Tag Archives: art

Painting With Finger Paint

Posted on by
Reply

painting with finger paint 2

The above picture was painted with finger paint mixed from standard finger paint colors. I painted it, so I’m not trying to insult it. I actually quite like it, though I’m not very good at painting. I’m not going to say it is a great painting, but would one expect it to come from standard finger paint with the standard brick red, blue, yellow, green, purple, and orange?

The entire point of this is that I saw a post a while back that said to make good colors one must use cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, instead of the standard set of colors. Now I won’t say that the finger paint colors are the brightest, or most vibrant in the world, but I would just like to say that with a little bit of general color knowledge, one can make very nice, natural, and realistic (non-brown) colors, even with simple, rudimentary colors available to everyone.

Specifically, people wouldn’t usually think about finger paint being used across a stretched canvas. This was just a fun little thing that took a few hours. I didn’t paint it with my fingers, though: I used a brush. And I would encourage everyone out there to try this out, learn a little bit about colors. Get some simple colors, and then just paint a little bit. It doesn’t have to be great: mine isn’t. But I know that experimentation will lead to superior art, or at least artistic and inventive ideas swimming around in one’s brain.

Don’t be snobby about the material. One can make great art with a simple ballpoint pen if one decides to master it. No one will ever understand the best if they do not understand the worst way to do things.

Review – Moleskine Pocket Softcover Notebook

Posted on by
Reply

I’ve already reviewed the Moleskine pocket notebook in hardback, but I’ve also used the softback version, and since there are a few key differences besides the obvious, I though I’d highlight them. So this is only half a review, if you want to know about the paper you can look up my other Moleskine pocket review.

20131030-010203

So the cover is obviously soft. It is a lot thinner and as such you can see the binding through it, especially on the back where you can see the attachment points for the elastic band. They are a bit intrusive and noticeable. The cover is blank aside from the name Moleskine stamped rather deeply into the back cover. The look is a bit like the regular Moleskine, but the pages are cut the the same length as the cover, and it looks a bit more shiny. The front cover can roll up on itself and then bounce back, but it never fully regains its former shape. The back is much less flexible due to the back pocket that comes Moleskine standard. The cover also feels almost moist and rubbery, and any minor scratches and such simply bounce out unlike the Rhodia Webnotebook. The softness does mean that the elastic band leaves very noticeable marks on the cover and sometimes the paper. The spine in contrast to the hardcover feels much more durable and able to stand up to long, continued use.

20131030-010210

Which style of cover is better is a decision you have to make. This one is flexible, easily fits in a pocket, and is harder the permanently damage than the hard cover, but it offers less page protection and stability for writing, so it’s give and take.

Speak Your Mind 134 #666-670

Posted on by
Reply

QUESTIONS

1. How old do you think kids should be when they stop going trick or treating?

2. Why do you think some people can draw better than other people?

3. Have you ever touched a real sheep?

4. How do you feel about being late to class?

5. What season is your birthday in?

ANSWERS By: Austin Smith

1. Whenever they want to stop.

2. Some people have better dexterity, or practice more.

3. No, I have not.

4. I used to feel bad, but I usually didn’t care.

5. It is in summer.

Review – Pilot Precise V7 Black

Posted on by
Reply

Smooth writing is something quite a few people desire, for both writing and sketching. Fountain pens are some of the smoothest writers available, but they have some convenience issues. And regular ballpoints require too much force for some people to write smoothly. Pilot’s Precise line of liquid ink roller balls are meant to fill this gap in the pen market. This is the V7 black version.

20130814-004318

The pen body itself is straight, nice on the fingers, not slippery, but polished. All necessary info is printed on a label on the side, along with an ink window so you can view your supply, of which there is a lot. There is quite an interesting, fountain-pen-like feed which is clearly visible under the grip. It keeps up well with the writing. From there, there are some strange ribs leading up to an extended point with a rolling ball.

The cap is simple: straight with a nice clip that works well and says “Pilot”, Though it does have some strange indents, it posts well.

20130814-004325

The V7 point is 7mm, which is shocking, I know. It is very smooth. It dispenses ink handily and never skips unless it is dry from not putting the cap on. I also find it is less prone to get away from you as some of the other rollerball pens with fine points I’ve used are. The ink itself is quite black. It dries quickly but not immediately. It does get grey after some wetting or smearing, but this isn’t much of an issue.

So overall this is a great “take everywhere” pen, for both artists and writers. Though I would recommend it more to artists because of the nature of the tip and liquid ink. I find that in sketching it pays to move fast, while in writing it doesn’t. Either way it’s a comfortable pen that writes super smooth and lays down a nice line of fairly black ink. It’s worth a look at least.

Review – Noodler’s Nib Creeper Flex Pen

Posted on by
1

Fountain pens don’t particularly lend themselves to art. That’s more in the realm of brush and dip pens. But for the more artistically inclined fountain pen users, there are flex pens. Though most examples are ludicrously expensive, Noodler’s Ink brand has several flex pens at a reasonable price. Let’s see how the Noodler’s Nib Creeper Flex holds up to scrutiny.

20130704-232129

The one I personally have at hand is a plain black one. They come in all sorts of wonderful colors and you should really look into them if you’re thinking about buying one. The black itself is quite nice, though shiny enough that scratches are noticeable. The trim is a nice metal, not sure on the specifics but also shiny. The clip says “Noodler’s Ink” and rotates on the cap; it also does a very good job of holding the pen in a pocket. In the middle of the pen there are a few semi-transparent windows with which you can view your ink volume, though they are not the most accurate things. The cap unscrews to reveal more of the same design to the nib. Both the body and the cap are made of a nice plastic, which feels a little too light and smells a bit. But it is quite sturdy and the smell does subside.

The pen fills nicely by twisting the back all the way out and then down several times (to eliminate as much air as possible) while the nib is immersed in ink. The plunger mechanism unfortunately doesn’t come out like several other Noodler’s pens, or at least not easily. But the nib and feed can be removed simply by gripping them in the mid-section and pulling them out as they are friction fit into the pen. This allows for easy customization of the ink flow. It also allows for easier cleaning when changing inks.

Now to the nib and the actual writing. On paper the nib is wonderfully smooth. Not as smooth as a nice Cross or something similar, but up there. It flexes when pushed down, though not very easily. It does require some force, and at times feels like it may have problems, though these have never materialized for me. The thickness of the line varies depending on the nib and feed configuration. I would say it goes from about a Micron 01 (005 if you go really, really light) to just over a Micron 08 or about the size of the Micron Brush. After that it starts to railroad (split into two lines) even in the wettest of configurations. It also tends to write fairly dry, having a faster ink drying time and less bleed-though than other pens. But this is only minimal.

20130704-232148

Overall this is a very nice pen. If you’re looking for a sturdy brush replacement or just something to add some variation to drawings it may be the thing for you. For me it strains my had a little, and I prefer less variation in my line, which limits my use for it. But it is still a superb little pen, and a very good value. It can also double as a fancy signing pen, and a note pen. Just something to carry around. It’s great, and if you’re looking for a flex pen it’s definitely the place to start.