How To Teach Kids Art

Though there are people born with an artistic talent, teaching art early is an effective way to develop the intrinsic skill in children. Here are effective ways to teach children art.

Image source: millikenchemical.com

1. Avoid showing a child how to draw something.

If you would show a child how something is drawn, that child would think it’s the only way to draw and that his job is to copy the drawing. Help the child develop the skill to observe and translate that into creativity. Also, avoid drawing in the child’s paper. Help the child observe the subject and practice drawing in the air the child can follow the contours you make, and when he’s ready, he can practice drawing in paper.

Simplify but do not dumb it down

Never underestimate a child’s creativity. Though, we need to simplify complex things them, make room for them to stretch.

Help them get comfortable with mistakes

Help them understand that they can learn from mistakes. Limit pointing out mistakes because the effect is not helpful. Focus on the things that are working well. Children can often notice the mistakes themselves and when they do, help them evaluate what they can do better.

Image source : museum.stanford.edu

Hi, I’m Jonathan Schrag from Provo, Utah. I’m currently studying art at the Brigham Young University (BYU). Visit my page to know more about my works.

How To Sell Art Online

Selling art can be as difficult as making it. There are many ways you can sell art, and one of the easiest is to sell it online. There are a lot of well-known websites that help you sell your art online, and sometimes it’s free. But signing up with them is just the first step. You need to make sure buyers can find your art online. Below are the steps to do just that.

Optimize your artwork descriptions

Online selling websites encourage you to write a detailed description for each art you upload. Not only should these be free from grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, but it should also be optimized for search engines like Yahoo and Google. Optimizing for search engines is basically using keywords in your descriptions that art buyers use to search for art to buy online.

Take advantage of social media

Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram are some of the best platforms to showcase your art. Best of all, they’re free. Join groups that have the same interest and be sure to be sure to follow the house rules set in those groups. When communicating, be prompt and courteous.

Be patient

Just like I said, selling art may be as difficult as making art. Stick to it for at least 6 months. Improve on your entries as you wait for that first client. Don’t get disappointed when no one notices your uploads in a week or maybe in a month. When nothing seems to have changed in 6 months, review what you did and improve on it.

Hey there, I’m Jonathan Schrag. I’m an art student from BYU. I sell art to pay for my tuition and I plan to make a career off it. Follow me on Twitter to get more updates.

Steep Tips: Gopro Tips For Snowboarders

If you’re into snowboarding, you’ve probably come across a lot of YouTube videos giving you tips. It may also have crossed your mind to take your own footage. Doing your own footage is fun, all you need is a GoPro, your board, and these tips.

Use the right settings

The recommended setting is 720p at the highest possible fps your camera allows. 120fps for the latest GoPro model. This setting is great for slow mo.

Understanding Protune

If you’re a professional editor, (you’ve probably know what this is), or if you’re taking your footage to a professional editor, then turn it on. If you’re editing the video yourself, turn it off. Protune gives editors a much wider range of colors to work with, but it doesn’t give raw footage.

Shoot from different angles

It’s easier if you have a team shooting your run, then you can just do it one time. But if you’re shooting your own run, then do it a few times with the camera mounted in different positions. This gives you, or your editor more choices when you make your final footage.

Hi I’m Jonathan Schrag from BYU. I love snowboarding and I’m a sculptor. Visit my blog to get content about art and snowboarding.

Acrylic Vs. Oil Painting: How To Choose Between The Two

To choose between these two similar painting mediums, acrylic and oil, one must learn what the primary differences between them are:

Speed of drying

Acrylic dries extremely quickly. A few layers of the paint will dry in just minutes, while the thickest portions will dry in about an hour. Oil, on the other hand, can take days before it completely dries.

Because of this, beginners are advised to use oil because it allows for corrections of mistakes and provides longer working time. If the painter decides to take a break and resume his work the next day, he is able to do as the paint on the palette would still be wet and usable, while the colors on the canvas can still be blended with new paint.

Color quality

Those who use acrylic typically apply a lighter shade of the colors they use because the paint turns darker when it dries. The opposite is true for oil as it produces no immediate color shift.
However, in the long run, acrylic might prove better in terms of color quality because how the colors looked when they dried will still be the same even after two centuries. The same cannot be said about oil, which will acquire a slightly yellow tinge after a few decades.

Work surface

Acrylic can be painted directly on any canvas or surface, making it a flexible medium. But oil paints can cause corrosion on the work surface, therefore it is necessary to prime the surface first, be it canvas, board, or even paper.

Jonathan Schrag here, a BYU art student. I am currently majoring in acrylic painting, clay sculpting, and wood art. I dream of one day building my own gallery. You can track my progress by following me on Twitter .