Digital gift cards for $10, $30, $50, or $100 are available now in the Ctrl+Paint store!
In the USA, today is Thanksgiving. For some that means food and family, and for others it marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season. When I created the Ctrl+Paint store, the idea of gifting never crossed my mind. As it turns out, Ctrl+Paint readers love giving the premium series as gifts! To streamline this process, I'm happy to announce the arrival of Ctrl+Paint store gift cards. Additionally, I want to take a few minutes this week to talk about the economics of free videos.
Keeping the site free
As you probably know by now, most of the videos on Ctrl+Paint are free. Keeping the videos available to beginners world-wide has always been a crucial priority for me. It's important to remember, though, that it's all made possible by the Ctrl+Paint store. When you buy a video (or gift card) in the store, you're funding the following:
Ad-free videos - I hate ads, and you probably do too. I'd love to live in an ad-free world. Your purchases help keep Ctrl+Paint clean, focused, and free of advertising.
Upcoming premium series - I've got a list of premium series waiting to be developed - though time and resources are slowing down the progress. Proceeds from the store allow me to dedicate more time to creating these upcoming series.
Concept Co-Op - I'm currently developing a gigantic concept art club called "Concept Co-Op". Just like Ctrl+Paint, this will be free for anyone to join. Unlike Ctrl+Paint, it doesn't have any ability to generate revenue. If Concept Co-Op sounds like a cool project to you, know that Ctrl+Paint store proceeds are helping to make it possible.
A big "thank you"
Thanksgiving offers a time to reflect on the things we're grateful for. Even if you're not from the US, it's like a pretty solid holiday tradition. Here at Ctrl+Paint, I'm extremely thankful for you. You and your fellow readers are the ones that make all of this possible. The current spread of the site has blown past my wildest expectations. Alone, I'm just a guy making videos. With you, and the other readers, Ctrl+Paint is a community. Thank you for all of your support and hard work. Now let's get ready for another awesome year of digital painting!