Critique Clinic – October 7-9, 2011
How does it work? For three days a week (Friday-Sunday midnight), I will open the clinic to any artist who wants an honest peer review and critique of a card which gets plenty of clicks but no sales, so something’s probably not quite right, or you’ve got a new design you want to test drive, or you’re unsure about the marketability of a card. Or perhaps you’re a newbie who isn’t sure if a recently submitted card is up to a marketable standard. Anyone is welcome to participate. In fact, I encourage everyone to at least look at the cards in question and read the critique comments – you may learn something. The purpose of the clinic is to help artists improve the commercial appeal and marketability of their cards.
THE RULES
- ONE card per artist only.
- Card must be for sale at Greeting Card Universe.
- We will take an unlimited number of artists, including those who have submitted recently, HOWEVER I reserve the right to close a clinic for the day if the submissions become overwhelming. If the clinic has been closed, and you submit a card, your comment will be deleted.
- To submit a card for critique, post a link to the card at GCU in the comments section of this clinic post.
- Any artist is free to comment and/or give a critique of a submitted card. HOWEVER, post-and-run comments like “great card” or “you suck” will not be tolerated, nor will abuse. Criticism should be constructive, not destructive. Play nice or you will be banned.
- I also won’t tolerate temper tantrums if you decide your “artistic integrity” is being stepped on because you asked for a critique, and someone told you the photo you’re using isn’t in focus. If you can’t take honest criticism, don’t submit. Once gets you a warning; twice and you’re banned from submitting in the future.
- Artists who critique may do so by giving their opinion, posting an example of another card, or pointing the submitter to a video, on-line article, or other helpful suggestion.
- Don’t forget that artists who are giving you tips and helpful advice are volunteering their time and trouble. Be nice. A link back to their store on your website or blog is appreciated (but not mandatory).
- You are free not to take any advice offered. There’s no guarantee any card will be a bestseller, so don’t come into the clinic with unrealistic expectations.
- Rules may change as we go along and we see how things turn out, okay?
So without any further ado, I declare this week’s Critique Clinic open!
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GCU Community Newsletter #18 – October 6, 2011
Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day…
We’ve been busy since the last newsletter, so let’s not waste any time!
Doreen Erhardt’s column, A Dash of Inspiration – a Cup of Creativity gave us fantastic resources for Chinese New Year and the upcoming Holidays like Valentine’s Day. We had a wonderful interview with artist Ross Peterson; we began our Blog Carnival V: THE BIG C in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month; and our Design Spotlight shone on me, Corrie Kuipers, and Nan Wright with greeting cards for cancer patients,which we’ll be continuing throughout the month. We also chose a winner (Pam J Arts) for our first Design Contest.
Until next time, don’t forget to pass the love around!
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INSIDE VERSE: THE THREE P’s
I’ve noticed some of the new artists joining GCU aren’t including inside verse in their cards, and thought it was time for a refresher.
Yes, we’ve had this debate before – in the U.S., consumers seem to prefer greeting cards with inside verse. In the UK, according to some UK artists, blank cards seem to be preferred. Since GCU has a 3x use policy, it’s not a problem to include both versions of a card. Today we’re focusing on greeting card verse.
There are three types of inside verse, the three P’s: punchline, prose and poetry.
I think punchline is pretty self explanatory – you set up the joke on the front of the card, and you deliver the punchline on the inside. Here’s a good example, if I do say so myself…
The inside verse reads: So eat a whole cake, and a whole gallon of ice cream, and have yourself a happy birthday! (Corrie Kuipers)
Do not attempt to make a joke in a greeting card that isn’t immediately funny, and easily understandable. If at first hearing the concept doesn’t get a chuckle, you’ve gone wrong. Show the concept to several people and ask for an honest opinion. Include a child if possible, especially if the intended recipient is a kid, too. Of course, sense of humor can vary from one person to another, but even the most sober minded person can tell you if they think someone else would find it funny.
Prose means a message in ordinary writing. Here’s a good example:
The inside verse reads: May your breast cancer journey bring you completely cancer free and healthy in mind, body and spirit. I am here for you. (Sandra Rose Designs)
Don’t be too long winded. Make your point succinctly. Be sure your prose matches the purpose and tone of your card, and be equally certain the intended audience will not be offended, baffled or bored. Again, solicit opinions.
Finally, there’s poetry. Here’s a good example:
The inside verse reads: And… you are a great father to our children. Thank you for all of it, and Happy Father’s Day, my darling husband. (Card Art From the Heart)
This is going to be a matter of personal preference, both for artists and shoppers. Some artists use rhymed, metered poetry (and you’ll see this sometimes at Hallmark or American Greetings, but other greeting card companies don’t want rhymes) but if you go that route, you need to be careful. A forced rhyme, or a rhyme that’s awkwardly constructed is not appealing. Such as, “I’m sending you my love today, with which you may be warm all day.” Read your poem aloud. Does it sound good? Does it flow naturally? The example I just gave would sound better rephrased like “Sending love your way to keep you warm all day.”
In general, keep your inside verse relevant. Try to tie it into the design on the front of the card. There’s nothing more nonsensical than a photograph of a duck with ‘Happy Birthday’ on the front, and an inside text that reads, “hope you have a great day.” You’re limiting your potential audience to people who like ducks so much, they’re willing to pay money for your photo. On the other hand, if you tie the verse to the photo, you’re expanding your audience to include people who have a sense of humor, such as “hope you don’t go completely quackers!”
And don’t forget to include a good description of the card in your Artist’s Notes! I’m already seeing the benefit. Are you?
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BLOG CARNIVAL V: THE BIG C
The deadline is approaching!
October 12th ends our current Blog Carnival: THE BIG C. Since it’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re making blog posts or Squidoo lenses on the subject of cancer. We’ve had some touching entries already. If you want to join us, read this post for all the details. I’d like to see as many artists as possible participating to help raise awareness of this disease that has touched so many lives.
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The Critique Clinic is open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday to all GCU artists seeking peer review, advice and tips. Any artist may submit or leave a critique. All artists are encouraged to check the comment threads – you’ll learn something that may help you with your own marketability. Not sure if your inside verse is funny, makes sense, or is good enough? Not sure if your new design works? We’ll help you with that, too.
There is a GCU artists’ group on Facebook. We encourage you to join, post cards for your fellow artists to admire, share news, and have fun!
The Salon of Art Facebook fan page (by Doreen Erhardt) is a great place to go to find links to all kinds of helpful resources like tutorials, brushes, news about competitions and contests, marketing tips and a lot more. Check it out!
GCU Artist Cindy Johns is keeping a blog archive of the Design of the Day. The link to the Archive is on the right side of the page. Check it out!
DID YOU KNOW you can “like” this newsletter or any post on the GCU Community blog, or include them in your social bookmarks? Or Google +1 them! Just click the title of the post, which takes you to the permanent link page. At the bottom of the page you’ll see buttons for social sites like Facebook, Reddit, StumbleUpon, etc.
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The next Newsletter will be published on September 1, 2011
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Design Spotlight: Nan Wright
In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I’m putting the Design Spotlight on Nan Wright of Nan’s Card Shop, and her wonderfully humorous card for cancer patients. Thanks, Nan!
P.S. – Don’t forget that Blog Carnival V: THE BIG C is still taking submissions. I want to see more artists raising awareness of cancer, a terrible disease that affects so many of our family and friends!
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The painting I did was an inspiration from Maya Angelou’s poem: “Every woman should have a set of screw drivers, a power drill and a black lace bra!”
When you reach my age, you experience many friends who contract this beastly disease… whether breast or some other type. My sister died of colon cancer and I have lost many friends. On the other hand, I have many friends who are winning the battle.
The message on the inside of this particular card has no author (anonymous), but it says it how it really is and should be. It has given strength and hope to many of my friends who have wanted to ‘just give up the battle against this “beast.”
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Design Spotlight: Corrie Kuipers
Hope y’all don’t mind – in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought I’d turn the Design Spotlight on CorrieWeb. Here we go!
(P.S. – On her Hope for Cancer blog today, Rycky Creations is hosting an interview with GCU artist Barbara Schreiber about her battle with breast cancer. Don’t forget to stop by and read this incredible story.
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Cancer sucks.
I’m very aware that cancer runs in my family: my grandmother, my mother, my father, and my brother all died of cancer.
When I was six years old (1967), I watched my grandmother die a slow, agonizing death from breast cancer. In those days, cancer was a death sentence. Treatment was brutal – mastectomy and radiation, but not as refined as these days. Had doctors detected her cancer earlier… but in those days, by the time they found her cancer, it had already spread. She died at the age of 67. Today, she’d have had a better chance at survival.
My father, a heavy smoker, was diagnosed with bladder cancer at age 61 (in the 1980s). His cancer was so aggressive, his bladder was removed, and even a heavy dose of radiation couldn’t kill it all. It spread to his colon. He ended up with two colostomy bags, but no remission. He died at age 63. I felt so helpless watching his pain every day, knowing I could do nothing to help him. In this country, he got to take Tylenol – no other pain relief was available.
In 2003, after the holidays, my mother began complaining about having vague pains, a general “not good” feeling. The doctor did some tests. They found something on her pancreas, but it wasn’t clear. More tests at a different hospital said she had an enlarged vein on her pancreas with a weakness that leaked blood, but nothing serious. She wasn’t told she had a cancerous tumor on her pancreas. She received pain killers, they sent her home, and she kept living her life as normal until the morning my sister went over to her apartment, and found her collapsed, unconscious. She was taken to hospital, but nothing could be done. An operation revealed her body was riddled with cancer. She died that night.
My brother Flip got cancer for the second time in 2008. He had previously had cancer in his kidney about five years after my father died. Then, we all urged him to go. and have himself checked out since he didn’t feel good. and had lost a dramatic amount of weight. It turned out to be a tumor in his kidney. They removed the kidney, but no other treatment was necessary since the cancer hadn’t spread.
He continued regular check-ups, and remained healthy until 2008, when one of his check-ups revealed small tumors in his lymph nodes and other places like his intestines, liver, etc. He ultimately died of liver cancer at age 63 after aggressive chemotherapy, and all the modern treatments available. With Flip, I could clearly chart his progress, and witnessed the strange, often devastating effects of chemo on his body.
My niece is currently battling breast cancer. I hope she succeeds. For now, it looks good.
Cancer runs like a red thread through the history of my family, popping up every decade or so to take someone beloved away from us. The cause of finding a cure is very close to me.
When my partner Nene suggested we create greeting cards to support cancer patients, I was all for it.
I wish everyone fighting cancer lots of strength, lots of hope, my warmest wishes, and plenty of encouragement.
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Dash of Inspiration – October 3, 2011
Note: Don’t forget about our newest Blog Carnival V: the Big C – October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Get all the details in this post.
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A Dash of Inspiration, A Cup of Creativity by Doreen
Have a Heart!
Along with the Holiday Season, one of the largest selling greeting card occasions is Valentine’s Day, and this day of love is what we should be focusing our design efforts on for the month of October. So I pulled together some goodies for Photoshop, PSP, Elements & GIMP users so there is a little treat for just about everyone to help inspire new designs for the upcoming season of love!
It’s always fun and inspiring for me to find out something I didn’t know (or didn’t remember) about an occasion of which I’ve not only celebrated for many years, but have created designs for year after year. It’s a good way to trigger ideas with a new perspective. This Valentine’s Day Around the World site has lots of fun details which might get your creativity pumping!
Roses are one of most endeared icons of love, especially on Valentine’s Day. For the photographer, also one of the most photographed flowers in the world. The challenge for the photographer is to find a way to capture and represent the beauty of roses that will stand apart rest. Enjoy these Beautiful Examples of Rose Photography.
Roses & Chocolate, Cupid & Hearts – these are things we think of on this special occasion. Here are some goodies for your artist toolbox . . . I hope you enjoy them!
Photoshop Users:
12 Hi-Res Valentine’s Brushes by Anton J. Rozairo at deviantART
GIMP Users:
Love Potion Brush Set by MarmiteMamie at deviantART
Paint Shop Pro Users:
Arranged with Love Brushes by Pange at deviantART
Photoshop Elements 2+ Users:
Hearts II Photoshop Brushes by RedHeadStock at deviantART
Font:
Quill – Free – Commercial Use Script Font
Happy creating!
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Critique Clinic – September 30-October 2, 2011
How does it work? For three days a week (Friday-Sunday midnight), I will open the clinic to any artist who wants an honest peer review and critique of a card which gets plenty of clicks but no sales, so something’s probably not quite right, or you’ve got a new design you want to test drive, or you’re unsure about the marketability of a card. Or perhaps you’re a newbie who isn’t sure if a recently submitted card is up to a marketable standard. Anyone is welcome to participate. In fact, I encourage everyone to at least look at the cards in question and read the critique comments – you may learn something. The purpose of the clinic is to help artists improve the commercial appeal and marketability of their cards.
THE RULES
- ONE card per artist only.
- Card must be for sale at Greeting Card Universe.
- We will take an unlimited number of artists, including those who have submitted recently, HOWEVER I reserve the right to close a clinic for the day if the submissions become overwhelming. If the clinic has been closed, and you submit a card, your comment will be deleted.
- To submit a card for critique, post a link to the card at GCU in the comments section of this clinic post.
- Any artist is free to comment and/or give a critique of a submitted card. HOWEVER, post-and-run comments like “great card” or “you suck” will not be tolerated, nor will abuse. Criticism should be constructive, not destructive. Play nice or you will be banned.
- I also won’t tolerate temper tantrums if you decide your “artistic integrity” is being stepped on because you asked for a critique, and someone told you the photo you’re using isn’t in focus. If you can’t take honest criticism, don’t submit. Once gets you a warning; twice and you’re banned from submitting in the future.
- Artists who critique may do so by giving their opinion, posting an example of another card, or pointing the submitter to a video, on-line article, or other helpful suggestion.
- Don’t forget that artists who are giving you tips and helpful advice are volunteering their time and trouble. Be nice. A link back to their store on your website or blog is appreciated (but not mandatory).
- You are free not to take any advice offered. There’s no guarantee any card will be a bestseller, so don’t come into the clinic with unrealistic expectations.
- Rules may change as we go along and we see how things turn out, okay?
So without any further ado, I declare this week’s Critique Clinic open!
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We Have a Winner!
DESIGN CONTEST – BEST OF THE BEST
The winner of our first Design Contest (by random drawing) is…
Pam J Arts!
Yay!
Here’s her winning entry (cute mice!). Pam has won a Lifetime Commercial Use license from Diana’s Creations, donated by Doreen Erhardt – congratulations! I’m sure your prize will prove very helpful in your card designing.
So did everyone enjoy the contest? I sure did. Seeing everyone’s entries was interesting and fun.
How about giving me some suggestions for other design based prizes you’d like to see if I decide to host another Design Contest? Or if you want to contribute a prize of some kind yourself, drop me a line.
In the meantime, let’s all congratulate Pam on her fantastic win, and her fantastic greeting card!
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Blog Carnival V: The Big C
As many of you know, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so I’m hosting a special Blog Carnival: THE BIG C that will run from today, September 28, 2011 to October 12, 2011 (which also happens to be my partner Nene’s birthday).
To enter the contest, write a blog post, Squidoo lens (or any other on-line page) on the topic of CANCER – not just breast cancer, but any type of cancer (except the Zodiac, but that goes without saying). Could be a post about your personal experience, or you could choose to write about special gifts to give a cancer patient, tips on what to say to a cancer patient, summer camps for kids with cancer, cancer charities, books about cancer, history of cancer treatment, etc. Unfortunately, the list is endless.
And you don’t have to stick with somber subjects. Cancer patients appreciate humor. Just remember it can be a sensitive subject.
To quality, you MUST include links to 3 cards at GCU with an encouragement or “get well” for cancer patients theme + a text link to the category’s page at GCU.
Link the phase – Paper Greeting Cards for Cancer Patients – to http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/Occasions-Get+Well+Feel+Better-For+Cancer+Patients. You can do this at the bottom of your post if you can’t or don’t want to integrate it into your text. Why? Because GCU is kind enough to provide me with prizes for you guys, and they’re working to increase their on-line visibility (which is good for everybody, as more visitors = more sales).
Don’t forget that you can earn 50 cents per card (up to $25 per order) commission on any greeting card sold through your post if you use the Sell This Card tool.
So you have until October 12 to submit an entry by leaving a comment on this post. On October 13th, I will create and post the master list of links to be shared among the participants, and I’ll announce the winner (by random drawing) of our special prize.
The prize? Winner’s choice: a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com, $25 worth of free card credits at Greeting Card Universe, OR a $25 donation to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
I expect to see some amazing submissions from our amazing artists. If you haven’t participated in a Blog Carnival before, now’s a good time to get your toes wet.
Ready… set… go!
PS – I will announce the winner of our first design contest later. Thanks to Doreen for providing the prize and the idea!
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Artist Interview: Ross Peterson
Today we’re interviewing Ross Peterson of Cards by Ross, who joined GCU in 2010. He won the Design of the Day award on September 22, 2011 for his very well done October Anniversary card.
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Ross, what drew you to join GCU?
I did a few illustrations for a friend of mine who sold cards on the site, so I thought I’d give it a try for myself.
Tell us who you are, where you are, and what you do.
My name is Ross Peterson and I live in a southwest suburb of Chicago. I worked for nearly 29 years in the prepress printing industry until my job magically went overseas. Luckily I was laid off, because the commute would’ve killed me. I’m currently in the process of bleeding my savings dry. I really should start looking for another job soon.
What’s your favorite greeting card on GCU that you’ve created?
Probably the Christmas card with the elf being laid off. The elf actually kind of looks like me, but then it is autobiographical.
Where else can we find you?
I’m on Facebook, but I haven’t done anything card-related on there yet.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
That I have a paralyzing fear of drowning and dancing…or more accurately, drowning while dancing.
How did you become an artist?
I’ve always enjoyed drawing since I was small. I had no interest in business or engineering when I entered college, so I studied graphic design and photography. In retrospect, I really should’ve given that decision a little more thought.
What or who inspires you?
My favorite cartoonist is Gahan Wilson, every since his National Lampoon days. And I’m a big fan of Arthur Rackham and Winsor McCay, both long gone.
What motivates you to design greeting cards?
An intense fear of being forgotten.
Where do you find ideas for your work?
Usually from a dark place. Then I try to lighten them up a tad. One of my Christmas cards was initially rejected for being too bloody. Even I found it kind of disturbing.
What’s the most indispensable item you use to create your art?
I go through a lot of tracing paper. Oh, and the occasional beer.
What tools do you use to create your work?
I do a rough sketch on tracing paper, then scan it and redraw and color it in CorelDraw (because I didn’t want to pay for Illustrator). I’m also starting to use some watercolors.
When and why did you start selling your designs as greeting cards?
I’ve been drawing my own Christmas cards since 1979. A lot of people have told me that I should try selling them. So I finally took their advice after 31 years. Baby steps.
What do you do to promote your greeting cards on GCU?
That’s a good question. Any suggestions will be appreciated, especially with Christmas coming up.
If you weren’t an artist, what would you be?
I’m gonna go out on a limb and say…financially secure.
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Thanks, Ross, for letting us get to know you a little better!
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Dash of Inspiration – September 26, 2011
A Dash of Inspiration, A Cup of Creativity by Doreen
Year of the Dragon
Well, if you’ve been keeping an eye on Corrie’s 4-6 Month Lead-In Holiday Card Calendar on the GCU Community Blog, then you know those of us who wish to sell cards for the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations should be creating them now. 2012 is the year of the Dragon . . . now how fun is that? So, I’ve pulled some resources together to inspire you and hopefully found a little something for everyone!
To begin, I always like do a little research on the holiday or occasion before I begin a design; for example . . . What colors and symbols are traditional? How do they express their greetings and well wishes? Here are a couple of links to help you understand the Chinese New Year celebrations.
Chinese New Year Traditions and Symbols
Chinese New Year Celebrations Around the World
For those of you like me who can’t draw a dragon, here are some great Dragon goodies for your toolboxes:
Photoshop Users: Chinese Dragon Brushes by Hawksmont
Image by Elledeegee, Blue Girl Graphics
GIMP Users: Dragon Brushes by Gimp Craft
Paint Shop Pro Users: Dragon Brushes by Glass Prism
For those talented artists who can create their own dragons, but have never tried it before . . . some Dragon Painting Tutorials!
How to Color a Dragon Tutorial in Photoshop
Drawing & Painting Tutorials for Chinese Dragons on YouTube
Go ahead, spread your dragon wings and create a Chinese New Year card for 2012!
GCU Community 