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Thanks, I think I'll do that :3

@ octorok

I think you might need to re-read my post again because I wasn't making the points that you came up with. O.o? I said that it is possible for people to do well selling originals in the AA and I did encourage artists who have an original style that is influenced by anime or Japanese culture to continue to sell in AA.

I am speaking more about those who have art that have nothing to do with anime or Japanese culture. There are a few artists I see every now and again that are just completely out of place there. I saw some at AX, but darn, I can't remember what it was they sold for an example. But these types of people are ones who should look for a more proper venue. I think one guy was selling sunglasses. Not anime-themed sun glasses, but ones you can buy at like Walmart or something. XD

Even though you disagree, I still believe fanart plays a big role in the artist alley, but I am certainly not discouraging those who want to make original art. I just don't want people to look down on those who choose to make fanart. Often we are either thought of as bandwagon jumpers or greedy business people with absolutely no creativity or skill in art. Though there are a few out there with the mentality, it's just a minority. We should not be judged just because we make fanart and we should not assume that making fanart limits our abilities as artists.

Ahh, you're right, I did miss that distinction between anime-influenced original artists and unrelated original artists. But now that I see it... why does it matter? ?____? Sure, some people probably bring things that are completely outlandish, but MOST people bringing their original art to Fanime are probably influenced by anime or Japanese culture. I don't think the sunglasses guy is coming to this forum to complain about fan art, lol.

I agree that fan art plays a big role in the Artist Alley, I just don't think it takes precedent over original art (nor vice versa). It sucks that people think you are greedy bandwagon jumpers etc etc, but I really don't think that would be the motive behind any fanart limits. In my eyes, it isn't trying to persecute fanart as much as it is trying to help original art.

Also! To anyone doing/looking for Zelda fanart:

Are you guys doing specific games? Or just general Zelda stuff? Is Skyward Sword very popular lately?
I'm trying to decide between doing some Skyward Sword art or Ocarina of Time art.

Mine is like a 3 sided rectangle. Goung from side to side on the table, it has one pole across the top (I hang my art here) and two poles going downward at the sides. On the botom of these two poles, I have supports (2 ft long), going from the front of the table to the back of the table, to make sure the display is stable.

That's a really complicated explanation... Anyway, here's what I used to build it:

8 2 foot poles
1 1.5 foot pole
2 elbow connectors
4 slip connectors
2 T connectors
4 end caps

4 of the 2 foot poles were used to make the vertical sections
2 2 foot poles and the 1.5 foot pole were used for the top section
2 of the 2 foot poles were cut in half to make 4 1 foot poles, which I used for the supports.

Here's a picture (sort of).



I tried to indicate where I used the connectors. Anyway, it's really stable; You don't even need to tape it down/secure it to anything. (I recommend doing so anyway - just remember to bring your own tablecloth). I used 3/4" PVC, and I don't think you should go any smaller, and you don't really need to use bigger PVC unless you plan to hang heavy things on it.

suuper useful, thank you so much!

[whether it's original or not.]

This is not the fault of the fanart artists taking away their business. This is their choice in venue. This is an anime convention. People come here because of 1 reason: their love anime, games, and all these Japanese. Not too many people come here expecting to find "original" artists. They come for fanart. So of course you're going to have a harder time selling original art. Now that's not to say artists can't be successful selling original art here. Believe me, I went one year and sold nothing but original art and I nearly sold out. BUT, I think a big part was that I still catered to the style and theme of the convention. I still made art that I expected these types of people would be interested in seeing. If you completely miss the mark, good luck making your deposit back. And also, even though I sold all originals, I STILL had tons of people asking me for fanart. That's what people really wanted to see me make the most. If you are looking for art that is not influenced by anime, games, or Japanese culture or if you are looking to sell that type of art, an anime convention is NOT the place for you. You'd be better off trying to go to a nice craft fair or a special artist exhibit that really does promote your art.

I'm not sure I agree with this.

I feel like this paragraph was written with the idea that original art won't be in anime/manga style and has nothing to do with this con, which is kind of a weird assumption to make. If we're going to an anime convention, doesn't that already mean that we like anime ?____? And/or that our art is influenced by it?

I also don't think it's a good suggestion to take our original art to a nice craft fair or special art exhibit, because practically everyone else in the art community looks down on anime/manga style art. Artist alleys in anime conventions are some of the only places I'd feel welcome!

Overall, I really disagree with this idea that fan art is THE BIGGEST REASON that the Artist Alley exists. IMHO, the reason it's there is for us to showcase our anime-influenced art, whether it's original or not. I don't think that fan art should be banned, but I do support lightweight limitations on it if it will encourage original art.

Also, an idea: What if we made a 50/50 or 70/30 rule for booths instead of for individual artists? That way, if an artist only wanted to do fan art, they'd just have to find someone else who only wants to do original.

I really don't know much about Minecraft. But I do know people like it. I'm curious, why is it popular?

It's great if you're a creative person (Or an autistic person, to be honest)

The graphics may be crappy, but that's not really what it's about. You can build whatever you want piece by piece. Castles, ships, entire cities, whatever. That's how it appeals to me, anyway. It's like getting to do all the stuff I wished I could when I was a kid.

Notch may be a crappy programmer, but he made a good game. lol

I'm not as big on building, but I really love exploring. One thing about Minecraft is that it generates infinitely (sorta) in all directions. Different biomes, trees, animals, etc etc. It goes on forever!

Also, I wouldn't call the graphics crappy or bad at all. Low res =/= bad graphic. I'm sure they started low-res because of budget limitations, but low-res is sorta the only thing that makes sense in this game. If it were mindblowingly detailed, how are you supposed to build anything about of dirt?  9___6 It would just make a shifty pile instead of a neat little block, lol. Also, hi-res would also limit how much world we can generate.

I'm hoping to see a lot more Tiger & Bunny stuff :D

The last few cons I've been to had quite a lot of MLP stuff (bluh) and Madoka is still going strong. I'd say Fate/Zero will probably get a lot of stuff too.  Metal Gear might get some since previews of Revengence have been circulating.

I'm hoping for Sherlock-related arts, but that is doubtful "/

Not doubtful! My boothbuddy and I are both doing Sherlock things. AAAAND one of our favorite Sherlock artists is gonna be there for sure.

How do you guys usually make bookmarks? Do you print them separately, or print a bunch and cut them out, or what? Laminated? Cardstock?!??!
I feel like I have a lot of info on how to make prints, but none on how to make bookmarks :S

Closest thing to anime I'm doing would be Avatar: The Last Airbender, and that's not even really an Anime.

I'm rewatching that whole series right now! Hope to see your stuff at Fanime :3

Personally, I'll be doing Zelda and Minecraft for sure. Not sure if anybody will be interested the Minecraft stuff, but my Minecraft art is most popular on dA so it just makes sense to me 9___6
I might do BBC Sherlock prints, too.

A ban on fanart would force artists to actually care about not only what they are drawing but how it is perceived.  The argument that it doesn't sell is a lazy one.  Are you truly afraid that without following the crowd that you cannot come up with something that somebody out there will enjoy?  If so, then I ask why are you an artist?  Yes that might be harsh, but if you want a career in art this is something you will need to work out for yourself.  If you are an art hobbyist like myself then please just consider this a challenge to not only improve your skills but find fans that truly enjoy your work for what YOU put into it.  I personally believe a ban on fanart will bring out a huge change to the alley and I would be extremely excited to walk around and see what everybody has come up with.  I would probably be stopping at every table to not only see the art, but converse about the originality of ideas and most likely spend a whole lot more money than I should...  With that said, I would also understand that with registration already started that such a policy might be best suited to next year.

I totally agree with this! This is what I've been wanting to say this entire conversation, basically.

I understand that people should be able to make fan art and express their enthusiasm over copyrighted materials. But to me, Artist Alley has always been a great opportunity to look at other people's ORIGINAL art and show off my own. IMHO, it's one of the few ways that original art has equal footing with fanart. If you stick an original character on Deviantart, it won't get as many eyeballs as fanart. But in the Artist Alley, it has a slightly better chance!

I don't think fanart should be banned. But I think we should stop seeing limits on fan art as, well, limiting (lol) and instead start seeing it as an opportunity to show off more of our original art.

Hello!

Are there any guidelines that handlers need to follow? Or do they just need to be able to see and guide their cosplayers around the con?

Another first-timer here, just wondering how many business cards I should bring to hand out. Does this usually depend on anything, like my location in the room or the quality of my art?

Thanks in advance!

Hmmm problem is, people at Fanime are really stingy with money (I guess we can't all be spendthrifts like me when it comes to art). Unless you can pop out amazing sketches in a short amount of time, many people aren't willing to pay more than $5 for a bust sketch. (Unless its large and kinda detailed.) 

Darn )x I've been sota suspecting this anyway, I'm trying to think of how I can add some more color or vavoom to my commissions. Mybe I should be practicing with colored pencils right about now.

How big of an issue do con-goers have with waiting? What's a good chunk of time to give myself that won't scare people off? :X I figured people would be okay with waiting a couple hours, or having it mailed to them or something D:

I tend to choose the best composition to do the picture justice, and charge people based on the materials, number of characters, background and time needed to finish.

That sounds like something I'd like to do too. How did you go about explaining this process to people? Did you just say "Tell me what you want and I'll tell you what it costs" or something like that?

Sorry that noone responded to your questions about plushies. I sell tons of plushies at Fanime. The price really depends on lots of factors; cost of materials, the time you put into them, and the amount of detail. My cheapest plushie is $5 and is 5" tall, but it's super cheap because it is incredibally easy to make and it sells out fast. But here is estimate for price ranges. Small 3" plushies should range around $3-$8 depending on detail. For plushies that are 6", maybe around the higher end of the 3" price range or a couple of bucks more. It depends on what you decide to make. Like a simple animal plushie would be much cheaper than a complex anime character plushie no matter what size.

Thank you so much for the info! This is quite eye opening.

Both my small and mid-sized plushes are 3D mushroom plushes (felt stalk, faux fur cap). How would you recommend pricing those?  I'm not sure if it counts as complex or not. it doesn't involve any clothing or fingers, but it's more than just a 2D shape :x

If anyone is still looking for a good place to get prints from;  I always get my posters printed from:  http://www.psprint.com

They're really cheap, Really high quality, they always have sales going on pretty much every month, and if you live in the bay area you can save on shipping and simply pick up your order since they are located in Oakland. If you dont live in the Bay Area, I suggest ordering them perhaps a week or so in advance and pick them up when you come for Fanime  c: 

They're having one for 60% off posters right now, but I don't think I'll be able to draw my picture in time for that. Is that a rare sale they're having, or do they often have sales like that?

Their regular price is way too much for me.

:O that does seem a bit low. About how many commissions did you garner all weekend?

I'm trying to improve my skills by Fanime as well. Personally, I don't want to draw anything for less than $7 (maybe for a bust), so I have to try and improve my skills to at least that level by then.

Has anyone here ordered on-site commissions? What were they and how much did you pay? Any links to the artist's work would be greatly appreciated too, if you have them.

Yeah, super informative! I bookmarked the thread for if/when I start making prints too.

Hey guys! Sorry, I know there's another price range thread already going around, but I've posted in it multiple times and no one seems to have any input on plushes or on-site commissions. Plenty of info on prints, though.

So, any ideas on how to price plushies and on-site commissions? So far I'm developing midsized (6" tall) plushes and smaller 3" plushes.

As for on-site commissions, I mostly want to do bust or full body pencil sketches, MAYBE colored, MAYBE inked. I know this depends largely on the artist's skill, but does anyone have a sort of price range for what people are generally willing to pay?

Hello again,

Really useful info on prints and stuff!  Anyone have any input on on-site commissions? I think I want to do a bunch of bust or full body pencil sketches, MAYBE ink drawings as well. I know this will depend largely on quality, but what's the price range on those?

Hey guys,

Do you have any input on prices for plushes? :x  I'm thinking about making some mid-sized plushes (maybe 6" wide and 5" tall) and mini ones (3" tall) with phonecharm rings, so they'd be phone charm plushes. How do people usually price plushes of those sizes ?

Thanks for all the info so far!