Ask anyone who illustrates or does hand drawn sketches, the hardest part of the human body to draw is the hand, well at least for me it is one of the most difficult. It took me some time to learn the basics. After you have learned the basics, the next step is to draw the hand in action. However, first, we need to define what freehand drawing means.
What is Freehand Drawing? The act or the art of representing any object by means of lines and shades; especially, such a representation when in one color, or in tints used not to represent the colors of natural objects, but for effect only, and produced with hard material such as pencil, chalk, etc… A Freehand drawing is simply a drawing done by hand without the use of tools or aids such as templates, stencils or tracing.
I love how the artist of the pictures below have rendered their respective art works. The subject was a plain hand, but with their pencil strokes, they allow each drawing to come alive. It’s very inspiring!
Sometimes a day ends up being one big blur when you spend a lot of time on Twitter or any other Social Networking site. Your eyes get sore and you try to stay focused by moving closer and closer to the screen as if things will become crystal clear the closer you get. It’s a common behavior for all of us and there is little we can do to change it. Well, of course we could all just turn off our computers and go and read a book… but come on, why would you want to do that when you have all the information right in front of you, right?
For the times when you step away from your computer, even though it may only be for a few hours to get some sleep, it can be nice to have somewhere to hang your online suit until you wake up again. That’s when the über cool 8bit mouse pointer hand is a perfect interior design feature.
It will make sure that when you eventually wake up again, you definitely know the way to where your computer is. Almost as if you have done something bad and you’re being told to shape up and go and do your work, it points a finger right at you. It’s a true motivator, and a “you’ve done bad” reminder may be all you need to get your tired butt out of bed, drag it to the hanger where you have your online suit and then slowly push your heals in the direction of the computer… Just like the 8bit mouse pointer is telling you to do!
You can buy this über geek interior design item at Meninos for just $19.99. If you ask me, it’s a cheap little trick to give yourself a good reminder of what you have to do in the morning.
Everything started in 2007, in Sidney, Australia: 2.2 million people switched off their lights for one hour to send out a simple message: That they cared and were concerned about climate change. In 2008, 50 million people around the world switched off their lights and, in 2009 an estimated 1 billion people joined this cause that sends out a strong message across the globe.
Earth Hour is back this next Saturday starting at 8:30pm your local time. This is an opportunity to make a real difference, to send out a strong message, and to enjoy one hour, or more, with yourself or surrounded by friends and family. Turn off that computer and don’t worry about whether or not you are getting a thousand RTs or mentions on Twitter, the Internet will stay on, don’t worry.
Let’s show those in power that we care, and that we want a change. By switching off the lights next Saturday, we will all be contributing to help ensure the planet doesn’t switch off on us for good.
It’s that time of year again. All the supermarkets in the States are stocked with pastel colored marshmallow bunnies and chicks. Most people call these “peeps” and whether they end up in someone’s Easter basket or in someone’s desk for snacking; they always seem to be very popular. They’ve been brightening springtime for over a half century.
These have always been very special in our family since my mother looks forward to eating these every year. They are her favorite candy. I usually buy several packages and send them to her just to make sure she has extras around her house.
To celebrate the short amount of time when these peeps are available, I wanted to share with you some peep artwork. Every year The Washington Post hosts a contest to see who can create the most artistic peep scene. This artwork showcases the creativity of hundreds of people inspired by these peeps. I’ve chosen some of the entries from past years to show you below. You can view a slideshow with more of the collection here: http://www.washingtonpost.com Happy Spring!
For me, package design is an important element when it comes to marketing products. With so many products on the market, one thing that helps a brand get noticed is its package, of course, this is especially true for newer brands. Known brands, especially the ones that have established themselves, usually remain true to their design and when they do make changes, it usually includes an upgrade or an innovation that is attached to their campaign.
There are so many bottles that you see on the supermarket shelves, in convenience stores and even in bars. The majority of the beverages that we drink are packaged in bottles. This even includes condiments like ketchup, soy sauce, etc…
The ones that I chose for this post are wonderful examples of a designer’s creativity at work. You will notice the designs highlighted have different elements on the bottles. One emphasizes on the label and another emphasizes the shape of the bottle itself. You’ll see the fun elements added to the designs making them very interesting and truly eye catching. One thing they have in common is their eye for detail and beauty.
I never thought I would say this but for this occasion I think I have to. I never want to wash my car again after seeing what I am about to show you. That dirt and dust that your car whips up while you drive to work, to the grocery store, to the daycare…you name it, could potentially become impressive pieces of artwork right there on your car. At least if you happen to know Scott Wade. Where this man got inspiration to start doodling on his cars is beyond me. And maybe calling it “doodling” would be to underestimate his efforts by a light year or two.
Scott doesn’t just show his potential Leonardo da Vinci gene, he makes dirt on a car become cool and something that I think we all want. When everyone goes on about having to wash their car every week or so, Scott actually drives back and forth on a dirt road making his cars as dirty as possible by purpose. Nah, not really actually. He has come up with a much faster way of making his cars dusty and dirty and it involves some kind of oil and a certain kind of dust that is blown by a hairdryer over the soaked car windows. How it works? It beats me and I am not even going to speculate how he came up with it.
How long it takes to complete each piece of his amazing artwork is somewhere around a couple of days. He uses primarily his fingers and finger nails to create the core lines and to accentuate the depth of the lines. Furthermore, he uses an air brush to create the 3D depth of the shadows and textures.
It must be a joy to drive around in Scott Wade’s cars as you will always know that there will never be someone with the same dust art on the rear window as you have going on. All I can say is that Scott is one heck of an artist and deserves huge props for coming up with this genuine idea. Now, where is that left over powder concrete…
The “Star Wars” series has been catching the imagination of at least three generations since it began, and it is one of those that will probably captivate many more to come. The six episodes that comprise the whole story of love, treason and war in a “galaxy far, far away” is something that we can all relate to. We all have a favorite scene and character. But “Star Wars”, like everything that becomes a cult, is more than just six movies: it has given ground to a whole universe of spin-offs created by the fans, like Wookiepedia or the Jedi Church.
“Star Wars in Concert” is the latest, George Lucas branded, “Star Wars” spin-off and is nothing short of spectacular. The concept behind it? Take John Williams’s score for the six episodes and make it the center piece of a show by putting the Royal Philarmonica Concert Orchestra (RPCO) to play it, directed by Dirk Brossé. If you don’t know what the RPCO is I’m sure that names like Andrea Bocelli, Luciano Pavarotti or Dionne Warwick are familiar: The RPCO has played with all of them and is currently preparing a show with Julie Andrews, yes, the lady from “The Sound of Music”.
To go with the “Star Wars” score, George Lucas has personally edited scenes from all the six episodes, divided by themes, in what could be described as the best way to understand Star Wars. The editing is absolutely perfect and it mixes scenes from the older episodes with the new ones making it all blend and make sense.
Narrated by Anthony Daniels, the only actor that participated, in the role of C-3pO, in all the movies, the show is fast paced, touching, funny and intense, just like “Star Wars” is, and the one hour and a half that the show takes, with a 20 minutes intermission, goes by in a breeze.
Technically and logistically the show is nothing but amazing: One of the biggest video screens ever built is surrounded by four LED screens that are used to show moving images relating to what is showing on the screen as well as live images from the orchestra. Lasers and intelligent light design setup the the tone during the whole show and everything seems to fit without being too much. Fifteen trucks are taking the tour, at the moment, throughout Europe and, I was told, it takes (only) 12h to setup the whole thing on any given venue.
Is this a must see?It is! Whether you are a Star Wars fan or just curious, you should go and see it if you can. Also, if you are someone that appreciates listening to a philharmonic orchestra interpreting some of the most beautiful pieces of music ever composed for a soundtrack by an irrepressible orchestra, this is a show for you.
My personal highlights are, without a doubt, the amazing sound design produced by Frederick Vogler for the show and the part of the show when the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra plays the “Mad About Me” a.k.a. “The Cantina Band” song. On the down side of the whole show the supporting exhibition of “Star Wars” memorabilia: It features the whole, never seen, George Lucas’s private collection but, compared to the official “Star Wars” exhibition it just fails short even if you can take a picture with Imperial soldiers and Darth Vader (but kids will love it).
Pictures from the show
“Star Wars in Concert” is currently touring in Europe and will then head to the United States. Make sure you don’t miss it.Check out the tour dates here.
Thanks to João Brilhante from Mandrake for giving me a Media Pass so I could take pictures of the show.
Spring is one of my favorite times of year, and when trout season opens next month, my son and I will be spending a lot of time on the weekends fishing in the little creeks in the North Georgia Mountains.
I know a lot of women get squeamish about putting a live cricket on a hook, but I’ve done it so many times I can do it with my eyes closed. I get a lot of writing inspiration from spending time in the mountains, but one of my favorite places to visit are all the old fashioned gas stations.
Many times they sell local fruits and vegetables and they have those retro gas pumps, the kind where you have to walk inside to pay. Those old timey gas stations have so much character and personality.
I found a website that features these vintage gas stations. This is a site that collected photos of old and interesting gas stations that were taken and submitted by amateur photographers when they were on vacation. For your own inspiration, I’ve included some of my favorite photos from that site below. You can check out the full collection at http://www.ohiobarns.com.
“Why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone will clean them?” ~ Author Unknown
This is my son Henry and his friend at one of those old gas stations on a fishing trip last season. Good times!
Ok today I decided I’m going to look at the stock market and see if can spin the “economic crisis” in my favour; it occurs to me that the rich stay rich even when the rest of us get poor due to forces beyond our control. They are in the know for sure? they have their fingers in many pies, right? they “buy low” and “sell high”, that’s the phrase! so let’s experiment, I intend to look at “the market” and pick an investment. I have never done this before, so if you have any advice, recommendations shout them out
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