Tagged: canvas art

June 1, 2013

Canvas Painting for Beginners

School break is near and students now have all the free time in the world to do anything they want. Instead of wasting your time in front of the TV or laptop, why not do something productive this summer? This summer, dip your fingers in canvas painting. You may think you don’t have the talent and money to do painting but with the right knowledge, you can start this creative activity. The Internet is full of helpful tips and information, and even videos, on how to start canvas painting. If budget is your problem, there are many local art supply retailers offering art supplies at a discount.

Before you start on that first brush stroke, you first have to know the various tools required in canvas painting.

Types of Canvas
You first have to have a canvas to be able to start painting. Two of the most common material for a canvas are cotton and linen which are available in different qualities and color. Both canvas are available primed or unprimed. For beginners, choose the cotton canvas since it is less expensive than linen and get the primed version so you won’t have the trouble of priming it at home. Primed canvas may cost a bit more than the unprimed one but you don’t have to mix, apply the sizing and ground. Ask your art supplier about the perfect canvas for your painting.

Types of Paintbrushes
Try experimenting with different paint brushes. For oil and acrylic painting, bristle and sable brushes are recommended. Bristle brushes have harder bristles than sable. Use different shapes of brushes to see which brushes suits your painting style. For amateurs, use large-sized brushes to help you focus on the whole painting and less on the fine details of your piece. Use the small brushes when you’ve had practice and you’re confident with your painting skills. Also, start with the cheap brushes first.

Acrylic Paint
Acrylic paint is recommended for beginners since it is easy to use, dilute, clean up, and affordable. If you’re not sure which shades of paint to buy, here are some suggestions for a basic palette. These paints are available from high end acrylic brands.

Burnt Sienna
Burnt Umber
Napthol Crimson (red) or Cadmium Red
Yellow Ochre or Cadmium Yellow
Pthalo Blue or Ultramarine Blue
Pthalo Green
Ivory or Mars Black
Titanium White
Titanium Buff

Other Materials
Mediums
Mediums are used to thicken or thin the oil. You have to take time in using mediums to know which suits best for the painting you have in mind.

Paint Palettes
Paint palettes are available in different materials such as wood, plastic, or metal. Paper is easier to use since you can just throw each sheet after use.

Painting knives
Painting knives are used for mixing the paint, and for some artists, for painting as well.

Images are from here and here.

May 31, 2013

Hotels for Art Lovers

There are numerous museums all over the world and it seems that whenever there is a museum, there will also be hotels. If you love traveling and art, here is a list of the world’s best hotels for art lovers.

Minos Beach Art Hotel
Crete,Greece
The Minos Beach Art Hotel is one of the finest hotels in Crete. It has a seafront setting and is located near the Agios Nikolaos Archeological Museum and Lake Voulismeni. It offers bungalows, suites, and villas to tourists wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The hotel also serves as an art gallery, displaying sculptures from leading Greek and foreign artists.

Baur au Lac
Zurich, Switzerland
Baur au Lac is one of the world’s best hotels, maintaining the top position in the international luxury hotel industry for more than 165 years. The posh rooms offer spectacular views of the Swiss Alps and Lake Zurich. The hotel organizes an outdoor sculpture exhibition called Art in the Park where world-class artists display their works on the property’s grounds. Art pieces of Robert Indiana, Joan Miro, and Sol Lewitt have been included in this twice-a-year exhibit.

W South Beach
Miami Beach, Florida, USA
W South Beach is a resort hotel that also displays museum-caliber art pieces. The selection owned by the hotel’s co-owner Aby Rosen and the pieces are from modern artists like Francis Bacon, Andy Warhol, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. The hotel is located close to the Bass Art Museum which recently opened the exhibition called “From Picasso to Koons: The Artist as Jeweler,” an exhibit showcasing around 200 works by 135 artists.

Gramercy Park Hotel
New York City, USA
New York City boasts hundreds of museums, making it a haven for art lovers. The Gramercy Park Hotel has an impressive selection of art pieces. It houses the work of world-class artists such as Andy Warhol, Richard Prince, Keith Haring, Julian Schnabel, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Damien Hirst.

Hotel Siru
Brussels, Belgium
Hotel Siru offers 101 unique rooms. In the 1980s, the hotel commissioned 130 Belgian artists to work on the rooms so now, all the rooms and public areas features contemporary works which includes framed prints, 3-D papier mâché sculptures, and murals. If you’re staying at Hotel Siru, try and visit the Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée or the Comic Strip Museum.

The Ritz-Carlton Millenia
Marina Centre, Singapore
The Ritz-Carlton commissioned art pieces worth S$5 million dollars which are positioned in the best feng shui locations. A detailed map will show you the location of all 4,200 pieces on display which includes the works of Zhu Wei, Dale Chihuly, Andy Warhol, Frank Stellar, Henry Moore and David Hockney.

The Merrion
Dublin, Ireland
The Merrion Hotel not only offers the finest accommodations in Ireland, it showcases the work’s of the country’s most important artists including Daniel Maclise, Nathaniel Hone, Paul Henry, and Mainie Jellet. Guided tours are available from the National Gallery.

Images are from here and here.

May 30, 2013

Tips on How to Sell Canvas Art Online

With the latest advancements in technology, artists are taking their careers online. Using the Internet, artists now have more platforms in sharing and selling their canvas arts outside the usual art galleries. There are thousands of online markets where artists and buyers meet. With many fish in the sea, how can you stand out so your canvas art prints are the ones sold online? Here are some tips that you can use to get more exposure and help boost sales of your art.

1. Take time to write the best descriptions for your artwork. The best online art galleries allow full descriptions for each artwork uploaded to their websites. Make your descriptions easy and enjoyable to read, free of spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. Include keywords in your descriptions that art buyers use when searching art online. Also, prepare a small bio and artist statement to introduce you to website visitors.

2. Create a portfolio site or blog. Upload the photos of your artwork and include complete descriptions. Make sure that you use good and clear images of your work since the colors of your art and its photo may vary when posted online. Promote your work and use a friendly tone to invite new visitors and potential buyers. Provide the information on payment, handling, and shipping.

3. Use the social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest are some of the most popular social media platforms available today. Use them to introduce yourself and your work to your network and your friend’s networks. Create a YouTube channel to showcase your artworks and your skills. Join forums that you enjoy to network and don’t just settle for art forums. Expand your network beyond the art world by joining forums related to the themes you use. If you paint nature, join a botany forum. Put a link to your website in the signature line of your posts.

4. Create newsletters for art lovers. If you own an art blog, it’s easy to send email newsletters to your subscribers. This is where you can inform them about the latest in your projects and finished pieces. Regular contacts with them can help you build long-term relationships and to let them know what you’ve been busy with lately.

5. Choose one online art gallery. The President of BoundlessGallery.com Luke Terpstra advised artists to do a lot of research about online art galleries but choose only one to try out wholeheartedly. He said it’s more productive for artists to concentrate on one venue than be all over different galleries and become overwhelmed with all the inquiries and issues in managing the business. If you give all efforts and still don’t get the sales that you expect in your chosen art gallery, then go to another venue and see if it will give you what you seek.

Image from here.

May 29, 2013

Linen Canvas vs Cotton Canvas: Which to Use?

As young artists, we are faced with lots of choices even before we start that first brush stroke. We think about the theme of our painting, what medium should we use, the size of the canvas to use, where to get inspiration, or which canvas would be perfect for our art. It could be overwhelming, especially for newbies out there who have just started in the art of painting.

There are debates on which canvas is better: linen or cotton. Here we lay down the benefits and drawbacks of using a linen or cotton canvas.

Linen

Pros
Linen is a canvas made from flax fibers. The word is derived from the Latin word “linum” which means the flax plant. Professional oil artists prefer linen canvas for its longevity and high quality. Linen is very receptive to sizing and priming applications. Sizing is a glue barrier which prevents the ground and the paint from coming in contact with the linen fibers, making it a more durable choice of canvas. A linen canvas preserves its natural oils and easily adapts to moisture changes which gives the fiber’s flexibility and helps prevent cracking over time. The linen fiber has a more natural weaved finish and is available in different textures, weights, and smooth or rough finish.

Cons
Linen canvas may be a better quality canvas and resistant to wear and tear but it is not that widely used because of its price. It is more expensive than cotton, jute, or other fibers used as canvas because producing linen is quite labor-intensive. If you’re just a student, the high price tag may turn you off. Also, you may have difficulties in priming and stretching a linen canvas but it provides the smoothest and stiffest painting surface, perfect for oil paintings. Students should avoid using a linen canvas unless their painting skills and quality of work are outstanding and are comparable to well-known artists.

Cotton

Pros
Cotton is a soft fiber from a cotton plant native to the Americas, Africa, and India. More artists choose cotton canvas because its cheaper. Since cotton is more available and has low manufacturing costs, the price of a cotton canvas is more affordable than linen. It is more flexible and easier to stretch properly, making it a popular choice among art students. It is good to know that a properly prepared cotton canvas can be as durable as a linen canvas. So, if you want to use a lasting canvas without hurting your wallets, consider a cotton canvas.

Cons
Cotton is known for its flexibility and its ability to stretch easily, but it is not advisable to use it in very large paintings since it is prone to sagging.

Before you choose a canvas, consider the medium you are using and what you want to achieve on the canvas surface. For students or hobbyists, a cotton canvas is recommended because of its practicality and affordable price.