Tagged: canvas

June 24, 2013

How to Choose Quality Canvas for Painting

Artists have used several materials of canvas in painting such as linen, jute, hemp, or cotton. Nowadays, linen and cotton are the most popular fibers in canvas. Linen is more expensive compared to cotton and is often used by professional artists who have years of experience in perfecting their craft. For beginners, a cotton canvas is more appropriate since it is less expensive.

When choosing a canvas, you must consider these two important factors: the support and ground. Support is the material where paint is applied while the Ground is the gesso or primer. These two are important to the success or failure of your painting. The support and ground are determined by the type of paint and method of applying the paint. For example, if you are using a staining technique in painting, when you do it on a raw canvas, it will give a different result when you do the same technique to a primed canvas.

The Support
Choose a canvas that offers strength and stability, depending on your needs for a certain project. As you paint, the support will have to undergo much movement and stress from the environment such as temperature, humidity, and constant stretching/restretching.

Canvas is available in different weights: lightweight (4-5 oz), medium weight (7-10 oz), and heavyweight (18 oz) per square yard. Support with lower weights are not as smooth or sturdy as heavier weights. Medium weight is a good weight for painting since it gives good support to your painting.

The Ground
Why ground is important in a canvas?

Protection of support. Ground protects your canvas from being damaged by harmful ingredients in paint. Natural fibers such as cotton absorbs moisture and when the paint dries, it will release this moisture, causing swelling and shrinking of the canvas. If you are using oil, the fibers will absorb its moisture, leaving the surface brittle.
Adhesion of paint. A properly primed canvas allows sufficient adhesion of paint to the support. A correctly primed canvas should accept paint and give a degree of absorbency. Too much absorbency can soak up all the oil from the paint while a non-absorbent ground can leave a weak paint film that can be peeled off. Good thing, pre-primed canvas is available online and in art supply shops.
Color enhancement. If your project involves transparent painting technique, the ground provides a white background that intensifies the colors. Ground is useful when you are underpainting, or applying the first layer of paint to a canvas.

A chosen canvas varies depending on an artist’s needs. Some may use raw canvas, pre-primed, or a heavyweight canvas. Keep in mind that whatever canvas you choose, it has a big effect on the outcome of your painting.

June 22, 2013

Tips in Finding the Best Art School for You

Planning on studying at an art school? Consider these tips to help you decide which art school is best for you.

1. List the pros and cons of each art school you are considering.
Learn about the art schools that you are interested in. Key factors to know include the school’s location, cost, studio space, dormitory, transportation. Check the school’s website for these important information and you can send inquiries to clarify some things that you are not sure of. Be objective in listing the benefits and drawbacks of each school.

2. Visit the campus.
Visiting the actual campus can give you another dimension of appreciation for an art school. Information that you got from their websites differ from getting the “feel” of each campus. Walk around the campus to see how big the school is and see the demeanor of students. Join a campus tour, if available, to get insider tips and additional information about the school. Visit the classrooms, housing facilities, studios, and dorms to check out current rental fees and conditions of these establishments. You can also see the art supply stores near the school and know where art students buy their materials.

3. Courses available for artists.
Some art schools offer courses in entrepreneurship. According to the National Endowment for the Arts, compared to the rest of the US workforce, artists are three times more likely to be self-employed, having their own businesses. It’s good if your school provides courses which will teach you about setting up and managing your own business, whether an online art business or an actual art gallery. These courses can also help you network with other business-minded artists. You can share your art works among your peers so whenever someone opens an art shop or organizes an art show, your pieces can be included, and vice versa.

4. Support for graduating students.
Know if the school helps graduating students find internships and is there support available to help students transition from school to the work world? Ask about where the school’s graduates are right now, what are they doing? Are they employed in the art field or have their own art business? As a student, you want to pass school and also have something that will generate your income after school.

5. Trust your instincts.
If you’ve been given offers from several art schools, it may be overwhelming and confusing which school is best for you. If you can, just limit yourself with just 2-3 schools and determine which you think is best for you. It may be a hard decision to make so ask your parents, friends, and other people close to you for their opinion. Know what they have to say why this school is better for you. Weigh their points of view with your own, but in the end, follow your heart.

Image source: http://unknowninkdesign.com

June 21, 2013

5 Distinguished Women in Contemporary Art

Men dominated the art world especially during the early years and women artists found it hard to infiltrate this gender-biased world. Women found it hard to get training, education, travel, and exposure for their art works until the creation of the Feminist art movement in the 1960s. This movement encouraged women to participate in creating art which reflects the lives and experiences of women. It allowed women to express themselves through painting, sculptures, photography, and other art forms.

Matrix_-_Family_Album_Bracha_Ettinger — Painting: Matrix — Family Album series n.3 by Bracha Ettinger

1. Bracha L. Ettinger. Bracha Ettinger is an international artist based in Paris and Tel Aviv. She is considered to be one of the most celebrated artists in the French and Israeli art scenes. She had several series of oil paintings such as “Matrix — Family Album,” “Autistwork,” and “Eurydice.” These paintings reflect Ettinger’s questions on personal trauma, womanhood, World Wars, and beauty. Since 2001, she became one of the most influential painters in the movement called New European Painting.

2. Marlene Dumas. Marlene Dumas is a South African born painter now based in The Netherlands. The subject of most of her paintings is of the human body, used to challenge ideas of racial, sexual, and social identity. Her artworks have been showcased in different prominent museums and galleries in European cities including in London, Berlin, Basel, and Amsterdam. In 2011, she received the Rolf Schock Prize in the Visual Arts award.

3. Chantal Joffe. Chantal Joffe is an English artist known for her large-scale paintings portraying women and children. Her works have been featured in solo and group exhibitions in Paris, New York, London, and Milan. She is the recipient of many awards including the illustrious Charles Wollaston Award in 2006.

4. Yayoi Kusama. Yayoi Kusama is a Japanese avant-garde artist. She uses different art forms including painting, drawing, sculpture, and installations. She started to paint using polka dots and nets when she was young. Kusama created series of paintings, including large-scale ones, with canvases measuring more than 30 ft. long. She was the first Japanese woman to receive the Praemium Imperiale, one of Japan’s most distinguished prizes given to highly esteemed artists.

O'Keeffe_Georgia_Ram's_Head — Ram’s Head White Hollyhock and Little Hills by Georgia O’Keeffe

5. Georgia O’Keeffe. Georgia O’Keeffe was a famous American Painter known for her large-format paintings of natural forms at close range. She created several paintings of New York City buildings including the “City Night,” and “Radiator Bldg.” In 1928, a potential sale of six of her calla lily paintings grabbed the attention of the media but the sale did not push through.

Image source: www.wikipedia.org

June 20, 2013

How To Increase Traffic To Your Art Website

Now that your website is ready, it’s time to attract viewers and visitors to your site. The reasons why you want traffic to your site is to put have as many audiences and potential buyers as possible. There are tons of other online art galleries around and your goal is to divert some online visitors to see your page. You might have read a lot of these tips online and there are boatloads of them but here are some of the most basic things that you should do.

• Write search engine friendly titles
Make your titles easy to search by using keywords in your titles. But be sure to keep it unique and avoid having similar titles of other websites. Take note that search engines focus on specific keywords so make sure to integrate your keyword in your title.

• Search engine optimization
Write blogs or articles using significant keywords. This will help your blog or article to show up first when the keyword is typed in search engines. This is done by repetitively typing the keyword all throughout your article but be careful not to overdo it because you still want your articles to be sensible and informative and not annoy your readers with repeating words.

• Link your Twitter and Facebook profiles to your website
Create a social media page and exchange links to other closely similar sites to create more website traffic. Choose other credible websites to link with to attract quality audiences. Post interesting pictures, videos, or articles to your social media page and link them to your website.

• Enhance your internet presence by advertising
Create free advertisements for your websites in social media pages and to other websites. This will constantly remind users that there are websites like yours. You don’t have to stick to electronic medium to advertise. You can use prints like stickers and postcards of your logo and your website and give it out to the community to increase awareness of your website.

• Keep your website updated
Post new things on your website every now and then like uploading new pictures and new blog posts to keep it updated. Let the visitors of your website know that you have something to offer every time so that they will keep on visiting your site even if they have seen it before.

• Make your website interactive
Create a forum in your website wherein visitors can leave comments about your artwork and your blogs. Keep it as interactive as possible because knowing that you read their comments and replying will make your visitors feel that they are not being ignored. You can also participate in discussions with other websites. Letting them know about your presence will build curiosity about who you are and what you can offer.

June 20, 2013

Abstract Expressionism in the 1950s and Famous Works

Abstract expressionism is an art movement that boomed after World War II, during the 1940s and 50s. It is the first American art movement that influenced the international art scene. The name came from the German Expressionists which is known for emotional intensity and the European abstract schools such as Futurism and Cubism. The movement is known for its spontaneity, energy, and messiness. Works done in the movement show an unconventional application of paint, loose writing, and colors that create tension. Paintings do not show recognizable subjects, instead, you’ll see colors, textures, lines, forms, and mixed media.

No._5,_1948 — No. 5, 1948 by Jackson Pollock

The years prior and during the World War II, European artists took refuge in the United States. Paris, previously the center of the world’s art culture, was damaged after the war and New York replaced Paris as the art capital of the world. Most artists in this movement live in New York, giving the movement another name, The New York School. They created new ways of applying paint on canvas, such as Jackson Pollock’s “drip” technique, Willem de Kooning’s “Action painting,” and Mark Tobey’s “white writing.”

Famous Works

No.5, 1948 by Jackson Pollock
Jackson Pollock is one of the most influential artist in the Abstract Expressionist Movement. His No.5 painting is the second most expensive painting in the world and is considered as the best example of artworks in the movement. Pollock drizzled yellow and brown paints over the fiberboard, using his emotions take the lead of how the paint was put on the canvas.

The Liver is the Cock’s Comb (1944) by Arshile Gorky
Founder of the 1920s cultural movement called Surrealism, André Breton considered this painting as “one of the most important paintings made in America.”

The Gate (1959-60) by Hans Hofmann
Hans Hofmann painted The Gate from 1959-60. The painting is part of a series inspired by architectonic volumes. Hofmann painted rectangles in several bold colors which may seem subjectless but studying the piece, you will see that the relationship among the shapes in the painting resembles a gate as stated by the title.

No._2_Franz_Kline — Painting Number 2 by Franz Kline

Woman Series (1950-52) by Willem de Kooning
In the 1950s, Willem de Kooning, a famous “action painter,” exclusively painted women as subjects. He used strong brush strokes and high-key colors which produced blatant images of women. The paintings exaggerated the features of women such as huge limbs, big eyes, and toothy snarls.

Painting Number 2 (1952) by Franz Kline
Franz Kline is best known for his paintings in black and white. Many think that his pieces are influenced by the Japanese calligraphy but he denied it.

Image source: www.wikipedia.org

June 19, 2013

Tips When Air Traveling with Your Painting Supplies

Traveling is part of an artist’s life. Artists travel due to professional commitments like to teach a class or speak at an engagement; for a change of venue; to get inspiration; take a vacation, and so many other reasons. Road travel is not as complicated as traveling by air and when traveling, an artist must consider how he would bring his art supplies with him. Here are some tips that you can use when traveling via plane:

1. Create a list of the art supplies you will bring. List each essential item that you need when painting on location so you won’t get frustrated once you get to your destination. Avoid forgetting your paints, brushes, tripod, canvas pad, palette, etc. by including your supplies in the packing list but don’t go overboard. Don’t bring all your paints and just settle with a few colors, 5-6 would suffice since you can mix colors to achieve another one. Just list those items that you can’t paint without.

2. Familiarize yourself with the airline’s regulations. Know beforehand which items are accepted and prohibited to be hand-carried inside the plane. Mineral spirits, solvents or thinners are not allowed. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issued on its website a list of prohibited items when traveling by air, which items can be declared as carry-on, and those to be checked in.

3. Pack your art supplies in a separate bag. This makes it easier for airport security to check your luggage if all your painting supplies are in one location. This will make it easier for both you and the security guards when doing the mandatory checking your belongings. Don’t forget to put your paints in plastic resealable bags to prevent accidental leaks from staining your other stuff.

4. Use water-soluble oils. Since air travel prohibits you from bringing your solvents and other flammable supplies, using water-soluble oils in your painting is beneficial. Cleaning is done easily and the painting dries quickly. If you need to travel again within a short period of time, it would be no problem with these kinds of paint since the drying time is faster.

5. Ship your art materials to your destination beforehand. If you don’t want the hassle of packing or answering the questions of airport security if your supplies are hazardous or not, you can opt to send your supplies ahead of you. Couriers can deliver your supplies anywhere in the world, just make sure you insure the package.

Image source: http://www.abeautifulmess.com/

June 18, 2013

Top 10 Most Expensive Paintings in the World

Buying a painting costs a lot of money. A private collector can spend millions of dollars for a coveted painting. Find out more about the most expensive oil paintings in the world sold at auction houses or private sales. The list is ordered according to the inflation-adjusted value of the paintings and the prices indicated are the original prices when the paintings were sold.

Card_Players_(5th_version)_1894-1895_Paul_Cezanne — The Card Players by Paul Cézanne

1. The Card Players by Paul Cezanne ($259 million)
The Card Players was sold in 2011. It is a series of oil paintings by Paul Cezanne, a French post-Impressionist artist. The paintings show peasants in Provencal smoking pipes and playing cards, eyes cast downward, serious on the game at hand.

2. No. 5, 1948 by Jackson Pollock ($140 million)
The 8′ by 4′ painting by American artist Jackson Pollock shows his “drip” technique, drizzling brown and yellow paint over the fiberboard to create a nest-like appearance. This was done at the height of the Abstract Expressionist Movement.

3. Woman III by Willem de Kooning ($137.5 million)
Woman III is one of a series of size paintings by Dutch-American abstract expressionist painter Willem de Kooning. The painting is of a woman, and measures 68′ by 48 1/2′. Displayed at the Tehran Museum of Art from late 70s to 1994, it was then traded to David Geffen in exchange for the remainder of the 16th century manuscript called the Tahmasbi Shahnameh.

4. Le Rêve by Pablo Picasso ($155 million)
Le Rêve is a painting by Pablo Picasso in 1932 depicting his young mistress. The painting was done during the time when Picasso painted distorted depictions using oversimplified outlines and bold colors.

5. Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I by Gustav Klimt ($135 million)
Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I is a painting by Gustav Klimt in 1907 that took three years to complete. Klimt was commissioned by a wealthy industrialist to paint the portrait and he used oil and gold on canvas that measured 54″ x 54″.

6. Portrait of Dr. Gachet by Vincent van Gogh ($82.5 million)
This 1890 painting of the revered artist Vincent van Gogh portrays Dr. Paul Gachet who took care of the painter during the months before his death. The painting shows the doctor leaning his head on his elbow on a red table. Two authenticated versions are available of the portrait and the first version was sold at an auction in New York.

7. Bal du moulin de la Galette by Pierre-Auguste Renoir ($78.1 million)
Bal du moulin de la Galette is the painting commonly known as Dance at Le moulin de la Galette done by French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir in 1876. It is one of the most famous masterpieces during the Impressionist movement. It portrays a typical Sunday afternoon in Paris where Parisians would dress up and relax at the Moulin de la Galette.

8. Garçon à la pipe by Pablo Picasso ($104.2 million)
Garçon à la pipe (Boy with a Pipe) is a 1905 painting by Pablo Picasso which portrays a Parisian boy holding a pipe while wearing a wreath of flowers on his head.

9. The Scream by Edvard Munch ($119.9 million)
The Scream is created by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch between 1893 to 1910. The painting shows a figure with an agonized expression. There are four versions of The Scream using several mediums such as oil and pastels.

10. Nude, Green Leaves and Bust by Pablo Picasso ($106.4 million)
Nude, Green Leaves and Bust is a 1932 painting by Pablo Picasso. It is one of a series of paintings depicting his mistress.

Source: www.wikipedia.org

June 17, 2013

How to Promote your Canvas Art via Twitter

Venice-Oil-Painting-0086 — Venice Oil Painting 0086

The Information Age makes it easier for artists to connect with other artists, their clients, and other people interested in art. Many social media websites are available that artists can use to their advantage. You can introduce your canvas art, connect with the community, promote your pieces and exhibits, and more.

Twitter is a microblogging service that’s one of the most popular social networking site. Currently, there are 500 million users of Twitter, 200 million of which are monthly active users. Twitter is an excellent venue for you to network and market your work and these tips can help you expand your online community and advertise your art works.

Tip 1 – Share yourself and your work in progress. Share links to your artist blog, website, and other helpful links to artists. If you’ve posted a new article in your blog, or had an interview, include its link in your tweet. You can also share information about the piece you’re currently working on. Tell about your inspiration, what techniques you are using, incorporate a picture of what it looks like, etc. People want to get closer to those whom they follow and sharing these helpful and personal information can get you closer to your community. Once you’ve finished with your art work, tweet the link where people can see and buy the item.

Tip 2 – Tweet announcements. Announce events which you are involved in and those in your online community. If you run an etsy shop, selling a new art, or having a public appearance, tweet it. Let your followers know where you are and what things that are keeping you busy.

Tip 3 – Grow your community. Establishing an online presence is no overnight work. Patience is key to growing an engaging online community. Search for people who are interested in art, who are into art, and businesses related to the art industry. If you follow people, most likely they will return the favor by following you back. Build relationships with them by communicating with them about art and other topics. Twitter lets you start partnerships with your audience, which grows your personal and professional networks.

Tip 4 – Be an active member of the community. Twitter has tools that encourage interaction among the community. Reply to tweets, retweet, post comments on other people’s messages to let them know that you’re there in Twitter and are valuing the information that they are telling.

Tip 5 – Hold contests and giveaways. Everybody loves winning and getting free stuff. What better way to engage your community than holding a contest. You can offer one of your piece as a prize. Two of the easiest contests are the RT (retweet) to win, and Follow to win contests. Twitter contests can create more traffic to your community and increase your connections which also promotes your work to more people.

Image source: www.oilpaintinghouse.com

June 15, 2013

5 Ways to Introduce and Promote Your Artwork

Selling your precious artwork can be a little bit frustrating most especially when you are a newbie in the business and don’t really have a market for them. The only way to go is to reach out and attract as many people as possible and make your work known so you can find possible buyers. Here are some tips on how to promote your artwork.

1. Create an Awesome Portfolio
Remember that your goal is to impress potential clients. A detailed portfolio is the first step to establish a first good impression. Showcase what you can offer by having well-photographed, high-resolution images of your work on your portfolio. Put some details about your art like the materials and technique that you used and you may also add a short story about what inspired you to create them which makes it more interesting.

2. Set a Social Media Page
Social media has been the most useful tool to disseminate information nowadays and you can use this to your advantage and it’s free! Set up a social media page and make it as your second portfolio. Organize and specify the category of the artwork that you are promoting either by size, by subject or by material then add relevant keywords to increase the possibility that you will be searched.

3. Participate in Art Contests
This may sound stressful but think again. Remember that your goal is to promote your artwork to as many people as you can. If an on-site art contest is not your thing, you can join online art competitions instead. It really doesn’t matter if you win or not. What’s important is you have exposed your style and what you can offer through your entry to thousands of people who visited the site.

file24954 — “Passage,” 2010, Odili Donald Odita, acrylic on canvas

4. Hold Local Exhibits
There’s no better place for your artwork to be known than in your own local community. Make yourself known as an artist and share your artwork with your community by organizing a local exhibit. It doesn’t have to be grand and expensive. What’s important is you are able to showcase your artwork to possible clients. Find an interesting venue that will serve as a beautiful backdrop for your artwork such as lobbies, cafes, or even malls to attract various kinds of clients.
Doing your exhibit at your local art galleries also has its own advantages. Since they have already established a network of art collectors, there is a better chance of bringing interested patrons to buy your work and you will be able to meet other local artists as well. Why is this important? You will find out next.

5. Get To Know Other Local Artists
More often than not, every city has its own local art community or council composed of local artists and art enthusiasts. Being part of this group will expand your network and will surely give you more opportunities to meet more potential buyers. They usually put on events like exhibits where you can display your work for free. Get involved with community art projects that will expose your talent even more and will introduce you to local businesses as well. Through these events, your chances of being recognized is way much bigger.

June 15, 2013

Best Online Art Markets to Sell Paintings

With the digital age, canvas artists are now harnessing the power of technology to start their art business. Finished paintings are professionally photographed and uploaded to an online art gallery to hopefully interest potential buyers and generate sales. With hundreds of online art galleries and auctions out there, here’s a list of the best of them to help you start.

Artmajeur. Artmajeur is one of the largest finest art gallery in the world, featuring the best contemporary artists. Established in 2000, it displays over 2 million original pieces and has sold over 150,000 art works. You can sign up for free and start networking with other artists. Artists in Artmajeur are ranked by popularity using visitors’ and page views. (www.artmajeur.com)

Artnet. Artnet offers a wide range of information and transaction services for artists. It has an extensive collection in its database of Fine Art, Design, and Decorative Art which provides information on the market and pricing trends. The site features 1,700 galleries around the world and displays 170,000 art works. (www.artnet.com)

Artsy. Artsy features artworks from famous galleries, museums, foundations, and private collections worldwide. It displays the largest collections of contemporary pieces and it aims to make world art accessible to the people. (www.artsy.net)

Artspace. Artspace is an online platform for fine art and design, featuring an extensive selection of curated artworks from leading museums and artists around the world. It aims to help people discover and collect fine pieces of art. (www.artspace.com)

Artwanted. Artwanted is a large network of artists and online galleries. It serves as a community and a place for selling artworks. The site promotes members and gives informative feedback on their work, helping artists to hone their craft. (www.artwanted.com)

Fine Art America. Fine Art America is the leading marketplace for buying and selling artwork around the world. It provides various sales and marketing tools to help artists build their brands. (www.fineartamerica.com)

Deviantart. Deviantart is the world’s largest online community for artists in various genre. The site primarily caters to contemporary artists from fan art, digital art to animation but it also offers its services to painters. It has over 25 million members and artists can submit their works and connect with other members. (www.deviantart.com)

Etsy. Etsy is an e-commerce website launched in 2005 where artists can sell their works. It is a bustling marketplace where you can buy and sell handmade and vintage items, including paintings in different medium and even art supplies. (www.etsy.com)

Imagekind. Imagekind displays millions on canvas art, framed wall art, and photos. It is a platform where artists can share and create their works and buyers can purchase museum-quality framed art. (www.imagekind.com)

Paddle8. Paddle8 is an online auction site, giving artists and buyers a platform for transacting business. It offers low-cost themed auctions, getting 6% commission from artists and 12% from buyers. It also offers benefit auctions for non-profit institutions. (www.paddle8.com)

Zhibit. Zhibit offers user-friendly tools which help artists create their own websites, build their art business, and connect with other members in the community. It offers the lowest rates, for as low as $49/year, in its subscription plans. (www.zhibit.org)

Image source: www.fineartamerica.com