Draw A Bear

Draw a Bear

Drawing is an excellent way for both adults and kids to relax, even if you don't have an artistic bone in your body. Even the least-talented artists can create realistic-looking drawings by following detailed instructions.

Instructions

Draw a Realistic-Looking Bear's Head

1. Draw a circle to begin. Use pencil and draw lightly, as this is just a reference shape, not part of the actual drawing.

2. Give your bear some ears by drawing two semi-circles at the top of the circle. One ear can sit directly on the circle, but the other should be inside the circle.

3. Draw a semi-circle inside each ear to give the ears depth.

4. Place your bear's nose just to the right of the center of the circle. Begin the longish, rounded snout above the center of the circle. The end of the line will be near the bottom of the circle.

5. Put the tip on the bear's nose by drawing a rounded triangle on the end of the snout. Draw two small circles for nostrils, and put a short vertical line between them. Blacken the tip of the nose, and use your eraser to recreate the nostrils in white.

6. Place two small circles above the snout for eyes. One eye should be close to the top of the snout line.

7. Darken a small circle in the center of each eye to create the pupils. A tiny line from the inside of each eye, pointing downwards, will give the illusion of depth to the eye sockets.

8. Add some realism to your bear by drawing over the edges of your circle with short jagged lines, simulating fur.

9. Erase the lower sections of the circle, and extend the upper part of the circle downwards in a slanting line, creating a realistic neck.

10. Continue the vertical line on the tip of the nose to create his mouth. The mouth line should curve slightly upwards and will end between the two ends of the snout line.

Modify Your Bear by Changing Expressions

11. Give your bear a smile. Replace the circle eyes with short arches, and draw the mouth line at a much steeper upwards angle.

12. Create an angry bear by erasing the top third of the eye circles and replacing them with a slightly bowed straight line.

Use Transfer Paper On Polymer Clay

Pendant made from transfer paper on polymer clay. Copyright GeltDesigns. All rights reserved.

You can use a water slide decal or transfer paper to add pictures, photographs or graphic designs to your polymer clay jewelry or craft projects. This tutorial will explain use a water slide decal or transfer paper on polymer clay.

Instructions

1. Purchase or create your water slide decal and determine how you will incorporate the transfer paper into your jewelry design. Trim the water slide decal so that there is no excess paper.

2. Condition your polymer clay. You will need to use white or very light colored polymer clay when using a water slide decal. Dark colors will hide the water slide decal.

3. Prepare your work surface. Roll the polymer clay out until is the thickness you want for your project. Place the polymer clay on the clean work surface so that the polymer clay sits flat.

4. Place the water slide decal in a bowl of room temperature water. Allow the transfer paper to sit in the water until the decal loosens and is able to slide off the paper backing.

5. Remove the water slide decal from the water. Place the wet transfer paper on the polymer clay. Slide the paper off the decal.

6. Use a paper towel to wick away the water from transfer paper. Pat the water slide decal with a paper dry until both the water slide decal and the polymer clay are both completely dry.

7. Use your finger to burnish the transfer paper and remove all air from between the water slide decal and the polymer clay.

8. Cut the polymer clay containing the transfer paper to the shape you desire. If the clay is not as thick as needed for your jewelry or craft project add additional layers of clay before you cut.

Here placed two layers of custom blue clay behind the clay with the water slide decal and then we used a cookie cutter to cut a rectangle.

9. Bake the polymer clay containing the transfer paper at 275 degrees for one hour or according to the manufacturer's instructions. Be sure to let the polymer clay cool to room temperature before touching the water slide decal.

10. You can seal the design with Future floor wax or polymer glaze.

Make A Powerful Signature

A Signature

Unlike John Hancock, you don't have a powerful signature that people will remember for years to come. With fat, rounded, slopping letters, the cursive penmanship you learned in elementary school left you with an ugly signature. But you don't have to keep your old signature. By using the method outlined here, you can make a beautiful and powerful signature that will be as unique as you are.

Instructions

1. Decide what style of handwriting you like. You can find samples from books on penmanship or calligraphy or from the fonts on a computer's word processor. Select several styles.

2. Type the alphabet, both lower and upper case, in the font you have selected. Also type several practice words, sentences and your name on another page. Print up several copies of these pages.

3. Place a sheet of tracing paper on top of one of the alphabet pages and secure them to a clipboard. Begin tracing each letter using a pencil. When you are comfortable with writing and not merely tracing the letters, move on to the page with the words, sentences and your signature. Continue to practice these pages.

4. Practice writing your new font without using the tracing paper or the alphabet or word pages. Focus on holding, not grasping, the pen or pencil, to avoid getting cramps in your hand.

5. Alter the writing you've learned in order to make a new style that is your own. Remember to not only make your new signature beautiful and unique, but also legible. Once you are comfortable with your new handwriting, practice writing it with a pen, either a regular, fountain or calligraphy pen.

About Mexican Murals

Murals have been used for centuries in Mexico to tell stories of religion, culture and history so that illiterate people could understand. In the twentieth century, mural painting grew into an important art movement representing the prevalent socialist thinking.

Church Decoration

Up until the late nineteenth century, murals in Mexico were used to decorate churches and to tell religious stories.

Education and Political Thought

Secular murals began to appear in schools and state buildings representing new positivist thought. (Positivism suggests that knowledge should be based on natural phenomena.)

Mexican Revolution

After the Mexican Revolution (1910 through 1920), the Mexican Secretary of State for Education Jose Vasconcelos allocated funds for artists to paint murals in public buildings. Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros were two artists who benefited from this plan.

Nationalist Themes

Rivera, Siqueiros and others formed an artists' syndicate (Sindicato de Obreros Tecnicos, Pintores y Escultores) that produced a manifesto in 1922. This manifesto stated that mural painting must illustrate socialist ideals. Murals championed the working classes and were more militant in nature.

Decorative Murals

During the 1940s, the trend for Mexican murals changed back to a more decorative folk style because commissions for artists were coming from private institutions and the government.

Los Tres Grandes

Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Jose Clemente Orozco are known as "The Three Great Ones" (Los Tres Grandes) of Mexican muralists. Although they are usually grouped together, their styles are different and their creative lives did not exactly parallel. All three worked in the United States as well as Mexico.

Turn Your Art Into Prints

Artwork can be easily made into prints.

You can easily turn your art into prints by having them made into giclee prints. Giclee is a printmaking technology that creates stunning reproductions of artwork with high color accuracy. The process includes having your artwork professionally scanned to create a high resolution image, then sending your image to a fine art giclee printing company. Giclee printers will create beautiful and highly detailed professional prints onto your choice of photo paper or canvas. Your image will be stored by the printing company and can be reproduced as many times as needed.

Instructions

1. Perform a search online of "artwork scanning" and your zip code into the search bar. Research and compare the services and locations of several companies, and select a company that you want to work with. Request an estimate on the website, or contact the company by phone for more information.

2. Take your artwork to the company you select. They will scan it and provide you with a disk of your scanned art.

3. Log onto the Internet and type "giclee fine art printing" into the search bar. Research and compare prices and services of several companies. Compare the types of inks, types of equipment being used, and the quality of image files being produced by each company. Select a company that you want to work with.

4. Upload your scanned image, from the disk, to the printing company's website. Locate the "upload" link on the website, fill in all required information requested in the form, and click the "browse" button to locate your file on your disk. Complete the checkout process.

Turn A Poster Into A Canvas

Turn your poster into a canvas by copying the design onto painter's oil canvas.

Turn your cherished posters into a more durable, artistic piece of art by transferring the design onto a stretched canvas. Create artwork for pennies on the dollar by picking up your favorite piece of art or design in an inexpensive poster form, then transform it into an oil-on-canvas yourself. No need to possess superior artistic talents--just the ability to trace your design and enough color theory savvy to then fill in the design with paint on your canvas.

Instructions

1. Place your poster on an artists' tracing table, sometimes referred to as "light tables" with a lamp underneath. These can be purchased at most art stores. Tape the poster down so it doesn't move around.

2. Place your blank, stretched canvas on top of the table over the poster and secure on the edges to the table using small table clamps or vices.

3. Turn on the lamp underneath the tracing table and you will be able to see the design through the canvas. Trace the outlines of the design.

4. Prepare colors by mixing oil paints on a mixing tray until you have achieved all desired colors to complete your poster transfer.

5. Paint in the design on the canvas working from top to bottom and closely following your poster's design as seen through the tracing table's illumination.

Clean your paint brushes and mixing tray using solvent and rags.

Turn Any Photograph Into A Line Drawing

Turn a photograph into a line drawing using Photoshop.

Photography allows you to capture images accurately and easily. Drawing requires skill to create a truly realistic line drawing. With a little help from Photoshop, you can transform a photograph into a line drawing. It may take some practice to get it right, but before you know it, you'll be creating line drawings with ease. From there, you can experiment with colors and shading to create your own unique art projects.

Instructions

1. Open the photograph in Photoshop. Rename the file "Original."

2. Make the image lighter so that lines are easier to see by choosing "Image," then "Adjustments" and selecting "Brightness/Control."

3. Duplicate the original image and name it "Top." Create two additional layers of the image under the top layer. Leave one layer transparent and rename it "Line Drawing." Fill the layer closest to the original white and rename it "Background."

4. Turn the "Visibility" off for the layer named "Background" and for the layer named "Top" and turn it on for the layers labeled "Line Drawing" and "Original," keeping the line drawing layer active.

5. Choose a thick and thin line weight from the "Brush Palette." Adjust the "Shape Dynamics" and set the "Control" to "Fade" so that the lines can taper. Adjust the "Fade" setting and "Minimum Diameter," and set the foreground color to black.

6. Find the center of focus and begin tracing the lines there using short lines, instead of trying to do one solid outline.

7. Right-click on the line and select "Stroke Path" from the menu. Turn on the background "Visibility" and, if you like the positioning of the lines, right-click again and select "Delete Path." To draw more lines, turn off the "Visibility" for the background and repeat Steps 6 and 7.

8. Redo any lines by going to the "History Palette" and adjusting the settings as desired. Erase lines in a diagonal motion to keep the taper of the lines.

9. Select "Brush Shape Dynamics Window" to create a line that tapers at both ends. Change control from "Fade" to "Pen Pressure" and "Minimum Diameter" to one percent. Select the "Stroke Path" and simulate pressure.

10. Check your work by turning on the background and turning the top layer on and off to see how the lines are matching up. Adjust your lines as necessary.

11. Utilize the shape tools for square, round and oval shapes.

Draw A Swan

Draw a Swan

Swans are one of the easiest animals to draw as you're learning and refining your artistic technique. A couple of simple curvy lines can become a swan with as little effort as it takes a swan to glide across the surface of a pond.

Instructions

1. Draw a simple number "2" and make the line at the bottom of the "2" bump up slightly in the middle to look like a small hill.

2. Extend the top point of the "2" so that it curls under slightly like a hook. Make a curved line, like a smile, from the top of your hook and down about a half inch. The top of the smile will retrace the top of the hook.

3. Create tail feathers by making several zig-zag-like triangles off the base of the "2".

4. Add water ripples that start under the last tail feather and extend across the page.

5. Draw a line from the top of your hook (or smile) down to the water to make the swan's neck.

6. Take the point at the bottom of the smile and extend it to the top of the curve on the head of the "2" to make a beak. Add a black dot for an eye.

Draw A Koala

Koala bears are adorable tree dwellers with distinctive features.

Koala bears are fuzzy little mammals native to Australia that spend most of their time hanging out in trees. Drawing them can be tricky if you aren't sure tackle the task, but by using general shape outlines you can get the body proportioned correctly before you even have to worry about details. Koala bears share distinctive features that make them easy to identify and fun to draw.

Instructions

1. Sketch three very light circles in a vertical row using a pencil on a piece of drawing paper. The top and bottom circle should be roughly the same size, to represent the head and haunches. The circle in the middle, the body circle, should be slightly larger than the other two.

2. Create a line that runs around the circles to connect them, making the koala's body. Use the side of your pencil to shade the top half of the bottom circle to emphasize the haunches. Draw two long arms that reach forward, and two small feet that poke out directly beneath the haunches. Koalas have fingers, but their toes are hooked with claws.

3. Add two fluffy, circular-shaped ears on either side of the koala's head. The ears should be large with wisps of hair that come out the sides.

4. Erase the original circles' lines within the body so that you can add spiky fur details around the belly, shoulders, and haunches of the koala.

5. Add in the koala's facial features, using a picture of a koala for a reference if necessary. Koalas have small dark eyes, long black noses, and a distinctive white stripe that wraps around the jaw of the face.

Draw Flowers Stepbystep

Draw Flowers Step-by-Step

Flowers provide a source of inspiration and beauty. The clematis flower, a relative of the buttercup, makes a lovely example of a plant that a beginning artist can draw. Most of the many different species of the clematis are climbing vines, which grow in many different planting zones. The Barbara Jackman is a purple-blue clematis with a magenta petal center. The blooms vary in size from approximately 5 to 7 inches in diameter. Preserve the beauty of the flower by drawing it with a few easy steps.

Instructions

1. Draw a rough circle to represent the center of the flower.

2. Make six basic teardrop shapes radiating from the circle, which will become the petals.

3. Make each petal shape individual by adding wrinkles, tears, veins and overlapping edges.

4. To make the center of the flower, draw rough scratchy lines. The lines do not have to be precise because once color is added, the lines will be more defined.

5. Erase any extra and overlapping lines.

6. Trace the drawing with a pen if desired. Erase the pencil lines when the ink is dry.

7. Add color to the flower with whatever medium you desire.

Transfer Poster To Canvas

You can transfer the image of a poster to a canvas medium and make your poster art look like a traditional oil, pastel or other high-quality work of art. You can place your new canvas-transferred artwork in any type of lighting, because canvas does not reflect too much light. Your new artwork is easy to mount and simple to clean.

Instructions

1. Gently wipe off any dust from the front and back of your picture, drawing or photograph.

2. Ensure that your picture, drawing or photograph matches the canvas perfectly by centering your artwork on the canvas. Check the corners to ensure a nice fit without any overlapping.

3. Sandwich the vinyl laminating film between the canvas and the artwork. Your artwork must be face up and on top of the adhesive paper.

4. Place a vinyl laminating film over the canvas. Cut the vinyl laminating film just slightly larger than the canvas. Place protective foam over the entire arrangement.

5. Set the vacuum press to about 180-plus degrees. Place the canvas arrangement with the vinyl film and artwork into the vacuum press for 3 to 5 minutes.

6. Remove the canvas arrangement from the oven. Remove the protective foam and inspect the quality of the artwork. If there are no bubbles, then the canvas is ready for the next step.

7. Apply a thin layer of liquid acrylic polymer over the surface of the artwork, using gentle brush strokes with a wide paintbrush. An alternative is to use a spray bottle of acrylic polymer over the entire artwork. A paintbrush allows the hobbyist to spread the liquid evenly. The choice here is purely a matter of personal style and comfort.

8. Staple the corners of the canvas, going around the edges of the wood stretcher bars.

9. Stretch the canvas. You will have to experiment to see how far you need to stretch the canvas. Experience comes with practice. Add a few staples where needed for a secure fit.

10. Air-dry the canvas. Your fine art is ready for display.

Preserve Funeral Flowers In An Acrylic Heart

Flowers can be used as a way to remember someone.

We use flowers to mark many occasions, including the passing of a loved one. At a funeral, it is traditional to bring many beautiful arrangements of flowers. Rather than throwing away the flowers after the funeral, it is possible to use the flowers to construct a keepsake that is both beautiful and tasteful as a reminder of the person for whom they were purchased. A clear acrylic heart ornament lends itself well to this simple craft.

Instructions

1. Select your flowers. You will only need a few for your heart. Choose flowers that are particularly good specimens as well as small enough to fit inside of your acrylic heart.

2. Cut the flowers with a scissors to remove any unwanted materials, like leaves, and to trim the stems.

3. Spread silica gel in the bottom of your container, at least 1/2-inch deep. Carefully place your flowers on top. If they are particularly delicate, you can use wire to help them maintain their shapes.

4. Cover the flowers with more silica gel, spreading it around so that the flowers maintain their shape. You need about 1/2 inch of silica gel over the top of the flowers. Put a lid on the container; it needs to be fairly airtight.

5. Let the flowers dry for at least a week.

6. Remove the flowers and shake off the excess silica gel.

7. Open your acrylic heart and arrange the flowers inside. Close the heart.

Transfer Conte To Canvas

Make a sketch before you paint.

Although some modern methods of making art often involve a large degree of spontaneous creation, traditional planning and preparation have not gone completely by the wayside. Projects that require detailed techniques, such as painting on canvas, can only be helped by careful preparation. The most common way to plan out a design for a canvas is to make a sketch the same size as the canvas, then transfer the sketch directly onto the canvas. The transferred sketch provides helpful guidelines you can paint over.

Instructions

1. Draw out a pencil sketch for your canvas design, using a sheet of paper the same size as the canvas. Make sure the sketch has the exact proportions and composition you want in your final design.

2. Secure the pencil sketch to a drawing board or other flat surface, using a few pieces of artist's tape at the top, bottom and sides.

3. Lay a piece of tracing paper over the sketch. Tape the tracing paper down with a few pieces of artist's tape.

4. Trace the sketch in pencil, copying all of the lines you would like transferred to the canvas.

5. Remove the tape from the tracing paper and turn the tracing paper over. Cover the entire back side of the tracing paper with conte.

6. Lay the tracing paper on top of the canvas surface, conte side down. Tape the tracing paper to the surface with a few pieces of artist's tape so that it does not move around while you work.

7. Draw over your sketch lines on the tracing paper, using the pencil. Remove the tracing paper from the canvas.

Sell Football Trading Cards

Football trading cards have been around since 1948, and, along with sports cards from the other three major North American sports, remain a huge and lucrative business. Rare or coveted cards can fetch hundreds or even thousands of dollars on the resale market. In order to get good money for your cards, however, you'll have to work carefully. Like any other speculative market, there are plenty of sharks happy to swindle people by paying less than a given card is worth, and the cards themselves must be kept in good shape if they are to fetch a worthwhile price.

Instructions

1. Protect your cards carefully. Football cards are worth more if they are in good condition, but they will deteriorate rapidly if left unattended. Place them in mylar sleeves and then put the sleeves in a three-ring binder to keep them from bending. Store your cards in a cool dry place and make sure they stay free of moisture and the elements. It's probably a good idea to organize your cards as well, either by the year they were issued, by the set they were printed in or by individual teams in the NFL. That way, you have a good idea of what you have and can figure out how much they are worth from there.

2. Evaluate the market value for your cards. The best way to do this is to check websites such as Collect Sports and The Pit, though you can also buy a number of reliable price guides at any large book store. That should give you a good idea of how much your set is worth and you can proceed with a ballpark figure in your head.

3. Sound out a possible buyer. You can find buyers at sports card conventions, in forums online and through dependable services such as eBay. Keep in mind that the market value doesn't necessarily reflect what people are willing to pay. Depending upon your set, you may have to accept a little less than its stated worth in order to secure a sale or more if you find someone who dearly wants some or all of your football cards.

4. Arrange for a sale in a sensible manner thar protects your rights as a seller. If someone is eager to buy the minute they see your set and wants to rush you through a sale, chances are they're hoping to get a good deal at your expense. If the cards are worth buying, they're worth waiting a few days for. Never agree to any sale on short notice, and never sell to anyone until you have ascertained their reputation and reliability. A reputable card dealer or a service like eBay can help arrange a sale under fair and equitable terms.

Autograph Books

Book-signing events are part of the exciting process of becoming a published writer. It's the author's opportunity to meet with fans and promote her book. An autographed book has sentimental value to the fan. Its monetary value could increase as the author achieves fame. An autograph usually consists of a cordial sentiment to the fan and the author's name.

Instructions

1. Select an appropriate pen. Generally, the best pen is one that is comfortable, durable and has good quality ink that won't bleed through the page. Choose the ink color you like.

2. Pick a page in front of the book for your autograph. Authors usually sign the right corner on the first open page in the book.

3. Spell your fan's name correctly. Ask your fan for the spelling of her name because there are spelling variations for common names. For instance, "Tony" could be spelled "Toni" or "Tonee." It's better to be sure than to simply assume.

4. Determine what sentiment to write. Some authors write short comments, such as "Cheers" or "Best wishes." Some fans may make specific requests, such as "Happy Birthday, Mary!" or "To my No. 1 Fan, Jim."

5. Sign your name. You could sign your full name ("Dorothy Jones), your first initial and last name ("D. Jones") or just your first name ("Dorothy"). Your complete autograph could look like this: "To Bill Smith, Best wishes, Dorothy Jones."

Transfer A Newspaper Print To A Canvas

Making your own artwork out of newspaper print can be achieved at home. You can transfer black and white or color images from inkjet printers, laser printers magazines and newspapers by following a simple process. This process removes the paper backing of the printed image to allow the printed image to be transferred to a canvas via a see through medium.

Instructions

1. Choose the newspaper print that you want to transfer to your canvas.

2. Place the right side of the paper you want to transfer face down on your work surface. Cover the back of the page with spray adhesive. Turn the image over and stick it to the top of the glass palette. Be careful to lay the paper flat and smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles with you hands.

3. Brush the image with gloss medium varnish. Try to paint an even coat of varnish across the image. Leave the varnish to dry for an hour. When the varnish is dry it will appear clear.

4. Repeat Step 3 until you have painted five to 12 coats of varnish. The varnish backing should be about 1/16 inch thick. Paint each coat in a different direction, as this will give the varnish backing strength. For example, paint layer two horizontally and layer three vertically.

5. Place a spirit level on the glass palette to check that the palette is level. If the palette is not level, adjust its placement until it is. Use masking tape to tape around the four sides of the image. Stick four additional layers of masking tape on top of the original layer. This will form a lip around the edge of the image.

6. Pour a small amount of varnish over the image. Use the paintbrush to spread the varnish around to cover all areas of the print evenly. Leave the varnish to dry for 48 to 72 hours.

7. Cut around the inside edge of the masking tape to free the image from the glass palette. Soak the image in lukewarm water for no more than 20 minutes. Pull the image out of the water.

8. Use your fingers to rub away the top layer paper on the image. Place the image in warm water. Pull the image out and rub away the next layer of paper from the image. Repeat this process until no paper remains on the image.

9. Place a sheet of wax paper on your work surface. Place the image on top and cover with another layer of wax paper. Remove the image from between the wax paper and sandwich it between two sheets of paper towel.

10. Remove the image from between the paper towel and leave to dry for 48 to 72 hours. It is important that the image dries flat and undisturbed.

11. Paint a layer of varnish onto the side of the image that will be stuck to the canvas -- the wrong side of the image. Place the image in the desired location on the canvas. Press and hold in place for a few minutes. Leave the canvas to dry flat on a work surface, so the transferred image doesn't slip down the canvas.

Track Freight Trains

Find freight trains schedule.

Without freight trains, goods and merchandise would be scarce. Thanks to the freight train business, products are moved easily across the nation. Have you ever been stopped at a railroad crossing and wish you knew their schedule? You could then avoid being stopped at a railroad track. Simply find their schedule and avoid the tracks at that time.

Instructions

1. Write down the time that the freight train passes by a track. This will be your starting point to track a freight train's schedule.

2. Figure out which direction the train is going via sun's position in the sky, pocket compass or car satellite system.

3. Locate the name of the freight train company on numerous cars. Remember, you are looking for the freight train company's name not the company's whose products are on the train (See Resource 1).

4. Use an online train location finder (See Resource 2). Different sites require different information. Have the train time, direction, company name, and train number if you can locate it. If you can not locate the train number, merely pull up a train's number on the train locator's site and compare it with the location of the train you are seeking.

Activities To Teach Portraiture To Elementary Kids

Teaching portraiture starts with a lesson in proportions.

Drawing and painting portraits is one of the most important skills for an artist to develop. Understanding the proportions, elements and composition involved with creating a portrait will help a student to become more adept at drawing and painting not only people, but any other subjects as well. Portrait drawing is great practice for young students in particular, as the subject is something recognizable to them, and they will be able to enjoy the task of drawing themselves, their friends and their families.

Facial Proportions

The first step toward teaching students portraiture is explaining the proportions of the face. For elementary school students, describe the head as egg-shaped, with the eyes falling half way between the top of the head and the bottom of the chin. The eyes themselves are separated by the width of one eye. The nose begins between the eyes and extends halfway between the eyes and the chin. It is as wide at the nostrils as the inside of the eyes. The mouth lies halfway between the bottom of the nose and chin, and is as wide as the center of the eyes. The ears generally start at the top of the eye and end at the bottom of the nose.

Explain these basic proportions the students and have them look into a mirror to see this for themselves. Prompt them to notice the slight differences in their own face from these basic proportions.

Self-Portraits

Self-portraits are a staple assignment in virtually every drawing, painting or sculpture class at any level. Self-portraits are valuable because the subject matter is extremely familiar to the student and readily available. A series of self-portraits done over a fixed period of time is an excellent way to track an artist's development. All that is needed for a self-portrait assignment is a mirror and the appropriate drawing materials.

Have each student set a small mirror on the desk. Give them pencils and paper, and have them attempt to draw a contour picture of their own faces using the basic proportions you have explained to them. A contour picture is a picture created using only lines, without any shading. Once students master the elements of facial proportions, instruct them on shading in the areas of dark and light value on the contour drawing. Encourage them to spend as much time as possible observing their faces in the mirror.

Drawing Classmates

Pair each student with another and have them repeat the process using another student as a model instead of looking into the mirror. This will help students see the similarities in the facial proportions. Keep pairing the students together until each student has drawn a self-portrait and at least three other students in the class. This will teach the students the subtle differences in the shapes and proportions of people's faces.

Drawing a Family Member

Assign a final project of drawing a family member. Instruct the student to spend more time on this drawing than the others, and make the picture look as realistic as possible. This will allow the student to practice a more involved art piece, while creating a meaningful image that she may want to frame and hang in her home.

Art Lithograph Process

Today, lithographic printing can be carried out on high-tech machines.

Lithography was invented in Germany by a writer, Alois Senefelder, in 1798. He wanted a cheaper way of printing his books. Instead of using ink on a raised surface (like letterpress and woodcarving) or running ink in channels (as in intaglio) lithography makes use of simple chemistry acting on a flat surface. Grease repels water, so he applied a greasy substance which would retain a layer of ink, which was also greasy. The surrounding, clear area he covered with water and nitric acid, which repelled the ink. Originally, limestone was used (litho is Greek for stone). Lithography provides clear definition of inked areas with less effort than molding or carving raised areas.

About the Process

The separation of hydrophobic (water repelling) areas and hydrophillic (water attracting ones) is the basis of the lithography process, and technical developments during the 19th century led to its widespread use in book, newspaper and poster production as well as fine art printing. Nowadays, apart from a few specialist small scale printers that still use stone, the majority of lithographs are produced by computers. But the chemical separation of inked and non-inked areas is maintained.

The image is often produced as a negative, then the inked image is transferred onto a roller that squeezes out the water allowing a dry final image to be transferred to paper. This is called offset printing.

Early Artists Using Lithography

Artists quickly recognized two important advantages offered by lithography: they could produce a large number of copies that maintained the quality of the original, and the artist could have a large element of control over the creation of the image. When satisfied with the initial run off, the artist would sign them "bon a tirer" (good to pull through) and the production run would commence. The leading Spanish artist of the period, Francisco de Goya, made his last series of prints, The Bulls of Bourdeaux (1828), as lithographs. The two leading French Romantic artists, Eugene Delacroix and Theodore Gericault, both appreciated the dramatic effects of shading that the process provided and produced works in the medium, as did Honore Daumier a generation later.

Lithography in the Later 19th Century

After initial enthusiasm had waned in the middle of the 19th century further interest was renewed towards the end of the century when technical advances, particularly color processing, had occurred. These developments were thanks to the popularity of the method for producing mass publications. By 1890, the problems of registration had been solved allowing for large areas of different colors to be accurately placed over a series of "pulls" as only one color could be applied at a time. The new possibilities can be seen in the eye-catching posters done by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. But, at the other end of the expressive spectrum, a new and finely tuned subtlety attracted J.A.M.Whistler to explore grades of shading to evoke seascapes in mist and Edgar Degas selected the medium to investigate effects created by natural and artificial light at night.

20th Century

French and American artists have used lithography probably more than other countries, but the method is used elsewhere. One reason for the popularity in France was the existence of specialist printers such as the Atelier Mourlet who could work closely with artists such as Matisse, Miro, Picasso and Chagall. With the Atelier Mourlot, founded as a wallpaper manufacturer, these artists could create original artworks that would be executed in small editions by master craftsmen.

Texture Paint Drywall

Use the bristles of your paint brush to create a texture with paint.

Texture paint can add dimension to walls while hiding seams between drywall and original walls. It can also conceal any small damages like holes or cracks. Texture painting over drywall is easy to do and there are a number of textures and techniques you can use to add your own touch. A few steps will ensure proper adhesion of the paint and a cohesive look.

Instructions

1. Wipe down drywall with a clean rag and some soapy water if drywall is old or dirty. Wipe drywall down one more time with another wet rag to remove any soap residue.

2. Apply a layer of primer with a paint roller to new drywall and allow primer to dry according to the manufacture's drying times. You do not need to prime previously painted walls. Clean your paint roller with soapy water afterward.

3. Dip your painter's brush in paint and apply a layer of texture paint to a piece of cardboard. Play around using the bristles of your brush to create various textures until you find one you like. Practicing on cardboard will prevent mistakes later when painting on the wall.

4. Fill your paint tray and begin painting a small 5-by-5 foot section of the wall starting in one corner. You want to paint in sections moving across the wall in rows from top to bottom so that you can spend enough time working with the texture in each section and blending sections as you go.

5. Dab paint thoroughly over the section of wall, re-wetting the brush with paint as you go to get a uniform textured layer. Use your brush as you did on the cardboard to create the textured look you like.

6. Continue on to the next section and apply a thin layer of paint over the seam of the previous section and the new section to ensure they blend together. Continue working in sections across the wall until the entire wall is covered in texture paint. Allow paint to fully dry for a day and either leave it the original color or paint over with latex-based wall paint.

Texture Paint

One way to create a more interesting paint effect in your home is by adding texture to regular latex wall paint. The easiest way to create this texture is by adding silica sand to your paint. It is important to use silica sand, which is often sold in paint stores, since regular beach sand contains dirt and other imperfections that can make your wall look dingy. Sand can be added to any color paint, giving the walls a natural, rough-looking finish.

Instructions

1. Mix about one part silica sand with about ten parts paint. Feel free to test how much texture you want by gradually adding sand to the paint, mixing it and dabbing a bit on the wall with the paint roller until the desired effect is achieved.

2. Mix the sand and the paint well. Silica sand will settle to the bottom of the paint bucket rather quickly, so use the mixer to periodically stir the paint to ensure even texture coverage.

3. Mix the paint and sand immediately before pouring it into the paint tray. When painting, use the roller to stir the paint and sand mixture in the tray between applications.

4. Apply one coat of textured paint to the walls with the roller. Paint up and down, then paint over it side to side to smooth any roller lines. Let dry.

5. Apply a second coat of textured paint to the walls for the most finished look.

Texture A Wall Before Faux Painting

Get creative by adding texture to walls. Texture also hides cracks and imperfections in the wall. Adding texture to a wall before faux painting will make the faux painting pop and your walls look great. With a little practice, most do-it-yourself (DIY) homeowners can do this project easily.

Instructions

1. Buy drywall mud at the local home improvement store. It's best to buy the premixed type for ease of use and storage. The premixed drywall compound (mud) will also store very well and gives a consistent finish. While you are at the home improvement or DIY hardware store, buy a wide putty knife and heavy duty sponges to help you texture the wall. Gloves are also a good idea.

2. Mix a small amount of the drywall mud with water to thin it. It should be thick enough to stay on the wall and not drip. Make the mud about the consistency of very thick liquid soap or thin toothpaste. Mix it with the putty knife in a small bucket. Some experienced DIY homeowners prefer to mix paint with the drywall mud instead of water. The paint waters down the mud and adds the color at the same time. If you are an experienced DIY homeowner, this is a great time saver and saves one painting step.

3. Practice the texture technique on a piece of broken drywall, or a board, before applying it to the wall. Get comfortable with the technique you use by practicing with different tools to apply the texture. Use the broad putty knife first to apply the texture to the wall. Use the putty knife to texture the wall. If you aren't satisfied with the texture, try sponging the wall. Other great tools that add texture include old paint brushes, brushes from vacuum cleaners, soft bristle brooms and rags. Practice until you are comfortable with applying the texture to the wall. Practice the painting technique when the mud has dried to achieve the desired effects. If you are faux painting the wall, it's important to see the end result by painting as well as adding texture.

4. Add the texture to the wall. Make sure you can finish a whole wall at one session. If you stop the texture and then return at a later time, there will be a clear difference between the textures.

5. Apply the paint when the texture has thoroughly dried. Allow at least 24 hours for the texture to dry before painting. Use the paint you've selected for faux painting and soon you'll be sitting back and enjoying the wall texture you've created.

Paint Chinese Landscape Waterfalls

Paint a waterfall using an economy of brushstrokes.

The ancient tradition of Chinese landscape painting can be traced back several thousand years, yet this art form is readily accessible to the modern world as well. Begin painting a waterfall landscape and you may discover a relaxing new hobby.

Instructions

1. Load the brush with black paint mixed on the paper plate. Press and drag the side of the brush multiple times down the outer edges of the paper to create the rocky and jagged outline of the waterfall.

2. Press a black brush against the paper and pull in a rectangular motion to create five or six rocky outcroppings down the middle of the waterfall.

3. Load the brush with a gray mixture. From the top of each outcropping, sweep the side of the brush to the left and down 2 or 3 inches to create an effect of water cascading around the rocks.

4. Paint the waterfall pool by loading the brush with a wet gray mixture and pulling wide strokes back and forth across the bottom of the page.

5. Paint small trees along the rocky sides of the upper waterfall to create depth. Load the brush with a thick black, press the tip down and flick the brush diagonally upward for the main tree branch. Press the brush edge at 45-degree angles to the branch to create an effect of smaller branches.

Test A Kiln Incinerator

Kilns reach temperatures of 1500 degrees Fahrenheit or more.

A kiln incinerator (known simply as a kiln) is a thermally insulated device that has been used for ages to dry, harden and burn materials like ceramic, brick or glass. Old style kilns used fire or coal as the heat source and were constructed from common building materials like mud and brick. New high-tech kilns are powered by electricity or gas and are constructed from insulated metals and composites. No matter their design, all new kilns will need to be tested in order to burn off any residual moisture and condition the elements.

Instructions

1. Fire the kiln with the kiln completely empty. The exact heat the kiln will be brought to will differ with each kiln, but the goal is to bring it up to a normal operating condition within a 10-hour range. For most kilns, it will take 2 to 3 hrs to reach max heat (1000 to 2000 Fahrenheit or more) and will take 6 to 7 hours to finish its cooling cycle.

Once this "pre-fire" is complete, you'll be able to do a "loaded" test.

2. Insert a batch of test material, such as glass, ceramic or brick into the kiln.

3. Run the kiln through its heating and cooling cycle, first bringing the kiln up to peak heat and then allowing it cool from 6 to 7 hours.

4. Note the time it takes for the kiln to reach max heat, what that max heat is and how long it takes to cool. While this data will fluctuate depending on the type of materials you're firing, it will be useful to understand the proper operating ranges of your specific kiln in the event that you need to troubleshoot a problem in the future.

Famous Murals

A mural can fill an entire wall or ceiling.

The first murals were believed to be paintings discovered in the Caves of Lascaux in France. The prehistoric cave paintings were mostly of animals and human hand prints. Through the years, artists have painted many murals -- artworks that cover a large surface, such as a wall or ceiling -- that went on to become famous.

Sistine Chapel Ceiling

The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was painted by Michaelangelo and was revealed to the world in 1512. Pope Julius II asked Michaelangelo to paint the twelve apostles, but the finished painting includes over 3,000 figures. Michaelangelo built special scaffolding for himself to reach the ceiling that is 68 feet off the ground. The ceiling took four years to complete and is still considered one of the world's greatest artistic masterpieces.

Guernica

Guernica is one of the most famous paintings by Pablo Picasso. He was commissioned by the Spanish government in 1937 to decorate the Spanish Pavilion, which was an exhibition building that was built for the World's Fair. He chose to depict the violent consequences of the bombing of Guernica, the first aerial bombardment that attacked a civilian population. It's painted in black and white and has been shown in museums in cities throughout the world. It is currently on display at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, Spain.

The Last Supper

The Last Supper by Leonardo DaVinci is a revered mural that measures 15 feet x 29 feet. He was asked by the Duke of Milan in 1495 to paint the mural and it took three years to complete. It depicts the biblical story of Jesus and the apostles sharing a meal the day before Jesus is crucified. The original mural is on a wall in the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy, and has been restored many times over the years.

The Making of a Fresco Showing the Building of a City

San Francisco is home to many well-known murals, and "The Making of a Fresco Showing the Building of a City" is one of four in the Bay Area painted by Diego Rivera. Originally from Mexico, Rivera was commissioned by William Gerstle, a San Francisco Art Association official. Gerstle had to outbid Ortiz Rubio, the president of Mexico, who wanted Rivera to paint murals at the National Palace. The mural depicts the building of a modern city, including portraits of some of the individuals who worked on the painting. Rivera also painted himself in the mural near the top with his back to the viewer. It was completed in 1931 and is a permanent piece of the San Francisco Art Institute.

Oil Paint For Beginners

Oil painting in a home studio requires only basic materials for a beginning artist.

Oil paint is a traditional artistic medium which has been used for centuries. The enduring popularity of oil paint comes from the medium's durability, vibrant colors and ability to be applied in a variety of painting approaches, from detailed realism to expressive abstraction. However, beginning artists can be confused about oil painting materials, solvents, drying times and techniques. Learn the basic steps in creating an oil painting from start to finish with minimal complications and supplies.

Instructions

1. Place the primed canvas on your easel and secure it with the easel's top clamp. Adjust the easel's height and angle so that you can comfortably work on the canvas either standing or sitting, depending on your preference and subject matter.

2. Arrange your oil colors by placing a small amount of each paint along two sides of your palette. Leave room in the center of the palette for mixing colors. Secure the palette cup to the top edge of the palette and fill it with odorless mineral spirits.

3. Mix odorless mineral spirits into one of your paint colors with a palette knife to begin sketching the painting subject. Choose a neutral or dark color such as burnt umber or ultramarine blue. Pick up the diluted paint with a round-tipped bristle brush and keep the paint thin and workable by adding more odorless mineral spirits from the palette cup as necessary. Wipe away any errors in the sketch using painting rags or paper towels. Complete the sketch to your desired level of completeness, using a flat-tipped bristle brush and very thin paint to indicate shadows and darker value forms.

4. Refill the palette cup with an equal amount of linseed oil and odorless mineral spirits. This combination will be your medium for the next stage of the painting process. Mix colors on your palette using the palette knife, adding a small amount of medium to them as you mix. Apply the mixed paint to the canvas in broad strokes, concentrating on major values and tones until the entire canvas surface is covered with color.

5. Cover any remaining paint on the palette with plastic wrap to keep paints from drying out. Allow the canvas surface to dry before continuing to the next painting session. Depending on the paints and colors used, drying time can vary from one day to several weeks.

6. Mix fresh painting medium, now adding more linseed oil and less odorless mineral spirits. Return to your painting to refine the colors, shadows and values. You may use softer sable brushes to apply thin glazes of color or paint very fine details.

7. Continue painting sessions, allowing each layer of paint to completely dry to the touch before returning to work on the canvas. For every session, use increasingly more linseed oil and less odorless mineral spirits in your mixed painting medium. Each layer in an oil painting should contain more oil and less paint to ensure that the top layers dry more slowly and to prevent cracking.

8. Allow your painting to completely dry before framing or otherwise mounting. An oil painting can take up to six months to completely dry, depending on the number of painting layers and thickness of paint application.

Tell If Art You Bought Is Worth Anything

Commercial topics such as the female nude will make a work easier to sell.

In 1987, a couple took a painting they had been given by their mother-in-law to the British version of the "Antiques Roadshow" television show. It turned out to be a lost masterpiece by the Victorian artist Richard Dadd, with a value of nearly $200,000. While you're unlikely to be quite so lucky, there is a chance that the picture or other piece of art you picked up at a flea market or yard sale might be worth a tidy sum.

Instructions

1. Look at the subject matter. Some topics are more popular than others. Nude females, cats, dogs, children playing, naval and military scenes are all very commercial. Seascapes are also popular as long as the sea isn't stormy. The wrong elements, such as dead animals or a sinister-looking figure in the foreground, can reduce the value of a picture. The importance of subject matter applies in other forms of art, such as sculpture, with nude females and animals again having the most appeal.

2. Check for signs of age. Examine the backs of paintings for old, brown canvas and rusty nails. With pieces of sculpture, look for changes in patina from the piece being handled.

3. Look at the medium the artwork employs. Some are inherently more prestigious than others. In paintings, oils are more prestigious than watercolors -- this is because an oil painting might take months to complete, while a watercolor may only take a few hours. You can identify watercolors because they are usually framed behind glass, with transparent colors that sink into the paper. Oil paint is built up in layers that look three-dimensional in places, and is usually left unglazed, or not framed behind glass. With sculpture, figures cast in heavy bronze or carved from hard, polished, close-grained stone, such as marble or alabaster, will always command commercial interest.

4. Examine the piece for a signature. Art attributable to a particular artist will usually be far easier to sell than an unsigned piece. On paintings, the signature is generally in one of the bottom corners, but it's also worth checking the back, as a professional artist will often put the name and the address of the studio there. On sculptures, check the base.

5. Check to see whether an artist's signature is accompanied by a number such as "6/20." This tells you that the artwork is part of a limited edition -- the number after the forward slash is the size of the edition, while the first digit gives you the individual number of your piece. Limited editions appeal to collectors, but only if the size of the edition is no more than 100.

Tell A Print From A Lithograph

Lithographs may look like drawings, like this portrait of composer Robert Schumann.

It can be hard to discern differences between lithographs and other kinds of drawings since lithography developed to replicate closely other artworks (such as drawings or paintings). Prints require a plate that is prepared to take ink; the printmaker lays a sheet of paper on top of the plate and runs both through a printing press. Multiple prints can be made from a single plate. Multiple types of prints and ways to prepare them exist. Telling lithographs from other types of prints is difficult unless you know what to look for.

Instructions

1. Look for the signs of an artist's print. For example, most prints feature the artist's signature written in pencil, as well as two numbers separated by a slash (the bottom number tells the number of prints made off the plate in total; the upper number signals the print's individual number within the series).

2. Learn how lithographs are made; this will help you distinguish lithographs from other type of prints (such as etchings or woodcuts). Artists make lithographs by using a special type of waxy crayon to draw on a flat stone; after a series of chemical processes, ink sticks to the areas covered by waxy crayon and not the rest of the stone. Because of this, lithographs can look like drawings. For an example, see the famous lithographs of Käthe Kollwitz.

3. Do your research. Artists often play considerably with media, so the best indication of whether a work is a lithograph or another type of print is the artwork's provenance (where it came from). Reputable galleries will include the artwork's material, so if you look at wall text or a gallery list, you should see what kind of print you're looking at.

Kids' Newsletter Ideas

Kids who use newsletters to practice writing skills often continue to write as adults.

Children's newsletters provide opportunities to practice writing, editing and graphic design skills while staying in touch with friends, relatives, classmates and community members. It is a bridge between hobby writing and professional journalism or publishing. Children who write early and often usually continue to write into adulthood. Skills acquired while writing children's newsletters are vital to later careers. Email messages, blog entries, fund requests, quality assurance reports and employee evaluations can all affect a company's bottom line.

Round Robin

A round robin newsletter starts as a note from one family member or friend to another. The child reporter chooses a writing prompt or asks a question, asks and answers it, and passes the newsletter to the next person in the chain. That person adds his or her thoughts, uses the writing prompt or poses another question.This continues until everyone in the chain adds their input. You can use illustrator and creative writing teacher Bruce Van Patten's interactive tool, the "Random Wacky Headline Maker," to help you choose a topic.

The chain is complete when the newsletter returns to the child reporter, who then takes all the information in the round robin and uses it to select topics for feature stories. The answers to each question become quotes to use in the features. This method works best when the child reporter poses a question that relates to an annual or seasonal theme. It also works best when the members of the chain are selected for their varied ages, interests and outlooks.

Inspiration and Uplift

Kids can explore faith and motivation by creating an inspirational, devotional or motivational newsletter. Choose graphics that reflect uplifting and positive themes. Create filler copy with encouraging slogans and inspiring images. Focus on whatever is right, good and beautiful. Although this can sometimes appear to be a "rose-colored glasses" approach, inspirational newsletters provide a refreshing break from the cares and concerns of the day, helping the reader reset his emotional and spiritual energies.

Inspirational newsletter graphics might include photos or images of religious or motivational historical figures, starbursts, rainbows, hearts, hot air balloons, waterfalls, rivers and streams, flowers and any other graphic that might cause a person to stop and contemplate for a few minutes.

Promote a Cause

You can create a cause-based newsletter such as "Kids for Turtles." Kids for Turtles was designed to increase awareness of the need for wildlife protection and reduce "nature deficit disorder" in children and adults, states its parent agency, Long Point World Biosphere Reserve. Causes can include constructing, improving or maintaining local bicycle and walking trails, establishing community gardens and compost stations, protecting green spaces, recycling, healthy school lunches, making quilts or stuffed toys for aid organizations, animal rescue, petitioning for the creation of a skate park, or any other community-building activity you choose to promote.

To create stories for your cause-based newsletter, use a writing prompt. Milli Thornton, author of "Fear of Writing," suggests imagining yourself as a cockroach sympathizer, speaking at an animal rights rally. Write all the reasons why cockroaches should be protected. Once the story is written, substitute any other animal or cause, research the necessary details and publish your findings.

Teach Your Class About Picasso

Make your own Picasso!

Pablo Picasso is generally synonymous with art, so every child should be exposed to his work. Aside from just learning facts about him, they should experience his work by recreating their own art in his style. There is an amazing website Mrpicassohead.com that allows the user to create beautiful Picasso-style portraits. Here are some ideas for teaching your students about Picasso.

Instructions

1. Log onto MrPicassohead.com (see Resources below).

2. Start your portrait by choosing a head and resizing it. You simply drag the items over to your canvas. You will probably want to make it bigger than it initially is.

3. Use the scale up/scale down tools to make things bigger or smaller. You can also change the color and flip items using these tools.

4. Add eyes, nose, hair, lips and other features by simply dragging them over to your canvas.

5. Remind the kids that Picasso did not always put facial features where they belonged.

6. Add a signature to your painting.

7. Email the picture to friends or family.

8. To capture an image for other uses (e.g. slideshow, iMovie), hold down (on a Mac) Control, Shift and 4.

Change A Photo Into A Sketch With Alternate Photoshop Methods

Photoshop can turn a photo into an image that resembles a sketch.

There are many ways to turn a photograph into a sketch using Photoshop. Some methods require you to create several duplicate layers and to use functions such as desaturate and color dodge. Those instructions can be complicated to some and are easy to mess up. Sometimes the results are poor, especially if the photograph has many dark tones or many light tones. The great thing about Photoshop is that other procedures are available.

Instructions

Photos with Many Dark Tones

1. Run Photoshop 7 and open a color photograph.

2. Click on "Image" in the main menu, select "Adjustments" and click on "Desaturate." This function will turn you color photograph into a black and white version. Do not use this function if your photo is already black and white.

3. Click on "Filter" in the main menu, select "Artistic" and click on "Colored Pencil." In the Colored Pencil window, move the Pencil Width slider to the left to make the strokes look very thin or fine. Move the Stroke Pressure and Paper Brightness to the right to add contrast.

4. Click on "Image" in the main menu, select "Adjustments" and click on "Brightness/Contrast." Shift both sliders to the right to make the light and dark tones contrast even more than in the previous step.

5. Click on "Filter," select "Sketch" and click on "Graphic Pen." Click "OK." If the results need adjustment, repeat this step and move the Stroke Length and Light/Dark Sliders in the Graphic Pen window.

6. When you are happy with the results, save the Photoshop project, then save it again as an image file in a format such as JPG or GIF.

Photos with Many Light Tones

7. Run Photoshop 7 and open a color photograph.

8. Click on "Filter" in the main menu, select "Sketch" and click on "Photocopy." Put both sliders in the middle and click "OK."

9. Pick "Image" in the main menu, choose "Adjustments" and click on "Brightness/Contrast." Shift both contrast and brightness sliders to make the light areas lighter and dark lines darker.

10. Select "Filter," click on "Sketch," choose "Graphic Pen" and hit "OK" to see the results. If the results need adjustment, repeat this step and move the Stroke Length and Light/Dark Sliders in the Graphic Pen window. You can save the Photoshop project document and image file or go on to the next step for further image enhancements.

11. Click on "Filter," pick "Sketch" and select "Charcoal" for additional artistic effects.

Convert the Photo to a Sketch with Few Steps

12. Run Photoshop 7 and open a color photograph.

13. Pick "Filter" in the main menu, click on "Sketch" and select "Charcoal," "Graphic Pen" or "Photocopy." Choose the selection that appeals to your taste.

14. Move the sliders in the "Charcoal," "Graphic Pen" or "Photocopy" windows you selected. If you cannot tell which direction to move the sliders, keep them in the middle and click "OK."

15. Re-adjust the sliders for "Charcoal," "Graphic Pen" or "Photocopy" by going to Step 2 above.

16. Save the Photoshop project document and image file.

Draw Hearts

Draw Hearts

Whether it's Valentine's Day, or you're just in love, drawing a heart is a great way to express how you feel. Making it symmetrical can be a challenge. Here's two ways to make your expression of love, perfect.

Instructions

Draw a Heart by Making a Stencil

1. Fold a sheet of paper in half. The paper can be whatever size you want your heart.

2. Take a pencil and start on the folded side of the paper. Draw half of the heart. It will look like the top portion of a question mark.

3. Cut along the line. When you open the paper, it will look like a heart and the sides will be symmetrical.

4. Lay the heart on a piece of paper and use it as a stencil. Draw around the edges.

Draw a Heart With a Ruler

5. Draw a straight, vertical line with a ruler. It can be a short or as long as you want the drawing of the heart.

6. Draw half the heart starting and ending the line on the straight line.

7. Take a ruler and measure how far away the outer edge of the half drawn heart is from the center.

8. Take the ruler to other side. Measure it out and make a dot.

9. Continue to measure the distances on one side of the heart, and placing dots on the other side.

10. Connect the dots to make a symmetric heart.

11. Now you have drawn your perfect, symmetrical heart.

Teach Picasso To Children

Children respond well to all sorts of art lessons.

Pablo Picasso is a famous artist that is most known for his work within the art genre of cubism, which is a type of modern art. The cubist paintings, including those done by Picasso, featured geometric shapes and a disconnect with reality; the paintings did not resemble what the people and objects look like in real life, but rather, they were an artistic interpretation of them. This concept may seem complicated, but with the right methods, teaching Picasso to children can be a lot of fun for them.

Instructions

1. Show the children paintings done by Pablo Picasso. This will give them a good idea of what the genre of cubist art looked like. You might also want to show paintings from a few other cubist artists, such as Chagall or Braque, to help ingrain the concepts.

2. Talk about cubist concepts while you show the paintings. Giving the children concrete examples while you teach will help them understand the concepts better. For example, you can point out the geometric shapes that are often used to create images of people in Picasso's body of work.

3. Set up an object that the children can all see. For example, you might set up a bowl of fruit or even a person as a type of still life model.

4. Allow the children to paint or draw the still life image you set up, but ask that they do so in the style of Picasso, using more abstract and geometric images and creating their own interpretation of the still life. Once the children put the practices of cubism to work, they will understand it even better.

Teach Elementaryschool Students About Selfportraits

A self-portrait is a portrait, or picture, depicting the artist as the subject and created by the artist. The artist may use a photograph of himself or a mirror for help in creating the self-portrait. Elementary-school students are just starting to understand their characteristics and personal strengths. A self-portrait art project is a great way to help students learn more about themselves as well as the parts of the face and create them.

Instructions

1. Before working with students, gather images of self-portraits created by famous artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo and Chuck Close. Post the images around the room at students' eye level to use for motivation. Select an image to focus on for the self-portrait lesson and post it at the front of the room.

2. Position materials needed for the lesson in an area easily accessible to elementary-school students.

3. Gather students and have them look at the self-portraits around the room. Discuss the things they all have in common and what is different about the pictures. Define what a self-portrait is. Go over the parts of the face with the students. Explain that they will be creating their own self-portraits and using their own style to accomplish a finished artwork.

4. Pass out art materials and allow students to use pencils to lightly sketch out their self-portraits. Encourage elementary-school students to use their whole paper when creating their self-portraits, having their head take up most of the space on the paper.

5. Have students use the oil pastels to color in the self-portraits. Oil pastels can be blended or left alone to create distinct lines.

6. When each student is finished with her self-portrait using the oil pastels, provide her with another sheet of paper and a pencil. Have her write a paragraph about herself and her self-portrait.

7. Display the self-portraits and paragraphs around the room alongside the already-displayed famous self-portraits for others to see.

Facts On Guernica Painting

During World War II, the German military bombed the Basque town of Guernica. Pablo Picasso, a Spanish artist living in France at the time, protested the bombing by painting one of his most famous pieces, Guernica.

History

The Spanish town of Guernica was completely obliterated when the German air force bombed the town on April 26, 1937. The bombing was an experiment by the German military to see how much aerial bombing it would take to destroy an entire town.

Motivation

According to the book "Understanding Art," Pablo Picasso created the painting "Guernica" because he wanted to show the darkness and brutality of the age.

Details

The "Guernica" painting showed the war event in horrifying detail. Among the details in the painting is a woman trapped under rubble, another woman holding her dead child and a terrorized horse bucking and rearing over a dismembered body.

Style

The painting is done is harsh black, whites and grays. It's painted in Cubist style. The technique served to create a distortion and fracturing of the imagery in the work.

Interesting Fact

The German Gestapo once harassed Picasso about the painting, asking if Picasso had done the painting. Picasso replied, "No, you did," according to the Art Knowledge News Website.

Find Orange In Mona Lisa

The Internet and modern computing power make identifying color in paintings an easy activity.

In the past, copying a specific color from a source such as a painting required a person to sit dutifully in front of the painting, mixing paint and comparing it to the original. Today you can avoid this through the use of online color-picking tools that can scan an image and provide a list of all colors found within it.

Instructions

1. Search online for an image of the Mona Lisa. If using Google, click "Image" at the top of the screen to open Google Image Search. Type "Mona Lisa" and press "Enter." Click "Large" from the size options on the left side of the screen. This will cause Google to show only large image files, which are necessary for the color-picking tool to work.

2. Select a photo from the range of photos; make sure you choose an authentic version, rather than a doctored version (Mona Lisa chewing gum, for example). Click on the photo you want. On the next page, click the "Full-size image" link on the panel on the right side of the page.

3. Right click on the photo of the Mona Lisa and select "Copy Image Location" for Windows or a similar option for other operating systems. This will copy the Web address for the photo itself, rather than the Web page featuring the photo.

4. Open another browser window and access an online color-picking tool such as ColourGrab. This will bring up a website with some welcome text and a form. In the form under the welcome text, right-click and paste the URL for the photo. Press the submit button.

5. Look through the colors the tool has identified in your image. All colors in the image will be represented as a solid tone as well as a hex code, which can be used in image editing and creation programs. Find the orange colors and pick the one you want. To use the exact color, you need to copy its hex code and paste it into the appropriate place in your image manipulation program.

Teach Balance In Art

Teach Balance in Art

Introduce elementary students to the art principle of balance by doing some fun and interesting art activities. Balance is the way an artwork is visually equal through use of objects, colors, textures, shapes or lines. Balance in art can be symmetrical, the same on both sides, or asymmetrical, where the artwork has parts or areas that are not equal or the same. Even if an artwork is asymmetrical, it can still have balance through the composition of the artwork. This lesson can be done within the art room with basic materials with a group of students.

Instructions

1. Post images of artwork expressing both symmetrical and asymmetrical balance around the classroom. An example of a famous artwork displaying symmetrical balance would be "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da Vinci. An example of asymmetrical artwork would be "The Starry Night" by Vincent van Gogh.

2. Gather materials needed for the art activity before working with students: 12-inch by 18-inch white drawing paper, scissors, oil pastels, glue, watercolor paints, water containers and brushes. Cut enough 6-inch by 6-inch squares out of white paper, so each student has one in addition to the 12 inch-by 18-inch white paper.

3. Discuss with students as a group the definition of balance as an art concept. Look at the artwork posted around the room, and discuss which ones contain symmetrical balance and ones that have asymmetrical balance.

4. Give each student a sheet of 6-inch by 6-inch white paper and scissors. Have students fold the paper in half and cut out shapes similar to butterfly wings. Butterflies are symmetrical and equally balanced.

5. Open the butterfly wings and paint one side of the butterfly wings with watercolor paints. Work quickly, so paint doesn't completely dry.

6. When students are satisfied with their watercolor paintings, have them fold the wings together and press. The painting will transfer onto the other wing creating a balanced symmetrical design.

7. Have the students glue the butterflies onto the 12-inch by 18-inch white paper and then use the oil pastels to create finished artwork. Have students use shapes, forms or objects to help balance the artwork using asymmetrical balance.

8. Display the finished balance artworks around the classroom alongside the famous artworks showing the principle of balance. The students' work displays both symmetrical as well as asymmetrical balance.

Teach A Reading Comprehension Lesson Using Art

Students often enjoy the chance to apply their artistic skills to other subjects.

The ability to accurately depict a literary piece in your mind while using imagination to fill in the blanks is an important part of reading comprehension. If students cannot visualize a story, then it is likely that they do not have a firm understanding of the content. One of the best ways to help with comprehension is to use art, one of the most visual subjects.

Instructions

1. Give each student a blank piece of paper and some drawing supplies, such as pencil crayons or markers.

2. Assign the group a scene or event from the current reading material. Read it out loud to them and give physical copies, if possible.

3. Have students draw the piece as they immediately envision it. This may be literal, featuring characters and elements of the plot, or representational, featuring colors and forms that represent the emotions behind the piece.

4. Have students present their work to each other. They may do so individually at the front of the class or gallery style, by hanging up all of the work at once and walking around the room to observe it.

5. Hold a class discussion on the meaning of the piece and the different imagery it inspired throughout the group. Ask whether or not there is solely one way to look at the piece. This may even spark a debate, depending on the initial subject matter and the group members involved.

Teach 5 Design Elements

Basic art tools are used to create the elements of design.

The elements of art are the essential building blocks used by an artist to create a finished work of art. In art, the elements are combined to communicate visually. The five design elements to be taught in this activity are line, shape, color, texture and value. The finished product is a non-objective art piece that celebrates the elements of art as the subject of the work.

Instructions

1. Lines and marker colors create intense color patterns.

Position the white drawing paper, vertically, on the table. Using a compass or circular form, draw three large circles that range in size from 10-inches to 6-inches. Allow them to overlap. Next, using a ruler or yard stick, draw six slightly diagonal lines from the right edge of the paper to the left edge. Space the lines down the paper. Turn the drawing paper horizontally and draw four wavy lines from right to left. Leave at least three inches between each line. The resulting lines intersect on the paper to create a series of geometric and free-form shapes.

2. Loose patterns have a lighter color value.

Fill each created shape with a pattern of lines and more shapes. The lines and shapes function together to create texture. Use a single marker color for each pattern. Make patterns that are close or tight and have color intensity. For lighter values, draw patterns that are lose in design, with more of the white paper showing through. Design patterns that use brown, dark greens, dark blues or grays for darker values. No two colors are to be used in shapes that touch. Do not outline the original shapes with color.

3. Closely drawn line styles create delicate patterns of color.

Create patterns in each original shape by drawing various line styles, such as angular, bent, bold, broken, delicate and dynamic. Try adding rhythmic lines, scribble lines, short, wavy or zigzag lines. Use a range of lines and shapes to create unique patterns in each original shape. Polka dots can fill some shapes, as well as brick, triangle and diamond shapes.

4. Dark or neutral tones add value and give the finished drawing variety and interest.

Add darker value marker colors like brown, dark greens, dark blues and grays selectively throughout the drawing. Don't allow darker or lighter values to overpower the drawing. Consider the balance of values, light and dark. Notice how some colors and values attract more visual attention than others. To help make the overall work unified, take breaks during the process and view the drawing at a distance before it is finished.

5. Non-objective art celebrates the elements of design as subject matter.

Complete this drawing over several hours. Take time to create interesting and intricate patterns of color. Put the drawing away for a while and continue working at a later time.

Talk Like A Caveman

If there's one thing the Geico caveman commercials have taught us, it's that cavemen would really have a tough time in modern-day society. Luckily, there aren't any around--but that shouldn't stop you from learning talk like one.

Instructions

1. Throw conventional grammar out the cave window. Refer to yourself in third person, use articles and pronouns sparingly and get rid of contractions altogether. Cavemen know keep things simple, because, well--they don't have any other choice.

2. Invent nonsensical grunting words like "og," "oog," "groog" and other variations that contain the letter "G."

3. Use a deep tone of voice when you speak to establish dominance. A caveman with a quiet, falsetto voice is likely to be the last one handed the slab of meat around the fire.

4. Live in the present. Cavemen only refer to people, things and situations in the present tense. For example, instead of "I learned to hunt as a small child," why not try: "Grog learn to hunt when Grog little boy."

5. Talk about things that a caveman might do during the average run of a day, like club an animal for dinner, drag a woman back to his cave or fashion himself a nice sabre-toothed necklace.

Draw A Fire Breathing Dragon

With artistic skill and a good imagination, you can draw a fire-breathing dragon.

One of the most incredible mythical creatures is the fire-breathing dragon. This imaginary animal is often the subject of many drawings by artists who enjoy mythology and science fiction. If you are familiar with drawing a dinosaur or a lizard, you can learn to draw a fire-breathing dragon.

Instructions

1. Use a pencil to draw a sideways-facing or slightly tilted "S." This will be side view of the dragon's body. Connect the end of the "S" at the bottom right to the middle of the "S" using a curved line that follows the "S" guide.

2. Draw a small oval on the leftmost tip of the "S." This will be the guide for the dragon's head.

3. Add a line above the upper curve of the "S" to the left. This represents the neck. Connect the line to the body to give it depth.

4. Draw a long triangle to one side of the "S" shape at the lower portion. This is the guide for the dragon's tail. Add a smaller triangle to the tip of the tail.

5. Create one of the dragon's legs by drawing an additional oval in vertical position at the lower right portion of the body. At the bottom of the oval, add a smaller horizontal oval to represent the foot. Draw small triangles at the bottom for the claws. Draw the other three legs by using the same guidelines on the four remaining sides of the lower portion of the dragon's body.

6. Draw an umbrella shape coming outward from the top portion of the dragon's body. This is for one of the wings. Draw it so the webbed underside of the umbrella shape points down.

7. Fill in the dragon's features by drawing an open mouth with pointy teeth. Add nostrils by using the tip of your pencil to create dark horizontal ovals. Draw the eyes in almond shapes. Draw ears on either side of the head and make them pointy or rounded and facing straight up.

8. Add additional detailing to the dragon. Include scales, fins, crest and anything else you want. Draw fire flames escaping the mouth as the final detail.

9. Erase your guidelines. Be careful not to erase any of the detailing you drew.