What I learned from my trip to the AmericasMart in Atlanta

I recently met my agents ArtsDG.com in Atlanta at the AmericasMart. I didn't stay very long. I was there Thursday afternoon and left Saturday morning. I only saw parts of building 2 where there were a lot of gift manufacturer's show rooms. There are 3 very tall buildings in downtown Atlanta that make up the AmericasMart. If you are looking for trend information - scroll down to the link for Joan Beiriger's blog post, under "Humongous!"

People are just People - The importance of chatting.
I do SO MUCH of my business through email. It is great and efficient. BUT there is value in sitting in on a meeting and hearing a manufacturer's perspective. You can read about it on blogs etc. but listening and watching really brings it home. In my short visit in Atlanta, there were 3 times when I went into a show room just to admire their products and I struck up conversations with the person who approached me asking if I needed help. (Note: I let them know I am an artist and didn't want to keep them from a sale). We swapped business cards and have now sent them art to consider (Julie, my agent sent it :-) . That doesn't happen as easily in a sea of emails.

My agents works their butts off!
We met with a manufacture on Thursday afternoon and I got to see Julie & Mary Ann in action :-) They also let me sit in on a couple of meetings with other manufactures the next day. That day, Julie had back to back meetings. I am very grateful for the opportunity to sit in on meetings and have a much greater appreciation for all that she and ArtsDG.com do! You just can get a sense of that kind of commitment through email updates with each other.

Cheaper!
I think I have been to Surtex 3 times (art licensing show in NYC). It is expensive to go to Surtex! My hotel in Atlanta (near the airport) was only $72 a night. I used Uber for the first time and loved it. A ride from the hotel to AmericasMart ranged from $15 - $18. Depending on how heavy traffic was. That is half a cab ride! I tipped, but it says on their website that tipping isn't necessary.  I like the door to door service, but you could catch the train (MARTA) for even more savings. There is a MARTA station across the street from the AmericasMart.

Humongous!

For a bit I was frustrated that I wasn't staying longer in Atlanta. I realized I just wasn't going to be able to see much of the show. Then it dawned on me - there is SO MUCH to try to see, that taking it in and only seeing a much smaller chunk was so much better than day after day of show room looking and overload. No way I could absorb it all. --Joan Beiriger has a wonderful post if you are interested in market trends here.

Good for the soul

Friday night in Atlanta I hung out with several artist in a nearby hotel bar. I had a diet coke because I was pooped and in serious need of caffeine! :-D I realized that I need to find or start some sort of artists hangout group in my city. It is great to hang with people who don't think it is weird to discuss a certain shade of a particular color. ;-) I am already thinking of going to Atlanta again this July.

Do you go to trade shows? Were you in Atlanta? How was your experience?

Agent Spotlight - Jan Draheim, Painted Planet Licensing Group

I got to know Jan and a couple of her team members at Surtex last spring - What a treat! - NOTE, click images to view larger.

 

 

How long have you been in business and how did you come to be an agent?
My family founded an arts and craft supply distribution company, Viking Woodcrafts, Inc., 35 years ago. The timing was perfect, as my husband and I had recently moved back to Minnesota from Illinois so I became the first employee. Eight years later Viking Folk Art Publications was formed, a new division focusing on publishing decorative painting books. My husband and I purchased the publishing division in 1996.

Our company published books for artists from all over the world –from Canada and the UK to Australia, Argentina and Japan. Our knowledge and understanding of color and the process of reproduction led us to the exciting world of art licensing, giving us another service to offer our artists. Painted Planet Licensing Group was formed in March of 2004, and today we represent 21 talented artists from around the world. I thoroughly enjoy being surrounded by such beautiful artwork on a daily basis and watching our business grow and evolve.

Do you have help/employees?
We are fortunate to have a great multi-tasking team to assist our artists and licensing partners. Leah Cochran is our Licensing Coordinator. She works hard at matching our extensive library of artwork with the right manufacturer, along with keeping our licensee and contact databases up-to-date. Alyssa Christian serves as both the Public Relations Coordinator and Account Manager, promoting and branding our company and artists via numerous outlets (check out her blog on our website!), while also handling record maintenance and royalty payments. My husband, Larry, is our part-time Accountant.

What do you look for in a manufacturer?
Currently we have strong, long-standing partnerships with manufacturers of various different products—from burton + Burton, who produce gifts for all occasions, to Leanin’ Tree, an industry leader in greeting cards, to tableware manufacturer Certified International and fabric forerunner Red Rooster. We’re always looking for new manufacturers to partner with. Our artists represent a wide variety of styles, allowing us to satisfy the needs of a diverse range of companies.

Quality of products, good communication and willingness to promote the artist’s name or brand are some of the key elements that we look for in a new manufacturer. Establishing a good working relationship is critical to everyone involved. There’s always a risk involved when signing a contract with a company we’ve never worked with before but we’ve found that some of our most profitable ventures and strongest partnerships have stemmed from taking that risk.

Do you prefer royalty deals? Flat fee?  
Typically we prefer royalty deals versus flat fee but there are times when a flat fee can be the right route to take. If the production run is small, sometimes the guaranteed flat fee is better. Also, there are some card companies, and companies that print for non-profit groups, that will only pay a flat fee. It’s important to weigh all factors of the specific situation when negotiating a fair payment. Whether signing a royalty or flat fee agreement, we advise our artists against selling their images outright in order to allow them the flexibility of licensing the same artwork again in the future for different products.

How do you market artists? Who pays for this? Anything different for new artists?
One of the most substantial ways we market our artists is by exhibiting at Surtex every year and occasionally at the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas. We also meet with art directors year round—at their offices, twice a year at the Atlanta Gift Mart, at the Houston Quilt Market and usually a specialty show such as the Chicago Housewares Show. We’re in constant communication with existing and potential clients, responding to hundreds of callouts a year and submitting artwork to companies for consideration on a weekly basis. We frequently send out mailings and e-mail newsletters to promote new artwork or a new artist.

We’ve recently revamped our website, making it easier for art directors to navigate portfolios and stay up-to-date with new artists, upcoming shows we’ll be at, etc. Our new blog, Painted Planet Perspective, features a monthly “Artist Spotlight” interview. We have an ever-growing social media presence, marketing our artists daily via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. We also encourage our artists to maintain their own personal websites, blogs and social media, which we link to from our website.

When we sign a new artist we assume all costs for exhibiting at shows, portfolios, advertising, etc. We recoup our costs by sharing any royalty revenue 50/50. Because of our initial investment, the decision to sign a new artist is very deliberate and well thought-out.

What do you look for in an artist?
When considering a new artist, we want to make sure that the artist is bringing something new to the Painted Planet family. We look for artwork that is fresh and on trend, and styles that complement yet don’t compete with what we currently have to offer. We also take into consideration our current licensees to determine whether the artist would be a good fit for them.

Equally as important when considering a new artist is their willingness to put in the necessary hard work and treat this as a job, not just a hobby. Licensing is a commitment, and an artist should be prepared to meet deadlines, be asked to make adjustments to their work to meet a client’s needs, and create new artwork on a regular basis. It’s also extremely helpful if an artist has certain software experience, such as Photoshop, InDesign or Illustrator, and has the capability of creating product mockups.

Any advice or other information you would like to share?
My best advice to any artist considering licensing is to take a shopping trip and look at how artwork is being used on products. Can you envision your artwork on similar products? We receive submissions from some artists who produce amazing fine art but the licensing possibilities are too limited. Don’t become discouraged if your first submissions to a licensing agency or manufacturer are rejected. If licensing is truly something you want to pursue, do the research, ask the questions, be flexible, and keep refining and working on your artwork.

I feel very fortunate to be able to sit in my office, look around, and see the fruit of all our years of hard work adorning the walls and shelves. I get just as excited opening a new box of samples now as I did opening the very first one over 10 years ago.



You can find Jan:
Website: www.paintedplanetlicensing.com

Email: jan@paintedplanetlicensing.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Painted-Planet-Licensing-Group
Phone:  (507) 835-8009

I REALLY appreciate all of you that help spread the word about my blog. Happy Holidays!

Do you want to be spotlighted? Send me an email: info@AnnGraphics.com

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Agent Spotlight - Carol White, Artworks! Licensing

I am friends with several of Artworks! Licensing artists and very much admire the talent this agency has. So, you can imagine how thrilled I am that Carol is sharing her perspective on art licensing. --Click images to view larger.

How long have you been in business and how did you come to be an agent?
I have been in the Art Directing/Art Licensing field for over 25 years. Initially I worked for a direct-mail greeting card company and expanded their stable of freelance artists so that resources of new art came from a variety of sources including art publishers and national greeting card companies. It was during this period of over ten years that I came across so many talented artists across the country, most of whom didn’t have a clue about marketing and promoting their art, that I decided to set off on my own and establish a licensing agency that would help new artists become established. The licensing industry was just taking off and more companies were becoming open to the idea of licensing art for their product lines. I consulted for a national art publisher for a few years, helping to build their licensing department and then eventually decided to give a 100% of my efforts to start Artworks! Licensing. 

Do you have help/employees?
Most of the relationships that are established with customers come through my connections in the industry.  One very important element in any successful business is the solid relationships that are formed with not only customers, but also artists. I have the pleasure of working with artists who are able to format their own designs avoiding the need for a staff designer.

Who are the manufacturers you work a lot with? 
Our customers consist of a wide variety of manufacturers in both the home décor and gift markets such as Carson, burton&BURTON, Creative Converting, The Manual Woodworkers & Weavers, Conimar Corporation, C.R. Gibson, E.K. Success, Ravensburger Puzzles, KayDee Designs, etc.

How do you market artists? Who pays for this? (Anything  different for new artists?)
We market artists through social media, websites, emailing, trade magazines, attending gift markets, and by exhibiting at licensing shows such as the New York SURTEX.  We take full responsibility of covering all costs for the advertising regardless of the medium.

What do you look for in an artist?
It’s important that artists have a sense of who they are as an “artist” or “designer” and create a portfolio consistent with collections in various themes.  We look for artists that have on-trend designs and who are familiar with some form of digital application such as Photoshop. In most licensing venues, manufacturers seek to license art that has been created in layered files so that the image can be applied to a variety of product types.  We are always open to looking at an artist’s portfolio; however, we make it a point not to have significant overlap in our artists portfolios.  It’s important that each artist feel they are unique, rather than competing, within the agency.

Do you feel an artist needs an online presence?
Yes, particularly now more than ever.  With access to the Internet and Social Media, it is important for an artist to have a strong presence online which could be a website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc. All of these mediums help support the promotional and advertising efforts that the agent provides for the artist.

How much art do you expect and artist to create in a year?
We select artists who have an existing group of images in their portfolio asking that the they continue to submit their new work as they complete it. Rather than expect an artist to create a certain number of designs in a year, we encourage the artists to add designs that may create a more well-rounded portfolio to appeal to more customers. For example, if an artist is very prolific but focuses more on Spring and Garden designs, we would suggest that they add Fall and Holiday designs to their portfolio. This creates a broader balance for customers because many times if a customer likes a particular artist’s style or that style sells well for them, they will want to consider a variety of seasonal designs for their product lines rather than limiting to one.

Any advice or other information you would like to share? 
One bit of advice I would give any artist attempting to get into the licensing industry, is “don’t be afraid to be you”. Researching the market for trends and styles is a great means of staying current; however, it’s important to stay true to your own unique style rather than try to emulate other artists.  Manufacturers look for art/artists that offer a fresh approach to a classic or ongoing themes.  Competition is tough in today’s licensing world.  More and more artists are entering the business, yet manufacturers are limiting the amount of licensing and outsourcing of art they acquire on a yearly basis. So, do your research, stay on trend, and look for agencies that may benefit from your unique style rather than agencies that already represent several artists like you.

You can find Carol:
Website: www.artworkslicensing.com
Email: carol@artworkslicensing.com
Phone:  (561) 253-8100

THANK YOU for stopping by my blog and all the social media shares and support! I look forwards to your comments.

Do you want to be spotlighted? Send me an email: info@AnnGraphics.com

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How I am Building an Art Licensing Portfolio

Happy Friday Creative Souls! (Click images to see them larger)

Before I start, there are always many ways to do something. I don't think my way is by any means the best way :-). Also, it is a safe bet in a year from now, I will be doing things differently. Based on feed back from my fabulous agent artsdg.com and a manufacturer, I just recently made adjustments! This is a great thing <3




I am heavily icon based in creating art. So what I mean by that is I only occasionally complete a painting with background and supporting images. Depending on the collection, I will paint a couple of different backgrounds (this one has some different color washes for backgrounds). I put the icons etc, together in photoshop. The upside is speed. I am just shy of creating a collection a month. The downside is I don't have a finished original painting to sell. Another upside is it is easier to isolate the images when their isn't a background to remove. The photo below was taken close to completion.

A collection for me means 4 - 6 central images. (There are 3 "images" above). 6 snowmen doing different things would be the main players of a snowman collection. For the above collection I painted supporting images: Swirls, 4 ladybugs, 3 dragonflies, 3 leaves and I think that was it. It varies with each collection. Some are much larger.

After I get the painting done and scan in all the art, next comes patterns & borders! In the beginning I would do fewer patterns. Now I am setting up a minimum of 6 patterns, with at least two colorways (I usually do 3-4 colorways). The patterns can take as long as the first stage of creating and scanning. I like to be sure to have some subtle and or small scale patterns to use as backgrounds/textures. Borders are great to set up. They can ad more interest to a product and make a stripe pattern or two.

Finally I set up a few product mocks and tear sheets. (Image at the top of this post). I like doing the mocks for a few reasons. It lets my agent know a few of the products I think the art will be fabulous on. It shows a few ideas of how to use the art. I like it because it makes the art 'real' for me and gets me jazzed to see it on all kinds of products. Something I have started more recently is setting up some 4" x 6" layouts (flags, greeting cards etc.) some 6"x4" (rugs, doormats, placemats etc.) and some Round designs. I am wondering if I should set up some squares too - Do any of you set up square designs?

The tear sheets are portfolio pages for me. I also use them to upload to ArtLicensingShow.com to speed the uploading of art. 4 or so tear sheets shows the majority of a collection, instead of taking the time to upload each individual image/pattern/mock.

I have a list of collection ideas. It is pretty long. For example, I have 12 ideas for winter/holiday. I may never get to them all, but I write ideas down when they pop in my head. Usually when I am wrapping up the patterns and creating mocks I am thinking about the next collection and sketching out what I will do next. If I don't get it down, it disappears from my brain :-)

How do you build your portfolio and any please share any tips you may have. Thank you for stopping by the blog. It really makes my day! Sign up for my newsletter if you don't want to miss anything.

Artist Spotlight - Teresa Ascone

Tell us a bit about yourself: Did you go to school for art? Are you self taught?
First, Ann, I want to thank you for this interview. As we know, getting the word out is of primary importance – a key component in the field of licensing. This is a big favor for me! About me: I’m a 69-year-old lifelong Alaskan who has been in the arts field for about 35 years. I’m a poster woman for “it’s never too late!” I do not have a degree, but have taken instruction from many artists and studied on my own. I was fortunate to have early luck in selling my landscapes, which encouraged me to continue. My licensing venture started in about 2007, when I met a woman through a gift shop owner here who became my first mentor in licensing. She was a rep for several fabric manufacturers, had faith in me, and eventually succeeded in getting my line, Creatures of the Wild, with Robert Kaufman Fabrics in 2011. Actually, in the middle of that time another mentor, a rep for gift lines, had gotten my artwork on tempered glass kitchen art and asked me for an “artsy salmon” that could go onto tempered glass trays. I dithered around and it took me about a year to get the art to her due to fear and procrastination -  and it was the true beginning of my wildlife art, which led to the fabric license. I am so grateful for the role models and mentors who have guided me along this licensing path. Without them I would be nowhere in licensing.

What inspires you / where do you get inspiration from?
I live in Alaska, where the rugged landscape dominates and the grandeur of the mountains will not be ignored. When I began to paint, my perceptions changed and it was as if I saw everything through a lens of creativity – how would I paint those clouds, that mountain?

Creative excitement and the lure of wielding magic have kept me engaged in the world of art. Yes, magic – because there is something magical about touching brush to paper and creating something that did not exist before. New inspiration happens as my work evolves and new tools come into play. Computer design programs add more magic to the mix as my pencils and paint evolve into stylus and pad, becoming a launching pad into different realms. I suppose I will continue to do art until I cannot hold a brush or stylus – it’s an innate part of my being.

Do you work in just one medium? Several?
I began in oils, then pastels, then watercolor. Now I’m mainly working with watercolor as a basis in design work, and turning to Photoshop for finishing. I learned the hard way to save in layers so that tweaking is easier! Different manufacturers need art that will fit their particular products.

What are you working on now?
I always have several projects going at once. I recently have had my art licensed to Sandstone Creations a deal which came from the same rep who wanted the artsy salmon. Right now, I’m working on the 2016 Creatures of the Wild line for Kaufman, some floral designs for my Spoonflower page, and always, the fairies are hovering around wanting attention. Wait! Before you think I’m in la-la land, I must tell you that my abiding love is for the Alaska Berry Fairies. I have written and illustrated two fairy tales, published by my own Alaskan Portfolio Press, featuring the fairies. I continue to create more fairies, and have them on several products such as lip gloss and blueberry soap (packaging images licensed to Denali Dreams) tempered glass coasters and trivets (McGowan Manufacturing). My friend Chris of Chris Hearts Collectibles is a wizard of fabric art. She has created sweet fairy aprons and other items from the specialty berry fairy fabric I have at Spoonflower.  I have two additional tales written but not illustrated yet. The fairies will always be with me!
My website is: http://www.teresaascone.com

I’m currently in a project to archive all of my artwork that I can find. The most complete collection is here: http://www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/teresa-ascone.html

I am active on Pinterest: http://www.Pinterest.com/AsconeArt/

Here is my featured artist page on Kaufman: www.robertkaufman.com/fabrics/designers/teresa_ascone/

Spoonflower page: http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/teresaascone

Taku Graphics has represented me for cards, magnets, prints, and books since 1992: http://www.takugraphics.com/teresa-ascone/

My watercolor tutorials are here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AsconeArtTutorials

Friend me here: http://www.Facebook.com/teresa.ascone

Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/teresaascone

Linked in: http://linkedin.com/pub/teresa-ascone/2/9a3/824

Anything else you want to tell everyone?
Well. There is so much to say, Ann. I believe the most abiding qualities we artists must have are: an irresistible urge to create; relentless optimism; determination; discipline; and a plan of action. I’ve already mentioned the importance of seeking out role models and mentors. That said, I must also admit that I fall short on these qualities often, especially discipline. I would say, “Keep going. Keep creating. Keep getting the word out through the many avenues we have today.” Social networking has been a boon to us artists. Also vital is the world of computers. We can send images by digital means these days instead of sending slides in the mail, and make connections with our own websites and email.

Also I would advise budding licensors to learn something new every day; create something every day.

Are you an early riser? or night owl?
Early riser! My best energy is in the morning.

What is your favorite food?
I love Italian food and good wine, preferably together. I also thrive on fresh vegetables and especially fruit – something we had little of as I grew up in Alaska. My parents would occasionally bring home a bag of oranges or apples, which we children would fall upon like a swarm of locusts. We would pick wild berries too, which are plentiful in Alaska. Southcentral Alaska has grown so much. I feel fortunate to live in an area where now we have such diversity in population that one can get Thai, Chinese, Sushi, Italian, just about any kind of food you desire. My dad was a hunter so we were raised on moose meat, salmon, and other Alaska game. Now you can get anything!

Contact: email: teresaascone@gmail.com
Website: teresaascone.com

THANK YOU for stopping by my blog!

Do you want to be spotlighted? Send me an email: anntroe@cox.net

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Create Easy Photoshop Textures for Fast Rich Design!

Make them once - use them again & again.

It is fun to toss in some texture to give my designs for products some zip :-) It can be as simple as just having a layer of texture (shown in the Yorkie notepad above). Or I might only have texture in part of the image. I added swirls to the top half of the background in the pear paper plate above. (Click image to see it larger).

Not only does it make the image look richer - I use textures that I have made with more than one collection. I like that it speeds up designing/mocking up products!

Here is a good video about making photoshop brushes. It has a couple tips for the magic wand tool too.



There are LOTS of free brushes on the internet - be sure to check that is OK to use for commercial use. Some are only free for personal use.
http://www.creativebloq.com/photoshop/free-photoshop-brushes-11121140

Let me know if you are a photoshop brush fan :-D