1/19/2012

Why Buy Artwork Online?

Art today has become a major part of society, if you go into someone's house very rarely will you not be able to find any form of artwork; be it a print, or an original painting, or even a sculpture. The question is how do you go about buying this artwork? If you are like me the idea of going to an art gallery or an art show might not necessarily fill you with joy, its not that I don't like them or that the people selling aren't usually very nice, its more that I feel pressured into buying something even if I don't like it.

The internet, the phenomenon that it is, has changed all that. Now you can buy artwork online, from the convenience and the comfortability of your own computer, or your sofa. How ever you want it!



Why buy artwork?

Whatever your taste, your likes or dislikes, I guarantee their is artwork out there just for you. You may have to search harder than normal for your perfected piece, but it will be out there. Art is a talking point, like it or not. When you see a piece of art, even if you dislike it, you talk about it and put forward your opinion on it. Imagine it like that in your home, when you have guests over they will talk about it, family over they will talk about it. Even your children will have an opinion on the artwork you buy. I wouldn't ever go so far as to say buying art defines your own character to others, but it goes some way to portraying yourself to other people, in the same way the house you buy or the car you drive portrays you to others without words. I am a major believer that buying art and filling your home with art is a necessary part of life, be it generic pieces, or wow factor pieces, or even just pieces that touch your heart or have a special meaning to you. Art should definitely be a part of your life.

But why buy art online?

Simply because you can, yes you have to be very careful that you don't get caught out by the major scam artists out there, but none the less the simplicity of buying things online should be no different because of art. Obviously caution should play a major part, impulse buying on art is sometimes good, but online where you can't always get a perfect feel for what you are buying you should try to think carefully through those decisions. But after all that, I find nothing more exhilarating than buying a piece of original art online and then getting to that moment when it arrives. Its a process, being made to wait, unwrapping it as if it were a surprise. All of that adds to the excitement.

On top of that buying artwork online has some great advantages. Its usually cheaper, and a lot easier to shop around. Less overheads means you can sometimes get a great price for an original piece of artwork. In a gallery you may pay thousands, online that could change to hundreds. Even though that still sounds expensive, you can find some real bargains out there. You can also sometimes connect with artists or sellers that you wouldn't usually connect with. The internet gives you the ability to globally buy art, something you wouldn't necessarily be able to do. It can also help you to find art that you perhaps wouldn't usually buy.

My current career is selling artwork, but not the kind you would imagine. I sell artwork that has formerly been published in children's books, you might think this sounds strange. But all of it is original artwork and because its come from a book it has to be much more detailed than you would imagine other original artwork to be. On top of that, like I said, because its online they are all affordable.

But that's by the by, artwork should be enjoyed, it should be grabbed with both hands. The internet has helped to propel artwork from the confines of luxury housing to the everyday person. Anyone can own art. Everyone should own art, especially as art can be anything you want it to be!

Convinced you should be artwork online?

Elements of a Great Design

You can see them everywhere. They could be in that Starbucks logo of your coffee cup. It could be way up there in the billboard as your drive your way back home. It could even be as simple as the chair you sit in during dinner. Great designs are everywhere and it can be anything. It is just a matter of finding what makes any design as great as it is and what we can do to capture that greatness.

First element of a great design is uniqueness. There are a lot of beautiful designs out there. There are thousands of amazing art depicting a bowl of fruit. However, even if a painter puts perfect technique into canvas you would not say that it was great design.

A great design is one of a kind. It can be congruent or even inspired by other designs but it must be able to stand on its own as a unique design. Take the Mona Lisa for example. You would see other portraits of other women but the Mona Lisa is unique. It could be the wonderfully wry smile or it could even be the fact that the Mona Lisa has no Eye brows. But, one thing for sure, there is nothing else like it.

Another part of a good design is its symmetry. A symmetrical design is eye catching because it calls the attention of the viewer. The eye sees that both sides are the same and the brain automatically picks it up. The Eiffel tower is a classic example of symmetry at work. As it towers over Paris, you cannot help but be mesmerized by its magnificence. The additional attention brought about by Symmetry is what gives a design like the Eiffel tower an advantage over other designs.

The paintings of Jackson Pollock are also great even if it is not necessarily symmetrical. In fact, Jackson Pollock's work can be described as free of form. What captures my attention from his works is the amazing array of color that we are treated to. Each splatter, blot, and drip serves a purpose and as such it conveys a message that is unique but all of this will not have been achieved if not for the collection of colors that he uses.

Another aspect of design that is extraordinary is its commitment to coherence and continuity. A great design conveys a message successfully but no one will understand what you are trying to say if you do not have a clear thought. Figure out what you want to say and say it in a clear and concise manner. This is particularly applicable for billboards and other large format printing. In this form of media, the viewer has only a short time to absorb your message so it is important that it can easily be read and understood.

There are many great ways to turn your design into an exceptional one. These are just some of the elements of a good design. Look at the other great designs out there and apply those to your own designs.

1/18/2012

Online Drawing Tips

If you have a passion for art and drawing, you can perk up your skills with the help of online drawing tips. Unlike the past, you do not have to depend on the formal art classes that call for much time and money as these websites provide all the drawing freaks with a perfect opportunity to learn the art of drawing and improve upon their talent. There are countless kids and grown ups who love to draw.


However, many of them remain deprived of learning this art because of shortage of time or money. They long to improve their skills but their resources do not allow them to do so. However, in the present times no one has to suffer this way as online drawing tips offer a perfect way to equip yourself with the art of drawing.

You can find a number of drawing websites that offer different online tips and lessons that allow you learn drawing in an easy way. Some of these tips are based on videos while others are in the form of illustration and text. You can explore different lessons and settle on the ones that you find the most suitable for you.

The online drawing tips have different levels. Some of them are basic level lessons while others are more advanced. The choice of a lesson depends on your own skill level. For example, if you are already good at drawing you can go for the advanced drawing tips while if you have just started drawing and do not know the fundamentals of this art you can settle for the beginner level lessons and tips.

You can find various types of online lessons such as how to draw animals, how to draw cartoons, how to draw people etc. The type of tips you need to make use of depends on the kind of drawing that you are interested in. You can also find general tips that allow you to know the common or general tips related to drawing.

Other than the huge variety as well as the types of online drawing tips, another great thing about these lessons is that they are free of cost. You have to pay no registration fee or any other types of charges to benefit from these websites.

With this and much more, online drawing tips is simply the most effective and easiest way to learn the art of drawing. They are no less than a blessing for those who are into drawing

Digital Printing vs Offset Printing

When evaluating whether offset printing or digital printing is better, the answer is simple: both. Quite simply, both have their strengths that the other cannot compete with. Many printers will be biased to one or the other telling you that the quality is superior on either process. Neither are wrong, but you must understand what differences in quality they are speaking about. Let's look at a few.


1. Color consistency. When a pressman starts the press, it doesn't have the perfect settings yet. Fine tuning is required to get the proper ink and water balance. With digital printing, you can pretty much count not only on the color being just right, but that the first copy will look exactly like the last.

2. Price. This matter really depends on what type of product you are printing. If you want ten thousand copies of a brochure, no doubt you will chose offset printing. This is for two reasons. The first is that digital printing usually s less options when it comes to page count and customization. Second, the cost significantly goes down after the first copy is printed. With digital printing, the cost per page stays nearly the same. So depending on the run length, both offset and digital are contenders.

3. Speed. A digital printer will no doubt be able to give you a copy in a very quick manner. With offset printing, it is not that simple. Machines that can cost into the millions must have a slot of time scheduled. In this case, you are pretty much at the mercy of how well the press runs and what day you can be fit into the schedule.

4. Customization. Here is where digital printing excels. An offset press can usually only print the exact same copy for each impression. Digital printing on the other hand can customize each printed sheet for you. For example, you may want to put a different address on each copy since you are planning to mail it. Or you may customize each copy according to names - the possibilities are endless.

So in comparing both, you cannot say which is better. It really depends on what you are printing and what you are willing to pay. Communicate well with you printer what your needs are. Be careful though, a fully outfitted digital printer may give you slanted advice if he doesn't offer offset printing. Ask what options they offer and weigh the advice accordingly.