Help Support This Blog!

It takes a lot of money to keep this blog updated consistently with fresh content!  I currently do not have any ongoing sponsorships or longterm donors, so if you like what I do and want to help me keep doing it, you should consider showing your support through commission, donation, promotion, or sponsorship!   I have a Patreon set up to help support this blog as well as the connected YouTube channel, so that's another fantastic way to show your support.  By backing the Patreon, not only help me to continue to the great, free to the public, content I'm currently producing, but will be able to unlock even more fantastic content.  Your support enables me to earn a living doing what I love, and justifies the massive amount of time spent creating new content for the blog and the YouTube.  Backers will have the majority voice in the materials I review, the tutorials I produce, and will even get a vote in what I draw for product tests, so there's plenty of incentive to become a backer and join the Nattosoup community.

Interested in collaborating?  There's a lot of ways we can work together, and I'd love to explore them!  Send me an email, and we can explore the possibilities together!  I am most interested in collaborating with other art/craft bloggers and YouTubers, for the benefit of both parties.  There's always room for improvement, so if there's an element you feel this blog is missing, please let me know, and I'll try to add it if feasible.

For more information about me, Becca Hillburn, please check out my Info tab.  I am also a founder and contributor on the convention blog How to Be a Con Artist, which focuses on helping people prepare for selling their art and comics at conventions.


Quick Reference:

Resume
Portfolio
Youtube Channel

The Stats

• Average of 1,600  pageviews per day, more if it's an update day
• Update on every third day, so updates at least twice a week
• Usually at least a 2 week buffer of pre-written posts at any given time
• 10,000 Approximate Users Per Month
• 19,000 Approximate Pageviews Per Month
• The Majority of my viewers are using Chrome, followed by Safari, then Firefox
• The Majority of my viewers access the site from a desktop, followed by a mobile device, then tablets
• 1,000+ Twitter followers, high Twitter engagement
• 1,245Tumblr followers
• 775 Instagram followers, currently undergoing an initiative to have more interaction with audience, constantly post photos of art and products
• Majority of my posts are a combination of photos and text
• Recently introduced Reviews and Tutorials to my YouTube channel, undergoing an initiative to increase channel growth and engagement
• When reviewing supplies, I prefer to explore them one at a time, and may revisit supplies when I've better learned how to use product
• Frequent video+blog integration
• Attend 6+ comic conventions per year, high level of engagement with customers, strong focus on sharing and promoting products I regularly use to help educate aspiring artists

I am currently most interested in blog sponsorships and company partnerships, as it would help offset some of the numerous costs of running, updating, and promoting this blog.  My content is currently entirely free, although I do have ads placed to help offset costs.  These ads do not contribute much financially (pennies a month), so if having Google ads is a dealbreaker for your sponsorship, please let me know, and we can discuss removal.  Please note that I am not interested in 'free' supplies- I would like to work on mutually beneficial partnerships that send highly interested customers your way, while rewarding me for my education, research, and efforts.  I feel sponsorships and partnerships would help increase how this blog is regarded amongst other artists and bloggers, and I am interested in providing useful, relevant content to your company and potential customers while building my own career and earning a living doing what I love.

If you are not a company but a reader interested in helping out, please contact my favorite companies on my behalf, and let them know how much you like my content!  You can find contact links below, and please don't assume other readers will write in. I'm counting on each and every one of you for help.  Contacting a company costs you nothing but time, and it shows companies that readers enjoy my content and take my recommendations seriously.  All of the 'website' links are on site forms, so they're very easy to fill out.  Sending them a link to a relevant review or tutorial, along with a few lines like why you enjoyed the link, or how the review convinced you to try the product, will really go a long way.

Jetpens:  Website, Twitter (@Jetpens), Email
Kuretake (Zig): Website, Twitter, Instagram
Winsor and Newton: Website, Twitter, Instagram
DickBlick: Website, Twitter
Jerry's Artarama: Facebook, Twitter
Pla-Za: Website
Strathmore Artist Papers: Website, Twitter
Sakura: Website,  Facebook
Copic (Too): Website, Twitter
Pentel: Website, Twitter
Tombow USA: Website, Twitter

 Arrange Speaking Engagements

Depending on your location and the time of year, I am available for in-person speaking engagements or Skype/Google Hangouts speaking engagements.  I'm qualified (MFA from SCAD: University of Creative Careers in Sequential Art) to speak on a number of illustration and comic-craft related topics, and you can even check out a few of my live performances on my Youtube channel.  I have worked with kids K-undergrad, but my favorite kids to work with are preteens-20's.

Topics I can teach:

• Basic Constructive Anatomy for Comics
• Comic Craft/Comic Process
• Comic Craft Materials
• Introduction to Watercolor
• Watercolor for Comics
• Drawing Basics
• Preparing Your Portfolio
• Introduction to Inking
• Using Alcohol Based Markers (Copic, Prismacolor, ect)
• Convention prep

Panels presented at conventions playlist

At library (young children 2-10)


Ongoing Freelance

At the present time, I am not interested in any additional comic or children's book illustration unless you are able to pay me half upfront.  The exception to this are solicitations for short anthology entries- up to 8 pages of comic.  For examples of my two current ongoing projects, 7" Kara and Gizmo Grandma, please check out these links:

Behance
7"Kara Volume 1 Materials

Gizmo Grandma:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Anthology Examples

1001 Knights- Knight School
Chainmail Bikini- Pretty Paladin Critical Missy

One Time Commission

I can do all sorts of illustration, and have worked with a wide variety of customers!  You can see more on my convention portfolio, or my Behance.  While you can purchase commissions through my website, I prefer that you email me first for a customized quote.

Product Reviews and Sponsored Posts

Do you make a product I just adore?  I'll happily take your money to sing my honest praises, introducing your product to my highly focused audience.  I'll also happily take your money to point out your products flaws and shortcomings, so be aware that products sent to me will be reviewed honestly.

If you're interested in sponsoring a post, or donating items for review, please keep a few things in mind.

• Please email me ahead of time to make sure the items you are sending are items I CAN review for this blog.  A good way to check is to skim my Amazon, Jetpens, and DickBlick wishlists.  If the item is on that list, I do not own it, and I would love to review it.  I focus on art supplies (all ranges, from student to professional grades), certain crafting supplies, and stationary.   I am also interested in reviewing merchandising companies for the purposes of making product for online shops and conventions.
• Although I promise to review your product, I make my living doing conventions, drawing comics, selling 7" Kara, and doing freelance.  If you would like a review written by a certain date, let me know when pitching the review, and I will accommodate your request within reason.
• I only write honest reviews, regardless of what you have donated.  If I don't like a product, I will say so.  If I love a product, I will say so as well.  My audience trusts me to be as honest as possible, and I will not break that trust.
• You can also sponsor a custom tutorial for your product, email me for a quote!  The tutorial will be run on this blog, and you are welcome to run it anywhere else you see fit, so long as you give me credit.  If you would prefer a video tutorial, that is possible as well.
• Sponsored reviews will be free of affiliate links, or links to sources other than your shop/company, unless you request otherwise.  Should I decide to write follow up posts at a later date (on my own dime and time) outside links and affiliate links are at my discretion.

Guest Writing for Your Blog/Website

I will only write guest pieces for blogs that are relevant to my career (children's illustration/comics) or to my passions (art education for kids, art education for adult, honest art supply reviews, convention related topics).  Please email me with what you have in mind, and I can give you a quote. If guest post involves materials I do not own, your quote will be higher.  You can get an idea for what I own by searching my blog for the product you have in mind, or by asking me when you email.

Adspace

My sidebar features two adspaces- free bottom of the sidebar space for artists and writers, and paid top of sidebar space for artists, writers, shops, and companies.

Free Ads

 If you are a comic artist, or art supply blogger who is interested in sidebar space, please send me an email with a link to your content, and submit a 220 pixel by 110 pixel ad (see my sidebar for examples).  Free ads are towards the bottom of my sidebar and tend to remain stationary.  Links must update regularly (at least once every two weeks) with content that is either comic focused (webcomics or comic craft), or geared towards helping others.

Paid Ads

If you would like to purchase a 1 month ad at the top of my sidebar, please contact me for a quote.  Paid top of sidebar ads are open to companies and shops as well.