Virtual Uffizi Gallery – perfect for the armchair tourist!

The Uffizi Gallery (Galleria degli Uffizi in Italian) — located in the Palazzo degli Uffizi in Florence, Italy — is illustrious for housing one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world. Open to visitors by request since the 16th century, it was officially opened to the public in 1765. Due to the fact the Uffizi Gallery is one of the most celebrated tourist attractions in Florence, waiting times to enter the gallery can be five hours or more, during high season.

While, no substitute for touring the real Uffizi Gallery in Florence, a visit to the Virtual Uffizi Gallery is the next best thing and allows the curious armchair tourist to linger and enjoy the amazing art while simultaneously avoiding all the long line-ups and crowds.

The comprehensive virtual gallery contains over 500 exhibits from the real museum as they appear, complemented with a vast array of photos. The number of works of art exhibited are constantly changing due to new acquisitions, restorations and exhibitions. Also slated in the website’s plans for the future are detailed explanation of each painting, for added insight and interest.

Any art lover or enthusiast of Italy will enjoy what the Virtual Uffizi Gallery has to offer its visitors.

- The above was a sponsored review

Optical illusions – fun for everyone

It’s not often that you find a site on the Internet which challenges the intellect, is fun to view, yet appeals to many age groups.

Optical Illusions has accomplished this demanding task with their website full of not only amazing and mind-bending optical illusions but also some very intriguing photographic work and imagery. Some are humour-based, while others are stunning image captures from natural elements easily over-looked. An optical illusion is defined as a visually perceived image that is deceptive or misleading. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun!

The images are presented clearly with commentary by the site’s talented webmaster, Mr. Illusion. All the stunning images are categorized for interest and easy reference. Some of the categories included are 3D Illusions, Google Earth Illusions, Mind Illusions, Optical Illusions, Perspective Illusions, Real Life Illusions, Scary Optical Illusions and Visual Illusions. All will afford hours of visual wonder and entertainment.

There are even beautiful optical illusions that you can download for your very own desktop wallpaper. Do yourself a favour and go take a gander – and “prepare to be amazed.”

- The above was a sponsored review

Chinese Landscapes Made Easy

Chinese Landscapes Made Easy
-by Rebecca Yue

Publisher: Batsford Books (UK), 176 pages
ISBN 978-0-7134-9047-3

Extremely helpful and beautiful art book

Imagery of the tranquillity and poetry of nature has remained a compelling source of inspiration for artists throughout the millennia. In particular, Chinese landscape paintings, clearly depict nature as more than a mere facsimile of surroundings. Rather, they are abstract expressions of the heart and mind of the artist — they are images that tell stories, exemplifying the depth and beauty of their surrounding culture.

In Chinese Landscapes Made Easy, author and artist Rebecca Yue’s comprehensive and methodical instruction, not only brings a beautifully painted Chinese landscape easily within reach of a novice artist, but also affords a glimpse into the old world techniques and inspiration behind the art.

Along with clear instructions, requisite materials and equipment are outlined and listed, which include: six basic, yet essential, Chinese brushes; various types and weight of paper to facilitate differing painting methods; ink; and other indispensable accessories. These items coupled with a little time, effort and imagination will help the artist master the basics of creating a beautiful finished painting.

The artist is artfully guided through the steps by systematic instructions, and diagrams, in how to manoeuvre the brushes, angling the brush on the painting surface, along with crucial techniques such as the “press and lift” and “dots and long dots” methods, dry and wet loading, two-color loading, and various brush strokes. The effects achieved by each technique are clearly demonstrated with illustrations and descriptive text.

In the beautifully illustrated “Moods & Seasons” and “Landscape Features” chapters, Yue utilizes her own paintings as a guide to clearly demonstrate how to piece together the elements learned in previous chapters, to produce an inspiring and stunning final painting.

In short, Chinese Landscapes Made Easy encapsulates an entire comprehensive art course, which aids the budding artist through every step of creating beautiful Chinese landscapes, and even facilitates the needs of more intermediate/advanced-level artist, seeking to improve skills in achieving a more true-to-form Chinese technique — an art form, in its own right.

The Decorated Journal

The Decorated Journal: Creating Beautifully Expressive Journal Pages
-by Gwen Diehn

Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Lark Books; New Ed edition (August 28, 2006)
ISBN-10: 1579909566 / ISBN-13: 978-1579909567

comprehensive and enjoyable workshop in a book

The Decorated Journal attests that Gwen Diehn, not only competent at binding and embellishing beautiful books, also finds her niche in writing them. From the first page onward, it is evident that Diehn, who teaches journal-creation itself as an art form, takes great pride in sharing the details of her creative knowledge and experience, as much as she enjoys putting them to use.

In this inspiring companion to her previous book, The Decorated Page, Diehn effortlessly initiates and encourages the flow of creative juices with regards visual journaling (complementing descriptive text with visual art), beautifying and personalizing pages/covers, and basic book-binding as a form of artistic expression.

Brimming with instructional gems, each page — amply and colourfully illustrated with expressive images and beautiful examples of creative journal pages — builds gradually on the preceding pages, allowing the reader to progressively observe how the core pieces of the project fit together and visualize the finished product.

The Decorated Journal includes various uses of materials such as watercolour, pastels, coloured pencils, crayons, liquid acrylics, ink, and a vast array of techniques to get the most out of your materials. Also helpful are Diehn’s detailed and practical comparisons of various types/weight of paper, varieties of adhesives, and brushes. Other design suggestions include the use of cut-outs, copier transfers, gouache, collage, colour washes, stamping, etc., to enhance the beauty and interest of your journal. The author touches upon dry/wet processes, use of transparencies and drop shadows to add an interesting dimension to the journal’s pages.

One of the book’s highlights is the comprehensive section on creating an actual journal from scratch, using basic easy-to-find materials. Even the most hesitant of bookbinders will appreciate the chapter entitled “The Reluctant Bookbinder” which walks you through the fundamentals: an easy-to-complete 3-minute pamphlet, the 6-minute double pamphlet, the 30-minute multiple pamphlet journal, and ultimately, the beautiful yet functional 2-hour leather-bound journal. Diehn’s tips are also helpful in customizing an unimaginative store-bought blank book that could use a personal touch. Instructions also include altering book covers or using an old book cover to create a new blank book.

Diehn generously offers her readers a comprehensive workshop in a book, which will be sure to delight journal enthusiasts. Whether you are a novice or “journal veteran”, an occasional journal reader/writer or an avid daily archivist, The Decorated Journal will prove to be a valuable creative resource, overflowing with inspiration and imaginative ideas.

cars

This week topic is “cars”.
Here’s a very quick sketch of possibly one of the most visibly breath-taking cars ever…the Duesenberg! Doesn’t do it one iota of justice, but it was the only thing I could come up with.

simple study of the Duesenberg
8.5″x11″
pencil (graphite) on 92-bright paper

Click for larger view.

signs

Okay…so I missed the boat last week for the topic “signs” – so I thought better late than never. Here’s a very quick (and totally embarassing) sketch I did while on the phone with a customer this morning. Ha! At least I didn’t miss a week. Now to get crackin’ on next week’s topic that was released today…”car”. Oh great. *grimace*

sign of spring
ink on 92-bright paper
8.5″ x10″

Click for larger view.

citrus

One of my first attempts at watercolor…

citron au soleil
8″x10″
Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolor on Canson 90 lb. watercolor paper

Click for larger view.

neighbor

This week’s topic is neighbor…so what better to draw than our neighbor’s laundry? These must be his favorite pants because they’re out on the line all the time.

favorite pants
10″x10″
pencil (graphite) on paper

Click for larger view.

Most of my Illustration Friday drawings are done quick. This one wouldn’t have taken so long if it weren’t for all the shading – ugh. I wish I had a huge pencil sometimes, to make shading go a bit quicker. This one took about 45 minutes (on an off, between customers) to draw today.

Secrets to Drawing Heads

Secrets to Drawing Heads
-by Allan Kraayvanger

Paperback: 112 pages
Sterling (February 2007)
ISBN-10: 1402747438 / ISBN-13: 978-1402747434

MY RATING: 4 / 5 stars

Exceptional guide for the novice

Capturing the quintessence of the human head and face, as well as character of the individual, is the “holy grail” of all techniques, to most artists; also the most complicated and challenging to achieve. This is mainly due to the fact that most struggle with the tendency towards drawing things symbolically, rather than what is actually seen.

Allan Kraayvanger’s Secrets to Drawing Heads is a classic of simplicity, yet exceptionally focused, when it comes to helpful direction in this exceptional art, especially for the absolute novice attempting to develop their skills in portrait drawing.

An easy-to-read condensed art tutorial, Secrets to Drawing Head’s 112 pages are copiously illustrated with over 230 drawings, including step-by-step instructions and text outlining the core techniques that will help the budding artist reason on why such methods are taken. The reader is shown the building blocks of an accurate portrait and how to master the techniques in applying the study of basic components such as skin values, geometric shapes, shadows and lighting, perspective, and planes, to develop visual awareness. Advice offered on “individualizing” a face is also exceedingly helpful in capturing the subjects ‘character’ and personal aura in a portrait.

Extremely helpful in guiding and nudging the burgeoning artist beyond the lifeless one-dimensional line drawing, the complexities of the human face and head are abridged to their simplest structures to accommodate easy comprehension. It should be said that, while accurate and recognizable, the final result is akin to a loose sketch, rather than a detailed and refined portrait. Therefore, its richly visual instruction and references are geared more towards the beginner or intermediate, as opposed to the seasoned artist who is looking for a greater echelon of detail in a finished drawing.

Also included are discussions capturing realistic anatomy by understanding bone and muscle structure, advice on capturing tipped profiles and angled views accurately, as well as the use of symbolism. A comprehensive index in the back of the book also aids in rapid look-up of particular topics of interest.

Kraayvanger’s own drawing illustrations, coupled with his pointed text and guidance in Secrets to Drawing Heads, strike a perfect equilibrium, as he demonstrates the quick, rewarding way to master the fundamentals of a favorite genre of expression. The beginner artist will appreciate how the author reduces complexities with fun and easy-to-follow instructions. This book is highly recommended to the artist endeavoring to gain confidence in drawing an accurate likeness.

Buy Secrets to Drawing Heads at Amazon.com

05/04/2007
-reviewed for Sterling Publishing, NY

remember

Many find drawing realistic sketches daunting. However it’s really not as difficult as it looks. I found a very good online resource at J. D. Hillberry’s site. He is an amazing artist with many helpful hints and step-by-step instructions (which he calls a mini-tutorial) on completing a realistic illustration using paper, a pencil, charcoal and…little else.

After only using strictly graphite pencil for my drawings, I’m considering adding charcoal to my medium – if only for those dark shading that should reflect light (as graphite does). I think this will lend a more 3D-illusion to a lot of my drawings…which is what every artist hankers for.

This week’s Illustration Friday topic is “remember”. I completed a quick sketch for today (done at work, in a rush). Ironically enough, I ended up forgetting to scan it in until the end of the day. Go figure.

remember
8″x10″
pencil on 92-bright paper

Click for larger version.