Pricing

If you're anything like me, you think pricing is a bitch (pardon my language). Myself and every other new-to-the-real-world artist I know struggles with this concept beyond belief. What media used, size, how long I worked on a piece...all these are huge factors in how to price a work.

A coworker of mine recently sent me this link. I highly recommend perusing its' contents and seeing what it has to say. It even has a freelance calculator. I've known for a while now that I've been underpricing my works - mostly due to selling them to friends or professors. I know they can't afford much more, but now trying to submit new pieces to galleries I don't want to seem like that chump that doesn't know what their work is worth. This site has helped me figure out what I need to be selling work for and why. I especially liked the bit about charging hourly vs. fixed rate.

Or just email various more experienced friends/coworkers every time you price something...just to make sure you're doing it right.

Towers

And by back on the wagon I meant sporadically posting from work 2 months later.

Towers Hall

Sorry for the poor quality. My cell phone is not exactly high tech and this is the best it could do. Hoping to take some better photos tonight and post them soonish. Have to get the pictures sent tomorrow or Wednesday to enter a show in VA. Eek hope I get in and that it sells - gotta make up that $40 entry fee.

Back on the Wagon

Wow has is really been 5 months since I last published a post? I guess that just shows how fast this year has been flying by. Lots of changes in my life. Here are just a few:

January - Bought a new car. Well new to me. It's an orange 2007 Suzuki Reno hatchback and I absolutely love it. The mini van (yes, I was driving my mom's old van for the past 4 years) was finally becoming a deathtrap and I didn't want to pay to fix it.

February - Got a new job. A big kid job! In my field of study! That seems to becoming more and more of a rarity for my profession as a graphic designer. I'm incredible thankful for getting a full time in-house design job within 8 months of graduation.

March - Starting looking at new apartments (and found one!) Thanks to my new job I can afford (barely) to have a one bedroom apartment to myself. My roommates just moved to Toledo so I had the option of finding new roomies or finding a new place. And since no one can top my last roomies I had to opt for a new place.

April - Ran my first 5 mile race. The Dam Fool 5 Miler. It was a lot of fun and now I'm hoping to run a half marathon in September.

May - One of my best friends has returned from a 2 year mission in Brazil. I haven't actually been able to see him yet (he just got back Friday), but I'm looking forward to that reunion.


So yes, lots of changes. Now it's time to reboot! I promise more updates are soon to come, including the pictures of the finished wedding invitations.

Wedding Invites

It's funny how life works out sometimes. This year was supposed to be quiet and steady. A year to get all my ducks (or chickens?) in a row so to speak. Well let's just say that's not how it's worked out. Throughout all the changes lots of good has come as well. Just when I finished my last commission and wasn't sure where to go next one of my favorite professor's from college contacted me. He wants me to do his wedding invitations and other little pieces for his wedding in July. So not only am I gaining a great portfolio piece, I'm doing a piece that I've always wanted to make (maybe it's a girl thing, but I always thought designing wedding invites would be cool. I love getting that personal touch in a formal piece).

 Yes, there will be chickens in the piece. They'll be featured in a much more contemporary/less obvious way than what I have in the above sketch, but it's fun to draw chickens.

I'm super excited to be able to use Igloo Letterpress for the printing. Be sure to check their work here, they make beautiful pieces.

Wedding Shoes

I recently had the honor of being commissioned to paint a wedding present. The couple's wedding colors are gray and yellow (so cute!) and they're both wearing gray converse down the aisle. I was given pretty much free reign on what I wanted to do - as long as it was gray and yellow. I hope they love it!

Icons icons everywhere

So I finally finished my commission to illustrate 245 icons. Here's a few samples. I promise to get back into blogging.

The holidays plus working all the time kinda made me put blogging on the back burner.

 

tricks

 

smile

Thomas Jefferson

 

shuttle

 

quarter

 

nose

drink

 

heated