Ep.12 | My thoughts on my original artwork not selling, a new location for them & marketing 🎙✨

Hello and welcome to Behind The Pencil, an Artists podcast sharing all the highlights and lowlights of being a self-employed Artist, life behind being a Coloured Pencil Artist and all the magic that happens behind the scenes, before the pencil touches the paper ✍🏻

In episode 12 I'm chatting about taking my three original wildlife artworks to a new location to be hung, my thoughts of them not selling / finding a forever home so far and what I can do to change that going forward with my marketing strategies. I also briefly chat about us Artists feeling disheartened if our work doesn't sell straight away. I hope you can relate to this episode in some small way 👩🏻‍🎨

Remember… ‘There are more buyers for great art than there are great works of art being created, so concentrate on quality, and don't raise prices faster than the market can bear’

- Clyde Aspevig 🎧

Thanks for listening, Molly Jay xx

Also available to listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more! 🎧

Some visuals for what I chat about in this episode:

Ep.11 | My favourite art materials - all other pencil tools (part two) 🎙✨

Hello and welcome to Behind The Pencil, an Artists podcast sharing all the highlights and lowlights of being a self-employed Artist, life behind being a Coloured Pencil Artist and all the magic that happens behind the scenes, before the pencil touches the paper ✍🏻

Episode eleven is a follow on from last week’s episode where I spoke about my favourite paper, pencils and favourite white and black pencils! In this week’s episode I’m chatting about all the other tools I use to accompany my pencils on a daily basis. I’m always really nosey when it comes to other Artists’ materials (hope you can relate 😆) so over the years I have tried lots of different products. Everything in this pod episode has been tried and tested for a length of time (some 10+ years 👵🏻) and I’m only recommending the things I currently use and I know are great investments. I talk about easels, erasers, sharpeners, the slice tool, the scanner I use, and other little bits and bobs.

Please get in touch if you have any questions or need any advice.

Top tip 💡 - if you are interested in any of these products, especially the ones that are a little pricey, see if there’s any better deals elsewhere or check your Facebook Marketplace or eBay for second hand easels / art materials etc. These links aren’t sponsored or affiliated - I have just found the products online. Everything I talk about is linked below:

Easels / Desk Easels:

Cowling & Wilcox Lexington A2 Workstation

Daler Rowney Artsphere Easel A3

MEEDEN Art Painting Easel 

Blundell Harling Champion Mk 11 Drawing Board A1

Erasers / Rubbers:

Tombow MONO Zero Eraser - Fine

Tombow MONO Zero Eraser - Broad

Derwent Battery Operated Eraser

Faber-Castell Kneadable Eraser

Slice Manual Pen Cutter

Sharpeners:

KUM Masterpiece Pencil Sharpener

Jakar Electric Pencil Sharpener

Graphite Pencils / Tools:

Faber Castell Series 9000 Graphite pencil set of 12 (8B - 2H)

Faber Castell Pitt Graphite Set of 19

Faber Castell Paper Stump

Silicone Clay Shapers

Dusting Brushes / Fixative:

Faber Castell Dusting Brush 1600

Makeup Powder Brush

Winsor & Newton Professional Fixative Spray 400ml

Flatbed Scanner:

Canon LiDE 400 Colour Flatbed Scanner (Black)

Thanks for listening, Molly Jay xx

Also available to listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more! 🎧

visuals for this episode:

Ep.10 | My favourite art materials - paper & pencils (part one) 🎙✨

Hello and welcome to Behind The Pencil, an Artists podcast sharing all the highlights and lowlights of being a self-employed Artist, life behind being a Coloured Pencil Artist and all the magic that happens behind the scenes, before the pencil touches the paper ✍🏻

In episode ten I take a little deep dive into the paper and pencils I use daily as a Professional Coloured Pencil Artist. I have split this episode into two parts (got carried away didn’t I) - part two will be out next week where I chat about all the other tools I use for my drawings like the erasers, sharpeners, slice tools, scanners, tech equipment and accounting software.

Please get in touch if you have any questions or need any advice.

I’ve popped all the links below for all the materials I mention in this pod episode - if you’re new to Coloured Pencil don’t feel like you need the full sets of all these pencils! Try getting a handful of colours to test out first, you don’t need the full set to start with. Another tip I mention is to try little sample sizes of the papers too - it’s all about finding the paper that works best for you and it can be expensive buying the pads or lots of sheets without trying it first.

Papers mentioned:

Fabriano Artistico Hot Pressed Watercolour Paper Extra White 300gsm 140lb

Arches Aquarelle Hot Pressed Watercolour Block 300gsm 140lb

Cass Art Watercolour Paper Sheets Hot Pressed 300gsm

Daler Rowney Tracing Pad 60gsm 50 Sheets

Saunders Waterford Hot Pressed Watercolour Paper 300gsm

Rising Museum Board 4PLY White

Stonehenge Aqua Hot Press Watercolour Paper

Pencil brands mentioned:

Prismacolor Premier Pencils

Faber Castell Polychromos Coloured Pencils

Caran D'Ache Luminance Coloured Pencils

Caran D'Ache Pablo Coloured Pencils

Derwent Drawing Pencils

Derwent Lightfast Pencils

Individual white pencils mentioned:

White Caran D'Ache Museum Aquarelle 3510 - 001

White Stabilo Aquarellable All Marking Pencil 8052

Derwent Drawing Chinese White 7200

Caran D'Ache Luminance Blanc 6901 - 001

Faber Castell Polychromos White 101

Derwent Lightfast White LFI

Individual black pencils mentioned:

Black Faber Castell Polychromos 199

Caran D'Ache Luminance Black 6901 - 009

Derwent Drawing Ivory Black 6700

Derwent Lightfast Midnight Black LFI

Black Caran D'Ache Supracolor 2 Soft Aquarelle 3888

Caran D'Ache Luminance Dark Indigo 6901 - 639 (to mix with luminance black)

Other materials mentioned:

Zest it Pencil Blend Solvent

Winsor & Newton Professional Fixative Spray 400ml

Thanks for listening, Molly Jay xx

Also available to listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more! 🎧

visuals for this episode:

Ep.9 | Bouncing back after a week off and facing self employed guilt 🎙✨

Hello and welcome to Behind The Pencil, an Artists podcast sharing all the highlights and lowlights of being a self-employed Artist, life behind being a Coloured Pencil Artist and all the magic that happens behind the scenes, before the pencil touches the paper ✍🏻

After missing a week off work due to being unwell, I was very out of my usual routine and mindset this week. I thought I'd just chat about the realities of being a self employed Artist and bouncing back into routine when you've had some time away from your desk. *Disclaimer* it's absolutely ok to take some time off when you're self employed! Especially when your body needs that rest. I chat about getting back into routine, trying to bounce back and battling that pesky self employed guilt we all have when we're not working. Hope this episode helps you in some small way if you're feeling the same 👩🏻‍🎨

Remember… when you’re self employed, if you’re not functioning at full capacity then your business isn’t either 🎧

Thanks for listening, Molly Jay xx

Also available to listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more! 🎧

Some visuals for what I chat about in this episode:

Ep.8 | What I’ve learnt over the last 8 weeks stepping out of my comfort zone 🎙✨

Hello and welcome to Behind The Pencil, an Artists podcast sharing all the highlights and lowlights of being a self-employed Artist, life behind being a Coloured Pencil Artist and all the magic that happens behind the scenes, before the pencil touches the paper ✍🏻

When I sat down to record episode 8, I was feeling really reflective and thinking over the last two months recording this podcast / pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I thought I’d share some of my experiences, the good things that have came from doing something new and scary but also pushing through the self doubt, the feeling of being cringe and a newbie. It’s a chatty debrief episode this week, and I hope you enjoy it / can take something away from it 👩🏻‍🎨

Remember… it’s never too late to make a brand new start 🎧

Thanks for listening, Molly Jay xx

Also available to listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more! 🎧

Some visuals for what I chat about in this episode:

Ep.7 | Creating your own opportunities as an Artist 🎙✨

Hello and welcome to Behind The Pencil, an Artists podcast sharing all the highlights and lowlights of being a self-employed Artist, life behind being a Coloured Pencil Artist and all the magic that happens behind the scenes, before the pencil touches the paper ✍🏻

In episode 7 I wanted to talk about the importance of creating your own opportunities as an Artist. This is something I learned the hard way. Sitting around and waiting for opportunities to come to you when you’re self-employed isn’t going to get you anywhere, you’ll be waiting a long time. This episode is also for you if you’re after a little pep talk from a fellow Artist, I hope this will help build your confidence 👩🏻‍🎨

I chat about preparing for opportunities, getting out of your comfort zone, being proactive and facing rejection.

Remember… Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago 🎧

We have to chase what we want.

I hope you enjoy it and thanks for listening, Molly Jay xx

Also available to listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more! 🎧

Some visuals for what I chat about in this episode:

Ep.6 | Overcoming self doubt as an Artist 🎙✨

Hello and welcome to Behind The Pencil, an Artists podcast sharing all the highlights and lowlights of being a self-employed Artist, life behind being a Coloured Pencil Artist and all the magic that happens behind the scenes, before the pencil touches the paper ✍🏻

For episode 6 I wanted to chat about a lowlight of being a self-employed Artist, and that’s having self-doubt. It’s something all of us struggle with from time to time, and I thought I’d share the things I have done recently to help me in my own wobbly moments 👩🏻‍🎨

Just remember, the struggle with self-doubt is part of the creative process, it’s not a sign of inadequacy 🎧

This episode is a chatty, vulnerable one from me, and if you’re feeling the same... just keep pushing 👩🏻‍🎨

I have spoken about some of the tips I have come across that have helped me push through the low moments. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for listening, Molly Jay xx

Also available to listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more! 🎧

Some visuals for what I chat about in this episode:

Ep.5 | Creating original Art that's authentic to you 🎙✨

Hello and welcome to Behind The Pencil, an Artists podcast sharing all the highlights and lowlights of being a self-employed Artist, life behind being a Coloured Pencil Artist and all the magic that happens behind the scenes, before the pencil touches the paper ✍🏻

For episode 5 I felt inspired to chat about creating original Art and how we can produce art that is truly authentic to ourselves. This is the direction I’m heading in currently, and having an Arty meet up with fellow Coloured Pencil Artist Hannah Lipsey definitely sparked some inspiration to talk about it.

Aside from being Artists, we are foremost individuals who’re unique in our own way - this is where I believe our originality comes from. When you truly enjoy what you’re creating that’s when you’re being the most true to yourself and the most authentic.. therefore in doing so, you’ll naturally create original Art. More on this in the pod! 🎧

It’s a very chatty one from me, and I’m hoping it’ll all make sense 👩🏻‍🎨

I hope you enjoy it and thanks for listening, Molly Jay xx

Links / Artists spoken about in this ep:

Derren Brown Mind Control: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43Mw-f6vIbo

Hannah Lipsey: https://www.hannahlipseyartist.co.uk/

Jessica Lennox: https://www.jessicalennoxart.com/

I hope you enjoy it and thanks for listening, Molly Jay xx

Also available to listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more! 🎧

Some visuals for what I chat about in this episode:

Ep.4 | Getting through Art block, removing pressure & recovering inspiration 🎙✨

Hello and welcome to Behind The Pencil, an Artists podcast sharing all the highlights and lowlights of being a self-employed Artist, life behind being a Coloured Pencil Artist and all the magic that happens behind the scenes, before the pencil touches the paper ✍🏻

In episode 4 I chat a little bit about pesky Art block - it’s not something I see talked about enough and I know all of us Artists go through it from time to time. I went through a spout after Christmas myself, it was incredibly frustrating and hopefully some of the stuff I waffle about will be able to help any Artist who’s going through the same 💕 👩🏻‍🎨

You’re not alone, and you’re STILL an Artist even when you’re not making Art. Your creativity is more important than how fast you are creating.

I hope you enjoy it and thanks for listening, Molly Jay xx

Also available to listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more! 🎧

Some visuals for what I chat about in this episode:

Ep.3 | How I improved my time management as an Artist 🎙✨

Hello and welcome to Behind The Pencil, an Artists podcast sharing all the highlights and lowlights of being a self-employed Artist, life behind being a Coloured Pencil Artist and all the magic that happens behind the scenes, before the pencil touches the paper ✍🏻

In this episode I chat about the steps, tips and tricks I have implemented to improve my time management as an Artist 👩🏻‍🎨 I know there's never enough hours in the day to wear all our Artist hats and hopefully the stuff that's helped me will also help you be more efficient with your time too 👩🏻‍🎨

Last year I switched from using a physical diary to a digital diary and now use Google Calendar to time block my day as an Artist! Listen to the episode for more details.

I hope you enjoy it and thanks for listening, Molly Jay xx

Also available to listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more! 🎧

Some visuals for what I chat about in this episode:

Ep.2 | Commissions reducing my creativity, changing direction as an Artist & goal setting 🎙✨

Hello and welcome to Behind The Pencil, an Artists podcast sharing all the highlights and lowlights of being a self-employed Artist, life behind being a Coloured Pencil Artist and all the magic that happens behind the scenes, before the pencil touches the paper ✍🏻

In this episode I chat about my own experiences with feeling lost creatively as a commission based Artist, and how I navigated myself out of feeling overwhelmed to excited about creating new artwork. I cover how changing direction with your medium, subject matter or career shouldn't be scary. Changing course doesn't mean you've failed the previous one 👩🏻‍🎨

I hope you enjoy it and thanks for listening, Molly Jay xx

Also available to listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more! 🎧

Some visuals for what I chat about in this episode:

---

Ep.1 | My career so far being a multi-passionate Artist, lack of direction & Uni rejection 🎙✨

Hello and welcome to the first episode of Behind The Pencil, an Artists podcast sharing all the highlights and lowlights of being a self-employed Artist, life behind being a Coloured Pencil Artist and all the magic that happens behind the scenes, before the pencil touches the paper ✍🏻

For this first episode I thought I'd share my honest experiences so far as an Artist so you can get to know me a bit more, I talk about battling lack of direction growing up through school, University rejection, how I went self employed and now celebrating 5 years as a full-time Coloured Pencil Artist. Going forward I’ll be sharing all the behind the scenes of being self-employed, including the everyday struggles, creative processes and the highs and lows in the hope it’ll help other Artists relate and feel less alone!

If you’re a coloured pencil Artist, or Artist in general who is struggling with direction and feel a bit lost, hopefully you will be able to resonate with this episode and know that you’re not alone, you’ll find your way.

I hope you enjoy it and thanks for listening, Molly Jay xx

Also available to listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music & more! 🎧

Some visuals for what I chat about in this episode:

---

Creating My Certificate of Authenticity - An Artists Guide

Why is an Artists Certificate of Authenticity Important?

Hello and welcome to another blog post! I thought I’d make these a regular occurrence as I quite enjoy writing them and it gives me a chance to keep you guys updated on what I have been up to! Today’s blog post will revolve around my Certificate of Authenticity, how I created it, and why. Just for a bit of background info on COA’s, a Certificate of Authenticity is a Certification to prove that the artwork you produce is entirely your own, original and can not be reproduced. It can state copyright and reproduction rights, and information such as your name, date of completion, the title of the artwork, medium, subject, whether it’s been mounted or framed and your own signature. I also offer a smaller Certificate of Authenticity for all my prints too, as I find this is very professional and validates that each print will be professionally printed to the highest standard, using archival pigment inks with lightfastness ratings of 100+ years. I can go into more detail about this in another blog post.

---

Creating a Certificate of Authenticity as an Artist

---

Why is it so important?

- It validates that your artwork is one-off and authentic.

- It stops your artwork from being reproduced without your permission.

- It’s personal to you and your brand.

- It’s a great way to showcase your professionalism and unique service of commissioned and original artwork.

- Buying art is a luxury, not a necessity - and so it's a great way to reassure your client that the artwork they are purchasing is authentic.

How I designed My COA

Before creating my own Certificates of Authenticity, I did a lot of research on templates and what important information I could include. I found that generally there wasn’t really a lot out there that could help me design wise, so I decided to make my own from scratch. I always have been one of those people that prefer one-off, handmade things - and so I knew making my own was the way to go. I have had experience with foiling my own calligraphy commissions in the past and have my own foiling machine, so I knew I’d like some sort of foil to feature on my Certificates as well as my own handwriting and calligraphy. Apart from the basic wording, I created this certificate entirely by hand, I even drew the border myself. (Call that what you will, I am a little perfectionist haha). I really enjoy putting my own spin on all the work I create, whether that’s digitally advertising my business or my actual drawings. I made my COA on Photoshop and used my IPad Pro and Apple Pencil to add my calligraphy and borders. You could also use pen and paper and scan it in too.

Branding

Branding is super important when it comes to your business. You want your clients to recognise your business through your branding colours and style, so make it unique to you and the service you provide. My branding colours are gold, cream, and green and that’s why I decided I wanted to feature gold foiling on my COA. If you’re like me, an artist who wants to create your Certificate from scratch, take an A4 piece of paper and have a brainstorm and really think about how you want to create your Certificate. What are your branding colours? Where could your logo go? Will you include a photo of your Artwork? I have seen a lot of artists do this. What size do you want it to be? What font is your favourite? Will you be making any other important information separately (e.g an Artwork Care Guide), and if so, how can you tie it together visually? I urge you to have a real think about how you make this Certificate unique to you and your brand, please do not copy other Artists’ designs. It’s great to be inspired, but it’s really important that you add your own little spin and make it your own. The body text you’ll find on a Certificate of Authenticity is generally the same for everyone - but visually is where you can take full reign as an artist and design it so it’s personal to you and your clients.

However, if you’re an artist who would like to get a COA with a more classic layout, like a fancy border and lines you can fill in without all the faff of making one yourself - there are some printing companies out there that can offer this service and the Certificates still look great and professional.

---

What text to include on your Certificate of Authenticity

---

I know this can be tricky, I remember trying to find a text template for my COA and they were so hard to find! This is the basic text that’s on my Certificate of Authenticity, which outlines all the information you need to display. Please feel free to copy and paste so you can use it on yours with your own information. Please remember it’s always important to hand sign your COA’s on each Certificate - don’t mass produce or print your own signature. You want each Certificate to be hand signed by yourself after you have completed the artwork. It’s worth mentioning too that you want your body text to be clear and readable. I opted for capital letters on mine, and try and use a font size that isn’t too small, so it can be read by all ages universally. I promise you it isn’t as scary as you think! Your COA can be anything you want it to be, any layout, colour, portrait, landscape - as long as it displays the appropriate text the world is your oyster when it comes to designing it.

Body text you could include

“This Certificate of Authenticity certifies that this artwork, is a one of a kind, authentic, original artwork created by the Artist ______________. All copyright and reproduction rights are reserved by the Artist. The Artist can be contacted by Email: ______________ or Website: ________________”

Text to fill in on your certificate

Name of Artist:

Date Completed:

Surface:

Medium:

Mount and Frame:

Size:

Title:

---

Thank you for reading!

I hope you found this blog helpful and I didn’t waffle on too much. If you have any more questions please feel free to comment below and I’d be happy to answer them. We all have to support eachother as Artists! Have a great day whatever you’re up to and thank you for reading! Molly Jay x

---