The Oatley Academy of Visual Storytelling

How To Ask For Donations Without Sounding Pathetic (Part 2) :: EAJ #29

EAJDonations2

One of the fastest, simplest ways to begin making money with your art is to accept donations.

…but how do you ask for donations without sounding pathetic?

In this LIVE episode of Escape From Art Jail, Chris and Edge explore why artists often avoid asking for donations and why they should do it anyway.

Questions Answered:

  • What can I do to increase the chances that people will donate?
  • Where can I find donors to support my art?
  • How can I as for donations while avoiding desperation and self-centeredness?
  • Why is gratitude so important? …and am I being gracious enough?
  • Do you I need to be “established” before taking donations?

[Read more…]

How To Ask For Donations Without Sounding Pathetic (Part 1) :: EAJ #28

Mordecai-and-the-Rigbys-Money

One of the fastest, simplest ways to begin making money with your art is to accept donations. But how do you ask for donations without sounding pathetic?

In this episode of Escape From Art Jail, Chris and Edge discuss why you feel bad about asking for donations… and why you should do it anyway.

Questions Answered:

  • How do I know if I’m providing value with my art?
  • When should I start creating donation opportunities?
  • What’s a good pricing tier to start with when setting up my Patreon?
  • How do I figure out what my audience wants?
  • Is it a good idea to set up multiple options for people to support me?

[Read more…]

How Good Mentors & Collaborators Accelerate Your Artistic Growth

MorningNoonNight_TrailerScreenshot

No matter where you are on your creative journey, having multiple positive influences to guide and support you is vital.

Carolyn Arcabascio (Group Coach for First Flight, Co-Founder of Morning Noon & Night Productions) and Érika Casab (Co-Founder of Morning Noon & Night Productions), through the development of their animated short Aye Aye, discovered the amazing potential of collaboration.

Ejiwa (Edge) Ebenebe (Technology Director for The Oatley Academy) hosts.

Questions Answered:

  • What makes a good mentor?
  • How do I find good collaborators and mentors?
  • What skill level should I be at before seeking a mentor?
  • What is the difference between a teacher and a mentor?
  • What is the key to a successful collaboration?
  • What is the benefit of starting a collaboration VS working alone?

[Read more…]

[LIVE on 08/17] How To Ask For Donations Without Sounding Pathetic (Part 1) :: Escape From Art Jail

Mordecai-and-the-Rigbys-MoneyOne of the fastest, simplest ways to begin making money with your art is to accept donations. But how do you ask for donations without sounding pathetic?

In this Live episode of Escape From Art Jail, Chris and Edge discuss why you feel bad about asking for donations… and why you should do it anyway.

Thursday, August 17th at 9am PT.

Below, you’ll find the link to join the live session…

[Read more…]

[LIVE on 07/18] How Good Mentors And Collaborators Accelerate Your Artistic Growth

MorningNoonNight_TrailerScreenshot

No matter where you are on your creative journey, having multiple positive influences to guide and support you is vital.

Carolyn Arcabascio (Group Coach for First Flight, Co-Founder of Morning Noon & Night Productions) and Érika Casab (Co-Founder of Morning Noon & Night Productions), through the development of their animated short Aye Aye, discovered the amazing potential of collaboration.

Join them on Tuesday, July 18th at 9am PT for a live panel discussion where they’ll respond to questions such as ‘What makes a good mentor?’ and ‘How do I find good collaborators?’

Ejiwa (Edge) Ebenebe (Technology Director for The Oatley Academy) hosts.

Below, you’ll find the link to join the live session…

[Read more…]

“Should I Specialize Or Be Versatile?” :: How To Grow Like A Professional Artist

Simpsons-Homer-MakingAChoice-ControlPanel1024w“Should I specialize or develop versatility?”

For many aspiring professional artists, this is an endlessly frustrating question.

…so frustrating, many people avoid it altogether.

But we don’t know one, truly successful professional artist who has not faced this question at every significant stage in their career…

Join Chris and Maike for a presentation that will help you face the question of specialization with clarity and confidence.

Questions Answered:

  • Do smaller studios prefer VisDev artists with broader skill sets?
  • How do I avoid creating a confusing web presence, when working in more than one art style?
  • Should I generalize if I can’t find a job?

[Read more…]

Inches From Breaking In: Personal Brand Development Case Study (Part 4) :: EAJ #27

In our previous Escape From Art Jail series, we learned how three successful artists developed their personal brand.

Now our hosts Chris Oatley and Edge help Escape From Art Jail student Dan Kelby develop his own personal brand and present himself as a competitive professional in the Visual Development Industry.

Questions Answered:

  • How do I adapt a well-known story for my portfolio without being cliche?
  • How far should I push my ideas and designs before stopping?
  • When is it okay to put “unfinished” work in my portfolio?
  • Are traditional mediums accepted in Visual Development?

[Read more…]

Planning Your Sketch Travel Trip

Sketch Travel is daydream fodder; that once-in-a-lifetime trip planned for “maybe someday,” if at all.

“Maybe someday” we’ll have the energy, the money, the time… But travel is expensive and complicated.

Meet Réka Kovács and Caleb Barefoot: Sketch Travellers and rockstar Oatley Academy students who have managed to make Sketch Travel an active part of their lives.

On this Live Panel Discussion, Réka and Caleb share creative solutions and money-saving tips that made their life-changing Sketch Travel journeys a reality.

Panelists: Réka Kovács, Caleb Barefoot, Sarah Mills (Magic Box Painting Coach and Social Media Manager for The Oatley Academy)

Questions Answered:

  • What makes sketch travel uniquely beneficial?
  • How can I make sketch travel possible?
  • What makes a good field-sketching setup?
  • Can I practice plein air virtually?

[Read more…]

Have You Lost Your Creative Identity? Personal Brand Development Case Study (Part 3) :: EAJ #26

HannahDaigle-Glowbug-1024x537In our previous Escape From Art Jail series, we learned how three successful artists developed their personal brand.

Now Edge and Sarah Mills (Social Media Manager and Magic Box Coach) help Escape From Art Jail student Hannah Daigle develop her own personal brand and present herself as a competitive professional in the Animation industry.

Questions Answered:

  • How do I keep depression from stalling my work?
  • How do I punch social anxiety in the face?
  • When can goal-setting be harmful?
  • Will I be blacklisted in the industry?

[Read more…]

[ LIVE on 04/22 ] Planning Your Sketch Travel Trip

Sketch Travel is daydream fodder; that once-in-a-lifetime trip planned for “maybe someday,” if at all.

“Maybe someday” we’ll have the energy, the money, the time… But travel is expensive and complicated.

Meet Réka Kovács and Caleb Barefoot: Sketch Travellers and rockstar Oatley Academy students who have managed to make Sketch Travel an active part of their lives.

For this Live Panel Discussion, Reka and Caleb will share creative solutions and money-saving tips that made their life-changing Sketch Travel journeys a reality.

Panelists: Réka Kovács, Caleb Barefoot, Sarah Mills (Magic Box Painting Coach and Social Media Manager for The Oatley Academy)

Saturday, April 22nd at 9am PT.

Below, you’ll find the link to join the live session…

[Read more…]

Connect With Us:

Whether you’re pursuing concept art, illustration, character design, storyboarding, comics, animation or children’s books, The Oatley Academy will help you become a professional Visual Storyteller. Please reach out! We would love to connect with you.