Our ‘Q&A with Lilla’ series is back and here is part 3. This is where we share questions from the previous class of Make Art That Sells.

In Lilla’s Make Art That Sells classes she often gets asked about how to sell work in particular markets, so we thought we’d share some of those questions and answers with you. If you want to work on making art that sells yourself, then why not join us for Assignment Bootcamp, starting on January 5*. (Please note there is no Q&A with Lilla in Bootcamp as the focus is on creating art. If you want to ask Lilla questions directly you will need to join MATS A or B)”

The next Make Art That Sells classes will take place in March 2015, so get on the mailing list here to be one of the first to hear when registration opens!

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Q: How many icons are good to have in a pattern? Sometimes I feel too many get busy – is there a magic number?

A: Excellent question. There is no magic number. If you keep watching the review videos in the MATS class, over time you will get a sense of what is too busy. Tip: Vary the size of the icons and let some pop the most, with others receding.

Q: For the trade shows that you mentioned, like Printsource and Surtex, can individual artists set up their own booth or is it only for agencies and artists represented by agents?

A: Definitely individual artists, too.

Q: When receiving a licensing inquiry from a company one has never heard of (and about whom an online search doesn’t yield more info than their website), how does one know if the company can be trusted?

A: What we do here is if we never heard of them, and they have a sketchy or no website presence, we ask for money up front, like a flat fee, paid by PayPal. If that scares them off, then perhaps it’s for the better.

Q. With any licensing deal, how can one be sure that the company pays out the correct royalties (since one can’t monitor their sales)? What if they don’t report all the sales (perhaps more a concern with lesser known companies)?

A: This is a tough one. If the company is unknown, refer to the previous answer. Get a flat fee. You can ask to audit the royalties, but this is tricky because it’s insulting, so tread VERY carefully. It implies you don’t trust them. Of course, if you DON’T trust them, by all means, do so.

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Want to work on making art that sells yourself, then why not join us for Assignment Bootcamp, starting on January 5*. (Please note there is no Q&A with Lilla in Bootcamp as the focus is on creating art. If you want to ask Lilla questions directly you will need to join MATS A or B)”

Got your own questions for Lilla? Join us for the next round of Make Art That Sells. Class begins on Monday 2 March, 2015 and you can register your interest here to be one of the first to hear when registration opens.

Our ‘Q&A with Lilla’ series is back and here is part 2 of our posts this week. This is where we share questions from the previous class of Make Art That Sells.

In Lilla’s Make Art That Sells classes she often gets asked about how to sell work in particular markets, so we thought we’d share some of those questions and answers with you. If you want to work on making art that sells yourself, then why not join us for Assignment Bootcamp, starting on January 5*. (Please note there is no Q&A with Lilla in Bootcamp as the focus is on creating art. If you want to ask Lilla questions directly you will need to join MATS A or B)”

The next Make Art That Sells classes will take place in March 2015, so get on the mailing list here to be one of the first to hear when registration opens!

You can see what a wide variety of topics are covered – and you might even find the answer to that burning question you have been wanting to ask! These questions were asked during the MATS Part B earlier this year.

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Q: If you exhibit at a tradeshow like Surtex, do you bring your own licensing contracts and terms to the show and sign contracts there and then? Or do the buyers always work with their own contracts? Do you sell right there on the show or send them the low res pieces they were interested in after the show?

A: We have never signed a contract on the spot. All this will be done after the show, where all the “work” takes place. Surtex is the meet and greet, and then the work takes place afterwards, at which time you’ll review terms with the client. If there is a contract, it’ll be provided by them, which you will review. If you have questions (as not all contracts are written clearly), be sure to ask for clarification. This is perfectly acceptable.

You will send them lo res pieces that they are interested in during or after the show. Be sure to ask how soon they need the jpgs.

The exception to this is if you sell the piece at the show, which now happens primarily in the Atelier section at Surtex, although you can certainly do this at the regular section. To sell your prints (and accompanying hi res image), you show printouts. You will bill the client after the show.

Q: When submitting work to art directors and companies, if they say no or that my work isn’t ready, is it okay to submit new work later on? Is there an appropriate amount of time to wait before sending anything new?

A: Absolutely! Keep growing, and then resubmit.

Q: Can I license the same art to multiple industries/companies? Or is the art strictly exclusive to whoever licenses it first?

A:  Yes, you definitely can send emails to multiple companies showing your work. Where you can license it will depend on the contracts you sign.

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Want to work on making art that sells yourself, then why not join us for Assignment Bootcamp, starting on January 5*. (Please note there is no Q&A with Lilla in Bootcamp as the focus is on creating art. If you want to ask Lilla questions directly you will need to join MATS A or B)”

Got your own questions for Lilla? Join us for the next round of Make Art That Sells. Class begins on Monday 2 March, 2015 and you can register your interest here to be one of the first to hear when registration opens.

Our ‘Q&A with Lilla’ series is back! This is where we share questions from the previous class of Make Art That Sells.

In Lilla’s Make Art That Sells classes she often gets asked about how to sell work in particular markets, so we thought we’d share some of those questions and answers with you. If you want to work on making art that sells yourself, then why not join us for Assignment Bootcamp, starting on January 5*. (Please note there is no Q&A with Lilla in Bootcamp as the focus is on creating art. If you want to ask Lilla questions directly you will need to join MATS A or B)”

The next Make Art That Sells classes will take place in March 2015, so get on the mailing list here to be one of the first to hear when registration opens!

You can see what a wide variety of topics are covered – and you might even find the answer to that burning question you have been wanting to ask! These questions were asked during the MATS Part B earlier this year.

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Q) I liked your ‘trendspotting with your notebook’ idea. How long did you spend doing what you showed us? How fast were you flipping through the magazine pictures looking for things… like just scanning the page with your eye fairly quickly and then flipping the page or more of a studying eye moving around on the page? 

A) Good questions! All of the above. I just cut out whatever excited me or made me happy to look at. This is a great way to learn to tune in to your passions and visual taste. For the train trip, I had gathered a few magazines and catalogs beforehand, so when I sat down I was able to just dive in. Hard to say how long it took because I was on a four-hour train ride, but I suppose we were talking an hour or two.

Q) Is it true that if you post artwork to your website it makes it unlicensable? I’ve heard people say you should post only a few samples of your work publicly and have a password protected area for clients only. 

A) We have not found that to be the case that work shown on a website becomes ‘unlicensable’. We like having a mix of work we blog, post, etc., and work that is password protected. You need to get some of your work out there so you are seen, however, and password protected art is not a must. It’s not done in the editorial market, for instance, because all the work is specific, and is commissioned.

You’ll always need to show some work on the “outside” of the password-protected site. You have to create interest in your work, so you must show some art. Then, you can offer to send interested clients your images that are in your private stash.

Think about any company out there, like Paperchase or Crate & Barrel. Any other manufacturer or retailer can copy or riff off of their products (once they are in the shops), too. We all take risks.

Do your best, keep making work, put your name on all art, only send lo res jpgs, and copyright your work. (Note: copyright arises automatically in some countries)

Q) Can you suggest any magazines you think we should all be subscribing to?

A) I love UPPERCASE. Also FLOW Magazine. And I religiously view all the catalogs that come into my home (Anthropologie, Crate&Barrel, etc.)

Q. Are licensing contracts always written up by the company or by the designer? In what situations would I be the one to write the contract?

A: We have never written up a contract. We review the company’s contract, and cross out or add things as needed. That said, we put all pertinent info in our Job Confirmation which we send to our artist and the client, such as fee, scope of job, usage, exclusive, due dates, etc.

Q. How much time is reasonable to pass between receiving a licensing inquiry (and me replying promptly) and the company’s response? If 2 months pass, and then again several weeks, can the company be considered ‘flaky’ or is this normal?

A: Here’s the reality. We—manufacturers, art directors, agents—are all so busy and overwhelmed with more than we can do. I would keep them on your radar and send them your newsletter or emails. Mamma Lilla always says, “Many eggs in many baskets”. You never know who will bite. You are sowing seeds.

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Want to work on making art that sells yourself, then why not join us for Assignment Bootcamp, starting on January 5*. (Please note there is no Q&A with Lilla in Bootcamp as the focus is on creating art. If you want to ask Lilla questions directly you will need to join MATS A or B)”

Got your own questions for Lilla? Join us for the next round of Make Art That Sells. Class begins on Monday 2 March, 2015 and you can register your interest here to be one of the first to hear when registration opens.

As Global Entrepreneurship Week draws to a close, we want to invite you to spend some time thinking carefully about what happens when you make your art your business, and your primary source of income. Who actually makes it in the art business and why is that? Well, we might just have some answers for you…

We are always thinking about ways to help our creative community, because we know how fantastic it is when you make a living doing what you love. And so we have created a new mini-series of  five daily free videos, starting this coming Monday, November 24. It is called The Road to Artistic Success, and features short videos which answer some of the most important questions that every creative faces. As an agent, Lilla knows who succeeds and why – sign up for the FREE series to hear her spill the beans.

And here is our third winner – Flora Waycott, Special Studio Award Winner in the 2014 Global Talent Search! We checked in with Flora shortly after she heard the news, and this is what she had to say:

1) Congratulations! How do you feel right now having heard the news that you are a Special Studio Award winner in the 2014 Global Talent Search?

I am beyond thrilled! It is such a wonderful opportunity and I am so delighted that my entry has brought me to this point. It still hasn’t really sunk in so right now I am just really excited!

 One of Flora’s pieces for the Final

2) Did you have any idea that you might win?

No! I knew I was up against some really incredible competition so it was a really lovely surprise.

  Flora’s second piece for the Final

3) What are you most excited about in terms of working with Lilla Rogers Studio?

I am feeling most excited about Lilla being my mentor and seeing my work grow. She really helped me make my work richer through the MATS course and I am delighted to have her support as my agent. I am also excited to have the opportunity to have my work seen by more clients and to work with some really inspiring people.

 Flora’s Semi-Final piece

4) How did the Make Art That Sells course help you prepare for the Global Talent Search? What difference did it make to the work you were able to submit? 

The course helped me to structure my illustration pieces through the minis and then through to the weekly assignments, helping me manage my time and meet deadlines. Each market was covered in detail, with helpful tips on what the specific clients in those markets look for so this helped when answering the GTS assignments. The course also taught me to practice my art constantly, to make it better by spending time on it. When answering the GTS assignments I found that all that time I had put in to practicing my art often and the information give during the MATS course helped me to create better icons, better line work and have a better understanding of overall composition than I did before.

Flora’s first round piece 

5) What is your big dream for your creative career?

I would love to have a diverse range of work, work with some dream clients and to be able to inspire others. I remember all of those people who have helped me along the way and inspired me (and still do!) and I would love to give that to other people!

About Flora

Flora Waycott is an British illustrator and designer creating charming drawings and patterns inspired by her surroundings, with a fun and whimsical approach. With a love of travel and a curious mind, she is constantly inspired by new discoveries, whether it is the shape of a leaf or the contents of her kitchen cupboard. Flora graduated with a textile design degree in 2004 and has since worked as a textile and pattern designer and illustrator, with her work appearing on products from children’s apparel to stationery. Having spent her childhood in Japan, she has Japanese influences in her work and returns as often as she can to soak up the culture and inspiration, topping up her growing stationery collection and filling her sketchbook with drawings, origami and photos to spark new ideas. She currently lives and works in Wellington, New Zealand.

Find out more: website / blog / instagram / facebook / pinterest / twitter

You can see the blogpost Flora wrote about GTS here.

Did you know that every single one of the Global Talent Search finalists were graduates of Lilla’s Make Art That Sells course? It just goes to show what a huge impact it has on the professionalism and commercial viability of the work created by those who take part. If you have a big dream for your creative career, Make Art That Sells could be exactly what you need. Class begins TODAY! – This is your last chance to jump on board!

In this beautiful video the very talented Carla Martell takes us on an adventure with a little girl who loved to make art, and discovered the Make Art That Sells course.

Is this you in the video? If so, don’t miss out – join Make Art That Sells and discover a whole new creative tribe whilst learning how to make your art more commercially viable in the top ten hottest markets for art.

Class starts on MONDAY. Hurry – register now.

We loved the beautiful illustrations in Make Art That Sells graduate Harriet Mellor’s video, in which she shares what she learnt in the course and how it inspired her.

The acclaimed online course Make Art That Sells teaches you how to create commercially viable work for the top hottest markets for art. We tell you what they are looking for, who is buying and how to sell to them. It’s five weeks of awesome.

Class starts on MONDAY. Hurry – register now.

Our ‘Q&A with Lilla’ series is back! This is where we share questions from the previous class of Make Art That Sells. You can see what a wide variety of topics are covered – and you might even find the answer to that burning question you have been wanting to ask! This round up is from the final week of class, covering the Gift Market but also looking at different aspects of making art your career.

Q) What’s the best way to know if we have talent?  How can we tell if we would be better off to play at art for our own pleasure rather than try and ‘make art that sells?

A) I am asked that a lot. I knew that I had to be an artist. I was completely determined. My question to you is, are you willing to work hard? Talent is a muscle. You can get better at it. Continue to take classes and make art. When you want to make art rather than do other things, then you know it’s for you. Some people like the idea of being an artist but don’t want to put in the time. Some give up right before they make it. Some stay with it and have thriving careers. But this is not a get-rich-quick scheme, as I always say. That being said, there is an art career for everyone. It may be in craft, in teaching, in owning a gallery, in all the various markets covered in Make Art That Sells, etc.

Q) My experience from the past 5 assignments of the Make Art That Sells class is we may end up develop various art styles we equally like. Creating art for West Elm could be totally different from Blue Q, for example. When we are moving forward, what should we do to deal with the different styles?

A) That’s great to have work that has range! Then, you promote it and see what pulls work and commissions. Then, you show that work, and your body of work gets stronger and stronger.

Q) How do you manage and promote so many artists and bring them enough jobs equally? From an artist point of view, I found being represented by an agent is putting a major part of my career into someone else’s hands.

A) No roster of artists in an agent’s group gets equal amounts of work. Some artists stay fresh and grow, some don’t. Some have work that is more marketable than others. As far as putting your career in someone else’s hands, do your research before you sign on.

Q) When we are trying to approach potential clients / art directors, or when we try to follow up after sent them emails, do you recommend artists to make phone calls to them? Do agents make calls to their potential clients to introduce new artists / new art works?

A) Nowadays, most contacting is via email and shows. We are all pretty busy and phone calls are harder to respond to.

Q) I found it is difficult to manage my time creating new art for so many different industries, but sending update to my clients (or potential clients) to make them remember me takes even more time. Do you have good tips for managing both?

A) Make a schedule. Chip away in bits and pieces. For example:

Mondays after AM walk: Send work to 5 clients and spend ½ hour posting on social media

Wednesdays after coffee with friends: Create newsletter

Fridays in the evening while watching favorite show: Send out newsletter.

It’s good to plug in tasks in your calendar and hook them up to a standing event you already do, like drop off kids, or go on walk with friend.

Also, I love asana.com for organizing my tasks.

Q) I’m definitely feeling tension between my digital style and my natural media style. Are there overarching principles that apply when these are successfully combined? Would it be best to develop the different styles by slanting each to specific, different markets?

A) Hard to say. Play around. Try different things until you see what you like. There is no particular rule. You can make elements traditionally and then scan them in. I like to do backgrounds in paint and my icons in brush and ink and then scan everything in.

Q) Most artists seem to have a blog. I didn’t realize until I started Make Art That Sells. Is it an unwritten rule in the art and licensing business that we all need a blog?

A) You definitely need a website so everyone can see your work, and a blog is a great way to keep your site fresh with your latest work, sketches, information, etc.

Q) Would you prefer to see a traditional online portfolio (with a selection of the best work) rather than an artist’s blog, or vice versa?

A) An online portfolio is best for me.

Got your own questions for Lilla? Join us for the next round of Make Art That Sells. Class begins on MONDAY (October 20).

Book your spot here!

Lilla has a few choice words to say about your brand, and it might not be what you are expecting. Watch this video for some advice on how to make yours really special:

Want to learn more about how to make your art unique and commercially viable so you get cool jobs in hot markets? Join us for Make Art That Sells. It starts online on Monday and it might just be the most important five weeks of your art education. Hurry and book your spot here.

Today we are thrilled to share a peek into what it feels like to be chosen as a Special Studio Winner in the 2014 Global Talent Search. Here’s Rebecca Jones…

1) Congratulations! How do you feel right now having heard the news that you are a Special Studio Award winner in the 2014 Global Talent Search?
It is an amazing feeling! It really was a dream come true. I was so happy! I danced around the room with my 6 year old son. I have worked really hard over the last year at my illustration work. Drawing and designing in every spare moment. It is such a great feeling to know that it has paid off.

One of Rebecca’s final pieces from the competition 

2) Did you have any idea that you might win?

About Rebecca

I am an English designer and illustrator living in Melbourne, Australia. I studied for a BA(Hons) in Textiles and Fashion at Winchester School of Art. I worked for various companies after graduating, the most exhilarating being a job as an embroidery and print designer for a fashion studio. The work was very creative, and my designs sold all over the world to companies such as Anthropologie and Gap. After moving to Australia on a bit of a whim, I worked for various home decor companies. As well as designing, my job enabled me to travel the world researching trends. I took time out after having my son, and began to create work that was just for me again. I would draw all day long if I could now. I am inspired by my own childhood memories, vintage children’s books, and by nature and wildlife.

Find out more: website / facebook

Did you know that every single one of the Global Talent Search finalists were graduates of Lilla’s Make Art That Sells course? It just goes to show what a huge impact it has on the professionalism and commercial viability of the work created by those who take part. If you have a big dream for your creative career, Make Art That Sells could be exactly what you need. Class begins on October 20 – Book your spot now!