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: Draw the male upper body (torso, chest and arms)
Drawing human subjects can be tough if you're not an experienced artist. getting every detail just right it quite a task, because of the intricateness of the human body. But Merrill is going to show you how it's done.
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...
HowTo: Start a Fire With Stuff From Ikea
Apparently IKEA does not sell matches or lighters, so Helmut Smits was forced to improvise. Titled FLAMMA, this conceptual art piece is outdoor survivalism for the resourceful yuppie set.
How To: Make easy and quick duct tape shoelaces
By now you've probably heard of the duct tape crafting trend. If nothing else, the sour economy has inspired an upsurge of popularity in DIY stuff, including using duct tape to make everything from prom dresses to wallets.
How To: Draw Grenadier from "Gears of War" on Photoshop
There's nothing quite like drawing a venemous villian trying to throw a bomb at you to awaken your senses and get your fingers flexible for the drawing-filled day ahead.
How To: Draw a boulevard of retreat houses with a stream running through the center
With all the stuff we have to do these days and our constant connectivity to the internet, it's no wonder most of us have a hard time taking a break. And no, by break we don't mean checking your Facebook and updating your satus.
How To: Draw a small and cozy town with a single vanishing point
Artists discovered the almighty vanishing point during the early Renaissance and haven't stopped using it since. The genius of the vanishing point is that it gives a three dimensional quality to a two dimensional space, meaning increased depth perception and more believability.
How To: Draw a pretty young anime girl with large eyes
The great thing about drawing in the anime or manga style is that once you've learned how to draw one girl you can easily learn to draw any girl, from the main female character in "Chobits" to Sailor Moon. This is because there's so much crossover in how women are depicted.
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: Work with Polymer Clay for Beginners
Polymer clay is an exciting arts & crafts medium. Actually, "clay" is a misnomer; it contains no true clay, but rather consists of tiny particles of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) combined with plasticizer, which is what makes it malleable like clay.
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 Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder in his Team USA duds
If you're a fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder, then you must be a fan of Kevin Durant (previously of the Seattle SuperSonics). And since you're a fan of Kevin Durant, you should try putting your art skills to test and attempt to draw a nice portrait of this great basketball player in his Team USA uniform.
How To: Draw a top-down view of mile high skyscrapers
You've probably already encountered a lot of video tutorials and books that show you how to depict skyscrapers from the front, side, and even looking up. But have you ever drawn them from the top looking down before? If you wish to truly excell at architectural draftsmanship then this is the perfect drawing tutorial for you.
How To: Draw an architectural sectional interior with a vanishing point
If you're interested in architectural drawing, or are in fact practicing to eventually become an architect, then this is a great tutorial for honing your draftsmanship.
How To: Draw four side-by-side scenes of a suburban city
What's the best way to get better at drawing? Practicing, of course! When it comes to art, especially its more technical side of drafting, sketching out buildings in relation to a vanishing point or a suburban garden scene filled with lots of architectural elements increases your ability to draw more realistically.
How To: Go from a rough pencil sketch of "Brody's Ghost" to a final ink version
"Brody's Ghost" is a popular anime series that's depicted in typical anime style: Characters have ginormous eyes and pupils, small, cherubic faces, and teeny mouths. If you're into the anime style of drawing then check out this tutorial to learn how to go from a rough pencil sketch of a "Brody's Ghost" female character to a final version with ink.
How To: Make bohemian hanging flowers using recycled plastic bottles
By now we all know the slogan "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." And many of us do just that every Sunday, visiting the recyling center to dump our latest fill of glass and plastic bottles.
How To: Craft funky woven duct tape credit card holders
Wallets are our least favorite item to purchase. Why? Well, they're either super crappy in quality and looks (think a pleather wallet you can purchase at the clearance bin at Wal-Mart) or gorgeous but out of this world expensive (Dior, anyone?). There's selmonly a space in between where we can get a good-looking wallet for cheap.
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: Draw a regal and proud lion for beginners
If you've ever watched "The Lion King," then you know just how kick-ass lions can be. Kings of the pride with a very prosh stride and a bark to match their bite, they are creatures of the hunt yet hold a regal stature about them.
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...
How To: Color a complex street drawing with art markers
In order to color complex street drawings with markers, you will need the following: markers in assorted colors and a street sketch.