“We have a whole new generation of collectors coming up out of the woodwork. They are interested in so much more than just the painting or the awards or the status of the artist. It’s so much more transparent and personal, that it's actually very refreshing.”

Carla Grace is a South African born artist presently living in South Australia with her two young children and husband. She works from her home studio creating paintings that push the boundaries of realistic wildlife painting. Since going full time in her art career in 2016 as a self-represented artist, Carla has had her art featured worldwide. She has sold work in auctions in support of wildlife conservation efforts while also launching a thriving online business where she openly shares her expertise in painting within her art community. Carla has been generous in sharing her knowledge about how an artist can actively present their own work in a professional manner both online and in person.

 Her attention to detail, both within her paintings and her business, has set a bar for which many artists could aspire. From my recorded interview, Carla spoke so thoughtfully about the fundamentals of good art practice that I have chosen to include her thoughts and words, rather than my own in this article. Enjoy. 

 Self-Representation as a Visual Artist

 The cornerstone for the success of sales comes down to branding and marketing. I am very proactive in my business and how I evolve. I've grown up in 3rd world countries. I'm very used to, first of all, not having everything, being able to do without and making a plan to do it myself. I am more than happy to work with a gallery. I have trialled galleries in the past but have not found they can sell my work more or better than what I can. If I am not getting value for money, then I can’t see the reason why I would use their service. I research what I need to know. 

 Art is very personal. When I create my work, I am very transparent and show the whole process. Often galleries are not, they are very closed off. We have a whole new generation of collectors coming up out of the woodwork. They are interested in so much more than just the painting or the awards or the status of the artist. It’s so much more transparent and personal, that it's actually very refreshing.

How to Present your Work Professionally

Consistent Branding

If you want people to view your product as quality, you need to create quality content and represent your art in the best possible way so consistency is key. If you want people to associate value with your brand then you need to portray it as valuable, so make sure that your footage is good quality that you're using the right light and that you've taken care to create a little bit of order. The rest of the studio can be a shambles but what people see needs to portray what you want them to believe about your work. Basically, if you look at your footage and you think, ‘Oh that is shit’, probably other people are thinking that too.

 The level of expectation is much higher now for content curators than it used to be. People will appreciate content if the actual thing that you're showing them is really good and they'll dismiss the errors in editing and the bad audio if they are seeing something that is truly valuable to them. However, if you want them to see your work as valuable, if you want them to see what you're creating is beautiful, it needs to be created in a beautiful way for the video, not just the artwork. 

 My branding has changed over the years. I have found that tweaking a few things along the way to align with the look of my work and who I am, has created a genuine and authentic business. People will associate what they see with what they expect to feel when dealing with the brand.

 Strong Reference Images

 I try and use my own photographs wherever I can. If this isn't possible or something that I'm just not able to do myself, I will then email photographers directly. I jump online and I usually search royalty free image sites. I will email the photographer directly rather than using the royalty free sites licencing plans because they can often be quite confusing and expensive. I contact the photographer directly, usually they're actually very happy to be involved and credited. I write an email stating that I would love to use this specific photograph and then I attach a screenshot to the emails that show exactly which one. I just say, ‘I love your photograph, I love your work and it's captured a vision that I have for a painting’. I explain the vision and then I explain what my basic sales are, what I plan on doing with the painting when I’m finished. I ask, ‘How much do you charge?’ I always leave it up to them to set their price. Usually, it's free and they just want to be credited. If they set their price, it usually ranges from $50 to $200. An email trail is enough to show an agreement between myself and the photographer.

Creating Quality Footage

When creating really good quality footage, it's not always down to the room that you've got. You can do a lot with just a wall behind you, using a few props to break up the blankness. There's a whole list of things that have to be consistent throughout the entire video. For instance, I need to be wearing the same thing from the start to the end of the video. 

Cameras and Lenses

 To capture the footage, I use a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV.  I've had to do a lot of research on the lenses because the lens makes a huge difference to the image and the quality of the actual footage that you're creating. I love the soft-focus background effect. I don't like to use a lot of filters or even any heavy editing. I found that a 50-millimetre fixed focal lens has been the best, but you need a bit of space because they are a little bit closer. I've just had to figure out along the way how many cameras I need to capture all the different angles because I'm not able to get up to move this camera every single time, like you would if you had someone else filming. 

Every 30 minutes I must get up and start the cameras again because they are photography cameras and don't roll endlessly, they time out every 30 minutes. I've got my little timer set on my phone that dings every 30 minutes so that it doesn't turn off before I finish saying whatever I'm saying. I have one camera facing me, one camera on the pallet, one camera that shows the whole painting and then one camera that I zoom into the area that I'm working on so that the people can see the detail and the brush strokes. They must be situated in such a way that they're not in all the shots. 

Lighting 

I found a Wall Mounted Scissor Boom for studio lighting that has the right threads that go onto the tripod heads for the cameras. I don't usually work with natural light because it changes so much and there's usually always a colour reflected in that light. I've used softbox lights now for years and they've been the best, not only for filming but also for photographing. I use daylight lightbulbs. The light reading on the daylight bulb is quite warm at 6000 Kelvin and usually I set that at 5700. It comes out well in terms of replicating the most natural light.

Artist Portfolio

If you are using a physical portfolio, make sure to get the images of your paintings clearly printed off by a printing company so that the colour and quality are the best representation of your paintings. Display one painting per page with a brief artist statement about each painting. Also include a short essay on your vision as an artist, as well as your achievements. 

In an online portfolio, you can mimic the same format by using a gallery grid format where viewers can see your paintings as smaller cropped thumbnails. They can then click on any of the images to view them individually, with access to the short artist statement too. Remember, simplicity is best, making things clear and easy to navigate.

Essentials of a Professional Artist’s Website

Simplicity is key, easy to navigate. Less is more with websites. Think of it as a central heart to all the other outlets of your business. 

Social Media Links: Your social media needs to link to your website. Your blogs, store and news should all be accessible from your website and should point people to your website. It is the consistent aspect of your business. However, if you need to change it to make it more streamline or aligned with your brand then it’s essential to do that too. 

Gallery of Best Works: I recommend having a gallery of your best works, not all your work, just the pieces you are most proud of and that are a true representation of your abilities and your vision.

Bio: You need a bio where you tell your visitors about yourself, what you have achieved and your goals.

Shop: A shop is where people can see what work you have available and other items. 

Landing Page: A landing page for any other aspect of your business is essential. For me it is a replica of my tutorial platform Home Page, making it accessible in my website as well as linking the two elements together.

Studio Tips

Time Saving Strategies for Painting 

I avoid overworking or overthinking the painting because as soon as you get stuck on a section, that's where the ‘time sponge’ comes out. If you obsess over getting the detail right, eventually it has been three or four hours, and you are still stuck on the same section. If I start having to reapply and fuss, I just move on because it ends up being not as bad as you think. I found that if I just apply the first layer as much as possible, work over the whole painting and then start focusing on the details, it comes together much quicker. When I'm teaching my tutorials, I don't just look at this one area that we are focusing on. I apply it where I see it over the whole painting so that I am not having to come back and re-evaluate the colours as I’m going. 

Time Saving Equipment

My Redgrass Everlasting Wet Palette is the best tool that I have purchased because it keeps my paint wet for so long. It saves me time and money when mixing colour. Everlasting Palettes are more compact and fits in my freezer. They have a glass tray insert. You can either use the sponge and paper for acrylic or you can use the glass which is a neutral grey colour for your oils. The Stay-wet Palette lids tend to rip and can be really hard to seal so Everlasting Palettes have been a better long-term choice.

Carla’s Choice of Mediums

Golden Open Acrylics  (Very high pigment load and one of the best in the industry)
Matisse Derivan Acrylic
Maimeri Puro Oils (This is my choice of oils. They don't require much, if any, medium so you don't need to consider rules of fat over lean using this brand of oils.) 
Michael Harding Oils (Quite thick so therefore more medium is required and therefore consideration of fat over lean rules apply with these paints). 

Carla’s Colour Palette

• Burnt Sienna

• Raw Sienna

• Burnt Umber

• Raw Umber

• Paynes Grey

• Prussian Blue

• Alizarin Crimson

• Yellow Ochre

• Golden Ochre

• Titanium White

Thank you, Carla, for your advice on developing a professional practice. The initiative you have shown in both your studio and your business is testament to the fact that artists can be independent in their approach and still have success. I wanted to leave you with a quote from Carla that sums it up nicely.  

‘Your own education is vital to your growth. Not formal education, but the constant pursuit of knowledge. Never get comfortable in your current state, always look for new ways to learn things, study new trends, do a course every now and again to strengthen the areas you are weakest in.’

To view Carla’s work or for more information about her tutorials and courses click on the link below: 

 https://www.carlagraceart.com