Tag: Layers

by David Burgess on May 3, 2023 0

How To Use Premiere Pro’s New Mogrt Features

Premiere Pro has a lot of new mogrt features that are designed to make your editing process more efficient and user-friendly. Here are some tips on how to use these new mogrt features in your editing process:

Use the mogrt collapse feature to reduce the number of mogrt layers in your images.

Use the mogrt merge mode to combine different mogrt layers into a single image.

Use the mogrt scaling feature to resize images to improve their quality.

Use the mogrt opacity feature to control the opacity of mogrt layers.

Use the mogrt shift feature to change the position of mogrt layers in an image.

Use the mogrt erase feature to delete mogrt layers from an image.

In today’s world, video editing is a vital tool for filmmakers. With Premiere Pro, you can create high quality videos with ease. To get the most out of Premiere Pro, make sure to use its new mogrt features. Here are a few tips to get started:

Import videos into Premiere Pro

One of the first things you’ll want to do is import videos into Premiere Pro. This will allow you to easily manage your videos and see how they look.

Edit videos with mogrt features

Once you have imported your videos into Premiere Pro, you’ll want to use its mogrt features to edit them. These features include cutting, copying, and pasting videos.

Create stunning videos with mogrt features

If you’re looking to create stunning videos with Premiere Pro, you’ll want to use its mogrt features. These features include exporting videos as videos, editing videos with transitions, and creating stunning videos with editing tools.

If you’re a professional video editor and you’re looking for an edge on your competition, then you should try Premiere Pro. Premiere Pro is a new feature in the latest version of Premiere, and it’s a big deal.

Mogrt is a new feature that Premiere Pro introduces that allows you to make more professional videos without having to learn a lot of new code. You can simply use the tools that are already built into Premiere, and then you can add the mogrt features to make your videos even more professional.

If you’re a professional video editor, then you should definitely try out mogrt in Premiere. It’s a great way to improve your video editing skills, and it’s a really easy way to make more professional videos without having to learn a lot of new code.

Premiere Pro is a powerful program that can be used to create movies, commercials and other videos. One of the new mogrt features of Premiere Pro is the ability to easily add text and images to videos. This can be done by selecting the video and selecting the text or image feature and then clicking the insertion point. Once the text or image is inserted, Premiere Pro will automatically convert the video to a standard video format and add the text or image to the end of the video. The text or image can be in any language and can be placed in any position in the video.

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by David Burgess on April 15, 2023 0

How To Create A Free Breaking News Intro Template In After Effects

In After Effects, there are a number of ways to create a free breaking news intro template. Some of the most popular methods include using aclip, ooze, and motion graphics.

To create a free breaking news intro template in After Effects, start by creating a new project and name it ” BreakingNewsInTheAfterEffects “. Next, create a basic composition and layout for your project.

Next, add a video clip to your project and name it ” BreakingNewsInTheAfter Effects Video “. Then, add a layer to your project and name it ” Video1 “.

In the layer’s Properties panel, set the Camera to Primary and then set the Bitrate to 375 Kbps. Finally, set theframerate to 30 fps.

Next, add a new layer to your project and name it ” Video2 “.

In the layer’s Properties panel, set the Camera to Secondary and then set the Bitrate to 100 Kbps. Finally, set the framerate to 30 fps.

Next, add a new layer to your project and name it ” BreakingNewsInTheAfter Effects Video2 Final “.

In the layer’s Properties panel, set the Camera to ThirdPerson and then set the Bitrate to 25 Kbps. Finally, set the framerate to 30 fps.

Now, add a new video clip to your project and name it ” BreakingNewsInTheAfter Effects Video3 “.

In the layer’s Properties panel, set the Camera to FirstPerson and then set the Bitrate to 25 Kbps. Finally, set the framerate to 30 fps.

Next, add a new video clip to your project and name it ” BreakingNewsInTheAfter Effects Video3final “.

In the layer’s Properties panel, set the Camera to ThirdPerson and then set the Bitrate to 25 Kbps. Finally, set the framerate to 30 fps.

Now, add a new layer to your project and name it ” BreakingNewsInTheAfter Effects Video4 “.

In the layer’s Properties panel, set the Camera to SecondPerson and then set the Bitrate to 25 Kbps. Finally, set the framerate to 30 fps.

Next, add a new layer to your project and name it ” BreakingNewsInTheAfter Effects Video4final “.

In the layer’s Properties panel, set the Camera to FirstPerson and then set the Bitrate to 25 Kbps. Finally, set the framerate to 30 fps.

Now, add a new layer to your project and name it ” BreakingNewsInTheAfter Effects Video5 “.

In the layer’s Properties panel, set the Camera to ThirdPerson and then set the Bitrate to 25 Kbps. Finally, set the framerate to 30 fps.

Next, add a new layer to your project and name it ” BreakingNewsInTheAfter Effects Video5final “.

In the layer’s Properties panel, set the Camera to FirstPerson and then set the Bitrate to 25 Kbps. Finally, set the framerate to 30 fps.

Now, add a new clip to your project and name it ” BreakingNewsInTheAfter Effects Video6 “.

In the layer’s Properties panel, set the Camera to FirstPerson and then set the Bitrate to 25 Kbps. Finally, set the framerate to 30 fps.

Next, add a new clip to your project and name it ” BreakingNewsInTheAfter Effects Video6final “.

In the layer’s Properties panel, set the Camera to ThirdPerson and then set the Bitrate to 25 Kbps. Finally, set the framerate to 30 fps.

Now, add a new clip to your project and name it ” BreakingNewsInTheAfter Effects Video7 “.

In the layer’s Properties panel, set the Camera to FirstPerson and then set the

Creating a free breaking news intro template in After Effects can be a breeze. You can use this template to create an intro for your website, blog, or presentation. It’s simple to use and can help you create a more engaging and informative intro for your content.

Creating a free breaking news intro template in After Effects can be easy and fun. This template is easy to use and can help you create an intro for your website or blog that is informative and engaging.

The first thing you need to do is select the right template. There are many different free breaking news intro templates available, so it’s important to choose one that is the right fit for your needs.

Next, you will need to create a content plan. This will include a detailed description of your story, how you plan to reach your target audience, and how you plan to make sure your intro is memorable.

Last, you will need to create your intro. This will include a clear description of your story, your target audience, and how you plan to reach them. You will also need to include a link to your website or blog.

Once you have everything together, you can start creating your intro. Start by creating a content plan and then creating your intro. Use the tips and advice in this article to help you create a great intro that will help you reach your target audience.

Creating a free breaking news intro template in After Effects is a great way to get started in the video editing business. Not only will your intro look great, but your viewers will be interested in what you have to say.

There are a few things you need to consider before you start creating your intro. first, what type of breaking news story are you interested in creating? Do you want to create a intro for a website, or a video?

Next, what type of footage do you want to use for your intro? Is it a video of someone interviewed, or a live shot of a breaking story?

Finally, what type of fonts do you want to use for your intro? Do you want to use a standard font, or a font that is associated with breaking news?

Once you have these factors in mind, you can start creating your free breaking news intro template. The first step is to choose your language. There are a few different languages that are associated with breaking news, and you will need to decide which one best suits your needs.

Next, choose your footage. You can use a live shot of a breaking story, or an interview. Once you have your footage selected, you will need to decide what type of intro you want to create.

There are a few different types of intro templates available, but we recommend using the free intro template we provided. This template is easy to use, and will look great on your website or video.

Once you have your intro made, it is time to upload it. You will need to upload your footage, and then choose your language. Once you have uploaded your footage, you will need to choose your intro.

There are a few different types of intro templates available, but we recommend using the free intro template we provided. This template is easy to use, and will look great on your website or video.

Once you have your intro made, it is time to upload it. You will need to upload your footage, and then choose your language. Once you have uploaded your footage, you will need to choose your intro.

Creating a free breaking news intro template in After Effects can help you get started in the video editing business. Not only will your intro look great, but your viewers will be interested in what you have to say.

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by David Burgess on November 2, 2022 0

How To Use A 3D Pen To Create Amazing Art

3D printing technology has come a long way in recent years, and 3D pens are now available to anyone who wants to create 3D art. 3D pens are easy to use and allow you to create any shape or design you can imagine. In this article, we will show you how to use a 3D pen to create amazing art.

First, you will need to choose the right 3D pen for you. There are many different 3D pens on the market, so it is important to do your research and find the pen that is right for you. Once you have chosen your pen, you will need to choose the right filament. Filament is the material that is used to create the 3D art. There are many different types of filament, so you will need to experiment to find the type that works best for you.

Once you have your pen and filament, you are ready to start creating. 3D pens work by melting the filament and then extruding it through the tip of the pen. You can use the pen to draw any shape or design you can imagine. To create a 3D effect, you will need to build up layers of filament. Start by drawing a simple shape or design, and then build up the layers until you have the desired effect.

3D pens are a great way to create unique and amazing art. With a little practice, you will be able to create any design you can imagine.

3D pens are becoming increasingly popular among artists and crafters, and it’s easy to see why. These versatile tools allow you to create three-dimensional art and objects with ease. In this guide, we’ll show you how to use a 3D pen to create amazing art.

1. Choose your material.

3D pens can be used with a variety of materials, but the most popular choice is plastic filament. Filament comes in a variety of colors, so you can choose the perfect shade for your project.

2. Preheat the pen.

Most 3D pens require you to preheat the tip before use. This helps the filament flow smoothly and prevents clogs.

3. Load the filament.

Once the pen is preheated, it’s time to load the filament. Most pens have a lever or button that you can use to feed the filament into the pen.

4. Start drawing.

Now you’re ready to start drawing! Use the tip of the pen to draw your design on a flat surface. As you draw, the plastic filament will be extruded from the pen.

5. Add details.

Once you’ve created the basic shape of your design, you can start adding details. Use the pen to add texture, color, or anything else you can think of.

6. Let it cool.

Once you’re happy with your design, let it cool completely. This will help the plastic harden and prevent your design from warping.

And that’s all there is to it! With a little practice, you’ll be creating amazing 3D art in no time.

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by Leland Richardson on November 18, 2021 0

How to Make a Loopy Hair Bow

A flower loop hair bow is a delightful way to dress up a little girl. This charming bow is made from a variety ribbon in different colors and patterns. You can make a flower loop hair bow any size with as many layers as you like. For each succeeding layer just decrease the length of the ribbon by one inch. After creating your loopy hair bow, embellish the top with an artificial flower, an ornamental button, a plastic heart, jingle bells, or any decoration you choose.

How to make the Bow

Practice the technique briefly to better understand the construction of a flower loop hair bow. Cut a 10″ length of ribbon. Find the middle of the ribbon and insert a needle through it. Curl one end of the ribbon over (the end is flat and not curled into a circle) and push the end down halfway on the needle. You should have a loop with a needle protruding through one end. Curl the other end of the ribbon over and push it down on the needle. Now you have a figure 8 with a needle protruding in the center. This is the process you will repeat to construct the loop bow.

4″ Bow with 4 layers

Cut 6 pieces of ribbon 9″ long for layer 1. Cut 5 pieces of ribbon 8″ long for layer 2. Cut 4 pieces of ribbon 7″ long for layer 3. Cut 4 pieces of ribbon 6″ long for layer 4. Stack up all 6 pieces of ribbon for layer 1, fold them in half and hold. Insert a threaded needle half way through the center of the loop and through each layer of ribbon. Fan the pieces of ribbon around the needle in the shape of a flower. Place a salon or hair clip in the center to hold the fanned ribbon in place. Fold the end of the first ribbon over and push the end onto the needle. Take the ribbon next to the one you just folded and do the same thing. Repeat until all the ribbons are folded all the way around. Adjust the folded ribbons so they are evenly distributed around the bow. Pull the needle completely through until it is stopped by the knot in the end of the thread. Run the needle back through making a stitch. Make several stitches to secure layer 1. Repeat the entire process for each layer of the bow. You can sew or hot glue all the layers together.

Attach to a Barrette

Sew a piece of ribbon 2 ½” long to the bottom of the bow (the side with visible ribbon ends). Use this piece of ribbon to hot glue or sew the bow to the barrette. Add a flower, or any decoration to the front of the bow.

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by Jentatertots on March 12, 2020 0

Tips for Refinishing Hardwood Floors

I’m restoring a house from 1905, and as we worked on demolishing and removing what my husband calls “100 years of well-intentioned renovation,” I was excited to find some lovely hardwood floors underneath a few layers of old linoleum and glue. Luckily, the wood was largely in great shape — it just needed some sanding, and, in one room, some major scraping and sanding.

The kitchen had layers of old linoleum and glue on top of the original hardwood floors. I knew I needed some serious tools to expose those floors. I love that Home Depot has a Tool Rental department, and they had just the tools for the job. I found that there are different kinds of floor sanders — and choosing the right one is important. I’ll show you what sander I chose, why, and share some tips and tricks you’ll need to know — after the break!

As you can see in the preceding picture, the kitchen floor in the house was the worst. Once I scraped up the old linoleum layers, there was still some old backing paper and glue on top of the hardwood, and I knew that it was going to take more than a little effort to get it done. Before I even got started in the rental department, I stopped and picked up some of these:

I grabbed this kit because it had three essentials: a sanding mask, eye protection and ear protection. I’ve later found a style of mask I like even better — with a valved respirator (meaning it’s easier to breathe) — and that isn’t as hot (you can find it here).

You don’t want to breathe the sanding dust if you can help it. It’s just a bad idea to breathe a lot of sawdust to begin with, but it’s also possible that you might be allergic to something in the wood. Most frightening: some of the paints and adhesives used years ago may also contain asbestos, so it’s — again — better to be safe than sorry. Since I couldn’t identify exactly what it was on my wood floor — probably some old adhesive, possibly mastic, I felt it was best to be safe.

Once I had the safety supplies, I was off to the rental department.

The helpful gentlemen in my local Home Depot Tool Rental department asked me about the floors I was going to sand, and disabused me of the notion that I wanted to use a drum sander. I had thought I wanted to use one, but they pointed out my first important tip: unless I really knew how to use one, they are hard to control and likely to damage the floor. They suggested I was better off using a oscillating sander — so that’s exactly what I did.

Tip: Consider a oscillating sander to minimize damage to the floor, accidentally making lower and higher places in the floor, and to provide an overall more even finish.

They also had me pick up a variety of grits in the sanding pads. As you might imagine, it’s best to start with a coarser grit and work your way to a finer grit with each pass of the sander. I started with a very coarse grit — and went through a lot of pads — to remove the gunk from the floor; then moved to a finer grit for a semi-final pass.

Tip: Be sure to start with a coarser grit and move to a finer grit with each pass. This will give you a more even and smooth finish on the floor.

I picked up the full system, complete with a vacuum system I wore on a back harness. I had to empty the canister frequently to minimize the danger of fire. (The second time I rented the sander, the Home Depot folks recommended I just use my giant ShopVac, which I did.

As you can see from that day’s Instagram photo, I was ready to go and looked like a GhostBuster.

Rather than detail the “fun” I had getting all of the gunk off of this floor, I’ll simply say that it took most of a day to get that one room done with the thick coat of adhesive on top. The other two rooms I did went much faster and used up much fewer sanding pads because they didn’t have as many layers of gunk.

You can see that the random sander enabled me to go back over stubborn sections more than once without worrying about accidentally gouging or creating valleys in the floor.

Tip: You can use a mouse sander or other smaller hand sander to get particularly stubborn patches. Just don’t forget your mask!

Now, I’m not done yet. While we’ve done the major “gunk removal” process and gotten the floors nearly ready, we are still going to go over each of them with a handheld belt sander, with the grain and with a fine grit paper to help bring out the grain and make sure we’ve edged the room correctly.

Tip: Use a handheld belt sander with the grain, with a fine-grit sandpaper, as your final pass to help bring out the grain.

As a final pass, we’ll fill in any big gaps or gouges with stainable wood filler.

Finally, we’ll be putting down a nice dark stain — and we’ll probably have to custom-mix the stains for each room since the woods appear to be different in each.

We expect to use a nice stain and polyurethane, like the fine Minwax products sold at Home Depot. I’m going to put on multiple coats of the oil-based polyurethane to help give each floor a thick, protective, glossy finish.

And don’t forget — it might be worth considering just installing a new hardwood floor instead if your floor is overly damaged or irreparable.

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by David Burgess on June 1, 2018 0

How to Make Gorgeous Glitter Paper Butterflies

Make Your Own Luxury Layered 3D Butterfly Embellishments from Paper and Glitter

You can buy all kinds of pretty embellishments to adorn your handmade cards and craft projects but most of the time, I prefer to make my own. That’s because, embellishments like butterflies are fun to make and very inexpensive too once you already have a stock of paper and glitter powders to use. You can even opt to use newsprint, magazine pages or sheets torn from old books you no longer want in order to keep costs minimal.

Once you know how this technique works, each piece is easy to assemble. I do recommend making them up in bulk batches because it’s much quicker to make several at a time than just make a single piece each time you want a luxury 3D butterfly embellishment.

All Personal Images belong to the author of this article: Marie Williams Johnstone

First You Need Paper Butterfly Shapes

Use a Cutting Machine or Make Your Own DIY Templates

I prefer to make my own templates because this way I get the exact style and size of butterfly that I want for the project at hand which means I can fit the finished pieces to fit perfectly on handmade cards, as gift toppers, as DIY napkin rings for special occasions, hanging decor and more.

If you want to create your own beautiful butterflies, I show you a variety of ways which are the exact methods I use:

How to Make Butterfly Shaped Templates for Crafts

You can use paper punches but be aware that even large punches will tend to give you quite small pieces and this 3D, layered version that I’m showing you really is best on a bigger scale. The ones I make are often palm sized and bigger. Cutting machines are capable of making larger versions so this may be a better option if you do not wish to or cannot cut by hand.

The last option is to buy pre-cut paper butterfly shapes from a venue such as eBay or you may even find a seller on etsy that will provide you with what you need. Again, I’d prefer to make my own since I get full control over the paper and design being used.

Some of the Materials You’ll Need

These pretty paper embellishments do not need an abundance of materials in order to make them and you may already have most of what you need. The main component is paper and I like to pick out rather antiqued looking and vintage style papers in creams, pale browns and grungy colors. Extra fine glitter powder is an essential and you can buy large sets of these to use. The tubs they come in tend to look tiny but a little really goes a long way providing you use a tidy tray or paper to collect the stray powder to pop back in the jar – don’t throw it away! Zig glue pens are the ONLY wet glue pen I’d ever recommend because I’ve used these for years.

How to Make Layered 3D Paper Butterflies

In Vintage Style With a Gorgeous Glitter Edging on the Wings

These are the layered 3D butterflies that I’ve been making for a long time now – the shape may vary and the colors of the paper but the styling stays the same. This style screams luxury and they are ideal for topping special gifts and cards for occasions such as weddings, anniversaries, milestone birthdays and heartfelt thank yous. I like them in a antiqued vintage look but you can change this up with papers of your own choice to match the theme. Need to know how to make butterfly shapes? See How to Make Butterfly Templates

1.You need lots of butterfly shapes cut from the paper of your choice. I like to make my own templates for this and cut by hand but you can use a large paper punch to make smaller versions or a cutting machine. I like to use 4 cut pieces to make a single 3D butterfly but you can choose 3-6 pieces depending whether you want more or less layers. For the top layer of paper, I like to use Vellum which you can partially see through. It just gives a nice effect. With vintage style papers, I opt for a cream color vellum.

2.You can use another brand, but I absolutely recommend a Zig glue pen to draw around the edges of your wings so the glitter has something to stick to. I’ve been using these glue pens for many, many years so I know how good they are. Draw around the edges of one wing where you want with the glue and shake your choice of extra fine glitter over the top. Have a tidy tray or some paper underneath to catch the excess glitter. Turn the butterfly over and tap the back of the wing to remove excess powder.

3.Add glittered edges to all the wings. Here’s a tip to save on using too much glitter. For the top layer which I like to choose vellum for, I will glitter all the way around the edges. For layers underneath, I just tend to add glitter right at the sides where it will be seen most. You can see the difference between images in step 2 and step 3.

4.Leave all your pieces of paper to dry. This should not take very long with a Zig glue pen. I spread them out onto sheets of paper or a tray in case of stray glitter.

5.Choose a piece for your bottom layer as this needs the antennae stuck to it. For the antennae (or stalks as my daughter calls them) I use a hemp twine which works well with the vintage or antiqued styling. If you’re working with stronger colors, you can get colored cords instead. Cut off two same sized pieces, run some strong adhesive down the middle of the butterfly (I prefer a glue gun for this as it sticks pretty instantly) and stick in the ends of the cord or twine – be careful of hot glue if using a glue gun!

6.Now add on the rest of your layers for the piece. I use 4 altogether with vellum as the top layer. To add them, run a strip of glue or adhesive down the middle of the butterfly and stick the next piece down making sure it lines up with the previous layer.

7.When all layers are in place, go back to your glue pen or Zig pen and add this over the middle area between the wings. Now sprinkle over your choice of glitter. If you have a dark brown or black, this can look quite dramatic. Once dry, carefully push up each layer of wings using your fingers underneath to push them up and out. You can see how beautiful the finished versions can look with a large image further down this page. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my lens or article today, thanks for your visit. Don’t be afraid to change up the color scheme and use colors and patterns to match with the occasion. And have fun.

Tidy Tray Keeps Powder from Going Astray

Glitter powders are gorgeous on handmade crafts but you don’t want to get them anywhere else because they are a real pain to shift. When using these powders, I work over a tidy tray which catches all the excess powder as I work. When done, I use a brush to push the powder through the hole on one side of the tray and back into the glitter jar. If you pop a piece of paper under the jar and any powder misses the jar on its way back, you can pinch one end of the paper to a point and pour the rest in.

Extra Fine Glitters for Gorgeous Shimmer

But You’ll Really Need a Tidy Tray to Contain Them
Most of the time, I opt to use Stickles glitter glue because these little wet glue bottles are great at adding bits of sparkle to handmade projects. However, wet glitter glue when added in big and concentrated amounts, just like in this project all around the edges of the wings, can cause paper to wrinkle and buckle. Extra fine powder glitters are premium glitters and the absolute BEST I’ve ever come across for adding in a real shine and sparkle. They are worth using for special cards, gifts and projects like special celebration birthdays, weddings and where you need to make a real impact.

Some Finished Fluttering Embellishments

The Extra Fine Glitter Really Sparkles and Shines Beautifully

Layered vintage style paper and sheer vellum paper
butterflies with gorgeous glitter edges.

Butterfly Punches and Dies

Great Option if You Don’t Want to Hand Cut
If you’re not keen on paper cutting or you’d prefer a machine to do the work for you, there are options to use paper punches or die cutters for popular machines like the Sizzix. Bear in mind that, even with large punches, your cut shapes are still going to be quite small – the biggest I have found are around 2 inches. Cutting machines can go larger than hand punches. If size is a real issue then cutting your own may be the best option.

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by David Burgess on May 10, 2018 0

How to Draw by Joy: Baby’s Portrait

Step by step baby portrait pencil drawing

I am presently working on drawing this little one at two years old in a illustrations for a children’s book I am creating. Two of the illustrations are included on this drawing tutorial below.

This is a free drawing tutorial by Joy. Pencil drawing is a skill, that to a degree, can be learned. Of course it helps if you have an eye for it, and a creative streak within you. However, the skill of drawing can be learned by anyone with the determination and discipline to practice.

Through drawing, I have improved my photography by learning to see the world around me differently. I have also learned to think “out of the box” and pay attention to the story being told with the drawings and the photos. This seemed to come once I did not have to focus on technique so much. After a while I have become comfortable knowing what to expect out of the pencils and other supplies used in drawing, and I do not have to put effort into trying to get them to do what I want them to do. Now, I seem to be able to focus more on the composition and seeing what I am drawing differently.

I hope you enjoy this tutorial. I have many others with various drawing subjects for you to explore when you are ready.

More Portrait Drawing by Joy

“I Am Fearfully and Wonderfully Made” portrait drawing (Aug. 13, 2012)

I am presently working on writing and illustrating a children’s book. Here is the progress on the first illustration. Just click on the photo to go to “I am my Father’s Child” Squidoo lens to see more illustrations the children’s book I am working on creating.

By the way, this little girl is the baby in the drawing. She is now 2 !/2 years old.

Finished….updated portrait of same child as in baby drawing. – August 14, 2012

Where to begin drawing your baby portrait…

Personally, I began by looking up portraits that I considered well drawn on the internet and took a look the artists who drew them, there styles, the materials they tend to use, and if they had a tutorial on their website, I read it. Some of these included: J D Hillberry, Lee Hammond, Remi Engles, and Diane Cardaci. After studying this for a few days, I gathered my supplies, and began.

Here is a list of supplies I used: graphite pencils (F, 2B, B, mechanical .7mm 2B, mechanical .5mm HB), charcoal pencil (soft, medium), a carbon pencil, tortillions (various sizes), a gummy eraser, a typewriter eraser, a scanner/printer, photopaper (to print the reference photos), strathmoore 300 Bristol (smooth) paper, a sheet of tracing paper to keep over the drawing in progress so that it does not smudge (I tend to need to protect my drawings as I travel and draw at the same time). Most of these products can be purchased at your local hobby store or amazon.com.

Essential Drawing and Sketching supplies:

Here are my favorite basic supplies for pen and ink, graphite, charcoal, and carbon pencil drawing and sketching.

Step 1:
Reference photos and grid

A good reference photo without any blurring is essential. Once obtained, scan it into your computer. Crop it to the portion of the photo that you will be drawing. Print it out in a size that you can easily see well. Next, determine the size of the portrait you will draw. A good size to start is 8″ by 8″ or 8″ by 10″. Once you have practiced a while, drawing larger portraits will not be such a challenge.

After the final portrait drawing size is determined, print out a black and white (grayscale) of the reference photo at the same size you will be drawing.

On the black and white reference photo, draw a 1″ by 1″ grid directly on the reference photo. And, then draw the same grid very lightly with the F graphite pencil on the bristol paper.

From here, begin drawing just the outline of the reference photo, square by square onto the grid. Occasional step back and look at the line drawing as a whole, but for the most part you will draw what you see one square at a time. Draw in only an outline of the reference photo, and do not include detail. If there are major areas of shading or highlights, then dot them in lightly. Here is an example of what I did.

Step 2:

I am left-handed, so I usually begin in the upper right corner of the drawing. This is very important, because you do not want to smudge the drawing with your hands as your progress over the portrait. If you are right-hand, then choose the upper left side of the drawing to begin. I use the black and white reference photo under my hand to prevent smudging my line drawing.

I begin using my graphite pencils here and start shading using the tortillons of various sizes. To figure out where to shade, I pay close attention to the black and white reference photo. There are shading techniques that you can learn from tutorials of the above named artists on their websites or books they have written. If you pay very close attention to the details of the shading on the black and white reference photo, and play around with your totillions and pencils on a scratch paper as you go, you will develop your own technique of achieving the shading in the photo.

Step 3:
The hand and arm…

This proved to be the hardest part of the drawing for me. I had to learn not to draw lines to create the arm and hand. This one is not perfect, I still have work on developing my ability to draw this portion of the portrait. I did learn that I can kind of dot in the hand outline and use shading to bring it out. I closely followed the shading in the black and white reference photo (paying very close attention to each square of the grid, one square at a time). I drew mostly with the toritillions, not the pencil. I would just rub the end of the tortillion on the charcoal pencil and use it to shade according to the reference photo.
My Favorite Essential books for Drawing

In my opinion, anyone who loves drawing should have a copy of these books on their reference shelf. They are full of inspirational ideas and skills to enhance your own drawing performance.

Step 4:
hair and forehead

While I moved on to the hair and forehead, I went back to the blanket and arm and hand regularly, adding darkened areas with my charcoal pencil and carbon pencil. Be sure to do this sparingly, a little dark goes a long way :-).

I learned from the above listed artists that the hair must be built up in layers. So I used the F pencil to lay the foundation, making strokes that followed the hair in the reference photo, but also following the shape of the head. I alternated drawing with pencils, blending with tortillions, and drawing with my kneaded easer in hair-like strokes, until it appeared as close to the reference photo as I could get it. I shaded the forehead the same way as I did the hand and the arm, paying close attention to shading under the hairline, and highlights.

I then began to darken in the eyes, keeping in mind that to create a real eye, the eye is round inside the eyelids, and that the eyelids contain several layers to the edges with dots rather than just a solid line.

Step 5:
The nose and ear…

As I draw, I tend to go back a little at a time, fine tuning what I have already done and adding darks and lights to the drawing.

I continued down the face to the nose, paying particular attention to the fact that a nose is primarily shaded onto the face with very few hard lines. These hard lines are created by the shadows under the nose and around the nose rather than drawn in with the pencil. I primarily used a tortillion that I rubbed on the charcoal pencil as I went along.

I also began shading in the ear, paying very close attention to the dark shaded areas to create the lines rather than my drawing them in. I also added the hair over the fingers here, and began adding more detail to the hair and building the layers in it.

Triumphant – August 18, 2012

This one of her was so fun to draw. She has great facial expression. I also used a few new techniques to get the slide to come forward in the drawing.

Step 6:
Ear and Mouth

I am working my way down the face to the mouth now. I left out the bubbles from the reference photo on the mouth and began shading it in. Here I remembered from the artists listed above, that highlights are very important in creating a realistic mouth and also the deeper shading. I also paid close attention to the lines in the mouth begin careful to shade them in rather than draw them in.

The blanket was shaded in next in layers. The first layer was my 2B pencil, held like a wand and shaded in an up and down direction. Blended with a large tortillion, then shaded in with the same wand like method of holding the pencil, but this time in a side to side direction. Again, blended. Leaving the dots white and using a kneaded easer when the shading bled into it. I used the carbon pencil in spots to bring out the edges and shading in the edges. The charcoal pencils was used on the tortillion to shade in the darker folds of the blanket in the foreground.

Step 7:

In the final stage, I finished up the arm at the left bottom side, and went back to adjust the fingers a bit on the hand. I also went back with my carbon pencil and added a little dark here and there, and did the same thing with the typewriter eraser (very lightly) to add highlights here and there. The darks and the lights should be added sparingly. A little goes a long way. I will keep this drawing up on the easel with the reference photos for a while longer. This way as I see it from time to time, I can touch it up a bit here and there. When finished, I will spay with a fixative to keep it from smudging. Then have it framed and matted at a local store.

Don’t forget…

to have fun!!! Drawing a little bit everyday creates drastic improvements in your drawing. Draw what you enjoy. Post it on your own lens or FB and have fun with your drawing.

Joy Neasley — the Missionary and the Artist

I am a missionary and an artist. I was born in East Texas, but left at age 19. Eventually, I settled in Tennessee. Over the years, I have raised two children who now live in Tennessee. Missionary training began at RBTC in Oklahoma in September 2005, with graduation from the missions group after two years in May 2007. Then, after returning to my hometown, Clarksville, TN, I began preparations to head out to Northern China, which took place in May 2008.

Drawing is a new skill which started in Spring 2009. During a time of recuperating from an illness for several months, I found ample time to spend in prayer. Out of that prayer time, I began to draw and write cards for various people, in which, I was led to spend time in prayer. Before I was finished with these cards there were a little over 60 of them. They were very rough sketches, but none-the-less, what I was led to do. Through this process, I realized what He was doing, and I continued to draw and develop this skill, and still continue to grow and develop. These drawings are the result. As I travel through China for my primary purpose of ministry, I draw, creating a visual journal of what I see.

I really enjoy the drawing and the purposes for which God has placed this gift in my life. A whole new door has opened, and I am walking through that door, eagerly awaiting to see where the road beyond it leads.

In mid-May of 2009 I moved into Southern China. I love the people and the ministry work here. I still travel around China and work where needed in association with another ministry here, also. This year, to help share the people I meet with my friends and supporters back home I am working on The 110 Faces of China Drawing Project. I have six of these finished, and working hard to get more finished as time permits. I also have started a blog with regular updates about the people, myself, and the drawings. You can check out this and my blog,” What is it like to be a Missionary Today”, in the links on this Squidoo lens. I also have a Fine Arts America website (linked to this lens) where prints and cards of my drawings and photos are made available to everyone.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Blessings,

joy neasley

P.S. – if you want to support this ministry, the fastest way is to make an Online Donation via www.WorldOutreach.org. Go to “Donate” and select Joy Neasley – Asia. The system can process USA and International cards. Or simply mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061, and designate for Joy Neasley Fund.

Gift of God – July 28, 2012

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