Selling water(color) by the river?
December 28, 2010 6:05 PM Subscribe
Is there a way for me to sell or otherwise capitalize upon a novel Photoshop technique I devised?
I developed a method for digital painting in Photoshop, by which it is possible to simulate very natural-looking watercolors. I've seen many other methods people have tried for simulating watercolors in Photoshop, and it remains a rather tricky thing. I have not seen my particular method anywhere else, and I think it's valuable and desirable enough that people might pay to learn it.
Is there a good system for selling this knowledge? Like, a pay-per-view video/PDF tutorial web site? And is it crazy to hope for copyright protection for such a tutorial or video?
If it's just impossible, I'll throw up my hands and give away the technique, but I'd like to see if I can sell it first.
I developed a method for digital painting in Photoshop, by which it is possible to simulate very natural-looking watercolors. I've seen many other methods people have tried for simulating watercolors in Photoshop, and it remains a rather tricky thing. I have not seen my particular method anywhere else, and I think it's valuable and desirable enough that people might pay to learn it.
Is there a good system for selling this knowledge? Like, a pay-per-view video/PDF tutorial web site? And is it crazy to hope for copyright protection for such a tutorial or video?
If it's just impossible, I'll throw up my hands and give away the technique, but I'd like to see if I can sell it first.
You will have copyright protection for your video (or PDF), of course, but not for the technique. Copyright only deals with the expression of an idea; the idea itself is not copyrightable. You may be thinking of patents.
But really, what griphus said. You will derive far more utility by publicising it and hoping that your name gets attached to it, so years later at a job interview or something, someone will say "Hey, you're the overeducated_alligator that came up with that cool PS technique! Come work for me!"
posted by phliar at 6:42 PM on December 28, 2010
But really, what griphus said. You will derive far more utility by publicising it and hoping that your name gets attached to it, so years later at a job interview or something, someone will say "Hey, you're the overeducated_alligator that came up with that cool PS technique! Come work for me!"
posted by phliar at 6:42 PM on December 28, 2010
Sure, you can get copyright protection for your video tutorial, but it wouldn't do what you're envisioning: it would prevent others from ripping off that specific video, not from copying the technique the video explained.
How exactly are you envisioning getting paid for this? Everyone who uses the technique has to, what, paypal you a dollar? Even if you got legal protection for this, how would you enforce it?
posted by foursentences at 6:43 PM on December 28, 2010
How exactly are you envisioning getting paid for this? Everyone who uses the technique has to, what, paypal you a dollar? Even if you got legal protection for this, how would you enforce it?
posted by foursentences at 6:43 PM on December 28, 2010
And what would prevent people from teaching the technique to one another outside of whatever pay-to-learn structure you managed to set up?
posted by foursentences at 6:46 PM on December 28, 2010
posted by foursentences at 6:46 PM on December 28, 2010
I don't think you'll be able to make a lot of money off this...besides what others have said, how often have you heard of a brilliant photoshop technique that was invented by So-and-So? I couldn't name anyone. Your best bet is to publicize it, and better yet, to completely master the technique so that people can instantly recognize it in your work (I don't know what kind of artist you are, but for now I'll assume digital painter).
Once a technique is out it really just becomes another tool to use, unless it is so evident in your work that it becomes associated with it and is known as "overeducated_alligator's awesome tool to use!". I think you might be best off just sharing it and possibly having your internet popularity skyrocket.
I, for one, would very much like to know what this technique is :)
posted by sprezzy at 7:03 PM on December 28, 2010
Once a technique is out it really just becomes another tool to use, unless it is so evident in your work that it becomes associated with it and is known as "overeducated_alligator's awesome tool to use!". I think you might be best off just sharing it and possibly having your internet popularity skyrocket.
I, for one, would very much like to know what this technique is :)
posted by sprezzy at 7:03 PM on December 28, 2010
After preview, nth what foursentences said. Once it's out there, it's pretty much going to get passed around. But having the technique and knowing how to use it to greatest effect are two entirely different things. Another reason why mastering the technique is a good idea. If anything you can sell tutorials, or at least inspire people to donate in thanks.
posted by sprezzy at 7:07 PM on December 28, 2010
posted by sprezzy at 7:07 PM on December 28, 2010
Response by poster: How exactly are you envisioning getting paid for this? Everyone who uses the technique has to, what, paypal you a dollar?
I was thinking more like, the tutorials on Lynda.com
Obviously I can't control what happens to the information, but if I could have a first pass at selling a video, it might be nice.
posted by overeducated_alligator at 7:10 PM on December 28, 2010
I was thinking more like, the tutorials on Lynda.com
Obviously I can't control what happens to the information, but if I could have a first pass at selling a video, it might be nice.
posted by overeducated_alligator at 7:10 PM on December 28, 2010
Is it something you could reasonably turn into a plug-in?
posted by kindall at 7:10 PM on December 28, 2010
posted by kindall at 7:10 PM on December 28, 2010
Best answer: use it to start your own snazzy art/illustration biz? and when people ask you about your methods, look off into the distance and start hand-waving?
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 7:26 PM on December 28, 2010
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 7:26 PM on December 28, 2010
Don't forget to name the technique after yourself, so everytime someone references it, there you are.
posted by CathyG at 7:36 PM on December 28, 2010
posted by CathyG at 7:36 PM on December 28, 2010
A single Photoshop trick as you describe, would not really be of interest to a site like Lynda.com - they're looking for morecomprehensive, full-featured, rounded content. A single gag is just that, and these days, single gags are worth cups of coffee. Copyright protection for a technique that utilizes a specific sequence of Photoshop tools, commands and filters? I don't think so, unless you tried to codify it as a plugin, and the market for Photoshop plugins is deader than a doorknob. For what it's worth, you might want to take a look at a program called Studio Artist, which is the ultimate turn-images-into-painterly-works and a whole lot more.
posted by dbiedny at 7:56 PM on December 28, 2010
posted by dbiedny at 7:56 PM on December 28, 2010
Best answer: Another option is to write an article for one of the many design/Photoshop tutorial sites out there and earn a few hundred bucks for it. You can then use the YouTube + ads route for a longer term income if there's enough interest in the video.
But I hear what you're saying about having a stab at selling it as a video first. This is quite common in the programming world and is called "screencasting." If you're OK with making a video yourself, you can get a system to sell it through sites like Fetch, Pulley, e-Junkie or Clickbank. Some of these also let you run affiliate programs through them so you could price it at $10, sell your own copies, but also pay a $5 commission to people who promote it (such as those aforementioned tutorial sites - give them a "free" article but get them to promote it as an affiliate).
Either way, there's no reason why you couldn't spin some money out of this before the technique gets "free". It seems like the sort of thing people would pay for (I'm not the target market and I'd probably pay $5 now). I doubt you could sell it for much but the number of people interested should be quite high (more so than anything I do in programming anyway ;-)). Even if you sold it for $9 (a common screencast price) and sold 1000 copies, that should seem interesting to you..
While I'm rambling, I've been thinking for a year or two now why there's no good, centralized Lulu-esque system for people who want to sell one-off screencasts. Or is there..?
posted by wackybrit at 8:52 PM on December 28, 2010
But I hear what you're saying about having a stab at selling it as a video first. This is quite common in the programming world and is called "screencasting." If you're OK with making a video yourself, you can get a system to sell it through sites like Fetch, Pulley, e-Junkie or Clickbank. Some of these also let you run affiliate programs through them so you could price it at $10, sell your own copies, but also pay a $5 commission to people who promote it (such as those aforementioned tutorial sites - give them a "free" article but get them to promote it as an affiliate).
Either way, there's no reason why you couldn't spin some money out of this before the technique gets "free". It seems like the sort of thing people would pay for (I'm not the target market and I'd probably pay $5 now). I doubt you could sell it for much but the number of people interested should be quite high (more so than anything I do in programming anyway ;-)). Even if you sold it for $9 (a common screencast price) and sold 1000 copies, that should seem interesting to you..
While I'm rambling, I've been thinking for a year or two now why there's no good, centralized Lulu-esque system for people who want to sell one-off screencasts. Or is there..?
posted by wackybrit at 8:52 PM on December 28, 2010
I would also look further into making some sort of plugin or macro. Can you show an example of the finished product or would that be giving too much away?
posted by Iteki at 1:20 AM on December 29, 2010
posted by Iteki at 1:20 AM on December 29, 2010
Write a book or create a filter which you can market and sell.
posted by JJ86 at 6:22 AM on December 29, 2010
posted by JJ86 at 6:22 AM on December 29, 2010
I really don't think any Photoshop tutorial sites are paying anything for freelance writeups of techniques, much less hundreds of dollars, and creating/marketing a plugin is a major undertaking, not something that makes any sense for a single visual gag. Selling a screencast, well, perhaps, good luck with that...
posted by dbiedny at 10:11 AM on December 29, 2010
posted by dbiedny at 10:11 AM on December 29, 2010
Response by poster: Welp, I decided to just suck it up and publish it on my web site with some ads. MeMail me if you would like the link. Thanks for your input, guys.
posted by overeducated_alligator at 6:48 AM on December 30, 2010
posted by overeducated_alligator at 6:48 AM on December 30, 2010
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posted by griphus at 6:21 PM on December 28, 2010 [3 favorites]