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Artistic Cities to Visit

There are many tourist attractions around the world that are worth visiting. These places can include towns, cities, countrysides, and many more. Here are a few places that I personally recommend to visit.

1. Berlin, Germany

After the Berlin Wall, the city reinvented itself into one of Europe’s major art venues. When taking a stroll down each street and corner, you can find each place’s unique features. The landscape of the city is always changing and new street art appears on walls every night.

If street art is not your go-to, there are countless museums and galleries to visit all around the city. Below are two pictures. On the right is part of the Berlin Wall and on the left is a beautiful street in this spectacular city.

2. Paris, France

This city is covered in creativity and inspiration. Paris houses a variety of different arts and a major tourist attraction. It also holds multiple museums and galleries as well including the famous Louvre. Louvre was earlier used as a royal fortress but soon found itself as a very famous and beautiful museum. Another major museum is Musée D’ Orsay. Below you can see the famous Louvre museum on a beautiful night.

3. Kyoto, Japan

This city is known as “The City of Ten Thousand Shrines”. Beautiful shrines decorate the city and new ones pop up very frequently. Another interesting trait to this city is that, even without using a guide book, you can stumble upon gorgeous gardens and other magnificent sceneries. The cities beautiful shrines and gardens can be seen in the pictures below.

These are a few of my personal favorite cities that are definitely worthy of visiting. Their unique aspects and sceneries are outstanding. Combined with the inspiration floating around the city and the creativity from other artists, these cities shine beside other famous towns and venues.

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Still Life

Still Life art in a painting or sculpture is where the subject matter features an arrangement of inanimate objects. Usually, these objects are set out on a table and are most likely fruits or flowers. Household items like glassware are also present in still life.

These subject matters can vary from things that are made by human hands or to beautiful entities and and items that come from the nature world. Through these objects, many artists can express their ideas about the universal reflections of life and death, religious symbolism, and explorations.

This genre is very diverse and one that artists tend to turn to repeatedly. They can turn again and again to this genre because they have room to explore the essentials of art which include color, shade, light, form, and more. This genre can help artists find the answers that others take forever to find.

However, for many beginners, they may devote their time and energy trying to replicate an object while finding it difficult to find the right structure. An artist-instructor by the name James Sulkowski said, “It’s easy to become overwhelmed by all the possibilities.” When constructing a still life painting, it is helpful to ask a few questions. What initially attracted me to these subjects? What is needed to attract an audience? What is needed to have the audience feel what I feel?

The artist of these pieces have the ability to alter the scene or set in accordance with the mood and emotions they hope the audience is able to decipher. A still life painting should exited the viewer and encourage them to use their imagination. If an artist is not able to get the mood or emotions they desire out of the scene, they can freely change locations, objects, and or further explore the essentials of art. They can also focus on a small portion of their subject by cropping the picture and pay attention to details that the viewers may not notice if it were in a much larger scale.

Still life is a genre that many, if not all, artists turn to frequently. They use this along with many other compositions and genres to convey their emotions or message. In a way, artists use this as a way to share their art and communicate with others. However, whether or not their personal emotions or message is carried through, it can still impact many individuals, When anyone, whether it be the artist or viewer, looks at a painting or sculptures, they analyze it bringing along their own unique life experiences, imagination, and personal understanding of the universe. Each person looks at a piece indepently and interprets each detail in their own unique way.

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The Influence of Art

There is art in everything we do. Most would first think to intricate pieces in museums and galleries but we are surrounded by art and art itself.

One example can be seen through religion. In some religions, some believe that a being(s) that designed out world and universe. That itself can be considered art.

There is art all around us. If you look down a street, you will see different car designs and brands, uniquely designed buildings, clothing aesthetics, and something different down every street.

There is also many forms of art in your house. It does not only include picture frames or canvases hung up on your wall. It also includes the patterns lining your bed sheets, the cute china plates stacked inside your cabinets, the color aesthetic of your clothes inside your closet, and the pictures on your fridge.

Some may also wonder why it is so important in our daily lives and that we can just live with essential items that are plain and basic. This is because even though we can live with just the necessities, have something unique and something that pleases us brings us happiness. Imagine that decorative wall piece you may have and chose to put on our wall. It may be a gorgeous painting, poster, or portrait of someone. No matter what it is, when you look at it, it brings you joy and happiness. Having many pieces you like around you or in your room creates an atmosphere that you want to be surrounded by and makes it a more enjoyable place.

This can also be considered as inspirational art. Posters hung up in places like an office, more specifically your office, can encourage you to be more productive. For example, some teachers in the school Ipoly have poster and frames hung up in their classrooms that they personally choose to put up. It helps them create an atmosphere that they are comfortable in and that they enjoy. Inspirational art also includes a positive quote that you may like and want to put up.

Art is very important in our everyday lives. With what we are surrounded by, whether it is music we hear from a passing car, the radio station we hear in the car, the monuments and unique sculptures we pass, it can greatly impact our mood and emotions.

Whether you enjoy or dislike art, it can make a community alluring. It can make places we visit and areas we stay more memorable and interesting. The places we go with certain people can be held and kept in that place. Art makes life more enjoyable and easier for many.

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Interpretations

Every piece of art holds a meaning to someone. Whether it be the artist or the viewer. Close your eyes and think of a piece of art that means a lot to you. It could be a visual art like dancing, theatre, a painting, a sculpture, anything. Then think about what it means to you and what it might have meant to the artist or artists that made it. It might hold a different meaning from yours. Everyone has a different way of interpreting artwork. Some ways of interpreting an artwork may be the same but there are so many ways to interpreting something it’s amazing. Today, we’ll see if the artist’s interpretation and the viewer’s interpretation ever coincide.

In the history of art, there are an enormous amount of misunderstandings between the artist and the viewer. There are also misunderstandings between viewers. For example, some viewers might find an artwork outdated and boring while others might find them beautiful and impactful.

An example of a misunderstanding between an artist and viewer is related to Georgia O’ Keeffe. In one of my recent blogs, I mentioned how she was invested in painting flowers. She painted close up pictures of flowers so people could clearly see their beauty and how she sees flowers. However, critics labeled her artwork inappropriate. Georgia then switched to painting other objects. This is just one example of a misunderstanding between an artist and the viewer. Below are a couple examples of her flowers in one of my previous posts.

There are also some examples where an artist’s feelings were understood by the general public. This is seen with Jackson Pollock. Jackson Pollock is an abstract painter know for his drip and splatter paintings. He put his emotions into his artwork and his audience and viewers could see and feel his emotions through the artwork. The viewers understood him through art and it was a beautiful thing. You can see one of his most iconic works below, Full Fathom Five.

An artist’s interpretation and view might not always coincide like Jackson Pollock and everyone but when they do, it’s a wonderful feeling and moment.

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Photography

Photography, as most might be familiar with, is a practice of taking and processing photographs. It is also one of the most important visual art forms. However, before, photography could not and was not seen in art galleries and photographers were not seen as artists. Instead, they were seen as technicians. But soon, photographers like Alfred Stieglitz would change the way people saw and evaluated photography. Today we will address the question : How and when did photography become an art form and why art is important today ?

In today’s world, we are surrounded by images that we could not imagine how special it must have been to see an image so realistic. Before the invention of photography, sceneries and realistic images could only be made by skilled artists. Below are a couple artworks before photography was officially considered an art form.

When photography was first introduced, there were three views on it. Some did not consider it an art as it used a machine and not by our imagination. They considered it a threat to “real art.” Others saw it a useful asset and used it as reference but did not consider it equal to the value and quality of paintings and drawings. The others saw the potential in photography and felt like photography could eventually be an art form.

Most photographers already considered themselves as artists despite what others might think. Alfred Stieglitz was the first to introduce photography into art galleries by hosting his awn gallery. He founded an art gallery in 1905 and called it “The Little Galleries of the Photo-Secession.” You can see inside part of the gallery below. In this gallery, he exhibited photographs alongside paintings and sculptures and gave photographs the same status as them.

By the 1940’s, photography officially became an art form starting from the US and eventually spreading this to Europe and more. Throughout the development of photography, many others have helped and contributed since it was first invented. However, Alfred Stieglitz along with his colleagues helped contribute a large amount to this development.

As photography became more widespread and used, artists like Vincent Van Gogh started to drift away from realism in art. They saw that photography could capture the art of realism better so their goal was to create a painting that cameras could not capture in photographs. They saw that the goal of a real artist was to go beyond what the camera could do. This goal of doing and capturing what the camera could not can be seen below. Below is a painting of Vincent Van Gogh’s famous painting, ‘The Starry Night.’

In today’s world, photography is sometimes looked over and taken for granted. Photography is a beautiful and important art form. It helps scientists observe the landscape of the Earth over decades. It also allows us to keep and find images from the past. It makes us think and remember what happened back then and what it was like. It allows us to compare the past with the present. This is significant to each person individually. It is also significant in fields like science, history, and things we see in our everyday lives such as online or alongside the road.

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Georgia O’ Keeffe

Georgia O’ Keeffe was a female artist that painted innovative impressionist paintings during a time where there were not a lot of opportunities for women in art. She was one of the first women to gain approval from the general public and critics. She challenged people’s intuitive understanding and her artwork evolved throughout her career. Her canvases were filled with view from the city, the desert, flowers, bones, and played with colors, lines, and shapes.

As a kid, she was raised in a large farm in Wisconsin. These are where she first found her inspiration and her love for art. She would start out by painting things she say like flowers, mountains, seashells, and animal bones she found in the desert. She would take these and simplify them. She wanted to give these pictures a special power and strength so she painted them to cover her canvas. However, she hardly painted portraits or pictures of people and animals.

While Georgia was studying at different art schools and colleges across the country, her teachers taught her techniques to creating representational art using fine details. This style never satisfied O’ Keeffe so she began to try a different style. She started to experiment with abstract art, or changing the appearance of something so the object no longer looks realistic. Below are a couple of her abstract artworks.

After college, O’Keeffe started to teach and traveled to Texas to teach there. Texas was new for her and she showed her excitement of being there through her paintings. Her paintings would soon start to look different and unique from any other artists. During this time, one of her friends presented one of her charcoal drawings to Alfred Stieglitz, a famous photographer and owner of an art gallery in New York City. Stieglitz took a big interest in her artwork and the sincerity he saw in her work. Below are a couple of the many charcoal drawings she made.

Without her knowledge, Georgia O’ Keeffe had her first showcase in Stieglitz’s gallery, 291 Gallery. Stieglitz contacted O'Keeffe and asked her to come back to New York without having to worry about money and spend her time painting. He told her he could raise enough money for her through her artwork.

She traveled back to New York and her paintings contained bold shapes, designs, and bright colors. Stieglitz was indeed a big part of her life. Working so closely, they soon fell in love and got married in 1924.

She started to shift towards oil paintings because they seemed to enhance the natural structure of her pieces. Her beautiful flowers she painted are what got her recognized by the general public. She usually made her flowers really big to show people how she felt about them. She hoped it would even get the attention of busy New Yorkers. Underneath is a couple of her oil paintings that resemble a close up of flowers.

Her hopes of gaining people’s attention were fulfilled because they received attention instantly. Her first large-scale flower she painted, Petunia, is what started the flower theme that was present throughout the rest of her career. There were not many artworks created by women in the 1920′s and people were curious about her works. Soon people began to realize that she was a great American artist. You can see her painting, Petunia, in the following picture.

However, worldwide critics claimed that her artwork was very sexual but she quickly denied those theories. She started to shift back to painting representational art. Tired and wanting to get away from crowd, she traveled to New Mexico and fell in love with the scenery of the state. Her inspirations grew along with the meaning in her artwork.

O’Keeffe lived to be 98 years old and became an artist in a time where women only taught art. She worked hard and put in her own emotions into her artworks. She was an artist that painted things she found beauty in that most would ignore or never notice. She was an artist that was able to show that beauty she saw into her paintings and artwork.

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Scratchboard Art

Scratchboard is a form or technique artists use for an illustration. It is also a black and white drawing medium. It usually starts off with a special board layered with a white surface topped with a black layer. Artists use different tools to scratch off the black layer revealing the white layer underneath it. Artists can shade by scratching off a thick or thinner line closer or farther apart. These small lines, scratches, and marks are what gave the medium its name. 

Artists can also use different techniques to shade or color the illustration. However, this technique is different. It is not about creating an image within negative space but the opposite. Instead of shading in an objects shadow, you are scratching away the dark ink to reveal lighter and brighter areas of an illustration. Using this technique can leave a dramatic impression on the audience. 

This is the more modern form of scratchboard art. This modern form of the scratchboard originated in the 19th century in Britain and France. It started to appear more in the printing industry because these thin lines could be easily replicated without loosing its quality. It was the preferred way of illustrating pictures for medical and scientific illustrations. Some illustrations made during the 19th century can be seen below. 

There are many techniques you can use while making scratchboard art. The first is to use a piece of chalk to gently outline where you want to start scraping away. This way, you can see how you want your picture to look like after. If your piece involves shadows and light, you can start by making small marks to build the highlight. Then, you can start making your way towards the shadows and darker areas. 

You can also use a method called cross-hatching. Cross-hatching involves creating small lines in a criss-patterned to create depth. To create different grades of shading between lighter and darker areas, it is helpful to vary the space between each line. If the lines are closer together, it helps for a brighter and more highlighted area on your paper while lines farther apart help with a more shadowed and darker area. There is another method called stippling. This is where you repeatedly create small dots by poking a surface. Using these two methods together can also give you a certain effect. On the left below, you can find an example of cross-hatching. On the right is an example of stippling.

Scratchboard is a drawing medium that has been around for a long time but not very common anymore. However, it is a fun and creative art medium to try out. 

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Renoir

"Why shouldn't art be pretty? There are enough unpleasant things in the world."

This quote above was said by none other than Pierre-Auguste Renoir. You may or may not know him as a French Impressionist artist who was known for having an eye for beauty.

Renoir was born into a working class family near the western side of France, also known as the center of porcelain products. One of his first jobs was in a one of the porcelain factories. He was praised by his employers and other workers for his steady hand and decorative effect. He attracted many upper class families who he painted pictures and other luxurious objects for. This encouraged him to follow in the career of fine arts.

Renoir later won acceptance into the Paris Salon exhibit and showcased a couple of his artworks there. These helped him raise his profile in the art community. However, he struggled to make a living, usually relying on his supportive friends and mentors for a place to stay. Some of the artists he befriended include Claude Monet, Frederic Bazille, and Alfred Sisley.

Situations and conditions encouraged Renoir to attempt to add more freedom and experiment with his artwork. Renoir worked alongside the painter Claude Monet during the 1860's developing the Impressionist style. Renoir, along with other artists, decided to show their own works which later became the first impressionist exhibit. Although their first exhibit was not a success, a wealthy publisher took notice of their works and invited them to numerous social gatherings in Paris. Below are a couple examples of the artwork in the first Impressionist exhibit. On the left is an example of one of Renoir's works. To the right of that is an example of one of Monet's works.

Renoir was the first to realize the possible limitations in art that was based on lighting and use his discoveries in his artwork. His style of art included color, composition, and depth instead of quickly drawn sketches of movement. He also had his trademark feather-like strokes to Renoir's works were closely related to later movements such as Cubism and Fauvism. It also created a vital bridge connecting earlier colorists like Raphael and Paul Rubens. Underneath you can see an example of Cubism on the left and Fauvism on the right.

Renoir lived his last days painting even after suffering from rheumatism which affected his fingers. It caused his fingers to curl into his palm. He completed over 200 works of art as well as inspired many other artists like Pablo Picasso and Pierre Bonnard.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir was an artist that inspired many other artists as well as start movements in the art world. He was and still is an inspiration to many.

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Abstract Art!

Many people outright either hate, love, or do not care about abstract art. The reason this form of art is so appealing to others is because it is considered one of the purest forms of art. This form of art allows the artist to freely move and experiment without the constraining forms that you find in objective reality. Today, I'll be showing you a few different kinds of abstract art pieces and how many other artists have used it to their advantage.

Lets start with a bit of background. The word abstract means to withdraw or separate something from something else. You can apply this to art where objects and forms are simplified and use general masking with no source of external visual reality. The literal definition of abstract art is art that does not attempt to represent an accurate depiction of a visual reality. Instead, it uses shapes, forms, colors, and general masking to try and achieve its effect. Abstract art is also known as nonrepresentational art.

The first piece of abstract art is Dynamic Suprematism. It was made by the Russian artist Kazimir Malevich. His pieces coincide with the Russian Revolution of 1917. He used the forms of shape, color, and geometric forms. These forms help him convey a sense of movement and distress. This can be closely related to the development of suprematism. It was a movement that explored color and form through painting basic geometric shapes. Below is a picture of the painting.

Next is not a piece but an artist. She goes by the name of Catherine Pickop. She is a minimalist abstract artist. She uses the gesture of coffee residue along with controlling the tone of it with her body temperature and pressure of her fingers. Her works help create a moment of quiet or stillness. She has three main essentials in al of her pieces. They include the following: repitition, stillness, and rhythm. A couple of her works can be seen below.

Those were a couple of artists that inspire me in abstract or nonrepresentational art. However, the famous artist Jackson Pollock cannot be forgotten. He used a technique of dripping paint onto the canvas instead of purposefully applied called drip painting. He would use household items to drip paint onto his canvas and be able to convey his emotions through his works. Below is an example of his work Number 5.

These artists are all very inspiring and have their own unique way of creating an abstract piece.

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Roy Lichtenstein

Roy Lichtenstein was born in New York City in 1923. He, along with other artists like Andy Warhol and Claes Oldenburg, helped create an art movement known as the Pop Art Movement. The Pop Art Movement was a huge art movement and style that oringinated in England in the 1950’s. It slowly made its way over the to United States of America during the 1960’s. During this time, artists focused their attention on familiar images of the popular culture such as billboards, comic strips, magazine advertisements, and supermarket products. This was definitely an incredibly fun and bright period of art. Underneath is an example of some bubble gum wrappers that may have been his inspiration.

The artist, Roy Lichtenstein himself found his inspiration from bubble gum wrappers, comic books, newspaper ads, and yellow pages in a phone book. He, issuing his very imaginative and creative skills, took these everyday objects and made them into works of art.

Roy Lichtenstein had always been interested in science, drawing, and the way machinery worked growing up. Fortunately, Lichtenstein lived next to the American Muesem of Natural History and always visited and explored the exhibits and hallways of the muesem. Lichtenstein never had any art classes in school so he took it upon himself to teach himself. During this time, he made up his mind to pursue his love for art and be an artist. He became an art teacher at Ohio State University and other schools in Ohio and New York after finishing his art studies in college.

His main interest was in Abtract Empressionism. Abstract Empressionism uses wild brush strokes, often along with splatters or paint drips across the painting. Some Abstract Empressionists include Jackson Pollock and William de Kooning. In their artwork, you can gain the feeling that they showed their innermost feelings through these works. Lichtenstein however, felt that these were used too often and strayed away from it. He spent time looking at bubble-gum wrappers with his sons and one day, just for his own enjoyment, created a large painting of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. He made sure the painting looked smooth and mechanically printed so it was the exact opposite from a more common Abstract Empressionism painting. Below is an example of abstract Impressionism on the left and pop art on the right.

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The Art of Water Puppetry

One of the most visited tourist attractions is the famous water puppetries in Hanoi. Water puppetry is an art that dates back to the 11th century. It is a Vietnamese tradition that originated in the villages of the Red River Delta in northern Vietnam. This was created as entertainment for the villagers back then when the rice fields would flood. Below is a picture of the Red River Delta, the birth place of water puppetry.

The puppets are performed in a waist deep pool where puppeteers support them behind a screen using bamboo rods. This is to create the appearance of the puppets moving over the water. Below you can see that the puppets seem to be moving across the water’s surface. On the left, you can also see that the stage is envelopes in bright festive lights drawing you attention to it immediately.

Water puppetry is performed in a 4 meters square pool. At most, 8 puppeteers hide behind the screen controlling the puppet. The puppet, made out of fig wood that usually weighs about 15 kg, is controlled using bamboo rods and a string mechanism. When puppet makers make these puppets, they must take into consideration the movements and the operation mechanism involved. If these puppets are used on a daily basis, the average life span of a water puppets is around 4 months. However, today’s puppets have been updated with new techniques making the overall construction, movements, and performance better.

The show usually consists of 7-11 characters or puppets. The puppeteers usually train for 3 years in advance (past puppeteer roles were last down from father to son). Below, you can see up close how the puppets look and how they’re dressed and decorated.

During the show, a traditional Vietnamese orchestra plays music according to the the act and scene to set the mood. The instrumentalists are a big part of the show usually shouting words of encouragement to the puppeteers. An example of what the traditional Vietnamese orchestra play is perhaps the beat of drums for an entrance of a dragon or the clear sounds of the flute for the royalties. Singers will often sing songs that correspond to the actions of the puppets. Underneath in a picture of an kchestra playing in the middle of a performance.

The stories told are often folklore told by grandparents to their grandchildren and of things like the season’s harvest, fishing and festivals. Their are also stories of legends and history that are told in small skits throughout the play. These skits are often comedic for audience members to enjoy.

Water puppetry is a very popular tourist attraction that is performed in a pool of water. This traditional way of entertainment has been kept throughout the years. Seeing this in real life is a much more interesting experience when you need a good laugh. Although I’ve never seen this performance in person, it’s on my bucket list.

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Space

Today, space is our word of the day. This space is one of the seven elements of art. In this case, space is the emptiness or area between, around, above, below, or within objects. Space can be negative or positive. Space can be two-dimensional or three-dimensional. Space can also be shallow or deep. Today, space is what we’re going to be discussing.

Space can be negative or positive. Positive space is the main area or object of focus in an artwork. Negative space is everything else. When artist create two-dimensional artwork, they often also create positive and negative space. Negative space can greatly affect an art piece. Underneath is an example of negative and positive space (in black). On the left is positive space while negative space is on the right. You can clearly see here what negative and positive space is.

Space is also the illusions of objects having depth on a two-dimensional surface. For instance, in drawings, artists typically use linear perspectives. Linear perspective is based on the way the human eye sees the world (objects closer appear larger while objects farther appear smaller). This started in the Renaissance. They created this using mathematics and closely observing their surroundings. Architect Filipino Brunelleschi suggested the mathematical system explains how objects shrunk according to position and distance from the eye. This idea spread quickly and many others started to use this. Below you can see two pictures of artworks that use this technique.

There are also a few things that should be noted to top off this technique. In a painting or drawing, objects farther from the eye (background) appear lighter in value. Imagine mountains of hill in the distance. If you can’t picture it, it’s in the images below.

Along with this change in value, there is also a change in detail. As objects get smaller and farther (background), the amount of detail becomes less. This is shown clearly in the picture below.

This is the basics of space. There is much more to space than this. Actively practicing this can help improve your three-dimensional drawing or paintings

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Typography Art

Typography is the art or taking letters and rearranging them into legible and pleasantly pleasing. You may see forms of typography in advertisements where they use a combination of font, color, and shapes to catch you attention. In a previous blog, I talked about colors and the color palette. Using color combinations that are pleasant to the eye can make a huge difference. Here are 2 reasons why typography might be important in certain situations.

1. When making an advertisement, companies might find the art of typography very useful. I stated in the beginning how the combinations of font, colors, and shapes can attract and hold a viewers attention. This is because you can set a certain mood to what you want to share to the viewers. It is also important that you can send the message to the audience.

2. Another reason why it’s important is because it helps create the aesthetic. Using typography in a presentation ties it all together. Doing this, you should keep in mind that this is important so the reader can easily comprehend what you are presenting. For example, using the same font and font size for most of the presentation keeps the presentation clean and organized.

These are 2 reasons why typography is important. These are very beneficial for different situations like presentations or advertisements.

However, typography is also used in art. Below are another set of 3 examples but on the subject of typography art.

1. The first is Sabeena Karkin’s paper typography. She used a technique called quilling which is rolling stripes of paper and glueing them together to create a 3-D art. Below are two examples of her artworks.

2. The second is Tolga Girgin. Hand-drawn words that seem to catch you attention by seeming to keep off the page. Each art piece shows impressive skills which can be seen in the picture below.

3. The third artist is Stefan Sagmeister. He is an Austrian graphic designer and typography designer. His work never fails to leave an impression on me. He has a reputation of creating incredibly interesting and eye-catching typography art. Below are two examples of his works that I find incredibly powerful.

Typography is used more often than you think. Everywhere you look you’ll see a form of typography from street signs to restaurant logos or titles. Using typography is an extremely helpful and useful technique to use. There is a lot more on typography but I’ve only scratch the top of it. However, the basics and most helpful tips are above. I hope you can use this sometime in the future!

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Traveling

There are many things that can affect the way you see and create art. One of those things is traveling. Traveling can help you look at things differently and help you gain the inspiration I talked about in my last post. So, here are 3 ways of how traveling can affect your artwork.

New Experiences

Traveling is good for getting out of a routine. Your artwork can get repetitive and boring if you are stuck in a boring routine. Constantly doing something over and over doesn’t bring something new to your plate. You can get a surplus of inspiration by going out and traveling.

New Perspectives

Going out and visiting new places can help you see something in another person’s shoes. Observing different cultures, angles, ideas, and environments can help you expand your views and challenge your own opinions. By traveling, you can fully, truly, see yourself in another person’s shoes.

New Knowledge

When traveling, meeting new people, their views, and their art can help up expand our knowledge. This ties in closely to finding new perspectives. This is because when you travel alone, no one will make fun of you for trying new things you might not be good at. There is nothing to discourage you from trying things to help you better understand new places and cultures. Because there is no barrier, expanding your knowledge and view of the world can be shown through your artwork.

When traveling to different places, there may be very famous or inspirational pieces nearby. Here are 3 places you might like to visit.

Austin, Texas

Austin has no room for boring art. Their walls and even hotels include fascinating collections. There is inspiration everywhere from the moment you check into a hotel. Below is a picture of a couple street art photos in Austin, Texas.

San Fransisco, California

San Fransisco, other than their amazing art museums, have many cutting edge street galleries and murals that ooze ideas and creativity. San Fransisco is home to many colorful street art. However, every corner you turn has a different meaning and spark of its own. Underneath is an example of a mural in Clarion Alley on Mission Street in San Fransisco.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Art. This city lives and breathes art. This city has all the components of what the meaning of art is. The city is breathtaking. A stroll down Julia Street can give you a sensation how much art rolls off of it in massive waves. Every corner, street, and even wall is beautiful. Below is a picture of a museum on Julia Street.

This is all I have for right now. Stay updated to see what may be coming your way. An open mind can do wonders in the world of art.

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Searching for Inspiration?

There are many moments where our brains tend to run dry on ideas. For me, this happens quite often when I’m about to draw or create soemthign new. Because this happens so frequently, I’ve learned a few things and have some tips to fin inspiration.

The first tip I usually do when I am at home or the library. I would go on the computer and look at the portfolios of other artists. I do this to get a sense of what technique and style I want to create next. There are two different artists and two pictures from their portfolios below.

The top to pictures are art pieces from Francoise Nielly. Her artwork is creative, unique, and soulful. She uses a lot of vivid colors to help her portray an emotional and broken yet complete face. The viewers can easily get a sense of what emotion she is trying to portray to them. The second artist is Sara Holbert. The two bottom pieces are hers. Her artwork is more childish and dreamy. It brings back memories of childhood and has a sense of nature in it. She uses different techniques to achieve the dreamy and cartoon like picture.

I also like to find inspiration outside. When I am outside, I like to skim through art magazines I find and keep in mind things I see that could potentially be the inspiration to my next piece. I like to find something ordinary like everyday items and find something special about them to show to the viewers.

I also found that scribbling or drawing helps me to practice my strokes and lines for when I draw. I do this on my free time and I sometimes even get my inspiration from my doodles. Another tip is to try doing it with your non-dominant hand. It makes you focus more on yourself movements.

Something else that helps me is listening to music. It sets me in the mood of what I want to draw. You can find inspiration from listening to the words, beat, and how the artist performs the song.

These are all the tips I have and learned throughout the years. I hope these help you to find something to create and make a piece of artwork.

[emilysperspective101-blog]

Marble Art

There are many different techniques you can use to create a marble effect on paper. Today, I will be showing you 2 different techniques that you can use to achieve this effect.

The first technique you can use includes marbles. This technique is more kid friendly but fun enough for everyone to enjoy as long as you don’t mind getting your hands dirty. The materials you will need include the following: paper (watercolor or card stock preferably), a shallow cardboard box, paint, small container(s) to hold your paint, and a spoon. The small containers can be left over egg cartons or a muffin pan. The steps for this technique is listed down below with pictures.

1. Add some paint into your containers and insert your marbles in the paint. Make sure you cover the marbles in paint.

2. Place your paper into your shallow cardboard box.

3. Use your spoon to move the marbles from the containers onto your paper.

4. Lift your cardboard box and use it to roll the marbles around.

5. Once you are satisfied with your look, hang them up to dry.

You can use one or more marbles at a time to achieve the look you want.

The second technique uses spray paint. This is one of my favorite ways to marbleize paper because, even on top of water it dries quickly. This can also be done around Christmas time because the spray paint can also be used on glass ornaments for the tree. The materials you will need include the following: a shallow bucket large enough to fit your paper, enough water to fill the bucket 2-3 inches, paper, spray paint, and a skewer(not mandatory). The instructions are below and include pictures. 

1. Fill your bucket with 2-3 inches of water.

2. Use your spray paint to mist the top layer of the water so the top layer is fully covered. 

3. To spread the color(s) around, you can lightly shake the bucket to break up the color or use a skewer to make patterns or swirls.

4. (Optional) You can add more spray paint on top of the layer you just created.

5. Lightly dip your paper onto the surface of the water and quickly remove it.  

These are the techniques for marble art I have for you. I hope these help you or someone else to do these at home.

[emilysperspective101-blog]

Minimalist Art

  Minimalism is a form of painting or sculpture characterized by its simplistic form. It is also a type of abstract art and composes of simple geometric shapes and lines. Below, you can see two examples of minimalist black and white line art. 

  Usually, in art, we tend to think that art is to replicate or create an aspect of the real world. Such examples are landscapes, portraits, or paintings of everyday materials. However, in minimalist art, the artist has no intention to replicate the outside world, They don't want the viewer or individual to look at their work and think of a deeper meaning behind it. What the artist wants is for the viewer to respond only to what is in front of them. This form of art has a medium and it is the reality of the piece. A famous minimalist artist once said, "What you see is what you see."

   When you look at a minimalist piece, you can see that it is very aesthetic and conveys a high and pure form of beauty and elegance. It is not common to see a lot of emotion in minimalist art. It does not have a lot of emotion behind it because it is just the reality of things and what they are. Below, you will learn about other characteristics that you can find in minimalist art. Also, underneath, you will find two examples of minimalist settings that also hold minimalist pieces.

 There are many characteristics that come with almost any medium in art. The one that stands out repetition. This is because many artists create different images and pieces using similar lines and geometric shapes. They also use a very concise and limited color palette. The colors are usually solid with very similar and related hues. These create the simplicity and order in minimalist art.

  Looking at the three pictures above, you can see that the two on the outside have very similar color palettes. However, the shapes that the colors are in are different. This creates the difference between the two pictures. Looking at the picture in the middle, you can see that it is also made up of geometric shapes but the colors are primary colors. These colors and shapes tie the piece together. 

  Another way you can identify minimalist art is looking at the edges. They are usually very hard-edged with minimal shadows. The edges are not softly blended with almost no subtle transitions. You can see an example of this looking at the picture below. 

  Minimalist art is one of my favorite art forms because it requires very little effort. The characteristics do not limit what you want to do. It is also one of my favorite art forms because almost anyone can do it. You can achieve this by using items you already have, knowing the characteristics that make up this art form, and you can take off from there.