
DCon Diary 09: Matting Madness
By AngelaSasser
The vlog edition in a series of diary entries I'm doing to document my progress as I prepare for this year's Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia.
This year's convention will be the first time I have manned a table in the artist's alley, filled a large bay full of art, and generally made it a serious business matter instead of a hobby. I thought it might be interesting to document my progress as an artist attempting to start their own business and to experience the wonderful wide world of art fairs and conventions. Maybe we can learn a little something together?
More vlogs of the convention days will no doubt follow this one, along with a continuation of my previous video tutorials on color pencils and the like.
For my written Dragon Con Diary entries, see the following:
Dragon Con Diary 09: Pre-Con Prep
Dragon Con Diary 09: To Charge or Not to Charge?
Dragon Con Diary 09: The Rush Begins
Dragon Con Diary 09: The Calm Before the Storm
This year's convention will be the first time I have manned a table in the artist's alley, filled a large bay full of art, and generally made it a serious business matter instead of a hobby. I thought it might be interesting to document my progress as an artist attempting to start their own business and to experience the wonderful wide world of art fairs and conventions. Maybe we can learn a little something together?
More vlogs of the convention days will no doubt follow this one, along with a continuation of my previous video tutorials on color pencils and the like.
For my written Dragon Con Diary entries, see the following:
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Hahah well the guide on the mat cutter is especially helpful. As is a sharp blade! I know I used to never change my blade, which resulted in crooked lines or ragged edges. Once that starts to happen, it's imperative that you change the blade (and also don't have one of those vinyl or rubber mats underneath as a slip mat, as these dull your blades VERY quickly).

I've used scrap pieces of illustration board or mat board as a slip mat before and they work muuch better than anything rubber or vinyl.
As for the math, I cheat somewhat in that I don't do approximate measurements, but rather I pretty much think in quarters of an inch. I'll center the picture on the piece of mat board and measure from the edge, then add a quarter of an inch border to that measurement rounded to the nearest quarter. I always design my prints with a bleed border to allow it to be held in the mat more snugly.
It's a little hard to describe in writing, so I really will have to get off my bum and do a video. I may not be the best at it, but I'm decent enough to show someone else after all this matted crap for the show, I suppose XD
As for the math, I cheat somewhat in that I don't do approximate measurements, but rather I pretty much think in quarters of an inch. I'll center the picture on the piece of mat board and measure from the edge, then add a quarter of an inch border to that measurement rounded to the nearest quarter. I always design my prints with a bleed border to allow it to be held in the mat more snugly.
It's a little hard to describe in writing, so I really will have to get off my bum and do a video. I may not be the best at it, but I'm decent enough to show someone else after all this matted crap for the show, I suppose XD
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