Information Overload
As a beginning artist/painter there is so much information out there that can help, but a lot of it can be overwhelming to the beginning artist. I have put together some ideas that have helped me to become a better painter and in turn my work looks more professional. I hope to someday be good enough to have a following and be able to make a living being an artist.
Canvas
Just in the canvas selection alone, a beginner can get overwhelmed with what type of canvas to buy. The easiest way to go is to buy an already gallery wrapped white canvas. This is canvas material already wrapped around a wood frame. It is stapled around the frame and is pulled firmly so there are no loose areas. This type of canvas comes in all sorts of sizes and I have even seen black canvas now being gallery wrapped.
I suggest for beginners to not think small but to start small. A smaller canvas is easier to manage and if you don't like your work, you aren't out the money it costs for a large canvas. Good point, the smaller canvases are reasonable in price especially if you get them on sale. I shop at my local craft store and by using the 40% off coupon the purchase price for gallery wrapped canvas is not bad. Gallery wrapped canvas also eliminates the need for a frame which will save you money as we all know frames aren't cheap.
As you get better or just need to feel what it is like to paint on a large canvas, use the coupon idea to buy yourself a large gallery wrapped canvas for a reasonable price. Remember though that more canvas means more paint and longer painting time so make sure you are prepared for a possibly long painting artistic session, both mentally and physically. I've started on large projects and early into them realized I wasn't ready to spend the time on it, and unfortunately had to waste paint and ultimately dollars.
If you have a large canvas that you've painted but aren't happy with the work that sits on it. Don't throw that canvas out. I have and will continue I'm sure to re-use canvases. Simply take a neutral color of old house paint and cover your canvas with it. This will give you a whole new clean canvas to start from. I have also taken house paint as it is cheaper than using artist paint, and strategically only covered certain spots of the used canvas. This allows for some of the art below to breakthrough and this makes for a very unique effect. Experiment is the name of the game.
We also have the option to paint on paper sheet canvas. This is free form canvas paper in sheets that are not bound to a frame. I am looking forward to using this type of canvas as it will make framing easy, however, I am shying away from it at this point of my painting career because I like the freedom and mobility the gallery wrapped canvas gives me. With the paper canvas you will need an easel to keep it in place. I have the easel, but I personally really enjoy the freedom to move my canvas. This allows me to paint in different stoke directions, it also gives me the ability to see the painting in different lighting easily. An easel would make those activities kind of hard.
So do we go with white canvas or black canvas? I've been noticing several artists are beginning to use black canvas instead of the traditional white. I have had my eye on the black canvas and will be utilizing it soon. However, I've noticed at least at my local craft store that they only carry very small gallery wrapped canvas sizes. You will not find anything larger than a 12x12 canvas, at least not at our local big box craft store. But who knows, trends change and you may see these types of canvases everywhere sooner than you think.
I love being an artist. I have learned useful information and helpful tips along the way and I would like to share them with you as I continue to learn along my artist journey.
Happy Artistry!
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Beginning Artists ?EUR" Beginner tips and information to make painting fun
Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia
The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia (MOCA GA) collects and exhibits contemporary works of art by Georgia artists. This small museum in Atlanta began in 2000 as a combination of two private collections featuring more than 250 works of art by over 100 Georgia artists. Today the permanent collection has more than doubled its original size and includes paintings, sculpture, photography, and other mediums.
MOCA GA was one of the first facilities to specifically showcase Georgia artists. The museum preserves and archives this segment of the state's culture. In addition, the museum serves as an educational facility. Major funding is provided by the Georgia Council for the Arts, the Fulton County Department of Arts and Culture, and the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs.
The museum's permanent collection features more than 750 works of contemporary art from the mid 1940s to the present. A variety of styles are included, from folk art to minimalism. Nearly 200 artists are represented in the collection.
Several interesting exhibitions are scheduled for the spring and summer of 2012. "Gregor Turk: Terminal Velocity" is scheduled for May 5-July 14. This exhibition is a MOCA Working Artists Project, a visual arts award program that supports artists from the metro Atlanta area. Turk's work utilizes a variety of media and often incorporates mapping imagery. His public art commissions include works for Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and the Jacksonville International Airport. Atlanta Print, an Atlanta Printmaker's Studio exhibition will run from May 5-June 30. From May 19-July 28 visitors can view "Kevin Cole Straight from the Soul: 25 Years in the Making." Cole is an Atlanta artist and educator who often utilizes mixed media. Two of his works are included in the museum's permanent collection. An upcoming fundraiser, the MOCA Gala Art Auction 2012 is scheduled for April 21. All auction pieces are created by Georgia artists.
Café MOCA is the museum's program for high school artists. The program introduces young artists to professional artists and gives them a support network in which to develop career choices in the arts. Workshops, artist talks, and fieldtrips are scheduled throughout the year. Archives, libraries, and other resources are available to the public through MOCA's Education/Resource Center.
The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia is located in the TULA Art Center at 75 Bennett Street, in the Buckhead area of Atlanta. Museum hours are Tuesday-Saturday from 10am-5pm. Admission is $5 for adults and $1 for students and seniors.
Sherron Kines-Hodge is the Director of Sales at the Hampton Inn and Suites Atlanta Airport Hotel. The Hampton Inn & Suites Atlanta Airport Hotel is just north of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and just southwest of downtown Atlanta. The hotel is two and a half miles from the Georgia International Convention Center, four miles from Atlanta Expo Center, and 15 miles from Six Flags™ Over Georgia. This Atlanta Airport hotel also offers a broad range of services and amenities to make its guest's stay exceptional.
Make Your Home Look Elegant With Canvas Prints
We provide you a great opportunity to turn your favorite photographs into a work of art. Share these canvas prints with your family and friends and they will be delighted with the beautiful pices of art. Stun everyone by filling the walls of your home or office with Prints. A canvas print, also known as a stretched canvas or canvas art, is the result of an image printed onto canvas that is subsequently stretched, or gallery-wrapped, onto a frame and displayed. Canvas Prints Australia turns your digital photos into awesome pieces of art and allows you to fall in love with those long forgotten moments all over again.
Just four easy steps to decorate your walls with colorful memories No need to travel to the market and hand over a stack of pictures to the shopkeeper to get them transformed into beautiful prints. You don't need a decorator for your home to make your interiors look out of this world. Sit at home and place your order online with these four simple steps: Upload the photo you wish to turn into print to our website.
Choose the size of the canvas. Different sizes are available and so the price varies accordingly.
Choose from a wide range of canvas print effects. You may apply various stunning effects to your photograph after uploading it.
Place the order. Once you're done, we send you a preview of how your print will look to your email id.
We only use the best quality premium canvas, specifically designed for printing, and the highest quality inks, with extreme UV resistance. Our canvases will hold their beautiful colors for up to 100 years. Not only can we canvas your personal photographs but we also have a huge collection of masterpiece works by great painters and professionals. Hanging their paintings in the form of prints on your walls is sheer delight to the eyes.
Transform your favorite photographs into glorious canvas prints. No need to worry if your original image is not perfect; some of the best results come from the simplest photographs. Visit our gallery and have a look at the samples before you place your order. We promise the best quality and if you don't like our artwork, we offer a money back guarantee with no questions asked. Production of canvas prints takes 7-10 days and shipping takes 10 business days. Buy canvas prints online now and take advantage of the many attractive gift vouchers.
Canvasprints will transfer your photo to canvas and provide you with a high quality canvas print online. If you are interested in canvas art prints in Australia visit us at http://www.canvasprints.com.au/
Friday, April 6, 2012
Abstract Art Painting-Ultimate Creativity
Paintings are attached to the human's life right from the beginning. Paintings represent all the items or the themes that we find around us. This is an excellent creativity which everyone are not blessed with. One needs an imaginative mind to think across the daily and usual life around us and the way they depict their view in a canvas or paper.
We can find changes taking place in the paintings. Today the paintings bear a special touch which the paintings of the earlier centuries lack. This may be because the way of life was different from today. Life today is full of colours, styles and numerous alternatives are found if one is not satisfied with anything. Thus, the thinking capacity has crossed bridges than the previous generations.
When we see an abstract art painting, we can easily find the state of mind of the artist. The artists of such paintings have no boundaries to their imagination. One can easily express their feelings in the paintings. One does not need to have a distinct image in their mind regarding the subject that he wants to portray. The colours in such paintings are vibrant. The artist normally plays with the colours in their painting.
Many exhibitions are held on the abstract art painting. Here number of artists displays their creative and their magic of using colours.
When the word 'floral' comes to our mind we can easily make out that it is related to the flowers. There is a very wide range of flower found all across the world. Flowers have been a special part in everyone's life. Every feeling can be expressed through flowers and for any occasion. It is one of the most beautiful creations of the Almighty. Right from the flowers found by the road side to the flowers found in well maintained gardens, every flower attracts one's attention.
These flowers drawn in canvas or art papers are termed as floral paintings. Floral paintings can be placed in any corner of one's home, office etc. Feng shui says that floral paintings bring good luck. Modern day has landed up in abstract floral painting. They bring positive vibes into a person's life when he or she is low. It boost ups one's confidence level.
Floral paintings with many flowers will look best on a large canvas and can be placed on a single wall whereas painting with a single flower with look good on small area. These paintings come in all the shades.
Abstract Paintings To Fit Your Mood (Free Ebooks)
If you want something new and interesting to add to your home décor, or perhaps to the blank walls in your office at work, art is always a great idea. The great thing about art is that though there are some pieces that are loved worldwide, most art is subjective. This means what you see that excites and moves you may not do much for someone else. When you are buying art, you want to buy what makes you feel good, or serene, or happy, or content - or whatever feeling you wish to feel. Abstract paintings are popular because they can be seen in many different ways.
The difference between abstract paintings and other types of paintings is that most of the time, you can not pick out anything in a form you understand. Landscape and portrait paintings, and even those that are called still life, are about objects, people, or places. You can think of abstract paintings as being about something else. Many of them are about a feeling, a moment, or an idea. These things are hard to put into a form, so the artist just uses colors, shapes, patterns, and simple strokes that relate that idea or feeling to them. You can almost feel an emotion coming out of a painting done by a talented artist.
You may have seen abstract paintings in the past and decided that they were not for you simple because they didn't do anything for you. The whole idea behind abstract is what you get out of it when you feel when you see it. You probably haven't seen any that really said something positive to you. Some that do them will do them no matter what mood they are in. Some can be very dark and dismal, which may have been what turned you off. Instead of thinking that you hate this genre, take some time to find more. You may just discover one that says something that touches you in the right spot and you'll fall in love with it.
Some abstract paintings have bold strokes and colors. These can be very in-you-face and some people do not like that in art. Other people, on the other hand, love this and would buy such a painting in an instant. Not all of them are blocks in bright colors that make you feel edgy. Some are more serene in colors that calm and relax a person. If you are low on energy at work, abstract paintings with vibrant colors can help keep you energized. If you need something in your home that calms you down, look for blues and greens to help you relax.
If you have a creative bend, you too can create your own abstract paintings. In fact, anyone can do these. Artist discipline is not as important in abstract as putting your mood or idea to color and shape might be. Your kids can even do abstract paintings as a way to get involved in art and all things creative. You can go out and buy a canvas and some paints, and create something great that you want to hang in your home. No one will know it was not done by a big name artist. Either they will love it or hate it, but as long as you love it, that is all that matters.
FREE EBOOKS + ARTICLES Want to Get Free Ebooks Daily? Visit http://www.facebook.com/Freeebooksandarticles
Art Supplies - Best Way is to Get Them Online
Painting is a passion for many and various people globally have even taken it up as a profession and earned high popularity and money through them. To excel in their field they require high quality and reliable art supplies for excellent output and easily put on their thoughts on the paper. If you are unable to find them in the stores near you, then it is a good idea to go for finding them online. Through this way you will come across many dealers and manufactures who are into this business and offer you with good quality products in cost effective prices.
Remember the school days when all of us had the crafts class and we used to make different hand-made things. The passion of arts and craft is still prevailing among us and we tend to pass our time by creating something or the other that becomes very special for us. This very talent can be used for making various gifts that can be presented to our loved ones in their special occasions. If you are newly married then you can recreate the interiors of your house or rooms that are highly artistic and imbibe a good feeling for those living there.
One of the most novel and striking forms of paintings that is highly preferred by various artists is done by using oil paint. The authentic meaning of oil painting is the work of art that is done with the use of oil pigments. Improved technology has brought in highly advanced and enhanced paints that give superior finish to the artist's idea on the paper. If you are on the run for good quality products then it is better to purchase them online as these stores offer huge quantities of the reliable materials with huge discounts. It is also a good idea to purchase the items on special occasions as they give you a chance to get international brands within your specified budget.
An art lover will be tempted by the lovely supplies available in the online stores as they are so extensive and widespread. These stores bring to you varied range of art supplies that suit your requirements and preferences and available in various number of products ranging from sketching pencils, colors, paints, drawing sheets, canvas, stencils, paint brushed and many more. These online dealers are highly professional, always maintain a cordial relationship with their valued clientele, and deliver the products within the given timeframe. This professionalism helps them to better future business deals that help to maximize their profits and earn high appraisals from the client's.
Airbrush Shirts
Putting a unique design on a piece of clothing via the airbrush has been around since the late 60's into the early 70's. Soon many people began to set up shops around the country that dealt exclusively with airbrush shirts. Now in modern times the industry of designing images on clothing has gone to a more digital print method but there are a few shops that use airbrush and are doing quite well.
Waning to get started to airbrush shirts? Here is my quick rundown of the key items you will need in order to move forward to create some of your own awesome shirts.
The airbrush you select is going to be the center piece and will help dictate the quality and style of your work. You will want to select an airbrush that is able to handle a thicker textile paint that is commonly used for spraying on clothing. Most airbrush shirts artist commonly use siphon feed airbrushes, as well. This feature really aids in the quick changing of one color to the next. Some of the more popular brands used by t-shirt artists are the Iwata Eclipse model HP-BSC, Paasche VLS double action airbrush, and the Badger Crescendo.
The compressor is another important part that you will need in order to airbrush shirts. When thinking about which compressor you will need to purchase please consider at what level of production you will be working. If you are going to be doing a large amount of airbrushing you will need a more commercial compressor, say one from a home supply store such as Lowes or Home Depot. If you will be more of a casual user then one of the airbrush manufacturer's compressors should suit your needs. The recommended air pressure to properly spray textile paint is about 40 - 60 psi. Some of the more popular brands include Paasche D3000R Compressor, Badger's Cyclone, and the Iwata Power Jet Air Compressor.
As I mentioned before, you will most likely be working with a textile paint. These paints will need to be heat set in order for them to be made permanent on your shirt or clothing. Most recommend using a heat set clear coat textile paint before and after you start. When you heat set the clear coat before you paint, you get a nice smooth surface to work on and when you clear coat after, it seals your design in. This technique is mainly used on more detailed designs. Createx and Badger both make good quality paints.
Ruben is a local writer with a focus on Airbrush Kits. Visit his website to learn more!