Your Own Studio
Good habits start early.Learning Objectives
- Get a handle on what you might need for a studio of your own.
- Understand how to source materials to keep your costs down.
- Draft your own studio budget.
What Are Your Studio Needs?
PLAN YOUR FINANCES $$ → ESTABLISH YOUR STUDIO → MAKE ART → TAKE PHOTOS → DOCUMENT EVERYTHING, INCLUDING $$
I have 2 major points here that were (for whatever reason) hard for me to learn, but some of the more valuable lessons I’ve learned:
- Artists need space to be artists and you will have to fight to build and protect that space. It will at times feel indulgent and selfish, and loved ones may say it’s “too much” and “you’re not making any money at it anyways” or “your equipment smells” or “your tools are too loud” or “I need that space for something else” or “it’s too expensvie” or ….. defend your space.
- Studios can be expensive. They cost money to establish and to run at a productive level. Even if you’re a digital artist with limited needs compared to a metalsmith or ceramicist, you still need a space that’s conducive to your best work and you’ll need equipment and software. Learn how to plan for expenses so you can maintain a professional career.
I’ll ask you to price out your ideal studio space this week so get thinking about it. Here are some of the things that were on my list in the early days. I didn’t purchase these things all at once, but I needed all of them to get to a point where I could produce and sell enough to break even on my costs.
| canvases, wood panels | $2-3500 a year with shipping | I get these from Blick’s or else I drive to Anchorage to get them. |
| paint brushes, scissors, knives, etc. | $2000 per year | Blick’s or Michaels |
| paint, markers, pencils, charcoals, inks | $3,000 per year | Blick’s or Michaels |
| varnishes, thinners, mediums, | $1,000 per year | Blick’s or Michaels |
| equipment (tables, chairs, stretchers, tool chest, lighting, camera and lights, giclee printer and ink, easels, tabouret, storage) | $30,000 for major equipment in the first few years, less over time. | varies |
| software and web costs | $4,000 per year | varies |
| utilities, phone, heat, etc. | $2,000 per year | varies |
| shipping to customers | $1,000 per year | varies |
| advertisting | $500 per year | varies |
My studios over the years…
Space = Productivity (your mileage may vary)
Mark Carder’s Painting Studio
Graphic Novelist Nate Powell
Safety in Your Studio
Along with this basic advice from GYST, here are some other resources when thinking about housing your studio at home. If you’ve been leaving safety, equipment, and materials for the art department to think about, at some point this will be something you have to think about for yourself!
This is one for the acrylic painters from the TATE museum.
Welding, Cutting and Brazing from OSHA
Welding, Cutting and Brazing resources from OSHA if you’re planning on that sort of thing in your studio.
Lots of old PDF versions of the magazine with plenty of advice about setting up and maintaining an old-school darkroom if that’s your thing.
A magnificent list of things to think about regarding ceramics studios. There are 335 manufacturers and suppliers listed! It’s a little dated (2008) but probably still worth checking out.
More Artist’s Studios
Designing a Ceramics Studio
Small, home printmaking studio
Home Photography Studio
Metalsmithing Studio Tour
Taxes and Budgets
Along with your studio budget, you may want to start thinking about accounting and how you plan on keeping track of those things. You’re welcome to use my budget in Airtable as a starting place.
Artists to Reap Rewards of Major New Tax Deduction Aimed at “Pass-through’ Businesses
The Artist’s Guide to Tax Deductions (knowing what you can deduct on your taxes will save you SO much money)
Super useful templates from Bkper.
The basic gyst of taxes and budgets is to track every single thing that goes in or out and make notes on who/what/where/when/why.
Sourcing Projects
You’ll eventually have to price out a project of some sort or another, most often for grant submissions, but sometimes you’ll need to work out a budget to figure out if a profit is possible on a certain project. Below is the way that I priced out a print project last year to determine what my profit margins would be using two different sources: Red River Paper versus Picture Salon. What types of projects will you work on where this type of research and comparison is helpful?
PRO TIP: Keep a running list of material sources with notes about that source and links to their websites. Use my very long list to help you get started, but keep track of your best sources to help keep costs down.
Horizons:
A few things you should be prepping for, working on, and thinking about.
Some of you aren’t interacting with your fellow artists very often. This is your community. If you’re not talking to other artists, you’re working in a vacuum.
Airtable
This week you should start building your own Airtable in your own way. Just make small changes each week, don’t overwhelm yourself thinking you have to build an enormous base right away!
And please, for the love of all that is right in the world, spend some time in their guide to see what Airtable can do and their “Universe” to see how others are using it.
Cafe and Submissions
Do you have a Cafe account yet? If not, be sure to set one up this week. Take a look at some of the “calls for art” and see what they want for artist’s statements. How many words? What should it do?
Start thinking about how much time it would take you to apply for anything: do you know where your images and their details are? Do you have images that are sized so that they’re not too big to upload but big enough to see details of your work? What other types of documents will you need? A resume? A webiste? A budget?
Website
You now have 3 pages on your website. This week, try adding some photos, text, and anything else that seems like a good idea. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Studio Plans
For some of you this may mean preparing a budget to trick out a studio. For others it may mean thinking about maintaining a studio. Either way, start tracking items and expenses related to your studio.