| When you are ready to enter your artwork in | | | | the wait, the cost, or the hassle. |
| local art competitions, here are nine art tips that | | | | Art Tip # 5 - My advice is to frame your work |
| can help make this a great experience. | | | | as well as your budget will allow. If your work |
| Art Competition Jurors | | | | doesn't sell, you can always reuse the frame for |
| One of the favorite pastimes of entrants is trying | | | | other art in other shows...but take into |
| to predict the kind of artwork a particular juror | | | | consideration Tip # 6. |
| will accept, based on that juror's painting style. | | | | Art Tip # 6 - Ask yourself: How experienced are |
| Sometimes picking your entries in this way works | | | | the people hanging the show? |
| and you get in, but I've also seen jurors choose | | | | Let me explain. At one time I used to enter some |
| an eclectic mix of styles and subjects, only some | | | | of the smaller local art shows. The problem that |
| of which were like their own. | | | | changed my mind about this was I had so many |
| Art Tip # 1 - My advice is just enter your best | | | | frames scratched and ruined because they were |
| work - art that shows skillful use of your painting | | | | badly handled. I use nice frames for my art - not |
| medium, a well-designed composition and an image | | | | the really high-end ones, but not the cheap ones |
| that shows creativity. These are three important | | | | either. In the smaller shows, what happened at |
| criteria of most jurors. | | | | times was the art was stored with the back of |
| When you enter your best artwork, you are | | | | one piece of art leaning against the front of |
| showing your strengths. After that, it is up to the | | | | another. When that is done the screws on the |
| juror and his or her viewpoint. And you'll just have | | | | back of one frame can easily scratch the frame |
| to accept the vagaries of the judging process. As | | | | or artwork behind it. |
| a more extreme example of what can happen, I | | | | Small art shows and small organizations may have |
| once had the same juror for two different shows. | | | | volunteers who have little or no experience |
| I entered the same painting in both art | | | | handling art. In these small shows especially, you |
| competitions and the juror rejected it from the | | | | have to make a judgment call as to how |
| first show and gave it an award in the later one. | | | | expensively to frame your work. |
| A nationally known artist told me a similar story | | | | I am much more trusting if the show venue is a |
| about a painting of his. It was rejected from one | | | | professional gallery, since they have experience |
| national show and won Best of Show in another. | | | | handling and hanging art. |
| I'm pretty sure he didn't have my juror. | | | | Glass for Your Frame |
| Photographing Your Art | | | | If you create art that needs to be framed under |
| Art Tip # 2 - The second most important factor | | | | glass, you've got another decision to make. Do |
| you control, after painting a great piece of art, is | | | | you use regular glass or the more expensive, |
| taking a good photograph of it. This is what the | | | | non-reflective glass? |
| juror sees to judge your art; it needs to | | | | Art Tip # 7 - Use the best glass you can afford. |
| represent you well. | | | | As expensive as it is, let me explain why I'm a |
| The picture should, of course, be in focus and | | | | strong proponent of non-reflective glass. Some |
| show colors that closely match your art, so | | | | years ago I was accepted into an art competition |
| become proficient at shooting your own work or | | | | at a gallery. Normally, galleries have track lighting |
| find a professional to do it. | | | | that can be positioned to reduce reflections. |
| What people who take pictures of their own art | | | | Unfortunately, my art (under regular glass) was |
| may not realize is the lighting conditions affect the | | | | hung on a wall facing the front windows. When |
| color of your picture. Just like the old film | | | | the sun was shining on the street outside, the |
| cameras, shooting pictures with a digital camera | | | | scene outside was all you could see reflected in |
| using incandescent light bulbs will turn your picture | | | | my glass. This is a very effective way to |
| more orange. Using fluorescent lights can turn the | | | | guarantee you get neither a sale nor an award. |
| pictures greenish. Shooting outside when the sky | | | | But, being a slow learner, I continued using regular |
| is overcast can create a bluish tint, so look at | | | | glass until a weekend a few years later. I had |
| your pictures closely before entering them. | | | | registered to display my art in an art fair. Now in |
| A lot of people make the mistake of leaving their | | | | an art fair, the artist pays for space to set up his |
| digital camera set on Automatic. To get the color | | | | canopy or tent to show and hopefully sell his |
| in your picture to match your artwork, you need | | | | work. |
| to understand how to set the White Balance. | | | | Tents for this use are almost always white, as |
| Every time you shoot under different lighting | | | | was mine. The white walls of my rented tent set |
| conditions you should reset the White Balance. | | | | up a reflective situation that the lights I was using |
| Check your manual for how to do this on your | | | | could not overcome. |
| camera. | | | | Standing in front of some of the art was almost |
| Another award and entry killer is not submitting | | | | like standing in front of a mirror. Again, the only |
| your entry in the required format with the | | | | way to actually see the art was to stand off to |
| required information. Always read the art contest | | | | the side. I had one sale that weekend. |
| prospectus. It's amazing how many people don't | | | | I may be a slow learner, but eventually the lesson |
| follow instructions, which instantly converts their | | | | does sink in. Since that disastrous weekend I have |
| entry fee into a donation. | | | | used nothing but non-reflective glass. It is almost |
| Art Tip # 3 - Film is going away, so my advice is | | | | as expensive as gold, but it works very well and |
| to become familiar with how to prepare and send | | | | eliminates a very important headache. |
| digital pictures. | | | | Shipping your art |
| Art competitions that require digital entries often | | | | You might decide at some point to enter an art |
| want your pictures to be formatted in a specific | | | | contest in another area, where you will need to |
| way. The prospectus will often say your entry | | | | ship your art. |
| should have a black background and be X number | | | | Art Tip # 8 - Total all your costs before you |
| of pixels square. If you don't want to buy | | | | enter a competition, because the costs add up |
| software (like Photoshop or Photoshop Elements) | | | | quickly. |
| that will help you do that, there are free internet | | | | First, you need to buy a sturdy box to ship your |
| sites you can also use to format your pictures. | | | | painting. Air Float Systems ( carry boxes made |
| Framing your art | | | | especially for shipping art. The boxes are very |
| Okay, you've been accepted into an art | | | | sturdy, but they are not cheap. Or, you can build |
| competition. There is another important decision | | | | something similar to the Air Float boxes by |
| to make. How well are you going to frame your | | | | purchasing a mirror box (available at U Haul and |
| work? | | | | other packing stores) and some foam. |
| Art Tip # 4 - Often, the juror doesn't pick the | | | | Second, the art group organizing the show will |
| award-winning art until he or she can see the | | | | designate a local shipping agent to receive your |
| actual work. Your whole presentation affects that | | | | entry. The agent will unpack your art, deliver it to |
| decision. | | | | the show venue, pick it up after the show, |
| Matting and framing your art well are very | | | | repack it in your box and ship it back to you. The |
| important for two reasons. | | | | fee for this may be several hundred dollars in |
| Reason 1: If you have a nice piece of art | | | | addition to the expense of your box and your |
| surrounded by a cheap-looking frame or a frame | | | | original shipping costs. |
| that's scratched or dented, you've just reduced | | | | Art Tip # 9 - Never enter more pieces of art |
| the award-worthiness of your work in the eyes | | | | than you are prepared to deliver. |
| of the juror. | | | | If you call the art show organizer and try to |
| If you also have your art surrounded by gaudy or | | | | weasel out of shipping one or more of your |
| inappropriately colored mats, you've lowered your | | | | pieces that got accepted, you are not going to |
| chances of an award even further. It's best to be | | | | get a sympathetic ear. Or, if you just don't deliver |
| conservative. Use white or off-white mats. | | | | all of the art that was accepted, you could, |
| Reason 2: If an art buyer likes your art and would | | | | depending on the rules of that art competition, be |
| consider purchasing it, he or she often wants to | | | | banned from entering for several years. |
| be able to take it home and immediately hang it | | | | So remember: Do your planning well ahead and |
| on their wall. If she feels she needs to spend | | | | follow these tips you are much more likely to |
| more money to re-frame your art more | | | | have a rewarding experience when entering art |
| appropriately, she is likely to decide it isn't worth | | | | competitions. |