Best of the Web – April 24th

Here at Artist Shops and Threadless, we are always sharing links to stay up to date on what’s new for creatives. Here are some highlights of what was being talked about on our Slack these last couple of weeks. .     .     . Isometric App Use this iOS app to create all kinds of images starting with a simple 60 degree rhombus. A fun app with some decent export options. Check out the gallery of user-created images. Create SomeRead more

Interview With Illustrator and Brush Creator Kyle T. Webster

When it comes to artists who have found a way to break into and thrive in the freelance world, there is almost no better example than Kyle T. Webster. This Jack (and master) of many art trades is an award-winning illustrator, educator, and now children’s book author whose clients include The New Yorker, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, and Entertainment Weekly (just to name a few). In addition to being a rockstar illustrator, he also creates Photoshop brushes that have become an industry standard,Read more

8 Reasons You Might Not Be Seeing Sales

So you’ve got your Shop’s social media accounts all set up, your Shop is lookin’ good, your SEO is awesome, annnd…nothin’. Your Shop’s piggybank and customer cart is gathering pixel dust and virtual cobwebs. Here are 8 reasons you might not be seeing sales, and their solutions! .     .     . Relevance From dank memes to pop culture references, there’s nothing wrong with taking advantage of trends while they’re hot! Because once their window closes, dammn, Daniel, it’s time to move on. OurRead more

Best of the Web – Creative Roundup

Here at Artist Shops and Threadless, we are always sharing links to stay up to date on what’s new for creatives. Here are some highlights of what was being talked about on our Slack these last couple of weeks. .     .     . Novapattern Beautiful free (and paid) patterns by Nova Pattern. My favorite is English Green. Download Some Patterns Confidant Hardcover Notebook by Baron Fig The fine folks at Baron Fig released their Confidant Notebook in twoRead more

14 Ways to Make Your First Sale

If your online shop is awesome, but no one is around to see it, does it make a sale? After taking all the time you need to set up your store, it can be easy to hit a brick wall when you get to the whole how-do-I-sell-this-stuff part. There’s no magic “That Was Easy” button when it comes to making your first sale, but there are a ton of tips and tricks that can help you get there. Here are some 14 tips to help youRead more

How to Build Your Social Media Audience

We’ve all been there: you write a killer tweet, publish it, sit and wait for those retweets to start pouring in, annnd… nothing happens. Anyone who’s tried building a social following for their online store, their art, for their blog, etc. knows that it’s not as simple as “if you tweet it, they will ‘Like’”. Learning how to build your social media audience and then putting those methods into practice takes work, and definitely takes time. But they say, “the best way to learn is by doing.” So weRead more

More Free Textures For Your Art!

‘Tis the season to be giving! And seeing as our first Textures Pack was such a hit, we wanted to give you a few more to play around with! Our graphics guru Katie created a whole new set of free textures for you to apply to your art. Use them on everything from holiday card designs for your family, to new designs for your Artist Shop, to holiday card designs that you decide to sell on pillows in your Shop! AndRead more

Free Textures For Your Art

Ever look at a piece of art with a distressed or dappled look to it and wonder what crazy process the artist used? Well you’re in luck! The distressed look is actually easier to achieve than you’d expect; all it takes is textures.  From old crinkled paper, to chipping paint, to splotches of paint, textures can be made up of almost anything and are an artist’s best friend. They can provide a finishing touch and extra element of intrigue to any art piece. Best of all,Read more

How to Boost Sales With Color

In college, I remember talking to a guy who had a disorder called synesthesia, which caused him to see a splotch of color appear whenever anyone spoke (my voice was purple). He told me the experience was so intense that there are people he can’t even talk to because the ‘color of their voice’ is too gross. Such is the power of color. If you’re seeking the secret to what colors are guaranteed to lead to more sales, here it is: there isRead more

What Makes You Click-Worthy? Why Buttons Work

People. Love. Buttons. From pressing every button in the elevator as kids (and sometimes grown-ups), to the trope of the forbidden “big red button” always getting pressed, there’s something irresistible about pressing buttons. I mean, who hasn’t wanted to do this on The Voice? There are actually a lot of things that make pressing buttons tantalizingly tempting. And when it comes to trying to direct people to a product of yours or trying to get them to click into your shop or toRead more

10 Podcasts You Should be Listening to

There are a ton of helpful ecommerce and marketing books out there. But you’re a busy artist growing their business, maybe growing your online store. You don’t always have time to sit down and read Ecommerce For Dummies. That’s where podcasts can come in handy. Podcasts allow you to multi-task, maybe make some art and tend to your shop, while you passively listen and get some amazing advice. If you want lots of ecommerce answers with none of the hours put into scouring through booksRead more

Case Study: Zen Pencils

Every creative dreams of being able to quit their day job to pursue their craft full time. And Zen Pencils creator (and Artist Shop owner) Gavin Aung Than managed to successfully trade his corporate design job to pursue his passion of cartooning. But while Gavin managed to turn his passion project into a successful career, his story is also humbling and realistic. It took more than simply posting a comic and gaining success – getting to where he is nowRead more