Business Lessons For Artists
If left to their own devices, most artists will end up going one of a few sad routes: homeless, pyramid scheme, or Hitler. The truth is, it doesn’t have to be that way. With a little guidance by someone who specializes in the kind of thinking that artists aren’t too gifted at, there can be a much happier ending.
Related products
In the right hands, a color wheel is like a recipe book for beautiful design. There are actually a lot of cool tricks that can be achieved by placing certain colors beside each other, as Jasper Johns explored in his work in the 1950s. For example, did you know that you can make one color look like two different colors? Or make two different colors appear as if they were exactly the same? There is a science behind it all, about how your brain interprets sensory input, but let the artist worry about that. Just know that this is an item that should be included with every painter’s toolkit, that can help them mix colors and understand the effects colors have on one another.
Drawing on a computer has its advantages but will never have the feel of drawing with pencil and paper. This thingamajig bridges the gap between the physical and virtual worlds and enables artists to digitally edit and enhance their traditionally hand-drawn artwork. The “smartpad” captures drawings from actual paper, converts them to data, and sends them by bluetooth to any computer. The pad also works well with iOS and Android tablets or mobile devices.
Any artist will want need this circular ruler as soon as they see it. Why did it take so long for someone to invent this? All that time spent multiplying the diameter by Pi to find the circumference of a circle, wasted. This is a no-brainer. Buy this thing now.
For centuries artistes have toiled away, diligently refining their skills until becoming masters, so that they can create exquisitely detailed artwork of the highest craftsmanship. Well, there’s a much easier way. Just print it. This is a game changer for artists, and if they’re lucky enough to get this as a gift from you, they will be beside themselves. And you will be the recipient of printed thingamajigs for the rest of your time on Earth.
While it may look like a party favor from a 10 year old’s birthday party to the uncultured eye, any artist will recognize these replicas of Jeff Koons’ iconic large scale Balloon Dog sculptures. In 2013 he sold one of his dogs at Christie’s for $58,400,000. Perhaps looking at this piece will be inspiring for its owner, or maybe completely depressing if they’re the typical starving artist type.
In the 80s there was a popular kids’ show called Simon, and as the theme song explained, the things that Simon drew came true. Well that whimsical story has become reality with the arrival of 3D pens. These amazing devices have advanced a lot since they were introduced, and the price has come down enough to make them an affordable gift for the artist you know.
The greatest innovation in stippling since…well maybe the only innovation in stippling. It’s a fun process and the results are beautiful, there’s just one big problem - making all those damn dots. If the artist you know happens to have shaky hands (or a serious coffee addiction), then they may already be a stippling machine, but for the rest of us there is the Pointillist Electronic Pen.
It can be tough to shop for artists, but one thing you know for sure is - they’re into art. Commission an original work by a local artist or find a starving artist online who is hungry for a sale. The gift will be sincerely appreciated by everyone involved. Make sure you pick something that suits your friend’s aesthetic and not your own!