Tag: Watercolor

by David Burgess on May 30, 2018 0

Top Gifts for the Artist

Need a Gift for an Artist? Find One Here.

Photos of artwork by Gayle Dowell

What gift does someone get the artist friend or relative? I’ve listed a few ideas here. As an artist, I’ve always enjoyed getting gifts on holidays that I can use in my creative work. I’ve been a watercolor artist for 15 years. I’ve painted in oil, acrylic, and have created collage work. I’m now working with metal and creating jewelry. I find that a new book or new art medium can give me inspiration in work that I’m currently working on. On this page, I’ve listed the top gifts for artists of all mediums. You can vote or add your ideas as well. Leave your gift ideas in the comments section at the end of this page.

Sketchbooks

The Gift that Bridges All Mediums
No matter what medium your gift recipient works in, they can use a sketchbook to draw out their ideas, whether it be for planning a painting, a jewelry piece, or a sculpture, or to journal. My most cherished sketchbooks are those with quality paper that will hold up to both pencil and paint. They also have spiral binding so that I can bend back the cover when I’m outside which makes it easier to sketch without a table or drawing surface. It must also have a hard cover to withstand abuse. Here is my favorite sketchbook.

A Gift that Gives Year Round

A subscription to a great inspirational magazine that came to the recipients mailbox throughout the year, would be a great gift for an artist. I know of no other inspirational magazine that could top, “Cloth, Paper, Scissors”. I keep my back copies to look at whenever I need an art idea or to get me motivated to create.

A Camera?

A good camera may not come to mind as a great gift for an artist. But I use mine all the time. I’m constantly taking pictures of possible scenes to paint, textures to use in my designs or color combinations I want to remember. I love a good digital camera so that I can download pictures of my work to my blog or my online shopping site.

A Collection of Decorative Paper

I collect decorative paper. I use paper all the time in my design work. I do collage, scrap booking, greeting cards, experiments in watercolor painting…all requiring different types of decorative paper. When inspiration strikes, an artist needs different papers on hand.

A Book on Creative Living

This book by author Julia Cameron is the one I turn to first whenever I need to be reminded of how to live creatively. It is easy for an artist to live day to day and miss opportunities to keep their minds thinking creatively. This is a must have for those wanting to live a creative life.

Wacom Bamboo Create Tablet Review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8CfxqIj4iQ

Wacom Bamboo Create Tablet review by Melonie Mac

Adobe Photoshop Elements 12

With Photoshop Elements I can do more than just enhance my photos, I can manipulate them to make digital artwork. Photoshop Elements also gives me tools to edit and combine my videos clips to produce a finished movie. My daughter recently used this software to create a how-to video using digital video clips she took and combined them with music. I edit my artwork and handmade jewelry photos before I upload the photos online. Great tools for the price.

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by David Burgess on May 26, 2018 0

Safe Crayons for kids: Non-Toxic Crayons

Go Green – buy soy and beeswax crayons for kids

Crayons make great gifts, but make sure the ones you give are safe – Soy and beeswax crayons are! Even in today’s health-conscious society, many wax crayons contain lead pigments and non-organic products such as petroleum. The same goes for inks, dyes and paints including face paints used by children. In contrast soy and beeswax crayons are completely natural and non-toxic while retaining strong colour that will satisfy your budding artist.

Children are particularly susceptable to ill effects created by petroleum based wax crayons because their organs are still developing. The same goes for high levels of heavy metals that can sometimes be found. It is as well to remember that even when companies tell you their product is completely non-toxic, you should check the content for yourself. If in doubt, ask them!

Prang is a well known name in crayons and these are their best soy ones

These safe crayons are make primarily from soy bean. Manufacturer Prang says these crayons are ‘brighter and smoother’ than paraffin wax crayons. These are certainly non-toxic and they come in a variety of colors and in packs of different amounts.

Praise for soy and beeswax crayons

safe crayons for kids

Most people who have purchased these crayons have nothing but praise for them. The colors seem to be bright and older children found they blend well together for more sophisticated art projects. They seem to work well on different surfaces.
Reservations soy crayons
The biggest complaint I have found about soy crayons is that they are more brittle than petrol-based crayons. However, they are easily rejoined by holding both ends over a low heat. Not much of a price to pay I don’t think.

However, what isn’t clear from all manufacturers is how much if any of the soy bean used is GM.

Why you should buy beeswax crayons

They smell better for a start! Paraffin based crayons smell there is no getting away from it, while beeswax smells sweet and natural with no chemicals or additives.

They also feel nicer to the touch.

Because the color is blended with wax it gives kids drawings a more subtle look than other crayons, in fact because you can produce many more effects with beeswx candles, some professional artists use them too.

The colors stay bright and are light resistent and the wax gives a kind of transparency much like that of watercolor paints.

Stockmar beeswax crayons for sale

Stockmar produce natural beeswax crayons as either conventional stick crayons or as block crayons which can be used flat to create wide sweeps of color or end on to produce finer lines and numbers.

Stockmar Block/Stick Beeswax Crayon Tin

Best beeswax crayons from Faber-Castell

safe crayons for kids
It pays to go for well-known and well-respected brands when you are buying – especially if you want the very best quality. You may pay a bit extra on crayons like these from Faber-Castell but it is worth it.

24 Faber-Castell Beeswax Crayons

Beeswax crayons

safe crayons
Beeswax crayons are getting good reviews right now. They smell nice and,with no petroleum, are non-toxic for little hands. Buy the triangular shaped ones for toddlers as they are easy to hold. The colors are bright and they seem to blend well.
They arn’t cheap but they last a long time if taken care of when packing away.

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by David Burgess on May 26, 2018 0

How to Choose the Best Watercolor Paint Sets

How to Choose Watercolor Paint Sets

What are the best Watercolour Paint Sets for you to use? And why? If you are a Professional, Student or even a Kid there are great paint sets to suit you. Knowing which one can help your art.

Each one has it’s advantages and disadvantages in cost, quality and use.

Types of Watercolor Paint Sets

Watercolor paint comes in different levels and types.

1. Kids
2. Students
3. Pros

It also comes in

1. Pans &
2. Tubes
3. Pencils

Choosing Students Watercolor Paint Sets

Types of Watercolor Paints Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd0PgwA55gs

Students Watercolor Paint Sets

Choosing Students Watercolor Paint Sets can be a tough one. Do you go for students quality or artists quality colors? Students paints are best for students right? Not necessarily so here’s why.

Students range from complete beginner to advanced.
Paints vary in quality and price therefore a more advanced student may want a better quality paint.
Even newbies may not want their art affected by inferior paints.
Not everyone can afford the more expensive paints. (or brushes for that matter)
And everyone has an opinion and most of those are different!

So where do you go from here? Decide on where you fit in to the mix. Also decide what you can afford. Then buy the best watercolor paints you can afford, either a well known student paint or an artists one.

When starting out getting a set can be the easiest way as you have a good starting range to begin with, then you can add individual pans, pencils or tubes later. This lens will be covering the pros and cons of each type of set too.

Artists & Professional Watercolor Paint Sets

Artists & Professional Watercolor Paint Sets are the better quality paints and therefore carry a higher price, but they have better pigments and last longer than student ranges.

Kids Watercolor Paint Sets

Kids Watercolor Paint Sets quality has improved over the years, but they are still basic.

My niece used to paint sheet after sheet of pictures. Each one looking like a single colored ink blob. The paintings went on fridges and walls and doors and eventually when then next batch of blob paintings came along in the trash. At this stage it just isn’t worth spending out on fancy expensive paints. Kids art gear isn’t too expensive, some isn’t too bad a quality whilst others are rubbish.

Now my niece is 9 and my sister despairs of the large range of art stuff she has. Watercolor paints and pencils, normal pencils, pens etc. As you child grows the paint quality needs to improve. It is no good them having paints that don’t work well this will just ruin their interest. So stick to kid’s paint as they are safer but get something increasingly better quality.

7 reasons why watercolor paints are great for kids.

Here are 7 reasons why watercolor paints are great for kids.

1. Kids love them
2. They are cheap
3. Parents can get the off the walls and clothes easier than oil or acrylic.
4. They are designed for kids so aren’t toxic if they go on the fingers then in the mouth.
5. They are easy to use.
7. They encourage creativity in kids which stimulates the mind and improves thinking.

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