MY DEAR COLLECTORS and ARTSY PALS:
For those of you interested, here’s a not necessarily comprehensive list of what it takes to actually BUILD a painting. Professional artists are keenly aware of these steps, but for the art collector, or newer and aspiring artists, perhaps this will offer some insight into our process.
- Select and purchase the proper support (archival paper, canvas, cradled box, etc…)
- Prepare support for archival purposes (sand, gesso, sand some more)
- Purchase and use artist/professional grade paints (i spend my money on artist grade materials only)
- Then the Ineffable…the creation of your painting – what are you going to paint? what’s your inspiration?
- …use original photo?
- …use a sketch that you made in a journal?
- …create out of your deep imagination?
- …paint from a live model? etc…
- Paint, and review, over and over again, for days, weeks, sometimes months and longer.
- Deciding / knowing when a painting is finished.
- Varnishing – often requiring two separate steps with sufficient waiting in between.
- Adding wiring for hanging, or perhaps matting and framing.
- Photograph your artwork (which necessitates buying the best camera you can afford, AND learning how to use it)
- Importing your artwork image into a photo editor (another steep learning curve) and making adjustments, naming it, watermarking it, and resizing.
- Oh yeah, having a website / blog is assumed!
- Uploading artwork, label with title, size, medium, and write description.
- Price your artwork.
- Then, if you self-represent on various online galleries beside your own website, upload and repeat previous three steps.
- Not done yet, Processing Order online, and…last but not least
- SHIPPING. That requires stocking boxes of various sizes, or custom building your box with each order. This step alone can be daunting.
- Creating shipping label and of course, paying for it. ( I offer FREE U.S. shipping to my collectors.)
- I have not even mentioned anything about MARKETING one’s artwork. A whole other discussion.
There you have it. The BUILDING OF A PAINTING from start to finish, and I dare say I may have left out some steps, but these are the ones on my mind at moment. As you know, COMMENTS are always welcome! Just scroll down to add one.
Blessings and Paint On!
~Joanie
