Welcome to my blog! This blog post is dedicated to all the tuxedo cats I have had the pleasure of drawing from photos. Check out their stories and commission progress pictures from start to finish. If you would like to commission me to draw your tuxedo cat then please contact me. I would love to talk to you! 'Poppet' - Buckinghamshire, UK This portrait was a Christmas present for the owners in 2018. Little Poppet really likes her portrait and so did the owners. more cat portraits Welcome to my blog. My name is Sema Martin and I am a full-time professional colour pencil artist liv ..read more

  Think back to the last time you had a catch up with someone you really care about. You probably shared stories and bounced off each other with topics that you both found engaging, right? This is how we humans communicate, and we’ve been doing it since the dawn of time. Stories stay with us for our whole lives, they are passed on through generations and they are attached to every memory we have. Why then, do so many people fall into the trap of using facts, figures, specifications, and infographics when trying to market their art business? When did you last connect with someone over a sh ..read more

  If you have an Instagram and Facebook page for your art, you have most likely at some point wished your follower count could grow magically overnight. Growing your account is a great way to get more eyes on your art, and it doesn’t have to be rocket science. Social media is changing all the time, so I’ve collected some of the newest techniques (as well as some tried and tested favorites) to growing your follower count in 2021.  With these tips, you will have many new potential customers viewing your artwork before you know it! Are you ready to grow your account? If you are still se ..read more

  This blog post is all about how to get more visitors to your website. As an artist, you need a website so potential customers can find you and buy your work. By having your own website, it makes you look more professional than just having an Instagram page. The benefits of having your own website are that you have total control over what your potential customers will see and you can design it as you wish. Think of it as your very own gallery/shop, where you can display your art to audiences around the world. But with so many websites out there, how do you get the right people to yours ..read more

  Let’s talk about building awareness of your brand! Today I want to give you some creative ideas to get your name out there. Building awareness will grow your reputation as an artist and help customers trust your services. After all, customers prefer to buy from an artist they’ve heard of, rather than taking a chance on someone unknown. There are four stages you must go through to make a sale. These are awareness of the product, interest in the product, decision to buy, and sale. Today we will be focusing on stage 1- awareness. I give a full rundown of all these stages in Chapter 4 of my ..read more

  Welcome to my blog! This blog post is dedicated to all the pugs I have had the pleasure of drawing. Check out their stories and progress pictures from start to finish. If you would like to commission me to draw your pug then please contact me. I would love to talk to you! 'Nibbles' Dog Portrait- Connecticut, USA I really enjoyed this cute color pencil pug portrait of this cutie called Nibbles. He was a Christmas present to his owner in 2019. Below you can see the reference picture I used to draw him and the progress pictures of my drawing from start to finish. View fullsize View fullsi ..read more

  This blog post is dedicated to all the black cats I have had the pleasure of drawing since I became a full-time artist in 2016. I must say the black cats are such a pleasure to draw and I have loved each and every one of them. Look through my black cat drawings and learn their names and where they are from. If you have a black cat I would love to draw him/her! Please contact me for a quote and let’s create a work of art that you will treasure forever! ‘Cammy’ - New York, USA, 2019 'Ash' - New Jersey, USA, 2019 This was the most unique portrait I have completed so far. It was commiss ..read more

  Don’t know what to ask for this year? Well, don’t worry because I have you covered! Check out my Christmas List for Artists! Print this page and give it out to your family members or send them a link! All these items are products I use every day to create my realistic colour pencil artworks and run my successful art business. Sema’ Christmas List for artists: A3 Lightbox - I use an A3 size so I can trace the outline of my pet portraits before colouring them in. This saves me time and allows me to accurately capture the character of each pet. Electric eraser - This eraser has a very ..read more

  Are you ready to take your art seriously and become a real artist, but not sure where to start? Well don’t you worry! I have created this super simple 'Start-up Art Business Checklist that shows everything you need to do, step by step, in order to start selling your art. This checklist is split into three categories to make it as easy as possible for you to get started. Art Business Start-up Checklist: Getting started Accounting & Finance Marketing & Sales You can read more detail about each task in my book ‘Art is my career – How to start an art business’. Download it ..read more

  So, you have worked hard to improve your skills as an artist. You have practiced shading techniques, found the best materials and mediums to suit you, and spent time honing your craft. At this point, you may find yourself ready to ask the question- how can I start selling my art? The good news is, I’m here to answer all your questions about how to become a professional artist. In this post, we’re going to look at some of the most important steps to start selling your art, with a step by step guide to go from hobby artist, to a pro making money from your work. Let’s get started! How to ..read more