Addiction to Dover Clip Art Books
I first started buying these because I needed some vintage-looking pictures for an old-fashioned scrapbook kit I was creating. I had also noticed that a lot of other designers were using them, and some were incredibly successful creating kits without any original artwork.
I'm more into patterns and colors than actual pictures, and I'm not very confident with my drawing skills anyway. It seems like everything I hand-drew got thrown back in my face by someone at the site who complained that they found a couple of stray pixels. I was told by them that I'm supposed to make sure everything is perfect at about 1000% magnification, and completely smooth.
Well, you are going to have pixellation if you blow anything up that large. I think they were just nitpicking to make room for someone more profitable. I didn't leave. LOL I just decided that I would take the option that didn't require me to submit 4 brand new kits a month.
There are tons of stay-at-home-moms who design, and when their kids are off at school, of COURSE they can devote hours and hours a day to being on their computers.
As for me, I not only have a career, I don't have anyone to pick up the slack for me if I get so busy designing that I don't wash the dishes or my clothes, mow the yard, do the grocery shopping, clean the house, unclog the tub and toilet, install towel bars where there were none before, paint the rooms, clean the carpets... well, I'll stop there. Anyone reading this just needs to remember that if they want to look down at me because I'm single and have "all that free time to waste", that I don't have a husband or anyone else to do all those unpleasant tasks for me. I have to do it all myself.
I can't go spending crazy because I don't make that much and there's nobody to fall back on if I screw up my finances. Oh, and my retirement depends completely on me. Nobody else will be helping me out, so even after I put in my 30 years of teaching, I probably won't be able to get to retire on time, even though I have been saving more than your average person. Right now a big worry for me is buying a new house. (I bought this one never intending to stay here forever. I needed equity.) First, I have to get this one sold. Then, I can go looking for another house. I literally can't afford to pay two mortgages at the same time, while this house gathers cobwebs on the market. I worry that I won't be able to afford a nicer house without another 30 year mortgage, which means I'll still be working another 30 years to pay for it.
This isn't a complaint. Just a statement of how it is for me. And a little off my original point, so I'll get back to it. :)
I think what I love most in the Dover clip art line is those vintage Halloween pictures. I remember seeing them when I was a little girl. That was back when Halloween was soft, sweet and fun, and trick or treating didn't involve true terror because some kid was allowed to run loose with a real machete, "as part of his costume".
I just love all the vintage Dover clip art. *sigh* I think that maybe this year I'll design some T-shirts for Halloween and Christmas and put them on my cafepress.com site.
The thing most amusing to me about my Cafe Press store is that the t-shirt design that consistently sells says simply, "Whatever!" Commissioned by my sister originally, I thought it wouldn't do much (like the rest of my stuff, LOL) but people really seem to like it. And that makes me feel good, because that fulfills me as a commercial designer. I did the work, and somebody bought it. I didn't have to make a stack of finished designs and hope I wasn't stuck with them when I finally gave up. All that stuff is printed (professionally) on demand only. :)
I honestly never wanted to be involved in large-scale physical production anyway. I lose my steam after I make a few of anything and nobody seems interested. Furthermore, I had resolved that if I was able to sell a few t-shirts and other items for a dollar or two commission here and there, that it would be worth it to continue designing. As of tonight, I've made $46 commission total - which is okay with me, considering that my only cost for all that has been fees for the site usage, and I haven't advertised ONE BIT. Very low work involved for me, and I get to do what I love most - coming up with creative ideas.
Now I need to flex those imagination muscles and come up with some truly cool ideas. :) I feel a little bit confident.
Funny note - I finally sold something with my "I'm so glad we broke up because I would have killed you otherwise" saying on it: "I'm most interested in a man's heart and mind. Now where did I leave that autopsy saw and skull key?" Inspired by a true event, and I was truly wanting to dissect the jerk and scatter the parts.
I would have thought that seeing me with that t-shirt would make a lot of people think bad things about me, but every time someone notices it, they really laugh. Men especially think it's hilarious. :) Not what I was expecting, that's for sure.
But anyway, I see that Dover has released an old-time Halloween clip art book and I ordered it from Amazon. But now I'm kinda pissed because apparently it won't be available until sometime in October. I want it NOW.
I'm more into patterns and colors than actual pictures, and I'm not very confident with my drawing skills anyway. It seems like everything I hand-drew got thrown back in my face by someone at the site who complained that they found a couple of stray pixels. I was told by them that I'm supposed to make sure everything is perfect at about 1000% magnification, and completely smooth.
Well, you are going to have pixellation if you blow anything up that large. I think they were just nitpicking to make room for someone more profitable. I didn't leave. LOL I just decided that I would take the option that didn't require me to submit 4 brand new kits a month.
There are tons of stay-at-home-moms who design, and when their kids are off at school, of COURSE they can devote hours and hours a day to being on their computers.
As for me, I not only have a career, I don't have anyone to pick up the slack for me if I get so busy designing that I don't wash the dishes or my clothes, mow the yard, do the grocery shopping, clean the house, unclog the tub and toilet, install towel bars where there were none before, paint the rooms, clean the carpets... well, I'll stop there. Anyone reading this just needs to remember that if they want to look down at me because I'm single and have "all that free time to waste", that I don't have a husband or anyone else to do all those unpleasant tasks for me. I have to do it all myself.
I can't go spending crazy because I don't make that much and there's nobody to fall back on if I screw up my finances. Oh, and my retirement depends completely on me. Nobody else will be helping me out, so even after I put in my 30 years of teaching, I probably won't be able to get to retire on time, even though I have been saving more than your average person. Right now a big worry for me is buying a new house. (I bought this one never intending to stay here forever. I needed equity.) First, I have to get this one sold. Then, I can go looking for another house. I literally can't afford to pay two mortgages at the same time, while this house gathers cobwebs on the market. I worry that I won't be able to afford a nicer house without another 30 year mortgage, which means I'll still be working another 30 years to pay for it.
This isn't a complaint. Just a statement of how it is for me. And a little off my original point, so I'll get back to it. :)
I think what I love most in the Dover clip art line is those vintage Halloween pictures. I remember seeing them when I was a little girl. That was back when Halloween was soft, sweet and fun, and trick or treating didn't involve true terror because some kid was allowed to run loose with a real machete, "as part of his costume".
I just love all the vintage Dover clip art. *sigh* I think that maybe this year I'll design some T-shirts for Halloween and Christmas and put them on my cafepress.com site.
The thing most amusing to me about my Cafe Press store is that the t-shirt design that consistently sells says simply, "Whatever!" Commissioned by my sister originally, I thought it wouldn't do much (like the rest of my stuff, LOL) but people really seem to like it. And that makes me feel good, because that fulfills me as a commercial designer. I did the work, and somebody bought it. I didn't have to make a stack of finished designs and hope I wasn't stuck with them when I finally gave up. All that stuff is printed (professionally) on demand only. :)
I honestly never wanted to be involved in large-scale physical production anyway. I lose my steam after I make a few of anything and nobody seems interested. Furthermore, I had resolved that if I was able to sell a few t-shirts and other items for a dollar or two commission here and there, that it would be worth it to continue designing. As of tonight, I've made $46 commission total - which is okay with me, considering that my only cost for all that has been fees for the site usage, and I haven't advertised ONE BIT. Very low work involved for me, and I get to do what I love most - coming up with creative ideas.
Now I need to flex those imagination muscles and come up with some truly cool ideas. :) I feel a little bit confident.
Funny note - I finally sold something with my "I'm so glad we broke up because I would have killed you otherwise" saying on it: "I'm most interested in a man's heart and mind. Now where did I leave that autopsy saw and skull key?" Inspired by a true event, and I was truly wanting to dissect the jerk and scatter the parts.
I would have thought that seeing me with that t-shirt would make a lot of people think bad things about me, but every time someone notices it, they really laugh. Men especially think it's hilarious. :) Not what I was expecting, that's for sure.
But anyway, I see that Dover has released an old-time Halloween clip art book and I ordered it from Amazon. But now I'm kinda pissed because apparently it won't be available until sometime in October. I want it NOW.
Labels: clip art
posted by Me at 12:16 AM
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