Becca Hillburn's Blog, page 41

Watercolor Basics: Introduction

So many people have expressed an interest in learning how I watercolor.  Its a common request at conventions, and quite a few of you have commented here and on my YouTube that you want to learn how I do it.

When I was learning how to watercolor a couple years ago, I shared my list of resources here, as I thought you guys might find it helpful.  Since then, I've discovered even MORE fantastic resources, which I'll be linking at the bottom of this post, and I highly recommend you check all of them out if you can.  For the most part, my Watercolor Basics series will cover how *I* handle watercolors, but there are lots of amazing ways to paint with watercolors.

Inspirations

Western Inspiration

 My work tends to to be tight (maybe too tight), mannered and rendered (perhaps over rendered), highly inspired by pastel and earth toned children's books like the image from The Waterbabies, below.

Originally from The Waterbabies, by Charles Kingsley, but image is from Magia Della LuceAs well as books like very realistic yet fanciful children's books like Animalia:

Image source from this Youtube video.Eastern Inspiration

I'm also heavily inspired by the watercolor concept work produced by Studio Ghibli, the Art of Books are a staple in my studio, I think I have almost all of the ones available in English.  My favorite is the Nausicaa of theValley of the Wind Watercolor Impressions book, which is available on Amazon.




Images from here

I've chosen watercolors for the children's comic I'm producing, 7" Kara because I love how the medium looks, and I find it very cost effective compared to markers, and more interesting than digital coloring.

Examples of My Work

Standalone Illustrations




7" Kara Pages

From Vol 1

You can get a closer look at 7" Kara by ordering a physical copy, or purchasing a PDF through my Gumroad.



















What!?  You like what you see?  Well I have great news- you can order your very own copy of 7" Kara, Volume 1 from my online shop for $15+shipping, and it comes with a super adorable wooden Kara charm to boot.

From Vol 2







Gizmo Grandma- Freelance Illustration














Anthology Pieces

Knight School









Realistic Watercolor Studies









Other Watercolors











I enjoy using watercolors to not only create in depth, heartfelt illustrations, but to also render lighthearted doodles meant for the masses to enjoy.

Topics I'll Cover in This Series:

Materials you'll need to get startedDifference between good and bad brushesRevisiting Stretching Watercolor PaperBuying a Palette Vs Assembling Your OwnChoosing Colors for Your PalettePutting Together Your PaletteSelecting The Watercolor Paper for YouWatercolor Materials- Crayons, Pencil Colors, Markers, Pans, and TubesHow I Make 7" KaraScanning and Correcting Your Watercolors

You are more than welcome to suggest a topic using my handy sidebar quick-email widget.  If there's a topic you absolutely need to see covered, please consider backing my Patreon, as Patrons get priority suggestion privileges.

If you aren't subscribed yet, I highly recommend subscribing to my YouTube channel, as I will regularly upload a variety of watercolor related videos- from reviews to tutorials to timelapse.  There are many techniques that I cannot explain through text and images alone.


Sources of Inspiration

Qinni's youtube channel
Sakuems

Instagram

sugitaro62
schmoedraws
gabbyzapata
tga_tsurug
Lisk Feng
pepperdisco
torianne00
looneylolita
botanical_watercolor
Alina Chau
Winsor and Newton
Jeeyon Kim
molinta



Other Watercolor Comics

Ode

Recommended Reading
From this blog

Watercolor Resource List (Note:  A lot of these are videos, which I highly recommend you watch.  These are how I learned to watercolor)
Simple vs. Original Watercolor Commissions


Recommended Viewing

Introduction to Watercolor- Mechacon 2014 Panel- Becca Hillburn




Watercolor Marker Workshop with Nattosoup- Becca Hillburn



Microfashion Watercolor Timelapse-Becca Hillburn




Prepping Watercolor Brushes for First Use- Becca Hillburn

If you enjoy these videos, please make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel, because I have many more watercolor videos scheduled.

Outside Resources
Watercolor VS Gouache Painting (with Grisaille)- Hajira Meeks



Paint a Crystal Cluster in Watercolor~Beginner's Tutorial-The Witty Gritty Paper Co




Mind of Watercolor

Owings Art


If you find this series helpful, it would mean the world to me if you purchased a copy of 7" Kara from the Nattoshop.  7" Kara is my all ages watercolor comic about a tiny little girl and her big adventures, and it's perfect to share with the family, give as a gift, or keep it as a special treat for yourself.   Every copy comes with an adorable wooden Kara charm, and a back-of-the-book custom sketch.  Volume 1 is the culmination of three years of hard work and long days spent watercoloring on my floor, and Volume 2 is well underway and images from Volume 2 will be used for demonstration in this Watercolor Basics series.

Over the years, I've made it a point to share the helpful things made by others with my regular readers, and if this post, series, or blog has helped you create your Youtube videos, Tumblr tutorials, or blogposts, I would appreciate you sharing my link, and I'd love to see what you've done.  Drop me a line with the link to your work, and I'll happily include it, either in this post or in an upcoming post.  We educators should stick together!

If you enjoy content like this, and would like to help ensure it continues, please consider backing my Patreon.   Large series like this which include not only text/image posts but video are very expensive to produce, and take a lot of time to plan and execute.  Just like PBS relies on public support from viewers like you, I rely on support from readers like you, and every reader counts!

Please consider donating to this blog or purchasing from Natto-shop (http://nattosoup.com/shop) if you want me to continue publishing quality content. All materials tested were purchased from my own pocket. Keep on Truckin' Nattosoup is not under any sponsorship.

Craft Tools Worth Adding to Your Studio

My collection of art goodies and tools has grown to include many supplies marketed mainly to crafters.  While none of these are essential, many of them are very helpful, and well worth adding to your own studio.  I've included my Amazon affiliates links whenever possible, to make it easier for you to find these products.  When you purchase items linked through my Affiliates account, it does not add any additional cost to you, and I see a small bounty, which helps keep the lights on in the studio.  If you enjoy content like this, but prefer to do your shopping elsewhere, please consider becoming a Patron of my Patreon.

Tim Holtz Inkssentials Non-Stick Craft Mat



Despite the goofy name, this craft mat has really become a staple at my drafting table, because very little sticks to it.  Waterbased ink, alcohol ink, acrylic all wipe off cleanly with the right solvent (usually water or rubbing alcohol).  This is perfect if you make a mess, like I do.  It's also great for utilizing all those stray droplets- just pick up your piece, and dab up the excess with a spare piece of paper. 

Tombow Mono Removable Adhesive




This is also available in a non-removable formulation, but either are a boon to paper crafters who need to apply a minute amount of non-liquid adhesive.  The removable adhesive rubs away with your finger tip or a masking fluid rubber pickup, and doesn't leave a residue if you pick it up in time.

Adhesive Dots



http://amzn.to/1Yr4JaE

Bone folders



If you assemble minis, ashcans, or fold cards, a dedicated bone folder is a fantastic one time investment.  I've owned this Martha Stewart bone folder for 5+ years now, and reach for it every time I'm assembling a new ashcan.


Spritzer bottles




Perfect for water, rubbing alcohol, alcohol ink mists, or watercolor mists, these are cheap, easy to find, and well worth trying out.  You can find these everywhere- Dollar Tree, Target, Walmart, but I buy mine in bulk from Amazon.


Bottles of Alcohol Ink

Ranger





Jacquard





Not yet on the radar for many illustrators, alcohol ink bottles are a great addition to your alcohol marker collection.  Jacquard and Ranger both make alcohol inks that are worth giving a shot.  Jacquard inks tend to be less expensive than Ranger inks, but has a smaller range of colors, and may be more difficult to find.

You can use these inks in empty Copic markers, you can use them in spray bottles, you can allow them to evaporate in palettes and reactivate with rubbing alcohol

Alcohol Ink Mixatives- Opaque alcohol inks and metallic alcohol inks

Metallics




Opaque




A subset of alcohol inks, these opaque inks in metallics and white and black are a great addition to your alcohol ink collection.  Although I cannot recommend using them in empty Copic markers (yet- I just haven't tested it out), these pigment based alcohol inks can painted on using a synthetic paintbrush dipped in rubbing alcohol while wet, or allowed to dry and applied in a similar way.  Both Copic and Jacquard offer metallic inks.

Rubbing Alcohol

If you use alcohol markers, you're going to need to have some rubbing alcohol on hand.  Rubbing alcohol has many uses in the general studio, and even more in the alcohol marker studio.  High proof rubbing alcohol is inexpensive- far cheaper than blending solution- and can be used to make your own alcohol inks, reinvigorate dead alcohol markers, and do general cleanup if you get messy with your spray inks.  Although you can purchase rubbing alcohol in almost any grocery store or pharmacy, I recommend higher proof rubbing alcohol, and I'm lazy, so I order mine off Amazon.  This is the brand I use.
Toner based printer



Useful for printing your lineart on the paper of your choice.  Waterproof and alcohol ink safe.  I own the Dell C1760 printer, and work the heck out of it for convention merch.  I love the print quality it gives me, but there are limitations.  This printer will not print watercolor paper.

Brusho in salt cellars

Brusho



Brusho is a dye based, crystalline watercolor medium that I've played with for a few months, but Haven't had an opportunity to write about.  I keep promising a review, but that's contingent on the video being ready, and I have a video backlog long enough to last me a year.  Don't wait for the review, if you're interested in playing around with watercolors that literally blossom on your paper, give Brusho a try.

Salt and Pepper Shakers




Brusho can be difficult to handle, but I've found keeping it in little salt shakers helps.  I add a little rice to help with humidity control, but the rice releases starch which can effect your Brusho's performance.  I don't mind, but its something to be aware of.

Small Funnels




Those salt shakers can be difficult to fill, but these little funnels help a lot.

Masking Tape




I use white masking tape all the time in my studio- it helps to hold pieces of paper down to my craft matt when I apply Brusho, I tape down my field tests with white masking tape, I use white masking tape when creating comic roughs.

Blue Painters Tape




I use wider, lower tack Painters tape specifically to stretch watercolor pages.  I prefer 3M's Scotch Blue to other brands, and I definitely prefer this tape to artists' watercolor tape, which tends to wreck my pages when I remove it. 

Bulldog and Binder Clips

Binder Clips




I use a combination of large binder clips and large bulldog clips when stretching watercolor paper. 

Bulldog Clips




Although you CAN find large bulldog clips for sale at art stores (sold open stock), it's much cheaper for me to purchase them through Amazon Prime.

Gatorboard/Corrogated Plastic




Don't buy watercolor stretcher boards, don't waste your money on thin lap desks.  Corrogated plastic is strong, cheap, and light weight, and it's IDEAL for stretching watercolor paper.  I purchase mine from the hardware section of Amazon, and cut it to size.

Washi Tape






Even lower tack than masking tape, washi tape is useful for taping down more delicate papers, but can also be used as an accent in your pieces.

Plastic Pipettes



I use plastic pipettes for almost everything watercolor or alcohol marker related.  These are handy for dripping clean water into palettes, transferring watercolors to mix, or adding rubbing alcohol to smaller containers.  Don't buy the ones in the craft section- those are massively overpriced, purchase them from the general or medical sections. 
Please consider donating to this blog or purchasing from Natto-shop (http://nattosoup.com/shop) if you want me to continue publishing quality content. All materials tested were purchased from my own pocket. Keep on Truckin' Nattosoup is not under any sponsorship.

2.5k YouTube Subscribers Giveaway Announcement

My little YouTube channel has grown in the past few months, and to celebrate the milestone, I'm hosting another giveway!  If you haven't checked out my channel yet, you ought to hurry up, because I'm constantly sharing new content including reviews, art supply demonstrations, and tutorials.

I'm giving away some of my favorite comic and sketching tools to three lucky winners!




First place winner receives:


Faber Castel Poly Matic mechanical pencil in. 7Sumo Grip mechanical pencil in .7 (for their blue lead)Pentel Sharp automatic pencil in .73 pack of Color Eno Blue lead in .73 pack Pentel Hi Polymer HB lead in .73 pack Pentel Clic Erase erasers3 pack Mono erasers1 Tombow 2mm eraser1 Kuretake Fudegokochi pen (for inking)Signo white gel pen (for corrections)6 piece Micron set3 piece Pigma Pro brush set (FB, MB, BB)1 Strathmore Visual Journal (Bristol, Smooth)LIHIT LAB Pen Case

First place winner's prize is worth at least $77.74

Second Place receives:


Drafting Pencil (.7mm)1 pack Color Eno Soft Blue Lead (.7mm)Mono EraserClic Erase EraserHi Polymer LeadSigno PenVisual Journal

Third Place receives:
Signo PenClic EraseColor Eno LeadHi Polymer LeadMono Eraser

Everything in this giveaway has been demonstrated on my YouTube channel or written about on the blog, so there's plenty of information and tutorials to help you get started in making comics!

How to Enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The contest will run from June 21st- July 15th, 2016.  You have a variety of ways to enter, from commenting on the blog to checking out the Patreon, to visiting my Nattosoup fan page on Facebook, and will earn points for participation.

This giveaway has been sponsored by my blog, Nattosoup Studio Art and Process Blog, and my Patreon (which is a fancy way for saying I paid for it out of pocket), and is intended to help three artists improve their comic tool stashes.  If you enjoy giveaways like this, please consider joining my Patreon community, as they are the reason I can afford to offer these opportunities.
Please consider donating to this blog or purchasing from Natto-shop (http://nattosoup.com/shop) if you want me to continue publishing quality content. All materials tested were purchased from my own pocket. Keep on Truckin' Nattosoup is not under any sponsorship.

March and April 2016 Video SketchBook Tour

SketchBook Tour March and April 2016- Becca Hillburn





If you prefer static sketchbook posts, where I scan and share images, please let me know, otherwise I'm going to continue sharing my sketchbooks via video.  And if you like content like this, and haven't yet, I recommend you check out my YouTube channel for even more!
Please consider donating to this blog or purchasing from Natto-shop (http://nattosoup.com/shop) if you want me to continue publishing quality content. All materials tested were purchased from my own pocket. Keep on Truckin' Nattosoup is not under any sponsorship.

MTAC 2016 Recap

If you enjoy convention reviews like this, and find them beneficial, please consider joining the Nattosoup  community, and backing my Patreon.  Recaps take a lot of time and energy to write, and have not had the effect on my career that I had hoped, so if you enjoy them, please let me know, and share them with your friends!  Sharing my posts to your Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, and forums helps me grow an audience and puts my work in front of new people, which is really important in the career of an artist.  You can use the social network links below!

MTAC (Middle Tennessee Anime Convention) is generally a 10 minute drive from my apartment in Nashville, so it's imperative that I table at it every year I can.  This year was a little nerve wracking, as MTAC is portfolio+first come first serve, and the MTAC site had a few issues with their artist applications.  Fortunately, I was able to apply almost as soon as the deadline hit, and able to secure my table payment as soon as I received notice of acceptance.

You can check out some of my past experiences with MTAC through the links below.

MTAC 2015 Recap

MTAC 2014 Recap

MTAC Prep

The Alley Layout





New Watercolors




Table Prep






MTAC Announcement

Thursday Setup

Since we were allowed a Thursday night setup, I didn't bother to do a demo table, as I knew I'd have all the time I needed.





Our tables were a generous 8', which can ALWAYS be utilized by me, but took a little figuring out, as I'm used to 6'.  Fortunately, I brought enough gridwall to add some wings to my display, creating a couple mini galleries for non-anime originals.

Friday

Friday I manned the table alone, and despite having a raging migraine, I managed to do pretty decent sales.  So decent in fact, that I was nervous looking at my numbers, because they were a little TOO good.  Joseph managed to relieve me at 5PM, and after the con closed, we went out for dinner with a large group of con friends.  Unfortunately, as soon as I got home, I had to hit the ground running on commissions and making more sassy buttons and ribbons, so Friday was a late night.

MTAC's parking situation this year could best be described as 'unfortunate'.  The hotel refused to allow non-hotel guests to park, and would not sell MTAC spaces, which meant attendees needed to find parking on elsewhere.  MTAC recommended the Parking Spot, which included a shuttle service, but this added time and money to the attendees experience.  Fortunately for me, I had someone who could drop me off and park the car (or take it with them) on all three days, so this wasn't an issue for me personally, but it's certainly something to consider.

Saturday

As soon as I arrived on Saturday (which was before alley hours, but only just barely), the crowd was already thick, with people milling about the artist alley.  we had been warned that this might happen, as the artist alley was not in a locked room, I was just surprised by how many people were already there before 9 on a Saturday.

Saturday sales were bonkers busy, and I barely had time to catch my breath.  Thankfully, Joseph was there to help me handle sales, make sure I had time to eat, and give me the chance to take bathroom breaks.  He parked my Jetta in the open parking lot across from the MTAC hotel, as the business it belonged to is closed on the weekends.

Saturday night ended with another tasty and fun group dinner, and burning the midnight oil on commissions and ribbons.


Sunday

Although not as busy as Saturday or Friday, Sunday was definitely still quite lively.  So lively that any time I was at the table, I'd become swamped with sales, so I took my commission over to a friend's table, and chatted with her while she made sales.  When I finished my backlog, I returned to the table to make sales and take mail in commission orders.

Additional Photos

All photos are used with permission


 The MTAC hotel

 The MTAC Shuttle

 Artist Tables:












Breaking down on Sunday afternoon



At Con Commissions


















Mail In Commissions

















Artist/ AA Head Interviews

We were so slammed at MTAC that we weren't able to get any artist interviews while at the con, but Heather Crook, the director of MTAC's AA, was kind enough to give us twenty minutes after breakdown on Sunday.   This interview is absolutely perfect if you want to apply to MTAC, as she goes into detail as to what they're looking for, and it's great for ANY artist who is interested in tabling at shows.

AA Head Interview with Heather Crook


Verdict

MTAC is one of my best shows, and this year did not disappoint, as I made just a little over $1.8k.  Of course, sales like that take A LOT of work, and I was fortunate enough that copies of 7" Kara sold quite well (as well as they did at their first MoCCA-fest, three years ago).   Other big sellers included my Sassy Buttons, and hand assembled ribbons, both of which take a lot of time to make, but don't sell for much.

MTAC has been a good convention to me over the past three years.  It doesn't hurt that I live in Nashville, and stay in contact with much of the community, and many of the other artists.  It also doesn't hurt that I can eat two of my daily meals at home, or that I can stay at my own apartment and crank out stock should I run out.  Least of all, it doesn't hurt that the community is fantastic and enthusiastic, and that the show attracts people from all over.

That said, MTAC may not be for everyone.  The alley is very small, and while it's not entirely first come first serve, there is an element of FCFS to the application process that may frustrate some artists.  There's also an element of portfolio- because the alley is small, curation is important to ensure the best mix for customers.  Lastly, MTAC has a few heavy hitter artists who have worked hard to make MTAC work for them, relying heavily on repeat customers, and customers who bring their friends around.

What really makes MTAC so great is the fact so many of my friends attend as artists and as audience. MTAC is a lot of fun for me, and I love catching up with people I don't see all year.
Please consider donating to this blog or purchasing from Natto-shop (http://nattosoup.com/shop) if you want me to continue publishing quality content. All materials tested were purchased from my own pocket. Keep on Truckin' Nattosoup is not under any sponsorship.

Kamicon 2016 Recap

Last year, I burned myself out writing convention recaps.  I still feel they're extremely important,and I want to encourage other tabling creators to take the time to do so, but I also feel like they don't necessarily benefit me, or the work I do, as much as I would like.  With the launch of my Patreon, I made releasing more convention recaps an incentive to back, so if you would like me to continue to write convention recaps, and would enjoy merchandise tutorials, please consider becoming a backer.

Last year, Heidi Black and I made the trip down to Birmingham, AL, for our first Kamicon.  It was a great weekend- lots of sales, plenty of commissions, and entertaining people to chat with, so when Alex Hoffman asked if I'd return, I started making plans to book a table.  Last year, I made about $900 at Kamicon, and given the success of shows like MTAC and Mechacon, I had high hopes that I had a formula for success, and hoped to break $1k at Kami.

Of course, to be successful, you need to prepare, and Mechacon 2015 left me low on stock.  I spent my time before Kamicon painting new mini watercolors (with improved techniques I hoped would wow the crowds), assembling endless Sassy Buttons, and recreating some of Mechacon's top sellers.

Pre Con Prep

Kamicon Announcement Post

New Stock for Kamicon

New Mini Watercolors











New Prints and Buttons









New Various Cute Things












Pre Show Planning Prep







There's a tutorial video in the works for how to do demo tables and how to pack for cons, so keep an eye out on my YouTube channel!

Producing all these goodies meant I had to PROMOTE them as well, so I made sure to share them to Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram using the #Kamicon hashtag so people would see them.  If you guys aren't already following my work on one of those services, you really ought to- I share good stuff constantly!

Friday

Check in was easy- I went straight to the AA staff table in the back of the Artist Alley to register and pick up my badges.  My table was an easy stroll from there, and I worked on getting the cages assembled while Joseph made trips back to my Jetta for supplies.  The fact that we arrived early, and had til 4PM until the alley opened to attendees, made setup leisurely.  We even had time for a nice lunch, which meant we didn't have to start selling on rumbly tumblies.








Friday was fairly brisk, although the shorter hours meant shorter sales, and I had moderately high hopes for my weekend sales.  Saturdays are usually the big day for sales, but if a Friday is good, that usually means the Saturday is going to be great.


Saturday

I arrived bright eyed and bushy tailed on Saturday morning, ready to make some sales.

My 6' table looks pretty cluttered in the below image, as my anime convention persona tries to straddle two worlds- anime kid interests and comic reader interests.  My goal is always to merge the two, and that requires having comics and minis on the table top, regardless of how well they sell.









The true highlight of Saturday (and all of Kamicon) was the chance to meet  Omi (Tennin House, FullMetalOmi) in person.  I've followed her amazing work for years, and have chatted with her a few times via Twitter, and I was delighted to find out that she's even nicer in person.  If you guys aren't familiar with her work, please take a moment to feast your eyes on her beautiful art, and this Kara piece she drew for my birthday this year.

Every time I look at it, it is the cutest thing in the world.  Here's the source.
Saturday sales were fairly slow compared to usual Saturday at-con sales, and I ended up hanging out at Omi's table, talking shop, for a couple hours while Joseph and Alex manned mine.


Sunday

Sunday was slo-ooooowwww.  I spent time luxuriating in the sunlight of the loading dock, eating Mexican food away from the table, working on personal illustrations to help promote future commission sales, and commissioning other artists.  Slow days like Sunday are a perfect opportunity for artists not to leave early, but to take a moment to go around the alley, chat up other artists, and spend some money.  So many alley artists complain that they don't have friends to share transportation or hotel rooms with- my solution has been to make time (when possible) to go around, spend some money, and chat up other artists.  It doesn't always work, but the dividends have definitely been worth the effort, as some of my best friends in Nashville are convention artists I've met this way.

At Con Commissions
















Mail In Commissions











Commissions Purchased


Kara commission by Katherine Akers
Kara commission by Anii P 

Kara commission by Sabrina Abrego 
Sales were also slow enough that Joseph was able to collect a few at-con artist interviews, which I recommend you guys check out

Kris Brannock and Anii P

ExShen
Sabrina Abrego and Joseph Whitt

Joseph's Photos

Used with permission, photos taken with permission
Artist Alley and Dealer's Room at setup

Vendor/Artist Space taken up by vehicles





Line between dealer and artist was sometimes nebulous.















Vendor spaces were separated with red curtains




 Main registration area





Artists (photos taken with permission)





















The Verdict

In the end, I did not break my $1k goal for Kamicon.

Kamicon is a good convention- the staff is kind, friendly, and attentive, and checked in with me often.  The real issue is that the audience has the unfortunate tendency to cycle out every three years- this year, I found myself selling mainly to 13 year olds again, which meant that even though sales were steady, I never made larger sales.  I've written before about 'rabbit starvation' and although I've taken steps to end that issue with my business, I'm really reliant on older customers, repeat customers, or parents who are willing to spend significant money on higher grade products, and Kamicon 2016 could not offer that.

Next year, I may take my friend and fellow con artist, Amber Kelso (Cute Loot)'s advice, and do Lexington Comic Con instead, especially if Kami and Lexington overlap as they did this year.  The drive is about the same, and I'd have another artist to split costs with, and that always makes a difference.

Should you do Kamicon?  If it's local to you- definitely!  If not- that's really up to you, your goals, and your audience.   I always recommend cultivating an audience in a particular area, so if you plan on attending for the long haul, Kamicon might be the right con for you.
Please consider donating to this blog or purchasing from Natto-shop (http://nattosoup.com/shop) if you want me to continue publishing quality content. All materials tested were purchased from my own pocket. Keep on Truckin' Nattosoup is not under any sponsorship.

A2CAF Announcement

This weekend, I'm packing up my comics and portfolios and heading to Ann Arbor for A2CAF (Ann Arbor Comic Arts Festival)!  A2CAF, formerly Kids Read Comics, is a kid and teen centric comic con organized by Jerzy Drozd (creator of the webcomic Boulder and Fleet, co creator of comics podcasts like Comics are Great and Lean Into Art), Anne Drozd, and Dan Mishkin, and you can read more about this comic festival here.
I'll be at Table 16 with all sorts of goodies including copies of 7" Kara Volume 1 , Favorite Fictional Femmes , Magical Girl March , original watercolor illustrations, mini prints, and two new sketchbooks for 2016.   Let Sleeping Cats Lie... is my black and white sketchbook that collects my warm ups, sketches, inks, and doodles from 2015 and 2016, and Or Else They'll Drink Your Watercolor Water is my full color sketchbook that collects my field tests, watercolor studies, and marker illustrations, many of which have been shown in tutorials on my YouTube channel.  Neither of these sketchbooks are available in my shop yet, so A2CAF will be their debut.   I'll also have my 7" Kara portfolio on hand, with in progress pages from Volume 2 on display.


Since this is not an anime con, I've tweaked my setup a bit to feature the things I really want to see move- originals and copies of Volume 1.  I also launched a cute new 16 expression Kara sticker set that I'm excited to debut.


I tentatively plan on offering at-show sketches on Saturday, with the option that they may not be ready for pickup until Sunday, and I will offer mail in commissions all show long.  If you're going to be at A2CAF and enjoy my art, this might be the perfect opportunity to order a commission.  I've added more elaborate watercolor and marker illustration options, with examples in my sample book.




I'm offering mini prints featuring original characters for $2 each, with sets priced differently.  I've begun the push towards offering more original IPs on my table, and hopefully these pocket prints are an accessible way to enter that market.






I have originals in a variety of sizes for sale, including large watercolor illustrations perfect for a child's room or library, as well as smaller illustrations that may suit a smaller budget.

I had hoped to have copies of the children's novel I illustrated, Gizmo Grandma: A Twisty Tale (written by Lenore Salazar) for sale as well, but unfortunately, I will not have those in time for A2CAF.  I'll let you guys know here when I finally see my illustrator's proof copy.

I'm really excited about attending A2CAF, as I will be in excellent children's publishing company.  Creators like Carey Pietsch, Katie Shanahan, Lucy Bellwood, Kean Soo, Tory Woolllcott, Rob Stenzinger, and Courtney Hahn will also be tabling, so if you're in the area, please bring yourself and your favorite little one to this free event!
Please consider donating to this blog or purchasing from Natto-shop (http://nattosoup.com/shop) if you want me to continue publishing quality content. All materials tested were purchased from my own pocket. Keep on Truckin' Nattosoup is not under any sponsorship.

Hourly Comic Day 2016

On the first day of February, comic artists make time to draw a comic for every hour of the day, depicting that hour's activity.  The intention isn't to produce a polished comic- although many artists do just that.  The intention is just to produce a panel for every hour you're awake, and for many artists, myself included, that panel is pretty rough, as we're trying to juggle other obligations.  You can find out more information about the event here.
I've participated in Hourly Comic Day for the past three years, but I'm sometimes remiss in sharing the resulting comics.  Last year, I participated in Hourly Comic Day, but opted not to share them here as they were available on my Tumblr.  If you're interested in those comics, you can click here, or purchase my upcoming mini comic that compiles three years of Hourly Comic Day Comics, available in my store as a physical copy, or through my Gumroad as a PDF.


Read the rest of my hourly comics below the cut!




Hourly Comic Day can be extremely distracting for me- I spend the whole hour waiting for the next time I have to stop what I'm doing to draw a panel.  I've tried to mitigate that as much as possible- I set alarms so I'll know when I need to stop and draw, I draw in black color pencil to remove the need to spend excessive time trying to draw an attractive panel, I shuffle my schedule to accomodate frequent stops.
Please consider donating to this blog or purchasing from Natto-shop (http://nattosoup.com/shop) if you want me to continue publishing quality content. All materials tested were purchased from my own pocket. Keep on Truckin' Nattosoup is not under any sponsorship.

Quick Tutorial: Easy Masking with Sticky Notes

On my YouTube channel, I've talked about using masking fluid and frisket to mask off areas of a painting or marker illustration.  There are several ways to mask, but the quick tutorial I'm sharing with you guys today might be the easiest.

Materials:
Your pieceSticky notes on a rollA knife or scissors
For this little watercolor, I really just needed to mask the bottom half of the painting off from the sky, so I could apply stars.  I didn't need my mask to be waterproof or markerproof, and I'd had negative experiences with both frisket and masking fluid in the past.  Fortunately, my roll of sticky notes caught my eye.  It was just perfect for what I wanted- not so sticky that it would disrupt the paint or tear the paper, it wouldn't leave a residue the way frisket can, and it was easy.

All I did was layer my sticky note paper on top of the area I wanted to mask.  If you needed to cut your sticky notes for finer details, just remove your watercolor paper from the block, flick on your light table or lightpad, and begin tracing with a pencil.

I used these sticky notes to mask off the grass and people from the sky, so I could flick some Copic Opaque White and FW Acrylic Pearlescent ink across the sky for stars. 





For a quick masking application like this, you don't even need to press down your sticky note onto the paper, but if you want a more secure seal, you definitely can.  The adhesive should be low tack enough that it shouldn't disturb dry layers of watercolor or gouache.

The hardest part is selecting a brand to use.  I'm currently using Yoobi's roll of sticky notes, but there are lots of options available.  I've selected a few likely suspects to help you guys out.



These aren't just great for masking off areas either.  I go through A LOT of sticky notes in my studio- from labelling things to making notes, so a roll o' sticky is handy to have, and I can tear it as long as I need.
Please consider donating to this blog or purchasing from Natto-shop (http://nattosoup.com/shop) if you want me to continue publishing quality content. All materials tested were purchased from my own pocket. Keep on Truckin' Nattosoup is not under any sponsorship.

Convention Recap: ALA

I wrote this post right after ALA in 2015, and opted not to share it for a variety of reasons, including a depressed spell brought on from poor ALA sales and lack of career headway.  I'm opting to share it as it is now, in hopes that it may help another self publishing children's illustrator decide f ALA really is worth the investment.

Before ALA officially started, I started a document for the show, since I'd already had some thoughts and experiences in the weeks preceding.  Unfortunately, my organizational system for this blog is horrific, and I lost my thoughts.  I'll try to recapture them for you guys, as I feel like they're important when deciding whether or not ALA is the right show for you.

Before diving into the post, there's a couple relevant links from my blog that I'd like to share.

A Fairytale Watercolor (covering the process post of my ALA Auction Submission)
ALA Promotional Post
ALA Welcome To The Blog Post to New Readers (includes a deal for original mini watercolors)

Background Information on The ALA, the convention itself, the fact that it's biannual with the bigger show being in the summer, the fact that it switches cities year after year.

Applying to ALA

ALA's submission process includes submitting a piece of art for review that, upon acceptance, ALA will auction in their original art auction.  These pieces are bid upon by ALA attendees (primarily librarians and educators), and the submitting artist has the option of working in two sizes- 8"x10" or 11"x17". 

ALA didn't provide any standards for submission- so I opted to paint a watercolor for my submission, as that's what I'm known for.  The submission page suggested those applying for a table create a piece that involved libraries, literacy, or reading, so after some brainstorming, I opted to illustrate Kara and Tanner playing in a fairy tale pop up book.


To apply to ALA as an artist in their artist alley, you must fill out a form linked on the site and submit a scan of the piece of art you intend to donate for their art auction.  This means you need to start your piece when you've started THINKING about applying to ALA, not right at the moment you're submitting your form.

  Acceptance and Artist Alley Map



Weeks Preceding the Show

Preparing for ALA

Nonstop Calls from Marketers regarding expensive technology and advertising that is way out of the artist alley artist's budget

Do it Yourself Advertising

Facebook ads to promote event

Goodreads

Soliciting reviews on Goodreads

Purchasing Ads on Goodreads

Offering a Giveaway on Goodreads

Ordering 7" Kara and Gizmo Grandma: A Twisty Tale Postcards to hand out at ALA






Ordering cute notepads with 7" Kara and the ISBN information for interested librarians



Using hashtags and talking about ALA on my blog, tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Generating lots of new art






















Selecting and packaging originals for sale, which is something I wouldn't necessarily do for an anime con

Feeling very frustrated because none of this seems to make any headway, and I have no idea how to bridge the gap other than physically.

Putting together three specific portfolios- Gizmo Grandma, my recent anthology work, 7" Kara

Packing for ALA

Constantly having to repack, weigh every single thing, break down and bring two bags, pare everything down to the bare minimum and hope it's enough

Friday

Flying to San Francisco, the Disaster

Missing our flight due to United's inability to handle a line or process customers efficiently, TSA's feeling super chatty and friendly despite me letting them know I'm going to miss my flight, a United agent just not caring that three passengers are standing right in front of him as he goes through the door closing procedure for our flight, passing us off to another agent without making sure there's actual seats on that flight, the amazing agent who actually made sure we got to San Francisco TOGETHER.

Flying to San Fran, unable to sleep on the plane due to nerves and being freezing

Landing in San Fran, navigating their hot mess of a beautiful airport in a rush

Taking the BART to our Powell stop

Hauling 200lbs of books and setup to the Moscone Setup

Getting checked in- Fairly simple, I watched our bags (I was a hot mess on the verge of tired tears) while Joseph got our badges and turned in my painting

Finding our table

Saturday

Sales are slow, engagement is slow until I remove the minis from the table top, rearrange a bunch of things, and put out the Kara portfolio.  Putting out the Kara portfolio not only attracted a LOT more interest, but made pitching so much easier, as I could walk people through the story. 

There was a fair amount of interest, especially from kids' librarians, but most sales made were personal- for a kid, for a niece, ect.  The one super adorable mom who was facetiming with her daughter, showing her the stuff on the table so she could pick what she wanted- SUPER CUTE idea.

Met up with Heidi, got to go to Dick Blick (I promise, she bought NOTHING, Jetpens, but I bought watercolors), went over to Japantown, hit up Daiso for con supplies I hadn't accounted for, Maido because I have an addiction, and Kinokuniya for books, ate super delicious sushi.

Sunday

Sales still super slow, hoping Monday will go better.  Talked to a LOT of kids librarians and educators about doing skype workshops with their kids, took down a lot of names.

Ate dinner with Emily Martin, Jeremy Whitley, Ted Naifeh at the best Chinese place I've ever eaten at (although Mother's Dumplings in Toronto was close), had coffee, and hung out at this super cute venue and had a fantastic evening.

Monday

Sales still really slow, towards the end I went and checked out the Artist Alley, chatted and bought from a lot of other artists.  Much of the anxiety I feel talking to other artists didn't exist at ALA, everyone was incredibly friendly and kind, very open about answering questions. 

Donated a bunch of books due to super slow sales, rather than offering them for free to librarians, which was the other solution for creators who didn't want to haul a ton of books back.

Donation list:

1 Once Upon a Time fairytale anthology- $15 total value
2 Travel 2011 SCAD comic anthology- $20 total value
2 Cyclops Girl bookmarks- $6 total value
2 Witch Bookmarks- $6 total value
3 Kara bookmarks- $9 total value
2 Another Year of Watercolor hardcover watercolor books- $20 total value
3 Small witch bookmarks- $6 total value
4 copies of Ahoy, a mini comic for kids- $4 total value
1 Magical Girl March- $4 total value
1 Japan Sketchbook- $3 total value
1 Artistically Challenged 2014-2015 Ashcan- $5 total value
5 Sassy Librarian Buttons- $18 total value, (3 for $10, 2 at regular price)
8 Copes of 7" Kara- $120 total value
21 Wooden Charms- $206 total value (2 for $10, plus 1 at regular price)

Total Donated Value: $571 dollars worth of merchandise

After the show closed, packed up, dropped luggage off at hotel, grabbed a quick bite to eat as we hadn't eaten all day.  Met up with Joel at this really neat marketplace by the ferry, hung out and talked about comics like a big nerd.



Total Costs:
Plane Tickets: $650 from Nashville to San Francisco
Hotel: $1000 for four days in the heart of SF
Table:  Cost of one donated 8"x10" watercolor piece that I enjoyed doing
Food: $200 approx

Total Sales:
$235

After the show

I have an ISBN and a Baker and Taylor listing, which is the service libraries and schools buy their books through, and while people seemed REALLY interested in my comic, they said they couldn't buy it at the show, and would have to get permission from acquisitions.  I told myself I'd give it a couple weeks and see if any sales go through.  I don't get to handle the sames myself- CreateSpace sends out the books, and I had to increase my price to even see a pittance of royalties.

Looked into CreateSpace and my Baker and Taylor royalty rates, realized they were absolutely nil, making zero profit books sold to libraries, unfortunately had to up my prices a bit just so I could see $.50 per book.  It's unfortunate that computerized library systems and book lists are preventing creators from selling to librarians, as these systems tend to homogenize offerings, giving librarians limited access to the huge array of amazing comics available that don't enter the system.  So many librarians support Banned Books Week, where they're just promoting books made trendy by the fact that they were once banned, and are now in print, perhaps they should consider supporting Indie Comics Month, and encourage their patrons to read books they'd otherwise never be able to get their hands on due to the current publishing model?  I realize that by donating books, I can make sure they enter libraries, but unfortunately, I've donated two copies to the St Charles Parish Library system back in December, and they're STILL not in the system, so why should I just give away books I'm paying for out of pocket to libraries that won't make an effort to shelve these books?  Libraries should consider supporting creators as much as they support readers and consumers.

According to artists in the know, ALA has drastically changed this year from prior years.  In years past, many creators sold out of all the books they brought, but this year, many creators resorted to offering copies to librarians free of charge, just to make sure their books were getting into libraries.  Part of this is due to the way libraries acquire books, but part of this may also be encouraged by our placement (we were hidden amongst all the technology systems, not the first place a librarian would check out, IMO), part of this was due to the fact that literally everyone else at the show was giving stuff away for free, and I was asked numerous times during the show if people could just take my little witch coin purses and even full size copies of Kara.  People were not making a distinction between large companies that can afford to give away expensive product for promotion and individual creators who pay out of pocket dearly for every item on the table top.  This may be a distinction ALA considers impressing upon their attendees in future years.

Verdict

I may consider attending ALA again when it's in New Orleans, and Volume 2 of 7" Kara is published, as well as Gizmo Grandma: A Twisty Tale.  In the future, I will bring far fewer books, as there's no point in hauling a bunch of books to and from if the majority of sales will be digital after the show is over.   As of today (July 5, 2015) I have still seen no Baker and Taylor booksales on my CreateSpace dashboard, despite how many librarians seemed extremely interested in 7" Kara, and how many declared that this was exactly what their children's section needed.   In the upcoming week, I'm going to contact the librarians who were interested in having me Skype with their kids, and hopefully doing a few of those will help build rapport that I desperately need to bridge this gap. 

It's really difficult to convince publishers to give styles like mine a chance when people express interest but there's no sales data to back up the interest. 
Please consider donating to this blog or purchasing from Natto-shop (http://nattosoup.com/shop) if you want me to continue publishing quality content. All materials tested were purchased from my own pocket. Keep on Truckin' Nattosoup is not under any sponsorship.