Musings and articles: How to hold the pencil The least frequently asked question about drawing is “How do you hold the pencil?” Most people are simply unaware that there is more than one way to hold it. They unconsciously use the writing pen grip they learned in elementary school, and it does not occur to them to even think of changing it. Yet many typical beginner’s problems with pencil drawing, from wobbliness to hatched lines, originate from bad grip. The “scribe’s grip” that feels natural for most people is surely the worst grip for drawing: writing and drawing are fundamentally different activities. I had encountered people who claim that the best way is to use whatever feels comfortable, and if that’s the scribe’s grip so be it. There are only two basic drawing grips: the lengthwise pen grip and the crosswise violin bow grip; most of the other grips are variations of these two. Pen grip Hold the pencil like you would hold the writing pen, but much further from the tip. Violin bow grip Gesture grips and variations Brush grip Hi, Jon
Paper Art - 100 Extraordinary Examples of Paper Art Paper art can be traced back to Japan, where it originated over a thousand years ago. From complex paper cutting to book carving, this is an ever expanding area of design that is hardly talked about. These intricate paper designs grace museums and exauhibitions throughout the world and is becoming yet another exciting medium of expression for many designers. Some of the artists featured here use simple materials, such as A4 printing papeel, while others resort to unexpected materials, such as actual books, as their prime materials. In this article, we’ll take a look at 13 remarkable artists and showcase their truly amazing pieces of paper art. Peter Callesen Visit website Jen Stark Visit website Simon Schubert Visit website Brian Dettmer: Book Sculptures Visit website Sher Christopher Visit website Elsa Mora Visit website Yulia Brodskaya Visit Website Su Blackwell Visit website Richard Sweeney Visit website Jolis Paons Visit website Bovey Lee Visit website Bert Simons Visit website Ingrid Siliakus Visit website
22 Sweet and Surreal Illustrations Italian illustrator Alessandro Gottardo's beautiful, open and inviting illustrations have been featured in major newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, TIME, The Economist and Newsweek among others. He's won numerous awards including the gold medal from The Society of Illustrators New York in 2009. Gottardo's clever illustrations show us why a minimalist approach can go a long way in telling a story. By taking out all that's unnecessary and distilling ideas down to very basic forms and shapes, Gottardo makes us believe that complicated concepts can be illustrated in surprisingly simple ways. Love the sweet and surreal nature to these. Added: After we finished this post, we got in touch with Gottardo for an interview. Alessandro Gottardo also goes by the name Shout. "One day, maybe I will say things that are truly worth listening to, I will say things that belong to me only, and there will be no other way to listen to them EXCEPT looking."
Make Your Own Silhouettes | Art Projects | Homemade Mother's Day Gift Have you noticed that silhouettes are all the rage these days? I see them in magazines, on blogs, books, and the TV. I’ve priced them out a few times, only to be disappointed by how costly they can be. In kindergarten, I vaguely remember my teacher shining a light at us while we stood by a wall with a big piece of white paper taped on it. It was so hard trying not to wiggle as she traced our shadow which we turned into a silhouette. Now, there is no need to spend $$$ to buy silhouettes. Cheap. First, grab your subjects and have them stand in front of a contrasting wall. Take a few photos, sometimes it’s nice to have more than one to choose from. Using your own photo editing software, size the photo to fit your chosen frame. Load white cardstock into your printer, and then print away! Next, with a steady hand, cut out your subject’s profile, being careful around facial features. Then, my favorite part begins! Transfer onto a clean paper towel and allow to dry. Then, frame ‘er up!
Sharpie Art - Extreme Sharpie Artwork at WomansDay.com Nowadays, Sharpie markers come in more than basic black––they’re available in every color of the rainbow, and in just about every size and shape. They’re great for everyday labeling and organizing, but did you know that they could also be used to decorate everything from guitars to fingernails? WD teamed with Sharpie to find the most unique creations from talented artists across the globe. From a Lamborghini turned objet d’art to a wall mural, check out how different artists uncapped their creativity. Rev Your Engines George Ramos spent two weeks on this intricately designed Lamborghini––he used Sharpie markers to create the design and then topped it off with a clear coat of paint to protect the pattern. Lend a Hand The talented (and patient!) Rock and Roll Peter Bragino created a custom design on his Ibanez guitar using an industrial-strength Sharpie marker––no sanding or topcoat was needed to preserve the long-lasting design. Space Out Detail Oriented Feet First Speed Racer Off the Wall
How to Make Leaf Skeletons I wanted to share with you a project from one of my readers who shares with us how to make leaf skeletons. I LOVE this! I have several leafs in various forms displayed in my home and knew I needed to make some of her leaf skeletons to add to my decor. I love how a pattern of leaves can enhance the beauty in your home. So I asked Heather if she would mind sharing her project with you. You can find more great projects from Heather at her blog The Other White House. I have spent hours and tried various ways of making these. You need washing soda, not baking soda! Gather your leaves. Washing soda is a strong base so you may want to wear gloves when handling the leaves. You will add 3/4 cup of washing soda and 4 cups of water to your pot of leaves. Keep going, you will need to add more water so your pan doesn’t dry out. When 1.75 hours are up fill a glass baking dish with cool water. I carefully removed them and rinsed with water and added clean water to the pan. 37.1Kstumbleupon
Amazing drawings by Joe Fenton After studying sculpting at the Wimbledon School of Art, I went on to work for a few years in the film industry for directors such as Terry Gilliam and for companies such as Disney and Miramax as a film concept designer and sculptor in both London and Prague. I then moved to New York where I received my first publishing contract with Simon & Schuster for my children’s book as illustrator and writer of What’s under the bed? What’s under the bed? was selected by Cheerios spoonful of stories programme to be resized and placed in 1.5 million boxes of Cheerios in the USA. Solitude Pride Tick Tock The marauders banquet Serenity Genesis Official website You might also like Comments Michael Dachstein Inspiration junkie :)
20 Amazing Artist-Inspired Tattoos [Editor's note: While your Flavorwire editors take a much-needed holiday break, we're revisiting some of our most popular features of the year. This post was originally published February 16, 2011.] If we’re being honest, most of us will never own a work of art by a famous artist. And while back in college, it might have been okay to pay homage to one of the greats with a poster print from the museum, these days when it comes to the artwork that hangs on our walls, we tend to opt for original pieces by emerging (read: more affordable) talents. A few enterprising souls have found a way to sidestep the issue completely by displaying famous works of art directly on their bodies. Andy Warhol [via] Banksy [via] Chuck Close [via] Edgar Degas [via] Frida Kahlo [via] Georgia O’Keeffe [via] Gustav Klimt [via] Jean-Michel Basquiat [via] Joan Miro [via] Jenny Holzer [via] Kara Walker [via] Keith Haring [via] Kiki Smith [via] Marcel Duchamp [via] Pablo Picasso [via] Piet Mondrian [via] Roy Lichenstein [via]
bedtime paradox A couple of things today! One, a sort of un-announcement? I never really announced that I would be at the Calgary Expo cus I was never sure if I could make it! The only other show I am very sure that I will be going to this year is SPX.
Intricately Patterned Animal Illustrations It would be hard to tell from these strikingly detailed animals but artist Iain Macarthur got his start drawing cartoon characters. Now he carries his sketchbook on the bus, to the cafe and everywhere else as he includes more realism and in this case pattern in his illustrations. See more of his animals (and even some cartoons) at iainmacarthur.carbonmade.com. See Also INCREDIBLE 3D ILLUSTRATIONS JUMP OUT OF THE SKETCHBOOK Via: hypemuch.com Known in some circles as the most amazing man in the universe, he once saved an entire family of muskrats from a sinking, fire engulfed steamboat while recovering from two broken arms relating to a botched no-chute wingsuit landing in North Korea. Promoted Content
Stuff no one told you: Simple truths of life At some point in 2010, Alex Noriega, illustrator from Barcelana, was going through a crisis due to some isues at work. He decided to start a blog as a way of trying to find what he was doing wrong. He wanted to put on paper all that he had learned in life as simple as possible and try to see if what was happening around him made any sense. And it didn’t Still, his work is great and we are happy to present it to you! One man, 100,000 toothpicks, and 35 years: An incredible kinetic sculpture of San Francisco Thirty five years ago I had yet to be born, but artist Scott Weaver had already begun work on this insanely complex kinetic sculpture, Rolling through the Bay, that he continues to modify and expand even today. The elaborate sculpture is comprised of multiple “tours” that move pingpong balls through neighborhoods, historical locations, and iconic symbols of San Francisco, all recreated with a little glue, some toothpicks, and an incredible amount of ingenuity. He admits in the video that there are several toothpick sculptures even larger than his, but none has the unique kinetic components he’s constructed. Via his website Weaver estimates he’s spent over 3,000 hours on the project, and the toothpicks have been sourced from around the world: I have used different brands of toothpicks depending on what I am building. See the sculpture for yourself at the Tinkering Studio through the end of June.