How to Find a Convention to Sell Art at

Annette Lee's table at Animazement 2015.

Whether information technology's a game, comic, anime, or another special-interest convention or art bear witness, you may want to know how artists who regularly sell their work at booths in dealers rooms and artists' alleys got their start and make it work in their careers equally working artists.

I interviewed several artists who sell assorted merchandise, take on commissions, and travel all over to attend and be a vendor at diverse cons. Consider this your guide to working as a convention artist.

What Does a Convention Creative person Practise?

Permit'due south outset with a quick breakdown of some of the tasks convention artists have before, during, and after a convention:

• Create merchandise:You've got to fill up your booth upwardly with something, and ofttimes artists get their first with handmade or self-produced merchandise.
• Sell trade:I'g sure out in that location some people have a team of sales people to sell their goods, but most artists in an artists' alley are selling their own piece of work and connecting with consumers face to face.
• Take commissions:This is a big ane, since it allows artists to make extra money and may bulldoze other sales within their booths. Artists take commissions on character sketches, cosplay portraits, and more. Being able to perform on the fly is a great asset and something to consider when running a minor booth.
• Work with the public:Not everyone is a people person, only often you accept to learn some skills in guild to not only sell your appurtenances only also connect with consumers. Some brand sure they have a friend with them to boost their own people skills and keep things relaxed, while others are quondam pros at making pocket-size talk with passers-by and getting them into their booths.
• Set up and handle booths:Presentation is very important. Later on all, in an artists' aisle or dealers room you want your berth to entice the public without being obnoxious to the vendors around yous. Additionally, artists often take to be the ones to set up and take down their own booths.
• And more: Aside from the acts of creating, showcasing, and selling their work, artists besides take to brand sure to follow the regulations of running a small business depending on where they've called to be a vendor. In that location'due south a lot to consider when working a convention or fine art show, and then let's become to it!

Where and How Do Artists Sell Their Work?

Let's tackle this question quickly then we can focus more on product and working at a convention or fine art show itself. Artists who occupy artists' alleys and dealers rooms practise so at anime conventions, game conventions, comic book conventions, art shows, art fairs, and more.

Nick Minor at his booth at Phoenix Comic Con 2015.

"My wife and I take sold my art at conventions since Anime Central in 2006. I didn't become pro until this year 2015, when I was in a good enough place to quit my day task (actually both of us did, for unlike reasons) and at present we both travel the state doing shows.  At first information technology was one bear witness a year, and so ii. In 2010, we were doing maybe 5 shows. As of today'due south date ix/17/fifteen, we accept about 25 cons completed this twelvemonth." — Nick Minor, Radiant-Grey

Typically, artists submit an application equally these shows and conventions are juried by organizers. Oftentimes at that place's a fee to be paid besides one time they've been canonical. Fees and amenities included vary from venue to venue. Some expert questions to enquire and things to know earlier yous volume your infinite or file your awarding are the following:

• Is a table included?
• Do I have access or need access to electricity?
• How many chairs are provided?
• How many people tin can be behind a booth at once?
• Am I allowed to utilize racks or make utilize of vertical infinite?
• What other limits (noise, lights, etc.) are there for this venue and infinite?

There is a lot to consider, including whether your piece of work fits the mode of the convention or fine art off-white that you're applying to, before you get to the creating trade, packaging, and presentation phases. Figuring out the basics, though, will make your commencement convention an easier ride than learning that y'all needed a table yesterday when you're unloading your truck's contents into an empty space.

Prints and a toll list on Leah'due south tabular array from Anime Northward 2012.

"My fondest memory is when I got the news of a table for Anime North 2012.  I had been trying for years with either not getting a table, being placed on the waiting list and in one case missing my deadline to respond.  When I got that email, I actually ran around the business firm screaming.

"When convention solar day actually arrived, my parents, older sister and my niece came to cheer me on, actually has me tearing upward just thinking back to that weekend.  Having family and friends that support you with your art is 1 of the greatest sources of inspiration for me." — Leah Francis, Reafu-fu

What Do They Sell?

Artists sell a variety of products, depending on what kind of artist they are. Illustrators and designers ofttimes go for recreations of their artwork in impress grade, selling a variety of art prints and assorted printed merchandise like t-shirts, tote numberless, printed acrylic charms, and more than!

Additionally, many artists are also artisan crafters and can render their visions into a variety of products like plush toys, sculpted crafts, pottery, knitted items, and more. It's quite a wonder to see what artists bring to their booths each year at conventions effectually the globe.

Not everyone creates their physical merchandise as well. Many artists use the services of various manufacturers to produce their designs on a variety of products in order to see time constraints, produce more product for less money than doing it themselves, or create something they can't practice past hand. So long as an artist is selling their own designs, information technology'south often welcome at a convention or art prove.

Laura's sample prints she'due south working into greeting cards.

"Illustrated media, though I would love to do more crafts. I mainly sell prints and t-shirts, too as products featuring my surface design. I want to get more into toy blueprint as I'chiliad highly interested in making my 2D characters three dimensional. That and I love toys. Considering I'm really a five-yr-one-time." — Laura Langston, Laura Illustrates

How Practice They Produce Trade?

Let's say y'all're going to go the hand-fabricated road for everything that you lot wish to sell at your booth. Y'all'll need to figure out what your products are and how to present them. If yous're selling prints y'all'll want to brand sure you have clear plastic sleeves and backing boards or that they're rolled (if the paper-blazon works well with rolling them) in tubes to proceed them safety during the rest of the convention.

Many artists use a printing service for posters and such, but some impress their own art prints on a giclee printer in their home. Researching ink, paper, and packaging options volition let you to figure out what's affordable besides equally what y'all can feasibly sell. The same goes for the tools and materials for annihilation y'all'd be creating: t‑shirts, bags, costly toys, crochet scarves, etc.

If you're using a manufacturer of some sort to create your merchandise, you need to know not but the costs of doing so, just what their minimum orders are, how many designs you lot tin create per item, and how long it'll take them to create information technology and get those products back to you. Additionally yous have to consider shipping costs equally a office of your costs in creating the items.

A page from Kayla's comic, Midwinter.

"For technical, if y'all want a quality production, y'all must exist familiar with terms such as DPI, bleed, trim, condom zone, etc. and the differences between RGB and CMYK color profiles. Many online printers will provide a template for you lot to work with, but you shouldn't accept to rely on them. Create your files with the intent to print and work with your printer so you know their specifications. It'll make things easier for both sides!" — Kayla Swain, Midwinter

While having a third party create your content volition allow you lot more time to not be creating everything by hand and may cost less overall, you likewise have to consider that perhaps their printing methods are off or the product may not be created as expected. Many artists tell tales of receiving misprinted trade, colors not matching their expected colour profiles, or products damaged during shipping.

It'south best to do what you tin to ensure extra fourth dimension if something happens to your merchandise. The same, really, goes for creating information technology yourself. You have more command over the terminal outcome, but if you set out screen-printed t-shirts to dry and your true cat runs across them, trailing petty inked-upward paw prints all over, you lot'll need to have a backup plan.

A fan-fine art print from Zambicandy regularly sold at diverse conventions.

"Sometimes they screw up! Then its ever good to brand sure you order stuff style before you actually demand them washed in case something goes incorrect! Things can and will go wrong. Even if yous've worked with the company earlier and they're super professional person." — Erica Francis, Zambicandy

In brusque, whether yous're creating merchandise yourself or having a third party handle the production, make certain y'all're upwards on how information technology's being created, when you can expect it, and what to do if something doesn't go to programme.

How Do Artists Take Commissions at Shows?

For starters, y'all need to permit customers and passers-by know that y'all're keen to have on commissions at the convention. Whether this means yous're available to sketch up something requested or schedule a larger commission outside the evidence is up to you.

Often artists create a sign of some sort, letting customers know they're open to take something on and providing a small toll list. Having examples or descriptions of the service you're offering helps as well, specially if it's a visual case so customers can see what you can do for the toll you've set. Additionally, you tin can set limits on what these toll points entail.

Special evidence pricing (on both berth merchandise and commissions) is oftentimes an incentive for customers to buy your goods or services, by the style. It's not something you have to exercise by any means, but tin can be something you offer on a single day (perhaps the commencement twenty-four hours or the final day) or something for specific shows in order to heave your sales.

Siena'southward table at Sabakon 2015.

"I tend to charge about $12 an hour for pricing when considering time. For sewing commissions I just practice that plus material cost." — Siena Holland, Holliander

So you've gear up up your sign, your pricing, and yous've been deputed for a portrait sketch or character doodle or whatever it is you offered. You lot'll demand to know how long it'll take yous to complete. Are y'all going to mail the drawing to the customer after the show, complete it while they're standing in front of you, or give them a certain fourth dimension to stop by later during the testify for them to pick it up?

Figuring out how long it will take you and when they can reasonably await to receive their commission is just every bit important as the pricing and selling of the committee itself, since customers expect you to have an reply for them (and non flake out).

Yennie at her table at a recent convention showing how to utilize vertical space.

"I recommend non to stress yourself out every day to work all the time. Work to your limits and figure out the right schedule for yourself. You lot're your own boss and it's a nifty thing." — Yennie Fer, FaithWalkers

How Practice Artists Interact With the Public?

This brings u.s.a. to the rather important topic of interacting with customers, passers-past, fellow artists, and convention staff.

• Be courteous and kind: If you tin, exist chatty. Grin, and be friendly and kind. No one wants to hang out nigh the booth of someone who's being mean to them. Understandably, you're human being, and may not experience similar smiling, so do your best to be friendly to potential customers.
• Be ready to reply questions: People are going to desire to know who you are (equally an artist), what your piece of work is, and why they should buy your work. Be ready to field all sorts of questions, such as whether or non trade is child-friendly.
• Exist ready to have an answer to questions you don't want to answer: Who's your printer? Can I take your patterns? Where did you lot get this? Not every artist likes to share their sources, and that'due south perfectly fine. Some artists love to share every item of their creations, and that's fine too. Consumers and artists alike may ask many questions y'all don't feel comfy with answering or don't want to share because yous don't want extra competition. Consider what your answer will be without it being rude ahead of time, or just know yous'll demand to think on your feet if someone is too nosy for your tastes.

Donovan behind his berth at Sorcerer World 2014

"If you accept multiple types of products, have them exist related and have them leading toward the main affair you want to sell. I go on my most eye-catching products on the outside of my berth to become people to come bank check them out. The conversations near those products lead toward the other products, the books, which are what I'yard really there to sell." — Donovan Scherer, Studio Moonfall

• Make friends with your neighbors: If you lot're lone at your booth yous'll exist so glad you made a point of being friendly and chatting with your neighbor when yous have to apply the restroom. Additionally, your neighbors know what you've gone through to go behind that booth and throughout the convention, since they're going through the same procedure of getting their work out to the public. You might make some great creative person friends and accept a fantastic weekend because you chose to meet booth neighbors equally assets and not competition.
• Be helpful to staff: Running a convention or diverse aspects of information technology is difficult work for anyone. Make sure you're a part of the solution of a successful effect and non a part of the problem past meeting your deadlines for applications, fees, and time-slots for setting upward and taking down your booth. Clean up after yourself during the convention and once you've taken down your berth. Leave the space every bit clean as it was when you arrived. Additionally, brand sure you know the rules and regulations of a convention then you can follow them while there and not give organizers an boosted headache.
• Be able to prepare boundaries: This one is of import for your own sanity. You don't want someone to set their drink down on your t-shirts for auction or let their child'south sticky fingers wipe beyond a scarf you hand-knitted. Set boundaries in a firm, simply friendly manner. Some convention goers are just super-rude and may have no idea, so practise your best to non scream at them when they spill their coffee on your table, merely if they break or ruin your merchandise, you'll likely have to confront them in some way. A sign reminding consumers to keep their distance with more expensive merchandise might exist the mode to get.

Annette's buttons, which she sells both online and at conventions.

"A con veteran I was tabling side by side to gave me a much needed pep talk. He told me not to exist discouraged and the only affair I can do is learn from it and make the all-time of it. In that location was no such thing as the perfect con, at that place'due south e'er going to be highs and lows, so I shouldn't stress out.

"I should just focus on my work and endeavour to keep improving since a con's success isn't actually within my command. He also said that I should be proud of myself that I took the risk and came this far equally an artist." — Annette Lee, Annetti Spaghetti

What Makes a Good Berth Space?

Let's get downwards to the booth itself. How should you present, display, and package your work? The options for what yous exercise with your merchandise and booth space are numerous.

Firstly, vendors tend to take, and are oft required to have, some sort of cloth or sheet to comprehend their table. It allows you to create a fresh and uncomplicated space for you work to be displayed, only besides allows for the space under your table to house some of your boxes or bins that may hold copies of your displayed merchandise or personal items. Additionally, you can reinforce your branding or accentuate your design style with a variety of fabric, canvass, or banner types.

Speaking of imprint types, you'll desire something either backside you (on the wall, hanging, or coming up from the flooring in some manner, if allowed) or on the front of your tabular array that displays your proper noun or make so passers-by know what your booth is or who you are equally an creative person.

From in that location we accept ways to display your piece of work itself:

• Racks: T-shirts, jewelry, buttons, and more all accept rack options. If a space allows information technology, a clothing rack may assistance display and house apparel and accessories. Tables can often concur jewelry and pocket-sized accessory racks also.
• Display units: Boxes, small shelves, and more are all an option for merchandise brandish. Making utilize of your table and allocated expanse (so long as you lot take clearance to practice so) allows for a variety of shelving or boxes for customers to look through and for you to agree more than just a table's worth of merchandise.
• Wall space: Whether information technology'southward a wall behind you or a wall you've brought forth (again, make certain annihilation you use for your booth is canonical by the convention and venue) making employ of vertical space for display or to showcase sure items allows consumers to meet what you have and can also allow for some altitude betwixt consumer and item as well if it's unique or expensive.
• And more:At that place are ever more options, as artists tend to remember of marvelous ways or showcasing their piece of work. Consider visiting a local convention or art show and seeing how artists brandish their piece of work, or even consider how pocket-sized stores solve the problem of showcasing merchandise in a small space.

Good booth spaces aren't going to carp those around them, will entice customers to come up to them and look through them, and aren't a huge pain to fix and accept down.

Asher Benson's booth infinite at Table salt Lake City Comic Con 2015, making great employ of her personal branding and vertical infinite.

" I knew what my meridian sellers would be, I presented them at middle-level, and I knew my demographic. I purchased accents to complement my bright artwork and I didn't skimp on paper quality. Call back about how you'd feel most purchasing something and wanting to display it." — Asher Benson, Asher Bee

Advice From Artists

Some of Siena's mitt-drawn buttons she sells at various conventions.

"Do it considering you beloved it first, don't hop into it thinking yous'll make bank off the bat. You'll stress yourself out and what I've been telling a friend who'south new to tabling right at present is that she needs to do information technology because she loves it.

"She primarily does fan art so she's constantly stressing about what's popular and what's going to sell, simply yous can conspicuously tell in her fine art when she'southward drawing something she loves and when she's drawing something she thinks is popular.  In the end though, do it because you beloved it. I may not alive off my art simply I dearest doing conventions and I honey the artist community." — Siena Holland, Holliander

The Green Bunny Workshop berth at an outdoor art fair.

"Constantly work on your skill, you accept never and will never achieve perfection in whatever technique, there is always things to learn, endeavour, test and experiment with. The twenty-four hours you just stick with what y'all have and do not bring novelty to your items/booth is the day you will outset to lose customers instead of gaining new ones." — Eloise Pare, The Dark-green Bunny Workshop

Determination

Artists who piece of work conventions, art fairs, and more than, selling their work to the public, have double duty as artist and retailer. They bridge the gap between content creator and consumer themselves, meeting with the public and bringing a personal bear upon to selling their work. They also ofttimes serve as their own manufacturer, advertiser, and boss, handling all aspects of their businesses.

Information technology can be a difficult procedure, going from concept to product to convention flooring, but it's wonderfully rewarding too to sell your work direct to consumers and get your name out in that location with your consumer demographic. About artists don't retail at conventions equally a total-time task. Some have information technology equally a hobby and some do it in addition to being a full- or part-time creative person.

I promise you found this commodity interesting, inspiring, and informative. The artists involved took time out of their decorated schedules, many in the middle of preparing for an upcoming convention, to share their experiences with me from their years of convention experience. Each artist is unique in what they offer to the public: illustrated piece of work, artisan crafts, a plethora of products, and a variety of commissioned pieces from their table in creative spaces effectually the earth.

Many thanks to the artists who participated in this article. Check out more of their work, shops, and convention schedules in the links beneath:

• Nick Minor
• Leah Francis
• Laura Langston
• Kayla Beau
• Erica Francis
• Siena Holland
• Yennie Fer
• Donovan Scherer
• Annette Lee
• Eloise Pare
• Asher Benson

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Source: https://design.tutsplus.com/articles/so-you-want-to-be-a-convention-artist--cms-24924

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