Alfred Sisley

Alfred Sisley (October 30, 1839 – January 29, 1899) was a landscape painter and one of the founders of the French Impressionist School. He lived most of his adult life in poverty, appreciation of his art coming only in his final years.

Alfred Sisley - English Impressionist

Author: Mark Feldman

Although Sisley was born in Paris, his parents were wealthy English expatriates who lived in France -- his father was a merchant who traded with the United States. Hoping that his son would follow in his footsteps, Sisley’s father sent the young Alfred to London to train for a career in business. But Sisley’s heart lay elsewhere and in 1862 he dropped his studies and returned to Paris to study art. His parents supported their son’s ambition and sent him to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, the Paris art academy, where he studied under Charles Gleyre who encouraged the young Sisley to be original. It was Gleyre who suggested Sisley paint out of doors.

At Gleyre’s studio, Sisley met other young painters who would later form the Impressionist movement, among them Renoir and Monet, with whom he formed close friendships. The three young students would take outdoor painting trips together, creating works intended to capture the transient effects of sunlight. In 1863 Sisley and Monet left the city and went to live in a quiet, rural suburb of Paris. During this period, Sisley was deeply influenced by the works of Corot, as evidenced by early works first exhibited at the Salon of 1867.

Sisley also began frequenting the Café Guerbois, a favorite meeting place for intellectuals and artists of the day. He became involved in the heated discussions and was deeply moved by the ideas at the heart of Impressionism. He began painting in short, rapid brushstrokes and concentrated on capturing fleeting impressions of shimmering water, the texture of clouds and the movement of foliage in a soft, pastel color scheme of greens, yellows and clear blues.

The Franco-Prussian war, which broke out in 1870, intervened. It was a time of great hardship in Paris. Sisley spent some of the period in London but his father’s business was ruined. Sisley had been receiving an allowance from his father and now the artist suddenly found himself poverty-stricken, a state in which he would remain for the rest of his life. Sisley had married Eugénie Lesouezec in 1866 and the couple had two children so he was now faced with having to support his family without the means to do so.

Sisley and his family moved to Moret-sur-Loing, a lovely village in a rural setting. He was painting full time now and was a pivotal member of the Impressionists, with whom he exhibited regularly. He had broken free from his early influences and in the 1870s he painted an important series of landscapes, one of which, The Bridge at Argenteuil was bought by his friend Manet.

Sisley suffered from cancer of the throat from which he eventually died at the age of 59 in his beloved village of Moret-sur-Loing. His inability to sell his works meant that had lived most of his adult life in poverty due. He had also been overshadowed by Monet, perhaps because he was less flamboyant than him, and it was only after his death that his paintings began to be in demand.

You can find a wide collection of Alfred Sisley paint by number patterns at the Segmation web site. These patterns may be viewed, painted, and printed using SegPlay™PC a fun, computerized paint-by-numbers program for Windows 2000, XP, and Vista.

About the Author:

Mark Feldman is President of
SegTech, a company devoted to a wonderful Image Segmentation technology called Segmation.

Segmation - The Art of Pieceful Imaging

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Anthony Van Dyck

Sir Anthony van Dyck (March 22, 1599 – December 9, 1641) was a Flemish artist who became the leading portrait painter to the English court. He portrayed his royal subjects in an elegantly relaxed style that would influence English portrait painting until the end of the 18th century. He was an outstanding draftsman and a master of etching and watercolors.

Anthony Van Dyck

Anthony Van Dyck - Flemish Portrait Painter

Author: Mark Feldman

Van Dyck was born in Antwerp to a wealthy family. His talent for painting was clear still very young, and his parents apprenticed him to a local artist when he was just 10 years old. By the time he was 15 Van Dyck was already a highly accomplished independent painter, sharing a studio with his friend Jan Brueghel the Younger. At the age of 19 he became a master of the Antwerp painters’ guild.

Peter Paul Rubens soon learned of the young Van Dyck’s talent and took him on as his chief assistant. Rubens had a huge influence on Van Dyck, especially in composition, but because Rubens dominated the small Antwerp art market Van Dyck made his career outside of Flanders. In 1620, he went to England to paint the portrait of King James I and it was in London that Van Dyck became exposed to works by Titian, whose use of color he adopted.

Van Dyck remained in England for around four months after which he returned to Flanders. But he did not stay for long; the following year he traveled to Italy to study the Italian masters and spent six years there as a successful portrait painter. He received commissions to paint the portraits of the Genoese nobility and he soon gained a reputation as a talented painter of aristocratic portraits who represented his sitters with refinement, elegance and dignity. Indeed, his fellow artists considered him to be more like a member of the aristocracy than an artist. He dressed in silks and feathers and was completely at ease in the company of nobility and royalty.

In 1627 Van Dyck left Italy and returned to Antwerp, where his ease in mixing with the aristocracy helped gain him more important commissions. He was so successful that by 1630 he rivaled Rubens in popularity. During this period he began to make etchings and he painted a series of religious paintings.

Van Dyck’s reputation soon spread outside Flanders and King Charles I of England, a great lover of art, invited Van Dyck to England as portrait painter to the royal court in 1632. The king was very short -- under five feet tall -- but Van Dyck rose to the challenge, portraying him with so much majesty and dignity that the king immediately gave him a knighthood and a fine house with a studio.

In England, Van Dyck’s style combined the authority of his subjects with the relaxed elegance of his Italian years. Many of his sitters were portrayed against the backdrop of a landscape to give emphasis to the informal style of portraiture he had developed.

English citizenship was granted to Van Dyck in 1638 and the following year he married Mary, the daughter of a Lord and one of the Queen’s Ladies-in-Waiting. Van Dyck left England for a short time in 1640-41 as Civil War loomed. He went to Flanders and then to France, but in the summer of 1641 he fell ill in Paris and returned to his house in London where he died shortly after.

Anthony Van Dyck, who in life had lived more like a prince than a painter, was buried in St. Paul’s Cathedral. The King was so stricken with grief that he erected a monument in his memory.

You can find a wide collection of Anthony Van Dyck paint by number patterns at the Segmation web site. These patterns may be viewed, painted, and printed using SegPlay™PC a fun, computerized paint-by-numbers program for Windows 2000, XP, and Vista.

About the Author:

Mark Feldman is President of
SegTech, a company devoted to a wonderful Image Segmentation technology called Segmation.

Segmation - The Art of Pieceful Imaging

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Anthony Van Dyck - Flemish Portrait Painter

art styles

ABSTRACT ART
Art that does not depict objects in the natural world, but instead uses shapes and colors in a non-representational or subjective way is Abstract Art. The term has also been used to describe Cubist and Futurist art that depicted real forms in a simplified or rather reduced way.
ART DECO
Art Deco was an early twentieth century movement in the decorative arts that also grew in influence to affect architecture, fashion and the visual arts. This style is characterized by symmetrical geometric patterns and the bold use of stepped forms and sweeping curves.
BLENDING
Blending uses an implement to move the drawing material on the paper so as to hide the original drawing strokes. This can only be done when drawing with a material such as graphite or charcoal that is not permanently attached once applied.
CANVAS
Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty fabric used as a painting surface, typically stretched. Modern canvas is usually made of cotton and comes in two basic types: plain and Duck. Artists usually use pieces of canvas as a base for their works of art. This canvas is stretched across a wooden frame called a stretcher, and is coated with gesso before it is to be used.
CARICATURE
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the basic essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. Caricatures can be insulting or complimentary and can serve a political purpose or be drawn solely for entertainment. The term refers only to depictions of real-life people, and not to cartoon fabrications of fictional characters.
CLASSICAL
The word "classical" refers to the period of art known as Classicism, which has a high regard for classical antiquity. This style predominated in the 18th and early 19th centuries between the Baroque and Romantic periods.
COMPOSITION
Composition is an important element in producing an interesting work of art. The artist plans the placement of elements in the art in order to communicate ideas and feelings with the viewer. The composition can determine the focus of the art, and result in a harmonious whole that is aesthetically appealing and stimulating.
CONTEMPORARY ART
The term contemporary art refers to art being done now. It tends to include art made from the late 1960s to the present. Many contemporary artists' work does not exhibit some of the key elements of the postmodern.
DIPTYCH
A diptych is a work of art (usually a panel painting) which is divided into two sections.
DRAWING
Drawing is a means of making an image, using a wide variety of tools and techniques. The main techniques used in drawing are: line drawing, hatching, cross-hatching, random-hatching, scribbling, stippling and blending. Most drawings are representational, depicting objects or scenes which the artist views, remembers, or imagines.
EXPRESSIONISM
Expressionism is the tendency of an artist to distort reality for an emotional effect, often implying emotional angst. It refers to art that is expressive of intense emotion. The basic characteristics of expressionism are bold colors, distorted forms, painted in a careless manner, two-dimensional, without perspective, and based on feelings (the child) rather than rational thought (the adult).
FIGURATIVE ART
Figurative art describes artwork which is clearly derived from real object sources, and are therefore representational. It often means art which represents a human or animal figure, but not necessarily so. The term figurative has also been used to refer to any form of modern art that retains strong references to the real world.
GEOMETRIC ABSTRACT ART
Geometric abstract art is a form of abstract art based on the use of simple geometric forms placed in non-illusionistic space and combined into non-objective compositions. Some say that geometrical abstraction is the essence of abstract art itself.
ILLUSTRATION
An Illustration is a visualisation such as drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that stresses subject more than form. Illustrations can be used to display a wide range of subject matter and serve a variety of functions.
LINEAR PERSPECTIVE
Linear perspective is a method of portraying objects on a flat surface so that the dimensions shrink with distance. The parallel, straight edges of any object will follow lines that eventually converge at infinity. When multiple structures are aligned with each other, the horizontal tops and bottoms of the structures will all typically converge at a vanishing point.
MEDIUM
This is the means by which ink, pigment, or colour are delivered onto the drawing surface. Most drawing media are either dry (e.g. graphite, charcoal, pastel, conté, sjilverpoint) or water-based (marker, pen and ink). Watercolor pencils can be used dry like ordinary pencil, then moistened with a wet brush to get various painterly effects.
MINIMALISM
Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art, where the work is stripped down to its most fundamental features. A minimalist painting will typically use a limited number of colours, and have a simple geometric design, while minimalist sculpture is greatly focused on the materials used.
PAPER
Paper comes in a variety of different sizes and qualities, ranging from newspaper grade for practice up to expensive high quality paper. Papers can vary in texture, hue, acidity, and strength when wet. Smooth paper is good for rendering fine detail, but a more "toothy" paper will hold the drawing material better. A coarser material is useful for producing deeper contrast.
POLYPTYCH
A polyptych is a panel painting which is divided into four or more sections, or panels. Polyptychs were most common with Renaissance painters, the majority of polyptychs were designed to be altarpieces in churches or cathedrals.
POP ART
Pop art was a visual artistic movement that emerged in the late 1950s in England and the United States. It was characterized by themes and techniques drawn from mass culture such as advertising and comic books, and is widely interpreted as either a reaction to abstract expressionism or an expansion upon them.
PORTRAIT
A portrait is a painting, photograph or other artistic representation of a person. They are often simple head shots and the intent is to show the basic appearance of the person, and occasionally some artistic insight into his or her personality.
REALISM
Realism in art is the depiction of subjects as they appear, without embellishment or interpretation. Realist painters render everyday characters, situations, dilemmas, and events, all in a "true-to-life" manner. Realists tend to discard theatrical drama, lofty subjects and classical forms of art in favor of commonplace themes.
RENAISSANCE
The Renaissance is a historical age that was preceded by the Middle Ages and followed by the Reformation. The starting place of the Renaissance was Central Italy, especially the city of Florence. The Italian Renaissance did not only focus on religious figures but they also produced portraits of well-known figures of the day, and they put religious figures in Greek or Roman backgrounds.
SHADING
Shading is the technique of varying the tonal values on the paper to represent the shade of the material as well as the placement of the shadows. Careful attention to reflected light, shadows, and highlights can result in a very realistic rendition of the image.
SKETCH
A sketch is a drawing or other composition that is not intended as a finished work. The lines in a sketch are typically drawn to follow the contour curves of the surface, thus producing a depth effect. When drawing hair, the lines of the sketch follow the direction of the hair growth.
STILL LIFE
A still life is a work of art depicting a collection of usually inanimate objects, typically natural (flowers sea shells etc) or man-made domestic items (drinking glasses and food etc). Still life paintings give the artist more leeway in the arrangement of design elements within a composition than do paintings of other types of subjects such as landscape or portraiture.
STUDY
A study is a draft drawing that is made in preparation for a planned final image. Studies can be used to determine the appearance of specific parts of the completed image, or for experimenting with the best approach for accomplishing the end goal.
SURREALISM
Surrealism is an artistic and cultural movement oriented toward the liberation of the mind by emphasizing the imaginative faculties of the "unconscious mind". Surrealism in art utilizes numerous techniques to provide inspiration and free imagination by producing a creative process free of conscious control. The importance of the unconscious as a source of inspiration is central to the nature of surrealism.
TRIPTYCH
A triptych is a panel painting which is divided into three sections, or three carved panels which are hinged together.
TROMPE L’OEIL
Trompe-l'œil is an art technique involving extremely realistic imagery in order to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects really exist. Painters often add trompe-l'œil features to their paintings, playfully exploring the boundary between image and reality
by
London Art

Photographs to canvas

A history of digital photography has just done the new step forward – and the name of it is canvas photographs.

Benefits of printing photographs on canvas

Author: Conrad McKee

A history of digital photography has just done the new step forward – and the name of it is canvas photographs. The technique of transforming photo onto canvas is becoming more and more popular all around the world. Previously, only artists and photographers changed their photographs to canvas in order to give exposure to their best works. Now it is popular among ordinary people. Traditional framed photos are becoming the past while canvas pictures are gaining new followers. And here are the reasons of canvas pictures popularity all around the world:

The quality of canvas
You may consider transforming photo to canvas after reading about many benefits of those second. The method of transforming http://www.canvasdezign.co.uk/get-abstract-stylish-prints-on-canvas.php>photo onto canvas is very easy and available for everyone. Canvas is one of the most popular printing materials and there are many reasons of that fact. First of all is the quality of it. No traditional photo has such high quality as canvas. That is why transforming photo to canvas will give you a chance to enjoy bright coloured, clear and professional works. Even if you fancy transforming big photographs into canvas the images would still present sharp appearance.


Who can take benefits from canvas?
Even artists use canvas to expose their works because the quality of such work is similar to the original painting, graphic, photograph. Transforming http://www.canvasdezign.co.uk/add-beauty-home-with-floral-canvas-prints.php>photographs to canvas gives also opportunity to make some repairs in original work like for example red-eye effect. Canvas is eye caching and so they would attract everybody. Every person can take benefits from canvas. Transforming photo to canvas you have a chance to gain artistic effect you would not have with traditional snap.


More possibilities
Converting photographs to canvas gives a wide range of possibilities. One of them is that you can enlarge the primary pictures. However remember that canvas picture would look really impressive only if the photo is in high resolution. What is more, you can choose either full-coloured version of canvas or black and white option. Canvas printing requires special device so better to trust reliable, professional company. The price would not shock you because those products are becoming more and more popular so they are affordable.


Change decoration
One of the most common uses of transformation photo to canvas is redecorating the house or flat. Not everybody can afford expensive paintings and graphics. With canvas you can enjoy a great variety of works on your wall. Just pick photo or picture you would like to convert and the company will change your simple photo onto canvas that look just impressive. What is more, you even do not have to leave home to transform photo to canvas. Just find company where you can send the digital photos online and wait for your new house decorations. Remember, that you can order framing services in order to change your canvas into interesting works of art. Do not hesitate, try to transform for photographs to canvas and you would not be disappointed.

About the Author:

Are you in hunt to find the best technical facts about photographs to canvas? If so, just give an end to your search. www.canvasdezign.co.uk grants top-notch service and of course meets al your photo to canvas needs with best support under budget.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Benefits of printing photographs on canvas

pop art design

Pop art is a fun and exciting way of displaying any photograph and is especially ideal for personal photographs and photos of the family. It's possible to convert virtually any image into a pop art design although single portrait images do tend to work best because of the size and orientation of the subject. Several different styles of pop art exist so that you can get the finished result that most appeals to you and is most sympathetic to the photograph you choose.

Turn Your Photograph Into Pop Art For The Wall

Author: Sarah Williams

Warhol Pop Art Canvas Prints

The Warhol style of pop art is used to create a series of four images using the same original photograph. Each image uses unique colours in its creation and the canvas is split into equal quarters in order to give a symmetric and uniform feel. Great looking and incredibly colourful, Warhol pop art works well with individual people and even animals but it can also look highly effective when used on photographs of two or more people as long as they are close together.

Che Pop Art Canvas Prints

Che pop art is highly reminiscent of the endearing image of Che Guevara. Traditionally popular with students and revolutionaries, you can have your own image transformed in the same way with a colour background and a representation of your image that is black and white with all of the colour and much of the shading removed. Because Che pop art is used to print a single image, any photograph that can be used for a photo canvas print can be used in this way.

Posterised Canvas Prints

Posterised canvas prints take an image and apply one or more colour tonal screens to that image. The end result is a colourful and unique looking photo canvas print. You have the choice of whether to have this procedure applied once or several times in order to create a single image or a panel of images on the same canvas. As with any of the pop art styles, you don't have to have the finished image printed onto a canvas photo print either – you can opt for any of the incredible personalised photo items on the Bags of Love website.

About the Author:

Sarah is an expert in professional photography and digital imaging sector. Looking for far more ideas on pop art canvas Visit Bags Of Love

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Tattoo Shop

Article on how to find the best Tattoo Shop for quality artwork and sanitized equipment

tatoo foto fotolia

Choosing Your Tattoo Shop

Author: Al Dawson

Once you have made the decision to get a tattoo you’ll need to find a qualified tattoo parlor. This is a very important decision, as it can easily make or break your tattoo. Before you decide on a tattoo artist or tattoo parlor, you must first see if they are qualified. There are hundreds of thousands of tattoo parlors out there, some better than others. If you go to a less than perfect tattoo parlor, you could very well end up with an infection that can cause you more trouble than you ever thought possible. Finding out how long a parlor has been in business is very important – as this will tell you how much business the parlor receives.

When you look for the best parlor you should always watch for those who have the best history with keeping their equipment clean. Clean equipment and a clean studio is without a doubt the most important consideration when dealing with tattoos. If the artist isn’t licensed or not a professional there will be little to no guarantee that the equipment is clean. Health is a big concern with tattoos for most people, and for good reason. If you are looking to get a tattoo you should always make sure that the artists are licensed, the parlor is clean – and the equipment is sanitized and cleaned after each and every tattoo.

The best tattoo parlors will welcome you in with open arms, anticipating your business. When you meet the tattoo artist, he should be friendly and not intimidate you at all, nor should he at any time attempt to push a design on you. Under no circumstances should the artist try and talk you into getting a more expensive tattoo design if all you want is something small and simple.

Pushy sales and unfriendly salesmen are common pitfalls with most businesses. Tattoo parlors should always be friendly and open to what you want. Although the more experienced tattoo artists will offer their opinions, they shouldn’t try to push you around. If a tattoo artists thinks there will be a problem with your design or if he thinks he can do anything to improve it, he will more than likely let you know. If he is able to save you some money, the higher quality tattoo artists won’t think twice about doing so.

Before you decide on a tattoo parlor to do your tattoo, you should always compare what’s available to you and weigh out your options. The higher quality tattoo parlors will cost quite a bit of money, more than the other parlors. This is to be expected, as the higher quality studios cost more to pay their artists and keep their parlor nice and clean. These parlors are among the best in the world, with sparkling floors and a clean interior. The tattoo artists here ensure that their rooms are clean, with most wiping down their equipment and materials every chance they get.

The ideal way to find tattoo parlors in your area or close by is to use the Internet and search or just open a local phone book. If you look for the keyword tattoos, you’ll find several that are relatively close to you. Once you have found some addresses, simply drive out there and take a look around. If you like what you see, you can always come back. You shouldn’t rush your decision – but instead look at what each tattoo parlor has to offer you.

About the Author:

Al Dawson is a 25 year + collector of Tattoos and runs the company http://www.ultimatetattookits.com.
For the best prices and fast service check out his store now: http://www.ultimatetattookits.com.
The Author grants full reprint rights to this article. You may reprint and electronically distribute this article as long as its contents remain unchanged and the Author’s byline remains in place

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method acting

As a method acting coach, I am often asked this question. The thing is, there has been so much reported on the technique, that it can be hard for the untrained eye to understand what the approach is all about.

What is method acting?
Author: Brian Timoney
As a method acting coach, I am often asked this question. The thing is, there has been so much reported on the technique, that it can be hard for the untrained eye to understand what the approach is all about. Many years ago I was discussing this with my old mentor who described it as 'the reality of truth brought into performance'. Nice quote, but how on earth is this achieved? Well, in the main, the actor has to do a challenging acting training which involves acting courses focused on bringing the authentic 'you' into your work. Many people think that Method Acting is all about being 'natural'. This isn't quite true. It's all about being 'real'. Ellen Burstyn, co-president of the Actors Studio in New York, described the difference between being 'natural' and being 'real' as the same as being 'asleep' and being 'awake' respectively. When aspiring actors go to drama school or acting school in the UK, they are predominately taught a technical approach, an approach that is focused on representing the truth rather than recreating it for real. The Method is about recreating the reality of real life as accurately as possible. It is about capturing humanity in its fullest, most expressive form and turning it into a piece of theatre or a film. The Method also takes no prisoners. It's not the easiest of techniques, but then again, most things in life that are worth having don't come easy. They generally require hard work, but the rewards are there for those who are willing to commit themselves. Method acting classes bring together the inner emotions and experiences of characters together with the external elements. By 'external' I mean, predominately, how the character walks and talks. Some say that The Method is an emotion-only technique, but that's untrue. This sort of opinion is usually propagated by people untrained in the technique who form their own opinion based on limited knowledge. The Method covers all the acting bases and is about creating full and varied characters which are grounded in reality. If you are someone who is obsessed with acting excellence, then there is only one technique to consider.. and that's Method Acting .
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/what-is-method-acting-1129163.html
About the Author:
"Brian is a Acting Coach with over 18 years experience in the industry and is The Leading Expert on Method Acting in the UK. He has taught actors appearing in London’s West End shows to high profile films. Brian recently appeared on the BBC2 programme ‘Murder Most Famous’ teaching TV Actors; Sherrie Hewson (Coronation Street/
Emmerdale) and Angela Griffin (Coronation Street/ Holby City) Method Acting techniques. "