Active Fine Art Posts
How To: Draw a goateed spraycan graffiti character with Wizard
What do you get when you comebine graffiti, a spray can, and a lean and mean street urchin? Well, according to graffiti artist Wizard, you get a very gangsta looking spray can with an arrow-shaped goatee.
How To: Paint a glow in the dark portrait with acrylic paint
When Halloween comes around it's easy to give in to the rampant orange and black decor paraded at every drugstore and mass retailer. But if you truly want a unique decoration for the spooky holiday, consider watching this tutorial to learn how to make a glow-in-the-dark portrait.
How To: Make a seal for your ceramic projects with Simon Leach
If you've created the ceramic version of Michelangelo's "David" and want to preserve the work as well as let others know the pottery piece as the product of your own two hands, then watch this video by Simon Leach to learn how to create a ceramic seal.
How To: Draw an architectural complex levels street scene
Have you ever wanted to be an architect? Okay, maybe not, especially considering the days without sleep working on presentations, the torturous physics, and the neverending years of school. But despite all the work, being able to replicate and design reality on paper is pretty cool.
How To: Draw a gangsta graffiti can character with Wizard
Spray cans are to graffiti artists what paintbrushes and paint are to artists. As a graffiti artist a spraycan is efficient because it allows you to quickly slather on a tag and then run away before the Po Po come, and also offer a sleek, rough finish.
How To: Draw a graffiti homeboy with Wizard
You've probably seen millions of caricatures, or drawings that exaggerate reality by either over or under emphasizing a person's traits (so former president Bill Clinton would have a really big chin and Christina Ricci would have a really prominent forehead).
How To: Graffiti the word "dem" with Wizard
How about dem apples? Well, according to graffiti artist Wizard, who shows you how to create a graffiti tag of "dem," dem apples are pretty good looking.
How To: Draw a name in graffiti tag with Wizard
Want a street smart and urban chic piece of art that absolutely no one else will have? Then either attempt the graffiti name tag in this tutorial or send it over to an artistic friend.
How To: Take quality photographs in the Southwest deserts
This video is not so much about the technical aspects of outdoor photography (desert photography, specifically) but rather about what to look for when taking pictures out in the wild.
How To: Advance in cermaics by practicing the basics
When it comes to ceramics and mastering throwing, master potter Simon Leach belives that "spaced repetition" is a great way of learning.
How To: Draw letters
Drawing is easy for some, harder for others, but drawing letters is pretty simple for both the pro and novice artist. There's all kind of text styles you could conjure up, and they don't have to be boring fonts. Fire up your imagination to create different styles for drawing numbers and letters of the alphabet, adding individuality and pizzazz to names, messages, greeting cards and decorated items.
How To: Make a bow headband with no glue or sewing
In order to make a bow headband without doing any glue or sewing, you will need the following: a headband, a hair tie or rubber band, and a piece of ribbon or a belt.
How To: Photograph with a tilt shift lens
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to photograph with a tilt shift lens. Shooting in a position of height will exaggerate the field, Make sure to lock down the exposure of the camera before tilting. A tilt shift lens allows users to choose where the focal point lies and are able to blur out the image. To maximize the depth of a field, users need to simply turn the lens to change the focal point. This video will benefit those viewers who are interested in photography and have a tilt shi...
How To: Draw curves like an architect
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to draw curves like an architect. The first way is to use circle and oval shaped templates. When using the template, push down on it firmly and carefully picking the template back up to not smear the pencil marks. If the template does not come with a raised backing, use some built-up tape for leverage. Never use permanent markers with the template, work with dirty hands or cut with the template. Users can also use French curve templates and compasses....
How To: Draw Aladdin and Jasmine from the movie Aladdin
In this tutorial, we learn how to draw Aladdin and Jasmine. Start by drawing Jasmine, draw her hair on first, then start working on her face and head. Add on her earrings, eyebrows, and mouth. Make sure to pay attention to details and use a picture as a reference to what they should look like. Fill in Jasmine with the colors she wears in the movie, and then start to work on Aladdin. Draw in his hair to start, then make sure to draw on his hat on the very top of his head. Draw his face, giving...
How To: Draw a treehouse
Drawing a tree house begins by drawing a simple trunk and roots before adding more details. Learn to draw a tree house with help from a professional artist in this free video on basic drawing.
How To: Draw Chinese dragon tattoos
Drawing a Chinese dragon tattoo should include a lot of wavy movements and fluid action to the character. Use an "s" or a "c" shape as the basis of drawing a Chinese dragon tattoo with tips from a professional illustrator and graphic designer in this free video on drawing.
How To: Draw a Japanese dragon
To draw a Japanese dragon, first render a fierce eye, flesh out the head in a stylized way, extend the long body across the page, and add feet with talons. Sketch a few scales on the body of the dragon with art instructions from a professional artist in this free video on drawing.
How To: Draw bubble letters
To draw bubble letters, draw elliptical shapes in place of straight lines in pencil, trace the outline in marker and erase erroneous pencil marks. Sketch out rounded and bubbly letters with creative tips from a professional illustrator in this free video on drawing.
How To: Stretch a canvas
It's no secret, artists are broke. That's why they're referred to as "starving artists". One day these artists will achieve unimaginable success, but for most of their lives, they'll be struggling to survive… struggling to keep their vision alive. That's why they need to work cheap. And that's why they stretch their own canvases, not buy pre-made ones or have the hobby shop do it. If you’re a starving artist, save a few bucks, hone your carpentry skills, and stretch your own canvas.
News: "Star Wars Fridays" in the Office, Please
Casual Fridays is so yesterday. Ignore the pretentiously relaxed dotcom dress code. Mock the jean-clad Wall Street bankers racing to grab a seat on the Hampton Jitney. Let's return Friday to a proper dress code. It's time to honor the greatness of George Lucas.
News: Canon 7D Jerry-Rigged to Shoot Pinhole Video
We've had our fair share of pinhole cameras showcased in Wonderment. And while the pinhole is certainly cool, it typically creates the same, familiar effect across the board. This time we have something slightly more unusual for you.
How To: Customize a pair of ballerina flat shoes
This step by step fashion design video shows how to take a basic pair of cotton ballerina flats and acrylic flats and transform them into a personalized creation. Learn how to customize a pair of plain ballerina flats into a unique pair of shoes
News: Suburbanite Turns Lawnmower Into Automated Art Machine
Jeremy Wood has turned the normally mundane task of lawn mowing into an art process. For the past nine years, Wood kept his mother's yard perfectly manicured, tracking every single motorized lawnmower ride with a GPS, and then converting the data into "maps".
How To: Make linocut and rubbercut block prints
In this episode of Threadbanger, we learn from Dailey Crafton how to make linocut and rubbercut block prints. They're pretty easy to make, and you can create some pretty outstanding pieces of artwork with just a few simple steps. Just follow along in this video, and you'll be carving out linocut and rubbercut block prints in no time at all!
How To: Draw a gorgeous realistic rose step by step
This video will show you how to draw a really beautiful and pretty rose. Set appropriately to the Seal's "Kiss From a Rose", each portion is shown to you step by step. It looks like a complicated rose, but once you start out, it'll get easier and easier! Just follow along with this how-to video.
How To: Draw an outdoor spiraling staircase and garden
You know how drawing a staircase is hard because you have to get each step equally spaced and with the same height, width, and length? Well, honey, you haven't seen nothing yet.
How To: Draw a ferocious monster from scratch
As one of our close artist friends has said, the true test of how great an artist you are is if you can eschew the eraser entirely and create a brilliant masterpiece out of scratch, no erasing and no going back to correct things.
How To: Potato print homemade and simple designs on fabric
Crafting guru Lotta Jansdotter shows you how to create some artsy, hand-printed accessories in this step-by-step guide. There's no printing tools or skills required! Only some ink and… a potato! It's called potato printer.
How To: Draw a tribal heart tattoo with markers
Tattooing is not a job for the weak, but it does take precision and a delicate touch. But you don't have to pierce skin with needles to enjoy the art of tattoos. Anybody with a few pencils and markers can design their own tattoo creations, but to help get you started, try out this tribal heart tattoo sketch. Watch the video to see the whole process of daring a tribe-style heart, and follow along to create your own. Perfect for beginning artists.
How To: Trim a charger with Simon Leach
So you've got your clay thrown on your kiln and you're molding and sculpting away with those busy fingers. The charger you envisioned making in your mind is finally taking shape...sort of. While the general flat plate shape is appearing, there's a noticeable lack of contours and it looks rather flat.
How To: Create the studded bra from Lady Gaga's "Telephone"
Okay, so just saying we're going to recreate the bra from Lady Gaga's music video for "Telephone" is a little too, er, general, given that the Queen of Shock wears a bunch of different outfits - and various forms of negligee - in the video.
How To: Draw a graffiti artist holding animated spray cans
Spraycans filled with paint have been the graffiti artist's chosen medium of artistic creation since the street/urban art form began. Graffiti artists utilize spray cans daily to create sociopolitical commentary and to animate their work, so why not give these important tools a chance to shine on their own for once?
How To: Draw a Medieval city using complex levels
Have you ever wanted to own your own city? Well, now you can (on paper, at least). In this drawing tutorial, you'll be run through how to create a very three dimensional, believable Medieval style city using complex levels.
How To: Paint Chinese watercolor tree ripened loquats
In Chinese watercolor paiting, static subjects like cherry blossoms and peach trees never go out of fashion because they represent the teeming life and beauty of nature that most Chinese watercolor artists enjoy representing.
How To: Practice elegant Chinese standing script calligraphy
Chinese calligraphy is amongst the most beautiful but also most difficult word art forms in the world, and practitioners spend years honing their skills, even devoting their entire lives to daily practice.
How To: Draw George "Dubya" Bush realistically step-by-step
Commemorate the worst president in history by drawing his face to a lifelike representation and then having a dart throwing contest with your homeboys at the bar! This drawing tutorial, which teaches you how to sketch the face of George W. Bush, or W, is an excellent way to hone your targeting and aiming skills.
How To: Use opaque watercolors in Chinese watercolor painting
The esteemed tradition of Chinese watercolor goes back thousands of years and hasn't changed much in terms of composition, subject matter, and materials used. So back then as much as today sky dieties and kings would sip green tea outside pagodas perched high above the clouds, surrounded by monumental mountains and far removed from mortal space.
How To: Make an executive tower wallet out of duct tape
Sometimes you just have too much cash to fit into a small, purse-sized wallet and need a much bigger one to hold in all your dough. If you're one of the few lucky lads who are making lots of money in our gloomy economy and need a larger wallet, then watch this video to learn how to construct a cool executive wallet out of duct tape.
How To: Select a solid tripod for photography
Forget dogs - tripods are a man's best friend (well, if he's a photographer). Eliminating many of the factors that create crappy photos, including the instability of holding the camera up by hand, photo blurs, and general strain of weilding those hulking digital SLRs, tripods are always there to lend a helping leg. Or three.