Art & Architecture Articles

Article / Updated 10-24-2023

Composition refers to the organization, arrangement, and combination of objects within the borders of a drawing space. For a great drawing, you want to bring the eyes of the viewer toward your center of interest within an aesthetically pleasing composition. Composing a drawing well engages your viewers. Many "rules" define a good composition, but these rules are only guidelines. Your personal preferences and natural instincts are also important. When planning the overall appearance of a drawing, you need to be familiar with the following: Focal point: A primary center of interest (or focus) in a drawing. Overlapping: The visual separation of a drawing into foreground, middle ground, and distant space by overlapping (or layering) objects. Negative space: The space within your drawing not occupied by a focal point, important subject, or area of interest. Lines: Navigation tools used to guide the viewer through the different elements of a drawing. Balance: A stable arrangement of subjects within a composition. Contrast: Extremes of light and dark values that create shapes and patterns in your composition. Proportion: The amount of space allocated to the various components of a drawing. Emphasizing the focal point A drawing becomes much more interesting when it has a focal point — a specific area where you want your viewer to focus the majority of their attention when looking at your drawing. Your drawings illustrate your choice of subjects from your own unique perspective. Think about what you want your drawing to say and choose a focal point that helps you express that message. In a portrait, the focal point may be the eyes, and in a landscape it may be one specific tree or flower. You may choose to have more than one area of focus in your drawing; in this case, you have a primary focal point and secondary focal point(s). After you choose your main point (or points) of interest, you can use many artistic devices and techniques to highlight the point. In Figure 1, the Headde Family illustrates the following tips for emphasizing your focal point: Always place your focal point off-center in your composition. Stay away from the bull's eye. A focal point placed in the very center of your drawing space is a big NO unless you have a specific expressive or artistic reason to do so. Any object that you place dead center commands the viewer's full attention. All the other important elements of your drawing may be ignored, and the drawing loses its impact. In Figure 1, the main member of the Headde family appears right of center. Your eye may go to this figure intuitively at first, but you still register the other members of the family off to the left. Make good use of secondary focal points. Drawing less interesting objects close to the primary focal point helps direct the viewer's eye toward your center of interest. In Figure 1, the small cluster of family members off to the left draws your eye, but then the eyes on these figures direct you straight back to the main figure on the right. Use objects within your drawing space to point to your focal point. The lines of the two steps on the platform in Figure 1 lead the view's eye to the focal point. Define the focal point with more detail and a stronger contrast in values than other aspects of your drawing. The shading of the hair, eyes, and nose is more detailed in the focal point. Also, a very dark value is used to shade the pupils of his eyes and for the shadows under him. Overlapping for unity and depth Overlapping objects, or placing some objects over (or in front of) others, unifies a drawing, enhances depth of field, and creates an aesthetically pleasing composition. Observe your subject carefully before you begin your drawing and plan for places where you can utilize overlapping. To overlap subjects in a drawing, you simply draw closer objects in front of those farther away. For example, if two trees appear side-by-side in a scene, consider drawing them in such a way that one is slightly in front of the other. When you overlap objects, you create a strong three-dimensional illusion. In Figure 2, the larger child (with lots of hair) is in the foreground (the front), the light haired adult and the baby are in the middle ground, and the dark haired adult (with the grumpy facial expression) is in the distant space (behind the others). Using lines to your advantage In the cartoon drawing in Figure 1, the lines outlining the family members and objects are actual lines. The lines of the steps, on which the largest character is standing, point toward him. But of course, bold black lines, like in this cartoon or a coloring book drawing, do not outline objects in the real world around us. Representational drawings that include realistic three-dimensional subjects can use implied lines to strengthen a composition. This means lines that are not really there but are formed (or implied) by the edges of the shapes of the objects in your drawing. Following the leading line Effective leading lines can invite and encourage the viewer to enter the drawing space, explore the focal point, and linger to investigate the many facets of the composition. Either actual lines or implied lines can be used to navigate the viewer around a nonrepresentational drawing. However, in a representational drawing, leading lines are usually implied, rather than actual. For example, in a realistic landscape drawing, a leading line can be a pathway, a river, a row of trees, or a fence. When properly rendered, the eye follows this line (or lines) directly into and through the drawing. Most viewers begin looking at a drawing in the lower-left hand corner, making this corner the best location for a leading line. Placing leading lines on the right side of your drawing may take the viewer's eye out of your composition. Also, don't put leading lines exactly in a corner. When a leading line points directly to a corner it forms the shape of an arrowhead, pointing the viewer directly out of the drawing, just as effectively as a big bold neon EXIT sign. Lining up emotions with composition lines Various types of lines put diverse emotions and moods in your compositions. Remain conscious of the following effects lines can have in your drawings: Curved lines reflect beauty, gentleness, and calmness. The S-curve denotes balance and grace. Horizontal lines create stability, peace, and serenity. Vertical lines reflect strength, grandeur, and dignity. Diagonal lines offer a sense of movement and power. When diagonal lines meet to form an arrow, they can direct the viewer's eye. Balancing subjects in a composition Most good drawings result from carefully planning the balance of the various subjects. A balanced drawing is more aesthetically pleasing and harmonious. When creating this balancing act, you must take the sizes, placements, and values of the subjects into account. Playing with the teeter-totter principle Think of your drawing subjects on a teeter-totter. If your subjects are the same size, then they balance perfectly with both the same distance from the center point, as in the first drawing in Figure 3. On the other hand, a tiny object on one side balances a larger object on the other end, by being farther away from the center point, as in the second drawing in Figure 3. Without balance, your drawings may end up visually lopsided and inharmonious. Of course, if you want a particular drawing subject to appear distressing and jarring, using an unbalanced composition can help. Arrange your objects asymmetrically. Taller objects usually look better off to one side. Balancing values and shapes Masses of light and dark values become shapes. These shapes need to be identified and planned before you begin to draw. Balance dark and light values in your drawing space, in much the same way as objects. Grouping all the dark objects or all the light objects on one side of your drawing space can create a visually lopsided composition. Sometimes simply moving objects slightly to the right or left in your drawing space, or making them lighter or darker than their actual values, can balance the composition. Placing an odd number of objects into a grouping (rather than an even number) makes a composition more artistically pleasing. Balancing three objects on one side of a composition and five on the other is much more interesting than a static arrangement of four on either side Delegating proportions to your subjects When you plan a drawing, you have to decide how big to make each object in the composition. The proportion of each element relative to the others depends on what you want to emphasize in your composition. It's completely up to you to call upon your creative mind to help you make decisions about the proportions in your composition. Ask yourself the following questions: What do I consider to be the most important subject within this composition? The answer to this question may decide what your focal point (center of interest) should be. Where should I put my focal point and how much of my total drawing space should my focal point occupy? Many beginners choose to make their focal point the largest object in the drawing. How much of my drawing format should be background (negative space)? Negative space is sometimes thought of as a resting place for the viewer's eyes.

Article / Updated 10-24-2023

Geometric perspective (sometimes called linear perspective) makes subjects in a drawing look like they recede into distant space, appearing smaller the farther they are away from you. Geometric perspective can also create the illusion that you are either above or below the subject of a drawing. Using geometric perspective makes your drawings appear three-dimensional (rather than flat), and more realistic. To get started with geometric perspective, you first need to acquaint yourself with the following: Horizon line: An imaginary horizontal line, sometimes referred to as eye level, which divides your line of vision when you look straight ahead.Objects below this line are below your eye level, and objects above this line are above your eye level. Artists draw horizon lines to accurately establish perspective in their drawings. Perspective lines: Straight lines, drawn at an angle from the edges of objects, back into perceived distant space, until they finally converge at a point on the horizon line. These lines establish guidelines for drawing objects in proper perspective. Angular lines: Straight lines that are neither parallel nor perpendicular to the horizon line. Vanishing point: The point on the horizon line where the angular perspective lines of an object visually continue past its edges and eventually converge. Objects become smaller and smaller the closer they are to the vanishing point and, at this point, seem to completely disappear (or vanish). Some objects can even have more than one vanishing point. Lines of objects that are parallel or perpendicular (at a right angle) to the horizon line don't appear to go back in space (such as the top, bottom, and side edges of a building from a frontal view) and therefore don't meet the vanishing point. Creating a drawing's horizon line Always draw your horizon line parallel to the top and bottom of a square or rectangular drawing space. You determine the viewer's eye level by choosing the position of the horizon line. You control whether you want viewers to feel like they're above, below, or at eye level with the objects in your drawing. In the first drawing in Figure 1, the horizon line is close to the top of the drawing space, higher than the cubes. Imagine that you are standing on the top of a high cliff, or floating in a hot air balloon. The perspective lines of objects below you angle upward toward the horizon line and converge at the vanishing point. Figure 1: Observing cubes from two different perspectives, below and above the horizon line. If you want viewers of your drawings to feel like they are looking downward, draw the subjects below the horizon line. Looking upward The horizon line is below the cubes in the second drawing in Figure 1. You sense that you are below the cubes — maybe looking up into the sky or standing in a valley looking upward. The perspective lines of the objects all lead downward to the same vanishing point. The cubes almost look like helium-filled balloons, and the perspective lines seem to hold them anchored at the vanishing point. To create the illusion that the viewer is looking upward, draw your subjects above the horizon line. You are at eye level as you look into Figure 2. The horizon line is the first horizontal line, almost halfway down from the top of the drawing space. Look at the angular lines (neither horizontal nor vertical) that define the edges of the objects, and visually follow them to the vanishing point on the horizon line. You should notice the following: Angular lines of objects at your eye level (touching the horizon line) converge both downward and upward. The lines of objects above your eye level (above the horizon line) converge downward. Angular lines of objects below your eye level (below the horizon line) converge upward. Figure 2: An eye-level perspective — all angular lines converge at the same vanishing point. Finding vanishing points When an object's perspective lines recede into a properly placed vanishing point, your drawings appear more three-dimensional and visually correct. Finding and properly placing a vanishing point allows you to draw your subjects more realistically and in proper perspective. Many artists work from photos, without realizing that a camera lens can sometimes visually distort a scene. This may not be a problem when drawing landscapes. However, if you have human-made objects in your scene, such as buildings, stairs, or other objects with horizontal lines, you need to find the vanishing point and use geometric perspective to make them look visually correct. The following steps explain how you can find a vanishing point in a photograph or sketch. These basic principles also apply to rendering a final drawing from one of your rough sketches. Find an image that includes a level, man-made object with horizontal lines, such as a railing, deck, or wharf; or the roof, horizontal siding, or steps of a building. Then, follow these steps: Find an object in the image that you know is level and has more than one horizontal line. In Figure 3, the horizontal lines on the edge of the railing and the wooden planks in the deck are level. Tape a piece of tracing paper over the entire image. With a pencil and a ruler, outline the upper and lower horizontal edges of this object, as well as any other lines that you know to be parallel, such as railings, decks, or the upper and lower edges of doors and windows. Look at the outlines of the upper and lower edges of the railing and some of the spaces between the boards in the second drawing in Figure 3. Figure 3: Tracing the outlines to find the vanishing point. Tape your traced drawing to a larger sheet of drawing paper, leaving room to extend the horizontal lines of the object. Refer to the lines on your tracing and take note of the direction in which they point. You can visually identify which lines are going to eventually converge. Tape only the outer edges so that the tape doesn't tear the center area of your drawing paper when you remove it. Use your ruler and a pencil to extend all of the horizontal lines until they meet. Keep your lines light, so you can erase them later. Note the point where most lines converge. This is your vanishing point, which is located on the horizon line. When an object has only one vanishing point, its perspective is referred to as one-point perspective. Draw a straight line (the horizon line) through the vanishing point, horizontal to the top and bottom of your drawing paper. Figure 4 shows the location of the vanishing point and the horizon line (Line AB). Remove your tracing, redraw the lines of the object using the vanishing point as a guide, and complete your drawing. Figure 4: Extending the horizontal lines until they converge at the vanishing point. Sometimes you can see more than one side of an object, such as a building. If the angle (or corner end) of the building is closer to you than one of its sides, you need to use this same method to locate the second vanishing point (this is called two-point perspective). Horizontal lines on other visible sides of this object also converge at vanishing points somewhere on the same horizon line. Finding a horizon line and vanishing point in real life To identify the horizon line in an actual scene, mark it with your eye level. Remember — your eye level and the horizon line are one and the same. Look straight ahead, and the horizon line is in front of you. Some clues for finding a vanishing point in a real setting include the following: A building or object with horizontal lines provides a perfect clue. Follow the same procedure as in "Finding the vanishing point in a photograph or sketch" earlier in this article. However, instead of drawing the lines, you simply eyeball them to find the approximate position of your vanishing point. Then you mark it in your drawing. Two parallel lines of the edges of straight roads, railway tracks, and fences can lead you to the vanishing point.

Article / Updated 10-24-2023

Drawing animals brings with it its own set of artistic difficulties. Most animals are always fully dressed. Their fashion statements vary from critter to critter, come in a variety of fashionable patterns, and sometimes change with the seasons, and you must take this all into consideration if you want to draw them well. Some points to keep in mind when drawing fur or feathers include the following: Observe closely the direction in which the fur or feathers grow and draw your shading lines to follow these directions. Fur and feathers look much more realistic when the shading lines are different lengths and sizes. Use curved shading lines to define the form of a bird or animal. Pay special attention to light and shadows, as well as texture, when shading fur or feathers. Identifying the long and short of fur The furry coats of animals can be straight, curly, soft, coarse, shiny, matte, spotted, or striped! Keep the following guidelines in mind when drawing either short or long fur: To make fur look short, you draw short (mostly curved) hatching lines. Use long, curved hatching lines to create the illusion of long fur. Hatching is the perfect shading technique for rendering the texture of most types of fur. Bold, thick lines give the illusion of coarse fur, and gentle, thin lines help fur to look soft. Short fur In Figure 1, meet Shadow. Shadow's fur is short, soft, and shiny. She sheds enough fur in one month to make a spotted fur coat for a bald Chihuahua! Figure 1: Drawing spotted fur involves lots of shading and a full range of values. Look at how the shading of Shadow's short fur clearly defines the bone structure of her head and face. Observe the close-ups of the patterns of black spots on white fur, and white spots on black fur in Figure 1. The fur grows in many different directions. Look at all the different values, from white to medium, used to represent the light fur. A range of values from medium to black depicts the black fur. In Figure 2, you see a combination of fur and feline facial features in a caricature of Riley. Have a look at how soft his fur looks and all the different directions in which it grows. Riley's fur is finer and softer than the fur of a Dalmatian. His eyes are drawn realistically, but a little artistic license was taken with his nose by making it more of a button shape. This gives the drawing a cartoon-like impression, almost as if he were a stuffed toy. Figure 2: Drawing short, soft fur, growing in a number of directions. Long fur Long fur tends to be somewhat more difficult to draw because the individual strands often curve in different directions and overlap one another. In Figure 3 you see Rosey, who now lives at the Rainbow Bridge. She had very soft, slightly wavy fur and looked most adorable when her fur was wild and messy. Figure 3: Drawing long, soft fur on an animal. Long fur doesn't define the bone structure of an animal as well as short fur. But the contrasting shading of the light and shadow areas identifies the basic form of her head. Drawing form beyond the furry texture In this exercise, you draw the form of the leg and foot of a puppy with short fur. The same basic principles apply to drawing short fur on any part of an animal's body. 1. Lightly sketch the three shapes you see in Figure 4. The top shape is a section of the puppy's body, the longer one is his leg, and the horizontal oval shape at the bottom is his paw. Figure 4: Drawing the shape and basic texture of a furry leg. 2. Use your kneaded eraser to lighten your sketch lines and draw a more detailed outline. 3. With your HB pencil, begin shading the values you see with hatching lines to represent the texture of fur. Watch closely the direction in which the fur grows (see the third drawing in Figure 4). On the main part of the leg, it seems to grow downward in the center. As it gets closer to the edges of the leg, it curves outward at a downward angle to the edges of each side of the legs. 4. Use your 2B pencil to darken the shading in the shadow areas of the leg (see Figure 5). Figure 5: Adding detail to the furry form. 5. Add the light shading on the paw, and outline the toenails on the toes (see the second drawing in Figure 5). 6. Add a section of dark fur where the top of the leg meets the chest. 7. Use your 2B pencil to add the dark shading to his paw and to draw the shadow under his paw (as in the third drawing in Figure 5). Letting your drawing soar with winged things In Figure 6, have a look at a drawing of a generic feather. Understanding an individual feather's basic shape and construction allows you to draw the many feathers of a wing with increased accuracy. The wide end of the shaft (the long skinny thing in the center) of a feather is called a quill. It has a hollow center, and many years ago, people dipped quills into ink and used them as writing tools. Figure 6: Taking a close-up look at a feather. Wings come in a vast range of shapes and sizes, from the tiny delicate wings of a hummingbird to the magnificent strong wings of a bald eagle. Figure 7 shows the outline of a simple wing to provide you with an understanding of its construction. You can adapt the overall shape and construction of this wing to draw anything, from birds to angels, and from ferocious dragons to flying pigs! Figure 7: The basic construction of a wing.

Article / Updated 10-24-2023

Light and shadows visually define objects. Before you can draw the light and shadows you see, you need to train your eyes to see like an artist. Values are the different shades of gray between white and black. Artists use values to translate the light and shadows they see into shading, thus creating the illusion of a third dimension. Hatching and crosshatching are simple and fun techniques for drawing shading. A full range of values is the basic ingredient for shading. When you can draw lots of different values, you can begin to add shading, and therefore depth, to your drawings. With shading, the magical illusion of three-dimensional reality appears on your drawing paper. Figure 1 demonstrates hot to take a simple line drawing of a circle and add shading to transform it into the planet Earth. Figure 1: Turning a simple line drawing into planet Earth. You know the objects around you are three-dimensional because you can walk up to them, see them from all sides, and touch them. Take a moment to look around you at familiar objects. Try to discover why you see their actual three-dimensional forms. Look for the different values created by the light and shadows. Taking a closer look at light and shadow Before you can draw the appropriate values that illustrate light and shadows correctly, you need to be able to visually identify the following: Light source: The direction from which a dominant light originates. The placement of this light source affects every aspect of a drawing. Shadows: The areas on an object that receive little or no light. Cast shadow: The dark area on an adjacent surface where the light is blocked by the solid object. The light source tells you where to draw all the light values and shadows. Figure 2 gives you some practice in locating the light source, shadows, and cast shadows around an object, which in this case is a sculpture. As you look at two drawings of the sculpture, ask yourself the following questions: Where are the light values? Look for the lightest areas on the object. The very brightest of the lightest values are called highlights. Where are the dark values? Dark values often reveal the sections of the object that are in shadow. By locating shadows, you can usually identify the light source. Where is the cast shadow? The section of the cast shadow closest to the object is usually the darkest value in a drawing. By locating an object's cast shadow, you can easily discover the direction from which the light source originates. Figure 2: Looking for light and dark values and cast shadows. The two drawings in Figure 2 have different light sources. Compare them and find the dominant light source in each. If you guessed that the light is coming from the right in the first drawing, you would be correct. In the second drawing, the light originates from the left. Seeing how a light source affects an actual object is more challenging than examining a drawing. Place an object on a table in a dimly lit room. Shine a powerful flashlight or a lamp (a light source) on the object. Observe it from different perspectives. Each time you reposition the light source, identify the following: The shadows on the object (dark values) The brightest areas (the highlights) The light values (areas closer to the light source or not in shadow) The cast shadow (the darkest values) Exploring contrast in a drawing Contrast can be used to make your drawings more three-dimensional by accentuating the light and shadows. By using extremes in values (more light and dark values than middle values) you create a high-contrast drawing. For a really powerful, strong, and dynamic drawing, you can draw very dark shading right next to the light areas. When a drawing has mostly light and middle values, it is called low contrast. Some drawing subjects need to be soft and gentle. You can create a very soft drawing and still use a full range of values. Think about a white kitten, for example. Most of the shading is very light, but the drawing becomes more powerful if you use a little dark shading in a few selective areas, such as the pupils of the eyes and the shadows. Your drawings can appear flat rather than three-dimensional when you use too little contrast in values. Unless you are trying to achieve a specific mood or want the subject to look flat, always use a full range of values. Figure 3 helps you see contrast while exercising your vision. Take a few moments to explore the light and shadows in this drawing more closely. The face of the girl is drawn in profile. The boy's face is a frontal view. Notice how the girl's profile is in the shadow of the boy's face. The bright light on the front of her face presents a strong contrast to the dark shadow on the side of his face. This makes for a powerful visual separation even though the two faces seem close together. Figure 3: High contrast makes a drawing appear more three-dimensional. Translating values you see into values you draw Almost everything has more than one value. Depending on the light source, most things have some areas that are very light and others that are quite dark. If you look closely at a mound of dark earth, you notice that it has several different values. If a fresh layer of snow covered this mound of earth, there would still be lots of values. When you can see a range of different values you can draw your subject in the third dimension. Squinting to see values and simple shapes Seeing values is key to drawing in the third dimension. Many artists can visually simplify complex drawing subjects by simply squinting their eyes. Squinting helps you screen out details and see simple values and shapes. When you can see the shapes created by different values, you can draw your subject more accurately. Look at Figure 4 and squint your eyes until the image seems to go out of focus. Compare the darkest values to the lightest, and try to see the abstract shapes created by the different values. The second drawing shows what you may see when you squint. Take note of the shapes created by the values. Figure 4: Squinting to see values and shapes. Turning colors into values with squinting Many drawing media, such as graphite, are designed for black and white drawings. Yet, almost everything in the world is in color. You need to adjust your visual perceptions to see these colors as shades of gray when drawing. Wouldn't it be nice if you could simply press a button in the middle of your forehead and magically transform the world from full color to gray values? This ability would certainly make drawing a lot easier. Thankfully, simply squinting your eyes can help you develop this skill. Try these suggestions to help you train your mind to translate colors into values: Look around you at different objects. Focus on only the light and dark areas and not the actual colors. Concentrate on the light and shadows. Then squint your eyes until you see the values of that object. Take a mental note of where the lights and darks are. Think about how you could draw these darks and lights. Don't get discouraged if you can't do it right away. With practice, you get better. Find a colored photograph with lots of contrast. Squint your eyes to block out the colors and details. In your sketchbook, draw only the simple shapes and values you see. Add shading with only black, white, a light value, and a middle value. If your subject has, for example, light-pink and dark-red stripes, seeing two different values in the two colors is easy. You simply draw the dark red as a dark value and the pink as a light value. But some objects have colors that seem to be the same in value. When this is the case, you simply have to rely on your own discretion to decide which colors should be drawn lighter or darker than others. If your subject has stripes of dark green and dark red, you need to pick one to be a lighter value. Otherwise, you end up drawing a solid tone instead of stripes.

Step by Step / Updated 10-24-2023

Here, you’ll find five downloadable mandalas to color. You can color the more basic images with less detail with crayons or markers, but the incredibly detailed mandalas might require a steady hand and a fine-tip marker or pencil. Color them however you’d like.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 09-06-2023

Discover everything you need to know to get started with drawing, including what supplies and styles to use to create different types of drawings. You'll also find ways to come up with ideas about what to draw.

Article / Updated 03-22-2023

In the trend of coloring as a form of relaxation, one of the most popular types of patterns to color is the mandala. Mandalas are usually circular geometric patterns. Some people find the drawing and coloring of a mandala as a form of meditation. As they focus on coloring in the patterns of the form, they relax, their mind grows quiet, and they may enter into a spiritual space. What exactly is a mandala? A mandala is a spiritual symbol in Buddhism and Hinduism. It's a symbolic representation of the universe with an inner and outer world. The word mandala comes from Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language. Literally mandala means "circle." The circle is seen as a magical form, without beginning and end, just as the universe is believed to have no end. The Sanskrit word mandala indicates everything that is round or circular. In tantric traditions, it often refers to a sacred space, which can be round or square or any other form. Deities are invited to enter this space by uttering powerful words (mantras). The prototype of the mandala is a square with four gates containing a circle with a central point. Often the mandala is also in an outer circle. This basic form can be found in many ancient mandalas, but there are many more variants. The mandala can also be filled with all kinds of patterns: geometric figures, Buddhist saints, flowers, you name it. The mandala is used as an object to focus your attention on while meditating. Because of the symmetrical shape, your attention is directed to the center. People in the Western world often used a freer form of the mandala, which is more reflective of the inner self and the unconscious self. Regardless of what mandala you use, coloring it can be very meditative and relaxing. Why coloring mandalas is for everyone You don't have to be Buddhist to color mandalas. It's an activity everyone can enjoy: Children: Because the mandala isn't a literal representation of reality, children can fully enjoy their creativity. They don't have to worry about choosing the right color green for the trees or what color blue the sky should be. The mandala can have all the colors of the rainbow. Or just their favorite color. Coloring a mandala is an excellent way to end a busy class and help children unwind. Adults: Everyone has had those days when your head overflows and your thoughts just seem to keep running in circles. Coloring a mandala for an hour may help you calm down. By focusing only on the pattern and colors, your mind may become wonderfully empty. You come to rest for a little while. Elderly: For the elderly, coloring mandalas may help you keep your memory in shape. The repetitive nature of many mandalas allows you to create beautiful symmetrical patterns, but you must concentrate to ensure that your colors are symmetrical (if that is, indeed, your goal). Remaining focused on a creative endeavor of this sort may keep your mind sharp. Finally, you may not think at first glance that coloring mandalas is something that can be done in a group, but it's a great activity to do with friends or relatives. Make a photocopy of a mandala that everyone can work on at once and go to town. Or give everyone their own copy of the same mandala and see how people come up with different colors and patterns for the same design. You can also just pass out different mandalas and enjoy being creative together.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 10-21-2022

Learning about color never ends! For hands-on learning, why not try some watercolor painting? Information about watercolor paints and techniques are available from The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, including colorful examples from the museum’s collection. For further reading about color, explore the Faber Birren Collection of Books on Color at Yale University. No need to visit Yale to find titles; simply type the title and author in your browser to locate books at vendor sites or maybe even your local library. For example, to find out about the colors the famous psychic Edgar Cayce saw, see his book titled Auras: An Essay on the Meaning of Color. Looking for a quick explanation of color perception? Color authority Pantone has a concise article on their site. Scroll down for links to other articles such as color trends and in-depth features on individual colors.

Article / Updated 10-18-2022

Chalk paint is all the rage. It’s a great product for all you motivated, do-it-yourselfers out there who want a new project. Dry brushing is a technique you can use with chalk paint to achieve a trendy distressed look that catches the eye. This technique uses a small amount of paint on a brush to achieve a unique depth on any surface area. The term dry brush has been coined because you remove paint from your paint brush to such a degree that you are essentially using a dry brush to apply your paint. Dry brushing is a fun way to refinish an old piece that creates shadow and generates new interest using only a few simple items. Supplies needed for dry brushing Before you get started, you will need to gather a few supplies. Make sure you have the following: Paintbrush: Often, a chip brush is recommended because of the coarse nature of the bristles, but any brush will do. Choose one that you prefer. Chalk paint: You can use any color. Neutral colors are good options for a toned down look or you may want a bright color to create an interesting discussion piece. Chalk paint can also be expensive. If you are looking to reduce costs, check here for tips on making your own chalk paint. Paper towels, piece of cardboard, or other dispensable material: You will need this for the offloading process. You can also use the paint can lid if you find yourself short of materials. Wax polish: This is optional. The wax polish is a protective layer for your project and is not always necessary. This, as with most do-it-yourself projects, is a matter of personal preference. One of the key elements in using the dry brush technique with chalk paint is offloading. Offloading is the process of wiping paint off of the brush after you have dipped it in paint. You can do this on a paper towel or other material to prepare your dry brush. One of the great things about chalk paint is that you don’t need to prime or sand your piece as you do with latex paint. Steps for the ideal weathered look To achieve that ideal weathered look without the use of sandpaper, just follow these simple steps: Gather your supplies and prepare your work area. Depending on what you are painting, this does not need to be a large area. However, it is always a good idea when painting to cover your work area with a protective layer. Clean the surface you intend to paint. You only need to use a cloth and water. If you have persistent issues with dirt or other unwanted substances, you can use soapy water. Other cleaning substances may keep your paint from adhering to your surface. Dip the tip of your paint brush into your paint. Be careful not to apply too much paint. You only need a very small amount. Next, run your brush over a paper towel or other dispensable material so that the wet portions of your paint offload and you are left with a relatively dry brush. Paint your project! You can paint your piece using different amounts of paint and various brush strokes to achieve the look you want. (Optional) Once your piece has finished, you can apply a layer of wax polish to provide a protective layer. Options for different effects Here are a few options for painting a piece to achieve the look you want: Cover the flat surfaces but leave the edges, joints, and grooves to show the surface beneath. You can see this dry brushing technique in action in this video tutorial. Use a light feathering over only the raised area of a project, which will leave you with a slightly distressed look while maintaining the color beneath. Check out this dry brush video tutorial for an example of the feathering technique. Vary your brush strokes for unique coloring effects. For example, using vertical strokes or horizontal strokes can alter the appearance of your project. The dry brush technique can be accomplished with or without layering. If you want the natural wood of a piece to show through, you can perform dry brushing without a base coat. Or you can choose to apply a base coat, as in the steps above, for a multi-color finish. Give it a try! You might surprise yourself with your own DIY handiwork.

Article / Updated 09-28-2022

Keep this wheel handy when you’re working on your oil painting to remind you which colors mix to make other colors and which hues are complementary. Mix the two colors on either side of the color you want to make that color. To make tints, you make pure versions of basic hues and then add white to them. You make shades by adding black or complementary hues to the pure hues. To those shade mixtures, you add white to make tones. As you add white, black, and complementary colors to your pure hues, you change their values and their intensities in very specific ways Complementary hues are directly across from each other on the color wheel. For example, the complement to orange is blue. Notice on the color wheel how the values and intensities change from ring to ring. The color wheel includes: The pure hues: Located on the outer ring of the wheel, are the brightest, most intense forms of a hue. Their values can run form very light, like the yellow, to very dark, like the blue and blue-violet. The shades: Found on the second ring these are always duller and darker than the pure hues but seem brighter to other colors. Shades are similar to the colors of autumn leaves. Tones: Found on the third ring, they’re the most versatile of colors with a wide range of values and intensities. Tones can range in value from dark to light and intensities can range from bright to dull. Most colors used in your palette will likely be tones. Tints: The inner ring of the color wheel, tints are always lighter in value than pure hues. They tend to be brighter and look like spring. The formula for them is pure hue plus white.