Back in March I wrote an article describing how 6 business owners created the perfect taglines for their businesses. Today, I’m going to go one step further and discuss how to craft a tagline that will not only work for your art business, but also help you get noticed by the right people. Know who [...]

If you’re anything like me, you probably have a pile of colored pencils too short to be sharpened any further somewhere in your studio. Pencils are expensive and you just can’t bear to throw away the leftovers. . . but what can you do with them? Like many artists, I’m reluctant to throw away anything [...]

This Monday there will be no new article posted on EmptyEasel, in honor of Memorial Day here in the US. If you’re celebrating with us, either here or abroad, we hope you’re having a wonderful holiday weekend! Tuesday in Drawing Tips – We all know the pain of buying art supplies. . . we squeeze [...]

Eric Francis started out painting cartoon characters. He learned everything he could from books and later went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in studio painting from Centenary College in Louisiana. After college, painting took a backseat to earning a living. . . that is, until the day he became too ill to [...]

We all know we should back up our computers. None of us seem to do it, however. To me, talking about backups is kind of like talking about flossing. . . Until it hurts no one wants to listen. Fair enough. I, however, have already lost plenty data and have needed a few teeth drilled, [...]

After obtaining a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, Jerry La Point began his artistic career with exuberance, exhibiting commercially in solo and group shows for 14 years. His work has been showcased in galleries from Atlanta, Ga. to Blowing Rock, N.C. His success lies very obviously in his m

As an artist, you’ve spent hours honing your craft, learning the latest techniques and practicing your skills to get to the level you’re at today. But there are many other skills that will also help to make you a successful artist—and no, these aren’t skills related to your craft. Here are five skills th

It’s not always easy to figure out your brand, let alone take specific actions which will create a brand that art buyers grasp. Yet, without an identifiable brand, it’s hard to sell art. So today we’re going to spend a little time explaining ways you can increase awareness about your brand. Here are four q

Staying organized is a chore, I know. And reading about staying organized isn’t any fun either. But even though “workflow” isn’t the sexiest photography topic, searching through countless images to find one photo is way too tedious to do every day. And losing photos is even uglier. . . trust me. So put your

Oil painter John Wentz’s interest in art began at the age of six upon discovering Batman and Spiderman comic books. The artist, who was born and raised in the Bay Area of San Francisco, has carried over his artistic talents as a muralist, billboard creator and freelance illustrator into something new. . . and a [...]

In today’s article I’ll be using traditional colored pencils to finish a project that began with a drawing in water-soluble colored pencil. I started this drawing using brushes and a homemade “palette” of colors drawn with the water-soluble pencils. If you haven’t read the first article yet, I enco

Joining an arts collective can help you advance your arts career in many ways. A collective will offer networking and collaboration opportunities, events and exhibitions, advocacy, and even shared studio space and discounts off materials. But what if there isn’t an arts collective in your city? Or, what if the ones th

Monday in General Art Advice – Creating art for a living can feel a bit solitary at times, especially when it comes to marketing your work to the public. But why go it alone? Drop in tomorrow to learn how you can start your own arts collective, and begin working with other artists to promote, [...]

Kevin Meredith started out as an art student, but after starting a family of his own, he put away his paints and took another career choice. Thirty-two years later, for no other reason than he missed painting, he decided to “dust off his paintbrushes to test his earlier talent.” Then one day he approached his [.

Although South African artist Cecilia Rosslee now resides in California, both of her sunny homes are surely inspiration for her light-filled oil paintings. Her work brings interior and exterior locations to life, as well as reflecting some of her favorite things and people. With clients that include the ever-famous Planet H

Despite the wide variety of photographic muses that people chase, nearly everyone who has a camera sooner or later will want to take photos at a party, a backyard barbeque, or (if you’re Elliott Erwitt) strangers at the zoo. We just ALL like people pictures! There’s also a long tradition in literature and art of [..

Creating art from found or recycled objects is usually called “up-cycling” because it’s less about breaking items down, and more about taking a complete item and reworking it to make it into something more beautiful or useful. The trick with up-cycled artwork is to find the right sort of objects to transfo

Monday in General Art Advice – Drop in tomorrow for several helpful pointers from Steff Metal on where to find cheap (or free!) previously-used objects to create your own “up-cycled” art. Tuesday in Photography Tips – EE’s resident photographer Zach McCabe will be sharing three excellent tips f

EmptyEasel will be taking a short hiatus this week, as we work on finishing up a few side projects, but we’ll be back to our normal schedule next Sunday. In the meantime, don’t miss our articles from last week: 4 Questions to Consider Before Renting a Space for Your Art Studio How to Start a [...]

Between writing a weekly blog post, a monthly newsletter, and various marketing materials, the idea of keeping your Facebook fan page up-to-date can be daunting, to say the least. But if you follow these 4 tips, you can create a daily/weekly/monthly posting schedule that’s effortless and loads of fun! 1. Automate your

Have you ever focused on a long-term photography project? By that I mean, set yourself a photographic goal and worked on it (if not exclusively, at least intentionally) for a few weeks, months, or even years? If you haven’t, don’t let the idea be overwhelming or intimidating. To improve yourself as a photographe

Susan Easton Burns paints living things as a way of finding balance on this big blue marble of a world—intuitively, spontaneously, and naturally. “I choose to paint nature because I am a part of nature,” Susan explains. “We humans are much like animals. The main difference is animals have no fear of the future. They

Today, I’ll show you how to start a colored pencil drawing with water soluble colored pencils. I’ll be using Strathmore 300 lb. watercolor paper and Faber-Castell Art Grip Aquarelle pencils. If you’re following along, you’ll also need a few other supplies, including gummed craft paper tape, a smooth, cle

Many artists eventually outgrow the home studio or backyard shed. Moving into a studio space enables rooms in the home to be freed up, and can provide a huge boost to the artist’s business via the studio’s marketing initiatives. A dynamic studio space filled with other practicing artists also offers a support ne

Monday in General Art Advice – Are you running out of space in your spare bedroom/temporary art studio? If so, come back tomorrow for some helpful advice on renting studio space—it’s the perfect article if you want to get out of your house, but don’t know where to start! Tuesday in Drawing Tips – E

While Rebecca Beal was raising her children, she spent most of her working career in corporate sales. Then one day everything changed. . . after the loss of her father she experienced several health issues that resulted in over ten major surgeries, a heart attack, and moving in with her mom. Sixteen years later she [...]

Many photographers will snap a photo and then spend the next 15 to 45 seconds scrutinizing the tiny image preview on the back of the camera. That tiny image doesn’t tell them much—it’s too small, often the colors and brightness are inaccurate, and it can be very hard to see anything in bright sunlight—but they [...]

With encouragement from her mother, award-winning painter Ronke Aina-Scott’s playful interest in art as a child blossomed into a full-blown vocation as an adult. Today, her choice of medium changes on a dime, but you can bet whatever she creates will be abstract in nature and vibrant with color. Ronke is especially inspir

Found art (from the French objet trouvé) is a specific type of art that focuses on creating artworks from objects that aren’t normally considered art. The objects chosen are undisguised—so you can understand their pre-art form—but are often modified to create new and interesting ideas and concepts. This method of

In my line of work, I look at a lot of artwork. I’m lucky enough to see pieces from emerging artists, established artists, and everyone in between. Quite frankly, it’s a lot of fun, and always very encouraging to see all the talent that’s out there. But it also drives me crazy when I see [...]