Current Articles

Posts Tagged ‘contemporary artists’

At some time in our lives we all fancy having a go at painting or drawing. Some people find it so easy and are naturally talented. You may find they can draw and paint without ever having had a lesson. However, for others they are too frightened to even try!

Some people are fastidious and are not satisfied with anything they may produce. Others wade straight in, enjoying every moment, with very good results.

It is important that you have a hobby you can enjoy. You should feel that it is fun and not hard work. As you progress you will try different mediums and techniques experimenting and learning as you go. Some will be successful; some may fail in your eyes. Above all it should be an enjoyable experience.

Actually you get so engrossed in it – you lose all track of time. Generally you can appreciate the tranquility that surrounds you. If you are a working person sometimes it is hard to set aside the time for this. However there are benefits as you will come to the conclusion that this can be your peace time. We all need time to ourselves at some point.

Hobbies too are sometimes a marvelous way of making new friends, together with learning something at the same time. Many of us just take up a hobby in the winter to fill the dark nights. As for new friends this is a very good way of getting to know people particularly if you are new to an area. Local classes abound both in the daytime and the evening, and they are often quite social. A good teacher is an asset; you have ready help and advice at hand, and other people to converse with.

Something you may find will help you sometimes, is to go and see other people’s work. Whether at a local art gallery, or visiting exhibitions that are held locally. Here you will see various types of work and different techniques. As an example you may want to see a whole collection of still life or maybe portraits. You will find that artists often favor one particular style.

Personally I like to go from one thing to another, you learn as you go along. Painting is something you need to be in the mood for, although if you are stressed it can be soothing. It is gratifying when you paint from your imagination and see what transpires; but you may just stop and sketch something roughly on your travels, or even copy something that grabs you.

What wonderful tools are available for our work in the art supply shops now. You can have a field day. Such a great amount of choice in prices to fit the average person’s pocket. I really think that oil paints are a good investment for a beginner as no matter what goes wrong it is possible to scrape paint off with a palette knife and start afresh. However apart from this there are numerous other choices from pastels, acrylics, crayons, to pens and inks.

So, what a really great hobby this is. Acrylics are so easy to use and in wonderful colors to fire your imagination. Adapt easily to canvas, drying pretty quickly. Oils as I have explained are great but you have to allow for long drying time and be careful of them collecting dust. It is a learning curve.

They can be diluted or you can use them straight from the tube. What is the bonus? Well, they not only dry quickly, but also if you paint on a canvas there is no need to frame. Give them as presents to your friends, often they will be touched to receive such a personal gift.

Most people think that at one time or another they would love to draw and or paint. Many too, think that they can’t and lack the confidence to even try. Art for some talented people is a natural born gift. Let’s face it some artists with no training are fantastic.

Others draw and paint and think nothing will be good enough, perfectionists one could say. It could be that you do not need any encouragement to actually get enthused. If you are enthusiastic you probably will go from strength to strength.

Starting in one medium and as you get more daring dabble in many others. This should not be a trial; you have to learn to enjoy it. At times you will find it quite frustrating, but both illuminating and fascinating your final result. Above all you can get a great deal of satisfaction from your work.

Actually you get so engrossed in it – you lose all track of time. Generally you can appreciate the tranquility that surrounds you. If you are a working person sometimes it is hard to set aside the time for this. However there are benefits as you will come to the conclusion that this can be your peace time. We all need time to ourselves at some point.

Hobbies too are sometimes a marvelous way of making new friends, together with learning something at the same time. Many of us just take up a hobby in the winter to fill the dark nights. As for new friends this is a very good way of getting to know people particularly if you are new to an area. Local classes abound both in the daytime and the evening, and they are often quite social. A good teacher is an asset; you have ready help and advice at hand, and other people to converse with.

Really you need to study mixed styles of art and a very good way of doing this is to observe from others at exhibitions in local libraries, art galleries etc. Local artists display the type of work, in their chosen style like portraits for instance.

Personally I like to go from one thing to another, you learn as you go along. Painting is something you need to be in the mood for, although if you are stressed it can be soothing. It is gratifying when you paint from your imagination and see what transpires; but you may just stop and sketch something roughly on your travels, or even copy something that grabs you.

People draw and paint with so many different things these days. The range is endless with so many varied products on the market, with a variable price bracket. Water colors, acrylics, pastels, pens, inks, crayons to name a few. People may not think to begin with oils which have a distinct advantage as if you do not like your creation, it can be reworked by removing the paint and redoing it.

So, what a really great hobby this is. Acrylics are so easy to use and in wonderful colors to fire your imagination. Adapt easily to canvas, drying pretty quickly. Oils as I have explained are great but you have to allow for long drying time and be careful of them collecting dust. It is a learning curve.

What do I like about them? Well, firstly their drying qualities, plus the fact that you can use them directly from the tube as well as the palette. Even better they are more or less ready to hang on the wall, so you can give them to anyone.

Most people think that at one time or another they would love to draw and or paint. Many too, think that they can’t and lack the confidence to even try. Art for some talented people is a natural born gift. Let’s face it some artists with no training are fantastic.

Some people are fastidious and are not satisfied with anything they may produce. Others wade straight in, enjoying every moment, with very good results.

Starting in one medium and as you get more daring dabble in many others. This should not be a trial; you have to learn to enjoy it. At times you will find it quite frustrating, but both illuminating and fascinating your final result. Above all you can get a great deal of satisfaction from your work.

Actually you get so engrossed in it – you lose all track of time. Generally you can appreciate the tranquility that surrounds you. If you are a working person sometimes it is hard to set aside the time for this. However there are benefits as you will come to the conclusion that this can be your peace time. We all need time to ourselves at some point.

For others it may be a way of meeting new friends. If you join a local class, not only will you be learning, you can also discuss problems with your compatriots. This way you learn from each other. Sometimes your teacher may bring in things to show you, that you never would have thought of to give you different perspectives.

Something you may find will help you sometimes, is to go and see other people’s work. Whether at a local art gallery, or visiting exhibitions that are held locally. Here you will see various types of work and different techniques. As an example you may want to see a whole collection of still life or maybe portraits. You will find that artists often favor one particular style.

Personally I like to go from one thing to another, you learn as you go along. Painting is something you need to be in the mood for, although if you are stressed it can be soothing. It is gratifying when you paint from your imagination and see what transpires; but you may just stop and sketch something roughly on your travels, or even copy something that grabs you.

People draw and paint with so many different things these days. The range is endless with so many varied products on the market, with a variable price bracket. Water colors, acrylics, pastels, pens, inks, crayons to name a few. People may not think to begin with oils which have a distinct advantage as if you do not like your creation, it can be reworked by removing the paint and redoing it.

Summing up, as a hobby it is great. You can achieve and learn so much. With oils the only drawback is the length of time they actually take to dry and keeping them dust free. Acrylics I think are great fun. With them you can explode with colors right across the canvas, in so many ways.

If you feel confident enough to give acrylics as gifts this is easy as they do not need to be framed. The paint can be applied straight from the tube with the added advantage of it drying very quickly or you may dilute it.

Do you like the idea of this, but don’t know where to start? Maybe you think it might be too difficult and quite a trial, but if you keep a cool head you should be fine with this. It can be quite exciting, so come, on have a go!

Let’s move to your first step. It is very important that you do not have a greasy or dirty wall to work on. So get your rubber gloves on and wash down the wall.

Once this is dry, you can make a bit of a start by giving the wall a coating of paint or a primer. This should, in fact, make it easier to paint your mural.

Don’t get old feet now! What you will need next, is some paper, like a sheet of A3, a pen or pencil and a ruler. You now have to draw what is called a grid and you do this on the paper first. Like a plan, in fact, particularly if it is a fairly large area you want to cover. What you do, is to draw 2 inch squares to make the grid and then you draw your design on this. When this is completed you then basically transfer the grid on to your wall.

As an example, if you use 2 inch squares, one of these could represent 2 feet square on your wall. You can mark your squares on the wall by using a coloured chalk that will show up on your painted wall. Your chalk should be quite easy to erase afterwards.

I would not advise you using a small grid though, because it can be quite a problem trying to get the chalk off. You also really need to think hard about what you paint in the grid, as you will need some very definite lines to shape your picture.

So you have your paper grid, now you need some paint. What I would say is, try, if it is at all possible, not to stint on this. A good quality paint usually works better for anything. Personally, I would try to use an acrylic paint, if you can afford it. Then you paint the grid so that each square will be identical from the paper to the wall.

However, you could also use an ordinary type of paint you would use for the house, for the large part of your painting, the background etc. The important parts could still be painted with acrylics, but do use a good brush.

One important fact to be taken into consideration, when you paint a mural, is that you are painting right on top of it all the time, so you need to take stock of it from a distance as you go along. It may well be that the sun will reflect on your work, so you would need to choose a paint with this in mind.

Anyway, you will not want the sun reflections coming off your work, so choose a paint with an eggshell finish or matt. You also could, when it is complete, brush on a clear varnish. Not only will this make it easier for you to keep it clean, but it will also act as a layer of protection.