Here are the designs for the new koi art mugs.

All have been carefully designed to show the best attribute of the type of koi.

 The Goshiki

The Asagi

The Chagoi

The Kohaku

 The Koromo

The Kujaku

The Kumonryu

The Ochiba Shigure

The Sanke

The Shiro Utsuri

The Showa

The Shusui

The Tancho

There is one missing, the Bekko mug but it will be here soon.

If you have any sugestions for other koi varieties please get in touch, either by answering this post or by emailing me anne@koiart.co.uk

 There will be many other mugs in the future some funny and some serious but my imagination is flowing again.

Working out how much to charge for a commission can be nerve wracking to say the least.
I have spent years trying to work out a simple equation that brings several factors together.

Hourly rates
Cost of art materials
What if I do not really want to do this painting

Also add into the equation that
Sketches, preparatory work and photographs you have to prepare
The painting will be personal to you
What your client expects
Should I take a deposit
Being paid what your worth
You probably will not get all of the work you quote for

The first thing to consider is your ‘get out of bed’ rate.
This is how much it actually costs for you to get out your sketch book or brushes and do the painting.
I have an hourly rate, I estimate how long it takes to do the painting x hourly rate.

Before you say that looks expensive ask yourself “Am I worth it?”
You where given a gift (so was everyone else) you are aware of yours but do not give it away, your accountant, doctor, dentist even cleaner gets paid for what they do, so should you.
Also remember to add in the time for doing your research, photography and preliminary sketches it is all YOUR time and it costs.

Example
2 hours travelling to take photos
4 hours preparation
12 hours in sketches (which you can show the client to agree the work that you are to do)

This is 18 hours before you begin the final piece.

So if my ‘get out of bed rate’ is, for example, £10 an hour X 18 hours in prep work that is £180 before you begin.
Stick to the same hourly rate and estimate how long it will take you; 24 hours x £10 is another £240

The cost of your materials comes strongly into the equation
The cost of the canvas
The cost of paint
The wear and tear on your art equipment.

All of these things you have to replace over time

So put a charge in for your materials

There are other factors to include;

Do you really want to paint this picture?
yes it is a bonus that you want to do it
No this makes painting a subject more difficult because the passion is missing.

When you paint you project some of your talent onto the canvas that makes it personal

Is your client a stickler or easily pleased, a client who asks for a multiude of tiny changes can soon diminsh your profits when they take more time than you have estimated for.

Should you take a deposit?
Most definately, get paid for your materials and some of your time, if the client backs out or rejects the artwork at least your costs are covered.

Final thoughts

Don’t give your talent away, get paid what you are worth, if the commission is purely about price the client will get what they pay for.

You will not get all of the commissions you quote for; dont be disillusioned expect to lose some.

Never judge a book by it’s cover where the client is concerned, most will wince when you tell them the price but at least they will treasure your artwork because they have to pay a reasonable price.

Become a self sustaining artist, break even is good but profit feels great.

This another commissioned painting, it is on a 5 foot high by 18 inches wide canvas.

This koi carp is life size at almost 3 feet long she is a stunning fish.

As you can see the back ground is already in, this acrylic on canvas and I almost finger painted the background in putting the paint on with a brush and then smoothing it with my fingers to attain the soft effect that I required.

I have also put gesso over any areas that where over painted in the background, there is still a visible colour shadow around the edge of the koi.

The scales are the next piece to tackle, I will mark where all of the scales are to go on the koi.
This is a laborious task but the benefits later in the process of this painting will be worth it.

A mixed grey gesso is used to mark each and every scale, I do not worry too much about a few looking out of alignment as the scales will be only a slight effect in the completed work.

After eight hours of painting I have stopped today, as the painting of scales can tire my eyes quickly.

Lots more tomorrow and hopefully colour by Wednesday.

To complete this painting I have to paint in the Showa.

Painting both of these koi was pleasure and I would love to own either of them.

There are over three layers of paint which allows me to create scales and then push them back into the painting.

It may not have a standard blue background as is usual with koi paintings, the beige, brown and golds will mean that this painting will truely have pride of place in the new owners home.

I have another painting to do for this client which I will be starting in two days so if you would like to follow me, see you soon.

My art is my life.

When I was taken to visit a clients pond recently, after he showed an interest in some of my work, I went along unprepared for a glorious site.

A huge pond full of ‘my type’ of koi, this commission will not be a chore

The koi are blocked out with black and white gesso, it is mixed and used to offer shading which I use as a map to follow later.

More tomorrow

When, as an artist, you get a commission enquiry you are thrilled, someone has asked me to paint them a picture. Wow.

However as you get into commissioned work the feelings for the painting (and the client) begin to be wound up in the art too. I remember one of the first commissions I was ever asked to paint was of a clients dog, that had sadly passed away. To begin with I was troubled with the amount to charge for the painting.

 Never ever make your work so cheap that your time and talent is not covered in your efforts I say this for  a number of reasons;

• Any fool can work for nothing
• The client values having to pay for the painting or artwork they have ordered.
•  It enables you, at the very least, to be able to make your art work self supporting.

 I remember once quoting a price to a wealthy gentleman a price for painting his horse, he told me he could get another artist to do the painting much cheaper, I quietly advised him to commission the other artist but reminded him that it would not be an original by me. I heard nothing for three months and then he came back to me and asked me again to paint the picture, he was a little taken aback when the price had gone up, but I still got the commission.

Anyway, back to the painting of the dearly departed dog. We agreed a price and asked her to forward photographs of the animal to me, she had one, it was of a 10 stone Rottwieller standing inside the door of it’s dark kennel, I could have cried.
There was alot of artistic licence with that painting, but eventually the client was thrilled.

Hot Tip; Always ask the client for clear photographs of the animal/person in the most appealing pose for them.

If you really do not fancy doing a particular commission (or the client) just decline the offer, it is far easier than doing a painting that will not be up to your standard because you do not have a passion for the subject.

Anne Read has been an artist all of her life, she started drawing and painting from before she can remember.

Art infuses all elements of her life, and life delights her.