Category: BLOG

How to master the french wash painting technique by following these simple steps.

Antique old furniture, shelves, plaques and other wood items using the French Wash Technique. This particular technique is one I use to refurbish wooden items I have found at local thrift stores, garage sales and auctions.

The French Wash Painting Technique uses three colors of paint, sandpaper and sealer. I prefer spray paint due to the ease of application. Choose three colors for the project. I suggest using a dark, medium and light color such as brown, light rust and ivory.

Old wood items normally have a stain and sealer or a painted surface. Prepare the surface by sanding the entire piece with 120-grit sandpaper. The sandpaper creates small grooves in the finish to hold the application of the new paint. If the painted surface is not a color you desire, remove the paint with a paint stripper. A step within the French Wash Technique sands through the layers of paint.

Wipe the sanded wood item down with a damp cloth or with a tack cloth to remove sanding dust. My preference is a tack cloth. A tack cloth is a special cloth that is sticky on both sides. It is available in the paint or woodworking department at home improvement centers. Allow the wood to dry completely if a damp cloth is used to remove the sanding dust.

Apply the darkest color of spray paint to the sanded surface. Hold the can approximately 12-inches from the surface. Apply the paint using a side-to-side motion. Allow the paint to dry 15 minutes. Apply the medium colored spray paint next. Allow the paint to dry 15 minutes. Apply the lightest color last. Allow the spray paint to dry two to three hours before continuing. The longer length of time is needed to allow the spray paint to cure.

Sand the edges and raised decorative adornments on the surface of the wood item to reveal the darkest paint. Sand the flat surfaces of the item following the grain of the wood to scratch the top coat of paint to reveal the medium color. Stop the sanding process when the project looks good to you. There is no right or wrong amount of paint to remove. When the object becomes visually appealing to you, stop sanding.

Wipe the entire project down with a tack cloth to remove the sanding dust. Apply three to four layers of spray acrylic sealer to protect the painted surface.

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Are you an artist who has ever struggled getting your art into galleries? Well read on…

The most important thing to an artist is finding a public place to display and show off their work. There are tons of galleries out there and it is important to find a place who likes the work. The best ways to find the right gallery is by building a website, researching online, practicing ‘artist code’, and more.

Artists find it difficult to establish their names. Finding a way to display and sell work is important. The best method is by building a website. It is important to build a site that is optimized. This will guarantee traffic to the site with people who are interested in what the artist has to offer. It might be a good idea to hire a consultant who can build your site effectively and help with a good marketing campaign. Getting your name and your work out there is the best method because you can reach thousands of people quickly. The smart artists hire professionals because they know the importance of a good website.

Galleries do not like to be bothered by artists who are trying to sell their oil paintings. The most well known methods of ruining a chance with a gallery is when an artist knocks on the door in a ‘cold call’. They don’t like people knocking on their doors. An artist should never show up at a gallery without an invitation. All artists know they should never practice ‘cold calling’. This also includes calling galleries on the phone. Don’t waste their time. They immediately think it is rude and will make a point not work with the artist.

It is the artist’s responsibility to do their homework on art galleries. The best way to find galleries is through the use of the World Wide Web. Almost all galleries have websites. Searching through these sites gives an artist the type of work the gallery favors to display. They will also be specific if they are interested in oil paintings from new artists or seeing any new work. Most established galleries have favored artists and it is impossible to get into them. The site will say if they are interested or not.

New art galleries are usually open to talking to a new artist and showing their oil paintings. It is important to remember that most galleries don’t make it. A gallery can open and close the doors within as little as a year. If you do secure a gallery that is interested in displaying your work, be sure to get a check right then and there. It is important to have a written contract too. If the company shuts down you won’t be able to get your paintings back or any money.

When an artist wants to have their work displayed or showing in an art gallery there are many things they must consider. An online site to display your work and tell about who you are is the most important thing. The galleries will come to you if your site is developed properly. Also, remember not to harass the galleries. This will build a reputation that you are rude and people won’t ever consider you.

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The Sgraffito technique is a great idea for an art lesson, for it is a novel way of enjoying paint. Not only does Sgraffito exploit the texture of the paint, it can also be used for decorative purposes, expressing patterns, movement and injecting energy into the painting. Traditionally, the Sgraffito technique was used to decorate pottery and ceramics, but it is also a great technique for painting.

Lesson Plan on Sgraffito

The art teacher may firstly explain to the class that Sgraffito is simply a painting method whereby the upper layer of paint is scratched off to reveal a different colour or texture beneath. Any scratching tool can be used for Sgraffito, including old toothbrushes, combs, toothpicks, palette knives or the other end of the brush.

Add Texture to Paint

Sgraffito can be used for several painting effects. The art teacher may show exemplars of different Sgraffito paintings and if necessary, conduct a painting demonstration in front of the class on how to use Sgraffito. The lesson will show that Sgraffito can be used to express:

• Texture
• Colour
• Energy
• Patterns

Demonstration Using Sgraffito

The texture of the Sgraffito can be enhanced when painting in impasto. Impasto means thick paint, the opposite of applying paint in thin washes. If using oil paint, impasto medium can be added to thicken the body of the paint. Alternatively, partially-dried acrylic paint can be used. Peaks and troughs can be etched into the paint in order to add texture and energy to the painting. If side-lit by a lamp, the texture of the painting will show up in sharp relief.

Experimental Art Activities for Adults

Sgraffito can also be used in a more decorative way by etching patterns such as swirls or crosshatches onto the upper layer of the paint in to reveal a different colour beneath. To use Sgraffito in this way, the painting surface must be prepared beforehand. This often means applying a contrasting colour onto the painting surface first.

If the painting is to be predominantly green, as in a landscape painting for example, a conflicting colour such as red or orange can be applied underneath. When the green paint is scratched off in strategic places, this contrasting colour will be revealed, adding energy and vibrancy to the painting. This under-layer of paint must be thoroughly dry before painting on top, or it may dirty the colour mixture of the final painting.

Art Materials Required for Sgraffito

In order to complete a painting in Sgraffito, the following resources are needed along with the usual painting materials:

• Any scratching tool, such as combs, stiff brushes, palette knives or plastic cutlery
• Acrylic paint
• Impasto medium is useful for emphasising texture
• Reference material such as an artistic influence, photographs or still life can be used. The composition must be kept simple.

Experimental Art Technique and Lesson on Painting with Sgraffito for Students

Students may find out for themselves how mark making will affect the painting. Using scratch marks to echo the outlines of the objects depicted, will add tension to the painting, as shown by the Expressionists. Munch’s The Scream is a good example. The French Fauves, such as Matisse’s paintings shows how mark-making to reveal a contrasting colour beneath can be used to add vibrancy to painting.

Art students may try out experimental art techniques in order to find inspiration for painting. Sgraffito is a great art activity for this purpose. Not only is it simple to do, but Sgraffito provides interesting painting effects. The only requirements are scratching tools, a paint thickener if texture is desired, and contrasting colours, if vibrancy is required. Experimenting with different techniques such as Sgraffito will inspire art students to explore other art techniques.

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Impressionist art is probably the single most popular genre of all purchased paintings for the home or office. It’s extremely easy art to live with, but not purely decorative. The technical brilliance of Impressionist art makes a piece like Vuillard’s Under the Trees more than just a pretty picture.

Impressionist Art, Now Mainstream, Began as Rebellion

The movement known as Impressionism was officially created in 1874, when a group of artists collectively exhibited art that shocked and appalled the academics. Rejecting the formality of the studio, these artists, which included Monet, Renoir, Morisot and Sisley, painted en plein air and concerned themselves with trying to capture the movement of light and shadow.

Monet is the grand master of Impressionist art, and his Woman with a Parasol perfectly exemplifies this aim. Everything is in movement: the grass, the woman’s dress, the clouds. It has the immediacy of a snapshot, combined with the technical precision of Monet’s use of pure color on a prepared background.

For Renoir, people were far more important than landscapes, and he particularly relished painting groups of people enjoying themselves outdoors. His work The Boating Party Lunch, for instance, captures a group of young, modern, middle-class people, each captured in their essence in one fleeting moment. For Renoir, even a relatively static portrait such as A Girl with a Watering Can has motion and change implied: she is not in the garden, really, but on the path out. He has captured that moment, that impression, for us, and she remains ever youthful and “about to be.”

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This article I have devoted towards free websites that offer making ideas for kids – for colouring, painting, modeling and for other creative kids activities. It is every parent’s predicament in summer vacation how to keep their children active in a creative way. I am no different, my daughter who is eight years old is full of energy and she needs constant engagement from the time she wakes up till she sleeps in night. So this summer myself and my daughter have sat in front of our lap top and started probing internet for free websites for colouring, modeling and other creative activities which a child likes.

Free websites for colouring, painting # 1
This website myself and my daughter both found to be a great free website meant for colouring and painting. This free website has been created for age group up to ten years. In this free website which every kid will enjoy, therefore it is my daughter recommendations to all her young friends.

http://www.uptoten.com/kids/coloringpage-mainindex.html

Free websites for colouring, painting # 2
Kidzpage.com is excellent free website for kids to put their creative young mind to work simultaneously kids enjoy the fun filled games, this free website my daughter has high esteem and she recommends it too. Please visit along with your kids to this free website for colouring & painting.

http://www.thekidzpage.com/colouring_menus/index.htm

Free websites for kids to learn sculpture #3
My daughter is good in sketching and painting in two dimension, but her joy and her creative young mind had no bonds , when she discovered she can also create three dimension models, by clay or playdough by joing this free website, she said dad communicate all my young friends about this free website.

http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/paintingchildrenpaintsartscraftstideasprojects.html

Free websites for kids to learn about birthday cards and ideas # 4
This is another good free website for kids to play games, learn decoration ideas, n birthday theme party tips, and 100 cool birthday cake ideas with photographs and step by step instructions as well as videos. Your kid can learn in this free website about pirate party and spooky and scary Halloween ideas.

http://www.groovy-kids-parties.com/

This free website also promises to provide tools for Parents to Create Lifelong Happy Memories in their kid’s heart.

Therefore I recommend all the parents to see the above mentioned free websites for creative development of their kids, as well as to bring smile and laughter in your child face. Let your child learn while having fun in participating in free websites for colouring, painting and other creative behavior.

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The Impressionists are clearly the most favored school of art in contemporary America, and of all the Impressionists, Monet paintings lead in popularity. Working in rapid brushstrokes over a canvas prepared with a white undercoat, Monet created paintings that are luminous, full of air and sunshine and motion. Monet’s Paintings is the true painter of light.

Who Was Claude Monet?

Claude Monet was born in  November 14, 1840 in Rue Laffite, Paris, France, and enrolled in the Académie Suisse. After an art exhibition in 1874, a critic insultingly dubbed Monet’s painting style “Impressionism,” since it was more concerned with form and bright than the known realism, and the term stuck. Monet struggled with deep depression, poverty and sickness throughout his life. He died in 1926 December 5, 1926, Giverny, France.

Monet’s Paintings: Waterlilies

Throughout his career, Monet loved to work in series. Whether the subject was haystacks, the Rouen Cathedral, or his own waterlily pond, he painted the same image over and over, studying the immense changes created only by light. Of all Monet paintings, the 1899 Waterlily Pond with the Japanese bridge is probably the most famous.

Rarely does great art intersect so completely with decorative art. This painting is technically a masterpiece. Its vertical and horizontal brushwork is carefully modulated, yet only the solid form of the bridge keeps it from tipping over into abstraction. Yet it is also a beautiful painting with an air of serenity and delight.

The very fact that Monet paintings are so universally loved puts them in danger of becoming banal pieces of decoration. Prints, especially, fail to capture the genius of the work. While no reproduction can recreate the power of the original (not least because of its immense size), a hand-painted reproduction in oils is more likely to retain some of the energy that makes them more than just “pretty.”

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We at Paintings studio more than happy to provide you 10 distressed painting technique tips. We hope you will enjoy!

Creating a distressed or aged look is a great way to add character or elegance to tired doors or furniture. You could just wait. You furniture will be distressed eventually, but if you don’t have 30 years or more there are a quite a few ways to go about creating a distressed look for your furniture. You could hire someone. There are painters who specialize in creating faux finishes. Hiring a professional to age your furniture can get expensive, so you might as well just do it yourself. Here are a few distressed painting technique tips to make creating a faux distressed look simple:

1. Make sure you sand the piece of furniture. Just because you’re applying a faux finish doesn’t mean you can skip steps. You will probably be able to skip applying primer, but you must be sure to sand the piece well.
2. There are a lot of different ways to create a faux distressed look. You can use a glaze, painter’s wax, a crackle glaze, and many other techniques. Decide exactly what kind of look you’re going for.
3. Before you paint, hit your local Sherwin Williams store. They have paints that create the faux finish you’re looking for without a lot of hassle. Some stores have videos you can borrow that will walk you through the process. Almost every Sherwin Williams store has books you can look at and associates that can demonstrate various techniques for you. They’re a great help when painting just about anything.
4. If you’re using a glaze to create a distressed look, use paint with a satin finish as your base coat. This will help the glaze go on smoothly. A flat paint will create a blotchy look.
5. The simplest way to create a faux aged look is to use sandpaper. Naturally, the areas of a piece of furniture exposed to sun will have a lighter shade. You can create this look by sanding the paint a bit. You can also paint a different color underneath the top coat and sand the top coat to let the contrasting color underneath show through.
6. Before you try your faux painting technique to your entire piece, try it on a small section first. This way you can see it before you waste the time and money to do the entire piece and make changes if you need to.
7. Using wallpaper paste, latex paint, gum Arabic, acrylic paint, a toothbrush and a hair dryer you can create a beautiful antique door. After you sand the door, apply a base coat of light colored water based paint. Let that dry over night. Apply a good coat of wallpaper paste and gum Arabic, letting this dry too. Once that coat is dry, apply a coat of off white latex paint, drying this coat with a hair dryer turned to high. It will crack. Next, apply an acrylic paint in some lighter shade of brown, depending on the look you want. Use an old toothbrush to lightly splatter a slightly darker color if you want.
8. If you’re going to use a sanding technique, make sure you sand the areas that are usually thinned naturally. Sand the high points and corners more than other areas and you will create a naturally aged look.
9. Add a darker antiquing glaze to a mixture of clear oil glaze and mineral spirits to create a simple, natural look. Apply more to the recessed sections. Wipe some of the glaze off the high points. This will darken the paint already on the piece, simulating the look of dirt and age.
10. Apply alternating layers of different 3 different colors of paint and tinted painter’s wax. Start with a layer of paint, then wax, another color of paint, wax, and a last color of paint. Once the last color of paint has dried, apply crackle paint. Once the crackle paint has dried you should sand areas to create an aged look. Once you’re done sanding, apply a last coat of painter’s wax to seal the piece.
    
    We hope that you enjoyed our article about Distressed Painting Technique Tips. If you have further questions, feel free to contact us.

Q. What is Louis IX in Simone Martini’s “St. Louis of Toulouse” (1317) doing?

A. Crowning Robert of Anjou. Little is known of the life of artist Simone Martini (c. 1284 – c. 1344), but he is famed as a major figure in the development of early Italian painting. He is believed to have been a student of Duccio, one of the most influential artists of his day and the creator of the stunning Maesta altarpiece in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo in Siena. Today the painting “St. Louis of Toulouse” can be visited in the Museo di Capodimonte, Naples.

Q. What is Joseph in the right wing of Robert Campin’s “Merode Altarpiece” (c. 1428) doing?

A. Making mouse-traps. Robert Campin (1375-1444) was the first great master of Early Netherlandish painting. The altarpiece can be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Q. What is the baby Jesus Christ in Jan van Eyck’s “Madonna with Canon van der Paele” (1436) doing?

A. Pinioning the wings of a green parakeet (which is a symbol of sin). Today this sumptuously detailed painting can be seen at the Groeningemuseum in Bruges, Belgium

Q. What is the archangel Michael in Rogier van der Weyden’s “Last Judgment” (1450) doing?

A. Weighing in his scales the souls of the Saved and the Damned. Today viewers can see this painting by Dutch Renaissance master van der Weyden at the Musee de l’Hotel Dieu, Beaune in France.

Q. What is Niccolo da Tolentino in Paolo Uccello’s “Rout of San Romano” (c. 1456) doing?

A. Directing the attack of Florentine forces against the Sienese on June 1, 1432. Niccolo da Tolentino (1350-1435) was an Italian condottiere, or mercenary. He was hired by many Italian lords and is famous for the many battles he won on their behalf; “Rout of San Romano” serves as a memory of his heroism. Today the riotous and colorful painting, in which Niccolo can be seen in the center in charge of the Florentine army, can be visited at the National Gallery, London.

Q. What are the angels in Andrea Mantegna’s “Agony in the Garden” (c. 1460) doing?

A. Holding the instruments of Christ’s Passion. The Passion represents the suffering of Jesus Christ in the hours surrounding his death by crucifixion. In Mantegna’s depiction, angels in the sky are bringing the Instruments of the Passion to Christ while he’s at prayer and while the disciples sleep. The instruments include the cross upon which Jesus is hung, the column where Jesus is whipped, the vessel with the vinegar offered to the Lord, the sponge soaked with vinegar offered to him, and the spear used to pierce his side. In the background Judas is coming with soldiers to arrest Christ. Today the painting can be seen at the National Gallery, London.

Q. What is Flora in Botticelli’s “Primavera” (1482) doing?

A. Strewing flowers from her gathered skirts. This lovely work shouldn’t be missed at the Uffizi in Florence.

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Creating Digital Paintings Made Easy with the Pen & Ink App

Creating Digital Paintings is easy with the “Pen & Ink” application, by Stepping Stone Software, LLC, is a terrific low-cost approach to digital art creation with a focus on watercolor stylings. I use it on my iPad with a plain Bamboo stylus, and find it very easy to use to create digital paintings. The limited version of the app is available for free in the iTunes store, and to upgrade to the full version, the developer charges a reasonable fee of $2.99.

The app allows you to recreate the look of a watercolor painting with a great degree of realism in its brush strokes and textures. There are several tools it offers: two types of erasers, a pen, a pencil, and three types of paintbrushes. Each brush, when selected, allows you to choose the style of stroke/painting effect, the size of the brush, and the opacity of the color being applied.

From the options you can select, there are practically infinite variations of brush strokes and styles you can use to create a doodle or a masterpiece. You can draw with your finger, but I find that using a stylus (even a plain, inexpensive one like mine) helps in control and fine detail. You can also zoom in quite a bit, so creating finer details in your art is easy to do.

The app’s interface is simple and attractive, and though it doesn’t offer much in terms of options, you can learn to use it very quickly. Through trial and error, you can determine how best to create your art–and if you make a mistake, there’s always the “undo” button, which comes in handy when making a digital painting!

Though you can start with a blank canvas (the app also gives a handful of textured, realistic canvas backgrounds), you can also import a picture to work from in the background. You can’t change the transparency of the background image, though, and there are no layers to work with. The app does have its limitations, but overall, I find it to be not only fun to use but very satisfying in making vivid and realistic digital paintings.

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I have had my houses painted twice since I have been a homeowner by professional painting contractors . One was my primary residence and then I also had a rental home painted. When I was looking for a contractor to do it I checked out several. Here are a couple of the better ones that I have found and two that I have used. All use pretty good business models and have decent prices.

The first company of professional painting contractors I will profile is Paint Doctor. This company actually did the painting in my primary residence. The company has been in business for fifteen years and their owner Rich actually goes to each job at some point to supervise. This was one reason that I chose them for the job. They offer free estimates including phone estimates if you have measurements. They serve New Castle and Kent counties in Delaware, Cecil County in Maryland, In addition to painting; they also do carpeting, siding as well as doors and. windows. You can reach them at (302) 454-6400. And are open Monday through Friday until 6pm in the office, but work six days a week.

My house is part siding on the top level and stone on the bottom level. I had them paint the inside of the house and the siding part of the outside. They arrived on time and were very professional. The quality of the work was great and they offer a three year guarantee on their work, which I did not find many places doing. I was overall very happy with the job and would use them again.

Two Guys Construction is the next company that I would like to profile. I had them paint the inside of my rental property, which is a two unit ranch style house. They have been in business for eleven years, but their owner has extensive experience in painting and other construction projects. Their services include drywall, painting, roofing, siding, flooring, cabinet installation, and additions. They serve all of the state of Delaware and Southern New Jersey. I do not recall the exact amount I paid for the job, but I do recall that their prices were quite fair. The contractors conducted themselves very professionally and arrived on time and kept the house very neat. They can be reached at 302 674-1615. I was most impressed by the professionalism and quality of work they did for being a rather small company. I would recommend and use them again if needed. They will probably be doing a flooring project for me soon.

Pro Touch Painting has been used by a very good friend of mine for several rental properties that he has. They have been in business for twenty five years and do a pretty good business. They primarily do painting and drywall but also offer some other services like deck finishing. They offer a very good guarantee as far as the satisfaction of the customer goes and do not take payment until you are happy. I do believe they still would want to be paid, but that is what they advertise. They have always been very punctual and get jobs done on time. They offer free estimates and I have never heard of one being off by more than a few dollars and their prices are quite reasonable. I actually am thinking of possibly using them the next time they have a good deal going on some other rental properties that I acquire a rental property. From everything I have seen and heard they are a very good professional company. They have offices in both North Wilmington and Claymont Delaware. Pro Touch Painting can be reached at 302-792-9795 and 302-478-9362.

I have provided websites to the three companies that I profiled below.

http://www.paintdoctorde.com/

http://twoguysconstructioninc.com

http://www.protouch.biz

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