You’ve got questions & I’ve got answers : )
Q: Where do you get your products printed? Can you recommend a local printing company?
A: All paper-based products from my stationery line are printed from my home studio. I’ve spent years of trial and error and have owned a variety of printer/scanner combos since the start of my business in 2012. I have no preference on printer brand but have owned several HP printers. In my experience, printing your own paper goods requires a recipe of variables: printer, paper type, art scan quality, art scan editing and printer settings to get a quality product. Which recipe works well for one artist’s watercolor art may not work well for artist’s work or type of art. I prefer a printer that requires no more than 4 ink cartridges and has a 11x17 scan bed to be able to scan larger size work. Figuring out your own “printing recipe” is part of the artist journey. Have fun and enjoy the experimentation!
For vinyl sticker printing I use Stickemule.com
Q: What do I need to start my own watercolor practice?
A: I have created a Watercolor Curious Starter kit that has everything you need and can be purchased HERE. If you’d like to source your own supplies, you’ll need watercolor paint, watercolor paper, a watercolor brush (round is the most versatile) a palette to mix paint in, a cup of water and a paper towel or two. You can also download a list of materials you need to get started for FREE here.
Q: What is the best watercolor paint to use?
A: There are many many different brands to choose from! My very favorite brand of watercolor paint is Dr. PH Martin’s Hydrus Fine Art Watercolor. This paint is liquid unlike traditional watercolor tubes (consistency of toothpaste) or paint cakes (similar to what we used in elementary school). While they still require the addition of water to activate them, the vibrancy of the Hydrus colors can’t be beat!
Q: What is the best advice you can give to an artist who wants to ‘make a go of it’ full time?
A: Go slow. I worked a flexible full-time (then part-time job) for almost 9 years while I worked towards becoming a full-time artist in 2018. I don’t think there has been a linear path for any artist that I know. Focus on 1- 3 goals at a time: You can do a lot of things ‘ok’ or you can do a few things really well. Every year I choose 2-3 aspects of my business to focus on. I prioritize to-do lists based on those goals. One year, my focus was wholesale and getting my products into stores and I worked with a wholesale coach. In 2020, it was teaching watercolor workshops and my children’s book Buddy Worried. If you are just starting out, your main goal might be to open an Etsy shop or online store front and get it optimized, and that is plenty! Social media can make it seem like people are handed business success over night- not the case my friend! Define a few goals and keep working towards them daily.