Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - Hair

Drawing hair is not all that difficult but it does take quite a bit of time to make the result to look real and natural. In fact, it usually takes two to three times longer to do the hair than it does to do the rest of the portrait. So, do not get frustrated and know that you will have to spend the time.

Here are some pointers to help you succeed at drawing the best hair possible:

* Line Drawing As always, the first step is to produce a line drawing that shows the overall shape of the hair and maps out some of the main value areas. At this stage, you should look at the hair as a shape and ignore all details such as strands. Do observe however how the hair flows, i.e., take note of the growth directions of the hair.

* Values Next, using the map you created on your line drawing, start laying in the major values, i.e., the major darks and lights. Make sure you always follow the growth direction of the hair. This is very important. Follow the flow.

* Blending At this stage, you can blend the darks out towards the lights. Then, reapply the darks and pull them into the light areas using a tortillon or a pencil (if there is not enough graphite on the paper). Work from the dark areas into the light areas. After that, use a pointed kneaded eraser as a drawing tool to pull the lights into the darks.

This process should be repeated several times until you reach the desired look of fullness.

* Curls If your subject has curls, you should treat each curl as a separate object with its own darks, lights, and highlights. At the same time, make sure that each curl fits into the overall layout of the hair. This means, for example, that a particular curl should flawlessly connect to its neighbors.

* Shadows Often the hair cast a few shadows onto the forehead. These cast shadows should always be rendered in the correct value. You will be surprised how much they contribute to the realistic appearance of the hair and the subject in general. They very much help to show the fullness and three-dimensionality of the hair.

* Forehead The forehead, like anything else, has a certain value. When the hair falls over the forehead, it is important to apply the same forehead value to the areas of the forehead that are visibly located under the hair. If you leave these areas white, you will loose a lot of realism.

* Gray Hair The illusion of gray or white hair is created through using pencil strokes sparingly and through more blending with a tortillon or a paper tissue. A soft and silky look can be created by using the kneaded eraser to lift out the appropriate.

Much more can be said about the drawing of hair. This includes such subjects as hairstyles, men's versus women's hair, thin hair, hair color, etc. However, the above remarks will suffice to set you on the right path. Later, you can always consult an advanced work on hair drawing.

Author Info:

Remi Engels, Ph.D., is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter. Samples of Remi's pencil portraits and other articles can be found at Remi's Pencil Portraits.

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - Preparing the Photograph

Once you have acquired an acceptably clear subject photograph from your customer, the question remains what do you do with it? Well, you prepare that photograph to be used as a reference for your pencil portrait drawing effort. The preparation procedure I will describe works well for me and I have been using it for years. Of course, as you get better at pencil portrait drawing you may want to adapt the procedure to better suit your own working habits. So, here we go:

* First, I scan the photograph into my computer at a fairly high resolution. You can always reduce the resolution if you feel that this will better suit your purpose.

* Then, I bring the scanned image into a graphics computer program such as Photoshop and adjust the brightness and the contrast so it brings out the best in the subject. This is also the time to transform your color photograph (if that is what the customer gave you) into a black and white (grayscale) image.

* Next, I adjust the size of the image. For that, I focus on the size of the head, i.e., the vertical distance from the top of the head to the bottom of the chin. The best distance to work with is between 9.5 and 10.5 inches which is about life-size.

* Keeping the size of the head fixed, I now crop or expand the image to a size corresponding to my drawing paper. For example, if I am going to draw on a 14 by 17 sheet of paper, my image will be about 10 by 13 inches. This leaves about 2 inches of empty space all around the edges of my drawing paper.

At this stage I also pay attention to the composition, i.e., the layout of the final image, the relationship between the subject and its environment, and how much of the subject, other than the head, I will represent. Make sure you do not change the already established size of the head when you manipulate the overall size of the image.

* Next, if you wish, you can draw a grid onto the image. I often use a grid consisting of 1 by 1 inch squares. So for a 10 by 13 inch image you will have 130 squares to work with. Photoshop has the option to easily draw such grid lines over an existing image.

Don't worry, using a grid is an age old tradition and does not constitute "cheating". Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Edgar Degas, to name only a few, all made use of grids. However, you should also keep on practicing without grids and draw directly from the real world where the sizes and proportions usually differ from the corresponding ones on your drawing paper. Later, when you get much better, you may want to increase the size of the squares and eventually dispense with them altogether. But, for now, you can rely on grids. They are, after all, just the ideal tool to use when drawing from photographs.

* Finally, it is time to print out the manipulated image in black and white (grayscale). You are now ready to start drawing your pencil portrait. Note, that after you scanned in the original photograph you do not need it anymore. Put it away carefully so you can give it back to your customer in its pristine condition. Do not loose or misplace the original photograph. Above all, do not burn it!

With this, you are now ready to create your first pencil portrait masterpiece.

Author Info:

Remi Engels, Ph.D., is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter. Samples of Remi's pencil portraits and other articles can be found at Remi's Pencil Portraits.

Things Required to Make Oil Painting Easier

The process of painting with varnishes is popularly known as oil painting. Varnishes are a combination of oil like the linseed oil with the resin such as pine resin. Other than linseed oil, oils like poppy seed oil, walnut oil and safflower oil. Oil paintings provide extremely versatile color combinations. For a thick coat oil paints can be used in impasto, which is a textured application where the marks of the paint brush remain visible. They can even be used for a thin layered image like glazes.

Here are some oil painting tips which will make your painting experience more enjoyable and disciplined.

• First the selection of a non porous palette is of vital importance; it would be extremely useful if he would place it in the same order as you paint so that it could be dipped instinctively thus constituting a good flow of painting. Always pour a good amount of whites. Arranging the colors at the end of the palette is considered as good practice thus providing space in the center for mixing.

• It is always suggested to invest in a good set of brushes because cheap set of brushes often tend to lay their bristles. Sometimes it extremely becomes difficult to clean the brush, then it would be suggested that you mix some thinner along with some liquid soap, the brushed can be dipped and then it could be wiped with a newspaper.

• At times it becomes a major chaos to find the right combination of colors to get a lighter combination or a darker shade. The commonly used colors come from the spectrum viz; red, blue, violet, orange, yellow, green. The chaos would be easily solved once we become aware of the properties of colors value, intensity, temperature and hue. Intensity or purity of a color indicates how bright or dull the color is For example when orange is directly used from the tube it has higher intensity. On the other hand value of the color refers to the darkness and the lightness of the color. Colors vary in temperature from warm yellows to cool violets. Hue is the synonym of color like apple and cherry are shades or hues of red. Ivory black can be avoided to be used for underpainting or outlining as it dries much slower than the rest of the oil paints.

• To avoid cracks in the painting always follow the fat over lean i.e.; the proportion of oil should be increased for each additional layer because the lower layers penetrate the oil of the layers above, thus causing cracks.

• It is much preferable that the oil paintings should never be dried in the dark this will constitute to the formation of a thin film of oil raised above thus yellowing the paints.

Author Info:

Ben Jonson is a Copywriter of http://www.paintingmax.com

He had written many articles in various topics. For more information visit: Barbizon School

Contact him at paintingmax.ben@googlemail.com

The Cycle of Influence on Post-Modern Art

Art always changes with the movement of the wheel, with the different ages the stroke of the artist on the paper also changes. Since the romantic period we observe a kind of modern expression in the artist painting which even challenge the classical beauty of the universe. An explosion occurs in this type of art, the symbolist, expressionist, primitivist, realist, cubism and certain kinds of abstractions are noticed in modern paintings. New kind of expressive modes was invented in this modern art. The neoclassical foundations of the history of art and aesthetics found that this modern artist in their painting emphasized on ideal beauty and intrinsic hostility. This continue with the portrayal of aberrations, accidents, failures of the everyday world, hurdles and struggle for existence in this world etc which are beautifully displayed in realist imagery of this artists. Mannerism's has a great impact on modern paintings.

Do you remember the images of Horace; they are totally ornamental in their look. The relationship of the comic with the ugly and the horror is portrayed brilliantly in the work of the eighteenth century artists. The new appellation "post modern" was finally adopted by Jenecks in 1976 to describe a new style of art whose main characteristic is heterogeneity. The changes that are associated with the post modern art are actually the result of the semiotization. In the post modern art, the narrative mode was abolished and a certain ritualistic quality is adopted by the artists. The goal of the artists in the post modern paradigm is no longer behavioral but it becomes cognitive in their approach. The post-modern is the art of the artificial environment.

In the post modern era, aesthetic expression is conveyed more successfully by systematic destruction of traditional aesthetic practice. The conventional rules of paintings are broken and heterogeneity, faking especially aesthetic cheating becomes the desire of every artist which are committed in paintings intentionally. Post modern art is nothing else but a critical display of broken conventions and rules. However it is not known properly to what degree the sex images play the importance in modern paintings. Nowadays all type of art is available and you will be stunned to know that you can buy art online even.

Author Info:

Jennifer Salerno is a veteran in Internet marketing and a wordsmith par excellence with countless articles on a wide range of subjects to his credit. Online Art Gallery

Christian Art Work - What it is What It's Not

Looking for Christian art work?

Before you buy your next Christian art work to adorn your walls, think about what it is and is not to make sure you have a quality product as well as making sure you represent Christ to the best of your ability.

Christian art work is not necessarily mass-produced, cheesy, or made poorly. It is not necessarily outright religious, portraying a cross, Jesus, an angel, or a church.

Genuine Christian art work is work that truly inspires! This may include a religious symbol or an important Biblical figure, but it may not! What about gorgeous scenery, like a mountain or a beach scene? Well-done photographs and paintings of landscapes can inspire, too! After all, God made the mountains and beaches and more!

He gave His many different talents to everyone, especially the gift of art to some! You can see his wonder everywhere! A beautiful drawing of a rose, a sweet picture of your favorite wild animal...surrounding your home or office with this can also be Christian art work! It gives your eyes a visual feast, a place to rest, a reminder that God is in control!

But Christian art work is different in that it does not destroy but builds up. Perhaps the art work makes you think, but it is never evil or self-serving! It does not glorify godless behavior. The ultimate goal of Christian art work is to bring you, and others who see your art work, into a more intimate relationship with Jesus!

How can Christian art work do that? Because as the creator of all things, especially art, he can redeem, heal, touch, encourage, lift up, especially through art!

Why be careful and discerning about what Christian art work is and is not? Because if you put a piece on your walls, realize you are reflecting Christ. Just because a piece of art is stamped with the name "Christian" does not make it necessarily excellent! Poor quality reflects poorly on God, giving nonbelievers ammo to discredit us. And that discredits God!

On the other hand, high quality work, whether blatantly Christian or not, stands out in today's world of dark art that glorifies evil. It's not that we should be afraid to put something that smacks of religion on our wall for fear of offending. If it's good, display it! But along with it, other subjects of art work can be just as Christian and just as inspiring!

Author Info:

For more ideas on how to use Christian art work as a ministry, visit http://www.angelartswebstore.com and http://www.angelarts.biz, including Christian art work, inspirational cards, jewelry, originals, giclees, an online inspirational art gallery and more, including a FREE e-booklet that combines a gospel message with art!

Painting - The Fundamentals of Painting

Looking plus coming across

A passer by appears at a surroundings or a scene. An artist gives the look in addition to sees beyond the purely physical vision. Bask in this comes the desire to paint. Thus gander, glimpse as well as you will detect a subject matter that you delicately ought to interpret.

The Essay

Get ready a piece of rigid card stock around 8 inches prolonged with 6 inches wide. Create a 5 by 4.5 crawl windowpane in the card stock. Hold this card prior you, between your master eyes along with the focus you have chosen. Converted the card in addition elsewhere or closer to you pending your subject is framed, as you would be with a camera. You now have your subject as it will appear on the canvas.

Don't be inside a sprint to start. Listen to your impression, your artistic sensibility.

* What made you choose this issue?

* Whatsoever stands out near to it?

* Whatsoever your vision of it?

* Do you notice numerous colours or do some shapes arouse you?

The matter that attracts you is at an equivalent instance your rival. Despite how nice-looking it is, it may well betray you and observe you turn your painting into postcard material.

Geometry is the foundation stone on which rests the composition of the painting. It doesn't area if it doesn't just reflect reality. The subject attracts you. The artists temperament must eradicate the issue.

The personality and sensitivity of the painter will allow one another with colours or greys in addition to extend the painting derive pleasure from the subject. You catch a glimpse it because it appears inside your soul, everything that's disappeared is to recreate this vision you have had of it.

French novelist Andre Malraux remarked that many people don't like painting, excluding they are also sensitive to the issue that impacts somewhat mentally on one another - horses, boats, tom cats inside baskets.

The White Canvas

The Environment

You meet up with two options to choose from: start off with a white canvas, as a result a white background, or commence on a prepared art. As your background, you are already aware about the tone of your canvas. You additionally identify if you're coping with cooler tones equivalent to greens plus blues, or warmer tones like oranges, reds as well as browns.

So you can as a whole or partially cover in the base tones from your canvas that best suites your 'atmosphere' of your subject.

Sketch

In addition to the remedy of a charcoal crayon on pallid work of art, or a fine paintbrush, sketch the outlines in black or Prussian blue. Don't be overly definite; you have reached with the rough draft.

Painting

Primarily, plan your palette of colours. Put in the primary colours you'll crave, not forgetting black also pallid. Formulate the tones that will help you to get started in the early stage. Now you can start to paint.

Bear in mind: spend more time on subject rather than on a painting.

Frequently come back to your focus. Occasionally, come again and check and arrange your palette, attaining sure it's not prettier than your painting.

Author Info:

Grab my free ebooks filled with tutorials.

http://www.paintonmycanvas.com

Do you want to learn how to draw and paint with simple steps? Follow these steps for your perfect creativity flow.

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Murtaza Habib has helped hundreds of newbies to start their painting courses, now you can do it too...

Tips on Pencil Portrait Drawing - The Line Drawing

In this article I will discuss the importance of a line drawing in producing a pencil portrait drawing. I will also discuss the details of rendering such a drawing. We start with a gridded reference image that has the same dimensions as the drawing we will produce. By the way, a gridded image which has the size of your actual drawing, will usually be too large for most printers to handle in one piece. So, print out the image piece-wise on regular 8.5 by 11 inch paper.

The first step is to draw the same grid on your drawing paper that you drew on your reference image. Use an HB or F pencil with a sharp point and draw very lightly. Remember that this grid eventually will have to be erased.

Once we have drawn the grid we are ready to start putting in the contours of the subject.

The advantages of using a grid are many. Here are a few:

* You can draw the content of one square at a time.

* All proportions and placements are easily discerned.

* Negative spaces become more evident.

* Rendering the correct perspective is greatly simplified.

Here are some guidelines on drawing the outlines (line drawing) of the subject in the photograph:

* For now, only draw lines, i.e., do not do any shading yet.

* Draw lightly and loosely. Use maybe a 2B or 3B sharp pencil. Sharpen your pencils frequently.

* Although you should concentrate on one square, you should not loose sight of the overall structure of the drawing. For example, make sure that the subject matter smoothly transitions from one square to the next. Stand back once and awhile and inspect your progressing drawing from an overall perspective. While concentrating on a particular square, also use your peripheral vision to keep an eye on the neighborhood.

* At this stage, accuracy is of the essence. All drawing at this point is judging lengths and angles within a single square. Use short soft lines which, if needed, you can easily erase.

* Put a sheet of bond paper under your drawing hand so you avoid smudging of the already finished portion of your drawing or of the grid.

* Also draw in the contours of the shadows and other worthy details you notice on your subject. At this stage your task is to produce a detailed map of your subject. We are actually in the process of readying the drawing for the next phase, i.e., shading.

* Try to see in terms of shapes or masses and draw the contours of these shapes and masses. Drawing is doing two things simultaneously (actually, more than two). On the one hand, you need to concentrate on that one current line you are drawing (its length and angle) but simultaneously you should always be aware that this line is part of a shape.

* Make use of the concept of negative space. Also, once and awhile, turn your reference image as well as your drawing upside down or sideways. This often gives you a better perspective on lengths and angles.

* In fact, at this stage, try not to be aware that you are drawing a definite subject. Look at each shape as just a blob without meaning but with definite dimensions and a definite orientation. This will help you with seeing and reducing the involuntary introduction of preconceived notions about noses and such.

* Look at your reference image frequently and carefully.

* Make some choices. What is important? What can you leave out? Drawing is often an exercise in elimination of unnecessary detail.

In this fashion, continue working out one square after another until you have a line drawing of your entire subject. By now, you should already see a fairly good likeness of your subject. Review in detail the entire drawing and make corrections wherever necessary. This is also the time to erase most of the grid. When you are satisfied, you can lightly spray the drawing with workable fixative, just enough so it does not smudge but you can still erase things if you have to.

Author Info:

Remi Engels, Ph.D., is a pencil portrait artist and oil painter. Samples of Remi's pencil portraits and other articles can be found at Remi's Pencil Portraits

Fake Magazine Covers With Your Picture

Why not you add more visual effects for your gifts, are you ready for that, so you can do it by creating a professional personalized magazine cover with photos of your choice. All things can be customized to suit your needs and your favorite looking.

What are occasions this idea would be good for? Believe me; all occasions can be better with this idea. All occasions like Birthdays, Father's day, Mother's day, Graduation day, Holidays and all special events. Send a unique gift to your lover and make it say WOW.

You can also create a personalized magazine cover for your self to record a special event or moments in a special holiday. There are hundreds of ideas you can use when you decide to create a personalized magazine cover.

How can I design my personalized magazine cover? You can order a professional design from an online service, there are very good websites that allow you to choose your personal photos, content and design. And they will send your personal magazine in a heavy glossy paper.

So, if you want to send a unique and a so cool gift to your lover, you can create this unique gift that will be good for all occasions. If you want to record a special event for yourself, you can record it in your personalized magazine that includes your main photo in the front and the other photos in the back of the cover. I don't know cool gifts like this one, so enjoy sending this one.

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