Category Archives: Tutorials/Advice

Algebra

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So it dawned on me that life drawing–fine art, in general– is nothing more than algebra.

“But Tahnee! That’s ART, not MATH!” you exclaim.

True, dear reader, in the academic sense– but here’s how I like to look at this. I may be a lousy mathematician when it comes to numbers, but not when it comes to visual algebra.

X = Y.

You’re trying to make both sides equal. Look at this equation in a life drawing session. X = the paper in front of the artist, Y = the model on the stage. The artist is trying to make the page in front of them resemble that model on the stage; trying to make it equal what they’re seeing. When the page’s drawing = the model, or when X = Y, the equation is balanced.

I now declare myself a proficient algebratician.

Art Advice: Scanning and mending large art

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Scanners. They’re our amazing link between the traditional and digital world. Yet, we have a slight issue when we’ve created a piece that’s just a little too large to scan in. Should you scan in just a portion and leave that to your digital workings? It would most certainly be nice to get a full-detail version into Photoshop with 300dpi, though…. and digitally photographing artwork often ends with blurry, washed-out results. Never fear! I now bring to you the ultimate scanning and mending tutorial.

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Art Advice: Making an Everlasting Paint Palette

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One of the most commonly-heard complaints about working with acrylics is that they dry out, and dry out fast. You could be working on a painting, really getting into it when… whoops! That color you put on your palette thirty minutes ago has already solidified. And with the price of paint and the stress of re-mixing the same colors, you might be looking for a longer-lasting solution.

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Art Advice: Use a Mirror

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One of the most important things when making artwork is receiving creative criticism from someone who hasn’t seen your work yet. They’ll be able to spot things out of proportion, find parts that are out of balance, and find things that just don’t… look right in general. Sometimes when working, it can be difficult to spot your own mistakes, most likely because you’ve been working on this piece for X-amount of time, and during that time you felt confident that every line went down with elegant beauty and careful precision.

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Looking at a work for so long can eventually make you unable to see what’s “wrong”, as you’ve been working towards perfection, and, as you feel, it has to be perfect so far.

But, take a step back from your work. Actually, take a few steps back and hold it in front of a mirror. Then see what happens…

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My my my! That might not be what you’d anticipated it to look like at ALL– this is off, that eyeball’s out of place, that arm’s waay too big…

What viewing your work in front of a mirror does is it allows you to see it from “fresh eyes”. You haven’t seen it in reverse yet. And looking at it in reverse, you will see a whole new composition. Critiquing your own work in front of a mirror will help you see what’s on your critiquer’s minds. You’ll be able to spot your own mistakes and will be able to fix them much easier than if you hadn’t viewed it in a mirror before!

Always do this when you’ve gotten most of your general sketching of a piece done. That way, you’ll be able to fix any problems before you set out to work; and after you start working, it can be very challenging to remedy your mistakes (especially when working with ink!)

Happy arting!