Becoming a Con Artist

"The Life of an Artist"

When I say "Con" I mean the abbreviated term for convention.  Although I wrote a blog on getting started doing illustration work in the gaming industry, what about those artists that just want to do their own thing and set up and sell their stuff?

Making the Art

If you are sure that you want to do this, then you need to be able to meet the production demands of your audience.  Every year you will need to be able to have a selection of new art for sale.  That may seem like an easy feat now, but once you start going to Cons to sell your work, it will cut into your production time.  This is why I often like to do something in the booth to maximize my time.

Certain people should not be in this field...

- Those who have to rely on others to make every single piece of artwork.  At this point, you are not selling your own art.  You're selling a combination of you and the person who helped you.  If you are going to steadily produce artwork (different from say 3D craftsmen pieces that can be tag-teamed) then you have to be able to produce independently.

- Those with artwork that is not completely their own.  If you can't come up with something without ripping off someone else, then there's nothing to distinguish you. At that point you are making money off someone else's work or ideas.  The industry is swamped with people copying others. If you do something, you have to have your own voice with your own ideas and not be just a rip off of this or that artist.

Making the Prints

For open edition printing, there are a lot of wonderful printers out there on the market today. 10 years ago, Epson was THEE name in art printing, but now there are plenty of comparable printers.

Use good paper for your prints that will not only give you the best image but will feel like quality. I often use Epson Enhanced Matte Paper for its archival quality.  You want to give your customers something that will last and preserves the image for as long as possible.  If you don't value it, then they won't either.  Your art is what transforms this piece of paper and ink into something wonderful, and if you want those pieces of paper known as dollars, you need to remember that.

Mark your prints with the image title and your name under the image, leaving a border around the image.  Often framers will leave a small border around a print to distinguish it from the original.  It also leaves a place to sign your print clearly that does not disrupt the image. I have started selecting a main color from the image to make a faux matt around the image.  It tends to set off the piece as well as make it ready to pop in a frame and still set off as though matted. In this area it is also good to hide in a small way the copyright information as well as your web address.  This makes it easy for someone to find you for more work or if they have a problem.  If you look through the posters and prints at any craft store, you will see that most art prints carry these things, and get a feel for how you might want to use them to enhance your own print for sale.

Many artists like to make multiple print sizes to make them available and affordable to a wider audience.  There are advantages and disadvantages to this.  If you off mini prints around 5x7 in size, you often find that people will opt for the cheapest option. Some artists get large printings of lithographs in bulk of one size.  This is the classical signed and numbered method of traditional artists.  Sure they may be 18x24 inches each and only cost you $3 per print for something really nice, but it could cost up to $2500 or more to get them printed, depending on the number you wanted.  This way you end up with a lot of ONE image, and if nobody wants to buy it, you'll end up with 2,000 prints you can't sell, taking up space and not making back the investment.  If it's an image that you know you can move, that's a best case scenario.  However conventions are a fickle market.  Larger prints are more difficult to carry around, and the smaller sizes are what tend to sell.  If you are just starting out, I suggest testing the market some before making a huge gamble on a lithograph.

Packaging the Prints for Presentation

One way I have seen artists do is to have a display of the different images, either in a book or just loose on the table.  The customer chooses their image, and the artist retrieves the chosen image to be rolled up into a tube sleeve, or slipped into a plastic bag.

The way I do it, is by packing each print into its own clearbag with a backing board for support, so the customer can simply buy the one that they like best from a bin of prints.

I've done both ways, and they seem to work equally well whether customers are flipping through books or bins.  The nice thing about the bag and backboard is putting a write up on yourself as the artist in the back with your contact information, gives your customer more info and makes the product look more complete.

Legal Stuff

Basically what you are doing is a business, therefore you are going to need a business license.  It's not that hard to get set up as a business, and in the end it gives you protection.  If you are making money, you're going to have to give the government their fair share and some states and counties have additional hoops to jump through to sell in their area.  An LLC is a great way to go for a small business.

Convention Planning

Before you can sell at a show, you have to get into a show.  There are conventions all over for several genres. It only takes some googling to find some good ones, and probably some in your general vicinity.

Most shows have their own website with information on being a vendor or an artist.  There is a difference.  Vendor spaces usually come around 10x10ft and cost more than the Artist tables which are often smaller spaces.  There are advantages and disadvantages to each.  Vendor spaces tend toward more general traffic flow, while artist areas tend toward concentrated interest in art from the lower traffic flow.

Speaking of traffic flow ... Check the numbers! When it comes to conventions, SIZE MATTERS ... at least where sales are concerned.  In general, the more people, the more likely someone who likes what you do will come around.  The larger the show, the more money people will have saved up in advance for it.  Small conventions are a great way to start introducing yourself and your art to smaller more intimate gatherings, but the sales do not compare to larger shows.

You have to spend money to make money, and every time you do it's a gamble. With decent sized shows you can expect to spend between $200 and $3000 dollars for a booth.

You will have to sign up for a booth MONTHS in advance. Don't think... "Hey, Dragon Con is next week, I wonder if I can show my art there?" because the answer is NO.  Many convention deadlines are months before the actual show, and the larger the convention the more of a lead they have. Vending spaces can be limited, so you may be on a waiting list waiting until someone drops out.  Art shows and art tables sometimes have to pass a jury process and also have a waiting list.  Nov-Jan seems to be the slowest time of the year for shows, because of the holidays.  Thusly this is the best time of the year to start doing your convention planning for the following year.

Pre-Con Prep

I generally put together a Con box with certain things, so I have them ready to go for a show and I don't have to think about a lot of these things.  Tackle boxes and the like are real good for this.

Things that you will need:

- Vendor/Artist Packet from the show with load in information

- At least $100 in petty cash to make change.  That means smaller bills.  You will probably end up using this to eat off as well as pay for parking.

- A cash bag/box or secure place to store money that you make.  Lots of vendors like to go with the fanny pack for convenience.

- Receipt Books - These are a great way to not only give your customer a receipt for their purchase in case they want to return or exchange something, but it automatically makes a second copy for your records to keep track of how much you sold

- A way to process credit cards? I swear by The Square!  If you have an iPhone, it's the way to go.

- Bags for purchases - often, I'll recycle old Walmart bags to put prints and such in, but you can also buy packs of TShirt bags Sam's Club or the like

- Pens to sign with, generally sharpies or gel pens of white, silver, gold for dark surfaces.  These should be separate from the ballpoints used for the receipt books.

- If you decided to go with gridwall, you will need zip ties to hold it together and a blade to cut the zip ties after the show.  Additionally, S-Hooks and bulldog clips are good to hang things as well

- Business Cards - Even if someone stops in your booth and walks away without product, make sure they get a card with your web address, even if it's just a deviant art gallery.  Vistaprint is pretty good for cards.

- Inventory List - It's always good to know what you have before the show and after to track lost or damaged items, especially for taxes.

- Cooler - Drinks are often far more expensive at conventions, and if you don't get out of the booth, you will want some sort of refreshments and snacks to tide you over till the hall closes.

- Sheets - When you leave a Con for the day and are returning the next day, you will want to cover your set up to discourage people from snatching product.  Out of sight, out of mind.

- Crash Space or Hotel (many people like to get it for the night before set up, to have energy for it, and the night after the show, because you need the rest before the journey home)

Setup

When you get to the convention, you are going to want to present your work in such a way to catch the eye and also to maximize your space.  I've heard it said that people get convention blindness.  Basically if it's not right in front of the customer's face, they won't see it.

Display is key for this, and don't limit that display to just your table. Many artists use gridwall, or back panels that velcro can stick to, in order to create a pleasant back drop on which to hang your artwork.  Often in order to really make your art stand out on gridwall, it's nice to hang black sheets behind it to break up that visual field.

Gridwall though very useful, can be heavy and cumbersome.  You may decide to do something like these pop up displays which is very quick and handy.  If you stick with gridwall, you will probably still want to do signage.  Pick your best pieces and your name to put on your sign, and then I suggest this place for printing it.  They do a great job at reasonable prices www.alwayssign.com.

Buddy System

Even if you got set up all on your own (which would be impressive with gridwall), you are probably going to want someone to help you with the booth, if nothing more than just potty breaks.  Often other vendors won't mind watching your stuff for you, but they can easily be distracted if they are processing a transaction.

Also if you happen to be willing to take commissions and draw in the booth, you'll want someone to be back up so you can work on the commission.  If anything, they're an extra set of eyes to see if a customer has a need.

Mostly a Buddy is good for going out and grabbing food when you're stuck in a booth all day if you didn't happen to bring a cooler of drinks.

Selling the Art

Many people have their own methods to this, but there's a few rules.

- Stay in your booth.  One of the temptations at Cons is to go look around or visit, but if people come by your booth too much and you're not there, they might get fed up.  Don't make people work to buy your art or you'll lose sales.

- A single large art or sculpture piece will attract people to the booth, or an eye catching costume can be a good draw in addition to display.

- It's good to make eye contact with people and greet them when they begin to look.  It acknowledges their presence, making them feel more welcome, and if someone was being nefarious, it often nips their intentions in the bud by knowing they are being observed.  Plus it's just courtesy. Let them know that you are there to help if they have any questions.

- Don't force the art down their throat.  A picture is worth a thousand words but it still doesn't tell the whole story.  Art customers are often as interested in you and the process of making the art as they are the art itself.  It tells a story, and the customer often wants to hear a little about it.  You are the authority on the art, helping them see through your eyes, so talk to them about your art.

- Art customers are often looking for images that express themselves, their lives, and their interests.  It's what speaks to them, so if it is not their thing, don't take it personally.

- At the end of the day, if you're having fun, others will enjoy it too.  Try to focus on that instead of making money, and you'll be surprised at how much you make.

Tear Down

Time for tetris and you begin to wonder how you got it all in your car in the first place.  Hopefully a few boxes will be lighter.  There's only one real tip for tear down ... If you can't stay for the whole show, it's often best not to do it.  Shows get rather irritated when people pack up before the end of the con, and it makes you look unprofessional.  Life happens of course, but it's generally the best policy to be there the whole time. So don't count your money, till the dealin' is done.


If you are just starting out as a Con Artist, I hope that this helps you. If you are a practicing Con Artist, feel free to comment and add your own show tips.  Good Luck!  And may the odds be ever in your favor!