Artist Alley General

[Corky-Lunn !CorkyloMxc No.9919951]

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>Please read the FAQ before posting in the thread (always updating)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PpDyjw2LDxbupdvHMNsBUOBVB66Lzwf44RM1You1GDA/edit?usp=sharing
>Resources
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10uNmynwRn6CRc-OMqCeXmJwCNnEnd-vYi-7AQzSx74I/edit?usp=sharing
>Artist Spreadsheet
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ESQ-1h4IRUivbGNaxJFxXyDU1lSv26xTmMdH0sDX7sU/edit?usp=sharing
>How to order from Vograce (now with video on how to set up files)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/18UxKnpgrmeb82NnW5e4YIEX-eZ3zHt178Mp6i0A5gME/edit?usp=sharing
>Convention List (always WIP)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13o7hD5xS3sDqVptnTVGUlRae3ovEE-vPPST_QOrQwtM/
>IP taketowns (based on artists contribution, may or may not have been a one time thing, use as a guideline)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1696MDhNPhrZ0ySZhXkoJnGxb7l1OjW4JsVhu1wKvaWE
>AA Inspo (thanks anon!)
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1D19QV9nHwaY8AaNiEXZAAkEhkBTSsb01?usp=sharing

If anyone else has inspo photos they'd like possibly added to the above link, email the account [e-mail]
We have a discord!
If you want into the CGL AA discord, email [e-mail] with a picture of your table or merchandise. It is not a jury, just to make sure you do cons.

Let's get it on! Make some dosh seagulls!

[Anonymous No.9919956]

Where can I get holographic stickers like this printed out? I love the way they look.

[Anonymous No.9919961]

>>9919956
At google.

[Anonymous No.9919974]

I don't know if I'm being a dick when I ask "how much for two characters on one page" when they only have prices for single characters.

[Anonymous No.9919983]

>>9919974
What are you even talking about? Commissions?

[Anonymous No.9919987]

>>9919974
ffs don't overthink it. "Hi, I know your prices are for single characters, but are you open to doing two characters? How much more would it be?"

[Anonymous No.9920089]

>>9919974
You're only a dick if you expect low prices or react badly when they give you an answer

[Anonymous No.9920112]

>>9919974
Of course you’re not being a dick jfc

[Anonymous No.9920130]

>>9919974
Not being a dick. Just recognize that the price for two characters on the same page is often close to or the same as two separate commissions, and that they may not be open for multiple character commissions at all. >>9919987 Said it the best.

[Anonymous No.9920200]

>>9919913
Microsoft Office Publisher is usually considered the default alternative to Indesign. If it's just for comic book formatting then Clip Studio EX also has the bare necessity features for this.

Scribus is free if you just want to try something out in the meantime.

[Anonymous No.9920270]

from last thread: does anyone have any recommendation for an alternative to adobe indesign? i'd like to lay some comic pages out for print and so on

[Anonymous No.9920272]

>>9920200
>>9920270
oh, didn't see this. thank you!

[Anonymous No.9920310]

Also from last thread, but: What print settings/options do you guys pick when you guys need to get last minute prints done at Staples and Fedex during con? I've gotten prints done (11x17, 8.5x11, and 4x6) at these places, but they never come out right (banding, white spots, etc.)

[Anonymous No.9920317]

>>9920310
Always use the same files as I submit to catprint and other print sites, and I just ask the clerk to do it. 80% of the time they come out fine, 20% of the time there are the bands/it's misaligned/discolored. You can ask for them to reprint but usually it's their machine that sucks. Unfortunately it's the luck of the draw.

[Anonymous No.9920488]

>>9919956
these ones specifically look like they were printed on sticker paper and then had holographic film applied over them (like people do for badges) then hand cut out. Otherwise I believe lordsticksalot (super unreliable) does this kind of holographic, stickerapp has a holographic material but probably not what you're looking for.

[Anonymous No.9920532]

AA-inspo anon/formerly imgur-anon

Is there any other sub-categories people would like to see in the google drive? Right now I have the catergories
>packaging
>AA table set up
>Tin Badges
>Enamel Pins
>Patches
>Washi Tape
>Keychains (sub categorized acrylic, wood, and PVC. And a folder with technical details for file set up and vograce examples)

Other possible additions could be stickers, lanyards, pouches, and other manufactured AA goods. I'm not sure if those would be helpful or not though since lanyards are similar to washi tape and besides stickers other products might be too niche for people.

[Anonymous No.9920538]

>>9920532
I'd like to see one for acrylic stands

[Anonymous No.9920542]

>>9920538
Thanks for the suggestion anon! I am uploading standees currently. Anything that can be manufactured in the same process (printed wood, acrylic, etc) is being uploaded to its respective areas.

So for acrylics keychains, standees, jewelry, and other items that could be manufactured with acrylic printing are being uploaded in the same folder.

Sorry for the confusion, my system probably doesnt make much sense. I'll leave it for now but might further organize if I gather enough photos to make a new sub-folder.

[[e-mail] No.9920561]

>>9920532
Anon if you have a ko-fi or other tip system please send it to my email (unless you're comfortable posting it here), wanna make sure you're properly appreciated for all of your work. I've looked at the imgurs so much I feel like I should at least be buying you a few drinks.

[Anonymous No.9920964]

What has been your guys' biggest passion merch project? EG, a series of merch you thought wouldn't sell well but you did it anyway out of love. And did the sales for it end up surprising you, or go as expected?

[Anonymous No.9920969]

>>9920964
I did merch of No Thank You!!! once, expecting no one to recognize it. I didn't get an insane number of sales or anything, but everyone who DID recognize it was over the moon excited about it. It was really really nice to geek out with people.

[Anonymous No.9921070]

>>9920964
I have a Gintama print that doesn't sell much but I love it and the ocasional fan will note how rare it is to see in AA and buy one.

[Anonymous No.9921095]

>>9920964
All of my original merch series! I really only make them for me and friends so I was alright with owning surplus amounts but they're relatively successful in the artsy crowds so I've always been grateful for that (:

[Anonymous No.9921104]

>>9920964
I made chobits charms and they’re probably my worst sellers but I LOVE how they turned out.
Still my favorite designs I’ve ever done.

[Anonymous No.9921108]

>>9921104
These are so goddamn cute, and I would absolutely buy both of them. People ain't got no taste these days.

[Anonymous No.9921119]

Is it still worth making a tumblr to post art on? I remember when most artists would post on there
Now most artists post on twitter these days but it's incredibly difficult to get followers.

[Anonymous No.9921122]

>>9921119

I tried to start a new tumblr recently and it's an absolute shit show. Might be different if you're posting to big fandom tags or something. It's nice that you can post smut there but other than that there's no real benefits.

[Anonymous No.9921126]

Hi, I'm getting ready for my first booth at a con with (supposedly) +50k attendance over 4 days, how many print copies should I have, per design? The FAQ isn't very helpful. Is five ea. enough?
Sorry if this is dumb to ask.

[Anonymous No.9921133]

>>9921119
I think Insta would be your best bet right now. It's crazy easy to get followers on insta, and then you can direct them to a twitter.

[Anonymous No.9921139]

>>9921119
I throw my art onto tumblr whenever i finish it with a few tags and get about a steady 100 new followers a month, which gets me a few more sales on my etsy. It's not too hard to maintain, I literally do nothing but upload and leave, so I think it's still a platform worth using.

>>9921133
Do you have any tips for getting followers on insta? I've had one for awhile and have been sitting at like 200 followers, whereas I have 5k+ each on all my other platforms. Not really sure how to utilize the platform correctly.

[Anonymous No.9921143]

>>9921139
Not that anon, but use plenty of relevant tags, try to have a cohesive page (like all your posts having a similar look/color), and engage with other artists.

[Anonymous No.9921144]

>>9921139
Are you consistently tagging your art on insta? If you use the bigger artist tags, as well as your medium, that gets you a good few. Also try to get your followers to comment on your stuff, as well as commenting on the stuff of others. Insta is big on interaction, and I think commenting makes your posts more likely to show up on the explore page.

[Anonymous No.9921149]

Is youma worth flying out for

[Anonymous No.9921151]

>>9921119
tumblr does shit all for me. I have instagram just auto push to it and otherwise leave it alone

[Anonymous No.9921155]

>>9921104
Whaaat, Chobits isn’t ‘legacy popular’ anymore? I would have thought it was? (like CCS before Clear Card started airing) That’s weird...and those are so good too! I

[Anonymous No.9921158]

>>9921104
Whaaat, Chobits isn’t ‘legacy popular’ anymore? I would have thought it was? (like CCS before Clear Card started airing) That’s weird...and those are so good too!

[Anonymous No.9921159]

>>9921133
>I think Insta would be your best bet right now. It's crazy easy to get followers on insta

Yeah that makes sense, I seem to always get 2 or 3 new followers on there but my art style/posting times can be so inconsistent so it's also pretty easy to lose followers too oof.
(I've even considered making a youtube channel mostly just to show off some sketchbooks that could possibly help attract more people)

Thank you all for your input! Trying to build a following on social media is intimidating stuff..

[Anonymous No.9921163]

>>9921126
>+50k attendance over 4 days
>over 4 days
Uhh the way that's phrased sounds like turnstile attendance. Is that turnstile attendance or unique attendance? Because that completely changes the numbers we're looking at. What convention is it if you don't mind me asking?

Between 5-10 is generally advised for newbies and first timers to figure out their demand, but if it really is a convention with 50,000 UNIQUE attendees, I might shoot for 10-20. I'm an about average artist for the bigger juried cons, and I sell about 40-50 of my best prints at a con of that size, but I've also been doing it for almost 4 years.

[Anonymous No.9921165]

>>9921163
FL Supercon, they claimed "over 50,000 unique individuals" happened last year. Last time I went was as a bored wanderer over half a decade ago, so can't remark on truth.
Still, thanks so much for your help!

[Anonymous No.9921206]

>>9921149
So so. Cheaper flights yeah but if you're dropping 400-500 on a flight maybe not. Not really sure why so many artists were scrambling to get into Youma this year, attendees are on the poorer side so they'll only buy a couple things rather than drop hundreds in the AA.

[Anonymous No.9921232]

Does anyone have an opinion on the HP Instant Ink service? Been on the fence for a while. The contract is very lawyer-y, but if I can print 300 full-color pages for 10$/mo... Plus, the wifi thing is also iffy, but I'm mostly concerned about them legally allowed to see what we print...

[Anonymous No.9921237]

>>9919951
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t^es_t
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[Anonymous No.9921249]

>>9920964
Going off this, which "big series" made you surprised it didn't sell that well? Are there any that have fallen off?

[Anonymous No.9921290]

>>9921249
Boku No Hero Academia has been the worst selling series I've drawn in years, which is crazy because a lot of other artists have reported a lot of success with it and I don't think the quality of that print is significantly below my others.

[Anonymous No.9921292]

>>9921249
I definitely hopped onto the yuri on ice train too late and I'm struggling to sell off the minimal merch I did make

[Anonymous No.9921294]

>>9921144
>>9921143
Not the same artist, but I'm also in the both that tumblr does decent for me while twitter does not, and I know it's because I'm not a very active or interactive artist. I already don't like twitter very much, but if I were to go for Instagram, what big artist tags should I use besides fandom ones?

[Anonymous No.9921323]

>>9921290
>Boku No Hero Academia has been the worst selling series I've drawn in years

I mean, at this point it's pretty over-saturated so unless you make something really cute and/or unique it's harder to stand out. At least that's what I've observed.


>>9921292
Yeah YOI is on it's way out, and most people I know are only interested in official merch these days

[Anonymous No.9921331]

>>9921323
Yeah, at this point BNHA is pretty oversaturated, but I made mine I think a bit over a year ago? Idk, I do a lot of oversaturated series but I don't think anything has ever done as bad as this. Totally anecdotal though.

[Anonymous No.9921348]

>get pins done on alibaba
>super excited because they had good feedback with photos
>after I agree and pay, manufacturer gets impatient/rushes me during the artwork process, but I brush it off
>pins turn out horrible. Spots aren't filled in, colors aren't right, etc

Feels bad man. I should have shilled out for a more trusted american brand. Now it's just money down the drain. Gonna remake them, but that was quite a first experience. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Anonymous No.9921355]

>>9921348
There's no American pin makers for most pins, just American middlemen. Sorry you got a bad Manu. 10-15% seconds is normal, but if you have more than that you can ask them to reprint it

[Anonymous No.9921356]

>>9921348
Why did you contact them before your artwork was finished?

Also what do you mean "trusted american brand," literally there are no pin factories in North America, Europe, etc. You can go with a middleman sure.

And did you contact them about the errors anon? The decent to good factories will replace them for free. Some of them are shady though and wont give you anything

[Anonymous No.9921369]

>>9921355
>>9921356
Sorry, to clarify I meant since middlemen have already trusted sources and a reputation, they'd be least likely to send over things like this.

The artwork was finished, but then they asked to fix some of the vector lines. And then, they ended up using the original anyways? Probably why some parts didn't end up being filled. I had a bad gut feeling when they said to not worry about changing it.

They left me on unread, so hopefully everything will turn out for the better.

[Anonymous No.9921467]

>>9921292
Same fucking boat anon. I’m about ready to just throw all my YOI merch away, I have it clearanced in my shop and it’s still not moving.

[Anonymous No.9921472]

>>9921206
I think it’s becouse it’s at a good time of year and one of the better cons on that weekend.

[Anonymous No.9921494]

>>9920964
>>9921249
I can't remember where Tiger & Bunny falls under but when I made it during the time it was active, I didn't make as much sale as I would've hoped for.

[Anonymous No.9921502]

>>9921249
I made BNHA merch right before the Season 2 popularity exploded (so it wasn't oversaturated yet) but it still didn't sell super well. A few cons later Season 2 started and everyone was milking the series (and reportedly doing well)

[Anonymous No.9921517]

>>9921294
#artistsoninstagram, #artstagram, the medium or program, and as many even slightly relevant words about the subject matter as you can think of

[Anonymous No.9921538]

Does this fool think AA Confidential is for reviewing your consumer experience from individual artists...? god even if it were this would be useless because she doesn’t say which artist. Lol and that half star for ‘staff’ by which she probably meant the artist...yeah this is just a congoer who had a bad experience, not an AA person.

There was only one other collosalcon review so the rating is totally skewed now.

[Anonymous No.9921543]

>>9921163
Would you recommend 5 copies of each print for a 3 day con like SacAnime with 15k attendees? Would 5 of each charm be enough for franchises like Persona 5 and Voltron?

[Anonymous No.9921549]

>>9921232
If you don't want to be paranoid, it's a pretty good deal. There's some online coupons and shit to get free months (using FREEINK and mGR9C is two free months--my printer came with a 3month free code, too, woohoo 4 free), so if you go for the max number of pages and just cancel after the free stuff, it's breddy gud. Unless you live in BFE and have spotty net lol

[Anonymous No.9921551]

Has this year been particularly hard to get accepted into Cons for anyone else?
I now open my emails every morning thinking like which con will I get rejected from this week and it’s really disheartening.

[Anonymous No.9921552]

>>9921249
>>9921290
>>9921502
same here. I made a few charms after the first season and they did ok, but now they don't move at all. I only did a few characters so I think I'm just gonna clearance the ones I have and make new ones that are more unique and cover more characters. I don't see the popularity going away any time soon so I think it's worth taking a second chance on. (also I just love the series a lot so I can't resist)

[Anonymous No.9921555]

>>9921551
Yeah, it used to be much easier, but now every artist is applying to every convention because they all think they can fly all over the place and still pull in decent profits no matter how mediocre their skills are.

[Anonymous No.9921572]

Does anyone have an suggestions for some decent quality but not expensive sticker paper? I'm just looking to print some stickers for freebies so I don't need top tier stuff but I can't decide between everything on Amazon.

[Anonymous No.9921574]

>>9921551
Last year I got rejected from a lot of juries, this year I've been accepted into every jury I've applied for. I'd say it's just how the con luck rolls.

[Anonymous No.9921578]

>>9921551
I just don't get into FCFS anymore. My internet and computer just can't handle it. It just doesn't happen.

I've still never gotten rejected from jury which is nice (though I'm expecting it any day now), but losing out on my fcfs cons has really shrunken my schedule.

[Anonymous No.9921580]

>>9921572
How expensive is expensive for you? I like this PPD vinyl/matte one (~30$/40sh) (http://a.co/cn9iBXP)), though you could probably settle for plain shipping label paper (http://a.co/8IoGipF ~12$/100sh) and slap sheets of laminate on 'em if they're just freebies.

[Anonymous No.9921618]

>>9921555

I kind of wish some AA's would implement a local-only policy. I know it would make a lot of AAs boring since it would have a lot of the same artists every year, but it would also give opportunities for young artists in those communities who actually attend those cons to actually have a hope of tabling there. I know many people here rely on traveling to many cons throughout the year as their sole source of income, but the current situation is that a large core group of artists are at pretty much every convention in north america, which is stagnation on a much larger level. So many artists are being pushed out.

That, or I wish cons would start dividing their tables. Having more newbies sections, and requiring a certain percentage of the tables go to people who did not attend the previous year, would go a long way toward freshening up their stock.

I'm mostly tired of watching the same small group of people fly to every alley in north america while many many young or struggling artists aren't allowed to participate. I know those people worked hard to be there. But maybe if you're that invested in it as a business, it's time to go pro and buy dealer's booths like the other legitimate businesses.

[Anonymous No.9921620]

>>9921551
I took a break from the AA scene for 3 years and come back to so much more competition and prices skyrocketing for tables at more northern cons that arent even pulling large numbers. makes me feel lucky to have scored the 4 cons i have this year, and i'm not even picky. I'll do any con with over 7k attendance at this rate.

[Anonymous No.9921629]

>>9921618
I mean, there are already plenty of FCFS and lottery cons, which basically give newbies an equal chance of getting in as veterans sans for the few vets that know the staff personally and get cheated in.
I'm not against cons doing any kind of acceptance policy they like, but "local only" would probably not even fill up most alleys unless the con is in California or Toronto.

[Anonymous No.9921638]

>>9921618
>But maybe if you're that invested in it as a business, it's time to go pro and buy dealer's booths like the other legitimate businesses.
This would be the solution imo. Something like "if AA is your sole source of income/you do more than 5 cons a year, you need to purcharse a dealer's booth".

[Anonymous No.9921641]

>>9921638
Mm not that anon, but I'm doing like 6 cons this year and like 4-5 of them are local cons with attendance under 1k. I feel like this is really hard to gauge :/

[Anonymous No.9921649]

>>9921618
I thought it was just me noticing this and that it was in my head. I don't go to that many cons, but the ones I do I see the same people.
I also lurk AANI and look at those "roll call" threads and I see the same people over and over again saying they got in and the same people saying they got rejected or wait listed... Much of the rejected/wait listed artist I find to be better too
>>9921629
I also see several of the same faces getting in FCFS and lottery cons, which makes me feel suspicious. If anime Boston is FCFS, then why do you have to wait months to see if you got in or not? It should be an automated system like youmacon.
>>9921638
This would also help keeping aa table costs down imo. It's just starting to become dealer's room 2.0 with the increasing prices and how you can basically only get in if you have your art on every kind of trinket as 'just prints' doesn't seem to cut it anymore (unless you're one of the "pet artists" that knows someone and gets into every con)

[Anonymous No.9921684]

>>9921649
Really wish these "lottery" cons would put caps on how many times in a row an artist gets in. Something like two years in, one year off then you can apply again. Always feels suspicious when some of these artists get in year after year and you know they're friends with the AA head.

[Anonymous No.9921737]

>>9921629

I mean, depending on the con location, local could easily cover a whole state. The con could put out the call for their city, and if it doesn't fill up, expand it. There are plenty of people within each state to fill up an AA. A lot of new people would try it out too, if it were a little easier to get in.

>>9921638

While it would be fair, it'd be difficult to check. A lot of people already cheat the systems by applying under multiple names, to get more slots in lottery or have multiple tables. And a con can't demand financial info. Some cons try to police this by merch type, but everyone can get short run professional grade merch printed in china now, so it's not a great way to distinguish an amateur from a prof.


I mean, ultimately cons won't do shit, they either love the competition and feel like it gives them a better quality AA, or they're still doing AA out of obligation and don't actually give a shit whether it's good or not. I think it's incredibly stupid that some artists claim AA is a business and was always intended to be for professionals, because I've never had a con treat me as anything better than a nobody hobbyist at an AA.

[Anonymous No.9921765]

>>9921580
Hmm yeah the first one is def out of my price range for just freebies, but I wanted something a little nicer than just label paper.

[Anonymous No.9921777]

>>9921618
I feel this so hard after getting rejected/waitlisted for the only decent con in my area 3 years in a row. Got invited for a day by a friend last year and AA was just people I'd seen a couple months ago at Fanime and AX. I think I saw, 2 unfamiliar (to me anyway) tables? So frustrating :(
Man just save 3-4 tables for locals man, that's all I want

[Anonymous No.9921779]

>>9921777
Discussion aside, if you're local to a cook ask about no show tables, and show up ready with your stuff. Often you can snag a no show table or dealers booth

[Anonymous No.9921784]

>>9921779
Oh totally! I'm on waitlist this year so I plan to, when I asked about it last year they told me there'd be no chance for me since I'd been rejected and it's a juried AA.

[Anonymous No.9921809]

If you've used fireball for prints, which paper stock do you go for? What's the best matte option?

[Anonymous No.9921816]

>>9921551
This has been my worst year number of cons. Idk why.
>>9921572
search shipping labels.

[Anonymous No.9921818]

>>9921618
My local con announced their "locals corner" this year saved just for that purpose, but I haven't gotten a straight answer about it from the Con Chair or Artist Alley Director about how to get one. Nothing on the site.

[Anonymous No.9921827]

>>9921618
yea, and then people who live in big cities get a huge boost while people who live in the middle of nowhere can't get anywhere.
Also, how could you confirm where they live? I'd just make local friend and use their address.

[Anonymous No.9921832]

>>9921827
license card/state ID? wouldnt be too hard to confirm
But I do agree with you that its not a good solution in terms of the gap between opportunities for big cities/middle of nowhere

[Anonymous No.9921834]

>>9921832
>license card/state ID?
I'd just always find a table assistant in the city where the con is and fill out their info when applying.

[Anonymous No.9921844]

>>9921618
I agree but I also kind of wish some Artist alleys would implement an American artists only policy at least.
There has been a surge in Canadian print artists in us cons and while I have nothing against them at bigger cons like ax my local mid size con always has the same handful of Canadians picked to be in their artist alley while locals like me never get in.

[Anonymous No.9921845]

>>9921844
lol get better at art then

[Anonymous No.9921851]

>>9921845
My art is fine I’m just not a “full time” artist but rather do this as a hobby therefore I cater to more niche fandoms and have a less obnoxious display. It doesn’t make me a worse artist for having a different approach to artist alley.
I get into juried cons all the time I just have to fly out to them meanwhile there’s a con in my backyard I can’t ever get into.

[Anonymous No.9921853]

>>9921844
I don't mind proxy sellers but I wish a.) they were required to be upfront about it and b.) there was some sort of a cap (ideally like 5-10% of the total artist alley tables).

[Anonymous No.9921863]

>>9921618
>>9921638
We’ve had this conversation before but getting a dealer’s booth isn’t feasible all of the time. Several big name cons like Anime Boston and Sakuracon don’t allow fanart in dealer’s. License holders also tend to be much more strict about fanart in dealer’s as they view it as mass produced bootleg vs when it’s in AA. It might work for some cons but it’s not a cure-all solution.

I think creating local sections or newbie sections for AA is an interesting idea if implemented well - but you can’t really fault the more established artists for getting into a lot of cons. I personally would love to see more cons switch to tiered juries where people are ranked within their skill level tiers to give attendees a good variety of artists.

[Anonymous No.9921865]

>>9921851
Then petition your local cons to switch to jury instead of blaming Canadian artists? You also travel out of state to cons but it’s only a problem when someone rlse takes your spot in your home state??? You sound petty as fuck.

[Anonymous No.9921870]

>>9921865
It is a jury...
I think the point I’m trying to make is it would be nice if this con that’s held in the United States would prioritize offering spots to people that actually live in the states...

[Anonymous No.9921885]

>>9921870
Sure that would be nice but doesn't the defeat the point of a jury? To get the best possible work into their alley as possible? It doesn't matter where you're from then.

Would you be proposing this thought if you were actually making it past your homecon's jury? As a Canadian, I get US artists flooding my best local con's lottery which severely hampers my chances of getting in, period. It would be nice if a chunk of those tables were for locals, yes, but I really don't think I'm entitled to that lmao.

[Anonymous No.9921892]

>>9921851
A lot of Americans apply to AN as backup for Fanime and that's basically the only notable anime con in Canada

[Anonymous No.9921911]

>>9919951
I suppose this might be a good place to ask.

I want to get a postcard printed for autograph reasons. Which of these services would you recommend or should I just settle for Kinko's?

Strange question but are these prints also lightfast?

[Anonymous No.9921969]

>>9921885
>As a Canadian
No wonder you'd put out this shitty attitude. Cons should give priority to its locals because it's the locals that are the foundation of a convention, between being the majority of attendants, volunteers, workers-- it's an obligation to your in-group, something a Canadian, apparently, wouldn't understand.
>>9921911
Do you have a printer at home? I print a bunch of postcard[-sized prints] at home, pick up some photo paper and adjust the printer's input tray.

[Anonymous No.9921972]

>>9921969
where are you from that you don't know Canada traditionally tries really hard to promote local creative works and has actual law to keep foreign works from oversaturating the market?
It's not because they're Canadian, they're just a self-defeating asshole.

[Anonymous No.9921977]

>>9921809
I used 100 lb smooth cover prints from their posters and brochures section. I was using them as a super last minute print shop instead of catprint, and the prints came out about the same as my light cardstock matte prints from cat. Fireball does have slightly darker printing though, so you may want to request a proof or just blind adjust a little bit to be brighter.

[Anonymous No.9922006]

>>9921885
I personally have never applied to a Canadian artist alley, nor do I know many people that do becouse the extange rate for us is bad.
Do you really think that US artists flood the Canadian market same the way Canadians flood the US market?
The us has way more cons and a much bigger spending power. Just becouse some americans apply to anime north once a year ( which IMO is Canadian anime expo) doesn’t mean you’ll find them also applying to small random cons around Canada, sure there might be 2 or 3 but how many Americans do you know travel around Canada doing cons in the same way Canadians travel in the us laundering us money, paying 0 taxes to our government and riding off a really solid extange rate to buy houses back in Alberta lol??

[Anonymous No.9922014]

>>9922006
Not that anon, but can't you guys remember that it's not all about the artists? You all have been starting to sound really whiny. Like the attendees are the people we're technically there to cater to and it's too bad if the jury is rigged or there are so many artists coming from so and so but that's the hand we're being dealt so deal with it. If the attendees and jury are biased well that's too bad but we aren't gonna change that by complaining here. Either take actual action or stop whining about it.

[Anonymous No.9922025]

>>9922014
You’re right. I’m going to go ahead and report this post (I can’t delete it for some reason) becouse it’s derailing the thread and getting really off topic.

[Anonymous No.9922042]

I asked this last thread and I think it got lost at the end of it, but has anyone sold at Nan Desu Kan in Denver? Me and another anon are both local and curious what it's like in AA, especially with the age restriction.

[Anonymous No.9922068]

Anybody else still waiting for a response from Crx?
At this point it’s like, am I waitlisted? Because it looks like the rounds of rejections seem to have passed, but so have the acceptances, so it’s like what’s even left ;;

[Anonymous No.9922072]

>>9922068
They said they'd finish sending stuff by the end of June, but I don't know how much I'd trust that...

[Anonymous No.9922147]

>>9921870
Lmao git gud then???

Like honestly if you have time to whine about not getting in, use it to hone your craft. Have you reached out to your local con to ask for feedback and see what they’re looking for in particular? I get into juries just fine local or not and you don’t see me whining about how I’m entitled to a spot at my local con because I happen to live nearby. You’re spouting skimlines level of deluded.

[Anonymous No.9922201]

>>9922147
Yeah the fact that anon is claiming they don't get into cons because they're a "hobbyist" just makes them sound bad and salty. I'm as casual as it gets and barely ever draw and don't appeal to fotm at all, and still have no problem getting into big juried cons.

[Anonymous No.9922203]

>>9922147
>Lmao git gud then???

Can people just fuck off with this? If you've been paying any attention, you'll see that clearly, plenty of good artists are being waitlisted and rejected from cons. Not only are there just way too many artists trying to get into cons, making it impossible for many artists to get into any cons regardless of skill level, but also many juries are vague about what qualifies an artists for their AA. There is nothing to work toward in that situation. Like, I suppose you could work towards copying the people who did get in. But that's why AAs are already stagnant.

Quality of art is clearly not the only reason many artists are having difficulty getting into AA.

[Anonymous No.9922208]

>>9922203
Alright you need to get more specific. What cons are you talking about? Who exactly are these good artists who are getting rejected?

You seem to be speaking anecdotally. If we're talking about anecdotes, regarding new artists not being able to get in regardless of skill, I have a friend who started literally last year and has gotten into every jury they've applied for because they're good. I also started last year and I have gotten into every jury I have applied for because I am good. All the highest tier artists I know get into juries (some get off the waitlist) because they're good. There is maybe three cases where they got rejected from a con, and upon further inquiry its because something was wrong about their application.

I need to see these artists who are apparently good and getting rejected from cons regularly because they're not in my social circle. Every new artist I know who has had the skills has been able to get in easy. So please give me a visual example or something because from my perspective you're just complaining because you personally are not getting in, or let me know if you're talking about foreign cons or something because my experiences are from American cons only.

[Anonymous No.9922224]

>>9922203
Artists that are good getting rejected are the exception, not the rule. Like boo hoo, a few good artists didn't get into Fanime. Most still did, the quality of the juried cons are still noticeably higher than unjuried ones, and the ones that got rejected are getting regularly into the other but cons.

If it's a consistent rejection, its a you thing. I promise seeing two or three skilled artists getting rejected from a con has no effect on you and your mediocre abilities.

[Anonymous No.9922302]

So since we're on the topic, you should just give up if you've never gotten accepted into a juried con, right?
I've applied to over 30 juried conventions for this year of 2018 all over the US, and I only got into 1 first year con that was a total flop that no one went to, and a con that only gets 1k people (or that's what they claim) that literally no one has ever heard of before when I bring it up.

I think this is a sure sign I'm not "gud" enough. So I'm wavering between trashing all my stock I never got to sell anyway and giving up on art completely or trashing all my stock and giving 1 last attempt for 2019 in changing my art style up to where it looks nothing like my old style. Either way it just sucks having gone through making SO much inventory for it to get dust and trashed, and having to start from the ground up again on social media with my new stuff.

[Anonymous No.9922312]

>>9922302
With all due respect... yeah, a 6% acceptance rate isn't looking good for you. You don't necessarily have to trash your stock though, even if you do decide to change up your style and improve. Unless it's literally taking up so much space, or it just looks so bad you think it'll offput people from your table, there's no harm in keeping it around as table filler or to sell at clearance.

Even then, is there a reason you have to go the "whole new style" route instead of just improving on what you currently do? Unless, of course, you really want to make that stylistic change. But that also means having to rebuild your skills in a whole new area.

[Anonymous No.9922317]

>>9922302
I do not think you should give up desu. I think you should definitely stop focusing on making stock, and instead focus on raw improvement. If you learn well communally and have the money, take a class at the local college or one of the online master courses. If you learn well by yourself, just start doing solo life drawing and master studies. You, first and foremost, need to improve your art skills and realize mentally that you need to focus on improvement. It might take a few years, but you will improve. Then I think you should take another stab at getting into juried cons. You talk about changing your art style but that is still reliant on your skill level, so I don't think that will help much getting into a jury unless you really go the route of like cute blob cats with dumb faces and stuff, but even then you're competing with the other artists who do simple blob cats.

Keep at it mate. Maybe you're just not ready yet and hopped into it too fast. Unless you really dislike conning then thats fine, but if you still have a passion then take a step back and improve.

[Anonymous No.9922323]

How much should i price colored chibi commissions for AA? pic is my art on like 8x11 paper. I was thinking $20 per character, is that reasonable for my skill level or should i go lower?

[Anonymous No.9922330]

>>9922323
Super cute. How long does it take you? I'd honestly say go for 30 just from the visuals.

[Anonymous No.9922334]

>>9922302
Focus on improving. If working hard at getting better is something you dont feel like sinking hours and hours and hours into then sure, give up.
You need to have a sober tlak with yourself about why you make art and how important it is to you.
If you post art, we can give you actual specific feedback and crit.

[Anonymous No.9922369]

>>9922334
What if I make art just for money? Money that I'm not getting anyway... I guess it means I'm just going to have to grind, study, and improve while hating every minute of it?
I just feel like I'm not good at anything else (thought I was a bit good at art but guess not) and I don't want to live a life in retail and fast food jobs.

[Anonymous No.9922382]

>>9922369
You answered your own question. If you're in this business for monetary gain you need to either 'git gud' or get a unique schtick and imo it is much easier to work hard on improving. Not just for art, as any independent business. If you wanted to open a restaurant for monetary reasons nobody is going to come to you if you have shitty food. They'll come if you have GREAT food or if you have average food and a schtick.

[Anonymous No.9922383]

Can anyone tell me if clay art sells? I'm a digital artist and recently I've been looking into making charms or jewelry related to this, I don't want to invest in something yet if it doesnt sell

[Anonymous No.9922384]

>>9922369
>I guess it means I'm just going to have to grind, study, and improve while hating every minute of it?

Just like every other artist? If you don't put the work in then you're not going to be good. You don't deserve to be good. There's a reason being a good artist can be so lucrative, because it takes years of fucking work to get to that point. If you're too lazy to put your mind to it and get better, then obviously you're not going to get any money from it. Cut the sob story and either hit the fucking books and improve or start pursing a degree or something for another moneymaking field if you don't want to do retail.

[Anonymous No.9922385]

>>9922369
Just work retail then, it's more reliable and you'll hate it just as much.

[Anonymous No.9922388]

>>9922369
Also adding on, if you don't want to work a retail then that's even more reason to have a fire under your ass. If you genuinely want to work in the arts industry you need to work for it. It's not just going to fall into your lap.

[Anonymous No.9922410]

>>9922382
>>9922384
>>9922388
Yeah. I didn't mean to imply art doesn't take practice and skill. I've been drawing all my life and went to art school. I've studied a lot, but I guess I lack the skill?? This is what I meant when I said I'm trying a new style out to learn from scratch, because all of what I was doing before wasn't working for me.
I tested the little I do have of my new work at my last con, and it sold so much more than my old shit. Like I sold 15 prints of my new style and literally 2 of my other stock, so I'm hoping, but I still don't feel too confident in myself which is why I keep going in between giving up completely or continuing to learn this new way of art.

[Anonymous No.9922418]

>>9922383
if it's well done, yes! I'd recommend making anything original, so creating your own molds and things of that nature. People will make stuff out of existing molds that's a dime a dozen. Even those can work if they're made into something nice.

[Anonymous No.9922426]

>>9922410
I'm cautiously happy for the success you've found from your new style and hope you can develop it further and maintain your success! I understand it's frustrating having to start from scratch but at least it seems to have some payoff!

Would you mind me asking which con this was? Because of the recent cons, selling 15 of a print is pretty good, at least for me!

[Anonymous No.9922467]

>>9922203
You're right in that skill isn't the only thing that dictates whether someone gets into a con or not. But literally what's the point of blaming other artists for that?

You can reach out to juries and ask them for clarification. Have you ever done a follow up after you got rejected for a con? Or are you just complaining without having done the bare minimum?

My art's above average but not anything super mind-blowing. I know this. So I play to my strengths. I have a huge selection of fandoms (both eastern and western) and a wide variety of products (not just prints). I know anatomy isn't my strong suit so I focus on clever composition and graphic design instead. I know I can't do realistic rendering so I stick to bright flat colors in a pop-art style. I'll get into juries 9 out of 10 times. If I don't get into a jury, I'll look at who got in and see what they did differently. It helps to vary your portfolios for the types of cons you apply to (feature anime fandoms for anime cons, focus on original work and western fandoms for comic cons, etc). I've talked to AA heads who told me that they voted for me in jury over some other artists because the fandoms I had were underrepresented in their alley. There are concrete steps that you can still take after you are rejected from a jury.

I make more money at cons than some of my friends who are objectively better artists than I am. I make 5 figures at several of my cons per year and do about 20 every year. But you wouldn't be able to tell if I posted my art here.

The point is, instead of whining about how you've been dealt an unfair hand, just learn that there will always be people who are better than you and work toward flattering your strengths so you can game the system. It's not the fault of Canadian/out of state artists if you couldn't get into a jury. It's yours. A limited local artist section could be good for the community but I could do with out the entitlement that some of you have in this thread.

[Anonymous No.9922470]

>>9922410
It doesn't necessarily have to do with skill, but perhaps your issue was with appeal? Doesn't make much sense to sell western fantasy-based artwork of faeries and dragons when you're at an anime con surrounded by kawaii waifus, ya dig?

[Anonymous No.9922478]

>>9921844
you are hating the player instead of the game. Pretty sure convention heads don't pick artist based on country.
Instead of concentrating on that, why not see what you need to improve on so that you can be picked for those local conventions

[Anonymous No.9922495]

>>9922478
Actually, hating the game instead of the player would be challenging cons to be more transparent about their jury process and to offer more opportunities for varieties of people to get into AA, not the same group over and over.

"Improve and you'll get in" is simply not always true and places the blame on the artist themselves and not the systems that routinely favor friends of staff, popular artists, waifu artists, etc. What artist isn't already constantly working to improve their work? It's just irritating to hear at this point.

[Anonymous No.9922532]

>>9922495
Then actually challenge the cons? Why are you here shitting on artists who do get in?

Like I mentioned upthread, are you reaching out to these cons? Asking for specifics on jury or feedback on your portfolio? If it's the administration you have a problem with, take it up with them.

[Anonymous No.9922669]

>>9922532
con jurists lurk these threads, there's >>9914783 from the last thread

[Anonymous No.9922673]

>>9922669
And? You'd rather complain on an anonymous board instead of actually asking the cons directly to do anything? How is complaining about other artists on 4chan going to change jurors' minds?

Anyway - how is everyone doing during this AX crunch?

[Anonymous No.9922678]

>>9922673
i'm not that anon, don't act like they're samefagging just because you don't agree with them

[Anonymous No.9922703]

>>9922678
It's a generic you. The point still stands - jurors occasionally browsing these threads doesn't mean complaining on here will yield results. Taking direct action makes much more sense than throwing fellow artists under the bus.

[Anonymous No.9922797]

jesus christ this thread became a mess lmao


>>9922323
Very cute and marketable. I say start from 20 and if you get a lot of business/fill slots quickly raise it to 25 at your next con (and if you still fill up raise it to 30)

[Anonymous No.9922825]

>>9922669
That person wasn't a jurist, they were just wondering how to run an AA (actually sounded like they were leaning away from jury because they didn't know how to do so efficiency.)

[Anonymous No.9922882]

Just a point of curiosity.... how many of you guys still actively buy from the artist alley? I seldom do from yearly local cons where I know every other artist well by now (small cons, lol), but every new con I vend at I tend to still spend $200-300, maybe even more if there's a glut of artists I like.

I have found that after I started tabling I'm less inclined to buy fanart stuff, unless it's for a character i'm collecting or rare series.

[Anonymous No.9922890]

>>9922882
I never used to buy before I became an artist, but now that I am I'll usually spend like $300 on apparel and $100ish on prints, charms, and other merch

[Anonymous No.9922896]

>>9922882
It really depends. I mean, by making my own stuff, I can make the stuff I really want, especially now that my skill and finances are better than when I was a teenager. But that also means I have money to spend on the really cool and unique things, and I've also developed a more conscious mindset to support artists I like, since I appreciate the same suppory.
Overall it means I'm less likely to buy prints and paper merch, and more on apparel, charms and pins, but I don't buy unless I really like it.

[Anonymous No.9922943]

>>9922882
I mostly art trade for stuff now, wooo trades. I've never really bought fanart so that hasn't changed any

[Anonymous No.9922988]

>>9921977
bless you anon

[Anonymous No.9923084]

>>9922882
I never bought from AA until I became an artist. Now I, at the very least, buy some stickers at every con and sometimes a plushie.

[Anonymous No.9923151]

>>9922882
Same, I usually spend around the $200-300 mark. I insta-buy anything with the character I itabag for, pick up a couple piece of apparel if there's a j-fash indy brand at con, and I buy gifts for friends. Print purchasing is way down, I've only bought one print in the last year. But I'll do print trades with anyone who asks so that's part of it.

[Anonymous No.9923190]

I’m so out of the loop; is pastel goth/creepy cute still a seller? I have some ideas but IDK if they’d sell.
(I’d wear them but then again, I’m autistic AF)

[Anonymous No.9923269]

>>9922882
I usually buy but only originals. Rarely buy fanart because the series i love arent popular and no one makes merch of them.

Also, im the scum that makea fanart of popular series just for the money. 99% of the merch at my table Ive never wqtched the series. I do a bit of reading up on the series before cons tho

[Anonymous No.9923273]

I want to draw a star and a rose for my logo, but they are two very common things that I'm afraid every variation of them has been done or I'll end up making a design that will be too close to another logo without knowing. Is there any kind of website or forum where you can check this like there is with names?

[Anonymous No.9923297]

>>9922532
>Why are you here shitting on artists who do get in?

Because of their attitude that because the system is benefiting them, then the system must be working. Every time there is any conversation about a jury making questionable choices, the artists who got in act like there were no questionable choices and the people who didn't get in are just jealous. You can be happy that you are getting into conventions consistently and still question the choices of the cons and care a little bit about the community of artists under you. But you don't. Instead you just tell the artists who are already feeling discarded that they should shut up and git gud. That's why you can fuck off.

[Anonymous No.9923303]

>>9922882
I try to do trades if I'm feeling good about myself/think that the artist might like my stuff but I know that puts people on the spot so I do buy more often than not. But I'm friends with so many artists that I end up getting a lot of stuff for free.

I probably only spend like, $20-50 max per con honestly, including gifts.

[Anonymous No.9923323]

>>9922882
Unless someone has our niche old fandoms, or homestuck, my partner and I don't have an interest in most current fanart. Unique OC prints and cute animal charms/stickers are usually what we pick up while tabling. OC commissions if we see someone's style we like. We probably spend about $50-150? Ought to do more trades but we're still a bit shy on that end.

[Anonymous No.9923338]

>>9923297
Nayrt, but now you're just whining.
I even sorta agree with you, I think the optimal AA has some tables for lottery in addition to juried, both for variation and so new artists gets to try out tabling. But this should of course be brought up with the cons directly, through facebook or twitter or whatever, not on 4chan of all places.

[Anonymous No.9923341]

I'm in the US. Recently I was vending at a local con and a guy kept trying to haggle with me on prices. Then he threw out "Well, I'm a vet, don't you have a discount for military?" I didn't really know what to do, so i just gave it to him and thanked him for his service so he'd leave.
Do you all have discounts for vets or military, or just in general, either at cons on your shops? The entire experience really freaked me out

[Anonymous No.9923352]

>>9923341
just be firm and say "no, sorry" next time, or if you're going to concede ask for military ID. you're not a chain store you're an individual with an independent business and your prices are allowed to reflect that.

[Anonymous No.9923358]

>>9923341
What the fuck, no means no. You have no obligation to give discounts to anyone, you're just a random weeb artist with and individual business ffs. What a pretentious prick.

[Anonymous No.9923359]

>>9923341
no, he was just looking for a discount, and it looked it like worked.

[Anonymous No.9923364]

>>9923358
>no means no
unless they eventually say yes, which worked here, apparently.

[Anonymous No.9923367]

>>9923364
Yeah, I'm saying it shouldn't and people need to not give in. Harassment can work, doesn't mean it should be encouraged.

[Anonymous No.9923373]

>>9923367
completely agree. People, *especially* self employed people, need to learn to be assertive and tell people no and not let up.

[Anonymous No.9923413]

>>9923341
Probably some fucker who went to basic training and thinks "civilians" owe him something now. Put your foot down and tell them if they keep harassing you you'll call con security. You're an independent business owner, not a retail slave, you don't need to put up with this.

[Anonymous No.9923418]

>>9923341
>veteran discount on indie animu fanart
jesus christ the fucking nerve of some people...
Just keep saying "sorry but no" next time, anon. If you need encouragement just keep in mind every other AA person encourages this course of action (both bc you deserve the full price and bc we don't want to deal with this fucker next)

[Anonymous No.9923430]

>>9923338
What... is 4chan even for if not bitching about shit like this though?

[Anonymous No.9923453]

>>9923364
Coercing someone into something through persistence and having them relent simply to get you away doesn't make it ok

[Anonymous No.9923455]

>>9923341
Really, just get better at saying no. If you give out discounts, do it on your own terms. Its your shop, your rules. Be confident!

[Anonymous No.9923464]

>>9923453
didn't say it did make it ok, just saying the reason people do it is because it works.

[Anonymous No.9923485]

>>9922068
Me too. Nothing today either.
My theory is they're waiting for the deadline for accepted people to pay for the table to pass before they check how many declined so they can email waitlist people, but June 18 + 2 weeks is July 2, after the end of June when they said they'd be done...

[Anonymous No.9923527]

>>9923341
I never give discounts if someone asks. I noticed it's not so much of a "I want to save money" thing, but a powerplay thing. I mean not everyone is like that, some kids really do wanna save a few bucks, but in my experience it is.

Example, a few cons ago I had a guy who wanted a charm($12), and his friend pushes in front of him and goes "Do ten for this." And of course I say no because his attitude is shit. So then he pauses for a second and is like, "Eleven. Do eleven." And I say no, and he starts grabbing his friend's jacket and pulling him going "Let's go, we don't need to deal with this girl, let's go" but the guy who wanted the charm just stands there and sighs and hands me $12 while the entire time his friend is tugging him calling me an ass and saying he doesnt need to give me his money. The guy buys the charm for full price and leaves and I still hear the guy complaining from an aisle away. He didn't care about the $2, he just wanted to show his friend how assertive he could be and how he could play me to give a discount. Of course it didn't work. Just say no.

[Anonymous No.9923532]

Are people really dropping out of Otakon because of the White race rally??

[Anonymous No.9923546]

>>9922882

I never buy from AA unless it’s a friend. I’m at that point where fandom merch does not appeal to me anymore. I’m also more inclined to shop where I feel welcomed and most artist I’ve approached to buy things from I’ve seen on IG don’t know how to customer service at all. Maybe it’s just me, but it happens every time, I just slide my money back in my wallet and walk on.

I will only buy something from another artist I don’t know if it’s a cool original shirt or bag since I’ll get more use. I do trades once per con but I’ve racked up quite a few gifts from other artist as thanks for watching a table or lending forgotten supplies. I always tell them they don’t have to, but they insist.

[Anonymous No.9923548]

>>9923532
what

[Anonymous No.9923555]

>>9923297
LMAO this is such bullshit. I've been accepted into jury cons and much more talented friends haven't and I've gone out of my way to ask as to why that was. Since I can't read personal preference and how a person reads skill level, this doesn't happen too often but if there are people who I consider obviously tiers and tiers above me who should have gotten in, I do ask. Also if you say wah you only care about your friends - consider most people don't publicize their rejections.

[Anonymous No.9923557]

>>9923532
bitch i hope so get me off that waitlist

[Anonymous No.9923561]

>>9923555
Please talk about the answers you've gotten from those cons then. Because whenever I've tried to ask or challenge a con's judgement I get vague answers or nothing at all.

Also you are most likely in the minority. You likely know that telling your friends who are "tiers and tiers" above you to "git gud" as a response to getting rejected from a con is not in the least bit helpful. So that argument isn't even aimed at you. If you were the person I directly replied to I apologize. I ought to have replied to the multiple people in this thread talking about how easy it is to get into jury and that everyone who doesn't is just not working hard enough.

Also the fact that you have encountered friends who are better than you not getting in via jury proves the point? Just saying "git gud" isn't helpful or useful. And people can still just fuck off with that.

[Anonymous No.9923567]

>>9923430
This general at least tries to provide helpful advice for those who seek help, if you're just here to bitch, then fine, but people will call you out for whining. If you really want to improve things then this you really are better off contacting cons.

No one believes you actually want to change things if you're only here to rant, and while I agree juries aren't always fair, if you've never gotten into a juried con then either your approach and style is wrong, or you need to improve your art skills. Ask for tips about how to improve your art or market skills, no one here has the power to change con structure. And yeah, if you're good enough to get into the cons you want, why would they want to change? I'm not so high-tier I get into all juried cons, but if I did, I would focus on making art and merch rather than try to change a system that benefits me. I want new artists to have a chance too, but FCFS and lottery AAs still exist. If you want the big cons to change, enough people need to contact the con organizers for it to happen.

[Anonymous No.9923590]

>>9923527
>>9923341
I've seen people ask for military discounts and it's bizarre. Just try to stand your ground and say no like others have said.

Otherwise, I'll typically give discounts if people politely ask and are buying multiple items. Like I have a $12 each 3 for $30 deal but occasionally someone will ask if I can do 2 for $20 if theres not others around because I'm just feeling a little generous. Or if people really seem to be short a dollar or two (pulling money out of their wallet and realizing they don't have enough) I'll just take what they have.

[Anonymous No.9923606]

>>9923561
NAYRT (I'm >>9922467 and >>9922673 for reference) but I've also reached out to AA heads/juries before about their results as have my friends.

One con, one of our friends didn't get in despite being one of the "big name" artists. Another friend inquired about this on his behalf and was told that it was a FCFS jury and they didn't reach his app until after they had filled their AA already. So it wasn't a matter of his skill. Another con, I asked an AA head about why I got in and she specifically said that she fought for me on jury because I carried fandoms and products that were not represented by the rest of the applicant pool. Another friend was told something similar by another AA head for a different convention. (Diversity in fandoms + products.)

I'm not even against the idea of setting aside a small number of tables for locals. And I agree that Fanime's jury is definitely just a shot in the dark. But your whole point is that saying "git gud" isn't productive. But how villifying out of state artists any more productive? Do you think anons like this >>9921969 who are literally spouting some xenophobic "Canadians are stealing our tables" nonsense are being helpful to the community? Actually taking things to con administration makes more sense because it has the highest probability of getting something actually done.

Most of the argument in this thread was directed toward the one anon who couldn't get into their home con (>>9921844). You're projecting by making this about the broad issue of an impacted AA market and rising competition. Yes, we all know that juries can be nonsensical sometimes and good artists don't get in sometimes. That doesn't mean that situation specifically applies to a rando on an anonymous board who has given us 0 reason to believe that they're actually a "good" artist. Especially when said rando wants to institute a "US artists only" rule to weed out the competition.

[Anonymous No.9923618]

Has anyone else been having trouble with the cali tax site? I've been trying to log in to print out my permit, but the site keeps saying my pass/username is incorrect. When I got to fix it (via sending a link to my email) I receive nothing.

[Anonymous No.9923620]

>>9923532
...probably not? I think it's not even certain to happen yet since they only have some of the permits they need (DC regulates public assemblies thoroughly because our streets are crouded and limited so if they want a place to stand they need to apply to shit). Where did you hear that people are dropping out lol

[Anonymous No.9923624]

>>9923546
>most artist I’ve approached to buy things from don’t know how to customer service at all.
Like, how so? I think at this point most AA regulars have eye contact-say-hi-smile down? Is there something else you're expecting people to do (I'm just curious what) or are they instead failing that super basic bar.

[Anonymous No.9923626]

>>9923624
Not that anon, but at my last con rarely anyone I stopped by would look up and say hi. When this happens I keep walking

[Anonymous No.9923632]

>>9923624
>>9923626
QUick q for you guys, I usually start working on con commissions at my table as i get them and other people have said they do so too (like "drawing at your table makes customers interested" etc tend to get agreed with, and it does get some people to come look), and sometimes by the time I lift my head up to smile at people coming by which f course i also try to do sometimes I've missed the two second window, esp with fast walkers who aren't really slowing down but are only glancing for a second.

People who draw at your table, how the hell are you still managing to eye contact all of the people doing by, do you just whip your neck up super fast or what

[Anonymous No.9923636]

>>9923632
I do basically what you've said where I'll look up occasionally and do a quick smile or "let me know if you need anything!".

I've seen other artists make signs that say something like "Feel free to bother me! I'm just working on a commission!" or "Please let me know if you need anything!" and leave it on the table when they're working on commissions.

[Anonymous No.9923637]

>>9923632
I try when I notice but I get super engrossed while I draw so sometimes I put a sign up or a sticky note on my head telling people that I'm drawing and to bother me anytime. I know the stciky note sounds tacky but customers literally will miss a sign right in front of them.

[Anonymous No.9923638]

>>9923632
>how the hell are you still managing to eye contact all of the people
Nobody would expect you to look up and say hi to every SINGLE person going by, otherwise you're going to look like a water-drinking bird toy, especially at a remotely busy alley.
If they pause to look you should have a window. If you are worried about your ability to catch enough people just that way or that you may be unintentionally snubbing people make a fun little sign like the other anon said.

[Anonymous No.9923639]

>>9923637
>sticky note on my head
lmfao this is great

[Anonymous No.9923650]

>>9923590
op of that post here and thanks. I know this is stupid, but I didn't know if giving out certain discounts, especially to military, was mandatory or not. Hopefully, this never happens again, but I'll just say no, and if they ask again or get angry, I'll ignore them or ask con staff for help.

Yes, I agree, I'll often give out discounted rates if someone wants to buy multiples of merch or something like "Mention this post (or follow me) and get an extra 10% off or a free sticker" or something

[Anonymous No.9923660]

>>9923624
Most don’t even do that desu. I’m not asking to be constantly spoken to, but I make a point to talk to my customers like ‘how’s your weekend going?’ Etc. People tend to spend more when they feel their business is appreciated.

Most artist I walk up to don’t even bother to pay attention, or won’t stop talking to their friend. Example: I commissioned a plush from an artist. I found out she was attending the same con as me so I thought I’d go say hello and get one of her other items since I liked her work.

She was scowling the whole time and wouldn’t even look at me. Regardless of what’s going on in your life AA isn’t cheap and it’s a very short time to bring a sour mood. I researched her prices beforehand and was willing to drop $50, but only spent $5. Tbh I shouldn’t have spent the $5 but oh well.

Same at Otakon I went to buy two items and each times both artist had very bad moods/acted like I wasn’t even there so I just slipped my money back in my pocket. I say I only buy from friends, but I do make artist new friends here and there and repeat buy.

[Anonymous No.9923661]

>>9923606
> she specifically said that she fought for me on jury because I carried fandoms and products that were not represented by the rest of the applicant pool

As a jurist, we do this every year. I highly recommend anyone submitting for jury include their passion project fandoms & merch types near the top of their application. After a certain skill threshold, stuff like, "The one app with a bunch of buff dude fanservice" and "No one else has doujinshi" get an app much farther than anything else.

[Anonymous No.9923696]

>>9923618
Did you ever create a new account with the new website after it changed in the beginning of May?

Someone wrote a post about it but I can't find the link right now. Just call BOE as soon as possible, and at the very least they might be able to send you a permit before you leave for the con. If not you might have to make a trip to a local BOE office when you get to LA because I don't think there's time for you to create a new account now. (Something about mailing you physical information in the mail.)

[Anonymous No.9923704]

>>9923696
I signed up back in Feb and got the email that said "Your registration application has been successfully received" Gonna call first them tomorrow

[Anonymous No.9923705]

>>9923618
Oh yeah, they're revamping the site and basically purged all the usernames and passwords, but if you still have an old permit printed out they'll honor it. This caused a huge fuss at Fanime as expected.

[Anonymous No.9923721]

>>9923618
Are you trying on the old site? Have you made a new login? Logins older than May no longer work fyi

I'm on mobile but the process on how to get a new log in should have been discussed roughly two weeks before Fanime in this thread

[Anonymous No.9923731]

>>9922882
I echo most of the replies to this: I rarely ever buy prints and merch that pertains to my hobbies (ie crochet/sewing) unless it's really impressive. Otherwise I often buy original prints, small set of stickers, enamel pins, clothes, and pick up gifts for friends/family.

[Anonymous No.9923735]

>>9923190
Depends on the type of merch you're thinking of, which sounds like some kind of wearables? Are you thinking of hair/head accessories? Jewelry? All the above? Maybe try googling AA artists who make and sell those kinds of merch and see how they do the past couple years?

>>9923273
I'm lazy so I'd just google around for "rose star logo" and see if anything comes up close to your idea of a logo - you can only try so hard to be original these days but good luck.

[Anonymous No.9923738]

>>9923696
>>9923705
>>9923721
Sorry ya'll i havent visited these threads in a while due to a break. thank you for the help. all i can do is hope i get my permit in time for ax

[Anonymous No.9923833]

>>9923620
Never mind i just saw the aani post about it, people are canceling. Well enjoy the spots if any of you get one

[Anonymous No.9923835]

>>9923738
You're going to be cutting it close, since it takes a while to receive the login info by snail mail, but if you find yourself a fax machine they can send you your license on the spot that way (if you call in).

[Anonymous No.9923849]

>>9921139
not sure if this is a good method to gain "quality" followers (if anyone knows better than me please weigh in) but turn your account into a business account, then put a few bucks towards promoting your bests posts.. I gain anywhere from 40 - 150 followers every time I do it, although I admit a good chunk of them look like accounts that aren't my target audience, but the other portion are people who are genuinely interested in my posts.

[Anonymous No.9923850]

>sign up for san japan.
>buy tickets for crunchy roll.

I dun goofed.

[Anonymous No.9923895]

>>9922882
If the art is impressive I don't care what it is of what it's from. I'll buy it. I like supporting talented artists. Bonus points if it's something I like.

[Anonymous No.9923942]

>>9922882

the shittier i do at a con the more i buy from fellow artists LOL

but there's honestly so much mediocre art in AAs. FOTM peeps need some serious creativity jfc most character only art all look exactly the same like ???? even god tier regular artists -- look at their BNHA group pics, they're all exactly the same. LOL so if you're gonna drop yourself into that hole you better be able to stand out

[Anonymous No.9923945]

>>9923849
I'm cautious of ads, since I know how bad advertising fucks you up on facebook, and the ad manager for both sites is the same.

However, yeah, if you haven't turned yourself into a business account yet, do that. A lot of perks come with it, like analytics and easier linking.

[Anonymous No.9924089]

I'm so above the rules because kickstarter reeee

[Anonymous No.9924093]

>>9922882
Most of the time if I see something I want, I'll wait to see if it's a good con. If the item is sold out by the end of the weekend, then it just wasn't meant to be and I've saved some money. I do this because I have horrible impulse control and I really own too many things to reasonably keep track of so I try to limit this to apparel and wearable accessories now!

[Anonymous No.9924138]

>>9924089
They deleted it already so lesson learned. Not much else to say about it.

[Anonymous No.9924153]

What do you guys use to present your buttons? Recommendations? I use a cork board, but it looks so bad to me although i already painted over the brown colour.

[Anonymous No.9924159]

>>9924153
A sheet of fabric or felt

[Anonymous No.9924163]

>>9923735
Was thinking of sweaters and blankets, maybe keychains. I have a fuckton of yarn to use up and it’s a lot of pastel colors. Was also thinking of doing some nerdy shit but I fear that C&D letter.

[Anonymous No.9924337]

What do you guys think of an artist wearing hanfu in artist alley? I'm Chinese, but grew up in a pretty American household so I don't know if there are do's and don'ts regarding wearing hanfu. I've always liked the style and want to try wearing them on special occasions, but I've never actually worn one so I'm not sure if it'll be seen as weird :(

[Anonymous No.9924343]

>>9924337
Well you're at a convention where people are dressed as cartoon characters so I don't think anyone would think you look strange, personally I think that sounds lovely.

[Anonymous No.9924355]

>>9924337
Nah, go for it, that sounds really nice. It's a weeb convention, just have fun.
You could just check if there any basic rules for hanfu dressing, I don't know much except always have the left lapel over the right?

[Anonymous No.9924362]

Do you think the average buyer would be mad if my prints were weird uncommon sizes? I'm planning to sell 11x17 and 4x6, and I want to sell a medium size but I don't like the proportions of 8.5x11.. I'd rather do something with a more rectangular shape like 11x15, or 10x14

[Anonymous No.9924378]

>>9924362
most people don't care but in case people want to frame your art try 11x14 and 8x12 instead, those are still common frame sizes.

[Anonymous No.9924401]

>>9924337
>I'm not sure if it'll be seen as weird
You are at an anime convention. It is kinda hard to wear something that makes you stand out looking weird.

[Anonymous No.9924416]

>>9924337
You're Chinese, nothing weird about trying clothes from your own culture.

[Anonymous No.9924427]

>>9924089
>i know there's a rule but i should get an exception because i'm forgetful
This is actually much more embarassing than people just posting art in flagrant disregard of SPS

[Anonymous No.9924429]

>>9924337
Dos and don'ts, you mean like how to put it on? I'm sure there are guides.
If you mean whether there are only specific occasions you're supposed to wear it i don't think that's an issue, it's a broad and common form of dress for chinese people in various settings.

[Anonymous No.9924431]

>>9924337
calling it: if the color is even one percent similar to a pink tip with white and blue elements people are going to think you're cosplaying mulans matchmaker outfit

[Anonymous No.9924432]

>>9924337
It's not weird, anon. I'm Korean and I wear hanbok in the AA. I've seen other Koreans wear daily hanbok while tabling too. And there's always plenty of people in kimono/yukata as well. I've seen someone do a hanfu Mei cosplay once too. I would recommend that you actually look up how to wear them correctly or talk with your parents about it so you don't accidentally mess up when you put it on!

[Anonymous No.9924435]

>>9924337
calling it: if the color is even one percent similar to a pink top with white and blue elements people are going to think you're cosplaying mulans matchmaker outfit

[Anonymous No.9924444]

>>9924435
much more likely an innacurate/fandom design d.va imo

[Anonymous No.9924445]

>>9924444
i would hope the sleeves and if they saw it the skirt would keep ppl from mistaking it for a hanbok, but you're probably right.

[Anonymous No.9924464]

>>9924432
Ahh yes! I think I've seen you or other artists wear hanbok's in AA before and it's always super cute >o<
I would definitely learn how to wear it properly! I practice kendo and it is so painful when I see people using gi and hakama to cosplay and they don't even look up how to put it on.
I don't actually know if my parents know how to wear it, but I'll make sure to ask them ^0^

>>9924429
But yes, I never see anyone wearing hanfu irl so I wasn't sure if there was anything wrong with wearing it or if it's just because I don't go to events where people might actually wear it ^u^" I'm not super in touch with my chinese heritage (and can't speak Chinese) so I kind of feel imposter syndrome even tho I'm 100% chinese...

[Anonymous No.9924468]

>>9924337
As a chinese american who does speak chinese (canto) i think this is really cool and you should do it! Unless you were wearing like ~ceremonial~ hanfu or something it's just normal olden style clothing to me and would be cool to see :)

[Anonymous No.9924471]

>>9924468
Thanks \>w</ I guess I'll be going shopping after I finish making merch haha

[Anonymous No.9924640]

>>9924464
You can't be an imposter of your own culture, no matter how disconnected you are from it, it's still rightfully yours in your ancestry and your blood. Go forth and wear some pretty hanfu!

[Anonymous No.9924656]

>>9924464
>^0^
>^u^
>>9924471
>\>w</

Please don't. This isn't facebook.

[Anonymous No.9924662]

>>9924656
this is so tired, it's 2018, this is just another internet forum, let people use stupid emoticons if they want.

[Anonymous No.9924669]

>>9924656
(´・ω・｀)

[Anonymous No.9924685]

>>9923661
NAYRT but could you give more examples of merch types you don't see as often?

[Anonymous No.9924748]

>>9924656
Sorry habit

[Anonymous No.9924758]

>>9924656
(ಠ╭╮ಠ)

[Anonymous No.9924769]

>>9924656
you dropped your
>>o<

[Anonymous No.9924899]

Mild con prep stress, I'm trying to keep myself motivated to churn out stuff since my events are happening less than a month, and I started to play some AA vlogs in the background. The events aren't big compared to most huge cons but as a craft artist, it's tough to prepare enough merch. If I sell out most of my items in one event, I only have a week to recover enough for the next event, which kind of sucks but it's what I signed up for.

Any other craft artists go through something similar, a merch-making time crunch?

[Anonymous No.9924932]

I’m about to hit $5k in my sales on Etsy and I’ve only been open since April. Should I be worried about taxes and whatnot? Do you guys register as a small business? Is it worth registering as a small business? Please help me I’m getting kinda nervous. (American BTW) Do I need a business to file taxes correctly?

[Anonymous No.9924950]

>>9924932
> I'm earning money
> guys, should I pay my taxes?
What do you think?

[Anonymous No.9924962]

>>9924950
Please help me I’m a retard child.

[Anonymous No.9924967]

>>9924950
Anon is asking how to, which is something someone asks in almost every thread that almost no one responds to. I'm with anon, I have no idea about any of it and just kinda drifting along until someone tells me what to do.

[Anonymous No.9924969]

>>9924932
Go to an accountant, even something like going to HR Block or Turbo Tax will help you just fine. They will tell you all you need to do for your taxes. Usually you will be paying quarterly taxes.

[Anonymous No.9924976]

>>9924685
It's less about specific merch types and more about breaking the mold in general.

Literally most apps look like this:
> Prints
> Buttons
> Charms
> Stickers
Period.

In terms of fandom variety, I just clicked through the first 100 or so pages of apps. Most of them pulled 90-100% of their app pieces from this list -
> Hero Academia
> Sailor Moon
> Overwatch
> Mystic Messenger
> Zelda
> Final Fantasy
> Studio Ghibli
> Fire Emlem
> JoJo
> Voltron
> Steven Universe
> Yuri on Ice
> Neir
> Pokemon
> Persona
> One Punch Man
> Dragon Maid

Some of those are classics, some of them are FOTM (which will be changed out to a new set of fandoms next jury season), but none of them offer something unique to your app.

Art style in apps is pervasively what I call “slightly western anime-ish”. I hesitate to call it Tumblr Style because that brings to mind a specific subset of symbols, which are not necessarily present. It’s just, more anime inspired than anime. The number of apps with a pure moe, shonen, cartoon, or painterly style is in the minority percentage.

It doesn’t matter HOW you break the mold, just show something else. It won’t guarantee you a spot in an alley, not by a long shot, but it makes the app memorable and gives me a reason to not toss it into the bin pile when we’re on the tenth or twentieth round of cutting.

Showcase the things that make you different instead of what you think your customers want to see. Include your passion projects at the top of your app instead of tucked away at the bottom or in a corner where we might not notice them.

[Anonymous No.9924979]

>>9924976
What a great comment, thank you for this.

[Anonymous No.9925031]

>>9924932
I got a business number back in 2012 because I was doing contract work for a company and they required that I have one. I didn't even make 10k that year and when I called the renevue agency to sort out some stuff they asked me "why do you even have this lol"
I'm Canadian so it's probably different here but they really only give a shit until you start hitting 30k annually. I just hit 50k last year and started taking it seriously because I am too afraid lol. So I'm taxing stuff at cons now.

[Anonymous No.9925086]

>>9925031
anon doesn't need a business number (an EIN here) but they still need to report the income for income tax come april next year

[Anonymous No.9925100]

http://joodlez.tumblr.com/post/11123957721/people-dont-like-creases-in-posters-i-know-that

Anyone ever try out this method of shipping prints? I'm trying to find something cheaper than tubes and came across this, but I feel like it would bend pretty easily in the mail anyway?

[Anonymous No.9925105]

>>9925100
> tape on the printed side
as a costumer, I'd be angry beyond belief if I received that.

[Anonymous No.9925113]

>>9924932

You should bite the bullet and go to an accountant, at least for the first year. The only problem with them is they don't really provide you with education on how to do your taxes in the future, because it doesn't benefit their business, but if you ask a lot of questions and push them then you can get a pretty good idea of what you need to do and eventually you can file on your own. Mostly it's going to be requiring you to pay estimated tax (which is not as serious as everything you'll read about it makes it sound, it's just trying to pay your owed taxes early so you don't end up owing 10k in april without realizing it). I make all my money online now and I'm still not a business, I just file it as personal income. Creating a business/LLC is more important if you're hiring employees and shit like that.

[Anonymous No.9925119]

>>9925113
You file just profit right? Like you subtract your expenses (like printing, cons, acrylic charms if you make them) and you just file your taxes based on your pure profit?

[Anonymous No.9925122]

>>9919974
As an artist, I wonder what the standard commission rate is for drawing more than one character. I've only been commissioned for it once. I basically charged an extra 50% of the cost of one character drawn. So if a fully inked/colored headshot of a character is $50, an 2nd character would be an extra $25. Although I haven't thought how to charge for 3 characters and up, except maybe charging 50% for the previous character. So the 3rd character would be an extra $12.50, and a 4th would be $6.25. Although, this method could be complicated and confusing for clients who can't into math.

[Anonymous No.9925135]

>tfw you don't do much anime fanart because most popular anime nowadays is either just flavor of the month stuff or Sailor Moon/DBZ/Naruto/OnePiece/etc. which is oversaturated with fanart
>most fanart I draw lately is from video games

I've thought about getting tables at anime cons but I feel I wont have much to offer. Should I be looking into more video game cons to promote myself?
Problem is, pure video game cons are considered more "niche" where I am compared to comic book and anime cons.

[Anonymous No.9925138]

>>9925135
most anime fans like videogames just fine, but you'll do better if they're japense IPs. Personally, I've got like three or four game characters I'll buy anything of because they're rare and I basically stan them.

[Anonymous No.9925142]

>>9925135
>video game fanart
May I ask you what kind of games you draw fanart of?

I think you would still do well at anime/comic cons, most of the attendees are gamers themselves. I wouldn't be surprised if I start to see Detroit art at cons this summer. Otherwise, yea try out video game cons if they have AA style booths, but it is hard to come by since most are focused on games and game companies/products, not so much the fan goods.

But otherwise, I have a similar problem where I don't feel like I'm making enough fangoods at all vs original/normie stuff.

[Anonymous No.9925150]

>>9925119
You file revenue, so not just profit, but your expenses can be deducted in a separate process

[Anonymous No.9925151]

>>9925150
Ahh, make sense. Thanks anon!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I feel a little more confident now.

[Anonymous No.9925153]

>>9924976
Thank-you so much for such a thorough response, I really want to introduce more variety in my table and this incredibly helpful info

[Anonymous No.9925156]

>>9924976
I'm amazed that Marvel isn't on the list of common fandoms, i feel like i see sizeable presence even in anime cons' alleys

[Anonymous No.9925161]

>>9925105
Well, then hopefully you would try to remove the tape and see it was fine rather than immediately flipping out.
>Oh, and if there are concerns about me taping to the printed side, it is actually easier to peel off the tape from the oil-based ink.

[Anonymous No.9925163]

>>9925105
Well, then hopefully you would try to remove the tape and see it was fine rather than immediately flipping out. From the post:
>Oh, and if there are concerns about me taping to the printed side, it is actually easier to peel off the tape from the oil-based ink.

[Anonymous No.9925164]

>>9925142
>Detroit art at cons
Nice, that'll help me know who not to buy from and save me some cash

[Anonymous No.9925165]

>>9925161
Not that anon, but I agree with them. It's not acceptable to put tape on the surface of the print. If someone is clumsy, or say, if the print goes through temperature or humidity fluctuations in the shipping process, that can change how easily the tape comes off. If even one person tears the print while pulling the tape off, it's unacceptable, and you can't pin that on the customer when that's a choice you made. Pay the extra money for a tube if you don't want to fold the prints. This is a shitty solution.

[Anonymous No.9925171]

>>9925165
Isn't the issue tape taking off print ink, not ripping it? Because if it's ripping that anon was worried about that would mean if someone pulls up two layers of their washi tape at once and wastes it or snaps the back off their button, or hell, if you seal a plastic sleeve and the person hurts the print or stickers etc using scissors to get it out, it's our fault /s

[Anonymous No.9925173]

>>9925135
The interests overlap, if you look at >>9924976 there's quite a few games on that list. As juryanon said, other fandoms and variety is welcome.

[Anonymous No.9925198]

>>9925142
Stuff like Zelda and Overwatch, but also niche-but-not-so-niche games like Ace Attorney, Space Channel 5 and Darkstalkers.

[Anonymous No.9925202]

>>9925198
Other prints I have that are not from video games are comic book characters (like Poison Ivy, Wonder Woman, etc), a piece based on the cartoon Bravest Warriors, and the Goblin King from the movie The Labyrinth. I feel like I offer some variety but not enough of a variety, but there's only so many fandoms I desire to draw fanart for. I also have prints of original illustration concepts not based on fanart.

[Anonymous No.9925223]

>>9925113
What do you do for when a con asks for your EIN or tax number like Katsucon and Anime Boston?

[Anonymous No.9925232]

>>9925100
Maybe this works locally but what about international? Everyone who received a package from me and took a photo, the envelope looks pretty beaten up and I bubble wrap the heck out of everything but I've been avoiding doing prints because don't want anybody to receive them damaged.

[Anonymous No.9925233]

>>9925223
Wouldn’t you just use a previous EIN number? That’s what I did. Haven’t you had a “real job” before?

[Anonymous No.9925244]

>>9925100
DO NOT DO THIS. Absolutely do not do this, it's incredibly irresponsible that joodlez leaces this horrible thing up. It's not even fit for domestic orders. Your prints will be demolished if a postal worker even so much as puts a single box on it's corner top and laugh at you thinking a do not bend warning will help. Postal workers literally just throw items into bins, this is NOT going to do this for you.

Tubes only cost about $1 (2 on the high end) if you buy about 30-50 at a time. A tube with one print for me is 6oz, 4 prints is 8oz, this is not even $4 in shipping costs. Please don't cheap out to save like $1-2 per package.

[Anonymous No.9925248]

>>9925100
DO NOT DO THIS. Absolutely do not do this, it's incredibly irresponsible that joodlez leaves this horrible "tutorial" up. It's not even fit for domestic orders. Your prints will be demolished if a postal worker even so much as puts a single box on it's corner on top of this top and laugh at you thinking a do not bend warning will help. Postal workers literally just throw items into bins, this is NOT going to help you at all.

Tubes only cost about $1 (2 on the high end) if you buy about 30-50 at a time. A tube with one print for me is 6oz, 4 prints is 8oz, this is not even $4 in postage costs. Please don't cheap out to save like $1-2 per package.

[Anonymous No.9925251]

>>9925223

I haven't encountered a convention where my seller's permit number or at most my social wasn't acceptable. Haven't been to either of those so maybe other cons are more strict.

[Anonymous No.9925256]

>>9925100
How big are your prints? Rigid cardboard mailers are surprisingly cheap bought in bulk from international sellers. It can get a little pricey for mailers that comfortably fit 11x17 but mailers to hold 8x10 are affordable to buy like fifty of from china ebay sellers.

[Anonymous No.9925260]

>>9925171
I should have been more explicit in that wording. I considered lifting the ink as tearing. It's still damaging to the image in the same way. And yeah, if you're doing something that you know might damage the product just to save money, I'd consider you wrong. In the end this doesn't even protect the print better. It's just a money saving measure.

[Anonymous No.9925312]

>>9925223
You can usually use your social for most of state's tax stuff. Best bet if you're confused is to call the tax office for the state and ask them what you need to do.

[Anonymous No.9925319]

>>9925135
I do almost exclusively video games (have some bnha stuff and a little classical anime) and I make more than my equivalent-skilled-but-mostly-draw-fotm-anime friends, selling at mostly anime/comic conventions/general cons.

There's a lot of overlap in those audiences, esp for games like Zelda, Overwatch, Okami etc

[Anonymous No.9925333]

I'm tabling with a different table partner than my usual at an upcoming convention and I'll be raising my prices to match hers so we can bundle our merch together. However, I don't know how I feel about keeping that pricing for future cons since I don't have the popularity or art style/sizing to justify the price increase. But I also don't want previous attendees at this con to see the price drop and feel ripped off if I do go back to my own pricing.

As a vendor and buyer, how would you feel about seeing the same artists at cons with fluctuating prices?

[Anonymous No.9925351]

>>9925164
Fucking same anon.

[Anonymous No.9925356]

>>9925333
I really don't remember artists' prices unless maybe if you're doing local cons in a span of a week, then maybe my memory would be just fresh enough to care. If it's a $1-5 difference I wouldn't worry about it, if it's something like $10 drop then eh, you'll live.

[Anonymous No.9925358]

>>9925164
>>9925351
What's the tea with Detroit?

[Anonymous No.9925364]

>>9925358
aside from the fact that literal only 'fandom' for it is about yet another boring, predictable yaoi style ship, the game itself is basically 'civil rights movement, but totally about androids, not black people' where you can shut it down and also tell (black) characters that they should be slaves.

Also it's just kind of a badly written game that's being overhyped because fujoshits haven't gotten over uguu seme/uke pairings

[Anonymous No.9925369]

>>9925358
Racist shit mostly (i think the dude being french = he thinks American civil rights and race relations are a just cool aesthetic well he can draw from for ~the aesthetic~ and doesn’t get that shit was and is real. anyway it’s hilariously bad like white androids putting their arms up BLM style to a black cop), but also you can trick, kill, posthumously mutilate lesbians as part of the good end path.

[Anonymous No.9925371]

>>9925333
Just as a general business move customers who notices you’re dropping your prices over time will hold off buying as a result so don’t do that (this is why it’s better to start low and raise prices as you feel out a range rather than the other way around). As a vendor, i totally understand readjustment if price and would not think poorly of you, just think that’s a bad move (unless you’re marking off stuff you’re getting rid of or some other special situation.)

[Anonymous No.9925380]

got my 5th rejection letter in a row - should I give up applying for this year?

[Anonymous No.9925384]

>>9925380
oof. have you been getting any acceptances...? maybe you need to apply to smaller things if you’re aiming at big big cons?

[Anonymous No.9925390]

The writing was hamfisted with plot holes galore so I get why people wouldn't enjoy Detroit, but I don't why people are going on a moral crusade about it. It's more laughable and tone-deaf rather than malicious.

>>9925364
>also tell (black) characters that they should be slaves
Why do antis always take this scene out of context? It's a single scene and the white android chick telling off the black android is consistently depicted as violent and hyperbolic. She incites you to kill at every opportunity. You don't have any control over what she says and if you follow the pacifist route, she's framed rather negatively.

>>9925369
>trick, kill, posthumously mutilate lesbians as part of the good end path
Killing the lesbians severely puts you on the bad end path though, unless you consider being decommissioned the good path.

Most people who enjoy the game enjoy it for the visuals and the improvisation between Connor's and Hank's actors (who tried to diverge from Cage's script), so not surprised that the fandom is focused around them. It's not a ground-breaking or progressive game in reality, just your regular ol' game that was written by a white cis male and had enough entertaining moments. Maybe my standards are low, but that's hardly a crime.

Anyway, sage for OT.

[Anonymous No.9925409]

>>9921572
I like LD's glossy sticker paper. you can find it on Amazon sometimes

I laminate the merch I make with it, but it's good quality w/o laminate for freebies too

[Anonymous No.9925420]

>>9925390
i can’t speak for other anon but i’m tired as hell of people grabbing dramatically-appealing symbols and moments from others’ real life suffering (not even ‘inspired by’, just wholesale wholeass lifting quotes and events) and then getting jillions of dollars and mondo asspats for making incredibly lazy creations with it. Mostly it’s white people mining stories of people of color suffering but other examples exist. It’s just gratingly smug and shitty, moreso bc it’s usually presented as a highminded moral tale.

if you’ve seen the conference talk that the Night in the Woods creator gave about lazy games exploiting rl suffering for flavor, which i can’t find right this second but you may have seen on twitter etc — this is a primo example. He explains why it’s irritating better than i can.

since folks are talking about all this a lot, anyone into DBH enough to be making merch will be aware of these issues and doing so anyway. it tells me something about peoples priorities which selling pieces from a merely bad series doesn’t. I’m not gonna yell at vendors for it or try to change their minds, just avoid buying from them. self saged and i won’t be making or responding to more posts on this since it’s so OT.

[Anonymous No.9925425]

>>9925380
That sucks, but if you’re trying to build your schedule up I don’t see why you should stop! Do it more instead.

It might be time to get some advice on your portfolio or whatever body of work you’re sending in and see if there’s any doable changes to improve your chances (plenty other than skill can help you, see that post upthread.)

[Anonymous No.9925429]

>>9925380
That sucks, but if you’re trying to build your schedule up I don’t see why you should stop! Do it more instead.

It might be time to get some advice on your portfolio or whatever body of work you’re sending in and see if there’s any doable changes to improve your chances (plenty other than skill can help you, see that post upthread.)

[Anonymous No.9925431]

>>9925122
I don't think there's any reason to lessen the cost for an extra character, especially not by half. It's the same workload as if you were to do two separate one character commissions, so by all means just charge the same amount for each character. At the very most maybe drop $5 off the next one, but half off for another character? You're just ripping yourself off. It's nice for the customer but if you can sell commissions for $50 per character there's no reason not to do so.

[Anonymous No.9925435]

>>9925390

[Anonymous No.9925439]

>>9925122
How did I miss this post. Jesus christ PLEASE don’t do that to yourself (or to other artists, if folks saw your deal and started expecting this from others.)

When people offer the option to add another character to s commission the addition in price isn’t usually much lower than the entire original price ($10 + $8 per additional, or $30+25/additional, or $50 + $40 additional...) I can’t conceive of why the price for third etc would be lower than the price of adding the second. Maybe i can see throwing in a small discount for someone who ends up buying a big group shot. but the situation you described is atrocious. Why do you want to earn $6 for a whole character s worth of time?

Tldr do not do the thing you said, add the same price per additional character as you did for the second, and also maybe consider raising that $25.

[Anonymous No.9925469]

good news everyone, Anime Expo has the highups of Tokyopop as guests of honor and they’re doing portfolio reviews! great career opportunities, make sure to stop by and show them your work so if they like it they can exploit the hell out of you and take all your IP !!!

[Anonymous No.9925471]

>>9925384
Got accepted to the first con I ever applied to and made 4 digits. Thought I was good - guess not?
>also this is not my 5th, but 4th rejection
>to break it down further, 3 were waitlists and 1 was a straight up rejection

>>9925429
I just wanted to have another con for the year but looks like it's not happening. I think what's hurting me is lack of having "stuff" overall, since I just started doing stuff this year. It's not like I have 10k followers or anything, either

[Anonymous No.9925477]

>>9925469
Fuck Tokyopop and fuck Anime Expo, shit is irresponsible and disrespectful. Shame on all of them.

[Anonymous No.9925478]

>>9925471
fuck, AA in the states sure is something different, in my country not even veterans get four digits.

[Anonymous No.9925483]

>>9925469
I thought tokyopop went out of business? They're still somehow around? thats a shame

[Anonymous No.9925484]

>>9925471
It’s probably not a skill issue then but a combo of bad luck, applying to oversaturated cons, and maybe not having anything to help you stand out (you probably saw the post by that anon who is a con jurist, does that describe your work?) If they’re curating in an attempt to vary rather than just screen for skill then you’re probably just peddling too similar a set of fandoms and products vs everyone else. (Folower count is probably not it.)

>>9925478
People who do fulltime AA in the US and are especially successful sometimes have $10-15k cons. Breaking a thousand at your first con is very unusual of anon though, and a good job

[Anonymous No.9925485]

>>9925483
I think they came back a couple years ago. Somehow it’s the shittiest and shiftiest people who hang around forever and ever in any industry.

[Anonymous No.9925487]

>>9925484
in terms of what the items actually are(pins/buttons/stickers/charmsprints), yes, but none of the products are from anything on that list - maybe that's why? I have more video game / original works, not so much popular anime/manga.
Would like to make new product types, would love to get into clothing but it's expensive with needing to have multiple sizes of one design

>>9925478
I feel like 1k is on the lower end of what people make in this thread honestly, but decent for my first time...

[Anonymous No.9925489]

>>9925487
haha the standard for your first time (oft repeated by AAG) is that if you actually break even you’re doing great.

[Anonymous No.9925491]

Has anyone ever sold just one keychain or merch in general? I just wanted to test the waters, but after seeing other artists with a million keychains on display I'm embarrassed about my one dinky thing. Is there any point?

[Anonymous No.9925498]

>>9925487
The people who post their numbers in this thread do so because they're proud of it, so of course you're going to see some big dick numbers. If you'd like to see more realistic profit margins per individual, check out kiriska's AA survey. And also, for a first con, 1k is really great.

>>9925491
Just one of something small isn't worth it. At least make a set, of I'd say 5 at minimum with a nice little display. When I tried buttons for the first time I just made 6 Steven Universe characters and they sold fantastic, but if you just have like... One small thing, it'll be really easily overlooked.

[Anonymous No.9925506]

>>9925491
It’s got to be really nice and have sufficient attention drawn to it in your table...I guess I could see this working for like, a very appealing piece of jewelry or something?

[Anonymous No.9925510]

>>9925498
>that 1 person who made $1
ouch

>>9925489
1k is just pure profit, minus food/gas/paying my friend, it's more like 700-800

[Anonymous No.9925514]

>>9925487
I think for shirts you could just go one-size, when it comes to a basic t-shirt a M or even L is a pretty good middle ground for most people, since it will fit nicely on taller/bigger people and small people usually don't mind if something as basic as a t-shirt is a little baggy, quite the opposite really. You could also use the same picture on tote bags or such if you're really worried about shirts not selling because you only carry one or two sizes.
I really wish more people would get into clothing, especially shirts. I can only own so many bags but shirts I could definitely get one for each day of the year and then some.

[Anonymous No.9925516]

>>9925514
Also forgot to add, when it comes to clothing/accessories I think you're better off with original art or really subtle fandom designs rather than outright fanart. OC is great for clothing because most people buy clothes based on what looks good instead of if it's their favorite character. Subtle fandom inspired logos or textures are also really nice for everyday wear without it being obvious that the original material is chinese cartoons or capeshit etc.

[Anonymous No.9925521]

>>9925380
Same here anon, 5th “waitlist” in a row and it’s for a small con too...
Lets not give up though!
I sincerely think that too many people applied and it’s better to keep trying.

[Anonymous No.9925566]

>>9925491
I have, it's definitely much better to have multiple, but ya gotta start somewhere, and it'll still sell

[Anonymous No.9925567]

>>9925469
Vaguely amused by the artist they announced alongside him, I remember seeing her make bitchy and passive aggressive comments on people’s fanart posts on AANI (she’s deleted a few, I think, but I remember checking her twitter and seeing one of those ragey rants about how fanartists are all fake artists and cop outs lmao)

[Anonymous No.9925661]

>>9925491
I crochet amigurumi stuff so I feel like I'm constantly testing the waters at cons since I don't want to stick to the few styles to sell year after year, gotta keep it fresh.

Depending on the difficulty of the items, I make up to 12 of my popular "easy" pieces, 6 of popular "medium" pieces, and I take a chance on 3-6 test pieces that I think would do okay and not sold before. Now I'm making pieces I'm just unsure and due to the time it takes to make them, so likely 1-2 pieces.

[Anonymous No.9925688]

Is it ever ok to be somewhat kind of rude to clients to show that you're getting frustrated?

Basically

>June 12 get commission for some soundcloud rapper, half upfront via ko-fi since he misunderstood what my ko-fi link was for but I was like w/e
>Get it done that night as per extra expedited fee client paid, show watermarked image
>Client happy then having issues w ko-fi
>Suggest paypal/square/venmo instead
>"Doesn't work"
>Fizzles out since I get too busy w irl stuff
>I bring it up again a few days ago, still having issues
>I ask for updates, no response
>I then say after all this time "Not to be rude but can you level with me and tell me if you intend to pay me or not as I've been very patient. All my clients pay me as soon as I finish the work"
>he says I have a 'tude yadayada
>Tell him it is disrespectful to waste any artist's time by stringing them along like he did instead of being upfront about not paying, but thanks anyway for the business and I wish him good luck on his musical endeavors
>He says sorry and offers to pay me via amazon and just doesn't after I give him my info


Was I even that rude? I feel I was warranted since I just wanted an answer as I explained to this client I'm leaving the country in a few days and want this whole thing settled, but then again you gotta be polite to customers. He pulled the whole "well i have people's fanart for free that I post for publicity" too.

[Anonymous No.9925691]

>>9925688
>Is it ever ok to be somewhat kind of rude to clients to show that you're getting frustrated?
yes

[Anonymous No.9925723]

>>9925688
Hope the preview image was VERY watermarked and very low-res because it sounds like he decided the preview was good enough for what he needed and he bolted with it.

[Anonymous No.9925726]

>>9925661
No offense but I don’t think that’s what anon meant. It would be more like if there’s a table full of prints and one amigurumi (or if you had one single print design at your table)

[Anonymous No.9925736]

>>9925688
Why are you just letting this go after finishing the work?

[Anonymous No.9925750]

>>9925688
Make them pay before showing anything, it's that simple

[Anonymous No.9925766]

>>9925723
>>9925736
>>9925750

What can I do besides let it go? Any time I show a client the work it is very heavily watermarked, like no way they could possibly use it. I also noticed on his gf's ig that she is very pregnant (like any day now the babby will be here) so I'm sure he's busy w that and I'm kind of giving the benefit of the doubt that maybe he'll pay after he has his child. I'll try one more time to see how amazon is working and if he won't pay I think I'll name and shame.

[Anonymous No.9925772]

>>9925491
Not a keychain, but I just had one lanyard for sale (alone, at a basically print-only table) and I sold out of them in two days. If you have other merch though it'll probably be harder for people to notice it. It just happened to be so front and center because I have so little of anything else that was on the table and not hung up.

[Anonymous No.9925802]

>>9925766
After the baby is born, he will be busy with the baby. Dont make excuses, you're just delaying it. Just tell him that you need the cash now, as agreed, and that if not you'll name and shame.

For future reference, look into contracts. We generally use them for pro illo work but maybe people use them in freelance commission as well? Idk. And don't let anyone pay through anything other than paypal. You should be invoicing people, I think it's cleaner that way.

[Anonymous No.9925814]

>>9925766
The signals are all clear. When clients start making excuses that payment system after payment system won't work for them, that's a big red flag. Then he straight up ghosted you after you backed him into a corner and you still think he must have a good excuse. Never work with this man again, and consider yourself lucky you got half up front. He's perfectly capable of paying you and just doesn't want to.

[Anonymous No.9925829]

So I did a bunch of inked/copic colored pieces from Inktober last year. I'm debating whether to make individual prints of each piece, or mini booklets full of all the inktober drawings. Both options will probably end up being expensive to produce since there's 31 images.

Thoughts? Opinions? Would you rather buy an individual print of an Inktober drawing, or a booklet with all 31 images?

The original pieces themselves would be up for sale as well.

[Anonymous No.9925843]

>>9925439
Thanks for the advice anon. I've only been commissioned to draw 2 characters in one image once and it was from a college classmate, so even if I charged too low, I consider it as a discount for an acquantaince. I'll raise my additional character price for next time though.

I charged $80 for the commission, but the classmate ended up giving me another $5 as a "tip" (which was kinda weird and I tried to give it back but he insisted so...yeah) So altogether I made $85 for drawing 2 characters' headshots fully inked and copic colored on 9" × 12" bristol.

[Anonymous No.9925848]

>>9925829
Depends on how detailed you made the drawings. If I'm buying a print, I would want it to have a nice background. In addition, 31 prints would take up a lot of precious space at your booth. I feel like a booklet would be a good way to go.

[Anonymous No.9925876]

>>9925848
I think they’re talking about just making a few into prints? Sorry i just imagined someone getting 31 new prints produced and cramming them into their display and had a conniption

>>9925829
Are all/most of them pretty interesting and nice to look at? Since you probably posted them to social - did a few get much stronger reactions than the others? If so it’s probably smarter to chose those few and get prints

if all of them are good and were well received to the point where people would shell out for a nice color zine, then you could risk it.

[Anonymous No.9925891]

>>9925802
>>9925814
Yeah, I knew in the back of my head right as he said ko-fi "isn't working" he'd pull this. He was very nice to work with initially, especially since he paid extra to expedite it, so I didn't want to think he'd be an ass but here we are. :/ I asked a couple hours ago if amazon worked and if I don't get a response by the end of the night I'll reveal his name.

If it ends up falling through I think I'm going to say that no artist would appreciate having their time wasted by clients who don't pay and go on about how I could've worked with a client who intended to pay me for my efforts. Depending on his response I might let him know I've shared my experience with a large artist community. Would this be a good response?

On the plus side, I noticed his 40k purchased instagram followers suddenly declined to 17k so that's satisfying karma at least.

[Anonymous No.9926004]

>>9925843
Commissions on tips are not uncommon, it is usually a way of saying “this is worth more than you charged me”, when I commission someone i feel is majorly undercharging (like a huge amount of net-only young artists) i might give a tip that’s as much as the whole thing was.

[Anonymous No.9926073]

Anyone know what this type of wooden charm is called (where the image is burnt(?) in, or where I can get it done? Zapcreatives doesn't have the option for anything but printing. Thanks!

[Anonymous No.9926087]

>>9926073
It's just a lasercut charm. Not sure where it's available though.

[Anonymous No.9926106]

>>9925364
>>9925369
It's a fucking shame Detroit isn't good, because the Kara tech demo that started it is still one of my favorite things.

[Anonymous No.9926162]

>>9925891
If he's cancelling the art, I'm unsure what you have in your contract for cancellation. I normally go the route of a 50% kill fee. Also I hope you have a contract, stating terms and late payment dates. copyright, exc. Just go right to small claims then.

[Anonymous No.9926169]

>>9926073
Ink it labs offers laser cutting but not explicitly the "engraving" (at least on their website). You might be able to just email them and talk something out though, they're pretty nice.

[Anonymous No.9926371]

>>9925726
No offense taken, I read it differently. Your explanation is a lot better and makes sense.

[Anonymous No.9926375]

>>9925491
At my first artist alley, I had exactly 1 button design because I didn't have my own machine. But it ended up being very popular (It was a Ruby/Sapphire button right when Jailbreak came out). So do what you feel is appropriate and build yourself up anon.

[Anonymous No.9926384]

>>9925510
I feel like people need to figure out the difference between profit and net revenue. Profit is what you get after you take the expenses out of your total sales.

[Anonymous No.9926386]

>>9926384
Yeah honestly. We cover this every other thread too.

Revenue/gross sales = Money you made before you subtract cost
Profit = Money after you subtract all costs (production, travel, lodgings, table fee, etc)

Please add this to the FAQ or something because we get people who keep conflating the two.

[Anonymous No.9926452]

>>9925491
I only had one lanyard at Fanime and it did great, but it's also worth noting I really only sell prints so it stood out super prominently on my table. If you sell a lot of other scattered merch, it might get looked over more often.

[Anonymous No.9926480]

>>9926073
ponoko does laser cutting, and your local area may have laser cutting shops set up too.

>>9925491
First time I ever did a keychain I did one and it was ooooook? I had it poorly displayed and didn't call enough attention to it. I've fared much better with multiple designs even if I'm making super low quantities that don't necessarily sell - the ones that do sell cover cost of overall production and profit.

[Corky-Lunn !CorkyloMxc No.9926599]

>>9926386
added to the FAQ!

[Corky-Lunn !CorkyloMxc No.9926602]

new thread: >>9926601