Hot Fine Art How-Tos

How To: Create a one point perspective drawing

This video demonstrates how to create a one point perspective drawing. You begin by making a horizon line across your paper and adding diagonal lines from the corners which will all converge at a single point along your horizon line. You can then create boxes by creating squares or rectangles around the lines extending from the central point. The outer edges of your rectangle can further be connected to your single point in order to create a 3-dimensional shape for the boxes and cubes which y...

How To: Decorate with duct tape Kanji characters

This video will show how to decorate duct tape creations with Japanese Kanji characters, which are Chinese-based characters. After creating your duct tape stencil which will serve as a backing, you should go online and find a Kanji character which you would like to copy, print it out on paper, and cut it out with scissors. Place the characters on your duct tape and trace around the character, making a stencil of the character you would like. Finally, you need an X-acto knife, which you will u...

How To: Paint orchid flowers with watercolor paints

In this video, we learn how to pain orchid flowers with watercolor paints. Start out by using a light lilac color on the petals. Use a thin brush to push the colors around on the picture so you have slight shading around the different petals. Use a darker purple color in the middle of the flower. Then, use a yellow color in the very middle. Add in a green leaf and stem on the bottom of the flower. Use a paper towel to smudge any excess moisture or water off of the flower to make it more prist...

How To: Use R1C1 speedlight when shooting photos

In this tutorial, we learn how to use R1C1 speedlight when shooting photos. First you will want to place the attachment ring and adapter ring to the camera. After this, grab the remote flashes and the built-in flash panel. After you have installed all of these things on your camera, you will be ready to start taking pictures. Find the object you want to take pictures of, then start to use the wireless flash system to take quick picture that look great. As you click the remote, the flash will ...

How To: Build a pochade box for outdoor painting

In this video, we learn how to build a pochade box for outdoor painting. This box will hold two wet panels in the back and help you hold other things you need to carry. You will need a medium sized box first, then you will need to cut the back and sides of the top to make slits where you can place in the panels. After this, you will create a barrier for the middle that has two slits in the bottom of it where you can slide it. On the bottom of the box you will have a hold where you can thread ...

How To: Make a teapot in ceramics

Simon Leach teaches us how to make a teapot in ceramics in this video. After you have created the basic pot for the tea, you will need to poke several small holes into the side of it where it will be poured. After this, you will need to create the spout and mark where it's going to go on the pot while it's still wet. Now, key the area on the pot where the spout is going to go, then apply water to it and push the spout onto the area. Push along the sides gently until the spout is stuck on comp...

How To: Shoot wedding photography like a pro

In this video, we learn how to shoot wedding photography like a pro. Start off by having the wedding party in front of a clear background. Try taking their picture outside with trees and a clear sky in the background behind them. Use the surroundings to add a special touch to the pictures and use the correct flash so that the wedding party shows more than the background does. Accentuate the background and use white flash absorbers around the wedding party so their faces have more color that s...

How To: Draw manga eyes four different ways

In this video, Mark Crilley presents viewers with four ways to draw anime eyes. The first set of eyes has an intense look to the them, with the face tilted slightly while the eyes are staring at the viewer. Eyebrows are added in a sloping manner in order to create a more dramatic effect and drawing attention to the eyes. The next set of eyes are more hexagonal in shape and look downwards while wide open, creating more of a surprised expression. Thick eyebrows framing the eyes also bring atten...

How To: Make lidded boxes

In this tutorial, Simon Leach teaches us how to make lidded boxes. First, grab your pot and dip the top of it into water to get it wet and soft. Now, grab a small amount of clay and set it on your spinning table. After this, get your hands wet and start to craft a lid out of the clay. Make an inner base as you are spinning the clay by carefully placing your finger on the side of the top. When finished spinning, place the top down and see if it's the correct size for the pot, then glaze and fi...

How To: Use "fill in" flash

In this video, we learn how to use "fill in" flash. When you are taking a shot of people outside, you will need to have a certain type of aspect on your camera. They will have shine on their face from the sun and it will be washed out with white. When you go to your camera, you need to change the flash settings so that they are compatible with being outside. Now, try taking pictures of your subjects again and you will see a huge difference. The subjects should be easier to see and there shoul...

How To: Do spiral fluting

Simon Leach teaches us how to do spiral fluting in this video. Start on the side of the bowl with a sharp edge. Then, push the edge down from the top until you reach the bottom half of the bowl. Create line next to line very close to each other, not overlapping them. Continue to do this slowly until you have reached all the way around the bowl. Make sure your lines are all equal to each other, they don't have to be perfect though. After you have made lines all the way around, your bowl will b...

How To: Put handles on your ceramics

Simon Leach teaches us how to put handles on your ceramics in this tutorial. The key thing is to never let the handle fall as you are adding it to a cup, always keep it supported. Look at the handle as you are placing it on and think about proportion and size. If it's sticking out too far it's going to get knocked off. You need to have an elliptical shaped handle when you are shaping them so they can be gripped properly. Don't score the bottom part when you are joining the handle to the botto...

How To: Draw a head in 3/4 or side view

This video shows aspiring artists how to draw the head in a 3/4 or a side view. Three lines should first be drawn in a pie-wedge like shape. First, a line is drawn from the chin to the hair line and another one is connected to that, arching across the forehead to the back of the cranium. Then a final line is drawn from the endpoint here to the base of the chin. A face can then be drawn along line 1, to show the profile or side-view of your character. A triangular shape is drawn about half-way...

How To: Take self-measurements and make a custom tank top pattern

In this Threadbanger video, Secret Life of a Bionerd gives you tips on making a custom tank top pattern. She'll teach you how to measure yourself, along with making a simple pattern from those measurements. Making this tank pattern sure makes life easier when sewing. This is the basics to starting your own tank top designs, and opens the door to create many other pieces as well. Once you get this method down, you will love collecting homemade patterns.

How To: Take striking pictures with telephoto lenses for digital SLR photography

There's a technique available for digital SLR cameras that most amateur photographers do not know about, or do not use correctly, and that's using a simple telephoto lens (long lens) to create blurry background, great portraits or awesome up-close macro shots. Without the telephoto lens, you lose a lot of the emphasis on your subject, because the background blends in, whereas telephoto lenses help create a degree of depth, blurring out the background, giving concentration on the foreground. I...

How To: Draw a bemused lion head for beginners

Simba from "The Lion King" couldn't have done it better himself. In this video tutorial you'll learn how to sketch out a very realistic lion head held in a bemused expression. Whether you love lions or find them frightening, drawing this lion head is an excellent way to gain knowledge of anatomy and how it affects different poses.

How To: Write numbers in calligraphy copperplate

In this video, we learn how to write numbers in calligraphy copperplate. To write the number five, you will simply make the shape of the number, but add in a thick edge to the bump and curved edges to the end. To write the six, use a thick line on the side of the number and a thin line for the circle in the middle. To make the seven, the top should be curved and thick, and the lower line should be very thick with a straight edge. To make the eight, draw the number so that the left edge is thi...

How To: Use a potato peeler as a fluting tool

In this video, we learn how to use a potato peeler as a fluting tool. First, take your wet pot and then grab the potato peeler. Use broad strokes along the side of the pot and press down hard and you peel the clay off of the sides. You will need to go over the same spot a few times to be able to see, but once you go around the entire pot you will see the different shapes in the marks. Once you are finished going all the way around the pot, your hands will be tired but it will be fluted with t...

How To: Draw an anime girl in Photoshop

In this video, we learn how to draw an anime girl in Photoshop. First, draw the outline of the face, shoulders, and neck using a light touch of the brush. Next, draw in the details of the face and then start drawing in the hair. Use different shapes and swirls for the hair, to make it thick and long around her face and body. Next, draw in her hand and arm. Use a darker brush to fill in the details and draw over the outline, to create the final sketch. Add in eyelashes and feminine details to ...

How To: Draw and color landscape scenery

In this video, we learn how to draw and color landscape scenery. First, draw your starting point, making a horizontal line. After this, draw other reference points on the paper, then start to draw in lines to see where your structures are going to be. After you do this, make trees on the paper, then start to fill in details of plants and flowers around the trees. Draw in buildings and stairs, making mountains and hills in the background. Add as many detail as you feel needed, and then start t...

How To: Draw a basic human figure

In this video, we learn how to draw a basic human figure. Start with a circle first as the head, then draw cross hairs over the circle to indicate the tilt and direction the head is facing. Then, add in the chin, shoulders, then circles where the joints are. Draw in the rib cage and spine, then the hip bones. After this, draw the legs and continue down until you reach the feet. When you finished with this outline, use a darker line to draw more details and shading in on the face and body. Whe...

How To: Clean off ceramic pots before firing them

In this video, we learn how to clean off ceramic pots before firing them. First, take a knife to clean off any bits that need to be removed to make the pots completely smooth. After this, dip the top of the pot into glaze and let it dry on a flat surface. For the base, hold with your two fingers on the inside, then dip in the glaze and let dry. Once these are dry, take a knife and scrape the edges where excess glaze may be at. Then, scrape all around the edges and clean the back of the side w...

How To: Chroma key green screen video

This video tutorial is in the Fine Art category in which you will learn how to chroma key green screen video. Chroma key is the magical process of making images where the background or any object in your scene can be made transparent so that you can replace it with a different image. First shoot some footage in front of your Chroma key backdrop. Then shoot the background footage. Next put the 1st video track over the background track in the editing time line. With Chroma key you can have some...