Apr 28

Decorative Fine Art on Canvas

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Historically, much of fine art has been decorative. Most artists have needed to create art that decorates buildings and their interiors. The idea that art is purely aesthetic, and meant to simply look at, is really a relatively modern Western notion. Most art in other nations, especially in Asia and the Near East, has been created to adorn homes and places of worship.

Some of the most beautiful art created throughout history has been decorative. For most cultures, the purpose of art has been to uplift its viewer, which is why art in places of worship has been so important. Much of art has been based on religious themes, whether it’s the great cathedrals of Europe or the beautiful Islamic art adorning mosques.

Possibly one of the most beautiful of the decorative fine arts is the use of mosaics, which is the art of creating images by assembling small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. Mosaics have had great cultural and spiritual significance because they have been used extensively to decorate churches and cathedrals, especially in medieval times.

There are three methods artists use when creating mosaics: the direct method, the indirect method, and the double indirect method. The direct method of mosaic construction involves gluing individual tesserae, or pieces of material, onto the supporting surface. This method works well for surfaces that have a three-dimensional quality, such as vases, and for small projects that are transportable. It’s also progressively visible, so adjustments to tile color placement can be adjusted as the project goes along. The artist must work directly at the chosen surface, however, which is impractical for long periods of time. This method is generally considered unsuitable for large scale projects.

The indirect method of applying tesserae is often used for very large projects. Tiles are applied face-down to a backing paper using an adhesive, and then later transported onto walls or floors. The double indirect method is used when the artist needs to see what the end product will be. The tessarae are placed face-up on a medium such as adhesive-backed paper as it appears when installed. When it’s completed, a similar medium is placed on top of it, the piece is turned over, the underlying material is carefully removed, and the piece is installed as in the indirect method. It requires a great deal of technical expertise.

Another common method of creating mosaics is to reproduce a painting with tessarae. This takes a great deal of technical expertise, both in the art of mosaics and in understanding the techniques of the original artist. Contemporary mosaic artists are often called upon to recreate the masters. They are also often called upon to do restorative work, since mosaics are fragile and easily damaged.

The art of mosaics, as a decorative art, is experiencing a resurgence of sorts these days. Many consumers are realizing its originality, versatility, and beauty. Mosaics are an ideal way to decorate both the inside and outside of your home. They are truly works of art, whether they’re placed in your home or at a lavish and splendid cathedral.

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Apr 28

Understanding Abstract Painting – Part V

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“There are no rules in art”. This is a quote from Wassily Kandinsky, the recognized father of modern abstract painting. I beg to differ with Kandinsky. In looking at his body of work from the beginning of his painting career, you can clearly see that at the beginning he most definitely followed the rules of Western Art. He created many fairly conventional paintings that met the traditional rules of good painting. As he progressed, he began to break the rules, but not all of them. He would often throw away one rule, but follow others and produce an intriguing painting that was totally original. The job of the artist is to thoroughly know the rules, so that he or she can consciously decide which to keep and which to break to create an original, personal statement.

The artist must have the ability to vary from the rules but still create an abstract painting that reaches the soul of the viewer. An analogy to this statement can be seen in the sport and art of figure skating. The skater must follow rules guided by gravity and her anatomy’s ability to perform specific moves. However, each skater puts her own unique style into those moves, making her performance a personal and unique work of art. As a viewer of figure skating, it is helpful to know the rules so that you can enjoy the uniqueness of an individual skater’s application of those rules and to appreciate it when she makes changes to elevate her performance to the level of art. In viewing abstract paintings, it is also important to know the rules so that you can appreciate an artist’s creative variations from the accepted rules.

It is important to remember that we are talking about Western Art. If you were to look at art from another culture, you would need to learn a completely different set of rules. I had the experience of working on a piece of art based on Northwestern Indian art. I had to study the principals of the artistic culture of the Indians in order to do justice to my work based on their art. I came to appreciate the beauty of their work and to understand how different the principles of their designs are from those that I have been trained to follow. We are going to start looking at the rules of Western Art. They are called the Principles and Elements of Design and there are a total of fifteen of them.

The first and foremost rule is that of Unity. A piece of art must stand alone and not depend on any of its surroundings to make its statement. We put a frame around our art work to create a separation of the piece from the rest of the world. An abstract painting looks very different when it lacks a frame. In critiquing art, most art instructors put a mat around the art to create that separation before looking at the work. When the piece is matted and framed, you can more clearly see if it holds together as one entity. The concept of unity describes not only the separation of the work of art from its environment but also the relationship between the individual parts of the piece and the whole composition. Unity refers to a sense that everything in a piece of work belongs there, and makes a whole piece. The way to judge that as a viewer is to let your eyes wander over the piece and note the path your eyes follow. Do your eyes wander out of the picture? Do they follow a path around the picture and return to a certain spot? Are they drawn to one particular point? What draws your interest? These are questions that only you as the viewer can answer. An effective artist will manipulate the path your eyes take through the painting: keeping your interest, not boring you, giving you delightful areas to explore. If an abstract painting is successful, you should have a feeling of harmony between all parts of the artwork creating a sense of completeness. Take some time to look at some paintings to see where your eyes take you. I invite you to look at both traditional and abstract paintings on my website: http://www.triciastudio.com. Some may successfully exhibit a sense of unity. You be the judge.

In my next article, Understanding Abstract Paintings – Part VI, we will explore the principle of Balance.

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Apr 28

Your painted wood trim

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Painting wood trim can be fulfilling as it allows you to maintain or change the looks and appearance of your wooden trim as necessary as possible. Painting it also contributes to its maintenance and upkeep and ensures its durability.

 

When considering painting your wood trim, you need to know the following first:

 

·  Are they interior or exterior trim?

·  Was the trim previously painted or stained?

·  Is the paint or stain in natural, in latex or in oil finish?

 

These will enable you to determine the proper primer and finish paint to use for your work.

 

Here are the things you’ll need for the job:

1.      Paint brushes

2.      Paint ladders

3.      Paint drop cloths

4.      Screwdrivers

5.      Rags

6.      Caulk, caulk gun

7.      Wood filler

8.      Sandpaper

9.      Duster

10.     Tape

 

The following are your quick guide on how to paint your wood trim:

 

·         First, prepare the woodwork. Sand and de-gloss the wood and wash it with a detergent, if possible. The paint will not adhere well if there is dirt, grease, grime or gloss over the surface.

·         Take of or protect items such as door knobs, door handles and hardware. You can paint while the wood trim remained hanged, but you can paint it better if it is laid flat. Use blue tape to cover hardware and handles/knobs, if necessary. If the wood trim is removed, lay it across two goats and a table when you begin to paint.
• To examine the cracks and holes and apply fill or seal wood as necessary. Use epoxy fillers or the same material used as filler for car bodies essentially to cover holes bigger. Again, sand the areas where necessary.
First page of your painting. First, apply a primer if the surface has no color. Then leavedry.
Next · is apply one or two coats of satin or gloss. These are preferred as the most durable and easy to clean. With a brush of high quality, preferably with a tapered end, even in case of color.
Here are some practical advice and other warnings, if you paint your wood trim:
· It is better to paint the posts orthe area where the door closes into first. Next to paint is the trim around the door and the last is the door itself.

·         If you happen to use a paint that gets too dry to spread, you can let it dry all the way. Sand it down and then paint over it.

·         For exterior wood trims, make sure to paint its top and bottom edges even if these are not visible. This will help to Protect rot and possible swelling.
• If possible, avoid using a roller door. Although it is completely flat, you can not admit that putting the ink evenly and can not look good to one.
Avoid · Try, enough to load your brush color. Or collect them in the door of the details will trickle up or odd. Paint one side of the pondBrush with a long shot. On the return stroke, the other side of the brush. Apply a different kind of pressure when you along the edge. Brush cut easily and smoothly when the final coat of paint.
wood finishes are just some of the parts of the house. However, there is the glow and charm of the house, they have kept true to add.

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Apr 27

Find Face Painting Ideas Online

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The concept of face painting was first introduced by warrior tribes, who used to blacken their faces before going into battle. Along with a threatening “rebel yell”, the uneven designs around eyes and cheeks made them look and feel a lot more ferocious. Face painting is the imaginative application of cosmetic “paint” to the face of a person. There are special cosmetic “paints” that are specially made for face painting; people should confirm before applying the face paints as to what products are being used.

Nowadays, face painting is used for style and fun. It is a common source of entertainment at different county fairs, huge open air markets, and other locations, where there are children and youngsters. Development of new ideas and approaches for painting can be made with reference to the online resource.

A variety of ideas related to facial painting can be found online at different websites such as you can find lots of ideas with Halloween, where you can see face paint pictures of witches, bats, ghouls, ghosts, creepy crawlies, vampires, pumpkins and lots more. All the ideas and supplies that can go bump in the night are available there.

Face painting is very popular among children and adolescents at theme parks, parties and different festivals throughout the world. However, the mainstream of painting is not only popular among children but people of all ages enjoy getting their faces painted.

The most common designs that are available online are those that are popular in movies and on TV. Others include animals, fairies, super heroes, scary monsters, butterflies, and bugs etc. Colouring books of kids also provide simple designs. Their favourite story books also serve as a source of new designs, because children are familiar with those designs and feel safe with them.

Online search of facial painting ideas and techniques can enable you to learn by yourself, without hiring a face painter. This will save your money as well as provide you the training of a skill that you can apply on others. There are several online resources that provide guidance about facial painting.

This guidance is required because you have to buy face paints and you must know which paints are suitable and appropriate for the face. You also need knowledge about the compliance of face paints with local authorities. It must also be ensured that the information you are getting is from an authentic and reliable source, because face is the most sensitive part of the body, and one cannot experiment on it.

Face painting is something that is enjoyed by all kids, boys and girls. A facial painting section is a fun addition to any online resource. Different themes and designs are taken from these sites on birthday parties and other special occasions. Online help can make you your own teacher by providing guidelines.

Before starting face painting, few safety considerations must be kept in mind. During the process, you must choose your related supplies very carefully. Only those supplies that are designed specifically for face painting should be bought, as poor quality can cause irritation or allergic reactions. To reduce the spread of any illness, face painting can serve as the best tool.

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Apr 27

Decorating Ideas For Your Teen’s Room

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If you have a teen, you will really need to get creative to give them their own space that they want to spend time in. It is likely that they will entertain their friends, play video games and chat on their computer, as well as sleep in their rooms. Teens can be very independent individuals and their rooms need to reflect their individuality even if they don’t know what that is yet. Psychologically, teens have a strong need for approval from their peers, so it is crucially important for them to feel confident in having their friends come to their homes, and to show off a room they love. Finding a mix between what you, as a parent can afford, and what your teen wants can be a very difficult task.

Allow your teen to actively participate in the selection of colors for their room. Colors that stimulate one teen may or may not work for another so it is very important that they play an active role in making this choice. Have them pick out three or four complementary or contrasting colors they like. If yours is like most teens, they won’t be able to decide which color they want. To remedy this stop by the paint store and ask them to provide you with samples or tiny cans of the colors your child likes. Go home and paint blocks of each of the colors on his or her wall. Leave them for several days and ask your teen to rule out colors instead of asking them to pick one. As they eliminate them, use a pencil to mark them out.

Once the main color is chosen have your teen choose the complimentary or contrasting colors. These other colors will be located on one wall of their room and in the accessories and decorative items in the room. Take the measurements of the room to the store and purchase the paint. Of the other colors chosen, pick up the little paint chips from the paint store. By keeping these paint chips with you it will be easier to select accessories for the room without having to guess whether they will match.

Find a medium shade of carpet for the room. Medium shades look cleaner longer and tend to hide stains better. You may even want to consider an indoor/outdoor carpet because it is better able to withstand a teenager’s rough treatment. The furnishings for your teen’s room can be painted to match no matter the kind of wood or style of the furniture. Aside from their bed, they will probably want a bedside table, a desk for homework and school projects, and a dressing table or vanity for a girl’s room. Every teen will need plenty of shelves for books, games, trophies from sporting events or recitals and academic awards.

Do a little research on closet organizers to make sure your teen’s closet has plenty of shelves, and two closet bars. A shoe organizer in the closet floor will usually help to avoid other things being thrown on the closet floor. Paint the inside of the closet white and make sure it has decent lighting. Pick up other accessories as your teen finds things they like. Have fun with your child and their efforts to create the right room for them.

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Apr 27

Children’s Art Paintings – Very Attractive and Elegant

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Children usually like pictures. A colorful picture will easily train a kid in perfect way. Therefore the modern educationists always like to teach children through the display of the colorful images and paintings. There are many artists who have bagged the fame and recognition by creating the wonderful paintings on children. The sketches are very excellent and attractive. Your kids will be in jocund mood if they are given such fantastic paintings and pictures. The color contrast is really excellent. Of late, I purchased two posters on children which were not only colorful but these pictures would bring back the joy and happiness to your kids. When I was a minor boy I spent my leisure hours by reading the famous book on child.

The name of the book is Where the Wild Things Are which has been written by Maurice Sendak. This book is the main source of entertainment and artistic aesthete to me and I was really happy to purchase the paintings on the theme of this wonderful child book. I placed these two posters in the childcare unit in the well known hospital. Jim Daly has painted a number of magnificent pictures for children and you will be glad to listen that he has won a number of international accolades and awards for the creation of the paintings on children. I have collected the paintings of Jim Dally for the public view.

As children prefer the pictures and paintings far making fun game, I usually purchase different paintings for children. On the birthday occasion I gift the pictures and paintings to children. I have collected many paintings from Lollipop Art. The art also helps the children to grow healthy. For instance I have recently purchased a painting which has delineated a girl who is found bicycling with much pleasure. The painting will inspire the kids to do exercise by riding the bicycles. There are other wonderful pictures on the child and these paintings will revive the true spirit of juvenile frivolicity of kids.

They will be joyous after watching the pictures which are painted in the fantastic colors. To be frank, children don’t like the complicated art. Therefore, when you visit the stores, your attention must fall on those paintings which have been sketched in different color shades which are much more attractive and eye catching. Less complicated art with the bright color contrast will attract the children. There is another painting called Dragonfly which has been created by Stephanie Bauer.

It is very good painting and I decided to purchase the prototype of this printing for my friend who requested to collect a painting by Stephanie Bauer for her children. This wonderful painting is now in her room and her child is very happy to see the magnificent picture. Pily Torres is also internationally recognized painter who has created a number of watercolor paintings and pictures for kids and minor boys and girls.

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Apr 27

Butterfly Face Painting Designs – Body Painting Tips

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If you are planning to put some paintings on your body then butterfly face painting designs offer one of the excellent choices for you. Butterflies are one of the most attractive figures to choose because of the unlimited choices for its pattern; aside from the beauty it creates with its attractive mixtures of colors.

Moreover, butterfly face painting designs are also very simple to create that even beginners in body painting can do it with ease; using basic color combination to produce unique patterns. Aside from butterflies you can also choose other figures like various animals that include tigers and lions, birds and dragons, cats and dogs, bugs and insects, sharks and fishes, and so much more.

One of the most important things that you must bear in mind when doing body paintings is to blend the figures with the type of person wearing them. To give you some examples, when creating the art for children, it is best to choose designs that appeal to them like their favourite animated cartoon characters. For boys, they would love to wear various designs of cars, robots, pirates, and other stuffs for boys. On the other hand, girls would prefer to wear something that exude beauty like flowers and fairies, rainbows and butterfly face painting designs.

Additionally, the pattern should also be based on what the person intents to convey. If the individual is wearing body paintings to scare people then you can choose monsters and other Halloween figures; if they are wearing the paintings on their faces to add beauty then you may choose flower, birds and animal designs.

Regardless of what pattern to choose, it is essential to create designs that are well suited to the type of personality of the person wearing them; as well as choose designs that make them very comfortable in placing them on their face. Some people may feel uncomfortable in certain patterns that they will use it for only few minutes and eventually erase them; while people who are very proud and comfortable with the patterns on their faces wear them for much longer time.

Hence, before you start creating paints on faces, it is imperative to ask first the person on what design to use that will make them very comfortable. In most cases, men and women vary on their choices because men want something masculine; while women tends to choose something that radiates beauty like butterfly face painting designs.

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Apr 27

Gerome Paintings

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Jean-Leon Gerome was a French painter and occasional sculptor from the 19th century art world. This article uncovers the magic and prestige of his great many paintings and tries to determine what made Gerome paintings so popular then and right up to today.

These paintings by Jean-Leon Gerome have been matched with the art movements of Academicism and Orientalism, of which Gerome is clearly a leading exponent. His works would regularly feature historical items, Greek mythology, portraits plus further experimenting with other ideas at various times in his career.

Part of the success of Gerome was his accurate depictions of many complex surfaces into his paintings through use of elaborate settings and scantily clad subjects. The historical and charming characters set Gerome aside from other artists of the time. Gerome also took time to practice his techniques with regular portraits right across his career which helped to pay for his preferred style of painting. Many artists have used portrait paintings as a way of generating commissions and payments which have allowed them to pursue avenues in their career which were of a greater passion to them. Gerome was fortunate in that his career progressed sufficiently well early on enabling him to devote most of his time immediately to producing the sort of paintings that he most aspired to, and this helped to ensure the overall standards remained high as well as original.

Famous oil paintings by Jean-Leon Gerome included Turkish Prisoner and Turkish Butcher, Prayer, The Slave Market, Excursion of the Harem, Louis XIV and Moliere, The Reception of the Siamese Ambassadors at Fontainebleau, The Women’s Bath, Pygmalion and Galatea, Slave market, Pollice Verso, Snake charmer and Death of Marshal Ney.

To conclude, Gerome paintings are an excellent example of high class Orientalist art from the 19th century. Gerome was associated with many other great artists in various ways throughout his career and his legacy to the art world extends far beyond just paintings that he produced. The exotic locations and mythological settings of many of his works have proven popular with art buyers ever since and this fame shows no sign of waning any time soon. He will remain a figure head of his respective art movements for many centuries to come even as art develops in new and different ways. Classic art will always remain loved and respected, as can be seen with the popularity of even older artists from the renaissance and baroque periods, such as Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael.

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Apr 27

Painting the Exterior of a House

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People hire contractors and designers to plan their perfect home. They take weeks and, at times, months to decide the shapes of rooms and the placement of furniture. The most important aspect of the house still remains the exterior. The exterior of the house creates the first impression of the house and usually represents its inhabitants. Most people prefer contract vinyl coating for their houses because it tends to last longer and stays clean. Over the paint a coat of OEM vinyl coating helps keep the material of the paint intact.

However, before applying paint or any kind of coating, the walls have to be completely clean. So, the process usually starts with giving the walls a simple wash. After that they have to be thoroughly inspected for damages such as cracks or holes. According to the condition of the walls, the appropriate repairs have to be done where they are needed. A little scraping and a few touch ups will help avoid problems that can give the whole wall a bad look later on.

The next step is to apply the paint itself. It has to be decided what brands of paint are better choices. If the paint chosen is not of a good brand, it might cause problems like not drying up in time. If painting the exterior of a home, paint has to be chosen to tolerate weather changes that occur throughout the year for example, where considerable rain falls, the paint must be water resistant. Will the color fade in direct sunlight? Moreover, summers cause expansion and winters cause contraction. All these factors, combined with the paint chosen, will greatly affect the look of the house as the paint ages.

There are specific techniques that are used to apply paint to walls. All the paint needs to be mixed at first since there might be slight differences of shade in paint for every other container. The job requires lots of patience and hard work. If the sun is out, the day needs to be planned such that after the shaded portion is painted, the sunlight can dry it off. While painting walls, door and windows, you have to take extra care since they will usually be painted differently. A good idea is to remove them completely until the paint dries out. Accidents in painting can be avoided by not trying to reach over places that are away from arm’s length and by making sure that the ladder is intact before climbing it.

Though most people enjoy painting their own houses and it is a common practice, some people prefer hiring contractors. These contractors may be the ones who built the house or they might be totally different ones. They decide the color combinations that best suit the house according to its surroundings and interior. These contractors can also take care of everything from checking for repairs to making sure the paint dries out in time. They also assist in picking out the correct brand of paint to ensure that the paint lasts for many years.

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Apr 27

The Art and Science of Painting Your Home Interiors

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So you want to have your home painted right? But you’re not sure who to contact and how much you should pay, as well as what services to expect from the painting contractor you hired? In that case, you should do your homework first about what to expect when you undertake painting your home as a home makeover project.

First of all, you have to understand that painting your home is not one all-in-one job done by a one-size-fits-all contractor. Painting your home can be subdivided into the areas of interior and exterior painting, which are two very different fields altogether. As their names suggest, an interior painting job will involve painting the internal parts of your house while an exterior painting project encompasses all the external parts of your home.

For this article, we will focus on interior painting, which is more complicated than exterior painting.

First, in interior painting, your contractor and his team will remove all the furniture from the room they will be working on so that no paint splatters on them. Then, your contractor will tell you what paint brands he plans to use for your room, and present certain color schemes that he hopes you will like as the color schemes for your room. Some clients like to use different color schemes for every room, while others like to have a common theme throughout the interiors and exterior part of the house.

It would be great if the painting contractor is skilled in using paint software to visualize the house before choosing paint color, under your watchful eye of course. This then leads you to the problem of what kind of finish to choose for your interiors – you can choose between the gloss, semi gloss, eggshell, flat paint types, among others. The rule of thumb to follow is that the better the sheen of the finished product, the more durable it actually is under regular wear and tear.

A gloss paint finish may also refer to the satin paint finish, which is a good type of paint to use if your contractor is not that experienced, or if you are painting children’s rooms or trim which may require a degree of washing to clean them from crayon or pencil scribbles. Gloss paint is also used for furniture painting as well, due to the durability and modern appearance it gives to chairs and tables. Semi gloss and high gloss paint finish reflect more light than a gloss paint finish. Semi gloss alone is advisable for use on kitchen and bathroom walls which require a lot of exposure to water during periodic house cleaning blitzes.

Eggshell does not have much of a sheen to it since it absorbs much light, kind of like a matte finish. You can use eggshell paint finish on interior walls that may need it rather than flat paint which does not allow surface dirt and substances to be washed off as well. Flat paint, on the other hand, is generally used to cover up surface defects or application imperfections (like when the painter uses the brush in the wrong direction from his previous applications.)

Remember that the function or purpose of the room you will be painting should dictate what finish you finally use it for. When the interiors are done, you can then move on to exterior painting of your home.

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