Colour Choice (Photo heavy)

I've written a few posts about how to choose a colour for your pet, but this will be the most helpful - as I now have an example in every colour. This post includes lots of large photos so may take a while to load.

I have 13 colours in total, and this should help guide which would be suitable for your pet - of course you can always just pick your favourite And you can always ask if you unsure which colour would suit yours pet.

Under each colour I will summarise what the paint colour is best used for and also whether a photo taken in dark light (like the sort taken inside or on a smart phone) would be suitable.

1) Gold (Yellow Ochre)

The most realistic colour I paint and one of the most popular. It is quite timeless and the perfect mix of traditional and modern. You can see some pencil marks through the paint as it is quite translucent, it is more "glassy" than "creamy" when it is straight out of the paint tube.

It suits almost any animal regardless of colour or type. However is doesn't create the darkest shadows so not really suitable for very dark pets, it could make them look a bit pale and two diminutional.

Colours it suits - White all the way up to Brown, also really suits animals with patches, like a piebald horse.

Colours is doesn't suit - Very dark brown or black.

Lighting in photo - bright daylight to quite dark indoor photo. Very forgiving colour.

Other - Suits people who want a more traditional painting colour, suits any room.

2) Orange (Chrome Orange)

This is a real Orange sorbet colour, very fresh and vibrant. I can get quite rich shadow by double layering the paint. It is another "glassy" paint meaning pencil lines can see spotted occasionally. It is quite a tricky colour to match with a pet, but when it's right it is really really right.

It suits pale animals especially in photos there there is strong directional lighting, such as those taken by a professional photographer with big lights or lovely bright sunlight. It is perfect for animals that are white, cream, peach or palomino.

Colours it suits - white, cream, peach, and maybe a very bright chestnut.

Colours it doesn't suit - Bay horses, brown and black should avoid.

Lighting in photo - Bright lighting, outside daylight.

Other - This colour is perfect for photos where the pet has an expressive face.

3) Bright Blood Orange (Vermillion)

My newest and most unused paint colour. It is a really bright and happy colour. I haven't used this colour in a pet portrait yet, but the background would be quite a salmon pink colour. Covers pencil marks really well.

Would be best suited to a very pale pet, I'm going to test this colour on a white greyhound so the background can be darker than the pet, making it glow.

Colours it suits - White or cream

Colours is doesn't suit - From Peach up to black.

Lighting - bright lighting only, this colour makes beautiful shadows.

Other - Newest colour.

4) Raspberry Red (Cadmium Red)

A really lovely bright colour, perfect for people who want rose pink rather than barbie pink. Pencil lines can see seen slightly through the paint.

It suits smaller pets like snakes, lizards or rodents as detail looks really lovely in this colour. It also suits paler animals.

Colours is suits - Bright coloured reptiles or mammals from white to peach.

Colours is doesn't suit - darker coloured animals

Lighting - no harsh shadows, suits softer indoor lighting.

Other - This colour does now show shadows very well as it is quite a light tone.

5) Rich Strawberry Swirl Pink (Alizarin Crimson)

One of the most versatile colours I paint in, suits any pet, in any colour. It covers pencil lines really well so there is a smooth finish. I love this colour - it is just so SO pink. It has the perfect amount of richness to make nice dark shadows and the brightness for lighter animals too.

Colours is suits - any and every colour animal, might not be light enough for animals that are black and white while in bad lighting.

Colours it doesn't suit - none

Lighting - Any lighting, very forgiving and versatile.

Other - This colour works great for any animal.

6) Magenta

A very bright girly colour. Good pencil mark coverage so there is a nice smooth finish. Has a nice richness without being dark so perfect for darker coloured animals.

Colours it suits - would suit any colour but mid-tone to darker colours would be best.

Colours it doesn't suit - none

Lighting - any lighting, very forgiving.

Other - this colour goes nicely with the Rich Strawberry Swirl Pink and the Purple, so if you want more than one colour these will go together.

7) Purple (Cobalt Violet)

One of the most popular colours I use. Vibrant without being too girly, looks quite modern and polished. The paint stays wet for quite a long time to I can achieve a really smooth appearance by blending the colours. Good pencil mark coverage.

Suits any animal but very pale coloured pets do not look their best in this colour - it is just too dark for them.

Colours it suits - apricot brown to black look amazing in this colour. Pets that have patches like piebald horses or dogs with a lot of different tones in their faces look really nice in this colour.

Colours it doesn't suit - white or cream coloured pets

Lighting - any lighting.

Other - details such as collars or bridles look especially nice in this colour. It is very dark in its rawest form so small details can be very fine tuned.

8) Baby Blue (Cobalt Blue)

A paler softer blue with enough darkness for detail to still come across. A good colour for paler pets that you still want blue, it won't add too much darkness to their colouring. A darker version of this colour is the Phthalo blue at number 11.

Colours it suits - white to brown

Colours it doesn't suit - dark brown or black

Lighting - good daylight

Other - not the darkest blue, but a beautiful tone. Good for photos in strong sunlight.

9) Prussian Blue

Very rich blue with a slightly green tone to it. The darker shadows are very very dark making it perfect for tricky darker coloured pets. It is perfect for animals that are a bit fluffy or those with patches in their coats - such as piebald horses.

Colours it suits - white to black

Colours it doesn't suit - none

Lighting - any lighting

Other - very good for depicting movement or longer hair.

10) Ultramarine Blue (French Ultramarine)

A softer more purple toned blue than the others this is the perfect blue for pets with really sweet faces while still being a rich colour.

Colours is suits - white to black.

Colours it doesn't suit - none

Lighting - any lighting

Other - not quite as dark as my other blues, so if you like softer lines go for this one.

11) Phthalo Blue

A true primary blue, very dark straight out of the tube. Similar in colour to the cobalt blue but a darker version. Really good colour for detail especially eye detail as it adds a lot of depth. Not completely suitable for very pale pets as it can make them too dark.

Colours it suits - peach to black.

Colours it doesn't suit - White or cream

Lighting - any lighting

Other - a darker version of the Cobalt blue, just depends how "dramatic" or "soft" you want your painting to be.

12) Teal or Turquoise (Prussian Green)

I fully admit to this being my favourite colour. I love them all equally, but this one is a little bit more special to me than the rest. Every pet has "their colour" that they just own and my little fat Irish cob completely owns this one. It suits him in every way.

Colours it suits - white to black

Colours it doesn't suit - none

Lighting - any lighting

Other - collar and bridle details look really gorgeous in this colour.

13) Emerald Green (Phthalo Green)

This was a colour I hadn't ever used before, it was sitting in my art box unloved because of my devotion to my turquoise green so when I finally painted these fish in the emerald green I was very pleasantly surprised. It is a really nice jewel green rather than the more "forest green" I had been expecting. It is quickly becoming one of my favourites.

It is really striking and was a big hit at a few of the shows I have done.

Colours it suits - white to black

Colours it doesn't suit - none

Lighting - good outdoor lighting works best.

Other - really suits more quirky paintings because of its bright fun colour.

See more examples on my Facebook page or my flickr page

About the Artist

This is a quick blog about me, my life and how I got into art. It is quite narcissistic and has lots of photos - you have been warned :)



First of all my name is Sophie, I live in essex with my parents, siblings, boyfriend, 2 dogs, 4 cats, maxi cob, corn snake, crocodile Skink and Leopard Gecko.


Me aged 9



I have been drawing and painting for most of my life, being dyslexic meant that colours and shapes have always made more sense than letters and words.


A shetland, drawn by me aged 7


I managed to pass my GCSEs with better grades than expected and finished 6th form a few years after that. I had never considered going to university but suddenly I was presented with the opportunity to do so.



I experimented in my foundation year with colour, sculpture and paint, having stuck to skin tones and graphite due to shyness during school.



After my foundation year, I got into the university I wanted.

In the first week we were asked to do an art exercise - pull an item out of your bag a create a project based on that item. I pulled out a small perfume. I made a project on the impact of smell on memory and nostalgia. I picked a huge metre canvas and started my first oil painting.









I drew and (partially) painted my first animal in 9 years and loved it.

It was another year before I gained the confidence to draw a horse again. I was a weird kid in school - being horse obsessed and having a learning difficulty that meant I was mildly bullied for a year or two. It was enough to knock my confidence, making me stop my constant equine doodles at the age of 11.



My whole year held an art exhibition just before our graduation. Before the exhibition had even opened to the public all my paintings had sold, it was at that moment that I realised more people than just myself and my family (who might be slightly biased...) like my work.

I graduated in July 2013 with a 2:1 and the rejuvenated love of animals, colours and paint.




I am now making the first few cautious steps towards making a career out of making art.

Frequently Asked Questions.

1) What sizes are available?

I do two ranges of paintings.

Miniatures which are small square paintings that get parts of animals faces painted onto them rather than whole faces. I can paint the whole head of a dog onto these square portraits

"Head and Shoulders" paintings where I paint whole portraits not he canvases.

Miniatures come in three sizes.
10x10cm priced at £40.
15x15cm priced at £60.
20x20cm priced at £80.



Head and Shoulder paintings also come in three sizes.
25cmX20xm priced at £140. (suitable for small animals and cats)
41cmX30cm priced at £180. (suitable for dogs)
56cmX46cm priced at £260. (suitable for horses and large domestic animals)



2) What size would be best for me?

The different painting ranges suit different peoples taste. The miniature paintings are more modern and abstract and the large "head and shoulders" paintings are more traditional.

I can paint any animal on any sized miniature, but it will be part of the face rather than the whole thing.

The head and shoulders paintings are more restrictive.
The smallest size is suitable for rodents and reptiles.
The medium size is suitable for dogs and cats.
The largest size is suitable for horses and farm animals.

3) Which colour?

In general everyone has a colour they like for their pet. We often know what collar suits our dog or what coloured rug we put on our horse. All the colours look nice, it depends on what colours you like.

Lots of things can effect how a colour will look for you specific pet - lighting and your animals actual colouration for example. If in doubt ask - I usually have some example images I can show you.

I have a blog post detailing which paint colours suit which animal colours here.

I have also started painting Real Colour portraits, you can find more details of these paintings here(realcolour blog post).



4)How many animals can I have painted?

You can have up to three animals painted on a canvas, but you will probably need to "size up" the canvas, increasing the price. I can quote you based on your individual photographs however. It costs £50 more if you want two heads rather than one.



5) When do I pay?

You pay an initial 25% deposit for your painting in order to book its slot, this amount is nonrefundable once I have started your painting. You pay the remaining 75% once the painting is completed.

6) How do I pay?

I accept paypal as I find it is the easiest and safest way for everyone, but I am adaptable. I can also set up payment plans starting from as little as £20 per month until your painting is paid for.

7) What should I do if my painting gets damaged?

The best way to heal a dented or stretched canvas is with water - take a damp sponge to the back of the canvas, wetting the fabric in a circle around the damage.
If the damage happened during the shipping process please contact me.

Choosing a colour for your pet.

Quick warning - this post will have lots of photos in, so may take a while to load.

Choosing a colour for your painting can be tricky. I know from experience as I have half finished painting of my dog Maisie that has taken 4 years to even get this far.



The easiest way to decide on what colour to get painted is to look at what colours you automatically choose for your pet.

For example - my boy Jacko wears either red or different types of blue. Since the way I paint means red is actually pink I could easily narrow my decision down to blue shades. My favourite type of blue is the tone right in between blue and green - so turquoise. This makes my process seem quite long winded - but it was a very quick decision in reality





This type of choice isn't fool proof - chestnut horses generally look amazing painted pink, but people often find pink rugs and head collars clash with their rich coat.

Another example is with my two dogs. They are very different personality-wise but wear quite similar colours.



Maisie - under all her fluff has a red collar.



Alice has a pink harness but also a purple collar (because accessories...)

Maisie doesn't suit pink. at. all. While Alice suits almost any colour, So (when I get around to painting them) I think I will simply swap their colours over - Alice a naughty candy pink, and Maisie a royal purple.

Another thing that can often dictate what colour will look good is the photo itself. The paler, more subtle colours that have gold or orange tones really benefit from photographs that have lots of highlights.

Photos where half the face is in shadow, and half in strong light, like in this photo of my super fluffy cat.







Hope this helps everyone make more confident colour decisions.

New Year Offer

Hello everyone, hope your have a fabulous new year with your friends and family.

This offer only stands for january 2014 only, although if people like trying-before-buying I very likely to repeat this experience. So let me know.

First a few guidelines.

-You have the whole of january to post your photos.

-It can be any animal that your own.

-Only one animal per canvas.

-You can put up as many photos as you like.

-You can choose the style you prefer : either "multiple-miniature" or "large-singular" and can request a colour or you can leave it as a surprise.

-I will photograph any resulting paintings as soon as possible after they are finished.

-I will not alert you if your beloved pet as been chosen, you need to keep checking back on my Facebook page.

-If you like idea but are not able to photograph your pet for any reason let me know so I can alert your personally if I repeat this offer later on in the year.

I think that's about it, if you have any further questions just ask.



Price and Canvas size reminders



Large Singular Portraits - £200

Medium Singular Portraits - £150

Small Singular Portraits - £100

10cm Miniature Portrait - £20


15cm Miniature Portrait - £25


20cm Miniature Portrait - £30

You can request real colour on these smaller portraits - but there will be an extra 50% charge on their original prices.



Hope that explained the offer very throughly, any questions or objections please don't hesitate to ask.

Miniature Portrait Pricing Plan

I have been debating for a while how to encourage multiple sales of my portraits, not because I'm greedy, but because I think they look great as a "herd" like my degree show.



At £200 a pop, this is a pricey option.

So I have listened, sketched and practiced to develop a series of smaller sized portraits.

The practical information about sizes can be found here.

The Prices.

10cm - £20


15cm - £25


20cm - £30

I have also started to slowly incorperate "real colour" back into my portraits since they look very nice next to a bright coloured portrait of the same animal as seen here.



However these take much longer to complete so the real colour portraits are 50% more expensive. I also only offer real colour on these three sizes.

Real Colour Prices

10cm - £30

15cm - £38

20cm - £45

The Deal

When you buy three (or more) portraits you get 10% off the total.

This include the larger portraits I have been doing previously.

Examples



15cm+15cm+20cm = £80-£8=£72 in total




10cm+10cm(real colour)+20cm = £80-£8=£72 in total

June Portrait Competition

What you will win:

The winner will receive a free portrait of their horse or pony.

Details

It will be in any single colour they choose.

The portrait will be a "head and shoulders" painting of one horse or pony.

If the winner wants more than one portrait I will offer very good discounts for the winner.

The portrait will be 18 x 22 inches.

See here for example work.

How to enter

Like and share my facebook page.

How do you know if you are the winner?

The winner will be announced on the 24th of June on my facebook page.

The winner will also receive a facebook message by 1pm.

Conversation Starters

I want to give a few suggestions on how to approach someone about buying your work. Not necessarily big gallery owners, but everyday people who would probably love to have a piece of your art hanging in their home or office.

We can often talk ourselves out of a sale, either by talking too much and listening too little or by being too honest about our work and putting people off.

You want to make sure your art is right for the person, are they your target audience?

Ask a few simple questions evolving around "Who, what, where, why, how". The best form of listening is to ask questions, let the person sell themselves your artwork by using carefully phrased questions.

Let's say I approach a person looking at this piece of work.

The kinds of questions I would ask would be aimed to the person both bout the subject and about the art as an object.

First the animal related questions. Show an interest in their interests, find out a little bit of information about them while maintaining a friendly conversation.

1) Do you have a horse?
(Allowing me the chance to sell them a commissioned portrait.)

2) What's his/her name/colouring/breed/age/sport?
(I would point out a painting, if I have one, where the breed or colour is featured. It would allow me the chance to explain about how bright colours describe the horse more than the natural colours)

3) How many Pets do you have?
(I can use this to see if I could sell them a commissioned portrait where both their pets are featured, or whether their pets have very different personalities and I could paint two portraits at a special price)

Next the more arty questions. Talk to them about the practical side of owning artwork.

4) What kind of colours do you like?
(Some people who are inexperienced in art may feel pressure to pick the "Right" colour when talking to an artist. This is your chance to reassure them that there is no wrong answer. If they blush slightly when they tell you most of their home is beige, speak honestly about how subtleties in colour can be just as interesting as bright brash colours. If they are really unsure I could ask what colour stable rugs they have on their horse, or what colour their decor is at home or their office.)

5) Do you own any art?
(being a persons first art piece is a huge deal, be friendly and reassuring. Their art may need to be more personal than stylish)

5) What other artists do you like?
(I would only ask this is the person viewing my work has shown to be rather arty. You may learn about other artists who are doing similar work to you)

6) Who is the painting for?
7)What is the painting for?
(Quite similar questions, letting you know more about the person buying your work, and it's friendly as well as informative. It will let the person buying your work know that you love your art and want to know it's going to a good home)

8) Where were you thinking of hanging this piece?
(People want art to decorate their house or office, so acknowledge this. If they say they would like it for their office space - ask them what their job is. Their line of work could be related to your subject and if this is the case ask them whether they would be interested in you offering them a discounted price in exchange for displaying your contact details)

9) Do you prefure traditional or modern style art?
(This vague and undetailed use of artistic language settles the person, making them feel them can discuss art through basic terms such as "colourful" rather than getting into the depths of art history. It helps if you have visable examples of traditional and modern art. So the person is making a choice between two pieces rather than two vague styles)

10) Do you have a budget in mind?
(One of the trickier questions to ask. Only ask this when you are pretty sure the person is a serious buyer. Don't be too rigid on your pricing so it allows for some flexibility. Also have a range of work in at least two different price ranges. This also allows you to offer them artwork that is within their budget, making your art more easily accessible to them)

You can apply this is any art form of any subject matter, not just my cute little candy ponies.

Why people buy Art

Or more importantly, why do people buy your art?

I've wanted to cover this topic for a while but it's a slippery little sucker of a topic to pin down.

I don't want to talk about taste and why people buy particular art, I want to talk about the basics.

I think at the bare bones of it - people buy things they can't make themselves.

I'll tell you a little story to illustrate this and at the same moment be the barer of bad news - cupcake sales are drastically dropping. This is because they went from being a fabulous little cake you buy as a beautiful treat to a normal little cake you learn to make yourself instead.



Cupcakes became too accessible and people became too wise at their easy-to-bake ways.

The same is said for almost all other products. Can't grow food yourself? Buy it. Can't knit yourself a scarf? Buy it.

It even applies to things that you do actually kind of do make yourself, if you can knit yourself a scarf, you still need to buy the wool. And even if you have your own sheep farm - where you harvest the wool and make your own yarn you still need food for the sheep, and you need to buy that from someone. No one is fully self sufficient.

Someone will buy your work if they honestly feel they couldn't make it themselves.

They buy it because you have a particular viewpoint that they relate to but can't emulate. This could be your materials, or the message you portray through your art. Whatever it is, people buy it because you are passionate and talented - and I think that is a very important thing to remember.

How to talk to a Gallery owner

There is lots of really good advice on the Internet and in books on how to get your art work into a gallery and also how to majorly fail at it.

The thing is, if you follow the advice and keep showing up at your desired galleries open exhibition, visiting exhibits numerous times and become a familiar face you will eventually meet the gallery owner or the galleries curator. And what do you say to them?

Usually you will majorly panic. You will remember that all the advice said how busy they are, how they can only afford a small attention span because of how many other artists are vying for their attention.

To demonstrate my point I will role play a scene from what would happen if I walked into a gallery and the important, career enhancing person I had been slyly searching out for months turns to me and speaks to me.

Art Person - Hello again, you come here quite often.
Me - Yes, I love your gallery.
Art Person - Why thank you. Do you buy art, make art or only come and look at it?
Me - * very nervous laugh* I make art. I'm an artist.
Art Person - Oh really, what kind of art?
Me - *Verbal diarrhea*

Basically I would tell the very important person my entire life history, babble on about my subject and materials at high speed for about a minute until they run away, slightly frightened and most importantly - not remembering anything I told them because I said too much too quickly.

Which is kind of what happened at the Marketing Seminar.

I panicked big time. We were set the task of speaking for a minute, giving a business pitch to the most important client we could possibly imagine who has just stepped into an elevator with us. Hence its name - The Elevator Pitch.

Suddenly the whole days advice went out the window.

The only thing I did do right (for the task) was I identified my audience. In a gallery setting this might not work quite the same, but asking "Are you mr/mrs gallery owner?" would be a really good start. I stood up in front of the table and started.

"I'm Sophie and I'm a Fine Art student. And you, my audience, are all here to buy lots of art from me."

That was literally the most coherent bit.

People laughed because it was cheeky and made them believe for a split second that I wasn't as nervous as I really was. Humour shows you are confident and also builds your rapport with people, putting them at ease. You could emulate this by answering something along the lines of "The kind of art you would love to own." or "The kind of art that would look really good hanging right here" and pointing at the wall and laughing with the person (hopefully they will laugh) and saying "only joking, I make such and such art"

After everyone finished the task Clarke gave us some more advice. He wanted us to write a headline. He asked us to imagine it was the subject field of an email we would send, that we want lots of people to open. I used it to summarize my art work into a short sentence that gives enough information for the person I'm speaking to to actually understand what I'm saying but not enough information that it sounds too technical or dull. It makes them (hopefully) want to know more.

So anyway mine was this - I look at whether surgical thread and dusty old coffin covers can be beautiful.

If you replace the last few lines of my previous role play with this one it has a better outcome, maybe the gallery owner will laugh and ask where I got my hands on coffin covers or maybe he'll simply ask if they can be made beautiful, to which I willl reply "yes". Either way I will have permission to carry on talking rather than just bombarding them with rushed, nervous words.

Life's a Pitch and then you Buy: Part 1

Good Evening Chaps and Chapettes,

I've been to a business seminar / Marketing day today with the very charismatic Steve Clarke. I went with my mum mainly because she went to a talk by him a few months ago and said he was really interesting, really motivating (which I suppose is why he's a motivational speaker).

I found the day quite tricky to relate to, everyone in the room was a business owner and I wasn't. I felt like a bit of an impostor sitting there. A student, not an employee and certainly not an entrepreneur.

He used a lot of acronyms which I found a little daunting, he even inceptioned the acronyms so that the T (Tonality) in P.I.T.C.H. had to be explained by the acronym A.V.K. (auditory, visual, kinesthetic).

But I had my own light bulb moment (or eureka moment, which he also turned into an acronym by the way). I do have a business. Or at least a product.

I'm an art student, an art maker, an art seller. My business is art and the selling point I'm trying to push isn't that my art is the artsiest or the most colourfulest; it is the content and meaning behind my work. It is my materials and it is the quality of their physical aesthetics.

I'm a business owner.

In a way.

Moving on, this blog post isn't about what a clever sausage I am, it's about passing on advice and it starts with a little list of acronyms followed up by my personal take on why they help artists. Be aware they kind of repeat the same advice, but you can Tailor them to make them useful to you.

I'm also going to break down some of the more complex subjects into other blog posts, but I will still write briefly about them in this. If I write something that seems a little "easier said than done" the likelihood is I'm writing a more in depth post about it. I'm going to rely on bold text to highlight key points since this is quite a substancial chunk of text.

Starting with his EUREKA acronym

E - Engage a Hungry Audience. If you find someone (gallery or person) know how to promote your work rather than turn them off. They're "hungry" for information and are interested, don't blast them with knowledge, have a short business pitch prepared that sums up your work and your interests in a short, snappy minute or so. I'm going to talk about this a bit later.

U - Uncover the Pain. I was a little baffled by this one, but basically find a need that you can fill with your business and your product. Admittedly this one works better in a business where the reason for buying a product of practical, why people buy art is a matter of taste rather than necessity, and the reason people buy your above anyone else's specifically is an abstract and hard to pin down concept. I might write a post about why people buy art later.

R - Reach and Rapport. This is where you make sure you reach the right audience, if your art is about a particular subject find an enthusiast about the subject. Or if you use a particular medium find collectors and galleries who want your medium, and once you do establish a common interest and try to make them like you and listen to you.

E - Establish Credibility. Find your unique selling point, what makes you special and sell it in quite sparing numbers. Make your product a coveted product that is easy to access but also don't under price your work. Make your product exclusive and unique.

K - Key Elements of Every Sale. This is explained quite simply when I say that you need to hit certain targets when you try to sell, but the dynamics and balance are tricky. It is better explained by Clarkes 6 Step Sale Cycle which I will talk about in another post shortly.

A - Attitude and Action. Have the right positive, winning attitude, believe in your work and also follow up business leads. If someone has said that they want to talk to you about your work, or that they simply must see the latest pieces of your work call them or email them and make it happen.

The next acronym is shorter, but a little more complex. I found it very tricky to relate to my art, so I will explain it in terms of another business. The wonderful Care at home summarized it very well. Firstly the acronym is F.A.B. which stands for Features, Advantages and Benefits. This little acronym is perfect for knowing how to explain your art work to someone without over doing it.

Feature - This is essentially what you sell as a service or a product. Mine would be either "Art using textiles from the funeral trade" or the shorter option of "Art about Death", since these are features of my work.

Advantage - This is the advantage for the customer. Mine was regarding my university project, that the work about death comes from a "Knowledgeable source, because of my family background". I not only have an interest in death, I have very extensive knowledge in the matter from a privileged vantage point.

Benefit - This was the hardest of the three to answer, how does my work or products benefit my buyer? Again it comes back to the tricky question of why people buy art. For me I thought about the reason my art would be bought, that they have an interest in my chosen subjects and topics. So the benefit would be that buying my product gives the client "A way of looking at Death that is removed from the reality of it, but also deals with is in a very direct but staged manor." It isn't snappy or short, but my work is quite honest and blunt, but the soft edge of art gives it a comfortable platform for people to view it from. It allows topics to be personal without being hurtful.

The man from Care at Home had a much cooler F.A.B., so I'll tell you his too for comparisons sake.

F - Fully trained Carers.
A - Your loved one gets the best care possible.
B - Peace of mind for everyone involved.

I think this is a great example. It makes it so clear to see, this is the type of thing you would say to someone who is commenting on your work and you are struck with the urge to spew truckloads of information at them. It makes you clean and concise as well as professional. It will help you build rapport with people, if you know why your product or art work is so desirable.

I'm going to write a few other posts in the next few days.
- Explaining Clarkes 6 Step Sale Cycle. But to pitch to people about your product without preaching at them.
- How do you advertise?
- How to sell by listening.
- 10 conversation starters that may get you business.
- Elevator (One minute) Pitch and develop a headline to impress gallery owners. This includes advice on how to know what kind of audience you're talking to.

Example Simple Business Card

My business card is very simple with minimal information on it. It isn't very exciting and would do it much differently now but I got over excited making them.

I would definately include much more colour but leave the text more-or-less the same.

I'm going to pop up a trial business card that I will make when I use up all my current ones.

Incase you are wondering what the weird smudges are its where I crudely took off my phone numbers and email address.