I have a few new pieces posting to
the shop this week.
I'm considering creating and selling a tutorial for the Three Piece Convertible earrings (two piece pair below). Belle Armoire asked to publish one and I've also had a couple customers ask about one. What do you think?
for the Three Piece Convertible earrings (two piece pair below). Belle Armoire asked to publish one and I've also had a couple customers ask about one. What do you think?
I've written tutorials (one for
the book, one for Belle Armoire) but with those I had some guidelines from the writer/editor. It would have to wait until after the anthropologie order of course but I'd like to take more time to mull it over in my head.
I'd love to hear your thoughts - what do you expect from a tutorial that you purchase? What have you liked and not liked about tutorials you've purchased?
I think it would be a great idea, once you come up for air.
ReplyDeleteThis design lends itself to the artist's own spin on the basic design, which is a wonderful thing.
Thats exactly what I think Susan! I like the idea of a tutorial that isn't meant to be follow precisely, rather, an idea that the individual uses as a jumping off point. Thanks for the confirmation :-)
DeleteI think a tutorial for those earrings makes a lot of sense - the designs used and combined with each other are endless, so no one would be carbon-copying your work. And it could be adapted for pendants and even bracelets as well.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yeah, I taught a 1/2 class on this idea and the students could pick if they wanted to make earrings or a pendant. I hadn't considering bracelets though. Good idea! I'll need to thinking about how to make that happen.
DeleteYay, I would love to see a tutorial from you! So, my 2 cents: for a beginner, a detailed step by step instruction on how to make a certain piece is a must. Beginners learn by copying. I know, because I am still a beginner as far as working with clay goes. However, since I am better at sewing, I look for tutorials or patterns that give me jump start to design my own, so I look more to learn something new, different and like to see ideas on how it was used and create my own from there. I enjoy a challenge as well and learning a new technique. I am also aware, that as an artist, giving away your "secrets" is something you want to think about twice. You worked hard on developing your own style and techniques and you don't want a bunch of copycats popping up everywhere, selling jewelry that look like yours. I know you had some issues with this earlier. My thoughts, opinion: this world is huge! Thanks to the internet, it is really hard for an artist to keep their work from being copied. And, there may be others who simply figured it out on their own and their style is strikingly similar to yours, by simple chance. I cannot tell you how often I made something and thought it was unique, only to do a Google search and find others that were really similar. Eventually I got discouraged and stopped making items for sale. I now only have graphic designs in my shop, but I have gotten to the point that I even question if I should keep those in there. You know what you are comfortable with. Anyways, I am getting off the subject. So, far the tutorials I bought all said that it was OK to make items for sale from that tutorial, as long as the design was credited back. A few had a personal use only policy, with an option for a cottage license that could be purchased to make items for sale. Hope this helps. Oh, and congratulations on the Anthro deal!
ReplyDeleteOne more thought, do you intend your tutorial for simple DIY-ers or fellow artists or those who are more serious about clay instead of just looking to make a one time trendy piece? And, being in Anthro is almost a guarantee that your designs will be copied not just by crafty DIY-ers who will just a write up a tutorial, but others who will sell what they make as well.
DeleteThanks Dora! The tutorial I am considering would really be for people early in their experience with polymer. It wouldn't be secret polymer tips. It would be more design ideas and considerations and how to make those choice.
DeleteYeah I am thinking about the balance of the wider audience that Anthropologie is going to give me. No matter what happens (continued orders, or not or, copying….whatever) I look at the whole thing a bunch of potential opportunities that I need to be considering now.
That sounds great! Would you consider including maybe a couple guided design exercises or challenges to help? When I was brand new to graphic design, I loved going through a book that gave me challenges on themes to help develop my own style. It did not teach me per say how to do it, it was mainly teaching design ideas and offered a challenge. It was interesting and fun. Sounds like you are thinking of doing something similar.
DeleteThats absolutely the direction I want to go with this! You get it, you get it! I started my college career as a design major - changed to craft concentration. But still, I think the basis of my work is the design - not any secret technique.
DeleteThat's fantastic! As much as I enjoy step-by-step tutorials or learning a new technique, I think it is more fun developing my own. Of course that can be challenging too, but the point is to find a way. And to be perfectly honest, when I do buy a tutorial and learn a "secret", I usually end up being disappointed because simply doing what someone else does is not as satisfying as when I come up with my own. It's the journey, figuring out how to get there is what is fun and fulfilling. And having a tutorial like that can be great even for established artists, because it can challenge them to move past what they are used to making . I am really looking forward to seeing your tutorial now!
DeleteBy the way, the term tutorial kind of threw me off. Course or lessons might be a better to use in my opinion. To make it easier for people like me, who need a tad bit more explanation before we get what others are talking about ;) Sorry for the bits and pieces comments, I homeschool as well so I only get few minutes here and there between my kids to write. And now of course it's time to make dinner.
DeleteYeah I agree Dora, tutorial isn't the right word. Thanks for mentioning that. I certainly need to think through the terminology used and the delivery if I'm going to treat it more as a design lesson.
DeleteWell, I for one can't wait. I have been playing around with polymer clay, but I do better when I copy or mimic other people right now. I am really struggling to find my own "voice" with this medium. So, I have been working through a few books, learning techniques and trying them out. The problem is that I kind of know what I would like, but the idea refuses to come out and form into something solid. So, some guided design lessons would be nice to help to get out of this rut. By the way, I made some beads that were inspired by you, have not blogged it yet, but tagged you in Instagram. It was fun carving the beads, but I really want a more ethnic look, more in lines of my heritage. I guess I just have to patient. Hopefully it will come.
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