working artist Tag
I’m coming to Los Angeles for Unique Markets!
Hey folks, I’m on my way to Los Angeles this weekend for the 15th annual Spring Unique Markets! This is a BIG 2 day market in downtown LA featuring local artisans selling art, jewelry, pottery, clothes, plants, and more. I’ll have books, prints, stickers, etc there. Bring you and your family to the event to shop local or just say hi. I hope to see you there. More info here.
You can visit Unique Markets on Instagram to see some photos and videos from the event.
Here are some fotos from the market over the years to get an idea of the vibe.
Dig this? Check out these photos of my booth set up from the Craneway Craft Fair
15 Tips from 15 Years as a Freelance Illustrator (PDF)
Check it out, this is a pdf with 15 tips that I’ve learned from, failed at, or screwed up on as a freelance illustrator. I started making art as a kid drawing for fun, doing graffiti, and then going to college to study and changing my major 3 times. After the second major change and becoming a dad I officially began freelancing, accepting money for my art and let me tell you it has been a bumpy road.
Feel free to cop this for a young student who wishes to be a freelance artist who works for themself. I wrote the words, did the illustrations, and my lovely wife Joy did the design/layout for it.
COP THE PDF HERE
Is this useful? Check out this post about why I still use business cards
Freelance Chronicles 8 – Five reasons why I still use business cards
Business cards by Robert Liu-Trujillo
Ok so I have been making business cards with my name, phone number, email, image, and services offered for about 15 years now. How old tech of me right? I get it, there are apps where you can just send someone your contact info, airdrop it, text it, or refer them to your IG I get it. But here are a few reasons why I still keep a business card for introductions. Note: I didn’t have a business card during the start of the pandemic because, well I was in the house :/
Hasan Minhaj via GIPHY
1. No phone:
You forgot your phone at home, it got broken, or you lost it. Damn. Sucks, you can tell the person you’re talking to your name or write it and your number or email on a napkin but a card might be handy. I’ve definitely had this happen before.
Brazilian singer Anitta
2. Phone battery died:
Have you ever missed a crucial opportunity to show someone your work, get their info, or exchange info but your phone battery died? Try keeping a business card as a back up 🙂 If you had a great conversation, they will want to talk to you again fam. People fake good work, and some put on a good show, but it’s harder to fake good vibes or energy. Or you can have them wait while you recharge your phone….
The one and only Prince
3. Getting away from social media:
I’ve been on social media for almost 20 years and I have referred people to my (fill in the blank) but I’m getting kind of tired of it honestly. There are some great artists out there using it to the max but I don’t want it to become my life. And it started to feel like that a few years ago. These companies found ways to make us addicted and that is not healthy, for me. You?
Also, from experience, I know that these apps come and go. For a few years they’re hot, and then people are on to the next thing. And if you’re an artist with a smaller but dedicated following you have to build your audience again. So I still use it, but I keep my distance. If you want to step back a bit from social media I think that a curated website, blog, or page is a great place to refer folks to via biz card.
Tessa Thompson
4. Leave them impressed:
Ok, if designed properly with your information, a sample of your art on it, and a print quality that speaks to your esthetic your business card can leave the person holding wanting more. If I get a well made business card that communicates your taste by seeing it and/or touching it I’m going to remember you. It could be done with letterpress, with metal, or a bright color. The point is, leave the holder with a taste of how dope you are.
Tyler the Creator shot by Cam Hicks
5. Control the narrative:
On your card you can provide the basics like your number, email, etc. But, you can also provide them with coordinates to a location. Weird, right? You can put a QR code on it that when read sends them to a song. You could just have a link to a video. There are lots of ways you can control how the holder interacts with or gets to know you and your work. A well crafted and updated website featuring a portfolio of your work is still a tried and true way to do this. Just saying, show them your true self in your way….
Back of the business card (w/o my ph number 🙂
Dig this? Check out my post about how I got 1000 sales on Etsy as an illustrator/author who makes merch!
Who dis? What’s this? Hi, my name is Rob and I’m an artist/author from Northern California. Oakland to be specific. I have been working as a freelance artist for over 15 years. I’ve picked up a few tips on the way and “Freelance Chronicles” is one of the ways I share. Was this helpful? Please share and cop something from my shop. Adios.
1500 in sales= 30% discount from my shop
Juiced-My shop just crossed the #1500 mark in sales and I want to offer a thank you to all of you who have supported me. Along with many hustles, I survive with sales from this shop so I appreciate you if you’ve purchased anything from me in the past. If you’ve never gotten anything but wanted to, now’s your chance. From now until this Friday (January 20th) use the code “GREATEST3” to get 30% off from my shop.
Here’s my shop link: GO
Dig this post? Check out this one where I talk about how I made it to 1000 sales. When I get to 2000 sales I’m going to make a video about elaborating on how I got this far.
Etsy Strike April 11th-18th 2022
Vid link
In case you haven’t heard there is a strike by Etsy Sellers against a fee increase by the company on individual sellers. Check out the above interview from the strike organizer/
video link
Ijeoma Eleazu (Etsy Conversations Podcast) is also hosting a live call in where you can voice your opinion about it on her podcast which interviews 100’s of Etsy shop owners about their shops and how we as individual sellers make a living through e-commerce.
I joined the strike in solidarity w/ the over 12k shops who are also striking (my shop). I know some folks cannot do this. I make my $ from a variety of avenues and e-commerce is one of them. I have been on the platform since 2008, I wrote this piece about making 1000 sales on Etsy, and I’ve sat back during many times when sellers voiced their anger about the company going corporate. Some of the changes have been great for sellers and some of hurt sellers. We are not mini corporations, we are people with families and lives.
I don’t like the fee increase to keep it real; especially when the company saw record profits in 2020 and 2021. I gained sales in the last two years as well. But, a lot of that came from joining the Black Owned Etsy group, the increase in the number of pandemic shoppers, earned media coverage, and the fact that George Floyd was murdered and folks made an intentional effort to support Black owned shops. I will say I have been highlighted by the company and I very much appreciate that-but folks have been pushing Etsy and companies like it to feature and highlight Shops owned by Black, Indigenous, POC folks for a long time! Like I said, I’ve been on the site since 2008.
I will say I love Etsy and appreciate the efforts they’ve made to bring in more people to the site-I see that work. But, your sellers are the backbone of the company, when they start organizing against you-you’ve got a problem that you need to take notice of. If they don’t act, the number of folks organizing will increase. Shout out to the hundreds of shop owners I’ve met through SF Etsy, The Black Owned Etsy Shops, and the formerly active Etsy Shop owners of color. I will be back on Etsy, but wanted to support the organizing efforts. If any corporation puts up Black squares during protests for Black Lives or pretends to be down for issues everyday people are organizing about such as climate change, Lgbtq rights, etc they should understand. These are their values.
I shared info about the strike to on social media. If you’d like more information about it please go to EtsyStrike.org to read more.
Sign the petition (over 75k signatures so far) if you agree as a buyer or seller too if you can. LINK
Etsy Black History Month Market
Hey fam my shop got picked to be a part of this months Etsy Black History Month Market. Please check out the stuff from all of the amazing shop owners. I’m on pg 16.
Yo, if you missed it, this is the Black Owned Etsy Shops market from last summer: LINK
Old Art 4 – Treadmill
Here’s a throwback from this old show in Brooklyn. I feel like the treadmill is not at quite as steep an incline, but still there. This is when I was heavy getting into ink. So much of what we go through in this country as working people is about keeping capitalism going and fighting for the almighty dollar. Sometimes it makes me imagine what would I do if I (we) didn’t have to live this way.
If you missed the previous Old Art post, here it is: Big Daddy Kane
Here’s an old ink drawing I did of an Afro Pick.
Children’s Portrait 58 – Aissa
Yo, excited to share this latest portrait of Aissa. Shes a beautiful little one mixed with Black, Mexican, Argentinian, and Armenian. She loves the color pink so thts what I included here. A few years back I painted her big sister Niara! Big thanks to their momma for commissioning.
If you’d like to commission an original portrait you can do so HERE. Thank you for supporting a working artist and one of a kind hand made art vs corporate art.
Check out the last portrait of Walker here. And some process art below.
Children’s Portrait 57 – Walker
Here is the latest children’s portrait. This one for my good friends Melinh and Malik. This young man is Malik’s son and Melinh’s step-son. He’s in college now and a man. It was really fun painting him, trying to capture his smile and warmth. Love his wild hair!
Did you catch the last children’s portraits of Cinthya’s kids? See it HERE
If you would like to commission a portrait of a child or children please reach out and cop one from my store. Thanks so much for supporting one of a kind, unique, handmade art and for supporting an artist vs a corporation.
Here’s some process art below.
