Preparing for conventions is a lot of work. And a lot of money. For the last several weeks straight (excluding Sundays) I've done nothing but work, come home, get on the computer, and prepare for Sakura Con.
To give you an idea of the many hours (and dollars!) involved in preparing, let me list some of the things I've done so far:
- designed/created business card (I still need to do the backside, I've conceptualized it just haven't made it yet!)
- created 4 new pieces of artwork (SO. MANY. HOURS.)
- scanned artwork
- retouched artwork
- touched-up and recolored 3 pieces of existing artwork (this is always so satisfying, like figuring out how to scratch an itch that's been pestering you for ages - feeling like your art finally looks the way you've been wanting it to look but never quite had gotten it there before!)
- resized artwork to appropriate crops for having prints made
- if I change anything about a piece of artwork after this resizing (which happens a lot - I will be using the artwork for creating a bookmark or something and will make a change in coloring or design that I like, or will be zoomed in and discover blemishes I want to remove), then I have to go through and resize artwork again (using the new, changed image file).
- designed a set of 10 bookmarks (and redesigned several - I'm a perfectionist)
- ordered plastic bags/dealt with a damaged order
- researched construction of an artist alley display (we have to build it ourselves, so I was learning about common materials and where they recommend you go to buy them)
- created etsy shop (which I will use to sell anything leftover from the Con, I needed to establish it so I could get an URL and print the URL on my business cards)
- ordered metal headbands (for an idea I have for an item we'll be selling)
- fix one more tweak on a piece of artwork (my mom pointed out something to me last night that's been bugging me ever since. . . it's minor, but now I see it I have to fix it!)
- order prints (also, I need to determine how many of each to get for each piece, all the art sells very different and it can be hard to predict!) - 5x7, 8x10, and 11x14 posters
- order business cards (after finishing back of card design - I think that will be pretty quick, my business card is pretty basic)
- finish keychain designs - I have the artwork done, it's the design that's taking a while (I have this feeling that the keychains are going to be the last thing I finish. . .)
- buying materials and constructing our artist alley display (this step is vital but it's going to be a lot of work!)
- buy storage bin for protecting artwork while at Con
- get prints/label and bag (I sell my artwork in protective bags with a label with my name and contact information on the back)
- create headbands
- buy tablecloth
- create signs to advertise for different products and pieces
I intend to get the prints and business cards ordered this weekend (that's becoming more urgent as the Con approacheth since there is shipping time involved) - and hopefully I can at least start preparing to construct our artist alley display as well. Although I may need some down time, since I'm pretty exhausted and I haven't been sleeping well lately. So the display may get bumped to next week and I will probably work on finishing up keychain designs instead (it is better to finish a project than start a huge new one when you need a bit of a mental break).
Updates sure to come. . . hopefully with a preview of my zodiac keychains (because there will be a point in time in the future when they're done. . that's a happy thought right now!!)♥
~md
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