How to use oil pastels - for the beginner by Regina Donaldson

Using oil pastels as a medium for canvas-based painting is no longer any different at all from using regular, petroleum-based oil paint. Oil pastels are easy and flexible to work with; offering artists of all skill levels an unlimited armory of creative potential. Most importantly, oil pastels are also considered a safe alternative to both oil pains and soft pastels.

For centuries, artists have had to give up oil paints, especially in their old age, as the dust associated with oil paint itself caused health concerns. In the 1950s, advances in the science of oil-like pastel paint made it possible to produce the first-ever dust-free alternative, but painters have never taken to it until recently, when they got the formulas just right… Over time, the blacks finally became dark enough; the hues finally became separate enough, and so on. The end result is that we now have a dust-free, ecology-friendly alternative to oil-based paints that can be made into tube or stick form, and perform just as well in every way. It's taken over 50 years for science to get the formula just right, but in the 1990s they finally succeeded in producing a non-petroleum-based paint that had no harmful effects to the environment, and best of all, no dust!

The man who wrote the book on how to use oil pastels, quite literally, has a lot to say on this subject. In 1983, an artist from New York by the name of John Elliot wrote the very first article on how to use oil pastels, even before the formula had been perfected, for the prestigious American Artist magazine. For many years before that he passionately worked towards pushing paint manufacturers into speeding along the progress of their work towards perfecting the paint. If there is any one many behind the phenomenon of oil pastels, it is John Elliot.

Often noted as the world's leading authority on oil pastel paints, his 2002 book, Oil Pastel for the Serious Beginner: Basic Lessons in Becoming a Good Painter (Watson-Guptill publications) demonstrates step by step how to become a master of oil pastels. He covers every aspect of oil pastels in this book, far more than I can even hint about here. He includes the history, the chemistry, and the techniques of oil pastels, or "dust free pastels" as he would like us to refer to them, as the name 'oil pastel' implies that they are a petroleum derivative, which they are not.

Unfortunately, many artists will still have issues with the high price tag associated with these perfected paints. Perhaps they aren't for everyone, at least not at the beginner's level. Still, finding the right medium to work in is a very crucial first phase for any artist, so you really should give oil pastels a try if for no other reason than to make sure that the cost should not be justified. The following is a way to inexpensively make your own oil pastels, although the sharpness and overall quality will naturally not be as good as the professional grade.

Start with manufacturing a Gum tragacanth solution. (1 part gum tragacanth powder, 30 parts distilled water, & a cap-full of alcohol)

Simply put the gum tragacanth, available at a fine arts store, into a clean bottle and stir in just enough alcohol to make a soft paste. Then add the water, shaking it all together. The hard part is that tragacanth can't be forced to bond within 2 whole days, only then will it absorb all the water and swell into a true gelatinous suspension.

Next, combine equal parts of dry pigment (of your favorite color) and zinc white, (also both available at that same fine arts store) with just enough distilled water to make a stiff paste. Once mixed, add just enough Gum solution (that you finished letting sit for two days) to allow you to grind it with a pallet knife until the paste is completely smooth.

Finally, deposit the soft color paste on a blotter or newsprint and let it absorb most of the moisture before shaping it into sticks. Use room temperature, or only slight heat, too much will cause cracking.

You can roll these oil pastels directly to pastel paper or cardboard and use in the traditional way you are used to. Again, I must stress that this method will produce a more basic, dusty version of oil pastels, not the expensive, but worthwhile grade that you can buy from your local art supply warehouse. Still, considering the low price of these materials, there is probably no better way to get started in oil pastels, and of course to reduce the risks when just trying them out.

If you haven't yet given oil pastels a try, or if you know you like them but still feel they are too expensive, I encourage you to attempt this recipe a try. There are few mediums as rewarding as oil pastels on canvas, in both performance and product. You owe it to yourself to at least learn more about this wonderfully evolved medium, and of course how to use oil pastels.

About the Author: Thriving artist Regina Donaldson is a professional painter with pieces in several galleries throughout the Southwest. Visit her oil paint informational website for free tips, techniques, and resources on all oil painting mediums, including more instruction on how to use oil pastels: http://www.oil-paint.info

 

Learn How to Draw Using the "Five-S" Method by Will Kalif

One of the difficult things about learning to draw is understanding the process an artist uses to go from a blank piece of paper to a completed drawing. The “Five-S” method is an easy way to understand how an artist does it and how you can do it too.

Drawing is not a process where an artist starts at one end of the paper and works his way to the other end and by the time he gets to the right side of the paper the drawing is done. Drawing is a process of creating an object, subject, or scene on paper in stages. With each successive stage the object comes closer to looking realistic.

Of course every artist is different and that means that every artist has his or her own process of drawing but they all come down to five simple steps that you can learn and follow. Here are the steps:

 

1. Silhouette 2. Shape 3. Shade 4. Smudge 5. Shadow

This method, called the Five-S method is really easy to follow and you just progress through the steps from beginning to end. Here is an explanation of what each step means.

1 Silhouette: This is the first step. What you do here is look carefully at the subject you are drawing and then in light lines you draw a silhouette of it on the blank piece of paper. In this step you don’t have to do just the outside lines of the subject you can do some of the inside lines too. But keep them very scant and very light.

2. Shape: Fill in the internal lines of the subject. Use the strokes and directions of your pencil to represent the shape of the parts of the subject. If a part of the subject is curved you should use curved lines in that area of the drawing and in any flat sections you should use straight lines. But for now you are not filling anything you are just getting the shapes right.

3. Shade: This is where you fill in the shapes with either color or shades of grey. Look carefully at your subject and note how light falls on it. This is the most important aspect of this step because even if a surface is all one color it may have different shades of that color depending on how light affects it.

4. Smudge: You can use your finger for this step but it is preferable to use a tortillon (blending stump). Very few subjects or objects are composed of sharply defined lines. Everything is composed of subtle gradations of color that flow around and through the surfaces. You should blend the colors on your subject using strokes that follow the shape of the subject – rounded areas should be done with rounded strokes etc.

5. Shadow: This is the final step. Look to see how your object or objects cast shadows on themselves or on the things around them and add these shadows. If you are using color in your drawing the shadows should be composed of darker shades of the same color. This will ground your object in reality. You should also use an eraser to erase any graphite or color from areas that have bright light reflections on them.

Drawing is not magic but it does take practice, skill, and an understanding of the process that is taken in order to go from a blank piece of paper to a finished product. The Five-S method is a good way of helping you to understand and to remember this process.

For More creative ideas and Projects visit the author's website at: Storm The Castle - Creativity and Medieval Fantasy with an edge. Or visit his site devoted to learning Fantasy art at: The Free Fantasy Art School

 

Brilliant Ideas: How to Have Them by Andrew Broadhead

The way to be creative and have brilliant ideas is very simple, but it is a technique that many people do not feel comfortable using.

To have great ideas, you must come up with lots and lots of ideas. Your ideas will, of necessity, be good, bad AND ugly. Most of them will be so awful that you will almost certainly dismiss them before you even allow yourself to write them down.

This is a massive mistake. Brilliant people have just as many bad ideas as everyone else. The difference is that they do not let that fact stop them from writing the idea down and then coming up with loads more ideas. They simply set aside their judgement while they are in the brainstorming phase and then later on they discard the ideas that are not so brilliant.

The secret is to trust that if you come up with enough ideas and do not judge them at all, you will eventually come up with a few good or even brilliant ideas.

Sound too good to be true? How many people do you know that actually allow themselves to come up with lots of bad ideas? Not too many I would imagine. Most people are so conditioned by society to judge everything, that anything different or new gets automatically discarded as rubbish.

Try this technique with honesty and an open mind. It never fails - assuming you stick with it. Remember though, you may have to have a thousand ideas that do not work until you get one that does. If you do not believe this, look up one of the greatest inventors of all time, Thomas Edison, on the net to see how many attempts it took him to invent the light bulb...

Most aspiring artists are told to throw away their first 100 paintings because the chances are they will be cliched or simply not very good. In the same way, potential novelists are told that they will probably have to write around a million words before they are any good, or that they will more than likely not get a publishing contract until they have written three or four novels. I ask again, how many of us are that dedicated that we would stick it out? Success comes to those that persist and never quit.

Visit the author's self-improvement & spirituality blog

After a highly successful career in sales, Andrew gave up the 'rat race' almost four years ago and now writes and works from his home in rural Derbyshire, UK. Having been on a spiritual path for most of his adult life, Andrew now feels inwardly compelled to share some of the things he has found along the way.

You can read more from Andrew at http://solotow.blogspot.com where he discusses all manner of self-improvement and spiritual matters.

 

Placing your precious paintings in storage by Sandy Cosser

There are occasions when it is necessary to place valuable possessions in storage. In these instances, it’s important to see that the storage conditions are conducive to the safety and preservation of your valuables. Works of art, and paintings in particular, are vulnerable to changes in the environment and can be easily damaged owing to excessive handling. Many materials are used when creating an oil or acrylic painting, such as fibreboard support material, preparation layers, various layers of paint, and varnish. Each of these will react differently to handling and the environment, and will contribute to the condition of the painting.

 

Each time a painting is handled there is an increased chance that it can be damaged. Changes in environment can also have an adverse effect on its preservation. In dry environments, such as an attic or household that’s dependent on heating, the paint is particularly vulnerable to cracking. If it’s necessary to transport a painting in cold weather, ensure that the transportation vehicle is heated. The optimum condition for the transport of paintings is moderate temperature and a neither too high nor too low humidity level.

 

Packaging of the painting for transport is extremely important. Wrapping should include moisture and water resistance, and puncture and dent resistance at the front as well as the back. The wrapping should also include insulation against extreme heat, coldness and sudden changes in temperature, and should be cushioned for shock absorption and protection against bumps and accidental drops. After the successful transportation of your painting, you must take the appropriate measures for its safe storage. Try to match the climate conditions of the storage facility as closely as possible to those in which the painting will ultimately be displayed. Airflow is an important factor in the storage of paintings. They should be raised off the floor for maximum airflow and to prevent possible water damage. Cotton sheets should be used as covers, as this will prevent mould.

 

If you are storing many paintings it’s advisable to insert carton dividers between them to avoid undue pressure. Interior walls are best for stacking your paintings, as they are drier than exterior walls. If the storage is long-term, examine the paintings from time to time to check for degradation. On these occasions they should be dusted, and the covers and other means of protection should be changed. Sachets of silica gel, which absorb moisture from the air, can be used to protect the paintings from humidity.

 

Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous painting, the Mona Lisa, is an example of a brilliant work of art showing visible signs of wear and tear. The Louvre, in Paris, has made a relatively controversial decision to not restore old paintings simply because they look old. They believe that works of art should look their age. This is why the sky in the Mona Lisa remains a coppery colour instead of a vivid blue, as it was originally painted. Curators at the museum say that the coppery look has been acquired through the repeated application of varnish over several centuries.

 

The National Gallery in London, on the other hand, follows a different approach. It removes built up, yellow varnish from its paintings and applies a fresh, clear coat. Restorers know that the process will have to be repeated, perhaps in a 25-year cycle, but they believe that paintings should be viewed as the artists intended them.

 

Paintings are often bought, not only for their beauty and aesthetic value, but also as investments. Well maintained works of art can double or triple in value, making them an excellent return on investment. To keep them in good condition, however, it’s necessary to pamper them and treat them as delicate, but temperamental, loved ones. Taking the proper care when displaying, and especially when storing them, could result in a monetary sum that makes the effort worthwhile. Recommended Sites: http://www.preservation.gc.ca/howto/articles/painting_e.asp#top, http://www.sternart.com/article_item.asp?ID=1, http://www.oberlin.edu/alummag/oamcurrent/oam_fall2002/main_conservation_1.htm.

Paint Brushes are an Investment by Emma Snow

Brushes are the most important painter's tools. Buying brushes is not just a random decision, but one that should be made carefully. Selection of brushes is personal and is based upon needs and level of investment desired. Because a brush will only last as well as it is cared for, proper cleaning and storage of brushes is probably even more important than the decision of what brush to buy. Because no matter how wonderful a brush is, if it is abused it will quickly be discarded.

Types of Brushes

The hair of the brush is what primarily denotes what type of brush it is and it's purpose. Although natural hair brushes usually cost more, they do not all create the same results. Sable hair brushes are probably the most popular brushes. They are soft haired brushes that move the paint easily and keep their point. Sable brushes are great for watercolor. Hog hair is also used to make brushes, but has a very different effect with media. Hog hair brushes are stiff brushes for heavy paint and will leave brush strokes behind. They have spilt ends and hold more paint and are used in oil painting. Synthetic brushes are also common for artists to use. These are generally less expensive, but still produce quality work. Paint brushes are an artist tools and several different types are needed depending on the project and desired result sought. More expensive brushes keep their shape after a stroke and do not fishtail or bend when paint is applied to paper or canvas and therefore have a more professional result. Less expensive brushes may be suited for some jobs, especially when used in crafts and with products like glue. The other factor identifying a brush is the handle. Traditionally long handled brushes are used for oil painting because the artist is standing at an easel. Shorter handled brushes are for watercolor and acrylics because the artist is sitting and painting in greater detail.

Cleaning and Care for Brushes

Because how well a brush is cared for effects how long the brush will last, extra effort put in to properly care for these important tools will be well worth the time. All brushes will eventually wear out and will then need to be replaced, but lengthening the span of time before that is necessary will help the budget. Cleaning is crucial to extending the life of a brush. Each brush should be cleaned immediately after use. Use a mild soap and clean in the palm of the hand. Rinse thoroughly and when water runs clear, lay the brush flat to dry. It should not be left vertical to dry as this will cause water to be pulled into the handle and will ultimately cause the handle to loosen and the brush will no longer be usable. Paint brushes should never be left sitting in a glass of water. Other than the effect it will have on the handle, it will crush the bristles. If the brushes are soaked, use a brush container that will suspend them and only fill the water to soak the bristles and not the ferrule or handle. After the paint brush is cleaned and dried it may be stored upright, or in a flat brush holder. Cleaning brushes is not only done at the end of a painting session, but should be done as needed. As a person is painting, effort should be made to keep paint away from the ferrule of the brush, but inevitably will naturally be drawn up the brush. As the paint gets close to the ferrule, it should then be cleaned. This is to prevent the paint from getting under the ferrule and drying there. Natural hair brushes also need to be conditioned on a regular basis. There are paint brush soaps that come with conditioners in them, or conditioner can be bought separately.

Make the investment of brushes one that will be used wisely. The results that a good paint brush produces are worth the initial cost, but only if the effort is made to care for them and extend the value of the investment.

 

About The Author

Emma Snow is a creator at Craft Kits http://www.craft-kits.net leading portals for crafts and creative individuals.

Banksy Is The World's Most Wanted Graffiti Artist by James Smith

You can see graffiti in every country in the world. It often defaces walls, poles, trains and the fronts and sides of buildings. Graffiti is considered undesirable vandalism to its victims who spend time and money to paint over or wash it off their property. Indeed, graffiti painting is an ongoing problem in many subway stations and on public walkways, signs, cement walls, and other locations.

However, on the streets of the United Kingdom near London, an artist called Banksy continues to gain international recognition and fame for his graffiti. The fact is that Banksy's "street art" has become immensely popular with both pedestrians and private art collectors alike. In the last several years, there have been a number of exhibitions and auctions of Banksy's art work as his popularity has soared.

 

The growing popularity of his art is in evidence in the secondary market where a painting titled “Space Girl and Bird” sold for $575,000 in an auction event last year (2007). In fact, Banksy's art can now be found in many private art collections worldwide. Banksy has also produced leaflets and books on art and has his own website. He self-published his first three books, “Existencilism,” “Banging Your Head Against a Brick Wall,” and “Cut It Out.”

 

His latest book called, “Wall and Piece,” was published by Random House and has already sold more than two hundred and fifty thousand copies. Nevertheless, Banksy continues to keep his real identity secret to avoid arrest and prosecution. His anonymity is said to be born of a desire to be a “quality vandal” and to elude the police. He once said, “Imagine a city where graffiti wasn’t illegal, a city where everybody could draw wherever they liked, where the street was awash with a million colors and little phrases. . . . A city that felt like a party where everyone was invited, not just the estate agents and barons of big business.” He has a unique view of the art world as well. He has said, “The art world is the biggest joke going. It’s a rest home for the over-privileged, the pretentious, and the weak.”

 

Banksy's graffiti began appearing on trains and walls around Bristol, England in 1993. By 2001, his street art could be seen all over the United Kingdom. His art has a distinctive style which makes it easy to recognize. It features attention to detail and uses layered stenciling and spray paint. Banksy uses familiar images and his pictures contain dark humor and are often controversial. His art is often focused around anti-war, anti-establishment, and anti-capitalism themes. Sometimes Banksy's works have a pro-freedom message.

 

Banksy uses rats as images in many of his pictures. His most famous street paintings are a series of black-and-white stenciled rats. Many of these rats are created to be larger than life. The rats have become immensely popular with London pedestrians. A “gangster rat,” painted on a wall near the Smithfield market, wears a peace-sign medallion and carries a sign that says “Welcome to Hell.” Another rat holds a sign that reads, “Please love me.”

 

Other Banksy art features the image of two policemen kissing painted on a public wall. In another picture a military helicopter is adorned with a pink bow. Winston Churchill has a Mohawk haircut in another. He has even produced revisionist oil paintings such as Mona Lisa with a yellow smiley face, and a pastoral landscape surrounded by crime-scene tape. Banksy, dressed in a disguise, installed them in the Louvre and the Tate.

 

Banksy often uses public walls as a background to display his art. Although recently he has been creating art on canvas as well. In addition, Banksy sometimes enters museums and galleries to add his own art to the museum collections. In the last several years, Banksy's street art has been seen internationally. It has been found in the Middle East on Israel's West Bank barrier, and in various countries worldwide including Spain, Palestine, Germany, and the United States. He painted the security fence at Bethlehem with a scene of a hole in the concrete barrier. The hole revealed a glittering beach on the other side.

 

Banksy is viewed by people in many different ways. To some he is an anti-hero who touches the public conscience. Others think of him as an anti-social rogue who vandalizes public property. Some people who have done business with him consider him to be both a genius and a madman. Many view him as unique and irreverent.

 

On his website Banksy states that he has bought a taller ladder to use in his work. So there can be no doubt that his graffiti (“street art”) will continue. For their part, the authorities in the United Kingdom will continue to try to identify and subsequently arrest Banksy, the world's most wanted graffiti artist.

 

 

About the Author:

James William Smith has worked in senior management positions for some of the largest financial services firms in the United States for the last twenty five years. He has also provided business consulting support for insurance organizations and start up businesses. Mr. Smith has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Boston College. He enjoys writing articles on political, national, and world events.Visit his website at http://www.eworldvu.com

Throwing Pottery is Great Fun By Andrew Be Edwards

The act of throwing pottery, which is essentially to create pottery through the use of a device known as a potter's wheel is one that many people go into their first pottery class expecting to enjoy immediately. While it is an essential pottery skill for some of the many pottery techniques, it is not something that is generally taught in the first class of an introduction to pottery sort of environment. Unless you are taking a class that is particular focused on learning to throw pottery it is typically a skill that you will get around to eventually rather than jumping into feet first.

If you are not a dip your toe in the water sort of person you can always find classes and courses (many of these are taught by art shops and museums in your local area or the nearest metro area). If you cannot find an acceptable course in your area you can always search your local library for information as well as purchase various videos and books that will teach you the essentials from book stores or online. The one thing to keep in mind when it comes to throwing ceramics or pottery is that it is often best to have some sort of fundamental understanding of working with clay before you begin. It just makes the process go a little more smoothly.

If you are going to be throwing pottery or dealing with any sort of pottery on a regular basis you should familiarize yourself with the proper safety procedures for doing so. This is information that most people will receive when taking classes offered by qualified instructors and is vitally important as there are some dangerous materials that are often handled when working with ceramics. If not you can find a great list of safety measures for working with pottery by doing a simple search online. I do recommend you study them well as I am sure you do not wish to risk your health for the sake of a hobby, even one as enjoyable as making pottery.

Even after you've managed to take a course or two on throwing pottery you may be interested in taking a course that deals with a specific design style of throwing pottery. One popular style is Raku pottery. You can often purchase videos for various styles that will be rather simple to follow once you have general throwing basics down and you can move on to more stylized methods of throwing pottery that are a bit more challenging and more fun in the long run. Increasing skills and expanding them is always a great pursuit and there are simply so many things that can be accomplished with pottery.

http://pottery.09cn.com/ is a website that you can lean more about Pottery.

http://pottery.09cn.com/Throwing-Pottery-is-Great-Fun.html