Sculpture is traditionally created by shaping any kind of hard material, especially wood or stone. Modern sculptors often play with this definition, using other materials like bronze, ceramic, resin and fiberglass. While classical sculptures are realistic and often feature important people or religious themes, modern sculptures cover a variety of subjects in many styles, from hyper-realism to abstract. Painters often dabble in sculpture in addition to their usual artwork; some of the most famous modern works were done by people who would not classify themselves mainly as sculptors.
The Kiss
Constantin Brancusi was born in a poor family in Romania. He had no artistic training as a youth, but instead took a position as an apprentice shepherd. He learned wood carving and later, while working at an inn, carved a violin on a bet. He did such a good job that a local merchant sent him to art school. "The Kiss" is one of the most famous and recognizable of modern sculptures. Done in 1908, "The Kiss" shows two embracing figures joined as one, cut from the same block of stone.
Reclining Figure 1951
English sculptor Henry Moore often made reclining figures in various sizes and with diverse materials. They are often large-scale and were meant to be displayed outdoors. His bronze "Reclining Figure" of 1951 was commissioned by the Arts Council of Great Britain. As of 2010, the sculpture is on display at the Gallery of Modern Art in Scotland.
Flamingo
Alexander Calder was the child of artistic parents. However, he started out in technology and obtained a degree in engineering before beginning to express himself through art. He began as an illustrator and then began to produce abstract mobiles. Later, he moved on to large outdoor sculptures. "Flamingo" is one of Calder's most famous works. The 53-foot high red sculpture (which Calder dubbed "stabiles") is made from steel and was commissioned by the United States General Services Administration. "Flamingo" is displayed outside the Kluczinski Federal Building in Chicago, Illinois.
Chicago Sculpture
Though one of the most famous painters who ever lived, Pablo Picasso also produced numerous sculptures. He toyed with different subjects and sizes, making some realistic or semi-realistic, and others completely abstract. One of his most famous sculptures is his cubist Chicago sculpture, located in the city's Daley Center Plaza. Picasso himself never put a name to it, though it's thought to be either of a bird or a woman. The enormous work, stands 50 feet tall and weighs 162 tons.
The Mexican Mural Renaissance of the 1930s saw many striking murals depicting political strife.
Muralism in Mexican art reached its height in the 1930s, fueled by the political activism of its most prominent artists. Three names are especially held in renown from this period: Diego Rivera, Jos Orozco and David Siqueiros. Together, these men ushered in what art historians would later refer to as the "Mexican Mural Renaissance" and become known as "The Great Trio." Their works stand to this day on walls both in Mexico and in the United States.
Diego Rivera
Diego Rivera's most infamous and well-known work was "Man at the Crossroads," which was destroyed when the artist refused to remove a portrait of Lenin from the mural. It was later repainted as "Man, Controller of the Universe" at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. His body of work also featured a series of frescoes titled "Creation" in the Mexico City National Preparatory School.
Jos Orozco
Jos Orozco also had several works featured at the National Preparatory School, among them: "The Elements," "Man in Battle Against Nature," "Christ Destroys His Cross," "Destruction of the Old Order," "The Aristocrats," and "The Trench and the Trinity."
David Siqueiros
Artist and activist David Siqueiros painted a famous mural titled "Los Mitos" ("The Myths") in the National Preparatory School's patio. He painted another of his celebrated murals, "Portrait of the Bourgeoisie" under the sponsorship of the Electrical Workers Union in Mexico. Near the end of his life, Siqueiros completed a huge mural called "The March of Humanity" in Cuernavaca, the largest ever painted.
Pine needles can be used in creative art projects.
Pine needles are the only green growth on pine trees, since pine trees do not have leaves. Pine trees are common in forests all across the United States. Before the fragrant pine needles fall from the branches, they are flexible and can be bent into various shapes. You can make a sweet smelling sachet or a decorative basket with pine needles from the trees in your yard.
Instructions
Pine Needle Basket
1. Place all your pine needles in a pan with a pint of boiling water. Allow the needles to soak for about 10 minutes until they are soft and tender.
2. Remove the needles from the water with tongs and place them on a plate covered with a paper towel. Let the needles dry.
3. Remove the caps from the needles by pulling it off with your fingers. Scrape any residue off of the needles with your thumbnail.
4. Cut 10 lengths of raffia. Thread the thick end of raffia through the tapestry needle and weave the raffia around a bunch of needles.
5. Curl the wrapped end into a spiraled loop. Continue wrapping the raffia around the pine needles in loop stitches about 1 inch apart, ensuring that the stitches cover the new row on the basket and attaches to the adjacent row).
6. Add pine needles by stuffing new ones into the ones already woven. When you run out of raffia, add another length to the needle and continue sewing.
7. After you've completed about eight rows, move your next row on top of the previous row to create the sides. Reduce the amount of pine needles used after completing four side rows to create a thin top.
8. Do a cross-stitch across the last row, and poke the tapestry needle into the inside of the basket where the raffia won't be seen. Cut the piece of raffia to finish your basket.
Pine Sachet
9. Gather a bunch of pine needles and remove the caps. Crush or cut the needles.
10. Place the needles in an old nylon. Tie the nylon with a ribbon.
11. Place the sachet in a sock or underwear drawer or in an open room and let the fragrance permeate the room.
Many famous artists have made their reputation on beautiful landscape art.
Environmental art frequently falls under the category of landscape paintings. Such work centers around the natural world and emphasizes a panoramic, harmonic point of view. The quality of detail is not essential for landscape, as many famous works eschew specific points in favor of a more sweeping interpretation.
The Water Lilies
Claude Monet's series of paintings focused on water lilies is one of the 20th century's most celebrated productions of art. Late in life, Monet moved to Giverny, a small town located in the country near Paris, France. He ordered that a pond be dug near his abode there, and the famed lilies were planted in 1893. He artwork on the lilies demonstrated a newly found boldness and playfulness; some critics believe that the pieces suggested abstract art.
Mount Saint-Victoire
Mount Saint-Victoire, a peak in the southern French town of Aix-en-Provence, fascinated Paul Cezanne throughout his lifetime. Toward the end of his life (between 1902 and 1906), he created a series of paintings themed on the mountain that revealed new flourishes in his technique. The works exhibit blocked patches of paint in which the colors stood out as discontinuous and isolated from one another. He captured the Mount and the surrounding countryside with pastels, both vibrant and muted, in a way that presaged the Cubism movement.
The Slave Ship
One of British artist Joseph Mallord William Turner's most famed landscape compositions is "The Slave Ship," completed in 1840. The work, which flaunts an epic scale, dramatizes the perils of the Middle Passage, an oceanic route of the slave trade that transported African captives to the Americas. As a large ship sinks, slaves flounder about to avoid drowning. Turner allegedly created the work to reveal his viewpoint on abolitionism, the movement that aimed to eliminate slavery from society.
Along the River During the Qinming Festival
Zhong Zeduan created this landscape during China's Song Dynasty period. Zeduan attractively features the festival's participants as they meander throughout the warm setting. Painted in the hand scroll format, "Along the River" also stands out for its capturing of each social stratum, from the richest citizens to the impoverished residents. Zeduan's work directly influenced Chinese landscapes well after the Song Dynasty, and celebrated artists of each era would attempt to replicate the painting via their unique interpretation.
Though now usually synthetic, pigments were once made from grinding natural materials.
Oil paints became popular among artists in the 15th century because they are versatile and their colors remain bright through many years of display and storage. Oil paintings are made by mixing powdered pigments with oil. Linseed oil is most commonly used. Oils may be used as they are, or may be thinned with the addition of more linseed oil or paint thinner. Among the countless subjects of oil paintings over the centuries are hundreds of famous paintings of horses.
James Seymour
"The Stables and Two Famous Running Horses Belonging to His Grace, the Duke of Bolton" was painted by James Seymour in 1747. The painting depicts two horses with docked tails standing in their stables. They are wearing halters and blankets, and beside them is a foxhound which looks up at a boy holding a dish. Even if the viewer did not know the name of the painting, the rich appearance of the horses would be enough for them to know the horses belonged to nobility.
John Collier
"Lady Godiva" is the subject of a famous story, as well as a famous painting by John Collier. Godiva, a noblewoman nearly 1,000 years ago, rode naked through the town her husband owned to convince him to stop charging the poor townspeople high taxes. This was after she begged him to be merciful, and he replied, "You will have to ride naked through Coventry before I will change my ways." He was so shaken by her actions that he did stop the high taxes. Collier's painting depicts Godiva perched on her horse's saddle, covered in part by her long hair.
George Stubbs
George Stubbs began his famous painting "Horse Attacked by a Lion" in 1768 and finished it in 1772. Stubbs painted this at a point in his career when he had just begun to paint wildlife. The painting has an enormous amount of energy and motion. It shows a white horse that has turned its head and bared its teeth in an attempt to fight off a large lion that has jumped on its back and attacked it.
Rosa Bonheur
Rosa Bonheur painted a 10-1/2-by-25-inch study before she tackled the full scale 80-by-17-feet painting, "The Horse Fair." She began this colossal piece in 1853 and finished it two years later. The painting shows a group of horses of different breeds running through a show with riders on their backs. Many believe that Bonheur inserted a self-portrait in the painting, as she painted one of the riders as a female in a work smock.
Sometimes an artist creates a painting that leads the way for an entirely new school of thought. Such paintings are sometimes made by chance; other times a lot of thought and effort goes into their creation. A work of art such as this may be perceived in new ways over time as it gains popularity and influence.
Mona Lisa
Probably the most famous painting ever made is the Mona Lisa. Leonardo Da Vinci worked on this painting for four years.
Van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh's most famous work, "Starry Night," is a good representation of Van Gogh's original technique of applying thick globs of paint.
Impressionism
Claude Monet's "Impression, Sunrise" was the basis for a new impressionist style. It was painted quickly and was used as inspiration for many other pieces of art.
Cubism
Pablo Picasso's "Demoiselles D' Avignon," a very influential painting, spawned Cubism and was a precursor to modern abstraction.
Surrealism
Marcel Duchamp was the pioneer of Surrealism. His "Nude Descending a Staircase" is a good example of Surrealism emerging from Cubism and Futurism.
Pop Art
Andy Warhol's famous Campbell Soup paintings helped to make pop culture popular within the framework of visual art.
Home printing technology has come a long way from units that offered basic print features to ones that can fax and scan, as well as make copies. The reproduction quality has climbed to the point of allowing high quality photos and professional presentations to be printed. You can also make art prints from your home printer.
Accessing Art Prints and Posters
You can access art prints and posters via a website called print.com for a small fee per print. There is very little difference between a print and a poster other than posters are categorized as open edition, which means unlimited access, while prints are in the limited edition category.
Printing Art Prints and Posters
Once you have completed your order, an email with a link to the website's print catalog will be sent. You have 24 hours to print your choices as many times as you like. The other way is to save the prints to a CD which gives the option of using the printer of your choice whether in your home or a professional environment. If you are in a hurry, this is a quick way to copy some prints for a gift or business presentation. Try glossy photo paper for a better quality finish.
Have you even been online and had a page that you wanted to capture exactly as it is? Or maybe you have been given an assignment for work and they requested that you include a print screen. What prompted me to learn capture a screen shot was my desire to use them on blog posts to further explain a topic I was writing about. Whatever your motivation, it is good to know use the print screen function.
Instructions
1. Find the screen that you want. Insure that all of the information that you are trying to capture is showing on your screen. The print screen function does exactly that, print what is on the screen. It will not show material that you have to scroll down to see.
2. You may not have noticed it, but there is a print screen button on your keyboard. It probably says PrtScn. You can capture either the window that is open or you can capture everything on your screen. If you hit the keys Alt + PrtScn at the same time just the window will be copied. If you hit the PrtScn key alone it will copy the whole screen.
3. You won't see anything happen when you hit the print screen key, but something has happened. The screen was moved to your clipboard. You are now ready to paste it into any program that can handle graphics like Paint, Word, etc. To use it in a document you need to either go to the document you want to paste it into or open a new one. Once at the document hit the keys Ctl + V together to paste it into your document. Learning to use print screen was easy, wasn't it?
Handmade greeting cards and posters are often cherished even more than commercial greeting cards because of the thought and creativity that went into making them. Making a personal cards and posters is an easy and inexpensive hobby that anyone of any age can take up. The materials are relatively inexpensive and a card or poster can be made in just a short while. Make complex cards and posters with many embellishments or simple elegant cards that require very little work.
Instructions
1. Purchase ready-cut A4 paper made for greeting cards. This type of paper is 8.3-inches wide by 11.7-inches long. Fold the paper in half to obtain a standard blank greeting card. Use regular poster board or illustration board for your posters.
2. Choose the topic or occasion for the greeting cards and poster. Think of images and vocabulary words that fit the topic or occasion.
3. Sketch your ideas and images before drawing them on your handmade card or poster. Have different children sketch or put together different images, letters and titles. Discuss the images and titles and choose the best ones for your greeting cards and posters.
4. Cut out images from magazines, coloring books, old greeting cards, or print images from your computer. Use dried flowers, colored feathers or stones as accents. Place the objects in an appealing way on the card or poster. Cut letters from construction paper or foam board for titles.
5. Glue the images, cut-outs, objects and letters in place using a glue stick. Use colored markers to decorate or write titles. Apply glitter or use stamps to decorate the greeting card or posters even more.
Venice, Italy, was a mecca for 16th century artists.
The Renaissance (French for "Rebirth") was a dynamic era that stretched from about 1450 to 1600. Paintings of this period are characterized by classic balance, controlled movement, effects of light, color and texture as well as heightened realism. Renaissance art saw a dramatic shift to the human figure, idealization of nature, landscapes, cityscapes and still life. While religious themes that dominated 15th century art continued into the next century, the 16th century is known for its paintings of secular subjects and classic Greek mythology.
Religious Themes
The High Renaissance took place between 1500 and 1525. Raphael (1483 to 1520), was one of the three preeminent artists of the High Renaissance, along with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Raphael's oil on canvas, "The Sistine Madonna," painted between 1513 and 1514, is an example of one of the most recognizable works today due to mass publishing of the two small cherubs gazing upward at the base of the canvas that have been reproduced today as print wall art as well as on greeting cards and stationery.
Greek Classicism
Venetian painters enjoyed a position of artistic supremacy throughout the 16th century. Giovanni Bellini (1430 to 1516) was the founder of the "Venetian School" of painting. His "Feast of the Gods," an oil on canvas painted in 1514 that exemplifies this style, is famous for its portrayal of outdoor light. Tiziano Vecellio, known as Titian (1490 to 1576), was one of Geovanni Bellini's famous students. Titian is considered by many as the preeminent artist of his time. His "Venus and Adonis" (1560) is an oil on canvas depicting the famous Greek myth of the same name from Ovid's "Metamorphoses." It was the first in a series of eight depictions of Greek mythology, a theme that became extremely popular in the 16th century. Another in the series, "Rape of Europa," painted in 1559 to 1562, is famous for Titian's brilliant blending of realism and idealism.
Mannerism Movement
Mannerism was an artistic movement in the 16th century characterized by its elongated figures, complex poses and unrealistic settings. El Greco"s "Madonna and Child with St. Matina and St. Agnes" is a famous oil on canvas painting that exemplifies the Mannerism movement. Jacopo Tintoretto's "Miracle of the Slave" and Descent from the Cross ("Pieta") are renowned examples of Late Mannerism. Both are oil on canvas paintings; "Slave" was painted in 1548 and "Pieta," in 1559.
Portraiture
This portrait of Queen Elizabeth is not signed but is widely attributed to Zuccaro.
The 16th century ushered in a trend of portraiture commissioned by royalty and wealthy patrons. Federico Zuccaro (1541 to 1609), a highly successful Italian painter who became one of the most famous and influential artists after Titian's death in 1576, painted a famous oil on canvas portrait of the iconic Queen Elizabeth I in 1592. The portrait, one of many portraits painted of her by artists of the period, depicts the queen in a black velvet ceremonial gown and is titled simply, "Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I."
Sea monsters are often the stuff of legend and can be part of our active imaginations. Sea monsters can be frightening, they can be playful, or you can create a sea monster based on one of the creatures actually living in the sea. Because there is no proof sea monsters exist, the monster you create can look any way you want. The easiest way to learn to draw a sea monster is to start with the classic image, depicted with a long neck and tail as its double-humped body rises from the ocean. This is the same image on which many Viking ships were modeled, and by drawing a few simple shapes, you can sketch a sea monster based on this design.
Instructions
1. Draw a horizontal line across the bottom of your sketch paper. This is where you will draw waves later on. Draw this line lightly in pencil so you can erase it later.
2. Draw a circle about 6 inches above the waterline, where you will place your creature's head. The circle should be about the size of a quarter. From the bottom of the circle, draw a slightly s-curved line down to the water to represent the neck. Draw another s-curved line about 8 inches to the right of the head, to represent the tail. The line should be about the same length as the line you drew at the head. Start this line at the waterline and draw up, toward the sky in your sketch.
3. Locate the approximate center between the two s-curved lines and draw two half circles from the waterline, with each half circle located on either side of the center. Each half circle should be about 3 inches high. The measurements are estimations. Don't become overly focused on exact numbers. Inside each of these half circles, draw two smaller half circles to create the underbelly of your sea monster.
4. Sketch in the final shape of your sea monster around your guidelines. Draw an angled snout for the head, then erase the circle you drew as a placeholder. Draw a curved line from the end of the snout and extend it around the side of the face to form the mouth of the sea monster. Sketch small upside-down triangles for your sea monster's teeth.
5. Sketch the eyes on your sea monster. Draw a larger size for the eye that appears closer to you. The farther eye may be only partially seen, depending on the angle at which you want the head of your sea monster.
6. Draw lines around the first s-curved line on both sides to thicken it into a neck, then erase the s-curved line. Draw the same lines around the tail. You may want to bring those lines to a point to form a pointed tip on the tail. Draw the tail section slightly higher than the head and curve it to the right to give it the appearance of a tail whipping in the wind as the creature glides through the sea. Erase the s-curved guideline.
7. Draw a line on each segment of your creature to create a top side and an underbelly. There will be no need to add these lines to the half circles you drew, since you added them earlier. Turn the horizontal line across the bottom of your page into water by starting at one end and drawing random size wavy triangles all the way across, then erase the straight horizontal line.
8. Color your sea monster with color pencils. Use your imagination. You might color your creature light green, then draw small dark green scales over its top side. You might want to draw geometric shapes on your creature's skin and shade them a variety of colors.
Picasso painted many works during his lifetime, including the Three Musicians, painted in the summer of 1921.
Spanish painter Pablo Picasso lived from 1881 to 1973. During his lifetime, he created many famous works, including the Three Musicians, painted in the summer of 1921. The Three Musicians is a nod to bohemian life, depicting a clarinet player, a guitarist and a singing monk on a small stage, with a dog, barely visible, beneath their feet. The work was painted in the style of synthetic cubism, creating an overlapping, puzzle-like depiction of the three characters.
Musician on the Left
The musician on the left side of the painting is a masked Pierrot, a classic figure often used in Italian comic theater. He plays a simple looking clarinet. The Pierrot is a recurring figure in Picasso's paintings. The figure in this piece is thought to be Picasso's friend Guillaume Apollinaire, who was deceased by the time the painting made its debut.
Musician in the Middle
The musician at the middle of the painting dons the brightest garb, bringing light to the center of the piece. The figure is that of a harlequin strumming a guitar. The harlequin is another recurring figure in Picasso's work, and also classic to the Italian stage. In his paintings, this figure is thought to be a depiction of Picasso himself.
Musician on the Right
The musician on the right is a monk, holding sheet music and singing. He is thought to be a depiction of Max Jacob, a poet and friend of Picasso, who happened to enter a Benedictine monastery the same year that Picasso created the painting.
The Dog
Often overlooked at first glance, a dog is depicted, sitting on stage with the three musicians. The tail of the dog sits in between the legs of the musician at the middle of the painting, his head, ears and front paws are next to the side of the musician on the left. Painted all in black, the dog adds to overall somber mood of the painting, with its flat and dark edges.
Synthetic Cubism
Lasting for 15 years, cubism evolved through three stages, analytical, curvilinear and synthetic.Although Picasso tried his hand at all three, the Three Musicians is thought to be his farewell to synthetic cubism, which is made up of flat, overlapping, geometrical shapes. The painting gives the appearance that it is made from cut pieces of paper and fabric; however Picasso created the working using oil paints on canvass.
Picasso in 1921
Picasso had already experienced fame in the summer of 1921 after illustrating books, developing sets for operas and ballets, and working with writers and performance artists. He rented a villa just outside of Paris, in a chateau town called Fontainebleau. The town was renowned for paintings in the grand French style, making his cubism fall in stark contrast. He turned the villa's garage into an art studio where he painted and completed the Three Musicians.
art---whether painted, drawn or sculpted---involves the study of objects. Numerous objects have appeared in still lifes, from flowers to dead game, pocket watches to Chinese vases. The art holds these objects up for scrutiny. Sometimes the objects' physical qualities are being displayed, and other times the symbolic weight is of greater importance.
History
Still life first became a popular genre in the seventeenth century in Northern Europe. Dutch settlers then brought it to America.
Prevalence
Many of the most well-known artists in history, including Van Gogh and Cezanne, created still lifes.
Early American Still Life Artists
The first still life painters of note in America were part of the Peale family of Philadelphia.
Symbolic Value
Still life elements have often been portrayed on their own or introduced into larger compositions, such as portraits, because of symbolic value. For instance, a lily in a painting of the Virgin Mary might symbolize purity. A snuffed-out candle in another painting might represent the fleeting nature of life.
Contemporary Interpretations
In recent years, still lifes have taken on many different forms, including Pop Art pieces like Andy Warhol's Campbell's soup cans, partly abstracted still lifes by Georgia O'Keefe and three-dimensional works.
All stories are different, so you must choose your writing technique carefully before you being writing the story. Consider the topic of the story and the audience that will be reading it. Sometimes it is appropriate to use the word "I" in your story or reveal your own opinions on a topic, while other times it is not. Using the appropriate writing technique can be the difference between making your story a hit or total flop.
Descriptive
Descriptive writing occurs when the writer uses very detailed information to explain the story. This can involve detailed descriptions of the characters, the setting and even objects. This style of writing is used to immerse the readers in the story, allowing them to create a vivid mental picture of the setting in their minds. For example, a line from a descriptive story might read, "He was 6'4, with deep blue eyes, chestnut brown hair and a bright white smile."
First-person
When using a first-person writing technique, the writer is able to incorporate their own ideas into the story. Instead of just presenting the facts, they are allowed to let their own opinions come out in their writing. For example, a story written in a first-person technique would have the word "I" worked in throughout the text.
Narrative
A narrative writing style tells a story. The writer introduces different characters and a setting to the readers, while keeping his or her own voice silent. Narrative stories present a problem that is played out and eventually solved in the text. One of the most common examples of a narrative is a movie script, but these are also frequently seen in short stories as well.
Persuasive
In a persuasive writing style, the author tries to change the reader's mind on a certain topic or issue. They present facts supporting their opinion and try to convince the reader to join in their beliefs. An example of this is often seen in newspaper and magazine columns, or in political speeches.
Subjective
A story written in a subjective writing technique displays facts from both sides of an issue or subject. The writer is able to use first-person terms such as the word "I", but does not choose one side to support. They simply list the pros and cons of the subject, so the readers can develop their own informed opinions. Newspaper articles are often written in a subjective style.
An artist's portfolio separates those who engage in art as a hobby from those who successfully translate art into a profitable business. A professional artist portfolio can help you convince physical and online gallery owners to display your work, and is typically necessary for entering juried art exhibitions and contests. It showcases the visual art pieces that most effectively demonstrate your talent and vision. Creating an artist's portfolio is time-consuming, but a carefully planned and executed portfolio can help you get noticed in the art world.
Instructions
1. Choose the art pieces you believe are most consistent with your vision, and that best demonstrate your talent as an artist. Your art portfolio should have a cohesive element -- all of the pieces can represent a single medium, such as sculpture or oil painting, or express a unifying style or theme.
2. Stage your artworks for digital photography. Cover a table with clean, smooth material and place it against a white or neutral colored wall.
3. Place your digital camera on a tripod to avoid image blurring. Set the tripod 4 to 8 ft. from the artwork, depending on the size of the work.
4. Set up lighting on both sides of your camera at 45-degree angles from the center of the artwork to achieve consistent lighting. If possible, hang a white umbrella or sheet between each light source and the artwork to diffuse the light and reduce glare.
5. Take several digital photographs of each artwork. Transfer the images to your computer and select the sharpest, most evenly lighted image of each work.
6. Use a digital image-enhancement program, such as Photoshop, Splashup or GIMP, to correct any lighting problems, and to crop unnecessary white space from each image.
7. Save each enhanced image in JPEG in a single digital file.
8. Write a brief artist's statement using a word processor. The artist's statement should describe your artistic vision, include your name and contact information and list the artworks in your portfolio. You may also include a photograph of yourself in your artist's statement.
9. Save the artist's statement in Word or PDF format in the same file as your artwork images.
Watercolor painting is a favorite pass time or hobby for many people. However, it is not as simple as looks. Different sizes of brushes, palettes and colors can be used in watercolor painting. You can also use different ways to hold a watercolor brush, basic exercises to improve your technique, and many different painting supplies. What follows is a demonstration of paint a fluffy young duckling's feathers. This will give you a basic understanding of paint.
Instructions
1. Draw the picture of the duckling on watercolor paper with a pencil. Remove just enough graphite to soften the lines of the duckling with an eraser. Then after dipping your brush in paint, carefully paint the beak.
2. Paint the head and body of your duckling; then you are ready to add the details such as filling in the beak and the downy feathers.
3. Produce fluffy down feathers on the head and body by loading your brush and painting, then softening your strokes with water. To create the wispy feathers, take a brush with a point, load with paint, then blot it along the duckling. Using just the tip of your brush, paint the separate feathers on the head, chest, and black using wispy gentle strokes
4. Wait for the picture to dry and then take a different brush that is clean and moisten it to soften the feathers you just painted. Let your duckling dry all of the way. It is also a good idea when you are painting the wispy feathers to try to use narrow strokes. Try not to make the strokes straight lines. If they are still wider than you want them to be, try blotting them or use a lighter stroke with your brush.
Pro 2X is a program created by Corel for editing, grouping and sharing your photos. With it, you can add numerous effects, text and graphics to pictures stored in your computer. Creating a photo montage, or slide show, in Paint Shop Pro 2X is relatively simple if you understand the basics of your computer files.
Instructions
1. Select your photos in Paint Shop Pro 2X. Your computer's picture folder opens within the organizer. Manipulate which photos are in the organizer by clicking the folders in the lefthand side panel.
2. Click on the "Quick Review" button in the organizer to see a full-screen slide show of your photos.
3. Click on the "Pause" button to access the on-screen menu.
4. Click on the button for "Change Show Settings." Choose how many seconds you would like the individual photos to remain on the screen and decide how you would like the transitions between photos to appear.
5. Click the soundtrack box and then browse to select music from your computer. If you would like the slide slast only as long as the music, click the "Synchronize" button. Click "OK."
6. Click the "Pause" button again and choose "Save Show" from the menu. Select a folder on your hard drive to save the file to. Email from the pause menu by clicking on the "Share as Email" button.
The differences between rent-to-own and installment land contract agreements are subtle, but distinct.
The differences between rent-to-own and installment land contract agreements are subtle, but distinct. Each contract has its pluses and minuses, and buyers need to be particularly cautious. Both sellers and buyers should treat the deal as a sale rather than a lease, including purchasing an independent appraisal and thorough inspection. Sellers should insist that buyers complete a rigorous application and submit to a credit check. Both should hire expert legal representation.
Lease Options, Lease Purchases or Rent-to-own
Renting to own, also known as "lease option" or "lease purchase," offers both buyers and sellers a good opportunity. Buyers, if they've found a home they love, can slowly build a down payment and get a taste of pride of ownership. Sellers can earn income and move a home in a difficult market while also commanding a top price. The arrangement seems ideal. There are important considerations, however. Buyers must remember that their rent payments, although applied toward a future down payment, are not earning equity. Sellers may learn the hard way that buyers are never able to consummate a purchase. Both sides must hope that the price of the home doesn't appreciate or depreciate so much during the course of the lease that neither side wants to complete a sale.
Lease Purchase Deal Terms
To successfully begin a lease purchase deal, the seller and tenant must agree on a purchase price, even though the sale won't be completed until the end of the term, which usually lasts two to five years. The tenant pays an option consideration fee at the beginning of the lease that's equal to 1 percent to 5 percent of the purchase price. This fee is applied toward the down payment of the home, but does not constitute equity; the tenant, if he is unable to get a mortgage, forfeits the option fee. Tenants also pay above-market rent, known as rent premium. All or a portion of this premium is applied toward the down payment, but like the option fee, is nonrefundable in the event the sale is never completed.
These points make renting-to-own a risky proposition for potential buyers. During the course of the lease term, tenants should take active steps to improve credit while also saving extra funds toward a down payment. Tenants should also check with a reputable mortgage broker to determine if mortgage lenders will consider rent premium and option fee payments as a down payment. Sellers should determine if offering the home as a "rent-to-own" triggers a mortgage clause that forces payment in full.
Installment Land Contracts, Land Contracts or Contract for Deed
Land contract deals, also known as "contract for deed," offer more protection for buyers but are also more costly. However, transactions are recorded as "sales" and buyers do have equity in the home. Sellers earn monthly payments that include interest, while also continuing to hold the deed as collateral -- hence, "contract for deed." Buyers pay all maintenance expenses along with property taxes and insurance, and if the deed holder needs to sell the home in an emergency, buyers are entitled to a refund of all monthly payments, money the seller earns when the home is sold.
Buyers probably won't be able to take out a home equity loan against the property, but they may be able to take a tax deduction, depending upon other factors, such as income. They also pay an up-front fee that's equal to 1 percent to 10 percent of the sale price, also refundable in the event the home is sold by the deed holder.
Contract for Deed Pros and Cons
Buyers assume huge benefits, but must be absolutely sure to improve their credit scores enough over the course of the deal term so they'll be able to refinance to a traditional mortgage. If the deed holder is forced to sell and the buyer cannot secure a home loan, he'll be forced to move.
Sellers benefit because they can command a top price for the home while also earning monthly income. However, they must be certain that they can afford to maintain multiple homes in the event the buyer defaults. Although sellers have the right to foreclose, it may take several months before eviction takes place.
Buyers and sellers would be wise to complete a thorough due diligence process to ensure clear title and credit histories, as well as address affordability issues. Hiring experienced legal counsel should help accomplish these goals, critical to the success of any deal.
Granite is a igneous rock commonly found in nature and often used in the construction business. Pieces of granite are generally large and very hard until broken up into smaller chunks. Because it is such a common rock, it is encountered often and has been used for various reasons in the past.
Color
The color of granite varies depending on the composition and specific mineralogy of the rock. These colors range from pink, to various shades of gray, to black.
Geography
Granite is common all over the world where it is a part of continental crust. Certain areas are more well known for commercial granite harvesting, such as Brazil, Norway, India, parts of Spain and certain regions of the United States.
Radioactivity
Like most natural stones, granite is radioactive, though it happens to have a higher count of uranium than rocks such as limestone. However, it still does not pose an acute health risk to humans.
Uses
In ancient times, granite was used to create architectural structures, such as the Red Pyramid of Egypt. Today, it is also used in construction, and is common for floor tiling and kitchen countertops as well.
Rock Climbing
Granite rocks are highly sought after by amateur and professional rock climbers alike. This is because of their friction and the natural cracks that form in the rock, making great hand a footholds.
In 1940, some children stumbled across a hidden cave in Lascaux, France. Inside, there were drawings of bulls, horses and people created by ancient cave dwellers. Cave art, or rock art, is the drawing of figures via pictographs or petroglyphs, engravings in the stone. The most common pictures drawn by cave dwellers were of animals. However, they also drew humans. These depictions of humans are rudimentary and often look like stick figures. Draw your own cave people just as the ancient artists did.
Instructions
Cave Person
1. Purchase some charcoal sticks from a craft store, or find some cooled charcoal from a fire pit. Choose a surface.
2. Draw a large rectangle. At the top center of the rectangle, draw a short line upward to represent a neck.
3. Create a small oval at the top of the neck to represent the head.
4. Make two lines that protrude from the two top corners of the rectangle to represent arms. Make the arms straight or put jagged bends in them to represent elbows. Draw five short lines coming from the ends of the arms to represent hands.
5. Draw two lines that come from the two bottom corners of the rectangle to represent legs. Put sharp bends in the legs at the knees. Add short, horizontal lines from the ends of the legs to represent feet.
Hunter
6. Draw a large circle with the charcoal. Add designs, such as jagged lines, zigzags or triangles, to the inside of the circle.
7. Make a short line upward and centered from the top of the circle to represent the hunter's neck. Draw a small oval at the top of the neck for the head.
8. Draw two vertical lines coming from the bottom of the circle to represent legs. Make two small lines perpendicular to the legs and protruding from the ends of the legs for feet.
9. Draw a straight, vertical line beside the hunter. Draw a curved line whose ends meet the ends of the straight line. This will look like a bow.
10. Draw another straight line across the bow in any direction desired. Draw a small triangle at the top of the line to represent an arrowhead. Create tiny lines pointing outward and protruding from the bottom of the line to make arrow feathers.
Face paints are a favorite among children's events.
School carnivals have always been an exciting event that students, parents and siblings can enjoy together. One of the big staples of school carnivals is face painting. Children especially seem to enjoy the idea of having their favorite character or cool design painted on where everyone can see it. However, for the people planning the event, a lot of different variables should be considered with deciding to include face painting, including who's going to do it, what kind of paints to use, what kind of designs to use and logistics such as pay or tickets.
Painters
Event coordinators really only have a couple options when it comes to face painters. Get someone you know involved or hire out a professional face painter. Getting someone you know may be great because you may not have to pay him or can pay him in means other than money, and quite possibly he'll be a part of the school, so they'll know and be comfortable with the children. Unfortunately the disadvantage is him having to learn quickly or wing it, resulting in face paintings that don't quite look like they're supposed to. Depending on the children's ages, this may not matter. While professional painters do a great job, you will probably also have to pay them. Try finding a faculty member who's done it in the past or does it as a hobby.
Paints
Choosing the right paints is extremely important, especially with working with children. The only truly safe face paint is FDA-compliant, water-based face paint. The package you buy should actually have the words, face paint. Acrylic, craft or tempra paint is not made for for skin and can cause serious allergic reactions. Craft paints can also stain the skin, whereas face paint dries quickly and is easy to clean off with soap and water.
Designs
There should be many designs for children to choose from.
You should consider several things when deciding on the design you want to use for the carnival. First off, the amount of paint you have access to or the number of children who are going to be waiting to have their faces painted will determine whether you want to do full face paint designs or stick to painting something on their cheek nose, or forehead. The skill of your painter or painters is also something to think about when choosing designs. To show what you have available try to have a poster or a book that shows what designs the children can choose from. If you can, include some of their favorite comic book or cartoon characters.
Logistics
The logistics can be the more boring part of planning, but need done either way. Ask and answer your own questions about how do you track how many kids are getting their faces painted, should you limit them, if it requires payments or tickets. When figuring out the area you're doing the painting, be sure to include enough room for a line of children. Also, make sure a parent is there and gives the OK for the child's face to be painted.
Painters are people who, either for a vocation or a hobby, apply paint (or other color and pigmentation) to any type of surface, whether the surface is a canvas, wall, piece of paper, slab of wood, piece of clay, concrete, lacquer or anything else suitable. Painters generally paint as a form of artistic expression, and there are many different types of paintings to choose from, including composition, abstraction and drawing.
Types
Painters have historically painted in different types of styles. Some popular painting styles for painters include baroque, art deco, abstract expressionism, constructivism, color field, impressionism, neo-classicism, romanticism, tonalism, realism, mannerism, fauvism and hard-edge.
Painters' Media
There are different painting medias that painters can use. Some common paints include watercolor, acrylic, fresco, enamel paint, tempera, oil pastel, oil, dry pastel, gouache, ink, spray paint, graffiti, encaustic (or wax) and oil paints that are water miscible.
Notable Painters
Famous and notable painters throughout history have individually impacted the art world. These painters include Leonardo da Vinci, Salvador Dali, Claude Monet, Frida Kahlo, Edvard Munch, Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, Gustav Klimt, Henri Matisse and Andy Warhol.
Museums
Works by the world's most famous painters can be viewed on display at the most respected museums on the planet, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Louvre in Paris, France, and the Leonardo da Vinci Museum in Rome, Italy.
Training
If you are an aspiring painter, there are excellent training options in terms of schools for painting. Some art institutions that are renowned for painting and painters include the New York Studio School of Painting and Sculpture and the International School of Painting, Drawing and Sculpture in Umbria, Italy.
Face painting is popular at birthday parties, carnivals and other community events. Children of all ages flock to have designs applied to their entire faces or just to a cheek. Ranging from rainbows, hearts and balloons to fairies, clowns and princesses, learning to face paint can be simple and enjoyable. Strategically using brush marks, keeping colors simple and using glitter accents help to ensure that designs are easy to apply and enjoyable to look at.
Simple Cheek Designs
Several cheek designs make use of basic shapes that can be easily created with a few strokes of the brush. Basic circles are used in balloons, balls and smiley faces. Simply choose the appropriate colors and then outline the designs in black. Horseshoes in a variety of colors with fluffy white clouds on the ends form rainbows, while squares are ideal for drawing houses, boom boxes and even cars.
Easy Eye Masks
Face-painted eye masks transform an ordinary kid into a cat or a princess. For a cat, use black and green face paints to outline the eye, and extend the outline upward toward the brow. Create a princess by drawing lines at the outer corners of the eyes, with glittery bursts on the ends.
Animal Faces
Animal faces do not have to be complicated in order to look cute on a child's face. For a bunny, a pink nose, white buck teeth below the bottom lip and white fluffy eyebrows accented with glitter do the trick. Hand out bunny ears to go with the design, or draw simple pink ones onto the child's forehead. Cats are created by painting the nose black, adding whiskers and outlining the eyes with face paints. For a dog, a brown nose, white cheeks and a droopy mouth are ideal.
Stamps
If your drawing skills are not up to par, consider face painting with foam stamps. Use cookie cutters to outline basic designs onto foam. Cut the designs out, dip them in paint and simply stamp them onto the child's face. Use glitter and black face paint to add finishing touches to the design.
Sketches are quick drawings intended to capture the essence of a figure or a subject without actually addressing the minor details. When completing a sketch, remember that accuracy is less important than the impression of accuracy--a sketch is meant to cut to the heart of what makes the subject what it is. When drawing a sketch of a face, focus on what makes that face different from other faces, whether its the pout of a lip, the squint of an eye, the large roundness of a nose. It's less difficult to sketch a face than you may think, and with impressive results.
Instructions
1. Find a subject. You may draw from a photograph or from life, but faces are nearly always best drawn from a subject you can see, rather than from imagination. Faces drawn from imagination are often generic and even uninteresting.
2. Study the face before making your first move. What shape is the person's face? Their eyes? Are there any prominent features that stand out? Blemishes? What is extraordinary or beautiful about this face?
3. Quickly draw a line around the perimeter of the person's face. You may wish to hold the pencil at a steep angle to the paper, and clutch it like a piece of chalk, less like a pencil.
4. Outline the shape of the hair with a few telling lines, then inside the outline, draw the sweep of the hair. Don't use too many lines--you're not shading the hair, you're simply trying to give the impression that the hair exists there. Usually the ears will be visible somewhere in the hair--more so for some people than for others. Draw the outer curve of the ears, or what you can see of them, as you address the hair.
5. Draw the eyes. Slow down a little for this part--often the most important part of the portrait is the eyes. Starting with either eye, draw the graceful draping upper lid, then the lower lid. Don't feel like you have to close the shape of the eyes--if you can capture most of the eyes, but capture them well, then you can leave other parts untouched (this is another advantage to a sketch). Draw the outline of the irises and pupils. Note that often the top of the iris is covered by the upper lid. Repeat this with the other eye.
6. Draw the nose, starting between the eyes and moving down the front middle of the face. Unless the nose is a particularly impressive part of your subject's face, you will probably want to downplay its role. Usually a line up one side or the other, a couple telling curves to outline the sides of the nostrils, and a quick line that dips under the bottom edge of the nose's point will be more than enough.
7. Draw the mouth. If the mouth is closed, begin with the center line of the mouth, formed by the two lips pressed together. Pay close attention to your subject here--this will not be a straight line. There should be a slight dip in the middle of the line, where the upper lip protrudes slightly over the lower lip. If the mouth is open, start with the outline of the lips and then move inward. Teeth are usually best represented with as little information as possible--teeth can start to look horsey very quickly. A few discrete lines for the teeth should be enough.
Most children and many adults love face painting because of its endless possibilities. You can paint faces at almost any holiday or event if you have the right colors and imagination. Birthday parties are an especially good time to paint faces. Paint each child as a different object within a theme and have the children use the theme to play a game like Animal Tag. They could also put on a play.
Weather and Sky Designs
Begin with indigo and paint an upside-down U across a child's cheeks and nose. Do the same with the other colors of the rainbow, working upward to avoid smearing. Have the child wait about a minute for the paint to dry.
Paint a fluffy, dark gray cloud around a child's eye, leaving a thin border of skin bare around the eye. Right under the eye, draw a jagged yellow thunderbolt stretching from the cloud to the chin. This child is a thunderstorm.
Paint little white, yellow or gold stars all over a child's face with a crescent moon on his or her cheek. Paint the rest of the child's face dark blue. This creates a night sky.
Holiday Designs
Paint the child's nose pink and two large, white circles over the child's mouth. Outline the circles in black, and paint the rest of the face white with short, uneven strokes resembling fur. Paint a few whiskers on the white circles and top with a bunny-ear headband. The child is the Easter Bunny.
Paint two black triangles around the eye, leaving a small border of unpainted skin. Paint a toothy grin around the child's mouth and paint the rest of the face orange. Use red to create vertical ellipses that mimic the lines of a pumpkin. This creates a Jack-O-Lantern.
Yin-Yang and Peace Sign
Paint a black, stretched-out S down the center of the face. Paint a large black circle on the left side of the forehead and a white one on the right cheek. Color the entire left side of the face white and the right side of the face black. This creates a yin-yang symbol.
Choose any color you like, so long as it is bright. Paint a thick circle around the edges of the face then split it into sections by painting an upside-down, three-pronged Y on the inside of the circle in the same color. You can leave this as is or paint each section a separate color, or paint them all the same color. This creates the peace sign.
Helpful Tips
Make sure to purchase paint specifically for skin, as other paints are more difficult to get off, especially oil-based ones. Rub a thin layer of petroleum jelly onto the skin before painting to help get the paint off later. Also have a variety of colors and brush sizes and several teens or adults to help you paint everyone faster.
While faces vary widely, every face has some structural similarities.
Life drawing, or the drawing of living things, can help teach you about the way plants, animals and people move. It can also teach you about anatomy and accurately portray a variety of poses and expressions. The human face can present a variety of challenges in terms of both anatomy and expression. In order to draw a face correctly, you must have a basic idea of its dimensions and the ability to render light, shadow and facial features with a degree of realism.
Instructions
Structure
1. Draw an oval to represent the face. Render the oval so that it matches the general shape of the subject's face: oval, square, rectangular or diamond.
2. Draw two straight lines down from the bottom of the oval to indicate the neck.
3. Draw a line across the middle of the oval to indicate the horizontal position of the eyes.
4. Draw a line through the middle of the oval to mark the center of the face.
5. Draw two small vertical lines on the horizontal eye line midway betwen the center line and outline of the face. The resulting cross will indicate the approximate position of the eyes.
6. Draw a horizontal line on the center line midway between the horizonal eye line and the bottom of the oval. This will indicate the approximate position of the nose.
7. Draw a horizontal line on the center line midway between the nose line and the bottom of the oval. This will indicate the approximate position of the mouth.
8. Erase the center line and horizontal eye line, leaving only the mouth, nose, eye, neck lines and the face outline.
Shadow
9. Choose a direction for the light source. This will indicate the direction from which all shadows on the face are cast. For example, a light source from the upper right of the figure will cast shadows to the lower left on the face.
10. Shade approximately 1/4 of the side of the face opposite the light source. Shade with light, horizontal strokes to create the impression of a slight shadow.
11. Draw in shadows above the eyes to indicate eyelids and the shadow of the brow.
12. Draw in shadows around the mouth line to indicate the outline of lips or the shadow beneath the lower lips.
13. Draw the basic outline of the figure's hair, shading more darkly on the side of the face opposite the light source.
14. Shade the base of the nose by the nostrils, paying attention to the location of the light source and the shadow it will cast. Shade vertically from the base of the nose to indicate the shadow cast by the upper portion of the nose.
15. Shade the portion of the neck in the shadow cast by the light source.
Refining
16. Erase any remaining structural lines from the drawing.
17.Add lines to the hair to indicate the direction of its flow. Shade more deeply at the base of the hair where it casts the most shadow.
18. Add the eyebrows, eyelids, eyes and lines around the eye. Make sure to render the irises at the center of the eyeball facing the same direction.
19. Draw lines to indicate the tip of the nose and the nostrils. Use as few lines as possible -- the shadows you drew previously will indicate the basic shape of the nose.
20. Draw an outline for the lips and the center line of the mouth. Shade in the lips lightly so the lips have a slightly lighter color than their outline.
21. Darken any shadows on the figure so they share approximately the same level of darkness. Again, pay close attention to the location of the light source so that all shadows share a uniform direction.
Photography captures an image at a certain time and in a certain location, but it also captures the creativity of the photographer. Express yourself with photography by unleashing your creative side; photograph things that inspire you and play with the lighting to alter the mood. Blend natural settings with man-made objects by photographing the sunset through an old train car, or capture human emotion by photographing close-up portraits of people in different moods.
Themes to Reflect Your Style
Develop and expand on one theme for a portfolio or upcoming exhibit, or choose a theme that best represents your personal style. Your specialty could be photographs of old cars, bugs or close-ups of tree bark. Express yourself through this theme; for example, show the feeling of aging and death through broken-down cars, or portray "family" through a minivan full of happy children.
Shutter Speed to Reflect Mood
Adjust the shutter speed to capture movement and changes. For example, use a slow shutter speed to capture the progress of a turtle leaving a path in the dirt or the hustle and bustle of a city and its streaming lights. Use a fast shutter speed and a flash to photograph race cars or galloping horses. Combine this technique with your theme to express your creativity.
Subjects That Inspire
Choose a subject that inspires you. The subject could be a person, a group of people, an object, a pet or even a location. Perhaps your theme is nude photography and your subject is one woman. Experiment with the ways you can position the subject, change the mood of the subject through use of lighting or shutter speed, and change the angle of the photo. Express yourself through this subject.
Design Software as Art
While some photographers, including journalists, steer clear of photo manipulation for ethical reasons, others, including artists, embrace photography design software. Choose software that helps you express yourself. For example, turn your favorite photos into digital paintings or enhance the colors to an extreme to turn the photo into a neon representation of itself. Photography software also allows you to overlay photographs onto other backgrounds or cut and paste certain objects into different photos.
Whether a beginner or a professional photographer, you can use techniques to create interesting and creative photographs. Experimental photography techniques refer to manipulations of photographs, including processing, in-camera techniques and digital editing.
Taking Photos
Experimental techniques practiced when taking a photo usually require a single-lens reflex (SLR) camera, which allows you to view your photos almost immediately. Not focusing the picture, or not focusing on the foreground, combined with changing colors can result in sinister-looking photographs.
Extending exposure, a function usually used to take photos at night, leads to pictures with lines of light or blurred movement. On older manual SLRs, photographers can also double exposure photos by not advancing the film.
Processing
Varying processing techniques include changing chemicals used to process photos, pre-exposing or over-exposing parts of the photographic paper, or positioning objects on the paper and exposing it to light.
Digital
Built-in settings on a digital camera can change the photograph in various ways. Varying the white balance setting alters colors, giving effects such as high saturation or streaks of color. Using the flashes in different ways, such as a red-eye reduction flash on a night sky, can produce photos that look like paintings.
Surrealism can twist mundane objects into unconventional visual compositions.
The surrealist movement began in the 1920s, with artist like Salvador Dali trying to translate the subconscious mind into visual art. With the belief that unconventional visual imagery could be used to unlock hidden motivations, and tap into consumer's desires, surreal ads are designed to resonate in the viewer's mind. To this day it has been used in advertising as a means to shock, provoke or entice the audience, so that they retain the brand information. Many industries have used surrealism in their campaigns--from fashion to automotive.
Fashion
Surreal advertisements have been known to shock, surprise and even disgust the viewer--and the fashion industry is no exception. Unconventional fashion advertisers hope creating a jarring ad might add value to the brand, and make it more memorable. Surreal ads do not always have to be shocking; instead, they might feature a person or thing out of its normal context. For example a denim manufacturer created an ad that featured jean-clad models upside down. So, the sky was at their feet, and the brown earth above them. This spring/summer campaign conveyed the idea of a rebirth, but in an unconventional way.
Political
Surreal ads often twist well-known stories, social icons or reality, to tap directly into a specific subculture, or segment of the population. An example of this was a socialist or left-wing party--looking to secure a younger constituency--using surrealism to help communicate their party's objectives. Drawing from the classic Shakespeare play, "Romeo and Juliet," the party pegged themselves as the compassionate left side (Romeo), against a conservative right (the family of Juliet). The aim was that the viewer would empathize with the plight of Juliet, and liken themselves to the socialist side--Romeo, who was represented as the only one that cared for a dying Juliet. Set on a stage of clear red and blue, the commercial spot articulates the viewpoint of the party in a surreal way.
Consumer Goods
Sometimes surreal imagery can be used to entice its audience. Using sex to sell consumer goods is a common practice in advertising, so it is not unusual that it would be used to sell an alcoholic beverage. Surrealism is sometimes known for its ability to turn a mundane object into something else, causing the viewer to double-take. In the beverage's advertisements, its can was twisted to mimic the shape of a woman's lower body---including the lower torso and legs. Just as the ad's surreal art predecessors, at first glance the audience might just see the beverage container, but when looked at more closely, another more enticing image is visible.
Technology
Surrealism and technology seem like a natural advertising match, as video games and new mobile phones tend to promote an alternate, and more technologically advanced view on what reality should be. A mobile phone company, launching a new device, chose an eerie ad for the product launch. In the surreal ad, a young, pale, almost glowing woman was featured on a green pasture background---the background undoubtedly used brand's signature colors. In the commercial, she likened seeing a juggler balance balls, to the phone's multitasking ability. The calm, eeriness of her demeanor and the use of color was what would make the surreal ad stand out.
Automotive
Surreal art sometimes adds metaphoric images to give more meaning to a piece of art. Taking a page out of Salvador Dali's book---the artist who was one of the inventors of displaced and fragmented imagery---a car company created a series of surreal print ads to launch their new fuel-efficient automobile. The print ads showed gas pumpers waiting for a gas sale, in a desert setting, where an object of time (a watch or hourglass) was either squeezed or discarded. The ads visually communicated fuel efficiency's role in the environment, through a series of symbolic objects and misplaced images.
Choose a resume style to best showcase your talents.
Writing a resume is like crafting a one-page portfolio of your experiences working, volunteering and in school. How your resume is presented can determine whether or not you will be considered for a job, so it is important to create a resume that accurately reflects your experience while casting everything about you in the best, most professional light. Selecting the right style of resume is critical in creating this favorable impression.
Chronological Resumes
A chronological resume lists work history and experience, starting with the most recent position and working back in time. This style of resume paints an accurate portrait of your work history and demonstrates your movements through the workforce in a clear timeline. This type of resume is best suited for someone with at least a minimum amount of work experience, typically two to three previous employment experiences.
Functional Resumes
A functional resume groups work history and experience together by related skill sets. Skill sets may be labeled by titles such as "design work" or "management," with relevant jobs listed in these categories. This type of resume is ideal for a person with a work history that may have long unemployment gaps.
Combination and Skills Emphasis Resume
A skills emphasis resume that combines the presentation of functional categories and a chronological listing of experiences is best suited to people who do not have a lot of work experience to draw from. This typically applies to recent graduates and those beginning to enter the professional workforce. In this style of resume you may present skills such as "leadership" and "organization." Under those skills, include relevant work, school or volunteer experiences.
Salvador Dali did not originate the Surrealist movement, but he was its most familiar face.
Andre Breton developed the concept of Surrealist art in the 1920s. The artist attempted to depict images from within his subconscious mind -- dreams, visions and flights of fancy -- instead of concrete, logical scenes. Surrealist painters often incorporated classic realist techniques to give their dream-like paintings a semblance of solidity. In the classroom, Surrealist art can help students explore their own subconscious minds or stretch the boundaries of their creativity.
Depicting Dreams
Although not everyone remembers them each night, everybody dreams. Surrealists frequently consulted their dreams as a source of inspiration for their art. Salvador Dali and Giorgio de Chirico painted images that they first saw with their eyes closed. Art students and psychology students alike might enjoy an assignment to draw, paint or sculpt an image directly from a dream or nightmare. Even those who do not recall their dreams every night likely remember particularly vivid imagery from past dreams.
Speculative Imagery
The question, "What if?" inheres in virtually all Surrealist painting. An instructor can come up with a list of "what if" questions for students to paint or draw; more advanced students can devise their own "what if" concepts. Rene Magritte's stylized paintings of suited businessmen with apples for faces, cities atop floating rocks and eyes filled with blue skies exemplify this kind of "what if" thinking. Like Magritte, students can play with proportion, perspective and gravity in their work.
Modernizing Myths
Mythology draws on archetypes, universal concepts that resonate with all people, to populate its most enduring tales. Archetypes transcend the hero's literal story and turn it into everyone's symbolic story. Surrealist artists also used their own symbolic imagery. Challenge students to devise their own symbolic language of images to depict a scene from a myth, legend or fairy tale. This assignment will appeal to older or more advanced students more than younger ones as it requires a good grasp of symbolism.
Surrealist Self-Portraits
The human face has attracted artists' attention for millennia, and no face is more accessible to artists than their own. Surrealist artists also painted portraits of each other and of themselves. They sometimes used their own language of symbols within the paintings to add another layer of meaning to them; other times, they obscured meanings with optical illusion and abstraction to capture a particular mood. Students can work on their own Surrealist version of self-portraiture in the same fashion, adding in imagery of things that their subconscious minds suggest to them as they paint.
"Exquisite Corpse"
The artistic game of "Exquisite Corpse" involves letting groups of students work together on an artwork that none of them will see in its entirety until they complete it. Surrealist artists played this game often; it lends itself equally well to classes of older or younger artists. Start with a piece of paper folded into fourths. The first artist draws on the first quarter of the page; after the image is complete, the next artist draws in the second quarter, but incorporates the bottom edge of the first artist's drawing. The unfolded image can look striking and strange.
The human torso is a complicated collection of unique muscles that greatly affects how you carry yourself. Many artists will need to master drawing this vital figure in order to create realistic people in all of their artwork. Despite how tricky drawing a human torso might look. like many things, it can be broken down into some simple shapes. Once you know what shapes you can break the torso into, you can learn take these shapes and make them more defined to form it.
Instructions
1. Draw three circles to represent the jointed areas of the torso. Place these circles in a trianglular configuration. The two upper circles should be smaller and evenly spaced to represent shoulders. The larger circle below them should be centered between them and will represent the waist.
2. Now draw the bones of these joints. Draw a slightly curved line between the two "shoulders." Also draw the spine starting a little above the shoulders and move down to connect it with the lower circle. Make this line curved or straight depending on how you wish the character's posture to be.
3. Fill out the muscles on the figure, starting from the top and working your way down. Draw small shoulder pad-looking ovals over the circles on the shoulders to give them some actual shape. Then move down from the lower portion of these circles. Draw two upside-down teardrop shapes coming from each small circle down to the sides of the larger circle. Now connect each teardrop point with a small curve that moves up toward the shoulders.
4. Draw another ball-like shape that starts behind the tips of the tears and connects about halfway down the large circle. This shape will represent the lower abs, so it should be more boxlike than the shapes you drew in the last step, which will be the rib cage.
5. Erase your guidelines. Erase the starting circles that you drew, leaving only the outer lines that form the actual figure. You will be left with a very block-like representation of a torso.
6. Add details to this representation. Start from the top and smooth out any edges that seem too rough or sharp. Don't forget to make the chest area bulge out slightly, so it's not as thin as the rest of the torso. Draw a sharp line for the underside of the chest so that viewers can see that the chest is its own item and not just part of the abs. Add small circles for nipples and continue lower. Abs are drawn in two rows of small sausage-looking ovals with about eight ovals in each row. You can make these ovals wider or less defined depending on how much of a "six pack" you want to give the character.
Faux painting can be used to mimic marble and other surfaces.
Faux painting is a technique used to create the appearance of stone, wood, metal or another decorative surface on an object. The term derives from the French word for ''false,'' or faux. This technique, which includes sponging and ragging, is frequently used on walls, but can also be used on furniture. Faux painting furniture takes some artistic skill, so practice the desired technique on a board before starting on the piece of furniture. The materials and instructions for various techniques are available at paint and craft stores.
Faux Marble
A simple wood table can be transformed into one that appears to have a marble top with a faux marble painting technique. To recreate the look of marble, a light-colored base coat of paint is applied and allowed to dry thoroughly. Veins are created using an artist's brush in a dark color of paint. Blending makes the veins appear natural. Use a real piece of marble as a visual aid.
Crackle Finish
Crackle is another faux finish that creates the look of weather and age on a piece of furniture. This finish gives the appearance of paint cracking to reveal an older coat of paint beneath it. A base coat of paint is applied and allowed to dry. Then a coat of crackle medium is applied, followed by a glaze in a second color. For more age, burnt umber or antiquing glaze can be added.
Faux Leather
The look of leather can also be achieved with faux painting and two colors of paint. This technique starts with a dry base coat in satin or semi-gloss. The second coat, one part semi-gloss paint mixed with four parts glaze, is applied next. Wrinkled, clear plastic is pressed onto the wet glaze and flattened with a dry brush. When the plastic is peeled away, a leather look appears. Damp cheesecloth may be used to soften the look.
A martial art, Wing Chun specializes in training students to fight in close combat using grappling and striking maneuvers. The Wing Chun dummy helps strengthen and refine these skills. The dummy consists of a vertical pole with four poles cantilevered toward the user. Three poles are arranged at chest height and form the corners of a triangle shape. The last pole is lower, near the hip region. A Wing Chun practitioner engages these poles as though they are an unmoving human being.
Instructions
1. Approach the Wing Chun dummy and stand about a foot away from the reach of the horizontal arms.
2. Stand in a ready position with hands at your side and your feet together. Move to a striking position, with feet just beyond shoulder width, elbows triggered at the waist and palms flat and facing the sky.
3. Strike forward and down in front your navel, turning your palms downward as you do so. Trigger your elbows back as though you are hitting someone behind you and turn your hands into fists as you do so.
4. Strike the shoulder-height arms of the dummy at the bottom of the pole as though you are pushing an opponents arms upward and away from you.
5. Slide your hands over the two shoulder-height arms of the dummy and firmly pull toward you. This action simulates pulling an opponent off balance.
6. Let go of the arms and trigger your hands so they point forward. Stab at the pole as though you were hitting an opponents neck, chest or eyes.
7. Bring your right elbow inward and strike the left pole with the top of your elbow. Twist with your waist as you strike to give the hit more power.
8. Stride to the left of the dummy. Take one step with your left foot, keeping it parallel to the right foot. Take a step forward and to the left with your right foot, sliding the foot to point rightward. At the same time, swivel your right arm below the left pole so the right palm is not facing upward, pinning the left pole down. Strike with your left palm at the neck height of the dummy.
9. Repeat this series of steps for the left arm rather than the right.
The innovation of pointed arches allowed greater height to Gothic cathedrals.
Throughout the various time periods, the art and architectural styles in Europe have reflected the economical, political and religious values of the society that created the artwork. European art has repeatedly shifted between religious fervor and humanistic values.
Early European Art
Early European art and architecture has its roots in ancient Greece. Ancient Rome modified Greek artistic and architectural styles to meet the needs of their environment and climate. (see reference 1)
Byzantine Era
The Byzantine era began In 330 A.D. when the first Christian emperor Constantine the Great transferred the seat of the Roman Empire's power from Rome to Constantinople. Domed churches and religious imagery became popular during this era. (see reference 2)
Gothic Architecture
Gothic architects experimented with methods of increasing the size of cathedrals without increasing wall thickness. The development of flying buttresses (external arches that provide wall support) allowed architects to add large windows to their buildings. (see reference 3)
Renaissance Art
During the Renaissance the attention shifted from religious art to humanistic themes. Renaissance art was inspired by classical Greek art and architecture. DaVinci and Michaelangelo were famous Renaissance artists. (see reference 4)
Northern Renaissance
Art in Northern Europe focused upon realistic scenes involving daily life. Some notable painters during this time period were Jan van Eyck, Roger van der Weyden and Albrecht Durer. (see reference 5)
The phrase "European Art" refers to paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, photographs--and more--made in Europe from the time of the Renaissance to the 21st century. Though earlier European-made objects stand as "art" in contemporary museums and galleries, the makers of pre-Renaissance objects did not have the same concept of art that modern societies hold. Medieval artisans, for example, made icons for worship purposes.
During and after the Renaissance, Europe developed ideas of art that upheld the value of objects made solely for aesthetic purposes; that is, objects whose function is for display and visual enjoyment rather than for religious or utilitarian purposes.
Brunelleschi and Linear Perspective
Filippo Brunelleschi developed linear perspective (sometimes called scientific perspective). A geometric procedure for representing three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional plane, linear perspective depends on the fact that objects appear smaller when they are far away. Paintings and drawings in linear perspective have a vanishing point placed on the horizon line, and all horizontal lines (called "orthogonals") converge at that vanishing point. Lines parallel to the picture plane (called "transversals") remain parallel, but get closer together towards the vanishing point.
Though previous artists experimented with representing three-dimensional space in two dimensions, Brunelleschi's "discovery" led to a systematic method for projecting space using mathematics and geometry. In 1435, Leon Battista Alberti described Brunelleschi's discovery in "On Painting," the first Renaissance treatise on the subject. The combination of science and math with painting and drawing supported arguments that painters were not craftsmen but philosophers. Such arguments led to a change in the status of the artist that emerged full-fledged in the High Renaissance with Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Titian.
Neoclassicism
"Classicism" refers to later art inspired by ancient Greek and Roman aesthetics and history. Though Renaissance artists were avowed classicists, the emergence of Neoclassicism in mid-18th to early 19th century Europe revived and redefined the importance of classical art.
In 1764, Johann Joachim Winckelmann published "The History of Ancient Art Among the Greeks," which contained a novel approach to art in that Winckelmann delineated the history of Greek art as well as of Greek culture. One of the most widely-read books of its day, Winckelmann's text influenced European artists. With the early archaeological excavations at Pompeii and Herculaneum, Neoclassical artists enjoyed a much deeper knowledge of classical art then their Renaissance predecessors.
Jacques-Louis David's canonical painting "The Oath of the Horatii" from 1784, displays David's deep knowledge of the Roman culture he depicted. David painted the three Horatii brothers swearing that they will defend Rome to the death. David lifted this story from an ancient Roman text by Livy describing the wars between Rome and Alba in the 7th century. David researched 7th century Roman dress and architecture to stay accurate to the historical period. (see reference 2)
Invention of Photography
Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre presented the daguerreotype to members of the French Académie des Sciences on January 7, 1839. A daguerrotype is a metal plate prepared with light-sensitive chemicals. When placed in an unlit box with a small aperture (a camera obscura), the plate records the scene outside of the camera.
Daguerre explained the process to a joint session of the Académie des Sciences and the Académie des Beaux-Arts in August of the same year. One eyewitness wrote: "One of the audience staggered out, was mobbed with questions and said, as one with authority, 'bitumen and oil of lavender' . . . when at last the session ended and I knew the real secret, I ran to buy iodine and cursed the setting sun for putting off my experiments until the morrow . . . In a day or so cameras were being focused on public buildings everywhere."
The daguerrotype's popularity for its unprecedented naturalism (adherence to the appearance of the natural world), later fell to the more efficient technologies developed by William Henry Fox Talbot. The daguerrotype records a scene once. It is a negative, where light and dark values are reversed. The high polish of the silver surface reflects the negative and makes the recorded image appear with lights and darks in their proper places.
Talbot's invention of a negative image from which the photographer can make multiple positives proved a cheaper and faster way to take pictures.
Impressionism
Photography's ability to quickly and accurately record the natural world challenged painters in the latter half of the 19th century. Impressionist painters of the 1870s and 1880s turned away from naturalism and grew interested in the optical properties of color and light.
The quick and broad brushstrokes that characterize Impressionist paintings emerged from an emphasis on painting en plein air (an artistic term for painting outside). With but a few hours to record a scene, Impressionists like Claude Monet concentrated on capturing light and surface effects.
The term "Impressionism" comes from Monet's 1872 painting "Impression - Sunrise," satirized by the French critic Louis LeRoy, who wrote: "Impression---I was certain of it. I was just telling myself that, since I was impressed, there had to be some impression in it ... and what freedom, what ease of workmanship! Wallpaper in its embryonic state is more finished than that seascape." LeRoy inadvertently coined the movement's name, as Impressionist painters adopted the term as a joke.
Post-Impressionism
"Post-impressionism" does not define a particular artistic style, it is a blanket term for the painters working after the Impressionist movement. Post-impressionist artists like Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne and Seurat all painted in different styles.
Gauguin started as a stockbroker, was married and had five children. After befriending Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro, Gauguin dedicated himself to art and eventually separated from his family.
Gauguin achieved little success during his lifetime. Poor and frustrated, Gauguin left for Tahiti in 1891 where he made many of his most famous works. Exotic and filled with bold and unnaturalistic colors, Gauguin's paintings are highly individualistic and thus pose particular difficulties for interpretation. Nevertheless, his use of symbolic color and exotic subject matter inspired later artists interested in the art of non-European cultures, like Picasso.