Category: Drawing

Open Source software has now been developed to the point that it can compete with applications that cost a lot of money – some of the paid apps can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. For example, Linux is an excellent operating system that is Open Source and completely free, but that many consider to be on par with, or even superior to, the Windows or Mac platforms.

Similarly, there is now free drawing software on the market that competes with paid, premium drawing programs. Of course, the premium drawing utilities are those like Photoshop or AutoCad. Everyone knows those – Photoshop is even becoming a verb much in the same way that Google and Facebook have! But not everyone knows what the best free utilities for drawing are. Over the remainder of this article, I’ll be giving a little review.

First, we have a great utility called Paint.Net. Just as you would think, you can find it at the address Paint.Net! Now, when you hear the name, you probably think of that crappy old -paint- utility that comes with Windows. This is not even close to being the same thing! Rather, this is a highly advanced tool that has many features that will surprise you at their sophistication. While it may not be quite as full featured as Photoshop, it can do pretty much anything that a beginning to intermediate user could do in Photoshop. You can create banners, manipulate images, make vector graphics, and much more. The interface takes a little getting used to, but it does come with a tutorial as well as an active online forum.

The second great free drawing utility is called Gimp. It can be found at Gimp.Org. Don’t be offended by the name. It’s not a slur against disabled people or anything – GIMP started out as an acronym for GNU Internal Manipulation for Photos, but is now just referred to by it’s initials.

Now, this utility actually grew out of the open source Linux community. It was developed as an alternative to Microsoft Window’s original -Paint- program. However, the Linux community being overachievers, they wanted to make it far better than what Microsoft had going. And they did! This advanced drawing and photo application shipped standard with Linux releases such as Debian and Red Hat. But now it’s available as a one-off download. There are versions for Linux, as well as for any flavor of Windows or Mac. It’s just as full featured as the aforementioned Paint.Net. It has the ability to do vector graphics, moving banners, to manipulate photos, and more.

So, in summary, there is a very good chance that you are the type of person who could benefit from, and save a lot of money with, free drawing software. Only a very small percentage of people use the premium, paid programs for things that they couldn’t do just as easily with the free software. All they’re paying for is the brand name. And with the state of the current economy, few people can afford that. So check out those two utilities today, and see which one will work the best for you!

A drawing board can be very personal item to some so when it comes to selecting the right one, there is various factors to consider first. One of the most effective things to do is to choose your board according to your unique style of working and environment.

Although most boards will have a description of their key features as well as information on what they are best used for, choosing one can still be challenging. But to make the process even less complicated, here are a few key things to look before making a final decision on which board is best for your needs;

One should always consider the height of the board because although many of them have an adjustable height, it is still a good idea to choose one that has a basic level that is close to what youre looking for.

A descent quality board should have a good degree of rotation. This will allow you to work at an angle that is comfortable to you as well as help to improve your posture while you work.

The size of your board will depend a lot on the size of paper that you work on. The various sizes available include A0, A1, A2 and A3. Another important factor to consider when choosing the size of your board is where it will be kept and how mobile you need it to be.

If you do require a board that is easily mobile then a portable drawing board could be the best choice for you. This is mainly because they are less bulky and therefore easier to carry around. They are perfect for students who need a board that they can use at home and at class, as well as for architects and designers who at times may need to carry their board with them.

Finally, price is another important thing to consider. Because there are such a wide variety of boards on the market, price will help you to narrow down your search . In addition, its important that you have taken into consideration the above mentioned factors so that you can feel assured that you make the right choice.

GraphicAir is a top UK distributor of drawing boards as well as a wide range of other related graphic design products. Visit their website today to view their range of boards and other handpicked art and airbrushing equipment.

Pencil drawing in monochrome is the foundation of any budding artist. Many new artists make the mistake of skipping foundation building and go right on to learn how to paint or draw in colors. They do this by learning tracing the shapes and forms and then paint over them.

Unfortunately, this process cannot produce a good drawing. That’s because when the artist starts to paint over the lines, he or she starts to trace as well. As a result, spontaneity is lost. The drawing looks unnatural, and the artist is only cheating himself.

How then do we avoid this? The answer lies in learning how to draw and sketch properly, so that when the drawing comes out, it looks naturally instead of mechanical.

Contrary to popular believe, learning how to draw or sketch naturally is not as difficult as it seems. I do agree that there are more complicated subjects such as portraits, hands, etc. that require more skills but all that can be picked up with proper training.

The first step to learning how to draw in monochrome is to pick the right paper. If you observe good sketches, you’ll notice that they often contain near perfect blendings and classy details. So much so that the others can only observe in awe. Well, now you don’t have to. You too, can draw like that.

You see, the drawing paper that you choose plays a big part. There are two types of paper that we can generally choose from. The choice is a little more complicated if you’re drawing in color, but for monochrome drawing, just keep in mind that you want to choose drawing paper that has a smooth service.

You can feel the paper with your hands when choosing the paper. The other type of paper are those with a mat surface. This kind of paper feels grainy and rough. In your local art supplies store, you’ll find both of these types of paper. Also, most multi-purpose paper feels rough rather than smooth. That’s because the paper has to provide for the needs of using colors. Choose a sketch pad that’s smooth for practise. Don’t worry if it feels thin. You don’t need a thick piece of cartridge paper for sketching exercises.

The next step is to choose drawing tools that allow you to work on both the broad lines and the fine details. It doesn’t matter what type of monochrome tools that you’re going to use (charcoal, pencils, etc), but you do need to know that you must keep pointed tools with you at all times for the fine details.

These are the tools required for drawing in monochrome. Once you have them, you’re ready to start.

It has becoming such a big hit nowadays that the Kabbalah Red String bracelet being a trend in fashion accessories, it is known throughout that the well known Kabbalah Red String is an instrument to keep the -Evil Eye- away of them with the help of the positive energey that has been protecting anyone who wears the piece. Right now, Madonna, Ashton Kutcher, Lindsay Lohan, Sarah Jessica Parker and even Soccer hunk David Beckham have been spotted wearing the famous bracelet, some says it is a new fashion statement but I think it is more on its spiritual power that these Celebs came after on the bracelet. The Kabbalah Red String is a bracelet that is part of an ancient form of Jewish mysticism is catching on with celebrities and causing serious religious discussion, but like I said it is something that we should take a closer look.

Well, these days, you can’t look at a celebrity without seeing one of those red string Kabbalah bracelets. Madonna was first to usher it into the mainstream, because Madonna is always first. She wears the slender red string, also called a bendel, as part of her self-professed devotion to the study of Kabbalah, an ancient form of Jewish mysticism. Since then the bracelet brought her nothing but good luck with musical tour and all that, it seems that the Kabbalah Red String has been more of a lucky charm for her more than anything. So, the other celebrities followed her and then you guess it, it is a trend just like that.

The Kabbalah Red String bracelet is said to ward off the evil eye and bring good luck to its wearers. And now, because all stars must follow their leader, there are a slew of new hipster passengers on the bracelet bandwagon, like I said starts such as Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore and a gal who readily comes to mind when we think of ancient Jewish mysticism: Paris Hilton. They are all wearing it as a sign of the newest hip style there is. I think that the boom on this is really undeniable and following it is a good thing to do, but of course you need to know a thing or two about it first so that you won’t just be wearing that for the hell of it.

Now that the Red Sting Kabbalah bracelet is being a big hit, should the masses follow? Well, the answer can be debatable because it is a religious issue first and foremost, but if you want to follow the trend and have the same luck as the stars I suggest that you have some educational information about how the mystical bracelet works so that you will have the full effect of the Kabbalah Red String.

Jron Magcale
Stainless Steel Sink

Educators frequently ask whether hand drawing in architectural education adds to the curriculum. It is an interesting question since this topic centers on the technology used to create a rendering rather than the fact that architecture itself is frequently characterized as both an art and a science.

With this in mind, it helps to look at what an architectural drawing offers. Whether created by hand or with a CAD editor, the goal of a rendering is to represent on a flat plan, or in 2-dimensions, something that is actually 3-dimensional. A successful drawing will convincingly capture the depth of the physical world.

Both computer driven and hands-on practices can achieve good results. What a teacher wants to do in the classroom, however, is help a student internalize what it takes to accurately translate the geometry of a physical space accurately. Internalizing the rules of projection and linear perspective, some argue, is more likely when the student wrestles directly with how to represent what is seen.

Indeed, those who argue for a technologically driven classroom cite time saved as a recommendation. By contrast, the other view is that a software program necessitates learning a set of rules that may not even have the capacity to produce the desired results in every case.

When drawing with a pencil, one can also focus on the work itself. There are no printing problems to distract the architectural student. Since there is also no software to learn, the knowledge will not become outdated when an update is issued to the program.

Course that teach hand drawing in architectural education have a long history. Recent debates have challenged this part of the curriculum and predicted it will die out. Yet, because some still cherish the kind of advance planning and complex thinking of the older methods, the debates continue.