Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Achieve a Masterful Drawing - wikiHow

Achieve a Masterful Drawing - wikiHow

How to Achieve a Masterful Drawing


from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Some basic rules for creating masterful drawings whilst giving you freedom of expression.

Steps


  1. There is no right way to draw, the only way is what suits your needs and what your main objective is. You have many choices which gives you freedom of expression.
  2. Basically there are only three approaches to a masterful drawing;
  3. Rudimentary – from specific detailed drawing to general outlines such as contour drawings;
  4. Academic drawing as seen in the Old Masters where you find detailed drawings of human anatomy and;
  5. A combination of these first two methods.
  6. Students must be aware of the value of visual aids: using a plumb line, a framing rectangle with marks to indicate the center and other proportions, and a sighting rod like a pencil to measure. There are many other devices used over the centuries by the old masters to obtain accurate drawings.
  7. One has to be intimate with how to see things as they are - not what you might think is there which is a common mistake by the beginning student. We tend to scan things from left to right (and right to left in the Muslim world) and our eyes only pause or rest on focal points. When looking at a web pages the eye always tends to look at the pictures on the page first, then the text. This is useful data to know to guide your visitors eyes across your web page. The old masters use this technique with great skill to guide the viewer into and around the painting.
  8. Ultimately drawing cannot be separated from painting or design – they are an integral part of the overall effect. Talent is a little old fashioned in developing drawing skills. The masters developed their skills from day one by looking closely at the human form and observing how one form interlocks with the overall form.
  9. The real professionals warm up by quick gesture drawings, 15 – 30 seconds, which is basically scribbling outlines. Rembrandt was probably one of the best for obtaining spontaneity in these quick sketches which somehow came alive under his quill.
  10. A student can gain confidence by starting with simple gesture drawings by looking at the overall forms and applying unrestrained lines to create a masterpiece. You draw what you feel and see and combine the two for an emotional effect. There should be no effort whatsoever and it has to be a lot of fun--if it's not, your drawing will show it.
  11. An important part of gesture drawing is to fit it into the picture plane – like a frame or to the outside edges of your paper. Draw a quick rectangular shape and keep the gesture sketch within that frame.
  12. You see things in three-dimensional form and draw it in two dimensions. Your task would be to make your drawing more towards three dimensions so it has weight and form—it can feel light in some areas and heavy in others whilst the form is projected into deep space. Once you can achieve that you are becoming a master. An easy way of doing this is to get a ball of yarn and wrap it around a friend's torso, leg or arm and observe how the lines of yarn recede into space. Make your pencil lines follow the same contours as the yarn.
  13. This will give you a basic idea of how the figure is constructed without knowing complex anatomy.



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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Kids Activities Can Blend With The Magic of Family Fun

Kids Activities Can fit in with family life.

It has often been said that kids are the most creative creatures on Planet Earth. Well, they may well be – but they can also be the biggest pain up the butt!

And the pain can start from day one, ask any mother. After all the hoopla is over and the praises are sung, then comes the really hard work for Mom. Diapers changed every hour and maybe two hours if she is lucky. Then there comes the wake-up call which starts around midnight and continues intermittently till dawn. Dad sleeps in the other bedroom "Because I have an important meeting tomorrow and I have to be awake for some hours and coffee doesn't cut it." So bleary-eyed Mom has to get the other kids off to school, make sure their lunch is packed and their hair looks reasonable but would not pass any lower grade kids inspection.

You are feeling yuk because you've had no sleep for the past 48 hours, you have to keep the house clean so there's that chore to do. Then comes the march to the store to pick up provisions for the next few days. You've got no help at all and if the older kids who are around 7, 9 and 11 they should muscle-in and do their bit to take the load off your shoulders. Hey, but do they? You've asked them millions of times to do this or that and they just yawn as if tomorrow is another day. Life really sucks sometimes and nobody seems to care. What to do with the kids? Well, switch on the TV or let them watch a movie as you have about 250 DVD's collected over the past few years (and some are pirated, but who cares?) as long as it can keep the kids occupied while you take a break.

Your new baby Jena starts to cry and you wonder if its hunger, sleep or a poop change. Yeah, it smells like it and you changed the mite's bum only half an hour ago. You shrug and think you might be able to get away with it for just another half hour. You then toss that thought right out of your mind, other mothers would not do it so why should you?

The other three kids now come home from school and they are hungry. Their first trip is to the fridge where there's lots of yummy stuff to snack on – especially the sugary eats. It gives them a 'high' and so the fun begins. They start fighting as two of them gang up on the younger one. There's a helluva racket going on and Baby Jena starts to ball to increase the decibel count to around 250. Your head is beginning to pound and you need a little space from all the noise and activity.

You calm the three kids down by threatening them with extinction but immediately soften with "Go and watch one of your favorite movies." All three yell with delight. But soon a squabble begins as they can not decide on what movie to watch.

You are tired, you have a headache, the TV is blaring and baby Jena starts to howl, she's hungry and Mom is a bit dry for breast feeding and Jena hates off-the-shelf stuff. Wouldn't you?

Don't make a rod for your own back. In other words, don't do something that is likely to cause problems for you in the future. Give the kids something to do that they have a passion for. There are countless activities for kids of all ages you can find on the internet. Kids crafts and science projects are one of the most well-loved from among the common selection of kids activities. Do a search and keep your kids active and your pounding headache will vanish. Go Here for Family Fun: http://tinyurl.com/l7lt6t

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Vampires Can Be More Than a Laughing Matter


Here is a tongue-in-cheek article I have written recently for Ezine Articles. Please add your comments about it.

"If it is dark, don't go outside unless you see lots of lights. If it is windy these blood sucking creatures love to glide through the wind; this also helps them gather speed where they can float up out of sight above the lights.

You know a lot of these vampires take on human form as well as more grotesque shapes to really scare the pants off you. I live up in the mountains where it is pitch black at night and I would not venture one foot outside the house. I've often heard a "swooshing" sound and that aint bird noises - more like "vampires of the night."

It has often be said that vampires live amongst us and we don't even know they are sitting right next to us. Apparently if they are close by, they drain all your energy and you begin to feel lifeless. This is a danger sign so move out of their space before you have no space at all.

What can they do to you? Ha! I am glad you asked. Beside the usual Dracula stuff of sucking blood with their sharp fangs, they will 'attach' part of themselves to your body and you won't feel a thing except you 'feel' you are being controlled by them. You won't see them around you but you will be doing horrible things to upset those folk around you - and you know what? You will be asking yourself "Why did I do that?" It won't make sense to you and meantime, Grandma is bawling her eyes out and Grandpa is looking sternly at you.

When these horrible creatures attach part of themselves to you, they can control most of your thoughts and therefore your actions. Haven't you ever wondered why you did certain things which were totally alien to you? That chatter, that incessant chatter that goes on in your mind all day and sometimes drives you wild--you think it is you, it aint. It's that 'orrible creature trying to take control of your life.

Don't believe it? Ha! You know a bit of truth when your see it, even your dog knows the truth when he barks and there is nothing there, he can sense this vampire creatures' vibrations.

You know that Michael Jackson died recently at a very young age of 50, he was possessed by not one vampire but many vampires. Have a look what he did to himself and others' around him. Sure, he had talent, and great talent that was too, few entertainers ever came near to his ability on stage. You can say it was really magic stuff. His life in later years was totally possessed by these evil creatures and I guess he often asked himself "Why did I do that?" (like hanging his baby over the balcony)

Vampires do aim for high profile people, the famous, the infamous, the baddies (as they are easy meat) and also those high on drugs or alcohol. Inevitably drug addicts have a short life span, also to a slightly lesser extent, alcoholics. Perhaps you do not believe this? Well, have a look at the statistics and you will discover there is some truth in this.

Okay, so how does one get rid of these unloved vampire creatures especially if you know you have one or two attached? As you may not know, everything in this physical universe has a certain vibration, you do, your dog does, your koi fish do -and guess what? Even your house. Take a look, or should I say 'feel' ?

Ever been at a party and some new person walks in and you think "gosh, I don't like him!" Know why? His vibrations, and also the space around him. He collapses people's space nearby. You know what I mean by that? Some people have NO space at all and they go right up to you, one inch from your nose and you begin to feel uncomfortable - they are collapsing your space, intentionally. They are controlled by one or more vampires.

So how do we start? The first thing you should do (gradually please) is gain the ability to hold your space. Pretend you are in a large invisible box and it has eight corners, you are in the middle of this box with several feet all around you. With this box all around you, you 'hold' all the eight corners including those behind you. Whilst you are doing this concentrate only on the eight corners. Those thoughts that come into your mind will eventually cease - but only after a little practice. Vampires do not like this at all…they like less space, not more. Try it, and get rid of those darn vampires!

Visit http://www.familyfuncartoons.com for my kid-friendly site - and more humor.