#artblog

Jul 21, 2021
3 min

Connecting With Your Audience One Email At A Time

*Get started by grabbing my free Start Your Art Biz Checklist!* Why do I need an email list? What would I even say in a monthly email? Do people want to hear from me? Don't they just want to see the art? These are all valid and popular questions I get when I start to talk about email lists. But your email list is the life-blood of your business. As artists, we spend a lot of time trying to find and cultivate collectors for our work - hopefully those that return time and time

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melissahelene

Jul 14, 2021
3 min

Care For A Finished Scratchboard

Completed scratchboard artwork is sprayed with a protective varnish and are actually more durable than you might think - considering the whole medium is scratching! I use a Golden Archival varnish with a matte finish on every single completed scratchboard. This varnish protects the artwork from dirt, moisture, UV damage, and MINOR scratches. The protective layer can be scratched through with a sharp tool or gouged with a sharp object, so the artwork does need to be protected

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melissahelene

Jul 1, 2021
8 min

Art Festivals: During and After A Show

After participating in my first two juried art festivals of summer 2021, it feels very appropriate and timely that we are discussing what to expect when you show your work at an art festival and the things to do afterward. This is part three of my series about juried art festivals - if you missed part one (applying) or part two (preparing), be sure to check those out too! Let's dive in! LOAD IN: each festival will have specific instructions for how and when to arrive to their

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colorcodedcreative

Jun 10, 2021
6 min

Preparing for a Juried Art Festival

[Grab my free Start Your Art Biz Checklist to help start, build, and grow your art business without all the hassle, questions, and uncertainty!] Welcome to part two of my series all about juried art festivals! (If you missed the first one, head over to read all about Applying to Juried Art Festivals.) Today I'm talking about the preparation phase, which includes everything from making artwork to sell at the event, travel arrangements, gathering supplies, preparing for weather

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The Ins and Outs of Applying to Juried Art Festivals

melissahelene

Jun 3, 2021
6 min

The Ins and Outs of Applying to Juried Art Festivals

Welcome to my three part series about juried art festivals! This first section will be all about applying for shows - the research process, organizing your data, preparing to submit applications, paying fees, and tracking important dates and information. If you want to apply for multiple shows in a year (or even on the same weekend - we'll get to that), then this process can get quite complicated...but with a little organization, it can be less stressful. First, let's discuss

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Scratchboard Tutorial: Creating Realistic and Soft Fur Textures

melissahelene

May 20, 2021
3 min

Scratchboard Tutorial: Creating Realistic and Soft Fur Textures

Today's post is all about FUR! I use a combination of the small fiberglass brush and an x-acto knife to create realistic looking fur. There are several ways to render fur on scratchboard, but I'm going to talk about my specific processes and methods. The first step in almost all of my scratchboard textures is the small fiberglass brush. I use this tool to put in the first layer of scratches, which helps establish the flow of the fur (the direction in which the individual hair

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melissahelene

Apr 22, 2021
3 min

Scratchboard Techniques: Black vs White

My scratchboard artwork is all black and white (with many variations of grey), but the approach I take for creating a mostly 'white' animal and a mostly 'black' animal can be very different. When I'm out showing my work, I often get asked how I draw black animals on a board that is already completely black. The answer to that question is LIGHT...and form, but mostly light, light, light. That question also assumes that creating a white animal is easier, when, at least for me,

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Why You Need Your Own Artist Website and Tips to Build One

melissahelene

Apr 15, 2021
2 min

Why You Need Your Own Artist Website and Tips to Build One

A website is your place to shine and a space where you control your audiences' experience. You can take them on a journey through your work, your processes, your story and guide them along the way. A website, blog, online gallery or portfolio allows you to showcase your work in exactly the way you want. You can tell stories and share information about each piece, as well as provide information about how you work and where they can see your work in person. Having your own plat

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melissahelene

Apr 8, 2021
2 min

Tool Feature: The Other Tools in my Kit

There are two tools in my scratchboard tool kit that I use on EVERY SINGLE piece that I create - the small fiberglass brush and x-acto knife - but you won't find them here. This post is about all the other tools that are in my kit. They may not be used as often as my two favorites, but they do have specific purposes and can be used in different ways. Let's dive in! Most of these tools came from a scratchboard tool set that I got when I first started learning scratchboard. The

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melissahelene

Apr 1, 2021
2 min

Social Media Topic Ideas for Artists

50 Social Media Topic Ideas for Artists Social media marketing is about building a community and strengthening relationships with your audience, which means that you need to be intentional with what you post and consistent in showing up to engage with your audience. If you're struggling to come up with things to post, other than your finished artwork, I have a list of 50 ideas to help kickstart your content strategy and planning. Grab the free download of this list! 1. Finish

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Scratchboard Tutorial: Creating Photo-Realistic Eyes with Life and Soul

melissahelene

Mar 25, 2021
4 min

Scratchboard Tutorial: Creating Photo-Realistic Eyes with Life and Soul

Today I am talking all about EYES! The eyes are my favorite part of every single piece. I work on them first, when I'm fresh with a new piece, and take the most time with these specific details. I also believe that they can make or break a photo-realistic piece. I am going to share with you the steps that I take to create photo-realistic eyes in my scratchboard wildlife artwork, share the tools I use for specific textures, and share video examples of each step. Most of the sc

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Ten Ways to Make Money With Your Art Practice

colorcodedcreative

Mar 17, 2021
4 min

Ten Ways to Make Money With Your Art Practice

[FREEBIE: Start Your Art Biz Checklist to help you build a sustainable business!] Building a successful career as an artist requires more than just creating beautiful works of art. You must don hats of every shape and color - head of marketing, customer service rep, technical support, accountant, packaging and shipping...you name it. If your goal is to build a sustainable career that you can support yourself on or contribute to your family income, then you also must think lik

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melissahelene

Mar 11, 2021
3 min

Scratchboard Tool Feature: Inks

Fixing Mistakes One of the most common questions that I get asked, especially at art festivals, is about fixing "mistakes" on a scratchboard. I use quotes on mistake because it's artwork and it can be whatever I want - so mistakes are completely subjective. BUT I know what they mean is, how do you change marks that you've put down on a scratchboard if you can't erase them? The short answer is...India ink pens and scratchboard ink washes. The more in-depth answer that I usuall

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Five Ways to Get Organized in Your Creative Business

colorcodedcreative

Mar 4, 2021
4 min

Five Ways to Get Organized in Your Creative Business

[Freebie: Start Your Art Biz Checklist - we don't know what we don't know and this checklist will help you strategize and plan.] Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your physical or mental space? Do you forget to do things because you don't have a central location for your projects and tasks? Does managing your business finances give you butterflies? If your answers were YES, please know that you are certainly not alone and I am here to help you straighten that all out. My superp

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The Importance of Art Festivals in My Business

melissahelene

Feb 24, 2021
3 min

The Importance of Art Festivals in My Business

Business As An Artist "Why don't you just sell online?" "Are you selling your work on social media?" "...but they're having an online event, that's a good alternative, right?" Yes, but also a big NO. Art festivals are my chosen business model for a few very important reasons and while I do sell online through my Scratchboard Shop, promote and sell on social media, offer reproductions and small original work, host seasonal sales, and participate in and host virtual events, non

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Scratchboard Tool Feature: The X-Acto Blade

melissahelene

Feb 10, 2021
2 min

Scratchboard Tool Feature: The X-Acto Blade

The X-Acto blade is the second most important tool in my kit. This tool is very easy to get your hands on - you can find it in any arts and craft store and many other places because it serves so many different functions. I use the x-acto knife in many different ways - the first of which is to create the striking and individual details in each of my scratchboard wildlife portraits. Unlike the fiberglass brush that creates many very fine strokes within one pull of the tool, the

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Frequently Asked Questions | Third Edition | Scratchboard

melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
4 min

Frequently Asked Questions | Third Edition | Scratchboard

Welcome to the Third Edition of the Frequently Asked Questions series where I answer, in greater depth, all of your burning questions about scratchboard and my wildlife artwork, specifically. Let's dive it! #1 Where Do I Find the Extra Thin (or Mini) Fiberglass Brush? My favorite tool is the small fiberglass brush. I use it for EVERY piece that I create. It is the most VERSATILE tool in my kit. The brush can be used to create soft and fluffy fur textures, smooth skin and the

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melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
3 min

Scratchboard Lesson in Techniques and Strokes | Melissa Helene

Basic Scratchboard Drawing Techniques Scratchboard artwork requires a lot of patience and time, but also experimentation with the tools to achieve the textures that you desire. Some techniques also combine two or more of the strokes I'll discuss in this post to accomplish. The first graphic in this post shows the same stroke with different tools - the fiberglass brush in the first column and the X-Acto knife in the middle column - the third column highlights a little of both

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Frequently Asked Question | Second Edition | Scratchboard Wildlife Artwork

melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
2 min

Frequently Asked Question | Second Edition | Scratchboard Wildlife Artwork

Hey there everyone! I am back with the second edition of my Frequently Asked Questions blog post series. I will be answering more of the questions I get asked at every art festival in greater length here and hope that it makes things more clear for you. Scratchboard is not a well known artistic medium, so I'm happy to be able to give you a glimpse into the world of highly detailed, photorealistic, black and white scratchboard wildlife artwork! Here we go! #1 How do you fix a

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African Elephant | Endangered Species Series

melissahelene

Sep 9, 2020
2 min

African Elephant | Endangered Species Series

African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) Quick Facts: Status: Threatened Population: 470,000 Height: 8.2 - 13 ft Weight: 5,000 - 14,000 lbs Average Lifespan: up to 70 years Habitat: Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests, Flooded Grasslands and Savannahs, Miombo woodlands, Acacia savannahs Range: Central and Southern Africa Diet: Herbivores - roots, grasses, fruit, and bark; they consume up to 300 lbs in one day African Elephants are the largest land animals and are sl

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MH