Holiday Break

Canada 2010 (you might be able to see two elk crossing the lake)

I leave tomorrow for three weeks in the US. I'm visiting some of the national parks in the southwest and hoping to get some good reference material.
My friend Katherine Tyrrell posted a photograph a day when she went painting in Provence and I'm hoping to do the same from my travels, at least when I have internet access.

I hope you are all enjoying your summer (or winter) and I'll be back mid September with new artwork to share.
I leave you with a photograph from my holiday last year to start the photographic journey, tomorrow it should be from San Francisco.

A Robin in Watercolour

A few months ago I painted a robin in watercolour but was never happy with the crop. I got the original out today and tightened it up, it looks better now, to me anyway.

Basic Income Tax and the Artist - Part I -Deadlines

Having been involved with both Income and Corporation Tax for almost all of my working life I thought it might be useful to share some things you need to consider once you begin earning money from your art.

As I am only familiar with the UK tax system this post will be less useful to my international readers with regard to dates etc, but information regarding record keeping applies to all.

I do plan on going into more depth in future posts.

If you're self-employed then you are responsible for keeping records of your income and expenses and paying your tax and NIC (National Insurance Contributions) You might use the services of a Financial Advisor/Accountant but even then the ultimate responsibility rests with you as the individual to ensure that you provide them with complete business records.

1. Important Deadlines

Once you start making money from your art you need to advise HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs) within three months of the start date.

(However if you are only receiving small occasional amounts of money it could be classed as a hobby, in that case you would not need to inform HMRC)

If the intent is there to make a profit or you feel your hobby has turned into a business make sure to get in touch with HMRC.

Once you are registered as self-employed you will receive a tax return each year to complete and submit to HMRC, the deadlines for submitting the return are:-

Midnight on 31/10 each year for paper returns

Midnight on 31/01 each year if submitting on-line (or 3 months from the date of the letter advising you to complete a return if you received it after the 31/10)

31/10 if you want HMRC to calculate the amount of tax you owe

The other important deadlines are the dates for paying your income tax:-

All tax must be paid by the 31/01 following the end of the tax year, for example any tax due for the tax year 2010/11 (ends on 05/04/2011) must be paid by 31/01/2012
Any payment on account that HMRC tells you to pay is due on 31/07 (only applies if your liability to income tax is over £1000)

Example

Year Ended 05/04 2011
Liability £1200
31/01/2012 Due £1200 plus £600 (half of the £1200) on account for 2011/12 = £1800
31/07/2012 2nd payment on account £600 (the other half of the £1200)

HMRC estimate the following year to be the same as the current year until they review your tax return or you tell them otherwise.

If anyone wants me to carry this on with what happens in January 2013 if the liability has increased just ask, otherwise I'll leave it relatively straight forward.

The HMRC website is useful if you want any additional information


My next post will be on record keeping, what you need to keep to ensure you pay the right amount of tax.

Coloured Pencil Techniques - Drawing Animals

One of Chester Zoo's six week old cheetah cubs.

The subtitle for this post could be 'New Beginnings' and what better image could I use to illustrate that thought than one of the four six week old Cheetah cubs born at Chester Zoo.
I had the chance to photograph the mother and cubs last week. I spent several hours in front of the glass window watching them and filled an 8GB camera card. A lot of the shots aren't very good but can be used for reference of paws, fur, size etc but there are one or two really nice compositions.
Cheetah cubs are rarely seen in the wild because their mothers keep them well hidden. They have an exceedingly high mortality rate and are rarely born in Zoos so I feel very privileged to have been able to watch them interact with one another and their environment.
I'm sure I'll go back to see them later this year.

The other new beginnings are :-

I've been asked about having a solo exhibition next spring
I'm going to start the third in my series of coloured pencil technique guides
I'm going to offer online/postal tuition starting in the autumn.

My intention is to offer two options for tuition, students will be able to choose from a 'full' package or a 'guidance only' package.
If you choose the full package I will send you all the paper and pencils you need to complete the animal.
For people who already have supplies the lessons will be the same and you will still receive the printed lesson plan/booklet but you can use your own materials.
At this stage I'm planning on the drawing being either a Snow Leopard or a Wolf and there being six lessons in the course but I'm still finalising the details.
You will be able to either work online, or if you prefer post your work to me for comments.

As a first step would anyone interested please email me letting me know:-
Which animal you would prefer to draw
If you want the complete package or not
If you prefer to work online or use 'snail mail'

My intention is to restrict this first course to six students which I aim to start at the beginning of October.

My email is gayle.mason@gmail.com

Ready for the Society of Feline Artists 2011 Exhibition

In the next couple of hours the courier will arrive to pick up my paintings which will be included in the 2011 Society of Feline Artists Exhibition.

The exhibition takes place in September at the Llewellyn Alexander Gallery in London, UK and if you like feline art is well worth a visit. I'll be doing another post later this month about the exhibition.

Wolf - Part 4

The second of our bitches is now in season so the chaos deepens. At least it sets the scene for painting the wolf when Rio and Clinton are both howling in the background.

Wolf - Part 3

I've done some more on the wolf, the next stage is adding some background with pan pastels. I'd been hoping to do that today but real life got in the way. Roma is coming into season so Rio and Clinton have decided that killing one another is the way to win her heart. This does not create a happy and relaxed atmosphere, quite the opposite.

National Exhibition of Wildlife Art - NEWA

I will be exhibiting at NEWA, the National Exhibition of Wildlife Art from the 15th - 31st July 2011.
The exhibition takes place at the Gordale Garden Centre Chester High Road, Burton, Wirral CH64 8TF.
I entered two pieces, 'Stolen Moment' the Amur leopard in graphite and 'Bad Fur Day' the pastel of the Amur tiger. I don't know which one, or if both of them got in.
The private view is on Thursday and I'm looking forward to meeting up with several friends who have also had work accepted.

Wolf in Coloured Pencil

I can only work on my horse in daylight while I'm sat at my drawing table so I've started a coloured pencil wolf.
I find it easier to work with coloured pencil in the evenings.
This is approximately 12 x 9 on a stone coloured pastel paper.
I'm wishing I'd done it as a step by step because I think a wolf might be popular.

Horse in Watercolour

I decided to have a complete change of subject.
For the last two years I have visited Bramham 3 day event and taken lots of photographs of horses in action.
This horse was just jumping out of the water which you will be able to see when I paint his legs.
I'm also having a change of medium, this is watercolour on a hot press watercolour paper.

Hare - Finished

I added a little background to my hare which puts it in a setting without distracting the viewer, in my opinion anyway.

I added the touch of blue, white and ochre using pan pastels and was pleased how well they worked to give a hint of colour on a smooth paper. The foliage is painted in watercolour, so all in all this is a real mixed media piece.

I'll let it sit a couple of days before deciding if I need to tweak.

Hare - Part 4

The hare itself is almost complete I'm now working on the background. I'm just going to add a few bits of grass and lightly tone the background with pan pastels so that it becomes more of a complete picture rather than a study.

Brown Hare - Part 3

I've been updating my website so progress on the hare has been slow.
I'm hoping that I can finish it tomorrow.

Brown Hare - Part 2

Yesterday I picked some of the orange poppies I have flowering in my garden. I'm considering adding one or two in the background using very soft watercolour washes as they are more or less the same colour as the hare's eyes.
It's a good job I picked them yesterday as there is heavy rain here in Yorkshire this morning and most of the petals are now ruined.

Brown Hare in Mixed Media

I want to take a break from drawing cats, I feel that I need to concentrate on different subjects for a while. I have more or less completed the images for this years Society of Feline Artists exhibition so I can spare the time away from the felines.
I want to add to my portfolio of british wildlife so I'm starting with this hare.
I'm using coloured pencil and watercolour on a Strathmore paper. The image size is about 10 x 8 inches.
The left ear is not yet completed as I need to really concentrate on the way the fur grows.

Almost finished, just a few tweaks needed.

I have lost a little around the edges by adjusting to lose the background tone in photoshop, I'll post a corrected image tomorrow.

Patchings Art Exhibition 2011

Anyone who saw me at Patchings will recognise the cat. I am almost finished and I will post the finished drawing on here within the next couple of days, honestly.

I had a good time at Patchings apart from the horrible weather on the last day. One of the best parts is the socialising, I had a laugh with several artists, some old friends, some new. In particular Darren, Vivienne, Cheryl, Paul and Bob. You are all fantastic artists and great people, and I hope our paths cross again.

Thank you to all the people who bought my work and to those who stopped to say hello, I enjoyed meeting all of you. I hope I was able to help some of you move forward with your drawing.

I had to laugh at some of the comments we got and can assure you that concentrating on drawing or painting does not affect your hearing. Most of the artists I spoke to could relate a funny comment each day.

My most memorable comment was from an individual who walked up to me and asked why I draw cats, because they are nasty, dirty animals that destroy gardens.
Without giving me time to reply they sighed deeply and walked away.

I was very impressed with how Pan Pastels worked on my hot pressed watercolour paper and I will be doing a little demonstration on my blog later this week.

I also couldn't resist splashing out on yet more supplies that I probably didn't really need but couldn't resist.

Coloured Pencil Techniques Number 2

Just in time for Patchings I have completed my second coloured pencil step-by-step. This time it's Lenny the tri colour Rough Collie dog.
It is exactly the same format as the guide to drawing Poppy.
The booklet consists of 16 A5 pages (approx 5.75 x 8.25 inches) printed on a heavy bright white printer paper.
For the colours used I have included a pencil comparison chart for Polychromos and Prismacolor pencils. I have not always found an exact colour match but have suggested a similar colour.
Anyone who purchases the guide can email me for help if they get stuck.

You can purchase direct from me by clicking the link in the sidebar.

If youy are planning on visiting Patchings Art Exhibition please come and say hello.

Lenny Part 3

I saw a Roe Deer on my early morning walk. Much to the dogs dismay I hid behind the hedge until it came close enough for me to take some nice photographs.
He will be making an appearance in a drawing very soon.

Lenny - Part 2

Lenny the Rough Collie Step-by-Step

I'm working on my second tutorial, this one is a step-by-step drawing Lenny a beautiful tri colour Rough Collie.
Hopefully it will be finished and printed in time for Patchings exhibition next week.

Borzoi - Part 2

In between getting ready for Patchings Art Festival, working on the pastel tiger and printing I've been making slow progress on the Borzoi.

I've added some acrylic washes to add depth and then worked over the top with coloured pencil.

Painting A Borzoi

I've been given permission to paint this stunning Borzoi.
I met him at a dog show over a year ago and took some photographs. His owner then sent me some better ones that show his beautiful coat blowing about. The photograph I'm working from shows much more character than the ones I took at the show.
I'm working in coloured pencil and watercolour on Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper and the size is about 14 x 10 inches.

Border Terrier

The Border Terrier is more or less finished, I just need to add a hint of shadow to ground him.

Coloured pencil with a hint of graphite, approx 12 x 8 inches.

More Birds

A big thank you to all the people who have purchased my step-by-step of Poppy.

I decided to have a break from printing last night and went to see if the hares were about. The crops in the fields are now quite high and all I saw were a couple of pairs of ears in the distance.

However the place I go to see them is the haunt of several pairs of Red Kite.

Last night there were at least seven gliding over the trees and swooping down low.

I also got some nice photographs of a Yellowhammer, a bird I haven't seen for years.

Step by Step Guide to Drawing a Tabby Cat Available Now

Sample Page

My step-by-step guide is now available, I will be adding a buy it now button on the sidebar and it will be available from my website.
The booklet consists of 16 A5 pages (approx 5.75 x 8.25 inches) printed on a heavy bright white printer paper.
For the colours used I have included a pencil comparison chart for Polychromos and Prismacolor pencils. I have not always found an exact colour match but have suggested a similar colour.
Anyone who purchases the guide can email me for help if they get stuck.
I will also be offering prints of Poppy at a reduced price for anyone buying the guide.
The cost of the booklet will be £5.00 plus £1.50 post and packing.

I'm ready to start drawing my next subject. I'm thinking it will be a tri colour Rough Collie dog. That will include canine features and black, tan and white long hair so will be quite different to the tabby cat.

Step by Step Guide to Drawing a Tabby Cat Completed

The draft version of my guide to drawing Poppy is complete and I am proof reading before printing starts.
Hopefully the first copies will be ready by Tuesday.

More Garden Birds

I'm trying out various custom settings with my camera in the hope that I get more successful shots than disasters.
This male house sparrow has been very obliging in posing for me more or less constantly. He and his mate have a nest in the beech hedge just outside my window and he acts as guard for minutes at a time.
I have everything crossed that the local cats don't destroy the nest.

Regular readers will also notice I've given my blog a make over. The current trend seems to be for white backgrounds with no borders so I decided to give it a go.

Poppy the Cat Continued

This is where I'm up to with Poppy the cat, just about to start on the ears.

Step-by-Step Continued

Here's a sneak peak of a page from my forthcoming step-by-step.
I'm drawing Poppy the cat using Polychromos pencils but I will supply a list of Prismacolor pencil colours that can be used instead for people who prefer to use that brand.

Updated Cover for my Step-by-Step Guide

After some excellent advice from two of my artist friends I have completely revised the front cover for my step-by-step. Of course it might change again but I'm much happier with it now.

Step by Step Guides to Coloured Pencil Techniques

I've just realised that the Patchings Art Festival is fast approaching and I haven't made much progress on my step-by-step guides.

So for the past couple of days I have been spending time working in Microsoft Publisher on the first one, a guide to drawing a tabby and white cat.

The guide will include detailed instructions on drawing tabby and white fur, ears, nose, eyes and whiskers.

The cat I'm using as my model is 'Poppy' who lives nearby and takes great pleasure in tormenting my dogs while doing a spot of bird watching from under the hedge.

I'm trying to have a similar guide on drawing a dog and one on more general coloured pencil techniques ready for the festival. Guess I'd better get back to work.

I did have time to complete this ginger cat, 'Do Not Disturb' in between working on Poppy.

Back to the Tiger

For some reason I can't get the colour right in this photograph, it is slightly too red, I'll have another go in photoshop later.
I decided it was time to work on the pastel tiger again even working on the missing bit on his nose.
I really want to get this finished and framed as pastel is not the best medium to have unframed with several dogs playing chase round the easel legs several times a day.

Little Owl Part 2

I'm continuing to work on the owl. I tend to work on one area at a time building the depth by glazing thin layers of paint.
The great thing about using acrylics is that adjustments can be made as and when necessary. For me this removes the hesitation in getting started because I know if when I go wrong I can correct the mistake.
I try not to add any white to the colour I'm glazing with to keep it as transparent as possible. For the feathers I'm using a lot of burnt and raw umber with touches of paynes grey and alizarin to vary the colour.
I glaze over the white feathers with burnt umber then add more white etc until I'm happy with the result.

Little Owl in Acrylic

I wanted to try a small version of the Little Owl before attempting one with a full background.
This is a captive bird that I photographed at a game fair. I can see the plumage much better in this photograph than my wild owl one so decided it would be good to practice the feather structure.
It is 8 x 10 inches, acrylic on MDF.

Local Birds 17/04/2011

A selection of birds I saw yesterday either in the garden or on my walk.

I'm not sure what the first bird is, I think it's a Willow Warbler but if anyone thinks differently please let me know.

The second is a Pied Wagtail which is one of my favourite birds.

The third is a Goldfinch, one of several that visit the garden each day.

The last bird is a Little Owl, which is one of a pair that I see when I walk the dogs down a lane near home. I got up especially early yesterday hoping to photograph the owls before most other people were about. It isn't the best photograph but I was pleased with it, I managed to snap it just as the sun was rising.

I can now paint a Little Owl from my own photograph which is great because I want to paint an Owl series.

How Permanent are Your Prints

'Blue Boy' 2.5 x 3.5 inches

Mixed Media on paper.

When I started producing my own prints I was very concerned about their longevity.

I bought a printer that uses Epson UltraChrome K3 pigmented inks and I always use an archival paper but I still had no definitive figures on permanence.

However I have now discovered that Henry Wilhelm has researched the longevity of different inks and surfaces.

The website is an absolute mine of information for anyone wanting to find out how permanent combinations of ink and surface are.

The website is http://www.wilhelm-research.com/

There are different ratings depending on how the prints are stored, for example:-

Prints framed under glass

Printsframed with a UV filter

Displayed prints not framed

Album/Dark storage

Tests have also been done on the following:-

Unprotected resistance to ozone

Resistance to high humidity

Resistance to water

Are optical brightners present

There is a lot of information how the tests were carried out and a note that in some cases they are ongoing.

The pdf file for my printer was 9 pages long.

I'm pleased to say that it very much looks like my prints will not fade for very many years however they are stored.

Persian Kitten Part 2

Very slooow progress.

I have a pair of Bluetits going in and out of my new nest box ( at least I assume it's a pair).

If they do rear a brood the baby birds will be sitting in comfort because the adults are lining the box with dog hair. Roma has decided to cast her coat so I've been putting handfulls of soft undercoat in the hedges for the birds. It seems to be popular because it soon gets taken. Roma makes sure there is plenty to go round, she helpfully leaves huge amounts all over the carpets which manages to spread everywhere.

Persian Kitten in Watercolour

This is part of my newest cat painting, a Persian kitten with tons of attitude. The kitten has a great deal of very soft coat so I decided to use watercolour to portray it. I thought that I could build up layers leaving them pale and indistinct in the areas where the fur is very soft and fluffy. I seem to have cropped the left side in the scanner but the whole body will be on the finished painting. I'm using Arches hot pressed watercolour paper as I wanted a very smooth surface that I am used to working on.

Spring Walk

I had a nice walk this morning. The sky was black in the West but blue in the East and there was a beautiful rainbow. Apart from a drop or two the rain never materialised. The birds were out in force including several species of tit, a fleeting glimpse of a Green Woodpecker and several Curlews. The best photograph I shot was this Dunnock because I like the colours in the blurred background. I haven't touched up in photoshop, just cropped in on the bird. There were plenty of lambs and rabbits in the fields but I'm still looking for the elusive hare. I really want to paint a hare from my own reference material but so far I've only spotted them in the distance at dusk. At least with the lighter nights there is more time for searching.