convention

The Big Draw Review

| Saskia

It is already a week ago that I traveled to Nijmegen to participate in The Big Draw‘s Artist Alley at the Mariënburg Library. After doing OK at TomoFair, I was curious how this would go: I expected a different kind of public here.

Saturday

big draw table saturday

Unfortunately the weather wasn’t good: I arrived with a wet suitcase and a soaked coat. This must have had it’s effect on the visitor’s count, though it’s hard to say to what account. On the other hand, hosting the Artist Alley in the library, we also had people browsing who didn’t know about the event at all and just came to lend a book. In fact, at the start of the day, there was only a A4 taped to the door about the event, it wasn’t advertised very clearly, so I wonder how many people visited the library with the intent of browsing the Artist Alley vs. regular library visitors who stumbled upon us.

big draw artist alley
Following the arrow I drew here is not intuitive at all, you probably would go straight ahead where most tables are.

To be honest, I also didn’t have the best table spot in the library. Most tables were in the large space in the center of the building, and we were kind of behind that between the bookshelves. There must have been visitors that have missed us because of that.

Nevertheless, I sold a few prints, one of them to a little girl who kept telling her mother that she really really wanted that print. Those are the best customers! I also met a lot of new fellow illustrators and creatives that are still studying or just graduated. I think half of tables were from artists from the St. Joost Academy from Breda / Den Bosch. A different community than Rotterdam, and fun to meet!

Sunday

big draw table sunday

The weather was much better now and we could move our tables outside. That was the good news! I suddenly had to flip my table design as I now expected people walking past from right to left instead of left to right, though. I had thought I needed half an hour max to prepare my table, now the library was already open and I was still setting up. Stressful!

Instead of being tucked away, now were were right at the entrance, no one could miss us! There were banners about the event too, it felt like a much larger event now. And The Big Draw is actually quite a big event with workshops and expositions all around the city! The Artist Alley is just one thing on the program.

Unfortunately though, I only sold one print and two stickers on Sunday, despite the weather being much better. In my experience Sunday is always more quiet than Saturday on two-day conventions, though, although I hoped differently now we had a better spot. It proves once more how much uncertainty is involved in this business.

The Verdict

The Big Draw is much more than just the Artist Alley and being part of an event about all things drawing is rewarding in itself too. I wish Rotterdam would get its own edition, so I could see more of the event myself instead having to leave early to travel back home.

If I sold one more sticker, I would have hit break even. Tables were free but traveling from Rotterdam to Nijmegen both ways is around 45 euros. That’s a shame, but on the other hand this is the cheapest convention I’ve attended, the location was great and there was even lunch and snacks provided at no costs. No way you get something like that at a regular convention. I probably would attend again if I got the chance!

Nevertheless I will take a break from conventions until I have more original prints and merchandise to sell. Tables were only 120 cm wide and I worried if I would be able to display all my prints, but in the end I had actually quite some spare space. It made me realize I actually don’t have that much to sell, and simple business sense tells me that I automatically will sell more if I simply have more to offer. Conventions take quite some time to prepare, so I think it isn’t a bad idea to step back once more and use that time to create more personal work. After all, I should do that more regardless of creating merchandise of it!

The Smallest Fantasy/Sci-Fi Convention of the Netherlands

| Saskia

That really must be Fantasticon.

I can’t remember how I got notice of this event exactly, but it must have been on one of my travels into the depths of obscure Dutch fantasy publishers and Facebook groups.

I have been on the fence whenever I should visit this event. From what I can see online, it seems a tiny event only insiders know of. It’s free, held in a local community center in a tiny town just south of Amsterdam. I honestly had never heard of Nieuw Vennep before. Additionally, the people behind this all seem 45+ and have websites that don’t seem to have changed since 2002. All in all it gives me the impression that this is more of a hobby club than a professional affair. But then again, the line between hobbyist and proffessional is very thin in the art and design space.

Anyway, enough assumptions and judgement beforehand. The only way to figure out if this is something for me is to attend, so I did!

After seeing the community centre I thought it was even smaller than I was expecting!

So yes, most of my assumptions were right. It was a terribly tiny event. I guess there where less than 15 tables, mostly people who run their creative practice next to a full time job. There were a few talks and a presentation of a yearly publication of fantastical short stories. But sometimes I got the feeling I had entered a club in which these people had been creating and sharing their work for years, which I came to check out like an intruder.

Nevertheless, it was heartwarming to see and hear how passionate everyone was about their work and the fantasy genre in general. All the people I spoke loved to tell me about their projects, unconditionally: they didn’t try at all to sell me anything.

In addition, I have to admit it was amazingly organised for being such a small event. Communication beforehand was clear and on point, and even written in a whimsical, remarkable style which lends itself well for a fantasy convention. The program was followed by the minute and there was even the option to order lunch from a nearby sandwich shop, which was delivered on location.

On the way home I couldn’t shake the thought that this event has a lot more potential. I feel the fantasy genre is more popular than ever, especially D&D. With a little more marketing, this event could easily grow twice or even three times as big as it is now.

But it is easy talking for me, I’ve never tried to organise anything like this. The small-press publisher behind the event has been publishing fantasy antologies and magazines for decades, if they wanted to go big they most certainly have tried. The publishing world (and convention world even so) is difficult, why bother trying to make a living from it if you don’t have to?

For me, who is trying to make a living from all my creative endeavours, this is food for thought. The idea of having a full time day job to be able to create personal work only is not something I have seriously considered; it feels like giving up on a dream I’ve been fighting for every day. Even though financial worries may cease to exist, time to create will be limited to before and after nine-to-five. I’m not sure I’m ready for that.

To close this off: is this a meaningful event to network as a fantasy illustrator? If you’re looking for paid opportunities, not really, but you will meet wholesome fans of the genre.