Brochures

[Renee Brown]

Hi All, I have spent the past year building a body of work (even while commissions were going on ) for monthly shows I booked for 2002. I used my own family for models and they eventually will be the recipients of the portraits.

Occasionally, people ask to purchase the portraits I am creating for the shows, but I refuse to sell them. I read one time that the second biggest mistake an artist can make is not having a body of work ( up to 20 paintings ready to show).

In order to promote these shows, in local libraries, complete with professionally lit art galleries, I bought a new HP 1215 printer and have produced hundreds of brochures and matching business cards which are being mailed out to old clients and placed in local businesses to attract potential customers. I intend to follow up with another mailing in six months for next years holiday gift giving season.

This is how I set up the brochure.

Renee

[Darla Dixon]

Nice job!

I am wondering whether to have some brochures made up or if I should use reference sheets...what is recommended?

Are reference sheets more for galleries?

I think sometimes it's good to balance out what it costs to do something like this yourself compared to having a fine art printer do it for you.

When you factor in:

1- Your time to do this taking you away from producting art;

2- Your graphics work/time on computer

3- Cost of new printer

4- Cost of ink

5- Cost of the paper stock

6- Time spent folding, etc...

The list could be potentially longer. When you do all the math, it may come out MORE expensive to do it yourself.

[Cynthia Daniel]

Darla,

I've always been in favor of indidual portrait sheets (or photos) over a brochure. This way you can pick and choose what to send to specific prospects. The portrait sheets would then just slip into an elegant pocket folder.

An individual portrait sheet also allows a portrait to be seen unto itself. Sometimes on brochures, I feel attention is distracted by a number of them being on one sheet.

This doesn't make brochures invalid, just a different approach.

[Cynthia Daniel]

Renee,

I haven't commented before on your brochure. I think the floral background is beautiful. But, I do have reservations about the possibility of it distracting from your artwork.

Is the left-most panel the front of the brochure? With the little girl? That's the one I think should be on the front.

[Renee Brown]

Cynthia, Yes, the left hand panel with the little girl, is the front page of the brochure. I also printed about 100 business cards with the same border. I, too, was torn between that design and a plain white with a blue border, but figured I'd try it this time. I can always change it for the next run.

Darla, It did not take long to set the brochure up and it is saved to file in my Print Artist program. I am able to change photo images so as new portraits are completed I will use them in the old one's place.

My printer which I always wanted anyway, cost about $300. but I would have bought it even without the brochure job. The ink is the usual cost, $35- $40. and I got about 40 brochures and 100 business cards not to mention all sorts of other color prints ( did not keep track) from the first cartridges. HP cartridges are known for lasting the longest. I fold and label and stamp, while I watch tv.

I sent one to friends to test them and they said the tri-fold came through the mail looking good.

I plan to send a "Get ready for the holidays- Buy a Portrait Early" kind of brochure out next June or July, 2002.

Plus, the brochures will be left on a music stand in front of every month's exhibit along with my business cards and price list.

I actually enjoy the setting up and printing out part so I'd rather do it myself. This way I can edit whenever I feel like it.

Renee

[Cynthia Daniel]

If you'd like a pattern, I would recommend something very simple, tone on tone. I've seen this is a muted gold or beige stripe and it was very elegant. I'd also look for different fonts, something more elegant. Bernhard Modern is an elegant serif font. Avoid too much in the way of script fonts I would say.

Ok, my creative urge took over and I did a sample for you. I couldn't help myself; that's the only way I can justify the time because I have plenty of other work to do.

The fonts used were Boulevard (muted gold) for the script and Bernhard Modern (dark green) for the serif.

The border around the portrait is a gray-green. Also, maybe "portraits" should have been in the gold and Bernhard Modern like "family heirloom". I'm undecided on that. Or smaller and in the gray-green of the border.

Geez, now that I've loaded it, I see the colors are similar to the forum! Guess I'm consistent in my color preferences.

[Renee Brown]

Cynthia, All I can say is "Wow! I love it!".

Do you recall which store you saw that pattern in? There was nothing like it at Staples. Thanks.

Renee

[Cynthia Daniel]

The paper? Oh, I just made it up. I didn't realize you had bought a preprinted paper. Kinko's has a really nice selection of papers.

Here's a few that aren't as good, but reasonable:

http://www.paperdirect.com/PaperDire...perprodid=1764

http://www.paperdirect.com/PaperDire...perprodid=1629

http://www.ideaart.com/cgi-bin/sgsh0...769&SKW=MS3203 (the main site is http://www.ideaart.com)

You might be able to buy something from a printer, but you'd have the problem with the pattern being behind the portraits. Sorry, I was missing info.

But, maybe one of these other papers above would work.

[Renee Brown]

Cynthia, Thanks for the links. Did you use a specific format to get perfectly squared stripes? I have to create and duplicate each stripe and I don't see how to get them perfectly lined up.

I bought a much softer background at Staples and changed the fonts according to your suggestions. I had a lot of trouble photographing this one, kept coming out too light and the persective is off somewhat but at least you can see the changes. I like it a lot better. You are a whiz at designing.

Renee

[Cynthia Daniel]

Renee,

Definitely an improvement! But, I still think the phone number so bold and in that font competes with your name above.

What program are you using to do this? I just made the whole thing in my graphics program...Paint Shop Pro.