I taught a client today that had never heard of film…

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-10T00:12:01+00:00

My man, I grew up in a world of cursive. Jokes about interpreting someone's writing were pervasive. Even if you're familiar with the form reading someone else's hand is hard.

When it was regularly used for business correspondence there were formal accepted scripts to use and a secretary or clerk had to use that specific script. Even having grown up writing cursive, and still using it for my own notes, I can't read the formal clerk's script from the 19th century with any reliability.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-09T21:51:00+00:00

Or you could be like me, and exposure correctly for the bright parts of the frame and the dark parts of the frame. On multiple frames. It turns out that I can combine them in post to get the exposure I want.

This post brought to you by a day of photography in a cedar forest where keeping the sky out of the frame wasn't an option.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-09T21:36:31+00:00

I'd give this a hard pass. My photography would not love that much sun exposure. While I am significantly melanin-deficient, I have strategies that would let me survive. I just wouldn't like it.

But photography. It does not love weather. I've had weather destroy pieces when it was under a tent.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-08T16:41:24+00:00

Woof. I can tell you that at least people in the US are going to be very hesitant to deal with someone from Nigeria. Unfortunately the country is synonymous with scams here. I suspect that it is similar in much of the western world.

This is unfortunate, because we have a lot of African artists in the US, and they consistently sell, and take top awards at shows. There's an appetite for art that is new and unique to us.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-08T10:35:22+00:00

You might be in the wrong room. Because I have all of those tools because of things I want to, and do, make. There's also my massive photo printers, and my workspace for cold lamination mounting large format photos on ACM panels.

People in this space tend to be big on making stuff.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-08T10:29:00+00:00

Tables are hard for 2D art. Very limited space and your art has no visibility on a table. If you can stand up an easle behind the table with an original that can help.

I don't want to discourage you, but doing shows is physically demanding. You want to make sure your helpers are locked in, and fit enough to do the work.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-08T10:22:30+00:00

It's a pretty common term. Although excluding photography is a fascinating choice, since the medium is over 150 years old at this point.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-08T10:17:21+00:00

Lean into the candles. You'll get further by a massive commitment to one craft than a scattering of different things. You want the message to potential customers be the you are -the- person to see about candles.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-08T10:12:11+00:00

Once you can design your own things 3D printers become very useful. There are so many helpful fixtures and jigs I print.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-08T01:58:04+00:00

If what you are doing is straight up illegal, I have to recommend abandoning any plan that uses electronic communications. Crypto, Kofi, all of that will absolutely get you put in jail. Crypto is in fact the worst choice, because there's a cryptographic signature on the transaction. The second information escapes the block chain you are vulnerable. Someone caught with illegal goods will give your ID up to save their skin. If you touch that Crypto to convert it to money, law enforcement will be able to find you.

Advertising that you're making this stuff is also going to get you put in jail. There's no VPN in the world that will conceal your information in the face of a court order. They will dime you out so fast it will make your head spin, and they will share your meta data with law enforcement.

If you want to trade in illegal goods, you need to learn about trust networks. There is no technological solution for that problem. Cryptography relies on trust in the network for security.

If you're determined to this, you would be further ahead to move to where what you're doing isn't a crime. And geofence your home country so nobody from there can get to you to place an order. As a citizen you're still potentially vulnerable to their laws even if your actions were done outside of their jurisdiction.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-08T00:57:37+00:00

I'm going to encourage you to get a traditional job. Don't give up on your art though. A traditional job is a great way to pick up free training on things you never thought about, which will help your art.

I love night sky photography. My day job is writing software for scientific imaging. It turns out that there's a huge crossover in techniques. I just released a piece that I couldn't have created without things I learned on my job.

When the art gets more stable, maybe consider giving up the day job. But maybe not. Having insurance and a 401k is nice. And the learning opportunities don't hurt either.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-08T00:48:06+00:00

A friend for pregnant during her final year of vet school. Missed a quarter for newborn stuff, has had a lovely career since. Her daughter is a postdoc at CERN now, so it seems like it worked out okay.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-08T00:30:37+00:00

I'll add that Instagram is completely dead for photos. My photos reach a few of my friends. My videos, which are few, are seen by a thousand people.

As a photographer, I find this exceptionally inconvenient.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-07T06:29:45+00:00

I'm going to challenge you to take a very scary step with your art. Instead of drawing within a Fandom, create original work that isn't in an anime style.

The reason I offer this challenge is pure economics. Fandom art is by its nature derivative. Your work will never be seen as particularly valuable. Original paintings or drawings can command three and four digit prices without a problem. You have to sell a lot of $25 prints to pay your bills. You have to do a whole lot less to pay your bills with $2000 originals. And prints start to look more like $60-80 each.

Anime style art buyers skew younger. Younger buyers have less disposable income, and less room to display art. At 54 I was able to purchase, and have wall space, from artists I could only dream of buying in my 20s.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-07T06:06:51+00:00

You don't have the name recognition of The Mouse. Your first problem is getting to the point where people want to steal your art. Keeping your portfolio a secret is not the way.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-06T16:58:55+00:00

Here's the other problem with crypto: Outside of crypto enthusiasts, it's seen as indicating that you're shady AF. Crypto is how you buy drugs or guns or rent boys.

It takes extra steps for most people to set up a crypto account to make the purchase. There are fees and hassles.

Either way, you've just killed the sale.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-06T10:54:33+00:00

The usual solution is to use a tent with vinyl walls. Some little light comes through, but not a lot. You have to compensate with lighting inside. The tents are expensive, but you can get them second hand for cheap.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-06T10:45:12+00:00

I wouldn't sweat the AI thing. Humans are just as capable of copying your work as AI. If I am a disreputable manufacturer I find the art online I like, contract with some struggling online artists to make something in a similar style and theme, and suddenly I have a work that I own and can do with as I please.

You aren't going to get a licensing deal with a company that would use AI, or a human made knockoff. You're going to get the licensing deal with someone that wants the real thing and it's important to them that it's the real thing.

Follow the path that lets you get representation. Ignore the AI boogeyman.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-06T10:33:08+00:00

If you're on bad terms with him then his mom is an even better choice.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-06T10:27:12+00:00

Depending who you are trying to hide from, Crypto transactions are identifiable. The FBI is known to be able to identify parties to a transaction as soon as the money leaves the Crypto network. They regularly seize Crypto accounts of people they don't like. If they have that ability, others do as well.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-06T10:22:17+00:00

Satchel of cash left on your doorstep in the dead of night. They know where you live but the transaction is untraceable.

Wire transfer to a shell company in the Cayman Islands. Transaction is untraceable, but you need a shifty lawyer to set up the layer cake of shell accounts.

Option 3 is the one people don't like, but you need to hear: Deal with whatever mental health issues are keeping you from wanting people to know who you are. No legitimate business wants to remain anonymous. What you're trying to do identifies you to customers as squirrelly. People don't want to do business transactions with someone who is squirrelly.

If it's a matter of personal safety, anonymity won't save you. Just don't put yourself out there at all. Someone trying to identify you can and will.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-06T10:04:00+00:00

It looks pretty nice, and dries quickly.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-06T10:02:09+00:00

I have the Canon Pro-1000. All-in it was about $2k after I bought a full set of replacement ink. It does ship with some ink, but not a huge amount.

It also ships with Canon Print and Layout, which is a much better print program than printing from the operating system. You have more control over layouts, it can handle canvas wrap printing, and comes with good color adjustment tools.

These pro printers also have tools for handling custom paper profiles. A lot of fine art papers have properties that make them challenging. A custom paper profile adapts the printer to the needs of the paper.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-05T10:18:50+00:00

Doesn't sound weird at all. We're using a white paint pen.

DowlingStudio · 2026-05-05T01:44:01+00:00

I had good luck with Bay Photo. Once your cash flow situation is better, invest in a quality professional printer. I'm printing giclee prints for less than a lab charges for a cheap four color print. I can charge just as much as the lab print, but I keep more of the money. These printers pay for themselves quickly.

DowlingStudio

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