by Greendave
My first thought was how can paint be organic? Isnt that for vegetables?
I did some more research and found that the term organic can be a highly misleading term when applied to paint so many companies dont use it and tend to use the term eco or natural instead. Unlike the food and textile industry, there is currently no legally defined standard or recognised certification scheme in place for organic paints just like soap pods (what are soap pods I hear you ask?).
It is possible for some organically grown plants to be utilised in the manufacture of some of the natural paints and to obtain organic pigments from some plants and insects, but these are not ideally suited to use in paint because they tend to fade.
It has been found that ingredients such as the solvents, acrylics and acrylic softeners used in most conventional paints are hazardous both to health and the environment as paints consist essentially of pigments (the colourant), the binding agent (which binds the colourant to the surface) and of solvents, (which keep the paint in suspension until applied). As the paint dries the solvent evaporates and leaves the dried paint on the surface. This process is the same with all paints.
But as the paint begins to dry, components called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released into the air causing toxic air pollution (that nasty smell) and increasing your chances of becoming chemically sensitive. These and other chemical compounds can cause chest complaints, aggravate allergies, contribute to the greenhouse effect and pollute the environment.
Most paint manufacturers set out to make a paint that is non toxic and doesnt give off VOCs so it will be a safe paint for humans as well as environmentally safe. Unfortunately, research has found that most organic paints and components release VOCs.
The vital difference between conventional paint and eco/natural paints lies in using as many eco friendly and natural ingredients as possible as pigments, binding agents and solvents.
People should also look to buy paints made in their own country as not only does it reduce the pollution caused by the transport of the end products and sometimes the raw materials, it also supports a more local approach to buying goods and services.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Concrete Paint Basics
by Zupatips
Many home owners report that their concrete does not look as good as it first did, and indeed some concrete looses its looks and become cracked and dimples and rust stains. This look damages the house look and many find it to be plain ugly, the solutions that people apply to this problem is usually covering the whole concrete surface with different thing, mattress and clothes from all materials, but covering the concrete does not solve the problem just provides a temporary solution you need to remove once it starts raining.
The real solution for this problem is using concrete paint. You can use concrete paint to cover the whole surface and make it look completely different, the paint will help you change the look and you can also add some sand to the paint to help prevent problems like slipping or falling on the concrete because of water or cracks, the paint will make these problems disappear.
Whenever talking about changing or replacing concrete we are talking about an expensive work that will almost surely take some time and effort that might disturb the family living in the house for some time, this is why the concrete problems should first try to be solved by a quicker and simpler solutions, the concrete paint solution is much shorter and easier than redoing the whole area of the concrete. The only thing you need to do is visit a shop and decide on the color that you want, buy the other necessary things for this project, find some free time and paint your concrete.
There is also place for creativity when painting your concrete, you can buy a few different colors, make a plan of how you want to paint it and paint geometric shapes, different patterns, words and letters, colors that correspond to the house colors, swirls and circle shapes and check board shapes. You can also use templates for these shapes, you will need to make or get durable templates and use them to give your concrete a unique look.
The only important thing you should bare in mind is that before painting the concrete you will need to examine all the concrete surface to make sure that it is clean and dry, in any case you should clean the whole surface to make sure that no oil stains or water is not present on the surface because concrete can hold a lot water. You can clean the surface by using a broom on the dry surface and then using a broom and some strong cleaning produce, washing like you do at home, and then using water to wash away the soap. Once the concrete is clean and dry the painting can start.
Once you will complete the painting you will understand how easy and simple it is to reinvent your concrete surface look, and also understand that once you are bored with the colors you could change again and again, good luck with your new concrete paint and new concrete surface.
Many home owners report that their concrete does not look as good as it first did, and indeed some concrete looses its looks and become cracked and dimples and rust stains. This look damages the house look and many find it to be plain ugly, the solutions that people apply to this problem is usually covering the whole concrete surface with different thing, mattress and clothes from all materials, but covering the concrete does not solve the problem just provides a temporary solution you need to remove once it starts raining.
The real solution for this problem is using concrete paint. You can use concrete paint to cover the whole surface and make it look completely different, the paint will help you change the look and you can also add some sand to the paint to help prevent problems like slipping or falling on the concrete because of water or cracks, the paint will make these problems disappear.
Whenever talking about changing or replacing concrete we are talking about an expensive work that will almost surely take some time and effort that might disturb the family living in the house for some time, this is why the concrete problems should first try to be solved by a quicker and simpler solutions, the concrete paint solution is much shorter and easier than redoing the whole area of the concrete. The only thing you need to do is visit a shop and decide on the color that you want, buy the other necessary things for this project, find some free time and paint your concrete.
There is also place for creativity when painting your concrete, you can buy a few different colors, make a plan of how you want to paint it and paint geometric shapes, different patterns, words and letters, colors that correspond to the house colors, swirls and circle shapes and check board shapes. You can also use templates for these shapes, you will need to make or get durable templates and use them to give your concrete a unique look.
The only important thing you should bare in mind is that before painting the concrete you will need to examine all the concrete surface to make sure that it is clean and dry, in any case you should clean the whole surface to make sure that no oil stains or water is not present on the surface because concrete can hold a lot water. You can clean the surface by using a broom on the dry surface and then using a broom and some strong cleaning produce, washing like you do at home, and then using water to wash away the soap. Once the concrete is clean and dry the painting can start.
Once you will complete the painting you will understand how easy and simple it is to reinvent your concrete surface look, and also understand that once you are bored with the colors you could change again and again, good luck with your new concrete paint and new concrete surface.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Tips to Paint the Tepee
by Rhusain
One of the types of the tent which we can use is tepee, which is an Indian typical tent. Once the tepee is built and stretched out, we can have a little fun to decorate the tepee. Below is some guide to print your tepee.
Painting the Tepee.
Cave dwellers decorated their caves with drawings; the Indians painted their tepees, taking the motifs from their lives: hunting and war. They also drew their totem figures, the sun and the moon, and animals. You can decorate your tepee in the same way. The Design. Designing consists of first making a drawing of, for example, an animal you are going to paint and then simplifying your sketch. If you are drawing a lion, first make a realistic sketch, then reduce it as far as possible to simple single lines, and finally intensify and stylize those lines. In the same way, if you wish to paint an elk, first draw it.
For your tepee decoration you don't need any perspective, so you can simplify the antlers and place the legs decoratively. Then further simplify all the forms, exaggerating those parts of the elk that are typical and distinctive. And you finish with a decorative pattern for painting. Another method is pure stylization. In the illustration, the "photographic" image of an eagle is intensely simplified and the typical elements are completely exaggerated, but the bird is still recognizable as an eagle.
You might like to make Indian shields, too, and paint them with the same motifs as your tepee. Be sure to adapt the design to the shape of the shield.
The Painting Process.
Use ordinary oil paints, choosing pure tones and avoiding the mixed colors such as gray, purple, brown, light blue, and so forth. Use black, Prussian blue, red, and perhaps even green and chrome yellow. The paints should not be too thick or they will not penetrate well into the fabric. Thin the paint with turpentine, but not so much that the paint is watery or runs down a vertical surface while you are painting. Add a drying compound, such as varnish, to the paint to speed up the setting. You can wash out any unwanted strokes or drops with turpentine as long as the paint is still wet. Have one brush to use for each color long-handled brushes with short bristles, of an inch to 1 inch wide.
Fasten the piece of tenting to be painted against a wall, first putting up a heavy under layer of newspaper to protect the wall from the paint that penetrates through the material. Outline the figure with charcoal before painting. The composition and thickness of the paint determine how long the tent has to dry. It will probably take at least three days to a week. Be especially careful about putting on too thick a layer of paint apply it just heavily enough so that the paint sticks together. Otherwise the layer of paint will break and crack when you fold the tepee. You can even add a bit of humor to your stylized drawings. For example, look at the squirrel. The eye, the pointed nose, and the ear give the whole picture an amusing touch. This is also true of the rooster, with its half-angry, half-proud expression. On the other hand, it's the arrangement of the wings and tail which gives the albatross its dash of caricature.
One of the types of the tent which we can use is tepee, which is an Indian typical tent. Once the tepee is built and stretched out, we can have a little fun to decorate the tepee. Below is some guide to print your tepee.
Painting the Tepee.
Cave dwellers decorated their caves with drawings; the Indians painted their tepees, taking the motifs from their lives: hunting and war. They also drew their totem figures, the sun and the moon, and animals. You can decorate your tepee in the same way. The Design. Designing consists of first making a drawing of, for example, an animal you are going to paint and then simplifying your sketch. If you are drawing a lion, first make a realistic sketch, then reduce it as far as possible to simple single lines, and finally intensify and stylize those lines. In the same way, if you wish to paint an elk, first draw it.
For your tepee decoration you don't need any perspective, so you can simplify the antlers and place the legs decoratively. Then further simplify all the forms, exaggerating those parts of the elk that are typical and distinctive. And you finish with a decorative pattern for painting. Another method is pure stylization. In the illustration, the "photographic" image of an eagle is intensely simplified and the typical elements are completely exaggerated, but the bird is still recognizable as an eagle.
You might like to make Indian shields, too, and paint them with the same motifs as your tepee. Be sure to adapt the design to the shape of the shield.
The Painting Process.
Use ordinary oil paints, choosing pure tones and avoiding the mixed colors such as gray, purple, brown, light blue, and so forth. Use black, Prussian blue, red, and perhaps even green and chrome yellow. The paints should not be too thick or they will not penetrate well into the fabric. Thin the paint with turpentine, but not so much that the paint is watery or runs down a vertical surface while you are painting. Add a drying compound, such as varnish, to the paint to speed up the setting. You can wash out any unwanted strokes or drops with turpentine as long as the paint is still wet. Have one brush to use for each color long-handled brushes with short bristles, of an inch to 1 inch wide.
Fasten the piece of tenting to be painted against a wall, first putting up a heavy under layer of newspaper to protect the wall from the paint that penetrates through the material. Outline the figure with charcoal before painting. The composition and thickness of the paint determine how long the tent has to dry. It will probably take at least three days to a week. Be especially careful about putting on too thick a layer of paint apply it just heavily enough so that the paint sticks together. Otherwise the layer of paint will break and crack when you fold the tepee. You can even add a bit of humor to your stylized drawings. For example, look at the squirrel. The eye, the pointed nose, and the ear give the whole picture an amusing touch. This is also true of the rooster, with its half-angry, half-proud expression. On the other hand, it's the arrangement of the wings and tail which gives the albatross its dash of caricature.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
How to Draw Beautiful Eyes
by Kimberly Jack
For any person, drawing the eyes can be the most difficult thing. The reason being, it has to be really natural. The eyes have to look real life like. So if you are really keen on learning to draw eyes, be it a human, animal or bird. Eyes are rightly called as the window of a person's soul. A successful artist is one who is able to draw an expressive set of eyes. Eyes bring life into the picture portrayed by the artist. It is important to go about step by step and then draw beautiful eyes. Working out bit by bit and layer by layer and going about in a systematic manner would make you successful in drawing beautiful eyes.
There are many self explanatory books, instructions and other drawing material which help in guiding a novice to draw beautiful eyes. Practicing or watching someone draw and paint a perfect pair of eyes would give you tips on how to draw beautifully.
Let us now have a look at the formula on how to draw beautiful eyes.
1. Eye Anatomy
It is important to pay attention to the anatomy of the eyes. Once you are clear on this, it makes things easier and you would be able to be successful in drawing them. The human eye is not flat, it has a curved shape. All these years, we were under the impression that the shape of the iris is flat.
2. Study the muscles
Studying the bones and muscles of the face helps in drawing perfect eyes. These bones and muscles can be clearly observed in some faces and in some they are not noticeable.
3. Test out the Iris
Checking the iris is of essence. Take a look at the eyes of the person who intend drawing in detail. Ensuring that the iris is filled with variety of layers and patterns is important. If you take a closer look, you would find that the eyes are not pure white, blending them with some colors will give it a more natural look.
4. Drawing different expressions
It is advised that you ask the person to change their facial expressions. This would mean that the eye expressions would change automatically. It helps you in getting a clearer picture of the eyes and also the right image.
5. A Happy look
If you intend drawing happy looking eyes, ask the person to smile and look cheerful. These simple expressions would help in changing the smile on the face and indirectly on the muscles and you would be able to draw the perfect eyes.
6. Setting up the structure
This is important since the parallel lines would ensure that the eyes, nose and mouth are placed rightly. If you take drawing and training lessons from a professional artist, you would know how to draw a perfect set of eyes. You would need to shell out quite some money and time as well, but it is worth it.
For people who are happy doing landscape drawings or people in crowds, once they are able to figure out how to draw an expressive set of eyes, they would automatically love drawing eyes. Watching videos and taking training lessons would be another great idea and you will learn the tricks of drawing beautiful eyes.
For any person, drawing the eyes can be the most difficult thing. The reason being, it has to be really natural. The eyes have to look real life like. So if you are really keen on learning to draw eyes, be it a human, animal or bird. Eyes are rightly called as the window of a person's soul. A successful artist is one who is able to draw an expressive set of eyes. Eyes bring life into the picture portrayed by the artist. It is important to go about step by step and then draw beautiful eyes. Working out bit by bit and layer by layer and going about in a systematic manner would make you successful in drawing beautiful eyes.
There are many self explanatory books, instructions and other drawing material which help in guiding a novice to draw beautiful eyes. Practicing or watching someone draw and paint a perfect pair of eyes would give you tips on how to draw beautifully.
Let us now have a look at the formula on how to draw beautiful eyes.
1. Eye Anatomy
It is important to pay attention to the anatomy of the eyes. Once you are clear on this, it makes things easier and you would be able to be successful in drawing them. The human eye is not flat, it has a curved shape. All these years, we were under the impression that the shape of the iris is flat.
2. Study the muscles
Studying the bones and muscles of the face helps in drawing perfect eyes. These bones and muscles can be clearly observed in some faces and in some they are not noticeable.
3. Test out the Iris
Checking the iris is of essence. Take a look at the eyes of the person who intend drawing in detail. Ensuring that the iris is filled with variety of layers and patterns is important. If you take a closer look, you would find that the eyes are not pure white, blending them with some colors will give it a more natural look.
4. Drawing different expressions
It is advised that you ask the person to change their facial expressions. This would mean that the eye expressions would change automatically. It helps you in getting a clearer picture of the eyes and also the right image.
5. A Happy look
If you intend drawing happy looking eyes, ask the person to smile and look cheerful. These simple expressions would help in changing the smile on the face and indirectly on the muscles and you would be able to draw the perfect eyes.
6. Setting up the structure
This is important since the parallel lines would ensure that the eyes, nose and mouth are placed rightly. If you take drawing and training lessons from a professional artist, you would know how to draw a perfect set of eyes. You would need to shell out quite some money and time as well, but it is worth it.
For people who are happy doing landscape drawings or people in crowds, once they are able to figure out how to draw an expressive set of eyes, they would automatically love drawing eyes. Watching videos and taking training lessons would be another great idea and you will learn the tricks of drawing beautiful eyes.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Best Tips - How to Draw a Car
by Brian Congleton E
Drawing a simple car is very easy but drawing a realistic one can be very difficult. Artists and designers use their imagination to draw something that is unique and different from others. These days you get various books and article on the internet that can give you some easy tips through which you can draw any object that you desire, even if you are not very talented in the field of drawing.
So, now in this article I would mainly like to discuss some of the best tips with you that would help you to draw a car.
1. Make your experience enjoyable
Drawing different cars can really be a fun filled and enjoyable experience if you are really focused on what you are doing. From semi-trucks to sports car, nothing is impossible to draw, but you just need determination and some hard work.
2. Divide your drawing into parts
A very good way through which you can draw complicated things easily is by dividing them into different parts. The same thing you can do while drawing cars also, you can even use different colors for different parts of the car. The top portion can be drawn in red while the bottom can be completed in black ink.
3. Draw a rough sketch
Before drawing the actual car you can easily draw a rough draft of your drawing. Make sure the outlines are very lightly drawn so that you can erase them after wards. This rough draft would help you in realizing your mistakes which you would definitely avoid in the fair one.
4. Use simple objects to draw different parts
You can use simple objects to draw the various parts of your car. Make use of the ruler to make straight lines of the outer surface of the car, for drawing wheels you can use coins of various sizes.
5. Have a picture of a car to help you
If you feel that it would be difficult for you to draw a car by just using your imagination then you can take out a print out of a car to help you. You can even trace out the actual drawing and then darken it by using fine felt tip markers, erase the pencil marks after doing so. You can also use crayons and pencil colors to give your car a more realistic look.
So, these are some very good tips that you can use to draw a car. I am sure that next time you want to sketch a car these suggestions would prove to be very useful for you.
Drawing a simple car is very easy but drawing a realistic one can be very difficult. Artists and designers use their imagination to draw something that is unique and different from others. These days you get various books and article on the internet that can give you some easy tips through which you can draw any object that you desire, even if you are not very talented in the field of drawing.
So, now in this article I would mainly like to discuss some of the best tips with you that would help you to draw a car.
1. Make your experience enjoyable
Drawing different cars can really be a fun filled and enjoyable experience if you are really focused on what you are doing. From semi-trucks to sports car, nothing is impossible to draw, but you just need determination and some hard work.
2. Divide your drawing into parts
A very good way through which you can draw complicated things easily is by dividing them into different parts. The same thing you can do while drawing cars also, you can even use different colors for different parts of the car. The top portion can be drawn in red while the bottom can be completed in black ink.
3. Draw a rough sketch
Before drawing the actual car you can easily draw a rough draft of your drawing. Make sure the outlines are very lightly drawn so that you can erase them after wards. This rough draft would help you in realizing your mistakes which you would definitely avoid in the fair one.
4. Use simple objects to draw different parts
You can use simple objects to draw the various parts of your car. Make use of the ruler to make straight lines of the outer surface of the car, for drawing wheels you can use coins of various sizes.
5. Have a picture of a car to help you
If you feel that it would be difficult for you to draw a car by just using your imagination then you can take out a print out of a car to help you. You can even trace out the actual drawing and then darken it by using fine felt tip markers, erase the pencil marks after doing so. You can also use crayons and pencil colors to give your car a more realistic look.
So, these are some very good tips that you can use to draw a car. I am sure that next time you want to sketch a car these suggestions would prove to be very useful for you.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Oil Painting Tips - Learn How to Keep your Colors Pure
by Ralph Serpe
One of the biggest hurdles for beginner oil painters is learning how to keep colors pure. How many times have you started an oil painting only to quit from frustration because things just didn't look right. Your colors were muddy or they just lacked brilliance. This is a very common problem for artists just starting out with oil paints. Hopefully after reading this article, you will no longer have to put up with this frustration any longer and will finally be able to enjoy oil painting.
BE CLEAN AND ORGANIZED
I know for some of us, it can be very difficult to maintain a clean and organized painting environment. Sometimes we can get very caught up in our work and things can get sloppy. The last thing you want is to become a sloppy painter as your work will suffer. Break the habit early and try your hardest to develop clean and organized painting habits.
Your Palette
First, you should get into the habit of laying out your colors the same way every time you paint. This is just good practice and keeps the painting process flowing nicely. Arrange your colors along the edges of your palette leaving a lot of room in the center for mixing.
Don't be afraid to squeeze out a good amount of paint, especially your whites. You will be more productive if you aren't continuously stopping to squeeze out more paint.
Make certain to include all of the colors you think you will need to complete that session of painting. Again, this will make you more productive.
When adding paint to the palette, I have found that squeezing the paint out in long lines, as opposed to puddles, keeps my colors cleaner. When you have puddles of paint, they tend to get soiled by other colors when mixing. With a long line of paint, you can just take paint from the end as needed and not dirty the rest. Keep some rags or paper towels handy for wiping your palette knife clean.
It's a good idea to continuously wipe your palette clean during the painting process. There is nothing more frustrating then trying to remove dried up oil paint. Keep some alcohol handy so that you can keep the mixing area of your palette clean.
If you don't want to fuss around with a regular palette, why not try a disposable one? They are basically paper with a plastic coating that prevents the paper from absorbing the oil. The beauty of the disposable palette, is that you can simply throw it in the trash when you are done. Using a disposable palette will definitely help keep your colors clean as you will be starting with a clean surface every time you start a new painting session.
When mixing your colors, use your palette knife and not your brush. A palette knife can be wiped completely clean so there is no chance of your colors becoming contaminated. Your brush is made for painting and not mixing and you can shorten the life span of your brush if you are continually mixing with it.
Brushes
I like to have a handful of clean brushes near by when I am painting. This way, I do not need to stop and clean my brushes when I am working with a different color and there is less risk of the wrong colors getting into the mix.
SATURATION OR BRILLIANCE OF COLOR
When a color is squeezed straight from the tube, it is said to be high in saturation or brilliance. This is because it hasn't been mixed with any other colors. The more colors you mix together, the duller they will become. It has been said that one should not mix more than three colors together and this a very good rule to follow. If you mix more than three colors together you are kind of defeating the purpose.
Why is this so? Let's say that you are going to mix a brown. You decide to use red, yellow and blue to create your brown. You then decide to mix in a bit of orange. As you know, red mixed with yellow will create orange. So there is no need to add the additional color.
No one ever said it is a sin to use color straight from the tube. If you are painting something that calls for brighter color, why not use paint straight from the tube without mixing. Sometimes we get so accustomed to mixing color, that we neglect the pure color that is right in front of us. When using pure color though, try not to over do it. Too many bright colors can create havoc in a painting. Try and add bright colors against a duller surrounding so that your bright colors really stand out.
LIGHTEN OR DARKEN WITH COLOR
What is it that most of us do when we want to change the value of a color? To lighten a color, we usually add white and to darken a color we use black. You should always look for the opportunity to use color to change the value instead of black and white. Adding white or black to color will diminish its brilliance, unless that is the effect you are shooting for. A great example of this is using Yellow Ochre. If you want to brighten and lighten this color, instead of adding white, try adding a little Cadmium Yellow Light.
I hope this article has given you a little more insight into keeping your colors pure. Remember to practice oil painting as often as possible and never give up, no matter how frustrated you get!
One of the biggest hurdles for beginner oil painters is learning how to keep colors pure. How many times have you started an oil painting only to quit from frustration because things just didn't look right. Your colors were muddy or they just lacked brilliance. This is a very common problem for artists just starting out with oil paints. Hopefully after reading this article, you will no longer have to put up with this frustration any longer and will finally be able to enjoy oil painting.
BE CLEAN AND ORGANIZED
I know for some of us, it can be very difficult to maintain a clean and organized painting environment. Sometimes we can get very caught up in our work and things can get sloppy. The last thing you want is to become a sloppy painter as your work will suffer. Break the habit early and try your hardest to develop clean and organized painting habits.
Your Palette
First, you should get into the habit of laying out your colors the same way every time you paint. This is just good practice and keeps the painting process flowing nicely. Arrange your colors along the edges of your palette leaving a lot of room in the center for mixing.
Don't be afraid to squeeze out a good amount of paint, especially your whites. You will be more productive if you aren't continuously stopping to squeeze out more paint.
Make certain to include all of the colors you think you will need to complete that session of painting. Again, this will make you more productive.
When adding paint to the palette, I have found that squeezing the paint out in long lines, as opposed to puddles, keeps my colors cleaner. When you have puddles of paint, they tend to get soiled by other colors when mixing. With a long line of paint, you can just take paint from the end as needed and not dirty the rest. Keep some rags or paper towels handy for wiping your palette knife clean.
It's a good idea to continuously wipe your palette clean during the painting process. There is nothing more frustrating then trying to remove dried up oil paint. Keep some alcohol handy so that you can keep the mixing area of your palette clean.
If you don't want to fuss around with a regular palette, why not try a disposable one? They are basically paper with a plastic coating that prevents the paper from absorbing the oil. The beauty of the disposable palette, is that you can simply throw it in the trash when you are done. Using a disposable palette will definitely help keep your colors clean as you will be starting with a clean surface every time you start a new painting session.
When mixing your colors, use your palette knife and not your brush. A palette knife can be wiped completely clean so there is no chance of your colors becoming contaminated. Your brush is made for painting and not mixing and you can shorten the life span of your brush if you are continually mixing with it.
Brushes
I like to have a handful of clean brushes near by when I am painting. This way, I do not need to stop and clean my brushes when I am working with a different color and there is less risk of the wrong colors getting into the mix.
SATURATION OR BRILLIANCE OF COLOR
When a color is squeezed straight from the tube, it is said to be high in saturation or brilliance. This is because it hasn't been mixed with any other colors. The more colors you mix together, the duller they will become. It has been said that one should not mix more than three colors together and this a very good rule to follow. If you mix more than three colors together you are kind of defeating the purpose.
Why is this so? Let's say that you are going to mix a brown. You decide to use red, yellow and blue to create your brown. You then decide to mix in a bit of orange. As you know, red mixed with yellow will create orange. So there is no need to add the additional color.
No one ever said it is a sin to use color straight from the tube. If you are painting something that calls for brighter color, why not use paint straight from the tube without mixing. Sometimes we get so accustomed to mixing color, that we neglect the pure color that is right in front of us. When using pure color though, try not to over do it. Too many bright colors can create havoc in a painting. Try and add bright colors against a duller surrounding so that your bright colors really stand out.
LIGHTEN OR DARKEN WITH COLOR
What is it that most of us do when we want to change the value of a color? To lighten a color, we usually add white and to darken a color we use black. You should always look for the opportunity to use color to change the value instead of black and white. Adding white or black to color will diminish its brilliance, unless that is the effect you are shooting for. A great example of this is using Yellow Ochre. If you want to brighten and lighten this color, instead of adding white, try adding a little Cadmium Yellow Light.
I hope this article has given you a little more insight into keeping your colors pure. Remember to practice oil painting as often as possible and never give up, no matter how frustrated you get!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Paint and Draw - A Beginners Prompt
by Bryon Zirker
So you have decided that you want to paint and draw. Maybe you are the sort of person that really enjoyed art at school though you discovered you were not one of the few that it came to naturally.
Are you someone who is retired and has had a set of watercolors sitting on top of your desk or on a shelf for years? Maybe you are someone who aspires to have a go at some kind drawing and painting however you have no real idea in your mind of where or how to begin, and maybe you have had a bad experience with your art back in school and you think there is no hope now!
A lot people think to themselves that they are terrible at art when the fact is they just have not learned the basic skills needed. Maybe you enjoyed art at school and were encouraged to study science subjects instead. Some budding artists are fairly capable, almost without realizing it. They just do not understand the basic of how proportion works. You just need more practice so that you can get past the pin figure stage.
Make it a point to study and learn more about how to paint and draw. You'll learn some very interesting techniques and ideas. Beginner classes are recommended. There are all sorts of positive reasons for attending a beginners art class, going to a beginners art class will enhance your appreciation of the visual world.
You will definitely make new connections in the study of art and make new friends. In classes you will enjoy the chance to experiment with different materials and to enjoy some to yourself away from family for a couple of hours. In the beginning you do not need to pressure yourself into a full blown masterpiece by any means.
So you have decided that you want to paint and draw. Maybe you are the sort of person that really enjoyed art at school though you discovered you were not one of the few that it came to naturally.
Are you someone who is retired and has had a set of watercolors sitting on top of your desk or on a shelf for years? Maybe you are someone who aspires to have a go at some kind drawing and painting however you have no real idea in your mind of where or how to begin, and maybe you have had a bad experience with your art back in school and you think there is no hope now!
A lot people think to themselves that they are terrible at art when the fact is they just have not learned the basic skills needed. Maybe you enjoyed art at school and were encouraged to study science subjects instead. Some budding artists are fairly capable, almost without realizing it. They just do not understand the basic of how proportion works. You just need more practice so that you can get past the pin figure stage.
Make it a point to study and learn more about how to paint and draw. You'll learn some very interesting techniques and ideas. Beginner classes are recommended. There are all sorts of positive reasons for attending a beginners art class, going to a beginners art class will enhance your appreciation of the visual world.
You will definitely make new connections in the study of art and make new friends. In classes you will enjoy the chance to experiment with different materials and to enjoy some to yourself away from family for a couple of hours. In the beginning you do not need to pressure yourself into a full blown masterpiece by any means.
Monday, February 22, 2010
How to Draw Hands
Learning to draw hands is easier than it seems, as though they are complex forms, they become less daunting by simplifying the shapes. The formulaic approach to drawing hands using circles and ovals is helpful to start with, but the shapes needed will change according to the position of the hand, so it is much better to train your eye to see what is required. It can help to see each part of the finger as a short cylinder, depicted with an oval overlapping the next to form the joint, but from there the subtle variations of shape must be built up.
1. Rough in the overall form.
Imagine the hand is encased in a tight mitten, and sketch the basic shape formed by the hand and fingers. Mark the imaginary lines through the joints.
2. Form the fingers.
Observing carefully the shape of the space between them, draw and check the relative size and placement of the fingers and thumb.
3. Refine the drawing.
Indicate the main visible creases, especially where the thumb folds into the hand. Refine contour lines defining the palm and thumb.
4. Describe the form with tone.
Here some rough shading is added to bring out the form of hand. Once you have the basic form down, try more subtle shading, and observe the fine lines and visible veins.
In this example some fingers are partially hidden. Draw the closest finger first and allow the others to sit in behind it, drawing only the portion you can see, or lightly indicating the hidden lines to help judge proportion.
1. Rough in the overall form.
Imagine the hand is encased in a tight mitten, and sketch the basic shape formed by the hand and fingers. Mark the imaginary lines through the joints.
2. Form the fingers.
Observing carefully the shape of the space between them, draw and check the relative size and placement of the fingers and thumb.
3. Refine the drawing.
Indicate the main visible creases, especially where the thumb folds into the hand. Refine contour lines defining the palm and thumb.
4. Describe the form with tone.
Here some rough shading is added to bring out the form of hand. Once you have the basic form down, try more subtle shading, and observe the fine lines and visible veins.
In this example some fingers are partially hidden. Draw the closest finger first and allow the others to sit in behind it, drawing only the portion you can see, or lightly indicating the hidden lines to help judge proportion.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Taking Care of Your Paintings
hese are several tips on how to take care of your paintings.
Your paintings are your creations.
You invest a lot of time, effort and creativity in bringing your masterpieces to life.
It is logical, then, that you should know a few basic tips on how to take care of your paintings, so that they can last for long.
And taking care of your patings not only involves the painting itself, but also the canvas. Not only you should know how to protect your painting canvas, but also - heaven forbid! - how to repair it if the worse case scenario happens.
You must also take care of the back of the canvas, particularly when sending your paintings to an exhibition.
There is always the danger of a dent or a hole being made in a canvas when several are stacked together.
This can happen in your studio as easily as when they arrive at an exhibition.
A piece of strong heavy cardboard, cut to the size of the painting and tacked to the wooden canvas strips, will minimize this danger.
If a painting is damaged by a tear or a hole accidentally poked through a vital spot, it can be repaired by re-backing the canvas.
The canvas must be perfectly dry.
Remove the tacks and separate the canvas from its stretchers.
Cut a piece of new canvas with a margin (including the tacking area) about an inch larger than the damaged canvas.
Place the fresh canvas right side up on the floor and spread a heavy layer of white lead, cut with linseed oil, evenly over all of it.
Now place the back side of the damaged canvas against the new canvas and apply even pressure over the entire area.
Any surplus white lead that oozes out will be deposited on the 1-inch margin of the fresh canvas and can easily be scraped off.
Put a sheet of waxed paper cut to the size of the damaged painting over the face of the painting and place everything under a flat drawing board.
Let it dry for several days. Remove the board, trim the margin, and restretch. It is not always necessary to re-back or reline the entire canvas.
For a small tear, a patch made from new canvas can be applied. Whether the painting is patched or re-backed, some retouching will be necessary if the hole or tear is of any size.
Oil paintings that have been stored for some time in a closet or on a curtained rack may darken or yellow.
They will brighten considerably if you place them where they will be exposed to constant daylight (not direct sunlight).
Keep this in mind if you are planning to exhibit any older paintings, so that they will be shown to best advantage. It is also possible that a new coating of varnish will help; some dull spots may have developed because of color sinking into the canvas.
It is good practice to keep a case history of paintings that are the result of experimentation.
This experimentation can be the paints used for an underpainting, new colors that you have added to your palette, time allowed for paint layers to dry, or any new approach.
This information can be written on the back of the stretcher strips and will often provide vital data for future paintings.
Your water colors will give you less of a preservation problem than your oil paintings.
They can be stored in portfolios with hinged flaps to keep out the dust and placed in a horizontal position to prevent warping.
A water color that has been soiled by dirt or dust can be cleaned with a kneaded eraser.
Bread crumbs can also be used as a gentle means of removing accumulated dust smears.
If a water color has a crease in it, moisten the back with clear water on a sponge.
Then rub the under side of a spoon gently over the crease to help smooth it.
Put the sheet between two clean blotters and place it under a drawing board, using some books for added pressure.
Your paintings are your creations.
You invest a lot of time, effort and creativity in bringing your masterpieces to life.
It is logical, then, that you should know a few basic tips on how to take care of your paintings, so that they can last for long.
And taking care of your patings not only involves the painting itself, but also the canvas. Not only you should know how to protect your painting canvas, but also - heaven forbid! - how to repair it if the worse case scenario happens.
You must also take care of the back of the canvas, particularly when sending your paintings to an exhibition.
There is always the danger of a dent or a hole being made in a canvas when several are stacked together.
This can happen in your studio as easily as when they arrive at an exhibition.
A piece of strong heavy cardboard, cut to the size of the painting and tacked to the wooden canvas strips, will minimize this danger.
If a painting is damaged by a tear or a hole accidentally poked through a vital spot, it can be repaired by re-backing the canvas.
The canvas must be perfectly dry.
Remove the tacks and separate the canvas from its stretchers.
Cut a piece of new canvas with a margin (including the tacking area) about an inch larger than the damaged canvas.
Place the fresh canvas right side up on the floor and spread a heavy layer of white lead, cut with linseed oil, evenly over all of it.
Now place the back side of the damaged canvas against the new canvas and apply even pressure over the entire area.
Any surplus white lead that oozes out will be deposited on the 1-inch margin of the fresh canvas and can easily be scraped off.
Put a sheet of waxed paper cut to the size of the damaged painting over the face of the painting and place everything under a flat drawing board.
Let it dry for several days. Remove the board, trim the margin, and restretch. It is not always necessary to re-back or reline the entire canvas.
For a small tear, a patch made from new canvas can be applied. Whether the painting is patched or re-backed, some retouching will be necessary if the hole or tear is of any size.
Oil paintings that have been stored for some time in a closet or on a curtained rack may darken or yellow.
They will brighten considerably if you place them where they will be exposed to constant daylight (not direct sunlight).
Keep this in mind if you are planning to exhibit any older paintings, so that they will be shown to best advantage. It is also possible that a new coating of varnish will help; some dull spots may have developed because of color sinking into the canvas.
It is good practice to keep a case history of paintings that are the result of experimentation.
This experimentation can be the paints used for an underpainting, new colors that you have added to your palette, time allowed for paint layers to dry, or any new approach.
This information can be written on the back of the stretcher strips and will often provide vital data for future paintings.
Your water colors will give you less of a preservation problem than your oil paintings.
They can be stored in portfolios with hinged flaps to keep out the dust and placed in a horizontal position to prevent warping.
A water color that has been soiled by dirt or dust can be cleaned with a kneaded eraser.
Bread crumbs can also be used as a gentle means of removing accumulated dust smears.
If a water color has a crease in it, moisten the back with clear water on a sponge.
Then rub the under side of a spoon gently over the crease to help smooth it.
Put the sheet between two clean blotters and place it under a drawing board, using some books for added pressure.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Understanding Color and Light
Light is said to come from its source as a wave motion, the waves traveling at the remarkable speed of approximately 186,000 miles a second.
The sensation known as color is produced by the action of these waves of light upon the human eye.
The waves vary in length. These variations in wavelength produce different sensations in the eye corresponding to the different hues with which we are familiar.
Newton performed an interesting experiment, which you could easily repeat if you wanted to.
In a darkened room he placed a beam of sunlight through a slit in a window shade and allowed it to traverse a prism.
This separated or decomposed the light into a long line of colors, imperceptibly graded one into another, similar to a rainbow.
This separation of white light into its elements is called dispersion.
The resulting band is known as the spectrum.
The colors of the spectrum arrange themselves in the order of their wavelengths, the long waves being less refracted (that is, bent as they pass through the prism) than the short.
Starting with the red, which has the longest and slowest vibrating waves of any color visible to the human eye, innumerable colors follow, the most prominent being, in this order, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and, finally, violet, which, has the shortest and most rapid waves of any visible color.
The sensation known as color is produced by the action of these waves of light upon the human eye.
The waves vary in length. These variations in wavelength produce different sensations in the eye corresponding to the different hues with which we are familiar.
Newton performed an interesting experiment, which you could easily repeat if you wanted to.
In a darkened room he placed a beam of sunlight through a slit in a window shade and allowed it to traverse a prism.
This separated or decomposed the light into a long line of colors, imperceptibly graded one into another, similar to a rainbow.
This separation of white light into its elements is called dispersion.
The resulting band is known as the spectrum.
The colors of the spectrum arrange themselves in the order of their wavelengths, the long waves being less refracted (that is, bent as they pass through the prism) than the short.
Starting with the red, which has the longest and slowest vibrating waves of any color visible to the human eye, innumerable colors follow, the most prominent being, in this order, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and, finally, violet, which, has the shortest and most rapid waves of any visible color.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
An Introduction to Drawing and Sketching
Drawing is similar to writing in that it's necessary for a student to master it to convey his/her ideas.
You must learn to draw if you want to express yourself artistically. There is a lot to learn, but if you approach it from the "fun" side, it won't be tedious.
A student who draws well is free to concentrate on the problem of paint and color.
Not knowing how to draw can be a constant stumbling block at every stage of painting.
There are artists who have gotten away with mediocrity in their skills, and who are able to hide their lack of drafting abilities with beautiful colour.
However, not many of us are naturally gifted with such an eye for color!
The good thing is that you don't have to sit in front of a naked model to learn how to draw (unless, of course, you want to do that!).
Rather, I think that a better way of learning to draw is by constantly sketching and observing your surroundings .
I believe you can master enough of the skills of drawing by constantly sketching to help you in learning how to paint.
If you want to learn to draw, then, your motto should be "Sketch at All Times" and learn to draw with basic forms.
You can sketch things around you: kitchen utensils, furniture, the view from a window, people at work and at play, pets, etc.
Vary your sketching, working sometimes in outline, stressing the contour aspect of drawing. At other times concentrate on light and shade. The main thing for your is to keep drawing. And you should also learn a bit about perspective. There are 2 secrets on how to draw perspective that you can learn to start mastering that very important area in the art (and science) of drawing.
I have included a small article entitled "A painter's approach to sketching", where I discuss how painters look at nature or other subjects, and how they translate what they see onto their canvases or other drawing surfaces.
And if you want to learn to draw people, this brief introduction to figure drawing, will give you a good start. I do hope you enjoy the process of learning how to draw and how to sketch.
You must learn to draw if you want to express yourself artistically. There is a lot to learn, but if you approach it from the "fun" side, it won't be tedious.
A student who draws well is free to concentrate on the problem of paint and color.
Not knowing how to draw can be a constant stumbling block at every stage of painting.
There are artists who have gotten away with mediocrity in their skills, and who are able to hide their lack of drafting abilities with beautiful colour.
However, not many of us are naturally gifted with such an eye for color!
The good thing is that you don't have to sit in front of a naked model to learn how to draw (unless, of course, you want to do that!).
Rather, I think that a better way of learning to draw is by constantly sketching and observing your surroundings .
I believe you can master enough of the skills of drawing by constantly sketching to help you in learning how to paint.
If you want to learn to draw, then, your motto should be "Sketch at All Times" and learn to draw with basic forms.
You can sketch things around you: kitchen utensils, furniture, the view from a window, people at work and at play, pets, etc.
Vary your sketching, working sometimes in outline, stressing the contour aspect of drawing. At other times concentrate on light and shade. The main thing for your is to keep drawing. And you should also learn a bit about perspective. There are 2 secrets on how to draw perspective that you can learn to start mastering that very important area in the art (and science) of drawing.
I have included a small article entitled "A painter's approach to sketching", where I discuss how painters look at nature or other subjects, and how they translate what they see onto their canvases or other drawing surfaces.
And if you want to learn to draw people, this brief introduction to figure drawing, will give you a good start. I do hope you enjoy the process of learning how to draw and how to sketch.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Introduction to Painting and Color Theory
Color is so constantly in evidence in our daily lives that we are inclined to give it almost no conscious attention.
We merely accept it, as we do sunshine and shadow, failing not so much in our appreciation of its beauty as in a full realization of what an important part it plays in our daily lives.
To many of us it is a thing to admire consciously or openly only now and then, when particularly called to our attention, as in a sunset or a striking painting. Just as color interests and pleases us today, so it apparently affected primitive human beings.
At least, we have ample evidence of the constant use of pigments from the earliest known times.
The colorists in various fields have done their part by putting these pigments to all sorts of uses, seeking at the same time laws regarding their harmonious application.
In view of the united efforts of so many serious investigators over so long a period of time, the student entering upon any phase of color study usually expects to find the entire subject thoroughly understood and placed on a truly scientific basis, with exact laws determined, perhaps comparable to those of music.
But it is often a great surprise for them to learn that, although marked progress has been made in every department of color investigation, nature still withholds many of its secrets.
In fact, years may yet elapse before light itself and color vision, which permits us to see colors all about us (for color is only a matter of vision, as we shall explain more fully a bit later), are thoroughly understood.
Human beings, too, despite any claims to the contrary, progresses slowly in their attempts to discover definite and infallible laws regarding the concord employment of color in such pigment forms as paints, inks and dyes.
It is more than possible that such laws may never be found.
When you first come to a full realization of the fact that the employment of color is not a thing which you can learn to any great extent by rule that there are few precise and easily applied laws for your guidance you are quite sure to wonder just how you'll manage to make satisfactory progress.
Enough now to assure you that, despite this condition that seems in certain aspects a bit puzzling or chaotic (or will, at any rate, by the time the next few pages have been read), your path will by no means be as difficult as you might expect.
The links below will give you the background necessary for any serious approach to color study.
I have divided this discussion into small dosages, so that you can easily digest it..at your own pace.
We merely accept it, as we do sunshine and shadow, failing not so much in our appreciation of its beauty as in a full realization of what an important part it plays in our daily lives.
To many of us it is a thing to admire consciously or openly only now and then, when particularly called to our attention, as in a sunset or a striking painting. Just as color interests and pleases us today, so it apparently affected primitive human beings.
At least, we have ample evidence of the constant use of pigments from the earliest known times.
The colorists in various fields have done their part by putting these pigments to all sorts of uses, seeking at the same time laws regarding their harmonious application.
In view of the united efforts of so many serious investigators over so long a period of time, the student entering upon any phase of color study usually expects to find the entire subject thoroughly understood and placed on a truly scientific basis, with exact laws determined, perhaps comparable to those of music.
But it is often a great surprise for them to learn that, although marked progress has been made in every department of color investigation, nature still withholds many of its secrets.
In fact, years may yet elapse before light itself and color vision, which permits us to see colors all about us (for color is only a matter of vision, as we shall explain more fully a bit later), are thoroughly understood.
Human beings, too, despite any claims to the contrary, progresses slowly in their attempts to discover definite and infallible laws regarding the concord employment of color in such pigment forms as paints, inks and dyes.
It is more than possible that such laws may never be found.
When you first come to a full realization of the fact that the employment of color is not a thing which you can learn to any great extent by rule that there are few precise and easily applied laws for your guidance you are quite sure to wonder just how you'll manage to make satisfactory progress.
Enough now to assure you that, despite this condition that seems in certain aspects a bit puzzling or chaotic (or will, at any rate, by the time the next few pages have been read), your path will by no means be as difficult as you might expect.
The links below will give you the background necessary for any serious approach to color study.
I have divided this discussion into small dosages, so that you can easily digest it..at your own pace.
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