Be Original

Being part of the artistry community, I’m sure you have heard of Banksy. He is possibly one of the most famous and infamous artists to date.

His work has been somewhat controversial among the public, with some seeing his art as genius, but others have branded him a vandal. One thing is for certain, what he does is unique.

Banksy made is name by producing trademarked ‘guerrilla’ art created with stencils and spray paint. These pieces of art can be found across a number of walls and buildings in London, Bristol and Brighton. Some of his art has collected hundreds of thousands of pounds and there have also been a number of celebrities that have collected his work.

Although Banksy is known around the world, what he does is simple yet clever. Artists become successful with individuality. If what you produce as an artist is unique, it has a greater chance of being grasped by the public. If it’s been done before then it will not hold as much authority.

With this in mind, if you have a talent and feel it deserves to be appreciated then you should be branching your art out to a larger audience. There are a number of ways you can do this. Banksy does this by producing his work in the public eye on buildings but it is not that simple. For a fine artist, a building just doesn’t pose as a good canvas.

Therefore, I suggest using a platform online as a way to start your growth. Online media is a way to showcase your artwork with minimum effort. By uploading your work to a social media platform you have the opportunity for someone to enjoy your work and repost it elsewhere, which can go viral. A great example of this is a dance craze such as the ‘Harlem Shake’ which grew incredibly through posting and reposting. This can happen with your artwork too.

The key is to be original.

I Smell Perfection

We all know how hard portraits are to draw and it is guaranteed that even some of the most famous artists in the world have made more than one attempt to draw a nose.

Leonardo Da Vinci is a prime example of this as it took him roughly 3 years to perfect the beautiful face of Mona Lisa.

If you’re looking to paint a perfect nose, just follow these simple tips and you’ll have the precision and technique to be able to paint a flawless nose in no time!

There are many different angles at which you can draw a nose, but one of the hardest has to be the straight on profile. Start with sketching just a rough outline of the head including the ears and then draw an accurate cross in the centre of the face.

This is to help you determine the position of all the facial body parts later on.

Next, you must locate the exact position where you want the end of your nose to sit and mark it with a curved line measuring how big you want the nose to be.

Once you have chosen the position of the nose, using the small curve you made in the previous step to create a circle accompanied by two smaller circles either side.

Then, add to the base of the three outlined circles three concave and convex curves to create nostrils. After you have done this you have the option of either shadowing in the bridge or gently pencilling it in, either will help to create a more realistic feel to your nose drawing.

A tip to help you when drawing the nose is to fill in the rest of the face when you think you’re finished and make any adjustments if you believe that the nose looks distorted.

And there you go! By following these steps you will have created the simplest nose.

Remember practice makes perfect, and after you’ve made your painted nose look immaculate feel free to share it on the artists social network so everyone can admire your brilliant art work.

Can a ‘comeback’ in music be specifically defined?

Having a successful comeback in music can be a career changing procedure. When executed with precision and quality an artist can reclaim their place in the spotlight (in a possibly more beneficial state than they were before their ‘disappearance’).

However, what specifically is a comeback? Does the oversimplified view of a music artist leaving and returning to the industry with new material justify other comeback scenarios; such as progressing in another market (like acting), taking time to develop and produce new ideas or whether an unsuccessful return to music is still regarded as a comeback? It is a subject that doesn’t really receive much discussion. Although, it is possible that it doesn’t need to be argued. None-the-less it does raise some interesting examples and information that is worth noting!

Famously regarded comebacks bring examples from the likes of Prince, Pink Floyd, Justin Timberlake and Jonny Cash. Each of these musicians had different motives for ‘leaving’ the music industry but they did and decided to make a reappearance to the industry. As already mentioned, many music artists decide to make a career change and show their talents in other media sectors. Films are becoming second homes to those within the music industry; Justin Timberlake is an example that instantly comes to mind. His appearance in cinema-standard films means that his activities never truly left the watchful eye of society.

Another intriguing topic to discuss is how long do artists need to be away from music to be recognised as a comeback when they return? An interesting scenario is this; a band have ‘broken up’, 7 years later they are reunited and then tour; but within these 7 years they still hung out and stayed in contact with fans through social media.

Another band also takes 7 years to release new material but constantly worked together on its production throughout this period but had little to no communication with fans. Are these both regarded as returns to the industry? Also what factors are applied to individual artists in order for them to be categorised as comeback kids? What you do notice though, is that ‘top ten’ lists of comebacks are dominated by bands.

This is just a light-hearted topic that doesn’t really need to explain or add value to the music industry. However it does raise some conversational pieces that are just worth noticing rather than researching! Because maybe a comeback is just how the public feel about an artists’ return and their reasons for doing so or possibly there are not any criteria that have to be met!

We have a number of art-related discussions at ArtRadio and we welcome everyone to become a part of it. If you have an opinion on what you would determine as a comeback from a musician or band, have your say on the subject; upload text and audio responses on artradio.tv.

We look forward to sharing with you.

How To: Design Your Own Full-Sleeve

A tattoo is a beautiful form of body-art used to expression one’s individuality. Many tattoos are inspired by paintings, photography and even other tattoos.

So, now you’ve found your inspiration from art radio and have decided to take it one step further and design a full-sleeve tattoo, but where would you possibly start? It may seem impossible to design the tattoo you so desperately want; however by combining ideas and images, you’ll find yourself in drawing away in no time.

The first and most important step is to choose your starting point and theme.

By choosing your starting point, you can then begin to put together individual pieces from sites such as art social networks and artradio.tv that you like so much. This enables you to start structuring your tattoo to make sure it flows nicely so it can eventually become a full-sleeve.

The best way to choose your starting point is to take concepts and inspiration from other tattoos. You may feel as though you are following the crowd a little here; however by choosing a common tattoo you can adapt it to your own personal style, making it your own.

Also, use portraits and memoirs that are personal to you as a stimulus or you can think of your own until you get the design you’re looking for. The second most important thing is to ensure that you are choosing an individual design that fits the chosen theme of your sleeve.

Whether the pieces you want have already been used as tattoos or not, it is always crucial to make sure everything fits and flows nicely. It is always a good idea to trace your arm accurately, putting your designs on first before you make the final decision.

This way you can estimate what the tattoo is going to look like and whether everything looks good together. The last and most obvious step is to talk to a tattoo artist about your piece.

By doing this, you will get a rough quote about the price but the tattooist will also tell you if your design is a realistic goal. Also, by talking to tattoo artist, they might even be able to give you hints and tips to make your tattoo design even better. Remember, you have the ultimate decision and you have to be happy with going forward here.

Always make sure you’re prepared and your design is flawless before getting your tattoo. Pay attention to detail and make it as personal as you like, but most of all, enjoy your new tattoo!

How To: Write A Piece Of Music On The Guitar

Many people often listen to some of the incredible bands we have around nowadays and to wonder how they created such great guitar music. Well, if you want to know how to write a successful guitar piece, you’ve come to the right place!

The first and probably most obvious step to writing your own guitar music is choosing a key to play in.

By choosing a key, you are also deciding on a range of vocals, making it a lot easier to write your piece.

For example, if you have a high tone of voice and you find the key you’ve chosen too low, then just simply move all the chords a semitone up at a time until you find the key you’re comfortable with. Explore your vocal range.

The second thing to decide on is the tempo of the music piece you want to write. By deciding the tempo, you can then continue on to choose your chords and then your lyrics to fit your growing piece of music.

You’ve already chosen your key and tempo for your piece. Now it’s time to choose your chords. For example, in the C key you’ll find the C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and B chords. Experiment with these until you come up with something genius!

The last step is writing the lyrics. Many would say begin with the lyrics, but it is much harder to adapt a piece to lyrics as opposed to lyrics to a chosen piece. Especially since you have worked so hard to perfect your melody.

So, it is always best to finish with lyrics. Express yourself in every way possible and write what you feel, think and believe to come up with the most inspirational lyrics.

You’re done already? How about sharing your creation to art radio for others to admire and like! Become the artist you’ve always dreamed of being with art radio.

Preserving Your Water Colours

A painting takes a considerable amount of time to perfect and the artist puts their heart and soul into every piece that he produces but lack of knowledge about preservation can lead towards the best paintings getting damaged.

There is a proper technique of preserving your water colours whether they are on canvas or in their rightful containers, simple things such as inadequate storage of the painting can have a drastic impact on the painting making all your effort go seem wasted.  Listed below are some of the rules of preserving watercolours that will make sure that your paintings and water colours stay in the best condition.

When you are framing your artwork, make sure that you leave a gap between the glass of the frame and the artwork itself in order to make sure that the painting does not get smeared. In order to preserve the water colours and the painting, make sure that you add small wooden pellets in between the glass and the painting to give it some breathing space.

If you need to fix tape on the water colours, make sure that you never use masking tape on the painting because it can do irreparable damage. If using masking tape is absolutely necessary for the completion of your art work then you can use a PH neutral water based adhesive that is easily available in any art shop.

The place that you decide to hang the painting has a lot to do with the fate of the painting and the watercolours. Do not opt for places that tend to be very hot and humid such as anywhere near a kitchen or the air vents. The watercolours will fade away if they are placed in direct contact with sunlight so make sure that you keep the above things in mind when framing and hanging the paintings in order to make sure that it lasts for a prolonged period of time.

Selecting The Right Camera For Digital Photography

It may not seem that way but selecting the best digital camera for digital photography can be a fairly complicated thing to do.

The very first thing you need to do is figure out your priorities and also identify the purpose and usage of the camera. Answering these questions can make it relatively easier for you to select the right camera for your digital photography needs. Considering the amount of technological advancements in the camera industry, almost any kind of camera would be suitable for your needs.

Listed below are some ways on how you can select the right camera for all your digital photography needs.

Most of the people like to opt for the point and shoot cameras. Every camera manufacturing company comes with its own innovative set of features so it all depends on your needs and wants about which camera is the right one for you. A general rule is that you will need a camera that is at least 5 mega pixels while most professional grade cameras are now 10 mega pixel. If the budget seems to be a bit of an issue then you could very well settle with a 7 megapixel camera.

If you are looking for a professional scale camera for your digital photography needs then it is in your best interest to opt for an SLR camera. The reason why an SLR is a better option is because it allows you to zoom into long distance and has countless more features to enhance a photograph. The lenses of these cameras are changeable and can be upgraded according to your liking. A normal and average SLR camera has around 15 mega pixels and is often on the higher side of the budget.

The point and shoot digital cameras are a great choice for people who just want to take photographs for their own personal collection because they are quite limited when it comes to options. SLRs on the other hand are ideal for professional digital photography and are capable of taking the best of shots with ease.

How To Take Care Of Paint Brushes

Regardless of how much money you spend on buying something of great quality, if you do not take good care of it then there is no point because it is just going to get ruined.

Paint brushes are exactly the same; you need to take good care of them if you want them to last for a long time. Paint brushes are the most important tool for any artist and they need to have the best of the best in order to create master pieces that will be remembered and cherished by the people for many generations to come.  Listed below are some tips that will help you take care of your paint brushes.

The first important thing is that you need to make sure that you always purchase the best quality paint brushes and take really good care of them. They will last a lot longer if you take good care of them, if not then even the best paint brushes can get ruined in a short period of time.

A mistake that a lot of people and artists tend to make is that they leave their paint brushes in the water after they are done with them. The wood of the brush will swell, the metal will rust and the bristles will bend meaning that the whole paint brush will become unusable.

Another common mistake that a lot of people make after they are done painting is that they leave the dirty paint brushes and only clean them when they need to use them again. This can be a costly mistake as it will immediately ruin your paint brushes. When the paint dries in the bristles of the brush it bends them which make it difficult to reshape them again.

Use a gentle hand on your paint brushes to make sure that the bristles don’t come off. A great piece of advice is that you should save your old paint brushes for mixing the colours and use the new ones for painting so that the new ones don’t get ruined. Once you have cleaned your paint brushes, make sure that you reshape them and let it dry. Do this often if you want your paint brushes to last for a really long time and stay in great shape.

Paint brushes are an artist’s greatest tool, so take care of it and the rest will follow.

JLS Shock Split

The music world was fazed this week when the hit boy band JLS confirmed that they were splitting up.

Marvin Humes, Aston Merrygold, Oriste Williams and JB Williams had been together as a band since 2008 and came second on the popular singing competition show, The X Factor.

With 4 number one singles since then, they have been very popular with the fans. They have also had 4 albums and are now recording their fifth and final album, ‘Goodbye’. They will be also going on one final tour for the farewell.

One of the main reasons for the split up of this well-known and popular band is that they are all heading in their separate directions, from new careers to starting a family.

Another reason contributing to their split up would be the popularity of newer boy bands increasing. These bands could include One Direction, The Wanted and even the girl group Little Mix.

The fans of JLS were clearly upset, as they were able to get ‘R.I.P JLS’ trending on Twitter for several hours. Fans were not able to control their feelings and started tweeting the group account wishing that the boys were not splitting up.

With JLS splitting up, there are going to be plenty of opportunities for new boy bands to come through the ranks and be loved by people all over the world. If you feel like you could be the next big boy band, why not showcase your talent on ArtRadio.tv, the new social networking website for artists.

Why Broadcasting Art is Important?

There are many perks associated with being an artist; this is the way a person can get in touch with their creativity. Art is a sheer representation of what the artist believes in and his perception about life and things around him.

Acknowledgment of art is like a life line for an artist; this acknowledgement is usually acquired through people who are like minded and also share the same passion as the artist. Expecting someone with no sense of creativity to appreciate art is somewhat like undermining the real worth of the artist.

Acknowledgement of art is mostly acquired through proper and sensible broadcast of it. A painting sitting in the dark basement for years, even if worth thousands of pounds, would not earn a single praise if it’s not broadcasted through the right medium.

What this means is that artist needs to communicate with the right people and showcase their work on a much bigger platform where others can get a chance to see the work. Don’t label an artist just as a painter; it can be a musician, moviemaker and even a graphic designer.

Now comes the real question of why broadcasting art is important and what do artists get out of it? Well, to begin with, artists put a lot of effort in delivering their feelings on canvas, in the form of movie or on stage. All this effort requires appreciation and without it an artist feels worthless. Appreciation is the way artists feed their hidden talent and use it as a means to do more.

Many would agree that acknowledgment of art is also the promotion of art. A right platform can amplify the effect of art that otherwise may go unnoticed. Broadcasting art is vital so that the artist get his rightful promotion of work and also to make a mark amongst many like him. This itself can motivate the person with creative streak and can help him to produce some of the finest pieces of his work.

Art knows no boundary and confining art is one of the biggest mistakes an artist can do, as it could nip the creativity. Human interaction and sharing ideas with people having same interest can give rise to new ventures and what could be better for an artist to become an inspiration for others, it’s like a dream of every artist. All this could be achieved if art is showcased in genuine manner through powerful and right media.