This last week has definitely been an exploration in styles for me; above are what I call “Light ‘n Airy” prints, largely for their use of light colors and simple lines. I purposely mixed solid blocks of colors with outlines to balance out each piece. As a result, they can only be appreciated by observing them twice: from a distance, and up close.
They’re now available as 8×10s in my Etsy store. Enjoy! =)
Posted: June 22nd, 2007 under General.
Comments: none
I’ve added four new prints to the ImageKind gallery; unlike the hand-drawn pieces in my Etsy shop, these were created largely with Illustrator’s bezier tool and have a sharp, cartoony feel with splendid colors.
The pictures above are actual prints from ImageKind, printed on enhanced matte paper. IK has outdone itself again with these beautiful reproductions of my work. These prints are available in the UbikiCute gallery.
Posted: June 19th, 2007 under General.
Comments: none
I’ve just added these prints to my Etsy shop. They’re an update of my hand-drawn style, with thicker ink lines and a textured background. My goal is to add a new one every 2-3 days; if you’ve got a special request for a type of image let me know, because I’m always on the lookout for ideas!
Posted: June 18th, 2007 under General.
Comments: none
Our dog likes to chase birds (he’s a beagle); consequently, whenever we yell “Birdie!” he whips himself up into a frenzy and pounces on the nearest windowsill, anxiously scanning for feathered foes.
The piece above is a work in progress. It’s one of those “I have no what idea what I’m doing but it’s fun!” pieces, and is called “Where’s the birdie?!” It’s relatively small but it’s taken me about 4 hours just to get to this point. I want to do more tonight but I think my hand is going to fall off lol. I hope you like what I’ve done so far!
Posted: June 13th, 2007 under General.
Comments: 2
I’ve just added another series of prints to my Etsy shop: Wee Triplets.
I’ve always been a fan of artwork arranged in groups of three, and decided to do the same thing with my Wee animals. I also got the chance to experiment with color combinations (you can never have enough practice!).
Posted: June 12th, 2007 under General.
Comments: 3
Ubiki Floral is a new line of prints based on illustrations from The Botanical Magazine, an 18th century English gardening periodical. Ubiki Floral is exclusive to Etsy only; I hand-cut alpha-cellulose paper and then print each piece using long-lasting pigment inks.
I’m quite happy with the way these came out–they add a nice splash of color to the wall, especially when framed in white. Each print comes with a separate information sheet that lists the common name, scientific name, and a relevant excerpt from the periodical.
You can see the prints at the Ubiki Etsy store!
Posted: June 10th, 2007 under General.
Comments: none
I found this lovely comment on AT:Nursery regarding my orange Super Dog print:
I bought the superdog print last week in orange and it arrived today. The print is super cute and the quality is great, especially for the price!
This totally made my day, thanks codachroma!!! =)
Posted: June 5th, 2007 under General.
Comments: none
I recently ordered two of my prints (Koi and Five Stalks) from Imagekind to test their quality and shipping experience. I’ve gone ahead and taken pictures of the entire unboxing process along with comments on picture quality at the end; overall, I am very pleased!
First off, I received my prints from Fedex in a large, flat and rigid mailer. Although my prints were only 8″ x 10″, the mailer itself measured about 12.5″ x 18″. Big=good (thank God I don’t like Hummers):
Upon opening the mailer, I found a cardboard insert to prevent bending, along with a carefully taped and sealed package wrapped in kraft paper:
That state of affairs didn’t last too long–like Christmas in May, I quickly tore off kraft paper to find an additional layer of tissue paper surrounding my prints:
Finally, voila! Here are my babies:
And of course, what good are prints if you don’t frame them:
Unboxing wrap-up
Let’s get to the point: I like the way Imagekind delivered my prints. They clearly went the extra mile to protect the prints during shipping, as evidenced by the multiple layers of packaging material; prints are fragile, and Imagekind took the necessary precautions to make sure they arrived in satisfactory condition. Total transit time was 4 days via Fedex Ground.
As for the prints themselves: first off, each print comes with a 3/16″ inch white border around it to assist in framing. The print quality is perfect–no scratches or flaking that I could detect.
Enhanced Matte vs. Photo Luster
I ordered two types of paper; luster and enhanced matte, both of which are on the economical side of the spectrum.
The luster was truly gorgeous–the paper has a shine to it, but not the overwhelming glare you get with gloss; this is likely due to the pearly texture of the paper itself, which, btw, is quite lovely. Although luster resists fingerprints better than gloss, it still does pick up the oils from your skin; handle this print carefully, like you’d handle any photograph.
The matte was beautiful as well, and of course naturally resists fingerprints. The paper is not slick like photo paper but has the feel and thickness of slightly textured cardstock. Note that the color of the print seemed to be a touch darker and a little bit more green than what I see on my monitor. *However*, this is a new monitor which has not been color calibrated, and the prints do match what I get out of my own Epson at home.
An additional note on color accuracy
Overall, I’m quite pleased with the way my prints have come out. My only minor caution is that colors can and do differ slightly from monitor to monitor. I’ve personally ordered prints from three highly-recommended professional printers (ezprints, mpix and imagekind) and have seen slightly different colors every time. However, I’ve found that each color variation carries a subtle beauty all its own, and as long as the printing is otherwise blemish-free I have been a happy camper.
Additional questions about paper? Ask me!
Psst! I also ordered Imagekind’s paper sample kit. Please let me know if you’d like my own (subjective) impressions on the different paper types–I’d be more than happy to help!
Posted: May 30th, 2007 under General.
Comments: 1
My Wee Prints are now available at Etsy!!! =) This is personally very exciting for me, as this is the first time I’ve ever made anything for sale on Etsy. I’ve visited them more times than I can count, so it’s refreshing to finally experience things from a seller’s point of view.
Above, top: Wee Birdie, relaxing underneath a flower after a long day of flying.
Posted: May 29th, 2007 under General.
Comments: none
It’s been a longtime coming, but I’ve finally finished setting up an ImageKind Shop to sell my prints. I originally planned to create artwork using my Epson R1800 printer, but have run into numerous issues with banding and clogging (never buy a refurbished printer!).
A Guided Tour of the Ubiki ImageKind Store
I’ve always considered myself a bit of an “indecisive” artist: I tend to jump from one type of art to the next. ImageKind allowed me to take a step back and organize my work for the first time. The result is four distinct galleries:
 |
UbikiStyle - Abstract, organic art designed for the home. I predominantly use a color palette inspired by nature herself: greens, blues and browns with splashes of beige and red. |
 |
UbikiCute - Adorable art with a simple, innocent style. I try to inject a bit of subtle humor into each piece, and feature animals that include dogs, birds, piglets and bunny rabbits. |
 |
UbikiSquare - Minimalist boxes. These pieces are even simpler than my Home collection with an ultra-minimalist feel and square design. |
 |
UbikiX - My experimental collection. Largely unclassified, this section is grittier and more experimental. Funkiness and futuristic themes abound-you’ve been warned. =) |
Why I Chose ImageKind
After testing out various printing services such as MPix and EZPrints, I settled on using ImageKind for the following reasons:
Adding these strengths together, ImageKind was a clear win-win for both me and my customers. Pssst: if you’ve already got an ImageKind account, add yourself as a fan of Ubiki and I’ll return the favor in kind!
One of my favorite ImageKind advantages is the ability to print in different sizes; once again, this means more choice for you, the customer. For example, UbikiStyle and UbikiCute’s artwork is available in sizes of 8×10, 11×14 and 16×20, while UbikiSquare’s sizes are 8×8, 11×11, and 16×16.
Note that although ImageKind calls the 8×10 size “petite”, it’s actually a very decent size, especially when matted. Here’s an example of an 8×10 print, matted to 11×14 with a sleek modern frame I purchased at Aaron Brothers:
Not bad, eh? If you’re looking to save money, you can always go down to your local Target or WalMart and get a decent frame for $5-$10. However, if you’re looking for quality framing designed to not only beautifully present but preserve the print (options include acid-free mats and uv acrylic), I’d definitely consider using ImageKind as it truly makes for a one-stop-shopping experience.
Links: Ubiki’s ImageKind Shop
Posted: May 26th, 2007 under General.
Comments: none
RSS Feed