Turning Artwork into Stickers

Aloha artists! I’ve been making stickers out of my artwork for a few years now with great success so I figured with this latest batch it was time to share exactly how I do it.

With all these new sticker companies out now you can create fabulous vinyl stickers out of your paintings, drawings, illustrations, or digital art relatively inexpensively. People looove stickers, so they are an especially easy sell to folks just getting acquainted with your artwork, with the bonus that they then see your work IRL constantly - keeping you in mind as one of their faves! Yay!

Choosing your best art to ‘stickerfy’ should take some thought. It is wise to choose the boldest, most eye catching and easily identifiable images to truly stand out and appeal to the most people. You may even want to run a poll of your artworks to see what your audience will love sticking on their gear the most!

Before getting started there are a few things to keep in mind..

1. It’s probably best to use a white substrate for drawings or illustrations if you will want custom cutout stickers (as in not a square or circle shape). It will make your life much easier when it comes to editing the proof.

2. Think about the scale of the original art in proportion to the sticker. If the artwork has a ton of tiny details in it they may not show up in a 2 or 3 inch sticker. It’s often best to choose bolder, more simplistic designs so they come out bold and clear.

3. Shop around and check the quality of different sticker companies before going all in on a manufacturer. Don’t place a big order with a new company before getting some samples so you make sure that not only the stickers are the quality you’re looking for, but that your designs are uploaded at a high enough resolution to print out nice and clear.

How to Turn Art into Stickers:

1. Choose a clear, eye catching piece of art.

2. Take a bright clear photo of your art (help with photo taking here and here)

3. Upload, edit, and clean up your image (here’s free Photoshop Express and the Adobe version)

4. A. (optional) remove the background; B. (necessary) add in your name or logo (here’s free Canva)

5. Upload artwork to your chosen printer (Such as… Sticker Mule, Sticker Giant, Stickybrand, etc)

6. Wait like a kid on Xmas Eve!!

Pick up a set of all 3 Mushroom stickers here:

..and use code MUSH2023 for a special limited time discount!

3.19.2023

Orchid Show at the Atlanta Botanical Garden

Wowowowowow is all I have to say about this living exhibit! So many unexpected colors and textures represented in this world-class collection at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.

There is a truly impressive permanent orchid house at the gardens, and my partner Alan and I were also lucky enough to make it down there for the annual full bloom and extended exhibit.

I didn’t even bother to record the names of all the different varieties, I was just too entranced soaking them all in.

I dubbed this kind the Ramen Noodle orchids, can you see why??

This kind may have been my favorite of them all (although it is hard to choose just one favie!). I just can’t get over that color combo.. I may have to attempt painting it!

And how big are they!? Seriously have never seen so many huge and healthy orchids in my life!

I was so enchanted by the ones with the extra long tendrils especially! Plants are basically aliens!

Oh my gosh! Don’t even get me started on all the pitcher plants!! Squeeee!!

The botanical garden also had lovely walking trails (which had a super special whimsical outdoor sculpture exhibit that I’ll share here soon - stay tuned!) and three different greenhouses; one featuring dense jungle plants…

one featuring high elevation tropical plants…

and one featuring an arid climate full of cacti. So epic!

And as a special treat to you, me fellow artists..

If you would like to use any of these images in your art go right ahead! Please tag me on Insta @caleighbirdart so I can see what your making (and share with my audience too!).

And one more thing… I want to give a lil shoutout to Alan for taking some of these great pics! I’m always so grateful for my perfect adventure buddy. Thanks for treating me to a lovely day of brunch and the gardens, Alan!

3.9.2023

Mushroom Paintings in Gouache

Do you ever have a project idea just marinating on the back burner for months and then finally have the chance/supplies/time to finally do it and it feels sooooo satisfying!?!

That’s totally me with these new supa dupa mushrooms!

…which will soon turn into big bright colorful stickers!

I want the stickers to be as colorful and eye-catching as possible as good little impulse buys when hosting my art booth (yay, I am so excited to get back into craft fair vending!), and since everyone loves mushrooms I figured these would be a great subject to appeal to the crowds.

I’ll also have these stickers available on my website in two weeks when my next video comes out showing how I made them (and how you can make stickers of your own art too!)

The supplies I use today:

Gouache (not an affiliate link) https://www.amazon.com/HIMI-Gouache-Supplies-Professionals-Student/dp/B09QRKQJZB?th=1

Any purchases through my special Blick link helps to support this channel at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

Princeton Size 1 Round Brush: https://bit.ly/3gFb7cT

Princeton Size 0 Round Brush: https://bit.ly/3bb05v9

Da Vinci Size 2 Round Brush: https://bit.ly/3diLEEK

Watercolor Sketchbook: 10 X 7in https://bit.ly/3miKrXY

Make sure to tune into my next video too to see these transform into fabulous brilliant big stickers!

Which one is your favorite? Would you rock any of these as a sticker?

3.5.2023

Art Video Audience Survey - Tell Me Your Preferences!

Aloha fellow artists! I’m psyched to invite you to another opportunity to share your opinion on how best you like your artsy content delivered 📥📬📮

If you’ve been following me for a bit you’ve probably seen my art process and tutorial videos on YouTube, but even if you haven’t seen many your input on my lil survey will still be very valuable! Just tell me what features you have liked about any art videos so I can continue to improve my own.

The survey is comprised of only eight ‘A or B’ questions so it will take less than two minutes to complete. I made a handy dandy lil clickable survey right here on my website. Just follow the button below!

Thanks so much!!

2.25.2023

My Skull Reliquary Got Invited to an Art Show!

Huzzah huzzah! My ‘Skull Reliquary II’ 3D oil painting I created just this last October is currently at a special invite-only art show at the d’Art Center in Norfolk, VA. The same venue where I won the second place award last year.

Here’s a lil vid I made of packing and shipping it off. Cheers to getting my artwork in front of more eyes!!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Artist, Teacher, Creative Coach (@caleighbirdart)

2.23.2023

3 Tools You Didn't Know You Needed for Oil Painting

Hi fellow Artists! Today I am sharing three totally essential oil painting tools that you may not have even realized you needed, but will never be able to live without once you have used them!

(And I even include a fourth one at the end that you could literally implement today for free!)

The Goods:

(Here are a few affiliate links to the items I'm sharing today. Any purchase here helps to support my channel at no extra cost to you - thank you!!)

Tube Wringers:

Metal:https://bit.ly/3lDCo7O

Plastic: https://bit.ly/3EkuDu8

Mahl Sticks:

Metal: https://bit.ly/3SbXPZW

Wood: https://bit.ly/3IkwyAa

Chamois so you can make your own: https://bit.ly/3KjpoOX

Neutral Lights:

Table Clamp: https://bit.ly/3kaNJMl

Standing: https://bit.ly/3EmoLQZ

(and there’s more through these links if you peek around!)

2.19.2023

The Worst Resin Catastrophe...

…yet? …ever? … that made me decide to change how I approach my 3D oil painting technique??

I wasn’t really sure how to finish that title because ‘yet’ would imply that I am expecting to do worse in the future, whereas ‘ever’ would imply that I am brazen enough to think that I will never have resin issues in the future.

The last line is probably more accurate, but not so catchy as a post title.

Anyhoo, as you can surmise, disaster did in fact befall the Nest in the form of completely ruining the most ambitious painting I have ever created. It’s something I should have known had the potential of happening, but since it never had I figured it was less of a gamble than it truly was. Woe is me for sure…

I completed this epic painting I am calling ‘The Secret Garden’ and gave it ample time to cure (as much or more than others in the past) but did not varnish it (as I never do, expecting the resin to protect it enough) and proceeded to begin pouring the resin as usual after affixing the base layer leaves and real earrings.

Checking on the first layer of resin poured, everything was positively hunky dory for hours. No color change or noticeable chemical heating or reaction with all the bubbles coming out nicely. I set it up with a protective cover and eventually went to bed for the night.

You know that feeling you get on Christmas morning as a little kid? Well imagine if you legitimately woke up to nothing but coal. That’s about how I felt when checking on this the following morning. Like allllllll of the wind had gotten taken out of my sails. Uggggghhhhh

Notice how it didn’t even happen everywhere - the tummy stayed the correct color!

Essentially what happened was the titanium white I used in the skintones somehow reacted with the chemical in the resin turning my lovely shadow-splashed figure into a Marge Simpson lookalike. I wanted to achieve a sun kissed look - not a goldenrod yellow disaster!

I say ‘somehow’ because I honestly don’t know why it happened since I have literally painted with this exact tube of white paint and then layered resin over it using not just this same brand, but these actual bottles of resin, with absolutely fantastic results and no hint of any issue to come. So frusterating and weird at the same time!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Artist, Teacher, Creative Coach (@caleighbirdart)

As far as the resin lumps/striations noticeable in the first pic, those were caused by me because I couldn’t bear to look at her when I first discovered what happened 😭 I leaned the painting up against a Rubbermaid container facing the wall before the resin fully cured causing gravity to drag down the layer a bit.

So after 30+ hours spent painting this extremely complicated piece, it is officially and completely ruined. C’est la vie.

But you know what they say, it’s not about how hard you fall, it’s whether you get back on the horse.

Well I’ve got two words for that notion: saddle up.

The new base drawing and aerosol background next to the ruined resin piece.

After a few months of grieving (and just being ultra busy) I have started to repaint. And wouldn’t you know it, but it’s even better than before?!

The first one is not bad, just a lil more textured and the mouth is less believable. It’s almost like I got a practice round - or at least that’s what I’m telling myself to ease the pain.

Much softer blends and more detail to the lips - plus a shadow on the neck for hair to overlap (which I forgot to add in the first one).

As far as how I will be treating my mixed media paintings in the future, that’s for another blog post. I’ve been doing some research and will need to do a bit of experimenting as well. I know I want to keep the 3D element to my art, but I need to re-evaluate if resin (or perhaps incorporating varnish) is the best way for me to do so going forward.

I’m even adding in more shadow details (because I like driving myself slightly crazy 😜)

It’s been a soul-testing journey, but my outlook is optimistic! Wish me luck, I’ll post about my new artmaking decisions when the time is right!

2.16.2023

New Drawings - Something a Little Different..

I recently found myself in a hotel room on an icy afternoon with unexpected ample amount of time and extremely limited art supplies (only a pencil and eraser) and no laptop to amuse myself with. Yikes for anyone but a creative, right?!

Luckily there happened to be a thrift store right around the corner and a Hobby Lobby right next door to that. Since I have all the art supplies and sketchbooks I want/need at home, I didn’t want to go buy a bunch of (potential) crapola at a big box store just for one day’s amusement so I decided to challenge myself with finding some kind of toned paper at the thrift store and only purchasing a white chalk pencil for the highlights at Hobby Lobby.

I wound up discovering this fantastic package of long, vibrant red envelopes and walked over to snag the chalk. All the art supplies I could need for hours of amusement for less than $8- score!

Once I was all cozy in my room with a cool seltzer and my modest art supplies by my side, I decided to dig through the ‘Inspo’ folder in my iPhone and see what I could come up with to sketch. Since I was using a graphite pencil instead of a chalk pastel pencil I was able to choose some references that included more precise details, like lace and other fabric details.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Artist, Teacher, Mentor (@caleighbirdart)

This figure has such a presence and strength…. Even though I found the pic in an ad I couldn’t resist drawing her.

And this is Nadia, an ‘Instagram friend’ who has actually been featured in my artwork previously. I just love her naturally delicate features so much!

Watch me draw her ultra delicate hands:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Artist, Teacher, Creative Coach (@caleighbirdart)

Do you love these natural figures contrasting on red as much as I do? I just listed them in my shop if so!

2.11.2023

The Ebb + Flow of Artmaking

Does it ever seem like every other artist around you has such consistent and impeccable output, both in their studio and their social medias, while you struggle to make art on a regular basis and sometimes let your social medias go quiet for weeks or even months on end??

Don't worry.. you are not alone.

Resources:

https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/ebb+and+flow

https://www.irisbarzen.com/cycles-of-productivity/

https://evernote.com/blog/the-most-and-least-productive-hours-in-a-day/

Sara Tepes vid: https://youtu.be/erK8FhVOZ-U

My lovely iceberg landscapes were painted using Himi brand gouache on thick watercolor paper.

Reference Images:

https://pixabay.com/

2.5.2023

A Collection of Figure Drawings from Fall Semester 2022

Every once in a while I like to open up the sketchbook and share my latest works with you, and since teaching multiple anatomy/figure drawing classes I’ve been drawing a lot lately. Here are a few of my favorites from the last semester..

I seriously loved this stately model; doesn’t he remind you of like a casual-cool Henry VII or some other classical regal portrait?! He just got that self-assured-scepter-holding ‘kingly’ vibe I suppose.

And keep an eye out because I have a few photos of student work to share, including a few of me I’m sharing in my newsletter this week. We had a model cancel so I sat for some portrait drawings and many of them turned out surprisingly well! (If you’re not already getting my ‘Birds of a Feather’ quarterly letter you should definitely join in at the bottom of this blog post or through this link!)

With these next few you’ll notice a trend.. and that is they are all drawn of our models’ backs. I allow my students to all get their seats with the best, most forward views of our models so sometimes the only space for me is to set up around back. But I’m not complaining at all, any chance I get with a life model is an opportunity to learn!

And did you see the drawings from my first ever pregnant figure model? Now THAT was an amazing experience! The drawings turned out beautifully, if I do say so myself ;)

1.24.2023