One thing to note, sketches are often not fully refined. There will be minor issues with anatomy, some bits might appear more rendered than others. Sometimes clients may get worried that these little things will carry on into the final piece.  The idea is to get enough of the image ‘correct’ so both the client and I can go away at the end of the process happy. This was a case of I wanted to make sure the client was happy enough with me to keep going as it was slightly different from the original brief (not much, just a bit). We discussed some changes around his expression, and playing up the scars more.

Quite often with commissions I’ll work out a tonal version of the final piece. It allows me to focus on structural details. I don’t bother about all the little bumps and scratches and filigree stuff, this is about making sure the anatomy works, and the image is not going to look too flat. As these were ‘busts’, the face is the character. Sure the costume tells us stuff about their profession, how travel worn they are, for me the face and the expression is what makes the portrait.

Sometimes I don’t work this way, sometimes I just go in gung ho and paint colours directly (so don’t expect to get a fully rendered piece like this for every commission … I swap and choose, some commissions I do pure linework).

As you can see, I put in enough details on the jewellery to get an idea about how much there was going to be. I hadn’t decided the details for the costume (beyond a fur lined overdress/ cloak & and under-dress) and the goggles were pretty basic. The client asked for some minor changes to her cheeks and some braid/ hair pieces added.

You may notice that there are some unifying elements to the portraits. Both characters, while being polar opposites in many personality, are part of the same world – in this case a world with many Viking elements (though I’ve stretched this to include Anglo-Saxon and Celtic influences – this is a fantasy world after all ). There are some obvious links to Vikings – the runes on Lunzie’s jewellery and goggles, the use of amber and bone beads, fur lined clothing, leather armour, use of braids, a Celtic motif on her necklace (they’re based on a bundle of beaded jewellery and my Celtic necklace, plus some Anglo Saxon based jewellery reproductions I wear when re-enacting). The braids are the main visual link (which are shown in the final renders, not here), but I also tried to use similar tones in the metal and leather.

I’ll be doing some future posts on painting scars (nothing gross, just minor stuff like on Elthas’s face), and I want to do a post about armour & costume design as I’ve had a few questions regarding referencing and design. If you’ve got other questions, feel free to drop me a line or comment below!

You can see more on the finished pieces here

Please read the disclaimer before you use them willy nilly!

Check them out: Downloads and free stuff

I’m currently booked with work until July/August, but if you’d like your own custom portrait, check out the prices and information on my Commission page.

Working on some commissions which is why I’ve had no updates… so here’s a sneak peek of some character commission pieces

Born around 1528 in Antwerp, it is believed that she probably studied under her father, a well known Flemish painter  Jan Sanders van Hemessen. Queen Mary of Hungary, Regent of the Low Countries was her patron, supporting her during and after her reign, even offering her and her husband to travel with her to Spain when she abdicated as Queen of Hungary. Most of the paintings that can be attributed to her are of women, but there are at least two known religious pieces. It’s not known whether she continued to paint after she married in 1554 as no known works can be dated past this period. She died in 1587.

Portrait of a Lady circa 1551

Self-portrait (1548)

Portrait of a Young Lady, 1560 at Baltimore Art Museum

Women Artists: An Illustrated History, by Nancy G. Heller, Abbeville Press, 1991

Margaret Sarah Carpenter (1793–1872) was a Victorian era painter in Britain who mostly focused on portraits, and continued to paint after she married. She won awards, exhibited at the Royal Academy & British Institution, starting her career at 20 years old. She was noted as being ’the best woman portrait painter of her time’ (Whitley, p. 162), and painted many notable Victorians – both male and female.

I came across her while reading about Ada Lovelace (sometimes known as the first computer programmer …. considering I’m a female programmer in my day job, I love reading about my forebears ). Here is a small sample of her work:

Portrait of a young girl, thought to be Henrietta Carpenter, in oriental dress

Ada Lovelace, 19th century British mathematician (1836)

Mrs Charles Sabine Thellusson, née Georgiana Theobald (1828–1883), Copyright English Heritage / Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation

Portrait of a Man (possibly Alexander Boyd) 1845, Copyright Victoria and Albert Museum / Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation

• Wikipedia
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/artists/margaret-sarah-carpenter
• http://www.answers.com/topic/margaret-sarah-carpenter#ixzz1rnCdrYAK

Looking back on my work, I know I’ve made mistakes. Sometimes I’ve said the wrong thing, chosen a particular path with a piece that just didn’t work out, undercharged, worked crazy hours for peanuts, produced pieces that just weren’t exactly what I would have liked to have done. But hey, everyone has to start somewhere, and every commission teaches you something different.

So, back to the question, How do I know I’m ready to start taking on paid commissions?

1. When someone asks you

   Ok, this sounds pretty obvious, but if someone thinks your art is good enough to approach you about creating a painting or drawing, then you may have the skills to take on a commission*. Art is subjective. You may think your art sucks, but other people may be drawn to it despite all the flaws you see in your own work. There are many artists out there who I look at and don’t understand what the fuss is all about. I’m sure other people feel the same way about my art! Look for emails addressed directly to you, and don’t sound like a ‘dear sir/madam’ kind of email.

   *That being said, someone asking you to draw stuff for free is not a good indication. It’s your choice to do stuff for free, but there are many people out there that seem to think that because art is a ‘luxury’ for them (i.e. not a mortgage, gas bill, groceries), then you should value it in the same way. Personally, I think anyone who expects free art should be ignored. My time is precious, and I wouldn’t expect any valued trades person or artist to do anything for free.

   

   Commissioned acrylic painting

2. When you feel you are ready

   This is a hard one to “know”. I can’t remember whether I got emails, or I compared my art to other artists offering commissions and thought, ‘You know what, if they can do it, so can I’. You can start offering commissions at any time you want, it’s all about self-confidence and self-belief. But don’t be discouraged if you don’t get commissions for months, maybe years. It might be that your skills still need polishing, it may be that your work is too similar to another established artist, it may be that no one’s heard of you yet and they want to make sure you’ll be around to finish the work. It may just be the economy. But if you feel ready, are willing to work to someone else’s specifications, be professional in your dealings with the client, and keep working on a painting using colours you’d never normally use or painting things that are outside your comfort zone, then go for it!

3. When you are able to take a critique on board, or be super critical of your own work – is your skin, and ego, tough enough?

   I added this one because I personally think that if you think someone is picking on you because someone doesn’t think your art is magnificent, or points out anatomy issues, then you probably don’t have the right mindset to work with a client. That doesn’t mean you can’t get upset on occasion – there are some trolls out there on the internet, but you have to remember your client is expecting your best work. You have to be able to listen to a client’s feedback, and if they aren’t happy (within reason), then commission work will just feel like work, and cause you stress. Yes, bad feedback, critical comments, and a client saying ‘you know what, there’s something about the arm that’s bothering me’ can be disheartening, but it’s all a part of the process of working with, and for, someone else.
   

   Silver Mage Commission

4. When you are willing to be professional

   Paperwork is boring. Follow up emails can take time. For every 10 enquiries, maybe one will actually turn into a paid commission. Be prepared to work with a contract. Be prepared to learn about copyright, image usage rights, stock photo terms of use and legal mumbo jumbo. I always work with a contract – it sounds scary, but it sets out expectations that both you as the artist, and your client have so that there are no misunderstandings. There are plenty examples around, I think I got my basic contract from a fellow artist and modified it for my purposes.

   Also, if you agree on a deadline, be early. It doesn’t matter if it’s a painting for someone’s birthday or a painting for a game release. You don’t want to disappoint your client. Imagine how you’d feel if the book you ordered for your partner or child’s birthday didn’t arrive by their birthday – you certainly won’t be shopping there again!

   I must admit, the communication thing gets me at times. I try to keep updates fairly regular, but sometimes this can slip. Clients will be forgiving to a point, but you always have to put yourself in their shoes – if you don’t talk to them for weeks on end, they may think you’ve done a runner!

5. When you have time & patience

Commissions take time. If you’re like me, and have a day job that is not painting, then expect to spend weekends or evenings working on a commission. Some commissions will have you researching the strangest things. I’ve learnt about Asian weapons, read Dungeons & Dragons manuals to understand what type of character I’m painting, researched lizards and crocodiles when painting dragons, trawled online game forums to see what kind of climate a particular ‘world’ has. Commissions are not just about knocking out a painting in 5 minutes. You’re the custodian of someone’s character/ book/ idea. Treat it with respect.

Also, I hate seeing artists that accept money from a client, and six months later have done nothing. If you don’t have time to start work then and there, don’t take the money. Be realistic about how many commissions you can do at a time, how long you take to paint, and what you are capable of achieving.

So, final thoughts…

Are private commissions for everyone?

Personally, I don’t think so. Some artists lack the self-discipline required to work to someone else’s specifications (there is no room for ego – the artist is not always right when you are painting for someone else!), others just don’t have the right temperament, and some want to keep painting their own things. Many artists prefer different routes to earn money – there are plenty of options. Even those that take on commissions and have done so for a number of years often get discouraged. They have a bad client, they find it feels too much like work or they find themselves painting the same things over and over because that’s what the clients want.

The great news is, you can stop whenever you want (just make sure you finish any outstanding pieces). Just because you are an artist, you are not obligated to do commissions. It’s a choice

Do I have to take every commission that comes my way?

No! Artists are individuals with different styles, and different preferences. If you take on something like a ‘pet portrait’ and you hate painting animals, it’s going to feel like work. And when things feel like work, you procrastinate.

Hopefully other artists may find my thoughts useful, though I’m happy for people to disagree, or have different thoughts about when an artist is ready to take on commissions.

A couple of times I’ve posted a painting, and I get feedback about:

• the artwork reminding the person of some random book or character I’ve never heard about,
• the artwork reminds them of an existing painting or artist’s style (depending on how this is done, this can either be a compliment or a veiled snark)
• Some pieces people swear that I’ve referenced a particular famous person (when I haven’t)
• I’ve even had someone tell me that my interpretation of a myth/ goddess was wrong and insinuated it was an insult to their religion.

Most of the time I’m interested to hear how my art relates to a person. That connection is almost as important as my reason for painting a piece!

The fact of the matter remains is that art is subjective. We take in all that’s around us, mix it up a bit, let it stew, gather dust, then start painting. Sometimes the references are directly inspired by some ‘thing’. I generally try to say that in the comments – like ‘this is a fan art painting’ based upon a particular book or movie. Even pictures based on myths, I try and talk a little bit about my research and reasons for my interpretation.

Honestly, some times I just let my muse take me, and only see the references after I’ve finished and stepped away.

So I thought I’d say something about the references I do and don’t use

Young Adults Books

I’m an adult. I was a teenager during the 90′s, back before the YA genre really came into being. Back before the interweb! Yes, there was a time when not everyone had a computer, and not everyone was connected. You went from children’s books to adults books – and you went to a library or a book store to get your fix. There was not much in between – we had Point thrillers, RL Stine, L. J. Smith (Vampire diaries – which I disliked intensely as a teenager. Elena annoyed me.)… and maybe you could class the Dragonlance chronicles in that middle area. If you were like me, I was reading David Eddings, Anne McCaffrey, Ursula Le Guin, Andre Norton, Heinlein and other adult authors when I was about 13 (also Mills and Boons and Georgette Heyer, but that’s another story). There was no Harry Potter, no Cassandra Clare, no Twilight, no Animorphs.

So if you say is my work based on a novel which is a Young Adult book, it’s probably coincidence only. I do occasionally read YA novels, but not a huge amount. And by the way, many of the books coming out have references to earlier books… nothing is ever created in a vacuum.

Lord Of The Rings

Ok, I loved the movies. I read the books after I saw the movies (my grade 5 teacher told me to read the Hobbit, but I never could get into it). I still have to read the Hobbit or The Silmarillion. I actually fell in love with Elves after reading Dragonlance (Larry Elmore was a huge idol growing up and I loved all the Dungeons and Dragons artwork from that time). More importantly, Alan Lee (one of the concept artists for the movies) was an artist I loved as a child. I used to borrow a book called Castles and another called Mabinogion from the library and pore over the illustrations. So yes, there will be references to Lord of the Rings, however there are a lot of references to Celtic knotwork, Art Nouveau architecture, Viking designs, Persian armour and other historically based imagery. My brain hoards pretty pictures.

Anything by Laurell K. Hamilton

This one I can positively say NO. I’ve tried reading her books, and I don’t like them. Nothing to do with the genre, I just don’t enjoy her writing or her books. I have read a number of Vampire/Witch/Werewolf based books (before the market became glutted by them), so inspirations will have come from the other books if anywhere. Plus I love mythology. Particularly obscure gods, goddesses and creatures.

Merlin/ The Tudors/ Any faux medieval drama

I like pretty costumes, but when I’m trying to work with a more historically accurate painting, there’s a lot of research that goes in. Historical paintings, descriptions from manuscripts, historical re-enactors (I’m a member of the SCA so there are a lot of people who know a lot, and have really good examples of experimental recreation garb and objects). Movies rarely get it 100% because movies are about pretty people in pretty clothes. Some movies are really well researched, others might as well have hired the costume from a bad costume hire shop. I get people making comments that costumes would look better with the belt on the outside of a sleeveless surcoat. Or maybe it would look prettier if there was no chemise under the bodice.

It’s kind of like comparing the Pre-Raphaelites (late Victorian painters that made pretty versions of history) and the late medieval/renaissance paintings (from the time where many of the real clothes were being worn). History and fantasy are different. What we think is pretty would be bland or ugly by historical standards. I like blending the two, I try and point out when I’ve completely deviated from history. This is when I wish people read comments! But don’t take my word on it, there are plenty of resources out there that explain why the chemise is under the corset, or why my surcoat is not belted (you can probably find obscure references that show it over as well, but it’s not common)!

Many of my paintings are inspired by what I read

I research costumes, though I haven’t made any costumes recently. I’m researching early Italian Renaissance, but Saxon and Iron Age is also a favourite. I also love books on Mythology… particularly the ones that have photos of ancient carvings, and poems translated directly from the ancient sources. I also love traditional fairy tales and folk tales, which are often a lot darker than our modern day fairy tales.

Mostly, what I hope you take away from this is that there is more to the world that what’s in Wikipedia or shown on TV. Read a book, listen to some music, go to an art gallery. Expose yourself to more than just what’s popular!

I like using square brushes and I play with the opacity for the buildings. I kind of start with a mash up of half a dozen images of cities to try and work out some different city building shapes. I think I’ve got references from Shanghai, New York and Chicago in there. Even planning on trying to sneak Brisbane’s Gotham City building (State Law building) Considering that I work in an office building, it should be easy to imagine building details Except my closest view is of the river so looking the wrong way!

Oh, and I know that I need to reflect the buildings back onto the glass … but I’ll do that later. When I start to get slap dash on a section, I generally move to another part. I started playing with brushes to figure out how to do nice repeating window shapes. I had a brush set (Spyrocity maybe?) which someone looks like they’ve worked a few brushes for front on buildings. Just create a new layer, or image, make a brush stroke, then use the transform tool to play with perspective.

I also meant to add, I’m referencing http://tasastock.deviantart.com/ for the character.

See the previous post here.

I’ve been itching to paint an ‘urban’ angel since I started reading Nalini Singh’s Guild hunter series, particularly an angel with wings that weren’t white – and no flowy gowns or blonde hair and blue eyes. Actually the first layer of the wings started out as white, and I really wanted blue black wings like her hair. Personally I don’t think her wings are big enough to fly, but there you go!

This is the original version of the wings … I’m still toying between which one I like better. Thoughts? (I haven’t finished the wings in the top piece … I moved onto buildings as there are only so many wings you can paint without going blind)

The detail below is at about 100%. My computer’s been chugging along over the file. I’m terrible with layers … I have about 20. This is at iteration 3. Every so often I go along and collapse layers and save a new version. I’m using photoshop and yeah, I’m a messy painter. No neat, perfect brushstrokes … just lots of random brush strokes.

I also meant to add, I’m using http://tasastock.deviantart.com/ for the character reference (though it’s pretty much only the pose and the jeans!)

See the second part here.