Drawing and Painting Art

10 Easy Painting Techniques for Beginners

2012-01-28T23:29:00.000-08:00

1. Basically the first thing that I do is decide what spectrum of colors to use. Whether I want my painting to have a dark cold/warm theme, or a bright hopeful theme. When you have an understanding on how colors will look when painted together on canvas it will be much easier to begin.

2. Block out all of the colors that you think you will be using on the canvas. Just color them in as you see fit (you will be painting many layers here so don't worry). As you paint you will learn how certain colors look painted on top of black, or how the colors will "pop" off of the page.

3. Don't use just basic colors. Mix a little blue with your black, or some red to create a subtle red effect showing through once the black dries.

4. Go light at first. The more acrylic without water then the more glossy and less opaque your paint will dry. You can dilute the acrylic with water and have it work for you as a water color will.

5. Don't be afraid to try something new. No you can't erase, but you may always cover up sections and repaint it.

6. I know in my experience I will add to my painting until I either come up with something awesome or straight up ruin it. Know when to be content.

7. Never finish the painting in one sitting. After staring at any object for hours on end you start to look to deeply into it and will almost always get frustrated when you can't figure out what is missing. Work on it in stages. I always do my basic layer and a little more. Then I will set it in a place where I will see it in passing throughout the day. A day or two later I magically know what it is I need to add or remove. It is amazing and you can continue your painting with a clear un-biased mind.

8. If painting on a Canvas surface, use a gesso as a prime layer before you begin. Wait for it to dry and sand the surface down to be very smooth. This will give you a wonderful surface to work your acrylics into.

9. It's good to be critical of your own work, but understand that painting is not a skill you are just instantly a pro at. It takes time to learn how everything will look once it is dry, there are many brush techniques that I will cover in another post. Also be able to take criticism, it will only make you better.

The History of Art Forgery

2012-01-16T23:28:00.000-08:00

Until the 14th century, nearly 1000 years of Christianity dominated the market with their own fighting arts standards. All art turned against Christian symbols, especially for the decoration of the church. In the 14-15th-century wealthy merchant and banker to the art buyer. Originally from Italy and then France, Britain, Spain, etc. followed. With the rise of the art market, as well as replica and forgery increased. Especially Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael and Albrecht Dürer became famous. However it is difficult to say if all the copies were made with the purpose of counterfeiting, because many artists such as Michelangelo has copied their masters students to learn and practice. Usually painters sell copies of her students to do as a way to pay off to teach them.

The first art gallery was built at the beginning of the 18th century in England. And also the famous auction house Christie's and Sotheby's was founded in the second half of this century in London. In the late 18th and early 19th-century art museum established throughout Europe and the people began painting professionally documented in the catalog.

Until the first world war, people do not really worry about the copy of the painting. This particular change with a new copyright law that better protects the artists at this time. But many old works in the public domain - such as a thumb rule all created before 1920 is in the public domain.

Among the most fake painting is the "Mona Lisa" by Michelangelo, Albrecht Dürer self-portrait of "The Kiss" by Gustav Klimt to name a few. But it also presents the art of fake art museum recently opened, usually with no other attractions. Strangely Vienna also has a museum of fake art as well, although it must attract tourists to the cultural richness as well. So it seems the art of counterfeiting is still a trend since the 4th century BC.

Currently there are weapons of forensic tools to determine whether a painting is the original or a modern copy. But if you are not a serious art investor with pockets full of money, probably a copy of an old masterpiece can also inspire you at home. Pablo Picasso once said "Everything you can imagine is real".

Tip on the Drying Time of Oil Paints

2012-01-04T23:27:00.000-08:00

When ever anybody talks about the drying time for oil paints they always put it into the same context as we talk about the drying time of watercolours or acrylic paints, which is wrong really as the process is completely different. With watercolour and acrylics the paint dries through evaporation, which basically means the water in the paint is drawn out by spontaneously turning from a liquid into a gas, this process allows the paint to harden. The hotter it is, the faster this process happens, which is why it's a bad idea to paint outdoors with acrylic in the summer, as your paint dries almost immediately.

How many times have you heard someone say, "It takes nine months for an oil painting to dry" no wonder a lot of people won't touch oil's, especially beginner painters, I'm not surprised really, can you imagine having a wet canvas sat in your studio for nine months, well the good news is that this myth is actually untrue, well it's more of a misconception than an untruth, It's quite hard to say when a painting will be dry because there are various factors to consider, like the colour of the paint, as brighter colours don't dry as fast as the earthy colours, also how thick it has been applied, but as a general rule an oil painting will be tack dry the next day, for it to be completely dry it will take a few days, possibly up to a week. The nine months is true, but it's not for the paint to dry, it's what I like to call "Cure" it takes approximately nine months for an oil painting to cure, to properly harden, and this is where the confusion lies, it isn't nine months for the paint to dry, its nine months before you should varnish your painting. You shouldn't varnish until it is properly dry because oil paint dries through oxidisation.

With traditional oil paint, there isn't any water in the paint to evaporate away; the water element of the manufacture is replaced with an oil based substance, usually Linseed Oil which also doesn't evaporate away. What actually happens is when your painting is exposed to the elements, the oil reacts with oxygen in the air which causes the paint to harden through oxidisation? So as long as the oil paint is exposed to oxygen it will carry on with the curing process until it is completely dry. The problem with varnishing your oil painting before it has sufficiently cured, is you are cutting off the supply of oxygen to your painting so it can't carry on with the oxidising process. What would happen is your oil paint will eventually dry but it would take a very long time to finally harden and there's a very good chance the coat of varnish you have applied will crack, this is because the top layer of varnish will dry first, and the under layers of oil paint which will dry at a much slower rate, will move and contract so it breaks the hardened varnish as it dries, this is a possible reason why sometimes an oil painting has the look of snake skin, where there is cracks all over the painting.

How to Paint People

2011-12-30T23:21:00.000-08:00

How to paint is a common question that people start looking for portraits of many artists on the Internet or in bookstores. Chances are that they have attempted to paint portraits of people 'and not happy with the results. There are several tricks and techniques that can be used to paint a portrait that is achieved can be produced. I will explain some of the easiest ways I found to learn how to paint people.

Get An Accurate Drawing On Your Canvas

If your image is to capture the form of a specific individual, you will want to sketch a portrait in pencil before painting. You can free hand if you are not good at drawing. Some of the easier method, but must use a grid and a duplicate image to the canvas by drawing a box or replicate individual boxes. And my other favorite method is to print a paper copy of black and white photographs, and then completely darken the back of the paper with soft charcoal. The next place on canvas and paper with a sharp pencil, draw more than enough pictures to print. Your sketch will appear on the canvas as if by magic!

Indication Of The Cat

One of the easiest ways to draw people is to keep things simple and only indicative of the paint. If you're confused than not. The easiest way to explain what I mean is for me to illustrate this with an example. Imagine a beach scene with a couple walking hand in hand away in the distance. If you were to examine the near future, you may notice that they are simply a form. Each head is only going to be a round shape on top of a triangular body, on top of two rectangular legs. Two rectangular sleeve quick connect body. Add highlights and you have some people that simple!

Cat Only Part Of The People

Many artists struggle with accuracy when painting people. It is true that one feature should be accurate in order to be successful portrait. If you choose a pose that describes the views or partial views you can cut your work and make a portrait of two attractive with only half of the face paint is actually seen. For example, try to paint a profile of children on the beach boy vs a straight face.

Cat Person Or Persons Unknown foreign

Another fun and easy way to paint is to paint the foreigners. The reason for this is that you're trying to get an exact likeness. If you have already made their nose is too big or too small, no one would know the difference! You can use magazines, books or other painting to get some ideas. Let's say that you are taking photos at the garden of an old woman sitting on a park bench and reading a book. You decide to change the images in the painting. The painting will still be attractive even if she did not resemble the actual picture at all, because nobody knows him anyways.

Do not Paint What You Can not Paint

A great technique for painting the human is to choose a pose that does not require a lot of detail. One way to do this is by painting a subject who was wearing sunglasses, if you are timid about painting the eyes. If you are not comfortable painting gear and then paint the mouth closed or drape the scarf around the face. A very funny pose for a portrait of a child is to have them peek out from behind something. You will only see part of the face and it was a sweet scene with only a portion of the show face.

How to Paint Hair

2011-12-27T23:18:00.000-08:00

Painting portraits is a great hobby that gives both the artist and the model much pleasure. It is better for both however if the texture, color and flow of the hair closely matches the model. Follow these steps to obtain more realistic colors in your next portrait.

Before painting hair, you should always have the rest of the face finished first. The flesh color extend into the hairline. This is so that the flesh color shows through and the hair does not look unnatural. Remember that hair is much more than one layer, therefore, you need to paint it in layers. There are also hundreds of shades of hair color. To keep it as simple as possible try to base each portrait with, blonde, brown (this includes red), black or gray.

Under paint the entire hair area with a very light mixture of one of these colors. These are called undertones. This under painting will actually be the highlights because as you work you will not cover all of this. Notice where the dark or shadowed areas are and paint them in. Now use a darker color and start stroking in hair strands. Black is the opposite. Start with the darkest as the undertones, then add lighter layers. Continue until you are satisfied with the results. It is very easy to overdo hair. Know when to stop!

Here are the colors you will use for any hair tone. Remember to apply the undertones first

Blonde (Reds) Titanium White, Cadmium Yellow Medium, (Alizarin Crimson)

Use Burnt Umber to darken blonde and red hair

Brown Titanium White, Burnt Umber

Use Cadmium Red or Ivory Black for red or blackish tones

Black Ivory Black Undertones

Warm Black - Ivory Black & touch of Brown

Cool Black - Ivory Black & touch of Blue

Gray Titanium White, Ivory Black for a Gray Undertone

Warm Gray - Ivory Black & touch of Brown

Cool Gray - Ivory Black & touch of Blue

Start the first layer, or undertones with a very watery mixture of paint. Use a medium to large brush because you are not painting details. Don't try to paint in individual hair strands at this stage. Start adding more paint color to your brush and add some more layers. Pull the brush in the direction of the flow of hair. Use a liner brush to add some indications of individual strands. Add any deep pockets of color to really give the portrait depth. I added some deep shadow on the side of the neck.

Suggestions For Painting Sunlight

2011-12-20T23:16:00.000-08:00

To be a good landscape artist, you have to be a student of nature. If you study the effect sunlight has on the trees, dirt, flowers, rivers, streams, oceans, snow, and everything else in sight, then you know the colors are in constant change with the time of day and the atmospheric conditions.

If you are painting your landscape from nature, you may find the hues changing as the sun crosses the sky. In many instances there is the need to finish the work in the studio. You should get in the habit of constantly making color swatches of what you see. If you do this, be certain to make good notes describing the time of day, the month (season), the atmospheric conditions at the time, and the exact color mixing formula. Always keep these filed and notated. It takes time, but you will eventually have hundreds of color swatches that gives you perfect reference material.

Here are some tips to consider when painting the sun into your landscape:

When the first light appears just before the sun rises, the landscape is flooded with shades of blue and purple. Apply these cool colors to your painting. The underpainting should be more of a lavender hue. This will create a comforting mood. However, to keep the painting from being too moody (as well as, keeping it more interesting), add a few touches of color, perhaps flowers or wild weeds or complement specks (tiny dabs of pigment of the opposite hue).

At sunrise, the temperature of the painting becomes warm and not cool. This is a completely different painting than the one started just a few minutes before when the first light was showing. The painting for this time of day should start with a Cadmium Yellow Light or Lemon Yellow wash. This color will dominate the painting and should be mixed with all the hues. However, as the sun continues to cross the sky, the cast of yellow becomes a deeper hue.

When the sun is directly overhead, a darker yellow should be dominant throughout the painting. Experiment with this but often yellow ochre and oranges will be a good place to start. Whatever mixture of colors selected, the value should be light because the sun washes out the darker tones. Trees, for example, should be lighter at the top than at the bottom. Be sure to notice that shadows are more harsh at this time of day.

As the sun falls into the western hemisphere, more oranges and reds and purples are evident. By sunset, the yellow hues have almost vanished. The closer to dusk, the cooler the temperature of the painting. These colors should be mixed into your foliage to make it appear as a natural sunset.

After sunset, your deep reds influence all the colors of nature. A Cadmium Red Deep should be mixed with all the hues in the painting. You need to experiment with this. What you are trying to do is tone down the green of the trees and the other foliage.

If the atmosphere has fog present, then a painting needs to accurately show this. Amidst the painted fog, an atmosphere of softness must prevail. With a mixture of white and the complement of the colors used to paint the scene that must be fogged over, use a dry-brush technique by overlapping strokes in different directions until the edges of the area are softened. This should be done very gently. If not satisfied with the results, wait until after the paint dries and repeat the process.

The One Essential Key to Drawing Portraits

2011-12-15T23:15:00.000-08:00

When I set out to learn how to draw portraits I took a very unusual approach. Instead of buying myself a sketchbook and a few pencils I bought and read, one-by-one, every good book I could find about how to draw portraits and I made endless notes, illustrated with endless sketches. I love being an artist but I tend to approach things from a scientific perspective. I wanted to know exactly what was happening in the mind of a portrait artist when they sat in front of someone and magically made them appear, with their personality intact, on a piece of paper.

More often than not even the artist making this magic happen isn't aware of how they're doing it. They started young, they've been doing it their whole lives and now it's second nature to them. I wanted to take the most polished artists and 'reverse-engineer' them to find out exactly how they were seeing their subject, how they were processing that information, and technically how they were transferring the information onto paper so that the very soul and presence of the model seemed to settle into and around the picture.

Most of what has been written on the subject is vague at best, the result of someone who doesn't know how they do it trying to explain how they do it, and much of the advice is endlessly repeated, but every now and then you come across a gem that increases your understanding and takes you a little closer to the high ground, from where you know you'll be able to see the whole picture. The more I read the more obvious it became that everyone had their own approach, as you would expect, but there was a common thread, a recipe was beginning to emerge that perfectly combined all these separate ingredients.

I learnt about all sorts of different methods for measuring proportions and various techniques for rendering graphite but the single most important thing I learnt is that the secret of a great portrait is in the Big Picture. That's the most succinct way I can think of expressing it but I'll explain what I mean.

There are two aspects to a portrait; likeness to the model, and composition. The Big Picture is the secret to both. Let's deal with likeness to the model. We're all familiar with the school photograph, or any photograph of a large group of people where each face is no more than a few millimetres across. Despite the fact each face is so small we generally have no trouble at all recognizing faces we know. The whole shadow around the eye maybe no bigger than the head of a pin, we can see no detail whatsoever, and yet we can be totally confident of who the photograph is of.

The print quality may even be such that each of the facial features is described by only two or three dots or pixels and yet we know exactly who we're looking at. Not only do we know who the picture is of but we can be pretty sure they were actually there when the picture was taken, we can sense their presence, we know it's not some coincidence of shadows that happens to look like them - they're there! This makes it extremely clear that to draw a perfect likeness of someone, even to convey their character, requires absolutely no detail at all. There is a beautiful and captivating drawing in Conte crayon by Georges Seurat of his mother. There is only black and shades of grey.

4 Tips to Attract People to Your Paintings

2011-12-01T23:13:00.000-08:00

When you look at a painting, your eyes naturally dart about but quickly come to rest on a place in the painting that makes you focus and think. That is, if it is a good painting created by an artist that has a workable technique and understanding of the area of interest. Some artist refer to this as the focal point. It is the starting point for the viewer of the painting. More than likely, it is probably what inspired the title of the painting. Whether you are a new artist, or an experienced artist, you should spend an adequate amount of time planning this small area in your painting. I say small, because it seldom should be more than a fraction of the entire work (some say no more than a sixteenth), but it should be the most intriguing part.

Imagine this, you want to paint a landscape scene where the light is filtering through trees creating a sun dappled patch in a small clearing of grass. The clearing is near a babbling brook from which a young fawn drinks. The fawn's mother stands off to the side, but nearby. She keenly stares in the direction of your assumed viewer with a look of anticipation, as if sensing danger. As an artist, you see the anticipation of the deer's expression in your mind's eye, and you imagine the emotion of the viewer, hoping they will be concerned that the deer may mistake them for a hunter.

Can it be? Can you really pull this off? You can if you have a clear understanding of color, chroma, contrasting values, directional shapes, and hard and soft edges. You have an artist license and you can create anything you can imagine. Whether this is true, or not, this you must believe before you attempt the work of art.

Imagine the difference of the scene being photographed instead of painted. In a photograph, the deer will still be the focal point, but in many cases the focal point of a photograph isn't near as captivating as a good painting. Why is this? It is because a photograph has details all throughout the picture. These details dull the center of interest. If you have any doubt about this, paint details equally throughout the painting and see how you confuse the viewer and dilute the main focal point. A painting should emphasize details only when necessary.

For example, painting details of tree trunks, leaves, or grass may be important in the area surrounding the deer, but the remaining trees and foliage in your painting works best if left more vague. The sun dappled patch around the stream should be more brilliant. An occasional directional shape of a limb or tree may help direct the viewers eyes to the area.

Here are 4 tips to help you attract people to your paintings.

Use contrasting values in the area of interest. They will immediately grab the viewers attention. This is especially true if you use a real dark hue next to a real light one.

How to use color in the area of interest is most important. Select a special color you only intend to use here. No matter how much, or how little you use it, do not use it anywhere else in the painting. Also, always use more brilliance in the focal point. Remember, colors that have their complements placed next to them are compelling to the eye, so use adjacent complements whenever possible.

Directional shapes work well, but always use them with moderation. Give this plenty of thought in advance in the planning stage. if directional shapes are overused, your painting will become a ho-hum instead of a masterpiece. An example of directional shapes are trees, limbs, stems, rivers, roads, houses, rooftops, buildings, signs,fences, and almost any angle or line that can indicate direction.

Use less detail and softer edges in the area outside of the focal point. Paint crisper edges and more detail within it.

In conclusion, pay particular attention to how you paint your focal area. This should be the most intriguing area of the entire painting. If you concentrate on the use of color, crisp and soft edges, contrasting values, and directional shapes, then you will have a more compelling painting. Challenge yourself to study and learn, and you will create your masterpiece. The main thing, keep painting.

The Art of Painting

2011-11-30T23:11:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered what it takes? To create a work of art? Is the artistic genius, talent? Or can it be taught? Some people like to believe that it could, but let's be honest: the real work of art can only come from the artists themselves. Painting is just another form of art, but it takes talent to disappoint. From the moment an artist carefully take their brush to the last stroke of color ... that's what creates unique pieces ... that art is about: the creation. Anyone can copy a picture, try painting but the only artist who could do it. Only he can bring the mind and emotions together to form a whole. Whether it's decorative abstract art, landscape painting original or original flower paintings, these are just labels, but they were still painting and artwork. Artists are not made, they were born. The painting is part of their lives and their history is put on canvas ... they talk and share with the world. Each work of art should be appreciated for what it really is: a unique masterpiece.

And then we come to the second part of the process: selling art. For centuries, artists starve themselves to death before receiving a good enough price for their art. They looked up to their talent, but they almost did not survive from day to day. Portrait painting is a type recognized for their courage, the rest seem to just toss it aside. The beauty of the work of many artists' recognized only after their death: it is a sad fact, but true. With time, the art evolved. It started to create the shape, the imagination is freed. Art stopped being about the suitability and began expanding the boundaries of one's imagination. Modern artists like Picasso came, Matisse and Derain. They live like a true artist, but people who have recently discovered a new early as in the arts. Middle-class residents who want to provide for their families. A painter or artist from the humble beginnings of art are still not widely recognized that arise from day to day. Their talent is obvious, but it is still in its early stages it is formed. Create custom art to be like them, they are so engrossed in the creation process. It is all very difficult, of making art to sell to the shipment and to make a profit. It is as stressful as other jobs. At this day and age, art has become something that can be easily bought and made, a real artist talent a little but it still can be found.

Find Your Interior Paint Color Ideas

2011-11-24T23:09:00.000-08:00

Are you having difficulty coming up with paint color ideas for your home? Choosing the right colors for the rooms in your home is one of the most important decorating decisions we are often confused about how to find the right colors. That's why it can be helpful to bounce off some color ideas to jumpstart the process and get some creative ideas!

Your Favorite Colors

Your home should be a reflection of your personality, and it does not matter whether it is a brand new home or an old colonial. The colors you choose should have your signature and that is why you should always begin with your favorite colors. Most people tend to have preferred color combinations or a single favorite color, and that should be used as the basic to draw your palette from.

However, it doesn't mean that if your favorite color is red, every room in the house should also be red. The concept is to begin with your favorite colors. There will also be colors that you dislike and these should be avoided within your home. The last thing you want is to be surrounded by something that you do not feel good about.

Popular Paint Colors

Paint color ideas are more varied today than ever. Visiting a paint supply store, you can get to view what are the most popular colors are for homes and keep up with trends on what people are doing for their various living spaces. Some colors such as neutrals tend to retain their popularity over the years, and may be a good option for those who only intend to paint once in a long time.

Current Color Trends

Along the same line as understanding what the popular colors are at the moment, paying attention to the current color trends for different types of homes can set your imagination on fire.

Color trends for homes evolve on a regular basis, just like those that set the color and look for fashion houses. Color trends reflect the moods and emotions of the year, and can be used to create a home that is in synonymous with the times.

The Best Combination of Colors

There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to the best combination of colors for your home. Your personality is just as important to the decision making process as the architecture of the home. When you have paint color ideas, do not limit yourself by ruling out any permutations; just try out the colors with the help of our experts before making that final decision. The right color combination can make every room in your home stand out yet feel inviting.

Tips for Painting Reflections

2011-11-17T23:08:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows what reflections are, but what are they really? Reflections are images bouncing off an object and reaching your eyes indirectly such as by bouncing from a shiny surface, mirror, water, or some other reflective object. If properly rendered, they add an interesting dimension to many realistic paintings. As an artist wishing to give your painting an extra measure of depth, you will want to understand thoroughly the proper use of reflections.

To paint them, reflections take a combination of accuracy and looseness, precision, yet a certain freedom of artistic energy. However, if painted incorrectly, they can destroy your painting. In other words, it doesn't take an art critic to spot it when it's wrong. One thing important, however, when painting reflections into a picture you need to decide upon which you will place the most emphasis, the reflection or the object. If you paint them equally, the picture may seem divided.

There are many different types of reflections, For the sake of brevity, however, I will concentrate only on water, and give tips that will help you when painting reflections as it pertains to water in a landscape.

First, water is not a mirror as some artist portray in their paintings. Only if you look across water at a very slight angle will it ever come close to approaching the reflectivity of a mirror. Some of the sun's rays bounce off the water causing reflection and some travel into it causing refraction. Because some of the light touching water penetrates into it rather than reflecting off of it, the colors of the reflected object are changed. For example, the reflection of a light-colored object such as that of a white boat, or house, will appear darker and must be painted as such or the viewer will be confused. It will not look real.

Wavelets on the water also have an effect. They tend to confuse the image by breaking up the reflection. The vertical lines are usually preserved, but the horizontal lines are distorted. As a result, the reflections off water always emphasizes vertical lines over the horizontal lines.

Here are some TIPS to remember:

The angle of incidence and the angle of the reflection are always the same.

Reflections on a smooth surface (such as a still lake) will be sharp-edged and clear, while objects on a rough surface (rippled water) will be blurry and broken.

The reflection of an object appears the way you see it if your eyes were on the surface of the water where the reflection is located.

The color of a reflection is influenced by the color of the water. If the water is shallow and the bottom shows beneath, this will also effect the color of the reflection.

If an object tilts toward you, it will seem shorter than its reflection.

If an object tilts away from you, it will create a shorter reflection.

If an object tilts left, the reflection tilts left. Consequently, if it tilts right, then the reflection tilts right.

A light subject against a dark background reflecting off a slightly moving water will elongate. Ripples are like small mirrors all at different angles sending reflections in different directions.

Caustic reflections are the reflected light by means of reflecting off waves on water. For example, spots, arcs, or bands of light glimmering off the side of a boat reflected from light hitting the waves.

Specular reflections bounce off a shiny surface. For example, the face of a man fishing reflected in the contour of a chrome boat railing.

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2011-11-06T21:03:00.001-08:00

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