portrait sketches

Watercolour Painting Tips for Beginners

2011-08-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

Watercolour painting for a beginner can be a bit difficult. It requires only the medium of water. It is a complicated painting technique to master -- right from the amount of water to mix, to knowing when to stop. How the painting will eventually turn out is seldom predictable for amateur painters, as the appearance changes as paint dries up. So is watercolour painting a maze of calculations -- guesswork and hoping the best turns out? The following tips should help throw some of the unpredictability out of the way.

Art Supplies Needed

To begin with, you need the right art supplies before you start painting. These include watercolour paper, brushes -- the round, flat wash and oval wash brushes, stretching paper and primary colours - red (purple biased and orange biased), yellow (green biased and orange biased) and blue (purple biased and green biased).

Mixing these primary colours can produce virtually all the other shades you might need for your work. You also need cleaning materials such as sponge or paper towels and two containers -- for clean water and for mixing. Eraser, drawing pencil and sketchbook are also handy.

Know Your Colours

The second stage is having a basic understanding of colours, which will be vital in mixing them. Knowledge of the colour wheel is a bonus. There are warm and cool colours of which reds, oranges and yellows are warm and greens, blues and purples are cool. The purest mixtures can be attained by mixing colours with the same bias, as mentioned in the paint list above. Colours that are biased to the same secondary colour produce the deepest shades.

Mixing opposite colours in the colour wheel results in duller shades that are either greyish or brownish. As the watercolour dries it becomes lighter, so when you mix ensure that your shade is quite intense and saturated. As far as possible, ensure that you don't use more than 3 colours for a particular mix.

First Steps to Professionalism - Adding Value and Tone

One of the most important aspects of professional painting is establishing value and tone. These factors ensure the painting has a three-dimensional feel, making it much more realistic and part of life. For this, the principle to keep in mind for watercolour painting is to move from the light to the dark areas unlike in oil painting on canvas where you move from the dark to the light.

Establishing Light and Dark Areas

Observing or imagining the object and the way light falls on it will determine the light and dark areas. Moving from the lighter to the darker areas can be achieved by painting successively without waiting for the adjacent layers to dry. This achieves a smoother and more blended effect and is ideal for backgrounds or depictions not requiring much detailing. For more detailed depictions of images in the foreground you can move from colour to colour after waiting for the previous application to dry. This gives a more chiselled appearance instead of a blend as there is no colour blending.

With these basic watercolour painting tips a beginner will be half way to mastering this delicate art method. The right art materials, knowledge about colour and establishing light and dark areas should put you on the right footing to start watercolour painting.

For beginners to watercolour painting it is important to buy the right Watercolour paints, paper and brushes. Artists Materials Online has a wide rage of Art Materials and Supplies including Watercolour Paints ranging from beginner to professional standard.

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Amy Winehouse Dies

2011-07-24T10:32:00.001-07:00

Amy Winehouse, the beehived soul-jazz diva whose self-destructive habits overshadowed a distinctive musical talent, was found dead Saturday in her London home, police said. She was 27.

Abstract Canvas Art

2011-06-05T10:28:00.001-07:00

Many people try to understand abstract art and walk away frustrated at the attempt. It will help to understand something about the history of abstract canvas art and how it first began, thus gaining a perspective of its philosophical and cultural origins. Abstract art has also been referred to as non-objective art.

Beginning at the time of the Post Impressionists, Gauguin and Van Gogh and other painters were endeavoring to put their inner world, as well as nature, on canvas. Since the time of the Renaissance, artist had expressed visible reality and linear perspective in painting. With the advance of technology and changes in science and philosophical views, at the end of the 19th century artists were now seeking a new way to express these changes in their art.

An early reaction to the Impressionists art movement was Expressionism, the bold use of painting in distorted imagery with intense color and often shocking forms of known objects. Examples of this art can be found in the paintings of Edvard Munch in "The Scream" painted in 1893 or in the art of James Ensor. Although a mostly German movement in the beginning, some artists influenced by Expressionism were Van Gogh, Oscar Koskoschka, Mark Chagall, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. Also in the late 19th century, Mysticism and the beginnings of modern religious thought had a profound influence on painters who later turned to abstracting images.

At the beginning of the 20th century and with the advent of World War I, artists were beginning to express emotions and the violence around them. The language of painting began using lines that were exaggerated, colors that were violent and forms that were distorted and thus the beginnings of abstract canvas art. George Braques began painting images that were faceted in order to paint the essence of an object. Picasso also joined in geometric shaping, and Piet Mondrian painted almost pure abstraction using line and geometric shapes. Leger, Kandinsky, Chagall and others added emotion to create abstracted work that was only partially based on reality, and the abstracted image became the source of art. Later, Picasso went somewhat further in abstracting with shapes and line and paintings such as "Guernica" contained an abstracted world of violence and chaos in war ravaged Europe.

Abstract canvas art, after World War II, was further popularized through the Abstract Expressionists. Artists such as Jackson Pollack went beyond just expressing emotion through images, by painting freely without control, as evidenced in his splatter paintings. Art started to express the spiritual as well, and artists began to paint color relationships and movement and depth, as the act of painting in itself became the theme of Pollack and Franz Kline. Mark Rothko began as a Surrealist and later painted compositions of squares in color relationships. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, color, lyrical movement, the transcendental and the timeless have been ongoing themes in abstract canvas art. Line, shape, color, and brush stroke define abstract art and make it the pleasure or pain of the viewer to interpret.

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A Few Tips on Watercolour Papers

2011-06-02T23:05:00.001-07:00

Probably one of the most important aspects of choosing Watercolour paper is the surface texture as this will either help you or hinder you with your watercolour painting. Watercolour paper is divided into three categories according to the surface of the paper: Rough, Hot-Pressed (HP), and Cold-Pressed (NOT).

Rough watercolor paper, as you'd expect from the name has the most textured surface, or most prominent tooth. It's described as having a pebbly surface with a series of irregular rounded shapes just like a pebbled beach. When using rough paper the paint from a very watery wash tends to collect in the indentations in the paper, creating a grainy effect when the paint dries. Alternately if you dry brush lightly across the surface, you'll apply paint only to the raised parts of the paper, the paint will only touch the tops of the ridges and not in the indentations. Rough paper is generally not a good paper for painting fine detail, but is excellent for a loose, more expressive style of painting.

HP stands for "Hot Pressed" and is the smoothest paper and is suitable for high detail work. Hot-pressed watercolour paper has a smooth surface with almost no tooth. Its smooth surface is ideal for painting fine detail and for even washes of colour. HP is not an ideal surface for beginners as they sometimes have problems with the paint sliding around on the smooth surface.

Cold-pressed watercolor paper is sometimes called "NOT" (as in "not hot pressed"). It's a slightly textured paper and is the most popular as it's suitable for most types of work. Cold-pressed paper is a medium paper, in between Rough and Hot-pressed paper and having a slightly textured surface. Cold-pressed paper is the most commonly used Watercolour paper as it allows for a good amount of fine detail work while also having enough texture to allow a more loose expressive style of painting.

The thickness of a sheet of watercolour paper is measured by its weight. So the greater the weight, the thicker the paper. Watercolour paper is measured in either (lb) pounds per ream or (gsm) grams per square meter. Most papers have both weights advertised as standard. There are 4 standard weights of watercolour paper, these are 90 lb (190 gsm), 140 lb (300 gsm), 260 lb (356 gsm), and 300 lb (638 gsm).

When you use a thinner paper it needs to be stretched, this is done to prevent the paper from buckling or warping when you paint on it. How thick the paper needs to be before it will start buckling does depend on how wet you tend to make the paper as you paint. The best way to decide which is the best weight of paper for your painting style is to experiment with different weights to see, but it's likely you'll find that paper with a weight of 140 lb (300 gsm) or less needs to be pre-stretched.

How to pre-stretch Watercolour paper: If you have chosen a paper of 140lb (300gsm) or less then the chances are you will need to pre-stretch your paper. The reason for pre-stretching is with the lighter weight papers when you apply water it moves and buckles, or "Cockling". This happens when the application of water when painting, will cause one side of the paper to expand slightly, the other side will remain dry and due to the sizing contained within the sheet will not expand. To counteract the papers movement on the wetted side, the paper buckles and warps. This then causes the very unsightly effect of buckling which is not ideal for the finished painting, and is also quite difficult to work with.

1. Immerse your sheet of paper either in a bath of cold water or under a tap for approximately 1 to 2 minutes, this is to allow the fibers in the paper to expand. Take care when handling your paper, ideally before you start wash your hands thoroughly and don't touch the area you intend to paint, this is because the paper is fragile when it's wet and also your finger marks will show up in your wash due to the grease on your fingers.

2. Carefully place your soaked sheet of paper flat on a board.

3. Using gummed tape, stick down all four edges of your paper, you can also staple down your paper but don't use heavy duty staplers as it will be hard to get the staples out which may result in you damaging your paper.

4. Blot any excess water from your paper, ideally use a clean sponge and leave to dry on a flat surface, a flat surface is preferred otherwise the water will drain to one edge and the paper will dry unevenly.

5. Leave your paper to dry at least for a couple of hours, but ideally over night. When your paper is completely dry it will be stretched tightly on the board and when you apply your wash the paper will not move or buckle again.

All Watercolour paper is made with a difference between the two sides, one side is usually slightly smoother and the other side has a slight hairier texture to it. There isn't a right and wrong side because which you use would depend on what you require from your watercolor paper. The smoother side of a paper is better if you're painting a lot of detail, while the hairier side is better if you want to build up colour by using lots of glazes.

The colour of watercolor paper varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and even between the different types of paper made by the same manufacturer. Watercolour paper doesn't just come in white it can range from a warm, rich cream to a cold, blueish white. The difference in colour tones can sometimes be easy to see, but at times it can be so slight that it is hardly evident even when you have two different sheets of watercolor paper next to one another.

One thing to consider when choosing your watercolour paper is that the different colour tones of paper will affect your paintings, as basically your starting your painting with a glaze, so this will have an impact on your painting. A watercolour paper with a slight cream colour can make your colours appear muddy or dull. A watercolour paper with a blueish tint can give your yellows a greenish appearance. When you are buying your watercolor paper, take its colour tint into consideration just as much as you would its texture and weight.

For all your art supplies please consider using Paint & ART as your first port of call. We offer a wide and comprehensive range of art supplies; everything a busy artist might need. We offer products from some of the most respected and trusted manufacturers in the business. http://www.paintandart.com is an online source for not only quality art supplies but also information; we offer hints and tips on problems that many artists face daily, we have a regular updated blog giving ideas and advice on products and techniques.

We have just opened a retail shop in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, for details and directions take a look at the shops website http://www.artsupplieshuddersfield.co.uk

The vision for Paint & ART is something quite different from your run of-the-mill art shop. Most art shops are quite boring places to be in, they're just shops that happen to sell art supplies; they may as well be selling table cloths or spanners. We feel that an art shop needs to be so much more; it needs to be a place of inspiration. Artists are by their nature, creative people, so they desire inspiration; they are always looking for something to inspire them, that little thing that stands out, something that gives them that spark of an idea. That's the feeling I'm hoping to create in our shop, we want an art shop where customers can buy their products from, but at the same time be totally inspired, I want them to come and hang out and just be immersed in the whole experience of the shop, look at the different things going on, look at the art on display, talk about art and ask for advice on the products they are looking to buy.

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Buying Supplies For Watercolour Paintings

2011-06-01T03:12:00.001-07:00

Buying watercolour art supplies is often the next step for an aspiring artist once they have started to develop their skills. Watercolours are notoriously thin paints so there are certain skills and a number of art supplies that a person must own in order to ensure that they create the desired painting of their dreams.

Using watercolours requires more precision than when you use typically thick paints as the faintest brush stroke can have a significant impact on the rest of the painting if done incorrectly.

When you know what type of painting you want to create, the first step is to choose the correct watercolour paint and there are a few things to consider when selecting these art supplies.

High quality art supplies are essential if you want to create your own masterpiece so you must take into consideration the standard of the watercolour paints, the size of the paint and the brand of the materials.

Artists on a budget may benefit from creating smaller paintings as they will be better off purchasing smaller amounts of high quality art materials compared to buying bigger quantities of substandard art supplies.

The next thing to consider is the variety of paintbrush you want to use as it does not matter how good your paint is if you have an incorrect brush to use as inappropriate art materials will result in poor quality art.

Painters must have both a small round and medium round brush before embarking on a painting as well as a very fine brush for intricate details and finishing touches. Watercolour paintings need brushes which are specific to watercolour paints and these are identified by their natural fibres and shorter handles but if you are unsure then you should undertake research.

Now that you have the correct paint and brush you must find the right surface to create on as there are only a limited number of surfaces that are appropriate for watercolours.

Artists that use watercolours will usually use special watercolour paper and sheets of these art supplies can be located in the majority of online art material stores once you have done the necessary research.

Another item to get is a dish for mixing the paints you have chosen to use and in my experience porcelain dishes are the best for watercolours as they allow the paints to mix more effectively.

Finally you will need to purchase a palette and an easel and once these have been bought you will be ready to commence your watercolour creation.

Buy the best art materials and art supplies from Turnham Arts & Craft. Click the links to discover what products are on offer!

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8 Tips For Professional Quality Face Painting

2011-05-23T13:01:00.000-07:00

Kids of all ages love to have their faces painted (especially the younger ones!), so it’s the perfect thing to learn how to do if you have young kids… or you’re planning to have a birthday party for your children.

With this in mind, I’ve prepared a few tips for people just starting out in face painting. Here they are:

1) If you’re painting a design that needs a large area to be covered with paint, use a sponge instead of a brush. Why? Because applying the paint with a sponge means it will dry quicker. It’s a good idea to have a few sponges set aside if you need to use different colors, because this means you won’t have to try and clean the sponge for each color…which would take time.

2) Always let the first color dry before you start painting on a second! If you forget to wait for it to dry, they colors will most likely mix and you’re going to have to start from scratch again.

3) Make sure you know what you want the finished face to look like. Don’t mak it up as you go along. You need to be able to paint faces rather quickly, as if you have children, you already know that kids aren’t always very patient…and they may get bored or restless if you’re thinking on what to paint next.

4) If you’re not good at painting freehand yet, don’t be afraid to use a stencil. You can get stencils of stars, hearts, flowers, and all sorts of things. These are perfect for stencilling onto a cheek. You’ll need stencils of different sizes to accommodate different face sizes.

5) If you want something faster than stencilling, why not try temporary tattoos? Make sure the person’s skin doesn’t react badly to it first, by asking them (or their parents)…or testing it on a small area first.

6) If you have a line of kids ready to have their faces painted, ask them to be thinking about what they would like a few minutes before its actually their turn. You don’t want to be delayed while each kid thinks of what he or she would like painted on their face.

7) Remember to have a mirror with you at all times so you can show the person what you have painted, and to make sure they’re happy with your work.

8) Professional face paint and stage makeup can be quite expensive, especially if you’re planning to paint a lot of faces. You can make your own simple face paint with cheaper ingredients. A quick search on Google will find you plenty of ideas that you can use to make your own face paint with. Bear in mind this won’t be as good as the professional face paint, so if you can afford it… I would advice you to get the professional stuff.

An Artist's Perspective on Being Commissioned

2011-05-18T01:42:00.000-07:00

Most professional artist will at some point be commissioned to create an artwork, this is the bread and butter of earning money and just like any work has ups and downs. I have had done many commissions and some are just better than others. Knowing what type of patron you have is vital to how you deal with the job, and indeed if you should take it on at all.

The good.

The best commissions come from patrons who know your style, and really want something unique. They trust your judgment and leave the overall detail and design up to you. It gives you freedom to explore the subject in your own artistic way, and create something you are proud of and therefore something the customer will also treasure. These commissions area breeze and the price you charge should reflect this, you don't want to under charge, but you'll defiantly want to have this customer back for more, so give them a good price.

The Bad,

Difficult commissions come from patrons who give far too much direction, specify all the details, write long briefs that give no room for creativity. These patrons, invariably will complain when it's not exactly what they had in their own imagination. The atmosphere of this constraint tends to stilt the final piece. while it may end up being acceptable after much fraught teeth gnashing, soul searching and reworking, the final piece for me is always tainted a little. When negotiating you commission you will notice the amount of "things they want included and the amount of detail and specifics they ask for. Every time you hear a new one, you should be adding to the price you're going to charge them.

The Ugly,

Finally there is the worse commission, where the patron ignores your style and asks you to paint, like someone else..? this is to be avoided at all costs... it doesn't advance your style, it's unlikely you'll create anything you are proud of. It's just insulting and the final pieces will be horrible. The best you can possibly do at this point is to find another artist who does the style the patron is asking for and see if you can get a small finders fee from the prospective artist for the commission recommendation. The worst thing you can do, is actually do the commission yourself. You won't be happy with the final result, the client wont be and anyone who looks at it will think you're a terrible artist.

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A Study of Jean-Honore Fragonard

2011-05-17T21:17:00.000-07:00

Jean-Honore Fragonard was a fashionable French artist who produced over 550 paintings within his 74 year life span. A remarkable aspect concerning Fragonard's artistic practices was that he rarely dated his work. Of the hundreds of paintings which he created there has been only five discovered which bears a date on them.

His usual manner of painting confers an atmosphere of intimacy, generally as if we are viewing scenes from someone's life which we really have not right to see which has led to some art circles as introducing him as a purveyor of eroticism. It has been mentioned that most of Fragonard's background scenes are reminiscent of the romantic gardens that he so enjoyed during his frequent visits to Rome. Upon his canvas we can view many gardens complete with fountains, terraces and temples. During the mid 1700s he married and was gifted with a daughter who was groomed as his model for many of his future paintings.

In this review we will address the value associated with Fragonard's "The Swing" which fully supports the premise that his paintings usually are composed of frivolity scenes. This is perhaps Jean-Honore's most recognized work of art. Since he failed to date the majority of his work it is difficult to determine what personal value he has instilled within his own art category. This particular work is viewed as a bit on the erotic side but clearly stops short of being vulgar.

Without a firm basis regarding dates we can only offer educated speculation in his art work intentions. When we first view this magnificent mid 1700 painting we are greeted by the image of a young lady as she is swung gracefully back and forth, propelled by a faint man in the background. Another of her gentlemen friends appears to be lying joyfully on the ground predisposed at watching the joyous girl performing before him. In her pink, flowing dress she has the reclined man's total attention. You can readily tell that the scene is taking place in a well grown garden as there are brick structures off on the side. The scene is further developed as the foliage is overcast with a smoky blue color complimented by foaming clouds in the background. The various branches and tree leaves tend to sparkle as if showered with glittering lights. If you pay close attention to the painting you will note that one of the young girl's shoes has flow off and is airborne.

As we analysis the image in detail we see a rococo style with its brilliant colors and faultless detail in all aspects of the painting. We are provided the rare liberty of being present with the aristocratic class at the time the art work was conceived. We are additionally afforded the opportunity of viewing nature with all its sensuous and intimate desire placed carefully upon the canvas. The artist skillfully uses soft but luminous colors to define his topic along with a series of complex surface renditions. As with many of Fragonard works which he turned out in the late 1700s he made free association of fanciful costumes and provided the viewer with a slight bit of erotic suggestions.

I feel the painting conveys not just a carefree lifestyle but also a hidden meaning. The mood of the art work demands that we enjoy ourselves as the players on canvas are graciously doing. The image brings out emotions of joy and playfulness as one watches and waits for the swing to go forward and then to slowly return only to start the cycle over once again.

The more exotic aspect centers upon the young man who is hidden carefully in the bushes silently watching as the lovely lady swings back and forth. Although she is being pushed by her husband who also is hiding in the shadows, he appears to be unaware that the other gentleman is watching from below or he and his wife are sexually teasing the young man. Each time the lady goes high upon her swing she flirtingly reveals herself to the gentlemen on the ground. She smilingly allows the reclined man to get a small, clandestine peek up her pink dress. The artist has successfully made his point towards eroticism of his work and pushed our senses to the max as we view his work. I think I can easily understand why this particular painting has become so popular.

The painting in question can be located by searching the internet either on the artists name or by the name of the painting. I recommend you find this wonderful work of art and examine it in greater detail.

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Painting Skies With a House Brush

2011-05-08T22:53:00.000-07:00

Most artists have probably never considered using a 3 inch house painting brush for their oil paintings, but doing so can get fantastic results with painting skies.

A soft bristle brush enables wonderful blending of the sky colours. Just start by thinning your white paint with a blend of 1/4 artists turps or gum turps with 3/4 linseed oil. Paint a very thin layer of white paint over the sky area and also over any other areas of the painting which will be light in colour.

Next select the colours you wish to use in the sky. Yellow ochre for the bottom, red violet for the middle and either blue or blue violet for the top will give great results.

Again thin the paint before applying to the white on the canvas. Remember that the ground or river colours are a reflection of the sky colours so as you apply each colour to the sky, starting from the lightest colour and going to the darkest, also apply this colour to the ground or river areas.

With the sky it is best to use criss cross strokes, and where one colour moves into the next use very light strokes with the brush to get a good blend between the colours.

For the ground or river use horizontal motion.

Clouds can be put into the sky once complete using a fan brush and then use a soft bristled fan brush to stroke them in a sideways motion to blend into the background colour of the sky.

Keep in mind also that shadows on the ground also pick up colour from the sky, so mix the darker colours such as the red violet and blue violet or blue with some burnt umber to use for shadows on the ground or for the opposite side of the trees to the chosen light source.

The light colour of the sky, being yellow ochre can be used as the highlight colour for the foliage on the trees.

The dark areas of the painting such as thick treed areas should be painted with a background of either burnt umber or a mix of burnt umber and dark green. Apply this coat as thinly as possible to prevent a muddly look when the contrasting colours of the foliage are applied.

Using a 1 inch or 2 inch brush to highlight the foliage areas can give much better results than using the normal smaller artists brushes.

Give these techniques a try and see how you go.

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Latest Customer From My Fiverr Gig

2011-05-07T12:11:00.000-07:00

What Is Essential Before Starting To Paint Pictures?

2011-05-04T22:27:00.000-07:00

Painting is a very attractive pastime -- even employment. It is quite satisfying and gives enormous pleasure. Even the initial attraction can be very great, so great that we give in to the temptation to "jump straight in" and get started right away.

Why not? Well, we can, but that would be a mistake. There are two really important precursors that we should see to first. And, in fact, both can be very enjoyable themselves: sketching and understanding colour.

SKETCHING
Painting a picture means painting shapes of one kind or another. So we need to consider where these shapes are going to come from. Unless we are happy buying a colouring book, they can only come from one's self. Hence, before we can paint we need to be able to draw.

Some people throw the possibility of the whole process into the rubbish bin by saying "I can't even draw a straight line". Freehand, it is extremely difficult even for a professional artist to draw a straight line -- but there is always a rule that can be used!

Most people can draw to some degree, but certainly some learning will always be necessary to progress to a better level. This probably means either attending art classes or buying a book. If the first is an option and we have both the time and money, no more need be said. If we don't have one or both, buying an instruction book is potentially very attractive.

SELECTING BOOKS
The market is full of "how to draw" books, although some are better than others. Buying from somewhere like Amazon is often useful because there are frequently assessments from previous readers. But wherever you buy from, don't be tempted to start with specialised books like "How To Draw Water" or "...Trees", or"...People", etc. Buy a general one, for two reasons. First, you will get a reasonably comprehensive introduction across a wide range of topics and images. Secondly, you will find out you are better at drawing some things than others. The "other" must not be ignored, but the information about your self is important.

So which general introductory book? You can pay from next to nothing to a considerable price. But what you want is something appropriate. You would not begin studying, say, economics by enrolling on a degree course. So you need something at an introductory level. Even so, you tend to "get what you pay for", so it pays to shop around a little first. Buying off the Internet can bring some real bargains, but do look at readers ratings first. Alternatively, buying from an actual shop may cost more, but it does give you the chance to look inside the book to make your own assessment.

One book I would be prepared to recommend can be purchased in either way. This is "Drawing With The Right Side On The Brain" by Betty Edwards. You could go a long way before getting a better starter.

EQUIPMENT
Apart from the book or tuition, it costs little to get going in drawing. You will need a drawing pad, or a couple of different sizes, one being small enough to take out with you for drawing on the spot whenever you see something of interest. Then you will need some pencils. These are usually graded according to hardness or softness. An "HB" is a middle value, a "B" softer, a "2B" softer still. etc, while an "H" is harder than "HB" and "2H" even harder, etc.

The stuff that makes marks on the paper can be lead, or graphite or charcoal. They all have their own advantages and disadvantages depending what and how you are drawing. Try one of each. In many cases you will need to sketch out the subject matter first, though in some case this may not be necessary. Or, alternatively, it may be enough just to outline the shapes with a weak wash of paint. When using pencil of one sort or another, you will also need a rubber. Get a softish one to start with. Drawing may turn out to be much more interesting and exciting than you imagine. It can be an end in itself.

COLOUR
Once you have gained some expertise in drawing, you may consider yourself ready to begin painting - but hold on for a little while longer and a little more tuition, because it will be of great advantage to find out something about colour first.

How to use colour may seem an obvious thing: some colours go well together and some don't. What else is there to know? Well, quite a lot and it's a really good idea to get some basic information before you start painting. Again, there are many good books around and, again, Betty Edwards has an excellent introduction with "Color. A course in mastering the art of mixing color". This will give you a good grounding if you are prepared to work through all the exercises.

After that, you should be ready to go!

AUTHOR: A K Whitehead
This article is copyright but may be reproduced providing that all this information is included.
Web site: http://www.paintingsinoil.co.uk/
where quality paintings have free frames and free UK delivery.

A K Whitehead paints in a traditional manner, making especial use of glazing and impasto techniques. His work covers landscapes, waterscapes, snowscapes and seascapes. He is a member of the Association of All Artists. Original images are for sale at realistic prices that include frames and delivery.

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A Portrait of the Artist in the Contemporary World

2011-05-03T20:47:00.001-07:00

What is an artist? Most dictionaries will answer to this question as being a person who creates things through great skill and imagination.

Talent, skill, creativity are the necessary tools for being an artist from my point of view. Mastering well the techniques, having courage to experiment at times, not standing still, not being a prisoner of repetitive schemes are also of vital importance. Yet, I see all of these as making part of a well-trained artist, and being only a well-trained artist is reductive.

In my opinion, an artist - a painter, to better put it, since this is what I want to talk about - should have something more than great technical skills and even imagination. She/He has to have vision! Vision that should come from the heart and soul of that artist. She/He should be humane but keep inside the glimpses of eternity, the memory of never-ending spaces, places and thoughts, the memory of worlds that seem to come from different dimensions. She/He should be in contact with higher realms. The artist should be free and not constrained to his age artistic 'fashion', to what the others expect him to create, to what the art market dictates, in order to make a living out of his art. Not that this is wrong, but I am talking here about the pure concept of being an artist. The one who has courage to hold tight on her/his convictions, on her/his, in the end, own style of painting, on her/his uniqueness. An artist should be one who is not afraid of travelling new paths with the conviction and resolution of a mad hatter without bothering about being considered one. The history of art is full of such examples. Van Gogh is only one such artist who created no matter what, kept painting irrespective of the non-appreciation of his contemporary fellow artists and people.

When painting, an artist should put his heart on the canvas, the brush strokes should be in fact his soul strokes and the final product - the painting - should be the perfect illustration of his thoughts, feelings, emotions, experiences. That painting is a part of her/his soul shared with the world, a world that may see itself reflected in it, with all its doubts, fears, happiness, love, etc.

When I look at a painting, I seek moments of contemplation, I seek answers to questions I might have, inspiration and suggestions for situations I am going through. In my opinion, a painting should be both a mirror (reflecting your life) and a window (gives you a different perspective of the same problem) or creates worlds which you hold inside your soul, your imagination, but never had the chance to actually see them. I need a painting to 'talk' to me, I need to 'listen' to its 'sounds'.

Our contemporary art movement consists in keys which are stuck on the canvas, two lines drawn on a huge cardboard, two brush strokes of two different colours, straws or matches covered in oil paint and thrown on the canvas in an illogical 'ordered' manner. Well, I might be obtuse, but this kind of art does not wake up my spirit, does not enrich my days and I categorise it under the title 'Kitsch'. If one gives a brush and some watercolours to a child, she/he does a better job in painting lines, and swirls, etc. but nobody has ever considered putting up an art show in a gallery with her/his drawings and calling them 'invaluable works of art'. Yet, again I come and say, art is free, consequently the artist should be free too. Each and every artist is free to choose the style she/he feels more comfortable with and so are the collectors or admirers of art.

The idea is that, I for one, would have loved to see more aesthetic art and more visionary artists in the galleries and on the pages of art magazines.

Do such artists still exist? Yes, and I had the fortune of beautifying my days with the works of one such artist, Ric Nagualero. Which is his art style? 'Philosophism' he likes to call it, since his paintings are thoughts, answers to the questions one might have, put on canvas. What is his philosophy? 'Where thoughts become paintings'. This mixture of intellect, imagery, wisdom, and beauty is what makes all the difference. A work of art should be like this: a little cryptic, with a spiritual reality in it, which is not immediately apparent to senses, intelligent, illustrating the communion with a higher realm.

No, I am not an artist, in case you were wondering. I am one who simply loves art and I am writing here my thoughts and feelings about what I think art means. So, do not take this as a valuable study made by a connoisseur, but as a mere opinion coming from my heart.

Art means aesthetic beauty, simplicity, colour, shape. This is what I expect from the artistic movement nowadays. Artist means heart on canvas, vision, wit, meanings and thoughts conveyed through colours and brush strokes.

Let your soul quench its thirst of aesthetic beauty! I am sure it will thank you...

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Simple Sketching Exercise To Free The Artist Within You

2011-05-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest problem that's holding a lot of artists back is the tendency to over think a drawing project. I'm sure you've been there before. You stare at a picture forever not knowing where to begin and when you do finally start drawing, you agonize over every single stroke and curve. Erasing and re-drawing, erasing and re-drawing. The whole process becomes quite frustrating and your final art work is never as good as you'd like it to be.

This is the artistic equivalent of writer's block and the reason you (and so many other artists) suffer from it is simple: you are trying to draw AND edit yourself at the same time. Here's why this is such a bad idea: in order to draw you must engage the creative side of your brain but when you edit and critic yourself, you are engaging the analytical side of your brain. The two cannot both function at the same time. It is the equivalent of you trying to walk forward and backward simultaneously; the result is paralysis and you end up going no where.

Ok, so how do you break this all too common habit? One simple, yet devastatingly effective exercise is the "60-second sketch". The way it work is you pick out a picture of a figure that you want to draw and then draw it in 60 seconds. After 60 seconds, you HAVE to stop. Now obviously you're not going to be able to draw a very complete figure in 60 seconds, but that's the point. This exercise forces you to let go of any self-editing tendency and allow your creativity and energy to flow through. You stop obsessing about the details and begin to see the figure as a whole. This, by the way, is the key to adding life and emotion to your drawings. Do this exercise at least one time a day and you'll be well ahead of 95% of artist out there. (There's no excuse not to...it only takes 60 seconds!)

Here are some key points to remember when doing this exercise:

-Always keep your hands moving. If you slow down, you are only giving yourself a chance to slip back into an analytical frame of mind. (I like to act like I just drank a gallon of Red Bull and that my hand is possessed by some artistic demon)

-Make long broad strokes. This means you should be drawing not with just your wrist, but also your arm. It also helps to practice on a large piece of paper so that you have more freedom to move around.

-Warm up by doodling or drawing long vertical and horizontal lines across a piece of scratch paper. As simple as this sounds, it will wake up your hand and make the exercise much easier and enjoyable.

Now just because you are engaging your creative brain, does not mean that the analytical side is not important. That's not what I'm saying at all! You just shouldn't be trying to hone both skills at the same time. But true greatness can only come when you have both creativity and a solid technical knowledge of your craft. In fact, by strengthening your knowledge of anatomy and the human body, you'll find that you'll be able to product these 60-second sketches effortlessly and that they will come out much more detailed and realistic.

One great tool for building your knowledge of anatomy is my ebook "Shortcut Secrets of Figure Drawing". It has TONS of illustrations of every human body parts for you to reference. It covers every parts in the human body and show them in perspective, from different angles, both in still poses and in movement.

You can get a FREE chapter by going to http://www.secretsoffiguredrawing.com/optin and enter your email to get free instant access to this 20-page content-packed chapter.

I guarantee it will improve your figure drawing faster than anything out there...and it's completely free. You'll also receive other great articles and useful tips about figure drawing. Don't worry, there's no obligations and you can unsubscribe at anytime!

Get Your FREE Chapter Now

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What Oil Paints Should Be Used In Painting?

2011-05-03T03:01:00.001-07:00

This article concentrates on producing images using oil paints. There are a great variety of makes of oil paints to choose from and a corresponding range of price and quality. When beginning to paint, there is an understandable tendency to go for the cheapest. Why spend a lot of money on paints one might subsequently not use again?

BUY CHEAP, BUT...
OK! So buy the cheapest and have a go. But there is a big "but". In fact, one or two big buts. So if you are going to go cheapest, do so partly by purchasing the smallest tubes of paint you can find - because as soon as you get "hucked" on oil painting, you will need to be severe with yourself and throw the low quality stuff all away.

Probably the smallest size tube you will find is 21ml. After that come 38ml, 75ml etc. Certainly the larger sizes ought to be left until later. One possibility is that you may by large tube sizes for colours which, as you develop, will be used very infrequently.

Likewise with supports (the things like framed canvass which you put the paint on). Not much point in putting cheap paint on expensive supports. Don't begin by purchasing large sizes: try, say, around 12" X 10".

Brushes...? Well, cheap brushes will not last very long anyway, and in all probability, you will be happy to get rid of (hopefully) the few you have bought. And really cheap ones can be had almost anywhere. If you are starting off with small pictures, you will need small brushes. The main types are: round, flat and filbert (flat but with the corners rounded). You can usually get this in sets.

GETTING WHAT YOU PAY FOR
This is a great economic truth (most of the time). It certainly applies to artist's materials, the main reason being that good materials cost more than cheap ones - and as soon as you develop an enthusiasm for oil painting, you will want to upgrade everything you are using. But you can only upgrade by getting rid of any temptation to downgrade by resorting to the cheap stuff you began with. So buy cheap to start, but then...

EARLY STAGES
In the early stages of learning to paint you may not be aware of the differences between alternative qualities of paint. (The differences in brushes will be much more apparent). But they are real, and trying different ones will later bring an awareness of this. So when you sense the commitment to painting is growing, try some more expensive ones.

TYPES OF OIL TO START WITH
Many artists use competitively priced oil paints as are available in most stores or on line. These come in various types but, moving on, ignore the cheaper student type. One of the most important determinants of price is the cost of pigments that produce the colour. There are several companies around that provide a high quality at reasonable prices by using alternative pigments, which are cheaper than traditional ones, and they come in an adequate range of colours. As with other types of oil paint, they can be bought in sets with, say, six smaller sized tubes of 21ml. This provides a limited pallet (or range of colours), which is a good thing for beginners since it allows one to get to know what can be achieved by mixing, say, two or three basic colours.

Daler-Rowney Georgian oils are another relatively economic range, which aims to attain a high standard. Tube sizes are 38ml, 75ml and 225ml, but start with the smaller ones. Again, sets are available, including starter kits.

Daler-Rowney and Winsor & Newton Artists oils are of a professional quality and cost around twice as much as those previously discussed. But it is the quality one is paying for: much better pigment (which affects the appearance of the paint, how long its colour last, etc) superior handling and so forth.

AND LATER...
As you progress, there are several makes of oil paint which offer even more superior qualities but, of course, that old economics principle means that the price goes up (and for some, up and up!). Among these are Michael Harding (which the painter David Hockney rates as "excellent" and "first quality") and Rembrandt (which claims especial brilliance. So there is much you can progress to.

AUTHOR: A K Whitehead
This article is copyright but may be reproduced providing that all this information is included.
Web site: http://www.paintingsinoil.co.uk/

These are provided with free frames. Free delivery is also included in the UK but a small additional charge may be made for delivery outside the UK. All oil paintings can be obtained directly from http://www.paintingsinoil.co.uk/gallery.html where full information is available.

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What Is Pop Art? The History

2011-05-02T20:54:00.000-07:00

Although difficult to define any genre of art, Pop Art is particularly elusive in that it reflects the current fads and imagery associated with consumerism and popular culture. Today, Pop Art can be characterized by its vibrant colors, dark outlines and often playful content that make it so attractive to the general public. As a growing and constantly evolving movement, few people realize it was founded over five decades ago.

The Golden Age of the movement took place between 1958 and 1975. It was one of the biggest art movements of the twentieth century, despite many critics denouncing this new style as "kitsch", or a tasteless and cheap imitation of true, valuable art. The term Pop Art was first coined by Lawrence Alloway, an English art critic, in an edition of Architectural Digest. He used this phrase to describe a break from the elitism that was associated with the predominant art of the time.

The Pop Art movement was the result of a combination of two factors: the 1950's postwar economic boom and a general frustration among artists with Abstract Expressionism. After World War II, the market for consumer goods ballooned as a growing middle class began to indulge in luxury items. As a result, advertising agencies expanded their grasp on the American landscape and utilized radio, television and print to drive demand. This led to products being mass marketed and advertised like never before.

During this boom many artists were becoming frustrated with the predominant art style of the time, Abstract Expressionism. Abstract Expressionism was a nontraditional art form popular in the early half of the twentieth century. It expressed ideas and emotions through abstract or non representational means. A backlash developed against this style, first in Britain and then the United States. Many artists believed it was elitist and exclusionary, as its content was often left to scholars for interpretation. Others noted that these pieces were solely found in the galleries of renowned museums, or in the expensive homes of private collectors.

A desire emerged to make art more accessible to the average American. Pop Art artists wanted to take their work out of galleries, and allow them to be appreciated in everyday homes. They began to create content and imagery that was familiar to the blue-collar consumer, with a message or meaning that was decipherable. A handful of artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Tom Wesselmann were pioneers in the history of Pop Art. They recognized the value of comic book pages and modern advertising, and drew inspiration from magazines, television and even film.

Since this Golden Age, a number of waves have come after it. Each generation of Pop Art artists have interpreted the influence of mass media on society differently. Today, artists such as Romero Britto, Carlos Navarro and Tim Rogerson are a part of the new wave of artists. This new generation of artists utilize vibrant colors and cartoon themes to convey often complex forms and ideas. Although Pop Art spans over 50 years and has evolved greatly, the original objective of bringing art in to the home of the average American persists.

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Salvador Dali's Elephants

2011-05-02T16:44:00.000-07:00

Salvador Dali's elephants refer to several surrealist depictions that he made of these impressive animals in a selection of some of his most famous paintings. This article uncovers which paintings made use of his symbolic elephants and explains why they were used plus the ways in which he stretched their appearances beyond reality to match his own surrealist style.

Salvador Dali used elephants within Les Elephants, Swans Reflecting Elephants, Temptation of St Anthony and Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate. Dali deliberately elongated the legs of each elephant as well as adding objects to their backs which created a heightened sense of weight upon them. It was Dali's intention to use this stretched reality to create his surrealist environment where further objects could be added in on top.

Les Elephants is certainly the best known example of where Salvador Dali would use this animal, with this painting offering only these symbolic objects walking across a bright yellow and orange background that itself is overwhelming in beauty and helps to make this a highly memorable painting. Dali managed to get a huge amount of detail into each of the paintings mentioned here which makes it surprising when you learn that each of them is relatively small and certainly smaller than canvases from other significant artists from across the contemporary periods of the 20th century. They are also therefore easy to reproduce as the original sizes are also suitable for display in most homes who request copies of it.

We can conclude that elephants were an important topic for Salvador Dali who installed them in several of his key works and used them to help create his surrealist style that marked some of the biggest advancements in new art movements across the whole of the 20th century. Dali's achievements within art were incredible and as creative as they were diverse across different art media. Fortunately much of it has been collected together and stored in several museums around Europe and North America which make excellent ways to spend a few hours for those lucky enough to be in their vicinity.

For those unable to get to see his impressive original oil paintings in person, Dali reproduction copies are exceptionally popular in the modern day which framed art prints, posters and stretched canvases being frequently ordered for those who want to appreciate his finest paintings within their own homes. These offer flexibility with different sizes and formats available.

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Plein Air Painting Is for Me!

2011-05-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

The fact the I am a painter is a miracle! All my life I have studied the sciences and never took one art lesson until five years before I retired. Now, however, I love painting en plein air (French for "open air"), traveling and meeting new people.

When I was a child, we lived on a small acreage with a wooded area on a back corner. Occasionally, I visited that area and enjoyed seeing the different plants and shrubs and how the sun danced on the leaves. Perhaps that is when I learned to love trees. Much later I had a wonderful opportunity to take free art lessons at the nearby university. When I moved away, I went to the local gallery and continued with lessons. Several years later I moved to Maryland where I met plein air painters. We actually took our easels out to a field, set up, and I was overwhelmed! What do I put on my 8" x 10" canvas from that vast array of scenery? At the same time, I was hooked! It was exciting to be out of doors. As the poet said, "It doesn't matter whether I got bee stings or sunburn, lost my brush or my picture didn't turn out well, I still had a great day." Now I enjoy beautiful trees everywhere, but when I want to paint, I look for those which grew in an irregular fashion or have seen many years of wind and storms, perhaps losing limbs in the process. Those are the ones that speak to me so I set up my easel and we have a face-to face conversation.

Many opportunities for travel have presented themselves to me since I began painting. I have ridden on horseback to paint the mountains of Montana, loved the trees in Mexico that are trimmed to look like huge barrels, and a wide variety of trees in Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida and Maryland. In traveling throughout the country, I have noticed that different areas have trees unique to that area, except for pine and oaks which seem to be prolific everywhere from Florida to Montana.

Another benefit of being a plein air painter is that I meet such wonderful and interesting people. I have met them during those travels and workshops as well as when I am at home doing shows and hanging art in my local library and art galleries.

When a painting is finished and hangs on my wall, I look at it and am in-the-moment with it. I remember the day precisely when it was made, the temperature, the work I did to get there, the fun I had painting it, and the problems I had finishing it or whether it just painted itself. And when it sells, I'm rewarded monetarily for doing something I love!

At Mary's Art, Inc. we have a large number of original hand painted oil paintings on canvas. These inexpensive colorful paintings were created en plein air (French for "open air") to capture the emotions of nature and bring them to you for your enjoyment. The paintings are modern in style, somewhat abstract and with expressionism overtones. Please visit http://murphyartstudio.com/ and find paintings you love.

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Eight Interesting Facts About Cafe Terrace At Night

2011-05-02T08:15:00.001-07:00

One of the most tragic celebrities in the world art history is Vincent Van Gogh. Though he was not very famous in his lifetime, he and his paintings got immense fame soon after his death-the time when he was no more to feel his fame! Today, his paintings are on peak demand and sold on record prices.

He painted a lot of night scene paintings in his lifetime. But his famous most painting on nightlife is Cafe Terrace at Night, which completed sometime around mid September 1888. This painting has a special charm in it. With that charm, the painting has a lot of interesting facts attached to it that we are discussing hereunder:

1. Van Gogh's Cafe Terrace at Night is an ideal example of the artist's imagination and superb dealing with light. This painting captures the colors of light at night. 'Light' and 'night' seem contradictory words as this combination is hardly found in any scene.

2. In this painting, artificial gas lanterns lighten the night sky with a glimpse of exterior of a Parisian cafe. The cafe is still there and has been a famous destination for all Gogh's fans.

3. When this painting completed, Gogh wrote a letter to his sister mentioning that he has completed a night scene without using black.

4. Gogh painted this popular painting on the spot than painting it in daytime after preparing a sketch.

5. Though this painting is not signed by Gogh, his letters prove that this is his own work.

6. The painting is at the Kr?ller-M?ller Museum in Netherlands now.

7. On its first official display in 1892, Coffee house in the evening was the name given to this painting. The title was later replaced by cafe Terrace at Night.

8. This is the first painting by Gogh with starry backgrounds.

Brief About The Painting

The painting represents the scene of night cafe. The terrace painted in this work has small figures of people drinking. A bright yellow lantern light up the terrace, frontage and side-walk. The rooftops of houses painted seem to have been a fading road under the blue sky with stars and a green tree nearby. This beautiful painting is trying to distinguish the usual darkness of night with this green and blue night, thus contradicting conventional night scenes.

Gogh has perseverance to propinquity and his keen ability to depict moment with so beautiful and bright colors made him one of the greatest colorist till date.

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Simple Face Painting Designs

2011-04-25T10:03:00.000-07:00

Without formal training, it is still possible to create simple face painting designs that are also eye-catching and beautiful. Cheek art is the best way to accomplish simple face painting.

One of the biggest benefits of developing simple face painting designs (or cheek art) is saving time. In a fraction of the time, you can paint a small design or character on a child’s cheek or arm and generate the same kind of “wow” that you would if you spent ten minutes painting an elaborate full face design.

Versatility is a big advantage with simple face painting. These small designs can be adapted and painted on the face/cheek, neck, shoulder, legs and arms. A simple snake looks fantastic slithering up the arm. A rose or other flower looks beautiful on the shoulder.

Here are some things you can do to create simple face painting designs for your kids or kids at heart.

1.   If you’re at a loss as to what designs to start painting, look no further than the television or movie theatre. What is the hottest kids’ movie playing right now? What about the funniest animated show? Classic children’s television programming is also a great place to start. Particularly for preschoolers, the characters are very simple in nature and therefore fairly easy to replicate.

2.   A clown face is a very simple face painting design. And since clowns can be happy, sad, silly or goofy, this one simple design with a few adjustments around the mouth is a great face painting design to have in your arsenal. A bright red nose, a larger than life red mouth (paint around the outside of the lips), large white area surrounding the red mouth, oversized eyebrows and some eye lines that extend from the outside of the eye toward the temples altogether make a simple clown face painting design that will get rave reviews.

3.   Turning a little girl into a fairy princess is as simple as a few feathery lines around the eyes, starbursts at the end of each line and a bit of glitter.

4.   Painting a pretend bracelet or necklace is a simple design yet very unique. Start by painting pearl sized dots around the wrist or neck and “dangle” a painted heart, peace sign or other “charm” from the painted “jewelry.”

5.   Try a simple rainbow face painting…a classic, but always popular. Paint red, yellow, green and blue ‘horseshoe’ shapes and add two little white puffs for clouds at the end of each side of the rainbow. Voila! A happy kid!

The possibilities for simple face painting designs are endless. Don’t get caught up with the elaborate work that professional face painters do. For a single birthday party, volunteer event or just having fun with your kids, simple face painting designs can be just the thing to put a smile on a kids’ face.

Easy Face Painting is the guide that over 1,000 first-time face painters have used to guide them through their very first face painting event. Whether it's a birthday party, charity fundraiser, school festival or community picnic, Face Painting is a popular activity with kids of all ages and Easy Face Painting makes it, well, Easy!

Steven Tyler Digital Portrait

2011-04-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

Learn to Draw Caricatures - The 7 Features You Need to Focus on to Be Successful

2011-03-13T10:39:00.001-07:00

Caricature portraits, which are simply hand drawn cartoonish pictures, usually exaggerate an individual's prominent facial features, and sometimes characteristics or mannerisms.

Most caricatures are merely sketches drawn in pencil or ink on white paper. More elaborate ones are done in color.

To learn to draw caricatures successfully, there are 7 facial features you need to focus on and concentrate on. In particular, notice and see facial features that are out of the norm or ordinary. Focus your attention on the following:

1. First take a good look at your subjects head. Is it round, square, or oval? Do they have a lantern chin or is it weak and recessed?
2. What about the shape of your subjects eyes-are they round or oval, large or small?

3. What about their eyebrows - are they thin or heavy. Do they have a beetle brow?

4. Notice their mouth and lips? Are the lips full or pencil thin? Is their mouth large or small?

5. Notice their ears . Are they small or large like Dumbo the elephant? Are their ears next to their head or do they stick out?

6. What about their smile and their teeth? Are there any missing teeth or gaps between their teeth? Are their teeth straight or crooked? Abnormally small or huge? Do they have vampire teeth?

7. And don't forget the hair. If they're vain about their hair, make sure that this is a prominent feature in your caricature drawing.

As you learn to draw caricatures and train your mind to look at people through the eyes of an artist, you will begin to "see" their outstanding features easily and quickly.

Once you learn all the "insider secrets" of how to draw caricatures, you'll be amazing your friends with your new talent and ability. Everyone will be seeking you out, imploring you to draw their picture. You'll love all the attention!

To help you learn how to draw caricatures quickly and easily, I have found the best learn to draw caricatures instruction available.

Learning to draw caricatures has never been easier. To learn more please visit
http://learntodrawcariatures.net

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How To Make Caricatures - Simple Things That Can Help You Learn This Skill

2011-03-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

Caricatures are fun to look at. In fact, they are present in editorial cartoons and newspapers that they often make the person or the image more appealing even though distortions have been intentionally made in drawing the caricature.

Learning how to make caricatures can be a little challenging of course. If a person who can draw a portrait exactly as what it is in the photograph can be impressive, how much more of a person who can distort a portrait but still able to retain its identifying factors.

Indeed, despite the fact that caricatures are distorted and some features are drawn with exaggeration, you can still identify and recognize the person being drawn. That makes it very impressive for caricature artists. If you want to learn this skill, here are simple things that can help you.

- Learn to draw a portrait. A caricature starts with drawing a portrait as the caricature is basically a portrait that has been distorted but what is important in this process is to learn how to draw in proportion so that you can easily learn a style that you can later use on how to make caricatures.

Pay attention to the where you can make bold lines. Caricatures look more of a cartoon than portraits thus, you can actually make use of bold lines in making your caricatures. Use shadows as well but do not make them too dark, just enough to show the depth and define the face of your subject.

One of the elements of drawing a caricature is learning how to exaggerate or distort your drawing without losing the identifying marks of the image.

Determine the identifying features of the face that you are trying to exaggerate. If you are making a caricature of someone, try to look at the picture and identify what features of the face jumps at you. It can be a double chin, round eyes or a distinct smile. With these features in mind, you can then try to exaggerate the different parts of a subject's face to get a good caricature. You may do this in trial and error especially if you are still learning, but make sure that anyone can still identify the subject after the exaggeration. This, of course, is the essence of caricatures.

You may go over each detail of the face, like the nose and drawing them with exaggeration or drawing the chin or the mouth. Most often, caricatures have big heads and small necks or small bodies, thus you can also explore on drawing your subject in smaller bodies as well.

Although learning how to make caricatures can be a real challenge, you can however learn this skill with constant practice. You may need a detailed guide and a good manual to help you learn every detail of it. it is also good to learn from someone who has been drawing caricatures professionally so that you can also learn a few of their styles and techniques.

Carolyn Anderson is a book reviewer and an avid reader. If you want to learn how to draw caricatures, check out the resource Fun with Caricatures. Also check out ABC of Art Skills, a system that will teach you how to draw.

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How To Draw A Portrait

2011-03-13T10:31:00.000-07:00

How to draw a portrait is one thing most art students want to know. Not only art students, most of us would love to be able to draw portraits of our family and friends. The good news is that learning to draw portraits is not as difficult as most people think. It simply requires a little instruction followed by plenty of practice.
Learning how to draw a portrait and bring it to life is a skill set that anyone can learn. The quickest way to get started learning how to draw a portrait is to get a photograph and try to copy it. Don't expect your first attempts to be good. They're not meant to be. You wouldn't expect someone who is learning to play the violin to pick it up and start playing it flawlessly would you?

So don't expect your earlier drawings to be good. I always tell people to keep their early attempts at portrait drawing so they can see how much they improve as they continue to practice. One of the keys to learning how to draw portraits is observation. Learning to look and I mean really look at a subject, with the eye of an artist.

This comes with practice and looking is one of the skills you need to master if you want to learn how to draw. Shading is crucial to learning how to draw a portrait. Shading is a skill you need to master and comes under basic drawing skills. Shading is used to cast shadows which are what brings a face to life, subtle shadows around the nose and cheeks bring a portrait off the paper for us and give it a 3D appearance.

The human face is diverse but all the parts are basically in the same place. When first leaning how to draw a portrait getting the dimensions right is crucial, this is not as difficult as you probably think; it just requires a little instruction to get you on the right track and plenty of practice.

The essential fact you need to understand about drawing a portrait is that it is just a number of different skills all put together. You have probably mastered hundreds of skills in your lifetime without even realising it.
Remember when you thought you'd never be able to drive a car? Now you get into your car and drive without thinking about it. Learning to drive is just a skill. To learn how to draw a portrait you just need to apply the same mind-set that you did when learning to drive.

There's plenty of good courses out there to teach you how to draw a portrait. If you're prepared to practice then you will soon be drawing realistic portraits in no time.

Paul is the author of the blog How To Draw Portraits where he discusses what's needed to teach people to draw portraits. If you want to learn more about portrait drawing visit How To Draw Portraits and get two great books about drawing and painting absolutely free.

Article Source: EzineArticles

Step 1: Drawing Oil Portrait Painting Demo by Jon Houglum

2010-12-06T22:52:00.001-08:00

Josh McDaniels

2010-12-06T22:45:00.001-08:00

The Broncos have fired coach Josh McDaniels, the team confirmed today. McDaniels was fired in part because the Broncos had fallen to a 3-9 record, but also because of the integrity hits the franchise received following its video tape scandal.

Do It Yourself Steps to Portrait Photography

2010-12-06T22:07:00.001-08:00

Long before digital cameras have come to existence, people have been fascinated by portraits mainly because it captures the essence of a person. Portrait photography has the power of capturing one’s image and depicting that person’s character, at the same time imprinting such images for all to remember. However, people do not realize that ever since cameras have been developed and made available to everyone, they have been secretly becoming a threat to the techniques that professional photographers have studied for years. Learn about portrait photography and you′ll see how amazing this hobby can be!

It doesn’t take a genius to take amazing pictures really. All you need is a little practice, some basic portrait photography practices and these helpful tips to take the greatest photos to die for!

1. Capture the Character

Capturing one’s character through a photo shot could be considered most challenging. This is simply because it is extremely difficult to identify one’s character by a mere look at an image shot by a camera, most especially when you do not know them very well or haven’t even met them. Engaging in small conversations and getting to know the subject a little bit before shooting might just do the trick.

Magic happens when there is a clear relationship or camaraderie between the photographer and the subject. That is why when you look into the lens, make sure you are able to connect to the subject, sense the subject’s sincerity and smile, the intensity of the scowl or the emptiness of that distant look. If you′re able to that, then you could say you have successfully captured the character of your subject.

Maximize Natural Light

Camera flashes produce red eye, so to avoid this on your photos, try getting the most out of the light that is already available. Position the subject facing against the light so the brightness will illuminate the face. In unavoidable cases wherein there′s no natural light coming in, simply resort to using red eye removal software that could minimize these for you. Most digital cameras today come with a red-eye removal feature.

2. Focus on Me

The focus of a portrait should always be on the subject and not the background. So make sure that you shoot in plain backgrounds or make the necessary adjustments in the focus of the camera to highlight the subject and lay back the background a little bit. Remember that the subject has to always stand out against the background. Otherwise, the essence of the portrait is forfeited.

3. Eyes Open

Except when it is called for, like for a dramatic or theatrical effect, the eyes should always be open. A photographer cannot fully capture the image or the character of the subject without seeing the emotions radiate from within. Blinking even just for a second is a photographer’s no-no! So give your subject the due warning or practice first to pre-condition the eyes to the flashes of light. Here are other hints about portrait photography now.

4. Black is Drama

You think black and white is out? No. It′s still very popular and instantly creates drama and elegance.

5. Instant cover up

You don’t need to have professional make up artists to do your face before shooting a portrait. Covering or minimizing blemishes are made easy by simple overexposure of the photos. It makes the skin seem luminescent and cures a portrait from its imperfections.

6. Make your subject move

Try to engage your subjects in a conversation or instruct them to move freely then speed shutter. These will give you very interesting photos which look candid and spontaneous. You can also take advantage of these features when shooting portraits of children.

7. Decide to dress up
Imagine this portrait blown and hung up on the walls of your living room. Would you want your family and friends to look at you in shabby clothing? If you′re going for the elegant look, go for dresses, gowns, suits or tube tops for a topless look. Or if you insist on simplicity, that′s fine. Just make sure you avoid something you don’t like to be caught wearing.

Now, you have the list of must-dos and a total picture of portrait photography.
All you need to do is practice, so start picking up that camera, start shooting and you′ll see yourself improve everyday. Do not hesitate to play with the lighting techniques and do some experimenting on portrait photography. It is truly a worthwhile leisure of art!

Baby Portrait Photography

2010-12-06T15:19:00.001-08:00

If you′ve never had kids and wonder why your mom-friends keep showing pictures of their babies to you every chance they get or why they are so obsessed with taking baby portrait photos, the answer is simple. Baby Portrait Photography is a very fascinating and enjoyable leisure!

Mothers and fathers have taken the art of baby portrait photography into their own hands. In fact, if you′re a new parent, I bet you have a camera tucked in your bag all the time. To capture the witnessed unexpected ‘firsts’ or simply, capturing the right moment that candidly presents itself, are sure the ultimate joys of a parent.

Poses at Specific Ages

However, there is also a challenge in taking baby photos; and that is, babies do not know how to pose. The subject is still too unaware of its surroundings or at certain ages, unpredictably active. So it would be helpful if we could be least expecting of their abilities to strike a pose. We know babies can barely hold up their heads or retain a particular position at 0-3 months that′s why we would need to hold them to pose.

Experiment on how the baby could be held but make sure that the focus of the photo would be on the baby and not on any one else. You must find a way to capture only the baby’s profile while being held by another person. There are still limited positions you can capture when you are taking photos of babies between the ages of 3-6 months. The good news is that babies can now hold their heads up so it′ll be much easier to get the face into profile. Costumes and props that are safe for these ages may also be used to liven up the photos.

Babies begin to sit around 6-9 months and this is when you can capture very odd poses from the babies. Since the babies start to become very active, this is the time when you need to master the shutter speed feature of your camera. And from ages 10 months onwards, some babies may be able to recognize that their photos are being taken and might even hold their poses a little longer. Candid photos may do very well during these ages.

10 Things to Keep in Mind about Baby Portrait Photography

1.    Make sure that your camera has film all the time and that your batteries are fully charged all the time
2.    If you are using a digital camera, it is best to have batteries ready.
3.    Familiarize yourself with the use of shutter speeds and camera flashes.
4.    Do not be afraid to take ultra-close up photos of your babies.
5.    Try shooting at distances and capturing the drama of the scene.
6.    If you are going to pose your babies, hold them securely.
7.    Your babies need not be dressed in costumes all the time, just make sure they are clean unless you intend to take photos of them wiping chocolates go on their faces which is very adorable too.
8.    Try shooting in grayscale. Black & white photos come out very classy and elegant, so if you intend to frame the photos, you will never go wrong with it.
9.    Remember that babies can easily get distracted, if you caught your baby doing something very nice, be quick in clicking the camera or you might miss the moment.
10.    Get others involved. Have your relatives of family members make coo-coo sounds to make the baby smile or simply talk to the baby to get eye contact.

There is nothing like capturing the essence of a child in a photograph. They grow up so fast so you want to really get every precious moments on film. You will learn simpler baby portrait photography techniques as you go along, and you′ll be proud each time you get a cute little smile recorded for eternity.

Sam Kinison

2010-11-14T06:45:00.001-08:00

Sam Kinison was a master of the loud, obnoxious and vile stand up comedy that we all came to know and love. Preachers spoke out against him, musicians like Motley Crew promoted him and well, not stand up comedy is paying tribute to him.

Many cable channels are airing ‘Back from Hell: A Tribute to Sam Kinison‘ and the ensemble cast includes a variety of contemporary comedians from Chris Rock, Denis Leary and Jay Leno to Kathy Griffin and Lewis Black who reflect on the crazed persona of the wild mullet headed man with that loud ear piercing scream.

If you′re in the mood for some raunchy comedy you′ll definitely want to check out this tribute to Sam Kinison.

Sam Kinison Video

Daniel Radcliffe

2010-11-13T02:04:00.001-08:00

Daniel Jacob Radcliffe was born on July 23rd, 1989 to Alan Radcliffe and Marcia Gresham. He began performing in small school productions as a young boy. Soon enough, he landed a role in David Copperfield (1999) (TV), as the young David Copperfield. A couple of years later, he landed a role as Mark Pendel in The Tailor of Panama (2001), the son of Harry and Louisa Pendel (Geoffrey Rush and Jamie Lee Curtis). Lee Curtis had indeed pointed out to Daniel’s mother that he could be Harry Potter himself. Soon afterwards, Daniel was cast as Harry Potter by director, Chris Columbus in the film that hit theatres in November 16, 2001, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001). He was recognized worldwide after this film was released. Pleasing audiences and critics everywhere, filming on its sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), commenced shortly afterwards. He appeared again as Harry in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) directed by Alfonso Cuarón, and then appeared in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) directed by Mike Newell. Shortly afterwards, he finished filming December Boys (2007) in Adelaide, Australia, Kangaroo Island, and Geelong, Australia which began on the 14th of November, 2005 and ended sometime in December. On January 27th, 2006, he attended the South Bank Awards Show to present the award for “Breakthrough Artist of the Year” to Billie Piper. Dan reprised his famous character once again for the next installment of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007). In February 2007 he took on his first stage role in the West End play Equus to worldwide praise from fans and critics alike. He has finished filming the TV movie My Boy Jack (2007) (TV), which will air on 11 November 2007 in the UK.
Now being one of the world’s most recognizable people, Daniel leads a somewhat normal life. He has made friends working on the Harry Potter films, which include his co-stars Rupert Grint and Emma Watson.

How To Draw Daniel Radcliffe Video

Emma Watson

2010-11-12T09:25:00.001-08:00

Emma Watson (born 1990) is an English actress famous for her role as Hermione Granger in the film adaptations of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novel series. Together with actors Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, Watson has acted in the Harry Potter films since 2001 (She was age 10 when first cast in her role), and will continue to do so until the film franchise ends with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Watson has acted in two other productions outside of the Harry Potter series; she performed in a made-for-television novel adaptation called Ballet Shoes in 2007 and she provided a voice-over for the animated film The Tale of Despereaux as the character Princess Pea.

Emma Watson Video

The Painting and Its Purpose

2010-11-12T08:40:00.001-08:00

The purpose of art is washing off the dust of our daily life. Art can mesmerize us and bring us to new reality or to new world where we would be able to enjoy all the pleasant things around us.

Fine art paintings show emotions that come from inside and express author’s views of the world. To create a piece of art it is necessary for artist to have good sense of creativity and, of course, strong imagination. Artists convey their feelings by using different colors and textures. It is very important to choose appropriate texture to be able to create exactly the thing they want.

Also, artists have to select the necessary colors to express the feelings they want to convey. Picking the right colors for a painting can be a challenge. To simplify things they may use only the basic colors. Picking the right color relations also is of big importance because it will help achieve a certain feel to a painting. Lighter colors will provide a warm feeling to our painting while dark colors are generally considered cool colors.

Then, all the artist need is ability to draw with his mind and heart. He has to pack love into the painting and share this feeling with others.

A painting could be a perfect way of expressing your feeling, even if you are not a painter. How it could be? You simply can buy original oil painting as a gift and present it to someone special in your life. It is an authentic gift because of its long life and utility. Flowers will die, chocolates will be forgotten, other things will be spoiled but an outstanding painting stays forever on the walls, enhances the home design and makes it warmer. The original oil painting on canvas stays as a memorable gift. It will be something special and very valuable.

It could be a good investment to buy a painting if you choose the right painter. Also, you can ask a painter to paint some painting especially for you.

At fineproart.com you can find more interesting articles about art painting.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maria_Khomlyak

Enes Kanter

2010-11-11T22:21:00.001-08:00

Kanter is a big-time NBA prospect — currently ranked No. 6 on DraftExpress.com’s 2011 mock draft — because of his size and brute strength on the low block. He flashed NBA potential by playing for the World Team at the 2010 Nike Hoop Summit, where he dominated the American big men to the tune of 34 points and 13 rebounds.

While Kanter showed an excellent motor during the game, his work during practice wasn’t always as dominant. The competitive atmosphere at Kentucky — thanks to another stacked roster this season — is exactly what he needed to develop as a prospect because his physical tools — good size, very strong upper body, good rebounding instincts — are NBA-ready.

His athleticism isn’t other-worldly, but he would be a much-needed addition to lottery-bound teams like the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons, who lack any semblance of a low-post presence.

While Kentucky plans to appeal the NCAA’s ruling, it’s difficult to envision a scenario where he is allowed to take the court for the Wildcats. The smoke surrounding Kanter has been around for months, and the allegations of improper benefits are very specific and well-documented.

The question for Kanter, then, is what’s next?

If the appeal fails, he would be better off playing basketball somewhere rather than simply working out on his own, and his talent is such that he will command suitors in the short term. In other words, NCAA ineligibility is merely an unfortunate bump in the road on Kanter’s NBA journey.

Enes Kanter Video

Kyle Boller

2010-11-11T09:51:00.001-08:00

Carrie Prejean and Oakland Raiders QB Kyle Boller expecting first child

She may be down a sash but she′s up one husband – and soon, a baby.

Former Miss California Carrie Prejean is expecting her first child, FOX411.com reported. Prejean, who was stripped of her title in 2009 for contraction violations, is three months along, she told the site.

The beauty queen married Oakland Raiders quarterback, Kyle Boller, in July.

“We are just so excited,” Prejean gushed. “I’m due in May on my grandmother’s birthday. She recently passed away, so that’s very special to us.” Though the couple won’t know the sex of the baby until next week, they are already “thinking about names.”

“But we are keeping it to ourselves for right now. It has been fun looking at baby books,” Prejean said, noting that she′s also been dealing with some of the not-so-fun aspects of pregnancy. “I’m trying to stay healthy, but it has been tough. I’ve been getting night sickness,” she said. As for Boller, the NFL player is ecstatic.

“I have the most beautiful pregnant wife ever, we are so in love and this was just the best news when we found out a couple of weeks ago,” he told the site.

sweiss@nydailynews.com

Gene Shalit

2010-11-11T09:13:00.001-08:00

Gene Shalit To Leave ‘Today’ Show After 40 Years

Gene Shalit, recognized for his large glasses, big bushy hair, and mustache, announced on Tuesday that he is going to leave the ‘Today’ show after a 40 plus year run. He was a movie critic who hosted the “Critics Corner” segment of the show. The last film that he covered on the show was ‘Shrek Forever After.’

The 84 year old Shalit received a tribute from the ‘Today’ show on the Thursday edition of the morning show. Jim Bell, who is the Executive Producer for the show stated that the feat that Gene Shalit accomplished was “a feat unlikely to ever be matched.” He was referring to the 40 years of service on the same show. Shalit does not plan to retire though. He plans to continue work in commercials as well as online.

Some of the people who spoke about Gene on the tribute episode were news anchor Tom Brokaw, Jane Pauley, and Katie Couric. They spoke highly of his great personality, and his unique look.

http://invenovate.com/?p=2255

Lynda Carter

2010-11-10T13:30:00.001-08:00

Father & Daughter

2010-11-09T09:18:00.001-08:00

Need Face Painting Examples for Your Kid’s Party?

2010-10-28T02:55:00.001-07:00

It’s amazing how our creativity seems to have no boundaries. Artistry has gone a long way and different mediums have cropped up. But when it comes to art, most people would think about big pictures by talented artists who someday would have a name as big as the price tag attached to their work. But artistry is not just for the highly talented, mostly, artistry begins with children and this is where its purity lies unchanged.

Face painting is an art where people, with or without exceptional talent can have lots of fun. Parents and their children can have a fantastic bonding time together while their faces are being painted. For parties, both children and adults can go wacky over the many different designs that they can make use of.

It is not just at children’s birthday parties can you find face painting. Adult parties have them too and this happens most especially in Halloween. But that doesn’t have to stop there. There are still many events and venues that you can have face painting as an activity or a contest, aside from the usual costume competitions, or maybe just plainly wanting to go and look your best or you’re spookiest.

Forget about monsters, fairies and underworld creatures, there are so much more to face painting than scary ghouls. Your creativity would only be limited by your imagination. But if you’re stuck in a rut and can’t seem to get any ideas on which design you want, then you will need some face painting examples.

The great thing about face painting examples today is that you don’t have to go to the library or to a bookstore to borrow or purchase face painting books to get your creative juices flowing. All you simply have to do is to log on to the internet and do a search for the numerous face painting examples that are offered in the websites that do offer them.

Many of these face painting examples are given for free. You will be able to browse through their pages and see the designs they have. Usually the examples of these designs are already categorized by their themes. So if you’re looking for an animal or say nature or clown designs, you will be able to find their examples in a jiffy.

It’s always advisable to know first the design that you are looking for. This way, you can directly go to the category that you are looking for and start choosing which one you think you will be able to copy or reproduce. If you just go in without any idea of what you want or need, you will be swamped by the thousands of face painting examples that are available and will have so much difficulty in choosing one.

Also, try to choose that you think you will be able to do. If you pick a design that is too elaborate for your artistic skills, you may just end up frustrated and botch the job. Also remember to get the opinion of your child and let him or her help you choose, this should be fun for both you and your child. Remember, face painting should be fun as they are done for fun filled activities, don’t be stressed out even when you are just beginning to look for a design or example. Go online and get your work over with in no time at all.

Getting Your Image Immortalized Through Portrait Paintings

2010-10-17T23:32:00.001-07:00

Today, getting your image immortalized comes easy with today’s technology. With digital cameras, computers and digital printers, you will be able to create a great portrait of the photos you take. However, if you want elegance in the way you preserve your loved one’s images, getting the pictures painted as a portrait is the way to go.

This method of preserving images has existed for centuries. In fact, it is the only way to preserve the image for posterity. A good example of a portrait painting is the Mona Lisa created by the Italian artist and inventor, Leonardo da Vinci. He created this portrait of a woman with a mysterious smile in the early 1500s and is still in very good condition.

Rembrandt is another famous artist that creates portraits. Some other famous works are in the National Portrait Museum in Washington D.C. while others can be seen in some of the famous museums all over the world, such as the Hermitage, and the Louvre.

If you want to have your portrait painted, you will see that there are quite a lot of portrait artists today that can copy your picture and immortalize it on canvas. They will be able to accurately paint you or your loved ones picture with utmost realism.

However, because you wouldn’t want to sit on a stool for many hours just to get your portrait painted, you might as well get on your best pose, get your picture taken, print it and present the picture to the artist. They will be able to copy the image in the photo you took by painting it on the canvass.

You can choose what you want to be painted on canvass. It can be your image, or it can be the whole family. In fact, it can even be your pet dog or cat. Whatever you want to get painted on canvass, you can be sure that the talented artists today will be able to copy it.

Portrait painting is usually done through oil painting. Oil painting can let you create realistic images and is usually the number one method of creating portraits. Even the glitter of your eyes can be copied with oil painting.

You can also get it done through water color painting. It will have the same realistic effect but most artists prefer oil painting as water color portraits are often very hard to produce.

Whenever you are looking for an artist to get your picture on canvass, you might want to shop for one first by taking a look at their work. You have to remember that some artists today are not quite as talented when it comes to portrait painting. Some can paint realistic fruits or flowers, but cannot really quite do faces as well.

Before you commit and get the work started, try to ask them for examples of their work. By doing so, you will be able to know what to expect once the painting is finished.

These are the things that you have to remember whenever you plan on getting you or your family’s image on canvass. By knowing about the work of the artist you plan on hiring, you can be sure of the quality and accuracy of the portrait you are planning to get made.

How to Draw a Portrait of Michael Jackson

2010-10-17T19:22:00.001-07:00

Many artists have the penchant to sketch their favorite stars from different genre and musicians are often the preferred choices. The ‘King of Pop,’ Michael Jackson, was one of the stars the artists most widely covered. His face had some distinguishing characteristics that make his portrait a typical job to execute. Similarly, he was often depicted performing some of his most popular dance steps. To help you identify and replicate these idiosyncrasies, here is a step-by-step guide to sketch Michael Jackson:
• Reference Image. The first step would be to obtain an appropriate reference picture. Keep in mind the complexity levels – face only, full-length, or otherwise. You can choose from the wide collection available on the internet.
• Scale and Proportions. Decide upon the size of the portrait vis-à-vis the reference picture. Adopt the relative ratios of the various elements as present in the original image.
• Outlines. Study the actual contours first before beginning to sketch light outlines for the whole figure. Such a skeletal sketch will give you an idea about the accuracy of posture, structure, and proportions. Use a fine eraser that does not wear out the drawing base surface greatly.
• Facial features. Start with the outmost identifiable boundaries for each individual feature and move inwards, including details. For instance, use eye sockets for eye area, imaginary curvilinear lines for nose, roughly semicircular structure for ears, and so on.
• Distinguishing Factors. Michael Jackson’s face had some distinct characteristics that need to be factored in. Some of them include a remarkable square jaw, broad nose, thick small lips, and near-perfect eyebrows. Jackson always maintained a slim, athletic build. Some of his signature dance forms, like moonwalk and toe dance regularly appear in his full-length pictures. However, he continued to experiment with his facial looks throughout his career. Therefore, depending upon the date of your reference picture, some of the features like cheekbones, lips, and nose might vary in different degrees.
• Hair. Michael Jackson had wavy and flowing tresses, which he wore medium or long. In most cases, he had strands or well-made locks over his forehead or the sides of his face. Sketching curly hair is much trickier than sketching the straight one. Therefore, pick your reference photograph carefully. If you are not comfortable with drawing such hair do, opt either for a photo with lesser-exposed hair or any of his later images when he wore straightened hair.
• Shading. It is very important to use appropriately aligned retrace lines and shading to add the effect of light and detailed features. For highlighting these effects, use slanting pencil strokes and tortillion (a tool for smudging pencil lines).

Annette Labedzki received her BFA at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. She has more than 25 years experience. She is the founder and developer of an online art gallery featuring original art from all over the world. Please visit the website at http://www.Labedzki-Art.com. It is a great site for art collectors to buy original art. Artists can join for free and their image upload is unlimited.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Annette_Labedzki

Learn To Acrylic Portrait Painting

2010-10-15T08:41:00.001-07:00

is easy when you have the right tools. Painting, people does takes practice. Painting people or portraits in acrylics is done by painting in layers. While you are building these layers, you may be tempted to give up too soon. As long as the features are placed correctly, painting portraits in acrylic just takes layers and patience.

Getting the person’s features correctly is the most important first step in portrait painting. I suggest using the grid methods to do this. In this example, you are painting from a photo or picture. Use a pencil and lightly draw a grid with equal squares on the painting surface. Use another grid and place over the photo. The grid you use over the photo will likely be a much smaller one. On your canvas, within each square draw the lines of what you see. If you want even more accuracy, you can draw smaller squares within squares. When your drawing is accurate, you can erase the grid lines.

Step number two is the foundation. The foundation involves using a thinned layer of paint for the person’s skin tone. The consistence of this paint should be like watercolor. This is the under painting. Dilute the flesh colored paint with water and establish the entire skin area. You will add layer upon layer until you have built your shadows or highlights. The way that you do this is to reduce the amount of water that you add or just use the paint full strength. You should be able to see the pencil lines of the facial features.

Now, use a darker flesh color and paint in the facial feature lines. Think of this stage as painting in the lines like a coloring book. After you paint in the features of the eyes, eyebrows, nose, nostrils and mouth you can work on the final layers of the finished painting. It is the final layers of the painting that bring it to life.

Study your reference photo and notice where the shadows are. Layer by layer add the shadows. Because you are painting a portrait, don’t be afraid to add red, and even blue to mimic flesh color. Add some highlights to make features appear to protrude. For example, notice on the nose, there is usually very bright highlights. To indicate the roundness of cheeks, chins and the center of the forehead, use a few layers of whitened flesh color to add these very important highlights. The last bit may be a touch of pure white.

The last thing to do in a portrait should be your final pure white highlights. Usually a person’s lips are moist and have a touch of pure white. There is almost always a touch of pure white in a persons’ eye where the light is reflecting.

Remember painting people takes practice. Painting people or portraits in acrylics is done by painting in layers. Don’t get frustrated if your first few portraits aren’t what you expected. You will more than likely need to practice and practice. Have fun and enjoy learning to paint.

This article was originally published on EzineArticles Acrylic Portrait Painting – Learning to Paint

About the Author

Would you like to learn acrylic tips, tricks, lessons and to see more Portrait and Landscape Painting Techniques? The best way to begin painting is to follow prescribed instruction and get your feet wet. With a little practice, you will be well on your way to a rewarding hobby of portrait painting. Visit http://www.IamPainting.org to learn how to paint a portrait even if you have never painted before!

Portrait Painting Tips & Techniques

2010-10-13T19:21:00.001-07:00

Being able to capture the likeness of a human being on canvas, using paint, is certainly a sought after accomplishment for many new painters. It can also be somewhat challenging. This article will cover some of the more basic portrait painting tips & techniques and help lessen some of the confusion many beginners face. With practice, you will soon be painting portraits like the masters.

If at all possible, I highly recommend you paint your portraits using a live model as opposed to a photograph. There is simply no substitution for painting from life.

Painting a successful portrait is all about how you observe the subject. You want to study the subject as a whole. Study the bone structure and try to see shapes and planes. Do not try and paint every little detail exactly as you see it.

For beginners, it is probably best to start out with a lighting effect where light and shadow are in high contrast. This will make for a much easier painting.

Focus on one section at a time. Finish each section before moving on to the next.

Keep the darks of your portrait at a thin consistency while your lights should be painted on thickly.

Many beginners struggle with mixing flesh tones. I know I did when I first started painting. Remember that skin comes in a variety of colors & textures, so there is no specific formula for mixing flesh tones in portrait painting. You will have to experiment and practice, until you find the right color mixtures for any particular subject. Never purchase any pre-mixed flesh colors. When mixing your colors be careful not to over mix, which can deaden a color.

Try and repeat the colors and values in your painting to create balance.

When painting hair, don’t try and paint every individual strand of hair. Look at the hair as one object and then paint the lights and darks. Paint the hair in the direction of the shape of the head.

The muzzle area of the face (the space between the nose and mouth) is generally the same color as the flesh but cooler.

When painting backgrounds, don’t make them too detailed or busy. If you do, you will draw focus away from your portrait.

Add bits of color where the shadow meets the light in your portraits.

Fleshier parts of the face are generally warm and bonier parts of the face, like the chin for instance, are generally cool in color.

The white in the eye is not white. To get an accurate color for the white in the eye you can take the subjects basic flesh color and then lighten it with a gray made from black and white.

I hope these portrait painting tips & techniques have helped. Portrait painting can be difficult, possibly even frustrating in the beginning. Never give up and keep practicing. You will get the hang of it.

About The Author

Ralph Serpe is Webmaster & Founder of Creative Spotlite: http://www.creativespotlite.com. Visit today for more portrait painting techniques. You may also find our sister site http://www.artsymmetry.com helpful where you will find more free art articles.

Polarizing Oil Portrait Painting Demo by Jon Houglum

2010-10-05T08:37:00.001-07:00

Me And My Wife

2010-08-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

Redraw From Low Resolution Picture – Didi Merioles

2010-07-03T11:01:00.001-07:00

Black & White Portrait Samples

2010-07-03T10:55:00.001-07:00

Jeremy – A Digital Portrait

2010-06-22T11:00:00.001-07:00

Pencil Portrait Drawing Tips on Backgrounds

2010-06-17T21:03:00.001-07:00

Backgrounds are useful to guide and enhance your vision of how you want to represent your subjects. Backgrounds can soften the presentation of your subject or make the presentation more energetic or dramatic.

However, whatever you do by way of backgrounds, always make sure that the background works with the subject and not against it. Also, do not forget that the subject is the reason you started the drawing in the first place. So, do not get caught up in your background to the point where it starts outshining your subject and diverts the attention of the viewer from your subject. So, usually, the background will be drawn with less detail and in a manner subordinate to the subject.

Here are a few tips on how to proceed with backgrounds so that they become a plus to the finished product instead of a negative:

* Contrasting Values - Take a clue from the values of your subject when choosing the value scheme for your background treatment. If your subject is very light on one side, it is always a good idea to make the background in that area darker. This will introduce the necessary contrast. The same is true for dark areas in your subject boundaries. If they are dark then make your background lighter.

It also solves the problem of white against white. For example, if your subject has white hair, it is always difficult to make it sufficiently show against the white background of your white paper. Introducing a darker background around the hair is the perfect solution. This, of course, also works in reverse. If your subject is dark in places, you may want to contrast this with a light background.

* Lost and Found Edges - The background treatment can also be used to produce so-called "lost and found edges". These are edges that initially show where there is significant contrast between bordering areas but then get lost where the values of the neighboring areas are the same. The lost edge finally reappears when the contrast between the bordering areas is again significant.

The disappearing act of the edge is accomplished by rendering the edge and the surroundings with the same value. For example, the edge of a sleeve could be partially lost in the background by giving the background the same value as that part of the sleeve. Lost and found effects are always interesting and involve the viewer in the process of completing the drawing. The eye automatically takes over the task of completing the edge and looking how to best accomplish this.

* Location in the Background - It is usually a good idea to keep the shading below the eye level of the subject you are drawing. Shading above the eye level tends to weigh down the subject and does not add to the crispness of the portrait.

* Extensive Background Drawing - Sometimes your client may insist on a detailed pictorial background. First, make sure you increase the fee, because you will often spend more time on your background drawing than on the subject itself.

Second, always be aware that the subject must remain the focal point of the finished product. So, develop the facility for judging what enhances the subject and what detracts from it. The background must invariably be secondary to the subject.

Ideally, a pictorial background should talk about your subject and give the viewer more information about your subject. A background is also very useful to create or enhance a mood. If your subject is portrayed in a certain mood, you may want to enhance that mood by adding a background that appropriately reflects the same mood.

About the Author

Remi Engels, Ph.D., is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter. Samples of Remi's work can be found at Remi's Pencil Portraits and Remi's Oil Paintings. You are also cordially invited to subscribe to his Free Portrait Drawing Course and his popular Art Tip Newsletter.

Pencil Portrait Drawing Tips on Hair

2010-06-16T18:39:00.001-07:00

Drawing hair is not all that difficult but it does take quite a bit of time to make the result to look real and natural. In fact, it usually takes two to three times longer to do the hair than it does to do the rest of the portrait. So, do not get frustrated and know that you will have to spend the time.

Here are some pointers to help you succeed at drawing the best hair possible:

* Line Drawing - As always, the first step is to produce a line drawing that shows the overall shape of the hair and maps out some of the main value areas. At this stage, you should look at the hair as a shape and ignore all details such as strands. Do observe however how the hair flows, i.e., take note of the growth directions of the hair.

* Values - Next, using the map you created on your line drawing, start laying in the major values, i.e., the major darks and lights. Make sure you always follow the growth direction of the hair. This is very important. Follow the flow.

* Blending - At this stage, you can blend the darks out towards the lights. Then, reapply the darks and pull them into the light areas using a tortillon or a pencil (if there is not enough graphite on the paper). Work from the dark areas into the light areas. After that, use a pointed kneaded eraser as a drawing tool to pull the lights into the darks.

This process should be repeated several times until you reach the desired look of fullness.

* Curls - If your subject has curls, you should treat each curl as a separate object with its own darks, lights, and highlights. At the same time, make sure that each curl fits into the overall layout of the hair. This means, for example, that a particular curl should flawlessly connect to its neighbors.

* Shadows - Often the hair cast a few shadows onto the forehead. These cast shadows should always be rendered in the correct value. You will be surprised how much they contribute to the realistic appearance of the hair and the subject in general. They very much help to show the fullness and three-dimensionality of the hair.

* Forehead - The forehead, like anything else, has a certain value. When the hair falls over the forehead, it is important to apply the same forehead value to the areas of the forehead that are visibly located under the hair. If you leave these areas white, you will loose a lot of realism.

* Gray Hair - The illusion of gray or white hair is created through using pencil strokes sparingly and through more blending with a tortillon or a paper tissue. A soft and silky look can be created by using the kneaded eraser to lift out the appropriate.

Much more can be said about the drawing of hair. This includes such subjects as hairstyles, men's versus women's hair, thin hair, hair color, etc. However, the above remarks will suffice to set you on the right path. Later, you can always consult an advanced work on hair drawing.

Remi Engels, Ph.D., is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter. He is also the author of a popular Pencil Portrait Drawing Course. Get Your Free copy here: Remi's Pencil Portrait Drawing Course while supplies last.

Article Source: Pencil Portrait Drawing Tips on Hair

Instructions: Learn How To Sketch Movement And Motion

2010-06-15T01:29:00.001-07:00

Your ability to sketch objects and - a lot more important - living creatures in motion is usually a significant factor for creating vibrant and natural images.

The base for drawing men and women in motion is the line of action. That's an imaginary centre line from the body and maps out the overall path of action of the figure. Choosing it right will make the figure extra real. If your character is located it's a direct line from top down, but when the character is moving along it is most often a curve, occasionally an s-shape. Keep it uncomplicated, when the line of action gets into way to many directions it will not simply look unrealistic yet may also be very perplexing for your viewer since it will be difficult to discover what's actually happening in the pic.

Another important thing when drawing people in motion is usually you need to sketch the figures a bit away from stability. The centre of gravity of a human is situated someplace within the lower stomach area. Whenever an individual is standing up, without moving, one foot is placed on both sides of it keeping him or her from falling over. Whenever this very same person commences to advance the centre of gravity equally moves, creating an unbalanced posture. The quicker the motion, the more the centre of gravity moves.

A good source for understanding this is examining the pictures employed for animation like in Walt disney cartoons. They've already really mastered the skill of bringing life to figures utilizing these particular 2 things; the line of action and the centre of gravity.

Some extra suggestions:

- Initially you need some fundamental abilities in drawing the human figure as well as its shapes and sizes

- get a art mannequin, it helps to get the posing and movements right

- whenever drawing actions you'll need a quick and skilled eye simply because you have to depict the posture inside a action in no time

- making use of a video clip or a series of still pictures can certainly be beneficial resources to capture and figure out the movement with no need of depending upon skills and a speedy eye

In the case of drawing animals in motion you'll want to follow essentially the same guidelines you do while drawing persons in motion. Some essential things to adapt are: the line of action usually goes thru the complete pet coming from head to tail. It is a good idea to incorporate the tail within the same line that'll provide an possibly much more convincing movement of the animal. The centre of gravity is normally of much less interest to animals than it is with humans. This is because 4 legs usually stop the pet from becoming unbalanced.

Sprinting creatures can be very difficult. When you examine sprinting horses in ancient pictures they often seem very abnormal. Often the horse is apparently flying in some strange fashion. This all improved once the art of photography was developed and painters actually could see what was happening. The running movement is complex but the most convincing poses usually are among the extremes; either when the legs are stretched out completely or when the legs are together beneath the body. Have a look at a few photographs your self or take a glance just how other painters do it.

When it comes to animals it's a good idea to keep it easy. Leonardo da Vinci claimed "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication".

Obtain more tutorials to learn draw movement and motion! Visit our site and acquire a e-book to learn to draw

Article Source: U Publish Articles

Tingyi - Digital Portrait 2

2010-06-14T21:31:00.001-07:00

Tingyi – Digital Portrait

2010-06-14T02:30:00.000-07:00

Julia – Digital Portrait

2010-06-13T09:50:00.001-07:00

Lifelike Portraits from Photographs - How to Draw Them

2010-06-08T01:49:00.001-07:00

There is more than one technique to draw lifelike portraits from photographs. You can use a grid or you can simply look very carefully. Here I will demonstrate how to make portraits from photos that are quite realistic. We will use the lattice method.

Maybe it is easier to learn how to draw realistic portraits with the grid technique, because it is more likely that you will start by drawing the face with correct proportions.. Long before some geniuses invented photography in the 1800s, artists have been using this method.. This is because the grid method is one of the best ways to create an accurate drawing.

The grid method for learning how to draw lifelike portraits from photographs works like this:

Get a paper copy of the photo, and draw a lattice over the top.. For example, if the photograph you are copying is 8 inches by 10, you will draw a grid of 10 squares over top of the photo.. To make the grid, all you need to do is measure 10 increments both left and right, and up and down, and then draw straight lines going across and top to bottom..

Does that sound confusing? Don't worry - here are the instructions for creating a grid in further detail:

Place a ruler on the left side of the paper. Make a small mark at every inch. Do the same thing on the right side of the paper. Now draw a straight line going across, connecting the left side and the right side. Do this for every inch.

Repeat this process for the top and bottom of the paper: make a mark at every inch along the top of your photograph, and then connect it with the corresponding mark at the bottom of the paper, using a straight line.

This grid will help you learn how to draw lifelike portraits from photographs. Your measurements must be exact. Make sure of this., and that all the squares are of equal size and proportion.

The next step is to draw precisely the same grid on your drawing paper.. This is really important. You need to use the same exact scale as the grid you drew on top of your photograph. If the grid you draw on your paper isn't the same scale as the grid you drew on your photograph, then your portrait drawing will not be proportionate.

Now that you've drawn a grid on both your photograph and your paper, you are ready to learn how to draw lifelike portraits from photographs!

The next step is to examine your photograph one square at a time, copying everything that you see in that square into the corresponding square on your paper. For instance, start with the top left square. Look carefully at what is in that square. Don't look at any of the other squares, or you will be distracted. Focus only on one square at a time.

For example: if you see a line in the top right square of the photograph, draw a line in the top right square of your paper. Use the edges of the square as your guidelines to help you figure out exactly where to place that line. If the line in the photograph goes from the bottom left corner to the middle of the right side, then in the top right square of your paper, draw a line that goes from the bottom left corner to the middle of the right side.

Repeat this process for every square on your paper. When you go from square to square, draw not only the lines - draw the shading as well. The lines create outlines, but the shading creates form. It is the shading that will result in a lifelike portrait.

Anyone can learn how to draw lifelike portraits from photographs. In some ways, it's actually easier to learn how to sketch a portrait by looking at a photograph instead of working from a live model, for the following reasons:

- The photograph does not move, whereas models can (and will) move and fidget. In addition, any changes in the light source will affect your drawing when learning how to sketch a portrait from a live model.

- Because photographs don't fidget, you can work at your own pace. You can set aside a drawing for days, weeks or even years if you don't have time to work on it. When you come back to it, you can pick right up again where you left off.

- You're not self-conscious when you learn how to draw lifelike portraits from photographs in the same way that you would be if you were learning how to sketch a portrait from a live model. When you are learning how to sketch a portrait from a live model, you may get a feeling of performance anxiety because chances are, the person who is posing for you will want to see how the drawing is coming along.

- Lastly, one of the best reasons to learn how to draw lifelike portraits from photographs is that you can try again and again until you get it right. A live model might get exasperated or tired after awhile. When learning how to draw lifelike portraits from photographs, you can start over again any time you need to.

These are the main reasons why learning how to draw lifelike portraits from photographs is easier than learning how to sketch a portrait from a live person. The grid method is a great way to get started!

About the Author

My name is Peter Gray, and I have been interested in drawing and painting for a very long time. If you want more ideas and suggestions for your drawing, visit HowtoSketchFaces.com

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=2062645

Caricature Of Mr Roky

2010-06-07T20:12:00.001-07:00

Order was made through fiverr.com

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - The Eyes

2010-05-18T00:15:00.001-07:00

As with all features of the human face, it is important that we do not draw the preconceived ideas we have about eyes. The eyes are the windows to a person's soul and reflect much of the emotionality and personality of that person. Therefore, they must be drawn exactly how they are.

There is much to be said about the different parts of the eye, but here are a few guidelines that will get you started in the right direction:

* Complexity

Like the ears, eyes are rather complex forms and therefore we need to be patient and spend the necessary time to draw them as realistic as we can. Here are the important parts of the eye:

- The surrounding bone structure
- The eyebrows
- The eyelids
- The eyelashes
- The eyeball
- The iris
- The pupil

* Eye Structure

The eyeball sits deep inside the eye socket. The eye socket has a protruding rim at the top on which the eyebrow is situated. You can trace your finger all around the eye socket and get a good idea of its shape. It is within this rather rectangular shape that we will draw the eye.

* Eyeball

The eyeball has a rather large spherical shape. In front there is a protruding egg shaped bulge where the lens is located. The eyelids are stretched over the eyeball.

For drawing purposes we are interested in that part of the eyeball that we usually refer to as "the whites" of our eyes. Now, those whites are in general not white at all but have shadows on them which, at times, can be quite dark. Remember also that the whites are part of a spherical surface. So when shading the whites, we should think of the elements of shading that are applicable to a sphere.

* Eyelids

The eyelids are stretched over the eyeball. Therefore, the curvature of the eyeball gives the eyelids their shape. This is something to understand and memorize.

It is important to capture the exact shape of the eyelid lines and to recognize that they follow the curvature of the eyeball. Also, when the upper eyelid is retracted, it leaves a clearly visible crease which must also be rendered accurately.

Finally, notice the peculiar little shape in the inside corner of the eye where the upper and lower eyelids join. Be sure to draw this corner as observed in your particular subject.

* Eyelashes

The eyelashes sprout from the eyelids. They grow in clumps and should be rendered that way. Spend some time observing how eyelids grow and are directed. Notice that very often the lashes on the upper eyelid are much larger than those on the lower lid. Eyelashes belonging to a particular clump are frequently entangled. The eyelashes are usually drawn at the very end.

* The Iris

The iris is the circle of color in the middle of the eye. It is crucial for a good likeness that the value of the color is rendering correctly. A dark brown or a pale blue, for example, will appear very smooth and even. Green and deep blue irises, on the other hand, will have the most design and contrast in it.

* The Pupil

The pupil is situated exactly in the middle of the iris. As is the case with the iris, the pupil is an exact circle (if a frontal view) and is always black.

Very often there is a circular highlight situated just where the iris and pupil meet. This highlight adds quite a bit of life to the portrait. Look for it and add it to your drawing.

* Eyebrows

The eyebrows play a very important part in the appearance of a person. They also have a lot to do with the expression on the person's face. They follow the shape of the upper rim of the bone structure in which the eye is placed.

* Placement

The distance between the two eyes is on average exactly equal to one eye-width. Drawing a vertical line from the inside corner of the eye down to the nose should touch the outside of the nostril. Of course, these are average values and there are individual differences.

It is important to get a good impression of the shape, angle, width, and exact location of the eyebrows. Carefully observe the direction of the hairs and how they are intertwined.

Much can still be said about drawing eyes. For example, we could talk about the differences between the eyes of men, women, and children. Or, we could talk about capturing expressions of anger, laughter, or sadness, and much more. But the above guidelines will give you a good start. Later, you may want to undertake a more thorough study of the eye and how to draw it.

Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and expert teacher. Check out his Pencil Portrait Course and his Portrait Print Package Special

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Remi_Engels

Huda Portrait – Corel Painter & Bamboo Tablet

2010-05-11T00:15:00.001-07:00

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - Shading

2010-05-07T08:44:00.001-07:00

As soon as you have finished a line drawing of your subject you are ready to start with the shading process. The purpose of shading is to give your subject three-dimensionality. When you are done with shading, your subject should look like it is anchored in space and is not just an object in a plane.

Values (or tones) are, by definition, degrees of darkness and lightness. It is good practice to develop a visual sense of at least five values or tones. To help you with this, I suggest making a five-value scale. Draw five boxes next to each other and make the first one on the left totally black while leaving the last one on the right completely white. Then, fill up the middle one with a value that is just in between black and white. This value is called the "halftone" or "medium gray". Next, fill in the second box from the left with a value that lies between black and medium gray. This value is called "dark gray". Finally, fill in the second box from the right with a value that lies just in between white and medium gray. This value is called "light gray".

These five values are enough to start and can already do wonders for your pencil portrait. Practice these five values until you can recognize them instantly when you see them. Now, armed with the knowledge of these five values we can now approach our line drawing which has already mapped out various shapes with different values. We now can start the shading process (i.e., applying of values).

One thing that you should always keep in mind as you shade is the location of the light source or light sources. In the beginning it is best to work with only one light source. Every value you observe should be seen as a function of where the light source is located. Each value you apply should make sense in relation to the light source. Assign each of the areas on your line drawing one of the five values you have internalized. You do that through careful observation. Later, the boundaries between the differently valued areas will be blended together yielding a so-called transition area which has a value in between the two values of the adjacent areas.

To help you further, it is good to think of the different value areas in terms of the five elements of shading:

1. The Halftone
This is the value in the middle of your value scale. You can think of this value as representing the true value of your subject without the effects of direct light or shadow. It is neither light nor dark.

2. Full Light
This is the value of areas where the light hits the subject straight on. It is the white of the paper. This sort of value is also called a highlight.

3. Cast Shadow
This is the darkest value which is the black in the first box on the left of your value scale. This value occurs in places that are completely shielded from the light source or any reflections. These areas are usually to be found among the shadows the subject casts on other surfaces.

4. Shadow Edge
This is the dark gray located in the second box from the left on your value scale. This value type is found in areas that are not quite in the cast shadow areas but are beyond the halftone. These areas are often between a halftone area and a reflected light area or between a halftone zone and a cast shadow zone.

5. Reflected Light
This is a value corresponding to light gray, the second box from the right on your value scale. Reflected light can often be found as a small band between a cast shadow and a shadow edge. It is the light that bounces back onto your subject from surrounding surfaces. The bottom of the jaw often shows reflected light. Be sure not to make this sort of value totally white because it never is. These reflected light areas are important to notice and to render because they contribute significantly to the appearance of roundness and three-dimensionality of your subject.

In conclusion, a satisfactory line drawing together with your knowledge of a five-value scale and the five elements of shading should give you a good start at developing your shading skills. Work with short strokes and blend the adjacent areas into a value that lies in between the two areas. A ball on a table lighted by one light source is a good setup for practicing the five elements of shading.

Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and expert teacher. Check out his Pencil Portrait Course and his Portrait Print Package Special

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Remi_Engels

William Wallace ( Mel Gibson)

2010-04-29T19:02:00.001-07:00

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - The Nose

2010-04-25T22:15:00.000-07:00

The nose is crucial in relation to the overall scale of all other facial features of your pencil portrait subject. An incorrectly drawn nose will very much affect the likeness of your subject. The nose is also a study in shading and blending.

Here are some issues you should keep in mind when drawing a nose:
* Shape
When drawing a nose, you should be thinking of spheres and cylinders. The shading and blending is very much related to that of a sphere and a cylinder. Be sure you first determine the location of the light source in your photograph. This is crucial to make everything look real and natural.
* Planes
A nose has many planes and protrusions which all have a certain angle with respect to each other. It is important to judge these angles correctly to obtain a good likeness. Also, squint your eyes to determine the type of shadow you are dealing with (hard edge, halftone, soft edge, highlight, or reflected light).
* Darkest Area
Invariably, the darkest area will be found inside each nostril. These areas are always cast shadows and therefore very dark. Remember that cast shadows become lighter as they approach the light source. Also, the edges of cast shadows are the sharpest near the object that throws the cast shadow. The edges get softer as they approach the light source.
* Reflected Light
Showing reflected light is very important to model three-dimensionality. It is usually found around the edges of the nostrils. In general, any surface that has a lip or a rim will show reflected light. Reflected light is also found where you have a shadow edge. A shadow edge is an area that is receding from the light source and usually turns into a cast shadow. In between this shadow edge and the cast shadow you will find a thin layer of reflected light.
* Blending
As always, blending should proceed from the darker areas towards the lighter areas and should be done parallel to the edges of the areas and always follow the natural flow of the subject. This will promote the illusion of depth and form and therefore realism.
* Size
Although everybody's nose is different, you should memorize the average size and placement of the nose, so you can always refer to this while you are drawing an actual nose.
The nose is measured from the bridge between the eyes to the bottom of the nostrils. This distance, on average, is equal to the distance from the bottom of the chin up to the bottom of the nostrils.
The bottom of the nostrils is, again on average, at the same height of the bottom of the earlobes. The space between the eyes is one eye-width and also gives you the distance between the outside edges of the nostrils. Of course, all these measurements are with reference to a frontal view.
* Flow
Remember that the nose is part of the face. In other words, the edges should be flowing into the face and not separate the nose from the rest of the face. So the edges should blend into the surrounding cheek areas.
In conclusion, it should be said that the nose is very important to the likeness of your subject. Pay close attention to the deviations from the standard measurements and location because these are important elements in what makes a good likeness. The above guidelines together with practice will make you an expert nose drawer.

Remi Engels is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter and expert teacher. Check out his Pencil Portrait Course and his Portrait Print Package Special

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Remi_Engels

My Wife

2010-04-24T19:38:00.001-07:00

Tools: Corel Painter and Bamboo tablet

A Drawing Tip - How to Draw From Memory

2010-04-15T09:47:00.001-07:00

Do you worry that you don't know how to draw from memory?

Do you struggle to just pick up a pencil and draw something, anything, without a picture to copy?

Don't worry, the majority of us have the same problem. Luckily, there is a simple drawing tip that you can implement to overcome this problem.

I thought about what I would do if I was put in the position to draw something on the spot. After some experimenting, I discovered how to draw from memory. There really is an easy solution.

All you need to do is to convert your drawing subject into common shapes.

As usual, I like to start with a simple example. Let's say you get asked how to draw a chick, here's what you do.

Using the mental image of this fluffy little bird, think of its construction as a small circle for the head, and a larger circle for the body. With light strokes, draw the two circles, overlapping each other. The drawing is going to be the side view, which is the easiest way to do this. Depending on which way you prefer, the smaller circle for the head would sit on the top right or top left of the body circle.
Using small strokes to represent feathers or fluff, connect the circles to create one shape. If you want to, you can erase the overlapping lines inside or between the two original circles. Keeping your image of a chick in mind, build on the body to attain the correct shape.
Now let's add the wing by drawing a curve from the middle of the body to just outside the circle. Join the top of the wing to the body with some thoughtful strokes.
Add the beak using a sideways "v". Put this halfway down the head circle.
Draw the eye just in from the top of the beak.
Add the legs. Remember, this is side-on so you only need to draw one leg and show a couple of toes from the other foot.

There you go, you have just drawn a little chick. That's one way how to draw from memory.

Check out these step by step examples on how to draw a chick and pick up some extra tips while you are there.

Of course, learning to draw from memory takes practice. Observe something that interests you and then five minutes later, try to draw your impression of that object. If you do this exercise daily, you will get a pleasant surprise at how easy you can do this.

If you are copying a picture, once you are finished, do a memory sketch of that object. Just as a musician has to practice playing an instrument daily, your dedication should be the same.

Author Kerry Godsall is the webmaster and hobby artist at http://www.allaboutdrawings.com where you will be introduced to the exciting hobby of pencil drawing. If you want to learn the simplest way to achieve good drawings, all you have to do is join the free newsletter.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kerry_Godsall

Pencil Drawing - You Can Draw

2010-04-08T23:46:00.001-07:00

Therefore, many people doubt their own abilities to achieve goals in their life, and they allow self doubt to hold them back or prevent them from even trying to achieve their dreams. Even worse they allow the thoughts or feelings of others to jeopardize their chance of learning new skills and enjoying the opportunity to experience life in a variety of different ways. Many people think that achieving the necessary skills to be able to draw well is difficult or even impossible.

We either have those skills, or we don't. This is certainly not the case. With pencil drawing, anyone who is keen to learn can start absorbing the skills necessary. Starting the preparation for learning to draw however is the most important aspect and this is simply a case of changing the way our minds work.

Pencil drawing should be fun, and if we remember why we are trying to learn and be able to enjoy the process, we are creating the right foundations on which the accrued knowledge can sit. Expanding our creative horizons is an enjoyable and challenging process and inevitably, we will make some mistakes along this creative journey. This is not an indication of failure; it's merely a confirmation of the learning process.

There are three important aspects of learning to draw:

* Having the confidence to try

* The ability to be able to see the subject of interest

* The capacity to remember specific techniques.

When we attempt to draw something, we attempt to capture the essence of the subject, and we can do this by using our emotions and senses to be able to reproduce the spirit of our intended subject.

Learning to believe in our abilities to listen, observe and absorb data that we receive will enable us to do justice when we are actually attempting to recreate onto paper. Drawing technique is easily achievable, and we can only do this by practicing regularly.

The saying that practice makes perfect could not be truer than within the world of art, but as long as we are determined to achieve and do not let self-doubt hold us back, then we are on the right route to creative success.

http://www.articleslash.net/tr-491342/1222120800.html

Blue Bird

2010-04-02T00:07:00.000-07:00

Open Canvas with photo reference

Arsene Wenger

2010-03-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

Jose Mourinho Portrait

2010-03-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

Sandra Bullock Caricature

2010-03-18T13:59:00.001-07:00

Slash Caricature

2010-03-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

Morgan Freeman Portrait

2010-03-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

Using Corel Painter with photo reference

Johnny Depp Portrait

2010-03-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

Donald Trump Caricature

2010-03-02T10:05:00.000-08:00

Silat 2

2010-02-19T15:57:00.000-08:00

Dato' Sri Najib Razak Portrait

2010-02-17T16:18:00.000-08:00

Silat

2010-02-17T08:28:00.000-08:00

Sketch2

2009-12-18T11:06:00.000-08:00

Another Weekend Sketch

2009-12-18T08:30:00.000-08:00

Weekend Sketch

2009-12-17T23:55:00.000-08:00

Bride & Groom Kissing

2009-12-14T06:48:00.000-08:00

My Son

2009-12-14T06:43:00.000-08:00

Tiger Woods Sketch

2009-12-11T20:08:00.001-08:00

Caricature Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

2009-12-01T20:14:00.000-08:00

Haji Ardani

2009-12-01T08:12:00.000-08:00

Nicol Ann David Caricature

2009-10-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

David Beckham Caricature

2009-09-27T06:39:00.002-07:00

Caricature Datuk Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim

2009-09-06T10:31:00.000-07:00

Caricature Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim

2009-07-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

Christina Aguilera - Portrait Sketch

2009-07-07T20:21:00.000-07:00

Wayne Rooney Caricature

2008-12-25T22:41:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama Caricature

2008-12-18T22:50:00.001-08:00

Christiano Ronaldo Caricature

2008-12-04T01:36:00.000-08:00

Michael Jackson Caricature

2008-12-01T02:32:00.000-08:00

Mr Hadari Asat Caricature

2008-11-28T00:03:00.001-08:00

Using Photoshop and Wacom Tablet

Muhyiddin Yassin Caricature

2008-11-24T07:32:00.000-08:00

Mr Halim Caricature

2008-11-19T18:49:00.000-08:00

Thanks Mr Halim.

Abdullah Badawi Caricature

2008-11-19T18:39:00.000-08:00

Fifth Malaysian Prime Minister

Mary Delgado Caricature

2008-11-18T22:21:00.000-08:00

Mahathir Mohamed caricature

2008-11-17T00:58:00.000-08:00

M Nasir

2008-10-14T01:49:00.001-07:00

Photoshop and Wacom Tablet

A Samad Said

2008-10-14T00:56:00.000-07:00

Photoshop and Wacom Tablet

Portrait 9 - Pencil

2008-02-12T17:51:00.001-08:00

Portrait 8 - Pencil

2008-02-12T17:50:00.000-08:00