Hot Fine Art How-Tos

How To: Sharpen a convex wood carving knife

This video teaches the secrets to sharpen a convex wood carving knife in simple steps. First find out how dull your knife is by cutting a paper or shaving hair on you hands. Now take a sand paper attached to a pad and start sharpening the ends by applying less pressure. Now try the sharpness of the knife, it will be better. Now take a double sided strop with sharpening compound and start rubbing the knife edge. After sharpening try the knife again, it should be good enough.

How To: Draw a cartoon seal

Seals are fun sea creatures and you can now learn how to draw one yourself. Seals are cute, especially baby seals. Seals are cute, especially baby seals. Seals are cute, especially baby seals. Seals are cute, especially baby seals. Seals are cute, especially baby seals. Draw a circle to create the body. Draw another circle to make the head. Draw fins to make flippers. Draw a circle to create the body. Draw another circle to make the head. Draw fins to make flippers. Draw a circle to create th...

How To: Draw with charcoal pencils

Art enthusiast Bob Davies demonstrates how to use charcoal pencils in your drawings. Bob explains that charcoal pencils are useful when you simply want to experiment with a new idea without getting too detailed. What makes charcoal useful is that a wide range of shades, tones, and textures can be produced simply by smudging it with your finger! Bob goes on to show how to draw a quick, simple, yet surprisingly realistic tree using charcoal! This video is a great introduction to an easy, yet ve...

How To: Draw the female figure

Human beings are one of the hardest things to draw. If you are having trouble drawing the female figure, have a look at this tutorial. This tutorial will show you how to split the human body up into 8 different parts, making it easier to focus on a specific area and draw it. This video was made on Photoshop, but you can just as easily follow the same steps in pencil. Follow along and soon you will be drawing realistic looking people easily.

How To: Draw a split level room

This is a great video for interior designers or those who love to draw! This is a wonderful tutorial on how you can draw a split-level room. Split-level rooms are rooms in houses where you can either go upstairs or you can go downstairs. It's like the middle level. By drawing a split-level room into your picture you add dimension to the sketch and give it a more realistic feel. After you've mastered the steps in the video you can custom draw your own furniture and decor how you would like it ...

How To: Draw a cartoon bed

Michael Weisner teaches us how to draw a cartoon bed. His credentials boast of him to be a computer animator. He starts the video off in a rather creative way with him as a cartoon. He slowly draws a cartoon bed by hand. He does this step-by-step, starting from the base up. Going rather quickly, he draws a bed and outlines it in marker. As Michael is drawing, he narrates the process and explains what he is doing and how it is done.

How To: Draw Tony Montana (Al Pacino) from Scarface

"Okay. You wanna play rough? Okay. Say hello to my little friend!" That's a famous quote from none other than Tony Montana, otherwise known as Scarface, played by Al Pacino, near the end of the film, when he starts blasting everyone away. If you by chance want to learn how to draw Mr. Scarface, it's fairly easy. This tutorial is full of pointers that makes it easy for beginners and experts alike.

How To: Save custom function sets on Canon EOS-1D cameras

This video teaches how to save up to 3 different custom function sets on your Canon EOS-1D. Go into the custom function menu, choose the settings you want in each of the custom function sets. Choose "custom function setting register/apply", select register. You will see an overview of which settings you have. Choose to save as Set 1, 2 or 3. Select "OK". You can now go back into the custom functions screen, make whatever changes you wish to the settings, and save as another set. Now you have ...

How To: Use the Vivitar 285HV professional camera flash

Got a new Vivitar 285HV and having trouble using the flash? No problem! This video will describe how to use the flash on your new camera and gives some other great tips for new owners! The flash on this camera can be a little different to use than an automatic flash because you have to manually set the settings. Since you can see what the picture looks like if you aren't satisfied you can use the tricks in the video to play around with the flash settings until you get the perfect shot.

How To: Build a custom pochade box for oil painting

In this how-to video, you will learn how to build your own custom Pochade box for oil painting. You will need 10 feet of 3/4 x 1/2 trim, 1/4 underlayment plywood,, a table saw for squared cuts, a cordless drill, a dowel no smaller than 3/8, a set of hinges and screws, an Allen bolt and nut for triPod mounting, a piece of glass for the palette, gorilla glue water, and chemical proof. Pre-drill everything to make sure the wood does not split. Make sure that when you drill the hole for the dowel...

How To: Draw a rose with pencil for beginners

Roses are red, violets are blue..and drawing a rose is easy to do! Check out this tutorial and learn how to draw a very nice rose with pencil. This rose is quite realistic looking and makes a great addition to another picture, or a lovely stand alone drawing as well.

How To: Write the letter V in calligraphy copperplate

In this video, Hamid Reza Ebrahimi indulges the viewers in the world of copperplate writing through a short tutorial on how to accurately form the shapes of capital and lower case V. The video requires that the viewer has some previous experience with copperplate writing since it is not accompanied by instructions. Mr. Ebrahimi does a great job and the final result is honestly a true work of art. This video is an inspiration to anyone interested in learning how to write copperplate or just im...

How To: Write punctuation marks in calligraphy copperplate

Have you ever tried to write in calligraphy copperplate?Let's start with the basics-punctuation marks. First we nee a book and a pen to write in calligraphy. The letter '&' looks similar but has a long tail. The question mark,exclamation mark and brackets look similar like in a normal font except all have the similar properties of calligraphy i.e., the variation in thickness. This will add a unique style in hand written documents as well as to add some charm in your letters.

How To: Paint a magnolia in Chinese painting

This video demonstrates how to paint a magnolia in ink and water, Chinese style. Make gray ink by mixing water with the black ink. Squeeze the brush with a piece of tissue and dip it in glue water made of peach sap powder mixed with water. When he begins to paint, half the brushstroke is gray and half is clear water. In this way you can use the brush to get darker and lighter shades of gray to make the magnolia flower shape that appears to be shaded. He then uses a stiff brush and black ink t...

How To: Write the letter I in calligraphy copperplate

Learn to write the letter “I” in calligraphy copperplate with this video. First, we need a book and a pen suitable to write in calligraphy. The pen's tip has to be bendable. First write the capital "I". It looks like a long "g". When half way from the top, the nib of the pen bends to give a thick feel and again it fades out to a thin one. The small "i" looks the like the actual "i" itself with minor changes. This will help you in your writing (font) style.

How To: Draw a cartoon man's head

This is a video tutorial on how to draw a cartoon man's head. Anyone watching the easy steps demonstrated by the author, Zane Kohler, can learn to draw a cartoon man's head. The whole process, from the beginning is explained in easy-to-understand steps. The author also shows how to add detail and perspective to the drawing by shading the different parts of the caricature. The video is a graphic demonstration of simplicity and patience being employed in drawing a high quality caricature.

How To: Customize white balance settings on a Canon EOS camera

David Newton, professional photographer and technical editor at Canon Professional Network, teaches you how to customize white balance settings on a Canon EOS camera. The EOS camera have 7 presets plus an auto and a custom white balance setting. You will be using the custom setting. The custom white balance will create a compromise between different types of natural or artificial light existent in the scene. You will need a white piece of paper or a paper with 18% grey color. The last one can...

How To: Draw Oddish the Pokémon

Learn to draw Pokémon Oddish with these simple and quick steps. Start your drawing project by placing the Pokémon Oddish name somewhere on the page. Oddish is a round or onion shaped object. Place this basic shape in the center of your space. Add the feet which are shaped like little shovels at the bottom of the Oddish body. Go to the lower central area of the body and add a triangular shaped tongue. For the eyes, use little circles placed proportionately in the upper central area. Place seve...

How To: Draw a complex room

Miandza teaches you how to draw a complex room. You will start with two rectangles, one smaller than the other. Also draw 3 perspective lines - one horizontal and two diagonal, meeting in the middle. After that, start creating objects and pieces of furniture. Also add walls, doors and windows, according to the perspective lines. Use a darker pencil when you're sure of the things you are drawing. Now you start working on details. Don't forget about the floor and ceiling and add details and obj...

How To: Eliminate dust spots on a Canon EOS camera

David Newton from Canon Professional Network teaches you how to eliminate dust spots on a Canon EOS camera. The Canon EOS has a self-cleaning sensor to help eliminate dust from it. You need a lens of 50 mm or longer for this to work properly. If you have a zoom lens, set it to the longest focal length it has. Switch the lens to manual focus and turn the focus ring until infinity. Enter the second red menu tab and choose Dust Delete Data at the bottom of the list. Pressing it will show you you...

How To: Get to know your DSLR camera

This video gives viewers an overview on how to use the manual settings of your DSLR camera. Aside from the Auto setting, your DSLR camera has the P-mode which is the program mode, S-mode which is the shutter priority mode, A-mode which is the aperture priority mode and finally the M-mode which is the complete manual mode. P-mode or program mode is more like the Auto-mode in your camera. You can't control your shutter speed and f-stops (aperture) however; you can manipulate the other settings ...

How To: Draw storyboards

Gus Russel explains how storyboarding can be used to illustrate what a movie might be like. He has been given the task of drawing a frame for each page of a 130 page movie script. Story boarding gives the author a general idea of how the movie will come together, how the characters will look, etc. Russel shows the audience how to quickly draw a quality sketch, and how to shade it properly. The sketches do not function to show exactly what will happen in each scene, but rather what "might" hap...

How To: Draw and color a tunnel

This video is a drawing lesson on how to draw and color a tunnel. It starts with rectangles and an arch, and more lines are added to show the perspective of the tunnel. Stairs, structures, and more architectural detail is added all around the tunnel and then inside. Next the coloring is demonstrated. First the bushes are colored green, and the different architectural elements made of cement or stone are colored in shades of brown and beige. The inside the tunnel is done in shades of blue, and...

How To: Make a hat using wool or alpaca fibers

Alpacas don't need all that body hair. Why not put it to some use and create a hat with the water felting method. You can even use a regular ball to help shape the hat. Just follow this instructional video and you'll be sporting your own hat in no time.

How To: Draw manga or anime noses

This video explains how to draw manga or anime noses. Draw a shaded triangle. The straight on nose is usually nothing more than a shadow. Decide where the light source is coming from and draw a black triangle on the half of the face that would be in shadow. In the example, the light is coming from the left side so the shadow is on the right side of the face. Draw a "J" shape. Noses in profile are a little more detailed, but still very simple. For the most part, they are curved "J" shapes plac...

How To: Sketch a street drawing

Miandza teaches us how to sketch a street. You start with a horizontal line and two diagonal lines, all intersecting in the middle. You then start to add parts of buildings, in perspective. You continue to use the lines as reference and add more buildings. Then start doing trees and people. Also add pavements and start doing details on all objects. You finish by drawing the sky and the birds. The final scene is still a sketch, but has lots of details and uses the perspective to look natural.

How To: Drawing a realistic cartoon face

This video teaches the secret of drawing a realistic cartoon face in simple steps. First draw an oval in a plain paper using a pencil ,then make a light cross inside the oval. Now make a pair of eyes by drawing a coin like image on both sides of the horizontal line. On the vertical line draw the nose. Make a line below the nose for the mouth. Draw two vertical lines on the sides of oval and erase the line coming out from the oval. Make a light curve from the oval for cheeks and highlight the ...

How To: Do ceramic detail on trimming & sealing

Simon Leach teaches you how to do ceramic trimming and sealing. You wet the top of the pot and place it on the wheel. You push down on the bottom, sealed side, when the wheel is spinning. You use the trim tool to cut into the base side. You do this at an angle and make sure you hold the trim tool like a stake knife, not like a pencil. You empty out the leg until you are pleased with it. You round off any sharp corners and you have to put the last piece, the seal. On the bottom you take a piec...

How To: Draw a two point perspective concept

Miandza teaches you how to draw a two point perspective concept. You start with a horizontal line. Draw a vertical line in the middle and starting from that, create a rhombus. Add more vertical lines at equal distance from one another. Also create a smaller rhombus in the middle and add parallel lines to the diagonal ones. Start creating boxes when the lines intersect and use a darker color to make them visible. Continue to add parallel boxes in all directions, using the lines as help. In the...

How To: Draw a spiral staircase

This video shows us how to draw a spiral staircase in a very simple way. Firstly a horizontal line is drawn and upon that a rectangle is drawn. Then four lines are drawn from the four corners of the rectangle and all this four lines are meeting at the same point on the horizontal line which was drawn previously. Then another rectangle is drawn behind the rectangle intersecting the four lines drawn from the four corners of the rectangle. And at the rare end, numbers of lines are drawn in betwe...

How To: Watercolor with SU markers on watercolor paper

Maria Bell demonstrates to create the watercolor project, add color to the watercolor paper by first outlining the image or the shape with the SU marker. Then, distribute the color from the edge of the image or shape to the center of the image or shape with an aqua painter or watercolor brush. Fill in the images with shading details as desired. The technique produces gradient shading and a quick spread of colors without the use of watercolor pencils or crayon. Painting watercolors with SU mar...

How To: Paint pine, plum and bamboo in the Chinese tradition

With this two-part painting lesson, you'll learn how to paint "Three Friends of Winter," a traditional Chinese motif depicting pine, plum and bamboo — three plants admired for their beauty and, in Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism, said to be representative of good virtue.

How To: Write in calligraphy copperplate

This video shows you how to write calligraphy copperplate. This is a work with the word "Aria" with "Hamid Reza Ebrahimi" and he made it possible with Persian traditional black calligraphy ink. The words were written with meticulous care and it seems like drawing. Hamid will provoke a desire in everyone who watches the video to write like this at least once, with this style and with this ink too. It will be a great inspiration to the people even who feel lazy to write.

How To: Write the letter E in calligraphy copperplate

How should you write in copperplate? Hamid will show us how write E and e in copperplate. First we need a book and a pen specially to write in copperplate. This type of font has letters with narrow edges and it gets broader in the middle. For capital 'E', it will be in curved form with the font's unique style of thickness. The small 'e' more looks like a 'c' with a closed loop. It will help in improving your handwriting style and add some grace.

How To: Draw a multi-point perspective concept

The video shows how to draw a multi- point perspective by drawing it in easy to view steps. It shows how to draw the subject in the simplest form possible to achieve the finishing results. It starts out with a single horizontal line then the line is divided in half with a vertical line and the remaining lines drawn are on an angle and rectangles which are worked in to the video to achieve the final results of a multi- point perspective.

How To: Draw the figure of the female form

A female body is the most beautiful body in the world. Let's try to draw a female figure. First draw the basic shapes of the female posture. A good body is generally in 'S' shape. The curves have to be drawn properly like the legs, breast, stomach and then the face. When one feels that the body is coming in shape, darken the outlines and give some shadows. This will help in your drawing skills as well as understanding the human anatomy

How To: Make a nightie out of pillowcases with Threadbanger

In this video Threadbanger Projects shows how Anne made her nightdress out of a pillow case to match panties up loader Clare Bear showed how to previously for Valentines Day. Materials needed are a pillowcase to match the frilly panties, elastic, ribbon, scissors, and a sewing machine. She explains how to measure elastic points using your body and shows how to attach the elastic using pins and a sewing machine. She finishes the nightdress with ribbon for the straps and a bow on the back.

How To: Draw Supergirl from DC Comics

Ever since Supergirl was introduced in the DC world of comics she has always been the youthful, ambitious protagonist that everyone knew to respect. Her strength and value made her entrance on the scene a remarkable one, even though she never got too much limelight. This video is focusing on portrait of female character design for manga, video game, and comics basic. The process shows BASIC drawing and sketching video series of comic book characters that will help you gain knowledge of anatom...

How To: Make an urban environment neighborhood drawing

Watch this video to learn how to make an urban neighborhood drawing. Start by sketching the road splitting into two direction. Remember that as things are farther a way they are smaller in appearance. Put in some vegetation where you are not going to put building. Next sketch in the buildings. At first just put the outline of the buildings. Then add detail on the building such as windows and doors. Think at what point in the sky the sun is at and add shadows on the sides of the buildings acco...

How To: Draw a woman's head

Learn how to sketch a realistic 3/4 profile of a female head and face. Begin by drawing a simple circle. Add a few more construction lines which outline the general shape of the drawing. The rough features of the face come next. Now you are ready for more artistic touches, such as shadows underneath the nose and lower lip. Experiment with different brushes and intensity of color until you like the result. Learn to play with lines and shadows to create a sketch of a female head.