My New FREE Procreate Bushes - Ditching Etsy & Surrealist illustration
My favorite Procreate brushes as a FREE set you can download NOW! I talk about a new video about why Etsy isn't that great for creators, and what's a better option. Plus a new class by Marco Mazzoni
The 11th edition of The Creative Draft brings a surprise - FREE Procreate brushes set to drop for all of you first. My next YT video will be about my brushes, and today I’m sharing with you all first a FREE pack I created with my favorite brushes, a few from each pack. The brushes I selected are the ones I use daily for my art, they are not experimental or funky ones :) The idea is to share with you all a small taste of the kind of brushes and quality you will find if you get any of my Procreate brush sets. You have been asking for a free sample for a while, so here it is!
Last week I shared with you all that Pedro (my husband) started a YouTube channel to share experiences to help creators work better as a business. He has a huge finance and business background and is also a content creator and has a startup that works for content creators, helping them make a living and earn more from their content. So he has a unique and very insightful view of what we do. Today I’ll share a video he recently posted on why Etsy is not that good for creatives as we might think, how you should sell your products, and where. He tells you with simple numbers, what’s the best platform and why.
Finally, there’s a new class I took from Marco Mazzoni on surrealism nature-inspired illustration that I found really inspiring and I want to share.
The Menu for This Week
👉 Why Etsy is not the best choice for creatives
👉 Wildlife Illustration for Children's Books Class
👉 My New FREE Procreate Bruhes Set
Ditch Etsy! You deserve better
At first glance Etsy may be great, mostly when starting up, but …
I still remember when I was starting out my jewelry brand, Etsy was the most obvious option at the time. The problem came only a few months later when Etsy decided to increase commissions and start charging fees on shipping.
I did a few calculations at the time and it was way cheaper for me to have my own website. I was losing a lot of money on Etsy, to the point where I was asking my recurrent clients not to but from the shop. If you wonder why I was not just changing my shop and done, it’s because we shared a lot of Etsy images on Pinterest. And those images were driving almost 3M views converted into visits to my Etsy shop. And I didn’t want to lose all that traffic.
In this video, Pedro shares our experience and his review of each platform, pros, and cons. He also does a quick simple calculation, on how much you’ll get in your pocket after selling 1000 EUR on each platform. So you can compare how costly each one is, and I’ll bet you that you will be surprised to learn the results
We finally decided to move our shop from Etsy to Squarespace, as the amount of income we were losing in Etsy fees was tremendous. And yes, we lost most of that traffic in the process.
So choosing the right place to sell your stuff is not only about ease of use and convenience but strategy and cost of opportunity. Meaning, as a creative you really need to look ahead, because as Pedro says in the video, you will make it, if you are consistent and this is how you’ll have a thriving business. So make decisions based on where you want to be, not where you are. Yes, you might be starting out, but where you want to be, and which is the best platform for you, that’s the key!
Remember if you are struggling with something as a creative or freelancer, related to business, social media, or strategy-wise, let Pedro know in the comments under his videos. His next video will be about Pricing your work, so sub to his channel :)
Nature Inspired Surrealism
If you enjoy learning about how other artists create their work, check it out
I wasn’t familiar with Marco’s work before I took his class. And I can tell you, I was missing out on a lot! The trailer of his class caught my attention and I'm very glad I 'discovered' this artist.
What an amazing skill he has! Just take a look at his Instagram and see for yourself: Marco's Instagram
An intricate scene of nature, a fusion of flora and fauna, and surrealistic touch to it all are what made me fall in love with his talent. I took the class where Marco explains his very original way of working in his sketchbook (small window technique) and creating animal characters.
If you’ve been following me, especially on Youtube, you might already know that color pencils are one of my favorite traditional tools and I strongly believe switching between media and techniques is a perfect way to unblock your creativity and let new ideas flow.
During this class, I immediately felt inspired to open my sketchbook and draw together with Marco and fill it in with forest creatures. Since taking the class I’ve been following closely his work and it’s a real treat for the eyes, and I really recommend it to you!
Eight of My Favorite Brushes FREE
I created this brush set exclusively for you guys! Let me know what you think!
If you are like me, and you like to have your own favorite brushes together in one place, you’ll definitely love this set of Procreate brushes I prepared for you. Normally one of the most asked questions is about my brush sets, how they work, if I can do a video about them or share a few for free for you to try out. I definitely heard you guys, and now I’m working on a new YouTube video about how I use my Procreate brushes in a complete illustration
If you wonder what’s included in the Set!
Noise Crayon (from Grain & Noise Pack) - This is one of my favorite brushes when I want to add some texture while filling in color. I like that it's very easy to control, add more pressure or layers to control the amount of grain and texture, or achieve plain color. You will find this brush in my brush pack called " Grain & Noise"
Gouache Water Brush (from Mixed Media Pack) - I love all gouache-based digital brushes, and this one from the "Mixed Media' brush pack is one of the ones I use the most. It gives you a sheer glaze, so it's perfect when you want to layer up brush strokes. I use it mostly to draw water surfaces but also often for the sky, whenever I want to add a slight gradient.
Charcoal bar V2 (from Sketch Toolkit Pack) - I love the texture of this one! You see me use it mostly when working on finishing touches, adding some extra final lines. What I like most about this brush is a pretty precise stroke, but still with a nicely balanced texture and very natural feel. You will find this one in my Sketch Toolkit.
Thick Line Marker (from The Artists Pack) - Whenever I need a marker effect, that's the brush I'll use. In "Artist Pack" you will find several marker brushes, so if it's a tool you use a lot in your work, I'm sure you're gonna love the rest. I use this particular one whenever I add some lettering or small details.
Wet Strong Brush (from The Artists Pack) - My favorite when covering big spaces with one color! It's slightly translucent and with a very subtle wet texture, so the colored space doesn't look too sleek or "digital" and still has that delicate effect of handmade art. You will find this one in the Artist Pack.
Chalky Noise (from Sketch Toolkit Pack) - One of my favorites to add some final texture. It's super easy to use and very responsive when applying pressure. You can also layer it for a more bold effect but I like using a delicate layer just to add some noise on top. It's part of the Sketch Toolkit
Dry Pastel (from Sketch Toolkit Pack) - One of my absolute favorite sketching brushes from Sketch Toolkit. I use it as a small brush for sketching my personal and client illustrations, and I increase its size when I draw parts of landscapes with it in the final color artwork.
Cracked Shadows (from The Artists Pack) - Originally you will find it in the Artist Pack. I like adding it on top of color to add some cracked texture. It will blend very well and it's partly transparent. But that's not all you can use it for! For some time it's been my favorite as a smudge tool. Try it out for yourself!
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