Category:

Busy few months with Commissions

22/1/2018

Last year (2017), I started receiving Christmas orders as early as September, which kept me busy throughout the season. From mid-October onwards, I worked 10-12 hours a day, creating a schedule list for each day to ensure that all the portraits were completed on time. Some orders were from overseas, and I had to make sure that any frames ordered were received well in advance as framers tend to be very busy during the festive season. My goal was to finish all the orders a week before I travelled to my hometown of Chesterfield, but I worked late into the night before my journey.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly, and the person who commissioned it met me at the train station in Chesterfield to collect the portrait of Star the Chow Chow. The painting had travelled with me for six hours on a bus, coach, and train inside my suitcase. The lady who commissioned the painting gave me a lovely bunch of flowers. I was delighted to see the recipients' positive comments on Christmas day after receiving their beloved pets' portrait. Click on any of the images to visit the progress pages.

I've completed all the Christmas commissions and took a well-deserved break to recharge. Now, I'm back in the studio, creating new articles and planning exciting art workshops for 2018 on my Step by Step Art website. There are numerous tasks to accomplish behind the scenes. If you're interested in booking a personalized commission or are an artist searching for helpful articles, mini-tutorials, and a chance to attend a 1-day art workshop with me, click on the links below to visit my website.

Here's hoping 2018 is a wonderful year for you!

Karen

Find Out About our Commissions

Visit the Step by Step Art Website

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New Art Articles & 1 Day Art Workshops at Step by Step Art

17/4/2017

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The latest articles available at www.stepbystepart.co.uk

I have some great news: I've created an art-focused website catering to beginners and experienced artists. You can visit www.stepbystepart.co.uk to read the latest articles and explore my art workshops and tutoring. Recently, I uploaded four new articles that might interest you - especially if you enjoy working with coloured pencils. However, if you prefer graphite or watercolours, there's something for you too! You can learn about tonal paper and how it can enhance your work, try the tonal layering exercise with your pencils, and even explore the benefits of HP watercolour papers. These resources will be helpful in your artistic pursuits.

Ursus Paper
Article

Derwent Coloursoft
Coloured Pencils

Hot Pressed Watercolor Papers

Mixture of watercolour papers - Clairfontaine, Arches, Fabriano, Waterford, Bockingford, Moulin du Roy

Tonal Layering in Coloured Pencils

Watermelon in coloured pencils using Derwent Coloursoft

New articles coming soon to Step by Step Art

Unfortunately, I could not send out the Winter Newsletter due to being occupied with commission work in December. However, I am thrilled to announce that I will release four new articles at the start of May. These articles will provide valuable insights on soft pastels, specifically Unison pastels, and a step-by-step guide for those new to pastel art on creating a tonal sky. Additionally, there will be two "Starting Out" articles. The first, written by Welsh Artist Chris Chalk, will focus on the three essential items necessary to begin your oil painting journey. The second, written by myself, will offer guidance on starting with coloured pencils. If you want to receive the Step by Step Art newsletter, you can find more information about it here. Keep yourself informed by subscribing today to get the latest updates.

Starting out with
Oils

About Unison
Soft Pastels

Starting out with
Coloured Pencils

Pastel Skies Step by Step Tutorial

1 Day Art Workshops in Chesterfield, Derbyshire

I will be hosting unique 1-day workshops beginning in May that will teach participants how to create complex artwork using coloured pencils, graphite pencils, or acrylic paints. There are still a few spots left for those who want to attend one of the four workshops. As always; I will provide frequent demonstrations and personal assistance throughout the day. Attendees will also receive a comprehensive booklet with step-by-step instructions and images to guide them. It's important to note that each workshop only allows a maximum of 10 participants to ensure individual attention and support.

DETAILS HAVE BEEN REMOVED AS THE WORKSHOPS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED
Why not check out our current art workshops

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MY ART WORKSHOPS

If someone might enjoy reading this article, please share it on Twitter or click the 'Like' button on Facebook. If you have any questions about any part of this post or would like to leave a comment, please get in touch, and I will respond as soon as possible.

Karen M Berisford

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Step by Step Art - Articles for all artists which include product reviews & art tutorials

18/3/2016

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A website offering help, advice and tutorials for artists of all levels - For free!

If you're new to art and need advice on what products to buy or are an experienced artist looking to compare brands, my Step by Step Art website can help. I offer articles on various products and recommendations and constantly add new pages. Click on any of the images in this post to visit the article that interests you. This will open a new tab and direct you to the Step by Step Art website.

Our website aims to cater to a wide range of artists. We cover various mediums, including coloured pencils, graphite pencils, acrylics, soft pastels, and other mediums offered by contributors. We have plans to provide written Step by Step tutorials and mini-video tutorials for artists in the UK and beyond. You can also request articles for specific topics.

David Beckham pencil portrait in progress

Snow Leopard eye in coloured pencils image

Coming Soon! - Not currently available

On this website, you can book pencil workshops with me. Additionally, you can subscribe to my newsletter to receive the most recent articles, product reviews and recommendations, tutorials, workshops, and other art-related information that may interest you.

If you know someone who may find this post helpful, you can like or tweet it or leave a comment below with any questions or thoughts. I hope that you find the information provided on this website to be beneficial.

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USA's Coloured Pencil Magazine - June's featured Artist

29/5/2015

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I was approached by the editor of America's Colored pencil Magazine to be their featured Artist in the June issue (2015), this is a wonderful magazine for Coloured pencil enthusiasts and I was honoured!
Most of my Artwork included in the magazine was created especially for this purpose and as such, some pieces of Art have never been seen before. The cover image was actually the completed recce piece of a Coloured pencil Workshop that I ran last year in Chesterfield and completed only for use in the Magazine. If you would like to purchase a copy you can do so in 2 ways - via a Printed copy (1 - 2 weeks delivery) or download the digital copy right away - prices are as follows:

Printed copy $5.99 £3.87* Delivery (1 - 2 weeks) £2.96*
Digital copy $2.99 £1.93*

*prices may vary due to exchange rate

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Cresswell Pond & Druridge Pools Nature Reserves

13/5/2015

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I had a busy week in my hometown of Chesterfield, where I ran a workshop on creating coloured pencil pet portraits on May 9th, 2015. I also took the opportunity to catch up with family and friends. Once back in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, my partner John and I decided to take a day off from work to relax and enjoy nature. We took our bikes and brought our cameras to capture new reference material. We rode up the coastal road through Cresswell and stopped at Cresswell Pond to observe the waders. Eventually, we ended up at Druridge Pools, where we found a few hides dotted around the lake. We rode 20 miles and took some fantastic photos, despite experiencing soreness the following day.

I love immersing myself in nature and taking photographs to incorporate into my work. It's just as important to me as the quality of my art products. My goal is to capture the rawness and essence of the moment, taking into account the surroundings and weather conditions. It's truly an honour to witness wildlife in their natural habitats and be able to offer a glimpse into their lives.

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Step by Step Art & 1 Day Art Workshops by Karen M Berisford

6/3/2015

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Art Tutoring Website Update

For anyone who does not know, I also have an official website dedicated to my tutoring & art workshops which is known as 'Step by Step Art'. It has recently had a complete overhaul and as well as offering art workshops in the UK, it has now expanded to provide advice, information and in-depth articles to artists worldwide. Read on to find out more.

Coloursoft pencils for step by step art website header

I began my own art group in 2011 when I lived in Chesterfield and my now defunct domain name for this website, www.chesterfieldartsgroup.co.uk, was created purely as an advertising tool for my art group. Over the last few years, my tutoring side of the business has adapted, and the website also needed to keep up with these changes. The domain name and website was renamed www.stepbystepart.co.uk, in keeping with the way that I tutor my art workshops. I redeveloped my website to provide help and advice to artists from all walks of life whether an amateur or professional.

Chesterfield Art Workshops

There are now a couple of Chesterfield workshops planned for 2015. As always, places are limited, so if you are looking to attend one of my workshops, please get in touch as soon as possible. Click the link to view current workshops available

Visit the 1 Day Art Workshops available in Chesterfield

Sumatran Tiger created on Colourfix article page link

Article on Colourfix paper - Click the image to read

Information available for other Artists

My workshop website has now been adapted to provide a hub of information for artists all over the world. There are articles that cover a variety of products and helpful information. I have always enjoyed sharing my own knowledge on a wide range of things from how to produce a pencil portrait to product recommendations that I have personally tried & tested, so I hope to bring on board other artists who can pass on their own knowledge too, which widens the pool into art mediums and products.

So if you have an interest in art, why not visit my Step by Step Art website, there may be some tiny nugget of advice found within these pages that helps save the life of a drawing or painting! Please feel free to share this article with other artistic friends and if anyone has any interesting articles that they wish to submit for the site, please get in touch, I would love to hear from you!
Karen :)

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A New Home!!

8/4/2014

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Taken on our very first get together in January 2013 after having befriended each other 18 months earlier on Facebook.

You can find my Instagram artpage at:
karenmberisford_art

Great News!!
After spending many years living and working by myself, I am pleased to share the wonderful news that on the 15th of May 2014, I will be moving up to Newbiggin by the Sea, Northumberland to live with my partner and fellow ex-artist, John Graham.

We will both continue to offer private commissions as we always have done, and my art workshops in Chesterfield will still run 4 times a year, as I will be travelling back to my home town to continue these.

As John is a fully qualified Joiner, he is currently in the process of designing the new studio in his spare room so we have a larger working space, with more room to put all our art products whilst being able to offer the very best quality work that we always have.

Best Wishes,
Karen

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Busy few months with Commissions

New Art Articles & 1 Day Art Workshops at Step by Step Art

The latest articles available at www.stepbystepart.co.uk

Ursus Paper
Article

Derwent Coloursoft
Coloured Pencils

Hot Pressed Watercolor Papers

Tonal Layering in Coloured Pencils

New articles coming soon to Step by Step Art

Starting out with
Oils

About Unison
Soft Pastels

Starting out with
Coloured Pencils

Pastel Skies Step by Step Tutorial

1 Day Art Workshops in Chesterfield, Derbyshire

Step by Step Art - Articles for all artists which include product reviews & art tutorials

A website offering help, advice and tutorials for artists of all levels - For free!

USA's Coloured Pencil Magazine - June's featured Artist

Printed copy $5.99 £3.87* Delivery (1 - 2 weeks) £2.96*
Digital copy $2.99 £1.93*

*prices may vary due to exchange rate

Cresswell Pond & Druridge Pools Nature Reserves

Step by Step Art & 1 Day Art Workshops by Karen M Berisford

Art Tutoring Website Update

Chesterfield Art Workshops

Information available for other Artists

A New Home!!

Author

Categories

Archives

SERVICES

COMMISSIONS

HELP & INFORMATION

Busy few months with Commissions

New Art Articles & 1 Day Art Workshops at Step by Step Art

The latest articles available at www.stepbystepart.co.uk

Ursus PaperArticle

Derwent Coloursoft​Coloured Pencils

Hot Pressed Watercolor Papers

Tonal Layering in Coloured Pencils

New articles coming soon to Step by Step Art

Starting out with ​Oils

About Unison ​Soft Pastels

Starting out with​Coloured Pencils

Pastel Skies Step by Step Tutorial

1 Day Art Workshops in Chesterfield, Derbyshire

Step by Step Art - Articles for all artists which include product reviews & art tutorials

A website offering help, advice and tutorials for artists of all levels - For free!

USA's Coloured Pencil Magazine - June's featured Artist

Printed copy $5.99 £3.87* Delivery (1 - 2 weeks) £2.96*Digital copy $2.99 £1.93**prices may vary due to exchange rate

Cresswell Pond & Druridge Pools Nature Reserves

Step by Step Art & 1 Day Art Workshops by Karen M Berisford

Art Tutoring Website Update

Chesterfield Art Workshops

Information available for other Artists

A New Home!!

Author

Categories

Archives

​SERVICES

​COMMISSIONS

​HELP & INFORMATION

Ursus Paper
Article

Derwent Coloursoft
Coloured Pencils

Starting out with
Oils

About Unison
Soft Pastels

Starting out with
Coloured Pencils

Printed copy $5.99 £3.87* Delivery (1 - 2 weeks) £2.96*
Digital copy $2.99 £1.93*

*prices may vary due to exchange rate

SERVICES

COMMISSIONS

HELP & INFORMATION