How I Killed my Patreon by Making it Free
Lessons learned from being on Patreon for a year plus. Plus some cool resources, and digital illustration classes.
Hey Everybody! This is my second publication. And the aim today is to share a bit of a story about what happened with my Patreon and tell you guys what you can expect from now on Patreon (now that I’m transforming it into a Free tier) and here on SubStack.
The idea, in short, is to share in this publication periodical updates with resources around art, digital illustration, and about the illustration career—tools for all creators out there, illustrators, designers, or digital artists.
If you enjoy this, like, subscribe, share and leave a comment :)
Today We have on the Menu
👉 My Patreon Story! What happened? Why SubStack?
👉 A Cool Vector & Characters Illustration Online Class
👉 This Week’s Book Recommendation - Graphic Design & Illustration Pricing
Why I killed my Patreon Page (sort of)
If you are struggling with Patreon or want to create one read this first!
Patreon is one of these platforms that I think are absolutely great, and I've been trying to crack it for the last year and a half. During that time, I've been looking for the best possible way to add value to you and also, at the same time, make it work well for me. I've always looked for a balance between my open and free content on Youtube and paid and closed community over here on Patreon, doing my best to make it special and helpful.
I tried to add the content of value to that Patreon page. So I was making podcasts, uploading speed-paints, and sharing many resources for illustrators, but it seems that somehow the expectation was for me to teach illustration. However, since the very start of my Patreon, my intention has never been to give their art classes, tutorials, teach you how to illustrate, draw or paint, and I made it very clear. That’s free content I’m already sharing on YouTube! (Also, as you might have seen already, I'm planning online classes in the future, but till then, I have you covered with my class recommendations!).
Nevertheless, many of my passing-by patrons were looking precisely for this kind of content, and, of course, they didn't find it there. So I started thinking of a way to get more efficient at building that community.
From the beginning, I've always been aiming to put the quality of information over the number of publications I'd be making. My idea was always to share with my audience tools, valuable resources if you are an artist or creator trying to make a living out of your creations.
👉 Then here it comes the SubStack+Patreon duo. I want to share resources that might have helped me a lot when I started as an illustrator for professional artists for FREE. Some resources can apply to any creative endeavor.
So early this month, I decided to change the way I share them and make them open and for FREE here on SubStack and Patreon. The same info for subscribers and followers there. So you can opt for the platform you like most, you get the same awesome info :) but you decide which one you like the most.
Patreon: joining my Patreon now is FREE; I eliminated all tiers, except for a Donation/Support tier. You can head over to my Patreon, follow (free) me on the platform, and you’ll receive updates like those one and more.
👉 patreon.com/asiaorlando_SubStack: the subscription is FREE; if you are receiving this, you are already subscribed. And you will keep receiving resources for free. Feel free to share with friends or other creatives if you see this can add value to them.
How to Support: If you really want to support my work, the free content I share here, on Patreon and on YouTube, so I can keep making videos or publications like this one, there are a few ways you can do it.
Like, Comment, and share the publication with other creatives (FREE)
Sometimes there will be affiliate links on the publication, no additional cost to you (FREE)
If you are into Procreate, you can get my Brush Sets.
Support by subscribing to the SubStack Membership tiny perks
Support by becoming a Patreon. I’m closing all my Patreon tiers except for one unified & accessible tier for my supporters. An optional “Creative Support Tier” if anyone wants to support the free content on YouTube, SubStack, or Patreon. It will be really much appreciated!
My idea was and still is to build up a community of creatives that supports each other. I know that sometimes getting the right resources makes the difference:)
Learn how to do Amazing Characters (by Owen Davey )
Do you enjoy creating colorful characters? Check this out!
This class is great!! If you are not familiar with Owen Davey's work, be sure to check his Instagram page, and the class. I really like how Domestika produces their content. It’s extremely well designed, from script to how it all comes together with the final edit. It’s like MasterClass but for us creators! I’m also working on developing my own classes about digital illustration (coming in the future)
“This course is for anyone who loves to illustrate, but especially intermediate students who are starting a career in illustration and need help streamlining their workflow.
So if you are looking to develop your own style, learning some technics is crucial. Remember, the key is not to copy someone else’s style but to acquire the techniques that will allow you to develop yours! Let me know if you find this interesting in the comments below.
The Most Comprehensive Pricing Guide Book I Own
"Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines."
This book is one of the last ones I added to my library when it comes to practical guides for artists and creatives. This book was mainly created for the graphic design industry in general, but it has a great (amazing even!) chapter on illustration. It's big and chunky, but it has excellent information, mainly for pricing.
It's a book from the Graphic Artists Guild, and it's called "Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines."
I will recommend looking at the full book, but when it comes to illustration, you can focus on chapter 10. You will see that the list of topics is quite broad, but most of all, really useful.
👇 You can also watch a full video I did on how to price your work as an illustrator. 👇
It has good pricing brackets that can give you an idea when it comes to pricing any project. It's well divided, so it's straightforward and easy to use. I find this book extremely useful. I did a full video on Illustration pricing that can be complemented with this book.
Disclaimer: this is a newsletter, and you can opt-out at any time; there’s a link below where you can automatically unsubscribe. I wouldn’t like to see you go, but you have the option. Also, some links, not all, might be affiliate links; when you click on them, I get a small commission at no cost to you.
Let me know here in the comments :)