7 Drawing Tips for Beginners

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7 Drawing Techniques for Beginners

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Drawing is a fairly simple and straightforward skill which is something anyone can enjoy at any time. It is also relatively cheap, as you can start with just paper and pencil. If you enjoy it, you could go on to acquire skills with pens, Tablets and computer software.

It used to be hard to get information on how to start sketching and drawing, unless you attended art classes, nowadays, the search engines provide not only information but also videos on all the techniques and materials you need.

Drawing And Sketching Pads

When buying paper for drawing, consider whether you are going to be practising (sketching) or whether you want to create something to keep longer term. If you want to practise drawing, then cheaper, thinner paper is fine. This is normally made from 60 or 65lb paper (roughly about the same weight as printer paper or copy paper). But if you want to create a finished piece, then you really need to use 80lb or 100lb paper. Finished drawings will usually have had a lot more time spent on them and the paper needs to be able to stand up to this kind of usage, also heavier paper will last longer and give a better end result that you can be proud of and display. Of course, the heavier paper is more expensive or you get fewer sheets in a pad. It can be useful to have two pads available for drawing, a thinner paper for practising and a thicker paper for your finished work. Choose quality paper for finished drawings. Sketches and rough work can be on cheaper, thinner paper, to save money.

7 Tips For Improving Drawing

Try these seven tips for boosting your drawing skills:

1. If you are drawing and you are right-handed, make certain that the light originates from your left side. This stops both hands’ shadows falling onto your paper and making it difficult to see what you are drawing.

2. Practise drawing lines of all sorts, straight lines, curves, scribbles, etc. Get control of your hands with practise, so they will do what you need.

3. Continue to develop your drawing skills and improving your control step by step by drawing circles, oblongs, and different thicknesses of line.

4. Shading is the next skill to develop, this is governed by using differing amounts of pressure with your pencil, so you can create the impression of darkness and thickness.

5. Continue to practise drawing circles and oblongs, to get them correct. Keep a record of your attempts, to see how you are improving.

6. Determine which is your weakest area(s) and concentrate on improving this /these. Develop your own individuality.

7. Use good quality materials. You can start out with just a decent sketch pad and 4B and 6B pencils. Don’t compromise on quality.

Video Of Drawing A House

The video below provides simple techniques that can be easily learnt through trying to draw a house. Practise the techniques shown, then draw and color your own picture. It is labelled as “for kids”, however, the techniques shown can be used by anyone wanting to learn to draw.

 

Making Comic Strips

A great video on how to start your own comic strip. This presenter has been physically drawing some comic strips for a while and decided to move into online comic strips. The video contains hints on frames, training videos you can watch, some Photoshop tips and thoughts on how to improve the comic strips. Enjoy watching.

 

Coloring Quotes

As well as coloring, it can be interesting and useful to have a quote included in the coloring page. This particular quote is from Stephen Covey and it has a special meaning for me, in that I often finish off the small things before tackling the big things. I use this to keep me on task. The quote is: “The main thing is keep the main thing the main thing”.
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Puzzle Books For Adults

As well as coloring, completing puzzles of different kinds is very relaxing for many adults and this can even have health benefits. There are plenty of puzzle books for children but puzzle books, upgraded for adults are now becoming very popular. Maybe you enjoy Sudoku? Or perhaps you prefer anagrams or word matches or word searches or mazes? Here are a few free pages for you to enjoy to see whether you would enjoy getting a puzzle book.

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In this puzzle, the path starts at “S” and ends at “E”. There is no external opening.

Here is a Sudoku Puzzle for you.

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Word Search

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Word Match

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Word Scramble (Anagram)

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Solutions

The solutions are on a separate page here.

The puzzles above come from this book. If you enjoyed these, you can find a LOT MORE in this 142 page book of mixed puzzles for adults.

Workbooks

There are also workbooks available for improving happiness and sleep that help you make changes you want and also include areas that you can color in if you wish. These help you make changes and also help you to relax which can have good health benefits. There are also puzzle books for kids, Christmas puzzle books and a 3 year memory diary. You can see all of these here.

Copyright

Please Note: All these puzzles have been created by software that was purchased specifically for this site and copyright exists in these images. You are welcome to download and use for PERSONAL USE ONLY. You may not copy, sell or use these puzzles for commercial purposes.

 

How To Draw A Comic Strip

Create A Comic


Drawing your own pictures is great fun, maybe you would like to turn them into a comic strip? Well, here is a video to show you how this is done. And here are some comic strip patterns to give you a start.

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And another one. For some people, drawing the frames is the longest part, so base your strip on these, to make a start.

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Free Coloring Pages For Adults

Free Pages

www.mythsoftime.comI am posting my coloring for adults test pages on here, to see which ones are liked best. You are welcome to download any or all of the pages for PERSONAL USE ONLY!

The pages are still copyright MythsofTime.com and you may NOT sell them or include them in any collections. You are however, free to download them for personal use. That means you could color them in as many times and in as many different ways as you want.

Copyright

If you are a teacher, you can print out a copy for each pupil in your class, if there are pages that you think would benefit them. A parent can download and print out a page to keep each of their children coloring happily in the holidays or as part of a project for school work, if they want.

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I printed some out the other day for young children and their babysitter wanted a copy for herself and she completed one too.

Please Comment

I would be very happy if you could comment below and tell me which page(s) you liked best, what worked for you and what didn’t and whether there are any changes you would make or suggestions for alternative pages. Please note that any comments or suggestions you make below will be in the public domain because they will be published and this site will have the right to publish your comment and make free use of any suggestions. If you don’t agree with that, then please do not comment. You are still however, welcome to download the pages for personal use only.

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If you don’t know how to print out the pages, here are the instructions for Windows computers:

  1. Right click with the mouse on the picture you want to print out.
  2. When the dialogue box opens, click on “open in new tab”. This opens only the picture in a new tab on your browser.
  3. Click on the new tab. You should see your picture there, all by itself on a dark background.
  4. Right click OUTSIDE the picture, that is, on the dark background.
  5. From the dialogue box, click on “Print”.
  6. You can now print out your picture on your computer.
    Only for PERSONAL USE.

Journal For End Of Life

End Of Life

Journal

End Of Life Journal www.mythsoftime.comSometimes people come near the end of their life, whether they are young or old, without having made any preparations for it and without letting their loved ones or carers know what their preferences are. Especially when someone fairly young has received a diagnosis of a serious illness that could end their life suddenly, it can be difficult to broach questions like, “what sort of funeral service do you want”, or “where are the keys to the safe kept”?

Will It Hurt Them

Sometimes the person or their carer or loved ones feel that they are hastening the person’s end or removing their will to fight any illness by asking questions like these. But we will all die one day, sooner or later and these kinds of questions need to be asked, otherwise those left behind can face a very difficult time. They may need to sort out a will. Was there one? Is it the most up to date? Where are the business accounts? Are there any other bank accounts? Is there a relative far away who needs to be contacted? How? Answering these questions can help support loved ones even after they are not here.

Funeral Wishes

Some people may have decided ideas on what they would like their funeral to include. They may even have written these instructions down or saved them on a computer. But who knows that these instructions are there? Do they know how to access them? Sometimes, these wishes are only found AFTER the funeral is over and it’s sad to know that something could have been included but wasn’t because no one knew.

Writing a journal for end of life does not need to be depressing and it doesn’t necessarily have to all be done at once, unless the person is seriously ill with a poor prognosis. It can be a way of celebrating the person’s life and sharing memories with others.

A journal that is bound and kept safe can be available at any time with all the instructions necessary for carrying out the person’s wants, even before any will is read. Putting everything down somewhere accessible can help the person be more comfortable and at ease, knowing they have set their affairs in order. And a bit of humor and thought provoking quotes can make the process enjoyable and even fun.

It is important to keep a copy of the journal, especially the funeral preferences because a document like this may be kept by the hospice or hospital and released only to a solicitor, etc., and the funeral wishes not released until AFTER the funeral took place!

End of life journal www.mythsoftime.com

The pilot journal has been substantially modified following feedback. The revised (purchasable) version of the End Of Life Journal can be seen and purchased here.

Colored Pencils Or Markers

What Are The Best Coloring Tools For Adult Coloring?

When adult coloring books first started coming out on the market, there was honestly some snickering going on in society. What prideful adult would possibly waste time sitting somewhere doodling like they were a child? Fortunately, some people were willing to try them, and in fact, many were wanting to do them. Coloring is one of the fondest memories many people have from their childhoods, and as adults get old enough to get nostalgic for their youth, adult coloring books give them the chance to go back in time.

Once you think about it, the concept starts making a lot of sense. The benefits and appeal to children are the same as for adults. Coloring is a chance to make something beautiful and creative happen right in front of you, giving you a sense of accomplishment in making something pretty and beautiful. Like all good art, it’s a chance to enjoy a creative outlet in a relaxing break from being always plugged in and on the go.

If you’re new to this though, whether you bought a book yourself or got one as a gift, you might be wondering what are the best coloring tools for adult coloring? It’s a rather subjective question, so keep reading to learn 4 primary contenders to consider, along with their advantages and disadvantages:

1) Markers

Pros of markers: If you are adult enough to suffer arthritis, carpal tunnel, or similar hand issues, then markers spare you a lot of the pressure needed to fill areas in completely. Markers also fill areas quickly, so coloring goes faster.

Cons of markers: You can count on markers to bleed through your paper. You might need to put barriers between pages in your coloring book to prevent the next page from getting saturated and ruined. Double-sided pages are often a lost cause on the back sides.

2) Watercolor Pencils

Pros of watercolor pencils: If you need to do things like blending, then watercolor pencils are great. You can add elements of realism to any colored picture using these.

Cons of watercolor pencils: These have a serious learning curve. Apply too much, and you get your paper soggy with colors running together. On the other hand, not enough water just winds up looking like any other colored pencil. Your images need to be on thick paper to start with, since thin pages are going to buckle when they are wet.

3) Gel Pens

Pros of gel pens: If you need to handle fine details or want fun options like glitter or metallic finishes, then these are a great way to go. When you are not actually coloring, you can use them to bring flair to shopping lists, honey-do notes, and even office memos.

Cons of gel pens: These kinds of pens often run out of their ink fast, so you’ll be going out and buying replacements pretty frequently. Some users note that gel pens don’t apply color equally under light pressure, even skipping spots.

4) Colored Pencils

Pros of colored pencils: These coloring utensils are among the easiest things in the world to use. You can also sharpen them to a fine point that’s useful in detailing images. Should you get an urge to get really fancy, you can mix these with anything from mineral spirits and paint thinner to baby oil.

Cons of colored pencils: You have to be mindful about not dropping these, since impact might break off their lead from the inside. You’ll also need a pencil extender if they get too short if you want to keep holding them comfortably. Also, if you have to layer colors, you might have to apply some pressure, which can wear down your hands over a long session of coloring.

Now that you know the 4 best coloring tools for adult coloring, sift through the benefits and potential drawbacks of each one, comparing them to your own preferences and budget, in order to figure out which one well serve your relaxation best. Options exist in each category from economical to premium options. If you want to save money, head for the kids section of a big box retailer, but if you’re looking for something nice, head for a dedicated arts and crafts store.

Knitting And Crochet

Not all color craft is paper and pencil based. You can create color and enjoyment through textiles and yarn too, through knitting and crochet, among other crafts. Crochet and knitting do not have to be only about clothing. Recent events have included woollen woods, where woodland has been decorated with knitted or crocheted items such as flowers, birds and mythical creatures and some people have knitted covers for bikes and even skeletons!

You can find information about woollen woods online with a search. Many of these include prior workshops and help for anyone wanting to contribute a piece of woollen art to the outdoor exhibition. There is a woollen wood in Ireland at the Jubilee wood in Whitehead, County Antrim. This was the scene of fresh woollen decorations on Saturday 16th June 2018.

Some places also have active local communities with groups, workshops and demonstrations available for anyone interested in taking up knitting or crochet. Some of these are friendship groups, set up to help people gain some social contact, others provide knitted and crocheted goods to various charities, such as twiddle mitts for dementia sufferers and tiny clothes for premature babies. Any area with a local shop that sells yarn and wool may be the centre or a link for local groups involved in yarn crafts and may even be involved in yarn and wool festivals.