Practical, long-form guides written in the studio — for clients commissioning art and for artists building their craft.
Latest · Business of Art
Designing Button Badges for Comic Conventions: Sizes, Bleed, Printing and Selling Tips
Button badges are the classic artist alley starter product. Here is how to choose sizes, handle wrap and safe zones, set up print files, pick finishes and backs, price with real unit costs and sell from your table.
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Designing Button Badges for Comic Conventions: Sizes, Bleed, Printing and Selling Tips
Button badges are the classic artist alley starter product. Here is how to choose sizes, handle wrap and safe zones, set up print files, pick finishes and backs, price with real unit costs and sell from your table.
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From Thumbnail to Final: Inside a Professional Digital Illustration Workflow
How a commissioned digital illustration moves from brief to final file: thumbnails, canvas and resolution settings, layer structure, rendering passes, export formats, backups and a realistic time budget for each stage.
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Colour Theory for Illustrators: Building Palettes That Make Characters Pop
Muddy colours are rarely a hue problem. Learn how illustrators use value, harmony, temperature and saturation to make characters stand out — plus colour-blind checks and soft proofing for print.
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Building a Daily Sketchbook Habit: A Routine, 30 Prompts and Tools That Make It Stick
A practical system for drawing every day: choosing paper and tools, a 15-minute routine with gesture and observation drills, 30 ordered prompts, simple progress tracking and a monthly review.
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Fan Art vs Original Art: Copyright, Conventions and Selling Prints Responsibly
Fan art fills artist alleys, but tolerance is not permission. A balanced guide to copyright, derivative works, fair use, trademarks and takedowns — and how to build original IP alongside your fan prints.
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How to Commission an Illustration: A Complete Guide for First-Time Clients
Everything a first-time client needs to commission an illustration with confidence: defining the use, writing a clear brief, budgeting, licensing, payment milestones, revision stages and print-ready file specs.
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