Tools of the Trade
A Few Resources for an Artist Online
This morning as I was reviewing my incoming emails I saw an announcement for “YouTube Creators” (which really, we can acknowledge I’m on the peripheral of this category). Nevertheless, I read on to see: “Easily share 5-60 second must-watch moments of your videos or live streams on social media to potentially get more views and fans!”
I could (and may have) rolled my eyes at yet another new app / software update / tool / trick or what have you - that will improve my online presence. There are so many! Yet, I read on, and admit that I plan to give it a try. Because…
being open to learning new things is an important part of the process!
So today I offer you a practical post - sharing the tools I’m currently using to support an online artist presence. This is by no means a complete list of resources (you can find a few more resources from me in this 2020 post “Be Engaged”). But, if you are someone sharing your art/craft/hobby/life online - maybe this list will provide a few new helpful tidbits or something new to try. And if you have any additions or comments please share below - I know I still have a lot to learn!
Image Capture
Since I first started making reproductions of my work I have embraced a scanned image as the easiest way to capture a quality image. (This may be because of my very limited photography skills, as I have certainly received high-quality images from professional photographers when my art was too big or too textured to capture via scan).
Scanner: I currently use a 9x12 inch Epson Perfection V550 (which is several years old, but still produces a nice image when combined with Photoshop). As a note, I am biased toward Apple and Epson products. And while I actually prefer an old version of Adobe Photoshop Elements that I still operate off my previous laptop - allowing me to easily scan larger work in pieces and then manually “photomerge” them together - I’ve learned to adapt to the latest edition of Adobe Photoshop even though they no longer offer that option (that I can find, anyway).
Large Scale Scanning: While I can easily manage on my own with anything 24 x 36 or smaller, I save my larger work to scanning professionals. In my area, I choose to use Gango Editions in Portland, Oregon. They have a large format scanner that can easily handle work up to 4ft x 6ft (and will even work with you if it’s larger). They are also friendly and helpful, always leaving me happy to have my work in their care.
Marketing Media Images
Once I have a high-quality image file - which I use for uploading to my preferred printing services (Pixels.com, Society6.com, and Imagekind.com), and also for other licensing opportunities (i.e. McGaw Graphics, GreatBigCanvas.com, The Art Study, and Licensing.com) - I then generate a smaller file for easy web use (with the shortest side at 2400 px). I found this recent article on “Best Image Sizes for the Web…”1 helpful as a reference on image preparation and file sizes. I will save this new image file to a “media_images” folder and then create various marketing images as needed, using the following tools.
Canvy.com: I use this platform for creating a mock-up of my art in a room.
MockupEditor.com: I use this platform for generating more close-up and/or framed images as well as images to fit a particular format (e.g. I prefer using square images for my website and Instagram.)
Video Content
I won’t dive into this arena too much here since my resources and efforts are not anything more than what many people may use: an iPhone / iPad to capture the video and sound (with a tripod to hold the device) while filming outdoors or near a window with natural light. (I also have two lights on tripods but could use one more to make a set-up that works well in my studio for videotaping.) In the future, I hope to invest a little more time and money to improve my final content and will share more when I do.
Video Editing
This is an arena I’m definitely still learning and finding new tools, and I hope to improve. I use these tools for a variety of marketing and media output - mostly on Instagram and YouTube. Once I’ve filmed a process, talk, or demonstration, I then edit it using the following tools.
iMovie (don’t laugh): I know, I know. It’s not a great choice for video editing. And yet, I’ve managed to max out its capabilities, having used it off and on since its inception in 1999 (when I used it to make personal photo montages for my family). I also use it in combination with KeyNote, which is a strange yet useful pairing for adding animation (for which I include details in my previous article, “Be Engaged”, as noted above).
Here’s a sampling of an iMovie video posted to my YouTube Channel.Adobe Premiere Pro. Yes! Now that’s more like it. I DO plan on moving to this video editing tool once Some Film Student (who I happen to know and who just finished their first year of film school while learning to use this software) teaches me the basics. You can find a sample video on their Instagram. And when I finally make the switch, I’ll let you know and update this article with any insights.
Clips: I recently started using this app for creating shorter content that I could specifically post on my Instagram Reels. It’s a nice simple tool (once you get used to its basic process) that allows me to “clip” together short sections of video, such as with these Instagram demos on papermaking and paper casting. I really enjoyed using this tool, and hope to make more of these glimpses into my studio practice.
YouTube “Clip”: Here’s a snapshot of that new feature YouTube emailed me about. I have yet to give it a try, but at least now I know it’s there.
Sound Editing
While I have added music and nature sounds to the video content I’ve created (that includes the basic voice recordings grabbed off my video device) - this is a new consideration for me, and one which I hope to embrace as I embark on more pod-cast style readings to accompany my poems and publications. And lucky for me - between a certain soon-to-be graduate of music school and the current film student (mentioned above), I’m going to work to improve my skills as I move to create more content in Adobe Premiere Pro. I’ll let you know once I (at least minimally) figure it out!
Text Editing
Finally - just a little gratitude for the automatic editing tool that is Grammarly. While I currently use the free and simple error-checker, I have had the occasion to splurge on the full editor to assist with book editing. I would highly recommend having an editing tool available to minimize spelling and grammar errors (hello typos!) and then treat yourself to the paid version as needed (especially if you’re a wordy, run-on-sentence type of writer such as myself who is without the luxury of a paid professional/publisher). And no surprise, I have a smart college student in my life to thank for this pro tip.
Would you like to share your pro tip too? I’d love to hear it!
“Best Image Sizes and How to Save Images For the Web and Flothemes” is an article posted on Flothemes.com, authored by Allen Mark
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