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by Alyson B. Stanfield. She runs a blog and a service called Artbizblog
I thought it had some good nuggets that I would share with you guys.
http://artbizblog.com/
Steps to Take After Completing Your Artwork
What do you do after you’ve finished a work?
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Finish the Details
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The work shouldn’t be considered complete until you do the
following with the physical piece.
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Sign it! Sign it wherever you can, and however
you do it best..
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Add the date on the front, back, or underneath – where and
when it’s appropriate for your medium.
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Many artists don’t like to date their work on the front because
it doesn’t look as fresh. That’s fine, but date it somewhere. Dating is
a way that helps you claim credit for copyright and will be used by the
curator that mounts a retrospective of your work in 30 years.
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Again, if appropriate for your medium, make an identification
card for the back that includes the complete credit line: Name, title,
media, dimensions, and price. This is enormously helpful for venues.
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Document It
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Record details in your inventory database. Don’t let that
artwork out of your site until you have done this.
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Have artwork photographed, or do it yourself if you have
the proper equipment.
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Name image files according to your standard. Images are easier
to find if they are all named in the same manner. I suggest starting the
file name with your name:
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lastname-abbreviatedtitle-imagesize.jpg
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Add the image to your inventory record for that piece.
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Resize images to three or four standard sizes that you use
most often. Create a digital file folder for each artwork and differentiate
your digital images using your naming convention. This takes some time
to do now, but it will save you time and frustrations in the future.
Using the example above, your image files might look like this:
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hart-redsky-600.jpg
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hart-redsky-300.jpg
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hart-redsky-72-300px.jpg
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hart-redsky-72-200px.jpg
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File a copyright claim at http://copyright.gov if this
is part of your practice.
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Tell People About It
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Blog about the work. Be sure the complete credit line is
visible with the image, and that viewers will know it's for sale.
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Edit the text from your blog into a descriptive sentence
that you can use on your website or social media profiles.
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Add the descriptive sentence to your inventory database.
When you do this, the sentence will always be with the work, and you can
copy and paste it with abandon.
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Upload the image to your website. Double check to make sure
that your name and credit line is visible whenever the image is enlarged.
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Upload the image to any online sales venues you use. (Etsy,
RedBubble, etc.)
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Share your newly completed work on social media sites.
Newsletter subscribers can download a checklist of
the above list:
http://artbizcoach.com/after-complete.pdf
What did I forget? Leave a comment on the Art Biz Blog.
http://artbizblog.com/after-complete