FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For inquiries, project proposals and licensing questions, please contact me at a@annafarba.com

WORKING TOGETHER

 

What’s your process like?

My painting process may depend on the piece, but usually I start with a light pencil sketch to outline the composition in detail. Then I use watercolor in layers to gradually build up color, contrast and form. Every piece is scanned afterwards and edited digitally in Photoshop. Depending on the project, final files may be delivered in various formats.

 

Do you work from references?

Every artwork has an idea behind it, the spark of joy that inspired me or a memory that I’d like to hold on to for longer. Even though I love going on field trips and sketching from life while sitting on the stump in the middle of the woods, to capture the intricate details and textures of flora I heavily rely on references to create accurate representation of the plants. I also have my personal Reference Library, where I store photographs of flowers and plants that I take when I have a chance for the future pieces. I also love looking through vintage books and posters that feature botanical illustrations as a source of instant inspiration. Some times I’ll press flowers and leaves just for fun or to use for future paintings.

 

How much do you charge and how long does it take to create a painting?

The cost of illustration depend on many factors such as size, number of plants/ objects portrayed, license, application, deadline, etc. If you’d like to see how much I’ll charge for a specific project, you can Request a Quote now. As for the timing - it may take anywhere from 2 hours for a small illustration, to 20h+ for a larger, highly detailed painting.

MATERIALS & EQUIPMENT

 

Paper, paint, brushes and tools

My favorite places to shop for art supplies: Amazon, Jackson’s Art

Paper

I use cotton Hot-pressed and Cold-pressed Watercolor paper for my paintings from Fabriano, Hahnemuhle and Arches.

Media

Tools

 

Tech

PC - Microsoft Surface Pro (mine is 4th generation, Intel Core i7, 8GB RAM, 256GB)

Camera - Canon EOS M3, the newer version is Canon EOS M6 or Canon EOS M100

Lens - Canon EF-M 22mm Pancake Lens

Scanner - CanonScan LiDE 220

Tracing Light Pad - Huion L4S LED Light Box A4

Software

  • Editing traditional art - Adobe Photoshop

  • Editing videos - Adobe Premier

  • Editing photography - Adobe Lightroom

  • Turning my ink drawings into vector art - Adobe Illustrator

Apps

  • Tasks and project organization - Trello & Google apps

  • Instagram planning & scheduling - Planoly

ART EDUCATION & BECOMING A FULL TIME FREELANCER

 

Did you always new you wanted to be an artist and did you go to art school?

There is a moment that I remember clearly from my childhood, when I think I first experienced something close to “being an artist“ and was instantly fascinated by it. Painting, drawing, crafting - basically all creative projects were my favorite thing since then. I attended art classes after school constantly for as long as I can remember. I have a Degree in Graphic Design, that also included a lot of what you would call “traditional fine art“ studies like still life and figure drawing. Fun fact - I actually never enjoyed painting with watercolors during my training, I feel like I wasn’t patient enough to explore the medium and understand it’s full potential. After I decided to start my own business I slowly got back into watercolors with a more mature approach and it was a love from the first (well, second) sight!

 

How did you get started as an illustrator?

I chose my niche and started creating work that I was able to present to clients to get more work, it’s that simple.

 

Why do you paint plants and flowers? What inspires you?

I love cherishing simple moments, like memories of time spent in forests, changing seasons and mountain hikes using my illustrations. I place a special focus on paintings that explore the connection to nature in the modern age and I gather inspiration from explorations of landscapes, hours spent in botanical gardens, art museums and experiencing the wild lands through backpacking and hiking trips.

BUYING ART PRINTS, ORIGINALS & PRODUCTS

 

Illustrated products, prints and original art

Our Etsy Shop is live! BOTANICAL STUDY is all about nature inspired wall art, botanical t-shirts and gifts for plant lovers. All featuring hand painted illustrations created here, in my studio. I am currently working hard to create more designs and bring more unique products to the shop.

 

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

BY TOPIC

ART SUPPLIES, MATERIALS & EQUIPMENT REVIEWS

Art Supplies I used for Inktober 2018 and why https://youtu.be/jP69UG_4KtE

WATERCOLOR PAINTING TUTORIALS

Wheat https://youtu.be/LG0nrFFT-8s

Autumn maple leaf https://youtu.be/UD9cHWSZrok

Disclaimer

Some links on this page are Affiliate links. This means I get a small commission if you choose to buy anything after clicking through these links, at no additional cost to you. This support helps me continue sharing my process and take the time to review new art supplies. I only recommend products that I personally tried, used and love.