I'm Back! From Outer Space!

Sorry it's been awhile since I posted last. I've had so many things going on like....
I'M GOING TO SHOWCASE MY ART IN A VENUE ON 6TH ST OF AUSTIN
Flippin rad right?!?
It's just a one night event, on Aug 18th, not that I'm trying to degrade how awesome of an opportunity it is for me :D
I only have a buhjillion things I need to get done in a month before the art event....

And the most important of all those things is to create more art to showcase.
Recently, I have been introduced to the lovely Masking Fluid and I just can't get enough of her. lol

Humility by ~SarahSlam on deviant

I created those white spaces by painting lines with masking fluid and then adding color to the art after the masking fluid dried. Then after the watercolor paint dried, I carefully peeled off the lines of dried masking fluid. Masking fluid dries like stretchy rubber, protects the paper underneath it from any paint(meaning you can paint right over it and you don't have to worry about it seeping through) and it's really easy to peel off
(It reminds me of the glue-goop type substance that is used to close flyers and brochures that I peel off and immaturely throw at something hoping it sticks. haha .)

ART
Fearless by ~SarahSlam on deviantART

I really love how the watercolors flow together in lines and blend so awesomely. So if you like this new style I got going on, you can bet to see more of it soon.

Pricing Your Worth...

Recently a friend of mine asked if I would paint a portrait of her.
Portraits are fun because I have to meet the challenge to create art that not only looks like that person, but also portrays their personality. Unfortunately, this friend and I weren't close enough in highschool for me to really get to know her personality, I just decided to go with the flow. Meaning I went crazy on it.

Vivian: Portrait of a Friend by ~SarahSlam on deviantART
But before I even painted her portrait she asked how much the original would be....
I was conflicted. I hate asking people for money. I hate even more trying to evaluate my worth in a fair way that the other person can appreciate. Yeah sure you can go to Hobby Lobby right now and buy a pretty art PRINT for 50% off, but you're lucky to be able to afford the original Starry Night by Van Gogh.
Ok, I'm not comparing myself to Van Gogh, I happen to think I look better with two ears.
I'm just curious of how much I should sell my original portraits for. I don't make commercial art that the guy on the corner can do for half the price. I literally pour my soul into my work...
Ok, now I'm rambling. I've searched for opinions but as everyone knows everyone has an opinion and they usually conflict one after the other.
So, what's your opinion? How much would you be willing to pay for an original of your portrait?

Oh, and another slight problem is after I make one friend's portrait, three more friends want one. How do I tell them, "Do you have Paypal?" I think one friend was hurt after I told her I would sell it to her. I'm unemployed and my dream career is to be an artist (isn't everyone's?) so is it smart to give out free portraits, maybe gain popularity, or should I make profit from my friends as I go?

Trying to Draw the Right Perspective of Tattoos

My last two watercolor projects were a bit more difficult than usual. I decided I wanted to do a watercolor series of women with tattoos. I didn't realize how hard it would be to draw images that looked as if they realistically flowed with the natural dips and curves of the human body. I in no way perfected it, but I personally think I got it close enough to pass off as being abstract.


Tattoo by ~SarahSlam on deviantART

Tree Tattoo by ~SarahSlam on deviantART

My main focus with my recent art is to draw most of the attention to the eyes, which I believe I was still able to capture with the above artworks...
I'm now working on a new drawing of a woman with a full chest piece and it's much harder than I imagined it would be. I ignorantly thought it would be easy but the curves of the collarbone and the roundness of the chest in general are really hard to convey.
But, I will keep working on it until I am at least abstractly satisfied. haha.
I'll post the finished product soon. :)