ArtSupplies.LifeTips.com

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1 ArtSupplies.LifeTips.com

2 Category: About Acrylic Painting Subcategory: About Acrylic Painting Tip: Oh No, My Paint Tube Won't Open! Everyone knows if you close any type of paint cover with wet paint on it, it will dry around the cover and stick, allowing for a cover that won't open. If you run into this problem, remind yourself next time to wipe any paint from the tube and clean it before closing. You can also try immersing your tube of paint into some hot water to help loosen the dried paint for opening. Tip: Painting With Brown Acrylic Burnt umber is a good shade to use for brown and to work with when painting something that is brown. You can also use this specific shade to darken the tone of other colors of acrylic paints. If you are looking for a golden brown is golden ochre which will give you a yellowish brown color. Tip: What is Liquitex? Liquitex paint is a leading maker of acrylic paint and one of the most popular choices for artists today. A benefit of Liquitex is that is most likely is compatible with other brands and types of acrylic paints. Liquitex also supplies varnishes and mediums for acrylics. Tip: What Type of Acrylic Paint Should I Buy? There are several brands of acrylic paints, which ones you use are up to you. There are some recommended brands that artists use over other brands. Golden Artist Colors are a popular brand with people who paint wit acrylics. Another popular brand is Liquitex which come in tubes and very vibrant colors. Winsor and Newton is another popular brand of acrylic paint that a lot of art stores carry so they are easily available. Tip: What's the Big Deal With Acrylic Paints? Acrylic paints are very popular today. Are you wondering why? Acrylic paint is very versatile and easy to use. People like that they dry fast and they mix very well with other acrylics for a very large array of colors that other paints don't offer. Category: Airbrush Tips Subcategory: Airbrush Tips

3 Tip: How Does an Airbrush Work? Have you looked at an airbrush and wondered, How does that thing work? Well, you aren't alone. Airbrushes are a bit more complicated to describe in how it gets the paint to shoot out of the tool. Essentially, an airbrush works because air moves through it extremely fast, which allows for a suction to be created and thus paint is pushed out due to these circumstances. When the paint is traveling through the airbrush, it mixes with air and then shoots out in very minute drops onto the surface that is being painted. Tip: Who Uses Airbrushing? Airbrushing is a technique that has been coming into its own in recent years. Airbrushing is very popular with makeup artists, nail technicians and even graphic artists. If you visit any of these types of occupations you work in any of the above fields, then you may already be using air brushing to create beautiful results on or for your clients. Category: Art Canvas Tips Subcategory: Art Canvas Tips Tip: How Do I Get My Wet Canvas One Place to Another? So you have painted a masterpiece and you need to move it to another location. How in the world do painters get their freshly painted work safely from one location to another? It is actually simpler than one might think, thanks to the creation of a tool known as a wet canvas carrier. A wet canvas carrier actually two pieces of canvas that have been stretched and have handles. The canvas that may still be wet with paint is slid between the two dry canvases with handles and then transported to where it needs to go. Tip: Imitation Canvas Panels Many artists who wish to save money often purchase a cheaper canvas that is made with a texture that imitates a real canvas or with a canvas that has actually been covered in laminate. These types of canvases are available at most art supply stores and are pretty easy to tote around with you as they are lighter than a typical canvas. Tip: Other Canvas Choices Linen and cotton are not your only canvas choices, however linen is a popular one. You can also choose from a canvas made of muslin or a canvas made of scrim. Muslin canvases are reasonable priced and not as expensive as other canvas choices. Scrim is also a choice for those wishing to save a bit of money on canvas purchases. Scrim is

4 also a reasonably priced canvas that is made up of strong coarse cotton in a weave that is rectangular. Each of these types of canvas will be great alternatives for a more expensive canvas and should produce similar results when painted on. Tip: Preparing Your Art Canvas Besides applying Gesso or primer onto your canvas to prepare it for painting, you may also need to stretch your canvas. If you don't purchase a pre-stretched canvas, you will need to stretch it yourself. If you purchase a pre-stretched canvas you won't need to stretch it. Regardless of which type of canvas you choose, you will need to treat it with a primer before painting after it is stretched. If you do not have your canvas treated or prepared correctly, your painting will not last as long and most likely will have damage done to it eventually. Tip: What is a Watercolor Canvas? A watercolor canvas is actually just what it sounds like it would be: a canvas made for the use of painting on with watercolors. This special type of canvas is made with one hundred percent cotton that has a special coating on it which allows the paint that one is painting on the canvas to be absorbed better than any other types of canvas when used with watercolors. Tip: What is Gesso? When painting with an acrylic paint on a canvas you will want to treat the canvas with a substance known as Gesso. Gesso is actually a primer that you can use to get your canvas paint ready. Gesso will make your canvas a bit stiff and will ensure that the paint you are applying doesn't soak into the material. It also adds a bit of a texture to your canvas so that your paint stays on the canvas better than without it. You can apply Gesso with a sponge or a brush onto your canvas before painting. Category: Art Education Tips Subcategory: Art Education Tips Tip: Learn Art Through a Book As mentioned in a previous tip there are art videos out there that can teach you how to paint or draw by watching a video. Did you know that there are also art books that you can either purchase or check out at the library that will teach you how to do different artistic mediums? There are plenty of books available to you those who are just starting out or for those who just want to learn new ideas. By simply reading a book on watercolors, acrylics, or oil painting, you can learn how to use the proper techniques for

5 creating the best artistic piece you can! Tip: Let's Talk Art Action and Adventure! You don't always have to purchase an art video that shows you how to do something. Instead, if you really enjoy art and you enjoy learning about art history, why not giving yourself a treat? Try watching an art video that tells a story of art throughout history or gives you information about your favorite artist in history? Sometimes just getting caught up in an art history adventure can get your creative juices flowing more than watching a how-to video would. Tip: Which Art Instruction Video is Right for You? With so many different artistic mediums available today and so many art instruction videos out there, you probably are a bit overwhelmed on which instructional video is right for you. Before you choose a video and a medium, try thinking about what types of art you wish to create. You may even want to brainstorm the things you wish to paint or draw and the colors you wish to use to create these paintings or drawings. Write them all down on paper. After doing that, do some research and find out what medium is best with what you want to draw. If you want to paint brightly colored flowers, then you will want to use a medium known for its bright colors. Once you have this narrowed down you can decide exactly what type of video you need to watch in order to learn about the medium you selected. Category: Art Supply Tips Subcategory: Art Supply Tips Tip: You Get What You Pay For in Art Supplies As with most things one purchases, the higher priced an object is, the better quality it usually is. This is no different with art supplies. The better quality art supplies are those that are priced higher. If you want to paint artwork that looks good and is of good quality, most artists and professionals will recommend spending a few extra dollars to get better quality items. Many times you can find higher priced items on sale, if so, purchase as much as you can afford to save yourself money. You can also peruse the Internet to see what online stores may be offering for specials. You can usually find a deal on the Internet. Category: Artist Brush Care

6 Subcategory: Artist Brush Care Tip: Help! My Brush is Dried Out! New Tip: Did you let your brush dry with paint all over it? First, you need to remember the rule to clean your brushes immediately after working! Second, there is a way to get your brush back in working order with something you most likely have in your home already! If you have liquid fabric softener, try soaking your paint-caked brush in it for awhile to loosen up any paint. After you have allowed it to soak and soften, simply rinse it and wash with soap and water for a nice clean brush! Tip: How Many Paintbrushes Do I Need? Artists do not typically use just one paintbrush all the time. In reality artists need several different paintbrushes in all shapes and sizes in order to create a masterpiece. If you are just starting out in the painting world, pick paintbrushes of all sizes. You will need large and small and something in-between! Surgeons typically use several different sizes of scalpels when operating, an artist is no different- he needs different size tools for his operation also! Tip: Popular Paintbrush Shapes Brushes come in a variety of shapes and each are better used for a specific painting purpose than another. A round brush is actually more pointed and used for very detailed painting, such as making words or letters. A flat shaped brush is used for putting paint on something quick and even. A bright shaped brush is actually a flat brush that has very hard or stiff bristles and is a good way to put paint into the canvas weave when working with a thinner paint. A rigger is a round brush with long bristles and traditionally is used for fine lines and when painting with an oil based paint or with a watercolor. Category: Bisque Firing Tips Subcategory: Bisque Firing Tips Tip: Bisque Firing and Pottery If you make pottery you know the importance of firing your pottery once you have completed making your object. You can't glaze your piece of pottery until you have fired it and in order to glaze it, you must have it fired correctly. This means you must fire your pottery at the correct temperature in a kiln made specifically for firing pottery. There are classes you can take to learn how to properly fire the bisque and how to use a kiln correctly.

7 Tip: How Hot Should Bisque Firing Be? Once you have made your pottery you need to bisque fire it before you have it glazed or painted. You need to bisque fire a pottery piece to make it sturdier and allow it accept the paint or glaze you will put on it later. When done correctly bisque, firing is slow and at a temperature less than what you find with glaze firing. It is done slower and at a lower temperature so that the pottery doesn't crack while being fired. Often times, people have to work with the temperature for bisque firing to find one that works for them. Category: Buying Easels Subcategory: Buying Ease;l Tips Tip: A Three in One Easel! If you are looking for an easel that has three tools in one, then a French easel may be for you! French easel's consist of an easel with a sketch box for your supplies and paint palettes plus it also has a carrier to which you can attach your canvas and carry it to your destination. Tip: Is That an Easel on my Table? If you are short on space but still wish to create works of art with paint, and really want an easel to do that with- you are in luck! For people with limited space there is an easel for you! Try purchasing a tabletop easel. You won't have any big, bulky easels taking up your tight space. Instead you will have an easel that sits on your kitchen table, coffee table, whichever type of table you choose. This type of easel can also be easily folded and put out of sight of easy storage. Tip: Your Easel Angle Matters! If purchasing an easel to paint on, you should think about the angle of the easel and what works best for you. Depending on which type of painting you are doing you should know that you may need to change the angle of your easel to ensure best results. If you are choosing oil paints, you will need your angle to adjust to a more vertical position. If you are using watercolors for your painting you will need to adjust your easel to be a bit more horizontally angled so that your watercolors don't run down your canvas. When purchasing an easel it is a good idea to get an easel that adjusts easily for easier painting! Category: Color Pencil Sets

8 Subcategory: Color Pencil Sets Tip: Colored Pencil Sets Colored pencils can also come in sets, which can make a great gift for an artist in your life. What is so great about colored pencil sets is that they allow for so many choices. Colored pencil sets can come in all shapes, sizes and colors. These sets allow for endless opportunities for creating beautiful works of art! Tip: What is a Sketching Set? Many artists sketch their paintings or drawings out before hand. It is kind of like a writer brainstorming ideas on paper before getting down to the actual writing. Artist sketches are not something that are typically finished by the artist and usually are not shown to anyone. A sketch set is something an artist can use that keeps all of his sketching tools in one convenient place for storage. Category: Fine Art Supplies Subcategory: Watercolor Painting Tip: Why Do People Paint? People paint for many reasons. Some paint because they are truly gifted at it and are blessed to be able to share that gift with the world in the form of painting. Other people paint because it is an outlet for them, an outlet to vent frustrations, express their thoughts, because it is fun, or even as a way to escape from everyday life. Why you paint is a personal choice. If you choose to share your work with the world is a personal choice. Category: Gouache Tips Subcategory: Gouache Tips Tip: Can I Use Gouache on Paper? You can paint with gouache on paper, but it is recommended that you use a heavy paper instead of a light paper. Heavy paper is recommended such as paper used for watercolor painting. You can choose either a white paper or a tinted paper and hot or cold press watercolor paper. A hot press watercolor paper has been rolled very smooth and a cold press watercolor paper has a texture. What type you choose is entirely up to you.

9 Tip: How Long Will My Gouache Last? It is recommended that you purchase gouache in tubes. In tubes, gouache has an average shelf life of three to five years. Because of its evaporation issue, gouache isn't commonly found in anything other than tubes. There are some manufacturers who are attempting to put gouache in jars but evaporation is still a concern with these jars. Tip: Mixing Gouache with Watercolor Gouache can be mixed with watercolor paint to give it an extra special touch. You can also mix gouache or use it along with soft pastel colors, inks with pigments and charcoal or other types of mediums that are used for drawing. As you can see, there are many ways to use gouache in your art, try playing around a bit with different mediums to find your favorite! Category: Oil Painting Tips Subcategory: Oil Color Paints Tip: Adding a Solvent to Your Oil Paint Many artists when painting with oil paint likes to add a solvent to their work to dilute or change the way the paint works. If you choose to add a solvent to your oil paint you need to remember that solvents are very flammable, so do not use near a flame. You must also remember to use in a well-ventilated room as solvents are often harmful to breathe in. Tip: Fat Over Lean Painting Technique If you ever hear the term, painting fat over lean referring to oil painting you should know that it is an actual technique and concept in the world of oil paints. When an oil paint is fat it is an oil paint straight from the tube, or very thick. You can even mix it with an oil to make it fatter or thicker. The fatter the oil paints the longer it takes to dry. When an oil paint is lean it means it has been thinned out with something like turpentine to thin it out. A leaner oil paint means it will dry faster than an oil paint that is thick or fat. If an artist paints lean over fat on his painting the lean part will dry first which could cause it to crack when the fat part finally dries underneath it. To paint fat over lean means that each layer of an oil painting should be a bit fatter than the next. Tip: How Oil Paints Came to Be Oil paints have been around since ancient Greece where painting with oils was popular.

10 However, the more modern form of oil painting, relative to the oil paints used today, came to be thanks to a man named James van Eyck. Obviously, he wasn't the first person to use oil paints but he was the first man who used an oil mixture that could be used to bind mineral pigments to it. Van Eyck mixed glass that was piled, bones and mineral pigments and boiled them in a linseed oil until the reached a consistency that was paint-like. Tip: The Best Way to Save Oil Paint Oil paints begin to dry the minute you open them, therefore it can make saving them a little difficult. You also lose some of their adhesives, but there is a way to try to save leftover oil paint for later use. First, transfer any of your leftover paint blobs to a piece of glass. Then take the glass and insert it in some water. After that take some plastic wrap and tightly wrap the glass you removed from the water in the plastic wrap. Make sure to wrap tightly so no air is let in under the plastic wrap. Then take the entire glass wrapped plastic with the paint inside and put in the freezer. This process should enable you to save your oil paints until the next use. Tip: What Oil Painting Colors Should a Beginner Use? If you are just starting out with oil painting there are some recommended colors you should try before you start creating your art. You may wish to try colors that are true colors, such as true orange or true blue. It is also recommended that you add some other tones to your palette, colors such as green earth and a gray-brown color. Once you have tried several true colors and some other tones, you can try experimenting with other colors as you feel comfortable. Tip: What's so Great About Oil Paints? Oil paints have been around for a very, very long time. They have managed to show great durability and brilliant color from the very start and this makes them popular choices for painting. Oil paints can be brushed on very thickly or can be thinned out with a solvent. This makes an oil paint very versatile. Oil paints also dry very slowly which allows an artist to go back and correct mistakes and take their time on a piece of artwork. Category: Online Art Supply Subcategory: Online Art Supply Tip: Why Buy Your Art Supplies Online? Online shopping is an easy way to purchase whatever you need. You don't have to fight

11 crowds and you can comparison shopping very easily without having to run from store to store. Another great bonus to shopping for art supplies online is the fact that many times you can purchase art supplies cheaper than in an actual art supply store. This isn't always the case, but often times it is! Category: Opaque Projector Tips Subcategory: Opaque Projector Tips Tip: How Did the Opaque Projector Originate? The opaque projector has been around for hundreds of years, basically starting as a camera obscura. A camera obscura was first used by the Chinese philosopher Mo-Ti who created an image that was inverted by light rays, which passed through a tiny pinhole in a dark room. This was the first use of a camera obscura. In 1490 Leonardo Da Vinci wrote of this type of camera in his notebooks. He also utilized them in his painting. The camera obscura eventually evolved into the opaque projector. Tip: What are Kopykake Projectors? A Kopykake projector is a specific type of projector that is actually quite innovative. This type of projector attaches to a tripod, which can then be focused onto a canvas that is placed on an easel, allowing the artist to draw or trace the picture coming from the Kopykake projector. These projectors also work well for use on walls and are great because the tripod is easily adjusted for different heights. Another plus to this type of projector is that it works in the light or the dark, so you no longer need to turn off all the lights and work in the dark when using a projector. Category: Overglaze Subcategory: Overglaze Tip: What is Overglaze? Overglaze is a term that is used when making pottery. Overglaze is actually the outer layer or coat of glaze that is painted on last over pottery. It refers to the group of colors, either lusters or metallics that are applied to a surface that has already been glazed and fired once before. After the overglaze is applied, it is then fired to a temperature that is much lower than the first time it was glaze fired.

12 Category: Poster Paint Tips Subcategory: Poster Paints Tip: What are Poster Paint Sets? If your child wants to start channeling his or her inner poster artist, you may want to look into purchasing a poster paint set for him to use. Poster paint sets are a great way to start your child out on the art of poster painting. These sets are water-soluble and can be mixed with water for creating thinner paint. These sets should come with everything you need to get your child started on painting posters. Category: Printing Press Tips Subcategory: Printing Press Tips Tip: What are Phenolic Bed Plates for a Printing Press? Phenolic bed plates are an alternative to the old metal plates found in printing presses. These phenolic bed plates are lighter than metal bed plates and great for use in a printing press that uses water based ink because these types of plates will not get rusty like metal plates will. These types of plates for a printing press are typically sold separately and can cost a bit more than metal plates but are a great addition to your printing press. Category: Tips On Art Sets Subcategory: Art Sets Tip: Why Use Color Markers? Color marker sets are great for children working on art projects at home, school or for an art lesson. They are so fabulous because they aren't messy like paint, but still can create vibrant works of art. Color marker sets are wonderful for an artist to have because they come in a wide array of colors, are made with a water-soluble material and can also be purchased for adults with several tip choices on them. Subcategory: Brush Sets Tip: Do I Need a Watercolor Brush Set?

13 Watercolor paintbrushes generally have hairs that are longer and absorb more paint than a brush for a different kind of medium. These brushes also have shorter handles when compared to other types of paintbrushes. It is a good idea if you are just starting out with watercolor paint to purchase a watercolor brush set to use. Purchasing a set will allow you to use several different types of watercolor brushes in your first few pieces and will save you money to boot! Subcategory: Drawing Sets Tip: What are Sketch Sets? Sketch sets are a set of items that one would need to begin sketching. Artists often sketch out their thoughts and ideas for a painting or other piece of art before actually painting it. Sketch sets have paper, pencils, colors and other items such as pastels, and charcoal that one would need for sketching purposes. A sketch set is a nice gift to the beginning artist or to someone who may be traveling and might not be able to pack all his sketching supplies. Subcategory: Paint Sets Tip: What are Casein Paints? Casein is derived from milk. It is a paint that has been around since the early Egyptians first used it as a form of tempera paint. Casein drives evenly which makes it a favorite for those who paint murals. It also dries to a matte finish and resembles the look of an oil-painted canvas when compared to other types of paints that are water-based. Tip: What are Pastel Paint Sets? Along with oil paint sets there are pastel paint sets. Also on the same line as oil paint sets, pastel paint sets come stocked with items you will need to begin painting with pastels. You should receive items in your pastel paint set that are similar to ones you would receive in an oil paint set. An easel, a special brush and even the pastel paint should be supplied to you in sets like these! Tip: Why Buy Acrylic Paint Sets? Acrylic paints are popular with budding artists and with parents of children who love to paint. They are popular because they can be mixed to create the color of your choice and can then be used to paint. Acrylic paint sets are a great idea for those budding artists in your home. These paint sets will come with several different acrylic paint colors for mixing to your satisfaction and should also come with special paper to use your acrylic paint on. There should also be detailed instructions on how to use acrylic paint appropriately. It is a fun way to learn to paint with acrylics!

14 Tip: Why Use Watercolor Paint Sets? Watercolor paint sets are similar to oil and pastel color paint sets, but instead of oils or pastels they are stocked with watercolor paint and items needed to paint with watercolors. People who often choose to purchase watercolor paint sets are grade schools and middle schools because watercolor paints are not toxic and are very safe for children to touch, paint with and use in general. In a watercolor paint set you may find a place to mix your paint and refillable pans for painting out of. Watercolor paint sets also make a great gift to young artists who love to paint with watercolors.