Transfer a Magazine Picture to Your Artwork
American artist, Robert Rauschenberg, used a collage transfer technique to form many of his art pieces. First, he will cut pictures from magazines. Second, he will transfer the pictures directly to his working surface by saturating the front side of the magazine image with solvent, such as turpentine or lighter fluid. Third he will place the image facing down on the working surface and rub with the lead of a hard pencil.
You can do the same: 1) Before recycling your magazines, look through them and cut a couple of images you like. 2) Saturate the lighter fluid in the front side of the image. 3) place the image down on the working surface. 4) rubbed with a lead hard pencil or spoon or coin. The marks created by the back and forth motion can be considered an aesthetic part of the transfer process.
This technique works best on relatively smooth paper. Also use high quality, recently publish magazines to achieve effective color. You can also use newspapers but it can get a little messy. The transfer image will show reverse of the original. You can draw around your transfer or may be paint some areas. Just have fun!
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Christmas Art Gift
Create an inexpensive but lasting christmas gift for your friends and family. Really simple to do and really inexpensive to ship.
1) Draw a quick sketch or take a picture of something your family or friends like. Let say your friend likes purple flowers. Go out there and take a picture of a purple flower. Think about the angle, the theme and what you want to say with the image you are creating for that very special person.
2) Get a blank card or create your own card with some heavy paper. Try to make the card a little bit bigger than the picture or drawing.
3) Glue the picture or drawing in the front of the card. Leave a white border of about 1/2 inch between the picture and the edge of the card. This will give the viewer the sensation of a frame.
4) Sign your name and date on the white border around the image.
5) Write a note inside and tell them that you took that picture or you drew that drawing thinking about them.
And you are done. Ready to put on an envelop and to mail. Once they receive the card, they can can frame themselves and hang it on their wall. An inexpensive unique and original artwork to give friends and family. They will love the idea that you did it thinking of them.
Happy Holidays!
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How to Keep Your Drawing Clean?
When you need to work on a drawing that requires your hands and arms to rest on the artwork, these are some tips that can help you keep your artwork clean:
1) Cover the area of your drawing where your hands and arms are going to rest. You can cover it using a paper, newsprint paper or simple paper towels. You can tape the covering paper to your drawing board to prevent it from moving.
2) Try to begin drawing on the upper corner of the paper and work toward the opposite lower corner. So if you start on the upper left hand corner, you end up on your lower right corner.
3) If you are using different materials on the same drawing, lets say soft charcoal, conte and dark charcoal, leave the material that smears very easily for the very last.
4) Use some fixative every so often can also keep the charcoal and pastel in place. But use this option as last resource since fixatives tend to change the texture of the paper.
