'They need to re-instate convention art shows!' Insisted a local artist. Then, the discussion began; Get a table/I don't have the time. Go to shows where there are still art shows/It's too far. Volunteer to run the art show yourself/I don't have the time.
In other words, this seems to be a howl into the night sky that you just can't make money anymore.
The world has changed.
My artists friends and I lament that the old days of print sales, print sales, print sales seem to be over. Sure, we still sell a few - but the days of selling 25 copies of a single image in a single show are gone.
Why? There are a number of thoughts (and no way to know for sure) - The internet provides a great place to post pictures and there are so many out there that the individual buyer no longer has to have the whole collection. Our fandom is older now, and there are enough images 'out there' that it's no longer a surprise that they must own.
When given access to a willing artist, why wouldn't I want something of my own stories and characters first? When you see those art collection books walking around a con - who wouldn't want one with their favorite artists ?
I don't think there will ever be an elimination of prints. Pictures we have time to work on without convention interruptions or time constraints are better. Large fancy images is how we wind up attracting and making fans in the first place.
But, these prints are easier to make, easier to afford and I don't need a huge stack of them sitting in a back room. Instead of making 100 print run copies, I can try 5 and see how it goes. Rather than stopping at 100 prints in the series, I can continue to make more copies of the image as it continues to be bought.
It's easier of us.
It's easier for the buyer.
It's just a different world.
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