So the end result is that they can't complete the drawing based on their concept sketches. Is there a better way to do concept sketches quicker and faster? Of course there is! If he chooses to place the horizon on the top half of the drawing, then he'll need to make a concept sketch with lots of information on the foreground. If he chooses to place the horizon on the bottom half of the drawing, then he may want to make a concept sketch with lots of information on the background. Making concept sketches quickly is all a question of knowing a drawing process very well. I've just given you an example using landscape. If the artist knows a process very well, he'll know what kind of information he'll need to complete a drawing. This needs practice and experience. And since the goal is all about capturing vital information needed for a drawing, the artist can choose to use any method that he knows to capture information. For instance, he may want to use words on top of some quick sketches to help him remember how he wants the drawing to look like. He can also just color pencils to jot down the colors. Artists are known for their creativeness, so be creative when making concept sketches. Have a collection of cut out images (from magazines and newspapers) and place them on a drawing to conceptualize how a drawing will turn out. Or take a few pictures with your picture. So instead of just depending on sketching, you now have a variety of ways to capture information. This will help you in your conceptualization process. Darren Chow is the founder and developer of MyArtPassion.com, an online website that offers free drawing lessons, home study courses, and other drawing related resources. For more free resources like the one you've just read, please visit MyArtPassion.com for free online drawing lessons.
Remember that the goal of concept sketching is to capture enough information for the artist to complete a satisfactory drawing. What this means is that the artist must know in advance the process and techniques that he or she is going to adopt even before making the concept sketch.
For example, if the artist wants to draw a landscape, he may want to capture what's beyond the horizon (the sky) and what's in front of the horizon (the foreground). This depends where the artist wants to place the horizon.
Monday, February 25, 2008
How To Make Concept Sketches Quickly
Face Painting Designs - 7 Sure Fire Ways to Mess Up
You have to avoid these mistakes if you want your face painting designs to have great visual impact. 2. Colors run into each other Solution: allow one color to dry completely before applying the next color. And, thoroughly clean brush or sponge in hot water before applying another color. 3. The base color is streaky Solution: use less water to thin the paint. Only use quality face paints for your face painting designs. 4. Painting dark colors first Unable to correct mistakes when adding lighter color on top of dark colors without wiping clean that area and starting again. Solution: start with the lightest colors working up to the darkest colors. That way you can paint over any small mistakes you have made. 5. Detail is too thick and bold Design has lost its proportions because shapes and lines are in the wrong thickness. Solution:for fine detail you must use a thin brush. It's best to use a minimum of three brushes in face painting - thin, medium and large. 6. Face paint is not sitting well on skin Solution:thoroughly clean face with a moist wipe to remove any grime or excess oil. And, if necessary use a make up band to keep hair off the face. Use the best quality face paints you can afford. 7. Face paint cracks soon after it dries Solution: apply face paint in a thin layer. You can always apply another layer to build up color density. Discover the simple, proven face painting techniques the professionals use to face paint. Get 50 face painting ideas, with step-by-step photo guides so you learn to face paint in the right order. Learn how to combine cosmetics make-up with face paints to create stunning face painting designs with differents depths and textures.
1. Wrong paint
You paint using non toxic paints thinking these are safe on the face and the sitter comes out in a bright red rash.
Solution: use only FDA approved (or similar national body in other countries) face paints. Allergic reaction to these is rare whereas other paints can cause rashes and even permanent scarring. Be extra careful when applying face paint close to the eyes. Only wash brushes and sponges in hot water, never alcohol or detergents, as these too can cause allergic reaction.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Oil Painting Lesson - Frequently Asked Questions About Oil Painting
This article discusses some of the more frequently asked questions about oil painting.
Oil painting is probably one of the more challenging mediums to master. There are many aspects of oil painting that often confuse and intimidate beginners. Many questions arise and this article will cover some frequently asked questions that beginners have.
What is "Fat Over Lean?"
Fat over lean is one of the most fundamental approaches to oil painting and when followed will reduce the risk of your paint cracking as it dries. An oil paint is "Fat" when it comes right from the tube. If you wanted to make it fatter, you would add more oil. To make your paint "Lean" your mixture would contain more of a thinner like turpentine. Begin your painting with a "Lean" mixture. As you add more layers, you would make the mixture fatter. This will help reduce the risk of cracking.
Should I Varnish My Finished Painting?
If you want to protect your painting from dust, smoke, and other pollutants, you should varnish your painting. If not, these pollutants will accumulate on your painting and eventually darken or yellow the surface. When you apply a varnish, you are creating a layer that will protect your painting underneath. The layer of varnish can be cleaned periodically and eventually removed. A fresh layer of varnish can then be re-applied. You should wait 6 months to a year, depending on how thick your paint was applied, before varnishing. Varnishing a painting can be tricky especially if you have no experience. You should definitely do more research on varnishing before you attempt to do this yourself. You may even need to contact a professional.
Can I save the oil paint I do not use for a later time?
There are apparently ways to keep oil paint fresh until you are ready to use them again altough I have never actually tried either of these techniques. Proceed with caution. Some artists actually put plastic wrap over the paint and freeze it. You can also try and put your unused paint onto a piece of glass and then keep it submerged in water.
What kind of support should I use with my oil paint?
There are a variety of different surfaces that oil paint can be applied to. Stretched cotton canvas is one of the most popular supports used by oil painters today. Linen canvas is also used but tends to be fairly expensive. Other supports that can be used with oil paints are masonite and even certain types of wood panel.
What kind of paint should a beginner purchase?
This is a tough question to answer, as every artist is different and will more than likely have a different recommendation. There are a few different grades of oil paint on the market today. You have "Artist Quality", "Student Quality", and "Economical" grades. Stay away from the economical paints as these have more fillers in them than actual pigment and do not cover very well. There are some very descent student quality paints on the market, which work well if you are just starting out and for experimentation. Once you get your hands on artist quality paint however, you may never buy anything else.
There are some very popular brands to consider as a staring point. Winsor & Newton, Grumbacher and Gamblin are popular choices amongst artists.
What kind of brushes should a beginner choose?
This is also a difficult question to answer exactly. Brushes come in a variety of different shapes, sizes and brands. Every artist is different and will have different preferences when it comes to brushes. Ideally, you should have a variety of different shapes and sizes on hand to start with. Over time, you will develop a preference for certain types of brushes. Never buy cheap brushes, as they will shed their hairs and fall apart a lot quicker than a good quality brush. There is a good introductory set of 11 oil brushes made by "Silver Brush" that you may be interested in checking out. Do a search online or visit your local art store for more information.
How do I come up with ideas for my paintings?
Don't throw your paintbrush down in a fit of rage if you aren't able to come up with an idea for your next painting. There are a number of ways you can find inspiration and ideas. Sometimes the mind just needs a break. Take a walk outside or a long drive and just observe nature. Take a ride to an art museum with a friend and spend the day observing other artwork. Look around your home for everyday objects and setup a still life. Look to yourself for ideas. Do you have a passion for any particular subject? Do you love wildlife and nature? Perhaps you are a music lover? I absolutely love nature and wildlife. When I am searching for ideas for my next painting, I will usually take an outdoor trip with a friend. I will bring a camera of course and just take shots of whatever inspires me. Then when I get back to my studio I will take bits and pieces from each photograph and create my own composition.
I hope this article on oil painting has answered some or all of your questions. Best of luck and happy painting!
For more free art lessons
head over to http://www.creativespotlite.com today!
By Ralph Serpe
Published: 5/31/2006
Oil Painting Tips for Beginners
General tips for beginner oil painters.
Start your oil paintings with an acrylic underpainting - When you start an oil painting using oils, it can take some time for that initial layer to dry. Starting your painting with an acrylic underpainting however is a wonderful time saver as acrylic paint dries quickly and oil paint can be applied over the acrylic.
Make certain you have good lighting - I didn't realize how important good lighting was until I painted outdoors for the first time. Good lighting brings out the color and also lessens the strain on your eyes. If you can, paint in a place that gets plenty of natural sunlight. If you cannot afford this luxury, purchase a good indoor light. Check out http://www.ottlite.com/ for a great selection of lighting products.
Make sure you have good ventilation - If you are using materials like oil painting thinners and cleaners in your studio; make sure you have good ventilation. Some of these chemicals can be quite toxic so use caution when working with these products. Consider using a water miscible paint like Grumbacher Max Oil Paints. Max Oils can be diluted with water thereby eliminating the need for solvents.
Fat over lean - Follow this rule and you will reduce the chance of your paint cracking. Each layer of your oil painting should have a higher oil content then the ones below it.
To create the illusion of distance in your paintings paint receding objects with cooler less intense color. Objects that advance are warmer and more intense.
If you are feeling uninspired don't get discouraged. Try taking a walk outside, breath in the air, look around at the beautiful earth God created. Try playing music while you are painting. You will be surprised how music can affect your painting. Visit a museum or local gallery. Viewing other works of art can really get your creative juices flowing.
When holding your brush avoid holding your brush like a pencil too close to the bristles. Oil brushes are made long for a reason so that you can paint further away from the canvas. Practice holding the brush toward the middle and end of the handle.
Maintain a clean organized working environment - Get yourself into the habit of keeping your work area clean and organized. Have an abundant supply of rags or paper towels nearby. Get a few glass jars for storing mediums, solvents and your used brushes while painting.
Brush Selection and Care - You should probably invest in a good set of brushes. Cheap brushes are not recommended as they shed their bristles quite easily while painting. I prefer working with Hog Hair brushes, but oil painters also use sable and synthetic sable. Avoid nylon brushes, as these are better suited for acrylic paint. My brushes include a variety of flats sizes #3, #6, #8, #12, a #4 fan, and a few small rounds for detail work. Selections vary from artist to artist, depending on painting style usually, but the above mentioned work fine for me. Take excellent care of your brushes. This is very important, especially if you have an expensive set of brushes. You may want to do a search online for more in depth brush care instructions. If you do not clean and store your brushes properly, you will ruin them, simple as that. Use a quality brush cleaner and preserver that you can purchase online or at your local art store.
I hope these oil painting tips have helped. Oil paint is not the easiest medium to work with. I recall the first panting I ever completed. It was a complete nightmare, and I almost threw in the towel. I have been painting for over 5 years now and I am still learning and improving every time I pick up the brush. Don't give up. With time and practice it will become easier and more rewarding.
Ralph Serpe is Webmaster and Cofounder of Creative Spotlite - http://www.creativespotlite.com, a free educational art and craft community. Visit Creative Spotlite today for more free art lessons
.
By Ralph Serpe
Published: 12/23/2005
Friday, February 22, 2008
5 Big Reasons To Follow These Face Painting Ideas
We all know kids can be demanding. So how do you keep them happy when offering your face painting services at parties, school fetes and fund raising events? Easy, follow these face painting ideas. 2 Have A Photo Album Filled With The Designs You Can Paint 3 Stick To Simple Designs 4 Avoid Painting Very Young Children 5 Avoid Face Paint Near The Mouth If The Kids Will Be Eating Afterwards Extend your repertoire with step by step guide to 50 face painting ideas. Learn face painting techniques that will dramatically improve your face paintings. Learn how to set up your work station so you can face paint more efficiently.
1 You Don't Need A Model To Practice Face Painting Designs
Kids don't take long to lose interest if you take too long or have to wipe off paint and start again. So practicing on kids may not be a viable option.
So why not practice on clear acetate. It's available from office supply stores. If you make a mistake you just wipe off the paint with a damp sponge. It can be used over and over again.
Every time you are pleased with a new design that you have created, take a photo (with permission, of course) and add it to your face painting ideas photo album.
If you take too long to face paint then kids will just get bored and start fidgeting. Stick to simple face painting designs that can be created quickly and easily.
A child under the age of two and a half generally cannot sit still long enough to have their face painted. So for very young children use a face dotter stamp and special face painting ink pad. It only takes seconds to get a design onto the cheeks and forehead. Popular designs include butterfly, spider, paw print, dolphin and snowflake.
If kids will be eating shortly after getting their faces painted it's best to avoid painting too close to the mouth. That way the kids can enjoy their food without spoiling their painted faces.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Use Pastels To Enhance Your Command Of Colors
Discover different methods to use pastels when painting. Techniques directly from professional artists in an easy to understand manner.
Because of its ease of handling, pastel is an excellent medium for a beginning painter to learn about color or become more familiar with the various pigments derived from diverse sources and how effectively they blend, contrast, or complement one another.
Plan Colors in Advance
A good color reminder is to prepare a 'custom color chart' after you've planned your pastel drawing and chosen your colors, but before you begin work. Using the pastel colors you've chosen (leaving aside black or very dark colors), apply a one-inch horizontal strip of color across a piece of paper (the same type of paper you plan to use for your work). Leave an inch of clean space between each stripe and write the name/number of each color at the far end.
Then, turn your paper 90 degrees and using the same pastels in the same order apply another one-inch strip of color. You may have to clean each pastel after it passes through each of the cross stripes. Take your time so you end up with each color passing over every other color with pure color between. Don't worry if the colors smear just a bit as you're going to be smearing some of them anyway.
When this is done, use your fingertips to gently blend the various combinations where they intersect. Blending diagonally with an additional adjacent color can give you further combinations. Hang your 'custom color chart' where you can see it as you work. Do not use a fixative on your color chart so you can continue to experiment on it to blend colors.
Experiment with Techniques
Experiment using each pastel technique with different pastels (hard, semi-soft, and soft) to become familiar with the slightly different result each gives. Different brands of pastels can also give varying results.
Outlining: For gestural lines and contours, draw with the end of the pastel, wielding it as you would a pen or pencil. Use broad, relaxed strokes employing your whole arm, to achieve expression, and bear down more firmly to alter the thickness of you lines.
Filling in areas of color: Peeling the paper from a pastel and using the flat side in broad strokes will give you large blocks of color. Bearing down harder creates a heavier, darker, color. (Save the paper; storing the pastel stick in its paper helps you remember the color name.)
Hatching and cross-hatching: Using hard pastels or pastel pencils, draw sets of fine parallel lines, either curved or straight to block out your subject. Use several colors, i.e., darker hatching in shadows, light colors for highlights or reflections, consulting your 'custom color chart'.
Blending: Blend by using your fingers or any one of the many blending tools available, such as a tortillon, paper stump; putty, kneading erasers, cloth, Q-tips, or cotton balls. Gently blend filled in single color areas, taking care not to run into lines or adjacent colors and clean your finger or change tools when you move to another color. Where you plan to blend colors, blend the hatching and cross-hatched areas, following your color plan.
Scumbling, feathering, and dusting are other techniques for achieving special effects.
An inexpensive way to acquire a photo to pastel portrait is to commission one from photo to pastel portrait
website.
By Assaf Kostiner
Published: 8/27/2007
Tips On The Care And Handling Of Your Oil Painting
Discover tips and tricks directly from professional artists related to handling and taking care of oil painting.
Buying a genuine oil painting for display in your home or office is a cause for celebration. Whether you purchased an old oil painting or commissioned a brand new oil portrait, you probably realized as soon as you removed the wrappings that you don’t have ‘just another picture’ to hang on the wall.
Oil paintings, which are not mounted behind glass (except in some museum circumstances for preservation), require special consideration regarding handling and maintenance.
A few tips will help you avoid making mistakes that might damage your oil painting and help you preserve it for many years as a keepsake or family heirloom.
Handling and Storage
Oil painting is a sturdy, long-lasting, and durable art form, and with proper care and handling will last for generations. A visit to any good museum will confirm this, but keep in mind that museums go to great lengths to safeguard their masterpieces.
1 Always handle an oil painting by the frame without touching the painted surface.
2 Never let any object press again either the front or back of an oil painting canvas, as it pliable and will cause a dent or hole. If an accident occurs, have an expert repair the damage. An amateur repair job may look okay at first but given time will inevitably show.
3 For temporary storage or transporting an oil painting, place cardboard or plywood on both front and back (slightly larger than the outside dimensions of the framed oil painting) and then wrap in ‘bubble wrap’ and tape or tie securely.
4 Permanent storage should be in a custom-sized plywood container with the painting braced to allow air flow on all sides without shifting.
5 Never expose an oil painting to extremes of heat, cold, or humidity, whether hanging on your wall or in storage. Neither basements nor attics are good storage locations. The best place to store an oil painting is on the wall for all to enjoy.
6 Occasional dusting with a clean, soft-bristled brush is recommended. A very old or dirty oil painting should be taken to a professional restorer.
Hanging Your Oil Painting
Here’s the fun part. Oil paintings, especially portrait oil paintings, demand pride of place in your home. Involve your spouse or family in deciding the perfect location.
Hang your oil painting on two picture hooks which are appropriate to the wall (wood, plaster, drywall) and strong enough to secure the weight of the picture. Two hooks, rather than one, will allow the picture to maintain a horizontal position.
1 Choose a place for your painting that does not get direct sunlight or is subject to hot or cold drafts.
2 Hang high enough to be able to see the painting clearly from anywhere in the room. A spot over a mantelpiece or over a sofa (above head height of anyone sitting on the sofa) is usually ideal.
3 Avoid hanging oil paintings in hallways or on walls where there is frequent family movement or furniture may be brushed against the wall.
4 If you have central heat or air conditioning, that’s great. If not, a rule of thumb is, if people are comfortable in the room your oil painting occupies, chances are your oil painting will be comfortable too.
If you don’t own a genuine oil painting yet, you can turn a favorite family photograph into an oil portrait as a way of displaying it and preserving it forever.
An inexpensive way to acquire an oil painting or oil painting portrait of any photograph is to commission one from oil painting
website.
By Assaf Kostiner
Published: 9/6/2007
Halloween Face Painting Designs: Ghost, Pumpkin, Candy Corn
Instructions to face paint these cheek art designs quickly and easily: jack-o-lantern, ghost, candy corn. Face Painting is a popular activity for class parties, costume parties fall festivals and carnivals.
With Halloween quickly approaching, face painting season is kicking into high gear. Try these easy, but immensely child-pleasing Halloween "cheek art" designs at class parties, fall festivals and homecoming carnivals.
Begin with good quality, water-based face paints. You can find them online or in some theatrical stores. A palette of six, good-quality face paints is priced around $12.00 and includes enough paint for 70 or more cheek art designs. Water-based face paints apply as easily as watercolors and remove cleanly with a paper towel and water.
For a small gathering of children, two or three small to medium sized paint brushes will be sufficient. A bowl of water to rinse the brushes and a roll of paper towels conclude the list of basic supplies.
In my opinion, the simplest design to paint is that of a ghost. The basic shape of the ghost is that of a triangle. With a brush loaded with white paint, paint a loose triangle by creating a wavy line to outline the ghost. Fill in with more white paint, dot on black eyes and a smile and the ghost is complete.
Nothing is "sweeter" than a face dotted with painted candy corn. The basic shape is a pyramid, with yellow on the bottom third, orange on the middle third and white at the peak. You can create a candy corn crown by painting the candies in succession along the forehead.
To paint a jack-o-lantern, begin with a circle or oval of orange paint. When the orange paint dries, add small triangles in black paint for the eyes and nose and paint a toothy smile in black as well. Add a green stem and your jack-o-lantern is complete.
The most important thing to remember when face painting is to have fun and keep it simple! Children aren't expecting a Picasso to be painted on their face. They simply love to celebrate the occasion and face painting is the perfect way to light up the face of any child.
About The Author:
JoAnne Westcott is the author of the downloadable e-book, Easy Face Painting: How You Can Get Professional Results Even If You've Never Picked Up A Paintbrush. You can learn more about face painting and how to acquire the simple skills to get started by visiting http://www.easyfacepainting.com By JoAnne Westcott
Published: 10/5/2005
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Abstract Art Paintings
In general terms, abstract art paintings break the monotony of realism and reject the fact that paintings should depict pragmatism. In the pre-World War II era, abstract art painters mostly depicted spiritualism or intellectualism, rejecting the 20th century motto of “art for art’s sake” and replacing realism with spirituality and rationality. Furthermore, with the advent of the technology age, abstract art has gained greater significance. Abstract art painting took a further leap in 1911 with the creation of synthetic cubism and analytical cubism. These forms of cubism fragmented the subject in the painting, for example, in analytical cubism, painters used crystalline geometry, while in synthetic cubism the subjects were reduced in size. Artists like Piet Mondrian, whose paintings ultimately led to the first non-figurative paintings or pure abstract art from 1914 onwards, pioneered such forms of cubist painting. In the twentieth century, Russian painter Wassily Kandisky pioneered non-figurative art. Furthermore, in the 1940s, another form of abstract art called Abstract Expressionism emerged, in which the theory of expressionism was applied to abstract paintings. The art form had an enormous impact on contemporary American artists, with New York becoming the hub of Abstract Expressionism. Jackson Pollock in his action paintings used this technique of abstract expressionism wherein he dripped, dropped, smeared or threw paint onto the canvas to create an art object. Other well-known followers of Abstract Expressionism, also known as the New York School and Action Painting, are Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko. Abstract art painting does not refer to any figurative reality; instead it depicts real forms in a simplified or reduced way, creating an allusion of the original subject. Abstract Art provides detailed information on Abstract Art, Modern Abstract Art, Abstract Art Paintings, Abstract Art Galleries and more. Abstract Art is affiliated with African Wildlife Art. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Damian_Sofsian
Painting as an art form has undergone several changes, especially during the 20th century, wherein a transition from figurative painting to abstract painting was the chief feature of the era. Renowned painter Pablo Picasso is generally believed to have ushered the shift from figurative to abstract painting. Picasso, along with George Braque, formulated a new pictorial representation known as cubism, wherein the artists depicted an object as seen from a different viewpoint.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Banksy Is The World's Most Wanted Graffiti Artist
Article on the street artist called "Banksy".
You can see graffiti in every country in the world. It often defaces walls, poles, trains and the fronts and sides of buildings. Graffiti is considered undesirable vandalism to its victims who spend time and money to paint over or wash it off their property. Indeed, graffiti painting is an ongoing problem in many subway stations and on public walkways, signs, cement walls, and other locations.
However, on the streets of the United Kingdom near London, an artist called Banksy continues to gain international recognition and fame for his graffiti. The fact is that Banksy's "street art" has become immensely popular with both pedestrians and private art collectors alike. In the last several years, there have been a number of exhibitions and auctions of Banksy's art work as his popularity has soared.
The growing popularity of his art is in evidence in the secondary market where a painting titled "Space Girl and Bird" sold for $575,000 in an auction event last year (2007). In fact, Banksy's art can now be found in many private art collections worldwide. Banksy has also produced leaflets and books on art and has his own website. He self-published his first three books, "Existencilism," "Banging Your Head Against a Brick Wall," and "Cut It Out."
His latest book called, "Wall and Piece," was published by Random House and has already sold more than two hundred and fifty thousand copies. Nevertheless, Banksy continues to keep his real identity secret to avoid arrest and prosecution. His anonymity is said to be born of a desire to be a "quality vandal" and to elude the police. He once said, "Imagine a city where graffiti wasn’t illegal, a city where everybody could draw wherever they liked, where the street was awash with a million colors and little phrases. . . . A city that felt like a party where everyone was invited, not just the estate agents and barons of big business." He has a unique view of the art world as well. He has said, "The art world is the biggest joke going. It’s a rest home for the over-privileged, the pretentious, and the weak."
Banksy's graffiti began appearing on trains and walls around Bristol, England in 1993. By 2001, his street art could be seen all over the United Kingdom. His art has a distinctive style which makes it easy to recognize. It features attention to detail and uses layered stenciling and spray paint. Banksy uses familiar images and his pictures contain dark humor and are often controversial. His art is often focused around anti-war, anti-establishment, and anti-capitalism themes. Sometimes Banksy's works have a pro-freedom message.
Banksy uses rats as images in many of his pictures. His most famous street paintings are a series of black-and-white stenciled rats. Many of these rats are created to be larger than life. The rats have become immensely popular with London pedestrians. A "gangster rat," painted on a wall near the Smithfield market, wears a peace-sign medallion and carries a sign that says "Welcome to Hell." Another rat holds a sign that reads, "Please love me."
Other Banksy art features the image of two policemen kissing painted on a public wall. In another picture a military helicopter is adorned with a pink bow. Winston Churchill has a Mohawk haircut in another. He has even produced revisionist oil paintings such as Mona Lisa with a yellow smiley face, and a pastoral landscape surrounded by crime-scene tape. Banksy, dressed in a disguise, installed them in the Louvre and the Tate.
Banksy often uses public walls as a background to display his art. Although recently he has been creating art on canvas as well. In addition, Banksy sometimes enters museums and galleries to add his own art to the museum collections. In the last several years, Banksy's street art has been seen internationally. It has been found in the Middle East on Israel's West Bank barrier, and in various countries worldwide including Spain, Palestine, Germany, and the United States. He painted the security fence at Bethlehem with a scene of a hole in the concrete barrier. The hole revealed a glittering beach on the other side.
Banksy is viewed by people in many different ways. To some he is an anti-hero who touches the public conscience. Others think of him as an anti-social rogue who vandalizes public property. Some people who have done business with him consider him to be both a genius and a madman. Many view him as unique and irreverent.
On his website Banksy states that he has bought a taller ladder to use in his work. So there can be no doubt that his graffiti ("street art") will continue. For their part, the authorities in the United Kingdom will continue to try to identify and subsequently arrest Banksy, the world's most wanted graffiti artist.
James William Smith has worked in senior management positions for some of the largest financial services firms in the United States for the last twenty five years. He has also provided business consulting support for insurance organizations and start up businesses. Mr. Smith has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Boston College. He enjoys writing articles on political, national, and world events. Visit his website at http://www.eworldvu.com
By James Smith
Published: 2/15/2008
Face Painting Courses: Learn from Home Instead
Taking face painting courses is a fun and exciting activity, it has become a popular hobby for many people. Aside from bringing out the creativity in a person, it is also a lucrative and fun activity. Instead of taking time to go to a specific school or establishment just to take up face painting courses or workshops, it is best if you do it at home. Aside from saving you time from attending classes, it will also help you save up money. Taking a course at home can also give you the freedom you need to create unique designs without having to feel pressure from other people.
Taking Face Painting Courses:
The best way to take learn at home is by using step by step face paint photo guides. What you need are designs, and to know how to paint each part of the designs and in what order. Once you have a face paint guide, you can learn and practice at home, in your own time.
Taking a course at home will give you enough time to reflect what age bracket you would prefer to work on to. Aside from painting children, you can also learn how to face paint adults by learning various techniques and methods of face painting application. You can also learn to face more intricate and detailed face paint designs because you will have more time to practice.
If you are a beginner, opt for a face paint course that will teach the basics. Here, you will have an introduction to the basic techniques. Usually, these courses for beginners focus on painting children because simple patterns and face paint designs are being used.
When you take a course, you will learn not just effective and efficient sponge and brush techniques but also on proper color combination. You will learn to combine colors that would really have a nice effect based on the design that you have chosen. You will discover that you can use and combine colors that are not common to the design you will paint. And, in most face painting courses you will learn to mix face paints very well without wasting them when you did not achieve the color combination that you desire.
Aside from these tips and application methods, face painting courses will also introduce you to various aspects of the creative process and will inspire you to improve on your craft. These courses can also introduce you to different style and speed developments in the field of designs and graphics aside from encouraging you to dig in to your creativity to come up with designs that are truly yours.
Philadelphia Tivoli is the creator of the face painting course titled "The Comprehensive Guide to Face Painting". Get her course with a step-by-step guide to 50 face paint designs right here: http://www.FacePaintingTips.com By Philadelphia Tivoli
Published: 1/17/2008
Face Painting Tips For Your Kids Party
Kid face painting makes a great kids party activity. Even a novice can achieve spectacular results by following these simple face painting tips and techniques.
If you can apply your own make-up or doodle a simple design, you can learn to face paint for a kids party. With these easy tips and techniques and a little practice, you'll be turning out all sorts of colorful characters. Here's how to achieve spectacular results and the admiration of children and parents alike.
First and foremost, inform parents that there will be face painting at your party. Check for any skin allergies. Do not paint children with open cuts or rashes.
Prepare by obtaining the correct paints and materials. Use water-based paints which clean off easily with wet wipes or mild soap and water. Whenever possible, Use paints that have FDA approval for cosmetics. Acrylic paints are not meant for use on the skin and should be avoided.
Have lots of sponges and brushes handy, as well as a container of water. Use a different sponge or brush for each color to minimize the need to clean frequently.
When brushing on color, use only enough water to allow the paint to flow on smoothly. Use even less water when sponging color on large areas. Apply as you would shoe polish, dabbing to even and smooth the color.
The easiest way to get comfortable face painting is to apply color to the entire face and then add simple accents or sparkles. For example, for a Spiderman party, sponge on an all-over red background, then with a fine brush paint a spider web on the cheek or around one eye. Red works well for a ladybug party too, just add a couple of large black spots on each cheek.
For a Shrek or Hulk party, green faces alone can convey the character and mood of the day. White with dark under-eye shadows makes a great Halloween mummy face, pink and glittery is perfect for a princess party, lavendar with a few well-placed flowers for a garden party. Clowns are easy - white face with red cheeks and nose, blue crosses over the eyes.
When you're ready, practice a few simple cheek designs. Many face painting books are available with designs from simple to spectacular. Use these to inspire you and practice, practice, practice. The more you practice, the quicker you will be able to complete a design, and your confidence will grow.
Try these quick and easy cheek designs:
Girls: hearts, stars, flowers, slogans, butterflies, ladybugs, smiley face, dolphin
Boys: spider, spiderweb, scars, mustache & beard, snake, shark
Face painting stamps are also available online to make the process even easier. These rubber stamps allow you to stamp a design on the child's face and simply color it in!
Invest in a good quality facial glitter, which adds pizzazz to any face paint design.
Supplement your face painting by making available some temporary tattoos for kids to choose from. Many different themes are available.
Have a mirror handy to show kids the result of your handiwork. They'll get excited and that enthusiasm will spread!
Plan other games and activities for kids to do while you take them one at a time for face paint.
Remember that everyone is capable of sponging on face color and making simple designs. That's all kids really want. Once you've conquered the basics, you can always graduate to more intricate designs.
You might just enjoy face painting so much you'll decide to hire out your services for other kids parties, too!
Copyright 2005 Kids Party Paradise All Rights Reserved
Patricia B. Jensen is a mother of three and kids party enthusiast. She is the webmaster and owner of Kids-Party-Paradise.com - a complete resource for kids party ideas including invitations, cakes, decorations, games,
costumes, favors, and food.
For all the latest party news, read her Kids Party Blog
By Patricia Jensen
Published: 2/23/2005
It's All in The Paint
Painting for some people is a dreaded but necessary task. Others love the creativity that painting provides them and they don't mind getting a little messy while they do it. Painting should provide you with the opportunity to take your ideas and then put them on your walls. You have many options to choose from in colors and painting styles and you will want to be certain that your ideas will flow throughout your home.When buying paint, you get what you pay for. If you go for the less expensive brands of paint, plan on having to put down at least two coats. These paints are often thinner and will require more paint to get a good covering on your walls. They may also not spread as well, so you may need to consider the types of brushes or painting pads you are using. Paint brands that are slightly more expensive are often worth it. Their colors tend to be somewhat brighter and you can usually get a good cover with even one coat. Granted, some colors are going to require more paint to cover, but they typically tend to cover better and spread very well. You may also need to consider different types of paints if you are going to be getting creative with sponges, rags and other creative painting mediums.
When selecting colors you will first want to consider the lighting of the room. If you have a dark room, with little natural light then a dark paint will only make it darker. Brighten up rooms with light hues of blues or yellows. Avoid bright white as it shows dirt easily and may turn yellowish over time. A bright white will also make the room too white. You will find that lighter hues will make the room more relaxing and you may even find yourself spending more time in those rooms. Different colors can also bring your spirits up and brighten your mood. Darker colors may be very relaxing and possibly put you into a relaxing feel for a good nap.
Creative painting techniques can also add a bit of variety to a room. Sponges, rags and plastic bags can add creative style to any room. These are popular in rooms such as offices, living spaces and bedrooms. These techniques can also add a little contrast for texture to walls or use several complementary colors for a bright and creative feel. If you are interested in using these different types of painting styles, you will need at least two different colors of paint that complement each other. There are also paint additives available that will allow you to add texture such as sand to your walls for an even more interesting and creative design.
If you feel that you need a little something else in the room after painting, you may find that white crown molding around the top of your dining room adds an extra touch of sophistication. It even helps to hide those paint lines that weren't perfectly straight. Other ideas include wallpaper boarders that add an extra little touch of style and can blend well with room's theme. Wainscoting can turn a simple dining room or breakfast nook into a beautiful home interior masterpiece.
By Christopher Brown
Chris Brown is a regular contributor to Home Remodeling, Bathroom Remodeling and Kitchen Remodeling websites. Chris also takes pride in many of his own do-it-yourself projects around his own home.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Brown
Monday, February 18, 2008
Oil Painting Lesson - Introduction To Oil Painting Fundamentals
This article will provide beginner oil painters with an introduction to the basic fundamentals of oil painting.
To accurately convey your feelings about the subject you are painting, you should learn and understand the fundamentals of oil painting like drawing, color theory, value and composition. I hope to give you a better understanding of these fundamentals in this article. This article is meant to be an introduction. You should study these topics further on your own when you have time.
DRAWING
Learning to draw, as a foundation for oil painting, is one of the most valuable skills a beginner oil painter can have. Many new artists usually frown upon the idea of drawing first. They would rather jump right into painting, as most beginners do. Nothing is more rewarding for a painter, than working with color, but if you want to gain experience working with values, form, and space, then drawing is something you should consider learning. This is not to say that you should master drawing, as it is an art form all in itself, but do spend time drawing and sketching your subjects before you work with color. Did you know that in art schools, many years ago, students were not permitted to work with paint until they successfully spent at least a few years drawing first? They must have been very restless, but imagine how skilled they became before they ever lifted a brush. You should at the very least have a basic understanding of drawing techniques before you begin. Check out Amazon.com for some great beginner drawing books that will give you a well rounded introduction to drawing and techniques. A book that is highly recommended by artists is: "The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, by Betty Edwards".
COLOR AND VALUE
Color is probably the single most exciting part of oil painting. It is truly amazing how an artist can take a two dimensional surface and create the illusion of depth and distance using color. To accurately depict a three dimensional scene using color requires much practice and an understanding of color theory and how to mix colors. The basics of color are value, hue, saturation and temperature. The value of a color is how light or dark it is. The hue refers to the color itself as it appears on the spectrum of colors. The saturation is the strength or purity of the color. The temperature of a color is how cool or warm a color is. For instance a cool color is blue and a warm is red. Artists can use temperature to give the illusion of distance. Cooler colors tend to recede into the distance, as in a distant mountain range, and warmer colors tend to advance closer toward the front of a picture. Color theory is a very broad topic, one that deserves more thorough attention. A great book on color theory and mixing is "Color Mixing the Van Wyk Way: A Manual for Oil Painters".
COMPOSITION
Have you ever visited an art museum and a particular painting just grabbed your attention and drew you in? Something in that painting kept you there looking and studying it. One element the artist successfully used in that painting was composition. The artist laid out the shapes and divided the space in the painting in such away that appealed to your senses. Here are some points to consider when developing your composition:
1) Avoid putting the main focus of interest in the center of your painting. 2) The areas of your canvas should be divided into parts of different sizes. For instance, if you are creating a landscape painting, do not put the horizon right in the center of your painting. 3) Do not place all the interesting parts of your composition on the left side of your painting. People read from left to right so they will have no reason to continue viewing the rest of your painting. 4) Avoid placing an interesting or important element of the painting too close to the edge of the canvas.
There are other elements that contribute to good design in an oil painting. Here is another good book to study if you would like to learn more about this fascinating aspect of painting: "The Simple Secret to Better Painting: How to Immediately Improve Your Work with the One Rule of Composition by Greg Albert"
I know all this information seems overwhelming at first. Oil painting can be very challenging in the beginning, but don't let that intimidate you. The most important thing to remember is to never give up and keep painting. You will learn from your mistakes and grow as a painter. Everything will come together in time. Happy Painting!
By Ralph Serpe
Published: 4/5/2007
The art of oil painting
Discover different methods to create oil paintings, directly from expert artists. Descriptions of the tools required to do oil painting and their importance.
In recent years many people like to have their own oil paintings. There are few companies in the market who offers 'a painting from photo' services. The whole process is done online when the customer sends his digital image directly to a studio who paints it. Once the artist finishes the painting, he will send it to the customer. A painting from photo is highly complicated it is one of the most difficult style of painting. An artist who paints according to a given photo should be highly skillful and must have a long experience in paintings. There is no other style that requires such high level of technique. Any mistake in the painting may cause the customer to reject the painting. If a customer sends a photo of his daughter, hoping to have an oil portrait of her, he expects that all his daughter's details will be capture carefully in the painting. If the artist makes a slight change in the facial details, it may change the whole appearance of the child. Therefore, the artist must have tools to help him to make the right proportions of the subject. When we talk about paintings from photos, we must remember that proportions are the basics to a successful painting. The artist has various tools that he can use in order to start a painting according to a given photo. If the artist doesn't use any tool and paints only according to his intuition, the painting will have a more artistic feeling but on the other hand it will be less accurate and may show the subject in the wrong proportions.
Listed below are some of the most popular tools an artist can use while making a portrait from a photo: Roller: a roller is a special tool designed for artists to enable them to draw the outer lines of the subject to the canvas according to the proportions in the original photo. This special roller is placed on the photo and on the canvas at the same time, when the artist moves the roller on the subject in the photo, it moves in bigger proportion on the canvas. The side of the roller that moves on the canvas has a pencil attached to it so when it moves, it draws lines on the canvas. This is an accurate tool, it is cheap and it is easy to use. Copy paper: some artists will print the photo on a paper which is in the same size as the canvas. They put a copy paper between the canvas and the printed image so when they move a pencil on the printed image, it is transferred lines of ink to the canvas. This is an accurate tool, it is relatively expensive but once you have the printed image it is fast to paint the proportions. Printed canvases: in the last few years a new technique has developed to help the artists to capture the fine details and colours in the painting. This new method is very simple, The artist prints the image directly on the canvas. After the photo the artist will paint over the print. The quality of the painting is related to the number of layer that the artist uses to cover the print. The print is a tool that shows the artist the correct proportions and colors of the original photo. however, if the artist use only one ore two layers to cover the print, the painting may lack the artistic feeling because it will be very similar to the photo. Another disadvantage of the print is that if there are not enough layers to cover it, the oil paints might fade or break after few years. The reason is that the ink layer doesn't have good reaction with the oil paint. The longevity of an oil painting is determined by the quality of the canvas, the oil paints, the print thickness and the numbers of layers. (which should be 3-4 layers for an oil painting). To solve the problem cause by the ink, there are new printers which produce prints based on watercolours. Projector: this tool is preferred by many artists. The artist puts inside a special projector which projects the photo directly on the canvas. The image is shown on the canvas in full colours and the artist uses a pencil to mark important details on the canvas. This method allows the artist to see and draw the correct proportions of the photo directly on the canvas. Discover the perfect gift for a wedding, anniversary or any other occasion.
By Assaf Kostiner
