HI guys! I need some advice, I draw anime and such, but I also wanted to try and make some cute animal buttons like this.
(Pic related.)
Do you think they would sell? Or would you buy them?
Also what if someone sewed kimono's, Nothing super fancy, but silk or patterned.
I didn't draw these dino's but something like them. Simple with dots for eyes ect.

>>5569265
>I didn't draw these dino's but something like them. Simple with dots for eyes ect.

Even there is no (pic related), I dont need it to know that you mean the kawaii-faced bs. Literally, its just taking something COMPLETELY random, and adding two huge black eyes and a mouth. I would say 'you could even kawaiify a penis or a pile of shit!' .....but sadly its actually been done. Im sick and tired of this shit cluttering up the Artist Alley, and unfortunately selling better than other artists' illustrations of blood sweat and tears.

No offense to you OP; Yes buttons sell well, and YES sewing a kimono would be awesome! But for conssake please no more uguu face crap. Enough is enough.

>>5569304
Ok thanks. I just want something that will sell.
Sorry about the pic too. I've sold a lot of my chibi stuff, but I always sell what I don't expect too, and wind up with surplus of that which doesn't sell. I haven't made a kimono in several years, and the last one I did the girl lost the obi and only had the basic tie.
The girl in the middle is wearing it, like I said nothing fancy, but that's it.

>>5569134 (old thread)
I.. honestly don't really feel like anything I do will appeal to steampunks. I'm not a fan of the style, and honestly, I feel like if I tried, I'd just end up hating it and not wanting to sell it :/

A lot of the accessories I'd sell would be on the cheaper side, of course, the hair pieces are just expensive because the materials to make them are expensive, but I can also make foam falls for pretty cheap, and I'd offer to install them into people's hair for free, too. c:

To be honest, the base price of the cyberlox falls I'd make is about.. $20 less than what it could go for on etsy, so even if it seems a little pricey, it's still really cheap.

>>5569338
Make what sells the most, even if it's annoying.
This is buissness after all.
I was considering selling MLP wings and ears. What do people think of that?

>>5569265
>>5569304
Off of what Kiwi said, doing the uggu kawaii style is really popular at the moment but there is no real telling how much longer it will continue to do so. Even if it does continue for awhile you should be at the same time trying to do something unique to make you stand out from other people so when the bubble does burst on it you're not suddenly completely out of luck.

The kimono idea could be a good one but be warned you may get hassled for your prices if they are on the high end. You can offset the complaints by doing accessories for a lower price in maybe a style or that can go together with your kimono styles. When you get someone whining offer one of the cheaper items as a compromise.

>>5569304
I've always thought about buying a shitton of completely random things (cinder blocks, cups, staplers, office organizer things, etc.), slapping :3 on them, and selling them for like $5 a pop.

I feel like it'd do phenomenally well and as I roll in my piles of money, I will weep a single tear of despair that will quickly be seeped up by Andrew Jackson's loving caress. Onlowt business

>>5569334
Perhaps take on smaller craft ideas and use up your excess asian fabric! Be creative by making things like wallets, ties/bowties, boleros, or even handbags. Or possibly combine the two ideas and print your artwork onto fabric, so your clients can wear your art.

>>5569363
Unfortunately, I'd be uncomfortable selling things that I'm not proud of.

I could probably make a few custom falls and goggles and stuff that could work in steampunk, but I do want to stick with what I know in regards to what I sell. I know it's cutting out a huge market at cons, but I don't want to sell something I'd be ashamed of, if that makes sense.. I also don't want to totally screw up and make some people legitimately into steampunk and the lifestyle rage at me.

>>5569338
It was only a suggestion, feel free to do what you want! My con has had a rather good cybergoth/punk following, so I could see it doing well, but the steampunk genre has EXPLODED here. I only meant play to the con if you want to make a bucket of money :3

>>5569379
That's a great idea!
I always have a ton of scrap fabric, that I sometimes use to stuff pillows ect.
Bows would be easy for me to make as well.
(I think.)

The ":3" face on random shit gets to me a bit. I've actually seen really cute stuff that I would have bought if it didn't have random little faces on it.

>>5569368
I will take all the ":3" face tampons you can make.

>>5569406
For every third tampon you get a :3 sanitary napkin free!!

>>5569399
Yeah.. I'd definitely be more into this for the fun of it rather than the money, my biggest concern is being able to at least break even with the table and hotel costs, but I feel like I'd be able to, especially if I bring in fluffies since those are incredibly popular for congoers here.

And I do have a cute little mascot character that I could bring in, too, but since I'm not a well known artist, my character would just be seen as a generic little white tiger in a crown. I'd at least put him on the banner and on the tags and little signs around my table.

I also don't plan on doing AA tables at all until I have enough money to be able to take at least $300-400 in base materials to make my stuff, I'd die if I ran out of anything in the middle of a con. D:

What have you guys sold the most of series wise?
I.e. Naruto, TTGL, OHHC ect.
I want some ideas on what to draw/make stuff around.

>>5569193

I find it funny when someone says "this'll be cheaper on Sunday." While it's true for some, I tend to sell out by Saturday afternoon. So because they were trying to be a cheapskate they lost out. And I've had these people come to my booth Sunday (I usually stay open for commissions) and complain I don't have any product left. I can understand waiting and all, but really, it is their fault.

>>5569304
As a plushie maker, I find it insulting that other people put that stupid face on EVERYTHING.. it's so uncreative, and you can see how it's stagnating the con since all the other plush makers do that shit and they all make the same product, like onigiri and other easy stuff. I make so much money because my plushies are so unique, so maybe I shouldn't complain so much... but meh. The only product of mine that has that :3 face is my damn cat body pillows.

>>5569406
I have an art table at a con coming up. Not selling anything like that but just for you Anon, I will make :3 face tampons. Tell people its the hippest crap since Vic Mangina took a shit.

>>5569452
Western comics stuff. Marvel general, Young Justice, MLP.

I had like two Inception prints for a while and those did fairly well for the time I had them.

>>5569452
I'm a plushmaker and I share a table with a friend of mine who does prints.
I sell mainly out of anything pokemon and now MLP related. She sells out of Naruto, Vocaloid, Pokemon, Doctor Who, X-Men, Batman and Hetalia. Not too sure about the latter anymore, but maybe that's just hope springing in my chest. My other friend made a killing off Adventure Time, Minecraft and TF2 stuff. The stuff that sells for her the fastest are post cards and small prints, and she tends to make a buttload on commissions, as do I.
I'm sure there's other stuff that's popular, but that's just what we've personally had sell out fast.

>>5569493
oh, forgot Portal. People are fucking crazy for anything portal related. (Spaaaaaace~)

>>5569456
It is really amusing because most often its someone asking about an item I only have 1 remaining of that version (I do hetalia mochi for example and I get it for certain characters). I've gotten that question maybe 2 dozen times over 4 years doing this and the most common response is, "It might be... can't say for sure until Sunday." And of course very few of those people actually end up returning on Sunday to find out.

And I'll admit I do have a couple items with the whole ._. type face though for the Octopus plushes I make its mainly because it bothers me when people put the mouths on the head because it belongs on the stomach if anything. Even then I try to mix it up a little bit and actually cast the eyes myself so I can put things like glitter or sprinkles in them.

>>5569523
...even though I complained... I love your octopi .__.

>>5569523

Damn, son that's one hell of a set-up. Also:
>Luma
Those things are fun as hell to make.

>>5569523
Fffuuuuuuuuuuuu I don't play minecraft but dem creepers

Curious, do you take any commissions at-con?

>>5569570
Thanks! When I first made them I was really surprised with how cute they were even missing the mouth. I do also do other animals, like the penguins or the panda I think I need to redesign. When working out the design I try to make it worth the amount I charge for them ($30).

>>5569538
They are fun to sew but I'm really not a fan of stuffing them. I almost feel like I'm doing it wrong with how much I need to jam in them to get them to take the right shape.

>>5569536
At-con not really, only because by the time AA lets out all I want to do is relax and when I'm in AA I make my buttons on spot so any thing I'm doing will have to be able to be interrupted every 5-10 minutes. I will do commissions outside of the con though depending on what it is and will give my card out whenever someone asks.

thing about the faces makes me sad because I generally draw derpy faces.

it's also stupid sounds, but i think that there is a certain art to making a cute face. sometimes i see people who try to draw/sew a cute face and it just comes out...wrong.

>>5569614
Oh, I definitely didn't mean that it'd have to be finished at-con. I was just wondering if you would take the money and my request at the con and finish it whenever you got around to it after the con. I dunno, sometimes it's nicer to talk to the person you're commissioning and do the transaction in person instead of remotely through paypal/email.

>>5569506
>>5569493
>>5569467
Thanks!

>>5569637
Though not the person you're referring to, I definitely do. I keep a list of what people want, how much they paid, address, etc and I make sure to give them my card which has my email. Sometimes I give out my phone number if they're local and offer free shipping. It's pretty good business.

>>5569523
Items that are representations of living creatures aren't as bad. I mean, they do have eyes and all.

>>5569620
Could be. If I saw some stuff that really blew me away, I'd get it despite my grievances with :3.

>>5569523

I have a few questions, if you don't mind.

>Do you have your own device to put together those buttons? If so, how fast does that thing pay for itself?

>Those plastic eyes on your plushies, is there anywhere you can get them more than 6 at a time but less than 10000 at a time? I haven't found much

>Would you mind telling me your general prices?

>>5569637

OOOO!!!! In that case, I tend to prefer doing the actual payment through paypal just for the record of it and protection it gives both the buyer and myself. I also have no problem discussing details in person and there been a few cases where if I know a person will be going to a con I'll be at I'll offer to deliver it to them and exchange final payment to save them on shipping and me on stress of it getting there safely. Also I try to verify the information via email because I know by Sunday I can be a little brain dead and having a record of everything is easier to go back to when I'm putting the item together.

>>5569688
>>5569662
Sooounds good! Thanks for the info!

I'm honestly not a big plushie person, especially for the kinds you find at cons, but I've been digging your stuff for a while, Kitsu, and I have something I've recently come to want. Figured I'd do some research before I got into it.

I asked in the last thread, but it kind of got overrun

What's your opinion of Perler bead art in the alley?

>>5569620
me too, me too. i've always done really well at cons with my derpyface things, so whatever!

hey tim, how many cons a year do you do? i'm just wondering, it always sounds like you do so many!

>>5569732
I actually replied to you before, but you probably didn't see it because of the autosage:
I personally love perler/pixel art, but I have seen a lot of it in my day. Since I go to relatively small cons, they don't have much competition and tend to make a lot of bank, but if you're going to giant con, be prepared for a lot of other people to do the same, unless you're doing something unique with it. I find the people who sell the most tend to be people who were really creative with the uses other than coasters... think like giant mural that someone can frame, mario piranha plant in a pot, christmas ornaments (christmas was pretty close so that helped) or characters that aren't really used (so non zelda and mario etc. Hope that helps :)

>>5569732
Extremely mixed feelings on this. One the one hand I think they're pretty cool, on the other I really don't like it when they use official sprites and make exact copies.

>>5569745
I'm actually really glad you said that! I'm planning a bunch of silly shit with them, like the piranha plant in the pot, keychains and necklaces etc.

What I'm expecting to sell the best will be the pokeballs though. I'm making them out of closeable plastic wedding favor balls and hiding a random Pokemon game starter inside. You pay your money and see which one you get!

And even if you don't get the one you want, you still get a sweet pokeball prop :p

>>5569686
I do, I have a Tecre machine that does 1 1/4" buttons. I believe when I first got it it paid for itself at the 2nd convention I used it at selling buttons. This really depends on pricing, I charge $2 for 1 button or $5 for 3 buttons. With that I will also have a $1 button container that has odd designs or ones with minor errors, such as a kinked cover or a hair got trapped in it.

The eyes I actually cast myself using smooth-on 325 liquid plastic. Then they are glued onto the fabric using lock-tite super glue (this particular brand because others can react with the chemicals the fabric is treated with and make it chalky). For commissions going to children I will embed a short bolt into the resin and reinforce it with a washer and nut large enough to cover the end to make it as safe as possible. The glue alone if done correctly is strong enough to take multiple trips through the washer (accidentally tossed a small plush with the same style eyes into the laundry hamper and somehow it ended up washed in 3 different loads).

Since I buy my resin at Dick Blick when coupons are available I pay $15-16 a sample sized package and can get somewhere around 200-250 sets of eyes out of each package. The main reason I actually decided to cast them was the available button or eye options available didn't have much in the way of color variance as I know I could get with resin.

Pictured are some eyes I was trying out using nonpareils as a filler. They were used on some Octopussen with tie-dyed bottoms.

Also for larger plushes, including Octopussen, I charge $30 each.

>>5569760
The pokeball thing sounds completely fantastic. Good luck anon!

>>5569523
This should be the new general AA thread OP image.

>>5569761

Thanks a lot! You've been helpful.

Casting anything seems a daunting task, but probably because I haven't done it before.

>>5569733
Haha I don't actually do that many. I'm just always in AA threads so it might sound like I do? Idk. I try to keep it to about 3~5 cons a year. I used to do more because I'd do local cons, but they got kind of boring and tedious, so I'm keeping it to the bigger ones. I usually stay within CA, but last year I branched out to SakuraCon and this year I'm going to try for A-Kon and Otakon as well. A-Kon might not pull through, but I'm definitely hoping to get Otakon.

>>5569800
How about this. 1000 hours in SAI. I would've used proper text but this computer won't let me install Photoshop.

bumping for stuff.
>>5569523
images of similar set ups? tips for making sure stuff doesn't collapse on you?

I'm thinking of getting a table in an AA to try to get a cosplay/commissioning business off the ground.

Would a table selling things, like various horns and small accessories, as well as some anime inspired plushies (think animals/objects instead of characters), and maybe pins and original character plushes? What are your feelings on resin jewelry? Do these things sound too random?

A friend and I are trying to get into commissioning and running an etsy for things we'd like to sell, but we're not really sure on the best way to start getting our name out there. We'd have plenty of business cards and our portfolios on display in the AA as well.

The AA table probably wouldn't be until next spring, so this is really a preliminary idea. Is this the wrong direction to think about taking this? What would be a better direction, for all you seasoned sellers?

>>5570455
Depending on where you're going I would say start online with etsy and then head into the con scene; I know someone who was very successful online before she started to frequent con AAs with her craft items. Jewelry doesn't always do very well, but specific cosplay items might. My friend makes Madoka Soul Gems and they always sell well because the series is still popular and cosplayers like having that as a prop.

I really suggest going to cons and talking with other AA-ers who are in the same market you are. in the other thread most AA-ers are ok with discussing 'trade secrets' but some are jerks about it. So be slightly wary about that.

Some table setups

>>5570494
Thanks for the reply! I think our plan was to get the online side started by the end of this summer, but we're still unsure of how to start getting people to visit, hence my idea to try an AA.

I will definitely take your advice to talk to AAers at this years con. The AA I'm thinking of getting a table is in a juried show, so I feel like the chances are more equal, instead of first come first serve, or even lottery systems, so I feel that we have a good chance of getting it if we were to apply.

Love the fabric banner idea.

>>5570565
I should mention I'm a print artist, so what I'm saying is kind of second hand observations coming from people I know who sell crafts at AAs. XD If it's interesting and unique and well made you should be fine, but I always suggest researching first. I wish I had asked around more at my first con before heading into the AA because there was a lot of growing pains for me and well, my art has gotten a lot better also.

Otherwise find a brand for yourself and stick with it. I have issues with that to be honest.

Thank you to whoever posts all the tables! They're gorgeous and I love seeing how people set up their merchandise.

>>5570601
No problem! I remember from my first time setting up my table, I didn't have any verticals and things looked pretty flat and basic. But gosh I was inspired by the other tables around me, and just being there during the setup gets me pumped and excited for AA.

>>5569978
>>5569708
Thanks a lot! That actually means a lot considering how well informed you are. Hopefully we both get into Otakon, it would be nice to meet you since I tend to stay on the East coast.

>>5569818
Its not too bad, the common worst case scenarios are you're working in a poorly ventilated area and end up with a headache or you spill or your mold leaks and it gets on something you don't want it to or down the front of you. If you're careful you'll get the hang of it pretty quick, especially if using smooth-on liquid plastic. Its a 50/50 mix and takes dye really well. To help with spills you could use one of those silicone baking sheets or parchment paper, or a few layers of newspaper.

Try to avoid getting any moisture in it, it will cause it to foam. My first time casting I wasn't aware of this and mixed airbrush paint in. It did make an interesting mushroom type monstrosity but didn't really work. Bubbles in general will be your biggest headache once you get the hang of not making a giant mess.

>>5570630

You have motivated me something fierce.

One more thing: did you make the mold yourself? Google doesn't seem to be much of a help, otherwise.

>>5569523
Stealing your secret weapon: Samus bunny girl to my AA table for mucha profitssss.

>>5570682

With our powers combined we will!
confuse the money out of our customers wallets...

need to make more stuffs so i can set up a table. D: i'm such a bum. good thing the AA i'm planning on going to is in June

>>5570744
I can assure you June is closer then you think.

>>5570763
i know ;_;

>>5570771
You can do it anon! Just don't be like me and getting stuff printed locally the Thursday before....

These set ups sure made me rethink the shared table I have. Well, our planned display, anyway.

Thanks for the examples!

>>5570682
Everyone dress like ponies at once and get the bronies!

This question is probably asked a lot, but is AA profitable?

Also do 3D or more practical things like plushies, hats and keychains sell better than prints?

>>5570873
I can be, you have to know what your strengths are and play to them whenever possible. I wouldn't say crafts sell better or worse then prints (in truth, it's pretty equal) but if it's shit it won't sell at all. Also realize that sales can be seasonal. Don't sell fleece hats in summer. Just don't. You will be desperate by Sunday.

I'm still learning, but right now I'm utilizing the fact that I can draw and render pretty quickly then compared most people. I want to branch into items as well as prints, but cute tends to sell better there, and I'm not good at cute compared to others.

>>5570873

It was my first AA this year. I underpriced a lot and underprinted some things. I also did not utilize the full time. But I made major bank. In the k's even though I didn't go to a very big name con. I made art prints btw.

>>5570702
mannn i wish i had a photo of my actual setup, not a test of it done on my dining room table. THIS YEAR i'll make sure to get one...

>>5570873
AA caaan be profitable, but it depends on the convention. at my worst con, i didn't even break even (that was a bad discouraging feel) but at my best i've made over $2k and i could have made more if i had more things to sell, i pretty much sold everything i had. so sometimes it sucks, but sometimes it's amazing!

i've always done better with keychains and stickers and such, though prints are probably technically the most profitable since they don't take a lot of time/effort to produce vs. the amount of time i spend preparing fiddly little keychains and shit.

What is the usual con availability in terms of tables? What I mean is do they usually sells tables for the whole weekend or do they have an option to sell on certain days like they do with some con badges?

>>5571004

All the cons I've been to have sold tables for the entire weekend. I'm sure if you're willing to split with someone, in terms of days, the organizers would try to accommodate. (almost) Nothing looks worse than an empty table.

I would love to start having booths in artists alley, but I also want to compete in craftsmanship at con. What are people's experiences in balancing con activities? Is AA basically a full-time commitment?

>>5571193

The venue I'm trying to get a table at offers two weekend passes per table purchase. That way, you can share the table with someone else, or give the second pass to a friend to have him/her help you out.

I'd check the convention website for more details. I'm sure it wouldn't be fun to sit behind a table the whole time.

>>5571193
Definitely have some trustworthy partners to watch your table. If you're a fairly popular/good artist who takes a lot of commissions, keep them open only for the first day so your workload doesn't pile up while you have a competition to attend at the same time. AA can be pretty time-consuming, but with some good budgeting and friends you can spread yourself out over the course of the con feasibly.

>>5571209
Alright, thanks. I don't really draw so commissions are unlikely. Do people make custom 3D items at con? I also now realize there's some cons where craftsmanship contests aren't even worth it. Like Otakon gives out really small prizes that are not worth the effort.

>>5571214
Usually notsomuch on the 3D items. They're usually a lot more time consuming, so if anything, people would probably take a commission.

Do you guys have a good system for money? I keep things organized usually at first, but by the end of the day it's just a wad of various bills and coins.

>>557182

I've seen decent-looking money pouches/boxes for sale at Wal-mart. I've yet to actually use one, but it seems like it would be a nice, fairly cheap way to keep and organize your money.

>>5572124

Oops, meant to quote >>5571820

Bumping a good thread

>>5571820
I keep notes of how much change I go in for AA, so X $10 bills, X $5 bills, X $1, X quarters, etc.

Then as I sell I note down what I sold and how much.

At the end, I do the math of how much money I end up in total, minus out the $XXX change I went in, and that's my profit. I would confirm the amount of profit is right by comparing how much I've sold according to the notes.

I keep all my money in this waist zipper pouch that has different pockets for different change. This way I'm not worried of losing my money because it's always on me, unless I got to go for a bit, then I can leave my pouch on my friend who would wear it.

Glad I stumbled upon this thread! I was wondering where I can get those acrylic keychains that I can put pictures or cross stitch into. I've looked around, but I'm looking for something that is 1. decent quality, 2. I can buy in bulk, and 3. a decent price.


Thank you in advance!

So, where do you guys get your printing done? Also, any place to get die cut stickers made without costing a fortune?

>>5572771
http://www.printsess.com/ this site might interest you, but I haven't used them so I can't make any comments of their business. I thought I had another site but it seems lost in my bookmarks...

I don't know if this is the right place to ask, but is AnimeExpo not having AA this year? I can't find anything about it on their site other than an Art Show.

>>5573082
It's set up through registration. Last year it took them a good several months to sell out of tables. AX might be the only large con that doesn't have people snapping up tables within the first minute (for whatever reason??) so they've just implemented it into their regular attendee registration.

>>5572782
I use a local store that does cheap, quality prints. Other options are Costco photo printing, catprint.com, fireballprinting.com, and any websites like vistaprint or psprint.

Around what time of year does Otakon do the artist alley registration? Where do they tend to announce it. I sent them an email and posted on the FB but never got a reply

>>5573193

Usually its right after Katsucon but this year it isn't for some reason. Maybe it'll be after AB this year?

Does anyone have the tutorial for the pvc display using grips?

>>5573410
No but I believe it's just using the two vertical pvc and a horizontal pvc like in >>5570708 and >>5570716 (with less parts to worry about) and then you'd slide the vertical pvc pipes over the long bars of the grips (attached to the backside of your table) in pic related.

>>5573464
In this picture the table is using grips and pvc setup.

>>5572771
There's also Vistaprint, MPix and Cat Print

http://www.mpix.com/
http://www.mpix.com/
http://www.catprint.com/

The only one I have used myself is Vista, but I have plans to soon; I need more business cards. They come highly recommended for banners and things too.

>>5573187
Thanks! I didn't really think that they would combine it with normal reg, so I didn't bother looking there. Although I need to save up some money before I can even pay for it...
>Hasn't paid for an AX badge in years thanks to staffing friends.

>>5572782

Someone said in the last thread that printing your stickers on shipping labels works well. Some clear packaging tape over the top of the sticker also gives it a nice luster. As for the cutting, unfortunately, you'd have to do it yourself.

I did some pricing today at my local office supply store, and 250 2'x4' labels were packaged from 13-20 dollars. The clerk working the printing station also told me that if your image is ready to print, he could have it done for 49 cents a sheet.

Been to a ton of cons but my gf and I are currently looking into getting or sharing a booth.
We want to make buttons, magnets and stickers of popular stuff and stuff we would like to see personally.
I want to make mini sculpey figs.
I have learned alot from this thread!

>>5573620

If its a Staples don't bother with the stickers, the way they do them is this weird laminating sticker sheeting thing. The stickers come out like they're laminated and pretty sure cutting them out will break the lamination seal.

>>5574111
It was an Office Max. And I just mean straight up printing right onto the labels. That way, the clear packaging tape you put over each one can be hand-cut along with the label. I haven't tried it just yet, but it sounds like it would work.

>>5574131

Ah! Ok, surprised they offer it dirtily since putting sticker sheets through a laser printer is usually a terrible idea. The glue tends to heat up and stick to the drum. That said last I tried was a few years back so it might e possible.

Some people were asking about stickers earlier in the thread but I didn't see anything real satisfactory... I want to make sheets of stickers like http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&q=sticker+sheet#/d2tnyvm where each individual sticker is cut from the sheet but the cust peels it off

Is there anywhere I can get this done for a reasonable price? I see these things all over deviantart

>>5574292

Clear-back labels are a no go, according to the printing guy. Plain white should work, in color, no less. But,

>>5574370
what this anon is talking about would be nicer.

>>5574370
>>5574476

So I guess this sticker sheet thing is called "kiss cut"... but I'm still having trouble finding places to get it done, especially for a reasonable amount

>>5574496
http://standoutstickers.com/
seems pretty reasonable.

>>5574370
MOO.com makes stickers, but they are expensive and not die cut like that. There are sticker making machines which you can purchase, but I don't know the quality there either. I would ask someone who sells stickers at con for their secrets. My friend just bought sticker paper and printed on it, but the quality wasn't that great.

Best paper for prints?

>>5574910
The last print run I did was 60 lbs (they had 40, 60 and 80 lbs) in a matte gloss. Depends on what you're going for really but the heavier the paper, the thicker the stock, the better the quality. Gloss is good for richer colors, but matte is cheaper.

>>5574917

I suppose I can do some tests. Thanks~

For home-made stickers, I've used two different methods:

1) Buy sticker printer paper, print on those (preferably with an inkjet printer at photo quality), then cut them out. You can use packaging tape to make them glossy, but remember to put it on the stickers before cutting them out.

2) Invest in a sticker maker, print out your stickers then run them through. For this method, I've had the best results getting sticker sheets printed on glossy paper by laser printers from print stores/office supply stores, although if all you have is your printer at home, that works too (but you'd use packaging tape to make them glossy).

I don't particularly prefer one method over the other and the stickers have come out fine each time. Depends a bit on what your resources are. Depending on how big your stickers are, you can make quite a few of them and make back your costs pretty quickly. I'd highly advice calculating exactly how big you want your stickers and how much you're going to sell them for beforehand so you can economize your resource. If you're printing the stickers out at a store, sometimes it might even be cheaper to print a whole sheet on 11x17 paper instead of 8x11s.

So me and a few friends are thinking of sharing a booth this summer

what's well selling and what will be selling well?

last year was madoka, but it feels like that has died down. Same with hetalia, kuroshit, d.grayman, host club etc

>>5575043
Doesn't matter. Draw/make what you like. It's always really hard to know what may sell, so know what you're good at first and what you enjoy making. You'll always turn out the best work then, and be able to sell more.

>>5575043
Tiger & Bunny, maybe Penguindrum. Madoka is still extremely popular and will sell.
There aren't that many currently airing series with huge fanbases.

Let's say I had a button maker. You know, for making buttons. What for of paper works well for the image part? It seems like when the button snaps together, normal printer paper would tear.

>>5575961
Did a bit of googling and 24 lbs was rec'ed. I've never really thought about it and always had my buttons made by an outside source.

>>5575961
I've managed to use up to card stock, 110lb, without issue. Any type of common printer paper, injet or laser, will work fine and will also allow you to layer images if wanted. Like if you want to apply stickers or embed glitter.

This thread has some good stuff. If I get a wild hair, I may compile all this information into a word .doc or infographic.

I know that too much is better than not enough, but how much stock should I realistically prepare? The con I may have a table at this year had between 12k-13k people the past 2 years.

>>5569732
Personally I find that stuff creatively bankrupt and impossibly tacky, but the real problem is that if you're copying game sprites like that: you are breaking the law.

Lord help you if a copyright lawyer who plays videogames ever sees that stuff.

Original designs of popular characters = Okay
Copying and selling sprites from videogames = Federal crime

This is also true of a number of other items, such as putting pokemon badges on buttons. A lot of people don't like to hear it because sellers like the easy profit and consumers like the cheap prices and accessibility, but it's bootleg.

>>5569761
Is there anywhere I can by a octopussen of my very own?

>>5577043
I don't have a storefront or etsy set up just yet but I do take orders through email. My email address is StudioKitsu@gmail.com and I'll get back to you when I am responding to messages tonight after I get some work done.

>>5577108
You should have an etsy, they're fun and seriously easy to manage. I'll send you an email today, thanks.

>>5576728
What will you be selling? Prints? Plushies? Accessories?

>>5577155
Mostly plushies, some stickers, buttons, and prints if I get off my lazy ass. I may even spring for a few keychains/phone charms.

Last year, the con did not allow for any custom 3D art of copyrighted characters, so the plushies may only be a slightly more realistic octopus and some French toast/English muffin combo.

so starting april im doing four conventions in a row,any advice?

>>5578223
Organize as much as possible and sleep as much as possible in between each show or you may seriously consider disemboweling someone by the end of it. True story, that much sleep deprivation will make you really sick and REALLY crazy temperamental if you're not careful.

>>5578223
Find an easy way to keep track of your expenses while potentially having to multitask. It also wouldn't hurt to take note of what you sell more/less of. It's never going to be 100% consistent, but can help you determine how many of X item you should have for the next one.

Which four cons are you hitting up?

Hey guys, you know those clamps you use for the PVC displays? What size is the best for setting up a display? It seems like they come in a variety of lengths?

>>5579035
Probably the taller your display is the longer the clamps you want them to be so it's sturdy and can hold up the prints and things. The clamps don't have to be super long, but I'll put out a guess that the clamp's length should be at least a quarter of your vertical display's height.

Anyone have some good places to get your stuff screenprinted?

I got my hopes up for the Brother Graffiti garment machine, but at 20k ... yeah uh.

What are good sites to get your prints made through?

>>5579061
I thought that Octoplush was a Lumpy Space Prince for a good two minutes there.

I have a question: Most of my pictures are in odd ratios. Should I crop or scale them down when I print them?

>>5579035
Your clamps should be able to fit at least the thickness of the table if you're using them correctly.

Most artists use them on "full retard mode" though, so if you're going to try and sandwich your display and the table together then they will need to be the thickness of the table + the thickness of your display's base. A good number to use might be 6" both purposes.

>>5579061
Lol wut? A quarter of your display height is massively longer than you need assuming your display is tall enough to warrant using clamps to secure it.

>>5579114
both solutions could work, but you create artwork with a final aspect ratio and layout in mind then you should probably scale it. If you just throw shit at the wall and see what sticks you might want to crop it.

I want to make keychains and sell them at a stall I'm having at a convention in June. I see some people just buy empty plastic ones in bulk and then slot their work into there. Someone give me some websites were I can order such things?

Pic related: Some of my gay shit I intend to sell.

>>5579247
Google "Acrylic keychain" and this is one of the first listings

http://www.branders.com/product/promotional_items_Clear_Small_Rectangle_Acrylic_Key_Chain?prdid=0532
0

>>5579247

I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but try checking out the website in >>5572987

>>5569228
that picture looks like the richmond convention center. anime mid-atlantic?

>>5579071
It's not hard to learn to screenprint. I had a class on it at my university, but for t shirts, and beginners, I'd totally recommend A Yudu setup.
You don't have to worry about buying all the chemicals seperate, the emulsion is on the sheets already. The chemicals are the most diffucult things with screen printing, at least for me. If you don't want to deal with using emulsion on screens, you can get a blank screen and make a contact paper stencil and stick it on the back of the screen and use it like usual...
You don't need a fancy setup, I use use a piece of cardboard and stick in inside of the shirt and mark where my screens will line up on the top edge and do it that way.
I'd LOVE to get one of the multi screen contraptions one day, but they're not necessary.

You can get all the stuff you need from Dharma:
http://www.dharmatrading.com/screenprinting/

It seems hard and daunting at first, but for t-shirts that are 1 color it is ridiculously easy. The more colors you have require more skill with lining the screen up for each layer, but it's still so easy.

I'm not sure why more people don't learn to do it yourself.
And I'm not entirely sure that this will help anyone, but here it is, haha

>>5578396
>>5578402
sorry for the late reply and thanks for the advice,my biggest issue is writing down what i sell since im usually distracted with helping customers,also i have a friend helping me out with all of them and im afraid that if i get cranky enough i might freak out on her but she is the sweetest person in the world and i dont want to hurt her.

the four cons are springfest,cpac,animeboston and emcon two one day cons,a three day and a two day con.

>>5570680
Bumpin' this if Kitsu is still around

If you've a 1in. or 1 1/4in. button maker, what diameter should your image be?

Making a booth with friends

How many different prints should we have, and how many prints for each image should we get

we'll be at Animethon in edmonton which is fairly big(nothing like FanExpo though)

>>5580044
This is what we used to make our 1in. buttons.
http://www.poseurink.com/modbuttons/tutorials.php

>>5580755

Thanks, anon! Have some Pokemon.

>>5579993

Derp derp sorry totally missed it.

Prepare to have your mind blown! For larger eyes I use paint trays. You'll need to use a mold release to keep the pieces from sticking so I suggest Ease Release 200 by smooth-on. Give the mold a good coat and wipe out with a paper towel to get any excess out and they should pop out with a bit of tapping.

Here's some helpful links.

Mold release - http://www.smooth-on.com/Release-Agents-and/c9_1123_1226/index.html
Smooth-cast 325 resin - http://www.smooth-on.com/index.php?cPath=1206
OOMOO mold material - http://www.smooth-on.com/index.php?cPath=1136

>>5581292

Bump
and does anyone have any w-i-p's they'd like to share for critique and such?

>>5579799
>>I'm not sure why more people don't learn to do it yourself.
No space por favor. :(

Plus, I have a problem with buying things and not using them. Going through a service at first would kind of help make my case that I would.

Thank you though!

>>5581596

I can't figure out what to do with that damn hand. I'm thinking about just expanding everything I have to the edge and feathering it out when inking/coloring. Thoughts?

>>5581828
THAT
LOOKS
SO
CUTE
omg id buy a print of it in a heartbeat lol even if it is unfinished,its so adorible.

I think if you showed more of the palm it would be more correct in perspective,i wish i could redline it for you but im on my linux laptop (so no paint,photoshop etc).
but other then that i think its really friggen cute and i cant wait to see it colored.

>>5581828
>brushiebrushiebrushie
>Zubat
Yeeeeeessss.

>>5581828
Redraw the hand so it's sideways? The way you have it now, facing the viewer, you'd have to foreshorten the fingers if the hand is open, and foreshortening is a bitch.

Also, this is still a sketch, right? You'll really want to clean up your lines for the final image.

>>5581828
this >>5582198 shitty chicken starch is shitty and you should cut that shit out.

>>5582484
>>5582198
>>5582158
>>5582110

Yes, it's still a rough sketch. I'll continue to work with it, thanks!

I have some flannel and fleece for some plushies I'd like to make, but they both smell very... polyester-y. I'd run the fabric through the wash, but i really don't want to lose any of the color. Would fabreeze do the trick? Or maybe throwing it in the dryer with a dryer sheet?

>>5582496

Scratch that. Febreeze worked just fine.

>>5582496
Febreeze. Those dryer sheets are usually really strong.

>>5582496
no no non no no fucking fabreeze. cold wash, and air or tumble dry low. if it's poly it won't fade from one washing.

i wouldn't want my plushies smelling like fabreeze.

>>5582688
what about the flannel and cotton? I don't want to lose their colors.

>>5582778
Put dried citrus rinds/cinnamon sticks/star anis/ lavendel in a small bag made out of fabric diaper cloth in whatever container that you keep your fabric in.

>>5582786

that's brilliant.

>>5582496

If its anything like fleece then that polyester smell is actually formaldehyde , a cloying sweet smell, since its usually treated in it. Easiest way to get rid of the smell entirely is to wash it in baking soda.

>>5582778
one wash in cold (not cool) is not going to fade the color unless it's shit-tier fabric.

as for keeping fabrics smelling nice, i find bars of soap in their packagings, especially the 'natural soap kinds' keep everything smellin fresh.

>>5581596
What's the verdict on comics in Art Alleys? I've been working on a monstergirl themed comic for an upcoming con, but I don't see a lot of comics in many Art Alleys. Is it because people aren't interested in comics or is it just an underrepresented medium?

>>5583104
I think it's mostly because of the work involved going into a comic..... it's a lot of time. I personally buy comics when I see them.

>>5583104
If I saw one with good artwork(or at least just nice to look at), and I thought the story was interesting, definite buy

but I would ready some other stuff, unless you're popular and known, you probably won't sell out or anything on the comic alone

I hope I didn't miss someone asking this, but for those of you that make keychains and jewelery, do you use packaging like this >>5570639, do you think it helps sales to have professional looking packaging? Or do you think people seem to assume it's store bought stuff you're trying to pass off as handmade, and therefore shun it, because of it?

I ask because I really love the look of it, and packaging like that is really fun to do, and it also keeps my table neater but the last con I sold at I had sort of half and half packaged and half on display, very similar pieces, but most people passed up the packaged ones completely. I sort of felt like they thought "Oh, these are all wrapped up, so they're for display" or something like that. I'm just curious if anyone else has noticed this, or if maybe it's just a matter of I need to package either all or none of my pieces.

>>5583227
It could be confusing to a buyer if you have a mix and its random as to what is sealed and what isn't. If you did something like cheaper items were open while higher priced items were packaged it would give a distinction between the 2. That is if you don't want to wrap everything.

Personally I don't just because I have a bunch of different items and designing packaging for all of it would be difficult for me. That said, I really love the look of it and sometimes consider just eating the cost of getting all the packaging and printing done and making it happen.

>>5583104
For me, it helps to have a comic on a stand and signed to say "Feel free to read me!" or something because I feel hesitant of picking up a comic book that is laid flat and fanned out all over the place (sometimes it looks too neat to fiddle with). People judge the book by its covers, and often it describes the genre(s). Romantic looking characters on the cover? Not my thing so I end up not checking out the comic, which sucks if it turns out that this romantic couple is actually a crime fighting team in space, or something. May I suggest having a sign with genres on it?

>>5583227
Packaging looks very professional if you do it at a level like the pic you quoted. I've done charms where they just came out of the box and I ask the customer if they want me to put it in the tiny ziploc bags I have. They usually opt out to just having the charm as is, assuming that they want to put on the charm ASAP. But I think if I didn't ask and just drop in the charm in the tiny bag, they won't have too much of a problem with it.

Just throwing it out there, having plastic bags and elastic bands or tubes (if your customer doesn't mind having their print rolled up) to offer for your customers to use is great. As a 3D crafter, the bags come super handy for my plushies and accessories. I got to look into getting a size bigger as it turns out some of my things just fits into the bag but it makes the handle very awkward to hold. I recommend uline.com for their bags.

I see these board people seem to tack their buttons into like the ones here:

>>5569523
>>5570518
>>5570640
>>5570687

Is that... just a roll of some sort of fabric?

Also: would getting your prints printed to the edge of the page, rather than the usual 1/4 in. margin, make them any more appealing?

>>5584624
For our pins we just used a piece of cardboard covered with some fabric and pinned them on.

Personally I like margins so I can have a place to put my fingers on and not touch the artwork. I think for smaller prints no margins would look better, though.

>>5584624
I think the margins give people a place to pin through or tape onto the wall, and also in case the corners get bent a bit, then it's on the margin than on the picture itself.

>>5584812
>>5584799

Thanks for the input!

brushie guy bumping the thread

home alone and nothing to do. I'll answer some questions that anyone has :)

Ask someone whose been in an Artist Alley for 5+ years anything.

>>5587579
felt key chains y/n?

>>5587620
I can imagine how cute those could be. Do you have an example of what they would look like? I'd be worried about them getting caught on things and tearing depending on size and shape

>>5587637
not on hand but here's a doodle.

>>5587654
im a retard.

>>5587656
mmmmk, so they'd be cute foodies? This would work out alright, since all the edges are rounded and won't get caught on much.

How much would you charge for them? How large will they be? Will you be using beads for eyes and whatnot? I think it'd be fun to use different coloured thread for the outer stitching too :)

I'd buy a cupcake or bonbon keychain forsure!

>>5587579
Not a question but a comment: I love your card design!

>>5587731
daaaaw thanks! You faved this from another thread too? I'm really glad you like it

>>5587744
I saved it from one of the AA threads I'm sure, haha. Your card is very inspiring c:

General AA question: Which anime, cartoon, game, etc. do you see may be popular this year?

>>5587579

How much would it be safe to charge for inked/color prints if you aren't too confident in your ability?

And as for money, what's a good starting bank for a con that regularly has more than 10,000+ people over the course of a weekend?

>>5587752
oh geez, I've been tossing this question around myself as well. Here's my predictions for this year:

>Anime
Madoka Magica
Black Rock Shooter (just got a new anime)
Fairy Tail (maybe, not sure. Keep seeing lots of cosplays recently though)
K-ON
Penguindrum
Full Metal Alchemist
Sailor Moon has been making a comeback as well

>Cartoon
PONIES
Adventure Time
Kata

>Game
Katawa Shoujo
Pokémon, always Pokémon
Touhou

>Random
Dr. Who
Sherlock
/co/ stuff, with the Avengers coming up

>>5587774
>How much would it be safe to charge for inked/color prints if you aren't too confident in your ability?

If you aren't too confident, I'd recommend $5-10 for 11x17 prints, and $3-5 for smaller ones (like 8.5x11)

>And as for money, what's a good starting bank for a con that regularly has more than 10,000+ people over the course of a weekend?

I go to a con that gets around 20, 000+ over the weekend, and I like to try keeping prices of things rounded to a dollar for small things, and rounded by 5 for larger things like prints and whatnot to ease my woes of making change.

So what I usually take with me:

0 $20s, you'll get tons by the end of the weekend.
3-5 $10s, just in case
10 $5s
1-2 rolls of loonies/toonies (lol canadian, keep 20+ $1 bills on you if not canajun)
and maybe a roll of quarters if I have lots of smaller merchandise that year.

If you find you run out of change, don't be afraid to ask other artists, I've made a lot of friends that way :D

Also, (I know Anime North does this) some cons will have a change person who will come around to the tables once in a while. That person is usually my saviour on Saturdays.

Don't be afraid to ask the customer for change, the worst that happens is they say no and then they still buy the item.

>>5587812

That's a significant difference compared what I was thinking. That is, less on the prints, and much more on the starting munnay. Thank youuuu.

>>5587841
I think I take less change wise because I know the change guy at Anime North will always be around when I need him most, haha.

>>5581828

This guy again. Ignoring the poor picture and unfinished hand holding the brush, does this look any better? I can make it a bit bigger if necessary.

>>5588017
Nice file name btw.

But yes, overall it looks better. The zubat itself looks more relaxed and happy then before and the hand holding it is in a better position. Main thing I would suggest is making the bristles of the toothbrush look like they are splaying a bit as slight pressure is being made. I assume you drew the hand while looking a ref (right?) so I suggest finding a toothbrush like that one and just pushing your thumb against it to see how the bristles move, especially if the brush is being moved in a particular direction.

>>5588591

Just my own. I have a toothbrush too, and I didn't think of that. Thanks a lot!

here's a basic WIP for a possible print(sorry for the quality, my scanner is down

as you can see it needs a lot of work still
what do you think? what should I change?


or should I scrap it and go for something hapier?

>>5588693
what you have drawn so far is really well done. I've only seen an episode of Madoka, but this feels really...sad/spoilers? Personally I like happy posters, but with your artistic talent I'm positive people would still buy it.

I'd love to see this completely drawn out as well.

I posted a while back in another thread about balloon twisting in the Artist Alley after seeing someone had done it before, so it is a thing that can be done.

Kind of just popping in again to ask if anyone had suggestions for shapes I could do?

I can do the basics, and I can do character shapes (like, if I know what they look like, chances are, I could make them).

But I need more shapes specific to particular fandoms that people would want. Any suggestions?

>>5588693
It totally looks like you just traced Homura and then scribbled a bunch of shit around it. Her staring at the viewer looks really stiff and fake.

>>5589205
nope didn't trace
but I did scribble a bunch of shit around because I'm not done and that's just to outline the plan of what will be done. But no that was very observant of you. truly.

I was thinking about changing the expression once I finish sketching and get it into photoshop

>>5589214
Don't ask for advice if you're going to be whiny and passive-aggressive about it. With how rough your sketch is, it's impossible to give any advice on anything but the concept - which seems overly grimdark, to the point of being stupid.

If you want to keep going with that idea, I'd leave Mami and Sayaka/Oktavia out of it, and just have Whattaburger in the background.

>>5589246
you weren't exactly giving advice with "this looks traced and like scribble shit"

>seems overly grimdark
>I'd leave Mami and Sayaka/Oktavia out of it, and just have Whattaburger in the background.
what I was looking for

>>5588846
Hi balloon anon! I absolutely LOVE this idea you're doing.

I think Pokémon would be fun to do, some designs are pretty simple. If you could make Adventure Time themed balloon people that would be amazing!

>>5589214
It's shitty fanart because it's trying so hard to be dark and tragic that it's comical. Homura is defined by her resilience and determination, she wouldn't be putting a gun to her own head.

>>5589214
>I was thinking about changing the expression once I finish sketching and get it into photoshop

Just start a new sketch then. This one is nowhere near 'finished' except for that expression. Different anon here and I would have critiqued if it wasn't so messy.

I drew this, any advice on how to improve?

>>5589315

yeah, quit tracing

>>5579710
Probably I spent way too much time at that convention center back in my VJCL days.

Awh yiss.

>>5589315
Re-size your pictures.

>>5589315
stop eyeballing and copying the poses of other drawings
>>5589324
the lines are too off to be direct trace

I used to do this when I was 14, so it's not hard to tell

>>5589582
charmander and bulbasaur look....derpy, like charmanders neck is too long and their 'arms' are really long too
other than that, very cute!

>>5589582
Dat Snivy. S-so cute...
You're going to make a killing with those.

>>5589588
If that's all that it is, it's ok if you're practicing drawing what you see, etc... but not for selling

>>5588846
I suggest some animals from anime/cartoons, always a hit I'm sure. I imagine there's all sorts of bears, cats, dogs, birdsand etc. to do.

>>5588846
If you can, try doing a kyuubey, mokona, kero, and various pokemon as said before

>>5589315
go to >>>/ic/ if you want critique.

>>5589759
/ic/ automatically shoots down anything anime, and especially anything eyeballed/traced. Hell, even Gaia will shoot that down because they're anal as shit about that stuff.

But yeah, stop tracing, study some anatomy/real life.

>>5589759
What >5589943 said, try referencing from real stock photos until you have a better grasp of anatomy and image composition. Avoid using true series references unless attempting to mimic the artist's style. Even in that case I wouldn't bother while learning because its easy to get stuck in it and it will be difficult to establish your own style.

>5589315
Someone in the thread suggested posting WIP's for critique. If the person posting isn't throwing a fit at the critique and isn't spamming then there's no harm in the new content for the thread. I would be posting myself but it would be pictures of different piles of fabric at the moment.

>>5590026
> piles of fabric

You should at least post that in the progress threadif they're cut. I Love seeing a massive amount of cut pieces grouped and ready to sew

Hey guys I ve never tried this kind of plushes..are they easy to make? Its needle felting

>>5590219
I don't know where to start with needle felting... are there materials in basic stores like Michael's?

>>5590230
Where I live, Michaels doesnt exist lol..There arent any big stores specific to DIY...That kind of felt however is expensive...So thats why I wanted to know if its not so dificult like sew a conventional felt plushie or like making something in amigurumi? Dumping more cute pictures

>>5590078
Good point, I'll have to do that once I start on the next batch since what I have no isn't quite as impressive (mountainous) as it usually gets.

Also a bit of a throw back to the last thread but has anyone seen this yet? http://daemonnoire.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/8-convention-customers-everyone-hates/

Anyone know of a decent place to get gift bag sized bags made with multicolor custom artwork? I'm looking to get around 100 made. Paper or plastic is fine but if I could find a place to get fabric makeup sized ones for a decent price would be great.

Hey guys! Last time I partook in one of these threads I was asking about a raffle. E-mailed one of the cons in my state, turns out raffles are a no-go because of NC gambling laws. Yipeekayay. It was a relatively small con anyway.

Do any of you guys know an east coast con that's relatively large that I might be able to do a raffle at? I'm not very familiar with the cons here on the mainland as I'm from Hawaii and we pretty much only have one, Kawaii Kon. Failing the raffle bit, what are some of the larger eastern cons? I figure if I'm going to do this I'm going to do right and get a table next year and do all my prepwork over this summer and gather all the supplies over the winter or something like that, haha.

>>5590238
It depends. I know people who make their livelihood at cons doing both, and quite well. The main things are design, craftmanship and price. You need to see what already being made and whether or not you can compete by having something unique in some way and by having great looking work. If I pick up a crafted piece that looks similar to something a few tables down (or in a booth in the Dealer's Room) and there are loose threads, or the knitting isn't just so I'm not likly to buy it. That in mind you also have to gauge you price because you first have to weigh in cost of material plus the amount of time it took to create the piece and make sure both are covered. If your ability isn't high enough to make the venture profitable only thing I can suggest is either you pick something you know you can do easily well and then see what kind of demand is out there. I'm a print artist and it took me awhile to figure out how to present myself properly in the AA simply because I didn't know what my greatest strength was (I draw fast.) if you can figure it out without wasting tons of money I suggest doing so.

>>5590266
Gambling laws are tricky... I know that you can't hold a raffle for any type of profit in Georgia, so Dragon*Con wouldn't be a good place for you.
I don't know if you wanted only anime cons, but the biggest cons I can think of are PAX East, Dragon*Con, and Otakon.
Katsucon seems to be a pretty popular east coast con too.

You were talking about not being able to do a raffle at an NC con... were you talking about Animazement, by chance? If you have a table, I'll visit you, haha

This thread has given me a newfound respect for the AA. I'm going to visit each table at Momocon on Saturday to make sure I see everything each person has to offer.

and sometimes you just gotta jump into the fray without thinking about it. it'll work out as long you're out to have fun.

>>5570719
Because of shyness, I am one of the silent types that likes to look at everyone's stuff quietly... and sometimes some sellers get really butthurt if I just leave afterwards. One girl even said, "Thanks for not buying anything." I was planning on going back to her table after I went to withdraw cash, but I ended up not doing so :<

>>5591426
>One girl even said, "Thanks for not buying anything."

That's just rude. A few times I've been part of the con staff team that goes around the AA looking like a normal guest, but really looking for violations. I would have found something to kick her bitchy self out.

>>5591426
>One girl even said, "Thanks for not buying anything."
What a nasty attitude for an artist to have! I'm an artist myself, and it just grinds my gears for someone to even say that. I wouldn't buy from such a person to prove a point that if you can't be nice to your potential customers, then you're not worth getting service from.

>>5591426
>"Thanks for not buying anything."
>"Thanks for not having anything worth buying."

Seriously, she needs to get punched in the face. If you're rude to a customer, no one should buy from you. Hold a sign next to her booth that says "Don't buy from this asshole!"

>>5591426
Smart. Some people take themselves too fucking seriously.

>>5591101
For some reason this makes me so happy haha. Who is this thrifty craftsperson? I want to give them a handshake and a drink.

checking out the archive [http://chanarchive.org/4chan/cgl] and there's a dozen threads there that aren't even worth half of this one.

voting.

>>5591101
>>5591456
The photo is from AX 2011:
http://pantsu-pirate.deviantart.com/journal/?offset=1#/d3lghun

I didn't go, but he/she seems like a pretty cool person and did tons of cheap commissions.

Are prints really important? I really hate prints and making them and wasting money on them but I am a very fast realistic-ish artist who mostly works with black and white inks or water colors. Would it be better for me to make prints and worry they not sell or do drawing commissions at the con?

And how much should i sell just ink or water color pictures for? Sorry for the stupid questions its babbys first AA.

>>5591886
It's not uncommon to find people who don't sell prints. Though, they usually have other sorts of items to sell instead.

That being said, working in a traditional medium AND very fast is a nice combo if you can pull it off at least moderately well. I'd reccomend doing some prints that people can not only look at to see an example of your work, but buy as well. That way, you can also offer at-the-table or after-the-con comissions, too.

Is there a good template/chart for diameters of different button sizes available anywhere?