#prints of this will be available as 8.5x11 and 11x17

[kaiayame]

🌿

[preservationofnormalcy]

Just as a reminder, I did up all the new posters in the simplified B&W style, and I'm using them for cheaper "budget option" posters in folded-once 11x17 and 8.5x11. They're lower cost and cheaper to ship, so it's a good option if you like the designs but can't afford the bigger stuff. They also ship well with the stickers and art cards. You can find the listing at this link below!

[tt-rexxu]

The Bleach X Keffiyeh Print is now available on my big cartel! All Proceeds go to the Watermelon Land :3 most specifically PCRF.

[meruz]

hi!! im sure ppl have asked this b4, but i scoured your asks tag for an hour or so looking to see if you answered anything abt it and couldnt find anything, so i was just wondering if youve made any posts on your process for making n selling merch b4? and how you know which franchises you can make merch for w/o getting into trouble w copyright n trademark stuff (hopefully that makes sense, im not sure,,,)

hi! got a bunch of asks abt merch stuff lately im gonna put it under a cut.

preface: i don't know if i'm the best person to ask about all this stuff because I'm doing merch on a strictly hobby basis LOL. I have a fulltime job which takes care of the bulk of my finances, I don't really make big quantities of anything and my main priority at cons is to just make enough money to see my friends in different cities at minimal expense. i pretty much always get a refund when i file my con taxes because my profit after all the deductions is like fucking..nothing.. lmao. So if you ultimately lose money following my advice don't blame me. OK NOW lets get into it

my process for making merch: when I have an event scheduled that I want to make merch for I start by brainstorming a bunch of stuff I wanna make. for mgscon this is what I wrote down in my sketchbook lol

i made a legend to denote which ones are actually just reprints. it gets easier to plan out merch when you already have merch. out of the new merch ideas here i actually only made like 4 of them. and out of the reprints i only reprinted like three. i also came up with like 4-5 other merch ideas after writing out this list that i actually did do. LMAOO UM. my point here is that nothing rly goes as planned.

when i get a merch idea i start with thumbnails what i want it to look like (sometimes this is based off merch ive seen before so its very realized and sometimes its really vague bc im kind of pulling it out of my ass)

then BEFORE i go into making the final art I research how I'm going to make the merch. whether its printing/constructing it myself or looking for a manufacturer. There's a lot of different places that you can get custom merch made, i used to go shopping around at local printing shops but nowadays it's really common to do it all online. For both these jet tags and the washi tape I did some of my own research into manufacturers and also asked friends for their contacts/referrals/recommendations etc. most manufacturers either have their specs/template publicly available or will give them to you when you ask. so once I've locked into a manu and gotten the specs I'll start designing the final art.

then it's sending it off and waiting! easier said than done.

i will say this process is a lot lengthier for some types of merch than others LOL. for prints... I've been doing prints for like a million years and I plan out almost none of it. I draw everything at print resolution so a week before I have a con scheduled I'll simply go through all the files I've accumulated since my last con, squeeze whatever drawings I want into standard print sizes lol (ie. 8.5x11, 11x17, 4x6 etc), and print them at a local shop. takes like a couple hours max.

how you know which franchises you can make merch for w/o getting into trouble w copyright n trademark stuff?

I mean. honestly I don't know. selling fanart is the kind of thing that IP holders kind of just let slide as long as they don't think they're losing a substantial amt of money on it. there ARE a couple franchises people avoid because they've been known to send IP lawyers after fanartists... disney is the big one and they're known for being pretty petty abt it... that's why you don't really see people selling fanart of the disney princesses at cons. ive heard pokemon will also crack down if your project seems to be making a lot of money lol, part of why i think a lot of pokemon fanzines operate on a charity basis. I do feel like the pokemon company has bigger fish to fry than someones artist alley table though so i wouldn't sweat it too much.

it's also generally considered impolite/bad taste to sell fanart of small franchises. webcomics and indie games especially if they only have like 1-2 devs who rely on the income that game makes.

I'm not a lawyer so you shouldn't consider this legal advice BUT I will say... I don't think you should let IP law stop you from selling fanart lol. especially if it's low quantities/not mass produced and you're not making crazy amts of money I think you kind of have a leg to stand on. Besides, most cases it seems like the worst you'll get is a cease and desist.

you Will notice that when people start turning their artist alley endeavors into a real business they'll generally ease up on selling fanart (the case most prominent in my mind is omocat lol). but i love fanart and thats why i will never make money and thats a promise [snake saluting gif]

SORRY IDK IF ANY OF THIS WAS HELPFUL. I've been doing merch and cons for a long time (10+ years lmao, you can find record of this on this very blog) and i think im kind of old fashioned about it. i recognize the artist alley/merch scene is a lot more demanding now than it used to be but start small at local low-risk events, online sales etc and work your way up and remember to have fun and itll be ok i believe this wholeheartedly.

its literally just layers of acrylic like any other dinky charm. I'm sure pretty much any manu that does acrylic charms could do it but this specific charm/template i did order through a group order server. they're pretty well known! heres a link to their twitter

@wheatormeat sorry for taking a full month to answer this... anyways. This is tricky because I've actually been changing up my sticker manu everytime LOL IDK if I've found one I actually love.

these ones i ordered thru an alibaba manu because I was jumping on a friend's group order to save on shipping. it was ok. they arrived a liiiitle late and printed a lil dark but i think thats kind of my fault LOL I use dark colors i always need to lighten things before i get them printed and i think i just didnt lighten these enough. otherwise i rly love the quality!

i realized i never posted these online and also this is not a good picture (the lighting in my living room sucks rn) but i printed these tmnt stickers thru stickerninja they feel really solid but they needed kind of a lot of space for the cutline. but their customer service was very nice and helpful!

these ones i got printed at washimill and i was so impressed with how fine their cutline is... pricing and quality of the sticker itself is alright they feel a lil flimsy? idk. but i do like the printing. i kind of elected to go with them solely because i was already ordering washi tape. A LOT of my manufacturing decisions are made based on how much money i can save on shipping tbh.

and thats my sticker manu reviews dont forget to like comment subscribe idk if i have one im gonna stick with forever or anything im rly indecisive. ideally id like a manu based in the u.s...? because im based in the u.s. and international shipping is pricey. but idk if i keep ordering washi tape maybe ill keep using washimill. who knows...

[igottatho]

Original Artwork available:

Select the image descriptions for a title. Sizes can be found below. Unless specified by the donor, or donation size, I will defer to Medium ($40) for all works.

From sizes:

Xtra small: 5.5x6” (postcard) - $15

Small: 5.5x 8” (1/2 sheet) - $25

Medium: 8.5x11” (standard paper) - $40

Large: 11x17” (newsprint) - $50

All artwork comes on high quality epson printed ink & paper. It will be delivered in plastic for light water protection & a chipboard backing.

*If you make a sizable donation, I may be able & willing for commissioned art. I will NOT draw anything NSFW, but I am fine w/ couples of any kind, fanart from any fandom (provided I can access reference materials), or even non-fandom art created in my surreal style. *

Next page of artwork (Leaves) this way.

go Back to the Go-Fund-Me by clicking here.

[creepepaper]

❤️🧡💛Pride Demon💚💙💜 prints and stickers!

Order now on Etsy or sign up for my Patreon!

Pre-orders open now. First round expected to be sent out June 7.

Prints on holographic cardstock. Sizes 8.5x11 and 11x17.

Holographic stickers 3x3, only available in Trans colors

50% of sales will be donated to The Trevor Project.

[stitchy-face]

Do you have a store for prints? If I don't have a trans masc deer in my bedroom I'll live forever knowing what could have been

Transmasc deer is currently available as a mini print (5x7) through my Patreon on the Hydra tier and includes an accompanying sticker/Augusts postcard and sticker as well!! BUT for anything bigger, you'll be able to get him here soon on my Storenvy! I've had some requests for larger sizes and I'd like to do an 8.5x11, or 11x17 of it! Thank you so much for your interest!!!! <3

[queercatalyst]

To Create Yourself In Your Own Image by Andrew Rose

8.5x11” & 11x17” Prints available through Queer Catalyst on Etsy and piece is featured in the zine A Murder Confessional: To Who I Was Before!

You’re left wondering:

do you want him or want to be him?

and there’s a day you realize

it’s both

How freeing it feels

How torturous it feels

How Holy

How deeply religious it is

to love another man while becoming one.

[kaasknot]

I have so many questions about the fanbinding of Meeting Like This. What kind of paper did you use and is it available anywhere online to buy? The one and only time I did a fanbinding I printed it out on regular computer paper. It did fine in a pinch but it's too think and white. What font did you use and what size? Did you do perfect binding or did you sew it? It looks amazing.

hi!

so the paper i use is earthchoice cream, found here. i order an 11x17 ream and have it custom cut into two reams of 8.5x11, so that the grain goes in the right direction. getting the grain right isn't essential for the textblock, but it helps the pages lie flatter when you open the finished book. a lot of people also like cougar natural, it's a little less yellow than earthchoice paper (here). both of these options are around the same weight as printer paper. not too many non-commercial printers accept lighter weights of paper (eg onion skin or bible paper), so it's just easier to use printer-weight paper.

i used 11pt adobe garamond pro, found here. adobe garamond is probably my default font, but i also use adobe jenson whenever i've got an especially atmospheric, heavy fic. caslon, alegreya, and crimson are also nice.

i haven't learned the ins and outs of perfect binding yet (i will soon, so i can restore a crappily bound book i recently bought), so everything i've made so far is sewn.

thank you!! feel free to ask more questions, i'm delighted to answer :)

[omfgreylo]

Bookbinding Sword of the Jedi in 22 days

Sword of the Jedi by diasterisms

Part I: Like Young Gods (rated T)

Part II: To Kingdom Come (rated M)

Star Wars | Rey + Ben Solo/Kylo Ren

Started typesetting on March 6, 2020

Completely hardbound on March 28, 2020

SOFTWARE

Adobe InDesign: Too cumbersome for a 500-page text-heavy project

Microsoft Word: Available in all my machines; convenient; has Drop Cap, Auto Hyphenation, Book Fold layout, section breaks with flexible headers and footers

Acrobat Reader: I save the Word files as PDFs and print from Acrobat.

Create Booklet 2: I shouldn’t have bought this $19.99 app from the App Store, but I was frustrated when Word on my MacBook kept fucking shit up. I bought a refurbished Windows laptop the next day, and rendered CB2 useless.

TYPEFACES

Trajan Pro for title and headers

Baskerville, 9.5 pt for body

TOOLS / MATERIALS

DIY book press (tutorial by Sea Lemon)

11x17 long-grain paper cut into 8.5x11 short-grain paper

Printer capable of double-sided printing and has Auto Document Feeder (ADF)

Board cutter

Box cutter

PVA glue

Foam brush

Binder’s board

Book cloth

Decorative cardstock for case and endpapers

Awl

8-inch bone folder

Mull/super/jaconet

Red and black checkered headband

Linen tape

Beeswax

Regular ol’ sewing thread

Blunt needle

My stepdad helped me put this DIY book press together. Cost about ~$30--two IKEA cutting boards, washers, carriage screws, wingnuts, and self-stick bumpers.

Really put my new inkjet printer to the test.

Like Young Gods and To Kingdom Come hot off the printer and ready to be folded.

I was watching Bert Kreischer’s new Netflix special the entire time I folded all 250-plus pages and grouped them into signatures.

Ran regular thread through some beeswax prior to sewing. The wax stops the thread from fraying and strengthens it as well. The linen tape is the first level of spine reinforcement.

The book pretty much spent an entire week in the book press while I waited for the rest of my supplies to come in...and my confidence to built because gluing and making the case is scary.

Eventually dug up some brown cardstock to use as endpapers. A little too thick for my tastes, but works in a pinch.

Used a foam brush to dab PVA glue all over the spine and the linen tapes.

Once the first layer of PVA glue dried, I cut out a 4x7 piece of mull (shorter in length than the book) and glued that on top.

Almost forgot about the headband. I thought about making one from scratch but...nah. Not today.

Typically, headbands are supposed to reinforce the spine, but cheater ones like this one are merely decorative.

My hollow bird bones weren’t strong enough to cut through the binder’s board with a box cutter so I had to phone a friend.

I’m doing halfbound covers because this book cloth is expensive and I only have so much. Anyway, I get to use pretty papers for the rest of the cover, so it’s a win-win.

The hardest part about doing the case is getting the measurements exactly right. Gluing was surprisingly easy.

The cardstock comes from a 12x12 Recollections pad I bought from Michael’s years ago. Glued and smoothed down with the bone folder to make sure there aren’t any air pockets.

Slight miscalculation on the spine board so they don’t quite line up right, but still worked out decently. Now I know where I went wrong.

TA-DAAA!!!!

Follow me on Twitter for more bookbinding goodness :) @omgreylo

[foleypdx]

Hey Friends! Just a reminder...

The discount code SUPERGAY, which will get you 25% off your entire order, expires on June 30th! 

I’m running low on copies of my original comic The Widow & The Wolf and my collected art book. 

It’s also a great opportunity to nab some prints (available in sizes ranging from 5x7, 8.5x11, and 11x17), or maybe one of the 40 pieces of original art that were recently uploaded. 

Head to MY SHOP and treat yourself. 

[preservationofnormalcy]

OOC note: quick update - I added an option to the budget posters listing in my shop to buy the larger ones rolled and not folded. They're more expensive to account for the shipping, but less than half the cost of the full color ones.

[misschibidoodle]

Added this new piece “Companion” to my shop~ The colors on this print came out gorgeous!

It’s available as a 8.5x11 or 11x17 inch print in my store. Thanks for looking and supporting me! It means a lot.

S H O P

[zambiunicorn]

Catalog for #animenyc! Swipe to see what I'll have available! The new big prints only come in 11x17 and I will have 8.5x11 prints not shown as well! Zipper bags are super limited so come early! Also I'm running low (finally) on a few pins. I'll be at G22 in the artist alley at the #javitscenter from November 15 to 17th 💖 #animeconvention #princesspeach #sailormoon #deedlit #promare #paradisekiss #nana https://www.instagram.com/p/B41EKfJFyJl/?igshid=xmad55zd5kna

[createdbyyasmine-blog]

'Bust' Painting - Print

Information on original: Acrylic on canvas. Created by Yasmine.

Available in sizes: 4x6, 8.5x11, and 11x17

[emsysquared]

Top 10 Things I Learned From Artist Alleys

Hi guys! I thought I’d write a post on some things I’ve learned from selling my own art at artist alleys over the years & talking to fellow artists, as it’s something I’ve wanted to discuss and thought people would be interested. This isn’t really an Artist Alley 101 guide, as I wrote this in mind for both for beginners and veterans, because even if you’ve been tabling for years, there are things about the artist alley scene that can keep changing, or things you never knew about. Hope this helps!

LONG POST IS LONG WARNING

10. Bigger doesn’t always mean better – people keep thinking this, but it’s not always true.

Smaller conventions are easier to talk to attendees/artists because there’s often slow periods, and are good if if they’re local and you need a place to start. You can also get away with having only a few things to sell and if it doesn’t go well it won’t be a huge loss. Smaller cons tend to also have a lower table cost, and because the artist alley is smaller, it’s easier to “stand out”. Probably because of this, I’ve heard some cases where some people have made the same amount of profits from certain small cons vs. big cons, meaning, they actually got more sales per person at the smaller con.

Bigger conventions CAN command big bucks and keep you busier with sales because there’s more attendees and potentially more money to go around. However, they are also more competitive: if all you have is ONE print when everyone else around you has huge displays, you risk people passing by you because they may think you don’t have anything of interest to offer. As an example, maybe at the small con, your Overwatch solo D.Va print was the only one there and it did well, but at a big con, 20 other artists could also have similar D.Va prints and are now competing with each other, which is something you should consider.

Every con is different so when researching, you want to take into consideration the ratio of artist/vendor tables available in conjunction to attendee count, events/guests, and the con environment.

With both cons, if you frequent the same ones, try to keep things fresh and make new stuff or else you risk oversaturating your market and having people come up to your table thinking “I’ve seen that same poster 3 years already, and I already have it. What’s new?”

9. Just because something is popular doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll sell right away – there’s a fine line between “it’s popular so fans will buy it” and “it’s popular but it’s oversaturated because everyone and their mom drew it and it won’t sell unless you differentiate your work from everyone else”. I’d argue if you’re passionate about a series and it just happens to be popular, go for it! You should draw what you like, because it’ll show in how you interact with other fans and the effort you put into it.

If you’re only drawing for the popularity, well, there’s a bit of debate about this. And let’s be honest, some of us need to pay bills. I’ll argue if you ONLY draw whatever is popular to sell out, it can reflect in the quality of your work and make you unmemorable (and you can still risk it not selling), but hey, you do you. But drawing only niche things may also be tricky, since the fans are probably very passionate, but few in number. Sometimes finding a balance between both can work, but at the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide what path you want to take. Most artists start out doing fanart as it’s easier for someone to walk up to your table if they recognize their favorite character than a table full of random OCs standing in a backgroundless void. But that’s not to say originals can’t sell because....

8. Originals sell! Don’t be afraid to make original content – this might shock some of you but original merchandise DOES sell, according to many successful anecdotal stories from artists and art friends who’ve done it, and a lot of people have said it is very rewarding, especially when you consider how prevalent fanart is. However, originals can be harder to sell – it will highly depend on the subject matter you’re drawing and attendees at certain cons may be more or less receptive to them than others, so you may have to try different cons to find your market. What has worked for others may not work for you. You might even need time to develop a consistency with your work so people know what to expect from you.

There are also a few conventions out there, such as Otakon, which do require you to have a certain % of originals when you apply for their artist alley, so there’s that.

7. Have stuff with different price points at your table – my personal opinion is “Do not do print-only tables” but I know there are artists out there who DO command good profits only selling prints and posters of their artwork.

But why I say this is because (especially at anime cons) there are usually younger kids who don’t have much disposable income or don’t have a lot of wall space and thus, can’t always afford big $20 posters, which is where having smaller items like charms and buttons can help as impulse purchases. It may take you 10 purchases of $2 buttons to reach that equivalent amount, but if you do get enough sales they’ll add up. Plus, it’s easier for some people to make use of charms and buttons. 

Prints are still good because the profit margin is better and they're a way for your audience to see your "portfolio" and art style from afar. At larger cons where there’s a sea of artists, having many prints can help others see what you have or help find your table from a distance. Try and stick to common print sizes such as 11x17 inches, 8.5x11, 4x6 or 5x7, mostly on the basis that they’re easier to frame.

One thing - unless you plan on traveling to many conventions in your life, you do NOT need to print 50+ copies of each print if all you do is table at your small local con once a year. You will regret it and be stuck with them until you die (I’m not kidding). Unless a piece has proven to you it’s a best seller, I recommend printing 5-10 copies a print, 2-4 if you aren’t confident. You can always reprint more if they sell well, or replace them with newer prints.

Comic cons I hear are a little different, as their audience is usually older, but I can’t say much about them since I never actually vended at one before.

6. You gotta spend money to make money – You wanna make cool stuff like charms, lanyards, enamel pins? A button maker to make your own buttons? A dealer’s room spot instead of a regular artist alley table? Travel to cons outside your city? Heck, just buying table display stuff and getting new prints? That all costs money, bruh. This might require you save up, and some people I know even use their day job to help fund them to afford nice things. But artist alley IS also a business, and if you want your business to grow, you’ll need to take risks and invest in it. However, know that this should happen gradually over time and NOT overnight. If you literally have no previous experience selling your art and knowing what worked for you, do NOT carelessly throw down money to make every fancy merchandise imaginable.

5. Talk to people and engage with attendees! I say this because I’ve seen quite a few artists who are great at their craft, but aren’t good at business at all. Even if you aren’t confident about your work, still strive to be as professional as possible. And be your own cheerleader/salesman to your art! If the con is slow, don’t ignore customer’s questions by playing mobile games on your phone. People get energy off of you, and if you happen to seem like you hate people, attendees pick up on that. A lot of people who go to anime cons can be introverted/shy as well, so just saying hi and ask how they’re enjoying the con is a good start to engage with them! If you notice they’re cosplaying a character, tell them you like their cosplay or happen to have that character as a button! You’d be surprised some people may not know you offer a product because they overlooked it.

I usually let customers browse the table without bothering them, as people get uncomfortable if you’re being too desperate with sales.

4. Displays and Table Placement matter- Your table placement at a convention can dictate a HUGE majority of your sales, and how you display yourself also counts as well. You could have amazing art, but maybe your table is in some back corner where it’s not getting enough foot traffic compared to the people in the front. Additionally, if you have merchandise hidden behind other merch, other people can’t see it as they walk by. Presentation is important, there are so many possibilities you can do to make your table look nice.

The most common way people display their prints are usually either by using grid cubes, photography stands or PVC pipes with clamps. All of these have their pros and cons, and some artists even use a combination of the 3.

3. Cons are extremely volatile. Artist alley is NOT a place to “get rich quick” – To be blunt (and unfortunately, speaking from personal experience), you can’t predict when you’ll get dicked over by a badly-run con. No two cons are the same, and the same convention can even vary from year to year, depending on things like how it was run by staff, its location, when it was held, etc. At one con, you may sell out of prints. At another, only your commissions do well. Even something as simple as a venue change and increasing the amount of artist/vendor tables can affect sales. You can only prepare as much as you can and hope you survive the rainy days.

I used to think as you got older and sold at more artist alleys, your profits could only go up and boy was I wrong with that notion. The realest piece of advice I’ve learned is seeing seasoned veterans (who are used to making 4-digit profits or artists who have done this for over 7 years) having times where they hit a bad con and don’t even break even. If you’ve never had a terrible con before, you are either very lucky or you have not vended at enough different cons to experience this. 

A lot of different factors can come into play, and while some you can’t control, think of the ones that you can – was your setup bad? What do you see other attendees buying? Or maybe was this your first con in a completely different area and it caught you off guard?  If you feel your art was lacking, don’t lose confidence. Look at it as an opportunity to find yourself again, and work hard on your craft so you can show everyone at your next event “hey, this is the new and improved me! Look at how far I’ve come!”

2. Artist alleys can be stressful and are getting more competitive, but it’s important to develop a thick skin to keep moving on – I should clarify this, AA should NOT be a sea of cutthroat competition because every con has its mix of those starting out, the veterans who have been doing this for 10 years, and everyone else in between. And everyone has something different to bring to the table. However, the fact is… artist alleys are getting competitive each year just to GET IN. At some popular cons, there’s always more applicants than tables available, and you can’t take it personally when 1,000+ people are in a lottery for 90 tables.

As artists, we are always our worst critics as well, just because art can be highly personable to us. There’s a lot of things that can go wrong in the moment. Maybe you got more commissions than you can handle. Your new merchandise didn’t arrive on time. Or you worry your art isn’t “sellable”. All of these can be pretty frustrating and question your self-worth as an artist. But just know you are not alone, all of us have had those moments at least once, maybe even multiple times in our lives. Sometimes you just have to keep marching on, despite things. And if you need time to step away to take a breather, go ahead and take care of yourself first.

1. … But you keep wanting to do them because they are also one of the best experiences you can have as a creative – despite the above, artist alleys have been an integral part of my growth as an artist. Seeing what everyone has to offer has challenged me to keep improving my art and helped me meet fellow artist friends thru our comradery of shared experiences, interests, and stresses. It’s very easy to feel dejected, but if you can keep pushing thru, you’ll probably benefit the most than those who give up at the slightest hint of being butthurt. The artist alley life isn’t exactly easily, but it’s heartwarming when you have moments where “doing what you love” and “drawing what you like” feel like it paid off.

Don’t feel bad if your first shows don’t go logistically or financially great! I never realized how lucky I was that my first AA, I broke even AND made profit, because many apparently don’t. Go into it as an opportunity to market your work, meet other artists and customers, and figure out what people like about your art. Artist alley is not for everyone, but if you find that you’re growing to love it despite the hiccups, keep going! My AA experience isn’t as extensive as others, but I hope with this, this is my way of giving back to the artist alley community that helped me grow as an artist.

 If you’re still worried if you’re “good enough” to do artist alley, here’s my final advice: just do it, bruh.