NOVEMBER LETTER
Hi!
Happy November, friends!
It's my first newsletter ever, and I'm quite nervous about sending one, but we've gotta start somewhere, right?
It’s hard to believe that we’re nearly at the end of the year already. Time seems to go by so fast when I’m just slowly diving deeper into this business side of my artist career. It’s an intimidating process to begin with because I’m not used to sharing my thoughts & work process, and also because I'm used to be so comfortable sharing only my finished work. For most of the time, I am that naïve artist who only wants to focus on the art side of her work instead of figuring out how to market herself or expand her reach. I was feeling so intimidated, even when I know more than enough that these days, if you want to gain success with your art, you gotta learn to do both - art & business.
So here I am today, going out of my little comfort zone to introduce my first newsletter to you, with the goal of recording my journey and building my own community of friends who care and support my work.
I've always found trains to be a great asset for stories, especially stories that are set in the magical world. Trains add in and deliver the magic. Trains are the magic themselves! And just like how magical they can make me feel, I hope that I can bring the same feeling to you through Lynnie Express - the Newsletter.
So grab your ticket and if you're ready... Welcome Aboard!
Today's Route:
📍 Inktober Process & Reflection
📍 Etsy shop plan
📍 Mini Tutorial
Inktober Process & Reflection
October is a busy month for artists, isn't it? You may have already known about Inktober, one of the most popular illustration challenges of the year for artists. This year, I planned to complete around 9-12 illustrations throughout the month. The idea of of completing one illustration for everyday of October is quite intimidating, so I've decided to take it slow and posted 3 times a week (Mon-Wed-Fri). Fortunately, this worked really well for me.
THE PROCESS:
When it comes to illustration challenges like this, I like to plan out my rough thumbnails first before any "serious" sketching. I like to create a blank canvas in Procreate and work from the bottom to the top. By doing this, I was planning my Instagram feed as I made my sketches.
To be honest, I didn't have much time to prepare ahead, so what I did was planning and sketching simultaneously. Each Saturday, I would make 3 thumbnail sketches. These sketches were very rough and basically just to show the ideas (see above). On Sunday, I would on complete a sketch to post on Monday, and then throughout the rest of the week, I would finish the sketches for the other two (which were supposed to be posted on Wednesday and Friday). This way, I would have more time to come up with great ideas with less time pressure.
Note: I am also working full-time at another job (more on that one day), so I need as much time as I can to draw.
One sketch can have so many variations. As I only have to post 3 posts per week, I have extra time to experience with new ideas and sceneries.
HOW I CAME UP WITH IDEAS:
I don't want to appear like I'm bragging about myself, but the truth is, the ideas came to me quite naturally. It went like this: I drew the element that I initially wanted to include in the piece and made up a story in my mind as I go. And then later on, as I was further into October, it was pretty much free-style. See my thought process for the initial theme (first few Inktober posts) below.
THE REFLECTION:
I didn't get to finish 12 pieces at the end of Inktober, but my initial goal was 9-12, so I'm still patting myself on the shoulder, hehe. I found my new favorite inking brush, which is a great achievement because I've been looking for one since forever. Let's pat yourself on the shoulder, too, if you drew or just simply did something productive during October. We did it!
Etsy Shop Plan
I do have thoughts about opening my Etsy shop with physical products soon in the future. However, in the mean time, it would be digital planner stickers only. There're are only 2 listings for now, which doesn't sound great haha, but good things take time, right?
One good thing about digital stickers is that they are instantly ready for you to download and print at home! Speaking of a reindeer, I'm feeling like celebrating Christmas already!
I will keep you updated on the launch of physical items. In the mean time, if you are interested in digital stickers, feel free to take a look at my shop!
At the moment, I'm working on some mock covers and sequential illustrations to add to my portfolio and submit to art directors. Are you working on something as well? Don't stress, because I know they'll turn out to be awesome! As a way to show my appreciation to you, I will end my letter here with a mini tutorial, which is now on my Gumroad for easy organization.
Click here to get your mini tutorial. I hope you enjoy your journey today.