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Articles for the ‘Art’ Category

When you think of Image Line, what exactly comes to your head? If you answered like me, your answer would be the Fruity Loops music production machine. Wait a minute… except it’s not called that anymore, is it? It’s now FL Studio. I think we’re up to version 9. Anyway, Image Line have been busy bees, releasing a batch of processors and plugins that are not only compatible with the FL Studio program but every VST host out there.

It is no surprise that their recent drum synths offering, then, has gotten a lot of attention. With the existing user base who make beats, as big as it is, it wasn’t hard to find guinea pigs to test drive the new system and new hip hop samples. I have had the pleasure of testing the new drum synth Drumaxx for a few days now. Truth be told right here: it’s not the greatest thing in the world, but it does deliver what it promises.

One of the most interesting aspects of Drumaxx is the 16 modelled drum pads it offers, where you can load up various drum sounds and samples for triggering. On that note, you can trigger the actual sounds with your mouse, external equipment (connected via MIDI or USB) and also via the in-sequencer MIDI tracks that you can compose in FL Studio, Cubase or whatever other host you are using.

Several parameters are included for easy modification, such as thickness, material, tension and shaping. These all shape the sounds in different ways, and you can experiment in real time thanks to its real-time modulation engine which allows for this.

One way that modification has been made interesting is the velocity triggering capability. This means that you do not need to twist knobs as you go about programming a nice pattern; no, you simply hit each note naturally and depending on the velocity with which the sound was triggered, altering and dynamic levels of tension and thickness (for example) are applied. A combination of these effects can make a sound indistinguishable from its source. You can certainly have some fun here…
So if you are on the fence about these products, I would say download a demo version of the package. I didn’t like a few of the things about it, and found about 20% of the sounds very weak or unimaginative which was unexpected coming from this veteran player in the audio game. One thing that made me warm to their marketing efforts was the promise of one donation to Haiti from every sale, as well as a pay-how-much-you-think-it’s-worth pricing system that will stay in effect for a little while longer.

Atlanta Portrait Artist Melissa Crawford can now be found on Google Maps. She has lived in the Atlanta, Georgia area for 25 years. She started painting portraits full time from her home studio near Atlanta about 5 or 6 years ago.

She keeps busy painting commissioned portrait oil paintings for two portrait agencies and also has many commissions she receives on her own. She travels the country to do photo shoots for the commissioned portraits. She recently had to fly to Baltimore, MD in February 2010 while they were having a record snowstorm of over 38 inches in some places. She had to use one of the client’s car battery to power her lights in order for her to take her pictures for the portraits of their girls because their power was out at their home for over 24 hours.

Melissa is a Member of Merit of the Portrait Society of Atlanta where she has won numerous awards on her portrait paintings. She also paints landscapes in oil. She has some landscapes she has painted of local areas near Atlanta as well as paintings from her trips to Italy, France and England.

You can see many of the portraits and other paintings by Atlanta Portrait Artist Melissa Crawford by visiting her website at www.MelissaCrawfordArt.com.

How to Have a Photo Collage Puzzle made

Today most people have a digital camera and therefore the cost of taking a picture is almost zero. In the past, you might only shoot 5 to 10 photos of an event, but now you give little thought to the number of photos you take. Cameras have also got better allowing you to take great images easier than ever before. Many shots are deleted but it is likely that you will end up with far more keepers than before. The end result is an explosion in the number of great photographs and a growing demand from consumers to find an interesting use for these photos.

Most people love to solve a Jigsaw Puzzles so the idea of making your own unique Photo Collage Puzzle from your images is appealing. What attracts people to a Jigsaw has always been solving the the picture so being able to piece together a puzzle of your your kids, or a shot of your last vacation, or even a picture montage you have created, just makes it all that more fun.

The quality of Photo Puzzles has also improved significantly recently and puzzle print, build and cut is now consistant with locally bought store puzzles. No more poorly printed images or pictures that peel away from the cardboard that typified photo puzzles in the past. The selection of puzzle sizes has also improved so a 500, 1000 or even 1500 piece puzzle is readily available today. All you have to do is upload your favorite image to the Jigsaw2order.com website and within a few days have it delivered to your door.

While we may occasionally choose a work of art with a different theme, when we’re looking for a way to brighten a wall or create a focal point, we often look to art that depicts a scene from nature.

If that nature is mountains, valleys, trees, rivers and forests, then we’ve chosen a landscape. When the work depicts the ocean, it is a seascape.

In either type of art, the main subject is a wide view of the terrain with the parts arranged in a logical, cohesive manner. Whether the scene is real or imaginary is unimportant to its definition.

Sky is almost always included in the view and weather may also be an element of the composition. Storms and snow are frequently used to add a different aspect to the works and some artists specialize in scenes created with these weather additions.

Landscapes and seascapes can also form an important part of other types of paintings, where the central subject may be something else entirely, or they can be the focus of a work that includes manmade structures, such as farmhouses or ships.
 
Landscape art goes back over 1000 years, although the word landscape, which comes from the Dutch, did not enter the English vocabulary until the start of the 17th century. Landscape photography has held an important role in the art world since the 19th century. Seascape photography developed later as photographic techniques improved to the point that wave motion could be captured.

There are different traditions of landscape art in the east and west. In early works of the Roman and Chinese traditions, there were typically panoramas of imaginary landscapes with ranges of spectacular mountains. In China, the works frequently included waterfalls, while in Rome there were seas, lakes or rivers. Often the Roman style included a near figure and a transition to the panorama, while Chinese works were generally only the distant view.

A bigger difference in the two art forms was their value in their cultures. Until the 19th century, landscape painting was not a popular art form in the West, where the focus was on religious or historical scenes or portraits. In East Asia the Chinese watercolor of mountains and waterfalls was the most prestigious form of painting. As ocean travel grew, the need to create seascapes as part of paintings grew as well.

During the Impressionistic period the fascination that drew artists to explore changing light drew them to water, where light was ever changing and reflected from the water.  Monet is perhaps the best known of the Impressionist artists to explore seascapes and sea scenes during that period, creating works that are enduring and fascinating for more than the fact they were created by one of the masters of the period.

Artist Caroline Japser creates modern impressionist seascapes in her unique colorful style.

Having a high quality high school senior photo takes a little preplanning.  Here are some of the essentials to an outstanding senior portraits:

Your choice of clothing has a great deal of impact on your appearance to the camera.  In fact clothing can literally make or break the photo. 

 Make-up can play an important role in the photo process.   It can enhance the look of the person as well as cover blemishes.  Consider adding a little make-up for your high school senior photos.  Just don’t go overboard.

The final decision about background is vital.  The background must blend well with everything in the photo.  Many a neutral background for their Portland senior portraits.   

Find the best facial angle and expression before you arrive for your portrait.  A quick and easy way is by looking into a mirror and practicing.  Test different poses until you find the best angle for you.  Don’t forget how important your expression will be.  Practice smiling until you find a pleasant smile that works for you.

To your successful Portland senior portraits!

Although oil painting has been around for a very long time, even dating back to the 1400’s; it’s still relatively new compared to other forms of art. However, before oil painting came to be, paint was mixed with plaster that was found in frescoes or eggs in tempera paints. It was not until Jan Van Eyck came along, that oil painting rose to fame, as he attempted to have more realism in art.

In the early fifteenth century, Europe had the desire for a more realistic appearance in artwork. This was because before that, art was basically decorative and mythological in aspects; however, at the start of the Renaissance, artists began to realize concepts and guidelines behind ideals of color, as well as perspective. They wanted to create images and objects that were more realistic to the world around them, so as a result, artist started to paint more realistically.  
 
Jan Van Eyck wanted to mimic in his paintings what nature really is and in order to do this, he made sure to paint every detail that he could of whatever object he focused on. His attention to detail made his paintings livelier; however, methods of painting and materials could not truly bring his work to full potential. Therefore, Van Eyck developed oil paintings, which changed the entire concept of painting known to artists. Before Van Eyck and others like him, painters in the Renaissance period did not have the luxury of being able to purchase colors that were already made. They had to make paints themselves, which were made from ground- up pigments contained in plants and minerals to attain shades from the entire color wheel. These were used to form a paste called tempera paint. The issue with this type of paint was that it dried quickly and made it almost impossible to have smooth transitions; hence, Van Eyck made the decision to use oil instead, which would allow him to work at a slower pace. With oil painting, accurate paintings came about.

To further create detailed images in his paintings, he also used a tiny pointed brush and many people, as well as other artists, became impressed with his work. They too began to use oil paints and due to this, oil paintings became a very popular form of art. Although today oil colors have evolved, its principals and color theory guidelines are still the same.  If you learn about this method and use oil paints correctly, you too can create wonderfully vivid and detailed paintings as Van Eyck and others of his time did. When you choose the medium of oil painting, you’ll be able to create paintings that are more detailed in settings, through the uses of shading and in addition, create portraits that are more lifelike. With time and effort, you will be able to mimic the greats of the Renaissance era.

Learn how to create beautiful oil paintings yourself by enrolling in an oil painting workshop with artist Caroline Jasper. Caroline’s workshops include both oil painting instruction and color instruction.

Melissa Crawford, an Atlanta portrait artist, spends the majority of her artistic time painting commissioned portraits. Examples of her work along with procedures and fees can be seen on her website, www.MelissaCrawfordArt.com. Melissa strives to create portraits that go beyond a mere likeness. She wishes to create a beautiful work of art, admired for its beauty and merit, whether one knows the sitter or not. Melissa has developed quite a following, being commissioned by many local residents, along with clients outside of the area. She is a member of two national brokerage agencies, in which she is represented across the United States.

Melissa recently took part in a prestigious juried competition put on by the Portrait Society of Atlanta. It was open to artists across the country. Melissa won second place, finishing behind California artist, Tony Pro. The competition was judged by Raymond Kinstler, perhaps America’s most well known living portrait artist. Melissa won with her commissioned portrait of local girl, Julia, in Julia with Toy Horse. After the competition, Melissa was notified that she was awarded the Society’s Member of Merit Status.

An effective bad breath cure is the dream of anyone who has bad breath or halitosis because it can be a source of embarrassment. The disgusted look on the face of a person who speaks to any individual with halitosis is a good indication of the humiliation you might go through. But finding an effective bad breath solution is not so easy for some people. Unfortunately, for some people, halitosis solutions such as using a mouthwash, dental floss, or toothbrush can be ineffective. This is because their case of halitosis is worse than for other people.

Many people make the mistake of believing that the type of food that they put in their mouth is the only factor in determining whether or not they get halitosis. The truth is that it is also due to the bacteria that feed on the food particles that remain in their mouth after they are finished eating. However, you should not do something as extreme as starve yourself in order to eliminate the disgusting smell. You should try a more reasonable halitosis solution.

There is a bad breath cure that may surprise you. You can actually eliminate the disgusting smell by eating. Do you know why your breath is so disgusting when you wake up in the morning? Your mouth is inactive when you go to bed at night. Unfortunately, this means that there will be an increase in bacteria activity. In order to remove the resulting stench, you should try eating breakfast.

You should think twice before not eating your breakfast. If you do not fill your stomach up with food, digestive halitosis may occur. This stench occurs because even though there is no food in the stomach, the digestive enzymes will keep processing. This causes the stomach lining to produce a disgusting smell. Fortunately, the digestive halitosis can be easily eliminated just by eating some food.

Many people may not realize this but there is a natural bad breath cure in their residences. The natural cure for bad breath that I am referring to is water. You are in danger of getting halitosis whenever you drink a beverage such as alcohol or coffee or have a meal. The problem is that the residues from drinking or eating can become attached to the mucus in your mouth. This can produce the bacteria that cause halitosis. You can eliminate these bacteria by doing something as simple as drinking water. This is why it is important that you drink water while you are having a meal.

Many people already know that eating citrus fruits, such as oranges, limes, grapefruits, and lemons, can leave your mouth fresh. But, not many people know that a citrus fruit can also be a natural cure for bad breath. Eating citrus fruit can increase the production of saliva. This is good for your breath because the saliva contains enzymes and antiseptic that will eliminate the bacteria. This is why saliva is commonly known as a natural mouthwash.

Chlorophyll is a substance that has a deodorizing effect. It can be used to eliminate halitosis for up to one day. You can find chlorophyll in such herbs as parsley, basil, and wintergreen. By chewing these herbs, you can put an aromatic substance into your lungs which will make your breath smell much better. In contrast, if your diet consists of too much fat from deli meats or dairy, your breath will smell disgusting.

There are many commercial mouthwashes that can serve as an effective bad breath solution. However, if you would prefer to not rely on these commercial mouthwashes, there are good home remedies to treat bad breath that you can try. You can use antiseptic herbs such as cardamom, fennel, and eucalyptus to concoct a good mouthwash. If you gargle with this home remedy to treat bad breath, you can eliminate the bacteria from your mouth and also aid your digestion.

The decision to use home remedies to treat bad breath will be up to you. If you decide to not use home remedies to treat bad breath, another effective bad breath solution is good oral hygiene. By eliminating the odor-causing bacteria, you can save yourself from embarrassment whenever you have a conversation with anyone.

Saunas have been perceived to be an item of luxury. And the other reason that they have gained attention is the role that they are capable of playing when it comes to weight loss. Interestingly, the new-age infrared saunas are way better compared to the classic old steam saunas when it comes to any of the above. Multiple infrared sauna reviews make the viewpoint absolutely clear.

Let us review the key aspects you should look into while buying your sauna. Interestingly in each of these cases, an infrared sauna works way better than a conventional steam sauna. The list of aspects follows.

· Detoxification: This is the single-most important aspect of a sauna that you should look into. The better the detoxification capabilities, the better off you would be with your sauna. The detoxification aspect is related to the stress relief aspect described subsequently.

· Weight loss: According to Guyton’s textbook of Medical Physiology, 1 gram of sweat needs 0.568 kilo calories to produce. With a good infrared sauna, an average sauna user can produce 500 grams of sweat. A therapeutic session thus is capable or burning around 350 calories. This is equivalent to running a couple of miles or more. Infrared saunas also help your body to get rid of cellulite. Cellulite is a substance generated by the body fat cells, water and wastes. So sauna weight loss is not “water loss” as perceived by many, it is real weight loss if you use the right kind of infrared saunas.

· Pain relief: Infrared saunas lead to pain relief. The infrared energy can penetrate up to 1.5 inches inside our muscle tissues. Interestingly, almost 95% of this energy is absorbed through the skin. As a result, the blood circulation dynamics are positively affected, leading to reduction and even elimination of painful conditions such as Fibromyalgia, Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Evidence has been found through studies that with the right kind of infrared sauna, the injury healing is quickened if the heat is applied 24-48 hours post-injury.

· Stress relief: Some top-quality saunas, especially the one mentioned at the end of this article (explore the resource link given in the last line of the article to find more), are equipped with Carbon 360 far infrared technology or its equivalent. This calls for improved blood circulation and quick stress relief. In other words, you get better refreshed in some saunas compared to others, and the best refreshment comes if your sauna has the Carbon 360 or equivalent technology incorporated.

· Safety: This is important – you would want a sauna which is shock-proof with ample guarantee, no matter what the manufacturer claims. I strongly recommend you never buy a sauna that is not certified by an authority. An ETL-certified sauna, for example, is a perfectly safe one to use and is on the top of my list of recommendations. ETL stands for Electrical Testing Laboratories.

Yes, to make sure that you are getting the best from your sauna, it is exactly the above five aspects that you should concentrate on, though I can think of a lot of other benefits that you get from a sauna.

And I have seen such huge lists of benefits and features on a number of websites, with none really telling you what are the actual aspects you, as a user of sauna, should really care about.

If you are planning to buy a sauna, I recommend that you go for carbon-based infrared saunas. Avoid ceramic saunas and avoid steam saunas – strictly. I know it may mean a couple of hundred extra bucks, but then, if that is difficult for you then I believe not owning a sauna at all is a better option.

Up until recently, everything seemed rosy on the employment front and on the financial front. Businesses were growing and unemployment seemed very low. Unfortunately this led to quite a few people becoming complacent and people let their amount of debt grow. Then everything went pear shaped and we had a global financial crisis. People began losing their jobs and it became harder to pay the bills and now some need bankruptcy help. 

If you are one of these people who let their debt get a little out of control and now are struggling to pay the bills because of being laid off or getting less hours at work, then this article may be for you. If your debt is out of control you are probably considering credit card bankruptcy. Before you head down this path you should speak to a professional and consider some bankruptcy alternatives options that I outline below: 

Debt consolidation loans- Instead of juggling different credit cards with different balances and different rates which can be very stressful, you may want to look at a debt consolidation loan. Combine all of your debts in to one amount and have one easy monthly repayment. If you do this and take the stress out of tracking multiple bills you may find that you can afford your payments at a lower interest rate. 

Speak to your creditors- If you owe people money, don’t avoid their phone calls. This will erode any goodwill that you have previously had with them. Speak to them about your issues and see what sort of arrangement that you can come to. These guys will not want you to declare bankruptcy as they want their money, even if it takes a bit longer for the money to appear in your pocket. 

Sell of all of those things that you don’t need- Another option to help you ease your debt burden without resorting to credit card bankruptcy is for you to sell any unwanted and unused goods that you have lying around to help pay the bills. You could also look at downgrading your car and maybe moving house. 

If, at the end of the day, you cannot fix your problems then declaring bankruptcy may be your only option. It is in your best interests to discuss with a professional bankruptcy attorney the options I have mentioned above before taking any rash steps.