January 31, 2009
Are you like me? I love to doodle and thought I was an artist but the mere thought of taking an art class left me woosie thinking I would be laughed at. Guess what, most artists start in the same way but need to refine their skills by learning techniques that can only be learned in the classroom.
If you are like me and are intimidated, start by looking for some abstract classes on composition and design. This will give you a basic understanding of the importance of color, balance, space and creative fundamentals. The instructor usually facilitates the class by using many demonstrations of useful techniques to help all students at all levels.
Although art classes can be fun don’t forget about things like stained glass workshops which many beginners love to start with. If you truly are uncertain of your skills as an artist you may even want to do graphic designs through software. This can be so useful since you can learn to make letterheads, business cards and brochures.
Find out through your community college or town what courses are all being offered. Check to see about the credentials of your instructor by asking other students about classes. Find out how long the instructor has been teaching.
The biggest priority is to have fun and to let your creative juices flow. Art is an emotional feeling that can only come with an instructor who makes classes fun to allow the students to open up and be creative.
If you intend to display your video footage to anyone else, you will most certainly want to edit the material first. The simple act of arranging your shots and cutting parts that really aren’t that good or interesting can take the art of home made videos to another level entirely. One that will not bore but actually entertain the audience.
That is the reason video editing software something worth investigating properly.
Editing and manipulating video is a demanding task that requires a powerful computer. A high end personal computer is usually good enough, but always bear in mind that without adequate performance, you will start to get grey hairs rather quickly.
Unlike let’s say word processing, video editing is a hard-drive intensive task and you will definitely want to have at least a couple of gigabytes of RAM memory to work with. Using up 60 GB of hard drive space for just one project is certainly not unheard of – particularly if you start playing with material shot in high definition. It really is a wonderful advancement of technology that you can do professional film cutting on a home computer these days, but it still holds true that the more memory your computer has and the faster your CPU is, the smoother (and more enjoyable) the job will be.
Editing film used to be a very demanding and time consuming task, as it was something that was either done physically to the actual film or at least moved about on video tape. The invention of powerful computers changed all that, as the concept of nonlinear editing was conceived. NLE retains all the possibilities of classic editing while allowing for much greater speed, flexibility and ease of use. It is truly computers at their best.
There are many video editing software applications out there, both free and commercial ones, for both Windows PCs and Apple Macintosh. As for Linux, video editing is still one of the weaker aspects of the operating system, but the situation may of course improve at any time.
Digital video certainly is the medium of the 21st century, and nowadays it is available to almost everyone. With the range of options from quickly capturing something on a mobile phone to making your very own, well arranged mini-movie set complete with a high-definition camera, there certainly are many possibilities for creativity. And the end result can be published on anything from online video sharing sites like YouTube to state of the art (currently) Blu-ray discs.
Thus, hopefully intriguing digital short films can be produced by more people than at any earlier time, using a digital camera and high quality video editing software.
And to think that this has been possible only for the last decade or so.
Materials are important to the artist and like most things in life, it is better to obtain the best that you can possibly afford. Painting isn´t always an easy craft – so your tools are clearly important to you.
For example, if you choose mediocre materials the final result arrived at will probably reflect this.
If you go for quality it should certainly obtain improved results.
As a contemporary artist I can tell you that you require a firm support to paint on, together with a mixed selection of colours and certainly good brushes. Brushes are important! You need one that is both clean, a naturally good shape, but that is also flexible. With a good brush you can draw freely and not just make a certain size brushmarks.
If you use short, bristled brushes they do not usually seem to give a particularly good finish.
If, for instance, you want to draw a persons head you require an amount of flexibility and a precise touch. To achieve this you need to be drawing with the paint continually and in small accurate strokes.
As brushes go I find that it is a fine idea to have a few sables that are pointed, as well as a few hog hair brushes. If you use a flat brush you can get delicacy by lying it on its side.
If you wish to draw well and put down patches of colour, you need brushes that have fairly long hair, filbert, round or flat, so they are flexible.
When you purchase good quality brushes then they should stay in shape well, but it is a must that they are washed at the end of each painting session. It is pretty obvious they will not be good for long unless you treat them well.
What will help you? Well, being a contemporary artist, I normally keep an old jam jar filled with turps substitute at my side. This you can use for cleaning out the brushes whilst you are painting and of course when you finish your work for the day. It is recommended that you should clean them thoroughly in this, preferably dry them on an old piece of rag and then finally it is usual to give them a wash with some soap and water.
It is easier to hold the soap in one hand and rub the brushes across it, then clean them gently in your hand with your fingers. Next rinse in water and then start to reshape the bristles with your fingers.
This sounds a lot to do, but normally should never take long to do, but it is important.
Occasionally if you are tired you may forget to do this and then find you will be mad with yourself the following day.
Actually most people seem to collect quite a varied collection of brushes but end up using only six or seven at a time. As with everything else you have your favourites and really you do not necessarily need a large stock. You find that you still use your very old ones. These are very good on wide areas of painting as they are well worn and this saves on your newer brushes as it tends to wear them down.
This article was written by Anna Meenaghan of http://annameenaghanart.com
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January 30, 2009
As a contemporary artist I only know too well that oil paintings always need varnishing. Firstly they need protection.
Once varnished the painting has a strong layer over the paint, so it is easier to handle as it can then be cleaned. If the painting is left unvarnished it may easily get damaged. As the painting dries out the oil paint tends to get duller and gives a matt finish. However, you cannot varnish until the paint is completely dry and this can take a considerable amount of time.
I think sometimes you would probably need to clean it first. Ordinary liquid detergent should be quite enough to do this. Using only a very small amount diluted with cold water to cover the surface of the picture, rubbing it very carefully with a soft soaked piece of rag. Then maybe do the same with clean water, so there is no residue of the detergent used. It then has to be left to dry thoroughly in a warm atmosphere.
Personally I would state that it is better to do your varnishing somewhere that has a good dry atmosphere with warmth. If the atmosphere is moist, the varnish often could appear to go into patches of white, which I personally find infuriating.
Now it is possible to get good spray varnishes which dry fairly quickly. A contemporary painter would probably prefer to apply varnish with a brush. Probably a fairly wide, soft brush is best. Normally it is better if the varnish, brush and painting have been near heat so there is no damp. Make sure you lay the painting on a flat surface. I pour some varnish into an old tin lid and then very carefully and gently brush on.
It is tempting to go backwards and forwards and overbrush – not so good – as the varnish tends to create bubbles. Easier if you have a small painting, because you can go straight across from one side to the other. You have to endeavour to get as even and as thin a coat as you can. Tendency is to overvarnish, giving a thick layer and an annoying glossy finish.
If your painting is large it is somewhat easier to divide it into square sections and work laboriously on one section at a time. Once you have applied the varnish do try not to disturb it.
Then you need to find a place to put the picture where, while you are working on it, you can see where the light shows on the varnish. This way it will enable you to see any places that you may have inadvertently missed.
Your picture then needs to be in a hopefully dust free area if possible, with the face side up.
Then you may find that you need to retouch your varnish. Obviously for this you need a thinned down varnish, especially where you may have what appears to be dull parts. Just be careful not to use too much, but it is quite alright to use it on top of half dry paint.
It is fairly usual to think the painting looks dull as it is drying – this is often the result of overpainting layers.
This article was written by Anna Meenaghan of http://annameenaghanart.com
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January 28, 2009
To create interesting fluid portraits that breathe life you must understand the effect of the spine on the skull and shoulders.
To generate a relaxed feeling in your portraits quite often you will need to draw the skull slanted. Most people when they are at ease will view with their skull slightly slanted. In this article we will point out what to look for and how to tackle the slanted skull.
In the slanted skull view the subject will show a clear change of direction from the action of the torso to the tilt of the skull. Also take note of where the shoulders are. The subject’s shoulders will approximately be aligned with the bottom of the nose.
With this information in mind, the first step is to measure the angle of the skull’s tilt (from the bottom of the chin to the top of the skull) before drawing the arabesque. To do this hold up your pencil (or a knitting needle) at arm’s length, looking through one eye, and adjust the angle of the held pencil so that it relates to the angle of the tilt. Keeping your arm straight and locked you can now transpose this angle onto the sketch.
Now that the angle of the tilt is found you can sketch the arabesque and verify the height/width proportion.
The axis of the features is vertical to the tilted facial angle. A common tendency while sketching is to straighten out the features so that they are horizontal to the paper. Be aware of this and ever on-guard because this tendency is subtle and is constantly trying to sneak into the sketch.
It is not a suggested practice to position all of the features at this time. It is actually more correct to first fix the brow line and the bottom of the nose and work from there.
When the skull is tilted you should also be conscious of the effect that gravity has on the face. The flesh, in particular on the underside of the jaw, will be somewhat pulled down. This effect is quite subtle but for those of you who are expert portraitists you should catch this in your original arabesque. If you are a beginner just file this information away for future reference.
Take note, too, of the neck. The major visible neck muscle is stretched out. Its companion is shortened. This opposing muscle action is referred to as abduction/adduction. This action of the neck always renders a beautiful effect.
Once the arabesque is situated and you are satisfied with its accuracy relative to size and shape you can render the features and block-in the chief big darks and lights. Keep the value simple. The more complex the lighting arrangement, the more this applies.
The tonal arrangements are worked further, but are still a bit crude and unresolved. The chief concern is the overall light effect.
There are a few items to keep in mind as you prepare to finish the sketch:
1. Determine how far you should carry the sketch. You can get a good effect if you give the shoulders and upper torso an unresolved quality. Remember, sketches are not meant to resemble photographs.
2. As you gain a better understanding of the facial structure the tendency exists to draw what you know rather than what is actually there. So make sure you always pause to observe the life model or the subject in the photograph.
In closing, the tilted skull view is special in that the features will be centered on a tilted axis and that the stress in the shoulders will be different from one side to the other. Also the changeover from the torso and shoulders to the skull should be carefully observed.
Do you want to learn the secrets of pencil portrait sketching? Download my brand new free pencil portrait drawing tutorial here: portrait drawing tutorial.
Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and expert sketching teacher. See his work at pencil portraits.
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From first timers to life long woodworkers, everyone will find uses for these free woodworking plans. These woodworking patterns are very easy to follow, and with the incorporation of woodworking projects that include etched glass and etched mirrors, you can complete many beautiful projects that will be the envy of your friends and neighbors.
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The amature woodworker will get much satisfaction from these complimentary free wood projects because they are very easy to follow. You get materials requirments listed out and simple directions to follow. They will have a beautiful project to chat about when they create it. There is nothing more time wasting than to get ready to work on a project like this, and then slowed down because of confusing directions and the wrong tools. With these checklists, you won’t get into these scrapes.
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A interesting thing about drawing the side view view is that novices find it much simpler than the other poses. Yet, the advanced draftsperson can find the side view quite taxing.
For the advanced draftsperson the challenge lies in the struggle to affect a 3-dimensional sculptured look.
Looking at the construct in the profile view note how the head is broken down into straight lines. Using these architectonic lines expresses a firmness of form.
At first, you should keep the forms plain. Also at this point, do not draw all the profiled features. There are 2 reasons for this:
1. It is very likely that even the most skilfull draftsperson will be off, and
2. Once a line is drawn the language center of your brain will consider that relationship as proper one. Therefore, it will look proper to you but everyone else will see the error.
There is a better way. You start with drawing the construct using architectonically straight lines. The primary worries are putting in place the general proportions and form correctly. At a more advanced level you should also consider rhythm and movement.
Instead of right away including the nose into the construct you should utilize the facial angle, i.e., the line from the forehead to the chin that breaks at the bottom of the nose. The landmark reference for the bottom of the nose is the tiny ledge-like protrusion.
A plumb-bob is an excellent tool for rightly placing the bottom of the nose. A plumb-bob is a length of thread (preferably black carpet thread) that has a weight attached to it. The plumb-bob is used to verify vertical alignments (when working with life models) and their relations to that vertical line. The vertical line is referred to as the plumb-line.
Aligning the plumb-line to the chin allows you more correctly to see the relationship of brow to chin. The brow is set back from the chin. Note that the entire region of chin and mouth is referred to as the “muzzle”.
Having confirmed that the initial construct and facial angle are accurate you can now continue with establishing the facial proportions, primary anatomical landmarks, and the hair-line. So, at this point do not even think about drawing the entire nose. Drawing the nose at this point is a sure prescription for disaster. The angle of the nose and the construction of the tip require a high degree of precision.
Instead, begin to sketch the general light/dark pattern.
The lights are painted out using a kneaded eraser. The effect we are looking for is that of a ghost image. That means, above all, not to add details. Also, work from the general to the specific.
Once the general light/dark pattern is developed then the profiled features can be tackled. utilizing a very sharp pencil you can work upwards from the chin to the forehead carefully observing the form. As you sketch mumble the anatomical terms of each feature that you construct. You would be surprised at how that clarifyies the sketching process. Having an understanding of the facial anatomy will set your portrait sketching miles ahead of those who do not.
The tip of the nose, particularly, requires anatomical reconstruction to get it right.
A common error novices make with the profile view is placing the eye too far forward. The eye sockets are recessed quite significantly into the head. If you drop a plumb-line from the inside corner of the eye you will observe that the eye aligns itself with the node of the mouth.
Further rendering and hatching values are accomplished with 2H and 4H pencils. Choosing how far you want to take your sketch is an visual decision you have to make yourself. If you wish, you can leave the portrait somewhat unfinished.
In conclusion, sketching the profile view involves the same general principles relevant to any view. In this situation, the construct is particularly major. The major thing to recall is not to place the actual entire features of the head too early in the process.
Do you want to learn the secrets of pencil portrait sketching? Download my brand new free pencil portrait drawing course here: pencil portrait course.
Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and expert sketching teacher. See his work at graphite pencil portraits by Remi.
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The sketching of kids demands freshness and directness of purpose. Unfortunately, there are not too many quick and ready rules. Let us just say that kids’ portraits demand a sharp and patient eye.
For those who intend to do commercial portraiture the good news is that kids’ portraits can be lucrative. There are very few draftspersons who can capably sketch kids.
Soft lighting works best for portraits of kids. The child could be looking toward a bright light source. This sort of light source will light up the child’s face and produce an introspective facial appearance. The value range goes from light to medium with the eyes very dark.
Addressing the facial proportions of kids in a general sense is somewhat of a waste of time. Their facial proportions change dramatically within a six month time span.
Suffice it to say that the younger the child is the smaller the face in relation to the head. The eyes also appear larger although this can be misleading. A child’s nose can be very difficult to sketch – there is nothing really to hold onto. And the mouth is very faint and sensitive not to mention its constant motion if you sketch from a model.
If you do want to enumerate some general proportions you can say that whereas an adult face is about 1/2 the size of the frontal head side, a child’s face is about 1/3 of that size. Also, observe how little an infant’s neck is compared to the size of the skull.
At its widest section, a baby’s face is about five eye widths wide. The width between the eyes is a little bit more than the width of an eye. Both the mouth and the nose are about the same width of an eye. Again, we must emphasize that these proportions are only a general rule and individual face proportions can vary. The above general rules can be used for comparison purposes when you do your own careful observations of a particular face.
As always, start your drawing by striking the arabesque and then correcting the height/width proportions as necessary.
After establishing the primary facial proportions (i.e., the brow, nose, mouth, etc.) block-in the major light/dark patterns. Then, stump down the graphite using your fingers or a stump. To render and re-shape the lights make use of a clean putty eraser.
Now the features are carefully placed, measured and partially drawn. There are two things to take into account here:
1. Your pencils must be very sharp, and
2. At this stage, you should never fully finish a feature. Render each feature no more than 50%.
Once the features are sized and placed as best you can, you can now further expand them. Do not neglect the hair and sides of the face. All should be brought up together. As you continue to sketch you should always be on the lookout for errors in proportions and value.
In closing, the basic methods used to sketch a child’s portrait are of course always the same. Above, we listed most of the differences in size and shape between an adult skull and that of a child. Your mood when sketching a child should be one that reflects the innocence and the softness of a child.
Do you want to learn the secrets of pencil portrait sketching? Download my brand new free pencil portrait drawing course here: portrait drawing course.
Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and expert sketching teacher. See his work at pencil portraits.
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January 27, 2009
Art presents itself in many shapes and forms today – to me it is always interesting and gratifying to appreciate other peoples art. You don´t necessarily have to enjoy it personally to accept the hard work that has gone into it and the thought behind it.
As a contemporary artist myself – I find it gives you freedom to express your inner workings.
If I had a bad day it most likely reflects in my paintings appearing more dramatic. On the other hand I also find it calming to paint seasoned skies.
Art is a very personal thing, what appeals to one person, others find feeble – the appeal is in the eye of the beholder. As a contemporary painter I find that these days there so many things classified as art which makes it more satisfying. As an idea take spray painting, some people do this but also use stencils. Myself I often really admire some of the spray gun graffiti scene. Very cunning youngsters do some amazing creations. Although many people would view this as vandalism.
Just look at pavement artists sketching out their pictures in chalk. This surely is a talent, but one that a great number of passers by can enjoy but yields the artist very little money. Many of us have been to Paris and the “Montmartre” area where the artists set their easels on the pavements doing quick caricatures much to everyone’s amazement and amusement.
More unusual perhaps are sand sculptures which feature in the Canary Islands and I am sure other places. They range from biblical scenes to dragons with real fire breathing out of there nostrils.
Mosaics too are greatly interesting and colourful as these designs can be used on plant pots, walls, gardens etc. and in oh so many ways.
Posters – somebody has to design them so they are thought provoking and catch the eye.
This is a great challenge for children too, who are encouraged to do posters for any number of things from road safety to recycling the environment. I love to see what sense can be made of driftwood collected along the beach. I think a special type of person is needed to do this with a very good imagination and creativity.
On this theme also amazing paper weights can be made from nice pebbles once they are cleaned, painted and varnished. It is also fun searching for the pebbles in all kinds of shapes and feeling how smooth they are when you run your fingers over them.
Designing and making your own cards not only brings pleasure to many, but also brings individuality to the recipient.
Papermache is another form of art I have never tried, but I really like the results that people manage to achieve. Decoupage in this day and age seems to be greatly popular, along with scrapbooking, felting, patch working and needlepoint.
There are so many forms of art there surely must be something to suit everyone. Help is at hand as there are many workshops running in many crafts stores as well as local schools. Art brings fulfilment to many people, creating it or enjoying the art of others – it also relaxes you and can make you a host of new friends, so enjoy !…
This article was written by Anna Meenaghan of http://annameenaghanart.com
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Not many people would associate art with singapore. So, it is not surprising that not many people have heard of art singapore. In fact, have you heard of it before?
Well, art singapore is an art exhibition that is held annually in Singapore and is boast of between close to a hundred art booths showcasing art from all over the world. It is the only one in Singapore and its prominence can rival that in the region, for example, Art Hong Kong.
I think as a tool to propel Singapore into the next level of Art exploration, it is definitely a good tool. But, as a avenue to know more about art, I guess it failed miserably.
Here is my thought, when you have art hong kong, the majority of people showcasing their works are from China. And as Hong kong is part of China, so it is still acceptable. But for art singapore, they showcase works from all over the region, and some even come as far as Australia, but nothing much from the local artist.
Now, you do see the strange situation. An event known as Art Singapore that does not really showcase singapore art. The fact is, art singapore exist more for a monetary reason rather than to art exploration or simply art appreciation.
A booth that cost close to twenty thousands dollars, come to think of it, you do not think a person that is exhibiting in the art singapore is really interested to assist you to better understand art right?
They are here as businessman and are hoping to get as many orders as possible. Instead of talks on art appreciation, you have people talking about art as an alternative form of investment.
After hearing some of the talks, I do see the logic in investing in art. There are numerous merits investing in art, one of them is the tangible asset that it is. Imagine, government can freeze all your assets but they cannot really freeze your art pieces right?
Moreover, this is a collector market and as the paintings or art pieces get circulated gets smaller in numbers (because some collectors would not float it in the market), the pieces appreciate in value.
What other investment allows one to spend a few thousands dollars and over a span of a few years has the potential to become few millions. Of course, this is very rare, but such opportunities exist, and who knows you might be one of the lucky one to be part of it!
There you have it, a simple explanation of art singapore, an event that is about art but not really about singapore art. Heard this year, it would be in October.
