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    Geoffrey Gordon

    @Geoffrey Gordon

    I am a WordPress developer and a graphic artist trying to break out of my industry and into the illustration and digital space. I have a dream of waking up every morning and just creating art to sell and just for fun and getting paid to do it.

    I am based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Have a wonderful wife and just one child who is so full of energy. I love superheroes, fantasy, and creative thinking. I love to lift weights, draw, play sport and watch the artwork in animated movies. I run my own WordPress website design business so I have been working from home in the last decade.

    I have aspirations of writing and illustrating my own children's books, selling prints online and just enjoying a life lost in imagination land... :)

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    Website geoffreygordon.art/ Location South Africa Age 39

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    Best posts made by Geoffrey Gordon

    • Setting Up A Wordpress Website For Artists - Free Course

      Hi All

      I have received quite a lot of questions and queries regarding setting up a website from the community. I wanted to get a feel from everyone if there would be interest if I developed a course for everyone interested here.

      My reason for doing this is 2-fold, first to help members of the community here and secondly to create my own first online course which I have been meaning to for years.

      My expertise is WordPress, so this is the platform I will be doing the course in. However once setup with the right tools, you will pretty much be able to do your own website without having to know a single line of code. Everything will be drag and drop and visual live editing.

      I can also add a support form like this one where one can ask questions and give suggestions.
      This will be the basic outline of the course:

      PHASE ONE

      1. Module One: Getting Started
        a. Getting a Domain
        b. Setting up your hosting

      2. Module Two : Getting Setup
        a. Installing WordPress
        b. Installing base theme
        c. Installing key plugins
        d. Creating key Pages
        e. Setting up a placeholder page

      3. Module Three: Gathering Content and Building your website
        a. General Guidelines
        b. Your Portfolio Page
        i. Preparing images
        ii. Naming images

        c. About Page
        i. Writing an intro statement
        ii. Benefits of working with you

        iii. Adding Credibility
        d. Services Page
        i. Explaining wehat you offer
        ii. Presenting what you offer

        e. Books Page
        i. Layouts for a single or multiple book page
        ii. Adding key links

        f. Contact Page
        i. Entering key information
        ii. Adding agent information
        iii. Adding a contact form

      4. Module Four: The final touches
        a. Connecting social media accounts
        b. Basic on-page SEO
        c. Testing for mobile
        d. Connecting Google analytics
        e. Launching your website

      5. Module Five: Website Maintenace
        a. Backing up your Website regularly
        b. Security for your Website
        c. Maintaining Your Website

      If this is well received, I would like to add phase 2 which focuses on adding a store to your website, this is just a rough outline.

      PHASE 2:

      1. Getting your shop area setup
      2. Adding payment gateways
      3. Adding shipping
      4. Adding products

      PHASE 3

      1. Setting Up Your Blog
      2. Structuring Blog Posts Correctly
      3. Categories and Tags
      4. Catchy Headlines

      HOW MUCH?
      In terms of cost, was thinking artist from my experience of being here and other forums don’t always have good cash flow because of the nature of the job, especially when starting out. As they get established that changes… So, I am going to put a tip jar as part of the course. So, you can tip me for my efforts if you like or if you don’t want to that’s okay too.

      HOW LONG?
      It will probably take 2 months to develop and iron out the kinks before we launch.

      Over to you, your thoughts and feedback.

      posted in General Discussion
      Geoffrey Gordon
      Geoffrey Gordon
    • Thank you SVS ! ... Sharing my Positive Inktober experience

      Hey everyone... This was my first inktober that I finished all the prompts... Sorry if I did not put them in the weekly prompts. Honestly I was so busy I did not get a chance to share here. Spending at least 4 hours on each piece left me really sleep deprived.

      I wanted to thank svs for featuring one of my posts and also fellow svs learners that supported me on instagram...Most days I went to bed 11pm, I think by the end of it my little family was both proud and relieved that I was done... My theme this year was to do fan art of popular movies and animated series... I met so many new people, grew my account and really improved my digital art skills. So Thank you @Jake-Parker for such a wonderful challenge .

      I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed completing them.... in no particular order

      8.jpg 7.jpg 6.jpg 5.jpg 4.jpg 3.jpg 2.jpg 1.jpg

      posted in Projects
      Geoffrey Gordon
      Geoffrey Gordon
    • RE: Setting Up A Wordpress Website For Artists - Free Course

      I am pushing hard to have it ready by the first of October. 🙂

      posted in General Discussion
      Geoffrey Gordon
      Geoffrey Gordon
    • RE: Websites and Online Portfolios

      @Lee-White

      Thank you for your response, perhaps my assessment was a tad harsh. But I will put some points below to specify what I mean. I am sorry if this is lengthy…..

      1. Website Platform

      It is important to get this part right, Wix and Squarespace are starting points. I am not going to say good starting points but they are better than nothing. If you are going to use a freebee solution... don’t think that people wont notice the “powered by Squarespace or Wix at the bottom”. Rather pay a little extra to get it removed as Jake has done. Nothing screams newbie like not investing properly in your website. You don’t want to look cheap, especially when your artwork is so amazing.

      My thoughts on art station and deviant are that they are great platforms to show casework, you could even add dribble and Behance. But they are social platforms, not websites, a professional has their own website, not just a social presence. Also, consider being on platforms like these make it easy to switch from you to someone else's profile... you can be forgotten quickly, because the platform allows users to browse other artists, too. Now if you have a profile on one of these platforms and then a link to your website, that would take them to your website where the focus would be exclusively on your work

      One of the points Jake raises is to collect email addresses as you cannot rely on a social platforms to always be there. An email list is gold. In the same breath building, a website on a service-based platform holds the same risk. What is Squarespace closes down... you have no longer have control over that and will lose your website? Food for thought 26 Reasons Why WordPress Crushes Squarespace Every Time

      Lastly, I wanted to add that WordPress has come a long way with the birth of page builders like beaver builder and elementor. Designing your website is a drag and drop experience no coding needed is a reality. You will have way more features available to you to and it's not built on a platform that could go away as WordPress is opensource and not reliant on a service.

      1. Domain

      Good advice with regards to domains, I just wanted to add that you should secure your domain as soon as possible... don’t wait until your ready to build a website as the domain may be taken and you will be forced to register something else. Even if you don’t build a website just reserve it for when you are ready to.

      1. Home Page

      The home page is the most important page of a website; its purpose is mainly to engage visitors and direct them to where you want them to go. So, look at all the pages of the website and then decide what elements are important, this will, of course, be shown in order of importance and will also be determined how each point should be highlighted.

      Example:

      Children’s book illustrator home page

      Strong intro statement introducing who you are and what you do, your message must resonate with your target audience. If you are talking to publishers then your message needs to be directed to them.

      The secondary focus can be a gallery of your best work but not all... just enough to give them an idea and then an option to view the full gallery on a separate page.

      If you have done previous books you want to also highlight that on the homepage with a link to your books page, so they can see what you have done.

      Lastly you need a call to action that entices the publisher to get in touch with you. I noticed on all your websites there is no prominent contact page. Now I know you are going to tell me you are busy and you don’t want people to bother. But for most websites that is what is standard and you can bet they will be looking for a way to get in touch with you.

      I could go through examples for each different type of illustrator based on their services but that would take some time, maybe if others have questions, I would be happy to respond.

      1. Advice on about, portfolio and services is solid, the only extra advice is you always need a call to action on your website pages. There is nothing worse than scrolling to the bottom of a page the visitor has consumed your content and there is nothing….. You need to tell them what to do next….

      2. Blogs
        As far as blogs are concerned jake hit I the nail on the head… its good to have them as they help from an SEO perspective in creating depth to the website and bringing traffic in from different resources. Remember from google's standpoint it reads texts, it cannot read images unless properly formatted, but you still need enough text on pages.

      Also, it is a big misnomer to say people don’t read blogs……. Well written blogs are still very much alive, the problem is people are lazy and don’t write quality blogs. But the ones that follow good guidelines are read all the time and contribute hugely to a successful website.

      1. Images

      All 3 of you get this part wrong.... sorry guys…. Images are your most important selling point. It's how Google knows how to index you properly because it knows what the image is and where to index it for searching. By doing this correctly you can increase your traffic to your website exponentially. Here is an example…… from each of your websites…. Don’t be mad at me just pointing it out….

      @Will-Terry
      HotTubSM.jpg – would be more effective if it was renamed to “animals-in-a-hot-tub-will-terry.jpg

      Google reads the word “hottubsm”…. The google search engine things…. Mmmmmm what is that …. let's just chuck in in the miscellaneous pile…

      @Lee-White
      Illumination.jpg – yes it describes the image but not fully. “water-color-illumantion-concept-lee-white-print.jpg” is way better. It tells Google the medium, about the image, who did it and that it is a print.

      @Jake-Parker

      headshot04.jpg - that is the name of your first image… Buy now I know you know where I am going…. Better to be called “jake-parker-illustrator-comic-author.jpg”

      I am going to stop at this point hopefully this has been helpful.

      posted in 3 Point Perspective
      Geoffrey Gordon
      Geoffrey Gordon
    • RE: Inktober Book Plagerism Accusations

      @Shyam-Sailus Just finish watching his thoughts..... I really like Kesh, someone I have found really approachable. He has a really balanced explanation that is fair and accurate. I love how he explains the mob and individual opinion contrast and why we need all the facts.

      Personally I am behind Jake parker all the way, yes I am picking aside. To quote from Smallville Lex Luthor says "A person isn't who they are during the last conversation you had with them - they're who they've been throughout your whole relationship." - by Rainer Maria Rilke. Yes I love this show. Jake cannot be suddenly evil when his character has been kind and giving all along.

      Its funny though... the more famous you become the more people tend to despise you too," its kind of a tear someone else down to make yourself feel better about your own mediocre life" syndrome. Why cant people just be happy for others. I believe we all blossom at the right time for us in our lives sometimes its sooner sometimes it's later.

      On a side note, I have bought a few of his classes ...He currently is running a drawing camp 14 modules covering foundations, design, and creation. I got it at a steal of $55. https://www.keshart.in/drawing-camp1 I share it because his courses are really cheap but packed with good value for those who have not purchased art lessons.

      Svslearn is great but I have found spreading my education between Udemy , Skillshare, 21 draw, Keshart, Mitch Leeuwe and a few other places help broaden your understanding when you see art taught from different viewpoints.

      That's my rant on the situation, figured its probably safest here. 🙂

      Ps @Jake-Parker I hope you are doing okay and this works out soon for you. You have my support.

      posted in Announcements
      Geoffrey Gordon
      Geoffrey Gordon
    • RE: Inktober 2019 Week 2 Gallery

      70699723_506034213276485_267375165677422606_n.jpg

      My take on Frail... As the tortoise woke up having not moved for decades...The rabbit was surprised to see where he was living...

      posted in Artwork
      Geoffrey Gordon
      Geoffrey Gordon
    • RE: Best website building services and best platforms to be on

      I am probably going to be shot down for this, but I am a web developer breaking into the illustration realm. In the last 10 years of being in this industry, i think i have seen enough pitfuls to give some decent advice. I would use the following 3 Tools:

      1. WordPress - Self-hosted, shouldn't cost you more than 9 dollars a month with Goddady you can also pick up your own custom .com domain for like 3 dollars. this will also allow you to get a professional email address like hello@irinasartcorner.com or whatever domain you choose. They do have a special right now.

      2. BeaverBuilder - Super easy page builder that comes with GoDaddy account as well. they have a few templates you can choose from

      3. Woocomerce - Free e-commerce plugin for WordPress easy to install and add products.

      I don't advocate places like wix and square space because there are limitations that you will run in pretty quickly, also very hard to move from a cheap startup service to a more professional setup when things get more serious. Trust me your potential hiring customers also these are the places you go when you cannot afford a decent website. You might as well put a label on your head that says " I am trying to save on costs because I am a small startup on your forehead" Destroys your credibility instantly.

      If you need help navigating the waters, I would be glad to help you get things set up and empower you to run your own show.

      posted in General Discussion
      Geoffrey Gordon
      Geoffrey Gordon
    • RE: What To Do When You're Between Jobs

      I don't know about other industries. I think if you have any skill that is technical you will be asked for free often enough, being in the web design industry that happens a lot. Clients naturally think you also fix computers, or program or printer issues as well so they ask for help. The worst is when someone phones you and asks you how to code or they ask you to show them how to fix their website. Basically they wanna milk your time for free.

      In our industry, there is so much hype that you can set up a website for free and easy. We get so many queries where someone tried to DIY themselves and then it does quite come out the way they imagined and they get stuck. When you tell them your rates to design it properly they fall off their chair... and say so expensive. But if you start with free anything is expensive after that.

      So I feel you guys... it ain't easy.

      posted in 3 Point Perspective
      Geoffrey Gordon
      Geoffrey Gordon
    • RE: Can / Should you write and illustrate.

      @smceccarelli Your answer is both profound and simple... the answer is... nothing actually. I don't know why I am asking permission. Seems silly now that I think about it. I guess all that left is to simply start. 🙂

      posted in Questions & Comments
      Geoffrey Gordon
      Geoffrey Gordon
    • RE: Inktober 2019 Week 2 Gallery

      IMG_20191012_130638.jpg

      Pattern...

      IMG_20191013_123649.jpg

      Snow....

      IMG_20191014_153931.jpg

      Dragon.....

      posted in Artwork
      Geoffrey Gordon
      Geoffrey Gordon

    Latest posts made by Geoffrey Gordon

    • RE: Thank you SVS ! ... Sharing my Positive Inktober experience

      Thanks man, i gave you a follow on instagram as, i am trying to suport others on instagram too here on svslearn.

      posted in Projects
      Geoffrey Gordon
      Geoffrey Gordon
    • Thank you SVS ! ... Sharing my Positive Inktober experience

      Hey everyone... This was my first inktober that I finished all the prompts... Sorry if I did not put them in the weekly prompts. Honestly I was so busy I did not get a chance to share here. Spending at least 4 hours on each piece left me really sleep deprived.

      I wanted to thank svs for featuring one of my posts and also fellow svs learners that supported me on instagram...Most days I went to bed 11pm, I think by the end of it my little family was both proud and relieved that I was done... My theme this year was to do fan art of popular movies and animated series... I met so many new people, grew my account and really improved my digital art skills. So Thank you @Jake-Parker for such a wonderful challenge .

      I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed completing them.... in no particular order

      8.jpg 7.jpg 6.jpg 5.jpg 4.jpg 3.jpg 2.jpg 1.jpg

      posted in Projects
      Geoffrey Gordon
      Geoffrey Gordon
    • RE: Setting Up A Wordpress Website For Artists - Free Course

      @NessIllustration Thanks for answering this question, perhaps I need to add how to transfer a domain as part of the course too. We are definitely going to need a forum section so learners can ask questions...

      posted in General Discussion
      Geoffrey Gordon
      Geoffrey Gordon
    • RE: Setting Up A Wordpress Website For Artists - Free Course

      I am pushing hard to have it ready by the first of October. 🙂

      posted in General Discussion
      Geoffrey Gordon
      Geoffrey Gordon
    • RE: Inktober Book Plagerism Accusations

      @Shyam-Sailus Just finish watching his thoughts..... I really like Kesh, someone I have found really approachable. He has a really balanced explanation that is fair and accurate. I love how he explains the mob and individual opinion contrast and why we need all the facts.

      Personally I am behind Jake parker all the way, yes I am picking aside. To quote from Smallville Lex Luthor says "A person isn't who they are during the last conversation you had with them - they're who they've been throughout your whole relationship." - by Rainer Maria Rilke. Yes I love this show. Jake cannot be suddenly evil when his character has been kind and giving all along.

      Its funny though... the more famous you become the more people tend to despise you too," its kind of a tear someone else down to make yourself feel better about your own mediocre life" syndrome. Why cant people just be happy for others. I believe we all blossom at the right time for us in our lives sometimes its sooner sometimes it's later.

      On a side note, I have bought a few of his classes ...He currently is running a drawing camp 14 modules covering foundations, design, and creation. I got it at a steal of $55. https://www.keshart.in/drawing-camp1 I share it because his courses are really cheap but packed with good value for those who have not purchased art lessons.

      Svslearn is great but I have found spreading my education between Udemy , Skillshare, 21 draw, Keshart, Mitch Leeuwe and a few other places help broaden your understanding when you see art taught from different viewpoints.

      That's my rant on the situation, figured its probably safest here. 🙂

      Ps @Jake-Parker I hope you are doing okay and this works out soon for you. You have my support.

      posted in Announcements
      Geoffrey Gordon
      Geoffrey Gordon
    • RE: Websites and Online Portfolios

      @TessaW I feel your frustration, this is why I don't like platforms that are not your own because they play by their own rules. The rules that benefit them and not you. Mostly their interest in getting their monthly payment out of you. This is why you should bever invest in a platform that you cannot own. Ant web service that requires a monthly service fee tied to their platforms like Wix, or square space or adobe portfolio is going to serve their own interests and will have limitations on what you can and cannot do. This is why I am putting together a free course for everyone here to show them a better way. It's in development and it's going to take a little time but here is what we are going to cover...

      https://forum.svslearn.com/topic/9903/setting-up-a-wordpress-website-for-artists-free-course?_=1597383014955

      posted in 3 Point Perspective
      Geoffrey Gordon
      Geoffrey Gordon
    • RE: Roadblocks To Finishing Your Projects

      Wow, this was a really thought-provoking episode for me:

      I think taking action is better than not taking any action at all.... and for me, that is often the issue too many ideas, not enough action. I have been putting off illustrating a book of mine because I think i am not good enough yet.

      What I got of this episode was to take action anyway and I will learn as I produce the product that if I wait to be good enough before I start. Love Wills analogy of making mistakes help pave the way to success. That and I need to get into the habit of completing projects even if they are small then work my way up to bigger ones.

      posted in 3 Point Perspective
      Geoffrey Gordon
      Geoffrey Gordon
    • RE: Setting Up A Wordpress Website For Artists - Free Course

      @burvantill Thanks, as one of the moderators, I will need your help to notify all members on the forum that it is available once completed. This will be open to everyone here on the SVS forum.

      posted in General Discussion
      Geoffrey Gordon
      Geoffrey Gordon
    • RE: Setting Up A Wordpress Website For Artists - Free Course

      Thank you all for your comments, there is definitely a need, so I have begun the process of creating this resource. @Julia yes this course will be available to all in the SVS community. 🙂 I will update progress bit by bit as I create this course.

      posted in General Discussion
      Geoffrey Gordon
      Geoffrey Gordon
    • RE: Setting Up A Wordpress Website For Artists - Free Course

      @idid Yes that can be part of the course too, it's easy to implement and you won't even need to know any code, just your username. WordPress makes this easy 🙂

      posted in General Discussion
      Geoffrey Gordon
      Geoffrey Gordon