convention

Con Recap – GMX v3 2011

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So first off, I realize I have been writing reviews of conventions, but I have not really let people know who I am and how that affects my view of the conventions I attend.  I am an artist, a dealer (selling art and costumes), and often a guest at many conventions.  I spend most of my day at a table, signing art or putting elf ears on customers.  This means I miss most panels that I am not on and often cannot stay up as late as others when partying late into the night (although, what I miss in time, I try to make up in intensity).

At this year’s GMX I am all of the above.  As a featured guest, I only had a few panels, but we had a setup in the dealers room and art in the artist alley.

That being set up, here is my experience of GMX v3 2011:

Arrival went smoothly.  We got our badges and bracelets and set up at our tables.  All the con staff was really friendly and helped us get set up and ready for the show.  When I walked by registration it seemed the line was moving quickly and everyone was in a good mood.  Even by two o’clock on Friday, the halls were starting to get crowded.

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Getting ready for Chattacon

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Got most of my art sorted yesterday and almost ready for Chattacon. Its going to be a great show! Some New(er) art being showcased: In the streets, the zombie fed. Don’t Touch! *Brand new and unpublished Clockwork Dragon II Ultimate Gamer II So if you are anywhere near Chattanooga, come visit this weekend! how to … Read more

So then, how do I sell my art?

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Having the hang ups discussed before, I thought I would follow up with how I get around them and sell my work.

First, I have a rather unique position for selling my art. There are good and bad points to not following the normal path for illustrators – that of slaving for the book companies and doing years of junk art, and then finally getting book covers or good assignments. The good part is I skipped right ahead to selling my work directly to the fans and doing pieces that I wanted to do. But this has also limited my exposure to a broader base. I am saying this because artists like Larry Elmore or Todd Lockwood have a much different scenario for selling their work. They have been publicized by one agency or another, and are generally well known for their work that has graced the covers of many popular books. My work has only its own merits and quality as a selling point, and can not rely on people already being familiar with it or having well known and loved characters in it.

Strategy 1 – Time will tell.

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Illuxcon 3 – my experience

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View of the Artist Gallery from the second floor

Illuxcon was an interesting experience. First off, I am normally working behind a table or have art up at a show. It was strange being the one walking around with no obligations or places to be. It was also odd being in a place that was so familiar (I knew of the art and artists), but not really knowing anyone or them knowing me. In fact I got a couple of, “well if you try hard and keep working, you can be an artist” comments.  It is a little strange since I have been working in this field for so long and have quite a following, but I have crossed so few of these professional illustrator’s paths.

the crew the first night we arrived

So first off the awesome stuff. Grant Cooley and Sam Flegal let Paul and I travel down with them which was alot of fun. We had good conversations, some decent roadside food and the eleven hour trip went by fast. We also got adjoining rooms which allowed the Friday night party to be much larger. I really wasn’t feeling the vibe with the crowd at the party and resorted to my old party standby, sitting in the corner and sketching. But Todd Lockwood came over and we had a great talk about art, the horrors of politics, and printing 3D tractors.

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