Huion Kamvas 13 Review

Posted

 
Huion sent me the Kamvas 13 to review. It is advertised as a first choice for beginners who want to try the pen display tablet.

 
I made a quick artwork while using this to test it out and I can say this product is very high quality and easy to use for something very affordable.

Contents

 
The Box contains the following:

  • Kamvas 13 Pen Display
  • 3 in 1 Cable
  • USB Extension Cable
  • Battery-free Pen PW517
  • Pen Holder PH05A
  • Pen Nibs x 10
  • Pen Nib Clip
  • Glove
  • Cleaning Cloth
  • Quick Start Guide booklet

Everything is well built and it’s always great to have the extras like the glove, cloth, and extra nibs.

Setting Up

 
There are two ways to connect this to a computer. The first way is to use the 3 in 1 Cable that requires 2 USBs and one HDMI slot on your computer.

The second method is to use the USB-C to USB-C cable. This method requires devices that support USB3.1 Gen1, DP1.2 and above standards. The USB-C to USB-C cable can be purchased separately in their store. 3rd party USB-C cables are not supported because of the custom size of the slot.

Stand

 
The stand is not included in the base product but can be added on when purchasing. I think it is necessary if you don’t want to strain your neck while using this.

 
It can be adjusted between 20 to 60 degrees and is made of sturdy plastic and metal. I did not encounter any wobbling while using this.

Stylus

 
The pen feels comfortable and nicely made. It has two customizable side buttons. The pen stand can be opened up to reveal 10 spare nibs and a nib remover clip. I really like this pen holder because it’s very stable and it’s easy to fit the pen in the slot.

 
The battery free stylus works well and I did not encounter and hiccups with the pressure. It has 8192 levels of pressure with 60 degrees of tilt function. The accuracy is great. I did not need to calibrate it.

I also really like the texture of the anti-glare protective film. It feels a bit like drawing on paper without it affecting the colors of the screen.

8 Press Keys

 
The 8 Press Keys are all customizable. I like the round buttons which gives it a smooth feel.

Software

 
The software is very straight forward. I did not encounter any bugs while using it on Windows 10 and Photoshop CC.

 
The 8 Press Keys can be customized but the default settings are already very useful.  Right now my settings are Brush, Eraser, Zoom in, Zoom out, Brush Enlarge, Brush Shrink, Pan, Undo.  I think it would be better if there was one more button for a Redo function though.

 
Here are my Pen settings. As usual I set it to be more sensitive than usual so that it will need less pressure from my hands to prevent RSI.

 
To adjust other display settings, they can be found in the OSD which is a bit tricky to navigate. I recommend setting the color to “User” for more accurate results. I lowered the Blue value to 117 to match my other monitors. I wish this feature was in the software instead of using the buttons to change the values.

Screen Quality

 
The screen is a full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) IPS screen with a replaceable anti-glare protective film. The pixel density is sufficient for this size. It gets a bit warm on the area near the sockets.

Colors

 
The colors feature 120% sRGB with a 178° viewing angle. After a changing the color temperature to “User” it looked a lot more accurate.  It comes very close to my Dell UltraSharp and Ipad Pro screens which are both the top benchmarks for screen colors. I’m impressed something this affordable can reach this quality.

PROS

  • Sleek build weighing only 980 grams which is perfect for mobile workstations
  • Only 239 USD for a high quality display tablet. (price does not include stand)
  • Battery Free Pen Stylus with 10 spare nibs
  • Artist Glove and cleaning cloth included
  • 8 Customizable Press Keys
  • Great screen quality (IPS 1920x1080px, 120% sRGB, minimal parallax)
  • Easy to set up
  • Supports USB-C to USB-C for many laptops
  • Supports connectivity with many Android devices

CONS

  • Adjusting the colors using OSD mode just like a regular monitor is a hassle when this feature should be in the software settings instead.

Summary

 
Overall, the Kamvas 13 is a solid device for such an affordable price! Artists these days are very lucky that products like this exist! I highly recommend this product especially to artists with a limited budget and for those who need a mobile display tablet. This is a bit too small for my regular work but this is perfect whenever I need to travel and do art on my laptop.

Check out their link below!

https://store.huion.com/products/kamvas-13

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XP Pen Artist Pro 24 Review

Posted

 
XP Pen sent me their biggest display tablet! The Artist 24 Pro is the first 23.8-inch, 2K QHD graphics display from XP-PEN.
I’ve been using it for two weeks already and I’m very impressed by this product!

Contents

Here are the contents of the box:


 

  • 1 x XP-Pen 23.8” Graphics Display
  • 2 x Battery-Free Stylus
  • 1 x USB-C to USB-C Cable
  • 1 x HDMI Cable
  • 1 x Power Adapter
  • 1 x Power Cord
  • 1 x Pen Holder
  • 8 x Replacement Pen Nibs
  • 1 x Quick Guide
  • 1 x Cleaning Cloth
  • 1 x Black Drawing Glove
  • 1 x Pen Slot
  • 1 x Screwdriver

I like how they included a second Stylus pen, a drawing glove, and a cleaning cloth in the package. All the cables also have Velcro straps which are a nice touch!

Setting Up

 
The Artist 24 Pro is plugged to one power connector and there are 3 different ways to connect it to the computer.  You can either use a single USB-C, HDMI+USB, or VGA+USB. I believe the USB-C option needs to support Thunderbolt and DisplayPort to make it work. I don’t have that so I opted to just use the HDMI + USB combo.

This display tablet comes equipped with the USB Hub that can be used to connect devices such as your mouse, keyboard, or charge your phone, etc.

 
To turn it on, there are touch buttons on top for the power and to adjust some settings.

Stand

 
It comes with a stand. I think it’s very sturdy and easy to adjust. I don’t feel any wobbles.

 
You can change the product’s angle to suit your needs from 16-90 degrees, allowing you to paint comfortably. I prefer somewhere around 55 degrees so it’s easier for my neck and hands.

This also supports a 10x10cm VESA mount if you want a different setup.

Stylus Quality

 
The pen feels comfortable to hold and the build is solid. It has two side buttons you can customize.

 
I like the pen case because the cap can be used as a stand and the nibs are securely placed inside.

 
There is also a handy pen holder that you can attach to the side using the included screw driver.

 

The PA2 Battery-Free Stylus supports up to 60 degrees of tilt function with 8192 pressure levels. There is minimal parallax but with a screen this size, you won’t notice it because you don’t need to bring your face close to the screen. The accuracy is great and I think there’s a slight smoothing going on to enhance my strokes. My lines just feel good when working with this tablet.

The brush is lagging because of Photoshop’s tilt brush. Check the next video and the lag disappeared with a normal brush.

Shortcut Keys

 

 
The Artist 24 Pro comes with two dial wheels and 20 customizable shortcut keys. The dials are easy to control because there is a slight click to it when rotating. All these keys are very useful when doing focused painting where you won’t need to touch your keyboard anymore. 

I’m right handed and sometimes, I accidentally press the buttons on the right side so I disabled it. The buttons on the left side are enough for me.

 
I also really like that there is a text prompt below every time you press a key so you know what you pressed.

Driver Software

 
The software is fairly straightforward and easy to adjust. I haven’t encountered any bugs while using it on Windows 10 and Photoshop CC.

I prefer setting the pen sensitivity to be very soft to avoid getting RSI on my hands.

 
Here are my display settings to match my Dell Ultrasharp Monitors.

 
Here are my express Key Settings. Everything on the right is disabled.

 
Other than keyboard shortcuts, there are unique settings you can use.

  • Open Tablet Setting
  • Fine Detail Mode – This makes the cursor move slower to help you draw accurately. This is more useful for small displays.
  • B/E – Brush and eraser toggle.
  • Switch Monitor – Allows cursor to jump from one display to the other when you’re using multiple monitors.
  • KL/KR Mode Switch – Switches between different functions for the dial wheel. I switch between brush size and zoom.

Screen quality

 
The screen is 23.8 inches with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440. The pixel density is crisp enough and I don’t notice the pixels while working.

The screen has a matte screen protector applied to give it a more paper feel which also reduces glare.  It’s made of a plastic material that might be prone to scratching. Avoid dropping keys, or wearing metal watches or rings while working on this. XP-PEN will be releasing a replacement screen protector for this soon in case you accidentally damage it. The good thing is that the pen doesn’t seem to scratch it even if I press hard.

Also, the screen stays cool which is nice because I personally don’t want to use the gloves.

Colors

 
The colors feature 90% Adobe RGB with a 178° viewing angle. After a bit of adjustment, it comes very close to my Dell UltraSharp and Ipad Pro screens which are both the top benchmarks for screen colors. The blacks can slightly be darker (most people will not notice this), but other than that, this is a great display!  My photo is not great but it looks very nice in person!

PROS

  • High quality build
  • Great value for the base price of 899 USD
  • 2 Pens included with 8 replacement nibs
  • Tilt sensitivity and 8,192 levels of pressure
  • Artist glove included
  • 20 shortcut buttons and 2 dial wheels
  • Sturdy and adjustable stand included
  • Great screen quality (IPS, 2560 x 1440px , about 88% NTSC, Adobe RGB>=90%, sRGB>=120%)
  • Does not heat up
  • Easy to setup both physically and in software
  • Supports USB-C Thunderbolt for easy connection to many laptops (click here for compatibility list)

CONS

  • The screen uses a replaceable matte screen protector that is prone to scratch from sharp metal objects. Good thing is that the stylus does not scratch this surface.
  • Easy to accidentally press the buttons at the side depending if you are right or left handed

Summary

 
Overall, the Artist 24Pro is an excellent display tablet and I would recommend it for those people wanting something big with a reasonable price!  I can vouch for the quality of this product because I’m currently using it for my professional work to make illustrations. It’s just great!

It costs 899 USD which is a super good value for the price compared to competitors asking up to double the price for a similar experience. They regularly offer discounts so better check their links below!

XP-PEN Web Stores:

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Illustration tips and tools from Deiv Calviz

Posted

Hi! I’m Deiv! I’m a freelance illustrator and concept artist. I’ve been in the gaming industry for 10 years already. I mostly focus on making fantasy and sci-fi illustrations. I have contributed to notable projects such as The Last of Us, Uncharted 4, Sims 4, Dance Central 3, Zombie Apocalypse, Fifa Street, and League of Legends.

Tools:


 
I mainly work in digital. For my software I use Photoshop CC to paint. I use PureRef for my references. I also have a plugin for Photoshop called Lazy Nezumi to help out in perspective and to make very smooth lines. When working I prefer having at least a second monitor so I can look at my reference images while painting.


 
Last month, XP Pen sent me their display tablet, the Innovator 16. I’ve been using it for the past few weeks for work and to create this new artwork. I went all out on this to truly test the tablet. So far, this tablet exceeded my expectations and it looks like this will be my new main tool in making art!

I made a separate article to review this tablet which you can find here: http://deivcalviz.com/2020/08/16/xp-pen-innovator-16-review/

Here are some illustration tips for my fellow and aspiring illustrators out there:

Study the Basics:


 
Until now, I still go back to studying the basics. It’s important to get a good understanding of anatomy, perspective, color theories, composition, design principles, etc. The internet is full of resources to study.

Familiarizing yourself with the basics will help your illustration in the long run. Focus on your drawing skills. A drawing with solid foundations is a lot better than a fully rendered painting full of mistakes.

Plan and research:

Artists should not depend on inspiration to make art. Having a plan and researching will help you know what to draw next. I usually have a lot if ideas listed down so whenever I don’t know what to do, I can just choose from those ideas.

I learned this when doing client works, the tasks I receive usually include detailed information on what I need to do. Having your options planned out and listed down can make it less intimidating.

Use Reference:


 
A lot of people ask me to critique their artworks. Almost all the time, they just needed more reference. I believe most professional artists use a lot of references. The image above shows how many reference images I collected while making my latest artwork. I must admit that it might be a bit too much.

Other than gathering images from Google, you can also take photos of yourself or your friends. You can use a lamp on your action figures to see how the shadows are cast. You can use clay to understand forms. There are also free apps you can download. Basically, get as much references as you need to understand each element you are trying to draw. Eventually, your visual library will increase and you will need less reference in the future.

Contrast:

Contrast isn’t just about adjusting the slider in your favorite photo editor. Contrast can be achieved through the following:

• Warm vs Cool colors
• Soft vs Hard edges
• Saturated vs Desaturated colors
• Complementary colors
• High detail vs Rest

Avoid Tangents:

Elements that appear like they are connected to each other when they are not supposed to should be avoided. Overlapping them more obviously will feel more interesting.

Fail fast:

The fastest way to grow and develop is to go out of your comfort zone and fail a lot. Many artists don’t grow because they just stuck to what they are familiar with. This can work if you are already well known in that certain niche, but it’s still better to see your true potential by trying out different things. Try to spend time on experimenting and failing without the pressure of needing to post in your social media.

Have fun:

Here’s the most important advice I can give. Always remember why you starting doing art in the first place. Find what you like to do and have fun!

XP Pen Innovator 16 Review

Posted

 
XP Pen sent me their display tablet, the Innovator 16, last month. To truly test the tablet, I made this colorful artwork from start to finish. So far, this tablet exceeded my expectations and it looks like this will be my new main tool in making art! I’ll elaborate below.
 

 
I’ve been using an old Intuos 3 pen tablet for the past 10 years. I have been satisfied using it since I can already do all my work with it. I haven’t considered getting a display tablet because I thought I didn’t need to fix something that isn’t broken. When I tried the XP Pen Innovator 16, I jumped straight into work with it and it was a pleasant experience. The 15.6 inch display is an adequate working area but the Photoshop buttons can be a bit small. I got used to it eventually.
 

 
The tablet is only 9mm thick and it is lighter than it looks. Setting it up just took a few minutes because it only needs one cable that splits into 2 usbs and 1 HDMI connector. You don’t need to plug it into a separate power and it just runs well over USB. This is great for portability.
 

 
It includes a basic stand although it’s angled too low. I recommend putting a book behind it so you can adjust the height. A better solution would be to get a tabletop easel or one of those adjustable laptop stands.
 

 
The colors are wonderful! I did not need to do any calibration other than set the brightness to 100. Here is a comparison with 2 Dell Ultrasharps at the top and an Ipad Pro at the right side. There is almost no color or value difference. The screen also doesn’t get warm and it’s possible to work on this even on a hot day without using the drawing glove.
 

 
The tablet features two rings at the side and 8 express keys.  I use the mechanical ring to adjust the zoom and virtual ring to adjust the brush size. The virtual ring is the black circle and it feels like a trackpad. I customized the express keys to easily switch between the brush, eyedropper, eraser, smudge, undo and redo commands faster.
 

 
The driver software is great! It actually WORKS! No more need to keep resetting stuff! YAY!
 

 
The pen feels a bit lighter than what I’m used to but it feels similar to my old tablet. It works without batteries. The package includes 8 extra nibs and a nice case.
 

 
When it comes to accuracy, it’s pretty good. My line work got better probably because of the increase in pressure sensitivity. I feel that they added a built in smoothing feature to it. I have been using Lazy Nezumi, a smoothing plugin, but it seems that I don’t need to activate it anymore.

 

 

The pen supports up to 60 degrees of tilt. This will be great for those who like to sketch and shade like using a pencil or for those who like to control the brush for calligraphy. 


 
Here are other contents of the package. There’s a drawing glove, a cloth, a usb extension cable if you need to plug it into the socket when you only have one USB slot available. I got the anniversary edition so it also has these other items from their brand like a keychain, a pen, a postcard set, and some stickers of their mascot.

 
Overall, I’m very impressed by the quality of this tablet and I would highly recommend it!

They are currently doing an anniversary sale right now and some products are up to 40% off!

Check out the links below for more information.

XP-PEN Web Stores:

US: https://bit.ly/346Bo1n
UK: https://bit.ly/3iTUfku
EU: https://bit.ly/3147JnA
AU: https://bit.ly/2EgQKWg
SEA: https://bit.ly/2YcMspG

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Pros and Cons as a Freelance Artist

Posted

I went full-time freelance almost 3 years ago now.  A lot of things changed, clients have come and gone  and I learned a few things. I like to organize my thoughts in this blog to serve as a reminder to me to prevent repeating mistakes.

Being a full-time freelancer for 2 years and 8 months, I’ve gotten too used to it that I am no longer confident I’m ready to go back into a studio. However, change is needed and this is something I am looking forward to because of reasons stated below:

CONS

1. Inconsistent Schedule

  • Getting sidetrack is a lot easier because there is no boss that will get mad if you leave early for work to go visit a friend, or to visit a long lost relative, or to simply watch an upcoming movie, or to get a vacation you’ve always wanted. I tried and failed again and again to keep a strict schedule. It’s quite common to try to make up your lost time by staying up late and it is a vicious cycle.

2. Nightmare Clients

  • I had a client who started out with paying me very well but after a few months, they kept low-balling my prices until I was earning less than when I started working for them. You should be rewarded for working better and longer for a client and not the opposite. I also had a client who started asking me to do things I am not experienced with like video editing, animation, etc. This is very frustrating and will just sidetrack you on your career path. It’s possible to get to this point if you don’t have a fixed rate and negotiations happen frequently. When this happens, it’s time to talk to them and stop.
  • Always get your work in a contract, and make sure there are limits to revisions and payment dates. If not, clients can easily screw you.

3. Working on Holidays

  • A deadline is a deadline and it doesn’t matter if there is a holiday going on. Thankfully, I was lucky to have long deadlines but it doesn’t change the fact that I sometimes have to work on weekends or holidays. Some clients still email or message me during these awkward times.

4. Overlooked Costs

  • Other than the fees you have to pay for using Paypal, or your  Bank, which you should always consider when charging, there are also other things that affect how much you earn. For example, if you charge $600 for a painting but end up using two weeks to do it, then it means you are earning significantly low. I noticed that I can only do around 4-6 hours of real painting work in a day. Things like revisions, slow client feedback, and miscommunications all add up to wasted hours. Make sure track how much time you are spending per piece to avoid being inefficient.

5. Multitasking is a Must

  • To try to reduce wasted time, I recommend having at least 1 long term client work and 1-2 extra client works that you can do in between the main one. I know it is very difficult to try working on 2 or more projects within a day but it can help you be more efficient.

6. Non-Art Skills

  • You need to understand marketing, contracts, excel sheets, taxes, accounting, other miscellaneous skills. You can always hire an accountant or assistant to do these things but it is critical you understand all the necessary steps especially the contracts.

7. Client Droughts

  • As I am writing this, I don’t have any active clients. I have been extremely lucky for the past 2 years because clients contacted me on their own. This time, I have to be more active and try to contact them instead. Sustainability is scarier as a freelancer. The less popular you are, the more difficult it gets so I hope you saved enough cash!

8. No Health, Retirement, Insurance Plans

  • Clients do not provide you with benefits like medical care services, or insurance, paid vacation, free education, etc. This is something you must also consider when charging. Other than this, it is harder to discipline yourself to stay healthy and keep exercising because you don’t have office mates who persuade you to join them in the gym nearby.

9. Rarity of Concept Work

  • Most freelance work are for illustrations because the ideas are already set, they just need someone to paint it up. Concept work needs a fast turn-around and it is more efficient to do that in-house. There are exceptions of course but it is only given to a few elite artists who have a reputation and good connections.

10. Difficult to Collaborate

  • In a studio, you can just ask the person near you for help on something you don’t understand. In freelance, you are on your own so I recommend getting other freelance friends so you can all hangout online and ask each other easily.

PROS

1. Vacation When You Don’t Have a Deadline

  • Just last week I only worked for like 2 days, and the rest were spent on various meetups with friends, relatives, and vacationing out of town. This should enable you to reduce stress levels when needed.

2. Earn and Save More

  • Compared to when I was employed locally in a 3rd world country, I can earn more in freelance because I get paid in Euros or Dollars. Most of my foreign clients simply have more buying power and understand art better than most of my previous local clients.

3. No Commutes

  • This is huge plus especially in my country where people spend around 4hrs a day just traveling back and forth in sweaty polluted traffic jams every work day.

4. Live Anywhere

  • Client don’t care where you live so long as you can do the work and submit it on time. Getting paid in a 1st world country rate while living in a country with a low cost of living will make you feel rich! You can also live with your family or kids and spend more quality time with them.

5. Choose your hours

  • You can arrange your schedule to start the day with personal stuff to reduce stress and have an incentive of waking up early. I usually spend my free time browsing random stuff, looking at art, hanging out with my girlfriend and other friends, reading and making tutorials, watching movies, etc. It was initially hard to prioritize personal time because I was scared of not meeting deadlines, but I have learned the value in doing so. Try to fit in at least 30 minutes to study art.

6. Nobody Can Judge

  • Nobody will know if you’ve taken a bath or not, or if you’re wearing pants or not. Being freelance means all you need to do is use the computer to do work. Anything you do in between is up to you without anyone looking behind your back.

7. Ability to choose work

  • In a studio, you can get stuck in an IP for years, in freelance, you can work on a lot of different projects simultaneously. You are also free to reject any work that doesn’t fit your goals. For work that you do not like, I recommend charging higher than your usual so it’s a win-win.

CONCLUSION

Being a freelancer illustrator/concept designer is hard!

You have to be very organized, disciplined, popular with the right connections, and skilled in your craft, to succeed. Only a few people can handle going full-time freelance because the stakes are high. The freedom you can get comes at a price.

Going freelance means you have control. This sounds good on paper but in reality, it means having more responsibilities and more uncertainty. On the other hand, getting in a studio depends on the studio you get into. It depends whether you go stagnant and get bored, or you get to grow in all sorts of areas and be the best artist you can be. Plus, you get benefits and won’t worry as much for the future.

Right now, I’m in a weird spot where I’m experiencing the client drought and I’m beginning to think it would be easier to go back to work in a studio to gain more reputation. I honestly think my skills are already up to par with a lot of international artists, however, I’m still a no-name which means it is difficult to get high paying clients. To give an idea, I consider clients who pay $1000 or more per illustration as high paying. This is something that is unfortunately rare for me but common to other successful freelancers.

There are clients like Wizards of the Coasts that can give artists continuous years of work. Hollywood also enables freelancers to live a comfortable life because of the high pay. I’ve personally met a few of these artists who travel the world while still working for popular movies, living like rock stars.

I’m far from achieving this status. It is the end-game for freelancers after-all. The simplest way to get there is to get awesome and unique enough that people notice your own stuff. Another option is by joining a known studio to work on a popular IP. Doing fan art is also one sure way to get likes. These are probably the best ways to get your name on the radar which should make your life easier as an artist. It sounds easy but the journey will be tough. Whatever I will take, I’ll do my best.

What do you guys think? Do you prefer to be a full-time freelancer? Why or why not?

Feel free to discuss in the comments or message me directly at deivcalviz@gmail.com

For further reading, check out this post by Toptal.com

BIR Registration for Freelance Artists in the Philippines

Posted

Hi guys, I made a guide on how to be a registered freelancer in the Philippines like me. Hopefully this is clear enough to help anyone interested.

To be honest, I’m not yet sure how much the pros and cons weight in the long term by doing this. I know most people will say that you can get away without ever registering but if this is something that you plan to do in the long term, and you’re not employed in any full-time job, then being legit will definitely help you out.

PROS:

  • You’ll be a law abiding citizen.
  • You have proof that you are earning money. This proof can be used for things like getting a credit card, a phone line, a car or housing loan in the future, etc.
  • You actually have official receipts enabling you to get big clients without worry.
  • You are in control of how much you earn, spend, and declare.

CONS:

  • You will do all the paper work on your own.
  • You need to pay percentage tax once a month, income taxes 4 times a year, and a registration fee once a year.
  • You need to give out receipts to your customers and maintain books of accounts.

The cons aren’t really that bad. You only need a few hours per month to organize and pay things and that’s it. Below are the steps on how to get registered assuming you already have a TIN number.

Important Terms

RDO – Regional District Office

RDOs only handle people’s taxes in their specified areas so for example you previously worked at Quezon but started freelancing in Makati, you need to go to the RDO in Quezon and get them to change your RDO to Makati. They will take around 5 days to transfer your papers and information to the other RDO.

Form 0605 – Payment Form

You will use this form to pay for the annual registration fee of Php500.00. Make sure to photocopy this form at least 4 times since it will be attached on other forms.

Form 1905 – Application for Registration Information Update/Correction/Cancellation

This form is used to update information/ change status, change RDO, etc

Form 1901 – Application for Registration

Only fill up the information you know. As a freelance artist you just need to indicate that you are a professional engaging in freelance illustration services as well as the 3 taxes you need to pay:

  1. Registration Fee
  2. Income Tax
  3. Percentage Tax

There are other taxes that can be listed for you but it is recommended not to have these:

  1. Witholding Tax – if you are renting an office or apartment. (NOT RECOMMENDED)
  2. VAT – only if you earn around 2million a year.

STEP 1: Confirm or change your RDO

  1. You need to have a TIN number first. Not sure how to do this since I got mine when I got my first job.
  2. Go to nearest BIR to check if your RDO correctly matches your home address since you are engaging in freelance at home.
  3. If it is not correct, get the form 1905 go to the old RDO and submit form 1905 to change to your new RDO and wait around 1 week of processing. (if you have a fax machine, try to ask if you can fax it instead of going to the old RDO since it can be inconvenient.)
  4. While doing this, it is recommended that you also fill up the form 1901 so you can ask and double check future requirements needed.

STEP 2: Registration Requirements

MAIN Requirements for 1901 (Registration for professional)

  1. Paid Form 0605
  2. Barangay clearance

 Requirements of 0605

  • 3x xerox of form 0605
  • 500 pesos registration fee – pay it at a bank that serves your RDO

Requirements for barangay clearance

  • xerox of valid ID (postal ID is easiest to obtain if you don’t have a work ID)
  • xerox of voters receipt (you can use your postal ID to get this too)

*It is recommended that you DO NOT tell BIR that you are renting in an apartment if you are. This is because they will assign a new tax type to you (widtholding tax) that will involve the owner of the apartment. For example, if you pay 9,000 per month on rent, you will need to tell the apartment owner that you cannot pay the full amount anymore because you are forced to withold a certain amount from them BIR. If the apartment owner doesn’t pay taxes correctly or if they don’t want you engaging in business within their place, you might be kicked out if they find out. The way is to register a permanent address owned by a family member or friend that is near where you live.

STEP 3: COR, Seminar, and additional requirements

  1. Once your forms have been accepted, you must now attend a seminar to determine taxes needed to be paid by freelance artists.
  • 3% percent tax (Form 2251M)
  • annual 500 registration ( Form 0605)
  • income tax (Form 1701)
  • if renting an office, widtholding tax
  1. Pay Php 15.00 for the stamp on the COR just wait and get it signed by different people.
  1. Get your COR. This is your proof that you are officially registered now.
  1. Get a printer( to print receipts) from BIR and fill up form 1906
  • The minimum cost at BIR is Php 1000.00 for 10 stacks of the receipts. If you want to save money, it will be better to find a different printer service but I can’t guarantee finding a cheaper one. The receipts last for 5 years I believe.
  1. Buy two ledgers from national bookstore need 10 – 12 columns (around P220 each)
  1. Fill up the form 1905 again but this time for the ledgers. Bring the ff:
  • Xerox of form 0605
  • Xerox of COR
  • stamp the ledgers (ask the guard how to stamp it)

STEP 4: Now you are officially registered!

  1. Get the Receipts when it is available and get the “Ask for Receipt Signboard” at the same time.
  2. Download eBIRForms from the website.

* Technically, each step can be done within one day so you only need at least 4 working days to register yourself as a professional freelancer.

STEP 5: Setup

  1. Display the Ask for receipt notices and COR on your wall where you work.
  2. Buy carbon copy paper and fill up the receipt whenever you get paid. (Make sure the carbon copy paper will transfer to your copy of the receipt)
  3. Give your client the receipt for each payment received.
  4. Write down the proper information in your ledgers for each sale or expense (if you want to use itemized deductions).

STEP 6: BIR filing of payment for 0605 and 2551M

eBIRForms2551m
  1. Open the eBIRForms software, fill it up, and make sure the information is the same as your COR.
  2. Select the form you need. (it is recommended that you do this step for the first time inside the BIR office so you can ask someone to help you.)
  3. Once inside the form page, select ATC and click the correct category. (PT010 for form 2551M, MC180 for form 0605)
  4. Press Validate
  5. Press Save to save a local copy.
  6. Print 3 copies.
  7. Press Final Copy to submit to BIR. Click cancel if it asks if you are a member online
  8. Click Agree to terms then you should receive an email of the proof of the transaction.
  9. Print 3 copies of the emails too and attach them to the 3 printed copies of the form
  10. Go to the nearest RDO bank and pay for it and you are done for the month!

STEP 7: ITR filing

  • This step is still under construction but it is similar to step 6 only with additional computations and tips. I’ll continue to update this as I understood this process better.
  • You have to choose between using Itemized deduction or the Optional 40% deduction.
  • These deductions can reduce the income tax you need to pay. For freelance artists, it is usually better to choose the optional standard 40% deduction unless you spend more than 40% your income on business related expenses. Personally, I don’t spend that much on business related expenses since most business spending I have are only for maintaining the business such as internet, electricity, occasional computer repair/upgrades. Unfortunately we cannot deduct expenses such as food, personal insurance. There is also certain limits to some deductibles. You can read more about them here.
  • If you still plan to use the itemized deduction method, be prepared to have all the proof(receipts, etc.) of your purchases all logged in your Cash Disbursement book.
  • Quarterly ITRs are very easy to file if you use the optional 40% deductions.
  • For more information on filing the last ITR which accounts for the whole year, please check others sites for now since I am not yet familiar on the steps regarding it since it will be more complex due to the personal exemption deduction.

STEP 8: Books of accounts/ledgers

  • Basically you need to record your professional expenses(cash disbursement) and Sales(cash receipts) in these columnar books.
  • You can buy these books in any bookstore and they come in lots of columns. Personally, I’m not a specialist in this area but the only important thing to do is to make sure to note down important details such as Date, Invoice number, Merchant or Client (for Sales Book), Transaction, and Amount.
  • The purpose of these books is simply to compile all transactions.
  • If you do not plan to use the itemized deduction method for the ITR, then you don’t really need to fill up the Cash Disbursement Book.

DEADLINES

  1. Annual Registration – (0605) – Due on or before January 31
  2. 3% Percentage Tax Returns (2551M) – Due on the 20th of the next month of the period covered. Ex. For the payment of March, the deadline will be on April 20
  3. Income Tax Returns – (1701Q and 1701):
  • 1st Qtr due on April 15
  • 2nd Qtr due on August 15
  • 3rd Qtr due on November 15
  • Final Return due on April 15 the following year

FAQ

Now that I’m registered, do I still need to go back to BIR everytime?

  • No, you don’t need to go to BIR anymore. Just make sure to pay on time using eBIRForms and pay to your nearest RDO bank or online using GCash.

How will BIR know how much I earned for the month?

  • They won’t since it is mostly an honesty based system. You should be good so long as you keep a clean record and file the necessary documents on time always.

What will I do if I did not earn anything for a month?

  • Continue to file using eBIRForms like normal but make sure you indicate that your earning is 0. Not filing anything online will result in your account getting an open case. This is automatically generated by the system.

How will I know if the payment worked?

  • You need to check if you received an email of confirmation from eBIRForms for each filing. This email will let you know that your filing online worked. Just make sure you actually pay before the deadline what you filed.
  • The best way to check is just go to BIR and ask if you have any open cases. Each penalty is worth at least Php 1,000.00 so make sure you remember your deadlines.

How to fill receipt if the client is foreign?

  • Just fill whatever info you get and convert the dollar amount to peso on the day you received it.

For the ITR, Is the personal exemption deductible?

  • Yes but you can only deduct it on the final ITR on the year. If it turns out that BIR owes you money after this, then you can use that extra credits to reduce your taxes next year.

I’m still new to all of this and it is not yet that detailed and complete but I hope this guide will help make things easier. For more details, there is always the official website. I will still update this soon once I’m able to pass through the ITR process next.

Thanks for reading! Here are some additional guides that might help:

Full Suite – The Ultimate Guide to BIR Forms