Image from Melissa Esplin's site
Want to improve your Fashion Figure drawings? Then check out Melissa Esplin's Figure Drawing Basics Tutorial. She even offers a free download. Thanks Melissa for a great resource!
I like her sketching technique. I continue to draw daily and I definitely will try her tutorial. Now get out that sketchpad and start drawing.
So I was looking for Online Lettering Workshops - and I found some interesting sites that featured Art Journaling.
On her site, I also learned about the Art Journaling Exposed (Volume 1) eMag which is available in the INTERWEAVE Store. You can download the eMag for $4.99. Here's a description of the eMag taken from the INTERWEAVE site.
"The Art Journaling Exposed eMag presents an interactive look at creating great pages and journals with color, lettering, and more. New and well-known artists bring their tips, tricks, and favorite techniques to you through slideshows, videos, and photographs that you can pan and zoom. The ability to enlarge a picture to exactly the size you want, to see the smallest of details, and the opportunity to play a tutorial again and again as you work along in your studio space, are just a few of the great benefits of Art Journaling Exposed."
For more details about the eMag, go here.
Image from the Web Design Schools site
I believe that you can find informaion on absolutely any subject on Pinterest. Yes, I've been hitting the Pinterest boards again. Inspiring, informative but so addictive!
I just type in my area of interest, the plus sign, the word: Pinterest. And the Web World brings me an endless supply of images. That's how I found 50 Best Blogs for Watercolor Artists on the Web Design Schools site
The list covers blogs on: Watercolor Demonstrations, Watercolor Artists, Art Business - and Art News & Reviews. Go on - Dig around the list - Discover some inspiration and then - Start painting!
I'm always entering blog giveaways but I usually never win. So I was very surprised when Amanda, host of Amanda's Beauty and Recipe Finds, contacted me last week to tell me that I won a MAC Giveaway. I love MAC products. Thank You So Much Amanda!
As you can see from the photo, I won two, beautiful MAC Powder Blushes and a lovely shade of MAC Lipstick. (The marks that you see on the Blushes are a reflection from my camera light. Sorry.)
Take a few minutes to check Amanda's blog. You'll find some great reviews on cosmetics - and some yummy recipes too. Check out her post on 12 Drool Worthy Cupcake Recipes.
Amanda is also editor of Small Business CEO. You might want to check this site out for some helpful articles on running your indie business.
Then go ahead and enter some blog giveaways - You may win too.
Image from Saved by Love Creations Blog
In case you haven't seen this - Via Piddix, I found a fantastic post entitled, 50+ Image Transfer Projects, on the Saved by Love Creations blog (DIY Crafts, Tips & Tutorials) which is hosted by Johnnie.
Johnnie's blog is new to me and it's one that you should check out, especially the Tutorials, Printables and Crafty Links categories. But be careful, you may be adding more art projects to your never-ending To Do List.
Great Blog Johnnie!
Have you ever wanted to Create an Online Course for Artists? Then check out Natasha May's quick tips on the process.
She offers many helpful details in her blog post - or you can access the tips in PDF form.
Check it out today - And start thinking of the type of art course that you might develop.
In case you haven't heard, the Strathmore Free Online Workshops are continuing. Workshop Series 3 with Michael Mattesi is now open. The topic is FORCE Drawing Technique. Here's a brief introduction about his workshop:
"FORCE spans all forms of art, from animation to illustration, cartooning to fine art. Mike Mattesi, author of the popular and inspiring FORCE drawing books, demonstrates his drawing theory across four compelling videos. During the videos you will learn how to draw FORCE, form and shape. Through this knowledge you will add more life and drama to your work."
Workshop Series 2 offers Watercolor Sketching with Cathy Johnson. Workshop Series 1 features Traci Bautista and Doodles Unleashed Techniques.
You can join the Workshops at any time and complete them at your own pace. Once a workshop begins, it will stay active until August 1, 2012. Get more details here. And join up today.
illustration by Oscar Ramos Orozco
from The 99%
Were you ever faced with a big Creative Project that you knew would take so much time and effort that you ended up procrastinating - and not moving forward toward completion? Maybe it involved writing the first draft of a book or developing a series of painting.
Well I came across a post, on The 99%, that may help you (and me) with that situation. The post entitled, The Counter-Intuitive Benefits of Small Time Blocks was written by Elizabeth Grace Saunders. Her process consists of five steps. Although the post addresses the business world, I believe it can help individual creatives too.
In one of the steps, Saunders encourages us to - "Schedule in just 15-30 minutes to move forward on the project. The point is to set aside a short enough block of time that you can commit to it without feelings of anxiety or hesitation about your ability to follow through. (Think baby steps.)"
Saunders goes on to tell us that, "Any action is almost always better than none."
To encourage us of the benefits of this process, Saunders also quotes Fred Wilson's interesting post on"subconscious information processing. As soon as you give your mind a problem to solve, it starts working day and night on the project. By using short bits of time to move forward, particularly in the initial brainstorming phase, you give yourself a greater opportunity to unleash your genius than you could have done in a long single spurt."
Why not read the entire post on the benefits of short blocks of time and see how you can apply it to one of your creative projects.
Image from Just Something I Made
I like to use all sorts of vintage ephemera in my mixed-media art work. I found these awesome Red Labels over at Just Something I Made from Cathe Holden. She offers yet another variety of Red Lables here. Check out both label sheets - print them out - and then go create.
What will you make with these labels?
Via How About Orange, I found out about the free fonts at Font Fabric. So far, my favorite is the INTRO font shown above. I don't know if it's the writer or the artist in me but I do love typography in all of its forms - especially vintage typography.
Although many of the fonts on the site are free, a donation would be nice if you decide to dowload any of them. Here are some words from the site's hosts:
"With your donation we’ll be able to spend more time to improve and update our free fonts. We can add more characters, more languages like – polish, czech, hungarian, romanian etc. We appreciate every cent! Thank you for your support & contribution!"
Image from ckolander
I was exploring artist Katherine Tyrrell's information-rich blog, Making a Mark when I came across this Squidoo article, How to Paint : Techniques to Add Texture to Your Paintings for Beginners and Professional Artists, written by ckolander.
You may have tried some of these techniques but I'm sure you'll find some new ideas for your next painting session.
Today, I discovered a site that is new to me, A Singular Creation. Here is their premise in their own words: "We are an online Art & Photography Community that promotes and showcases all types of art and artists."
There is a section on Art Tips & Tutorials. You might be interested in the article, Eight Ways to Creatively Promote Your Art written by Kristen Clark.
I especially liked her tip regarding: Write and post an artist's reflection for each of your art works on your Web site or blog. Kristen suggests communicating the inspiration for your art piece - your design elements - and any creative symbolism.
Try putting Kristen's idea into action today. What type of artist's reflection would you write for your latest art work?
Via Illustration Pages, I came across Illustration Class and found some very inspiring articles by illustrator, Von Glitschka.
Poke around the Illustration Class site and check out the following free, PDF downloads penned by Von Glitschka:
Then pour yourself some coffee - settle in for some reading - and I guarantee that you will fuel your creative juices for the weekend.
Image from Strawberry Chic
Via How About Orange, I found this cool tutorial for a Rustic Pencil Holder created by Andrea, host of the Strawberry Chic blog. OK, so her husband actually made it.
The style fits right in with the rustic look featured in magazines and stores now. County Living magazine recently featured sawed-off logs as kitchen chairs. That idea is a little too uncomfortable for me.
But back to the Pencil Holder: This is exactly what I need for my growing collection of Prismacolor colored pencils. And - Yes - my husband will make mine too. Who's making yours?
Dropmark image from Swiss Miss
I have a new obsession - pen/pencil/sketching blogs - and related companies/sites. Hopefully, you will benefit from my obsession by finding out about some new sites and products that YOU NEED like I NEED. Here's a short roundup:
Via Swiss Miss, I found out about this cool tool:
Dropmark is a simple way to organize and collaborate with anyone in the cloud. Tina Roth Eisenberg, founder of Swiss Miss, explains: "Let’s say you want to send a friend a few links to look at. Instead of sending an e-mail and pasting in a bunch of links, you can create a Dropmark collection and instantly have one short link that you can send instead. And the collection can be updated at any time." See above Dropmark example.
Find out about a special offer, from Dropmark, for Swiss Miss Readers here. It's at the end of Tina's post.
Want some tips on sketching? Check out Russell Stutler's Web book on sketching. There's also a Sketching Forum and other links to explore.
Via the Life Imitates Doodles blog, I discovered this article on Revitalizing Colored Pencils from Dick Blick. Thank goodness for Synchronicity! I recently purchased a bunch of Prismacolor Colored Pencils. And every time that I sharpen them, the lead keeps breaking. If you know of other remedies for breaking lead, please let me know.
Image from Michella Marie Blog
Lately, I'm attracted to paper flower tutorials via Pinterest. I must be wishing for the Beauty of Spring Blossoms.
You must check out this Gorgeous, White Paper Peonies Tutorial from Michella Marie. Aren't her flowers beautiful? Now, I need to pick up some coffee filters.
Check out Michella Marie's other popular posts too.
In blog land, I usually reside in the worlds of mixed-media art, drawing and painting. Every now and then I explore different parts of the Internet. It's then that I realize that I'm missing a gazillion other wonderful blogs - and topics of interest. I wish that I could visit/follow many more blogs than I do but then I would never get anything done. Here's a few sites I like:
I love office supplies and stationery. That's how I came across The Pen Addict blog and JetPens. Which led me to Behance Outfitter (Outfitting Creatives to Make Ideas Happen) - and the cool Action Cards seen above. Do I need these cards? Yes, I think I do.
And that site led me to the Free Ebook: 20 Creative Blocks (and How to Break Through Them) by Mark McGuinness.
BTW, check out The 99% (Insights on Making Ideas Happen) by Behance site. Lots of good stuff on creativity here.
So where did your Blog Land Travels lead you to today?
Via Artsy Shark, I found this interesting blog, Artist Marketing Resources (Artist Self-Promotion Info).
What caught my interest was Marie Kazalia's post on Artists, Want to Save Money By Making Your Own Paints? I believe that a good number of artists would want to know more about this subject. Why? Well, artists like a challenge but more important we love to get really messy, and intimate, with our art. Check out Marie's post. You may not make paint today but in the future you might just try it.
Take a look at the links and other posts on Marie's blog. She has some good stuff to read.
Via Joan Beiriger's Blog, I found out that Artist Aaron Christensen is hosting a "Blog Hop" of 12 Artist Studios and their Art. Begin your creative journey here: Hi Resolution - A New Year's Studio Meet and Greet. Take along a large cup of coffee, or tea, as you virtually wander through the various studios.
After the tour, I guarantee that your creative juices will be overflowing with new ideas for your own Studio and your Art. What a great way to start the New Year!
Recently, I came across an interesting blog entitled, Let's Make a Painting. Mary, host of the blog, shares her extensive, bookmark collection of some of the best, free painting tutorials. These tutorials include both step-by-step and video demos.
There are many wonderful lessons/demonstrations to view. For example, Painting White Roses byTrevor Waugh. This video is accompanied by music rather than instructions but you can still benefit from watching the artist's techniques.
Since Mary is working on perfecting her watercolor painting skills, she also created another blog, Splatter and Brush - A collection of the best free watercolor video lessons and tutorials.
Take a look at these two sites - and then try to fit in some painting time during this hectic Holiday week. Your Muse will thank you. In fact, I'm going to dig out two fairly new books on watercoloring painting and learn some new techniques.
I've been absent from blogland for a few days because my sister, brother-in-law and nephew came down from Upstate New York to visit us. It was kind of a surprise visit. We all had a wonderful time together.
Now it's time to catch up with the online world. Via Hello Craft, I came across this informative article on Curating Online Mood Boards written by Claire Menegus. She references some interesting online Boards such as the well-known Pininterest.
Check out the article and create your own personal Mood Board for the Fall season.
I came across the topic of Grid Journaling on Milliande's wonderful site. I have always been fascinated by making art in small squares but I never tried grid journaling. After reading her post - and looking at her examples - I look forward to experimenting with this idea.
Here is one of Milliande's Grid Journal pages. Take some time to check out the rest of her interesting site.
Image from Milliande's site
I recently joined Martha Stewart's Dreamers into Doers community which celebrates talented and creative women who turn their dreams into careers they love.
Since I am a member, I'm regularly in touch with a large group of super-creative women. One such lady is Diane Perry, owner of Catcophony Wearable Art.
Here's Diane's business philosophy in her own words:
"Catcophony grew out of my desire to create unique jewelry with simplified lines. You won't find elaborate or ornate designs in my shop. What you will find is wearable art as unique as you are. All Catcophony's jewelry and accessories are handcrafted and most are one-of-a-kind. All are limited edition."
Listed below are two beautiful pieces from her collection of jewelry:
Turquoise & Sterling Silver Bracelet
Check out Diane's shop - and the Dreamers into Doers community too!
During my search for wool roving suppliers, I came across the Felting and Needle Felting forum.
Here, you'll find information on fiber preparation, tutorials, dyeing fiber, marketing your work, suppliers, workshops, tips, challenges and much more. Membership is free.
Here is a free tutorial from rosiepink on how to make a wet-felted pod/vessel. Isn't it gorgeous? Check it out!
Sometimes I need miniature items to complete my mixed-media, and assemblage, art projects. So I enjoy checking in with the Artisans in Miniature (AIM) blog.
The AIM group also produces a free, monthly magazine that is filled with features, projects, news and more. The August issue is hot off the press. Check it out here.
On the Artsy Shark site, I recently read two great posts that explore the topic of Art Licensing. The first article is an Artist Profile: Smart Strategies for Licensing. The featured artists are Linda Warner Constantino and Dona Warner
The second article is an Interview with an Art Licensing Agent. The agent's name is Julie Ager who is the Licensing Director for Artistic Designs Group.
I always find good stuff on Artsy Shark. Check it out!
And if you know of any fantastic posts on Art Licensing, please share them.
I recently joined Pinterest. I love the site but it can be addictive. Via Pinterest, I came upon the inspirational Things We Forget site.
The blog was created by a person who calls himself the PostIt Guy. Things We Forget offers daily messages to remind us of the simple things in life. The message may be a quote or insightful saying.
Each message is created on a post-it note and then placed in random public settings (usually in Singapore). Here's one of my favorite notes:
In case you missed this site, The Blog Guidebook is a great resource for all types of bloggers and readers.
Guidebook Creators, Lyndsay Johnson and Sarah Bradford, have created over one hundred categories for you to find the blogs that meet your interests. Crafty or creative - a baker or cook - flea marketer or antiquer? This site has many helpful resources to meet your needs. I signed up today. Why not check it out.
Just a Note: My Etsy Shop is offering FREE SHIPPING this holiday weekend. The promotion begins Friday, July 1 and ends on Monday, July 4. Just use the promotion code: cinnamon pink.
Today, when I was surfing the Web, I came across The Entreprenette Gazette and I'm so glad that I did.
The first article that I read was How to Get into a Magazine. The article included 43 juicy tips from Entreprenette Experts. These amazing tips are chockful of valuable information for Indie businesses. You have to read this article!
I'm definitely going to revisit this site to learn more.
So now I'm beginning to explore the world of Mohair Teddy Bear Making. I know....I know - not another art-related interest. But teddy bears belong to the category of mixed-media art, don't they? Well, there's a great deal of information on teddy bear making on the Internet.
Craftbits has a wonderful tutorial for a Baby Pips Teddy Bear. The tutorial includes pictures which makes it easy to follow along. Here's what Baby Pips looks like:
The Teddy Talk Forum (which is sponsored by Intercal) provides tips, techniques, free patterns, challenges and much much more. You can pick up a lot of solid information here.
Teddy Bear Patterns Tips & More offers free patterns and great tips too.
I recently came across Miranda Aschenbrenner's site, Learn to Art.
Here's what Miranda says about her site: "Learn to… Art! is a site about just that, learning to do everything art. From shading, to painting, to photographing your work, to tutorials on how to draw specific subjects, I will feature regular updates on different topics."
I'm always trying to improve my sketches of eyes so her tutorial on How to Draw Eyes was especially interesting to me. I also liked her article on Seven Common Shading Mistakes & How to Fix Them.
There's lots more to read and learn about. Why not check out Miranda's site?
Two days without the Internet (read: blogs), phone and cable TV! It seems that I just recently wrote these words. And I did a little while back. Time to change our ISP.
The Blog Guidebook has a great list of online magazines that you need to check out. Get timely information on what's happening in the design, decor and fashion world. Most of them are free. I'm always amazed at the quality and professional look of these magazines.
I'm now a member of Creating the Hive. Most of you probably know about the site. But in case you want more information, here a brief description:
"The Hive is a dynamic social community designed to help provide a connection between everyone in the arts, crafts and hobby industry. Whether you are a manufacturer, professional artist, hobbyist, retailer or consumer, you have a voice!"
Since I'm new to the site, there's a lot for me to learn yet. But already I'm impressed by the beautiful work of the member artists. You'll also find valuable information that will help you with your indie business. So what do you say? Are you ready to jump into the Hive?
I'm always seeking information to improve my drawing skills. Via drawspace, I found that they now offer over 270 free, printable drawing lessons and that more are being added every month! That's a lot of solid and valuable information. These lessons are applicable for both art educators or personal use.
In the Drawing Lessons Section, under the Skills & Secrets Tab, there is a pdf covering 130 Tips & Helpful Hints for Drawing written by Brenda Hoddinott.
Topics include: Working from Photos, Blending Shading, Drawing Portraits & People, Beyond the Sketchbook - and much much more. You may want to print this pdf out, keep it near your drawing work space and then start to DRAW NOW.
Today, I found some interesting information via Sharon B's blog, Pin Tangle.
Social media consultant Lorelle Van Fossen has launched an ebook, Social Media for Crafters: Covering the Basics of the Social Web. For a limited time, you can purchase this pdf, ebook for 99 cents. After that, the regular price is $14.95 USD.
The book features a basic introduction to social media tools and the various online communities and social networks. You can find more information here. Act now if you want the special introductory price.
Are you a stitcher? Sharon B's Stitch File Worksheets (Module 5) are being offered for a limited time at a special release price of $5.00. Regular price is $10.00. In Module 5, there are sets of worksheets for 17 stitches. All stitches have step by step instructions and samples.
Sharon B is generously offering readers Module 4 (basic stitches) as a freebie. This free offer allows you to test the stitches before you make a purchase and that way you will know what to expect in subsequent modules. Scroll down this page to access Module 4.
I am not affiliated with these two offers. I'm just passing on information that I thought might be useful to my readers.
Via the Empty Easel, I found this interesting article discussing, One Simple Painting Tip for More Intense Watercolors written by Doris C. Glovier. Visit the Empty Easel site and view her before and after paintings. Then, why not try her technique with one of your watercolor paintings. The image below shows a portion of her after painting.
Today, I came across an inspiring article on the awesome heartmade site. The article, 30 Prompts for Your Creative Business Journal, was written by April Bowles-Olin. April works with creative women to lead more fulfilling lives while they make money doing it.
You can find out more about April and her business on the Blacksburg Belle site. But read her article first, print it out - and Take Action.
Image from heartmade site
While looking at blogs, I came across this great tutorial, for Snowball Candleholders, from Megan's Polish the Stars blog. The candleholders are easy to make - And I think they are rather elegant-looking.
I'm a new member of the Cloth and Clay Dolls ning. On this ning, you can learn how to make cloth and clay dolls - and get to know hundreds of talented doll-makers. Enrollment fee is only $10 a year! The beautiful doll below comes from the Cloth and Clay Dolls ning.
Our group is expanding. Doll Town, an online marketplace, has just opened. Here you can find one-of-a-kind (OOAK) art dolls handmade and crafted with the utmost of care. Why not pay Doll Town a visit today.
Greeting Card Designer, Kate Harper, has a fantastic article on her blog that you should read. She offers readers, 12 Unusual Ways to Market Your Greeting Cards. (Note: I created the above card a little while back.)
If you have marketed your cards, or art, in an unusual way, please share your ideas.
Via Not Martha, I learned how to create these fringey streamers from Jordan Ferney's oh happy day blog. What a great concept! She came up with a brilliant but simple idea.
Jordan used these streamers for party decorations. But I think they would work for assemblage and mixed-media art projects too.
Via the Wish Studio blog, I found this inspiring article written by Britt Bravo How to Write the Recipe to Make Your Big Vision Real.
Britt compares baking (e.g., cupcakes) to writing a recipe for our Big Visions. After you read her article, you may just start cooking up your own Big Visions.
What do you think? Are you ready to cook?
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