Friday Favorites are my weekly recap of some of the amazing things going on around Imagekind. I love hearing about what Imagekind members are up to and this week is no different! Check out below to see how you can have the chance to meet up with prominent Imagekind artists who are truly utilizing the web to bring their artwork to the masses. Also, check out a very helpful blog post written inspired by our own Imagekind artist on tips and ideas to help you sell your artwork on Imagekind. Lastly, take a look at the kind of coverage some of our artists’ work is getting around the web!

They Digg Your Art!

Last week I wrote a post for Digital Photography School on 20 Beautiful Examples of Urban Decay Photography featuring some of our top Imagekind artists in the field. It was such a hit that it reached the number one spot on Digg for the Arts and Lifestyle category! It really took off!

If you’re a digg user, give it a read through and digg it if you feel so inclined. Thanks!

Create Live Seattle

Prominent artists and Imagekind members Natasha Wescoat and David Hoang are coming to Seattle next Saturday, August 29! In conjunction with their event Create Live Seattle, Natasha and David will be creating art  live while they stream, chat, tweet, answer questions and hang out with other Seattle artists at Bedlam Coffee. Here’s what they say about the event:

The rules at a CreateLive event are simple. If you have something creative that you are working on, bring it and work along side our featured artists. If you want to come and just hang out, by all means, you are more than welcome! Come, have fun, create, hang out, eat, drink, whatever. Be Awesome!

I plan on going. So if you’re in the Seattle area and want to meet up with Natasha and David, make sure to stop by! If you’re not in the area, no worries! You can keep up with what’s going on live. Follow the action via Twitter: #createliveseattle and follow the host: Brent Spore. You can see all the details on the Create Live Seattle website.

Helpful Imagekind Overview and Selling Tips

Art marketing blogger Cory Huff put together a fantastic post the other day on tips for selling artwork on Imagekind. After talking with Imagekind artist Tim Aldridge and Leyl Black, Cory was able to put together some top tips for selling your art prints on Imagekind. Cory covers very helpful tips and ideas on how to increase your sales. Some of the highlights include how to promote your artwork, Imagekind marketing tools, the importance of tagging, and more.

You can read the full blog post here.

Quick note, Cory does suggest to add the colors of your artwork as tags (such as tagging your art with “red” “blue” etc.) in order for it to show in the Color Picker. Though it is a good suggestion to tag your work with the prominent colors, it is not necessary for it to show in the Color Picker as it pulls the promiment colors from the image automatically, regardless of the tags.

Harry Kikstra is an outstanding photographer. Simply looking at his Imagekind galleries will confirm this claim. His photographs provide a glimpse into a world that many of us may never experience. Whether it is in the heart (or head) of Tibet or the vastness of America, his breathtaking shots will leave you in awe of our planet and all there is to enjoy about it.

Bio: Harry Kikstra is a climber/expedition leader/ photographer/ filmmaker/ producer/ writer/ public speaker/ cyclist and many other things that have to do with sharing the beauty of the outdoors. I have climbed the 7 continental highpoints and have traveled a lot and will not stop soon, though normally I am based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

His personal site, ExposedPlanet.com is not only a way to show his portfolio, but also to share the beauty of our planet. Nowadays negative press & media might make people scared of everything foreign or different: culture, religion, people and the places themselves. This xenophobia is taking over our lives and prevents us from seeing the real world as it is: a wonderful place with beautiful people. There are no bad or evil countries, religions or people. There is bad and good people in every culture, including your own.

I hope I can share a bit of the amazement I have enjoyed while traveling the 7 continents.

1. What is your inspiration? What keeps you making art?

The wonderful world around me. The desire to share the new places I visit, new people I meet and a deeper knowledge of places and people I already knew before. Positive things like colors and culture, but sometimes also negative things like injustice and anger.

I started my photoblog ExposedPlanet.com not only as a way to show my portfolio, but also to share the beauty of our planet. Nowadays negative press & media might make people scared of everything foreign or different: culture, religion, people and the places themselves. This xenophobia is taking over our lives and prevents us from seeing the real world as it is: a wonderful place with beautiful people. There are no bad or evil countries, religions or people. There is bad and good people in every culture, including your own.

2. What made you decide to be a Photographer?

I always loved to take photos, but it got reinforced by positive feedback on my images. I noticed that my audience got intrigued by my photos and got curious about the stories behind it. Also I love the power of images, just a still moment can say more than a movie of an hour. Besides I love the technical aspects of photography, cameras & lenses & post-processing, trying to teach and improve myself constantly.

3. How does Travel influence the way you see the world and your art?

It is the catalyst. It opens up a virtually endless array of subjects and stories and enlightens me. It is the best education you can ever get. Many Westerners do not appreciate that our freedom to travel is one of the highest freedoms there is. They take it for granted and do not use this freedom. Those who do not travel do not realize they are stuck in a box, of which walls and windows (if any) are tainted by commercial media and politics. Step outside and look further.

Practically speaking I need to carry a laptop and an external hard disk as well. As it is very likely that if one gets lost stolen or submerged in water, the other will too, so I also use an online backup service. Also, when climbing to high altitude, the weight of the cameras and lenses are a burden, but that is worth it.

4. What programs and tools do you use to create your photography? What equipment do you use?

I switched to Digital 4 years ago, until then I was mostly using slides on my Canon Eos3. After the canon 20D & 5D, I am now using the 5D mark II, a wonderful machine. As I am traveling I am space and weight limited, and need to make a selection of lenses, so I take only my favorites for a fairly broad range: 16-35mm zoom, 50mm fixed and 135mm fixed.

Of course, often opening and closing the shutter only takes as little as 1/8000 of a second, I spend much more time afterward with processing.
Before I used PhotoShop, but now I am very happy with LightRoom, as I do not need all the PS features, mostly I alter only the basics like contrast and fill light, I do hardly ever use any layer masks etc.. I have created some panoramas as well, using LR, PS & Hugin. I can spend hours tweaking one photo, while several hundred others are waiting

5. What is your favorite thing to shoot?

Life. I specially love to capture mountains and kids. It is always difficult to explain to others why I choose to climb mountains (I have climbed the ‘7 summits’, the highest mountain on every continent, including Everest), so I try to show it instead.
Kids are the same all over the world, just their surroundings are different, but I love the honesty & joy in their faces.

6. Which artists inspire you & what are your favorite pieces/artists on Imagekind?

I am a fan of originality and truth, both can move me. I really have no favorite artists, as a favorite style would probably mean that many images will look alike. But am always positively surprised by pieces or art I encounter while browsing Imagekind and random photoblogs. I think there is a lot of talent around that are not famous. The digital world has changed the artist landscape I think.

7. Who is your target audience? What do you do to market to them specifically?

I have never shot specifically for a target audience and do not know who they are exactly, so maybe you should contact my buyers on Imagekind and ask them! I just shoot my images and upload them to my websites, specifically ExposedPlanet.com, where I link to my Imagekind  gallery.

That site is very popular, though it is very basic and has never been promoted by Google advertisements, fancy tricks or software. It is just the content that makes people come, I think it has page-rank 6 from Google at the moment.

I think my viewers are travelers, or people who want to be inspired by travels and want to know the real stories, not what the media wants you to believe. The most images I sell are my landscapes, I think a lot of travelers & climbers buy these, as most do not take heavy equipment up high mountains like I do… I do market the photos from my other website, 7summits.com, which caters to climbers & hikers.

Currently I am not updating my portfolio much, as I am traveling by bicycle from Alaska to Argentina (now in Mexico), but I do post images on my travelblog and some of them are already available on Imagekind as well.

8. Are you a full time artist, do you participate in Galleries and Shows?

I organize Mountaineering expeditions, and run several websites, this takes up a lot of my time. I am a full-time traveler though, have been on the road/mountains for the past several years and will be for the years to come. I work from the road (literally) and therefore it is hard to organize shows and galleries, that’s why Imagekind is so great. I guess I need a manager for the real-world galleries/shows (any takers?), as I am sure it will be great. Many of my images need a large size print before you can truly appreciate the scenery.

9. Do you belong to any social networks? How is it working for you?

I am very suspicious about copyrights management and therefore I have stayed away from Facebook (and most photo competitions). I am on LinkedIn and sometimes share advice on the forums. I use Twitter (@ExposedPlanet) to make some quick blog updates and to share some images, but mostly I use it to search current events.

What is getting more important for me are the social travel networks, such as CouchSurfing.org , WarmShowers.org (for traveling cyclists) & HospitalityClub.org . These are wonderful ways to meet local people, who not only offer free places to stay, but they take you to the real sights, not what the brochures want you to see..

My real social network is the world. We are all connected, but we only have one life to enjoy it.

I hope I can share a bit of the amazement I have enjoyed while traveling the 7 continents. The more I see, the more I know I still have to see and I will. Life is too short to focus on not-existing enemies & fears.

My images show some of the varied culture and nature that is to be found on our 7 continents. I hope that it will sparkle your imagination, make you curious or even just educate you a bit, being maybe the 3 most important aspects of society in my view. A picture can say more than a 1000 wars and can maybe help understand the world around us. It’s a small place, so maybe we can make the best of it together.

Welcome to our series of interviews with some of our favorite member artists on Imagekind. They may be best sellers or up-and-coming artists. We hope that you can learn from these members and find some great new artists to love!

John Kraft joined Imagekind in 2008. His bright and bold work is a favorite on Imagekind and he has helped many members by continually giving great advice on artistic techniques and marketing. In addition to answering a few questions, John is also offering one of his best-selling pieces, “Racing the Moon,” at a special price this week.  Be sure to check it out, and get this deal while the price lasts.

San Francisco based artist John Kraft was born in Los Angeles in 1967. He was selected as a Featured Artist by Apple, and his art has been included in Dwell Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, ARTnews and in Modern Painters.

1. How and when did you get started making art? What has been your journey as an artist?

My journey as an artist arguably started at birth, but my work, in tangible form, has been in development for just over twenty years. Fourteen years ago I found what I consider to be my voice and my vocabulary as an artist. With a consistent palette and use of both strong color and line, this vocabulary has freed me to focus more on the story I wish to tell and less on the words I use in the telling of that story.

2. What was the turning point that gave your art a “voice and vocabulary?”  Was it a trial and error process or a brilliant epiphany?

The turning point in finding my current style as an artist was development of the piece “Priorities”. I began the piece by creating relatively abstract color fields and then for no particular reason I wondered what impact strong black lines would have on the various shapes and the composition as a whole.  It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Keith Haring and that I consider him a major influence, but at that moment it truly was an innocent experimentation with something new.  Of course, this was a turning point in terms of style, but the vocabulary itself developed over time as more and more pieces were created.

3. What is your process when creating a piece? What medium do you use? What is your inspiration?

My process has evolved over the years from the use of acrylics and pastels on wood panel or canvas to what is now a true composite of both traditional and digital painting techniques. This includes the creation of key elements with acrylics and pastels, digitization of those elements, and finally refinement of composition, color and scale within the digital space. I love the flexibility of working digitally and the myriad of “what-if” scenarios that I can explore. The added benefit of this approach is that the work can then be expressed in various media, whether it is paper, canvas, or more durable materials – all from the same source composition.  Inspiration comes from everything around me, but most significantly from my wife Nikki and my daughter Sienna and from the beautiful city of San Francisco.

4. What does your work area look like? Are you messy or meticulous when creating?

I’d like to say I have a roof top studio that overlooks all of San Francisco, but in reality, like many artists, my studio consists of a spare room in our home where I have a combination of easel, paints and computer equipment.  The final composition for every single piece is completed on a now somewhat dated G4 Powerbook.  I’d say I’m fairly meticulous when creating, especially when doing the work on the computer.  I can spend hours on details that will never be seen in the online version of the piece. There was a MacWorld UK interview I did years ago that went into greater detail on my process at the time: http://www.johnkraft.com/jk_mw_uk.pdf

5. There are a lot of recurring themes, symbols, icons and color choices in your pieces.  I’d love to know more about them.

In earlier pieces, like “Priorities” the recurring figures represented either lonely or lost souls fighting against excess and inner conflict, but now, in pieces like “Soulmates” or “One More Makes Three” these same figures are exclusively celebratory, loving and joyful – a direct reflection of the happiness and joy I’ve found in my own life with my wife and my daughter.  The recurring use of wine bottles and bowls of fruit represent abundance and celebration, and the recurring use of a guitar represents my other life as a singer/songwriter.  In terms of the palette… what can I say? I love color and the impact of using the strong black lines to define the objects and shapes.

6. For the recurring imagery in your pieces, (like your wine bottles) do you create them for every new piece, or do you reuse imagery from previous works?

It’s a bit of both, I definitely make use of previous imagery.  It’s really the visual analog for sampling in music.  Only in this instance I’m purely “sampling” from my own catalog of work.  Having said that, when I embark on a new piece that has new elements, like “Eden Before Apple”, much of that content is created fresh specifically for the new piece.

7. How often do you make new pieces? inkheart dvdrip download

It varies, but typically I’ll create one new piece every two to three weeks.

8. How do you promote and market your work?

My current efforts include a personal website , a Facebook Fan Page, Twitter, and of course my online gallery on Imagekind

In terms of promotion and driving traffic to these sites, I’ve used print advertising, targeted Facebook display ads, Google Adwords, PR Newswire and PRWeb Press Releases, and Email Marketing.  The ‘craziest’ thing I ever did to promote my art was to stand on the center divider on the street in San Francisco during rush hour handing out “Lombard Street” postcards, which eventually turned into being featured as an “Artist You Should Know” on About.com.  A few years ago, I was also fortunate enough to be selected as a featured artist by Apple, which led to a lot of great exposure as well.

One recent promotional experiment of mine was a virtual online art reception via YouTube that I produced to coincide with a private exhibition at Intel’s worldwide headquarters.  In total, that video has been viewed over 1300 times in 38 countries and has led to several sales.

9. Which promotion and marketing methods have proven most successful for you?

Without question, it has been the targeted Facebook ads that drive to my Facebook Fan page.  It has been successful in terms of resulting sales, but as importantly, as a means of raising the general awareness of my art and my brand as an artist. Those IK artists that frequent the forums have heard me “speak” extensively about the benefits of Facebook.  Creating a lasting career as an artist is not about the quick sale, it’s about the relationships you develop over time with people who appreciate your style and the way you engage with them on a personal level.  I should stress this includes fellow artists.  It is not always about the sale.  It’s about being connected to the world around you in a way that enables you to share your gifts.

I do have a tip or best practice to share with other artists that see artist ads on Facebook and want to learn more about that artist.  Whenever possible, try Googling the artist or searching for them in some other way besides clicking on the ad itself.  Typically every time you click on a Facebook ad the artist is paying for that click.  So I always try to avoid clicking on artist ads – and I try to find them through other channels after seeing their ad pop up on Facebook.

10. Who is your target audience?  What do you do to market to them specifically?

The short answer is: anyone who loves my work, whether or not they can afford my work right at that moment in time.  Target markets do not exclusively refer to people one expects to sell to today, but those that you wish to build a relationship with over the long term.  Developing your brand (and sales pipeline) as an artist during tough times will result in more sales during the good times.  Having said all that, the majority of my sales have been to people in their 30s and 40s that have an interest in modern, contemporary colorful art.

11. You have mentioned that you don’t usually sell originals. Why?

It’s purely an emotional decision.  I’d like to say there is a grand strategy behind it, but I really just don’t want to let them go.  Of course the definition of original becomes somewhat blurred when one enters the realm of digital art.  For example, “Lombard Street” exists as a real acrylic on wood panel painting, hanging in our living room – with pastels that still come off the surface when touched, but newer pieces like “Racing the Moon” or “Sausalito” are digital composites from the beginning, so the giclee is in essence the ‘original’ and the first tangible manifestation of the digital piece.

12. Who is your favorite Imagekind artist? (Besides yourself, of course!)

This is indeed a difficult one to answer, because I believe both artistically and personally in so many of the artists here on Imagekind.  So, if I’m allowed to “cheat” a bit I would answer like this: “My favorite artists on IK are the ones that wake up every morning thankful that they are artists, the ones that feel alive when they create regardless of medium, the ones that genuinely want to do all they can to share their gifts with those around them.”

So, you want to sell more art, but you’re not sure how or where to begin?

One of the most important aspects of selling your artwork online, is having an audience. Imagekind is doing this. We are creating an audience of art lovers to buy, sell and create art.

However, cultivating your own audience is extremely beneficial.

And, it’s not even as hard as you might think. In fact, one of the best ways to create an audience, is to find people who already love your style of work. For example, member artist James Provost has been getting some nice recognition lately in the interior design community with his Imagekind prints. Why? It’s because he has a style of art that already matches an audience: mid-century furniture design and decorating.

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Now, here’s the tip: find online audiences who already love your style and ask them if they are willing to help promote your artwork.

Have a niche? That’s often the best place to start.

Blogs are perfect for this. And getting this kind of recognition is not always as hard as you might think. But, before you start trying to submit your art to blogs, it might be helpful to read these dos and don’ts first.

Need more help? What about this:

Love dog art? Well, I know for sure there are more than just a few dog blogs out there…

Nate

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Looking for more ways to market your artwork for sale on Imagekind?

Now you can keep your fans and friends connected to your art on Imagekind with Facebook!

We’ve just launched a new option you have on Imagekind to connect your art on Facebook. If you’re a member on Imagekind, and have a Facebook account, you can easily post your new art on your feed. It’s a simple way to help market your art to one of the largest audiences online: Facebook.

It’s all automatic and there is little you need to do. Just follow the steps below.

To start marketing your artwork for sale on Facebook, follow these simple steps:

1. Login to Facebook.com. Make sure to check the “Remember Me” box at the top before clicking “Login”
2. Login to Imagekind
3. Upload new art to your galleries, join one of the Imagekind groups, or add a member’s image as a one of your favorites
4. A box will pop up that asks if you want to allow Facebook access. Click “Publish”
5. That’s it! You should see the images on your activity feed on Facebook.

After you allow access, here is what you should start seeing show up on your Facebook feed:

• New images you post for sale in your galleries
• Groups you join
• Images you favorite on Imagekind