Overalls count as jeans right?
This is my entry for Day 9 of #InktoberFF inspired by Atlantic-Pacific.
You can see the rest of the my entries here.
Inktober Day 7 + 8: Pattern + Sunglasses
I combined Day 7 (Pattern) and Day 8 (Sunglasses) with today's Inktober Fall Fashion prompt.
You can check out my other entries here.
8 Ways to Fix Your Instagram Profile
The change in seasons always feels like a good time to look around and refresh the things in your life that may have become a little stale. Your online brand and social media presence is no exception. So this week I propose that we start an Instagram clean-up together.
Why? Because you know what you do, what services you provide, what you stand for, and what your brand is all about - but is your Instagram profile really communicating that to new friends and fans that are seeing it for the first time?
First, join our Facebook group so you can share your progress and results - then read through the checklist below and see where you might be going wrong.
Part 1: What’s in your bio?
Is my bio super relevant?
- You only get 150 characters, make every one of them count!
- Leave out that you are a mom, wife, mother, dog-lover and only put in what is really relevant to your brand.
Is it clear what I do?
- Clear trumps clever every time.
- For example, instead of saying: ‘I make pretty things to brighten your world’ try: ‘I’m an illustrator, specializing in pattern, bright colors, and hand lettering.’
Do I have a strong call-to action?
- Always, always, always tell people what you want them to do next, and how they can reach you.
- With Instagram’s new business accounts you can add a contact button right on your profile, but it never hurts to tell people what to do either. You could say ‘Download your free _____’ and include a link to that specific page or opt-in on your website.
Is my profile pic easy to see, relevant and professional?
- People like connecting with real human beings, so help them do that.
- The mistakes I see most often are pics that are too far away (especially when cropped into that tiny little Instagram circle on someone’s phone), pics with family or friends (this is all about you my dear), using pets or kids, or underexposed / poorly taken photos. If you don’t have a professionally-taken portrait at least make sure it has good lighting, a clear background, and is close enough that most of the frame is filled with your face!
To download the rest of the checklist, enter your email below.
Also, check out my guide on how to spend less time on social media, but DOUBLE your results! I've been gaining 180 new followers a week on Instagram by following these tips.
Inktober Update
I had a busy couple of days and got a little behind on my #InktoberFF drawings, so I combined Day 4 (Jacket), Day 5 (Gloves) and Day 6 (Purse) so I could get back on track.
Here's a timelapse of my drawing:
Even though I got a bit behind, some other talented folk have been posting away for each of the daily prompts. Take a look at their work on the Instagram hashtag.
And it's still not too late to join, visit my original blog post to see all the daily prompts and join in whenever you have time. Happy Inktober!
Ballet Slippers
Today is World Ballet Day! And as someone who took Classical Ballet for 19 years - yep NINETEEN years (along with Jazz Ballet, Tap Dancing, Hip Hop, Street Funk, Bollywood, and more) I can't resist some pretty pointe shoes.
So in honor of Ballet Day, I created this watercolor painting, and made it available in my newly-opened Etsy store. It would be perfect for a nursery or little girl's room. Check it out.
You can also get it printed onto cushions, make-up bags / pencil cases, and more:
Inktober Day 3: Scarf
he prompt for Day 3 of #InktoberFF is 'scarf' so I illustrated one of my favorite Kate Spade scarves — which has a travel / map motif in pale pinks and grays.
I used watered-down Dr Ph. Martin's India Ink in layers to create a softer effect, and then Staedtler Fine Liners in gray to outline.
My lovely online friend Colifichets has been kind enough to give us a 10% off coupon for her gorgeous, hand-bound books (like the one I'm using in the video). She made my and my sister's wedding guest books and now she's making beautiful sketchbooks and watercolor journals too! Go check them out and use code 'BROWNPAPERBUNNY' for your discount! http://www.etsy.com/shop/Colifichets
It's not too late to join the Inktober Fall Fashion challenge, you can dip in whenever you have time. The prompts (and all of my entries so far) can be found here.
Inktober Day 2: Ankle Boots
The second prompt in the Inktober Fall Fashion challenge is 'Ankle Boots'. My submission is inspired by the Edyn boots at a local boutique, Sole Mates.
It's not too late to join in the challenge - check out all the details here.
Inktober Day 1: Flannel
Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!
Inktober is a month-long challenge than happens every year in October. I joined in a couple of years ago, and it's become one of my favorite challenges! This year I came up with my own fashion-related prompts for each day. (I'd love for you to join in by the way - check out my last blog post).
Here is Day 1: Flannel
I used Dr Ph Martin's Bombay India Ink, Micron Pens, Liquitex Markers (which I suppose are technically paint - but shh, don't tell anyone), and Winsor & Newton Cotman Brushes.
First I sketched out my drawing using pencil, then went over it with grey pens, and erased as much of the pencil lines as I could without scrubbing up the ink lines. Then I used red India Ink to create the 'splashy' side of the flannel, and more neatly color in the right-hand side.
Once that was dry I used a watered down teal India Ink in stripes over the red to create the flannel look. I also used teal to create some background texture in the upper right corner.
I then painted on some pale yellow ink on some strands of her hair, and used watered down magenta ink on her lips and cheeks.
Lastly I busted out the Liquitex marker in bright yellow to make some of her hair pop a little more, and to add some detail to the bottom left corner.
I added a couple of faint triangles in photoshop, because I felt like the big white area of her jeans was a little too plain. And voila - all done!
I'd love to know what you think of this slightly looser and messier style - often my illustrations are very neat. ;)
Inktober Fall Fashion
Inktober happens every October, and it's all about challenging yourself to draw more regularly, and experiment with ink. I don't know about you, but sometimes I get a bit stuck for inspiration when I'm doing monthly challenges, so I've put together this list of Fall fashion prompts.
Why don't you join me! Do as many or as few as you like, no pressure. Tag your pics on Instagram and Twitter with #InktoberFF (Inktober Fall Fashion) so we can all play together!
If you're looking for some good Inktober drawing materials to try out, here are a few of my favorites.
- Dr. Ph Martin's Bombay India Ink (comes in a range of colors)
- Winsor and Newton Cotman watercolor brushes (to use with the India Ink)
- Fluid Watercolor Paper (works great with the India Ink)
- Liquitex Paint Markers - I know I know, they're paint, but they're in marker form so they count ;)
- Micron Fineliner Pens
- Marker Paper or Xerox Paper (nice and smooth for the Micron Pens)
I'll be posting my entries to @BrownPaperBunny on Instagram, and of course, right here on the blog too. Leave a comment with a link to your Instagram account or blog so we can all check out your work too
Falling for Fall
It seems that the official first day of Fall was the permission the trees needed to immediately start changing color and for the weather to go from stinkin' hot to sweater and boot weather overnight.
I've heard a few people lamenting the cooler weather, but not me. Fall in Colorado is such a magical time, and secretly I wait all year to be able to get our fire going, and bust out the cute scarves, boots and cuddly sweaters! Not to mention, people in my neighborhood go all out with wreaths, cute pumpkin decorations, and Halloween parifinalia. Coming from Australia, where no-one really decorates (or celebrates) holidays in a big way I love seeing people embrace the change of seasons here!
I had to mark the occasion with a little hand lettering and some gold watercolors, which you can download and print for yourself below. (For individual, personal use only — not for resale).
31 Things to Draw
Please note: This blog post contains affiliate links, which help pay for the upkeep of this site. That being said, I will never, ever promote anything I am not 100% in love with!
This month I'm participating in a fun challenge that CreativeBug is running to find their next instructor. The contest started on September 1st and the goal is to take one of their monthly challenges and post your take on the themes each day.
I really love everything that Lisa Congdon does, so I'm using her 31 Things to Draw (or in my case draw and paint) workshop as my inspiration for the challenge.
Here is day one: Trees
The other daily prompts are things like chairs, leaves etc. All things that are simple in their own right but that you can really have some fun with - make stylized or embellished.
Have you ever done a monthly challenge where you create every day? Leave me a comment and let me know what the theme was, and whether you enjoyed it or not!
Photo by Milada Vigerova
4 Tips for Handling Angry Customers on Social Media
This might not be the sexiest of subjects, but it's important and let's face it, not many brands do a very good job of helping their customers on social media (even the big ones with huge teams dedicated solely to customer support). Even if you are one person, running a business from your kitchen table, you are a brand, and how you treat your customers plays a big part in how your brand is perceived.
I have a lot of rules for myself on social media, whether I'm working on my own brand or someone else's. Take a look and adopt the ones that might work for you:
1. Never leave a comment or question unanswered. Ever.
This might seem time-consuming, especially when your brand gets really big and you have millions of fans on social media (like many of my client's accounts have had) but it's really important. You need your fans to know that you hear them, appreciate them, and that you are a human being behind that keyboard.
It doesn't mean you have to spend time writing detailed responses to every comment, most comments might only require a smiley face or an 'I'm glad you like it'. Or a 'like' or 'heart' if it's on Twitter or Facebook. It won't take very long to do, even on larger accounts, I promise!
If you get a question you can't answer, don't just ignore it. Tell them you'll find out, and absolutely, positively make sure you follow up with them when you find the answer. There's nothing worse than waiting for a promised response that never comes.
If it's something a bit ridiculous, or it really doesn't make any sense, ask them if they could give you more information.
I can't tell you how many times I've then seen people say "OMG (insert brand) just responded to my comment, you guys are the best!!!' or 'You have the best customer service ever, I'll never buy another brand's (insert product). This simple action has the power to make someone's day and turn them into a fan for life. And loyal fans buy much more than new or one-off purchasers!
2. Be polite and helpful. Every time.
Even if it means you have to scream into a pillow, mediate for five minutes, or eat half a pint of ice-cream first, and then come back to respond.
I could tell you stories about customers that would make your toes curl, and boy-oh-boy have I wanted to respond with a sarcastic or snippy comment from time to time. But you have to bite your tongue. They are your customers, your fans, and this is a public forum! Other potential customers will take note of how you treat your existing fans.
Seriously, I have so many stories about dealing with frustrating customers, like the kid who was trying to get free product, and when we didn't bite got all of his friends to troll our happy customers, on every....single...social....media...channel. For a full week. Yep, he was on summer vacation and had nothing better to do than to spam us 10 hours a day.
Or how about the lady who commented on everything we posted, telling people not to buy our products. When we finally got her to talk to us directly, so we could try to solve her issue, she realized she had the wrong brand to begin with.
And those are just two of the more tame examples. We've had photos of people's junk on our Facebook walls, death threats because we wouldn't give out free product, porn stars tweet about our brand for no apparent reason - which then got retweeted 15,000 more times, threats of law suits because we required proof of purchase before sending out a replacement, and the list goes on and on. But you have to treat every one of these people with kindness. You can't afford not to.
3. Don't hide or delete comments
There are very few exceptions to this rule, or times when I'll block someone or hide / delete a comment. I will never do it if they have something legitimately negative to say, or a constructive complaint about my product or brand. Instead I'll try to help them and turn their experience around, which can actually result in a much more passionate and loyal fan than if they'd never had an issue in the first place.
However, I will block you if you consistently post inappropriate content on my channels: nudity, harassment of other fans, excessive cursing etc. - although I'll usually let comments like "that's fucking awesome" or "you guys are the shit" slide. ;)
4. Be a problem solver
This applies beyond social media, but take ownership if a customer has a legitimate issue with your brand or there is something wrong with the product they received. Replace it if you can, but if that's not an option try to think of other ways you can make it right for them. A discount, a different product, early access to a new product that isn't officially for sale yet. Sometimes it is really their fault, but it might be in your interest to suck it up and fix it for them - as long as it's not going to send you bankrupt.
A mistake I see brands make a lot is trying to rationalize with angry customers, and explain the ins and outs of their business in an attempt to get the customer on side. "We have to wait for more XYZ from our supplier before we can..." Or "Each one of these takes me six hours to make and I have orders for the next three months..." To put it bluntly, customers don't care how you run your business, they just want their issue fixed. So, while it's tempting to try and rationalize with an angry customer, don't do it. It never turns out well.
And if you have a particular social media question or issue, leave me a comment (I reply to every single one). ;)
Back to Pattern
This month my lovely friend @AIsForAnika is running a pattern challenge called 'Back to Pattern'. She is providing daily prompts, but it's super low pressure, you can do them as you please.
Here are the first three days, which I did on my iPad Pro, using Adobe Draw. If you'd like to see my Top 5 iPad Pro Apps for Artists check out this blog post.
Day 1: Feather
Day 2: Stripes
Day 3: Snails
I usually go through several iterations and color ways before I make a final decision, here are just a few of the snail options I played around with once I'd drawn the image and was happy with the repeat layout.
Do you like the one I picked in the end, or do you have a different favorite? Let me know in the comments!
BrownPaperBunny Studio Tour
Recently my little art studio was featured by UPPERCASE Magazine – only my all time favorite magazine! I'm pretty excited about it all, so I thought I would share the write up so you can have a little peek inside my work space.
The text is a bit too small to read, so here it is, along with some extra photos of my studio:
"I'm an Australian artist, living in Colorado, and I'm trying to bring color to the world, one bright painting at a time. I mostly work in watercolor, although I've recently fallen in love with acrylics and am experimenting with working digitally as well.
I only started painting a few years ago, after making a New Year's Resolution that I would take an evening art class. As soon as I picked up a paint brush I was hooked! When we move to America I enrolled in a Master of Fine Arts, majoring in Illustration, but with all the preliminary classes involving endless hours of charcoal still life drawing it quickly became a chore and I decided to do my own thing – gravitating to bright colors, and whimsical topics. I most love to paint fashion illustration, conversational patterns and bold abstracts.
I'm lucky enough to have a pretty little room to myself in our house, with a view of the Rocky Mountains. I've lined the walls of my studio with colorful art, which inspires me every day. I'm also a serious bookwork, and although my collection is only a couple of years old (we couldn't bring all of our books when we moved countries) it's growing rapidly! Of course my UPPERCASE collection gets pride of place on the shelf in my studio."
Leave me a comment below and let me know where you do most of your creative work – kitchen table? Living room floor? Break room at work? Or do you have your own little space carved out?
Book Review: Watercolor Secrets
If you're just learning to use watercolors this is a great beginner to intermediate book!
In full disclosure, if you purchase Watercolor Secrets by clicking on this link Amazon will give me a small percentage, which goes towards covering the expense of running this website. However, I promise that I will never, ever, recommend anything I haven't used myself and believe in 100%!
So, let's take a little look inside and talk about what was most useful.
Topics Covered:
- Supplies and equipment
- Mixing colors
- Composition
- Wet and dry techniques
- Color and tonal value
- Painting subjects (landscapes, water, flowers, animals, urban, people etc)
- Capturing motion
- Special effects (spattering, throwing paint, glazing etc)
The first thing I really appreciate about Watercolor Secrets is that they explain all of the common terminology from half-pans to dry brushing, in an easy-to-understand way, and using a lot of illustrative images so you can see exactly what they're talking about.
They also walk you through all of the different types of equipment and supplies, showing you photos of each, so you can decide which paints, papers, and brushes might be right for you.
Watercolor Secrets is also the best book I've come across for teaching you different techniques for achieving the results you want, such as splattering to give texture to an old building, masking and layering to achieve depth in your painting, base layer washes to get color harmony, and they show you lots of step-by-step images so you can follow along at home.
You won't be disappointed with this book, every time I pick it up I find something new, or get inspired by one of the gorgeous example paintings they include throughout. Like this horse, painted by Sarah Rodgers.
Leave me a comment and let me know what you would find most useful in a watercolor book or class.
Modern Day Mermaid
Recently I had my art studio open to the public so they could come and see how I paint, ask me questions, and generally take a look around. While people were visiting I painted a few different things, some abstracts, florals, and this Modern Day Mermaid which is a portrait of my friend Allison (yes her hair really is that color).
If you've been reading the blog for a while, you know that I have a thing for rainbow-haired ladies, and painted a whole series of them, which you can check out here.
Would you ever be brave enough to dye your hair a bright color? Leave me a comment below, and let me know!
Sketchbook Project Tour
I've been participating in the Sketchbook Project almost since it started (10 years ago). In fact, it's one of the things that got me into art when I was just starting my creative journey.
If you're not familiar, it's a global project run by the Brooklyn Art Library where you purchase a small sketchbook, complete it (there are themes but you don't have to follow them) and send it back by the due date. Then all of the sketchbooks from that year go on a global tour, then live permanently in the Brooklyn Art Library, where you can go and visit them whenever you're in New York.
In all the years I've been participating I've never been in the right place at the right time to see them at one of the mobile tour stops - until now! I made sure to fly back from L.A. a day early, just so I could see the tour when it stopped in Boulder on Saturday. And I'm so glad I made the effort.
Not only did I get to chat with the staff, look at so many incredible sketchbooks from around the world, but I also met a few local Boulder artists who had their books in this year's tour!
This is Allison Wheeler, a Boulder artist who's sketchbook I got to check out from the mobile library
There is such a variety of amazing artwork as part of the project. I would have stayed there all day and looked at books, if it hadn't been 95 degrees in the shade that day! A few years ago I started a Pinterest board just to save all the cool Sketchbook Project books I came across, check it out: http://www.pinterest.com/BrownPaperBunny/sketchbook-project/
I've signed up again this year, so stay tuned for more paper tests, tutorials on how you can remind your sketchbook (while still staying within the project guidelines) and more. Leave me a comment if you have any questions or want to see anything in particular.
Street Art
I've always been fascinated by graffiti and street art, and I seek it out whenever I'm visiting a new city.
In fact, it is not uncommon to see me madly refreshing my browser, trying to acquire the latest limited edition Shepard Fairey print, or to see bold, brightly-colored pieces from street artists hung amidst the fashion illustrations and girly watercolors in my art studio!
Below are just a few Shepard Fairey prints I have framed, and hanging at home.
My new favorite artist though is See One, a Brooklyn street artist with a striking style. He works in both an abstract style he developed, called 'shards' and also has a cheeky, lovable, dragon character named 'Miru' - who I have quickly fallen in love with. Actually, Miru now has his own comic book - I'm waiting to get the first copy in the mail!
Image: 'Dragon Talk' by See One http://miruthedragon.com/walls/dragon-talk/#main
A while ago, I got to meet See One, interview him, and work with him at an event. Not only is he super talented, but he's smart, kind, and generous with his time and knowledge.
When I told See One about my love for street art he was sweet enough to take some time to show me how to achieve different effects on a large wall he was painting at the time. So you can expect to see a lot more spray art from me as I practice my skills!
If you love street art too, leave me a comment and tell me if there are any great pieces where you live!
And if you're ever in Paris, I can recommend the Street Art Tour by Paris Underground, and also just walking around Brooklyn in New York! Here are a few pics from my recent trips to both places!
PARIS STREET ART
BROOKLYN STREET ART
90 Days Into The 100 Day Project
Back in April I signed up to do The 100 Day Project, where you pick a project and commit to working on it every day for 100 days. I couldn't come up with one single topic I wouldn't get bored with in that amount of time, so I decided to paint something, anything, every day for the length of the project.
So. We're 90 days in, and what have I found? Here are my tips, and things I wish someone had told me going into it.
Don't put too much pressure on yourself or you'll give up on the project all together. It's meant to be fun after all.
Make it easy to succeed. For example, tell yourself you only have to spend 5 minutes on it - if you do more, great, but if you don't, you've still met your goal. Some days I simply put paint on paper. Any paint, in any fashion, with no goal in mind. But it felt good, really good, just to do that.
Don't feel like you have to post about it every single day on social media, that can become an onerous task in itself. It's fine to post your favorite thing from the week, or just post about it every so often. Here are just a few of the paintings I posted - there certainly aren't 100 in there.
With all of that being said, I certainly found that I started to hone my style, and experiment more with paints and techniques I wouldn't have tried if I was painting less frequently, so I'd say it was definitely worth it. Plus it got me in the habit of creating more regularly and not making excuses..."I'd have to clean my studio first before I can start", "I don't want to start something new I can't finish tonight", "I don't have a clear idea of what I want to paint yet" etc etc.
Let me know in the comments if you've ever done any kind of time-bound or themed project like this!
I Forgot Your Birthday, Card
Hopefully you aren't easily offended by bad language. I'm Australian after all, and we tend to have rather salty language.
I missed a friend's birthday at work, so I designed this card on my new iPad Pro (if you're interested in learning which apps I use, check out this blog post).
I wasn't entirely sure if she'd be offended or not, but she burst out laughing when she opened it, so that's a good sign. Right?
Anyway, if you're as forgetful as me, you can now buy one for your own neglected friend. Visit my Society6 store.
Leave me a comment and let me know if you have a potty mouth or you keep your language lady-like. ;)