My Museum

Do you know that the first Christmas card was designed by John Calcott Horseley in 1843? The first set of printed cards went on sale at London . Bet not many know that. If you want to know more about it – click here

One of the things that make an artwork worth bucks and recognition is the signature of the artist. We don’t only go after the exceptional work we so admire but also the artist’s name immortalized on the canvass, the honor of owning an excellent piece of art authenticated by its creator. Here’s one of mine, unsigned. Forgot to before I took this picture besides, I’m still looking for a verse for this one. So remember to sign your works whether it’s just a practice project, a card painting, something you’re giving away or keeping to pass on to your next generation. Someday, when you’ve become really famous and have your own following, that autograph will be worth more than you think it will ever be.

Choosing the right background color for your painting is as important as the color of your foreground subjects. Your background should bring out your subject (focus or foreground of your painting ) and not overshadow it or take the attention from it. Unless you’re doing ‘still life’, or abstract and just a beginner, go by this rule. Now, should you do the background first or last? It depends on what’s more convenient for you, there’s really no rule regarding this.

See also: Sketch from a photo

Another pencil sketch of a photo of a pair of birds I found on the internet. You can do live sketches of subjects right in front of you or from a picture or photo. Sketch as often as you can. I try to draw at least once or twice a week, do two or more subjects in one sketching session. Like I always say, practice makes perfect.

Here's another great site for you to visit - Drawing Blog by Mitch Bowler. The site consists of free lessons (PDF files - you will need an acrobat reader for that - Google the software) on drawing caricatures, cartoons, portraits etc. IT offers a step by step guides on "How to dos". A goldmine for beginners in the field. I have yet to really improve on my portrait painting skills and have bookmarked this place. I've also added a link to his site on my side menu (check that out). You can subscribe to the site or contact Mitch yourself. What are you waiting for? Go!