Darling Illustrations | Queer Artist, Storyteller and Illustrator
Telling queer stories of hope through paintings, cards, stickers, art-prints
Kelsey Oseid, aka kelzuki, is a freelance illustrator and artist living and working in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is well-known for her animal-a-day project which she started in January 2016. Kelzuki’s Animal Kingdom now encompasses over 500 creatures from 18 different taxonomic groups. (more…)
In this week’s video we answer the following question from Clair:
I would just love to know if you guys have a general idea of what you are going to do or whether you just free form it. We tend to do a theme…like a city or mountains, and then we wing it from there but I’m curious to see how others do it!
Pull your kiddo up into your lap, watch the video, and join us as we make art together!
You asked me how I paint with kids. Today I am launching a new video series to answer your questions. I hope you’ll join us! Pull your kiddo up into your lap, press play, and leave us a comment or question below sharing your own experiences!
I thought it would be fun to share with you my process for creating a new Animal Personality Portrait commission.
Almost every creative person I know has wrestled with discouragement brought on when something born out of their heart and imagination—something that felt personal and original—was found reproduced by others who had no attachment to the idea beyond its “pretty effect.” (more…)
UPDATE 4/11/2023: I wrote this blog post 8 years ago. Do not follow the advice here. I have learned SO MUCH since then. If you want advice for making art prints from your paintings, join my discord server and ask me directly as my recommendation may change depending on your needs and what my current knowledge of the printing options are.
When I started selling my watercolor paintings, I only sold originals. It soon became obvious to me that this was not a sustainable way to make money off my art. The watercolor cards and watercolor paintings I produced were well-loved and well-received, but in order to offer the art at a price that was fair for the time I put into each piece, the end product was too expensive for most people.
That’s when I started looking into printing services.
It is more difficult to create prints from watercolors than from other kinds of paintings because of the translucent nature of the watercolor. You cannot simply scan and print these images at a Kinkos while retaining the true nuanced nature of the original work. I understand that no print will ever be as good as the original, but there is a certain level of quality I expect from anything I sell. I refuse to put my name on a product that is subpar.
I explored dozens of businesses that offered reproduction services. The easiest services to find are professional reproduction services that will professionally reproduce your artwork for a hefty price. Sometimes these companies require that they manage the printing of the reproductions, as well. Oftentimes there are requirements on how many prints you create; a 100 print minimum is not uncommon. As a small-scale artist who was just getting started, these options did not suit my needs. I needed a DIY option.
Here is what I found. (more…)
Are you a visual artist who is thinking about selling your art on the internet? Here is my Guide on How to Start Selling Your Art Online!
There are many sites where you can sell your art online: etsy, society6, redbubble and café press are all popular. These sites provide a storefront, but they do not promote/market/sell your art for you. Don’t expect them to. Don’t just throw your art up there hoping to get “lucky” and “discovered.” It will never happen.
Ok, sure, maybe as your shop gains momentum, it will seem like more people are finding you through whatever storefront site you use. But that’s not the case. The new customers are finding you because of networking.
YOU have to be very active in promoting and marketing yourself and your work. (more…)