/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

What is everyone's AA plans for 2014?

Bump

>>7172824
I'm jsut waiting for replies for my 2014 applications and planning a more simple, portable display for my stuff. This was my first year and I made things way too complicated by having too many display pieces. If I could just make a 3" wide board that props up to a 45 degree angle to display pendants and keychains with clear price signs that are visible from the aisles I'd do much better.

>>7172768
This has a really nice look but I can't imagine having to transport it all.

>>7172824
Hoping to get accepted to my first one. It's juried so I'm a little nervous.

>>7172824
SacAnime
ALA?
AOD in SF
Fanime
AX
Otakon, if I get in

Don't really have a lot of time to do these outside of the summer season, so it's either during the summer or local. But man, I've been out of any sort of fandom for so long I have no idea what I'll end up actually drawing.

I'm usually lucky if I can make it to one day of a con, let alone a whole weekend, so I can't do AA's any more. Instead, I'm planning to start putting more in my etsy shop.
I just don't know what to make, as all the anime I like is old and not popular any more. I need to get in to these new fandoms.

>>7173577
I dunno, I think if you're sticking to Etsy, it doesn't really matter which anime you're into as people who are interested in it will seek you out anyway. People who keep up with anime habitually go to cons because of the newer series, while you wouldn't have that same pressure if you're mostly working online. Don't feel obligated to "keep up with" new anime for a profit and stick to what you already know and love.

>>7173603
I'm just worried about lack of sales. The new stuff is the stuff that people search for, old series usually have official products available too. It cost money to list on etsy, so I need to make sales. Of course I still make things that I like, but I think it's smarter to do both.

>>7173617
Maybe move to storenvy? It's 100% free with no listing fees. Etsy is terrible if you are just starting out because you'll go forever without making sales, yet you're steady paying for listing things. Then it doesn't matter what you do, popular or not

does anyone have pictures of setups for clothing?

>>7173846
I have both already. I've had about 35 sales on etsy (over years, I don't have much in there yet) and only 1 on storenvy. It sucks, but etsy has more traffic and storenvy has too many mass produced item sellers. I guess storenvy would be great if you already had a following and could just link them to it.

Which reminds me, any AA sellers have tumblrs for their art/crafts? I'd like to follow more artists.

>>7173893

>>7175045
does anyone know the name of this shop?

>>7175068
omo-cat

>>7175075
thanks!

Hey friends, I'm trying to find someone who is willing to split an artist alley table with me for Sakura Con 2014. Since the forum was shut down I don't have many places to look you know?

I'd be more than willing to split the cost of the table and pay for anything I need like food or my own swag. I am more than willing to trade emails, dAs, tumblrs and possibly skype if need be.

>>7175633
Oooh, I might be interested.
How much would half a table cost? And what kind of stuff do you sell?

Anyone have stories of crazy people that have come up to your booth? I'm addicted to those kinds of stories.

Bump

Bumping for examples of craft/jewelry tables. I would love inspiration for babby's first con.

>>7178476

Really puzzling over my set up for my first AA. I take the train to most conventions I travel to so I can't really take anything bulky and I hate those wire frame cubes with a passion. Does anyone have any suggestions or will I have to just suck it up and use the cubes? I'm selling mostly little plushies, keychains, and cellphone charms.

What sort of stuff do you find sells the best at cons?

Where does everyone get their cell phone charms made? I am looking for an inexpensive route since I am just starting up.

>>7179910
I only know of http://www.zapcreatives.co.uk/
If anyone can recommend anywhere else I'd love to know. At the moment I'm just making my own with shrink plastic, because I only sell a couple of each design.

>>7179910
Zap! Creatives is good since they have metal charms, and as far as I know are the only ones who do that since printcess died. They also have wood. Not a fan of their acrylic though, since it seems to come out a bit fuzzy sometimes, though it is printed directly INTO the acrylic so the design stays a bit better.

There's also Ink It Labs, which does wood, acrylic in white and black (which i love since printcess was the only other place to do black) and they also do clear, which they allow you to have double-sided designs on for free.

Price wise I'd say Zap! is slightly cheaper foracrylic charms, but I think I by far prefer them for their buttons and sticker sheets, especially since their sheets don't charge you per kiss-cut or require you to mark kiss cuts separately. Their acrylic charms just don't print as well as I'd like imo.

On the other hand, Ink It! charms I own have always come out great. I compared one to an old Printcess charm and they used fairly thick acrylic, so they're very durable, and the printing comes out very sharp and nice.

Regardless of who you pick for printing /please invest in good jump rings/. While the charms I own are great quality, whatever jump rings the seller used on them are crap and break after like a month at best. Get good quality rings, I beg of you.

>>7180007
>http://www.zapcreatives.co.uk/
Anything similar that is located in the US by chance?

I got accepted into the Katsucon AA and in the email they state that you're not allowed to sell stickers. Was there a particular problem of people snickering public property at the previous Katsucon?

>>7183833
Most conventions don't allow sticker sales because people buy them and stick them on hotel property.

How popular is My Little Pony (G4) with girls/women? I make jewelry and I found some charms online of Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy.
I sell stickers as well as jewelry, and I find 90% of MLP buyers are male. Do you think it would be worth it to buy the charms or will it be a waste?

>>7186662
In my experience, bronies tend to stick to things like prints, hats, plushes, etc. If the object you're actually making is kind of cute and girly, it'll most likely draw a female audience, especially if the rest of your table is full of similar stuff too.

>>7186662
I'm a fan of MLP, as is my daughter and my younger sister. My older sister only likes the older MLP. I have multiple female friends who are also into MLP, but one of them sold all of her merch a couple of months ago because she can't stand bronies. Bronies tend to scare off a lot of the more normalfag female fans, I think.

>>7183899
This. It's a pity though, I love stickers so much.
A few stupid people probably ruined it for the majority.

>>7186899
Oh that's refreshing to hear. I'm a fan of G1 and G2 as well, but I've been too scared to get into G4. That's honestly why when I ran out of my MLP stickers at my last con, I haven't reprinted them since. I don't know if it's where I live or bronies in general, but the male MLP fans around here can be really unnerving to deal with.

>>7186872
I sell small prints, stickers, amigrumi, and jewelry. Generally, most of it is pretty cute, haha. My MLP stuff has pretty much been restricted to stickers. Thanks!

What do people find super popular at their booths/cons? Like are keychains more of a seller than prints? And is it pretty much the popular anime?

>>7188552
Not an artist myself, but I buy the shit out of pins. I don't buy things that look like they have official art used on them (yeah, some of the people around here do that).

>>7188579
Awesome! What size do you like the best?

I was at Brisbane Supanova this weekend and I was told by some people tabling that in the US, the conventional logic is nobody buys prints, and everybody wants trinkets like badges and keychains, but in Australia, everyone buys prints and nobody buys the trinkets. As a result PurpleKecleon ran out of most prints and didn't even bring enough to hang any behind her stall, she just had a kind of hilarious piece of paper with 'not enough prints :(' written on it.

Does anyone have any experience specifically with the Australian AA market? Does this ring true? Should an australian artist focus on posters and prints?

>>7189302
I've sold hats, plush, trinkets, etc at Brisnova before and they all sold well. I don't sell prints though, so I can't really compare the two. It's certainly something to consider, as most tables seem to be selling craft good these days. Maybe print buyers just don't have a lot of options, so they buy up what they can.

>>7189302
I helped a friend table fairly recently, and from what I noticed prints did seem to sell better than bookmarks or buttons, surprisingly (also when I got home I realised that I myself had only bought prints, so.)

I would definitely make sure I had smaller things available as well though, there are still a lot of people who like to buy buttons and keychains over prints.

>>7189439

Yeah if I do table I would definitely have both, but it's good to know prints sell well! Doing a digital painting once then printing a dozen copies of it is obviously a bit less painful than hand-making a dozen brooches.

And on another Australian note, where do people get their charms and buttons printed up?

I'm also looking at laser cutting, does anyone have any experience with this service? http://onlinelasercutting.com.au/

>>7189455
Same places as mentioned above. I don't think there's anywhere local in Aus that does it.

>>7178912
Really cheap stuff that panders to tumblr and/or general fandom stuff

Please stop:
>selling perler bead art
>selling Deviantart-tier chibi drawings on scraps of paper
>selling lumpy charms with clumsy :3's on them
>etc.

I don't know why that shit pisses me off so much. Maybe the arrogance in them actually thinking it was worth getting a booth for that shit. Protip: If you sound like this you're just a waste of booth space.

>>7189455
Not an Aussie so this info may be of limited use, but when I go to cons I only buy prints as well. I think it's because stuff like bookmarks, keychains, and buttons etc. tend to sort of turn into knick-knacks and I just lose track of them.

>>7193562

>selling perler bead art

JESUS YES PLEASE. These are so embarrassing. I had kits of these things when I was a small child, and even then I was making my own designs and patterns and not just 1:1 aping existing sprite art.

I mean, you just literally buy a kit and then place beads in a pattern identical to something you googled. That's it. If I wanted these, I could make them myself incredibly easily.

It's like selling I don't know... a puzzle you've put together? Or selling pre-built gunpla? Isn't the joy of those things meant to be making it yourself? Why would you buy one someone else made?

>>7193562
>selling perler bead art
Yes. One of my biggest artist alley peeves. I get how it seems like a neat idea and looks alright on camera, but jeez louise it's just so lazy and 99% of the time it's just official game sprites rather than anything that took actual designing

>>7178904
For keychains and cellphone charms, I suggest you make a display where you can hang things.

Try taking a nice frame the size you need, and then replace the backing with foam board, or cork, or even polystyrene insulation. Wrap that shit in fabric to make it look pretty, and use thumbtacks to hang your keychains.

Basically something like pic related, except more thumbtacks and have a support fold out of the back so it can stand up.

Then there is a tutorial for lightweight shelves here: http://elementalsight.tumblr.com/post/63126849129/tutorial-how-to-make-light-shelves-for-artist

I suggest investing in a nice sized rolling suitcase to pack your things. It's so much easier when you can just drag your stuff behind you.

>>7193585
This. Although, I think people that buy it probably don't realize how easy it is to make themselves.
I would hope you wouldn't buy a print of an existing sprite, why would you buy that?

It always bothers me how rules will say don't use official art but somehow copying sprites doesn't count.

>>7193629
Anon, sprites aren't real art, everybody knows that. After all, computers make them, and anything made with computers isn't real art.

I don't get the perler bead hate. Or perhaps that's because the only booth I've ever seen is at Fanime where every year there's a group who has a booth like >>7172788 but 3 times the size and 5 times the stock. Also perler beads aren't THAT easy. Getting everything onto the right spot is really time consuming and making sure they melt evenly, especially on larger sprites, is a huge pain.

>>7193613
Thank you for the reply! I also found these and thought I might try them too since they're collapsable.

>>7178904
I had the same problem. Even more some places was bring your own table which was never going to happen on a train/bus. So I made a PVC tube booth with a hammock. The hammock can be left out if it's a con with tables of course. It looks big when set up but it's just at the most 4 ft long tubes with fabric. I can fit it all wrapped up in a grannie fabric shopping cart and still have room for products and my mirror. It's also much much lighter then metal cubes.

I want to sell Dakimakuras at the next convention, but i'm still not really sure on how to display them at an artist alley table? They take up a good amount of space. I really don't want to upgrade booths for merch that isn't my main focus, but I don't want them to go entirely unnoticed either. My only idea at the moment is to have a large one on display, with "other designs" printed on papers/a portfolio nearby, though even then i'm not really sure most people would notice the other designs. (I may sound cynical, but I've come to expect absolutely nothing out of the customer when it comes to reading/finding things that aren't big and prominent.)

>>7193562
>actually thinking it was worth getting a booth for that shit
The unfortunate part is that, as long as they are making profit, as long as people keep buying it up, and they're bringing in money, it was actually worth it. So long as they're making money, they're not going to go away. It's a shame.
Then I feel a tad bit guilty that they actually probably work a lot more than I do pushing out prints and hitting reprint with only a few new pieces of merch coming out per con.

>>7194346
Do you have a link to that stand?

>>7196704
I'd have one filled one on display, and then a few empty cases hanging flat on the wall behind you. On the table it would be nice to have the cases for sale in clear packaging so people see there are more characters, and then also a folder like you suggested with all your available designs.

>>7195764
>It's also much much lighter then metal cubes.
And it's not an eyesore!

>>7196712
I really like those ideas, but unfortunately, many conventions I go to don't have a wall between the artists. Maybe a PVC pipe setup to hang them from hrmm. Thanks!

>>7196716
Wow, that sucks. All tables here come with a carpet-like wall behind you so you can velcro or pin stuff to it. Oh well, good luck :)

Has anyone ever sold at Anime Midwest before and what was your experience like? I registered to be in their artist alley and the registration was so effortless that I'm actually little nervous what the AA might be like business-wise.

Bump

>>7196704
http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=25654732292&spm=2014.12317209.0.0
Comes in transparent too.

>>7198345
Thanks a bunch! I really appreciate it!

For clay artists, what's your favorite brand of oven bake clay? Promo, Sculpey, etc.

>>7200080
I used to use Sculpey but switched to paperclay since it's much easier to use for my purposes. It's also lightweight.

Sculpey is my favorite since it's the most mailable without being too soft.

>>7200086
Is paper clay oven or air dry? I've heard a lot of good things about it but never tried it. I'm trying to find something sturdy and won't break easily for jewelry, mostly stuff to go on hair clips.

>>7200104
Paper clay is air-dry. It is a bit flimsy if you don't seal it well, but you have to seal it since it's waterbased. You can either use spray sealant and do 2-3 coats or dip it in varnish/resin. I love working with it because it's water based and I can just add some water to get the texture I want. Another good thing I've found is that when using molds(especially for delicate monogram/lettering) you can just leave the clay in to dry for about 4 hours and then turn it over and it will come out of the mold instantly without the need to move it and ruin the shape.

Personally though I like to get a pretty good seal on it so it won't be as fragile.

>>7200148
Oh that all sounds pretty handy. Might have to try paper clay for my jewelry molds. Thanks!

As a commissioner, I wonder this: How come there are so many local artists who believe in self censorship? One thing I miss about comiket that I see over here is artists are unwilling to tackle nudity. I have to scale down just because they freak out at me asking for what is effectively drawn on a slow day at a comiket.

>>7193562
I hate seeing these too, and their WHOLE booth is bead sprites!
It's just a table full of art theft, all copied 1:1 from games/desktop ponies.

>>7200547
They either don't know how to into anatomy, or don't want to draw smut (so don't do nudity at all).

>>7200547
Nudity = smut, obviously.
First day I took life drawing, half the class was reciting the Family Guy quote or talking about how awkward it will be looking at naked people and drawing them.

>>7200627
Yeah. I asked a pearler person to do a pony one for me once, it was pinkie pie in her sneaking suit for my brother. They were like "hm let me look for a pattern"
Like, what the hell. You don't know how to do pixel art or do something like that by eye? So yeah less impressive at that point. That's like an artist who can only draw you the hulk if they can find the right pose to trace off of first.

>>7200629
Likely don't know anatomy. I know a lot of people just draw both genders with a sexless smooth crotch, and would have no idea how to draw a penis. I wish I had saved those pictures that get posted on /y/ with upside down penises. But that's along the lines of what you'd get.

>>7200634
Hah. My first day at life drawing our class was silent. There were those who didn't give a fuck and then there were guys concentrating on not getting boners.

>>7200638
>upside down penises
oh god how do you fuck up that badly?

>>7200547

A lot of cons do require that content be family-friendly or at least clearly marked as adult, so I can see that being an issue.

>>7200547
>slow day
>Comiket
What were YOU smoking when you went to comiket.

The issue seems largely to do with cultural differences in how many Americans view nudity and the customers that typically frequent American conventions (which is typically much younger than at Japanese comic events).

Bump

>>7172731
tip:
don't buy from there

trick:
sell off a bunch of old gashapon you bought in japan because you were bored

tfw: boxes of old gashapon figures from akiba, from when i was a child in parent's attic

>>7203515
AA and dealers room are different, just sayin.

>>7203515
Uh.. this is artist alley. You can't sell official merchandise.

I was wondering where I could get custom packaging cards made? Pic related. I tried googling, but I'm not really sure what's the right search term to use for this.

>>7204188
Maybe this helps you as well?

>>7204188
Do you plan to cut them out yourself? Or do you want them to come to you pre-cut?

>>7204200
Oh thank you! That's an awesome DIY way -- I just need to find good quality paper if I go this route.

>>7204240
Hmm, I'd prefer it if they were pre-cut so they look consistent.

So I had an idea the other day of cutting out little Touhou keychains from acrylic with a laser cutter, and made the design in the pic. I figure I could probably sell a few at an AA, but it's not like I'd have much besides just those things (and also I don't want to be stuck at a table for a con) so I'll probably need to ask a friend who already has a table if I could have them sell my stuff and keep a portion of the proceeds.

How much is a reasonable cut for such a prospect? And how much should these things be sold for, anyways?

>>7204188
Where can I aquire those adorable pokeman phone charms?

I'm looking for a home printer that can work on craft things like buttons, shrinky-dink, and printable decals.
What kind would you all suggest?
Any good black friday sales?

>>7205333
I got that from uguubear's deviantart, but I don't think she sells them anymore in her storenvy.

>>7205336
You don't need anything special, I just use a Canon iP2700. Get something that is cheap, check that refills are also cheap, and not HP brand. When I worked retail, HP were the most returned brand with all sorts of faults. Keep in mind that if you're doing shrink plastic you can't use laser printers, only inkjet.

>>7205308
I used to sell laser cut things too. Mine were from basswood, but you can probably sell those for probably 5$

>>7205308
>>7205308
Well, if it's just small things like that, your friend could literally just place one copy on display and have your full stock under the table so your stuff wouldn't really take up much space. I think bringing your friend snacks/drinks during the con (since they'll be stuck sitting there) + maybe 10-20% of your profits should be enough?

And I think $5-10 for that is good. I'm not sure how hard/time-consuming it is to make each piece, so it's really up to you. Don't sell yourself short if these take a lot of time.

>>7205466
Oh, what did you make from basswood, just little designs to look at? That reminds me of this thing I won from a QWOP tournament, though I'm not sure what I could do at an AA like it.

>>7205542
>I'm not sure how hard/time-consuming it is to make each piece
Once the design has been made (so far I only have the one, I guess I'll make other designs for other characters too) it takes like 2 minutes to cut out, and the only effort I put in is sliding the acrylic into the laser cutter and pressing a button. Probably $5 is good, taking that into account, I guess?

Thanks for the advice!

>>7205542
laser cutting takes time, but you can probably get 30 pieces per cut which would probably take 1 hour, so it's a pretty cheap process, especially for plexi since it cuts pretty clean

>>7205548
I used to do phone charms, earrings and necklaces on etsy.
I did pretty well at cons when I was selling my charms at 5$ and necklaces and earrings at 10-12$. Jewelry always tends to sell for higher and I thought the wood gave it a nice touch. I wanted to go into plexi but I never got around to getting my hands on sheets. Where do you get yours?

>>7205561
Whoa, that's awesome. Especially the master sword and shield, I really like that layering effect.

Well, the one piece was just cut from some scrap acrylic they had lying around the makerspace, but I'll probably order from US plastics when and if the time comes to start a bigger production. Or anywhere that looks good online, really. Local stores are nice because no shipping but it's usually pretty expensive even with that.

Did someone say laser cut?

>>7205561
Depends on where you live. I'm in CA where there's TAP Plastics a plenty.

>>7205561
DAT KOGARASUMARU. Would you be willing to do a sleeping forest by any chance?!

>>7205572
thanks!
yeah, I was wondering if there was some sort of chain I didn't know about that sold plexi sheets. I basically just started with basswood because it's readily accessible.

The layering is pretty fun to play with. Just gotta up the power or slow it down a bit. I've always wanted to try it with plexi

>>7205585
I actually started working on one! but I haven't had my shop open in quite a while. Whenever I do open up again, I want to have a lot of new stock.

>>7205582
buhh, I wish there was that here

>>7205582
buhh, I wish we had that

>>7205587
Acrylic is great. If you want to have some real fun with colors try inventables.com

>>7205604
Thanks! those prices look pretty good too

I also used to sell laser cut stuff. What always gets on me peeves is when people suggest already commercialized designs and want to get it for free since they suggested it. It takes a lot of time to make and adjust the cutting file and make tests until it cuts right with the right settings.

>>7205625
This. Putting together something like >>7205604
requires a lot of vector work and then spacing to stuff into individual colors groupings and cuts and then adjusting the size to compensate for the kerf of the laser. Even for something like a raster you still have to adjust the drawing so it looks good in monochrome and had enough contrast.

I remember all the rage at the popularity of those sailor moon jewelry cuts because people didn't know the process. People thought they were pre-made when probably she had to make the files and put the whole thing together. The price was probably so expensive too since they probably had them cut through a laser cutting commission

>>7205681
Holy crap yeah. Gluing all those pieces together and keeping them sorted is a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch. And I see the Instagram photos now where they literally have hundreds lined up after assembly and my head hurts just looking at them.

>>7205681
I still salivate over these. Last I've seen on Etsy, they go for $20+ still. I wish I could make them myself. You have all my jelly, laser cutting anons.

>>7205681
I still want this so bad ;(

>>7205686
This one's from the tumblr. Zombie army....

>>7205701
sighh I miss the site of a fresh batch. It makes me really want to start up again. I remember that after I made a whole bunch I would stack them like coins and guesstimate how much food it all would buy me.

also hint.

If anyone's thinking of selling through etsy or something, it's really good business to open up shipping world wide. The sales out of state always rivaled the ones within. You just gotta deal with a little bit more of hassel but you get used to it.

Shitty question. How the fuck do I start all of this crafty stuff? I want to make keychains and jewelry and plushies. I already can draw (to some extent) and could use that to my advantage, but the way I see it, the real money is in the 3D stuff. Where do I start?

>>7205701
I have so much desire for one of these.
>$35
Maybe I should just invest in a laser cutter and make some money myself. Or rent one. Or whore myself out to someone who has one.

>>7205720
I would try universities if you're looking for someone to pay to help you cut for cheap. Most schools have them usually in the art or architecture department buildings.

Nothing cheaper than a dirt poor college student. Hell, I'd even do a cut commission.

If you want the design more in your control, I would suggest learning autocad which is pretty darn easy. You just have to get your hands on the program

the best most standard kinds of laser cutter are also damn expensive around 2,000 for a used one

>>7205733
Well, yeah, you're probably not gonna want to buy one yourself. But there should be somewhere somewhat nearby that has one.

You know, I've been cleaning and found a bunch of old keychains and pins I had been making. the flash kills them a bit, but the shields keychains are leather, and the blank shield was one I was making out of model magic as a template to paint later.

I actually really enjoy sewing the felt pins. I usually don't use much glue on them other then maybe the pupils if I don't embroider them in. I've had a friend bugging me to do artist alley with her so I wonder if I should go back and start working on them again, since I enjoy making them.

>>7205720
>or rent one
Yeah, rent one. There has to be a good shop where you live or near you for it.

>>7205591
Sweet jesus yes
Do you mind leaving your shop link here? If not I'll just try my best to stalk you out when the time comes

>>7205582
>Look up locations.
>They're all up north.

God damn it. Welp, guess I'm ordering online. They need to open up a location in SoCal.

>>7205582
>TAP Plastics
holy shit there's one 10 miles away from me, nice

>>7205764
Havenaims.etsy.com
I'm probably going to move to storenvy but I'll update about it on my site

>>7205778
Can you link to one you find online?

>>7201034

To be fair. More corporate cons have artists who have less moral issues than non corporate ones

>>7200547
At Comiket the focus is on fan-made comics specifically. At most anime/game conventions elsewhere the focus is more on stand alone prints and 3D goods.

Hey guys, just finished first con. I did great, but I'd like to invest in a more professional looking jewelry display than the frames I had last con. Could anyone direct me to any? I was thinking of buying something like pic related actually.

Not sure about their product quality, but I got an e-mail from Picaboo saying all their stuff is 50% with the code TURKEY2013 until 12/01. Free shipping on everything as well. You can get prints from them, cards, calendars, posters, etc. Gonna place a small order to try them out.

>>7205308
What conventions are you selling at? because I need that keychain.

Hey I was interested in making keychains for sale, but how do people actually make them? I don't have any specific want, but I just want a general use on costs and quality of keychain types.

>>7216475
Ah pls ignore this I just saw the post listing services

>>7189302
Australians hide their power levels in their bedroom, they aren't so haughty and showy like muricunts.

>>7214894
Well, I'm not even 100% sure that I'll go through with this (though your post was definitely encouragement for that), but if I do end up doing it it'll probably be at midwest cons, like Ohayocon or ACen.

So guys, I'm going to help out in a friend's booth. Probably handling the table and sales and shit.
Do you have any advices?

>>7217576
STAND don't sit
smile, don't look like you don't want to be there
randomly start talking about product as soon as someone starts looking at it. People are shy and wont ask about thing, so put it in their face. Some people don't ask because they are scared the item cost too much and don't want to upset you by not buying because of price. If you tell them it's cheap they consider. If not just use big ass signs everywhere

>>7217576
Be a fun/nice person to talk to, not just a sales person. Talk about fandom in addition to the product itself

>>7218997
>randomly start talking about product as soon as someone starts looking at it.
No please. I can't fucking stand it when people at the table start talking to me about a product just because I look at it. Getting a sales pitch shoved down my throat makes me drop the potential purchase and avoid your table like the plague for the rest of the con.

At least learn to read body language before being a chatty kathy to everyone. Someone post that image of the various customers that come to a booth.

>>7219021
This. I prefer to let people browse and give them a smile at most if they don't say anything. If they start talking or asking questions I will totally engage in conversation, but otherwise nope. I also try to make my prices and items very clear from the aisle because I know my personal shopping style in artist alley is to walk by tables with a sideways glance and only stop at a table if i see something I like and I can see how much it is clearly. I would have to be super interested in an item to stop and have to ask the person for their price.

>>7204188
>>7205297

I would not recommend having the printing done elsewhere unless you can get the price to under 5 cents a 3x4in print. Get a cheap printer, get some offbrand refillable ink and print them yourself on glossy paper.

This is my go-to for glossy in 8.5x11:
http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/244369/Office-Depot-Brand-Professional-Brochure-And/

What is the best way, you guys have found, to have people notice something on your table? I'm still having people notice my price sign, despite trying to make it stand out as much as possible. Is this something that simply can't be changed?

>>7173577
You don't necessarily need to get into anything new, just research the series, learn she popular ships, and draw them and/or the characters.

>>7219375
Colors. It doesn't even necessarily have to be the color of the product, you can bring color into your table in other ways. Have things not be flat on your table, you need visual interest.
http://hubpages.com/hub/craft_fair_strategies

>>7219375
Put it right in front of you or by your most popular item(s)

>>7193629
Silly Anon, Sprites aren't real art.

>>7219375
always put the price right by the item being sold. Really helps people from asking what the price is all the time

Is it a profitable business? I've been told that I'm a decent enough artist to make money by hawking my skills, and I would enjoy travelling around to different places and looking at all the cool costumes.

My boyfriend says he wants to market my 'image' as a cute NEET fujoshi. I should link him to cgl's con horror story threads.

>>7219572

I made a lot of money during my first ever AA. Way more than I expected. I say if you know how to market your stuff and you know what trends are happening at the moment you should turn out a decent profit.

When someone buys something what do you offer to put their product in? A plastic bag, paper bag, or nothing at all?

>>7219626
If it's art/print you should have print sleeves or binder sleeves if it's small enough. Sometimes a flat brown bag like the kind you get at staples or comic book shops. If it's big like a poster roll it up with rubber band.

If it's product like a charm or something get bags. In the case that the bag is big enough that you think it would be reused stamp or sticker your brand/logo on it.

>>7219588
Gimme all the deets.

>>7219626
For my small jewelry items or keychains I have a bulk pack of small ziplocks form Daiso with a colored back.

>>7217576
>>7219021
I don't mind people telling me about certain deals they have going on. I do mind it when people try to toss out a sob story about why they are in Artist Alley. It's awkward and I don't want to feel like I have to buy something just out of pity nor do I want to feel like a total ass if I walk away.

I also really hate it when the person doesn't even notice you at all. It's nice to let people look first, but always be mindful to greet them with a smile and maybe throw out a "if there's anything I can help you with let me know".

Try not to look bored. If you start to feel like you're losing your pep (which you will..) stand up for a bit and maybe fix up your table or say hi to people who walk by. Good Luck :D

>>7219626
I bought cute treat bags for my smaller goods, for medium sizes goods (mousepads,stationary, big accessories) I bought pink shopping bags and for my pillows I bought normal "Thank You" retail bags. For the most part I notice people don't really care for bags unless you are selling prints then of course you wanna give them something to protect their purchase.

>>7219667

Not going to go into too much detail, but I sold accessories at a small ish con (2000-3000 people?) Saturday and Sunday. I made $450 overall, and that's after I bought things for my friends. I'm pretty happy with what I made since that seemed about what people were making that weekend.

I'm not sure how much advice to give you, but >>7219842 has really good tips how to approach customers. I like her way because it's not too in your face and not too cold either. Also, have a LOT of stuff. You can always sell online afterwards the things you don't sell, but you'll feel sad on Sunday when you have maybe two items for people to see (I know this from experience lol). Do have a bottle of water and food with you, especially if you'll be manning by yourself.

Always have cheap items with mid priced items. Items above $15 rarely sell, I found, at least in my case. The items that sold most for me were $10, but $3 items were really good for people who just wanted to grab things (I had one girl pay me three bucks then run off with her ring before I could offer to bag it). Cheap is good - the cheaper the better, and deals always gets rid of items quicker.

I don't know if I missed anything, but again, I only did one AA, so I'm by no means an expert. I'm willing to answer questions though and I'm always lurking cgl so feel free to ask.

>>7219626
I used organza bags or small plastic bags depending on the nature of the item/customer.

>>7219899
You said you made $450 overall after buying gifts, but is that gross or net? Overall implies gross, but sometimes people say they made however much when talking about net.

>>7219947

Gross. It would be more like 400 if you take out the the table ($50 for the weekend) and then on top of that... I honestly don't keep track of supplies, which is bad I know, but I think once you take out supplies it'd be more of a 250-300 net (assuming 150 spent on crafts supplies). Because the con was local, transportation to and from was pretty negligible - bus fare being about 5 bucks since I had a bus pass.

You're right I should take more of these things into account. I always meant this to be a 'self funding hobby' sort of thing but I should start looking more into taking account for how much I spend on crafts supplies and in general.

Do you guys ever get really pessimistic about about your crafts and feel really iffy about pricing because of it? It seems like every time I finish something I just really think it looks terrible and can't bring myself to price it more than $2.

>>7219899
>. I made $450 overall, and that's after I bought things for my friends
That makes no fucking sense. Are we supposed to know how much you spent on your friends? $5? $500?

>>7219983

$45 on friends. This isn't a guesstimate either - $10 on prints and $30 on plushies.

>>7220006
Do you maybe have an example of your stuff like a pic of your table or art that you'd be will to post? So we can know how the money equates with quality?

>>7220006

>mfw

$40. I can't even. But no, I recall clearly $10 for two prints and $30 for two plushies.

>>7219667
Getting profits and gross from people like >>7219899 won't really help much. There are so many different factors, and such a variety of profits made at a convention. For example, I made over a grand at my last con, which would be considered a small-medium one, with only selling art prints.

Try it out one time. See what you make, and focus on that. It's nice to make profit, but if not, just remember that you got to spend a weekend at a con, and probably spent less money than you would have if you would have just went anyways. Most everyone will tell you that AA is not a career, just a side thing to add on. I personally would say just treat it like a con, give yourself breaks with a partner, go out after the alley closes and enjoy the events, and have fun. Any money you make besides that is just an extra.

>>7219951
If your job leaves you below a certain income bracket the extra money you factor in that you make from selling at AA can bump up your tax return as well, ya know, depending on factors like whether you receive the Earned Income Credit. Assuming you're American, but other countries probably have their own tax credits.

Did anyone get into Anime Boston and need a table partner?

>>7220010

I mainly make key pendants and other wired pendants, pic related. They seemed to be the most popular item. I also made some bows and and cheap rings which sold quickly. I agree with >>7220200: if you're a print artist you're not going to get much info from me just because we do drastically different things. And enjoy the con, yeah. I don't ever really plan on expanding this hobby into an actual job, but it's an enjoyable way to spend time and is very relaxing for me, and I'm just glad I can get something out of it.

>>7220216

I... don't have a job at the moment. I'm a fulltime student, and why I ever took on AA in a busy school year is beyond me to be honest.

I recently bought this really cute coin purse, and I was wondering if you guys have ever tried making one of these for artist alley? Are there shops that print your pattern and construct the wallet/purse?

>>7221438
You're looking for a shop to take a pattern you drafted and making a wallet or purse out of it? Or are you looking for a shop that does custom wallet designs? If it's the latter, I'm thinking about doing that for my local AA. Making wallets is fun. I haven't really seen it done around here, but I could have missed it.

>>7221438
Here's a picture of the purse

>>7221444
I want them to use my custom pattern and somehow apply that to a purse-- like my image above. I'm not too sure how to go about it.

>>7221469
You want custom printed fabric?

>>7221469
Board wont let me link the site, so I edited it into the pic.

>>7221482
>>7221438

That site is also having a sale on them now, too, 3 for $10 each.

>>7221486
eh well not each, but rather 3 for $10 period, free ship, and no quantity limit. It's very good to join their mailing list to know when they're on sale!

(code is blackcosbags for sale btw)

what weight of paper does everyone usually get their prints done on? i'm trying out catprint for the first time and i'm not sure what type of paper I should choose.

>>7221482
This is perfect! Thanks a bunch, anon.

>>7221513
Thank >>7221486 !!!
I didn't even know of this sale!! Stocking the fuck up now.

>>7221504
Heavy Card Stock, plain, yields amazing quality from Catprint and isn't too costly. I'd recommend it a thousand tmies over.

>>7219053
Late reply from me, but thanks a bunch! Your packaging's always nice. I have a pretty good printer at hand, so I'll just go with this route and get the paper you recommended.

>>7219974
This is how I felt about the few prints I placed on the table during my first AA. I initially didn't want to sell them (I had a bunch of crafts for sale anyway), but my friends persisted so I printed a few copies of each one out. They still sold, regardless of how bad I thought each one looked -- on crappy Costco photo paper no less. Despite getting profit off that, I don't think I'll ever sell something I'm not happy with again. Just made me feel guilty afterwards lol.

don't be afraid to report any art thief booth or ask people that are blocking your booth (chatting, not buying/browsing) to politely move along. They can call your rude but you're trying to make money to pay back your table and stuff

A new con has started up near me. They are asking 85 for a table AND a TAX ID number. Normally I don't do any event with more than a 50 dollar fee. And I have never been asked for a tax id before. What's up with this?

After all that's done, how much do you guys usually make after one weekend at a con? Do you rely solely on selling things at conventions or do you have online shops?

I'm thinking of starting up my own AA booth. The next big convention would be Anime North, but I'm not too sure if it would be worth it after spending a fortune to get everything printed. Are there something things that sell better than others?

>>7223208
Not sure about the tax ID, but I've never had a con cost less than $100, not even first years. Where do you live and whats the average attendance rate/amount of days & does it include badges? $85 sounds like a great deal to me.

>>7223283
Its really random, honestly. Anywhere from $100 to $1000 on my end.
>spending a fortune to get everything printed
It shouldn't cost a fortune to get everything printed, unless you're looking in the wrong places, or are overestimating how much you'll sell and are trying to buy a whole bunch.

>>7223324
Well, I know a few places that don't allow small batches to be printed. I was looking at embroidered patches and 50 cost around 135 dollars. I even looked into custom printed tights, and 70 denier tights/leggings come about to 40 dollars per pair.

>>7223324
NYC. There are two main anime cons and a few tiny ones in the far reaches. Each con gives me two badges.

one is $50 for two days. Small 4 foot tables.
Another was $38 for a weekend. No tables.
Big one is jersey was $35 for one day. Large table.
Sometimes a craft fair will pop up that's 30 for a half day.
Most expensive was a half day for $50. No table.

Pretty much the only con I don't do is NYCC and the ones in upstate/LI/NJ because no car.

>>7223380
Also the most I ever make is $300

>>7223372
That was my fault for assuming I guess. OP never stated exactly what he wanted printed, so I automatically assumed prints, which rarely have a minimum printing requirement.

>>7223380
Ah, makes sense. The cons I do are always 3-4 days, and a 6' table. Have you checked to see if the convention you are speaking of is a 3 day'er? It seems like a reasonable price if thats the case. Definitely not if it's a first year two-day'er, though.

>>7223391
No, sorry for not specifying!

>>7223391
Ah you're right it is a 3 day con. But still a little out of my range.

>>7223416
That's understandable! Just trying to rationalize the price a bit more, seeing as how it doesn't seem outrageous, but that doesn't mean its right for everyone.

>>7205681
That was a cheap laser cutter - you can tell by the ridgy edges.

Does anyone use walgreens for prints?

I don't do AA but I'm curious if anyone does this.

>>7224170
I use walgreen for 4x6 prints. They have really good deals for them often, and although they have a minimum purchase amount, you can have as many different prints, and varying amounts. With the deals, I often get them around 10c per print.

question for anyone who does necklaces and charms
i really like using thin silver chains for my necklaces, where would be the cheapest place to find them? i figured a wholesale place, but im having a hard time finding one with the really tiny chains.

>>7225570
Be really careful when ordering cheap chains. One reason why they would be cheap is because they are thin and weak and will snap/break. And that sucks for a necklace with a good chain on it.

Either order the smallest amount to test it out or find local wholesale stores and feel them in person

>>7225570
I don't know how they will be for thin chains but I've bought quite a few supplies from 8seasons. http://www.8seasons.com/wholesale-chains-c-1789_1913.html for their chains. They have wholesale options, VIP pricing, a billion shipping options and if you like them on Facebook you'll get a $25 off $50 order coupon.

They also have an ebay store.

>>7225790
ahh they've got just what i needed, thank you!
i've actually bought from them a couple years ago but i couldnt remember for the life of me the name of the site

>>7225790
Wow these are some good deals. Overall have the things you've ordered been good quality for the money?

Bump

bump

I'd love to go to more conventions to sell stuff and just experience other cons in general, but the thought of the expense is putting me down. How do you artists do it? I mean, travelling basically everywhere, selling your stuff. Is it like a snowballing effect? You gain a small profit from the first con, get a bit more from the second, etc etc? Also, I have no one to travel/lodge with, so there's that.

tl;dr For those that travel to multiple cons a year, what's it like? Do you go alone or with someone? Is it tiring?

>>7231051
I go with friends so lodging isn't always a problem since there's always people I know who will be rooming with me. If there's a con me and my table partner are attending where we don't know anyone we take a chance and look up on the con forums to see if anyone has space in their hotel room. So far we've been lucky to not room with anyone terrible that way, haha.

It's been a slow snowball effect. Started doing one or two a year in college, and now I have periods where I'll attend one or two a month and so on. It does get tiring, especially since I'm such a nervous traveler, but in the end it's great because after a while a lot of people recognize you and are happy to see you're at another con near them.

The best way to make sure you stay gaining profit is to always have new stock. If you're drawing prints always make sure you have a few new ones if you're traveling around the same general area.

if you're worried try to find something near you that's small and not so pricy so you can get a taste of it. Maybe make friends with people who do a lot of alleys and see if they'll take you under their wing.

>>7231051
Luckily for me in Florida, I have like 10+ cons that are within the state to attend. The travel is minimal because they're all within 70 miles of me. You should map out your local cons for your area and see which are close enough to drive back and forth to, and which will require partners.

I go with my boyfriend/table partner. We both contribute art. He does more posters, I focus more on 5x7's and buttons.

p.s. buttons are an easy way to make quick profits after the initial cost of the machine is made back.

I miss attending these threads, used to dump a lot of pictures.

Just gonna ramble a bit. I took a break from AA scene and lately I've been thinking of going back, but I think I want to plan more about what I want to sell again. I'm more of a craft artist, capable of designing patterns for plushies, amigurumi, and recently I'm getting into needle felting. Working with sculpey has been a hit and miss for me because I'm fussy about the lint and I guess people don't agree with the prices ($6-9 depending on the phone charm).

When it comes to pricing and merchandising, I do what I can to have items that people would find worth buying without selling myself short. I remember the months of building up stock, cutting up pieces with rotary cutter (greatest thing ever), sewing pieces which end up part of a very long garland till I cut the threads, and just having stacks of unstuffed plushies and things. Though at each event, I learn what does and what doesn't sell, and sometimes it's surprising. Nevertheless, I end up with a little bit of what I have leftover for some other con, or give-aways/trades/whatever.

Before I got into AA, I was in retail for a few years, so the customer service experience was something I appreciate having which turned out very useful for AA. I learn how to help customers, know how to approach them or when to give them space, and just be readily available without looking disinterest while at the table, even if I'm sewing up things. However, there are the... odd customers that act different, but it is an anime con after all so often I bear with it and smile. I'm back in retail again and I appreciate some of the local artists' goods that we carry, plus it's the season for a lot of crafts fair to happen, so I'm just feeling the AA itch.

I would like to do a bit of fan goods and more original items, but still much to plan. I still have plenty of materials around for a table or two, so I'll see if this is the year to get back in the scene.

>>7231521

>>7231525

>>7231530

>>7231539

>>7231541

>>7231545

>>7231547

>>7231552

>>7231558

>>7231558
Ohgod you saved this one. Heres an updated one which will completely change again in March. Ditching the cube frames for half cube/half pipe.

>>7231658
Haha indeed I did! Pretty neat to see an updated table layout, I fancied your fake awning thing.

>>7172772
Do people really make money selling these ?

>>7178476
This "babby's first " shit has got to stop.

>>7231748
u mad babby?

>>7186662
Be prepared for the bronies.

>>7193590
When I went to shitty ass Too many games con in PA, that's all I saw at the tables. The retro game stuff was good, but it can't compare to magfests AA.

>>7231750
Lol

>>7231711
I'll be bringing it back for the pipe setup. They didn't work well with the posters for the new setup.

Where's the best place to buy moderately sized bags to put people's purchases in? I've been looking at the below link, but I was wondering if there were better options. I'd prefer it if they had cute options instead of just plain, solid color bags.
http://www.daisojapan.com/c-296-paper-bags.aspx

>>7231830
Ahh cool stuff.

Dang Tanpopo, I wonder how far that artist travels. I remember some con ago she had a booth in artist alley and dealer's hall. Could be that the con had the extra space for her to spread that much though.

>>7231839
I went with getting a box of clear plastic bags (9" x 3" x 14") from Uline. In one carton, it's 1000 bags that is still lasting me quite a while. I like simple bags like that, plus it's easy to show off bought goodies. Somewhat free advertisement! Though it would be nice to have something cute printed. Also, I think Uline has other colored plastic bags, or paper bags as well.

>>7231894
Uline is hella overpriced.

www.clearbags.com for bulk
www.clearenvelopes.com for short run

>>7231894
>>7231899
It wouldn't be weird to use clear bags for clothing items? That's what I make.

>>7231911
Items? If you sold shirts then clear packaging would be a great advertisement. Some of what I and friends have bought have just been from seeing others having it in their bags and asking where they'd got it from.

>>7231914
Skirts, blouses, bows, hats, etcetera.

>>7231899
Yeaaaa sort of a thing I bought once years ago, and I haven't really needed to look for other bags. I dun goofed.

>>7231911
It helps, especially if you arrange the clothes in the bag by having whatever printed-side facing out somehow.

>>7231919
Hm, you may need packaging more sturdy than plastic bags.

Aliexpress and alibaba have good wholesale prices for packaging too.

If you're selling your own brand, consider having clear stickers made to place on the packaging.

>>7231929
http://www.clearbags.com/bags/handle/clear-colored-gift/clear-pp-gift-bag-8-5-8-x-3-x-10-3-4.html
They have stuff like this too, which may work.

>>7231933
Yea, though I wasn't sure if they were willing to pay that price for a 10pack before shipping. Chinese sites would sell bulk for less on that kinda stuff made overseas.

>>7231521
>needle felting
What's up my felting sista/brotha? That shit is hard to find it stores. Went into a craft store and found less than a dozen items and about four colors of roving.

>>7231988
(sista) Hi! I'm sorry to hear that, I was very surprised to find out a few of stores in the city sells them, plus I'm very fortunate to work in the same building that includes one of those stores. They sells several different colors (in fact it's a fiber art store of sorts, you can pretty much dye your own stuff if you wanted?), so recently I picked up a multi-pack to make a secret santa gift because I didn't have much a clue of what that person liked besides something related to nature so I made a fake terrarium.

Pic related something I made yesterday, sorry it's pretty fuzzy, I'm still very new to felting. I can't tell in what order to use the needles I have.

>>7231988
>>7231994

Another anon chiming in!
I'm also new to needle felting and I've found that good shit is hard to find in your basic store.

I tend to stock up on stuff at local craft fairs.
There's always this stall run by the state's needle felting club and their stuff is really nice and cheap.

I enjoy talking to them as well. They always seem to remember me and they also get excited over a younger person being interested in needle felting.

Does anyone have or get permits to sell at an AA?

Most of what I see in the way of character art is fan art, but what's the market like for original characters which have no established source material?

If the designs are appealing and not just sameface in a uniform kind of stuff, do people even buy merch/art of characters they don't know anything about?

Trying to figure out how to finish these off. The beads and cone are on an eye pin that extends about 1cm out the bottom. If I bend it up into hte cone at a 90 degree angle it keeps everything on. But I need something more secure. Glue? Solder?

>>7178476
Eeeeey I bought that lace collar on the display.

>>7231994
>>7232082
So awesome to find other needle felters.
I'm new to it as well, so far I've just made a funky plant and I need a glass to put it in.

>>7232503
I NEED ONE, do you have an online store?

sage because not relevant to thread

>>7232523
Thanks, I do but i wont have them up until I'm sure they won't fall apart form getting pulled the wrong way.

>>7232503
Maybe a cap you can glue onto the eye pin that lays flush to the edges of the cone?

>>7194230
I can attest to that. I only just started doing Perler art booths last year and its a TON more time consuming than I had assumed it would be, but I LOVE the creativity you can put into them. I've been making 3-Dimensional ones lately of Bob-Ombs and Parasprites from MLP

The only downside is that the designs can be pretty easily stolen and replicated. If I find a design I like and I'd like to make copies, I ALWAYS contact the original designer for permission, and usually all it takes is to offer to put stickers with their deviantart on it, but there are so many who don't beother that I'm really hesitant to put photos of anything I've designed up.

>>7232873
Admittedly the only perler art i've really wanted was the (mario) venus fly trap made of perler but placed in a green flower pot made to look like a pipe. It was adorable. Wish I had bought one but I was confined to my table. Looked like this sorta?

>>7194230
It's because most of the booths are shit like this.

I kinda love disasters like this.

>>7233006
Not gonna pay $65 for it, but I kinda like that Cyndaquil.

>>7233006
I see booths like that sometimes and feel kind of bad for the people at the booth

>>7233006
Fuck. Seeing stuff like this makes me really nervous about my first booth.

>>7232895
>Weeabootique

Needs more pics of bad AA booths.

>>7233104
This one's really boring and just asking to be stolen from.

>>7233121
"Angel of Happiness"

what

>>7233121
This makes me cringe in a sort of "What was she thinking???" way.

Also, no replies so I'll bump my question:
>>7232428
I'm just worried if I do a booth that's a few prints and some crafty merch of characters that aren't from anything, people won't have any interest and it'll be a waste of time and money.

>>7233170
I stopped doing fanart because it never sold well, but my original artwork sells out in no time. I don't really understand it, but it works for me!

>>7233212
My guess would be because there are probably lots of artists doing fanart work that look similar to yours, so people are less likely to buy yours.

Whereas your original artwork is, well, original.

>>7233006
Okay see the problem here is, if he just does that for a hobby, there would be no problem. He'd probably even be told that he's talented by his friends/family or whatever, in fact he probably has.

HOWEVER, there is a huge difference between "acceptable quality to compliment" and "acceptable quality to actually try to sell to people for $65".


>>7232515
That is pretty cute, I would buy that because I like fucking cute terrariums but I have the Touch of Death.
You should do mushroom versions too, bitches love mushrooms.


>>7232503
I would twist the end of the eye pin into a spiral and lay it flat against the base of the cone, then either secure it with some E6000 (neatly!) or some solder.

OR...what I prefer to do with these types of projects is to use a headpin (pic related, plainer versions are available also) rather than an eyepin, and stack the beads from the bottom, then secure the top beat with some E6000 and make the loop myself with a pair of round needle nose pliers.

Is that a pink ward? Pretty cool.

I'm thinking of selling cute custom stationary, the problem is that I have no clue how to actually sell these. Would little packs of 10 sheets for $2- $3 bucks be any good or could I go higher?

>>7233247
If you designed/illustrated the stationary yourself and it's actually cute and printed on nice-ish paper (not regular shitty printer paper) I think you could easily go up to $5 for 10 sheets.

>>7172774
These miniature "pocket-pal" type things would totally sucker me in even though I'm really good at making them myself...if I were to open a booth I would probably sell these, lol.

>>7233252
Yep, it's all original art. I'm getting them printed at a pro place so no worries with the quality. Thanks!

>>7200637
In my life drawing class the instructor told us that we needed to give the model respect. If we laughed or talked we would be kicked out. All of our life drawing classes were done in stone-silence.

>>7233270
.... We had a one-time male model who slicked up a stool with his precum. Noone touched that stool from that day onward. Dude just couldn't keep that shit down.

>>7233278
Oh my god. Ohhhhhh my god. That's gross.

>>7233270
I figured people who took life drawing were nature enough to handle-- I don't know-- a simple human nude body? Sometimes I wonder about the people who attend college.

I'm volunteering for life drawing next year, and have a lot of people who saw its just a nice way to contribute to the art students.

>>7233289
It was. The looks we all exchanged when there was a string of mucus trailing form the poor stool to his junk were priceless.

>>7233299

>>7233278
w-was he hot?

>>7232515

I kill every plant I buy so a felted one would probs be a good idea for me!

So far I've made some fake food, a birds nest and some flowers! I'm also about to start making a mouse for my cat for christmas.

I've been finding glass jars every where nowadays. Even my local 2 dollar shop stocks a whole heap of them.

>>7233243
Definitely going to do some mushroom versions once I get the right colors. All I have now are a few shades of green, brown, and tan.

Anyone know any good online shops for roving wool? I know taobao is absolutely nuts about needle felting so I figured I'd buy from there but I'd love some English sites.

>>7200634
Were they not art students? Is that why? I've only ever been in classes where all the students were completely respectful to the models. That's shit's difficult.

One time, we got a guy that was almost 9 heads tall. Fashion croquis status.

>>7233321
That's what I was wondering too

>>7233278
Ugh. I have one bad model story even though our class was very respectful.
We had a diva model come in, do the usual thing of dressing and posing, but 10 minutes into the session she stormed out of the classroom. No one had any idea why. Turns out she came back 40 minutes later complaining that one of the girls gave her a snotty eye while chewing gum. The model said she refused to continue if that girl were to stay....The teacher kicked the model out and we drew him (clothed) for the rest of the class.

>>7233321
>>7233341

No. He looked like a short guido you'd find on jersey shore but with a male butterface. It was just awkward x10000

>>7233343
Yeah I wonder this too. I did a design BFA program that had a mandatory 2 semesters of nude life drawing, and everyone was 100% respectful.

>>7231521
I don't know if you already know about this, but a tip for dealing with the lint when working with polyclay is to have a shallow dish of rubbing alcohol on hand.

When you see lint, dip your pinky in the rubbing alcohol (I hear q-tips being rec'd for this a lot but I find q-tips leave their own lint sometimes) and use your moistened pinky to wipe away the lint.

>>7233358

Well, by that time all the immature students have been weeded out. Try taking that same course at a community college and it's damn near impossible to concentrate with some idiot pervs giggling and laughing all the time.

>>7233420
Is community college usually free or really low priced? This is why if rather pay for my education and not deal with the morons. It's usually the teachers job to throw idiots like that out.

>>7233420
BFA is an undergrad program though, so the students are basically the same age as the ones at community college.

>>7233440
I'd rather*
My god, autocorrect

>>7233443
Oh although I do have this story about a really obnoxious chick who was in high school or something and taking drawing classes at my college.

She was obnoxious for other reasons though, not because of issues w/ the model.

>>7232882
That's the sort of stuff I love to see. Perler beads are a pretty simple artform, but it's the creativity people put into making them actual "art" that makes them legit. I'm always frustrated when I see a booth with them that has nothing but different colored bows and sprites straight from nintendo games. If you put in the work and actually create something new then beadsprites can really be a neat little nostalgia trigger without being directly copied from the source material

>>7233669
I agree, the Piranha plant is really creative and does more than just lie flat on a table. That's what makes it interesting.

Looks like we may need a new thread soon.

>>7233212
That's... really strange. I would think people would go after stuff featuring characters they enjoy and completely disregard stuff they don't recognise...

Anyway, thanks for the reply!

I've spent the past decade creating fantasy stories for games n' shit, but my really bad ADD and lack of motivation combined with limited funds and resources makes it impossible for me to actually fully flesh them out into games, books, etc. I figured having people who enjoy the characters and buy merch of them might inspire me to finish them, and start earning enough money to treat my ADD and start producing material.

>>7232428
My shop features majority OC with maybe 1-5 fanart merch of stuff I like (mostly badges) and I sell really well. I have one character that no matter what he's on sells out on day one of the convention.

People like OC as long as they have well thought out designs. It also helps if they fit a certain image. Then you can use that imagine to appeal to your target audience and design products for such. My bf didn't think I'd do well selling OCs, but he's with me whenever someone comes to the table telling me they love such and such and have been waiting to buy x product since I posted it.

Would it be okay if I took a poll of what CGL thinks will sell well?

Kigurumis
Plushie backpacks
Puffy fleece hats (like with animal ears and shet)
Miniature polymer clay sculptures
Decorative zipper pulls
"Terrarium" necklaces in tiny glass jars


>>7233336
http://www.wistyria.com/pb/wp_66efa76d/wp_66efa76d.html

>>7234592
>http://www.wistyria.com/pb/wp_66efa76d/wp_66efa76d.html
Thanks! Might want to ask on the new thread though.

>>7234599

NEW AA

>>7234592
I'm so sick of seeing fleece hats at cons.

NEW AA THREAD
>>7234605