Fine Art

Dazzling paintings can be made on old wooden fence boards. The boards can be painted in any style, but primitive designs particularly lend themselves to old wooden boards for a nostalgic theme....

Christmas arrives at great step. For some, the packing of the gifts is one happy moment, but for much among us, that remains a true martyrdom. That is to pack one limps of chocolate or a bottle,...

Giorgio Vasari, an art historian contemporary with the Italian Renaissance, suggests that the Mona Lisa is a portrait of Mona Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of a Florentine businessman.

The trick to taking excellent people photos in the natural light is to take your shots away from direct sunlight and create a catch light in your model's eye. To take excellent portrait photos...

"Sumi" is the Japanese word for "ink." It is paired with "--e" to mean ink picture or "shodo" to mean ink calligraphy. The calligraphy used to adorn sumi-e paintings is the same used to practice...

Although cars come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from low and aerodynamic to boxy and bulky, the procedure for realistically drawing a vehicle is unvaried and regulated. The same advice that...

Woodburning art, known as pyrography, is a great way for you to express your artistic side. Use this technique to decorate woodworking projects. There is little need for any specialized tools to...

The trick to mixing brilliant paint colors is to never add black to darken a color, and to choose brilliant primary colors for mixing. By mixing your own colors for a painting instead of using...

Acid etching, a form of intaglio printmaking, refers to "eating" designs into metal, glass, concrete and other materials using strong acids. The lines created by the acid are often inked and...

Artists sometimes find it necessary to create duplicates of their work. A friend may request a copy or perhaps an artist wants to test another medium on the work. There are several methods to...

There are two parts to painting metal in watercolor: duplicating the color and matching the texture. Although matching the color of metal isn't that difficult, the most important part of making...

Linoleum is a useful and durable floor covering that was most widely used from the 1860s until the 1950s. Linoleum is also used in an artistic technique called linoleum printing which is...

The task of drawing a Victorian house may seem complicated--they were, after all, meant to look as complicated as possible. Luckily, Victorian houses are all made out of standard geometric shapes...

Although mixing paint is largely subjective (too many factors are specific to your own circumstances) some aspects of it remain formulaic. Using the correct colors and some standard proportions...

Your first impulse when darkening a paint color may be to simply add black. Most artists who have worked with paint know that adding black to a color will make it murky and gray, which is often an...

European art is best described through its vast history of artistic ages, approaches and the artists themselves.

You can find reproductions of fine art hanging in hotels, living rooms and student studios. Although art reproduction is not considered a fine art itself, students sometimes develop their skills...

Acrylic paintings are most commonly done on canvas stretched over wooden bars. Although most paintings can be hung by the bars unframed, framing the painting will give it a professional quality....

Black figure vases were a style of ancient Greek pottery. The images appeared as silhouettes with etched-in details against red clay. The technique of black figure vase painting originated in the...

Making oil paint work more like watercolor isn't difficult. However, even using the technique described below, there are two major differences: oil paints must be painted on primed canvas, lest...

Most doll faces are meant to be iconic and straightforward, almost like cartoons, instead of realistic images of faces. Whether you are drawing a doll face on a doll, or simply drawing an image of...

From starfish to sea turtles to fish and sharks, ocean animals vary widely in appearance and behavior. These animals can be instructive subjects for anyone learning to draw because their physical...

A painter and illustrator, Andrew Wyeth is best known for his painting "Christina's World," which portrays a crippled woman crawling over the ground toward her house in rural Maine. Wyeth's use of...

Coiling is a technique where the clay is rolled into long ropes or coils and then it is layered one on top of another. It can be used for the most basic forms or can be used to create large...

Painting a fire in a hearth is a classic method of creating drama and intimacy in a painting. The glow from a fire casts everything around it in warm tones and draws the eye of the viewer to the...

It's trickier than you think, painting a flame that really looks like a flame. Our minds tell us that flames are orange and yellow, but in reality they're usually a warm white color with a soft...

Cartoon colorists, or illustrators, make a living by creating animated motion pictures, Sunday comics or even gift cards. Illustrators fall into a large category of different art styles used for...

Artists have directly worked with the body's aesthetic form since ancient times. By capturing a pleasing likeness, the artist makes a person or a moment in life important. Casting the molded shape...

Glazing in acrylic paint makes paint colors flow. When an artist uses a glazing medium, a lustrous painting gains a smooth, glossy appearance, with a beautiful color harmony. Quick-drying acrylic...

The great thing about Captain Underpants for anyone trying to draw him is that he is made of simple, easy to replicate parts. The most important thing to keep in mind when drawing any cartoon...

Children are difficult to paint for a number of reasons. They don't sit still, so you might want to work from a photograph if possible. Also, children are proportioned slightly differently from...

Dragon Ball is a comic series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama (born 1955). It is one of the most popular examples of manga, which is the Japanese word for comics and print cartoons.

Manga is a Japanese word applied to Japanese print cartoons and comics. It was developed in Japan in the 20th century, starting from the World War II era. However, the origin of manga arguably...

This is a something that can be fun or a struggle depending on your experience with this. I will show you some techniques that can actually make this process fun.

Artist canvases will inevitably become loose. The materials tend to sag and loosen over time, which can be upsetting for a collector's painting, an heirloom or a canvas that is still being...

Emerging artists are young artists that have studied their craft and are pursuing a professional career in the arts, which can be the most economically challenging time in an artist's career....

The nice thing about drawing a park bench is that it can mostly be done with a ruler, if you want to use one. Most of the lines are straight or nearly straight, so if you don't have confidence in...

Pointillism is a style of painting that, instead of strokes of paint, comprises paint dots. The style is supposed to give you the ability to mix the dots in such a way that you come away with the...

Bunnies are one of the easier things to draw because their bodies are comprised of basic, regular shapes (oval for the body, oval for the head, longer ovals for the ears). Because of this, most...

One of the premiere performing arts complexes in the United States, the Wang Center boasts a storied history rich with artistic significance and achievements. Although things have changed greatly...

Notan is a fun and creative art form for all ages! Prepare to explore positive and negative space, symmetry and shape. Notan is incredibly versatile and the possibilities are endless!

The imperial family of Russia commissioned artist Peter Carl Faberge to design a series of Easter eggs made of precious metal and jewels. Today, they are recognized as unique works of art,...

I can not tell you the exasperation I have experienced as a result of not know the proper technique for tying a french know in embroidery. Here is my metod. Note- if you have sweaty hands this...

Norman Rockwell is one of the most recognizable painters in American history. His works--particularly those that appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post--depicted an idealized look at...

What is the best method for handling a particular work of art in need of tender, loving care? Do you attempt to do the restoration yourself, or do you send it to an expert? Here are some...

The portfolio is the most important part of an artist's resume. The quality and merit of work drives a successful career. A portfolio should have 15 to 20 images, and a great portfolio is...

There are many ways to sell original artwork online. You can start a website or blog where you sell the artwork yourself. An easier option, however, is to take advantage of the many art websites...

It is important for your growth as an artist to try new styles, techniques and mediums. Although it is tempting to stick to your abilities, you might find yourself bored if you don't challenge...

Artwork is not hard to hang up on your walls, especially if you’ve got only one painting and one wall…But coordinating several different pieces together can be trickier. Here’s how to easily hang...

Lithographs and serigraphs are both types of prints. However, while there are many methods used to create prints, these two techniques are not only different from other types of printing...