[Artist] How to Create Your Own Design Merchandise That Everyone Will Love
Do you tend to choose what only you can do, or what everyone else is doing? There’s a maker who started oil pastel drawing because she wanted to create her own unique art, and by adding her expertise, she launched a funding campaign for a “drawing kit.”
Meet “Ailette Sol,” an oil pastel artist. Discover the story of Ailette Sol, who took on a challenge that others couldn’t replicate, reaching 5th place in the real-time rankings and successfully raising approximately 50 million won in funding.
My own little island where I paint,
I’m “Ailette Sol,” an oil pastel artist.
Hello, I’m Ailetsol, an artist who creates oil pastel landscapes. My artist name, Ailetsol, is a combination of the English word “ailet”—meaning a small, unnamed island—and “sol” from my real name, Jeon Eun-sol. It embodies the meaning of “my own little island where I paint.” This past March, I launched on wadiz launched a funding campaign on Wadiz. Thanks to well over 500 supporters, I raised nearly 50 million won and successfully concluded the funding campaign.
I wanted to do something only I could do, rather than something anyone could do
After majoring in painting in college, I started my career by painting portraits of people’s pets. But as time went on , I found myself wanting to paint my own artwork more and more.While thinking about whichmedium would be best, I realized I love going outside to paint, so oil pastels—which are easy to carry and have color saturation rivaling most paints—caught my eye.
Ailetsol Maker’s Instagram account, which has about 120,000 followers
That’s how I began creating my own artwork with oil pastels, and I shared my work on Instagram (@isletsol). Around the time the COVID-19 pandemic began, my artwork got picked up by the algorithm and gained a lot of attention.
I think it was a time when people were looking for ways to spend their time drawing at home at a relatively affordable price. While oil pastels are a bit rougher than colored pencils, which are better suited for detailed work, their excellent color payoff makes it relatively easy to achieve a high-quality finish, and their striking colors are what make them so appealing.
wadiz: A place where new challenges are possible under the theme of “Together”
I decided to launch a wadiz funding campaign for an “Oil Pastel Drawing Kit”—rather than just postcards or original artworks featuring my drawings—because I wanted to do something that involved working with others. After all, I can produce and sell postcards and original artworks on my own.
But this time , I wanted to create a product while communicating with supporters on wadiz, where the “pre-order, then produce” model is possible.That’s why I chose wadiz over other e-commerce platforms for this newchallenge.
A drawing kit containing a 21-color oil pastel set personally selected by the maker, Ailetsol, and a drawing book
So, when I first conceived the kit, I focused on the questions people frequently asked me during my drawing classes or on Instagram. Thinking of them as my future supporters, I actively incorporated their comments and wove them into the funding Story.
The kit consists of paper suitable for oil pastel drawing, a tin case with a design so beautiful you’ll want to carry it around, a drawing book to help even beginners follow along easily, and premium Swiss oil pastels from Caran d’Ache—curated with the colors I actually use most often. In particular, I selected the 21-color oil pastel set based on the colors that fans of my artwork frequently praised for their rich hues. Thanks to this, I was able to create a kit brimming with my own unique style and expertise.
The wadiz funding campaign that connected me with more customers than I could have imagined
As a result, the campaign was selected as one of the top 20 projects for pre-launch notifications, and after launch, it not only reached 5th place in the real-time rankings but also successfully raised approximately 50 million won. I remember being truly surprised. In fact, it was a completely unexpected outcome—I had only aimed to reach 100% of my funding goal. I was so grateful that the project manager shared in my joy. Personally, succeeding in this funding campaign—which I had undertaken simply to gain experience—gave me the confidence to take on new challenges.
We launched the funding campaign in March 2022, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was starting to subside, which I think is why the oil pastel drawing kit garnered so much attention . The concept—allowing people to draw freely anywhere, even while traveling—just happened to align perfectly with the timing.
The most memorable review was a direct message I received from a supporter who was full-term pregnant at the time. She told me that, even though it was difficult for her to go out while full-term, drawing with my kit at home provided her with emotional healing—which made me feel truly proud. It seemed like it could be a great gift even for those who find it hard to leave their homes.
Instead of chasing trends,
Share your own experiences and know-how
If you’re an artist or creator trying funding for the first time, I’d advise you to plan a project related to the field you know best and excel at, rather than blindly following current trends. For example, just because calendars sell well around the end of the year doesn’t mean you should automatically make one—you’ll inevitably fall behind well-known artists.
Just as I planned my funding campaign based on the frustrations I personally experienced while working with oil pastels for many years and the questions people frequently asked me, you’re more likely to get a positive response when you launch a funding campaign that incorporates your own experiences and know-how. In that sense, I recommend launching a funding campaign that can evolve through supporters’ ideas and feedback, rather than one that you could easily create on your own. That’s something you can only experience on wadiz.
The maker’s oil pastel drawings, uploaded consistently
If you want to attract more attention when you launch your funding campaign, I think it’s important to consistently try new things in your personal work beforehand . When I was drawing pet portraits, even though I was struggling because the results weren’t as good as I’d hoped, I still posted drawings created with unconventional materials like oil pastels on social media every day. For nearly two years, I uploaded two or three drawings a day. I believe that by not giving up on consistently creating and sharing my work, a great opportunity eventually came my way.
And since that opportunity led to positive results, I realized that “taking on new challenges is always a good thing,” which gave me a lot of confidence. My hope is that those considering funding won’t hesitate, but instead see it as a new challenge from which they can gain something valuable.
The maker’s artwork made with gouache, a new medium
That’s why I’ve recently been experimenting with “gouache,” an opaque watercolor medium. If I come up with an idea for a fun and useful kit using this new medium, I plan to return to wadiz for another funding campaign. I also hope to continue holding solo exhibitions on a regular basis. I’ll keep taking on new challenges, so please stay tuned.
Written by Jeong So-jeong,Edited by Han Ji-hye
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