Active Fine Art Posts
How To: Get started with flash (strobe) photography
New to photography and looking to learn the fundamentals in a flash? This free photographer's guide, which discusses flash photography and its terminology, will help you to accomplish just that. To get started learning the flash/strobe/speedlight basics (as well as to get a basic handle on the jargon), watch this free video tutorial.
How To: Properly clean glass camera filters
Dirty filters ruining your shots? Glass filters, as useful as they may be for protecting your SLR or DSLR lenses from external damage, can grow dirty over time, reducing image quality. Learn how to properly clean your single-reflex camera's glass lens filters with this free photographer's guide.
How To: Use a UV or haze filter for SLR cameras
As any SLR or DSLR owner knows all too well, the price of lenses can often approach or even exceed the cost of your camera. As such, it's important that you take the necessary precautions to protect them. With this free photographer's guide, you'll learn about using UV (that is, ultra-violet) filters to protect your single lens-reflex camera lenses from sun damage.
How To: Choose photography backdrops
Interested in taking professional-caliber portraits but aren't sure what sort of backgorunds to buy? When choosing a background, your biggest consideration should, of course, be the backdrop's primary application: browns and blues, for example, are great colors for standard portraits. For more information on selecting your first photo backdrops, watch this free photographer's guide.
How To: Make a punctured paper lamp shade with ThreadBanger
This is a video tutorial showing its audience how to make a New York City Skyline punctured paper lamp shade with ThreadBanger. The first step is to gather your supplies. You will need paper, puncturing tools, two wire rings, ribbon, tape, bull nose clips, tape, foam, and scissors. Then you will take your graphic paper and lay it on top of your plain sheet of paper and on top of your foam. Next with your puncturing tools punch holes all around each graphic so that you get your design. Then ma...
How To: Draw Donald Duck
This video illustrate us how to draw Donald Duck. Here are the following steps: Step 1: First of all take sheet of paper, pencil and colors.
How To: Draw broly
In this how to video, you will learn how to draw Broly. First, start out with an oval shape for the face. Next, add another for the ear. From here, you can add the neck, shoulders, and chest. Next, draw numerous spikes for the hair. The basic outline is complete. Go into the drawing with more detail by adding lines inside the spikes to simulate hair strands. Add the eyebrows, eyes, nose, and mouth. Next, draw in the muscles of the shoulders and chest. Add the outline of the necklace. Now you ...
How To: Draw any cartoon character
In this video, Merill Kazanjian explains a new effective strategy for drawing cartoons for new artists who wish to draw what they see. For this, we need a highlighter, pencil and a paper. Use the highlighter to make a silhouette of the character. Now draw the outlines of the character correctly over the mass drawing.You will get a perfect cartoon image by doing so. If you are new to drawing, it is recommended that you draw the mass drawing somewhat the same size of the image. It takes about t...
How To: Understand & use depth of field (DOF)
To understand and use depth of field you should realize that depth of field is the area behind and in front of your focusing point - the thing or object you are shooting. Depth of field is determined by apreture or f -stop, the shutter speed of your camera and the focal length of the lens. If you have the right combination of shutter speed and the f-stop, your picture will have the right exposure. If you change either the f-stop or the shutter, you need to remember to adjust the other! Differ...
How To: Draw a comic-style woman
This is a video tutorial describing how to draw a comic style woman character. The first step is to draw a circle in the top of the page that will end up being her head. Then you should draw about where her eyes will be in the end. Then you should quickly draw an online of her hair and quickly draw her outfit. Because it is a woman make sure to accentuate her waist. Then you can then go back and finish her eyes, then between her eyes and half way from the chin to the forehead draw her nose. T...
How To: Make coils with clay
In this how to video, you will how to create clay coils. You will need clay about the size of your fist, water, and a knife. Pound the clay 200 times to get all the air out. Cut a slice from the clay and roll it in your hands. It should be a log shape. Now place it on a surface. Roll it back and forth until it is to the thickness you want. Water the clay coils and score the ends of it. Push the ends together and rub all the cracks out with water so that it sticks. Wet the sides of the two coi...
How To: Draw full body manga characters
If you want to draw full body manga characters you need to make sure you know how to draw legs. First you should draw hid lines in a box and then connect legs. Make sure you have a gap for the legs and that the legs as even. Draw two circles for the buttocks and then draw legs coming down with a space in between them. Make sure you draw circles to distinguish the ankle and the knee joint. Measure out the leg to make sure the knee to hip and knee to ankle are approximately even. If you want to...
How To: Draw a cartoon angel
Three circles are drawn ontop of each other and a foot and a hand is added to the left side of the bottom and middle circles respectively; with the foot in a running motion. A rectangular shape is added in a way that the hand grasps it. A cloud is added below the forming person, so that he sits on it. Wings, a crown, a nose, an ear, hair, eyebrows, eye and a mouth with a smile are created in and above the first circle. The middle circle is traced onwards to the hand, to create the back,chest ...
How To: Draw a funny cartoon angel
In this how to video, you will learn how to draw an angel. First, draw the circles for the body and head. Add a leg and arm, as it will be drawn from a side view. Draw a rectangular shape for the harp and a circle for the halo. Lastly, draw the cloud below the body and wings. From here, you can fill in a detailed outline over the basic shapes drawn. This includes the fluff lines of the cloud, the feather lines of the wings, the mouth and hair of the angel, and the strings inside the harp. Onc...
How To: Draw a full moon
In this how to video, you will learn how to draw a full moon. First, draw a large circle. Now fill the circle in with an orange color. Add shading with a darker shade of orange to create texture. Next, fill in the back of the moon with a black color. Make sure no white is showing. Next, a silhouette in front of the moon will be created. This is done by creating tree shapes in the bottom half of the moon in a black color. Fill in the outlines with black. Once this is done, your full moon image...
How To: Draw the character, Salvation Army Officer Bob Swanson
In this how-to video, you will learn how to draw Salvation Army Officer Bob Swanson from the cartoon strip Mustard Seeds. First, you will need a pen and paper. Now, start off by drawing the hat of the figure. From there, move on to the glasses, nose, hair, and mouth. Fill in the hair with the sharpie. Next, move on to the jacket and tie. You can add the arms, hands, notebook, and legs from here. Make sure to add the folds on the pants. The feet are next. Fill in the jacket and hat with the sh...
How To: Make a polymer clay rose
Here is another great video that is perfect for teacher's or parents looking for a way to keep their kids entertained. In this video the main ingredient that is really needed is polymer clay. It's fun to play with and easy to use. Find out how to use it in order to make a cool polymer clay rose. Enjoy!
How To: Make a polymer clay spider
This cool tutorial is perfect for teachers or parents interested in keeping their little ones entertained. You'll be finding out how to make a polymer clay spider with ease. These spiders are cute and sure won't scare anybody since they're fake and too big to be real spiders. Enjoy!
How To: Make a vest out of an old men's shirt
Have you found yourself out a bad relationship with an old boyfriend? Did they leave a bunch of stuff at your place including some clothing? Well instead of throwing it in the trash, why not use it to make a cool outfit that will attract other guys to you. This tutorial shows you how to make a vest using an old men's t-shirt. Enjoy!
How To: Draw a super basic spider web
This how to video shows you how to create a basic spider web. This will be helpful if you do not know how to create the basis for a basic web. You will need a crayon and a piece of paper. First draw a large plus sign in the middle of the paper. Next, make two intersecting diagonal lines. You have formed the basis of the web. Next, Draw a curved line crossing in between each line. Start this at the center. After you go around the lines once, draw another line above the previous. Keep on doing ...
How To: Draw and paint a Mecha style robot
If you want to draw and paint a robot Mecha style you should first make a square and color this in a dark gray. Draw a silhouette in a darker gray color. You should draw basic body parts such as the head, arms and limbs and shoulder. You should draw this with simple dark layers. In the face, you can draw a different or cool complex design. You can also make the background darker and make shadows. To distinguish the figure from the background color the figure a dark dull blue. Now you need to ...
How To: Properly use a light meter
If you want to get a good exposure on a shot, there's nothing so useful as a good light meter. But, as useful as a light meter can be, it won't do you any good unless you know how to use it properly. Learn how with this free video photography lesson from Kerry Garrison of CameraDojo, which will walk you through the fundamentals of using the device.
How To: Draw the graffiti alphabet
To some, graffiti is an art form that can only be expressed on the streets to share with everyone around there. To others, it's nothing more than a stupid way to deface property and cause the city to spend thousands of dollars to clean up. Either way, it take a certain skill set to come up with some great looking graffiti. This tutorial will give those aspiring taggers or artists an idea of how to draw the alphabet graffiti style. Enjoy!
How To: Get better at graffiti letter writing
Wherever you sit on the debate of graffiti, one thing is certain: it takes someone with a great sense of skill. There are so many different variations when it comes to graffiti or tagging there isn't right or wrong way. But people can tell when it comes off as sloppy and lazy so making sure it looks nice and clean is pretty important. This tutorial shows you how to get better at writing graffiti letters. Enjoy!
How To: Draw a superhero body
Superheroes have out of this world bodies. They are in perfect, prime condition and often look super-human. Learning to draw a superhero body is different than that of a normal person.
How To: Paint simple trees
Trees are beautiful and they are essential to any landscape. In this tutorial, learn to paint simple trees.
How To: Draw Bowser from Bowser's Inside Story
This video illustrates how to draw Bowser from Bowser's inside story. Here are the following steps: Step 1: First of all take a sheet of paper and pencil and start drawing the character.
How To: Draw Michael Jordan playing basketball
Remember Michael Jordan? He may not be in the news as much today, but he's still one of the greatest basketball players that ever existed — nobody can doubt that. Professional basketball just isn't the same without MJ, but if you'd like to see him in action again, all you have to do is prime your pencil and pick out your paper and DRAW!
How To: Draw a cute anime mermaid
This is a video tutorial showing its audience how to draw an anime mermaid. The first step in drawing an anime mermaid is to gather your supplies. For this drawing you will need a photoshop type of program. Next you can open up the program. First you will need to open a new window and color it white. Then you can begin drawing. Then you can draw the head and the eyes and mouth first. Next you should draw the body. Next you should draw the mermaid's fin with your drawing tool. When you are fin...
How To: Draw a great white shark in MS Paint
Draw a scary, detailed great white shark on MS Paint that will have all your admirers conjuring up images of Jaws in their heads. With a little bit of patience and a steady hand, you can draw a shark just like the one in this video. This video will show you how to draw a great white shark in MS Paint.
How To: Make miniture roses for craft projects
In this video hosted by Paper Cat Designs, learn how to make adorable miniature paper roses to add to your spring arts & crafts projects. Apply these little paper roses to your scrapbooks, mini albums, favor boxes, journal pages, or even as wine glass charms to add a small touch of beauty! Get creative this spring with help from this video demonstraton.
How To: Draw Mr. Krabs from "Spongebob Squarepants"
S.G. Russel shows how draw Mr. Krabs by first drawing his head, which is a bumpy texture. After doing the left bumpy side, he draws the right side, and then curves it around for a smile. Then connect the right and left side of his face with a circular line on the bottom. Draw a squiggly line in the middle of the right line for his nose. Then draw long tubes on the top of his head for his eyes. Draw his pupils with a glare in the middle and three eyelashes on each. Almost in an anime like styl...
How To: Draw "Toothless" from How to Train Your Dragon
in this video Evan Burse teaches us an easy way to draw Toothless from the 3D cartoon how to train your dragon.
How To: Draw a raven
First of all you have to draw the outline using light color rough lines. Draw the face with beak and then draw the two wings hanging down. Also draw a tail at the back of the bird. Now you have to draw the outline by using a pen. Start by making the beak of the bird at the front. Make the wings with the feathers. Also make the outline of feathers to make the tail. Once the main outline of the bird is ready then you have to erase all the previous rough lines. Now you have to darken the body wi...
How To: Draw a Halloween cat
We are shown how to draw a Halloween cat in a several easy steps. First A large circle is drawn. Then in the middle a cat is drawn with an arching back, tail held high. After the cat is completed the background around the cat is filled in with black, giving a silhouette illusion. After the background is completed in black, small details are drawn in white. The fur of the cat, whiskers on the face, hair raising on the arched back and even a gleam in the cat's eye. After this the drawing is com...
How To: Paint a easter bunny with ink and water
This video demonstrates how to paint a rabbit in leftover ground ink. The style used is called sumi-e. Using a the side of a thick brush, create a filled in circle in the center of your page. This will be the head. Below this circle, add an elongated abstract oval shape for the body. Add a small circle at the back bottom area of the body for the tail. From the top back of the head, add two long thick lines for the ears. Using the thin tip of a brush add the details of the face including the n...
How To: Paint a quick watercolor
This is a video about how to create a simple water color painting. First we have to select the seen that we are going to paint on the paper. Next give a rough sketch on the paper about the scene that you have imagine or select to paint with a pencil. Next take the water proof marker give the outlines to that paint. Then you have to give two washes to your paint. First one is warm wash. For that you have to take yellow, orange, and red colors. First wet the paper with the water. Next splash on...
How To: Make your own duct tape dress form
In this Fine Art video tutorial you will learn how to make your own duct tape dress form. This video is from www.thunderlily.com. The materials you will need for this project are an old t-shirt, duct tape, strips of fabric to put around your neck and arms and a pair of gloves. Wear the old t-shirt and stand upright. Tape around the chest and waist to keep your shape as shown in the video. Add extra fabric around the neck. Then tape all over the t-shirt and cover the entire t-shirt. Then remov...
How To: Draw a cartoon fish
In this how to video, you will learn how to draw a cartoon fish. First, draw a circle for the body. Add a curly fin at the top and bottom. Next, draw a triangular shaped tail at the back. With the basic outline finished, draw in the details of the face, such as the eyes and pointed mouth. Re-trace the outline of the fish with a bumpy line. Next, draw in bubbles near the mouth. Draw details in the fins such as lines running through them. Add some texture lines through out the body. Once this i...
How To: Draw a realistic car on paper
This video illustrate us how to draw a realistic car on paper. Here are the following steps: Step 1: First of all take a sheet of paper and pencil.