|
Post by reb on Apr 6, 2015 9:05:58 GMT -5
anewleafThose are lovely on your mantel. To learn calligraphy it takes a LOT of practicing the same script. You can use calligraphy pens and cheaper, india ink for practicing the strokes because calligraphy is a very specific art form. While I had some "marker pens" that could approximate the look, they didn't work anywhere near how an actual gold nibbed pen works--the strokes in calligraphy are designed because the pens can only make pen strokes in certain directions which is how calligraphy achieves it's elegance and printers don't replicate it very well. It takes a ton of fiddly practice and in the end, the carpal got to me before mastery did You need a calligraphy set of pens then you can buy replacement nibs. You can also practice using one of those rectangular carpenter's pencils because they approximate a squared calligraphy nib. That won't teach you how to ink the pen or all the technique though but it might help with stroke development. You seem fond of frilly stuff. You might like tole painting
|
|
|
Post by anewleaf on Apr 6, 2015 10:13:12 GMT -5
Thanks hollyhock and reb! Yeah, I quickly figured out that the pen was woefully inadequate for the job and that I needed a proper set. Between the patience needed (have I mentioned I'm in short supply in that department?) and the carpal issue you mention (I massage, so I have enough hand, wrist and forearm pain), I'm thinking calligraphy is OUT. At least for the time being. And my mother has long suggested that I take up tole painting, but while I have an appreciation for it, I can't stand badly done tole painting-and there's a lot of it! When I see some really beautifully rendered roses, I stand up and pay attention. And frilly? I like a few ruffles here and there and I'm definitely a fan of shabby chic (minus the chippy furniture), but I can't do lots of doilies and lace. And it's very easy to over-do shabby chic, IMO. I've seen rooms with WAY too many items, all covered in tole roses! I adore roses myself, so...sometimes I worry that I'm going overboard myself! If anyone else has some projects they'd to share, I would love to see them!
|
|
|
Post by reb on Apr 6, 2015 10:22:25 GMT -5
anewleafThe trick for something like tole painting is to decide what you want on your item. Get out your paints and some sheets of multi-purpose painting paper. Practice each stroke before you commit to your actual piece. That way, it will be "fresh" in your mind/hand/eye when you commit the stroke. The other trick to any art is not avoiding mistakes, it's knowing hour to correct them. Because tole is usually acrylic, it dries quickly and can be tricky to correct--but if you use real art supplies [buy less colours and mix your own] you can add retardant to slow the drying process so you can wipe it off before you commit. When I am using acrylics I make my own "wet palettes" so I can work slower. I also tend to favour classical style painting techniques and I fail to understand why more people don't use them with acrylics for folk art?
|
|
|
Post by anewleaf on Apr 6, 2015 10:26:05 GMT -5
Do you know the artists name and the painting title? I bought a print once online of a painting i really liked. It may be possible to get a print from the museum gift shop if its in a museum. I don't know if youve looked recently because prints are becoming more readily available, especially now that canvas printed and giclees are so popular. So regular prints are coming down in price. Buying the print may make it worth just tossing the paint by number. I apologize for not answering your question-the artist is Russian and when I searched for his name, I couldn't find anything but a few original oil paintings that sold for $$$. There's another artist (Chinese, I believe) whose work I absolutely LOVE and I've searched for prints of his work, to no avail. Anyway, I feel like I'm totally monopolizing this thread, so I'm stepping away now!
|
|
|
Post by reb on Apr 6, 2015 10:29:15 GMT -5
Do you know the artists name and the painting title? I bought a print once online of a painting i really liked. It may be possible to get a print from the museum gift shop if its in a museum. I don't know if youve looked recently because prints are becoming more readily available, especially now that canvas printed and giclees are so popular. So regular prints are coming down in price. Buying the print may make it worth just tossing the paint by number. I apologize for not answering your question-the artist is Russian and when I searched for his name, I couldn't find anything but a few original oil paintings that sold for $$$. There's another artist (Chinese, I believe) whose work I absolutely LOVE and I've searched for prints of his work, to no avail. Anyway, I feel like I'm totally monopolizing this board, so I'm stepping away now! Are you talking about Alexei Antonov? aka ArtPapa? I learned Flemish painting off his old site but he's taken that one down.
|
|
|
Post by anewleaf on Apr 8, 2015 12:41:16 GMT -5
No, it's Konstantin Razumov. Here's the picture:
|
|
|
Post by anewleaf on Apr 17, 2015 15:21:31 GMT -5
I could have sworn that I've worried on this very thread about purchasing re-dos and craft items only to find the re-dos not re-doable or having craft items go unused, but I've actually found myself using most of what I buy and luckily, the re-dos are in fact do-able. Think I revisit repainting the sweet little framed bird and bird house print that I glooped up the edge on (the frame was yellow-tinged, painting it white) and clean up the Belle doll that looked like the porcelain had cracked on (nope, just pen or some such!)
I've heard that you can wash the hair of dolls, but I'm afraid I'll ruin the curl.
My Easter wreath incurred some damage from being outside and I fixed it up the other day...need to put together a Mother's Day one! And a July 4th one as well! I may even end up tackling that paint-by-numbers...maybe just a few areas at a time? It might take me a year, but eventually...
And I've considered getting/printing some of those handwriting practice sheets for kids. I really hate how sloppy mine is. It's an area I'd really like to improve upon. Even if calligraphy is out.
Oh, and I'd like to get some of the pictures that I had taken of our pond in the woods after it snowed professionally printed, back when we lived in the country. Then mat and frame them.
AND make my own version of an Etsy picture (no longer available) that states: "Life is sh!tty. Make it pretty!"
So many little things that I'd like to do!
Anyone else done/doing/planning anything arty or crafty? If so, please share!
|
|
|
Post by anewleaf on Apr 17, 2015 15:28:14 GMT -5
The trick for something like tole painting is to decide what you want on your item. Get out your paints and some sheets of multi-purpose painting paper. Practice each stroke before you commit to your actual piece. That way, it will be "fresh" in your mind/hand/eye when you commit the stroke. The other trick to any art is not avoiding mistakes, it's knowing hour to correct them. Because tole is usually acrylic, it dries quickly and can be tricky to correct--but if you use real art supplies [buy less colours and mix your own] you can add retardant to slow the drying process so you can wipe it off before you commit. Quoted because I really like this advice and don't want to forget it!
|
|
|
Post by Unswamping on Apr 17, 2015 19:08:31 GMT -5
anewleaf i looked up your artist and could not find any prints. It is possible that he doesnt create any of his work. Here is a site that ive ordered art prints from including some hard to find ones. They didnt have him listed but maybe in the future. It doesnt hurt to keep checking. www.allposters.com/?AID=99623043&VTP=Start&NetWorkType=%7Bnetwork%7D&PAdCopyId=%7Bcreative%7D&ClickPos=%7Badposition%7D&VTP=End&KWID=1954859674Im sorry the calligraphy marker didnt work for you. I took a year of calligraphy in college after having a life time interest in it. Reb's suggestion of using a carpenter pencil is great. Use a single edge razor or a knife to chisel the tip (it should look the marker tip). We started with the pencil in class and then moved on to dip pen and ink and later brush and ink. If you want to learn it, focus on learning just one "hand" as they call it. "Italic" is probably best because it is closest to what we learned in kindergarden and it is a pretty simple hand. When it is done well, it looks very elegant. Once you mastered that, it is much easier to master others. As for carpal tunnel, the movements should come from your arm not your wrist so it shouldnt cause any problems. Also there is a tendency for beginners to "choke" the pen resulting in hand cramps. My teacher stressed that we could hold the pen gently and still maintain control. He would walk around the room and try to slide the pen out of our hand as we were writing. It should be that loose. Ive rarely used calligraphy markers since learning to use the dip pen. They are expensive and have very little ink. They dont produce the same kind of look. Its been a while but the nib holder was a dollar or two, the nibs were a dollar or two, the ink was a couple of dollars. You need one nib, one holder and one bottle of ink (not india ink or waterproof ink at first, its better to have something that will clean up easily). Regular copy paper should be good to start practicing on. I havent been doing anything creative. Right now im in the process of setting up space to work in a spare bedroom and sorting through my supplies, deciding what to keep.
|
|
|
Post by anewleaf on Apr 18, 2015 1:34:50 GMT -5
Well, I certainly appreciate your having taken the time to look up the artist! I'm quite familiar with allposters and I certainly do hope that they eventually start selling prints of the handful of artists that I love, but whose work is unobtainable. That's why I don't have an extensive board of artwork on my Pinterest or peruse a lot other art boards because when I end up finding something truly heart-stopping, it's incredibly frustrating to find that I cannot obtain a copy of the artist's work But thanks so much for the tips and further suggestions on the carpenter pencil! I used to regularly use a straight-edge to sharpen my eyeliner pencils, so I'm pretty adept at it. Oh and your remark about "choking" the pencil? I do this ALL the time! Especially when it's something I'm going to send to one of my massage clients or a birthday card for a friend or family remember. It seems the harder I try, the worse it looks. But if I don't try so hard, it still looks like crap :/ I love elegant and will certainly look into the Italic font. I actually have a calligraphy book (or had) but it seems that many of my books are missing I love the idea of a dedicated workspace...will you be posting pics once you're finished?
|
|
|
Post by anewleaf on Apr 18, 2015 22:16:00 GMT -5
reb Just started "The Creativity Cure" mentioned upthread and came across this quote: "Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." -Scott Adams, cartoonist and writer
|
|