Helpful Tips For Using Your Digital Video Camera And Getting The Most Out Of It by Peter Cheongkh

There are many things that you all should know about getting the most out of your digital video camera. Many people jump into using their digital video cameras before ever learning about some of these helpful little tips, that can really make a big difference. It is time to stop making so many mistakes when using your digital video camera and start learning how to record and photograph just like a professional, or atleast you will think of yourself as a professional when you start figuring more out on your digital video camera. It is important that you pay attention to some of these little tips because doing these things can definitely make a huge difference as to just how good you get at using your digital video camera. Too many people are afraid of their new digital video cameras, thinking that somehow they might hit the wrong button and just totally mess it up completely and you do need to know that these things are quite durable and very hard to break, unless you just drop it or beat it with a hammer!

Do not think of a digital video camera as something complicated, think of it more as something you could really have a great deal of fun using. You might even end up surprising and impressing yourself, who knows! The key to a good digital video camera moment, is to always remember to think about your lighting, hold your hands steady or use a tripod, utilize those amazing features that are available and do not over think what it is you are trying to do with your digital video camera. It is supposed to be enjoyable for you to play around with your digital video camera, not stressful, so do not make it out to be a job or something, relax, you will do fine. There will be so many opportunities for you to capture amazing and even funny moments with your digital video camera, and those opportunities that you took advantage of will turn out to be some very wonderful memories that you can enjoy for years to come.

Remember, if you are planning on uploading your digital video cameras recordings or photographs, onto your own home personal computer system, there are different types of software that you will need to think about purchasing beforehand. Without the type of software programs that you need, editing your photographs or video recordings might not be possible. If you can take a minute to determine which type of software you need in order to accomplish this kind of task, do so ahead of time so that once you are ready to upload all of it onto your computer, everything that you need will be right there prepared and available for use. It is a great deal of fun using a digital video camera and being able to show off all of your images to family and friends is also a lot of fun, for everyone. 

About the Author

The author engage in marketing online, home base business, affiliates programs. Visit us at: http://www.emarkethall.com

 

Airbrush Art: The Preparations and Reviews by Goodness Maseko

For airbrushing t-shirts, sweatshirts, denim and other natural fibers you first need to wash the material. By washing the material you will remove any loose fibers. Also washing the material will take care of any shrinking prior to placing your airbrush art design on to the material. So make sure that you have washed and fully dried your material before you begin.

Wood surfaces should be sanded prior to doing any airbrush art. Take the time to use sand paper and lightly sand the wood down by hand. If you are doing a mural on a wood floor then use a hand floor sander. You don't want to mar the wood only remove any rough areas. If the wood has been waxed or has a gloss coat then sanding this will remove this and allow for the paint to stick to the surface.

The better care that you take of your airbrush the longer it will last. So keep your airbrush clean with the right cleaners and once a month do a full break down and cleaning. With needles most artist find that the airbrushes coming out of China bend easier than any of the other airbrushes. So look for one that is made elsewhere so that you do not have to keep trying to straighten a bend airbrush. The best airbrushes to use that are the easiest to take care of are name brand airbrushes. The knockoffs are harder to take care of because are made from cheaper parts that break easier than the name brands.

Basic airbrush parts

The air cap and head assembly are on the front of your airbrush and they cover the tip of the needle. The purpose of these parts is to control atomization of the paint spray. Should these parts become dented or damaged in anyway you should replace them immediately. Damage to the air cap and head assembly will effect the performance of your airbrush. Thus like the needle you will be unable to create desirable airbrush art. Both the needle, air cap and head assembly can be purchased at almost any craft or hobby shop that sells airbrushes and airbrush parts.

Pay special attention to the threads on your airbrush. The threads are located on the head assembly and where the air hose connects to your airbrush. If these threads should ever become cross-threaded then you could end up with an air leak. An air leak will effect the function of your airbrush so make sure to take care not to cause any cross-threading in these areas.

Is airbrush makeup a form of airbrush art

Airbrushing can be done on almost anything that you can imaging. Airbrush art is one way to take something and turn it into a master piece. Over hand painted art, airbrush art can be done in less time but with the same great effects if not better. There is more that you can do with airbrushing that you can not do with hand painting. You can take airbrushing and create a beautiful mural on a concrete wall to turn that once bland wall into a work of art worthy of some attention. While you can do this by hand the time factor makes airbrushing a better choice.

Those that apply make up are considered artists and airbrushing on makeup is just another great way that they have found to show off their artistic median. The make up goes on water and has to dry. As it dries those watching can see the transformation of the subject from what she was to what she is now becoming. This is why a lot of people do believe that airbrush makeup is another form of airbrush art.

About the Author

If you are interested in more information and guidelines, visit me on fun and entertainment information guide your family entertainment center.

Why People Love Painting By Rajneesh Dubey

People are in love with painting since they came to life millions of years ago. Having fulfilled their essential requirements they looked up to some recreational activities. Beautiful cave paintings of prehistoric times like those of Lascaux, Le Marche and Chauvet Cave and Bhimbetka bear the testimony of the fact. It might have started from drawing something on the soil with their fingers because a good diagram on the soil helps you to become an accomplished artist.

A colorful object attracts everyone. Colors give the fancy of the person a new world. When someone holds a paint brush, he thinks that whole cosmos can be again drawn through his fingers. Seas, skies, mountains, valleys, gorges, people, animals etc, can all be drawn with immaculate details just on a sheet of paper. Moreover, to color the figure concerned the pigments could be sourced from various things like minerals, vegetables, synthetic materials and other naturally occurring objects.

A cherished memory could well be preserved through a painting. Thus paintings can be made out of imagination as well as of the real thing or the real incident. Painting world is so diverse that a budding artist can choose his style and affiliation to a particular style and then decide to go ahead with. He can specialize in the painting on the basis of medium like water color, oil color, pastel color, fusion etc. Similarly an apprentice can choose to make specifically landscapes, seascapes, skyscapes, waterscapes or the fusion of them.

The most interesting part of painting is its commercial aspect. If an artist can carve out for himself a niche, then finance will never be a constraint for him or her. If he works hard in innovation, creativity, consistency and patience, his work can give him everything. Thus, a hobby can be a stabling factor in life. All painting greats had started their journey by just drawing a diagram on surface through their finger. Come and join the league if your fingers are itching to do something.

About the Author 

Rajneesh Dubey is Content Coordinator for http://ethnicpaintings.com This website gives you comprehensive informations on painting history, development, trends, popular painting styles, great painters, famous paintings, painting galleries and museums, painting tips, painting classes. In other words, this website is a treat to painting freaks.

To learn tips on how to learn painting please visit Ethnic Paintings

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Free Art Instruction - Portrait Painting Tips & Techniques by Ralph Serpe

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About the Author

Visit Creative Spotlite for more portrait painting techniques. You may also find our sister site helpful where you will find more art articles. 

 

Investing In Art By Clyde Lee Dennis

As you probably are already aware great paintings and art work does not come cheaply. In fact paintings and other art work by certain artists are sold for millions dollars. While the work of other artists is sold for only a few hundred dollars. Even the smallest piece of work of art can cost you upwards of $300 at the same time. Consequently, those who invest in art expect more from their purchase and rightfully so.

There are certainly lucky art collectors. Those who have been fortunate enough to collect excellent pieces of art over the years. Some artists paintings they've collected in the past are worth much more than they originally paid for the piece. There are always cases in which a collector purchases the work of an unknown artist only to have the artist become famous. This leaves the collector holding the work of a famous artist and gives him all the financial gains that come along with being in such a position.

If you love art there is no reason you too could not shop for art and paintings and expect that the piece of artwork you bought will fetch you a price worth a lot more than your purchase price. Collectors are in the business of investing in art work after careful examination.

Examining artwork does not mean that it should merely be attractive to your naked eyes. Excellence in art is determined by the smoothness and finish of the work. Excellence is also measured by the choice of subject and how well the subject has been expressed. As history has shown a piece of art may have only one or two colored strokes but these simple strokes being able to reflect what the artists was thinking makes the work valuable. Determining this value is the essence of art collecting.

Examination includes checking the condition and authenticity of the pieces. Of course if you are going to purchase any piece of art you must receive assurance and certification that the piece is authentic. Uniqueness should also be of some concern as a bulk product may not be of any use to you as a collector considering that others possess a similar piece. This is one of the considerations that greatly enhances the value of a piece of art. The most treasured pieces of art in the world are those that are unique and authentic works by a famous artist.

Most art collectors and investors also give careful consideration detailing in the piece of art. So to be sure it is necessary to have an eye for art. To be a successful investor you should be able to determine a good piece and a not so good piece of art if it comes from the same artist.

Art Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Clyde_Lee_Dennis

 

Great Tips for Buying Artwork Online by Chris Robertson

With plenty of artwork available online today, art lovers use this newfound market to secure masterpieces and home decor art at incredible prices. If you love to buy art, the Internet can be a valuable resource, saving you time and money. But first, learn to shop for art online wisely and be careful when choosing artwork. Use these tips to find quality artwork while keeping spending to a minimum.

Discover New Artists

The Internet offers a great opportunity to explore artwork and discover new artists. Use the power of search to find hundreds of artists. Then surf through their available paintings to find the styles that appeal to you. Ask questions about the artists by email or phone. Some artists or art retail companies use experienced art consultants to answer questions. Take advantage of this service when available.

Keep in mind that there are thousands of new artists who are very talented. Since they,re just starting out, they might offer their paintings for far less than a famous artist. Some original paintings by new artists can increase in value tremendously over time, as the artist becomes better known in the art world.

Use search engines to find art by certain keywords such as: artist name, type of art (landscapes, people, antiques, flowers, children, animals), date or time period of artwork, and medium (watercolor, acrylic, oil).

Online Tools to See the Scale of the Painting

Use Web tools that enable you to see the actual size and scale of a painting and how it would look in a room on a wall. Some websites provide these tools to help art buyers see how the artwork would look on their wall. They can choose different wall colors, frames, matting, and a variety of sizes to get a feel for how the art would complement their own home.

Authentication - Is It Important?

Buying art online is similar to buying jewelry or any other high-ticket retail item. Whether authentication is important or not is really up to you as the buyer. A good rule of thumb is if you plan to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a piece of art for investment purposes, then you'll want to be sure it's authentic. Use an authenticity service that you feel comfortable with and make sure the painting is not a reproduction or digital reproduction.

Also, consider if having original pieces of art is important to you. Some art lovers admire the detail, love, and experience put into a sole piece of art. They are very willing to pay more for original paintings, even if only for pleasure.

If you want artwork simply for decorating your home and have a limited budget, digital reproductions are available online at very affordable prices. These reproductions look similar to the originals, but have been reproduced for mass distribution.

Visit Local Galleries

You can also find great new artists and ideas by visiting your local art galleries. Take pen and paper with you to write down artists or the names of paintings that catch your eye. Then go online to search for these artists to see their other paintings.

Always check out online art retailers through the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Online to be sure the companies are trustworthy. Buying artwork online can be an enjoyable experience if you take time to explore all the beautiful paintings and find artwork that fits your style and budget.

About the Author

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies. For tips/information, click here: artwork online. Visit Majon's Arts directory.

 

Oil Painting Lesson - Introduction To Oil Painting Fundamentals by Ralph Serpe

To accurately convey your feelings about the subject you are painting, you should learn and understand the fundamentals of oil painting like drawing, colour theory, value and composition.

I hope to give you a better understanding of these fundamentals in this article. This article is meant to be an introduction. You should study these topics further on your own when you have time.

DRAWING

Learning to draw, as a foundation for oil painting, is one of the most valuable skills a beginner oil painter can have. Many new artists usually frown upon the idea of drawing first. They would rather jump right into painting, as most beginners do.

Nothing is more rewarding for a painter, than working with colour, but if you want to gain experience working with values, form, and space, then drawing is something you should consider learning. This is not to say that you should master drawing, as it is an art form all in itself, but do spend time drawing and sketching your subjects before you work with colour. Did you know that in art schools, many years ago, students were not permitted to work with paint until they successfully spent at least a few years drawing first? They must have been very restless, but imagine how skilled they became before they ever lifted a brush.

You should at the very least have a basic understanding of drawing techniques before you begin. Check out Amazon.com for some great beginner drawing books that will give you a well rounded introduction to drawing and techniques. A book that is highly recommended by artists is: "The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, by Betty Edwards".

COLOR AND VALUE

Colour is probably the single most exciting part of oil painting. It is truly amazing how an artist can take a two dimensional surface and create the illusion of depth and distance using colour. To accurately depict a three dimensional scene using colour requires much practice and an understanding of colour theory and how to mix colours.

The basics of colour are value, hue, saturation and temperature. The value of a colour is how light or dark it is. The hue refers to the colour itself as it appears on the spectrum of colours. The saturation is the strength or purity of the colour. The temperature of a colour is how cool or warm a colour is. For instance a cool colour is blue and a warm is red. Artists can use temperature to give the illusion of distance. Cooler colours tend to recede into the distance, as in a distant mountain range, and warmer colours tend to advance closer toward the front of a picture. Colour theory is a very broad topic, one that deserves more thorough attention. A great book on colour theory and mixing is "Colour Mixing the Van Wyk Way: A Manual for Oil Painters".

COMPOSITION

Have you ever visited an art museum and a particular painting just grabbed your attention and drew you in? Something in that painting kept you there looking and studying it. One element the artist successfully used in that painting was composition. The artist laid out the shapes and divided the space in the painting in such away that appealed to your senses. Here are some points to consider when developing your composition:

1) Avoid putting the main focus of interest in the center of your painting.

2) The areas of your canvas should be divided into parts of different sizes. For instance, if you are creating a landscape painting, do not put the horizon right in the center of your painting.

3) Do not place all the interesting parts of your composition on the left side of your painting. People read from left to right so they will have no reason to continue viewing the rest of your painting.

4) Avoid placing an interesting or important element of the painting too close to the edge of the canvas.

There are other elements that contribute to good design in an oil painting. Here is another good book to study if you would like to learn more about this fascinating aspect of painting: "The Simple Secret to Better Painting: How to Immediately Improve Your Work with the One Rule of Composition by Greg Albert"

I know all this information seems overwhelming at first. Oil painting can be very challenging in the beginning, but don't let that intimidate you. The most important thing to remember is to never give up and keep painting. You will learn from your mistakes and grow as a painter. Everything will come together in time. Happy Painting!

About the Author

If you enjoyed this article, then be sure to visit CreativeSpotlite.com today for more great oil painting tips and instruction, including step by step oil painting demos from experienced artists. Also be sure to visit the Creative Spotlite Art Instruction Blog for more free art instruction.

Painting Books - Drive into the World of Creativity By Isabel Rodrigues

We all like being creative. Our busy schedule hardly gives us any time to spent time with our self’s. Constant focus on work makes our life dull. One of the best ways to make your life colorful is by doing some painting in your spare time. A Painting Book consists of some beautiful and decorative paintings. If you are an artist it will definitely help your cause.

Today you can find many painting book outlets providing some wonderful painting books. If you would like to learn painting you can find a painting book that meets your cause. There are books for beginners that provide step by step guidance of different aspects of painting. These books also provide you with some useful information about color mixing . Painting books are also available for advanced artist. These painting books are highly advanced and drive the artist to new world of creativity.

Painting can be of different types. There are books designed specially for a specific type of painting. A person interested in face painting can find a book specially designed for painting a face. Similarly, a person interested in learning house painting can find a painting book as per his choice. Painting books are also available on tole painting and oil painting. These specially designed books provide various tips and guidelines and train a person into a professional artist.

About the Author

Isabella Rodrigues writes for painting-books.info, offering the latest information on painting books, visit them today and get the latest information on painting.

Visit today: http://www.painting-books.info

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

The Beauty of an Abstract Painting By Francisco Segurata

The art of abstract painting began a very long time ago. Artists began this art several hundred years ago. In fact, you have probably seen some of the more famous abstract paintings before. You may recall a famous abstract painting created by Van Gogh. Picasso also had an abstract painting or two as well. Modigliani is also known for his abstract painting work. Because of these artists, and many others, the art of abstract painting has gained popularity in the modern world.

Now what exactly is an abstract painting? An abstract painting is defined in many ways. First off, an abstract painting does not depict reality like traditional paintings. In the beginning, most art was depicting a photographic or realistic expression of someone or something. But an abstract painting does not do this. The definition of an abstract painting is that an abstract painting does not depict objects in the natural world. Rather, an abstract painting uses colors and shapes in a non-representing and nonobjective manner. It can be of anyone, anything, or just nothing at all.

You can easily see this when you look at an abstract painting. An abstract painting has bold, bright, and vivid colors. An abstract painting also has many biometric shapes that are used with the bold colors to make the artwork stand out. It is both strange and beautiful to look at an abstract painting.

In the 1940's a movement called "Abstract Expressionism" was started. This movement was started to show the freedom of an artist's expression and to push the art of abstract painting. It was started in New York in a school that also called it "Action Painting." This school was one of the first American schools that declared its independence from the European style of artwork. They liked to think of their art as a form of spiritual and intellectual art. This then further pushed the art of abstract painting.

Now that you know the history of the art of abstract painting you may come to understand it better. It is important to appreciate all forms of art, including the odd art of an abstract painting. You may find yourself wanting to get a piece of this artwork for yourself. It is truly an interesting thing to look at.

Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.paintingcenter.info a blog focusing on Painting, resources and articles. This site provides detailed information on Paintings. For more info visit his site at: Painting

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

Tips for Shooting Better Photos By Chris T.

So you are wondering how to create those beautiful pictures, but no matter what digital camera you have, you seem to make really bad pictures. Is it the camera's fault? Most likely not! You probably are not using your camera properly or you have your camera's a bad setting. Here are some tips you could apply to improve your photography skills!

First thing is, if you are taking a picture of someone and you are getting those red eye's in the photos, try to get the person to not look directly at the camera. Also, check to see if your camera has the red eye removal functions, that will become useful!

Try to use a tripod! Sometimes when you are holding the camera, you tend to wobble it a bit no matter how steady you can hold things. If you don't already, and you should! Clean the damn lenses! Sometimes your pictures come out a bit blurry because your lenses are dirty! Use the cloth that came with your camera, or if it didn't come with one, buy one! You can get them as cheap as $2!

Try to Take the photos in a well lit room with out the flash. Flash can will make things seem brighter than normal, so try to take photo's in a well lit room. Try to get some skills in photoshop and invest in getting Photoshop Elements! Its like a lite version of Photoshop CS3, plus it has all the features you need and it costs only around $80 - $100! This will be great for the finishing touches to make your photos have that professional look!

Chris T. Likes to do photography in his spare time just for fun!

If you found this information very useful, visit this page to make yourself a true professional: http://www.squidoo.com/profphotography/

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

Top 10 Most Expensive Pieces of Art Ever by Sean Donahoe

Do you ever wonder how much that piece of art in your home may be worth? Have you got an original piece of art by a unknown artist or are you lucky enough to have an original piece of art by a popular artist? The art world is often in uproar when a much sought after piece is placed on the market and keen collectors almost fall over themselves to obtain this desirable item for their collections. The following list is the top 10 most expensive pieces of art recorded to date in descending order. Get ready to be amazed.

Note: These prices are take into consideration inflation from the original reported auctions or private sales and is priced in millions USD. This list provides estimated worth's only and is not intended to be an accurate record of art sales. This article is used to illustrate art worth in broad terms.

10. Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II by Gustav Klimt - $89.1 Million
In 1912 Gustav Klimt painted Adele Bloch-Bauer II. Adele Bloch-Bauer was the wife of Ferdinand Bloch-Bauer, a rich industrialist of the time, who was a avid sponsor the arts and supported Gustav Klimt's work. Adele Bloch-Bauer was the only model ever to be painted twice by Gustav Klimt. This item was part of a set of two and Adele also appeared in the much more famous "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I".

9. Portrait de l'artiste sans barbe by Vincent van Gogh - $90.1 Million
One of the numerous self portraits Vincent Van Gogh painted, this particular version is the most recognizable and popular. Painted in 1889, this piece created massive waves of interest when it was placed at auction at Christie's, New York. Christie's only estimated this piece would sell for around $20 Million.

8. Dora Maar au Chat by Pablo Picasso - $97 Million
Dora Maar au Chat commonly known as Dora Maar with Cat was painted in 1941 by Pablo Picasso. This wonderful work by Picasso depicts his Croatian mistress, Dora Maar, seated on a chair with a small black cat perched on her shoulders. As was common with his work, he uses wide swaths of contrasting color to draw out the subject.

7. Irises by Vincent Van Gogh - $97.5 Million
Irises is one of the most famous pieces painted by Vincent van Gogh. This piece was one of his early works while he was at the asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France and was painted in the last year before his death in 1890. This item is currently on view at the Getty Museum in California.

6. Garçon à la pipe by Pablo Picasso - $113.4 Million
Currently owned by the John Hay Whitney's estate, it sold for $104.1 million at an auction in Sotheby's in New York City in 2004. Sotheby's estimated originally a pre-sale worth of $70 million. Many of the worlds art experts speculated that the painting's high sale price has much more to do with the artist's name than with the historical importance of the painting itself.

5. Bal au moulin de la Galette, Montmartre by Pierre-Auguste Renoir - $122.8 Million
Commonly known as Le Moulin de la Galette, this wonderful work by the popular French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir was created in 1876 at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. Bal au Moulin de la Galette, Montmartre is a smaller version of an impressionist painting Renoir painted with the same title.

4. Portrait of Dr. Gachet by Vincent van Gogh - $129.7 Million
Once more, Vincent van Gogh appears on our list with one of the most expensive pieces of art of all time. This portrait of Gachet was painted just outside Paris in 1890, and depicts his then doctor, Paul Gachet. Gachet, who took care of Vincent during the artist's last months. Gachet was an hobby artist and became good friends with Van Gogh.

3. Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I by Gustav Klimt - $137.6 Million
The partner to the earlier mentioned work of art. This is the first portrait of Adel Bloch-Bauer Klimt and was created in 1907. According to reports, it was sold in June 2006 for $135 million to Ronald Lauder for his gallery in New York City. At the time this sale occured it set a record as the most expensive painting ever sold.

2. Woman III by Willem de Kooning - $140.2 Million
Abstract expressionist painter Willem de Kooning painted this print in 1953 and this fantastic piece is one of 6 paintings by Kooning in which the central theme was a woman. Woman III was sold by David Geffen in November 2006 to the billionaire Steven A. Cohen for a reported $137.5 Million.

1. No. 5, 1948 by Jackson Pollock - $142.7 Million
At Last, we come to the most expensive art to date, No. 5,1948 by the artist Jackson Pollock. This abstract piece, created in 1948, was created on a 8 x 4 feet sheet of fiberboard, with large amounts of thick brown and yellow paint drizzled on top of it, forming a chaotic nest-like appearance. This work of art was sold by David Geffen in 2006 for $140 Million making it the most expensive work of art ever sold.

So, as you can see, there is some vastly expensive pieces of art in the art industry being sold. I am certain you are asking yourself "What about other pieces of older art?" All of these wonderful pieces of art in this list were created after 1800. Any art prior to this date is usually in the possession of museums throughout the world. The Mona Lisa, for example, was insured in 1962 for approximately $100 Million. Taking into consideration the rate of inflation it is fair to assume that its current worth would be around $670 Million today. However, you are unlikely to ever see this majestic smile in Christie's or Sotheby's anytime soon.

If you have been inspired by these items and would like to see more. Thankfully you do not have to pay anywhere near these prices if you would like a copy of these items on your wall! You can discover wonderful reproductions of each of these items in many sizes, formats and mediums on our Arteblanche.com website. We have one of the world's largest inventories of art from the popular artists in this list to unknown artists and cover every aspect and work of art imaginable. We hope you have found this article informative and as inspiring as we did in writing this.

About the Author

Sean Donahoe is the CEO and founder of ArteBlanche.com, one of the internet's leading art suppliers, which he runs with his wife Tamara. Arteblanche.com has a massive inventory of high-quality art poster prints, fine jacquard weave tapestries and highly-collectible and officially-licensed magazine covers from Rolling Stone Magazine, Time Magazine and Life Magazine.

Materials Required For Watercolor Painting by Jimmy Cox

My attitude toward materials may be summed up by paraphrasing the old adage that just as you can't be a good carpenter without good tools, so you can't be a good watercolorist without good materials.

Even the beginner, who must spoil and throw away a lot of paper, should not start off with too cheap a grade of paper. Adequate machine-made rag-content papers are available for practice. However, as soon as possible, the beginner should switch to a good handmade paper. Such paper not only takes paint better but shows up whiter at those times when the paper becomes an integral part of the design, such as when painting snow scenes.

It also pays to be consistent in the grade of paper you choose. This makes it possible to evaluate your work as you progress. After you've learned to achieve a certain effect on one grade of paper and find that it doesn't work on another grade, you'll understand the importance of this point. By using the same grade, you can, under ideal conditions, achieve the same effect rather consistently.

In the beginning you may want to use a lightweight unmounted paper, say 72 pounds. However, you will soon discover that it will tend to buckle when heavy washes are applied. The resulting wrinkles can be most disconcerting when you are trying to paint reasonably straight objects such as telephone poles, fence posts, and piles. I have found the 300-pound weight to be nearly wrinkle-proof.

In choosing paper you must also consider its texture. Surfaces from very smooth to rough are available. Selection is usually based on the technique employed by the artist. I use the rough paper almost exclusively because I find it of great help in softening edges, creating textures, etc. I prefer the 300-pound d'Arches rough or the 300-pound AWS rough. The d'Arches has a slightly yellowish tint, whereas the AWS is pure white. Both are handmade and of the same high quality. Sandpaper it used chiefly for scratching off paint in areas where more white is needed.

Masking tape is used to cover those areas of a painting that you wish either to leave as white paper or to paint later on. Maskoid serves the same purpose for small areas.

Butter knives are very useful as tools and, because of their blunt edges, are particularly handy for scraping off paint softly for textural effects. Although there are many colors of fine quality available, I find that for my work Rembrandt colors are the most satisfactory I use the following watercolor brushes: 2-1/2 inch second grade camel hair and 1-inch Grumbacher aquarelle which are flat; 1-inch, 1/2-inch and 1/4-inch short-hair flat bristle brushes, made for oil painting; numbers 12, 8, 5, and 2 red sable Winsor & Newton or Grumbacher round watercolor brushes.

Additional equipment needed by the watercolorist are a soft cosmetic sponge (fine-textured and natural - not rubber) ; a water container; paint rags; hand mirror ; a low sketching stool; kneaded and sand erasers; HB, 2B, and 6B pencils; drawing board; tube of rubber cement; paint-box and mat knife.

A 5-inch by 7-inch sketch pad is another useful adjunct to the sketching trip for thumbnail sketches preliminary to working on the main picture or for pictures to be finished back in the studio. This also serves as a record of the amount of work you have done during the year. Now it only remains to begin painting!

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How to Understand the Qualities of Color by Jimmy Cox

Let us consider color as an artist sees and uses it. Color has three main qualities: hue, value and intensity.

Qualities of Color

If we look at any given color analytically - the red of an apple, for instance - we discover that it possesses three outstanding characteristics or qualities. First, there is that quality by which we recognize one color from another, and which we suggest by its name. This we call "hue." The apple is red; red is the hue (name) of the color. Remember the equation: "Hue equals Name."

We can alter the hue of a color by mixing another color with it. If we mix red pigment with yellow pigment, we produce orange pigment; this is a change of hue.

Next comes the quality by which we discern lightness or darkness in a color. This we call "value." It is by value that we are able to discriminate between light red and dark red.

By mixing a color with something lighter or darker than itself, we change its value. If we mix black or white (or water, in the case of watercolor pigments) with a color, we change its value but not its hue.

A color in its full, natural strength may be called a "normal" color or a color of "normal" value. If lighter, we call it a "tint"; if darker, a "shade." These latter terms are so often abused that some authorities prefer the substitution of the word "value," as a "light value of blue" rather than a "tint of blue," or a "dark value of green" rather than a "shade of green."

Thirdly, some colors are strong and some weak. The quality by which we distinguish strength or weakness in a color is called "intensity." If we remark that an object is colorful or strong in color, we refer to its intensity.

We can change the intensity of a normal color by mixing it with other hues; this tends to dull or gray it. We can change intensity without changing value or hue by the addition of neutral gray of equal value. This quality which we call "intensity" is also called "chroma" or "saturation" and the value of a color is sometimes termed "brightness" or "lightness." Though these particular differences in terminology are of slight consequence to the average artist, they emphasize the unfortunate confusion of terms which exists in the entire field of color.

"Tone" is a word of ambiguous meaning which is often employed in a general way to include all normal colors, tints and shades. Some authorities, however, use it to refer specifically to grayed values of any hue. Thus, color mixed with white would be described as a tint; color mixed with black, a shade; and color mixed with both black and white, a tone. If these words were always used in just this way, it would doubtless be easier to communicate color distinctions more accurately than we now do, but in common usage all three words are used almost interchangeably.

Texture, though not truly a quality of color, as are hue, value and intensity, is so closely related to these qualities that it must be considered along with them. If one paints an object, he must keep in mind its shape and character as revealed by its color (hue, value and intensity) and texture. The light and shade on objects can be thought of as agents for the expression of shape and texture, as modifiers of color.

Even in non-objective paintings texture is a very important factor; since there is no subject interest, texture is often one of the painting's chief attributes. In fact, some non-objective painters are noted primarily for the textures they achieve with unusual materials such as sand or mud, or the fact that they apply their pigments in some unorthodox way, such as dribbling, which creates a particular textural effect.

For the beginning artist, the above discussion will give the basic outline of terms that are used to describe color. A grasp of these basics will pave the way to greater understanding in his own use of color in his work.

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