Heritage Architecture

HERITAGE ART & ARCHITECTURE

Art is a diverse range of human activities in creating visual, auditory or performing artifacts (artworks), expressing the author's imaginative, conceptual ideas, or technical skill, intended to be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power. Other activities related to the production of works of art include the criticism of art, the study of the history of art, and the aesthetic dissemination of art.

The three classical branches of visual art are painting, sculpture and architecture. Music, theatre, film, dance, and other performing arts, as well as literature and other media such as interactive media, are included in a broader definition of the arts. Until the 17th century, art referred to any skill or mastery and was not differentiated from crafts or sciences. In modern usage after the 17th century, where aesthetic considerations are paramount, the fine arts are separated and distinguished from acquired skills in general, such as the decorative or applied arts.

Though there is no generally agreed definition of what constitutes art, and has changed over time, general descriptions mention an idea of imaginative or technical skill stemming from human agency and creation. The nature of art and related concepts, such as creativity and interpretation, are explored in a branch of philosophy known as aesthetics.

In the perspective of the history of art, artistic works have existed for almost as long as humankind: from early pre-historic art to contemporary art; however, some theorists feel that the typical concept of "artistic works" fits less well outside modern Western societies. One early sense of the definition of art is closely related to the older Latin meaning, which roughly translates to "skill" or "craft," as associated with words such as "artisan." English words derived from this meaning include artifact, artificial, artifice, medical arts, and military arts. However, there are many other colloquial uses of the word, all with some relation to its etymology.

THE HOPE OF ART

The best pencils for colouring, drawing and sketching etc.

The best pencils for artists and designers aren't easy to find in a crowded and confusing market... so I've done the work for you. After scouring the land for high quality pencils that offer durability, comfort and good value for your money, I can now present our selection of the best pencils around. So whether you're a total beginner, a professional artist, or somewhere in between, you should find what you're looking for on this list.

The best pencils for drawing and sketching

Palomino Blackwing pencils

In the pencil world, Blackwing has an impressive pedigree. It developed something of a cult following before being discontinued in 1998. In 2010, Palomino bought the brand, and the result is more than worthy of the Blackwing name. There are three main pencil options to choose from: the Blackwing (similar to a 5B), Blackwing Pearl (4B) and Blackwing 602 (3B). The leads have wax added to them, making them super-smooth to use, and create velvety dark marks. 

Caran D'ache Graphite Line

 

Lyra Rembrandt Art Design

Derwent Graphic Medium pencils

 Cretacolor charcoal powder

The best pencils for colouring

Derwent Lightfast Pencils

Prismacolor Premier coloured pencils

The best watercolour pencils

 Staedtler Karat Aquarell watercolour pencils

Albrecht Dürer watercolor pencils

PASTEL PENCILS

 Stabilo CarbOthello pastel pencils

 The 24-pencil set includes a decent spectrum of colours, and the pencils sharpen very well. The pencils' dry stroke is perfect for blending, but the fun really starts when you begin adding water – you can create some particularly interesting results by working in wet areas with dry pencils. This is a great mid-level set of pencils, but might be a bit advanced for beginners.

Colored Pencil Art

Colored Pencil Instruction

This colored pencil instruction will teach you some basic colored pencil techniques that will have you creating fabulous colored pencil art in no time!

These basic colored pencil techniques form the foundation for any type of colored pencil art that you would like to create.

These colored pencil techniques cover the 5 main ways that you make marks with colored pencils: stippling, hatching, cross-hatching, back and forth stroke, and scumbling, etc. You can see examples of these 5 techniques on the left!

Once you master these colored pencil techniques, you can use these colored pencil techniques to layer colors over top of one another to create a rich, luminous depth.

New to colored pencils? Here are 8 colored pencil techniques you need to know.

Back and Forth: This coloring technique is so basic you’ve undoubtedly done it before; simply move your pencil back and forth in one continuous motion on the paper until you cover the entire area.

Hatching: Hatching is an approach that you can use in all facets of drawing. To create it, make parallel lines on your paper. They can be vertical, horizontal, or angled, just as long as they don’t touch. Unlike the back and forth method, you will pick up your pencil to create each new line.

Cross Hatching: Cross hatching is the cousin to hatching, but instead of parallel lines, you form intersecting lines (hence the name). This technique is ideal for creating shading and texture. To ensure that your cross hatching will appear clean and precise, make sure you’ve got a sharp point on your pencil.

Burnishing: One of the most defining characteristics of colored pencil art is its smooth, waxy finish. To achieve this, try burnishing—apply thin layers of color with the back-and-forth technique. Continue this process until the paper has a noticeable sheen. You can also use a tortillion to help in this process.

Scraping: Scraping can only happen from burnishing. Once you’ve got a lustrous area, take an X-ACTO knife and scrape away at the parts that you want to remove. This technique will probably look scratchy, so make sure you use it in places you want to be highly textured—such as animal fur.

Oil or Alcohol: Rubbing alcohol or baby oil can alter the appearance of your colored pencils. With a cotton swab, soak it in either one of the materials and rub it on your drawing. The effect will smear and blend the pigment.

Watercolor Wash: Break out your watercolor paints for this mixed-media approach! Begin painting a layer of watercolor on your paper. Once dry, use any one of the coloring techniques with colored pencils on top of it.

Rubbing: Many of these approaches challenge you to create your own texture—but not rubbing. Find a tactile item like seashells or coins and place a piece of paper on top of them. Then, using your colored pencil, move it back and forth across the object. Its ridges and other bumps will show through. For rubbings, you’ll want to use thinner paper; thicker paper is less likely to capture all of an object’s fine details.

It’s important to try a variety of coloring techniques with your colored pencils. Doing so will allow you to fully explore the media and determine what you like the best; you might be surprised with what strikes your fancy. And even if you don’t use an approach right away, you can keep it in mind for future projects. You never know when it might come in handy.

 

                   

                                                                   

    Still life." What a lie. Life isn't still, Death is.

"It relaxes my mind to paint flowers. I do not bring to it the same tension of spirit as when I am in front of a model. When I paint flowers, I arrange the tones, I try out different values boldly, without worrying about wasting a canvas.”

"What seems to me to be one of the most important things about our movement is that we have freed painting from the tyranny of subject-matter. I am free to paint flowers and call them flowers, without having to weave a story round them.”

         

                                    

Portrait – Art Term

                      PORTRAIT                                        

A portrait is a representation of a particular person. A self-portrait is a portrait of the artist by the artist.

The purpose of a portrait is to memorialize an image of someone for the future. It can be done with painting, photography, sculpture, or almost any other medium.

Some portraiture is also created by artists purely for the sake of creating art, rather than working on commission. The human body and face are fascinating subjects that many artists like to study in their personal work.

 

Types of Portraits in Art

• Portraiture as Sculpture

While we tend to think of a portrait as a two-dimensional piece of artwork, the term can also apply to sculpture. When a sculptor focuses on just the head or the head and neck, it is called a portrait. 

• Representative Portraiture

Sometimes a portrait includes inanimate objects that represent the subject's identity. It doesn't necessarily have to include the subject itself.

Francis Picabia's portrait of Alfred Stieglitz "Ici, C'est Ici Stieglitz" ("Here is Stieglitz," 1915, Stieglitz Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art) depicts only a broken bellows camera. Stieglitz was a famous photographer, dealer, and Georgia O'Keeffe's husband. The early twentieth-century Modernists loved machines and Picabia's affection for both the machine and Stieglitz is expressed in this work.

• The Size of Portraits

Portraiture can come in any size. When a painting was the only way to capture a person's likeness, many well-to-do families chose to memorialize people in "portrait miniatures." These paintings were often done in enamel, gouache, or watercolor on animal skin, ivory, velum, or a similar support. The details of these tiny portraits—often just a couple of inches—are amazing and created by extremely talented artists.

Portraits can also be very large. We often think of paintings of royalty and world leaders hanging in enormous halls. The canvas itself can, at times, be larger than the person was in real life.

However, the majority of painted portraiture falls in between these two extremes. Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" (ca. 1503) is probably the most famous portrait in the world and it was painted on a 2-foot, 6-inch by 1-foot, 9-inch poplar panel. Many people do not realize how small it is until they see it in person.

TIPS FOR DRAWING PORTRAITS IN PENCIL

 PORTRAIT SKETCHES 

Drawing self-portraits can be a great way to practice sketching techniques as-let’s face-it-there is no shortage of material when you draw yourself! Sketching or drawing yourself can be a great way to learn a lot about sketching, shading and proportions. And, when you sketch, your pictures can be kinda funny-they don’t always represent a subject the same way. But, making a sketch of yourself, whether you use a picture or look in a mirror, can teach you a lot about art and yourself. So here are some tips on how to draw your own self-portrait:

1. Start with a light sketch.

Start with a light outline. Everyone thinks they know the proportions of a face, but when you really study the human face, its easy to realize that the eyes are not near the top of the head, they are more about half-way between the crown of the head and your chin. Get the major features first, lightly, to create a foundation so you can add in your details later. This way, if you make a mistake, you can easily erase it and it wont affect the minute details you will spend more time creating later on.

2. Add shadows and smudge them.

To make your sketch look professionally done, add shadows. You will want to go lightly here as well. To create realistic shadow effects, use a smudging tool or your finger to draw out the shadows. This will blend the medium you use whether it is graphite, charcoal, or pastel and your shadows will end up lighter and easier to clean up in case you make a mistake. Lighting is important in finding shadows and one of the best ways to properly “light” yourself is use top-lighting or lighting from above. This is something to take into consideration when you take the photo you will use to do your self-portrait, during your set-up if you plan to use a mirror.

3. Do your hairline after you outline.

Start with the head and work out the proper length. Fill in with thick lines, then add shadowing and highlights as you go along.

4. Fine details come last.

After you have the outline and some of the shading done, its time for the fine details. Take some time filling in places in the eyes and lips, and also add some more shadowing to the neck so that your face doesn’t have the appearance of floating in thin air. The finer details are the ones which really lend to the realistic quality of a self-portrait. And, a little extra tip, (4.5) if you’ve used pencil, you can add some color at this point with colored pencils or even watercolors.

5.  Choose a good frame.

Example:-

If you like your portrait, choose a great frame for it. A nice frame can complement your art nicely and highlight your sketching skills. A simple black frame is nice when using charcoal, or something made of light wood goes best with soft colors.

And if you ever get tired of drawing your own image, you can always get together with a friend and practice drawing portraits of each other. Or, do a portrait of yourself and have your friend do one of you as well. Don’t look while they are in progress, but afterwards, compare and contrast. Our perspectives can vary much from individual to individual. Give it a try!

Make Your Sketch More

       

 Detailed With These Tips 

Drawing Hair in Graphite and Colored Pencil

When it comes to creating realistic portraits and figures, knowing techniques for drawing hair — including different lengths, styles and texture — is essential. If you’re a beginner, this may seem like a daunting challenge — especially since this task can take longer than any other part of a drawing.

Below are a few segment drawings that show different types of hairstyles and textures. Doing small studies such as these can give you good practice with various techniques.

 here are some essential tips for drawing hair:

• The pencil strokes always replicate the hair’s direction and the length.
• The color of the hair is determined by how dark or how light your pencil lines are.
• A band of light is created in the hair anytime there is a curved area. You will see it in curls and around the circumference of the head.
• Highlights are always seen on rounded or protruding areas.
• Blend the paper to a gray tone before you lift highlights. This makes them look like they are on the outer surface.

Drawing Hair | Graphite

There are many different types of hairstyles and textures. 

• Frizzy or Permed Hair

This study shows what frizzy or permed hair looks like. The curls are less distinct here because of the randomness of the hair direction and the overlapping of hair strands.

The pencil strokes are more blended out because of the frizzier texture of the hair. This hair appears much lighter than the previous example.

• Curly Hair

This study shows how curls form tubular shapes similar to a cylinder. Wherever the curls protrude the most, the highlight shows.

The pencil lines create the texture of the hair, following the direction the hair is going. The highlights are lifted with the same type of quick stroke. You can tell this is dark hair by the depth of the tones.

• Band of Light

This is an example of the bands of light — areas where the hair is curved, such as in bangs and around the head. It is the most obvious with long, smooth hair.

• Layered Hair

In layered hair, V shapes are created — which also occurs when drawing animal fur, feathers and flower petals. These V shapes are where things overlap and recede, and the deep V of darkness gives the illusion of depth.

These quick exercises below will give you some practice with some of the most common styles.

Each type requires a different approach. The texture and color are dependent on the type of pencil stroke used and the pressure applied.

Materials you’ll need:

• Drawing paper
• Kneaded eraser
• Mechanical graphite pencil
• Stump or tortillion

From short to long and curly, drawing hair with these tips will make your drawings more realistic and accurate. Practice drawing different textures, colors and lengths to perfect your hair drawings. Then, combine facial features with your drawings to create realistic portraiture! Drawing hair is the first step to creating stunning and accurate portrait and figure drawings. Understanding how hair is drawn and behaves may even help you draw animals! The possibilities are endless with Lee Hammond’s essential tips for drawing hair.