Tag: artist

I’m Working on a Manga Comic – Passion Project | Liron’s Podcast Episode 82

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In today’s episode I’m giving you a brief update on a passion project I started working on recently.

I’m working on writing a manga. That’s right – those Japanese comic books!

My History With Manga

I love manga and have been reading on and off for the past 10 years or so. I’ve also watched quite a few animes back in the day.

But in recent years my manga and anime consumption has decreased due to finding better things to do and discovering more and more of what I believe is my true essence and “destiny” (a bit of a heavy word!) here.

HOWEVER, I never lost the passion for it, and now it came back, making me want to write my own story.

A True Passion Project

This is, by definition a passion project.

I actually KNOW I lack the knowledge and skill to complete it at the moment, so I’m taking my time. There aren’t any deadlines. This one’s for me.

I don’t plan on making any money from it, or even having it become successful in any way.

I’ll definitely share the story once it’s finished, or in parts. But I don’t expect much more than that.

I think this is a nice balancing act among the vast majority of tasks I have that are completely goal / career oriented.

The Status of the Story

So what did I do so far?

I’ve started developing an idea for a story. First I did it mentally, and then I started writing down an initial draft.

The next step is to elaborate more on the story, plot, characters, setting and more.

And then – writing a script, doing a visual manuscript and finally – creating the finished work.

I was contemplating whether I should go with the classic manga style (black and white), or just go with what I know.

And I decided to go with what I know – watercolor!

This will be great on so many levels, but mainly – it’s a medium I’m already competent in, AND there aren’t many comics told in my specific visual style.

So a double-win for me.

Wish me luck with this one!

Artist Corner – Kentaro Miura

Talking about manga, today I featured the mangaka (japanese comic book artist) behind the EXCELLENT manga BERSERK.

His manga is honestly one of the best I’ve ever read. I do have to warn you – it’s very mature and graphic, so tread carefully. Even a Google Image search is risky haha.

You can read more about him here: Kentaro Miura

And here’s a “clean” page of the manga Berserk, to give you an idea of the style and quality: Berserk Page

And here’s where you can find me…

Check out my YouTube Channel – Liron Yanconsky

Or ask me questions on Instagram – @LironYanIL or Snapchat – @LironYan3

I hope you enjoyed this one. Take care, and we’ll talk again really soon,

— Liron

Struggling With Watercolor? I’m Working on a Solution | Liron’s Podcast Episode 81

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Are you struggling with watercolor? Having a hard time getting them to do what you want.

Unfortunately I hear about so many people who quit watercolor painting after having negative experiences.

To address this, I’m working on a course that will help people loosen up, let go, enjoy the painting process and get the results they want!

Course for People Struggling With Watercolor

The course is work in progress. If you want to hear more about it, be sure to listen to the full podcast episode, but here are some things it will include:

  • Freedom generating exercises, techniques, tips and tricks
  • How to automate the painting process
  • Core skills and techniques
  • Full-proof process and methodology for knowing what to do in every stage of the painting process.

Next Steps for Me

I now need to start preparing the marketing material, test out the ideas and see what people react to best.

I’ll then build the course, and start marketing via Facebook Ads and organic (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, here on the podcast etc…).

I’m VERY excited about this one, as it will solve REAL PROBLEMS and FRUSTRATIONS so many aspiring artists have.

Will keep you updated!

Artist Corner – Sergey Kuznetsov

Today we featured Sergey Kuznetsov.

Sergey is a watercolor painting, but mainly he is the chief architect of Moscow!

I actually did a recent episode of Painting Masters featuring him, that you can watch here:

What amazes me the most about his work is his ability to, despite his technical architecture knowledge, let go of that and paint like a true impressionist.

I highly recommend you check out his website:
http://sergey-kuznetsov.com/ru

And Instagram page: @UraganKuznetsov

And here’s where you can find me…

Check out my YouTube Channel – Liron Yanconsky

Or ask me questions on Instagram – @LironYanIL or Snapchat – @LironYan3

I hope you enjoyed this one. Take care, and we’ll talk again really soon,

— Liron

5 Tips for Selling MORE Art at Fairs & Events | Liron’s Podcast Episode 79

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In today’s episode I share with you 5 tips for selling more art at fairs and events.

Here’s a quick summary:

1. Engage with potential customers and be present.

This means standing up, being visible, smiling to people who pass by your booth / table, and basically showing your willingness to interact!

(You’ll be surprised at just how many people don’t do that…)

2. Balance pushy VS laid back.

Both aren’t good strategies. Try being assertive and positive, yet allow customers time to browse and to think.

Someone may be just looking and your stuff for fun, not planning on buying anything. Trying to convince them may not work, and can hurt their experience.

On the other hand, you don’t want to simply wait for someone to tell you “I want to buy this one”. Customers who are interested may need some help and direction.

3. Tell stories and create conversations.

People who take interest in your art WANT you to give them a reason to buy. They want you to tell them more about it (and what artist doesn’t enjoy that??).

Also, ask them about themselves. Figure out what they’re looking for. They’ll appreciate that.

4. Consistent and clear pricing.

You want to make sure your prices make sense to some degree, and that they are easy to understand. Remember – confused customers don’t buy.

5. Accept credit cards and EVERY possible payment method.

This is important. You want to avoid any friction, especially after the customer had already made the decision to buy.

Logistical and avoidable friction is the most tragic one. Don’t lose sales for no reason.

I hope you found these helpful. And with that, let’s go to the Artist Corner!

Artist Corner – Edward Hopper

Edward Hopper was an American realist painter who lived from 1882-1967.

His art was very realistic and accurate on the one hand, yet empty from details on the other.

He seemed to have wanted to express the loneliness of the American life at that time, and has done an excellent job at that, in my opinion.

Be sure to check out his work here: Edward Hopper on Wikipedia

And Here’s where you can find me

Check out my YouTube Channel – Liron Yanconsky

Or ask me questions on Instagram – @LironYanIL or Snapchat – @LironYan3

I hope you enjoyed this one. Take care, and we’ll talk again really soon,

— Liron

Ask And Your Shall Receive – How to Get What You Want as Artists | Liron’s Podcast Episode 78

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In today’s episode I wanted to talk about the ask – asking is the way to get what you want.

I’m providing an example of me.

I Branded Myself as a Teacher

I’ve branded myself as a teacher for so long, that people almost never ask about purchasing paintings.

Once I figured out this was the deal, I started “asking” for what I want.

I started mentioning when a painting’s for sale. I started saying what I want to happen.

And it worked! I’m already starting to get more of what I want.

The Market Will Tell You

Once you ask, the market will answer.

When what you want to have happen – happens – it means you are on the right track!

When what you want doesn’t happen, there may be something you need to work on.

In the example of selling art – maybe you need to improve your artwork, or perhaps your pricing isn’t optimized.

And that’s it for today’s ep! And now – artist corner.

Artist Corner – Tytus Brzozowski

Today I featured Tytus Brzozowski, an incredible Polish watercolor painter and architect.

His watercolor art is among the most unique and impressive I’ve seen. He works in a surrealistic style, and combines realistic stories with fantasy worlds.

His knowledge in architecture really serves his paintings, and adds an air of professionalism when it comes to his buildings and their details.

You can check out his work on his website: Tytus Brzozowski 

And Here’s where you can find me

Check out my YouTube Channel – Liron Yanconsky

Or ask me questions on Instagram – @LironYanIL or Snapchat – @LironYan3

I hope you enjoyed this one. Take care, and we’ll talk again really soon,

— Liron

Don’t Listen to ANYONE but Yourself! Advice for Ambitious Artists | Liron’s Podcast Episode 77

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In today’s episode we talked about ignoring the noise, and learning who to listen to.

Here’s a summary of the episode, as well as the links mentioned.

What Selling at Fairs Taught Me

First I talk about how I came to think of this topic.

When I just started selling my art at the local fair, several artists made discouraging remarks about selling paintings there.

I then came to realize this happened all throughout my career. People seem to wonder whether there’s money in art, and be quite cynical towards the topic.

The Underlying Limiting Belief

These people basically communicate their own shortcomings and limiting beliefs (unless done maliciously).

They feel insecure about selling their art.

I have a lot of empathy for artists, but I have a strong aversion to the forcing of your own limiting beliefs upon others.

I think it’s important NOT to do that.

Which is why I also don’t think there are many people you should listen to.

Who Should Your Listen To?

I would say two things:

1. People who are actually succeeding at what you want to do.

These are great, and also perhaps more generally people who are positive and have a clear aim and vision for their future.

2. The market.

By the market I mean the whole sum of your potential customers. The average of all of them. Could be millions of people.

The market’s response to you will always speak the truth. If you aren’t successful as many paintings as you’d like – the market is telling you something.

Maybe your art isn’t good enough. Maybe it’s too expensive. Maybe it’s too CHEAP. Maybe it doesn’t fit the venue in which you try and sell it.

The good thing about the “market” is that it really is the average. It may be contentious, but I do believe this is one of the cleanest feedbacks you can get.

If a product fails, there’s a reason for it.

And that feedback is actually very valuable! It will help you sell more works, if you choose to listen to it.

Conclusion

So this is it for this one!

It takes time to learn who to listen to, so be open but stay on your path and believe in your own vision (another topic I have to cover in an upcoming episode.

And now, let us move into the Artist Corner!

Artist Corner – Alex Ross

Today I talked about Alex Ross, an American comic book writer and artist.

He worked with both Marvel and DC, and what really attracted me to his work is the one done in watercolor!

It’s fascinating for me to see watercolor used in a way I’m less used to. You can watch a REALLY AWESOME video of his here: Alex Ross Video

And check out his website here: Alex Ross’s Website

And Here’s where you can find me

Check out my YouTube Channel – Liron Yanconsky

Or ask me questions on Instagram – @LironYanIL or Snapchat – @LironYan3

I hope you enjoyed this one. Take care, and we’ll talk again really soon,

— Liron