Displaying Paintings In Home Interior

By Prasanth Kumar

Paintings are a great way to spruce up your walls. Be it reproductions of masterpieces or self made works of art, paintings add character to a room and often, tell a story. There is art involved in how you display paintings on a wall. The arrangement plays an important role because it can change the entire look of a room. It can make a room look larger or smaller, sunnier or darker, sophisticated or bohemian.

Before getting started on hanging your wall art, it's necessary to pick out the right kind of art. Visit an art gallery and see which colors complement each other and blend well together. Notice the arrangement of paintings and determine which hues and shades are most eye-catching and which of those impress you the most. Another vital factor to be considered is the color on your wall. The lighter your wall color, the more accommodating it will be to different kinds of paintings

Once you've decided on the kind of paintings, there are certain rules you want to keep in mind.

Firstly, the center of the painting should be between 50" to 60" from the ground. The more you stick to this rule, the more balanced your room will look.

Secondly, when you hang a painting above a couch, fill up two thirds of the wall over the couch. Larger paintings look good here. Leave 5" to 10" gap between the top of the couch and the bottom of the painting.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Prasanth_Kumar http://EzineArticles.com/?Displaying-Paintings-In-Home-Interior&id=1063049

History Of African Art

By Jason Gluckman

African art is the creation of the people in the South of the Sahara. Art is an integral part of the everyday life of Africans. It is used for dialogue, personal therapy and to communicate with the gods and ancestors. The history of African art is very rich, with an enormous collection of art forms. African art originated way back in 500 B.C., in a village of Nigeria. The African sculpture was first unearthed along with exclusive pottery in the village. The ancient African art forms are mainly masks and figures, used in religious ceremonies. The material used for most of these African Art forms was wood. The wood was decorated with clay, shells, ivory, beads, metal and feathers.

Western and Central Africa are considered the richest regions in indigenous art. They are known for different styles of art forms of the African culture. The western Sudan and Guinea coast is famous for its abstract wood- carvings.

Nigeria is well known for the terracotta statuettes found in the Nok culture era of the 5th century B.C. These statuettes are mainly human figures made in terracotta. The history of African art is a contribution by the various tribes, which presented the art different forms and styles. These tribes are known even today for their contribution. The small tribes of the Cameroon grasslands are popular for their bold and expressive woodcarvings that include large house posts, masks and objects used in rituals. All African cultures use decorative textiles and tools.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Gluckman http://EzineArticles.com/?History-Of-African-Art&id=407461

Oil Painting - One of the Greatest Gift Ideas

By Allan Holder

An oil painting is an expression on canvas that can reflect many things, from real life to abstract, and it one of the greatest gift ideas. Painting in oil is an almost lost art medium in the burgeoning digital age. Contrary to popular belief, painting in oil does not require that the artist to be a professional. Rather oil is a medium that is malleable, making it fun - even if it’s not always the easiest medium to use.

Where to Find Oil Paintings

An oil painting can be purchased for many occasions and does not have to be expensive. Depending on the size of the painting, its age, and the artist who painted it, oil paintings can range in price and value. Original oil paintings can be found in shows, such as at an artist expo, from a private dealer or at an antique auction. Original oil paintings can even be found online.

A Great Christmas Gift Idea

Christmas is a time of giving. Why not give a gift that will be fully appreciated? Whether you commission a painting to be done by an oil painting artist or decide to paint one yourself, an oil painting is one of the greatest Christmas gift ideas for a wife or other significant woman in your life such as a mother, a sister, a daughter or a best friend. Find out what she likes – landscapes, portraits, still life, modern art or another style and contact an oil painting artist who specializes in that particular form.

Have it Commissioned

An oil painting artist will usually charge a bit more for an original oil painting, however, the cost may be worth it to have a painting that will become a Christmas gift for your wife that she will never forget. Discuss your preferences with the oil painting artist and even consider bringing elements from your home or other things that hold meaning and have the artist incorporate them into the original oil painting they create for you. When you commission a painting, the oil painting artist is paid to create an original work that reflects your choices and style, so make sure you take part in the creative process as much as possible

Do it Yourself

If you decide to create an original oil painting yourself as a gift idea, keep in mind that perfection is probably not the best goal for a beginner. Rather, strive to be true to your creativity. While a portrait may be a more difficult challenge, painting a landscape or still life is generally not seen as difficult (even if you, the oil painting artist, have little or no previous experience.)

Where to Find Supplies

Supplies such as a canvas and frame, oil paints, brushes and other necessities can be purchased at any art store for much less than it would to commission an original oil painting as a Christmas gift for your wife. If you decide to commission an original oil painting as a Christmas gift for your wife, make sure to find an artist in enough time to complete the project before the holiday.

When deciding whether or not you will commissions an original oil painting as a Christmas gift for your wife or if you will be the original oil painting artist yourself, consider the cost and then think about the meaning, which will most likely be more priceless than the original oil painting itself.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Allan_Holder http://EzineArticles.com/?Oil-Painting---One-of-the-Greatest-Gift-Ideas&id=325204

Print Art Techniques

By Robbie Darmona

Print art is a technology used to replicate artworks on a canvas. Many ways to turn the original paintings into canvas copies exist. In the past reproductions were only made on paper, because it was easier. But with the technological advances print art is becoming more and more popular among artists and amateurs. Print art has a serious advantage over paper reproduction: it can be displayed without glass or matting, and it looks the same as the original.

What distinguishes print reproductions from the original is that canvas art prints are completely flat, they don’t have the textures you can see on the originals. Despite this, a devoted canvas art printer can put some highlighting hand-applied paint, so that the original looks are preserved to a great extent. But the most indicative way to reveal the print art copy is to see if it is basically flat or not. The hand-applied paint cannot substitute the areas of texture that you can notice on the original paintings.

Basically, there are two techniques for making print art reproductions. The first one is called “transferring”. It is the more popular one. It includes the making of a standard paper print copy first done in the traditional way. This copy is then covered with special chemicals that separate the paper from the ink. Thus, after the removing of the paper, the ink remains untouched. It can then gradually be applied to a canvas.

The second print art technique is a bit more sophisticated as it includes modern technologies. It is called PiezoGraphy and it is a digital printing technique. The original pieces drawn using a variety of materials can be digitally processed. A large number of different digital methods are used. Additionally, this technique allows for image processing to be done on the piece, for example changing of hues and chroma, so that a better-looking reproduction is obtained. By using PiezoGraphy the reproduction can differ in size from the original: printouts can be either reduced or enlarged. That’s why the digital printing technique is thought to create new originals, not just reproductions of the existing paintings. It is thus used by many artists.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robbie_Darmona http://EzineArticles.com/?Print-Art-Techniques&id=159936

7 Interesting Facts About The Mona Lisa

By Brandon Fuhrmann

• The name the painting is most recognized by is Mona Lisa but that only came about because of a spelling error! The original name of the painting was Monna Lisa. Monna, in Italian, was a common Italian shortening of Madonna, meaning “my lady.”

• Most people know that Leonardo da Vinci is the artist, but many believe that the woman’s identity is unknown. Some even think that it’s him - Leonardo da Vinci himself in the female form. The most commonly believed theory is that the woman is Lisa Gherardini, born in 1479. She was 24 years old and the mother of two sons when she posed for the painting. Why he chose her is still a mystery.

• The painting actually has a recent imperfection. In 1956, a man named Ugo Ungaza threw a rock at the painting, which resulted in a small patch of damaged paint next to her left elbow.

• The unrivaled fame of this work is partially because it was stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris in broad daylight by an employee in 1911. It was quickly recovered two years later.

• The painting resides in its own room in the Louvre Museum in Paris and is protected in a climate controlled environment and encased in bullet proof glass. This room was built especially for the painting and cost the museum over seven million dollars. The painting is considered priceless and cannot be insured.

• It is rumored that the reason she has no eyebrows in the painting is because during one of the first times they were trying to clean and restore the painting an error was made and the eyebrows were accidentally removed. Other thoughts are that Leonardo, who was the consummate perfectionist, never finished the painting, as most of his paintings were left unfinished.

• Recent extensive studies show that there are three different versions painted under the presently viewed version. One version has her hands clutching the arms of the chair instead of in front of her.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brandon_Fuhrmann http://EzineArticles.com/?7-Interesting-Facts-About-The-Mona-Lisa&id=681478

Art Prints or Original Art?

By Darren WK Chow

To answer that question, let's start by taking a look at the differences between art prints and original art.

Art prints are reproductions of an original art piece. These can be mass produced by computers and machines. The prices are usually much more affordable, since they're just a duplication of the original art work.

The quality of art prints are dependent on the manufacturing process. Since most art pieces are reproduced digitally, it's sometimes very hard to tell the reproduced art piece from the original one. Digitally reproduced artwork means converting the original artwork into a digital image so that there's little or no data loss. The more data that's retained during this conversion, the better the reproduction will be.

Technology nowadays are so good at duplicating artwork that they can even be programmed to "know" the brush strokes of an artist and reproduce any drawing or painting. In other words, with technology, an exact duplication can be achieved. Or at least the naked eye cannot tell the difference.

So if the reproduction looks exactly the same as the original and costs way much less, would it make sense to purchase an art print instead of an original art work? Would you buy a duplication of the Mona Lisa for $150, or would you rather spend a fortune on the original?

You and I know, deep within us, that the reproduction can never be the same as the original. Because we know that an art piece produced by a machine is just an artifact. It doesn't feel alive, and there's no "soul".

Collectors of art know this. They buy the original because the original is a part of the artist. You can almost feel the artist when you're intuitive enough to feel what goes into a masterpiece. It appears alive. That's something that money cannot buy.

There's only one original. The others, no matter how masterfully duplicated, are just reproductions. They bring the artist further away, not closer, from the collector.

So if you have all the money in the world, would you buy the original or an art print? The answer depends on how close a connection you want with the artist.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darren_WK_Chow http://EzineArticles.com/?Art-Prints-or-Original-Art?&id=1136880

Painting Books - Drive into the World of Creativity

By Isabel Rodrigues

We all like being creative. Our busy schedule hardly gives us any time to spent time with our self’s. Constant focus on work makes our life dull. One of the best ways to make your life colorful is by doing some painting in your spare time. A Painting Book consists of some beautiful and decorative paintings. If you are an artist it will definitely help your cause.

Today you can find many painting book outlets providing some wonderful painting books. If you would like to learn painting you can find a painting book that meets your cause. There are books for beginners that provide step by step guidance of different aspects of painting. These books also provide you with some useful information about color mixing. Painting books are also available for advanced artist. These painting books are highly advanced and drive the artist to new world of creativity.

Painting can be of different types. There are books designed specially for a specific type of painting. A person interested in face painting can find a book specially designed for painting a face. Similarly, a person interested in learning house painting can find a painting book as per his choice. Painting books are also available on tole painting and oil painting. These specially designed books provide various tips and guidelines and train a person into a professional artist.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Isabel_Rodrigues http://EzineArticles.com/?Painting-Books---Drive-into-the-World-of-Creativity&id=194574

Oil Painting Reproductions

By Jason Gluckman

Oil painting reproductions are an affordable way to display replicas of favorite works of art in the home or workplace. A large number of companies in the US provide reproductions of almost any work of art at a surprisingly affordable price. A good reproduction can fool even the trained eye, and is far more appealing and visually satisfying than a paper reprint of any work of art.

Customers can usually order a reproduction in a range of sizes, with larger sizes being more expensive. Once a particular reproduction is requested, an artist who is skilled in the style of the original painter starts creating the reproduction with oil paints on a fresh canvas. Many artists use measurements and a grid system to help them ensure that the scale of the reproduction faithfully follows that of the original painting. Thus, even if the customer chooses a different size than that of the original painting, the dimensions can be scaled up or down to give a finished product that is as close to the original as possible in overall appearance.

Once the artist begins to paint, the canvas is completed in layers. Most artists wait for one layer to dry before painting the next layer. Creating a reproduction is therefore a time-consuming process, and an order may take two to three weeks to complete. Before shipping the finished painting, some companies send the customer a photograph of the painting for approval, and make any suggested changes at no extra cost. Most oil painting reproduction companies also offer frames.

To keep an oil painting reproduction in good condition, it should be displayed out of direct sunlight and in an environment without extreme temperatures or too much moisture. It is best to take the painting to an expert for any repairs and cleaning.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Gluckman http://EzineArticles.com/?Oil-Painting-Reproductions&id=230575

Is It a Fine Art Print or a Fine Art Reproduction?

By L Elle

When it comes to purchasing art to decorate your home, there is often confusion regarding the terminology used to define different finished pieces; primarily art prints versus art reproductions.

An art print is a finished work which was created by means of a transfer of ink from a matrix (or master) onto a chosen surface. The matrix can be many things depending on the print type, a carved woodblock, a prepared screen, an etched metal plate and countless others. The final image can also be printed upon many different surfaces; most common would be a variety of high quality papers. Prints generally come in editions, and will be numbered and signed by the artist. Printmakers create their work with the intent of multiples, it is the nature of printmaking as an art form; this differs from drawings and paintings of which there is only one final piece.

An art reproduction is an entirely different thing! An art reproduction is a mechanical reproduction of a finished piece of art. In the very simplest terms, if you were to head to the local museum and purchase a poster of The Mona Lisa you would have just purchased an art reproduction! Art reproductions can vary in quality however, from posters to high quality archival images printed on canvas! Giclée prints, for example are very high quality inkjet printouts onto high quality art papers or even canvas! Artists often utilize this process to produce limited editions of their already completed 2 dimensional works.

With the advent of high quality home inkjet printers, there is yet more confusion regarding what is a print and what is a reproduction. Digital art, for example, would seem to be a reproduction as it is produced from an inkjet printer but it is not that simple! If an image is scanned as is, and printed from an inkjet printer it is indeed a reproduction, however if an image was altered or created on a computer with the intent of printing it out onto paper as the ‘final work’ then it is an original (digital) art print.

Armed with a little bit of knowledge the criteria is quite simple, if the final complete image was intended to be realized only once printed, then it is an art print. A reproduction is a piece that is a mechanical reproduction of a work that was already complete via other means. And with that knowledge, you should have no trouble finding beautiful art to surround yourself with!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=L_Elle http://EzineArticles.com/?Is-It-a-Fine-Art-Print-or-a-Fine-Art-Reproduction?&id=600191