ArtBistro

As you may remember, we started a series on design contracts and what should be included, and possibly not included, in them. Last time we talked about the ever-important contact/Client information and other, overall information that needs to be included to set the record straight from the start. Always remember to put the date on all your documents - that may ...

How to put together a killer mailing list. Whether you’re promoting an open studio event or inviting people to your next exhibition, you’ll need a great mailing list. But putting together that list might seem intimidating or overwhelming – how do you possibly include everyone you want to be there? Let’s start with some of the basic categories of the kinds ...

Whether we're working on a freelance basis or for a design firm, we need to know how to prepare and read contracts. As in all service businesses, a written agreement needs to be generated in order to get down on paper what we're offering and what we expect in return. Sometimes our work can only stand on the contract that we ...

What are graphic elements? We see them all the time and many of us have gone to school to understand what they are and what they're made up of. Do we all know the difference between graphic elements and graphic principles? It's always good to think about them and work with both of the disciplines to get our work and visual ...

Censor Art? Art has been around for a long time. Censorship has been around possibly just as long. Can the two intermingle? Can some art be deemed too inappropriate for some to see and thus censored? Who is it up to to even consider this? I have a few opinions on this. Art as Fine Art While art can be defined ...

It wasn’t that long ago that having a son or daughter who expressed interest in becoming an artist was considered a parent’s worst nightmare. But today, many parents are encouraging of their children’s interest in art. There are many options available to help nurture budding talent, but sending a young artist to expensive private lessons isn’t necessarily at the top of ...

For our final project, we had to design the front and back covers and inside spreads of a Chicago Public Art Guide: Loop. We had to provide the photographs ourselves (except for the Buckingham Fountain due to construction). The bodies of text and other information (material, dimensions, location, artist name & artwork name) was provided to us. It was hard to ...

While many people begin college right after high school without giving it a second thought, the question of when to start a graduate program can be tricky one. Choosing to commit to two years of intense study – not to mention expensive student loans – is a huge responsibility. How do you know you’re ready for graduate school? I started my ...

With summer almost here, you might be wondering how to best spend your time away from school. One of the things I recommend to my students is that they consider interning at a local museum, gallery, non-profit or design firm. While some of the most competitive positions get filled months in advance, in most major cities there will still be some ...

What Do You Charge? As a freelancer, or at a design firm, there comes a time when we have to figure out what to charge for our services. We are worth payment. But, what do we do to set our rates to make sure that we're getting what we're worth? In our experience at Creative Core Design (.net), we go through ...

June 2010. My expected graduation date. So many things have been on my mind as of late! The future is what's been running through my mind non-stop, and at times it's caught me off guard on how quickly time is passing and how I'm halfway through my VC program at school! I admit I had a few weeks of doubts in ...

None of us are perfect. We all make mistakes sometimes. When we get in the graphic design business and start freelancing or even working for our own firm, the potential for business mistakes can increase significantly. I've thought about this and want to give you 5 of the most serious mistakes, in my opinion, that can occur. The 5 Mistakes 1. ...

Recently, I talked about how to set rates for design services. Hopefully this helped you, but there has been a question that comes up about discounting rates and when, and if, do to so. Let me give my humble opinion on this. Think About It Of course, rates that we charge are the bread-and-butter for our business and income. Many times, ...

Whether you’re contemplating a career change or looking to add some new skills to your current studio practice, “continuing education” or “adult extension” courses might seem tempting. At the school where I teach, a wide variety of classes are offered – from blacksmithing to computer animation, and everywhere in between. And of course, if you live in a big city, the ...

How did you do on the Picasso quiz? These were not very easy questions! Congratulations if you did well. To help you learn more about this most prolific painter, here are the answers to the Picasso quiz, "How Well Do you Know Picasso?":http://artbistro.monster.com/news/quizzes/compare/62 It is possible that Picasso has had an influence on every living artist today. h4. Quiz Answers [photo:182863] ...

I am often asked to give advice to aspiring designers hoping to make it in the industry. I have always found this to be an awkward question for me to answer because even after 10 years, I still feel like I’m an aspiring designer myself. So when I’m asked that question I tend to think back to my early days; I ...

I’ve recently started a new round of applications for grants and residencies, and in doing so I find myself depending heavily on the advice I’ve gotten from the new book Art/Work: Everything You Need To Know (and Do) As You Pursue Your Art Career (Free Press/Simon & Shuster, Inc, 2009). Written by Heather Darcy Bhandari and Jonathan Melber (a gallery director ...

As designers, there are times when the client asks us to write copy for their project. In our experience, we're mostly called on to edit the copy written by someone else. That is a pretty easy gig, especially for those who have a good grasp of language, spelling, and grammar. But, what about writing actual copy and starting from scratch? Copywriting ...

If you’re a senior in college or finishing your second year of a MFA degree, I don’t have to tell you that the end is almost near. Depending on where you go to school, you probably have between five and seven weeks before the semester is over and you’re cast out into the “real world.” So what are two things you ...

As designers, we all do it. When we put on our typographer "hat", we need to establish the current typeface or two that we're going to use in any particular document. I really love doing this part of the job. It can be a fun, and creative, way to research your font suitcase to find just the right one to effectively ...