Artist Alley

>>2997571
That image makes me really sad. Is that guy okay?

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>>2997571

I have gazed into the abyss.

>>2997605
No, anon. He appears to be morbidly obese, mentally ill, unskilled and unable to support himself.

>>2997626
Better than 90% of /ic/.

>>2997571
I went to a local, small comic con that was a one day event last year. I collect business cards so that I can look people up later and see how good they are. There was this one "cartoonist" that was selling really expensive prints of traced (stock posed) pictures of The amazing World of Gumball and Adventure Time that were colored with fucking highlighters. I looked him up with his shitty business card that had a cartoon version of himself on it and saw his five failed kickstarter projects that were for him to make and print his own comic.

I also entertained these people http://catseyecomics.com/ who were so fucking creepy and I honestly felt bad for them. They said they'd always dreamed of making comics and being in the industry and they were like pushing fifty. They talked my friend and my ears off for nearly ten minutes about almost every single one of their characters backstories. They were making sure to emphasize that these women were totally empowering and not sexual fetishes at all. I was dying on the inside, but I needed to know more because it was so fucking stupid.
They were selling five-dollar black and white copy paper books that probably cost more to print than what they were making on them. The color copies were fucking atrocious and every panel had these terrible colors and there were GIMP effects everywhere. They kept going on and on about how they made these models and environments but they were literally ripped from Second Life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XFFg95rda8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HN75KpAS1U
They even made these promotional videos, which I find hilarious.

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>>2997684
At a much larger convention around the same time, there was an artist selling the likes of this and other ones of similar quality for $20 11x17 prints. This artist does several conventions a year, but I guess she makes money selling very generic "zomg yaoi plx" buttons and the like.

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I have a feeling this thread is about to get very sad. More sad than it already is.

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>>2997684
>pushing fifty
why...

>>2997571
oh my god I met the guy

Damn I'm in the process of making my first comic and I'd like to be able to sell them at a con one day

>>2997633
IC wouldn't even make the effort to produce anything in the real world.

They are just posers drawing other peoples characters and trying to make out that they are artists.

I wanna know how these people make 4k/con like they claimed. I've tried it before, and never made over 1k and there were a lot of artists worse than me.

>>2999108
I'm curious what you sold. Got a blog?

>>2997792
Start working on a twitter presence now

What's an "Artist Alley"?

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>>2999108
Are you a pretty girl that's as good or better than Jazza? Do you draw fan art?

>mfw that girl theme park caricature artist was casually going on about people giving her $30 tips as if it was normal for everybody.

If you're a girl, a decent artist and you're not a fat piece of garbage you would do well to sell yourself in that way a little. Dress nice and clean up for conventions. So many fedoramen who are used to seeing a crowd of women that are just as sexually unappealing as they themselves are will pay you for the privilege of just having a short conversation across a plastic table from you. Show JUST a little cleavage and I guarantee you'll sell out in no time as long as your work ticks a few of the right boxes.

>>2999129
The area in a convention vendor hall for artists to sell their works.

>>2999132
> Show JUST a little cleavage and I guarantee you'll sell out in no time as long as your work ticks a few of the right boxes.

>Cleavage

;_;

>>2997571
I just get sad looking at this picture. I mean, props for trying, but it's almost a SNL skit in awkward. Serious ChrisChan vibe off this dude.

And damn, dude - start considering salads.

>>2999137
you could also dress up in some sexy cosplay that would also probably work.

>>2999137
>chestlet
Guess youre gonna have to settle for a little bullying

>>2999149
Nah, I dressed in a slutty Harley Quinn costume and it probably only got me like one or two sales.
This shit is a lot harder than you think people, and the reason why is because everybody's doing it. When conventions sell spaces to people for 50-100 bucks everybody who draws in any sense just loves to set up a table, look pathetic and beg for money. In addition, it doesnt help that there are people who draw like every character that ever existed within the DC, Marvel, Cartoon Network, anime, cereal crew universes and whatever and sell their prints for 4 for 20 dollars. (I sat across an asshole that did this)
The best tip I can give you people is to make a lot of art, you won't make any money unless you have at least 20 fanart pieces.
You're really better off promoting yourself as an illustrator for hire or promoting a project (like a comic) that you made. You won't make money either, but you'll spread the word about what you're doing.

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>>2999137
You wanna be a star, don't you?

Strut your stuff and stuff your bra if you have to. When someone buys your art, they're buying a piece of you so you have to put the best (You) out there as you can. If your tits aren't great maybe get a sexy top that emphasizes your neck and shoulders. There's nothing wrong with being a little immodest when there's money to be made.

Good luck, anonym'lady; keep us posted when your fortunes inevitably change.

>>2997605
Me too, boi. It's supposed to be funny but no. Damn :(

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>>2999192
Those are still two sales you may not have gotten if you looked like a typical frumpy fangirl, you know? Your work itself isn't completely inconsequential either, of course. In the end the take away is that it's important you take every advantage you can get. I don't think anyone here is under the impression that it's super easy in any case.

On that note maybe something like Harley Quinn in a skin-tight bodysuit would be over the top though too, you know? Perhaps a sexy but in an understated "girl next door" way would make you more approachable to the permavirgin lard lads that proliferate in these kinds of places.

>>2997571
from the thumbnail i thought it was dear old Chris chan

>>2999129
Where shitty wannabe artist copy characters like wolverine, spideman, pikachu, goku and naruto and then sell them like they are their own work to tasteless weabs and nerds at conventions as if it's their own work.

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>>2999291
calm down anon, you sound so salty about selling fanart in conventions for fans
moreover, there's plenty of original art too.

>>2999149
>>2999132
>>2999193
Would having a guy with you hinder this? I did AA a couple years ago when I was 180lbs and did terrible. Now I'm down to 115lbs and dress as slutty as I can. That plus getting a little bit better in art currently has me getting more sales this time around, but still not enough. I always have my bf helping me table and he says I could probably get more sales if he wasn't there because then guys will want to come over and talk to me.

Problem is that I am very quiet-autist and I literally have only two friends besides my bf who are also men.

This leads to here
>>2999118
>>2999117
I have barely any social media following... No blog, and 18 followers on Twitter, half of them bots, and 50-some on Instagram (where pictures of me get the most likes over any art I post) bc I could never do well with social media thanks to my autism and that to engage online drains the hell out of me. I've tried on and off for two years.

>>2999371
Those ones are okay.


Fan artists can eat a dick.

>>2999371
wow, you sound like someone trying to defend thier own poor taste. Stay salty with that fanart you have hanging in your room, kiddo

>>2999372
>Would having a guy with you hinder this?

Unfortunately yes; If I see a dude that looks anywhere near normal standing anywhere near a healthy girl I assume they're dating (and most of the time they are). Your boyfriend is neckbeard kryptonite and he's gotta go.

>going from 180lbs to 115lbs

Congratulations, really. You won't hear that on tumblr.

>>2999372
If you have any problems talking to strangers one-on-one, don't force yourself to hinge your profits on this - you'll just make yourself miserable and enjoy your work less. (Happened to me. Too many creeps. Especially if you're dressed slutty.) Focus on finding another female. It can be anybody, doesn't have to be a "friend." Who knows, maybe you'll become friends on accident.

>>2999372
>>2999412
ETA for autism: a lot of girls out there are willing to help you with your booth if you're willing to buy them a ticket for the con (or share a room if you're traveling). Total strangers will do this for you if you can break for a while to let them enjoy other stuff.

>>2999404
>>2999412
>>2999417
Thank you for the advice. I actually am fine with talking to people in person. It's just social media (and phone) that stifles me, because I can't see the person's face, and I have a bad history of being harassed online (that spread to offline at cons), so it makes me weary.

I also don't trust people easily, especially women. Been back stabbed way too many times. I wouldn't trust someone to run my table and sales/money that I don't know well. And yes, I've been trying hard for a long time to make some female friends...I don't live in a built up area and my transportation options are limited.

>>2997684
>Authored by Razor Indigo

My sides

>>2999108
>>2999372
Did you sell cute charms and shit or only prints? You can be the worst artist ever but sell a shitton of buttons and charms with sayings on them or anime characters. I've been keeping up with the AA thread on /cgl/ and they stated that until they started selling trinkets they'd made only 1-2k.
Most of the people that do AA don't have a following, they use it as a way to promote themselves and make money. However, I see people making a huge mistake sometimes in that when someone buys something, they don't put their business card in the poster sleeve so that the buyer can find them again. My bf bought me a SU print but I have no clue who made it so I can't follow them.
When you're selling at animecons I think it's best to stack your stock with anime merch that's related to things that are currently airing or otome/gal games that are popular. Last year I went to a con and my friends were specifically looking for something related to some murder game and bought the only print (which was just shitty chibis) that anyone had.
Comic Cons bleed into anime art a little bit, but I found that in addition to the marvel and DC heroes, there was a much wider variety of original artwork and a number of people were selling canvases and originals. CCs have an older audience so they'll be looking for things to decorate their homes.
For ACs you have to consider your audience is horny 14 year olds that are *obsessed* with whatever their favorite thing is right then--but they don't have a lot of money, so you have to sell individual and sets of charms/keychains/buttons for under $10.

>>2999400
nothing to do with taste, I just fail to see anything horribly wrong with a couple of teens and young adults selling fanworks? If the creator has a problem, they usually make it known, and people don't sell that.

>>2999509
Make your own art work ffs.

They deserve a beat down for it.

>>2997782
is he nice?

>>2999915
it doesn't matter if he's nice, his art is terrible
leave personality out of art world, PLEASE FFS

>>2999920
i mean he looks like a lvl 7 sperg so i was wondering if he could even maintain eyecontact or follow a conversation.

In effect, im checking if my stereotyping is correct to make sure i can be a more accurate biggot.

obviously wouldnt buy anything or attempt to talk to him irl.

>>2999920
C'mon, he's a literal autist who is never going to be threat to any professional artist and only has good intentions, let him do his thing.

>>2999922
Hey don't bully nosebro

>>2999927
lmao

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>>2999915
>>2999921
yeah he's nice, and does a pretty good job pitching for a novice. quite awkward but that comes with the package.
tried to sell it to an aunt(or grandma?) that came with kids as a good family comic. got rejected as well. felt a bit bad for rejecting his pitch and then buying other comics in front of him
there was also another guy doing really poor cartoon portraits.
and an actual pretty good pro. random kid was doodling with him. bought a copy of his sketch; underselling imo

>>2999985
If he's good at pitching that suggests he isn't a completely autistic retard after all. You should have at least shouted LOOMIS at him and set him on the right path. I actually think the idea of a dodgeball comic is pretty endearing with how ostensibly innocent it is (hell I'd maybe buy a couple of buttons off him out of pity even though I'd probably toss them out later) but that art is fuckin' something else.

>>3000003
The book cover looks okayish. The thing behind him looks terrible.

I don't know how to feel about this thread.

>>3000003
I wanted to tell him, but in public while he's set up really isn't the time and place.
I do admire his tenacity, he's certainly done more than I ever did.

>>2999985
Are you in NJ, by chance? If so, what part?

>>2999372
What kind of work do you do and sell?

>>2997571
How do you get people interested in your work if plan to sell your own comics at an AA?

>>2999149
>cosplay
would you feel more like approaching someone in cosplay-not sexy cosplay but regular, maybe cute shit?
what about still being ugly but very friendly?
what about cosplaying as an opposite sex?
would seeing that they're into shitty things hinder you?

>>3000109
nah, NY

>>3000528
>aching someone in cosplay-not sexy cosplay but regular, maybe cute shit?
cute could also work
>what about still being ugly but very friendly?
if the art is good i over look ugly
>what about cosplaying as an opposite sex?
*shrug* this was more about grills clevage originally and i was offering an alternative.

>would seeing that they're into shitty things hinder you?
shit taste =bad art= ignored.

>>3000528

>approachable?

Doesn't really matter for me unless you cosplay a super hard edgelord IC at your table. You can be dressed up like Alucard with the personality of Michelle from R.O.D. and I'd be intrigued to come over and talk with you about your stuff.

>Ugly but friendly?

See above. If you've got good work, we don't care. Just be approachable and have good posture. Don't stare at people, and if you do catch eye contact just grin, nod, and say 'hello'.

>Crossplay?

...Somewhere in the bowels of YouTube there's this video of an actual male cosplaying as Hetalia's Italy. He is bum-rushed by an ASSAULT of fangirls who want to shout things at him. You may not get this exact response, but these are the kinds of people who will be attracted to you. If you're recognizable, that is. Business is business, just think things through.

>Into shitty things?

Meh. Either way on this one.

Prints cost about 26-32 cents to make, they order about a stack of about 100 or so, then they jack up the price to 10 bucks EACH.

I stopped buying prints altogether at cons after I found out that scam.

>>3001035
I heard this lately and was amazed, but then you have to take into account the costs of even being in an artist alley, it's probably just enough.

>>3001035
>Prints cost about 26-32 cents to make,
lol what.
The prints I make myself cost around $5 in materials. I have a super boss printer and use canvas backed semi-gloss archival paper. The prints are suppose to last like... a hundred years at least.

>>2997571
Isn't that the guy with the kiddie comic were one of the sisters was in love with his brother out of nowhere

>>3001035
Uhhh... what kind of cheap ass copy paper prints are you making? 11x17s are usually 1-6 dollars. More if you're looking for really high quality/ holographic styles.
Maybe if you were printing 5x9s at the library it would be that much.

>>3001035
they sell them for $17-$20 if it's a big convention. Usually the best artist has a price and everyone copies it to be competitive.

>>2999372
Tell him to act and dress like a flaming super flamboyant gay dude if you need him around.
And he has to do the whole limp wrist, throw his head back and laugh with open mouth thing so people can get the message from a distance.

>>3001042
Artist alley tables/booths start at 30 bucks to lock in as con director, then they jack up the price.

>>3001043
You should be getting them in bulk like I do, retard. My printer prints out my 11x17 high gloss cardstock at 26 cents a print when I order more than 50. You're losing out.

>>3001067
I get my shit printed out at a print shop. Lazy cucks get their shit printed out at libraries.

>>3001068
I usually go for the artist with a 5 buckto 7 buck range, and it's a plus if their work is REALLY good. You can tell the hacks apart from the good artists because they good artists are selling their work FAIR and WELL PRICED. Every other bitch and cuck in the Artist Alley who's selling their prints for 10 dollars or more have nothing original on hand and are regurgitating the same prints from 6 months ago.

That's why I'm careful when I buy at the artist alleys now. No wonder the call them CONS.

>>3001082
table costs range from $200 - $350 in my country,
not including travel or insurance.

>>3001035
You have to factor the cost of getting the table to begin with + the skill/labour

Do you think it's a rip off for people to sell drawings that aren't 25 cents?

>>3001089
>That's why I'm careful when I buy at the artist alleys now. No wonder the call them CONS.
Oh come on. It's not like the artists are super rich shysters. Most of them are just poor neets.
I've heard even at the current average price point most artists only profit a few hundred.

Table cost: 2-300$
Printing cost: 1-200$
Other merch costs (pins, buttons, keychains): 1-200$
Business cards: 50$
Travel cost: 50$
Hotel cost: 1-200$
I'm going to say it's like 800$ a convention. First time going you also have to buy display stands and so on. It might run you up to 1,000$

The artist would have to sell 100 prints at 10$ to break even. I'd say the prices are pretty fair. I think anything above 20$ for a print is too much, though.

>>2997684
u r golden for sharing this with us. thank u for the quality entertainment

Ive tabled at two cons so far and its a pretty cool experience. There are the generic shitty animu artists, generic good animu artists, and artists that are genuinely good that sell a mix of fanart and originals. Its a quick way to find great artists and network if youre near major cities. Some of the nicest and most talented people i know i met by tabling at just those two cons.
I sell a mix of fanart and originals. never underestimate commissions. I turn down most anime requests and i still make bank

>>3001114
You know you're getting fucked up the ass, right? Next time, volunteer for your local convention and get in REAL good with the promoters. This will take a few years, but eventually you'll be let in to the inner circle. Then you'll ind out the trth of how much booths REALLY cost.

Most booths are either hired outside of the convention by an independent contractor who supplies the pipes and drapes for 30 DOLLARS a booth. Your convention then hikes up the rate to pay for their guests and the convention venue itself.

You're LITERALLY paying for the convention, and you're getting NOTHING in return. Look it up. I'm not lying.

>>3001122
No, artists are just as stupid for paying for tables that cost a THIRD of what they're being charged.

>>3001170
>>3001173
Oh wow, the price of the AA tables is inflated to help pay for the convention? The next thing you're going to tell me is that the plastic badges they make don't cost 50 dollars or more to print!

>nothing in return
>except a platform to make upwards of several thousand dollars in sales from

autism

>>3001134
Here's the real truth, and I've been involved with a few conventions and their promoters to know the facts.

Table cost: 15 dollars for an 8x2 table, 30 dollars for an 8x2 table with pipe and drape. Most conventions offer their own tables, but sometimes pipe and drape are provided from an outside contractor, usually an exhibits contractor.

Printing cost: 26-35 cents a print on high gloss cardstock, 11x17, usually if you order more than 20 prints of one particular image. You get charged more at your local print shop if you ask for anything bigger, like a 12x18 or larger.

Other merch: Most of these are ordered online, again, at bulk prices. Keychains are sold at about 10 bucks per 100 key chains, pins go for about 5 to 10 bucks for an order of 200 or so, and buttons, unless you have the button maker yourself, are about 500 buttons for 20 bucks.

Business cards: Most are printed for color at your local print shop for about 30 bucks for 500 cards. Online prices vary, but they're cheaper.

Travel cost: Depends on where you go. If you're local, it's the cost of gas for about two days worth of driving. If you travel, you're dumb for not making friends and splitting the cost of travel gas.

Hotel: Did you know that if you get in REAL good with the convention promoters, you can often get their deal when they book hotels? Most rooms can go for as low as 75 bucks a night, and that included early access to the convention hall and any adjacent facilities, most notably the loading dock, and maybe hotel parking. If you're going to Comic Con in San Diego, why even bother? You're only going to end up paying thousands for a little cramped space where no one's going to see you.

So let's add all that up, shall we?

>>3001173
>>3001170
>>3001035

holy fuck it's like only material costs exist and profit is forbidden
artists should charge an hourly rate of like 2 cents for anything digital because thats about how much power it takes I guess

>>3001179
They don't. We've printed out high quality, plastic badges for about...35 bucks for a set of 200 badges? Most of our attendees were under 500 so, we only ended paying about 60 bucks for 400 badges.

>>3001184
Hey, I'm on YOUR side. There's nothing wrong with profit. but when you jack up the price of a print from 25-35 cents to 10 bucks, then I have a problem with that 250% mark up rate. I'm just being honest.

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>>2997684
Okay, it was bugging me that I thought I had his card but I couldn't find it, so I did some digging and found the highlighter guy's website. He was wearing this crazy hawaiian shirt to the con too.
This. This is what he was selling prints of.
https://68.media.tumblr.com/e4267301e1bf455eea04c6713bc16a5e/tumblr_o6ttatdSJz1tqfmrvo1_1280.jpg
https://68.media.tumblr.com/cee64292dd38413dda67613227c3a29d/tumblr_oclczhjoqH1tqfmrvo1_1280.jpg
These were all prints. People would commission him to draw at the con too.
This was his table set up:
https://68.media.tumblr.com/ea53edefcaa75d7e5244d8815c057474/tumblr_oghk3slKkD1tqfmrvo1_1280.jpg

So, table cost=15 to 30 bucks, depending.
Prints= 200 at. let's say for the sake of argument, 50 cents each. That's 100 bucks.
Merch= Add another 100 bucks.
Business cards= 30 bucks
Travel cost= Local 20 bucks, tri state area, 50 bucks.
Hotel= Make friends with the promoters...150 for a weekend.

That's...430 bucks, NOWHERE near the 1000 bucks you think you need.

Now, selling your prints at 7 bucks each and only selling 100...well looky there! You've made back what you spent...AND there's some profit! Even at 5 bucks a print, you're still making 500 bucks for the weekend. And you've printed out 200 of these, so, I see the profit, do you?

Now, what artists are doing wrong, in my OPINION, is that they're selling their prints WAY TOO EXPENSIVE at 10 bucks a print. You're being shysters to your customers AND trying to turn a HUGE profit in just two days.

Boo.

>>3001185
>>3001187
you seriously have no idea how this works, do you?

lets take your table example, you say a table costs 15$, but did you ever consider the organisation to get the table there? to have the staff for the con? the electricity?

you are not explicitly charged for these, they are calculated into the other prices, you cannot conflate material price for true cost.

for a print, you ll have the artist depreciating all of their costs, that is their bread on the table, onto that print, divided by the projected amount of sales

this is basic economics that I would expect from anybody

>>3001193
Artist Alleys are nothing more than a breeding ground for con artists and swindlers, people who have no business selling anything without first considering the cost of their expenses. They're spending MORE than they're making, so I can see why a full color cardstock print that you got from a print shop at pennies on the dollar, you have to sell at a hike up rate because your convention promoters are just as shitty at taking your money as profit to themselves. Sure, they have to pay the convention venue, staff, security, even convention staff, feed the volunteers, so on and so forth, but did you KNOW, that most of the conventions you go to, are FUNDED by the city themselves, meaning that the city they're in has procured a grant from their Arts and Culture Department to have that convention that you go to?

Which means that they're hiking up the table cost, or booth cost, and they're STILL taking advantage of you by hiking up the table prices?

Now you see why they call them CONS, right?

>>3001194
CONflate, I like that word.

No, you're just barely figuring out how a convention really works, and how for maybe YEARS, you've been conned yourself. And hey, I was right there with you, until I pulled out from the convention circuit altogether, from volunteering, to staffing, to directing and eventually leaving conventions altogether.

It's just a GIANT swap meet/flea market. That's what goes on at "Con Staff Meetings". We're basically getting together to see how much money we can fuck out of your ass, pretend to be your friend come convention time, then shit on you all weekend long while you pay HUNDREDS more than you need to, because we've already got a grant from the city, we've gone out and procured SPONSORS, and we eventually throw FUNDRAISERS to help better your CON experience, all the while laughing our asses off to the bank, having you sign your life away to us in the form of "Early Table SIgn Up For Next Year" so you won't lose your spot, hell, maybe even charge you an extra 200 bucks for early sign up, that coveted corner spot, or Membership Fee registration.

And all the while, the artist, the vendor, and the customer get FUCKED royally, but hey, what do I know.

>>3001198
So basically a bunch of jews are gaming the taxpayers and the weaboo community?

>>3001194
If I were you, I'd make DAMN sure that my money was being used to help better the convention experience for the FANS and those involved alike. I'd call out the convention staff and DEMAND we see where our money goes.

And if NONE of the conventions you attend can answer you HONESTLY and TRANSPARENTLY where your money is going, where it's being used, and why it's so much, then honestly, you deserve to be conned. Conflated, as it were.

And it sucks. There are no more conventions to go to that are honest about what they do anymore. They just take advantage of a starving artist, and why shouldn't we?

You're that gullible. You think we're your friends. And I'm sorry you had to find out the honest truth like this. But it's better you know now, before it too late, you're 45 years old and STILL pretending and think that the convention you go to, the one you attend RELIGIOUSLY every year...is just around to take your money, and not even give you a FIGHTING chance in hell to make any more back that you spent.

Cat's out of the bag now.

>>3001213
What the fuck is your problem?

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>>3001213
>you

>>3001207
Not just jews, but that comic book shop you go to, that anime club you defend, that ink tattoo shop yearning to make a horrorfest, that sci-fi convention that barely starting out as a "grass-roots" start up, that out of town convention that you always go to every year, those tales of San Diego Comic Con, AX, WonderCON, New York City Comic Con, Emerald City Comic Con, PAX East, DRAGONCon, BronyCON and every other convention you have your hopes on attending, be it a small, local convention or that mighty, mighty con you've dreamed of being a part of.

Welcome to reality. Welcome to the world of the Con, as seen by someone who's been through it in every aspect imaginable.

>>3001220
Everything in the world is like this.
That's why we need uncle Adolf.

>>3001215
I don't have a problem. I'm just telling the truth.
>>3001218
No buddy, that's you when you sign up for the Artist Alley, hoping your art submissions will get past the Artist Alley Coordinator, sometimes a washed up weeb artist or ego-driven punk who's READY to deny your submission on grounds of "Your work does not meet our convention standards due to it's infringement on copyright, fan art or flat out uglyness but we'll never tell you, because if you meet our criteria, we'll butt fuck you out of 300 dollars so that you can make HALF of that on the weekend of OUR convention, because we'll stick you in the back room while our GUESTS end up in nice booths on the convention floor."

>>3001221
Ain't that the truth.

>>3001224
And if you don't think that's true, find out for yourself. Sign up for the Artist Alley at your local or tri state are convention and see where they put you. Most likely near the back of the convention, where no one will come and see you, or in some room in another hotel or on the second or third floor of another adjacent part of the hotel where no one will see you.

See how the convention will only PROMOTE its guests, paid for by a grant from the city, and where in lights, is the Artist Alley? Where in the booklet are you usually posted on, if you're even posted at all? How small is the typeface advertising the Artist Alley? It's okay, go back and look to see how small the page ad is, or sometimes just posted on a piece of regular paper stuffed in the booklet that the CITY paid for to advertise the GUESTS, the LIVE MUSIC, the COSPLAY CONTEST? Hmm?

Where is the Artist Alley, you ask a Staff member, and they'll usually point you to the room ACROSS the convention hall, stuffy and warm, with no AC, and fitting 20 tables where there should only be...10?

>>3001236
Or if you're lucky, you'll be in this BIG hall spread apart from each other, the length of a car between you and the person selling right across from you.

We don't care about you, starving artist. No. We care about the composer from Japan coming in to play...Final Fantasy music. We care about the VOICE ACTOR who played Goku in the Spanish version of DragonBall Z, we care about the BIG TITTIED cosplayer who's TOO old to be dressing up in costume, but who brings in the BIG BUCKS for us.

Go back and see where on the program we put you— in small, illegible fonts.

>>3001243
Are Artist Alleys worth it anymore? If you find that honest group of folks who are in it for the love rather than the money, then yes, it's worth it.

If they still exist. If.

>>3001236
>>3001243
wtf i hate conventions now??

>>3001035
>Hurrr durr how dare people try and make money off their art.

I was lucky enough to help with a booth at the phoenix con this past weekend. It wasn't artist alley, but a button/pins, prints, magnets coasters etc.

I can say it's much better money than trying to have an artist alley spot.
sure you spend a lot on your booth. but you make it back in the first day and everything after is profit. buttons that sell for $1.50 each go much faster than prints will most likely sell.

I saw some artists in artist alley who had art that looked straight out of those how to draw anime books. and they still had a booth. the con is willing to take your money even if you dont sell anything.

>>3001246
If not, here's your wake up call. You don't want to be that 47 year old sitting alone in her booth, her doujinshi barely selling anything that weekend, telling you stories about how her cat coughed up a hairball this morning and it made her cry because she felt SOMETHING.

Don't be that 50 year old guy still trying to sell his fanfiction surrounded by 18 year old fangirls selling YAOI prints for 15 bucks a print.

Want to know why? Because I'm 56 years old, and I've been involved in conventions for over 25 years of my life, and I made one HELL of a living that I was able to buy my house, my car and my favorite things all THANKS to Artist Alleys, and conventions like the ones you all go to.

Sad but true. I'm done typing now. Good night,

Holy fuck, this is a depressing reality check. I had no idea I was being scammed so hard, yo. What the hell...

>>3001205
>>3001213
>>3001258

Uh...this is just basic capitalism. Why would anyone organize a convention without trying to pull a profit unless its specifically a non-profit (and even then, most of those are just tax havens).

Artist Alleys provide you a venue for you to market your wares. Conventions that have been around for a while have historic traffic numbers, word of mouth, etc, to give you an idea of what your market size is, and the costs involved in attending. It's up to you to figure out how much you'd need to sell to break even or even make a profit, and whether or not you'll be able to do so. I don't see anywhere in the contract or advertisement saying that you can expect to make your money back or turn a profit.

Sometimes convention organizers really fuck it up for the AA via a number of dumb decisions, but that's just a fact of life that happens in every business.

I mean, AA is just like anything else, a large number of the participants will crash and burn, a middle portion will barely eek out an existence, while a tiny amount make huge profit. I don't see why anyone should expect anything different.

>>3001258
As they say, they are called "cons"
Yeah artists pay up to 350 bucks for a table at conventions. Artists here in Australia often sell their prints at 8-15 dollars and 3 dollars for badges, The competition isn't as fierce as America, however.
I say 50/50 fanart and original art if you're still discovering yourself as an artist. You want to aim for 90%+ original art.

In a recent One Fantastic Week episode Pete Mohrbacher was talking about how he was finally convinced to up his print prices at cons from $25 to $30 because other artists were charging $40-$60 per print. So, don't sell yourself short I guess.

But why bother with all that shit when you can get Patreon and Kickstarter bux.

>>3001320
>because other artists were charging $40-$60 per print
Were these artist printing on gold or were they DaVinci brought back from the dead?

>>2999132
not true. interested in you =/= paying for a poster.

>>3001323
I'm guessing they were probably artists who can actually draw and don't live with their mom.

>>3001426
I wouldn't buy a 60 dollar print from anyone at a con, I don't care how good they are

This histrionic autistic moron has absolutely ruined this thread.

>Hurr if a print costs a dollar to make the artist should charge a dollar durr it's a conspiracy

>>2999137
A flat chest could be the perfect platform for your art career, you know?

>>3001089
I think $10-15 is a fair price for a large print for a one-man business. $5-7 would be good for a small one

>>3001145
>I sell a mix of fanart and originals.
I believe this is best

>never underestimate commissions
I love to hear more about it senpai

>>3001543

what? Shitty posters at musem shops sell for more than that. Hope you're joking

>>2997684
second life 3d models, wow,
you can't really get more shitty comic.

>>3001578
shit really? what do you think, then?

>>2997713
did domo arigato cure his autism by gun?
is this why no new video ever?

If you fucking idiots are so upset about 25 dollars for a fan art print I would hate to see your face in a fine art gallery and see pieces ranging from $300-$6000

Fucking manga morons I swear.

You talk about how tough it is to "make it" but also complain when people actually try to earn money from their art.

Just fuck off.

>>3000574
and what would be shit taste for you?
would being in a terrible fandom make you do a complete 180?

>>3000802
I've got a naturally sad face, and look high when I smile I think, how badly do you think it'll affect things?

would playing vidja/doodling/reading (simple shit you can interrupt) be bad to do? I'd feel awkward just sitting there and bored.

>>3001614
You can be awkward but don't look sad and depressed. People avoid artists who look that way as nobody wants to be near a downer when they're here to have fun.

Playing a game, reading, and drawing are all fine as long as you post a sign that tells them to feel free to ask you questions. This is extremely important if you're drawing as that is a great way to pull people to your table but if they feel like they might be rude to interrupt your work they'll leave soon.

>>3001609
That's why exclusive limited print runs are a good idea. Because then it increases the incentive to buy it and also its value to the buyer.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYWB-1qmLJI

>>3001614
a wide array of things . that hideous sjw ugly on purpose tumblr style, shadman, kodyboy_555, lots more i hate lots of stuff anon.
if the art is good i wont do a 180.

>>3001224
>>3001609
>>3001286
>>3001253
>>3001243
>>3001236

This only applies to shit artist and nobodies. There's no elevator or escalator to the mountain greater artists have climbed to the top of. Just because one artist got a start somewhere small and got lucky from there just means that door is now closed for everyone else. Quit wasting your time trying to find the easy door that will get you in and spend more time perfecting your skill.

The only reason this guy is painting the con people Ina negative light is becuase their not good enough for anyone to give a shit about. If there's one thing you can take away from this guys posts is that if you are good enough artist more doors will open for you.

>>2999400
The salty one is you, faggot.

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>>3001213
With that logic I shouldn't go to the AVN Expo and just masturbate at home.

But jokes on you cause I met Hitomi.

>>3001236
How is this different from Comiket, where there are 5000 tables in a hall where only 1000 should be? Where you don't have expectation of selling out? Where you have to enter a lottery to even get a table? Where you are promoted in a small square in a phonebook sized catalog?

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>>2997571
What am I even looking at?

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>>3002085
d-did she let you touch them?

>>3001548
Commissions are great, a customer can get a character they're actually looking for as well as themselves in a cosplay. Not that anon but I do commissions at every convention. I rarely get a break but it's well worth it. Sometimes I draw people's pets or whatever, but always price it higher than your digital prints as they are "originals".
You must think of the time it takes you to make each commission and know your limits. Sometimes it might be better to do commissions slower at a higher price- or faster at a cheaper price at the cost of the quality. It depends on you as an artist.
The most important thing is that you're making a connection with that person. Their smile is what I work for. Corny I know but it keeps me going to conventions.

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Is an artist alley a specific thing, or just any market where artists can grab a spot to sell work?

If the latter, I've only done one before in 2015 - a holiday market in my small midwest city. The market probably saw around 4000-5000 people roll through. It last a Friday evening and all day Saturday before Christmas.

At the time, all I could sell were art prints. I bought really nice, thick paper and printed them with my 13"x19" Epson printer. I sold 8"x10" prints for $15.00, and 12"x16" prints for $25.00. I bought little plastic sleeves for them too - they looked great. Like others have suggested, my prints were a mix of fan art and originals. I've been selling work on sites like Redbubble successfully for some time, so I picked my best sellers from those and sold them.

Unfortunately, I ended up spending more than I thought I would. Partly because the fee was so high (~ $250 for the spot), but I also had to create all of my stock, and get materials to build a passable booth setup. I read online it was important to show work vertically if you can, so I bought some PVC pipes and created a stand. I then hung twine across it and used clothes pins to hang the work. It was janky, but it honestly ended up looking and working great. Pic related was part of the setup.

My overall expenses: $600.00
Revenue: $1000.00
Profit: $400.00

I wouldn't do it again. Doing a small bit of commissioned work to make $400.00 would be far, far easier and less time consuming than all the preparation and time spent trying to sell work in person. The risk of operating at a loss and not covering your costs is too high.

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>>3002709

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All I know is that if your not catering to a popular fandom, then your missing out on money. When it comes to merchandise, I'm looking for artist keychains (I've been loving these), pouches, stationary, clothes, pins, etc. I like things that are particle, or easy to display. There is only so many prints that I feel like I can put up on my wall, or store in my home, but I still buy them from time to time.

I also recommend people have a twitter and start advertising their stuff on there.I wouldn't have bought so many stuff, or found so many artist booths if I didn't come across it on Twitter.

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>>3003182
Oh shit I meant you're. Also here are some charms I'm thinking of pre-ording. Just showed up on the twitter feed.

>>3003055
>Commissions are great, a customer can get a character they're actually looking for [...]
does this happen a lot?

>as well as themselves in a cosplay.
do you take a picture or something to remember what they look like?

>Not that anon but I do commissions at every convention. I rarely get a break but it's well worth it.
do you spend the whole day doing at the booth or do you sometimes go off to an event you really wanted to see?
how do you deal with exhaustion? biting off more than you can chew?

Sometimes I draw people's pets or whatever [...]
what kind of materials do you use anyways?

>but always price it higher than your digital prints as they are "originals".
you ever get any complaints about this? "why is it higher than your other stuff?" kind of things?
how would you deal with unreasonable clients (and you didn't know they were like this until at least halfway through)?

>You must think of the time it takes you to make each commission and know your limits. Sometimes it might be better to do commissions slower at a higher price- or faster at a cheaper price at the cost of the quality. It depends on you as an artist.
ever had trouble with drawing something?

>The most important thing is that you're making a connection with that person. Their smile is what I work for. Corny I know but it keeps me going to conventions.
always seemed like the best part about it to me senpai

>>2999999
>>3000000

>>2997571
I did a couple conventions with a friend while in college, he'd sell prints, postcards, originals of whatever montly meme fanart darling. I just sold cute cartoon animal buttons.
I consistently made $1-2K, he would make less than $500 on some, over $3K on others. We never figured why.

>>3003186
Fuck me, that Hector is adorable

>>3005382
Would you be brave enough to show some of your work? I've been contemplating about doing kawaii animal shit, but afraid of the whole "original art doesn't sell" so I'd love to see a style that sold pls

>>2997571
when i see people like this

or even just spend a couple seconds on deviantart

i begin asking myself if i still have enough time to study to be a doctor.
and i have to snap myself out of it.
fuck these people are so god damn scary.
their stubbornness to ignore the despair the emanate.
people like to tell you that good work never goes unrewarded. thats entirely untrue. good work never goes unpunished. nobody, not a single person on this planet, respects these artists, despite how earnestly they struggle for their shitty art. nobody forgives them, even. its offensive that they think they deserve to try. and that is how you know the world isnt fair.

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This thread's motivating me to try harder. Thanks /ic/.

>>3005382
Mate,I attended a con and made some merch and I noticed that people also REALLY LOVE stickers,I sold a few prints and cards but the stickers were rolling in the bucks.

>>2997571
Will I share the same fate as this sub-man?

Is this what conventions outside of cali are like? All the artists at fanime and ax are always pretty good desu

>>3006386
Fanime is the biggest con in norcal and AX is the comic con of anime. All the best artists are going to be there

This is an interesting thread, finally IC you have something to fucking discuss.

Anyone here listen to 1 Fantastic Week?

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The little loop things on their shorts and shoes look like tiny testicles.

Notwithstanding, there's something really charming about outsider art. They way they embrace kitsch with such unbearable shallowness gives me an almost subversive vibe when done right. Like, art like this, to me, shatters the facade of aesthetic sensibility and reveals some sort of forgotten, primordial feeling buried in us all deep down beneath, past loomis, past the undeserved pretension, and past the centuries of human endeavor; what Chris-chan & co. are doing is actually digging into the depths of our collective subconscious to rediscover the means of transcendence from these mortal husks. What we'll discover, I don't know, but what I do know is that on precisely the day that that truth is discover there will rain a fiery hellstorm of sonichu badges, plushies and miscellaneous merchandise.

Also,
https://exhentai.org/g/1046351/20b71b900a/

This entire thread is fucked up. Yo, art economics is fucked up.

>>3006709
You know, you put it words better than I could ever do.
>https://exhentai.org/g/1046351/20b71b900a/
What the fuck...

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>>3001189

>>3006709
>>3001189
Fuck this thread, this shit is so sad.

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I'm screaming so fucking hard. I hate that cons are starting to be "juried" on if you get in or not. This translates to nothing more than, "My friends only get in."

I know I'm not the best artist, but what the hell am I supposed to do when I keep getting denied over people who are way more shit than I am, when doing AA was my main source of income.
This piece of shit who literally only has one crayon drawing of a typical alien in their Da got picked over me, who has a full portfolio. This other piece of shit who can't draw (picture is theirs) got picked over me. I could go on of other terrible artists that supposedly have better art than me getting in.

>>3008995
I agree with this so much. It's pretty fucking obvious too when the artist alley is suddenly filled with people from the same region. I missed when it was first come, first serve.

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>>3001189
Not all is lost. Great reaction image material.

>>3001387
lmfao, it's universally known attractive women can easily take money from nerds

>>3001189
i want to see the crazy hawaiian shirt

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>>2997571
Is this real? Where can I buy this nigga's comics? I must read them.

>>2997571
http://www.dodgeballteens.com/conphotos.html
This website uses comic sans!

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>>2997571
.

>>3011478
I want to know how this guy even makes a profit. Going to cons and buying tables ain't cheap. Especially NYC cons. He sells his prints for more than I do, and I struggle to break even.

>>3011964
I was reading his guestbook on the website of some of these guys, and I think they just have kid friendly and cheap crap that makes parents think their kids will love it. Parents are there because their kid likes super heroes and aren't familiar with comics themselves.
The "artists" probably sell these full comics for less than what the other vendors/artists are selling. If the kids want a souvenir, the parents are going to urge them to buy stuff from the cheap table.