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Magic Cleaner
2008-02-14 21:51:00
This is the Best Tip on removing mistakes in Watercolor Paintings, no this is not the best,? it?is the greatest. Don t like what you see in your Watercolor Painting, remove a tree, fix a barn, change the sky, remove a hill and all the rest of those mistakes. The “removing” of areas in a painting only came about by, and was discovered through persistence, and aided by a little bit (yes you guessed it) luck. “Basotect” is the product that will remove most of your mistakes. ?Never heard of it, it is right under your very nose. This is the chemical name, it is sold under ? First let me describe what it is and how it works. It is a white sponge, when dipped in water it breaks down the product into a microscopic polymer abrasive, that grabs the particles of pigment in the spaces that a regular sponge or brush cannot do. In other words the sponge lifts off the paint into the sponge. Basotect has only recently started its career as an eraser, although this special sp...
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Sculpting - Your 3D Alternative
2008-02-13 16:30:00
After doing all the posts about How To Paint, I realized not everybody is going to be able to jump right into art with a paint brush. Oil painting can take quite some time to get the hang of, I know I m still learning. But one method of self expression I can wholeheartedly suggest to any newbie artist is sculpting. Perceptions In reality our brains constantly gauge distance and depth subconsciously without an effort on our part. We know, through pattern assessments, what effort it will take to walk from point A to point B, that the apple will look similar to the point of view we see it on the other side of it, and that people are full of curves, contours, and depth just by looking at them. We spend our whole waking and non-waking lives in the 3rd dimension. That s why creating 3 dimensional art can be easier than on paper or canvas. When we paint, we must give the illusion of depth and distance, thus making the artwork 3 dimensional in our minds. We worry about shadow and light, siz...
More About: Alternative , Sculpting

Using Pow Wow Drums For Native Drumming Groups And Western Decorating
2008-02-12 01:01:00
Have you ever wondered how exactly pow wow drums are used? I have, but never really understood that they played such an important role in the Native American culture until I had the opportunity to attend one of these events, and started talking to the American Indian singers about the important part the drum plays in the ceremony. Native drum groups understand the significance of this type of drum in their culture, but most people I meet have only a small idea of how the native drum music is played and what it is used for. Because it is believed to be the heartbeat of Mother Earth and the tool necessary to call on the Spirits, the drum is, without a doubt, the heart of the Native American ceremony. If you ever have an opportunity to go to one of these spiritual events, you will certainly be fascinated to watch how this American Indian drum is played during the ceremony. Made from a large base and covered with cow, deer or buffalo rawhide, the pow wow drum is played by eight or more ...
More About: Drums , Western , Drumming , Groups

William Shakespeare - An Author of the Bible?
2008-02-10 11:56:00
Seems like an outrageous idea — but there are indeed some a strange coincidences involving Shakespeare and Psalm number 46 in the King James version of the Bible . Here s the first: William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564. This tells us that he would have been the age 46 during the year 1611 — for almost 4 months. This was the same year that the King James version of the Bible was published. Secondly, take a look at Psalm 46 from the King James version. What exactly is the 46th word? Psalm 46: To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. 1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. 4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the mo...
More About: Author , The Bible

Are “Old-Fahioned” Records Making A Comeback?
2008-02-08 23:21:00
That s the word I get from Internet audio expert Joseph Manez. He says, “Vinyl records are part of America s cultural consciousness, holding a romantic place in the heart of music enthusiasts.” He quotes Bob Irwin, a record producer, who says. “The world wasn t ready to give up on vinyl. The record companies were.” This comeback of vinyl records is boosted by more and more young music fans recognizing that those LPs their grand parents (or great grandparents) have stashed away have superior sound quality in comparison with the cassettes and CDs that temporarily caused the demise of the LPs. If Thomas Edison were around today he would scoff at the idea that vinyl records are now considered “old fashioned.” He is rightfully given credit for inventing the telegraph and the telephone. In 1877 while working on these inventions he may have become bored and decided to work on another project. He came up with a device that could record sound on a metal c...
More About: Records , Comeback

What Happened In The UK In 1994?
2008-02-06 16:26:00
Here are the biggest news, sport and entertainment stories of 1994… English and Welsh people welcomed a change in the law meant that meant they could go shopping on Sundays. Since 1950 they had not been able to do so due to a law prohibiting shops opening at all on the traditionally holy day. Church groups opposed the move but both the people and the Government agreed that it was an outdated concept. Britain s first ever national lottery was launched to mixed reactions some feeling that it was wrong to promote gambling and others simply loving the chance to win some easy money. The fact that a sizeable amount of money each week would be going to charities was enough to sweeten enough of the doubters though and, having got the go-ahead, the first draw was a massive success the jackpot reaching over 7m. Someone who won a personal lottery was the man to be given a bionic heart. The media taking a keen interest in the pioneering operation, led by UK doctors in Cambridgeshire, w...

Learn To Paint What You See Or Can You See And Feel What You Paint
2008-02-05 08:48:00
Some people paint what they see in front of them. You are extremely lucky if this describes you. It means you can turn your hand to creating pictures that look exactly like the subject in front of you. It is wonderful to be able to paint pictures that look real. There have been wonderful painters like the English Pre-Raphaelite realists, who took great pains to construct their world of romantic reality. Each painting has a complete story to tell and no detail is left out. However, for painting beginners it is hard to produce realistic art. It takes a long time to develop the skills required. Even for an experienced artist it is hard to maintain the standards required to paint pictures that look real. Although it can be stimulating and stressful for an artist to paint with realism for beginners and inexperienced artists it is pressure that you don t need. Luckily, there are other people who see what they paint… They are fortunate because they can concentrate on their painting ...
More About: Learn , Feel , Paint

Hansel and Gretel and the Fairy Tale Motif of Starvation in the Dark Ages
2008-02-05 08:47:00
One of the most loved fairy tales of all time “Hansel and Gretel” shares its general outline with some of the most endearing and disturbing fairytales in existence. For this motif shows both the potential cruelty of parents, the darkness of a world without food and the ability of children to work together to overcome the impossible. The world of the Dark Ages is different from what we often portray it, people did not wish for greatness, adventure, and love people wished for food. It is not coincidence that the French Revolution occurred during a bread shortage, or that the Russian Revolution came on the heals of starvation. Those with high sounding ideals in both these cases had fought for years to get people to rise up for freedom, but freedom as always takes a back seat to food and security. For peasants the threat of starvation is very real, and life is very dark indeed. It is perhaps the need for food that causes the idea of cannibalism to be so prevent in Folklore, ...
More About: The Dark , Fairy Tale , Tale

Painting Themes - Soul of a Painting
2008-02-05 08:47:00
There are so many admirers of paintings. But this admiration is not in general nature. People have become more particular about their choices of art work. A person who adores oil painting may not be the admirer of water color painting. Similarly, a person who reveres biblical paintings may not have any interest in paintings of the renaissance period. I want to assert here that theme is the most important feature of an art piece. It is the most essential element of the painting. It is the life of an art work. The theme of the painting gives an orientation to the creation. There may be end number of themes in painting field. God and goddesses, animal figures, court scenes, romance, nature, mythology, literature, folk lore - almost everything in life and imagination can become the theme for a painting. For example in nature paintings, there are so many themes adopted like skyscapes, landscapes, riverscapes, seascapes etc. In landscape paintings again, there may be so many like Abstract...
More About: Painting , Soul , Themes

The Changing Fortunes of a Student in Crisis - A Short Story
2008-02-03 16:47:00
It has been raining since this morning. But as is usual of that month, it suddenly ceased. The brilliant sun then sets in radiating its rays across the city. Despite this, rain still seems to be threatening to burst angrily from the sky. Oblivious of all this, the long meandering traffic flows defiantly on. Dead asleep in a low wooden black-painted house at Fourah Bay Road, is John Abiodun Thompson. Outside, other school-going boys and girls with their parents are shopping in preparation for their return to school. The weather is unable to disrupt this usual animated scenery. In previous years, John had been a part of it at the start of September. He and his mother had often gone to town at a time like this to fight with many others at the bookstores. Late in the day after hours struggling in a long queue, they would visit BATA Shoe Company to pick their choice of shoes and satchels for the coming school year. But, today, John is still lying flat asleep on a bare mattress, covered ...
More About: Story , Student , Changing , Short , Crisis

Make Your Own Cartoon
2008-02-02 15:51:00
Are you an artistic Person? You know the kind of person who spent most of their time in school doodling rather than taking notes or someone who really enjoys telling stories or creating characters. If you answered yes to any of those questions then making your own cartoon just might be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding things you ll ever do. It doesn t require that much to make your own cartoon. All you need is: - The desire to make your own cartoon - An animation program such as Macromedia Flash or Toon Boom (both of which you can Download for free just Google them) - A little artistic talent - And an imagination Once you have these things your ready to start making your own cartoon. Make your own cartoon in 5 stages There are 5 major stages that you need to go through to make your own cartoon. 1. Story You need to have a basic series of events that will happen in your cartoon. This can be as detailed as a full length film or as simple as something moving from one point to th...
More About: Cartoon

Medieval Bookends and Days of Yore
2008-02-01 14:26:00
Knights in armor, dragons and castles are just some of the popular styles of medieval bookends. Popular with collectors, replica artifacts of the Middle Ages, such as bookends, harkens back to the days of enchantment and magic. Contests of skill and bravery where jousting knights on mighty steeds would fight for honor, and perhaps the affections of the lady fair. Grand castles of stone topped with imposing parapets. It was a time of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The great and eternal quest for Excalibur, the elusive Singing Sword fueled centuries of folk lore. All of these medieval themes can be found reflected in decorative and collectible bookends. The saga of Saint George slaying the infamous dragon still endures as a legend of the great Crusades. Though the dragon was a creation of mythology, the story has stood as a metaphor of the battle against evil, the saintly versus the serpent. Rising from a mythical lake in North Africa, the legend has the dragon about ...
More About: Days , Medieval

Modern Outlook in Bronze Sculptures
2008-01-31 11:04:00
Bronze is a metal that is used for crafting sculptures, weapons and house hold items. It has been in use for more than 5,000 years and archeology has yielded artifacts and weapons made from this metal. First used in Iran, Iraq and Turkey during the 3,500 BC, while Indian subcontinent has a rich cache of archeological bronze artifacts. The basic alloy of bronze contains tin and aluminum while traces of silicon and phosphorous can be detected. Bronze expands on cooling and melts easily making it the ideal metal for sculptures. The first instance of life like sculptures was seen during the Greek period which started out with bronze sheet welded and crafted into objects. It was later that the refined bronze statues were made by making clay models and lining them with a layer of wax. Braced with iron nails and molten wax was poured in melting the wax and gave bronze the required space to fill in. After chipping away the clay, bronze statue was revealed that showed a hollow statue with re...
More About: Outlook , Bronze , Modern , Sculptures

Art Auctions - Hidden Keys to Be a Success
2008-01-29 02:16:00
Art seems to be one facet of life that people are always intrigue by. It doesn t matter if it was made millions of years ago or just a decade before you were born people love art and art auctions. There are some hidden keys that you should know though before you venture into the world of art auctions. I ve grabbed a few tips to help you better understand auctions and how to get the most from them. One of the first things we need to familiar ourselves with is the type of art auctions that you may run across. There really are three basic types estates, consignment, and mixed. Most of these types of auctions are either held at a personal residence, business, or bigger venues depending on the amount of merchandise that needs to be auctioned off. The estate auctions are items that belonged to an individual and are sold. These are usually listed in the newspaper or online and are easy to find. Consignment means there is a set price that the items needs to go for. If it doesn t meet that g...
More About: Success , Hidden , Keys , Auctions