What Makes You Think Your Art is Good Enough?
What makes you think your art is good enough to upload to RedBubble?
1 Gut instinct?
This is the best way to know if your art, writing, or photography is good. For photographers, we simply know when the shot matches what we were trying to achieve. For writers, it’s when we write from the heart. For artists, and I mean people who manipulate binary-pixels as much as I mean painters etc, I imagine you know when your art has reached its point where it cannot be modified any further without ruining it. That’s right, ruining the final result.
Gut instinct tells you when you have just reached that pinnacle and achieved the art you imagined in the first place or saw through the view-finder.
2 Did someone in your family like the shot?
Trust me, I know from bad experience that relying on the opinion of family (to tell me what makes a GREAT shot) is never a good idea. As much as they believe in your artwork, they cannot see through your eyes.
I only upload a few distinctly better shots to RedBubble out of every few hundred. I might shoot between twenty and a hundred photographs from the one location, but I know almost immediately if it was a good shot or not. On occasion I only have to take one shot to get THAT shot, the one that gets shown to you, my friends and my family.
What makes you think your art is good enough to have printed?
1. You received 1,000 ‘Oh, Nice!’ Comments ?
Nope, this is not a good enough reason. Your art needs to be an extension of who you are. Despite what you see here on RedBubble, your art should not be a popularity contest, nor a multitude of ‘nice’ comments. Much as I enjoy getting a few nice words about my work, I’ve recently learned that unless the person actually says something constructive, unique and interesting about the actual photograph … the comment may just be a stock answer to everything they see here.
NOTE: OK, so sometimes it can be difficult to put into words what you like about some one else’s art, but at least say something unique. Yes, my photography of flowers have DOF, POV, macro-detail, lots of colour and are ‘hot’, ‘cool’, ‘wow’, and ‘whippitycrack’. Now tell me WHY you like it, WHAT it is that makes it good and HOW many you are going to purchase! :D
2. Only you can know if your art is worth selling on RedBubble.
Do you think someone would purchase it as a card? Or are you just showing off an image that you want others to consider before you commit to it?
Ok, so we all do that occasionally. I’m not saying it’s wrong to upload the incomplete and unfinished, but this is RedBubble. It’s not just a community, forum and friend-making location: It’s an online print-shop.
3. Don’t be concerned with anyone’s opinion before presentation.
Upload those few shots you really believe capture what you were attempting. If you really believe the art is good, show it to the RedBubble world the whole internet. Because everyone online and offline is now going to see you and your art. RedBubble is a name, not a fortified location. Our comments, words, suggestions, responses, queries and ‘drool’ will be carbon copied across the planet and archived on the “WWW”
Today I shot 5GIG of photographs in 5 hours.
I had a day in the Adelaide CBD, revisiting previous locations, visiting a few new places and discovering new things at each location that I did not see the first time! This added up to around 1,000 photographs.
... I’ll be the first to admit that less than 200 are any good.
... Less than 60 are very good.
... I’ve uploaded only TWO of them to RedBubble. I might add a few more.
... SEVEN have been loaded to my flickr gallery . All are getting lots of traffic, with very few comments. Just the way I like it.
Each of those photographs got some pixel-manipulation. Yes, I do, when necessary. Each of those photographs were one of a several exactly the same … but I decided that one would serve the purpose I was looking for.
I didn’t ask anyone on RedBubble or Flickr if they would like to see it : I made that decision while perusing them on my 500GIG HD. A lot were shot purely because I like architecture, but many were shot because I figured they’d look good as a card or framed image. One of them is a test-image, to see the response/traffic rate. See if you can pick it.
4. Would you delete or replace a photograph if enough people said they didn’t like it?
Seeing as how so many of us rely on the comments of others to fulfill our online life, IF someone was to suggest a fault, change, modification or complete make-over of your art work, would you?
I believe I might change an image. I have certainly changed my opinion on pixel-manipulation! I know I’d delete an image, but only from the RedBubble-database. I’ve done that several times. Where’s your thoughts on this?
You’ll notice I rarely make comments on other people’s art. There is a LOT of great work on RedBubble. I just don’t have the time to tell you. Anyhow, you know your work is good. Or you would never have taken the time to put it on RedBubble …. right?
Robert Knapman
Enjoyed reading this Mr Mitchell. Some of these thoughts or sentiments have been expressed elsewhere by others but your post is very measured, point by point, and well considered. I posted a poem I wrote in 10 mins titled ‘I am a Popularity Conntestant’, and it ended up rather pointed – I was frustrated and maybe a bit angry. Have a read.
I think your post reflects some of the frustrations of ‘working’ the system and often the nature of sites which are hybrids of social, community, professional and artists’ evolution. I’m not sure it can change, however since I ve been here I have noticed a modification of behaviour over time as people realise (I think) that this can be a merry go around or prioritise what they are really here for. Its all good. Cheers.
Stephen Mitchell
Robert, I did a lot, a heluva lot, of reading of stuff in the RB forums and personal articles last night. Then I spent a few hours mulling it over (whilst redesigning my own site {still in progress, with fiddly CSS !}).
What you read here took me about two hours to carefully create, word by word. I had to take into consideration my previous articles, a lot of differing opinions, and some brutal honesty of my own beliefs.
I cannot recall being angry or misled nor frustrated while I wrote it. Ok, yes, a little frustrated. But I blame me, yes me, not RB, for lack-of-sales. RB is just a tool, a means to a future, not the whole (nor the end of) the world.
Oh, and that link in the middle of my post should work shortly.
Natalie Manuel
Some people wouldn’t know a good photo if it hit them over the head and the title WAS “good photo”. Some people have no idea that a bad photo is really bad. They either haven’t learned yet how to distinguish, or they are kind of person who simply doesn’t ‘get it’. There are lots of people who just don’t ‘get it’.
As you get better at your own stuff, you can see the glaring faults in your older work. However some people are not perceptive and never learn. Some people have the desire but no real talent, some people have the talent but no real desire.
There are some people who think Mills & Boon books are literature etc. Not everyone was created equally with the same abilities.
I’m not trying to be a bitch or snobby (though I realise it does sound that way) but it’s just TRUE.
Faizan Qureshi
Loved reading through this. Thank you. You make very valid points. :)
Caroline Hartree
Thankyou Stephen, and yes I agree with Faizan, you did make lots of very valid comments! I was only thinking yesterday that I might go through my portfolio anf delete some. I don’t really want to though. Cheers Caroline. :+)
Paul Tait
Well said. Cheers, Paul
David Librach ...
OK, I’ll bite…..
1) I think when you get to a certain point, that “gut instincts” take over. However, how or if you get to that point or how long it takes is different for everyone. Take a professional baseball player for example. Yes, their ‘gut’ will tell them what pitch is coming next and when to swing at the bat. But they have spent a long time learning what to look for and how the mechanics of the swing should be. Eventually ‘muscle memory’ takes over and it becomes more of a natural ‘feeling’. Our brains are also muscles and work in a similar fashion. For some, this learning comes quicker and is more instinctive than others.
2) There are a couple of points that you brought up here. One, I think everyone when they start off strives for acceptance from others. At the beginning, you tend to not believe in yourself and your abilities and so you seek out confirmation from others. Friends and family tend to be the safest people to look to and many of do. If it wasn’t for my wife and the rest of my family praising me, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Interestingly enough, my wife actually doesn’t understand the direction that I have taken with my abstracts but I have since grown to believe in myself (see above) and so the need for her to love everything that I do is no longer there.Of course, I still love her though :)
Second thing you mentioned is regarding number of images it takes to get the one. This is different for everyone and every situation. It is in no way a reflection of how good you are or whether or not it is worth putting in your portfolio.
PART TWO
1. Sorry, but going to have to disagree with what I think you are saying here. While getting a bunch of comments may not meet your requirements, for certain individuals, it will boost their confidence and make them believe in themselves. Not everyone can express themselves in words. Sometimes body language (of course that can’t be done over the internet) can speak louder and say more.
2. Yes, only the artist can decided if they believe it is worth printing. Sometimes that decision is made without much confidence, but it is ultimately their decision.
3. Well, I think you already know my views on ‘photoshopping’ an image :). It is just another tool an artist can use (or not use) to help obtain their vision.
4. Wow, this is a tough one. I have deleted a few images because off lack of views/comments. In fact, I was about to do a bit of a house cleaning on a couple of images that haven’t received much attention. However, one of those on the chopping block just sold as a canvas print! It only had one comment and very few views compared to the rest of my portfolio. Another one on the block just received another comment that made me smile. I really like both of those images and will now rethink how/if I delete anything. I think I will only get rid of anything that I believe does not accurately portray the style/work that I want to be known for regardless of how many/few comments and favorites it has received. Still thinking about this though….
OK, think it’s time to hit the “add comment” button before I take up more space here. :)
Cheers,
Dave
3.
Charlie Lawrence
Wow 1000 shots in one day! I did 18 days on a pro shoot in NZ and shot 1500. You must like sorting through GB’s of images in your spare time ;)
Stephen Mitchell
Responses are in progress
( Busy updating website! )
Roberta Murray
Excellent thoughts. Stuff I have thought about in the past.
1. If it moves me, or can represent what I saw/felt at the time it is good enough. I often love an image at the moment only to come back a week/month/year later to wonder what I was thinking at the time; and cringe to think I’d considered it good enough. So good enough is a fluid idea subject to change.
2. Exactly the same as David said; it’s a little scary how I mirror his comment on family.
1. The comments game is exasperating at best. I am with you here in that I’d prefer one geniune thought out comment to dozens of superficial ones. Though I don’t tend to get either one, so it’s not much of a concern. I’ve summarized that I won’t ever make the popularity contest because I don’t have the time to play the games. (You comment on mine, I comment on yours.)
2. The work going up on RB is work that is in my portfolio, some of which is sold in galleries or shows. I don’t upload willy-nilly. I’m trying to keep a professional presence, so I’m uploading work that has sold in the real world, or will be sold soon.
4. If they actually say “I don’t like this” and then tell me why, I’d give it consideration, but if it’s still an image I love, probably not. And I wouldn’t do anything based on the opinion of just one person.
Stephen Mitchell
David and uncommondepth, Thank you both for your well-written responses. It’s a lot to read and respond appropriately. Please excuse my tardiness, I will respond ASAP.
Stephen Mitchell
Charlie, I shot about 1,800 in six days on KI last week. I am ruthless with what I keep or delete, so the final amount may come down to less than 1,000.
As David says ‘[I’ve] have spent a long time learning what to look for and how the mechanics of the swing should be. Eventually ‘muscle memory’ takes over and it becomes more of a natural ‘feeling’’.
I agree. I am now much more adept in the various features of my digital camera from many many photographic sessions that I am now much more fluid and I can adjust the ISO, exposure-compensation, flick to AV or TV when required, all without missing a beat. Consequently, less shots are required to achieve that ONE shot … and I spend less time deciding on the perfect shot for RB presentation.