Tag: Artistic

Tips And Tricks For 3D Pen Art
by David Burgess on 0

Tips And Tricks For 3D Pen Art

3D pen art is a relatively new and exciting art form that allows you to create three-dimensional objects with a pen-like device. While it may sound complicated, it’s actually quite easy to get started with 3D pen art. In this article, we’ll give you some tips and tricks for creating beautiful 3D pen art.

One of the most important things to keep in mind when creating 3D pen art is to start with simple shapes. You can gradually increase the complexity of your shapes as you become more comfortable with the 3D pen. It’s also important to use a light hand when you’re first starting out. The pressure you apply to the pen will determine the thickness of the line you create.

Another important tip is to use a variety of colors when you’re creating 3D pen art. This will give your art more dimension and make it more interesting to look at. You can also experiment with different line thicknesses to add more interest to your art.

When you’re first starting out, it’s a good idea to practice on paper before you start working on three-dimensional objects. This will help you get a feel for how the 3D pen works and how to control it. Once you feel comfortable with the pen, you can start experimenting with different materials.

There are a few different types of 3D pens available on the market. Some of the more popular brands include the 3Doodler and the Lix 3D pen.

No matter what type of 3D pen you choose, the most important thing is to have fun and be creative. With a little practice, you’ll be able to create amazing works of art with a 3D pen.

3D pen art is a relatively new and exciting form of art that allows you to create three-dimensional objects with a special pen. This type of art is becoming increasingly popular, as it allows you to create unique and intricate designs that can be displayed in your home or office.

If you’re interested in trying your hand at 3D pen art, there are a few tips and tricks that you should keep in mind. First, it’s important to choose the right pen for your needs. There are a variety of 3D pens on the market, and each one has its own set of features and benefits. Do some research to find the pen that’s right for you and your artistic goals.

Once you have the right pen, it’s time to start practicing. Draw some simple shapes and objects to get a feel for how the pen works. Then, you can start working on more complex designs. When you’re first starting out, it’s a good idea to use a template or stencil to help you create your design. This will make it easier to get the hang of using the pen and create a consistent look for your art.

As you become more comfortable with using a 3D pen, you can start experimenting with different techniques. You can create different textures by varying the speed at which you move the pen, or by using different types of plastic. You can also create different colors by mixing different colors of plastic together. The possibilities are endless, so have fun and be creative!

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What is good drawing? How to make a difference
by David Burgess on 0

What is good drawing? How to make a difference

Good drawing – better drawing , how to make a difference

What is good drawing is a question that I was confronted with on my first day in school. The answer I got to that question changed a lot in my life for quite some time. The dimensions of this seemingly innocent question are much wider than one would assume on first sight.

But this question is not put up here to stage a controversy or to seek late revenge for an early injury by a stupid teacher. Rather I want to use it to arouse interest in the many facets of drawing. The question what is good drawing forces to analysis and development of criteria which allow to make a difference in quality between drawings. As a result this process will lead not only to better understanding, but also to enhanced enjoyment of drawings.

At this point it might be clear that this site is not about construction or instruction drawings, but about drawing in arts and in particular about the artistic value of drawings.

How to analyse a drawing

The analysis of a drawing often consists in separating certain aspects of a drawing. Usually it starts with the level of technical skill that the artist shows. As second aspect the content or the picture idea is examined further and finally the artistic value might be considered.
Such an approach is not without difficulty, because it is impossible to separate these three aspects from each other as their combination is what makes for the quality of a drawing. The use of simple lines might indicate a lack of technical skill, but in fact simple lines might be used with purpose as a means of artistic expression for example.

However this method is still a good way to explore drawings and therefore I want to discuss these three different layers of a drawing further.

Craft and dexterity – technical skills and quality of a drawing

What are drawing skills ?

Postcard Forest diary ink drawing postcard

I remember the tale of an artist and his king in China. The king commissioned a drawing of a cockerel to a famous artists and the artists agreed. After waiting one year as the works was still not finished the King got impatient and started to send out messengers to the artists cabin a long way in the woods.
They returned and reported that the drawing was not done yet. This happened a couple of times until the King got so angry in the 10th year of waiting that he made the journey himself ready to punish the artist on site, if he had not finished the work yet.

In the cabin the king urged the artist to do the drawing otherwise he would be killed. The artist replied that the king just came on time as he was ready no to do the drawing. He fetched a piece of beautiful rice paper, prepared the ink and laid down the drawing with his brush within a few minutes. The king was totally amazed and pleased with the quality of the work, which was a perfect piece of art and a beautiful representation of a cockerel.

The king asked the artist, why for heaven sake didn’t you do this quick drawing already ten years ago? The artist said nothing but turned to his big wall cupboard to open the doors. As the doors opened hundreds and hundreds of drawings fell to the floor, documenting that the artist had done nothing but drawing cockerels over the years until he thought that his skills were good enough. The King was ashamed and fell silent.

The most realistic or illusionistic representation in a drawing is often seen as the ultimate proof of quality in a drawing. The more a drawing conjures with a photographic image the better the quality it seems. Indeed it takes very long and talent is needed to achieve skills that enables the artist to depict a subject in aphoto realistic way.

Training of drawing skills was a major task of art academies during centuries. These academic skills were abandoned in modern art not because artist were too lazy to do the exercises, but the value of academic drawing was questioned by modern artists. Pure imitation no matter how skillful it is conducted seemed to be without artistic value.

These are two main position that have been discussed in art for a long time and it seems there is no end to this. I think that there cannot be an end or a final valid judgement on these issues. The interesting thing is the discussion itself, the different views on drawing which open new perspectives for the participants in this discussion.

Content , image idea, meaning of a drawing

Drawing as visual language

The formal content of a drawing is what we recognise first. Our perception is constantly and immediately interpreting what we see and offers meanings to us saying : This is a dog or a house what I see for example. This is a rather simple level of understanding and usually we perceive a lot more of impressions which go much further than that at the same time. Apart from rational thoughts drawings like any other picture evoke emotions.

The quality of a drawing can also literally be seen in the way and in the efficiency the artist manages to communicate with the viewers and in his capacity for original inventions and modes of execution. Drawings can be seen as a kind of visual language and some artists are better speakers than others.

At this point the connection to the previous paragraph has to be considered. What happens if the viewer is not capable to understand the visual language of the artist properly ? There are many misunderstandings regarding the quality of drawings simply for this reason. As the artist improves the skills of his visual voice with exercise the viewer improves his skills of listening i.e. understanding drawings by looking and examining drawings on a regular basis.

Artistic value in a drawing

academic versus artistic drawing

To determine the artistic value of a drawing is the most difficult task. People who might agree in considerations about technical skills and image idea still can come to totally different conclusions about the artistic value of a drawing.This disagreement is based on different ideas about what artistic value is.
It is very interesting to study many different opinions and to compare the points of view. The more one tries to define artistic value the more it seems to vanish into something vague and undefined. Words seem not to be able to grasp what is meant. “The there is a harmonic sense in lines and their relationships, a music of line that is found at the basis of all good art” This quote from the book: ThePractise and Science Of Drawing, by Harold Speed, might illustrate this difficulty.
I heard drawings praised because the artist was able to draw lines that were considered fast, suspenseful or dynamic and so on. All these attempts to address the quality of a drawing are very much based on personal standards which have beenacquired.
Over the years my own standards are changing constantly and I am eager to see drawings that are executed in a way I did not see before.

Almost every art lover has a kind of internal hit list of works or artists he likes or dislikes. The comparison and ranking of different artworks is a good method to learn about the quality of a work,especially when we want to know why we like something better than the other and start to ask questions in that direction. It can take some time to evaluate the quality , works that had been in a lower ranking might advance to a better position after some time when the work is better understood.

What is good drawing ?

The one that does not wear off !
I had the opportunity to attend workshops given by a great artists and watercolour landscape painter named Simon Fletcher. Simon Fletcher has a traditional point of view on landscape depiction and puts great emphasise on graphic skills in his work. The underlying drawing, the visual grid that constitutes a painting, establishes according to him the potential of a painting. If the drawing or graphic skeleton is not good the painting cannot be good. He also explained to his students that once the drawing has been established successfully the artist gains maximum of freedom to do with thecolours whatever he wants. His works illustrate these principles, that I tried to lay down here in short, very well.
This alone does not get us a step forward to an answer to the question what good drawing means. I found the answer Simon Fletcher gave for pictures in general applies also to drawings very well.

This is a very simple criterion, that covers all aspects and conditions of the picture itself and those of the viewer. There is indeed the phenomenon that we consume certain pictures with the blink of an eye and move over, others intrigue us, stay in our memory and attract our curiosity again and again. This is also a holistic approach that is valid without sophisticated intellectual analysis.

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Sports Illustrations of Gary Patterson
by David Burgess on 0

Sports Illustrations of Gary Patterson

Sports Illustrations: The Art of Gary Patterson

The sport illustrations of Gary Patterson capture our favorite pastimes in images which have the uncanny ability to play havoc with our memories of these popular recreational activities.

It’s the sport of hockey, football, golf, tennis, skiing, and fishing as visualized through the eyes of Gary Patterson. Delightful and entertaining this is art designed for those who love their recreation time.

Shine up your favorite golf clubs and take a walk onto the green with Gary Patterson.

Where breaking par is the highlight of your week.

And getting caught in the sandtrap is your biggest fear.

They say that art is a personal experience and it seems that Gary Patterson took this to heart.

Gary Patterson’s sports illustrations have the magical ability to stir our deepest emotions. Art is meant to be enjoyed and his work certainly fits the bill.
Gary Patterson’s art leads our imagination into scenarios that are much more than just a little probable to occur. He’ll tickle your funny bone and coerce a smile to your lips.
He trudges us onto the golf course and up hilly slopes to gracefully ski to the bottom of the hill. He leads us into the thick of a great game of hockey and tempts us onto the lake to go fishing. Tennis or football? Well those sports are in his illustrations as well.
(Photo of Gary Patterson used with permission.)

Gary Patterson’s illustrations give us a whole new take on the term “Birdie”.

Gotcha! A truly exceptional sports illustrator envelopes us in his view of the game’s play.

Golf is only a game? Nope. It’s one of those all important ways to relax after a long hard day.

It truly is great to get out onto the green.

Sports illustrations are the ideal art form for those who love their game.

We all know that sports can have a tendency to get a little rough. For some it is a natural part of the excitement of the game. For Gary Patterson it is a natural characteristic of many of his sports illustrations.

Love the game, or hate it, you can’t help but be amused by a wry twist of humor directed toward it. Football, baseball, hockey, tennis, surfing, or golf, no sport is left untouched by the humorous imagination of Gary Patterson. For sports lovers it’s the perfect art work to hang on their wall.

The game play in football can get a little intense.

It’s a sport where your imagination really doesn’t have all that much to design. You know it is gonna hurt.

Touchdown! It’s football as seen through the eyes and art of Gary Patterson.

Art is the excitement of a tennis victory.

And Gary Patterson’s humorous view of sportsmanship.

A fastball really can be a fireball when you are the one swinging at it.

Gary Patterson’s art captures our love of the great American Baseball game.

The hazards of fishing come to life in Gary Patterson’s humorous fishing illustrations.

Did you ever have the feeling that you lost something?

The only thing better than a relaxing afternoon fishing is perhaps not going fishing?

Or an overnight camping trip?

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water.

In hockey the penalty box is where the misbehaving players go to spend a little time cooling off.

Gary Patterson’s sports illustrations show us the excitement of being a goalie.

Gary Patterson’s sport illustrations show us hockey in a vividly accurate light.

Players comparing battle scars.

The artistic son of an artist.

Gary Patterson’s father was an artist creating images for the Navy and of the Los Angeles Fire Department. It was by watching his father create his art, and seeing the joy that his fathers art brought to so many, that Gary also developed a love for artistic work.

Gary Patterson plied his hand to creating fine art, and won awards for this venue, but it was the work of creating humorous illustrations which gave him his deepest satisfaction. So he followed his heart and took on the title of “Creator of Smiles”.

Going up.

Going down.

Going downhill a little differently.

Facing the windchill on the slopes.

Days on the slope when you aren’t quite sure what went wrong.

Be sure to stop by the official Gary Patterson websites:

The official Gary Patterson website.

The official Gary Patterson Facebook page.

The Gary Patterson Smile Factory.

Humor in Art

A great piece of artwork evokes emotion in those who view it and the art of Gary Patterson does just that. His work is a serious attack on the old funny bone.

Great works of art really do not have to be serious to be amazing.

Gary Patterson proves that humorous art can be one of the most wonderful avenues of art to explore…Humor in Art: The Artwork of Gary Patterson.

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The Night Song – My Tips for Doing Budget Photo Shoot
by David Burgess on 0

The Night Song – My Tips for Doing Budget Photo Shoot

The Night Song

Have you ever wanted to create good, artistic photos but you only have limited amount of money? In this article, I would like to share my experience of doing a photo shoot with two models with very limited budget, in a very normal location with lighting from house lamps, and taken with cheapest entry level DSLR. This photo shoot was also my first experience working with models and DSLR camera. Could you imagine how limited was my knowledge about photography during this photo shoot?

I would like to emphasize that the most important thing in photography is not your gears. It’s your passion and creativity, and those two are the best weapon to create great photos. I am also looking forward to your comments and feedback so I could improve my works in the future.

The Concept

The story behind the scene
The Night Song

I bought my first DSLR camera in January 2012. My initial purpose for buying that kind of sophisticated camera was to make documentary of my final Bachelor of Arts research. Just a week after getting my DSLR, I accidentally found a very interesting video about photography on Youtube, from DigitalRevTV. The man in the video seems enjoying himself very much, taking photos of beautiful model with very cheap camera. Suddenly I felt that I wanted to create some photography works too.

The first thing came to my mind was about finding the models. As I was an amateur and didn’t have enough experience of handling DSLR camera, I decided to ask for help from my friends to be the model for my photography project. So, I contacted Nooreen and Varsha, two of my beautiful friends from Mauritius and offered this opportunity. Luckily, they agreed.

I wanted to talk a little bit about the model. Nooreen and Varsha are two students from Mauritius, a very beautiful small island in southern part of Africa. Mauritius used to be a colony of British and France. When the British ruled India, they sent some local Indian workers to work in Mauritius. At that time, there was no people on this island. Only jungles and animals. So, those Indian workers were the first colony in Mauritius, and they live, create a family, and until now inhibit this beautiful island.

After some years, British Empire decided to give Mauritius to France. Thus, under France regime, those Mauritian workers have to speak in France. The habit of speaking France has become a culture, even after their independence. Today, France is the national language of Mauritius.

I find that Mauritian people such as Nooreen and Varsha are the luckiest people in the world. They have beautiful, exotic face from their Indian ancestors. They speak Franch, the most beautiful, sexiest language in the world. They inherited the education and political system from British Empire, which is very systematic. Plus, they live in a small island with very beautiful nature; beaches, mountains, and jungle. What a very fortunate nation!

Back to the story of the model. Nooreen and Varsha are very good friends. They live together, study in the same college, and they understand each other very well. I wanted to use these facts to help a strong, artistic, and memorable photos. Thus, I decided to create a theme about intimate relationship between two women.

The Photo Shoot

The execution of the concept

As I told you before, I didn’t have any experience for doing photo shoot with any DSLR camera at that time. Thus, I wanted to focus more on the concept and messages of the photos rather than the technical aspects. I wanted to work as comfortable as possible, so I decided to do the photo shoot in Nooreen and Varsha’s house, in their small living room. I didn’t want to do it outside, because I thought that it was my first experience, and I didn’t want to embarass myself and the model.

The photo shoot took about three hours and it would be faster if I had more practical knowledge about DSLR camera. I spent a lot of unecessary times to adjust the ISO, control the focus, and set the exposure. I did all in manual mode, as I didn’t aware that the Aperture Priority mode would work more efficient. One of my most stupid mistake in this photo shoot was the fact that I forgot to turn on the Image Stabilizer, and at that time I didn’t even have a tripod. Luckily, I was able to take some good shots, and it took me about three hours to select, edit, and publish the photos.

Black Kimono for B&W Photoshoot

Here are some great kimono, a traditional Japanese dress for black and white photography. The wardrobe of the model is very important, especially if you later want to convert the images into monochrome. I strongly suggest that you find some dress with interesting pattern, especially for a photo shoot with plain background. Be sure to find a dress that looks cute and elegant.

Tips to do budget photo shoot

1. Find a strong, solid concept that can be executed in an empty room
Instead of focusing on the properties of the photo shoot, you should focus more on the model. Exploit your creativity and push it to its limit so that you can create good photos by only framing the model and a plain background. For this concept, you will need model who has strong, memorable expression. If the model also have beautiful and exotic face, it would be very helpful as well.

2. Try to find good references
Watch videos, read books, or go to photo exhibition. Read also about various article and tutorial about creating beautiful photos with cheap camera and limited budget. I strongly recommend that you watch “Pro Photographer Cheap Camera Series” from DigitalRevTV channel on Youtube.

3. Make it black and white
Black and white photos always appear to be more artistic, and by desaturating the color you can focus more on the subject. Simple photos with an empty background also look better in black and white rather than in color. For a better result, you can play with the contrast, brightness, exposure, and clarity of the photos during the post-processing.

4. Remember, your passion and creativity are more important than the physical aspects of the photos
It is you who can make the photos look great. Not the camera, not the place of the photo shoot, and not the dress worn by the models. Of course they will help you create something better and more beautiful, but remember that your passion and creativity are your main weapon.

The Black Dresses

Here are some alternative dresses that would be suitable for your model if you are planning to do a simple photo shoot with plain background. My advice: don’t choose a type of dress that has too much distracting patterns. Try to stick with a type of dress that look simple, elegant, and slightly hot.

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The Apple Girl, My Photography Challenge
by David Burgess on 0

The Apple Girl, My Photography Challenge

Combining Cuteness and Mystery

Another assignment for my photography class. This assignment is to take a set of pictures involving a model with a particular object. There should be only one kind of object in the photo, and there should be a feeling of connection between the subject and the object that she has.

In this article, I want to upload some of my works that I created in order to complete this assignmet. I was given pretty tight deadline, only less than a week to submit my work. At that time, I was completely overwhelmed with my other works. Thankfully, I was able to find a free time just three day before the deadline of the submission. I contacted the model, rented a room for photoshoot, and spent one full day to complete this assignment. Hope you would enjoy them. Any comments and feedback are welcomed.

The idea of the photoshoot

As I said before, I was overwhelmed with my other works and I thought that I wouldn’t be able to meet the deadline of this assignment. I was pretty happy when I managed to finish all of my other works so that I had one free day to do this photo shoot. As for the idea, I found it in my little sister story book, about a girl who spends her whole day playing with a red apple. Based on that idea, I created some photos in this article.

One thing that came up in my mind before the photo shoot. It has to be simple, yet meaningful. I thought apple would be the most suitable object, as it symbolizes a lot of things, such as happiness, love, and hope. In my country, a red apple is even considered as a lucky charm that will bring you fortune and joy.

For this project, I would like to imply the feeling of innocence. The photos should be able to radiate cuteness and innocence, both from the model and the object. However, I didn’t want to make it merely as a showcase of cuteness. I want to add some mysterious feelings and enigma in each of the picture.

I spent much time in planning the concept. The execution process took even longer time. I clicked my shutter buttons hundreds of time before getting the shoot that I really wanted. Among those of hundred pictures, I edited ten of them and submitted as my assignment.

In order to enhance the feelings of innocence and cuteness, I decided to decrease the clarity level of the photos in post-processing stage. I also soften the color so that it looks more artistic. Compared to my other works, I spent relatively longer time to work on this project, about three hours before completing the whole post processing stage. I managed to submit this assignment before the deadline, I once again I was pretty relieved to get beyond pass marks for this work.

Apart from this theme, I also managed to create other five sets of photos from this photo shoot. I’d like to share some of them in Squidoo whenever I have the time.

Some tips to help you finding good concepts in photography

Concept is also an important thing
Photography is not only about technical aspects. It is also about concepts and ideas. Sometimes, those ideas play more important role rather than the physical qualities of the photos. Thus, if you want to take great set of pictures, be sure to prepare a good concept. Note down any idea that you have in mind on a piece of paper. Try to select which one is the best, and correlate it with your resources. What I meant with the resources are your subject, your camera, and of course your skill as a photographer.

Discuss with your friends
Sometimes you may find a state where you can’t find any good concept at all. When this thing happen, it is the time to stop thinking and go outside. Have a nice time with your friends, and don’t hesitate to ask for their help, directly or indirectly. I personally find that having a casual chat with my friends in Starbucks can be a great source of inspiration. Listen to their story, their experience, and you might intentionally find a good idea for your photo shoots.

Meditation
Meditation and relaxation is another great way to find idea. The key of this method is to relax yourself, sit comfortably, and try to focus your mind on one thing. Breathe slowly, and don’t be stressed. Think as if you are in the middle of a jungle with no one around. I usually find that my mind becomes sharper after this meditation session and it is easier for me to find a good, fresh idea for my photography works.

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