process

On being an "artist." What it means for me, in a practical sense.

It goes like this and you're honored when somebody "gets it" when it's done and looks the way you intended.


From choosing photo to uploading final to site: 270 hours


From choosing photo to uploading final to site: 125 hours

• Find the right picture, or take the right picture.
  
• Decide on medium(s)/technique: painting, stipple, line or colored pencil piece. Will it incorporate more than one of those mediums/techniques? (Try to keep at least one of each technique going on several different pieces at once, to go back and forth to them so you don't get burned out/bored. Remember to go heavier on techniques that your portfolio is light on, for full representation of range.)
  
• Decide how large piece should be.
  
• Make sure to have all the materials needed on hand.
  
• Cut board, sharpen pencils, clean pens.
  
• Make initial sketch, deciding on placement of major elements. How much white space? Do I make it a piece featuring only one major element? If so, which one and where in the space?
  
• Begin execution of chosen technique. If stipple, plan on 200-300 hours of dots. If line work, plan on 40-120 hours of lines. If placing color, add 10 hours. If only color, plan on 40-100 hours of work.
  
• When piece is finished, clean up pencil marks and any other random marks, trim and scan to computer.
  
• Do sizing and color corrections for online display. Make four sizes of each image
  
• Decide price and title.
  
• Upload to website and start marketing (again, like every day, only extra push because of new work).
• In the meantime, work on the other pieces started, chipping away at the stones.
  
• Every day/week, make sure you check your forums, fiddle with your website and portfolio, check member sites for stats, check art supply sales (fliers and online), check site stats, contact galleries, contact potential buyers, list on ebay and Etsy and CafePress.
  
• Restart process.

It's not easy. It's not particularly difficult, either. It's just something that I have a talent for, have gone to school for, have been doing professionally for 25 years and have to do to stay sane.