Oil Painting Ideas For Beginners

As a beginning oil painter, you will likely need to focus on mastering the techniques of painting with oils rather than discovering your own style. With practice, you will be able to branch out into more personal and expressive paintings and subjects. Focus on understanding and observing the behavior of oil paint, and learn from your experiences. Luckily, oil paint is fairly intuitive to use.

Manipulation of Oil Paint

Choose only a small selection of basic colors in student-grade paint. The primary colors plus black and white will be sufficient. Mixing your own colors from the primaries is one way to achieve valuable understanding of the consistency of oil paint and color mixing. Also, as a painter you likely will be drawn to certain colors more than others. But as a beginner, you may not know what those colors are yet. Purchasing colors at random may prove to be a waste of money.

In your first paintings, or before you begin a painting, experiment with different consistencies of paint. Oil paint can be thinned with turpentine or medium. Oil paint thinned with turpentine is often runny, like turpentine itself. Oil paint thinned with medium is smooth and glossy, like oil.

Keep in mind the rules of fat over lean. Different paints dry at different speeds. Paint mixed with turpentine is thinner and dries faster (it is "lean"). Paint mixed with medium is the "fat", and it dries more slowly. The faster-drying paint should always go beneath the slower-drying paint. If the slower-drying paint was underneath the faster-drying paint, the top layer would crack when the under layer constricted as it dried.

Subject Matter

For your first paintings, choose a subject matter that is basic and not difficult to execute. Landscapes are an example of a good subject for an inexperienced oil painter. Landscapes can be simple but rewarding. They can be applied to the canvas spontaneously, without need of a photograph for reference. A landscape can be easily altered or adjusted without concern that it will look wrong. Landscapes also provide excellent opportunities for blending paint on the canvas because landscapes are often made up of large spans of open spaces where color adjusts by subtle grades and degrees, like in the sky or in bodies of water.

Other Tips

Keep your paint on a palette under a lid. Leftover oil paint will dry very slowly and will last for hours or days. If paint is left on a palette in a large clump, the exterior will dry quicker than the interior. Puncture the exterior to reach the soft, usable interior.

Keep the turpentine in a glass jar--never plastic. Cut a square of galvanized steel that is slightly larger than the opening of the jar. Fold down each corner of the galvanized steel so that it is pointing straight down like the legs of a table. Place the galvanized steel in the bottom of the turpentine jar. The folded down corners will support the flat top. When you dip the paint brush in the turpentine, running the brush along the galvanized steel will help you remove excess paint from the brush.

Oil paint is expensive, and it often comes in tubes made out of metal or rubbery plastic that can be tough to squeeze. Paint tube squeezers are available at most art supply stores. These tools look like miniature wringers, and they are designed to flatten the tube as you turn the crank and pull the tube through the gears. Tube squeezers ensure that you get the most paint out of your paint tubes.

Access My Comcast Account

Accessing your Comcast account is a simple process with Comcast Central.

The easiest way to access your Comcast account is through the Comcast Central portal, provided online. Comcast Central provides customers with the ability to manage accounts, change product features and settings, view and pay bills and view all account transactions and account histories. The process for gaining access requires you to register for an account by creating a Comcast ID and password. Once you create your ID, you may log in and view your account. Comcast Central provides customers with convenient access to all accounts in one place, including cable television, telephone and Internet.

Instructions

1. Visit the Comcast Central homepage and find the "Welcome" Box. In the "Welcome" box, below the content, find a link labeled "Register for access." Click on that link to bring up the registration pages.

2. Provide your Comcast account number and your telephone number as requested on the registration page. Click on the "Next" button to continue. Complete the registration page by creating a Comcast ID and password.

3. Check your email for a confirmation from Comcast. Click on the link in the email provided to confirm your Comcast registration. Upon clicking the link, you will not only confirm but also log into the Comcast Central site. Once you gain access, you may then review your account information and make changes when you need to.

Create Your Own Letterhead

Professional Letter

If you're writing a business letter, you want to make it appear as professional as possible. Creating your own letterhead in Word is a simple task using headers and footers. You may create your own look, use any font or style and insert pictures or logos to give your letterhead an official feel. Save the document as a template so that you can reuse it.

Instructions

1. Open a new document in Word. Click "File" on the top left of the screen and click on "New."

2. Set up the page margins to one inch on the right and the left sides of the page. Click on "File" and the click on "Page Setup."

3. When the dialog box opens click on the down arrows on the "Right" and "Left" margins until they are at "1." This will set the right and left margins to one inch on both sides of the page. Then click on "Okay."

4. Click "View" and then click "Headers and Footers." A box will open in which you'll type the letterhead.

5. Format your name and address in the box. You may format your personal information anywhere in the box. If you wish to center your name and address click the "Center" button.

6. Type your name on the first line and type your contact information on the next line. When you have finished click "Close" on the header and footer toolbox. Each page you use for the letter will have your name and address.

7. Press "Enter" at least three times to skip spaces to type the date. Include the month, day and year.

8. Skip three or four lines to type your recipient's name and address.

Create Your Own Anime Character Profile

Creating a anime character profile is more involved than many people realize.

Creating an anime character profile is more involved than it seems at first. To really create rich characters in a story, you as the author or creator of the anime must know all the details of their lives, even if you do not put every detail into the anime. There are many aspects to real people, so there should also be real aspects to each of your anime characters. A character profile not only helps the story flow better and sound more believable, but it also helps you, the anime creator, keep track of your characters so that they do not say or do anything inconsistent.

Instructions

1. Create the basic statistics for the character on a piece of paper. You can also enter the information into a spreadsheet or document on the computer. Write down the name, age, nationality, income range, residence, birth city, relationship ability, occupation, any significant others, any family members, birth order and any talents the person has.

2. Make a list of the physical characteristics of the character as well. Note height, weight, color of eyes, race, color of hair, face shape, face tint, if she wears glasses, best qualities, worst qualities, health conditions, frequent habits, physical features, type of clothing usually worn, speech patterns, mannerisms or disabilities.

3. Write down the base personality of that character. Provide his education, intelligence, what he finds embarrassing, what he finds amusing, the character's self esteem, how people actually see him, long-term goals, any short-term goals and any major life-changing experiences.

4. Write down the emotions that the character feels. What makes her happy, angry or sad? What does she find frightening or motivating? Does the character act polite or rude to others? How would the character react to a tragedy or happy event?

5. Make a list of the character's spiritual beliefs. If there is a fantasy religious system in your anime, then make sure to include those deities. Indicate whether the character is involved in the religion or if it is something not important to the character.

6. List the role the character plays in the story. List how he interacts with main characters and side characters.

Create Your Own Anime Character Games

Create Your Own Anime Character Games

Anime is short for "Japanese Animation." It is a style of cartooning that has become very popular in the world. It isn't uncommon to receive inspiration from such shows, and one output for that inspiration is to make a character for an anime of your own. If you don't have artistic capabilities to make an anime though, there are still venues for your newly created character. You can make a game to play with the character, and have lots of fun in the process. Making a game for a character is often referred to as "role play." This is where you invent a story and character to use with other characters made by friends. It is an activity that is popular in many areas of the globe.

Instructions

1. Develop a story for your character. You can make a background story and motives for your character's existence. Outline any goals that your character has, be they revenge, saving others or just wanting to wander the world. Decide where your story takes place: on Earth or another planet. It can exist in a completely different time period--past or future--should you desire.

2. Design your character's outfit. Drawing skills are a benefit, but aren't necessarily required. If you have a mental picture of how you want your character to look, then decide how best to invent the character so you can wear its clothes in the game.

3. Shop for the clothes/accessories you need to complete the character's costume. Try to use stores like Goodwill or other consignment shops. This way, you can save more money, and if your costume gets ruined, you don't suffer any heavy financial loss. After you have your materials, assemble the outfit for your anime character and try it on.

4. Assemble a group of friends to role play with and act out an agreed story line with everyone's own anime characters while in costume. Enjoy the game you've created.

Create Your Own Anime Character

Create Your Own Anime Character

So, you want to create your own anime character, right? Thankfully, it's not too difficult a task to accomplish. You need to remember, though, that creating your own anime character is far more than simply crafting an image for that character.

Instructions

1. The first thing you should do is to create a stencil drawing of what you want your character to look like. Write some notes on it for any special abilities or features of this character, and refine as needed.

2. Once you have a basic sketch drawn, you need to create a storyline for this character to be in. It's not all about the drawing aspect, the storyline is important as well for an anime character. Anime characters have little purpose without a back story to go with them.

3. Now you need to decide whether you want to make your character by hand or on the computer. Unless you have substantial art skills, it's more than likely that you'll want to create your character on the computer. If that's the case, take a look at http://www.kongregate.com/games/sdanond/anime-character-generator-female-version.

4. Use the link to Kongregate.com to finish your character. Try to post your character along with the backstory on anime forums, as getting critiques is the best way to advance your own skills. Most importantly, have fun!

Create Your Anime

Create Your Anime

Anime is a term for the Japanese style of animation. Creating an anime is a difficult challenge and requires skill in drawing and animation. It also requires an imaginative mind that can create characters and a story in which to use those characters. It can take a very long time, even months or years, to fully create your own anime. There is a great deal of money involved, too. You need drawing supplies, animation software, and a computer to run the software. All of this combined can cost several hundred dollars, but if you are willing to work to create this art, you can make your own anime.

Instructions

Off the Computer

1. Invent your characters and background story. Your characters will need names and background stories of their own. Get a mental image of what your main characters will look like, then design a world for those characters to live in. Pick a genre you want to stick with, and develop your story to fit that genre. There are western, science fiction, romance, and many more genre to choose from.

2. Design your characters and world. Draw the characters and design their clothes, hair, faces and bodies. After you've drawn and colored in the designs for your characters, draw a little of the world they live in. Different time periods or worlds will have different backgrounds, so draw some samples and place your characters in them.

3. Storyboard your anime. Anime are often divided into 26-episode seasons, but the numbers can range depending on how long or short your anime is. It could also be a movie, but you'll need to storyboard it so you know how everything flows. Purchase or make your own storyboard pages and draw what happens panel by panel while filling in details (in words) on lines below each scene. When you have your anime mapped out on paper, you're ready to start animating it on the computer.

On the Computer

4. Pull out your digital drawing tablet (Anime cannot be created by drawing with just a mouse. The mouse isn't accurate enough) and launch an illustration program of your choice. "Adobe illustrator" is a good drawing program, but there are others, including open source (free) illustration programs like "Inkster" that you can download.

5. Practice drawing your characters on the computer and get comfortable with how a graphics tablet feels, as opposed to a regular pencil and paper. Once you are confident, and have drawn all your characters on the computer, you can move on to recording lines for your anime.

6. Record all the lines from the script you've created for your anime. You can have a few or many different of voices, but you must have some--an animation without sound is not anime.

7. Launch your animation program. There are plenty to choose from, a good example being "Adobe Flash," but there are free ones, too, like "Pencil." When you've got your animation program set up, start your work drawing your animation (as planned out previously by your storyboard) frame by frame. This is the longest part of the process, and could take months or years to complete, depending on your anime's length.

8. Apply the finishing touches to your anime, then save the animation as a movie. Rendering your final product with all the aspects of your animation and audio can take the computer several hours to complete, but when all is said and done you'll have created your own anime.

Draw Cartoon Faces Of Men & Women

Drawing cartoon faces can be a fun activity.

Drawing cartoon faces can be fun to do. It might seem difficult to draw cartoon faces of men and women to begin with, and you might have some trouble finding inspiration. However, a simple technique can be applied to help you draw both male and female cartoons. By following a few simple steps, drawing your cartoon faces can be easy and, with a little practice, you will soon be drawing with confidence.

Instructions

1. Draw the outline of your cartoon character's head. Draw a simple circle or oval shape for the head, if you want to, you can add a jaw. To do this, draw a rectangle for a man or half circle shape for a woman at the bottom of the head. If you add a jaw, erase any lines that are inside the head so that you are left with one continuous outline. The shape you are left with will form your character's head.

2. Add a nose. Make the first facial feature you draw the nose, as this will act as a point of reference for the rest of the features. Noses come in all different shapes and sizes for both men and women. For inspiration, try looking at male and female friends and family or even in the mirror to see some of the different shapes and sizes. Break the nose down into simple shapes. You might decide to use a triangle shape or a more oval shape; it is up to you.

3. Draw the eyes, using the nose as a point of reference. Draw the eyes slightly above and to either side of the bridge of the nose. Again, break them down into simple shapes, using an oval for the eye, with a circle inside for the pupil area.

4. Construct a mouth. Place a half-circle shape slightly below the nose with the straight line at the top. Draw a straight line across the mouth and more lines down to create small rectangular teeth.

5. Develop the other details. It is the small features that are going to help you distinguish between your male and female cartoon faces. If you are drawing a man, add big bushy eyebrows and maybe even some facial hair, like a mustache. For a woman, use simple lines to add eyelashes and keep the eyebrows thin. Add lips around the mouth, using a letter "m" shape for the top lip and a thinner semicircle for the bottom lip. Use small semicircles for the ears. Position them so that the top of each ear is roughly in line with the eyebrows.

6. Give your character some hair. Pick a suitable hairstyle for your character. Try looking through magazines for ideas of different male and female haircuts. Draw the hair on lightly at first, but don't be scared to experiment with different, fun hairstyles.

Draw A Bow

Archery is growing in popularity as a sport because it depends upon technique and accuracy instead of brute strength. Women as well as men enjoy archery and even youngsters can take part in the fun. When learning to draw a bow, keep a few guidelines in mind and you'll be a sharpshooter in no time.

Instructions

1. Purchase a bow where the seller can customize the draw to fit your arm length. The correct draw measures from the tip of the knuckles holding the bow, to your fingers as they rest alongside your cheekbone at full draw. Keep a slight bend in your elbow, just enough to prevent your elbow joint from locking.

2. Place an arrow on the string, pulling back until it snaps into place. The upper part of the arrow rests on the guide just above the hand holding the bow.

3. Draw the bow with your fingers on either side of the arrow's shaft without squeezing the arrow, itself. Since today's arrows snap onto the string, you needn't hold the arrow. Try wearing a leather finger guard if your fingers become sore when pulling the bow.

4. Place the index finger of your bow-holding hand lightly over the shaft of the arrow as you draw it back. This is especially important for beginners since an arrow that slips off the guide is dangerous. As soon as you're ready to release the arrow, remove your finger.

5. Aim at the ground during the drawing phase if you're unfamiliar with the bow and after it's fully drawn, raise it carefully towards the target. Shooting a bow is a learned technique and beginners tend to misfire occasionally. By aiming at the ground, a wayward arrow will discharge safely.

6. Grip the bow firmly when drawing but ease up your grip when sighting in the target. Think of the handle as being full of stickers and relax your hold. The area between your thumb and forefinger and the palm below will balance the bow. Squeezing the bow when you shoot causes a torque effect and may affect your aim.

Create An Impressive Portfolio In College

Portfolios are a great way of presenting your work.

There are several ways to make a portfolio stand out from the crowd, whether you need one for a hand-in, a college interview or for a job interview. When tutors, independent markers or future employees look at a portfolio they want to see a clearly presented, clearly labeled and clearly outlined brief so that they know exactly what they are looking at and why they're looking at it.

Instructions

1. Read the brief. If you have been given a brief or instructions, read through these and make sure you know exactly what is required of you. The least impressive thing will be if you get the brief wrong.

2. Spread out all the potential work you think you may want to include in the portfolio on a table or a floor. This will give you a chance to look at all your work at a distance and see what pieces stand out.

3. Separate your work into two sections: finished and unfinished, then move all the unfinished work out of the way so you can concentrate on work that is 100 percent complete. You should never include incomplete work in a portfolio.

4. Pick out 20 pieces of work that you think are the strongest or you like the most. If you are unsure, ask a tutor or a friend to give you an opinion.

5. Organize your work into color, subject, style or categories. When individuals are looking through your work, they want to see thoughtful structure. It is not going to look very impressive if everything looks like a mismatch of color or style.

6. Pick out the strongest pieces of work and put them in order. On the back, label them 1 to 20 so that you do not get confused.

7. Place the work, in order, into your portfolio and ensure everything fits correctly. Do not use it if it does not fit correctly. Messy, ill-fitting work will not look impressive.

8. Label your work and create a cover sheet. Ensure all the fonts are the same and are the same size. This will create a complete, all-together feel to your portfolio and will allow those looking at it to navigate their way around easily.

Surreal Art Tips

The art of Salvador Dali exhibits surreal qualities.

Emerging in Europe during the 1920s, surrealism is an artistic style that applies to literature, performing art, painting and sculpture. The surrealist movement influenced future artistic movements such as Andy Warhol's pop art of the 1960s, and is most identified with artist Salvador Dali.

History

Surrealism is an avant-garde art movement that began in Europe during the 1920s. Its origins can be traced to the free-form, stream-of-consciousness prose of writer Andre Breton, whose work influenced that of visual artists. from the collages of Max Ernst to the photography of Man Ray. In the art world, surrealism continued to evolve, influencing such artists as Jackson Pollack.

Juxtaposition

The underlying goal behind surrealism is to invoke the viewer to free his desires by exposing him to imagery designed to replicate the disjointed, often surreal elements found in dreams. With this in mind, one of the key characteristics of surrealist art is juxtaposition. One tip to create juxtaposition in your surrealist work of art is to depict an ordinary object out of context or in an unusual way. One of the most famous examples of this juxtaposition can be seen in Salvador Dali's "The Persistence of Memory," in which timepieces of varying sizes appear to be melting at a stark seaside.

Automatism

The Museum of Modern Art defines automatism as a term that surrealists applied to a work that was completely spontaneous. In this case, your goal is to remove conscious thought from the artistic process. This can be difficult to achieve. Some artists would try to place themselves in a trance-like state, while others tried to achieve automatism through drugs. One way to achieve this is to simply clear your mind and start drawing or painting while trying to remove the connection between your mind and your hand.

Collage

Artist Max Ernst was renowned for the surrealist books of collage he produced in the 1930s using frottage, collage and grattage techniques, such as his collage novel "La Femme 100 têtes." Combining wood engravings from 19th-century magazines with images of scientific instruments and photos of unexpected landscapes and interiors, Enrst attempted to take the reader on a surreal journey meant to simulate a dream. You can create your own surreal collage by combining contrasting images taken from various media - an automobile ad taken from a magazine, for example, can be combined with your hand-painted image of a butterfly's wing.

Multiprint An Image For Screen Printing

Multi-print images can be placed on colored shirts.

Multiple prints added onto t-shirts and bags add character to its overall design. Placing a metallic base image onto a garment and adding a second solid color image, such as blue, over it creates an artistic effect that will be more appealing to customers. Achieving such multi-printed images is done using a two- to six-color multi-print station. These stations permit two to six images and colors to be used in one printing session.

Instructions

1. Attach the burned screens onto each press arm. Unscrew the knobs on each clamp, and slide the top of the screen frame into it. Lightly tighten the knobs once the screen is set, and adjust the screen to cover the palette. Once adjusted, secure it by fully tightening the clamp with the knob.

2. Spray one coat of the palette spray adhesive evenly onto the garment pallet. This spray will keep the garment in place, preventing creases and slipping. Slip the garment onto the palette upon completion.

3. Draw the ink from the bottle or can, and place in onto each screen. Dab the paint horizontally across the top of the screen, making it the length of the squeegee. Flood stroke the ink over the screen's surface to prepare it for printing by pulling the ink toward you, then pushing it back to the top. Flood stroking permits the ink to get into the screen's mesh.

4. Pull the screen down over the garment, then print stroke the ink over the screen's surface with the squeegee. The ink will pass through the mesh holes of the screen, printing the image onto the garment.

5. Push the excess ink back to the top of the screen with the squeegee. Lift the screen up slowly, and dry the inked image with a free standing flash dryer. This will cure the first layer of ink and prepare the garment for the second print. Dry it for 30 seconds to a minute.

6. Move the next screen over on the print station, to add a different print or color to the image. Follow Steps 4 and 5 to print on the garment until the image is completed. Place the finished product through the belt drier, to fully cure all ink on the garment.

Make A Poster On The Civil War

Glue photocopies of Civil War pictures onto your poster.

The Civil War began in 1861 with the secession of South Carolina, followed by six other states. The secession was due to the fact that President Abraham Lincoln did not believe in slavery and the South, or Confederate States, did not want to give up slavery. The different philosophies of the northern and southern states caused the beginning of the Civil War. The war raged for four years. A poster depicting the Civil war should include a Civil War time-line and information about slavery, the Underground Railroad, Gettysburg and the Union and Confederate soldiers and their beliefs.

Instructions

1. Place a piece of poster board on a stable, flat work surface. Decide whether the poster will be portrait or landscape. Turn the poster board to the desired position.

2. Place five to seven 5 by 7-inch photocopied pictures of the Civil War on the poster board. Arrange the pictures on the board so there is a minimum of a 4-inch gap between each picture. Examples of pictures include Confederate and Union soldiers, Gettysburg, the Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Silo, Stonewall Jackson, Harper's Ferry, the Battle of Fredricksville, the Battle of Chattanooga, General William T Sherman, Abraham Lincoln, slaves, the Underground Railroad and the fall of the Confederacy.

3. Look at the Civil war pictures you've laid out and determine whether there is enough room under or beside the picture to write the description of what is happening in the picture. Adjust the pictures to a new location if more room is needed.

4. Pick up one Civil War picture at a time. Cut the corners from the picture to create an oval or round shaped picture. Cut a wavy line around the four edges if desired. Glue the Civil War picture to a piece of dark blue construction paper for the Union and gray construction paper for the Confederate pictures. Cut a construction paper border by cutting 1/2-inch away from the picture. Put glue on the back of the construction paper and stick the framed picture to the poster board in the desired location. Repeat the process with all pictures.

5. Write a description of what is happening in each picture directly under or to one side of the glued picture. Center the writing so the reader's eye is pulled to the correct picture when reading the description. Write the date at the beginning of the description. Refer to historical information on the Civil War to attain dates and accurate descriptions of the chosen Civil War pictures.

Simple Creative Drawing Ideas

Creating simple, creative drawings can be relaxing and rewarding.

Simple drawings are challenging to a person who wants to draw perfectly the first time she tries. However, drawing should be a break from the stresses of writing and speech; when you draw, it is just you and the page. Crafting simple, creative drawings loosens the mind, connects you to your visual side and makes observing your world a treat. When you set out to start a drawing, choose an object you would like to concentrate on, such as your best friend's ear, a coffee cup, or an imaginary world, and enjoy the adventure of learning through drawing.

Distorted Doorknob

Draw a doorknob on a door in your home or apartment. A doorknob can be challenging, due to the depth of field and angles, but do not feel you must draw it exactly as it looks, as if you were making a mirror image of the door. Instead draw the doorknob in a creative, alluring way. For example, change all the proportions so that the knob itself is very small, but the door is large; or the door is small and the knob is large.

Blind Contour

A blind contour is a line drawing you create without looking at what you are doing. Create blind contours of any object, such as a lamp, TV screen, tree, chair or banana. Tear out a medium to large sheet of blank paper from a drawing pad. Study the object you are about to draw, such as the lamp. Without looking down at the drawing paper, create the first line. Then, do not stop that line. Keep drawing with only one line, as if you were following a little laser pointer dot around the lamp, down its base, and to the cord plugged into the wall. When you have completely finished the drawing, you can finally look down at what you have done. Most likely you will be shocked and delighted at what you find. Because you are not concentrating on drawing the lamp right, you trust the shape itself to tell you what to draw. For a laugh and intriguing results, draw your best friend following the same guidelines. Or, create a self-portrait by studying your image in the mirror and drawing on the page.

Techni-Color Food

Drawing food can be challenging, but you can make it simpler in the way you approach the subject. Avoid feeling like the drawing must look like a perfect apple, ice cream sundae, muffin or steak sandwich; draw it as a sketch you can fill in later. Once you have a basic sketch of the food, fill in details, like the sprinkles on ice cream or syrup dripping down pancake edges. For a creative twist, change all the colors in the food. For instance, draw a purple apple, a neon green and magenta sundae, and blue pancakes with orange syrup.

Simple Comics

Create a comic strip. The drawing quality does not have to impress as much as the content of the story you tell, so make the figures simple. For instance, draw stick figures to tell a funny story or odd observation first. If you then feel the story may benefit from characters with a bit more detail, create special features for each one. Draw one with lots of piercings, another with a wrinkled face and a cane, one with large ears and another wearing a hat far too small for her head. Work on a simple setting, such as a park, home office, prison cell or the moon.

Draw Disney Characters

Draw Disney Characters

With a basic understanding of drawing, Disney characters are easy to sketch Although all the characters are very different, practicing the creation of one will teach you the basics of draw all of them. Follow the tips below for drawing Disney characters.

Instructions

1. Have a point of reference. Have a picture to look at, whether it is from a book or a cover of a video. Drawing from memory is extremely hard.

2. Break everything into basic shapes. Use circles, oval, and curved lines to develop the basic shape of the character. Remember to draw lightly.

3. Begin with the head, sketching the right shape. For instance, Mickey Mouse's head will be made out of three circles, a head and two ears. Draw the facial features next, being careful to put them in the right place on the head. Most eyes are large and oval-shaped. Noses and mouths for animal characters differ, but for human characters such as Snow White, noses are simplified to a small line with a couple nostrils.

4. Be careful to get the correct posture of the character. Sketch the arms and legs even if they will be covered with clothes later. Goofy usually has hunched shoulders and is gangling, while Donald Duck's back is curved into a large bottom. Most characters have positions that are distinct to that character.

5. Add clothing to the body. Clothing on Disney characters is usually pretty basic and requires only the basic shape and color. Some characters like Simba will not wear any clothing, while a character like Princess Jasmine or Jafar wear more complicated clothing.

6. Once the basic shape and proportions have been drawn, make the lines permanent with black marker or pen. Also erase extra lines that were used originally to find the right shape.

7. Color the picture. Colored pencil or marker will look the best.

Create Graffiti Effects On Paper

Sketch graffiti designs on paper.

Serious graffiti artists work hard at their craft to separate it from common vandalism. To hone their craft and prepare for painting a wall mural, artists often experiment with different designs in a sketchbook. If you are new to the art of graffiti, you can improve your skills by practicing lettering on paper with colored markers.

Instructions

1. Draw your design outline with a pencil or fine-tip marker with a single, unbroken line.

2. Draw over the line with a chisel-tip marker to make it bolder.

3. Decide on the direction of light in the design. If you want the light to come in from the left, strengthen the lines on the right with bolder shadows, and vice-versa. You can also choose to have the light come in from the front of the design. In this case, build up shadows on the right and left so the shadows meet in the middle.

4. Fill in the design with color, starting with your lightest shade and working toward the darker shade. After applying the lighter shade, build up darker colors on the side of the design opposite the direction of light. Depending on your style, you can completely fill the design or scribble in color with long zig-zag lines like a spray can produces when hastily applied.

5. Draw highlights over the design with a white-out pen, if desired. The highlights should be consistent with the direction of light. In other words, they should appear opposite the shadows drawn earlier.

Sketch A Koala Bear

The koala bear is a popular creature to recreate.

Native to the eastern and southern parts of Australia, the koala bear is a marsupial who spends most of its time either asleep or feasting on eucalyptus leaves. Its large ears and lengthy limbs make the koala bear a popular character to sketch. Whether clinging to a tree, hanging with one of its mates or chewing on leaves, learn to draw the koala bear in minutes.

Instructions

1. Erase any mistakes that you make in the creation of the sketch.

Sketch a medium-sized circle to as the starting point for the koala's head. Draw two curved half circles extending from the top sides of the circle for ears. Create an oval that extends from the bottom of the circular head to form the koala's body.

2. This popular marsupial has a loveable face that's simple to sketch.

Sketch a left curved angle at the center of the oval body. Draw a lengthwise oval at the angle's bottom point to create the koala's foot. Add a straight line extending from the top of the body oval downwards, curving outwards at the end to create the front leg of the sideways-facing koala bear. Complete this step again to the left of the newly drawn leg to create the second front leg.

3. Practice sketching with this popular animal basic.

Outline the head in a subtly zigzag pattern to add a textured appearance. Draw two small circles within the circular head to create the koala's eyes. Draw an oval at the center to complete the snout. Sketch two half circles at the bottom sides of the oval snout for nostrils. Complete the koala's mouth with a lengthwise oval beneath the snout.

4. Thick and fuzzy ash colored fur are characteristic of the koala bear.

Create a zigzag pattern around the body to add texture to the image. Add toenails with pointed triangular sketches at the bottom oval and remaining front facing legs. Draw a half circle at the backside of the oval body for a small tail.

5. A colored finish can help complete the look of the koala sketch.

Erase any unnecessary lines to create a clean and finished sketch of the koala bear. Color the koala bear an ash gray or light brown to complete the sketch using colored pencils if desired.

Create Floor Plans

Jill Seidner Interior Design - Living Room Floor Plan

Planning is always the best advice when deciding on what furniture to purchase along with what sizes, what fits, the scale of items, etc. I always start with furniture floor plan layouts for my clients. Once I've drawn the walls of the room, it's easy to play around with the layout to incorporate furniture, lighting, area rugs and any other furnishings. Once it is done - it becomes a shopping guide for my clients to go out and purchase on their own.

Instructions

1. Measure the length & width of the room. I always start with these measurements first to make sure I have the overall square footage of the room correct. Then measure the areas between doors, windows, hallways, built ins, fireplace. Make sure to get the distance between things.

2. Draw up the overall size of the room (grid paper or a computer program is very helpful). Be sure to note locations of doors and windows.

3. Add in the furnishings at the exacting size. Refer to catalogs and online sources for product descrptions of sofas, chairs, tables, etc. I always do sofa's about 32"-36" wide and the length can be a 7ft, 8 ft,9ft sofa - just depends on the configuration. Allow 3 feet clearances for circulation. You can also make cut outs to play around with layouts.

Create Email Signatures

Millions of people send email every day. Attaching a signature to your emails will save you time in the long run. An email signature is a segment of text or an image that is placed at the bottom of the body of your email message. Knowing create email signatures and use them to your advantage can help you in the business world or even in your private email conversations.

Instructions

1. Decide which information you want to include in your signature. If your emails are for business use, you probably want to attach contact information. You can also use your email signature to put a disclaimer or any business policies that you want to include in all your transmissions. If your email is for private use, you can find a favorite quote or use any other personal message you wish to include.

2. Find the instructions on your email program on alter your signature. The ability to change your email signature is usually one of the main options, but if you aren't sure or want more specifics, use the help feature.

3. Add in the text or image you wish to use as your signature. Be aware that whenever you send out an email, your signature will be added to the message of your email. If your signature isn't appropriate for everyone you might email, you might want to change it so it's more universally suitable.

4. Send a test email to yourself. Once you set up your email signature, it should start appearing immediately once you send your next email message. Send an email to yourself to make sure it's appearing properly.

Create Digital Art

Digital art encompasses a wide variety of computer drawing and animation created with graphic software and illustration programs. Digital art can help an accomplished artist create more paintings and drawings to easily translate inspiration into reality. It can also help a person with a shaky drawing and bring their artistic dreams to life. Either way, consider the following ways to explore the digital art world.

Instructions

1. Draw images with pixel art. This type of digital art gained prominence in early video game and computer animation. An artist creates a graphic pixel by pixel using Microsoft Paint, Photoshop or other simple drawing programs. Pixel art requires patience, since every tiny block builds upon the next one to create an image.

2. Create a blinkie. Instead of grabbing pre-designed icons from iffy websites and posting them to your emails and websites, create your own. Design Blinkies use the same technique as pixel art, and add flashing text using a variety of software programs. Animate the blinkie to make it wink wave or dance using Flash or other animation processes.

3. Fashion a digital scrapbook. Instead of using paper and physical photographs to make a scrapbook, digi-scrapbooking involves replicating a scrapbook page on the computer and inserting digital photos. With the advent of digital art, scrapbooking gives the artist more choices when creating a page. Use Clipart and special text fonts to add pizazz to the photo presentation in Photoshop, MS Paint or with a digital scrapbooking program.

4. Master vector drawing. Vector graphics contain many objects and follow a mathematical equation to connects lines, curves and of the shape to form a digital picture. Vector graphic software allows the artist to move, rotate or align objects in a certain way to achieve the desired result. Using these programs, the artist transforms curves and separate paths into a seamless image.

5. Advance to digital painting. Create rich, textured paintings without using messy brushes, oils or paints by using a digital art program. Corel, Studio Artist and Pixarra contain digital tools that allow artists to replicate pastel, watercolor or chalk drawing and paintings that look like the real ting. Some offer a freehand drawing based package while others offer a vector drawing program.

Create Dada Art

Salvador Dali, a force in the Dada movement, incorporated yin and yang in this painting.

According to artinthepicture.com, a website devoted to art history, "Dadaism or Dada is a post-World War I cultural movement in visual art as well as literature (mainly poetry), theatre and graphic design. The movement was, among other things, a protest against the barbarism of the War and what Dadaists believed was an oppressive intellectual rigidity in both art and everyday society; its works were characterized by a deliberate irrationality and the rejection of the prevailing standards of art. It influenced later movements including Surrealism." The diverse and challenging art world of today owes a great deal to Dada.

Instructions

1. Stop making sense. Put a pineapple next to an Eskimo, or a dog house on top of a trailer. In an effort to challenge the prevailing opinions about art in the early 1900s, members of the Dada movement cultivated irrationality, deliberately placing incongruent images together and combining the mundane with the spiritual. Some of what they made poked fun at serious ideas and institutions, while some of it made no sense whatsoever. At least part of what Dada heightened in the art world were the senses of humor, anarchy and irony.

2. Glue many pieces of small paper together, overlapping on one background to form an image or just an abstract shape. Collage in its most basic form uses many different pieces of paper. But collage may also use pastels, paper, feathers, crayons, clay and other textures and media.

3. Shoot some photos, then chop them up and reconfigure them, combine them with other media, or display them out of order. Photo-montage takes the distinctive attributes of photography, particularly its journalistic aspect, and plays with them. Experiment with jumbling up your photographs or photoshopping them to create original photographs, made up but seemingly real. Dadaists probably would have loved Photoshop. A strong element of Dadaism is asking the viewer to question his assumptions about the legitimacy of what he sees.

4. Stick things together that shouldn't be together. Assemblage is like collage, but three-dimensional, so it has the capacity to fill up spaces with objects that confuse and confound audiences. Dada liked to put an object that had sacred symbolism next to something ordinary or even debased.

5. Pick up a random object, sign it and call it art. This is found or ready-made Art. Artist Marcel Duchamp shocked the art world in 1917 by signing R. Mutt to a urinal, titling it "Fountain," and entering it in an art show. He offended them on multiple levels -- by the seeming laziness of throwing something together with no effort, instead of months of painstaking work; by evoking the process of excretion; and by not creating something original, just to name a few. Choose an object related to body function, or as far from the world of beautiful and uplifting art as you can get, if you want to incorporate the Dadaist thread into your own ready-made artwork.

6. Re-purpose things. In other words, create a hat made out of a cellphone, or a house made entirely of cookies. Challenge people's ideas about functionality. Today, with multimedia, multimovement art, it is hard to realize how disturbing and confrontational Dada was in its time. If you want to get a sense of it, read a little of Plato on art to see the then still-ruling ideas of purity and idealism that Dada assaulted. To create your own new media, combine all of the above.

About Graffiti Lettering

About Graffiti Lettering

From subways and trains to museums and academic books, graffiti is everywhere. Though it has existed since ancient times, modern graffiti gained popularity in the mid-'70s as a relevant, though in many cases illegal, way to convey political messages and gain notoriety. Today, graffiti lettering is a recognized form of art and a popular style of typefaces in graphic design.

Function

Graffiti is all about self-expression. It's a way for people to get their ideas---and art---into the world. Graffiti is part of a subculture where people gain notoriety through "tagging," writing their signature in as many public places as possible. Some graffiti artists (or "vandals," as they are breaking the law), known as "writers," simply want to be known and will scale the highest billboard to spray-paint their name. Others use graffiti to explore political, socioeconomic, and racial issues. Gangs also use graffiti to mark their territory.

History

The word graffiti derives from the Italian word "grafitto," meaning "to scribble." The practice of drawing symbols on public spaces dates to ancient Greece and Rome, where people wrote on cave walls. Modern graffiti can be traced back to the late 1960s in Philadelphia and New York. The subculture of graffiti, hip-hop music, and break dancing reached popularity from 1975 to 1977. Graffiti writing then spread from an underground subculture to a more mainstream art form.

Significance

Graffiti lettering evolved from cave drawings to being showcased in museums. In the late '60s and early '70s, graffiti was a popular tool for political change. Writers were often political activists and their work was embedded with social, class, and racial issues. Many writers grew up underprivileged. Gangs also used graffiti to mark their territory, or "turf." Eventually, art historians took note of graffiti and considered it a form of public art and took it from being sprayed on subway cars to being showcased in art museums.

Identification

Even though graffiti can be loosely identified as writing on public property, there are a few characteristics common in graffiti lettering. Many graffiti artists write using bubble or block letters in all caps. Letters are usually exaggerated---serifs are drawn out, hearts or stars are used for dots, and words become smashed together. Writers "tag" their graffiti with their own stylized signature. All artists develop their own style of writing that sets them apart from others.

Types

The most common types of graffiti are tagging, throw-up style, and wild style. A tag is a signature. It's a highly readable version of your name in Roman-style letters sprayed in a public place. Most writers have their own distinct nickname and style of writing their signature. Throw-up style incorporates outlines of letters into the design. The block and bubble letters you doodled on your junior high school notebook are similar to throw-up style letters. Most letters touch one another, are written in upper-case and are somewhat readable. Wild style uses decorated and difficult-to-read text. It looks abstract, like a haphazard pile of letters.

Create Concrete Art Furniture

Make your own concrete art furniture

Concrete furniture is functional, strong and works well either outside or in your latest interior design. Because you have total creative control when you make your own concrete furniture you can turn traditional chairs and tables into works of art. Express your artistic flair by creating totally unique works of art that double as functional furniture.

Instructions

1. Build your mold. This is the time to let your creativity loose. Sketch out your ideas for the shape of your art furniture. Once you have an idea, take precise measurements of the outside edges of your piece. Take your time on this step and make sure that your final project will be light enough to lift and small enough to fit through any doors or gates. Melamine is a good material to use for making your mold. You will need to build a container that is solid enough to support your wet concrete and has no leaks. Use screws to hold your mold together so that you can easily release your project. Remember that the bottom of your mold will be the top of your project. If you want to add decorative items to the top of your art furniture you will want to place them at the bottom of your mold.

2. Mix your concrete. Add one part concrete to three parts sand and add enough water to create a mix with the consistency of oatmeal. Use your trowel to scrape the bottom and sides of your mixing container well and make sure that you have no unmixed bits of dry concrete. If you need a larger amount of concrete you will want to use a cement mixer for this step.

3. Add your decorative touches Here's another chance to express your artistic nature. You can add pigment to color your cement, colored glass to add some shine, or any other found objects to create added texture.

4. Pour and cure your cement. Pour a layer of concrete about 2-inches thick, and shake the mold or stir it to release any air bubbles. Continue pouring and shaking until your mold is full. You may want add wire mesh to your project in between layers if you think you will need more support.

5. Unmold and polish you piece. Your Art furniture will take about four to five days to cure. At that point you will want to unmold your piece and begin to polish it. Use a wet grinder and polishing pads. If you wish to expose more of the decorative objects at the surface of your piece you will need to grind down the top layer of cement. Start with a 50-grit pad and move up to a 400-grit pad. Once you have ground down as much as you wish you can fill in any gaps with a slurry mix of thin wet concrete mix. When your slurry is dry you are ready to polish your piece with 800-grit to 1500-grit pads. You can seal your polished art furniture with a coat of clear wax.

Decorate In Old World Style

A console or buffet table decorated in Old World Style.

One of the most popular trends in home decorating is old world style. It is characterized by dark colors, like deep burgundy red, dark brown and dark hunter green. The accessories included are mostly European antiques and tapestries. An old world home includes a combination of natural materials like limestone and tile, dark stained furniture pieces mostly made of wood, luxurious fabrics of brocade and deep color. The walls are often accented with textures and faux finishes. This timeless style works well for a person who leans toward the traditional as opposed to a modern, contemporary style.

Instructions

1. Add dark colors and textures on the walls. Use dark earth tones such as browns and greens, or use dark blue and burgundy to color your walls. Use faux painting techniques to add texture on the walls.

2. Add rugs and window treatments. Add a rug to anchor the room before placing the furniture. Rugs should be rich in texture and have dark colors that match the colors found on the walls, and on the drapes and upholstery. Add window coverings. Use dark colored window blinds and accent with draperies to soften the look of the room. Use a rod and tiebacks made of iron.

3. Add dark-stained furnishings. Add a sofa with intricate hand carved wood frame. Match it with a center table and side tables of the same material and finish. In the dining room, use dark stained dining table with matching chairs. Pick out upholstery that has textured and a deep color.

4. Add lighting fixture with iron finish. If you have an existing light fixture with bronze or silver finish, spray paint them in dark brown or black paint. Use lamps with dark colored lamp shades and bases. The style of your lighting should not be too modern. Use of amber glass drop lights for your kitchen island as opposed to contemporary style track lighting.

5. Add artwork and accessories. Use European antiques and to decorate your home. Use textured vases and create a flower arrangement with dried or silk flowers and with fruits in dark colors. Hang artwork depicting the old Europe, like painting of castles and still life. Add a tapestry with colors picked from the walls, rugs and furnishings.

Use Beginner Chalk Pastel Technique

Chalk Pastels are known for their brilliant colors

Chalk pastel techniques can be used at any level or student above eight years of age. Advanced students will benefit from it because it reminds them of what they already know and causes them to be more purposeful in applying the lesson to an actual piece of art. For the beginning student it teaches skills and gives confidence.

Instructions

Teach Beginner Chalk Pastel Technique

1. Introduce the lesson to the class. “Today we are going to try some techniques. Hopefully you will discover some new ways to use the medium.” Discuss how at least one of these techniques should be incorporated in the next pastel drawing. Have several sheets of black paper for each student. They will be able to do more than one exercise per sheet.

2. Explain that there are different ways to draw with the chalk. Have the students do lines and squiggles using the tip, the side of the tip, the corner of the tip and then the side of the chalk.

3. Elaborate on the ways there are to blend chalk shapes together. Have the students make two large shapes with two different colors; in one section use tissue or paper towel to blend. Have them use their fingers. Next have the class experiment with blending with Q-tips. Finally have them experiment with dry soft paint brushes. Use the paint brush in the same way you apply dry blush to the face.

4. Explain that color on top of color can add depth to any rendered objects. There are several techniques. Light color on top of a dark color can have an interesting effect.. Have the students draw a dark shape and blend. Drag a lights color on top with the side of the chalk. Make another shape and blend. This time use the tip or corner of the chalk to make a lighter shape on top of the darker shape. Next repeat the dark shape and blend and add cross hatching. Repeat the dark shape and blend and add feathering, thin lines going in the same direction.

5. Ask the students to try at least one of the techniques in either a new pastel drawing or embellish their work from last week. Have them spend a few minutes evaluating the reference drawing or still life. Can they see where the use of line best helps them render the subject? Is there an area that might be improved by blending the chalk together? Can texture be added with good result? Encourage them to experiment like they did in the exercises.

Rooster Tattoo Ideas

A realistic farm rooster tattoo shows your rural background.

The rooster is a symbol for many different things across cultures, countries and history. Depending on what you want to express, there are many unique rooster tattoo ideas from which to choose. The rooster can represent the rising sun, impending danger, cockiness, fertility and much more, depending on how it is depicted. Whether to represent your interests, love of nature or cultural background, a rooster tattoo is a great way to express your individuality.

Traditional

A traditional, realistic rooster tattoo can represent many things, such as farm life, stubbornness or an appreciation of the bird itself. A crowing rooster symbolizes impending danger or the start of the day. The rooster's crow also has biblical significance associated with Saint Peter, as this sound signaled that he had betrayed Jesus Christ.

Gamecock

Throughout history, roosters have been put in pits to fight in the sport of cockfighting. Exotic and colorful gamecocks with feathers ruffled and spurs displayed makes a great tattoo that represents tenacity, combat or interest in the sport. While illegal in the United States, cockfighting was historically a sport of kings, noblemen and gamblers.

Cartoon

A cartoon rooster tattoo can show your lighthearted or childlike side, as the character appears in many different animated forms. Foghorn Leghorn, the stuttering, chubby white and brown rooster, was a common character in the "Looney Tunes." A Foghorn Leghorn tattoo can represent your nostalgia or love for the character or cartoons in general.

Rooster Cogburn

For an unconventional rooster tattoo, you could get one depicting Rooster Cogburn, the liquor-swilling, foul-mouthed and brave marshal from "True Grit," a novel by Charles Portis that has spawned three motion pictures. Rooster Cogburn wears an eye patch and is known both for his outspokenness and his valor. Academy Award-winning actors John Wayne and Jeff Bridges have portrayed him on screen.

Zodiac

Another rooster tattoo idea is the rooster in relation to its year in the Chinese zodiac calendar. The years of the rooster are 1921, 1933 and years preceding and following them in increments of 12. If you were born in the year of the rooster, a symbolic eastern design with Chinese characters denoting the year or the zodiac rooster symbol make a great tattoo.

Create A Stock Paper Portfolio

Creating a stock paper portfolio is relatively easy and involves no financial risks.

A stock paper portfolio is a virtual portfolio--no actual securities are involved creating a paper portfolio. Many online websites offer free paper trading accounts where users are able to create their own portfolios. An online paper trading account is not required to create a paper portfolio. Many people create their own stock paper portfolio through recording the information themselves. Creating a paper portfolio reveals the profitability of certain investment strategies without having to risk any money.

Instructions

1. Create a list of securities you would like to invest in. Head to your local library and check out multiple investment books to learn find securities to invest in.

2. Determine the size of your virtual portfolio. Generally, it is best to make all aspects of a virtual trading account as real as possible. Thus, consider making your virtual portfolio the same size as your real portfolio.

3. Find a free paper trading website. Search Google for "virtual stock market" and you should find dozens of virtual stockmarkets which allow users to create paper trading accounts for free. Click "register" and fill out all the required information, such as your name and account size.

4. Log into your paper trading account and buy your list of securities. Contact customer support if you forget your username or password.

5. Buy a journal or notebook to use as your paper trading account instead of using an online account, if you prefer. Write down the securities you would like to buy, how much you would like to invest and the current price the security is traded at. Look in your local newspaper or search Google for stock quotes.

Create A Still Life With Oil Pastels

Flowers are a popular subject.

The still life composition became an acceptable subject for artists to create and collectors to collect in the 17th Century when Dutch painters made them popular. Flowers and fruit are frequently the choice of subject matter, as well as glass, china and objects of art. Interesting compositions can be created from objects that have a personal connection, thus making a still life biographical.

Instructions

1. Gather items for the still life composition. Use simple colorful objects, especially if you are a beginning student. Arrange in an interesting manner. Take your time, stand back and evaluate your composition. Make sure the composition has a center of interest and is not too busy.

2. Position yourself so you can clearly see the still life from an interesting point of view. Observe the arrangement, noting the placement of objects. Decide which objects are the most important. Decide what will be emphasized and what will not.

3. Draw the outline of the objects you have decided to emphasize. Make sure the composition fits the paper you are working on, preferably filling it up.

4. Fill in the solid colors of the objects you have decided to emphasize. Make sure to press firmly when drawing with the oil pastel. Blend or smooth the fill color with your finger, blender stick, cotton swab or paper towel.

5. Fill in the space and shapes in the back ground. Draw lighter and blend with your blending object.

6. Add detail to the objects you want to emphasize by layering color in the solid shapes that correspond to shadow and high light. Use lighter shades of the object's color for high lights and darker shades of the color for shadow instead of black and white. Blend the shades. Add detail on top of the objects by observing the textures and lines that create detail. Draw them on top of layered shapes.

7. Fill in spaces and shapes in the background, but do not let them compete with the emphasized areas. Use softer or duller colors, and less detail.

Create A Signature

You can create an email signature.

An email signature is often added to the end of an email message. While the signature almost always includes the name of the sender, email signatures also can include information such as mailing addresses, website addresses, telephone numbers and cell phone numbers. The signature also may include a simple word or phrase such as "Thank you," "Respectfully" or "Sincerely." The process you follow to create an email signature depends on which email server you use.

Instructions

Yahoo! Mail

1. Log in to your Yahoo! Mail account.

2. Click "Options" and select "More Options."

3. Select "Compose" from the list on the left side of the screen.

4. Select "Show a signature on all outgoing messages" next to the "Signature header."

5. Click either "Plain Text" or "Rich Text" just above the message box.

6. Type the signature you want to include in your email in the text area and select "Save Changes." You now have created a signature in Yahoo! Mail.

Hotmail

7. Log in to your Hotmail account.

8. Click the "Options" menu.

9. Click the "Personal e-mail signature" link under "Customize Your Mail."

10. Select "Rich text" or "Plain text" from the drop-down menu just above the message pane.

11. Type the email signature into the message box and click "Save." You now have created a signature in Hotmail.

Gmail

12. Log in to your Gmail account.

13. Click the "Settings" link at the top right of the page.

14. Type your signature into the box next to "Signature."

15. Click "Save Changes." You now have created a signature in Gmail.

Create A Sea Creature Online

Create a Sea Creature Online

Sketching and coloring is relaxing and fun. Try creating a sea creature if you have reached a creative block-or if you want to impress your friends. You can tailor the final drawing to your personality or add a speech bubble and convey a fun message. Are you in the mood to make one by hand, with online assistance? The Internet offers you two ways to create a sea creature. It's an amusing alternative to drawing a sea animal on your own, or, from scratch.

Instructions

Try an Interactive Drawing Lesson

1. Discover an appealing sea animal drawing lesson online. (One is provided in the resource section.)

2. Use a pencil and paper to follow the drawing instructions step-by-step.

3. Color your creation with markers or crayons.

4. Display your sea creature for everyone to see or hide it to surprise someone special.

Take an Online Video Lesson

5. Discover an online instructor with a lesson on sea animal drawing. (You will find a sea animal life-drawing lesson in the resource section.)

6. Make sure your Flash Player is up to date.

7. Play the video once to watch the online instructor create the creature.

8. Grab your pencil and paper.

9. Replay the instructor's video. Be ready to follow along.

10. Follow the video instructor's drawing motions.

11. Pay special attention to buzz words like "action line" or "line of action."

12. Pause the video when you need to and start it again if you fall behind.

13. Add color to your sea creature with markers or crayons.

Create A Record Label

Making a career for yourself in music is tough. It takes a lot of guts, talent and determination. The hours are long and exhausting, and even then it's not guaranteed you'll make it. This is just as true for artists as it is for record labels. If you decide to take the plunge and start your own record label, follow these steps.

Instructions

1. Choose your city. Record labels thrive in big cities. If you don't already live in one, get there. Big cities are like magnets for people with ambition. Set up shop there and keep your eyes open. Chances are that if you're considering starting a record label, you already live in a city with a music scene you want to support.

2. Become well acquainted with every aspect of the music scene you are trying to enter. Get to know clubs, venues, promoters, supporters, advertisers and most importantly bands. If you know the right people, this endeavor is much more easier.

3. Decide what type of music your label will focus on. You don't have to limit yourself to one genre, but you need to pick at least one thing that you are good at. Your reputation and future of your business depends on this. As you get bigger, more bands from the genre of music that you promote best will approach you, making your job a little easier.

4. Save your money. This is going to be your full-time job, but you may need some other jobs to get it going. It takes a lot of money to start any business, but a record label isn't a very stable one to bank your assets on. The chances of getting a loan might be low.

5. Approach bands or artists to sign to your label. This is going to be hard. But if you have been in the scene for a while, you'll know who needs representing. The really hard part is convincing the band that you will help them out. Some bands will be wise to the fact that you are new and probably just as poor as they are. You're going to need to really commit yourself to promoting them exclusively, until you build up the assets to start promoting other bands.

6. Hire staff to help you out. At first, this will be financially impossible. But if you do it right, you will be able to pay one or two more people to come on board and help you with the many facets of label owning. Hopefully, those one or two people will snowball into many more.

Paint On Prestretched Canvas

Pre-stretched canvases make painting easy for all age groups.

Acrylic or oil painting allows for the imaginative expression of ideas, and while not everyone can possess a fine painting talent, many people can get enjoyment from painting and producing pleasing results. Painting is an accessible hobby, especially with the wide availability of pre-stretched canvases, painting equipment such as brushes and easels, and the paints themselves and associated thinners and brush cleaners. Experimenting at home with a pre-stretched canvas is an ideal introduction to painting.

Instructions

1. Position your easel in a place with adequate light, and secure the pre-stretched canvas onto the easel.

2. Paint over the surface of your canvas with gesso to prime it. Gesso is normally thinned before use, so check on the bottle for the manufacturer's recommendations. Many pre-stretched canvases are already primed for use with both oil and acrylic paints, but check that your canvas is primed before you begin painting. Allow the gesso to dry completely before painting over it.

3. Experiment with paint colors to learn mix them. Start with a limited palette; for instance, one tube each of black, white, red, yellow, green and blue, as it is easier to start when you have fewer choices. Mix the paint on the palette with a brush, then paint it onto the canvas.

Paint With Artist Chalks

Chalk pastels are a popular artists' medium for drawing and painting.

Pastel artist chalks are pure color pigments mixed with chalk and binder material. Chalk is a soft, rock-like sediment made up of diatoms and other fossilized marine organisms. Artist chalk pastels were developed by the Italians in the 16th century. The chalk-based drawing material became popular with the explosion of synthetic colors in the 19th century. Chalk pastels were used extensively by the French Impressionists to create finished works of art. Their chief proponents were Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt and Toulouse-Lautrec. Chalk-based pastels were also used by the American Impressionists, including William Merritt Chase and Childe Hassam.

Instructions

1. Study your subject matter closely and sketch it with charcoal on paper before attempting to paint it in chalk-based pastel. Observe and interpret the subject, whether it's a portrait, landscape, still life, or abstract work. Arrange the elements of your composition in a balanced, pleasing manner according to the basic rules of design. Establish a light source and keep it consistent throughout the artwork. Use the direction of light to properly place your highlights and shadows. Use your sketches and preliminary studies to work out your final composition.

2. Try out your artist chalks on different types of paper before choosing which kind to use for large-scale works. Use a toothy textured cold-pressed watercolor paper for good results. The rough-textured paper will better hold the pigment and chalky binder to its surface. Experiment with different types and brands of pastels. Try softer pastels with more chalk and less pigment. Use a harder pastel with less chalk for brighter, more fully saturated colors. Paint or draw your finest details with pastel pencils, which are chalk pastels covered with wood.

3. Finish the final drawing for your chalk pastel painting on a sheet of paper. Tape the paper to a smooth drawing board. Overlap the paper with the tape for a nice straight line framing the painting. Draw your idea precisely with lots of details or sketch it in roughly, changing it as you go. Work quickly and spontaneously with the pastels; they don't need any time to dry. Work from dark to light and from thin to thick. Lay in your base colors to block out your basic forms. Use thin layers of pastel to define the tonal structure of your chalk painting. Establish value relationships to add a sense of depth and dimensionality to your work.

4. Apply the pastels to the paper using pure colors and letting your strokes show in places. Blend the pastel colors together with a stump or with your fingers in areas where you want a smooth transition of colors. Use softer chalk pastels for easier-to-blend effects. Keep your colors pure, and contrast complementary colors with each other to intensify their hue. Set up pleasing color relationships in your painting for a unified, harmonious look.

5. Blow the chalk dust off your painting frequently to keep your working surface clean. Lay your drawing board flat until you're finished painting to prevent the chalky pastel from falling off. Spray fixative on the painting if you've built up your chalk layers too thick. The fixative will cause the chalk to settle into the paper and you'll get back some of your toothy surface. Continue working, as your pastels will stick again to the paper. Use only as much fixative as you need to hold the chalk, because it darkens the colors.

Draw A Duck Stepbystep

When using a step-by-step approach, the task of drawing a duck becomes easier.

While ducks may be common birds, they still attract the fascination of many nature lovers. Children and adults alike often enjoy watching ducks and ducklings as they swim, eat and preen their feathers. Drawing ducks is enjoyable for those who appreciate these animals. While it may seem challenging at first glance, drawing a duck is an easy project that can be successfully accomplished by artists of all ages.

Instructions

1. Create the duck's beak by drawing a long, horizontal oval that is open on the right side. Then, create the duck's head and curve of the neck neck by drawing a shape that resembles a question mark that stems from the open area of the duck's beak.

2. Outline the duck's back by drawing a horizontal line that extends toward the right from the base of the neck. The horizontal line should have a slight bump in the center, which emphasizes the curve of the duck's back.

3. Make the bottom of the duck's wing by drawing a half-circle shape that extends down and out from the right side of the duck's back.

4. Create the duck's tail by drawing a pointed, triangular shape that extends out from below the right edge of the duck's wing. Then, create the rounded underside of the duck by drawing a rounded line that reaches from below the duck's tail and toward the base of the duck.

5. Draw the bottom of the duck's head by drawing a rounded shape that extends down from and around the back section of the beak. Draw the duck's neck and breast by creating a long question mark-shaped line that extends down from the bottom of the head.

6. Create the duck's eye by drawing a small circle in the middle of it's head. Darken this circle to create the illusion of a dark-colored eye.

7. Establish the illusion of water underneath the duck by drawing a horizontal line across the length of the underside of the duck's body. Draw several wavy lines surrounding the duck's body, in order to give the illusion that the duck is swimming. Draw a long horizontal line across your paper at the level of the center of the duck's body, in order to indicate a horizon line.

Create A Professional Teaching Portfolio

Creating a professional teaching portfolio is a great way to document and reflect on your growth as an educator. Also, a portfolio is an excellent resource for job interviews. Some schools even require a teaching portfolio as part of the process of receiving tenure with the school district. Creating a professional teaching portfolio can be a daunting task, which is why it's helpful to break the process into steps.

Instructions

1. Spend a good deal of time collecting artifacts from your teaching. Ideally, you should collect materials over the course of an entire student teaching term or school year. You'll need to collect teaching materials, photographs, notes from parents, student work and letters from administrators--just to name a few. As you collect materials, don't worry much about organizing or choosing one item over another. Simply place everything in a folder or box so that it's available when you're ready to create the portfolio.

2. Before assembling your portfolio, decide on an organization method. The Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching (see Resources) is a handy way to approach your portfolio. Danielson identified four domains of teaching: planning and preparation, the teaching environment, instruction and professional responsibilities. Even if you decide not to use the Danielson Framework, you should plan to include evidence from all aspects of your teaching responsibilities in the portfolio.

3. Divide the collected artifacts among the portfolio domains. You may find that you have a lot of evidence to support your planning and preparation but need more resources for your professional responsibilities section. If so, collect more materials before proceeding. Also, you may choose to weed out certain artifacts. Your portfolio should represent who you are as a teacher, but it shouldn't be a collection of every minute of your teaching life. Aim to have somewhere around 20 total pages of material in your portfolio. This should allow enough room to show depth without becoming too cumbersome for the reader.

4. Now you're ready to physically create your portfolio pages. Decide on a consistent look for your portfolio. Some teachers, especially those at the elementary level, prefer a scrapbook-like feel to their portfolio. For this look, you'll want colorful paper, stickers, and other fun touches. Other teachers want a more professional look and stick with neutral resume paper and minimal embellishments. Either approach is fine as long as you keep the pages looking neat and organized. Make sure to add labels explaining any items that the reader may need background information to understand.

5. Visit the local office supply store to purchase a professional binder. Some of these can be quite fashionable and look a lot like briefcases. This makes a good impression at a job interview. Or, you may choose to purchase a high-quality scrapbook. Either way, place the finished pages into the portfolio and get ready to show off the finished product.

Create A Pdf Information Packet

Once your thesis is complete, package it as a PDF portfolio.

Creating a Portable Document Format (developed by Adobe Systems) information packet as part of a master's thesis or dissertation submission involves assembling your PDF files into a package that you can accompany with a digitally signed submission PDF file. Create these files using Adobe Acrobat according to the process defined by your institution. For example, assemble your files into a portfolio. The files in a PDF Portfolio can each be of different formats. You may have spreadsheets, images, documents and PowerPoint presentations make up your information packet.

Instructions

1. Create your electronic documents. Print them to the Adobe PDF format. For example, from Microsoft Word, click the "Microsoft Office" button and then click the "Print" option. Select "Adobe PDF" as the printer.

2. Assemble your PDFs by opening the first file, and from the Adobe Acrobat "File" menu, choosing the "Create PDF Portfolio" option. Click the "Add Files" button to browse and select files to include, or drag and drop files from a Windows Explorer window into the Adobe Acrobat workspace. You can choose a layout, add a welcome message and header, select a color scheme, and save, email or share your file on the Acrobat website. Once you have your files in place, from the "File" menu, select the "Save Portfolio" option and enter a name to save the file.

3. Protect your file, optionally. For example, from the "Modify" menu, select the "Secure Portfolio" option. From the "Security" menu, select the "Password" security link. Click the "Require a password to open the document" check box and enter a password. Then, click the "OK" button.

4. Print your portfolio. Open your portfolio. From the "File" menu, select the "Print" option and chose the "All PDF Files" option. Click the "OK" button. Documents print out in the order in which they appear in the portfolio, so if the order is incorrect, you can rearrange the files before submitting them.

5. Obtain an electronic submission signature form from your institution. Open the PDF file. Usually, you edit the blank sections by clicking the "Hand Tool" to enter personal information and select the type of access. (Typically, select "Open Access" to release your work so that others can cite it.) Then, click the "Sign" button and select the location where you want your digital signature to appear and click the "OK" button to sign your document. Click the "Sign" button to insert your digital signature. Save your file and send your information packet by email to your institution.

Create Abstract Art

Artist Sondrac

Abstract Art might look as if it simple to create, with a splash of paint here and there then framed and hung on a wall.Create Abstract Art and att times some of the paintings seem as if an artist takes paints and splatters them on canvas. Sometimes that is exactly what they have done! However it was done with thought and purpose and imagination and deliberation as the artist knows exactly the feelings he wants to convey. Abstract painting can be more difficult than landscape or scenic since there is nothing to copy from, and nothing like it has been painted prior to that exact moment when the brush was picked up and dipped into a particular paint color. It is created by feelings, thoughts, vision, imagination and ability to use colors so that they blend properly.

Instructions

1. Buy a ready made canvas in a craft store of any size or shape. A smaller one, 10x10, or 12x12 might seem as if it is easier to paint on, but in actuality a larger canvas will give more space to create.

2. Create abstract art and decide on colors you wish to use, and whether you prefer to use acrylics or oil paint. Acrylics have no odor, are easy to wash off surfaces and clothes, dries faster and most important, is the ability to paint directly over an area to change a color or fix a mistake. Oils are the complete opposite. If you are a novice, then ask questions.

3. Buy a color chart, easel, paints and brushes. Choose the basic colors at first, and use the color chart to determine which colors belong together. Decide if you wish paints in tubes or jars.

4. Begin by thinking of an object, or a scene. Do not think of how it actually looks like, just the thought. This is how you create abstract art. Look at a vase, not at how it actually would be sketched, but how you would think it might look. Use only imagination, and feelings and let your hands and mind create. Do not use your thought process! understand that you are interpreting, not drawing.

5. Allow the brush to take over as you paint with one particular color. When your thought process stops, you stop! Add another color, shade it, make it lighter at any particular area, or heavier at another. Improve what you see on the canvas and of what you think should be added. Notice that a darker area above a lighter or contracting color, will create depth. Experiment and remember with acrylics, if you do not like the feel just cover it with another color.

6. Add a bit of yellow, to a bit of the red, blend it with a second brush and create various shades of orange. Some areas will be darker, some lighter according to the brush strokes. Use a fan brush to give yet another look to the scene. Expect to use all shapes and sizes of brushes to get yet different looks. Walk away when you create abstract art, and return and you will get another perspective.

7. An important rule to remember always!! Once you feel that the painting is finished, stop!! . Do not go back to improve or touch it up. Do not overwork your painting, but learn to finish it the exact moment that you feel it is finished. Stop and clean your brushes then walk away and start your other masterpiece!!