At FanimeCon, artist’s alley is located on the smallest of three halls on the second floor. It’s a magical place where artists from around the world come to sell their art and chat with fans.
I have always preferred to go to artist’s alley over the dealer’s hall because you get to meet the artists and support them directly by buying their work. Not only that, these artists are extremely talented and pour their hearts and souls into their work. Selling their art at conventions is part of how they support themselves and can continue to make art for us to appreciate. The art you find in artist’s alley is one of a kind and will not be something mass-produced.
Walking around artists alley can be a fun and, at times, overwhelming experience. The amount of gorgeous art and fan service is staggering. And, unless you get there early, staggering will definitely cause you to bump into someone because this hall can get a little crowded during midday.
I would say from what I’ve seen over the past two years, the most common type of art being sold in artist’s alley are posters and prints that are the artists’ renditions of popular anime, cartoons, and comic characters. These renditions are often super clever and very unique. Some of my favorites are mashups of characters from different universes or even some of these characters interacting with things from popular culture. But you can also find amazing handcrafted items as well like pins, charms, keychains, ceramics, jewelry, and much more.
The first artist whose work really drew me in this year was Bing Lin (madebybing). Bing’s illustrations are amazing! The colors in her work are so vibrant and the depth of field makes her art really pop off the page. She also had some funny and well-designed pins and pillows featuring characters from popular anime like My Hero Academia and One Piece. Check out her Etsy store here. Below is a snap of Bing at her booth.
I was also captivated by the art of Azusa Ogawa (Zzzeus). First off, her Studio Ghibli prints are brilliant. I had to purchase her mashup of two of my favorite childhood characters, Totoro and Godzilla – Totozilla. Her takes on Studio Ghibli characters are whimsical and hilarious, and she even sneaks some great Miyazaki tributes into the backgrounds. I was even more impressed with paper cutout lamps and detailed jewelry. She even set up a kind of pinhole box so you could view what the lamps would look like when lit. Azusa’s work is very unique and something you cannot find anywhere else. I think she’s gained another repeat customer. Below is a picture of Azusa at her booth this year, but make sure to visit her Deviant Art page.
@Skkaw’s favorite Artist’s at the Alley
I couldn’t agree more with Justin’s review of artist’s alley. Although at times the artist’s alley can get pretty busy, the art on display and artists you get to meet more than made up for the experience. For example, I am a very big Marvel Comics and Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fan. With that said, I had to stop by the shop of Jr Pencil. They had this Avengers poster print, shown below, that I simply could not resist. They also had other things for sale, including lanyards and key chains. Below are a few photos from Jr Pencil’s booth and the team itself. Be sure to visit Jr Pencil’s Art Station website.
This was my second year at FanimeCon, so there was a particular artist I wanted to revisit: Danielle Sylvan. At my first FanimeCon, I had discovered her beautifully illustrated Star Wars posters. At first glance, you may think they’re depicting a recognizable location on earth, something you might see in a bar or in someone’s house, but only to find that they’re actually some of the locations from the Star Wars movies. The minimalist graphic art style is done so tastefully that they would match anyone’s living style, fans or non-fans alike.
This year she outdid herself with the introduction of her Lord of the Rings series. Here she has illustrated three posters, one for The Shire, Rivendell, and Mordor. All of which are inviting enough, you almost one to go there. My overall favorite though was her Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse poster. I love that she quoted the movie: What makes you different makes you Spider-Man. Being a Spider-Man fan myself this one fit very nicely in my collection. If you want to see more of Danielle’s work, check out her website here. Below is a photo of Danielle at her booth along with some posters on display.
Thanks, @skkaw, for showing our reader’s even more exciting and talented artists! You can see why artist’s alley is a must during Fanime. We had a blast talking with these artists and hearing how they make their art. Please go support these artists by visiting their websites and stopping by their booths at next year’s FanimeCon!
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