TURN YOUR DOODLES INTO LASTING MEMORIES!
Any self-respecting artist owns a sketchbook; some even use them occasionally. Not very many artists use one regularly for much beyond doing small sketches or value studies for larger studio paintings. I was in the same boat until I discovered how valuable a sketchbook could be.
I was taking a trip to Italy. I knew I wanted to do some small paintings while in a culture so rich with art—a trip of a lifetime! I had been doing plein air painting, but I knew I could not carry much while traveling abroad. So, I bought my first watercolor sketchbook and a pocket-size watercolor set. I was so enchanted with my little watercolor sketches and had such a rich experience creating them that I knew I had found a new expression for my creativity.
That first little sketchbook sparked a curiosity and excitement to explore where a sketchbook could take me. Not wanting to wait until my next vacation, I bought another watercolor journal and began to use my sketchbook when I went out to do plein air painting. The smaller setup and format worked well, and instead of a bunch of small, loose sketches scattered about the studio, they were bound and easily accessible for reference.
As my love for the sketchbook experience grew, and since I knew I had not invented the wheel, I began looking for books on the subject. I was pleasantly surprised to find a wealth of information and materials for the "art" of keeping a sketchbook "journal." The more I used my journals in different ways, the more personal and important they became to me as an artist.
Over the next several months I'd like to share with you my journey and the different ways you can incorporate this experience into YOUR life. I call it an experience because the very act of using them is intentional. These journals are personal, they are motivational, and they are therapeutic. They are, in effect, anything you want them to be. They are an experience you can pull off the shelf and relive. They are an art form in themselves, and I think you will find that these small but powerful tools will affirm and strengthen your voice as an artist.
Have I piqued your interest? Let's get you started! Your journals will grow with you, and in time you will find a brand or type of journal that works best for you, but for now, keep it simple and inexpensive.
1. Select your sketchbook
Go to your nearest art or craft supply store and find either a hardbound or spiral-bound Sketchbook. It will need to allow for some experimentation with water-based paints or ink, so it's best if the paper has some weight to it.
Lighter weight paper, usually 65# for drawing, will not give you the broadest use. Find a sketchbook with paper at least 90# in weight. Watercolor sketchbooks are even better at 140#.
As for size, I like them to be small enough for my purse. An 8x10 can be opened and used as large as 16x20 on two pages. The selection is endless, so don't get carried away or spend a lot. This first sketchbook will be a learning tool.
You will also need a pencil and eraser for your journaling.
2. Decide on a medium
If you already have a preferred medium, start there. Mine is watercolor.
For now, use what you have. I will discuss colored and watercolor pencils, ink, watercolor, water soluble pencils, and crayons in a later article.
Pastel pencils and even oil pastels or oils paints can be used, but I don't use these because they take too long to dry and smudge when the book closes.
3. Make it happen!
For the next few days, I'd like you to record simple things. Every few days, add a drawing (with or without color) done in less than 10 minutes. Just enjoy the process.
Next month, I will begin with the “hows and whys” of travel journaling. Since we are heading into the summer and many of you will be vacationing, let's get you journaling those travels right away!
The following month we will explore the more frequent uses of a sketchbook, such as daily journals used to record whatever you fancy and to enrich your artistic voice in an everyday setting.
We will also look at idea journals, where we’ll explore how far to take hobbies, projects, and ideas for larger finished works.
The fourth article in our series will cover more personal journaling. In this article, I will share how and why you should record memories, personal milestones, and dreams.
As you can see, there are as many applications for the sketchbook journal as there are people who use them. I want to show you how versatile a sketchbook can be and inspire you to fill volumes of journals with your personal vision and voice. Let the journey begin!
Michelle is an artist/writer living and creating in Columbus Ohio. To see more of her work visit her blog, Living a Creative Life, or visit her website.
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The First 20 Hours - How to Learn Anything: Josh Kaufman at TEDxCSU
Josh Kaufman is the author of the #1 international bestseller, 'The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business', as well as the upcoming book 'The First 20 Hours: Mastering the Toughest Part of Learning Anything.' Josh specializes in teaching people from all walks of life how to master practical knowledge and skills. In his talk, he shares how having his first child inspired him to approach learning in a whole new way.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
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Hard Surface Essentials
Grant Warwick's hard surface essentials.
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The SIGGRAPH Technical Papers
The SIGGRAPH Technical Papers program is the premier international forum for disseminating new scholarly work in computer graphics and interactive techniques. SIGGRAPH 2013 brings together thousands of computer graphics professionals, 21-25 July 2013, Anaheim, California, USA. Learn more at www.siggraph.org/s2013.
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RailClone 2 Demo Reel
RailClone is a 3DS Max plugin for parametric modeling based on custom geometry parts, definable by the user, and a set of construction rules. This new concept of modeling lets you to build complex and realistic structures for Architectural Visualization, Civil Engineering, Industrial and Interior Design.
RailClone 2 Demo Reel from iToo Software on Vimeo.
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Setting up a V-Ray Shading and Lighting Pipeline
This must-see Master Class will help you integrate V-Ray into your workflow.
Advanced topics include:
One-click linear workflow.
Managing large scenes using the improved V-Ray Proxy loader.
Transferring animated assets from Maya to 3ds Max using Alembic caches.
Texture shortcuts using V-Ray procedurals.
Optimizing Global Illumination for animations.
Using V-Ray's extensive Render Elements and creating customized render passes.
Multichannel OpenEXR output for compositing in Nuke.
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V-Ray Essentials Crash Course
A 20-minute crash course covering shading basics, simple lights setup, Global Illumination and Render Elements.
Presented by Vassil Pepelyankov, V-Ray Master Trainer
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Remove An Already Assigned Material In 3ds Max
To remove an already assigned material in 3ds max:
- Select the utilities panel
- Select more
- Select "UVW Remove"
From the sub panel, you can select your objects and remove in either the UVWs or Materials or both.
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Must Have Tool For All Architectural Illustrators
LightTrac is a must have tool for all outdoor Architectural Illustrators. Quickly determine at what time and location the light conditions are perfect to shoot your subjects outdoors. The elevation and angle of Sun changes throughout the year depending on the location, date and time of day, LightTrac calculates the elevation and angle of Sun or Moon for any date & time, for any place on earth and plots it on top of a satellite map. Armed with this information and with an extremely easy to use interface, you can now plan your photoshoot even several months ahead of time and position yourself at the right spot at the right time for the perfect shot.
Whether you are a landscape or Architectural Illustrators, a wedding or sports photographer you will love what LightTrac has to offer.
LightTrac is not just useful to photographers, but its also useful to architects, real-estate buyers, solar panel owners/installers, gardeners, travelers or for any outdoor person interested in knowing any info about the Sun or the Moon.
Features
- Scout for new locations using a map for the perfect sunlight angle or for a backdrop with a rising/setting moon
- Find Angle and Elevation of Sun for any location and time
- Find Angle and Elevation of Moon for any location and time
- Find Sunrise, Sunset and Twilight times for any day
- Find Moonrise, Moonset times for any day
- Search locations by address, city or zipcode
- Save multiple locations and switch between them easily
- Does automatic timezone detection
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Creative Problem Solving
Do you approach every situation with an attitude that allows for open-minded, creative problem solving? How often when presented with an idea do you just say, “no, that’s impossible.” or “been there, done that—it’s not going to work”?
When we attempt to solve a problem in this state of mind we are closing the door to creativity. However, there are two words that can instantly reopen that door and trigger a creative dialogue that’s bound to achieve results.
To find out what two words can change your life and how to successfully apply them to your personal and artistic life, check out this video...
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