This is unrelated to Samanayrs but I wanted to look for some advice
I'm soon hoping to offer commissions and originals with backgrounds and all that good stuff, like some of the stuff I prepared for VCon (including some things that didn't sell there!). I was wondering how important it is for the edges of the image to be 'tidy.' I usually end up going outside the boundary of the image while working on the background and then trim it down or matte it for framing, but these pieces would be mailed out unmatted and unframed.
Here's an example, the Sam forum hotspring image unmatted:
I just don't know if people expect their traditional art to have nice crisp edges XD Would appreciate any thoughts!
The picture you put up there of the hotspring Sam has nice, organically-fading edges which can be considered a "style" and are cool. On the other hand, sometimes if the edges are too messy or if they're really blocky or unbalanced or something then it would detract from the piece.
What I'm going to say is that you're an artist: you got this far by having really good taste and by working hard and practicing to make things look better based on your taste and sense of style. Therefore... you'll know which edges look kinda neat and which ones should be made a bit squarer.
Art is...Zen?
lol, I dunno! I'll vote for messy edges being OK. If someone wants the look of the edges they can frame it with edges showing and if not, they can always mat it down more conservatively themselves. Options!
I personally like the touches you add to it! Your style is original, and I actually looked at some of your full pieces the other day and like the look of them! Your style is unique and organic without being too messy- personally I like it!
Eh, I'll admit the irregular edges would bother me. It makes it look somewhat unfinished and unprofessional. If I were getting a sketch I'd expect some roughness and stray marks but if I were paying for a finished piece (especially if I were commissioning) I personally would expect a more finished edge. True, it's easy enough for the buyer to mat over the edges if they want to but personally I might feel like I didn't know where the edge is supposed to be, ya know? Like am I going too far in? Am I cutting off part that's supposed to be there? But that may just be me.
That being said, the irregularities would make each piece obviously hand-done and original and if the buyer likes that then so much the better.
I personally like messy edges when the art is right, too much mess is very off putting though. I think you would be best to mention the edges, if someone wanted nice and neat or not, it all depends!
But your art is fantastic and you've gotten this far by the way you do things now so!
Thank you so much for the feedback! In future I think I'll make an effort to keep my edges more tidy if it's a piece that I'll be trying to sell and then mail out.. or sticking with prints for the stuff that does have a background XD I find it's difficult to keep neat on the edges with markers because of they way they darken and blend over each other when stopping a line but I'll just practice to find a method that will fix that. Or finally learn how to use watercolors!
I wouldn't refrain from buying a piece with messy edges but I might be more inclined to buy a piece with clean ones.
IF you know what size you want the piece to be from the beginning, you can try something I know a lot of painters do: buy some masking tape and place it down at the edges of your piece before you start. You can color off the edge of your piece, onto the tape, all you like. When you're finished, remove the masking tape. Voila, neat edges, just like if you were painting trim on a wall
id gladly buy them either way. O:
