Archive for November, 2009

Article Author: Saladin Montgomery

As in the words of Andreas Feininger, an eminent American photographer, a photographer is like an artist who has the power to control the subject matter of his photography. He has the ability to control space, form, light, texture, speed, etc. The only one thing, on which he doesn’t have control, is the ‘composition’.

Composition is the process in which different elements or parts of an image are brought together to form a significant whole. A good picture cannot just be created with a click of a button, especially, when digital photography has made things easier and there are now a host of photography holidays and photography courses on offer making it even more accessible for everyone! The essence of a picture lies in its perfect composition.

Now, composition is something for which you need to have a different outlook apart from your passion for photography. While the basic rules are taught at the very beginning of a photography course or photography holiday, it is practice that makes a photographer perfect.

However, there are some basic rules of composition following which you can improve your skills as well as your photographs.

1. The Rule of Thirds: If you are on a photography holiday, then keep the Rule of Thirds on the top of the list while taking a photograph. This is the most important rule of composition as far as placing the subject matter of your picture is considered. According to this, a frame is first divided into three horizontal and vertical parts. The subject, when placed at the intersection of these lines, makes the best shot. This rule is also applicable when there is more than one subject. Photographers capturing a landscape can decide how much horizon to focus on with the help of this rule. This makes the picture more focused.
2. Frame: Framing includes the use of natural surroundings to add depth to the subject. This can be anything like a window, doorway, tree, etc. Using this rule can help you to focus on the subject and bring it to light. In certain cases, it is better to use a dark frame so that the subject achieves maximum brightness. For the depth, it is better to use a narrow aperture. Such techniques are frequently used by photographers on nature or wildlife photography holidays.
3. Texture: The texture of the subject photographed generates interest in other’s mind. This rule is important while picturing leaves, rocks or walls. To make the texture stand out, focus should be on the angle of the light. If the light comes from the side, then the creation of shadows in perfect places will highlight the texture more.
4. Lead Lines: At times, straight, curved or parallel lines in a photograph are helpful in grabbing the attention towards a subject. Keep this in mind while photographing a road, stream, river, bridge, etc. The diagonal placement of these objects is preferred over a horizontal appearance.
5. Colour: This is an essential element in photography whether it is digital photography or still photography. Vibrant colours make a picture look alive and a good composition of one or more colours can make a picture stand out.
6. Simplicity: Last but not the least, keep the picture simple, especially, when the subject is in close focus. In such cases, it is advisable to keep the background as simple as possible.

These are the fundamental rules of composition that should be considered while taking a picture. Though the rules of composition are an integral part of all photography courses in London and photography holidays, it is better to have hands on experience on it.

About the author:
Saladin Montgomery sugest some basic rules of composition. A good picture cannot just be created with a click of a button, especially, when digital photography has made things easier and there are now a host of photography holidays and photography courses on offer making it even more accessible for everyone! The essence of a picture lies in its perfect composition.

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

Article Author: Benicio Brown

Talent relating to the creation of animation is a wonderful gift. The creators of animation love it just as much as the people that watch it. In the past, the most creative pieces were constructed via 2D animation, although now, the revolution of 3D technology has meant that this is both better quality and easier to produce. 3D offers both the realism of real life, contrasting with the technologically advanced implementation of computing technology, making it spectacular for the viewers.

All animation starts with a foundation or base, just like a builder would lay foundations for a house. This allows the animators to develop and build on ideas or concepts that they have produced so far. Once they are happy with the ideas that have been developed, animators can focus on using 3D rendering processes to enable their animations to come to life. The rendering techniques that animators use make a huge difference; they make something good into something amazing.

3D Flash and online 3D illustration have come such a long way over the last 5-6 years or so. Before this time, software resources were available, but at a cost. This meant that if animators wanted to produce a piece then they’d be looking at a huge investment to get software up and running. These days software is cheaper, as well as a lot more capable, which opens many doors for new and experienced animators.

The common misconception is that animation is just something that is used in cartoons, or kids programs. This is simply not true. Anything that has been manipulated via computer technology is classed as animation. This might be building plans made into 3D or even a virtual car design. Animators work in hundreds of industries, not just cartoons!

Where as cartoons were where the 3D animation really took off, there is a new use for it. Businesses throughout the world are showing their professionalism and dominance in their industry by producing ranges of “flash” products or services, making them look special via 3D animation. A typical example these days would be both offline and online marketing companies. These companies use as much outside help to make their company, products or even services look that little bit better. Of course, 3D animation and rendering techniques are exactly what they should be implementing if this is what they want to achieve. Next time you take a look at a marketing company, or even any company trying to sell products, see if their website or brochure catches your eye, and if so, is it because they are implementing 3D animation? Using animation rendering techniques is a way for them not only to make their company look better, but to stand out from the crowd.

Where are 3D animation rendering techniques found elsewhere?

Are you a teacher, or have you been taught? It’s a well known fact that there are a range of ways people take on board new information. The vast majority of students (the topic is irrelevant) respond really well to visual resources such as books, pictures or even computer based visual resources. The internet and computers are so popular these days, that there isn’t actually the need for a teacher. Instead interesting, exciting and educational courses can be put together for use via a computer and then made to be kind to the eye by implementing 3D animation rendering techniques.

Where is the future of 3D animation going?

Like any industry, it is moving extremely fast. A rendering technique used today, might be absolutely useless tomorrow. Software is the key ingredient to producing quality 3D animation. Anyone looking to get into the industry, or already involved will need to have a keen eye for what’s hot and what not, other wise they are likely to be left in the dust. That being said, animation software doesn’t do the work for you, the end product will only be as good as the person behind the computer screen implementing rendering techniques.

To begin with 3D animation was basically operating software. Now, because of the technologically advanced features and processes that can be implemented, it goes much further than that. The more creative and artistic the operator of the software is, the bigger the chance that the end product is going to be something of a masterpiece. The combination of great creativity, experience in the arts industry and the knowledge to operate powerful 3D animation software, using the correct rendering techniques, can create extremely powerful animations.

Article courtesy of http://www.rebusmedia.net/ , 3D animation services including rendering, animation production, 3D design, 3D video, and more.

The artist’s inspiration has been the object of wonder and misconception ever since early Man created the first painted images on the walls of his caves thousands of years ago. In truth, there is nothing mystical about creative thought; the average person uses it in his daily life to solve everyday problems, just as the engineer, scientist and architect employ it in their professions. And to expand the mind’s ability to conjure new ideas can be accomplished by simply learning to break free of restrictive ways of thinking, and by exposure to new and stimulating experiences.

Everyone falls into a mental rut sometimes, where habit takes over. But habit is the enemy of creative thinking! You have to open your mind to new ways of experiencing and perceiving in order to gain fresh ideas. There are many established ways to improve your ability to think creativity. To begin with, you should always strive to avoid time-worn cliches; for the visual artist, this could mean taking a common subject, such as a still-life, and injecting some new element into it that normally wouldn’t be associated with that subject. Consider my painting “Voodoo”, found on my website. Instead of the usual flowers and vase, I have used an African ceremonial mask and a human skull, adding a darker twist to the traditional still-life genre.

Many innovative ideas originate in the subconscious mind. Therefore dreams have often been the source of new ideas for the artist, and for Surrealists such as Salvador Dali they were usually the main source of inspiration. Sometimes the mind can be stimulated simply by drawing or painting in a different location than usual. I often find walking or pacing helps me to think and sort out any confusion in my mind. Trying your hand at other fields of artistic expression, such as writing or music, can give you new perspectives. Literature and film can also be rich sources of ideas. I found that studying poetry helped me to draw more upon the subconscious, and to gain a greater appreciation of the principles that are common to all art forms.

One of the greatest obstacles to creativity is conformity. Don’t allow yourself to be restricted by what is socially or culturally acceptable; society encourages uniformity of thought and attitude–this is the death of creative thought! Follow your own instincts, believe in your own view and perceptions; don’t be afraid to be provocative if that is what your concept demands. Look at my works “The Lady Of Ill Repute” and “The Years”–certainly not everyone’s idea of beauty. But beauty can be found in the truth expressed in these women’s faces and in their lives, like the beauty found in the ruins of a forgotten temple. In these women one sees the scars of past experience and the price that time exacts from the human soul. In short, they tell a good story, something art should always strive to do.

It is a great mistake to think that every idea that you arrive at should be a good one. The creative process is by nature somewhat chaotic–this naturally means that some of your ideas, perhaps most of them, are simply bad. This is fine! Even a bad idea can be of value, as it may lead you to make an unconscious connection that eventually matures into something useful. In fact, sometimes deliberately coming up with a bad concept can open the mind to something better. It’s all a matter of making unconscious associations.

I have come to believe that there is no truly original idea. Everyone builds upon the work of others. Consider Van Gogh’s style: his use of color comes from the Impressionists; the hard outlines and flat forms from Japanese woodcuts; his everyday subject matter from earlier artists like Millet. Perhaps his fluid brushwork is his only personal contribution to his distinctive style. But by blending these different elements he came up with something totally unique and personal. This is an example of combining influences. And there are other approaches, such as modifying, maximizing, minimizing, substituting, rearranging, reversing, exaggerating and separating.

Inspiration is always an uncertain commodity; some people will always have the advantage over the rest of us when it comes to innovative thinking. But everyone can expand their capacity for creative thought by ridding themselves of old ways of thinking, and by exposure to new experiences. However, it isn’t always necessary to be clever; the most important consideration for the artist is to have something to say, and to say it well. I hope that the methods discussed here will help you to do just that.

Source: http://www.articlecircle.com/ – Free Articles Directory

About the Author
The artwork of the author, Charles Griffith, can be found at http://charlesgriffith.tripod.com and he can be contacted at charles_griffith@lycos.com. Charles Griffith’s interest in art began in childhood, and was encouraged by his family. Later, while serving in the U.S. military in Europe, he was inspired by seeing firsthand some of the treasures of European art. Today his art focuses on traditional realism, often with elements of Expressionism and Surrealism.

Author: Kasan Groupe

For over 100 years, Crayola products have given children the chance to color their world with creativity and self expression. The art of childhood is celebrated through innovative, crafty projects that Crayola crayons, markers, and paints can bring to any household, school, or community environment. The Crayola Company has sale offices located in the US, Canada, Australia, and in Mexico employing over 1,100 worldwide.

Since founded by Binney and Smith in 1885, Crayola produces roughly three billion crayons a year, averaging out at about twelve million a day. That is practically enough crayons to circle the entire globe six times. Crayola crayons are varied in several ways. Not only are there 120 official Crayola colors, with 23 shades of red, 20 kinds of greens, 19 shades of blue, 16 types of purples, 15 different oranges, 11 browns, 8 yellows, 2 grays, 2 blacks, and a shade of gold and silver, they each have a very unique name as well. Most of the color names are taken from the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Bureau of Standards book that is titled “Color: Universal Language and Dictionary of Names.” Several of the Crayola colors have been named according to traditional artists’ paints as well.

After comparing results from over 25,000 votes taken during the Crayola Color Census in 2000, the majority of Americans favored the color blue out of every color in the Crayola box. In fact, the top ten included six different shades of blue including midnight blue, aquamarine, cerulean, periwinkle, blizzard blue, and denim. Other colors from the top ten included caribbean green, cerise, and purple heat.

Interestingly enough, a study done by Yale University showed that the smell of Crayola Crayons is number eighteen out of the twenty most recognizable smells for American adults. That goes along with coffee, lemon, chocolate, and cinnamon. Crayola not only produces crayons but they also offer products such as colored pencils, modeling clays, coloring books, and artists’ tools such as a crayola easel. Surprisingly enough, Crayola also produced Christmas lights for the 1996-1997 season using the popular colors pink, orange, and blue. Crayola currently has affiliate relationships with other brands such as Silly Putty, the Portfolio Series, and Liquitex.

About the Author:

Get your child a crayola easel and make your next art project funner than ever!
Our authors work as a team that focuses on attention to detail, devotion and an honest degree of aptitude.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Crayola Company, Fun Facts about America’s Favorite Crayon

Author: Dwight Clough

What if I could give you one word that would transform your writing career?

Impossible?

Not at all. It’s not only possible, but when you understand this word and its power, it will forever change how you look at writing. In fact, if you don’t learn this word, you are treating your writing career like a trip to a Vegas casino. Sure, you might win big, but the odds are that you’ll go home disappointed … and broke.

I’m talking about a four letter word that most writers, including most Christian writers completely ignore.

No, it’s not a profanity. Nor is it an obscenity. In fact, it’s not colorful language at all. It’s a plain, ordinary word, a word that you’ve probably spoken in the last ten days without comprehending its significance.

It starts with an “L.”

Can you guess what it is?

Give up?

The word is list.

The right kind of list, in your hands, can transform you from a writer wannabe to a successful author with enough muscle to walk into a major publisher’s office and negotiate a six- or seven-figure advance with smiles all around the table.

But without a list, you’re dead in the water. You can be the best writer since Ernest Hemingway and nobody will give you the time of day.

What do I mean?

I’m talking about a list – a database – of people who know you, respect you, trust you and get value from the message you have to share. I’m talking about a list of people who are ready, willing and able to buy the next book you publish. This means a database of names, email address and whatever other information you can glean so that turning your book into a best seller is like marketing clockwork.

The vast majority of writers are spending way too much time ruminating over their prose and zero time building their list.

If you don’t have a list, start building one now. How do you build a list? That’s the subject of a different article, but, for starters, you need to begin asking yourself some basic marketing questions: What groups of people benefit most from my message? How and why exactly do they benefit? Where do I find these people? How can I engage them in dialogue? What would cause them to want to share their name and contact information with me? How can I responsibly care for that trust and that information?

Give it some thought, because this four letter word is the cornerstone of your writing career.

Dwight Clough
Author / Ghostwriter / Author’s Coach
http://EmpowerGood.com/yourbook
Free information for authors

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1232312_50.html

Author: John Mackinnon

To learn and master painting has never been as easy or as inexpensive. With video technology it is now possible to learn from some of the best instructors the world over. Many of these top notch artists would normally be too busy, too far away or even too expensive for the average student. The availability of video painting lessons has certainly change everything. However, since not every course is necessarily a good one, here are 9 tips for choosing the best ones.

1. Choose Video; without a doubt a painting course needs to be in a video format. But, not just little tiny snippets of short videos to enhance a book but, full blown, start to finish video. This is an intensively visual activity that is best learned while watching an expert go through all of the paces.

2. Good Production Values; The videos need to be well though out with lots of clear close up shots so that there is no confusion about each demonstration.

3. Beginner Through Advanced Lessons; a thorough learn and master painting course will guide a complete novice student through setting up a studio, the equipment and initial supplies. Too many courses leave beginners scrambling for the most basic information. Also, the dvd should allow a more advanced painter to skip around to view only the lessons for which they have the most interest.

4. The Instructor; needs to be a seasoned, highly educated and accomplished artist in their own right. It is equally important that they have a gift for teaching students of all levels. Some gifted artists are just not able to identify where a beginner student is coming from and all too often they will become confused, discouraged and quit unnecessarily.

5. Painting Theory; a complete painting course should not just teach you to mimic the instructor so that you learn to create just one specific painting in one specific style. Instead, the painting course should give you a full understanding of perspective, making an object look three dimensional, why colors look the way they do, tonality and many other fundamental concepts that will set you free to paint anything in a professional manor.

6. Guided Practice Sessions; Its important to actually work on exercises as well as full blown paintings from start to finish right along side the instructor. Sitting on your hands while watching the instructor could give you a false sense of understanding. There is nothing like diving in the pool with a good teacher to learn to swim.

7. Individual Pacing; this is almost automatic with dvd painting courses because you can automatically pause almost any where in mid lesson, work at your own pace, then restart the video where you left off. It is important that the instructor teaches in a way that gives you plenty of logical places to pause for practice, (or to go to the bathroom for that matter).

8. Fun: the instructor must be somewhat playful and encouraging while teaching or you may become bored and not look forward to each lesson. This is also important because fun usually yields a relaxed state of mind that is more creatively focused.

9. Price; expect to pay about $150 to $250 USD for a thorough beginner through advanced painting dvd set. Prices that range from $20 to $50 USD usually teach a limited range of topics.

Without a doubt, video painting course dvds are the most thorough, effective and complete single educational tool to come along since the invention of art. They are often superior to a random live local teacher in terms of cost, convenience, consistency and caliber of instructing. It is, after all, hard to get a live instructor to come to your house at 2:00 in the morning on a night when sleep is impossible and you wish to paint, (they are also impossible to rewind and review).

Having said that, it is still extremely important to get outside feedback on your work from other artists in your community. Ideally, use a dvd course to lay a detailed foundation then add live interaction with other artists and instructors for feedback as you learn and master painting.

About the Author:

John Mackinnon, having grown up in an artistic family, has had a passion for art for nearly 50 years. If you wish to find a good set of video painting course dvds, John has posted a series of detailed reviews and comparison charts to greatly simplify this process for you. Learn which Painting and Drawing lessons are gems and which to avoid before you buy. http://www.MasterPaintingLessons.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Learn and Master Painting: How To Choose The Best Painting Lesson DVDs

Author: Mark Kemp

A lot of con artists have invaded the industry and the literary world is not an exemption. It is important to discern if a literary agency is a scammer or not. New comers and veteran novelists alike can fall prey to literary agency schemes so added precaution and knowledge about the matter is essential. There are specific signs that your literary agency is just a scam so better read on and be informed.

The rule is pretty simple for literary agencies. They only get to make money out of your books, fiction or non-fiction, by selling it to reputable publishers. This rule may seem basic enough but a lot of writers are still falling victim to con artists of the literary world. If your literary agency is asking for additional fee related to reading, evaluation, marketing or retainer’s fee, then you should consider this as a warning sign that something is not right with your agency.

Reading fees are already banned by the Association of Author’s Representatives (the active trade group for literary agents in the United States of America). The same holds true for evaluation fees. If the agent would like to critique your work then he is free to do so but it should come at no cost. If you really want good opinion regarding your work, you should approach a professional editor instead.

Note that not all fees being charged to you by your literary agency are scams. Literary agencies do charge fees that they incur on your behalf for the production and distribution of your work. Chargeable expenses include photocopy expense, stamps and the like. Most reputable agents put these expenses in the contract that writers are required to sign to make the transaction clear for both parties.

One of the indicators that the agency is a reputable one is that they do not ask for a payment even before any work has started. Reputable literary agencies would also provide you with receipts of the copies that the agency said they made and are charging you for. Renegotiate your contract if you think that it will not work for you.

If you want a reputable literary agency, such as the Scott Meredith Literary Agency, to represent you, then do not look for their advertisement in magazines and the internet for chances are, they do not advertise there. You will find their contact details in market books and other resources instead.

About the Author:

For more details, please visit us at http://www.myonlinetalentagent.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Protecting Yourself from Literary Agency Scams

Author: Luke Wildman

More and more people are looking for better ways to remember a particular event or occasion. Amongst all the techniques considered nowadays is the “photos to canvas” concept. This strategy is said to be more expensive than the digital prints that you are used to but the pieces will certainly last longer in your possession. With this particular promise, the photos to canvas industry grew and opened more opportunities both for patrons and artists as well.

Each member of the photos to canvas industry device its own term to coin techniques used in bringing life to your pictures. Basically, everybody else in the field follows the same procedures though. Under this artwork technique are subcategories of more methods that will entice you to try bringing home the masterpiece with you. Find out more about the common denominators for techniques adapted by this industry.

The most common techniques used by the photos to canvas industry

Every now and then, photos to canvas service providers update their list of techniques just to attract more patrons. If you have any idea at the back of your minds before your pictures are placed on the canvas, you may ask the artist if he is willing to give in to your conceptualisation. Ideally, though, you may ask for any of the following techniques for transferring your pictures to canvas.

1. Realistic photo. When you hear the word photos to canvas, you often think that the outcome will become more of like a painting. In some instances, you may request this to happen but there are scenarios when you may ask the service provider to come up with a realistic photo. A realistic photo is just like enlarging the existing digital print you have. The difference is it is placed in a canvas cloth.
2. Light brush stroke. This is known as the painting concept in photos to canvas. This is the case where the masterpiece comes out of a fusion of digital print technology and paint brush strokes. Even if the brush stroke is placed to come up with the output, you will see that the whole idea of bringing your pictures to life will still work.
3. Black and white. If you love the traditional look of black and white to your pictures, you may use the same conceptualisation process when thinking of transferring your pictures to a canvas. The masterpiece will look old as you like it but the canvas will make the output more interesting.
4. Sepia style. If there is a black and white concept, the sepia style is also existent in photos to canvas. This is a technique where your pictures may somehow look like black and white but the actual predominant colour is sepia. Sepia is like a faded colour in the brown shade. Your picture will look classical through this technique.

These are four simple techniques that will make your photos to canvas look like a painting on that empty space in your walls. You will love the masterpiece that will come out from any of these ideas. Beside these techniques however, there are yet a lot more to choose from when placing your photos to canvas. Better check with your service provider about these things and inject your idea into the process.

About the Author:

Do you want varied techniques for your “>http://www.u2canvas.co.uk/prod1.asp?ID=286&title;”> photos to canvas ? Browse the pages of http://www.u2canvas.co.uk and see how they will turn your picture into a more beautiful work of art.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Photos to Canvas Industry: Four Techniques that Bring Life to Your Pictures

Author: Jenny Andrew

Acrylic paint is a modern media when compared with watercolour and oil. Oil for example has been used by artists as far back at the 15th century and watercolour has been used as an artist medium since the Renaissance. With such history of these other two mediums, acrylic is always fighting to gain recognition. Acrylic has distinct characteristics as oil and watercolour do and the National Acrylic Painters’ Association was set up in 1985 to champion and support this media. Acrylic is capable of the widest range of approaches of any artist media and enables even more creativity, fresh ideas and progression. Artwork has been created in acrylic paint but artists such as Andy Warhol, Robert Motherwell, Mark Rothko, Bridget Riley and David Hockney to name just a few.

There are now a huge number of artists producing canvas artwork using acrylics and making the optimum use of this versatile media. It has enabled canvas art to be bought by a wider audience due to its fast drying nature and artwork can be created much quicker so a real business can be made out of acrylic artwork. Exhibitions have been in such prestigious venues as the Westminster Gallery and the Durham Art Gallery solely exhibiting and championing acrylic work. Books have been written purely on the characteristics of acrylic paint such as “New Tricks and Techniques for Working with the World’s Most Versatile Medium” by Nancy Reyner and “The New Acrylics:Complete Guide to the New Generation of Acrylic Paints.

Modern art is defined from the 1860’s to the 1970’s in terms of galleries and art history. In recent years the appeal of modern art in a widespread context has occurred. The new style of modern, open plan living had made for the need of equally as modern and unique art for the white stark walls. The apartment living scene has especially contributed but even older style houses are having walls taken down to make way for the open plan living so popular today.

Not everyone has the money to buy modern canvas art produced by famous artists so it has enabled the not so famous but equally as talented new artists to produce work and be successful selling them. Canvas art is quite dramatic as the medium used is either oil or acrylic paint. Both achieve high depth in colour and on a bright white wall, a piece of canvas artwork on a stretched canvas frame has maximum impact.

Clean lines and minimal aesthetics are the keys with many of the latest wave if modern art pieces. Another impressive move in the artwork is that artists today are actually quite happy to produce bespoke artwork specifically for the client from their own specifications. For example a piece of artwork is often created to specifically suit the interiors of the room it is commissioned for both in style and colour. This is quite a shift from what many people conceive in artists. It is making modern art even more modern and allows the owner of the artwork to have input creating an even more personal piece.

About the Author:

Kris Hardy creates modern canvas art for interior designers, business premises and as bespoke art commission.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – The Popularity of Modern Acrylic Canvas Art