Art Mediums & Means Of Expression

'What counts most is finding new ways to get the world down in paint on my own terms.' Said Michelangelo.

Medium is not bar in art. We are already equipped with multiple art techniques and art mediums. When I talk about art; it is not limited to only watercolor painting or oil painting in terms of painting, only sketching or drawing with pencil in terms of sketch or making sculpture using stone or wood in terms of sculpture. It is more than that.

Artists use multiple methods, processes or means of expression to state their points. What would you imagine when it comes to painting? Multiple colors on canvas!! How is it to paint complete canvas with one shade without using any normal pigment or color?

There are such distinct art forms including Sand Painting, Clay or Ceramic Painting, Indian Mural art, Digital art, Fax Art, Crop Art or Coffee Painting.

Sand painting is made of sand, Clay or Ceramic Painting is made clay or ceramic, Indian Mural art is made of natural pigments and vegetable colors, crop art is made of seeds, Glass Painting and coffee painting is made of pure coffee.

Leaving canvas a side, artists also think of creating art on wall, vehicles, rock or stone, wood, bamboo or water. Mural art of Europe, Auto Art & Truck Painting in India, Bamboo art of Asia, Rock Art of Africa & Asia, Caves Paintings of Asia, Paper Art and art on wooden art such incredible art styles.

In terms of sculpture; Ice sculpture, Sand sculpture, Sculpture made out of throw away products and Megalithic Art (refers to the use of large stones as an artistic medium) are also addition to sculpture mediums.

Street Art (any art developed in public spaces) becomes nice art visit by everyone who passes from street. It defies rule of owning art by individual.

Promoting art is now no more limited to four wall closed galleries. To attract more visitors; exhibitions are now being held on plasma screen making digital show of any art. Open public show in gardens is good for sculptures and such giant work.

Tribal art such as Art of African Tribal Mask is distinct art medium to express historical saga and cultural beliefs.

Installation art is art that uses sculptural materials and other media to modify the way we experience a particular space. Materials used in contemporary installation art range from everyday and natural materials to new media such as video, sound, performance, computers and the internet.

Kite Art (a kite is a flying tethered man-made object) is famous art in Asian countries. From smaller to bigger flying objects are made to fly in sky. There is no other way to make sky beautiful then flying varieties of kits in sky.

Irrespective what medium artists use; they always try to pass their messages to the world these multiple forms of art. As Aristotle said - 'The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.'

Visit Art & Painting For Further Details On Art Mediums

Art Mediums & Techniques [http://www.artandpainting.net/artstyle.aspx?Id=2&keyword=art%thirster]

Coffee Paintings By Anita & Mira

Art History Study

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Tinkering With Art Forms

For every decorating need, people can find quality art forms to fit. The angle of art might come from a vintage period, or from fine art in the form of a Ming vase or Renoir painting. The quality art forms might come from a subject a person knows very well or one that has consumed a person's curiosity for years. Since we all have varying tastes, one person's masterpiece might be just ordinary to another.

Finding quality art is not a hard task for some however, but finding artwork that is worth the price is difficult to surmise for some. And when it comes to rare pieces of art like masterpieces and the like, this is more than a given that it will have a really expensive price tag during auctions. For collectors and art enthusiasts, this is something normal. Thousands and perhaps even millions of dollars are spent every year to acquire such lovely pieces of art.

When people visit the White House, they aren't just immersed in the rich history of America, but they are also treated to a rich history of art.

The White House website, [http://www.whitehouse.gov] states, The fine arts collection at the Executive Mansion has grown to become a reflection of the best in American history and art. Some quality art forms never seem to go out of style. These have been taken care of in the best way possible by the many residents that this storied house has sheltered.

Not all quality art forms were created through the painting process.

A modern take on art is photography. Every national shrine, landmark and monument has been photographed and memorialized. People can recall fond memories through art and many decorate homes with photographs of relatives and friends. This quality art form keeps memories alive and creates something that someone can touch and feel close to once again.

People are able to work better with art surrounding them. Art has a positive effect on people. They help inspire, spur motivation, and drive them to become more than themselves. Some art works even have an effect that could leave people in tears or simply just stand there looking at it in awe. There are artists that are content making a meager living in parks and other rest areas. They derive inspiration from almost anywhere. From the most unassuming tree to the most majestic of mountains or buildings that sit before them.

Simply put, art makes people happy. No matter what statement is being shown in the art work, it usually doesn't make a difference. It's usually a representation of ones thoughts, insights, and personality as well. To inspire their young, parents usually adorn their walls with works of art whether it's paintings, posters, or photographs. Some children, who are gifted to see other art opportunities in the same space, will produce a quality art form of their own that will become a family treasure for many years to come.

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Photo Art: The Science Behind Morphing Pictures Into Artworks

Hand-painting is an art that came into being very early in time, right from the prehistoric age, when the only known mode of communication was sketching. The initial crude form evolved through continuous tweaking and fine-tuning, down the generations, to the day when the finest of painters were born to marvel the world with their remarkable and inimitable handiwork. The commoners, till today, and hopefully till a distant future, will be able to appreciate the artistic brilliance and splendor of hand paintings fully. Painting as a booming business in the modern world has promoted the dying art with renewed energy through photo art. People€™s interest in converting their photographs into paintings has led to commercialization of the art which in a way has developed the infrastructure for professionals to earn a comfortable living. Portraits in pencil are equally popular among buyers and patrons of art.

Photo art in the pencil sketch style is considered to be a highly creative concept when it comes to portrait making. Local artists are always enthusiastic about portrait painting in imitation of the subject posing for them. However, portraits in pencil from a photograph will require more than just a person with flair in lines. There are many painting companies that offer creative and expensive-looking paintings through skilled painters who can make brilliant sketches just by the photograph of a person. Pencil sketched portraits make the best gifts ever to people you admire, adore and the families of those who have lost a dear one.

The portraits in pencil are potent and admirable from the eyes of a common man and a man of art alike. Previews are offered to clients before the item is delivered, and redoes are chargeable. So, mail your favorite picture today and get a painting done on it. The painters use sketch inks and fiber-based papers to make the portraitures. Photo art is now a highly popular practice that literally translates photos to paintings manually.

The painters make use of stark colonization techniques that improves the artistic interpretability of the picture, adding a new dimension to the portrait. Use of fine papers, oil colors, brush strokes, etc. transform the AA€˜OA€™ in the picture into something surreal and divine. Photo art services are offered by companies who have a team of experienced candidates who are gifted in painting and sketching, being capable of delivering brow-rising output to clients that will interest new buyers.

The artists are equipped with matte, semi-matte or oily papers, cotton swabs, spatulas, brushes of multiple sizes, etc. to ensure productivity of the best possible quality. However, for pencil sketch, not much is needed. Sketch ink, a paper and canvas are all that they need to imprint the person in the photograph on the paper. The artists not just imitate, bur create a new and much more original version of the person. The painting is likely to reflect not just the same looks as the person in the photograph, but their personal attributes that elevate the artistic value of the work.

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Macro to Micro: Intricate Paper Cut Art Inspired by Nature

What starts as a scientific study takes on a life of its own, guided only by the imagination of artist Rogan Brown as he transforms a sheet of paper into a masterful sculpture with thousands of tiny incisions. Rogan takes his inspiration from natural organic forms, mineral and vegetal, ranging from microscopic individual cells to large-scale geological formations.

Each of these sculptures is incredibly time-consuming, with a single work sometimes taking more than five months to complete. Rogan starts with a pattern that catches his eye, carefully observing his chosen inspiration and creating ‘scientific’ preparatory drawings. But then, as he states, “everything has to be refracted through the prism of the imagination, estranged and in some way transformed.”

The artist sees the very long, arduous process of not only allowing his imagination to take over the work in a natural way but actually making those precision cuts in paper as an essential element of the work. “The finished artifact is really only the ghostly fossilized vestige of this slow, long process of realization.”

The complexity of Rogan’s work calls to mind the papercut art of Tomoko Shioyasu, whose own nature-inspired paper tapestries based on the structure of cells can measure as large as twelve feet high and eight feed wide.

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Art Wars: Stormtrooper Helmets Get a Colorful Makeover

‘Turning the dark side into the art side,’ a group of renowned contemporary artists have provided their unique spin on iconic Star Wars imagery with custom-painted stormtrooper helmets. Damien Hirst, Mr. Brainwash, Andrew Ainsworth, Joana Vasconcelos and others participated in the Art Wars display at Saatchi Gallery.

Each artist was given a replica Stormtrooper helmet made from the original molds used for the first Star Wars movie in 1976, and asked to alter or decorate it however they saw fit. Banksy film subject Mr. Brainwash (‘The Borat of the Art World’) offered up yet another homage to Andy Warhol with Campbell’s Condensed Trooper Spray.

Damien Hirst, known for some of the modern art scene’s most bizarre and unconventional installations, paint his with colored polka dots reminiscent of his famous spot paintings. Artist Yinka Shonibare painted his in an African, music-themed motif with tiny glass beads, and David Bailey offered up a ‘Haitian Witch Doctor.’

Nearly forty years after its debut, Star Wars continues to inspire art in all forms, including graffiti, life-sized Lego X-Wing Starfighters and even yoga poses like ‘Downward Facing Wookie.’

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Gravity-Defying House Gives Visitors Climbing Power

Some London residents have recently acquired an incredible ability to scale walls with ease. They climb the facade of a building, sit quietly on windowsills, and simply enjoy their ability to see the world from a different angle.

The illusion is made possible by a large-scale installation called Dalston House, created by Argentine artist Leandro Erlich. He painstakingly recreated a London house facade, complete with brickwork detail and ornate windowsills. The facade doesn’t stand up vertically, however. It lies flat on the ground.

A huge mirror is positioned at a 45 degree angle from the “house,” allowing people playing and climbing on the facade to look up and see themselves seemingly performing incredible gravity-defying feats.

Passers-by probably also experience a moment of bewilderment as their gaze is first drawn up toward the standing mirror and the people hanging there in impossible positions.

Some visitors to the temporary installation at the Barbican Art Centre‘s Dalston Mill site have gotten very artistic with their interactions. These videos demonstrate just how creative one can be given the ability to leave gravity behind.

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Macro to Micro: Intricate Paper Cut Art Inspired by Nature

What starts as a scientific study takes on a life of its own, guided only by the imagination of artist Rogan Brown as he transforms a sheet of paper into a masterful sculpture with thousands of tiny incisions. Rogan takes his inspiration from natural organic forms, mineral and vegetal, ranging from microscopic individual cells to large-scale geological formations.

Each of these sculptures is incredibly time-consuming, with a single work sometimes taking more than five months to complete. Rogan starts with a pattern that catches his eye, carefully observing his chosen inspiration and creating ‘scientific’ preparatory drawings. But then, as he states, “everything has to be refracted through the prism of the imagination, estranged and in some way transformed.”

The artist sees the very long, arduous process of not only allowing his imagination to take over the work in a natural way but actually making those precision cuts in paper as an essential element of the work. “The finished artifact is really only the ghostly fossilized vestige of this slow, long process of realization.”

The complexity of Rogan’s work calls to mind the papercut art of Tomoko Shioyasu, whose own nature-inspired paper tapestries based on the structure of cells can measure as large as twelve feet high and eight feed wide.

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Steampunk Flea: Mechanical Insects by Dimitry Valchev

Spark plugs, kitchen strainers, springs and other random metal parts come together into a ‘steampunk flea’ that looks like it could jump away at any second in this mechanical insect sculpture by Dimitry Valchev. The Bulgarian artist uses scrap metal to create a series of sculptures mimicking mosquitoes and other insects as well as flowers, birds and the Loch Ness monster.

Valchev uses all sorts of metal components in ways you wouldn’t expect to create representations of various creatures. One bird has spoons as feathers, while the ‘flower of time’ is full of working gears.

These creations are just a few examples of steampunk animal sculptures, which range from abstract wind-powered beasts to a realistic 36-foot-tall elephant that’s actually a vehicle.

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Interactive Sculpture Echoes the Movements of Spectators

Artist Daniel Rozin creates installation pieces that watch you even more closely than you watch them. His Angles Mirror installation features a triangular base with hundreds of yellow pegs. As you approach the sculpture, it springs to life and the yellow pegs start to spin into new positions. After a moment it becomes apparent: the yellow pieces are mimicking your body’s position and movements. As you shift positions, the yellow pegs rearrange their own positions to echo yours.

Rozin calls this and his other similar interactive sculpture “mirrors.” The label is accurate in that the surfaces reflect the postures of the people standing in front of them. They do not provide details of the viewers’ appearances, but they give a minimalist view of one’s outline. The technique takes the focus away from the individual and puts it entirely on the interactive sculptures.

When the viewer moves away from the sculpture and it has no one to mimic, a set of pre-programmed shapes and patterns cycle on the sculpture’s face. The pegs move so gracefully that they almost seem to be living things moving on their own. The robotic mirrors let spectators feel like part of the art installation rather than viewers removed from the art.

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Free T-Shirt & Final Tag: Banksy’s Goodbye to New York City

After an intensive month-long residency in America’s biggest city with daily updates, street artist Banksy is leaving behind a strangely mixed legacy of his trip. Here are some of his last works from the stay, from a thrift store painting hacked and re-donated and an unpublished op-ed piece to a free t-shirt to anyone who wishes to download and print it.

‘The banality of the banality of evil’ is a second-hand shop art conversion purchased, adapted and given back to a local store on 23rd street. It features a World War II Nazi officer added to the otherwise bland landscape, easy to overlook in the serene scenery.

Meanwhile, in Greenpoint, a kind of meta-tag (not in the internet sense, though certainly a reference to webpages) speaks to already-covered graffiti painted over below it.

His controversial message aimed to be published in the local press (submitted to the New York Times but rejected) gives his stance on One World Trade Center, which he sees as an insufficiently bold tribute to the falls towers of the city.

Other odds and ends from his final days in town include: a cheetah lounging on the side of Yankee Stadium, a robot spray-painting a bar code on a brick wall in Coney Island, a gentleman waiting for a date outside the Hustler Club and the Grim Reaper riding a bumper car in Bowery.

Before spray-painting his name in simple bubble letters on a wall in Queens to end his October run, Banksy reminded New Yorkers to ‘save Five Points’ and added his iconic bandaged heart to the iconic white I Heart NYC t-shirt. The latter he offers for ‘free’ as a download, complete with an ironic registered trademark symbol and graffiti-style lettering. Given the controversy caused by some of his projects and their aftermath, some will no doubt be sad and others glad to see him go from the Five Boroughs.

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Skinned Buildings: Latex Casts of Derelict Urban Surfaces

Draped like the macabre souvenirs of a serial killer, ghostly skins of old buildings billow on clotheslines, bearing the grime of the surfaces from which they were cast. Amsterdam design studio KNOL Ontwerp preserves the memory of cobblestone streets, brick walls, fireplaces and doors by coating them in latex to create a tactile impression of their surfaces.

Installed at the Sandberg Institute of Amsterdam, ‘Skinned’ has these castings hanging like funeral shrouds from the gallery ceiling. The latex is fittingly translucent, almost immaterial, adding to the sense that each piece is just the faintest echo of the solid object from which it was taken. Most of the skins come from vacant buildings around Amsterdam.

Not only is the exact texture and shape of the original structure captured in great detail, but also some of the dirt. The designers made no effort to clean up any of the surfaces they cast, so when they peeled away the latex, a little bit of the structure’s history came off with it.

“Like skin transplantations they can be taken to other spaces where they get a new spatial meaning. They take us to a wold in which places are no longer fixed to specific locations, but become nomadic or ‘liquid.’ When the skins are drawn out of their original context and are brought to a new one, their character changes. The impact on for example an abandoned office building is remarkable.”

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Blanking Banksy: Artists & City Paint Over Pricey NYC Graffiti

Banksy is an artist with the rare power to make walls more valuable after he has vandalized them, which some then seek to alter or  destroy and others fight to protect and save. The highly-publicized and daily-updated images of his residency in New York largely tell the first part of the story, but there is another side to the tale as well about the aftermath, and that side has even more surprising and surreal plot twists.

Some graffiti artists feel compelled to cover over his art, out of anger, jealousy or perhaps a mixture of the two. He has been broadly criticized by the tagging community for his lack of respect for rules (or at least conventions), and thus justify defacing his pieces. In many instances, multiple tags have appeared over and around in the days and weeks that follow.

Meanwhile, NYC official policies regarding vandalism mean that municipal authorities are theoretically bound to paint over his work, even if it might be worth tens of thousands of dollars. Thus, the police hunt him and city workers are tasked to whitewash paintings from sight. Some still snap their own photos before taking on the job, and one has to wonder how they feel about their assignment.

On the flip side, many other fans, pedestrians and building owners interact with or even fight to defend the pieces at almost any cost for personal or financial reasons. In one instance, some passers by intercepted and stopped someone who sought to add his own interpretation to a newly-posted work. Of course, without added measures, most of these efforts eventually fail.

In another case, a savvy building owner hired around-the-clock security to protect the work found on his walls and even installed a locked gateover it. Sooner or later, though, someone will no doubt find a way to alter or destroy the silhouetted figures. And regardless, they are rendered somewhat crass in their new industrial frame.

Steven Colbert jokingly put a frame on the side of his studio, telling Banksy via his television show not to paint inside it and thus make him rich. Unsurprisingly, Banksy obliged and stayed away, but Hanksy took him up on his public and ironic non-offer, adding some fresh work outside of Colbert’s door. In his typical style, Hanksy spoofed the celebrity-in-question’s name with an intentionally poor animal pun.

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Real Life Instagram: Street Views Framed with Colored Filters

Instagram is both broadly adopted and heavily criticized for the faux-vintage filter options provided to users, providing opportunities for aptly-timed and well-executed spoofs like this project.

In his Real Life Instagram installation art series, Brazilian artist Bruno Ribeiro has begun framing everything from mundane graffiti on walls and ubiquitous CCTV cameras to famous London monuments. These he carefully surrounds with physical emulations of digital snapshot borders.

Hilariously enough, many people then stop to photograph the frame and the scene … presumably some of them uploading the results to Instagram, completely the somewhat silly circle.

Add view counts and voting stats and you can trick people, at least for a moment, into wondering if they are wandering online or in the real world. Hashtags, in turn, encourage more online sharing.

The work plays on our expectations and associations. Translucent and colorful green, blue, yellow, orange and red plastic makes whatever is seen through the resulting rectangle somehow special, different or noticeable.

As in photography, the simple act of adding a frame makes a scene feel somehow intentional in its selection, except, more like movies or video in general, the scenes in this case may never stand still.

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The Museum of Buddhist Art - A Rare Collection of Buddha Statues

The Museum of Buddhist Art in Bangkok is reputed to have the biggest collection of Buddha statues, sculptures and figurines based on Buddhist art work from kingdoms dating back to the TH century AD. The exhibits reflect the cultural heritage of the various kingdoms in Thailand and neighboring kingdoms as well.

Visitors to the Museum of Buddhist Art are usually advised to start their tour in an annex to the main building that houses the Kun Yin Palace and Museum which displays statues of Kun Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. The courtyard outside this museum has six miniature wooden palaces housing Chinese deities.

The main theme of the Museum of Buddhist Art, however, is housed in eight rooms upstairs in the main building displaying Buddha statues, sculptures and figurines from the different kingdoms that had an impact on Thai art and culture.

The various schools of Buddhist art of each era blended with the previous and added its distinct touch. Detailed explanations are provided for the Buddha statues, their characteristics, different postures and subtle variations in the folds of the robes.

The museum is a useful source of knowledge for the scholar of Buddhist art and Buddha sculptures. The casual visitor, seeking an overview of an important aspect of Thai culture, would find this museum interesting as well.

Buddhist art from the various kingdoms displayed in the Museum of Buddhist Art

Depravation art (TH - nth centuries AD)

Depravation art is based on the culture of the United Kingdom of Depravation in Akon Phantom, Central Thailand established by the Mon from Burma. The Buddhist art work of this period is based on the Southern India and Sri Lanka models.

Silvia art (TH - nth centuries)

The Silvia kingdom covered Sumatra, Java, the Malay Peninsula and Southern Thailand, right up to Seurat Thai and Akon Sri Tamara. The art form from this era had a rich mix of Indian, Khmer, Sri Lanka, Java and Sumatra cultures.

Khmer art (nth - nth centuries)

From TH - nth centuries, the Khmer Empire in Cambodia ruled over Laos and northeastern Thailand (Disarm). Khmer art was to have an enduring legacy on Buddhist art work for centuries to come.

Burmese art (nth - nth centuries)

Burmese art evolved from the various ethnic groups in the ancient Burmese kingdom of Pagan. The Burmese, Mon, Alaskan, Tai-Ai kingdoms developed Buddhist art during their respective reigns. All these groups had an influence on Thai art.

Succoth art (nth - nth centuries)

Art flourished in the Succoth Kingdom under the reign of King Branham. Classic Succoth art soon emerged from the Khmer influence and established its unique style.

Youth art (1350 - 1767)

The exhibits on Youth art in the Museum of Buddhist Art represents the longest period in Thai art. Pre-Youth art was a combination of Khmer art of the Baryon period (the Baryon temples in Cambodia) and Depravation art, a mixture which was known as U Thong Art.

The establishment of Youth produced a blend of Khmer and Succoth styles which gradually evolved into its own distinctive character in the nth century.

Lana art (nth - nth centuries)

The Lana kingdom (Land of a Million Fields) was established by King Engrain in northern Thailand in 1296. Pure Lana art developed when the kingdom was independent. Lana came under Burmese rule and later under Thai rule. The Buddha statues during these periods had their subtle differences.

LAN ANG art (nth - nth centuries)

The LAN ANG kingdom (Land of a Million Elephants) was founded by King Ah Gum in the nth century after the fall of Succoth. The kingdom covered present day Laos and parts of northeastern Thailand. King Ah Gum made Buddhism the state religion and so began an art form that also left its mark on Buddhist art.

Thon art (1767 - 1782)

Thon art had a brief period as the kingdom lasted for only 15 years.

Rattan art (1782 - present)

What followed was Rattan art of the modern Bangkok era. The Buddha statues and sculptures during the reign of the Chakra Kings developed a distinct identity of their own.

The other eight rooms in the Museum of Buddhist Art are not directly related to the central theme but are equally interesting. These cover artifacts from the pre-historic Ban Chiang culture, Yao paintings, stone sculptures.

An unusual set of exhibits in this museum is the room displaying statues of Jesus Christ and Mother Mary, a reflection of the religious tolerance in Buddhist society.

The Museum of Buddhist Art embodies not just the art and culture evolved for more than a millennium through the rise and fall of several kingdoms. It symbolizes the philosophy of moderation and tolerance, values that serve as a beacon of light in these troubled times.

For more Bangkok Museums.

The Museum of Buddhist Art first appeared in Tour Bangkok Legacies a historical travel site on people, places and events that left their mark in the landscape of Bangkok.

The author Eric Lim, a free-lance writer, lives in Bangkok Thailand.

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Optical Illusion Art: Is what you get really what you see?

Optical illusion art, also known as op art, is a mathematically-based genre that produces optical illusions. It uses the repetition of form and color to create Moira© patterns that give rise to illusions. It also distorts our sense of depth, causing foreground-background confusion, as well as other perplexing effects.

Optical illusion art requires math ingenuity, technical skills and meticulous planning. Because it manipulates the rules of perception, a viewer trying to decipher such a painting may observe movement, hidden images, three-dimensional forms, and other simulation.

History of Optical Illusion Art

In October 1964, Time Magazine first used the term "optical art" in an article that referred to illusionary painting as a new type of art, when, in fact, works in this style had already been produced 30 years prior. One such artwork is the 1938 painting entitled 'Zebras' by Victor Vassar, whom many consider to be the pioneer of this abstract movement. Other artists such as Bridget Riley, Jesus-Rafael Soto, Richard Sanskritic, and Francois Moeller also created images that could be categorized as op art. MC Lecher experimented with op art, though his work was not viewed as being completely abstract ([http://www.aaronartprints.org/escher-drawinghands.php])

How to Create Optical Illusion Art

All the elements used to produce an illusionary piece, lines, shapes, and colors, must be carefully selected in order for their combination to reach the intended maximum effect..

There are two main methods of producing op art. The first, and perhaps most commonly recognized method, is with the use of lines and pattern, often in black and white, which bring about illusionary images. The second is with color, using the same elements of pattern, but resulting in additional effects on the viewer's eye and producing a different dimension.

There are three kinds of color interaction:

    Simultaneous contrast - it occurs when one area of color is surrounded by another color to create a difference in brightness, but when one area of color is larger and/or more intense than the other, the contrast is out of balance, appearing to be going in only one direction.
    Successive contrast - it occurs when one color is immediately followed by another color, quickly changing the viewer's focus from one area of color to the other.
    Reverse contrast - it occurs when the lightness of white, or the darkness of black, seem to be spreading into neighboring regions, causing colors to appear to be spreading into one another.

Characteristics of Optical Illusion Art

Like all other genres or movements, optical illusion art has recognizable characteristics:

    It fools the eye in various ways. It can give a viewer the feeling or illusion that the image they are looking at is actually moving and/or multi-dimensional. Although a viewer is well aware that the image is fixed and flat, a different message is sent to the brain. It is non-representational because it is geometrically-based in nature.
    It employs two techniques to create optical illusions: perspective and juxtaposition of color, either chromatic or achromatic.
    It requires that the positive and negative space share equal attention in order to produce an image that functions properly.

    In 1965, a major exhibition called "The Responsive Eye" truly captured the public's interest and popularized the movement. As a result, op art began to appear everywhere: in print ads, television advertising, album covers, and even in the fashion world.

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With Maternity And Baby Photography You Can Immortalise This Time

Any parent will tell you that it all goes by so fast, the pregnancy, the early years. If you want to hold on to those memories forever then you need to get some great photos so that you can always go back. Find a maternity and baby photography expert who can help capture those special time, who can immortalize your child at the important stages of their life. This guide will tell you what to look for in a good photographer.

You need to find one that specializes in this type of photography, that is probably the single most important thing to look for. You want to know that they are experts in this field as it really does take specialist knowledge and skills to get these pictures right. Working with children is a challenge that only some photographers can master so make sure that you find someone who has made it their life's work to get the best possible shots of children.


They need to understand that most new mums do not have enough time in their days. They should make sure that you only need to attend the studio once for each sitting and you will have your photographs posted to you, and every image is carefully selected, edited and color corrected where needed. No attending first meetings, photo sittings and then having to come back to choose and purchase photographs, All you should have to do is make your booking, attend your session and then receive your beautiful photographs in the post!


They should also be very clear about all the costs, you should know how much you are going to pay upfront without any extra charges. Your fee should include everything, the sitting, 15 high Res images on a USB and postage to you, make sure there are no hidden fees or charges as some of the less scrupulous photographers will add loads of hidden costs onto the final bill.


Our children grow up so quickly it is important that we take the time to capture these moments with images that will last forever, so make sure that you find a good baby photographer in Sydney who can take excellent shots of your little angel so that you will always have these pictures to remember them by.

Find a photographer who specializes in baby and pregnancy photo shoots, who can give you high quality pictures that you can remember this special time in your life with.

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The Essential Supplies for Card Making and Scrapbooking Crafts

Paper craft is very popular hobby among people of all ages. It requires lot of creativity and with every creation the work becomes. It is the card making and scrapbooking crafts that have become very popular today. Not only have they become a favorite pastime for many but also a lucrative business. Both these crafts have been there from ancient times, it is now that it has become well recognized in the whole world.

Cards are used to send greetings to loved ones on special occasions. This was a very common practice in ancient China and Egypt during new years. Today the handmade cards are more preferred by the people as they carry a lot of sentimental value. Scrapbooks on the other hand are well decorated albums which preserves the wonderful memories for life. People use photographs, write ups or memorable objects in the scrapbooks. Today professionals create these scrapbooks to treasure the moments of Christmas, weddings, birthdays and many other occasions.

Though card making and scrapbooking crafts are very different from each other, the supplies are mostly common. Card stocks are used for both the art forms. These are acid free papers that come in varied sizes and patterns. For handmade cards they are ideal as they are very hard and easy to work on. In scrapbooking they are used as the base for scrapbooking papers as well as for matting photographs.

A set of cutting tools is essential for both the crafts. It includes a good pair of scissors, paper cutters, self healing cutting mats, craft knives and decorative edged scissors. Adhesives are another important requirement as card making and scrapbooking requires a lot of pasting. Double sided tapes, glue sticks, adhesive clear dots are the most commonly used.

Without embellishment both these art forms are never complete. Craft enthusiasts create wonders with these embellishments, which makes the craft stand out of the rest. Embossing powders are used to get a raised or 3D look on the card or scrapbooks. They are specially used for wordings and photographs. Other embellishments are stickers, glitters, ribbons and many more.

Apart from these basics other essential supplies include rubber stamps, ink pads, colorful pens and pencils, patterned paper, paper punches, paints and paint brushes. Today craft makers can get these supplies very easily with the emergence of the online stores, though they are available in the local shops. The online craft stores have huge stock of products from various brands which the customers can choose from. They do not have to visit the stores; instead they could sit at the comforts of their home and get them on their doorstep. Thus it has made people take more interest in these crafts.

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This blog is a personal blog written and edited by us. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content. The owner(s) of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners. If we claim or appear to be experts on a certain topic or product or service area, we will only endorse products or services that we believe, based on our expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. This blog does contain content which might present a conflict of interest. This content may not always be identified.

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