of errands and housework, and have to get up around 5-6am... Some people can do this and it is an excuse for some people, but different people have different energy levels. Kind of makes me sad when people outright judge and say that having a fulltime job is nothing but an excuse. Sorry didn't mean to rant.

I'm actually really curious now, so question for the thread: What does your weekly schedule look like, where do you get your draw time?

>>9207895
Because isn't a full time job 40 hours a week? My full time has me rolling out of bed at 7AM and getting home around 6PM, including commute time. Generally I go to bed around 11 or 12, so that gives me six-ish hours of time between getting off work and going to bed. Plenty of time to eat, play vidya with the room mates, and get in some drawing time. I catch up with sleep on saturday and catch up with chores/errands on sunday.

>>9207888
I used to use LD sticker paper when I printed my own, I haven't had any customers come back and complain since the stickers are so cheap. They do take a lot of wear if they are being rubbed against something, a friend had one of mine on her laptop and the glossy finish kind of came off, as with the ink.

>>9207906
In my case, I do overtime almost everyday at a stressful environment where I'm screwed if I make a mistake (i deal with money). Commuting is about 2 hours per day. So i get up at 6:30, get home around 8. After I do chores and take a shower, it's 10-11, take care of some stuff online (like banking) and that's already 12. I really could draw until maybe 2am but after all the crap, I find it hard to find the motivation to stay up late when 6 hours of sleep is nowhere enough. I do agree that it is an excuse tho. I really do want to improve but I just can't find the time and energy to draw. Other anons who work full time, how do you motivate yourself?

>>9207929
No issues with yellowing? It only seems to happen if it comes in contact with the sun, so I'm crossing my fingers that my customers won't comeback to me after months of purchasing and complain that the white edges are yellowing. Are there any cheap paper out there? LD is so good because it's so cheap but the quality seems to fluctuate a lot.

I'm a crafter. Which is the best site to share my things and maybe get some followers? (deviantart, tumblr, insta...)

>>9207881
Like I said, poor excuse.

>>9207930
My timeline looks about the same. But I need to be in bed before 11:30 or I'm miserable the next day. I haven't played any console games since getting a new job in months.

Hoping to move closer to work but finding an affordable place when you move farther downtown in the city is not easy. It's one of those 'choose 3' where the options are big, cheap, and convenient location.

>>9207930
A 2 hour commute sounds like absolute hell. The worst I've ever been able to put up with was 45min-hour depending on weather.

>>9207695
did it last year, don't see a point in doing it again. i don't work with traditional or with ink so it's actually just a waste of my time.

>>9207930
how does chores take 2 hours?
I get up at 6 to be to work at 9, get home around 8, go to bed at 11. I just rotate things. I have enough time to get things done.

>>9207695
I work and go to school but still manage to keep on top of the challenge. I actually did two sketches today. It's about making time. And it's just sketches, not anything crazy. It's a lot of fun for me which might be what helps. If you're not excited, then it will feel like a chore

>>9207847
>>9207891
Adding onto this, but how you work with the material can be a big factor too. Good gimmicks like gashapon, bottle, or stained glass designs that work the design with the material sell more easily.

>>9207964
I mean, some people's energy level is really lower than an average's person's. So it's not SOLEY about making time. Some need that time for sleeping, etc. And the time for finishing a "sketch" varies greatly from person to person. But anyway, I find it amazing that you still squeeze in some time to draw.

>>9207695
I'm doing it! Nothing AA related though, just an opportunity to get me working with tradition media more. I'm trying to do a piece every day, but without any set quality minimum (so shitty sketches are fine if I'm too busy that day).

>>9207906
I'm a full-time student who occasionally works part-time on holidays/weekends. My drawing time is usually in the evening, after I finish my work/studies/whatever household tasks, and before bed.

>>9207957
By the time I finish cooking dinner, preparing for breakfast and packing lunch, cleaning in general, packing online orders, taking a shower, it really does take 2-3 hours for me.

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I'm really bad at pricing so I need some opinions. I got midnight inspiration and did this, it took about 40mins and the body is 2cm tall (and the tail needs to be changed). Material costs are something under 50cents. How much would you be ready to pay for something like this?

Is it just me or is PayPal's shipping calculator not working ever since they've been trying to change the look of their site? All I get is a failed timed out page. I just want to know how much an international flatrate large envelope/bubble mailer will cost to ship.

>>9208061
5$

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Pic related isn't mine, but I make dolls very similar to these. What would be a good price for them?

>>9208105
do materials + time * hourly wage first and see what you get.

>>9208105
how big are they?

>>9207940
I started using instagram. I'm gradually building up a following.

Also I was wondering. Has anybody set up a business phone line? I did a fair this weekend and the vendor next to me said I should have a phone number on my business cards. Right now I have my business name, my name, business email , and my etsy shop address.

I was thinking of adding my instagram, tumblr, and so on. But I'm not sure I really need a phone number too?

>>9207888
I have been having this problem recently, also. But they didn't used to do this, just my recent pack or two! It's usually been at the bottom of the sheet and so far hasn't affected any stickers and I haven't received any complaints either. I'm keeping an eye out.

>>9208047
I'm always doing 10000 things at once. When I'm not, I feel like I'm being lazy. The Inkotober thing is just fun for me. I get to try out different ideas and it's stress free unlike a lot of the more serious work. I might not finish it depending on how school goes but I'm giving it an honest attempt.

On a slightly different subject, how do you guys feel about people using your work as profile pictures, etc? An Instagram follower of mine has one of my pieces as their icon and I'm not sure if I should be flattered or what. I had my first real incident with an art thief/tracer a few months back and that's had me paranoid ever since. The piece in question IS watermarked. I'm trying not to be bothered about it since Instagram quality is awful; I just wish people would ask first.

>>9208061
I used to do stuff like this when I was younger (i know that sounds shitty, but to be honest these things are considered a child's craft to me just like perler beads) so I wouldn't be ready to pay much for it. Maybe $5 like >>9208065

>>9208121
i sometimes add my phone number to my cards, but it really depends on whether or not i want a particular run of business cards to have it.

Question for you Texas or Texas going AA gulls? It's going to be my first OniCon, and wondering how much they enforce the 50% rule for fanart? I fucked up and have been doing my fandoms and sorta forgot about the 50% rule/ How fucked am I???

Also How was Realmscon and Retro this last weekend if you went or know people who did? I heard some stories about an artist losing like $300 in merch at Realms?

>>9208138
I have a blanket rule: You can use it for icons if you credit & link back. If I say no, people do it anyways, so might as well get the few clicks out of it that I can.

>>9208171
I haven't been to Oni in 3 years and I don't know if they changed the people running the AA or not. I had 60/40 Fanart/Original and no one really seemed to bat an eye. I'm not sure if that's because it looked like I was trying, or if they just didn't care. Iirc I saw some people with full fanart displays but I can't give you any insight on if they got in trouble or not. Good luck at it!

>>9208171
I've never tabled at Oni, but from an attendee's perspective, they seem to enforce it kinda strongly? Last year, the AA was pretty small and sad because of it. There is some fanart, but a lot of the merch is generic cute, steampunk, or furry/rave stuff.

>>9207695
I draw 12ish hours every day because of work/personal projects, so sadly I don't really take part in art challenges. I do like seeing the variety of art people do for it, though. (And it's fun seeing people improve from day 1 to 30 if they don't usually work in ink/traditional media)

>>9207906
I'm employed full-time as an in-house illustrator, the hours are technically flexible but i'm usually in from 9-5pm and often take work home. Evenings are usually a couple hours of gaming, an hour for leisure/food/showers etc and then working on whatever I have time/energy for.
Weekends are pretty much the same although I usually go out and do something to avoid becoming a total hermit who only hangs out with my hubby.

>>9208121
I don't because con creepers are, unfortunately, a thing and I would rather not encourage further stalking. It seems a bit unnecessary. There's very few things accomplished by calling that you can't do via email.

>>9208138
I have a few misc pieces of fanart that became wildly spread due to clickbait articles/buzzfeed (and similar sites) which frequently pop up on sites i'm in as peoples icons, avatars, profile pics etc. It's tiresome but it is just a fact of life of putting work online. I only really object if they're claiming it's their own (or, as seems to happen on tumblr, when it gets cropped/edited into an 'icon set' for rp or whatever and people make bullshit rules for it...like if you're not going to ask my permission, you sure as hell shouldn't be restricting other people on using it, lol)


My own question: Do you do bandwagon merch? Whether that's by doing stuff for fandoms you aren't actually a fan of, or themes that seem to be popular (i see a lot of terrarium themed charms?) or a type of merch that everyone's crazy about right now (boob mousepads or bodypillows or lanyards etc)

Not meant as a judgey question, just curious.

>>9207695

I'm doing it but am keeping it related to AA-work by inking sticker/charm designs. It would be cool to be doing fun illustrations like I see a lot of people doing, but I know I don't have time to do that every day.

>>9207906

I'm gone for work 8:30AM-5:30PM. I usually get home, exercise for an hour, have dinner, chill out for half an hour. Start arting around 8 PM for a few hours.

>>9208121
I not sure why you would want to add a phone number honestly. e-mail and social media is just such a better means of communication for AA related things.
>>9208061
Agree with others, around $5. Its nice, but not too great or special.

>>9208249
>con creepers are, unfortunately, a thing
That's what I was thinking. These days, most people can easily access their emails through their phones. I don't feel like dealing with a potential pain in the ass customer or worse bugging me by calling and texting, also I think it'd be easier to keep track and document exchanges through email then through a call.

>>9208249
I personally don't. If it's not something I like/everyone's doing it then it feels really generic and boring even if I put my own spin on it. I have more fun working on pieces that I actually enjoy.

So.. I got back from AWA, one of the biggest anime cons in the US... and I made less money at it than cons with just a few thousand people.

I know I'm not going to make 5 times the revenue at a con 5 times the size, but is that normal? Should I really be making around the same from a con with 4,000 people and a con with 20,000? Or did I just have bad luck since there was an unusually large amount of people selling similar things as me?

>>9207906

I'm a salaried graphic designer, so 40 hours is a really good, light week. I have worked 60 hour weeks before and it's not pretty, but it's usually once a year. During the busiest months I usually do about 45-47 hours a week. My schedule is incredibly flexible, so most days I do 9ish - 6ish depending on how long it takes me to get ready that morning or if I have errands to run. I watch TV while I eat dinner and I also like to cook so some nights I'm not done with dinner until 8 or 8:30. I draw or do design work until 10, when I have a daily 1 hour walk with a friend, come back, shower, then goof off online until bed at midnight.

When I was in grad school (still working full time, too), I would draw before class and try to do all my homework on Saturday so Sunday I could draw, and I'd draw weekend nights, too. I also draw during my lunch break, and we've been known to take long lunches so sometimes I'll have 1-1.5 hours of drawing time during the day. 2 hour lunch breaks aren't uncommon for us, especially on Fridays.

Now that I've graduated, I usually draw 2-3 nights a week (it's not con season for me, so no shows to prep for) and Sundays. As con season approaches I expect to be drawing almost every night and all weekends, but it means I'll be able to make more since I'm not juggling school.

>>9207906
I go to school full-time as a STEM major, work part-time, and am in a bunch of extracurriculars. So the answer would be during the weekends or when I have insomnia from anxiety. I draw at the speed of a crawling turtle so I'm hoping to speed things up or else I'll never get wips finished at this rate.

>>9206033
>4chan people
This is so small but boy it really tells how thick-headed she is. Yeah, "4chan people" is totally descriptive of who occupies threads like these, all of us spend all of our time on 4chan, and none of us have ever tabled right next to her or anything. Certainly having a better attitude about her peers and the idea of being self-critical would not help her, at all. Everyone who criticizes her art or her behavior is just a big ol mean 4chan kid. Like damn, girl, this is a part of why you only have 2 patrons.

>>9208320
awa has been on a decline for at least the last 3 years, it's very well known to be a crappier con for it's size so i'd say try another big con before you get discouraged.

I was wondering. Do any conventions require you to show proof of liability insurance? I was thinking of vending at a fair at the end of the month, and was told I'd have to have liability insurance to sell there.

>Question!
How do you guys show your prints when selling online? The whole digital image? A photo of the print in question? Both?

I'm looking at putting up post-card, a4 and 12x18 posters.

>>9208320
I barely made any money at awa last year as well. That artist alley is way too big and they will always find artists to fill it up even if sales are terrible people get really desperate this time of year due to lack of cons.

>>9208813
The whole image with a watermark over it
Maybe with some detail shots

>>9208813
I used to take pictures of the physical prints but it didn't seem to help sales and i have way too many prints to do that with now so i just post the digital image. If you want you can probably take a nice photoshoot of one print per size and just use that as an example of the paper quality/size, that ought to be more than enough unless you have time to photo every single print which will be a pain as your inventory grows. Even pro websites don't do that, or they use photoshop mock ups.

>>9208135
It worries me a lot. I also think their recent batches are bad. I'm keeping my fingers crossed...hope my customers don't complain. A question--personally, would you refund the customer if they email you/leave a megative feedback after say, 3-4 months?

>>9208320
I.. actually made a decent chunk of money at AWA, about 4.2k after cost. I'm sorry anon, it sounds like a lot of people had a rough time there too. I will admit that I was in a row facing the vendors..

>>9209017
it seems like opinion is some what split on awa this year? I'd like to know how people did specifically compared to last year (And maybe the year before).

just because a single number doesn't help (since 4.2k could actually be a small amount to some, while outrageously large to others), so if you made 2k last year, that 4.2k is great! but if you made the same amount last year that means the con didn't improve and for others that means it's not worth going back.

>>9209017
First person I've heard that did good. I made $1,400 at this con. $1,600 at another con with less than 5,000 people. I was expecting $3k revenue at awa since I had so much more stock for this con than my last con too. Oh well.

Are you guranteed to do well at some cons regardless of your skill level? I've heard that if you are lucky enough to get into fanime (they pick some beginner level artists or so I hear), you are guranteed to do well. I wonder if this is true and if there are cons that you're really guranteed ti do well at.

>>9207888
The same anon here. For the yellowing issue, would sparying the stickers that have not yet yellowed with coating sprays protect them from yellowing? Trying to salvage what I have as much as possible.

>>9208861
If AA is too big, I personally will spend my money at the better quality artist table as a customer. So maybe consider the AWA crowd (isn't it more of a party con anyways?)

>>9209086
This is partially true. Fanime has a slightly older crowd buying, and the area is generally more affluent. However, you still need merch that they'd be interested in buying.

I did 2400 this year at AWA, which is $500 over last year. It's my best con yet, but since I'm still learning and improving rapidly (I didn't do cons seriously until last year) almost every con is my best con. I think there was a pretty big improvement over last year.

>>9208320
So this was my 2nd AWA and compared to 2015 I about doubled my profits but AWA 2015 was admittedly really crappy for me and so it was not hard for this to be an improvement. Compared to other cons of this size that I did this year, I did okay at AWA. Not great, but also not terrible.

>>9209038
I've been to other Atlanta cons in the past, but it was my first AWA.

Fanime announced their AA app dates. Who's ready for the shitfest again this year? Think it'll be any better organized?

Their acceptance/rejection is all over the place with no consistency looking at who gets in, so it's no use thinking skill/quality has anything to do with it over a basic level. I'm just applying and taking the results as a random crapshoot rather than a good judge of my art.

>>9207906
I'm a technical/production artist for a company that makes mobile slot machine games. Although hours are flexible you're still required to put in 8 hours a day. I always try to do 9-5 but my commute can be anywhere from 45 mins to over an hour going one way.
So I am up around 7am, try to be on the bus going to work around 8am. I get to work at 9-9:30am, leave work around 5-5:30pm. Get home around 6:30-7pm. Eat dinner and try to get as much drawing time in before I get ready for bed around 11pm-midnight. My social life has pretty much been reserved to either spending time with my boyfriend 1-2 times a week after work, or seeing him over the weekends, or hanging out with coworkers after work.

I still live with my parents so thankfully I haven't had to worry about shopping for food and cooking, but I may have less time for drawing when I do eventually move.

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Would anybody be willing to post some AA table inspo, but more for jewelry and small crafts? I mostly sell jewelry, pins, etc... and the odd craft(I was selling aprons at my booth this past weekend.) So I would like some ideas for displaying my stuff. I had most everything in trays but I'd like my vertical display ideas.

>>9210648
This might be a bad idea since it'd be my first AA, but I'm planning to apply, since I'm local and don't have to worry about hotel/transportation in case they announce results late. Right now I'm just scrambling to come up with some button and charm designs so my portfolio won't be as print heavy... assuming that's even one of the things they care about.

I don't understand why people feel the need to leave 4 stars on a good Etsy transactions where they were happy with the product. Are people becoming so entitled that they'll only give 5 stars if the seller goes above and beyond for them in some way?

>Are people becoming so entitled that they'll only give 5 stars if the seller goes above and beyond for them in some way?
Yes, I've heard several people actually say this and it is ridiculous. I have so many 4 star ratings for my shop that say stuff like "came amazing!! perfect timing too!" or "Fast shipping and cute item." or even worse is when they take a star off because the post office was slow on delivering the item. Why are you giving ME a star off for someone else's job?

>>9210648
I'll apply but won't hold my breath. Will probably line up other cons to make up for it in case I don't get it.

I'm less salty about not getting in last year and more salty about the absolutely pigheaded and incompetent staff and having to deal with them again is just... so dampening...

>>9211016
its also pretty bad on preorder items. lots of 4-star ratings because they "took so long to ship". which reminds me, i don't know how many emails i sent to international customers doing christmas shopping saying packages might show up late, but i got so many bad ratings for it that i'm actually thinking of closing my shop early this coming holiday. people have unreasonable expectations sometimes.

I already asked the /aus/ thread to no avail..

>Has anybody here tabled at either QLD Supanova? How did you do?

The GC show wraps up three days before I leave for Japan. I figure I stand to lose ~$400 on the table/product, or make a couple grand of extra spending money.

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>>9210680
I might have a few anon, I'm a jewelry seller as well. I find it hard to come across inspo for it though desu

>>9211057
I haven't done the Queensland events, but I made <$200 at Melbnova earlier this year when I usually do really well at other cons (it's the only event I've made a loss at, and was my first and probably last 'nova). Don't forget people are there planning to spend the majority of their spending money on the guests.

>>9210931
I find myself doing this a lot and I don't know why? I guess because people think five is perfect.

For those that sell zines, do they move well online and at cons? I'm considering getting a limited run made for my Etsy/Storenvy but I'm wondering if they'd sell well at AA's. Also not sure on a price point. I'm thinking $20 but it depends on the quote my local print shop gives me.

>>9210931
Does Etsy have a guide for how you rate people? Because on yelp, 5-star is only for the top of the line restaurants, while 4 is "I'm a fan!" and 3 is "ok". If someone is used to yelp, it's easy to think 4 is a good rating. Versus say coming from uber where 4 means you're fired.

I can't hold it back anymore. I am tired of sexism in AA. Times where I feel like I am not taken seriously or straight up ignored by other artists. Even people who I thought were friends saying sexist things and treating me differently. I even see posts here "I'm thinking about no longer taking commissions from men". Every time I try to talk to another artist, I am either completely ignored, even right in front of my face, or they end up making some sexist comment against men.
Is it really this hard to other artists? Is it really this common for people to be ignored in person or through messages just when trying to talk to fellow artists about conventions? Its not like i'm trying to flirt with someone and they are ignoring me, I just ask for some connections and I'm ignored every time.

>>9211439
have you considered it's not sexism and people just don't like you for you?

>>9211439
I can't comment on the other stuff, but if you've asked for contact info/connections further than what you could get on a business card, that's creepy.
Also, I'm female and I've been ignored through messages by fellow artists all the time. Maybe you're taking some of this too personally.

>>9211439
You're gonna have to be a little more descriptive than just claiming sexism happens to you. Usually blanket comments for any gender/race/etc don't just spring up out of nowhere, they come from very negative experiences a person has had with people from that group, that you might be reinforcing with your own behavior.

>>9211439
I duno but it sounds like you are approaching artists you don't know and immediately asking for help and or info. Maybe they just don't want to share their hard earned connections with someone that doesn't contribute?

If I'm reading this wrong and you are actually just clicking follow on tumblr or somewhere and then sending them a message saying 'hey- I brought some of your art at *insert con name here* and I think your style is cool, it's nice to see some of your work in progress here because as a fellow artist I appreciate the process' in the hope they follow back (and your profile/blog etc is art focused and isn't NSFW) then I duno.

>>9211439
I swear there's one guy that pops up in these threads occasionally to talk about the struggles of being a man in AA.

Cons are (or were) a breeding ground of awkward. You have a lot of artists that are socially awkward mixed with congoers who are equally socially awkward. For reference, normies are socially awkward too: unless they're a super friendly outgoing person, they like to stick in their own cliques. So it's like that but magnified with cons nowadays.

How do you guys deal with getting rejected from your favorite con, the one con you look forward to going to all year?

>>9211439

Fellow AA dude here. I occasionally get shitty treatment from female artists where they assume I am attracted to them/want to hit on them when I am just want more art buddies, and that sucks. I don't know about the rest of that, though.

>>9211517

Yeeepp, this. I'm a pretty sociable dude who deals with clients all day at my day job, and when I'm at cons it's become painfully obvious that a lot of the artists have really terrible customer service/social skills. That total lack of social skills spills over when they're talking to other artists, too.

>>9211475
part of the reason I made the comment. I want to know what other people's experience is. But the general "men are gross" comments are still there.

>>9211493
How is asking for info creepy? I've had just regular customers ask for my skype and I didn't think that was weird. Since when did talking to people become creepy?

>>9211498
Its mainly feeling like I'm being ignored for no reason, people in artist alley I know saying how they don't like cis men, or saying men shouldn't like certain things like certain "feminine" pokemon, and seeing a few comments in these threads saying things about not wanting to commission from men because one or two men in the past commissioned something dumb. I just don't know if it is just the people around me or if it is more of an AA thing in general. Maybe i've over reacting, idk

>>9211499
I general go up to artists before the AA is open when they are done setting up or they aren't busy during the con and show them my table, ask what cons they go to and talk to them about cons and exchange our knowledge of what cons are good and bad and etc. I don't just quietly take a business card and contact them on tumblr after the con and expect them to befriend me. I don't expect anyone to befriend me, its just that going to cons for 2 years, and only getting info from 4 people, 3 of who only done AA once, and never again, I don't understand why i'm having such a hard time getting just simple contacts from more regular artists.

>>9211517
I know, I normally hate these comments. Thing that made me comment today was a friend I do AA with started to lean more sjw with saying stuff about not liking cis men. Made me think back of past experiences and wonder if other people in AA are like that too.

>>9211546
question.
What is the age range that you hear these comments from?

>>9211560
Getting the same thought since most girls I've seen at AA tend to fall in the 14-20 range.

>>9211560
normally around 20. give or take a few years.

>>9211439
I'm a girl and I know what you mean so I don't necessarily think it's ALWAYS sexism (but there is a general vibe of 'ew creepy dudes' at most cons). I've tried to be friendly and engaging to other artists and gotten this awkward exchange. These are all mutual follows on Instagram/Facebook so it's not like we're strangers. A friend and I discussed this before and it seems like people don't want to communicate in person. They'd rather talk online which is kind of stupid to me.
>inb4 'but muh anxiety!'
I've got anxiety too. Doesn't stop me from engaging customers or other artists. If you can't talk to people, you shouldn't be selling at a con.

>>9211572
Ah, so not out of college, probably not in a stable relationship/job, and not comfortable with themselves.

>>9211573
Oh yea, I can tell when someone is just anti-social or awkward or whatever. I've tried talking to some artists and it was incredibly awkward. My experience is when I see artist actively talk to other artists, and then when I try to talk to them about the same thing, they ignore me and don't want to talk. Like, I'll hear several artists talk about a certain con, so then later I'll ask one of them about the con and they just sorta ignore me and don't really want to talk. I don't want to just assume sexism every time or whatever, but it happens a few times and idk why.

>>9211546
If you can't understand that asking for info when you've just met someone is generally seen as creepy then I already know you probably come off as a huge creep.

Also when people say stuff like "cis men suck" they are implicitly referring to men who suck, and if you instantly take offense you probably know you do sucky shit. Like ask people for their personal contact info after only meeting them at a con once.

(Like I know one of you or this guy is gonna say "lol what if i said black people suck" and it's not the same but i'm not gonna bother to explain because i would be ignoring you at cons too)

>>9211584
Some people are just cliquey. I went to my first local con and definitely got a 'I can only talk to my friends' from a lot of people. Happened at an art show too
I have more engaging conversations with customers a lot of times. That said, I've had great chats with artists when I haven't been selling and we've exchanged info so that's been great.

>>9211584
If you are hearing other artists talk about a con (i.e. you're fucking eaves dropping?) have you ever considered these people are already close friends and would be open to talking to each other about things? Why would you assume they were all strangers? Just because i'm talking to a food friend i've done alleys with or am hotelling with about a con before alley starts doesn't mean i'm going to be 100% open to every single rando that comes by

>>9211593
>If you can't understand that asking for info when you've just met someone is generally seen as creepy then I already know you probably come off as a huge creep.
What world are you from where exchanging contact info with someone else, especially for business reasons, is creepy? I'm not just out of no where going to to random people and asking for their phone number. I typically talk to them through the day or weekend of the con and then ask for contact info at the end of the con so we can stay in contact. Literally what am I suppose to do if that is "creepy"?

>when people say stuff like "cis men suck" they are implicitly referring to men who suck
> I know one of you or this guy is gonna say "lol what if i said black people suck" and it's not the same

To the people asking for an example of sexism, here it is. Unless someone else actually wants to defend the idea that saying "cis men suck" isn't sexist.

>>9211614
this whole post is a great example of why i would ignore you at a con. I have lots of male friends at cons that i chat with in person and over twitter etc, but you wouldn't be one of them lol

>>9211614
Can't speak for everyone, but in my opinion in terms of intimacy, I would say on the intimacy scale from random/general stay-in-touch contact to close friends, it's:
Twitter/Tumblr----> Facebook----> Email-----------------> Skype--------> Phone

Asking for someone's Skype info off the bat is kind of weird, especially since as artists we have some form of a public social blog.

The popular/social artists I see online tend to speak a certain way aka like teenage girls. If they don't, then they have really good technical foundations in their art that attracts followers. I get ignored too (even by people who actually initiate conversation first) but I won't deny that's it's probably me as well. Personalities just don't mesh so I'll keep doing my thing and hope to meet other cool artists along the way.

>>9211614
Saying "cis men suck" is a crappy and immature blanket statement to make, but it DOES come with the implication: "cis men who act like this specific stereotype suck". They're not saying they hate all men, they're saying that they are wary of all men because of a pervasive attitude they've endured that has only ever come from men. It's colloquial short hand. Think "all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares"

You're dealing with groups of young, immature, socially awkward women who are traveling alone. Are you notably older or larger than the women you're talking to? Then not talking to you is awkward, but safe. Whereas talking to you would still be awkward, but now also runs the risk of them garnering unwanted and potentially creepy attention. So you're a nice guy, they don't know that, they can't know that, and they've decided not to take the chance.

>>9211652

Here's the thing: You can't fucking tell who is "cis" or not, so that's an unbelievably moronic mindset. I'm a post-transition ftm, and I have to deal with this "cis men suck" bullshit directed at ME when I'm not even cis. I can't even stand up for myself without outing myself. What, I'm supposed to just fuck up my own life and say, "Oh, no, I'm trans, so I'm one of the GOOD guys!"? People who make blanket statements like that are pieces of shit who will go on their angry tirades at me when I'm one of the people in an oppressed minority they pretend to support.

>>9211652
When you have to go through this much linguistic gymnastics to prove you aren't sexist, then you might be sexist.
A blanket statement towards men or women is sexism. Saying "Oh, no, the blanket statement actually isn't a blanket statement" is nonsensical.

> they're saying that they are wary of all men because of a pervasive attitude they've endured that has only ever come from men.

*That is sexism*. All the trans people I have ever met have been NEETs, so you think there would be nothing wrong with me saying trans people are all a bunch of NEETs?

>Then not talking to you is awkward, but safe.

I'm a man, so I must be thinking about how I want to attack them. Yea.
wow. Thanks for showing me that AA is, indeed, full of many sexist people.

>>9211618
Why is everyone so against talking to new people? If someone starts getting pushy or invasive, that's one thing but asking for some form of contact info from someone that you've been chatting with is normal. It's networking.

I exchanged info with quite a few people that I'd talked to during my first con and there was nothing odd about it. If you yourself are a nice person, it shouldn't be such a big deal.

>>9211660
And you know, that's crappy and immature and not cool. I'm explaining the mindset, not condoning it. It comes from a place of rationalization and a desire for safety. It is not the most mature or the fairest way to interact with others, and it's not incredibly professional either. It isn't meant with malice intent, but it's still a harmful attitude to hold.

>>9211669
See "colloquial short hand".
>Black people shouting "white people suck" don't mean ALL white people, they mean the ones oppressing them.
>Trans people shouting "Cis scum suck!" don't mean ALL cis people, they mean the ones oppressing them.
>Women shouting "Men suck!" don't mean ALL men, they mean the ones causing them problems.
These generalizations exist as short hand because saying "men who have never unlearned the social conditioning that favors them and overstep boundaries because of it" is wordy and difficult to say.

Again, I'm explaining not condoning. This isn't a generalization or statement I would make myself, I find it's not conducive to conversation and closes more doors than it opens. But you want to know why people don't want to talk to you, so I'm telling you why.

>sage because oh my god explaining SJW bullshit is not on topic at all

>>9211710
But your comment doesn't change anything. sexism isn't about hating all people of the opposite sex, it is making assumptions of someone of that sex. saying "men are creeps" might not be implying all men are, but it IS implying that that will be the first assumption they have when seeing a man, which is sexist.

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>>9211725

>>9211725
It is not their first assumption that "this man is a creep", it is "this man might be a creep". And yeah, it sucks. It's unfortunate, for both women and (non-creepy) men, that there seems to be a necessity for women to always be wary. Hey, we don't like it any more than you do.

Btw anon, if it makes you feel any better. I don't think anyone was taking the girl saying "I'm not taking commissions from men anymore" very seriously.

>>9211763
wasn't that because some dude asked her to draw dickbutt? Lol

>>9211769
Yeah, it was pretty hilarious.

>>9211774
That thread was gold. Didn't she try to say it was pornography?

>>9211763
You are trying to cross between lines. Assuming someone is a creep since they are male is sexist. being cautious around everyone is not. If you are trying to say "well, it is necessary for women to be sexist" then I will say you are a fool since you can easily be hurt by a man or woman.

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>>9211769
>>9211774
>>9211777
It was beautiful.

>>9211687
Networking isn't mandatory, some people have enough of a network. If someone doesn't want to network with you because your art sucks or you bring no value to their career and you also refuse take the socially normal steps of getting to know them via the social media they give you on their card then that's that. Stop acting like people owe it to you to be friends with you and crying sexist when they don't

>>9211798
One: I'm a girl
Two: who says I want to be their friend? The artists I networked with aren't my friends; they're contacts.

You honestly sound like a stuck-up bitch

>>9211803
I'd rather be a stuck up bitch than defend a guy who demands other artists make friends with him on his terms or else they're sexist. meh.

>>9211439
>this whole reply chain
If you get butthurt and pissy this easily, I don't blame them at all.
/That's/ what women are wary of. The dudes who get aggressive and whiny when they get turned down, even if it's not in a romantic/sexual context.

My advice to you is to back off a little, even if you think what you're already doing is harmless. Follow them on Tumblr/Twitter, say hi to them when you see them at future cons or make smalltalk. Don't try to ask about other cons they're going to or any of that since they might not be comfortable enough telling you.
It sucks but you gotta learn from it.

>>9211808
That's honestly not what I got from it at all. You guys are really overreacting

>>9211814
That's fine, you can be his contact/friend/whatever then. Other people don't want to. And it's no surprise considering how he's acting right now, I certainly would not want to run into this guy at a con. If he or you can't deal with that then oh well, you can't "connect" with everyone you meet, them's the breaks.

>>9211811
This.
It's not because he's a guy, it's because he's "That Guy".

Does anyone sell metal embossed pins as well as acrylic charm / buttons? Do pins sell as well as charms or are they more passion projects? I really like the look of them but I don't know if i could make back the cost of them if they don't sell well, thoughts?

>>9211524
Normally if it's local i think people just try to get no shows, if that's not an option it just sucks but there will be next year, and there will be other cons. It's okay anon!

>>9211811

Nowhere in anon guy's original post did he indicate he ever got "aggressive and whiny" with any of the people he was trying to talk to. Your response says a lot more about you and your attitude than it does about him. You sound fun.

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>>9211058
Thank you kind anon for sharing.

Also I'm trying to do this fsir and they're being a pain in the butt about liability insurance. I know they're just protecting themselves but still kind of annoying.

>>9211803
>Two: who says I want to be their friend? The artists I networked with aren't my friends; they're contacts.
This, exactly. I'm going around talking to artists not because I want to be bestest friends with them, I just want to talk to about cons and business. "How was this con for you?" "Know what the parking is like at that con?" etc.

>>9211811
> >>9211827

>>9211808
No where am I "demanding" artists friends. I have had a very hard time networking, and after having 2 friends in AA make sexist comments, I was wondering if it had to do with sexism. I wanted to know how /cgl/ felt about networking. That is all.

>>9211827
The fact that he made a post bitching about it indicates his damn attitude.
Learn to read tone.

>>9211842
Your networking needs work, that much is clear. If sexism's involved, changing your approach and only associating with older (20+) artists should at least help. You can't change the minds of the entire AA in a thread on 4chan.

>>9211842
I think you are projecting your own comfort zone onto others. Some people don't want to talk to strangers. Why? For various personal reasons probably. They just don't feel comfortable doing it. If you keep pushing it, they won't feel more comfortable. Rather, pushing it because you think that they SHOULD feel okay about it is counterproductive- it just proves that you don't share the same values and thus aren't a compatible contact. Personally, I find that cutting into a social circle so directly (like you seem to be doing) makes you look really obtuse.

Rather than being upset that people don't want to talk to you, perhaps focus on the way you talk to people. If you're constantly getting so many cold shoulders, don't you think that it's something YOU are doing that might be offputting?

>>9211842
Not everyone at AAs wants to network with randos though, my dude. I organize a lot of group orders for AAs for acrylic keychains and tote bags and the like and know a big group of people who do the same and almost always they only open these up to mutuals or close friends.

AAs are getting more and more competitive and honestly, if I have a good tip about a con or a really cheap source for items I'm going to help out my friends first. You're not owed anyone's emotional and physical labor just because you want to ~network~. I've made way more effective business connections by becoming genuine friends with artists rather than just one-sidedly asking for their contact info and trying to ~talk business~. So, it just kind of sounds like you're terrible at networking.

Agreeing with all the other anons that I would also probably be ignoring you at a con.

>>9211822
I can guarantee I'm not running around talking to 90% of people at AA. Mostly because of things said in this thread.

Going along with this, do people generally not like talking about their process? I'm always happy to talk about my art process or what products I use when people ask but other people seem to be weird about it. Is it just a matter of 'nobody can know my technique!! 1!!1' or what?

>>9211912
I don't sharing my process or even sharing sources for manufacturers from time to time? Honestly, someone knowing what brand of markers I use isn't going to magically make their art look like mine. I just think it's kind of rude when random people come up to you and demand to know where you got EVERYTHING printed and made. I'm helpful to people who ask nicely and show a genuine interest in my art - not so much people who are obviously scoping out the competition. I've also had a pretty bad experience being open and helping out people and having them turn around and ghost me and lie to me about group orders so now I'm a little bit more cautious with who and how I share my info though.

>>9211912
I don't mind talking about it, and I like being as helpful as possible. I don't really see it as a competitive thing, more of just upping the overall quality for customers in general. Same with art critiques, I just like helping people get better.
I feel like other artists do see it as a competitive thing, though. Like you want to be the only one in the AA who makes heart-shaped buttons or something. For plushies or jewelry, I can understand this kind of branding, but for your typical print/button/sticker artist? Skill will always trump whatever object you're turning your art into.

>>9211933
I'm a print artist as well so I feel the same. Telling you where I get prints made isn't going to effect me.

>>9211912
I definitely understand not wanting to give out sources if you're the first one to a gimmick. The first booth to have holo film, heart buttons, gold spot printing, etc will get extra sales because they're the only one in the alley with it. A WOW factor of sorts.

But after a gimmick saturates the market, there's really no reason not to share. Unless someone's being a dick. Then fuck 'em.

>>9211936
>>9211933
Yeah, I don't mind sharing my printer or Vograce with people. I can see how people who do bigger ticket items might be more reticent to share though. Especially things like boob mousepads and bodypillows, etc - because most people at a con are gonna walk away with like... one body pillow but they're going to by several prints.

>>9211842
oh grow the fuck up. Some people just don't want to be friends with you. A lot of people don't go into alley with the same mindset at you and will turn you down. There are a billion reasons they could be turning you specifically down that has nothing to do with you being a dude - you have a creepy impression (being a creep isn't gendered), you're demanding or overly aggressive(would not surprise me giving your actions in this thread), you have shitty art and there's no point having you as a contact, you draw a lot of sexy art and it makes more prude/young people uncomfortable, etc etc. Stop crying about it being because you're a poor suffering man and they're all nasty sjws.

>>9211912
It depends on how specific they are, I guess, and what about. I don't mind answering the 100dth question about what program I use and where I get my charms/stickers/prints etc made (I now just tell them to look on my site since I have a bunch of linked guides to AA stuff). I tend to politely turn them down or change the topic if it seems like they're angling to get an art lesson/free art in the middle of or after a con.

Nothing is new under the sun. I don't understand aggressively hiding whatever filter you slap on your art to give it a specific look, since you found it out once chances are pretty damn good someone else will find it out by themselves as well anyway.

>>9211944
>boob mousepads and bodypillows
weirdly, this is what I specifically think of when I think of people refusing to share sources. I understand that it's as easy as looking up sellers on alibaba but all you're really stopping are people too lazy to even do a cursory search on 'custom boob mousepad'

>>9211952
>it's as easy as looking up sellers on alibaba
Yeah, honestly this is just it. It's so easy to just search for the sellers on alibaba and ask them for quotes. I'll give the name of the seller I use specifically for friends/acquaintances. But convention or internet randos will just get the "try alibaba" answer because it's easy enough to find on there.

Speaking of sources - I live in a country with rather cheap printing services, so I was thinking of opening group orders (since there are MOQ I don't personally meet) for pillowcases and buttons.

Is that the sort of thing people would be interested in?

>>9211990
Depends on how expensive it is once you factor in your own service costs as well as shipping to their country. Jimi does pretty well with that same concept of foreign middleman, I think.

>>9211912
Since i'm a craft artist, people ask a lot about the materials I use. I have no problem with that, but when people start asking me every single step on how to make things, which people have before, I'm going to back off a little bit.

>>9211949
>Some people just don't want to be friends with you.
I know. I'm perfectly fine with this. I very confused why you think I wouldn't be.
>you're demanding or overly aggressive(would not surprise me giving your actions in this thread
What did I say to make you think this?

>>9212017
>says he's okay with people not wanting to be friends or engage him socially
>whines about being "ignored" and how hard it is to talk to people at artist alleys & butthurt enough about it to whine on 4chan about women ignoring him
Which is it anon? What is the truth?

>>9212073
Came here asking why its so hard to network, not so much whining. Found out its a mix of sexism "men are gross, but thats not sexist to say" and just general anti-social behavior in an environment that is entirely about being social.
meh.

>>9212084
>that is entirely about being social.

not unless you're also paying the artists to speaj with you like, you know, clients do.

>>9212084
> in an environment that is entirely about being social.
I don't go to the AA to make friends. I go there to sell art, where the only socializing is just giving sale details and receiving money.
Talking to the other artists is just a perk but not in any way required.

>>9212084
the salt is so strong. playing the sexist card instead of confronting that fact that you're probably really annoying

if you actually want some advice on how to make friends in AA i find that i have my most genuine conversations via gushing over fandoms together; but still most artists are standoffish/busy, that's just how things are, even i rarely follow up and have conversations online even if i really connected with another artist during the con.

me and everyone else has a limited amount of social stamina, i've got one AA buddy and a few con friends and that's all i really need right now. sorry dude but that's just how it is.

>>9211912
To be honest, some people are just really fucking rude about asking for the process. No one is there to be your personal spoonfeeder and it is extremely off-putting when someone bum-rushes you and just asks "WHERE DO YOU MAKE THAT" without even a semblance of a "hey, I like your stuff" or "hey, how's the con going?"

Otherwise, if we get into a conversation, yeah, sure, I'm always as helpful as I can be, but if you see me as an encyclopedia first and a human second, you can fuck right off.

>>9212151
you'd know about being annoying, wouldn't you?

>Just ordered my first tablet monitor
>Boyfriend pitched in under the basis that I'd "start trying to make money" with my art
>Panic mode sets in

>>9212291
>Draw popular shit
>Get follows
>Offer chibi comissions

Good way to start

Or there's always furry art.

>>9212299

man I'm pretty good at drawing, if I do say so myself, and I made a furry DA account, and I'm posting a lot, but there are so many people asking for money, even when it's super shitty, that I never get an commissions for it. It must not be true when they say Furries drop lots of cash on weird art cause I'm not getting any bites.

>>9212299
My biggest worry is that I'm not really into a lot of the stuff I usually see at AA and feel like that will really hurt my chances of bringing in a substantial profit.

Like, I can do commissions for people's MMO characters, but that won't really support an AA table.

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>>9210680

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>>9212396
There's a place for atypical stuff though.

This guy sells these food/celebrity prints locally and people lose their shit and are relieved to see something that's not Steven Universe and Eeveelutions

Wow looks like I missed an amazing thread today, illustrates perfectly why it's good to steer clear of men in AA and all the drama they bring along with them at cons.

>>9212396
I have this sticker >>9212420 and another on my desk, and you should check out his other work too. Can vouch that it's always nice to see variety when so many styles start to blur together, so who knows, you might bring something unique to the AA!

Sometimes I feel that as long as the content is cool and the style complements it, you'll be fine. One of my most popular prints was just a drawing of a chimera but people seemed to like it for just how it looked, and not because it was from anything.

>>9212434
pretty much. every male artist i've met has either been a creep who can't take a hint or an elitist snob who looks down on women (particularly women participating in fandom).

Or doing a table with their partner, and are generally nice.

>>9212581
Don't forget all the customers that use it as a chance to "shoot fish in a barrel" when we're at our tables with nowhere to go

>>9212392
Why would you do that on da? You have to be in furraffinity

>>9211593
>when people say stuff like "cis men suck" they are implicitly referring to men who suck, and if you instantly take offense you probably know you do sucky shit.

>>9212434
>illustrates perfectly why it's good to steer clear of men in AA

but no one in AA is sexist guys /s

>>9212151
Why do you have such a hard time admitting some people are sexist? Just look at the comments above.

>>9212686
because if you think that stuff is sexist you have a very small view of the world and that's why no one wants to be friends with you or be a contact for you. a lot of female artists in AA have guy friends, have boyfriends, fiances and husbands, but they don't want to touch you, i guess it's more likely that they are all horrible man hating sexists than it is you are just.. really annoying and obtuse.

>>9212704
and plenty of guys in aa aren't single or even heterosexual but here you are assuming they are all creeps out to hit on women.

>>9212707
In my experience it doesn't matter to most males if they're in a relationship or not, which puts them even on a higher tier of creep

>>9212704
If I think people saying you should stay away from men and others saying men are creep is sexist, I have a small world view? what? Literally, yes, literally, all my friends are female. I haven't even had a male friend since high school so its not "women won't go near you" or whatever. I think you are looking at what I'm saying and taking it too extreme. I'm not the one sitting here making extreme assumptions of people. The only reason I assumed sexism might be in play is because of comments in these topics and actual sexist comments friends have made.

>>9212720
>friends are all female
>they still make "lol men are creepy" comments around him
>he still thinks he's not obnoxious or annoying
Can't take a hint, huh

>>9212718
Holy shit, you are crazy. I am really glad nobody I know thinks like this and this is just 4chan at its finest.

>>9212707
I like how you took my statement to mean that.

Let me rephrase: Plenty of men, straight or gay, trans or cis, have female artist friends and acquaintances. They don't have problems making friends and contacts. You do. Now is it more likely that everyone is just sexist and every other male artist is just ignoring omg blatant sexism from their sexist friends (and gfs and wives) OR that you're just annoying?

Annnd this thread is ruined

>>9212795
The Man (TM) ruins another thread

terribly upset for AA dude whose little fee-fees got hurt at a convention because he heard that 'cis men suck'

i mean i've been sexually assaulted by a 'totally not creepy' man who wanted 'nothing but to be friendly' at a convention before. but look i guess hearing someone say cis men suck must be really upsetting to you those fucking women have no right to be guarded around men

>>9212824
But anon! He's a nice guy! He's not annoying! He just wants to network!!!

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>this thread

>>9212420
>>9212440
It's good to hear people want more variety in AA; that makes me a feel a bit more assured.

I can do some classics like Bebop, Harlock, and Lupin. Maybe some Digimon to break the Pokemonotony I usually see in AA. I can do older J-rpgs that aren't FF/KH, too. My worry was just that people would see stuff like that and pass it up.

>>9212852
Admittedly most people would, as the bandwagon train is very long. However the few people you do attract would be extremely grateful and probably buy up as much of your stuff as they can.

>>9212799
I just wanted help with zine stuff :(. This crap had to happen right after my question

>>9212824
How should I respond to sexism then?

>>9212833
Literally who actually tries to network in business? literally the stupidest thing I've ever heard, right?

>>9212784

LOL way to assume that A: I'm the guy who was asking questions and B: I'm a guy at all. (spoilers: not either of those, just baffled by your hate-on)

>>9212873
Actual business, yes.
You're just at a table at a convention selling your homemade wares for a couple thousand. You don't need to ~network~ with other artists to get anywhere.

>mfw I am a man who does AA and unlike Networking Guy I've never had problems and feel like everybody is really friendly and cool but this thread has now made me paranoid everyone secretly hates me

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I know that this is a very tiny chance, but does anyone know where to get this mushroom Maplestory charm?
My bf bought one in a AA a while back and it ultimately met its end when his keys got shut in his car door and it broke off, I want to replace it for him because he liked it so much but can't find it online. The store it's from seems to be closed and this pic is the most I could find, but I figured maybe this thread could help me?
Otherwise, sorry for being a loser.

>>9212882
Having a 'network' does seem to help for getting into some zines and/or group orders occasionally, though?

But, I'm not sure why the original anon who posted needs to ask for (additional??) contact info when twitter/tumblr (which are almost always already on the person's business card) are generally enough to send a quick message and follow them.

>>9212882
Maybe you're content with that. I'm certainly not trying to sell at AA's forever

>>9212635
Agreed. FA is where the furries drop cash outside of like furry cons. DA seems to be not the place to get commissions unless you have a following. FA I have people asking for commissions when I'm not even offering them.

>>9212882
>AA isn't an actual business

k.

>>9212890
I've done AA for 2 years and its honestly how I felt. I've had just a few instances of people ignoring me or whatever and thought nothing about it until recently when a second friend started making sexist comments which made me wonder if there could be an issue with sexism.
Really the biggest thing I'm always paranoid about is doing AA with a female friend, and everyone just automatically assuming I'm just the dumb bf and she is the one who actually does all the work.

Holy fuck, this thread turned into a shitshow of sexists anons using their own confirmation bias to not have to deal with a concept that makes them uncomfortable.

>>9212894
It's from this artist, but their store is closed at the moment. http://ohmonah.tumblr.com/post/140395516328/added-new-charms-to-store-maplestory-mushroom

>>9212909

No, this turned into a shitshow of a guy being an attention whore.

> wahh, care about my AA problems!

>>9212890
Dude, you're probably fine. Networking Guy sounds like an asshole, who doesn't realize he's coming off as a creep. If you're a decent guy who has never had any problems, it's because you're ACTUALLY a decent guy. Don't sweat it.

Why the fuck didn't anyone just tell that first guy that he was probably being overly businessy and pushy and that turns people off and that most people feel more comfortable with friendly chitchat with strangers than jumping into business talk? Instead we got this shitshow of "BAWWW ALL MEN SUCK" and "BAWWW I JUST WANNA NETWORK" and everyone looks like a moron, congratulations.

>>9212916
No, it started with a guy asking questions, and then some sexist anons decided that he was a creep because of their confirmation bias, and then vehemently denying they were sexists whilst spouting off some sexists bullshit to support themselves.

Don't try and fool yourself hen, you know this is a pile on by sexists because they decided for no reason a guy asking if sexism may be a reason for the lack of networking success must be a total fucking creep.

>>9212926
>>9212925
Can we all just drop the topic already?

>>9212882
The only way I see networking making sense is with people who are actually with companies like Funimation or Crunchyroll or Viz who are actually at your con. Or maybe stores that need a "display stylist" and like your setup. Otherwise I don't need rando dudes asking me to do concept art for their Power Rangers / Walking Dead / MLP crossover dating sim FPS Kickstarter game.

>>9212900
>zines
I've done a zine with people who don't even do AA. Are all the artists you know also AA people? That's what I mean about how you don't /have/ to network with these people at conventions.

>>9212929

Yeah, I agree that AA networking wouldn't really help with that. People tend to play favorites and pick their friends for zines, but that's more online friends than AA buddies, so you'd be better off trying to make friends with somebody on tumblr or whatever. On a related note, if people only want to pick their friends for zines, they should just put together a zine with their friends instead of taking applications and picking their friends with shitty art over strangers with good art 'cause it seems like a waste of everyone's time.

>>9212929
This is a personal zine actually (more of a sketch compilation). I have a sizable group of friends I could collab with in future but I've been wanting to combine all my sketches for awhile since a lot of people like them.

I'm not sure about pricing. I don't want to price it too high since they're sketches but I obviously want to make a profit.

>>9212856
This. I have friends who were stoked to see a booth with a print from every Fire Emblem game besides Awakening and Fates and my husband got a Golden Sun print once because he was just happy to see art for it.

>>9212928
For me it has been useful because if someone drops out on me, I can have someone else to ask to help me with table. It happened once before, person I was going to split the table with dropped out on me, so talked to some people in AA and ended up finding someone who would split the table with me. If not for networking, I would have had to pay the full hotel, table, and gas costs.
I've actually also been able to stay with other artist's place during cons, so I didn't have to pay for a hotel. Networking has literally saved me hundreds of dollars.

>>9212852
We have this conversation every dozen threads or so, and people generally agree that while bandwagon-fandom wagon stuff has decent sales, often times their BEST selling print is something older or more obscure.

If you hit a certain skill threshold and vend at cons with a large enough attendance number, older classics do well because there is less competition within the fandom, and fans are happy to see the art exists at all.

>>9212928
This. Either bring your portfolio and ask for feedback at a more professional con or setting with professional industry artists while subtly asking for contact info; or if it's a con like AX with professional artists tabling, scope out the artists currently working in whatever industry you're interested in and chat with them (though don't be shitty and obvious about it). IMO the most successful networking is not making it seem like you're networking.

>>9212958

I think attendance numbers are a key thing to keep in mind when you're going for obscure or older stuff. The more attendees, the more likely someone will actually recognize something obscure. If the attendance is smaller, though, it's safer to stick with things that will reach a broader % of people attending.

I'd love to jump away from popular stuff more often, but it's always disappointing to spend a lot of time making a print for something I'm super passionate about only to find nobody has any idea what it is, even if they think it's cool.

>>9212900
What helps people get into zines more than having friends is actually have good art. Or having motivation to start organizing your own zine, relying on "networking" alone to hopefully get invited into zines is a really bad idea.

>>9213070
Oh also i say friends specifically, because just being a """contact""" doesn't tell me if you'll be reliable. I know a friend better than a "contact", and I know if they're reliable to hit deadlines or I know i can be tough on them with deadlines. A contact or "network" friend is not someone i would trust with that.

I'd bet money that networking guy is the same guy thats always posting asking how to make friends in AA and now he's just trying to add a business spin to it

>>9213276
Moooove ooooon

>>9212890
Nah. If most people are friendly and cool towards you, it's probably because you are friendly and cool yourself and people like it. Networking anon here sounds annoying af though, which is why people aren't friendly and cool around him. If he acts in the AA the way he does in this thread, then it's certain that I, for one, wouldn't want to interact with him.

>>9208320
Try Momocon. My friend made the most she's ever made there, and the AA isn't over packed like AWA's is. Momo focuses a lot on video games so you can even branch out and do more game-related merch if you haven't yet (ex. Overwatch).

>>9213583
momo has conflicting dates with bigger nearby cons, i wouldn't recommend that to anyone.

>>9213583
momocon is a really great con for me too. Because there's just no competition there in comparison to the larger cons and it's super local for me !

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IT'S HAPPENING!! I'm actually going to finish a piece of fan art after 10 years.

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>>9213619
Looks great anon! It was pretty interesting keeping up with your progress from the beginning.

I think it might be a little easier to see the form/differentiate the character from the weapons if you gave it sort of a thin white outline where the weapon meets the body?

I did a quick example to show you what I mean!

>>9213619

Oh dang. That's sleek. What other anon said, I watched you from when you posted the sketch, so this is very cool. I also agree outlining (and lighting up the saturation) the weapons might help break it up a bit? If not by adding some really deep shadows.

Really dig how you made Darius' armor a little more blue than just black.

You making this as just one print? Or you making a card deck like other anons suggested before?

>>9213619
Kudos for sticking to your guns. This sucker took you like a month, right?
Just a few notes -

Guy on the left- is hand over his head is too small. His head is way larger than the guy on the left. Look at ref pic of hos people grasp each others hands. I think it looks weird like it is now. Brown haired guy's fingers look fine, cause they are behind, but the black haired guy doesn't look like it's grabbing the wrist? If that's what you were going for.

Guy on the right -His left hand is too long. I get your trying to show his hand coming out from behind that piece of armor, but right now, his wrist bone is too long/too down. Either move the piece of armor up, or make his hand bigger maybe. Just looks dislocated. Between the two of them, I would make black haired guys head bigger, instead of making brown hair smaller.

But thumbs up. Good luck.

>>9213583
I tried this year, but they didn't accept me :/ First con I ever applied to and not get in. Gonna try next year.

>>9207906
So I'm a full time high school art teacher. So sadly I rarely have time to make art during a normal work week. I'm trying to get better about using my time in the evenings, but teaching is super-draining when you have four preps and you're an introvert dealing with 100+ people each day.

New tablet Anon here again. My tablet came today, but I'm having trouble getting stable line work; most of my lines have an annoying "wobble". Any illustrators know of a way to fix this? I'm using outdated CS3, considering trying out Sai and Corel Painter.

>>9214448
Can you post an image to show what you mean?

>>9214448
>>9214458
Nevermind, found out about the Lazynezumi thing and that's solved like 90% of my issues.

Deleted the practice sketch I was having the issues with, but it was basically that all my lines were "jittery" because my hand stability is shit.

>>9214448
>>9214549

Anon, I cannot recommend switching over to Clip Studio Paint enough. Lines are so fucking smooth and beautiful in that program compared to PS, I can never go back to PS for linework ever again. Even if your hand stability sucks, it will help compensate for that a lot more than Photoshop ever will.

A bit random but, do you ever feel sad when an artist you like suddenly shifts in style?
For example I follow some artists that are great, and are currently at schools like calarts, and you can just see their styles change slowly. Their art is still nice but now it just looks like every other calarts grad.

>>9212928
>people asking you to make art for their super cool original comic idea

Always nice to see those in my inbox.

>>9214448
I use Illustrator for my line work personally

>>9214773
>A bit random but, do you ever feel sad when an artist you like suddenly shifts in style?
Oh yes. There's one artist I know, not an AA artist though, who's had the cutest art style for so long. It was really unique and recognizable.
Then she suddenly started making things more.. like an American cartoon? Like forcing quirkiness.
It's really disappointing, I would've absolutely bought merch in her previous style.

I don't mind if artists change their style out of aesthetic, but it's really saddening when they do it out of pressure to look like [x]'s style. Sometimes it's influenced by shitty teachers, but not always.

>>9211546
Hm... I feel like your networking technique might be very forward, and maybe that's why it's not working so much for you? You might not feel uncomfortable giving your Skype to a stranger or giving a critique of someone else's table, but personally I know that I would be, especially if I am put on the spot.

Speaking from my own experience, probably about 75% of my AA contacts (male, female, and other) were acquired from introduction through a mutual acquaintance. The rest were either: folks I knew before I started AA (only a couple), and folks I met from talking on twitter. (note: if there's someone who I talked to briefly at a con but then didn't really start talking to them until twitter, I count that as "from twitter")

As for my own networking technique- if there's an artist I like at an AA, I usually: say as much, and if they have something from a fandom I like, I'll usually try to strike a conversation on that before anything else. If our conversation is good and we seem to be hitting it off, then I'll maybe mention that I'm also tabling, and give my table number. If the conversation is awkward then I stop- if you dip your toe and the water's freezing, then diving in isn't such a great idea.

Finish with grabbing a business card, if the conversation was *really* good then I'll hand my own business card/mention my twitter as well. I keep two twitters- one for purely business and one for chatting with folks- I'll usually mention the business one (which is on my card) and then say something like "if you wanna chat more about ___ then here's my personal" and write it down.

Anyhow.. to address your comment on sexism, I don't know what to tell you my guy. I feel like anyone who would insult you to your face isn't someone you'd want as a contact, much less as a friend.

>>9212956
Same here- when I go to a con, I like to not stay by myself, and if possible I like to table near or next to someone I know. Or sometimes I'm looking for another artist or two to join in on a group order. Having a network... helps me to do that. And, beyond that, just having people I can talk with about AA-related issues (besides.. here) is very beneficial. Some of the folks in my network are people I am very close friends with, others are just acquaintances that I've had a few friendly conversations with. Maybe an artist network isn't for everyone but gosh I don't know how I would manage if I had to do it all alone.

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somehow i was overjoyed to see this update, and realize that the project hadn't been canned despite all the reasons why it should've been

>>9214820
Yeah I see a lot of style change from anime in varying degrees to 'generic tumblr/art student' styles. It saddens me even more when people talk about "Oh I grew out of anime style" as if it's some edgy teen phase you should be ashamed for.

>>9214849
I do find a lot of anime style work to be similar/generic which is what bores me about it. That's not to say that there isn't any unique work out there, just that it can be hard to find.

I also do find it a bit annoying when people ask "is that anime?!" if it looks nothing like it (thankfully I haven't gotten that in a long time).

>>9214899
That's fine, I just meant it in regards to the crowd that forces themselves to draw more western because they feel like it's not mature enough. Which in my opinion is just silly.

>>9214917
>>9214899
I just wish more people were willing to branch out and develop their own style. A lot of what I see at AAs is either generic anime or generic Tumblr style.

>>9214919
I guess that has to do more with what the artist' goal is? I think people in general want their art to be able to be recognized, but at the same time strongly fit within a certain genre (causing it to not be exactly diverse)

What kind of more unique styles would you like to see anon?

>>9214923
Just anything but those two. They have their strengths but it's a pain when it's all that's available.
I wouldn't mind more realism styles (that isn't like Sakimichan or spooky scary hyper-realistic), sharper styles, minimalist styles, soft styles, etc.

>>9214919
Same here. I make it a habit to buy work that stands out to me. It just sucks because everyone is trying to make 'what people want' which is when every table has not only similar merch, but in similar styles as well. I've gone through AA's sometimes where I have a hard time even telling some artists apart because the work looks that much alike.

>>9214849
>generic Tymblr styles.
I hate those. So much. Nothing like looking up your favourites characters on Tumblr to see art where they've got mouse ears and look like they forgot to put sunblock on their face.

I've been looking to the possibility to buy a silhouette cameo (I'm not from the US but they sell it in my country too) The cheapest one is the portrait model(Almost 200 bucks) Does anybody own one? Is it good?

>>9215044
I do. I use it for my stickers and magnets. It can take awhile to figure out settings and what not so patience is a must. I ran into a lot of issues when I was first testing out sticker designs but it was all trial and error. Once I figured out what I was doing wrong, it was smooth sailing.

I'm very happy with it. I like that it's so versatile so I definitely feel like I got my moneys worth.

>>9214961

generic tumblr style is fine. Where I draw the line is the tumblr habit of drawing fanart of every character AS A BLACK PERSON, WHY. THE CHARACTERS ARE CLEARLY WHITE/ASIAN, WHY ARE YOU MAKING THEM BLACK??

I get that tumblrites are desperate for more characters of color, and it sucks that there is a lack of cool non-white characters. but maybe they should try making their own characters of color or drawing fanart of characters of color to show their support instead of just turning characters they like into black people.

>>9215093

>Black OC
>4 notes
>Black Sailor Moon
>63,000 Notes

That's why. These people aren't making art for the sake of art. They are doing it for the attention. Which is not a bad thing. That's why I only post fanart myself. I just want notes and chat with people when they reblog my stuff and give it nice tags.

>>9215093
Some of them can be really cute and I'll admit that I don't mind when the artist themselves is black. But, yeah, any other time it feels forced.

I personally spend more time on original work than fan art just because I enjoy it more but I'll toss out the occasional fan art sketch sometimes. I'd personally rather get noticed for my original work but I know that people respond more to fan art.

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>>9214773
>>9214820
I think it's a problem with the American industry. A lot of visdev animation student portfolios look the same because companies expect a certain look. That's why you see them using the same photoshop brush and similar color palettes. Same with video game companies that expect you to make high-rendered smooth cg illustrations. Pic related of a random image I nabbed from google search on the most common style I see from people who want to go into animation

>>9215044
Overstock.com has really good bundle deals from time to time on those. If you can wait until around black Friday they should have some good stuff going. Last year I got a silhouette cameo with $50 in accessories and a $25 silhouette store credit for $199 shipped.

>>9215197
Yeah, but that's only applicable for artists who want to go for a company that has an established style. If you're doing independent/fan work, you should have your own style.

>>9215197
my fucking trypophobia got triggered by the hair and sleeves on the left

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I'm working with a Chinese manufactorer currently and this was part of a response I just received.
Can someone tell me what this means? I really dont know what they are meaning by ", would you need me to send a proforma invoice for your confirmation?"
I even googled proforma and I'm still a bit lost.

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>>9210680
these are mostly from craft shows, not AAs, but had ideas i thought were interesting

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>>9215802

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>>9215804

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>>9215805

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>>9215806

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>>9215809

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Hello! I hate to ask but I've done a lot of googling and have yet to find an answer that can help me with the exception of maybe one ebay result...

I'd like to make mini daki phone straps (pic related), but I can't seem to locate a service. The only listing on ebay makes mini dakimakuras, but doesn't specify of they are/can be straps. I messaged the seller and am waiting on a response currently.

I've googled "custom mini dakimakura", "mini dakimakura printing", "custom pillow strap", etc and have come up empty. Any and all advice is much appreciated.

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>>9215810
end

>>9215747
It just means do you want an invoice.

>>9215811
Check Alibaba. That's where I get my dakis printed.

>>9215818
Thanks anon, I'll give it a shot!

Have you guys ever been rejected from a juried show where artists who are WAY worse than you got in? I'm not talking subjectively, I mean when there is no question that these people are much worse on every technical level. I'm wondering if it's even worth applying again to cons like this or if they tend to keep the same, let's say... taste in art from year to year.

>>9215747
Proforma = invoice that is drawn up before work begins

>>9216062
I haven't, but it's possible that there are factors other than skill in the jury process. Staff may be trying to approve a diverse selection of fandoms, or they may be prioritizing artist who haven't sold at the con before to keep the artist alley fresh and different each year. If anything like that is the case then it's worth applying again next year.

I mean, it could also just be plain old nepotism, but that's not the only option.

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>>9216062
>>9216160

Juries don't mean anything.

my shit state basically only has one con worth doing and they have a "jury" system. here are some of the artists they accept. yeeaahh.
Rejects include a lot of con vets and skilled artists, which i know because they fucked up this year and sent out a mass reject e-mail without covering up any e-mail addresses.


it costs nothing but time to apply to cons, so there's no harm in applying for cons again even if you got rejected in earlier years. but if they have shit jury systems like my great state, just take the results like a random lottery crapshoot instead of taking it seriously as a real jury system. it will only hurt your brain otherwise.

>>9216062
>>9216278
That first one isn't bad. I prefer juried cons just because the ones I've been to have managed to have some consistency as far as quality goes but it can really be a mixed bag in general. There's no way of really knowing what they're looking for. They might not want three jewelry makers or so much from one fandom. There's also always SOME bias involved, whether people want to admit it or not.

I wouldn't stop applying but I wouldn't take it to heart either. You can get rejected one year and accepted the next or rejected from one con and accepted at another.

Does anyone have that whitelist/blacklist of series that get ceases and desists more often?

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I wanted to thank you lovely gulls for all your crits, ideas and tips.

>>9213629
>>9213668
>>9213687
You guys are ace. Thank you so much. I posted my stuff on a League art board too and they seemed to really dig it. My goal was to make something interesting enough that someone would ask me if I had prints. Mission accomplished! It's for sure an ego boost to hear that.
So I'll be chugging along with new ideas and I hope my painting skills improve as I go. I would love to have half a table at a con one day next year, how many pieces do I need for that? 20-30?

Thanks evrbudyy!

>>9216545
You absolutely don't need that many, but it depends on how full you want your display to be and the sizes of your prints. I usually bring 10-15, you can always make more to refresh your display when/if you table again.

>>9216335
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1696MDhNPhrZ0ySZhXkoJnGxb7l1OjW4JsVhu1wKvaWE/edit

I need to repost this on AANI soon. It's a few months old now.

>>9216062
Can you post samples of your work along with other artists that got in besides the "bad" ones? These samples look original, did you send in a bunch of fanart when it's like 50/50? So many factors can go into being rejected in AA juries. Like the other anons said, try again next year.

>>9216062

I mean you got to keep in mind there's over 100+ artist trying to get in.

>>9216062
Yes / and my friends have / seen strangers been rejected for shittier art and frankly I 1. lose any respect i have for the staff and 2. don't take ithe results themselves personally and treat the con as a lottery. A lot of times cons will "jury" in their friends, in reality they should just be called guest tables or some such but whatever. Some cons are wack, what can you do when they hold the power.

I'm having real trouble with my workflow digitally. I like to shrink my images down a lot but doing poster prints has me with massive canvases and my computer is not having it. I can find resources for the actual printing aspect no problem but this has me stumped. What canvas sizes do you guys use to do the actual illustration?

>>9217616
Poster prints? Are we talking more the 11 x 17" size or closer to 18 x 24"?
What are your computer's specs? Do you tend to use a lot of layers?

Do you think making a One Punch Man / Mob Psycho 100 crossover image would sell better as a print than separately created prints for each manga/anime?

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>>9217647
Have you consider making them a duel print set? Like each is a neat stand alone but looks cool together.

>>9217616
You could always try waifu2x if you want to draw small and then upscale for prints so your computer doesn't have to deal with as much taxing resources.

It's not the best solution, but it's worked in a pinch before for me when I accidentally drew on too small of a canvas with only a few hours to fix it for a zine. (Might vary depending on your style, though)

>>9217655
That's actually a better idea than what I was thinking! So if they bought it together it'd look cool side by side but they could buy one and it'd still look good. Thanks a lot!

>>9216062
lol just look up the legions of salt from people getting rejected from fanime every year now that they dont do FCFS

>>9217692

With Fanime, at least I feel like they still end up with a really high quality batch of artists at the end. It's not like total shit artists are getting in over good artists. It's more like good artists getting rejected so different good artists can get in. It definitely seems more like stylistic bias than anything else IMO.

>>9217628
Yeah just 11x17"s. I have a pretty decent computer otherwise but I do use a lot of layers. Is it more normal to just do the lineart at a really high re, resize, then work from there? I'm pretty new to digital art desu.

>>9217657
Thanks for the suggestion! I totally forgot about waifu2x

I'm trying to take better pictures for fanime application. How do take pictures of your prints? I was thinking about just creating a big jpg file with 5-8 prints instead of taking pictures of actual prints. Any ideas for taking good pictures of prints for con applications?

>>9217832

Why the hell are you taking pictures in the first place instead of submitting the actual art image?

>>9217771
Nah seriously though, what are your specs. I'm most interested in ram, ram speed, and the software you use most often. Also, do you have a dedicated GPU.

>>9218252
I wasn't sure if a collage of jpg images was allowed. Most of my friends take actual pictures of their products and it's my first time applying for fanime.

>>9218369
This doesn't make much sense unless you have a physical product. They really just want 5 images that give the gist of what you do and then a link to some kind of etsy or deviantart or tumblr that has a larger gallery of your stuff.

>>9217832
>pictures of your prints
>pictures of actual prints
>good pictures of prints

gurl

>>9217700
There was a lot of tumblr style artists for 2016. And many unused rows near the windows.

>>9218462
I think Fanime looks for variety of fandoms represented over quality.

Also a lot of people drop out even after getting accepted since last time it took them until a month before con ot send acceptance emails and serious artists already got accepted at other cons that weekend.

>>9218479
What other cons would you reccomend that happen over that weekend?

>>9218369
Just link to your sites? I never upload images. I link to my Storenvy, Facebook, and sometimes Tumblr (I don't use it much anymore). They just want a good idea of your style/products. They don't need a fully detailed portfolio

>>9218462
The empty rows are a different issue from the jury specifically. It was a result of terrible organization

like >>9218479 said, a lot of people dropped out because they took so long to decide, but this is combined with their rule that they refuse to sell tables at the con because it would mean the jury ranking would have to be ignored for those people. The result is that there's less than a month to notify waitlisters in order, the tables not being filled because waitlist people didn't respond in time / not notified in time, and refusal to sell table space = empty tables all weekend.

>>9218479

one of my fave artists was at fanime last year and she basically had nothing but jojo prints, so I am not sure about that.

>>9218462
There are lots of people who actually really like Tumblr style. Artists who cater towards the tumblr crowd make sales from the tumblr crowd.

>>9218854
I think they meant variety of fandoms over the whole artist alley - so even if your artist was basically only selling JoJo, if they were one of only a few people selling JoJo who applied it would fill an empty spot in their checklist.

>>9218721
It's a shame that even with their shitty organization they will always get a huge crowd. They straight up forgot to give the guest list for the Fairmont and everyone was shifted to the Holiday Inn 10 minutes away because the Fairmont face away the rooms. How shitty will Fanime registration, hotels and AA handling have to get before we actually stop going?

Would it be tacky at all to label the fandoms of products/prints in the submitted images, especially if they're not popular franchises/easily recognizable?

>>9218914
No. That's a good idea, do it. Just keep your labels unobtrusive (either in file names, or small notes at the bottom or something)

Has anyone here slept in their car for a show before? I'm travelling to a show with long hours in the near future and I was wondering if anyone has done this before to save costs and keep close to the con center?

>>9218981
that sounds miserable? What about showering.

Get a hotel thats a crappy motel6 or something a ways away if you have a car and are worried about costs.

>>9218981

exactly this:
>>9218984

I can actually get a good night's sleep in my car and it's not particularly spacious. However, it's illegal to sleep in your car on public roads (not sure how enforced, tho) and you don't have a place to go to the bathroom/shower.

$40 and get a bad room at a sleazy hotel

>>9218676
A question. Fanime requires 3-5 links. I have a storenvy and a tumblr and devianart but the posts on my tumblr and deviant are identical. Do I still submit all 3 although it's redundant?

>>9218981
Definitely not something I'd do for a show. I have a minivan and I've road tripped by pulling out the back seats and putting a mattress back there, but when you're working a business you want the stability of having a room to crash in and keep your stuff, and especially at a con hygiene is important.

>>9218878
>how shitty

People won't stop going since they make money. Also Fanime has been a mess for over half a decade now lol

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It's killing me trying to figure out where this is from. Is it chillypig? One of acorn's new materials?

Does anyone know

>>9219382
I don't see anything other than clear, white, and wood from Chillypig. I'm pretty sure it's Acorn, since I remember getting some acrylic samples that included that black.

Omg. First a con charges me an extra $20 for a table, then one con tells me I still need to pay, which I already did, and just now I was told I was put on the wait list for an AA table, even though I already paid for my table last month.
omg these cons are unorganized. I already save most of my emails, but I guess I need to save every single email with these cons.

>>9219392
why are you deleting emails? it's 2016 you have unlimited space

>>9219392
Instead of deleting them(unless it's a random advert) create a separate file and drop them in there.

I had a con sent me an email with one date for payment and then another saying the date was a month earlier and due that day. Thankfully I saved the email they sent me with the first date and I was given the later date to pay.

>>9219408
I'm not a hoarder and I like to keep things organized?

>>9219420
When it comes to things that fall under business transactions. You really should. It a digital paper trail. Consider them the same way you keep papers for tax purposes. Save them for so long, then clear out your email box.

>>9219420
?? it's called the archive button, get with the times.

>>9219417
>>9219424
I know, I normally save some of the con e-mails, but I'm going to make sure I save every single one for now on.

>>9218981
If you do this, for the love of god, work out some way to shower ahead of time. Surely you've got some friend that will let you use theirs?

>>9219382
99% sure yosb lurks here or at least used to if you want a concrete answer, but it's probably acorn. Zap also does glitter acrylic, but only silver, gold and metalic-y blue iirc

>>9219382
It's Acorn Press. I've seen someone else who has charms made like this and they got it ordered from there.

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This on AANI... The girl complaining I thought I recognized her name and sure enough I did. Shes the one that draws those fat mermaids.

>what an insufferable personality

>>9219576
Christ Paige SERIOUSLY needs to pull the stick out of her ass, if the "all bodies are beautiful" tagline wasn't there then as a print it'd be undesirable, the tagline is what would make people laugh and want to buy it.

>>9219597

"all bodies are beautiful" means just that and doesn't mean just fatties. It's the worst part of that movement and that Meghan Trainor song in that they need to build themselves up by bringing others down. I wish someone could pull up an article about some women in Russia who has some rare genetic condition that give her a super angular body like the Lara sprite.

>>9219576
I thought it was funny because Lara Croft, from day 1, polygon boobs and all, has always been THE hot video game chick. Did you know how much porn there was of her back in the day? I think the character's history kind of makes the idea pretty funny.

But it's not like Paige would actually consider the context of anything before being a stick up the ass about it.

Holy fuck she has to have a problem with everything doesn't she?

>>9219790
?? female congoers, especially SU fans, are often feminists. she'll probably alienate a bunch of customers for no reason doing this

> >>9219392
So how long should I wait to e-mail them again? I e-mailed them right after they emailed me about being put on the waitlist. Its only been 24 hours, so maybe I'm being impatient, but I need to get a hotel room and I can't until I figure out what is going on. ugh.

There is actually another con that was suppose to e-mail be back about a 2 weeks ago too. They said they wanted me back this year, so I said great, send me an invoice or whatever, and they never did. What is the correct etiquette with this stuff?

Howdy, gulls.

With Vograce, how much would white onesided charms cost per piece? Thinking of making my first order after thinking on it for years

>>9220594
It depends on your order. You're better off contacting Vograce for an accurate quote.

When does izumicon send out acceptance emails?

Did anyone go to APE this year? It was kind of sad last year after the move to San Jose and I was curious if it got better or worse. I would have gone but I completely forgot it was last weekend

Can anyone recommend a photo paper with no water mark at the back? The internet is recommending redriver paper, but I'd like to have more options.

Did tables for AX sell out already? Was it sold out onsite?

>>9221237
Moab and canson make some great options (pricey though)

>>9221467

AFAIK table sales never opened up to anyone but returning artists.

What's consensus on amount of merch to bring if it's your first time tabling? My biggest fear is having a ton of leftover stuff that'll never move but I'm also afraid of having too low stocks for things that sell better like charms.

>>9222087
For prints, don't bother bringing more than 10 of each unless you people falling over to buy that specific art. I can't give any personal advice for charms though.

>>9222204
I was definitely thinking of 6 copies of prints except for the more popular fandoms. I'm making more charms and bags than prints which makes me nervous since my fandoms are all the super popular ones so I'm afraid of either being completely ignored due to the saturation or have more demand than expected.

Do online sales ever pick up after a fandom stops becoming as widely popular? Like how Osomatsu was a huge wave but now people are moving on.

>>9221496
Thanks for responding! Do I have to purchase a certain paper size or finish or do all of their papers have no watermarks?

>>9222251
there will always be fans, it's not like the fact that it's not airing will stop other people from watching it for the first time, or a new season can renew interest etc

it's always bettter to sell out, even if you feel like you're 'missing out' on profits. Don't go into your first con trying to maximize profits. Try and treat it as a learning experience, if you want to regularly do alley- the money is just a bonus.
Charms are honestly kind of risky for first timers, imo. The market is SUPER saturated in American cons, unless your art is very uniquely styled or significantly better than a lot of artists I wouldn't bother (or if you really wanted to, doing 1-5 designs instead of 10+)

>>9222466

The market has a ton of charms now, but that's because they're a great product type, so buyers expect to see them now. they have become a staple of the aa, so they are good to have. I mean, you wouldn't tell someone the market is oversaturated with prints so they shouldn't have any, right? The same goes for charms.

>>9222556
Acrylic charms are a much larger investment than prints are, though, if they don't sell you're out a pretty chunk of change. I agree with starting small for charms.

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Question. I'm new to doing Artist Alley. I did my first one at NYCC recently which went better than I expected.
So recently I was asked if I'd like to apply for a table at a convention in New Jersey. Only problem it, it says under their rules and regulations for exhibitors that I need a NJ Sellers Permit. Specifically:

>"Exhibitors are responsible for collection and payment of New Jersey State
taxes and must obtain any required Sellers Permit"

Now I didn't need one for NYCC but this convention is saying I do. Thing is, I'm from New York. So what exactly kind of sellers permit do I need to sell at this convention and where would I apply for one?

>>9222556
They are good to have, but the cost of investing in a variety charms is MUCH higher than having a variety of prints. And just because they're charms it doesn't mean they will sell; like any other product their product appeal depends on quality of artwork, character/series chosen, etc
that would apply to any product, honestly. You should test the waters with cheaper to manufacture products if it's your very first time selling so if the worst does happen you don't take a big loss.

I've bought a few stickers & sheets of stickers that are very thick & glossy, and have a grey color on the back (adhesive), I'm assuming they're vinyl but I'm not sure. I'm hoping someone may know the kind of paper I'm talking about? I've found a few on amazon and other websites but there's literally no picture reviews and the AANI search isn't much help.
(Otherwise if anyone has experience using the LD glossy sticker paper on a cameo for kiss-cut sticker sheets please let me know if that worked out for you)

>>9222403
Nah, they don't. They're more high end so even the papers that have that RC paper feel won't have watermarks.

new thread >>9223126