UKCPS Open International Exhibition 2014: Call for Entries

The deadline for entries to the 13th Annual International Exhibition of the UK Coloured Pencil Society is 5th February 2014.

The exhibition will be held between 28th April - 10th May 2014 at the RBSA Gallery, 4 Brook Street, Birmingham, B3 1SA.


The rules changed last year - with respect to the nature of the work that can be entered - and I'm not sure everyone is aware of that.

Here's a summary of what you need to know and do to enter.

Who can enter

This exhibition is open to all living artists who can demonstrate compositional and drawing skills and the ability to use coloured pencil..

That means:

• no age constraints
• no geographical constraints (beyond your the size of your wallet and the cost of shipping artwork to and from the UK!  See How to pack, post and ship art - Resources for Artists)

What you can enter

What's your favourite tip about drawing?

What's your favourite tip about drawing that you always share?  

Three of my tips about drawing

1. Carry a sketchbook with you all the time and you will do a lot more drawing.  There are lots of occasions when you can pull out a sketchbook for a quick sketch - plus it records your life as lived! (The sketch below was done while waiting to see the Consultant at the Dental Hospital last week!)
2. When drawing in life class work out where the middle of the body is. That way I stand half a chance of filling the page but not having to crop the head or the feet!
3. Use a battery eraser to draw as well as to erase. Drawing involves changing the surface and that can mean removing media as well as laying it down.

The Queue at Reception at the Dental Hospital 7 January 2014
pen and ink in Moleskine Sketchbook

Why I'm asking for your tips about drawing

My reason for asking about your favourite tips about drawing is that I've got my head down right now - writing the book about drawing and sketching that I've been commissioned to do. (see previous posts I've been asked to write a book.... and I'm writing the book this week)

The book has five different sections so I have five different files on the go as I try to meet the criteria for the number of topics, number of words, number of double page spreads and number of images. Flex any one of four to create a problem! ;)

At the moment, I'm working my way through trying to complete the text for double page spread after double page spread.  I'm not a sequential writer - I tend to work pretty much as I draw. I start with sketching in the overall structure (the table of contents) - then start to pad that out (the flatplan) then start to add in content (sample double page spreads) and now I'm into the solid workload of actually producing text and images for 80 double page spreads!  Plus editing down the first pass on the content.

The fact of the matter is I've got too many tips at the moment(!) and I need to start editing down - so I want to know which are your favourites tips about drawing  to make sure these are the ones which don't get edited out!

The favourite ones are:

• the ones you always remember, 
• the ones that made a big difference to how you draw and sketch
• the ones you always share and pass on to others

So - what's your favourite tip about drawing that you will always value and like to share?

To leave a comment click the link to the right of my name and date below.

Where to sell art is the wrong question

I received a query about selling art yesterday.  Below you can read the query and my response

Hi Katherine

I've been enjoying your "Making a Mark" blog for years, and I'm hoping that somewhere in the archives you address my question. If not, I'd love to have you do a poll!

I'm part of a professional art group, and we are in the process of developing a web site. Some members say we absolutely should have an online store for selling fine art; others, including me, say that anyone hoping to make serious sales that way is overly optimistic, and that it is very difficult to make significant sales online.

I believe the idea of selling fine art online is mis-represented, mostly by people who design web sites intended to help artists sell art online. What are your thoughts on selling fine art online? Is it viable - or not?

Thank you!

This was my response - which I have to say was written off the top of my head late last night in about five minutes!

It is however the distilled view of having looked at very many websites and the activities of very many artists over the last eight years

Both views are correct - however you have omitted the key factor in the equation.

• There are a lot of websites which make their money out of persuading people who don't know any better that they can sell their art through their website. Wrong! The only way they will get traffic is if the artists generate it themselves and if they're doing that then they might as well sell via eBay or Etsy. There again there are websites where people list and sell virtually everything they list. The latter are people who have developed a following. Look at certain painters on Daily Paintworks to see what I mean eg Dreama Tolle Perry; Taryn Day; Jacqueline Gnott; Karin Jurick; Carol Marine etc etc They're good at what they do, they have a distinctive style, they have themes for subject matter etc. 
• It all depends on your pricepoint. Galleries won't touch cheaper art - that needs to be sold direct by the artist. Remember there is no commission only the costs of putting it online. That means that some people will make more money out of selling large volumes of cheaper art direct than others will make from selling more expensive art selling via galleries.
• Bottom line it's all down to the marketing. You will sell via:
• a gallery if the gallery is good at marketing. If not then it will sit in their backroom gathering dust 
• your own website if you are good at marketing
• via an online gallery if you are good at marketing

So bottom line - I think your professional art group needs to get professional at marketing - because it seems to me they are looking at the whole question of how to sell art the wrong way round.

The channel isn't the issue.

Selling art is difficult period.

The issue is about how much time and effort you want to put into marketing! If you want to sell art then you need to allocate time to marketing and you need to ensure you are doing the right things in the right way.

Do the wrong things in the wrong way and it really doesn't matter how much time and effort you apply to marketing!

My view is that if professional galleries are selling art online - which they are - then professional artists should very definitely be selling their art online.

In fact a number of artists have been able to build a portfolio of bricks and mortar galleries to represent their art because they could demonstrate - via online sales - that their art sold and that they had a following.

What's your View?

How would you have answered the question?

Do share what your view is about the pros and cons of art groups having an online ecommerce set-up for selling art via their website.

Resources for Artists

You can find resources to help you sell art in my websites listed below

£15,000 Lynn Painter-Stainer Prize 2014 - deadline approaches

Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize - Deadline for entries is the end of this month

This is a reminder for all those intending to submit work to the 9th Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize - the deadline for entries is 29 January 2014, by 5pm.

I've been covering this Prize since 2007 and you if you don't know much about it you can find links to past blog posts and images of the exhibition and winners at the end of this post.

This Prize is a strictly British affair!

The Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize is open to living artists over the age of 18, who are resident in the British Isles. Only original, two-dimensional works in any painting or drawing media, that have been completed in the last three years, and that have not been previously exhibited, are eligible. All works must be for sale, except commissioned portraits.

Note the criteria with respect to

• timescale and 
• not having been previously exhibited.  

I wish I saw more art competitions putting more emphasis on the latter - it get's very boring at times seeing the same work in several different shows, even if it is good.

Prizes

It's my practice to in general list only those competitions where the first prize exceeds £10,000.  In this instance the first prize is £15,000.  There are also:

• 5 Runner-Up Prizes each at: £1,500
• Young Artist Award: £2,500 - for an artist who is 25 years of age

Lynn Painter-Stainer Prize 2013
The Isabella Plantation by Ruth Stage NEAC
100x120, Egg Tempera £7,000

Information for Artists

I only started doing detailed posts for the Call for Entries because the websites or the paperwork providing the information were so difficult to follow i.e. not everybody can read tiny font sizes made more difficult by a difficult contrast between typeface and support!

However the Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize has a very good website now and I need only point you in its direction of the Information for Artists and highlight a few key points and dates

It's also worth mentioning that most winners to date have won with figurative works. 'Large' and/or 'striking' and/or 'bold' are also words which spring to mind - although this has not happened every year.  Definitely a "do not be bashful or wishy washy" art competition.

Key Dates

• Wednesday 29 January 2014 - Deadline for online entries, by 5pm
• Tuesday 7 February 2014 - Results of initial judging emailed to artists by this date
• Tuesday 14 February 2014 - c.200 Shortlisted artists submit works to FBA - not so wonderful for those with jobs and/or living elsewhere in the UK (however do take a look at off-peak train fares which have become a lot more reasonable)
• Sunday 19 February 2014 - Results of final round judging emailed to artists by this date
• Sunday 26 February 2014 - Unaccepted short listed works available for collection at the FBA 10am-5pm
• 17 MARCH 2014 Private View and Prize Giving
• 18 – 22 MARCH 2014 Exhibition at Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SW1, 10am-5pm daily

Previous Years

A Compendium of Composition and Design

While I'm writing the book, I'm going to highlight some popular blog posts from the past.

This post is about the posts associated with a major project on composition and design at the beginning of 2008.  It's particularly useful for those who like their art to be drawing or painting.

• Composition and Design - An Introduction 14 Jan 2008
• Composition - The Elements of Design 15 Jan 2008 - An overview of the Elements of Design which are Value, Colour, Shape, Form, Space, Line and Texture
• Composition - Principles of Design 16 Jan 2008 - This post focuses on balance, emphasis. harmony, movement, pattern, proportion, rhythm, unity and variety
• Composition and Design - A Digest #1 21 Jan 2008 - This post lists and provides a synopsis of books about composition or books which have helpful sections about composition.
• Composition and Design - finding and creating a focal point 24 Jan 2008 - This post is about how to create a focal point in a picture. It provides a synopsis of various approaches used by artists to find and create a focal point.
• Composition - the four most important lines 28 Jan 2008 - There are various views about how to crop a subject and a lot that can and has been said on this topic. 

How the "Rule of Thirds" approximates to "The Golden Mean"
My diagram which compares "the golden mean" and "the rule of thirds"
plus identification of the 'sweet spot' area and how this can be used for the focal point
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

• Composition - thinking in threes 29 Jan 2008 - The 'rule of thirds' is an approximation of the 'golden ratio'. This post provides a diagram comparison - using algebra and numbers of
  "the golden mean" and "the rule of thirds" plus identification of the 'sweet spot' area and how this can be used for the focal point
• Composition - using PS Elements to help with design This post is about using tools in Adobe Photoshop or PS Elements to help with your composition.
• Composition - why tonal values and contrast are important 06 Feb 2008 - Time and time again when entering a gallery, the painting which stands out from the crowd is the one which has a strong design and value pattern.
• Composition: a range of perspectives 29 Feb 2008
• The influence of Japanese Art 03 Mar 2008
• Principles of design and composition and ukiyo-e 12 Mar 2008

As a result of the project I created a website which is now called Composition and Design for Artists [being moved to a new website about Tips for Artists - I'll let you know when it's been republished]

You can also consult The Best Art Books - Composition and Design which was developed subsequently. [ditto - on the move]

I've also included subsequent posts reviewing books about composition and design.

• Greg Albert - The Simple Secret to Better Painting 17 Jan 2008 The book I always recommend to people who want to learn more about composition and design is Greg Albert's "The simple secret to better painting"
• Mastering Composition - a recommended read  01 May 2008