Silhouettes

Hello again fellow readers,

Today I would like to discuss one of my favorite styles of drawing: silhouettes. A silhouette is defined (dictionary.com) as a 2D outline or general shape of an object, or dark against light. These types of drawings are easy to make because you are just simply doing the outline of the object and do not need to focus on much detail.

Silhouettes can be done in any medium and are not restricted to just black and white, you can use color too! Some types of silhouettes I've seen are:

1. Ink silhouettes - object is outlined and filled in with ink against a white background.
2. Cutouts - the outline of an object is cut out on one sheet of paper and put against a different surface (either darker or lighter depending on the color of the cutout.
3. Colored silhouettes - same idea as the dark against light but using colors.

  I love doing silhouettes myself and I've experimented with different ways of doing them.

  

 I did this piece in ink on a white surface.

 Recently I have started to do silhouettes with a color outline. This piece is ink and pastel.

Another example of a silhouette with a color outline. This piece is ink and colored pencil.

You can get creative with this style of drawing. I have seen pictures of silhouette puzzles, others using a wide variety of colors and even some fancy cutouts. Try it and have fun! 

Art Supplies

Hello again readers,

Today I will discuss one very important aspect of art: supplies. Creating art doesn't take much; if you have a pencil and paper, you're pretty much set to go. But if you want something in color, or to add texture, or make it 3D, etc...you will need some art supplies.

First off, you need a place to draw, paint, etc. You can always grab any piece of paper and start with that but some surfaces are better for some projects than others. I have three sketchbooks each for different types of pieces. A regular sketchbook is good for sketches, colored pencil and pastel projects. A watercolor sketchbook has special paper to do watercolor paintings. The paper is thicker and pretty absorbent; perfect for watercolor paints. Canvases are great for paint. They come in different shapes and sizes. Canvases are also great for craft projects!

So great, you've found the type of surface you want to use, now what? You need something to draw with. There are two main types of writing/drawing materials that I will classify into "dry" and "wet" materials. What I mean by dry, is that they come in pencil form and you do not need to add water to draw. Wet materials do need water for you to get started.

Dry Materials: Even though some are technically wet, they do not require water to use.

1. Pencils (regular and charcoal)
2. Colored pencils - my favorite brands are Prismacolor and Derwent
3. Oil pastels - I have cylinder block pastels but I am trying to find pastel pencils as these are easier to handle
4. Chalk
5. Pen and ink - also include calligraphy pens and Sharpies
6. Markers

Wet Materials: Basically paints which do require water to use.

1. Pallet watercolors and tube water colors - both work great, just need different amounts of water.
2. Watercolor pencils - I have only used these once and they were difficult for me to figure out how much water they need to work
3. Acrylics - tempura are school grade and are usually thinner and harder to create texture, while artist grade acrylics are usually thicker and allow for different types of strokes.
4. Oils - I have never used these as you need to mess with paint thinners and such.
5. Face paints - believe it or not, face painting can be very detailed and artistic. I also like using these paints for regular watercolor projects. My favorite brand are Snazaroo!
6. Brushes - to be able to paint, you need brushes. I have 4 artist grade brushes (they can be quite pricey!) and other lower grade brushes. Snazaroo brand brushes are amazing for watercolor projects as well; this brand is all around awesome with the quality of their supplies.
7. Pallets and knives - these are good to have so you have a special surface for mixing your paints but you can always use a piece of cardboard if you don't have them available.

The pictures above are of most of my current art supplies. I have yet to buy Prismacolor colored pencils as they are pretty expensive. Somethings I buy as I go. I also have craft supplies, but that's a story for another time.

Now that you have an idea of what to use, get out there and create! Until next time ;-)